Backlash

Keep in mind I’ve only read about Guillen’s outburst, haven’t been able to hear it from where I am. But, anyway

Yeah, the Royals definitely lost because of the players’ attitudes, not because Hillman panicked and brought in a flyball pitcher to face an all-or-nothing hitter, or because he decided for some reason to not switch Teahen and Gload (seriously, I don’t understand that. Is there some rule I don’t know about that you can’t have guys switch positions?). Or just bad timing and dumb luck.

I’ll admit that I had and have my doubts about the Guillen signing. Despite that, I do think he’s a good player who should have decent numbers at the end of the year. I don’t think he’s “selfish,” at least not especially so. His problems over the years are less selfishness than just immaturity and temper problems. Whatever. I don’t think his rant is a big deal. It happens all the time in sports.

Having said that, I don’t know Mellinger’s writing in general, so I don’t want to make a global judgment, but that piece is idiotic. And predictable. I know it’s a reaction to a streak, and the last two losses have been really awful, but the fact remains - the Royals are losing right now because they just aren’t very good yet. It isn’t because of an “attitude.” Uh, Mike Sweeney’s problem wasn’t that he was too nice, no matter what some brave Royals player anonymously said to some reporter. It was that he got hurt - hey, that sucks, it wasn’t his fault. Hey, I probably wasn’t as generous to Sweeney as I should have been either. But facts worthless ol’ “nice” Mike, even after his decline, has an career OPS+ of 119. New leader Jose Guillen, the man who “knows why the Royals are losing?” Career OPS+: 100. Awesome. A league-average hitting corner OF. Guillen’s “leadsership” better be worth a lot (intangibles!) if he’s just going to hit his career average. Yes, for the record, think he’ll be better than that by the end of the season. Frankly,. he’d better be if he’s going to talk shit like this.

I think all the puff-pieces which talk about the “new culture” brought on Moore and Hillman are silly, especially when they bring in the religious stuff. People have a right to be skeptical and mock that when it’s implied that it’s going to make a difference in winning baseball games. But I sure hope those same people take writers and Guillen to task for thinking that “milk-and-cookies” is the problem, and that tantrums and “calling people out” is the real answer, and not waiting for the talent to improve, a bit of luck to turn, and, yes, for the manager to make some better decisions.

So I think that Guillen’s rant is silly, but it’s the usual sports stuff, no better or worse than dreamy puff pieces. Mellinger’s endorsement is stupid, though, if he thinks this sort of rant makes a real difference.

But you want a piece of emotional over-reaction? Here’ s mine, and take it with a grain of salt (yes, I’m prepared to be ripped, I guess):

Jose, you’re a good hitter and a good player. I hope that you are still able to be above average (hey, a B+ isn’t bad!) when the Royals are contending in a couple of years. But are you sure you know so much more about winning than the “babies” in the locker room (who, oddly enough for babies, didn’t throw a tantrum which said that “we’re all responsible” while pretty much implying that you are the only one who has the right attitude)? I haven’t followed your career that closely, so I’m not quite sure what to make of your incredible contributions to those monuments to winning baseball like the 1997-1999 Pirates, the 1999-2001 Devil Rays, the 2002-2003 Reds, the Nationals, and the Mariners. I know, maybe my sarcasm is misplaced, you did play 45 games with the As in 2003, and I’m sure your 45 games of 101 OPS+ (above average!) in addition your winning attitude pushed them right over the top into the playoffs that year. Not to mention your awesome contribution to the 2004 Angels, as you were obviously seen as having indispensible leadership qualities, shall we say, by your teammates and management going into the playoffs.

Jose, I realize that there might be a language barrier here, like when you thought you had been promised the start in right field this year. I also know that sarcasm doesn’t always transmit over the intertubez, like when someone in a game thread thinks I’m serious when I respond to one of your awesome one pitch at-bats by demanding you be traded for Donnie Murphy or something. Hey, a slump is a slump, and you’ve been pretty freakin’n’ hot lately.

But I just think it’ s a bit much for a guy with your., um, outstanding record to talk crap about not knowing how to win and whatnot. Now, I realize that the reporters eat that shit up. They also might be a bit afraid of you, but who wouldn’t be, given your awesome maturity and non-baby-record of not losing your cool, and now that you’ve shed those 25 extra pounds that accompanied you to spring training (only immature babies who “don’t know how to win” work out in the offseason, I guess), and even at their best, sportswriters are even bigger out-of-shape-fatasses than you were at the beginning of March.

You know how to win and lead a team in the locker room. That’s obviously why the Royals brought you in. That’s obviously why you’ve changed teams so often—there’s just so much demand for your rocket arm, often above-average hitting, and, above all, winning attitude, which was so much in surplus in 2004 that the Angels decided that any more “winning attitude” would be too much in the playoffs. Trey Hillman needs you. And maybe you need him, a bit, since he was smart enough not to bench you during your slightly underpowered performance the first month of the season. I’m sure that has nothing to do with you having his back, though.

You should have called out pussies like Gordon and Greinke by name, though. Who cares if you make Zack’s list of people he doesn’ t want to be around? Just because he’s been one of the best pitchers in the AL doesn’t mean he’s not responsible for the “baby” attitude that isn’t helping the team win. Unlike you, he wasn’t asked to leave a team, he did it voluntarily because of a mental health condition (that was probably made up anyway). And Gordon… sheesh. What a spoiled whiner. He only has a higher OPS than you because he’s the “golden boy.” Stop smirking and start throwing stuff around, college boy!

But, in the end,. Jose, while I think you are a good player, and I don’t think you are selfish (at least no more than your average ballplayer), given some… questions about your past record and performance, maybe you should tone down the totally un-baby-like tantrums. At least until your on-base percentage is higher than a Royals regular not named “Tony Pena, Jr.”

/emotional over-reaction to Guillen’s emotional over-reaction