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George Brett has resigned as hitting instructor two months into the job, twice as long as he said he'd stay on. Pedro Grifol has been named the full-time hitting instructor.
Brett was hired along with Grifol on May 30 following the demotion of Jack Maloof and Andre David. Upon his hiring, the club was 21-29 and was hitting .261/.314/.375 with 4.0 runs per game. Under Brett and Grifol, the Royals went 26-22, hitting .248/.309/.369 with 3.8 runs per game. THE BRETT EFFECT!
Grifol is a 43 year-old former professional catcher in the Twins and Mets minor league organizations. He worked in various capacities in the Mariners minor league organization as a scout, a manager, and minor league instructor, before becoming Director of Minor League Operations in 2012. In 2013, he was named a roving minor league hitting instructor for the Royals before being promoted in May.
Will the Royals be able to continue their success without the calming, winning attitude of Brett overseeing them from the dugout? Only time can tell. But sometimes you have to let the baby birds fly.