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| Photo: Keith Allison |
“Trey Hillman must go.”
Those who wanted to see it happen got their wish Thursday afternoon after the Royals defeated the Cleveland Indians 6-4 when Kansas City general manager Dayton Moore announced that Hillman had been fired and was being replaced by Ned Yost.
It’s only mid-May, and as has been the case in so many recent seasons, the 2010 campaign was already beginning to feel like a wash, given that the Royals are 12-23. The team was riding a seven game losing streak going into the game on Thursday against Cleveland. And the Royals recently completed a 3-8 road trip – that didn’t help Hillman’s cause.
At the press conference in which Moore announced the managerial change, he answered the why question.
“Just the overall – just the overall play of our team,” Moore said. “This last road trip obviously was incredibly disappointing. Nobody feels that worse than Trey. And the first couple of games here, back home – it just became evident that we probably needed to move forward and that’s what we decided to do.”
Some fans believe they saw signs of the team quitting on Hillman. Others questioned the way he used his players. And still others scratched their heads over the way he bucked traditional baseball wisdom while also seeming to shun the value of statistics.
In the end, it came down to wins and losses and there just weren’t enough wins.
At the press conference, Moore grew emotional when speaking about Hillman.
“I love Trey Hillman,” Moore said. “I really do. I love him as a – ”
Moore couldn’t finish the sentence without dropping his head slightly and pausing for 27 seconds while attempting to regain his composure.
After Moore’s comments, Hillman chose to address the media – even going so far as to field questions about the game first and then sticking around to answer all of the media’s questions about his firing.
Hillman thanked nearly everybody affiliated with the organization – including the PR staff, the grounds crew, the promotions staff, and the alumni – saying he understands how hungry the community is to see the Royals win and that sometimes difficult decisions need to be made.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a classier exit in all my years of watching sports – especially from a guy who has been asked to leave.
The thing about being a fan of this game is that it is easy to get caught up in the numbers while forgetting that there are people – good people – who are doing everything they know to do turn those numbers in our favor. Some of the things Dayton Moore said to me last week when I interviewed him in Omaha reminded me of that. Hillman drove the point home again today.
I know that some have mocked Moore’s comments from the interview I did with him when he answered my question about what he meant when he said he wanted to surround himself with people who have a critical eye and not a critical spirit. I found that ironic.
Some even perceived his comments as a swipe at fans, and to some degree I understand why they might think that. Last season, the relationship between Moore and the fans became contentious for several reasons and I think fans had a right to feel slighted. But I think he learned from that. The guy I spoke to last week couldn’t have been more humble.
In reality, Moore wasn’t talking about fans when he answered my question. However, I do think his distinction between a critical eye and a critical spirit probably could apply to and benefit all relationships. Instead he was talking about the need to surround himself with staff who are willing to say what needs to be said for the betterment of the team.
Presumably, that included Trey Hillman. Judging by Moore’s reaction this afternoon at the press conference, I feel safe in making that presumption.
That type of relationship works both ways. And over the past 24 hours, Moore said the hard thing that needed to be said to Hillman. And it did need to be said.
Ultimately though, both men exhibited civility, sportsmanship and common human decency when dealing with one another. And while none of those characteristics guarantee a winning record, I wouldn’t want to be a fan of an organization that wins without those characteristics.
