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It has been a tough season for the Royals, and the strain of losing has been evident from the players, coaches, and front office. Owner John Sherman discussed the frustrating season with Josh Vernier on 610 Sports today, acknowledging that this season was a step back, and that “the results are disappointing” and “status quo is not acceptable.”
“There’s a first step to building a championship team and it’s competing....I kind of thought of us as a team that had a chance to maybe hover around .500...that’s what I’m looking for, that first step. I’ve got confidence that we can get to the promised land, but we’ve got to take that first step.”
Sherman said the organization had to “look hard in the mirror and think about how we get better.” He praised the job General Manager J.J. Picollo had done in modernizing some of the baseball structures in the organization and felt that despite some adjustments, the organizational structure between him and Dayton Moore was working. But when asked point-blank if he had confidence his front office could bring the Royals back to contention, Sherman seemed to deflect a bit, saying “I’m confident that they are waking up every day trying to think about how to achieve their goal - how to build a championship team, how to get back in contention.”
Royals owner John Sherman “I’m supportive, but I’m also pushing for the right changes. Dayton and J.J. are guys with great baseball histories, and I expect them to be the architects of change and getting us on the right track.” #Royals
— Josh Vernier (@JoshVernier610) June 30, 2022
Sherman praised the fans for sticking with the club.
“When I see the crowds that show up here...I’m really encouraged and grateful for our fans’ engagement with us. We’re still rated #5 in baseball in local television ratings, our merchandise sales are setting a record this year....I appreciate our fans hanging in there with us.”
He also indicated the club was still working with architecture and engineering firms to get a sense of what a renovation would cost versus building a new stadium.
#Royals CEO John Sherman: “My sense is, renovating this stadium & really modernizing & extending its life is going to be very expensive versus the alternatives.”
— Josh Vernier (@JoshVernier610) June 30, 2022
Sharing numbers w/ public will be “1st step in really showing the community where we are & the seriousness of this.”
Sherman refuted any notions that his attention was more focused on the stadium over his team, saying “we have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time” and adding “I am personally more focused on the ballclub and the on-field performances. That’s what I’m thinking about every morning.”
You can listen to the entire interview with Josh Vernier at 610 Sports here.
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