But I reject what I have inferred from some that “Treyball” or “Hillball” means bad strategy or stupid managing. Yes there are pinch hits, pitching changes and sac bunts which I have disagreed with. In fact, I very much disagree with many of his tactical choices. But he’s a very normal, average, pretty-much-like-every-other manager. He runs a game much like Scioscia, Torre, Gardenhire or dozens of other managers would with the same personnel. I don’t mind criticisms of a manager. But I hope those criticisms are made with a recognition that these problems are not in any way unique to Hillman, that few if any managers would do things significantly different from how he does them, and that any replacement would almost certainly use the same tactics with this personnel. I’d love to have a manager who eschews the sac bunt 99% of the time, only steals bases in high percentage situations, goes strictly by the numbers in pinch hitting and relief pitching matchups, but those managers are very, very few and far between. Anybody know of any that are looking for a job? Yeah, I can’t think of any either.

He’s thrown out just 19% all year. So I guess I understand taking some gambles. But Ross Gload? That was beyond insane.

From todays royals.com mailbag:

Immediately after the game, manager Trey Hillman explained: “I didn’t like the way that Alex was swinging the bat today. I thought (Sox manager Ozzie Guillen) might go to the bullpen and go to (left-hander Matt) Thornton against Gordon, but I’d already made my decision. I felt like Jose would inject a little more fear and he was able to get his back loose.”

Gordon has been scuffling lately. His average, .272 on June 18, has dropped to .250. He’s had a tough month; in his last 26 games, he’s batted .185 (17-for-92) with three homers and 14 RBIs. On July 10, Hillman dropped Gordon from third in the lineup to sixth. If there was a message, that was certainly one.

Utility player Esteban German, whose three hits Sunday included the game-winning double, provides an interesting option to Gordon.

“We’ll see how Alex does,” Hillman said. “I’m not thinking about taking Alex out of the lineup but, you know what, right now he’s not swinging it very good. It’s just a fact. We need to see more energy and more contact ratio from Alex and from [Mark] Teahen. It might be a case for Hermie [German] to get in there more because he’s versatile and we’ll continue to mix-and-match depending on who the starters are.”

Hey, I like German, but he’s just an option for Gordon? Not for Gload? Not for trotting Gathright out there?

Trey, there’s this thing called the “platoon split,.” Some might say it’s a “no-brainer…”