What I'm Talkin' About

Today's post is about the American past time!

Baseball

> I wonder how Don Mattingly, the manager of the LA Dodgers, is going to do in his first year at the helm. He spent years as the #2 guy to Joe Torre at the Yankees and then the Dodgers.

> Mattingly was a Yankee and a good ball player in his day. He hit well and fielded well and was a team guy. He probably won't make the Hall of Fame but he knows the game.

> But it's quite a different thing between knowing the game and being a good bench boss.

> How will players respond to him? What will his style be? How does he motivate his players?

> Do ex-players make great managers?

Chat it up!

Trey Hillman: 1st MLB Manager Fired

Greetings,

Trey Hillman has earned an unfortunate moniker this baseball season: the first manager to be fired. Hillman was in his third year with the Kansas City Royals. This is an American League baseball team with a proud history but, in the past several years, has fallen into a deep hole.

Here's what you can chat up:

> Does firing a manager really help a team? Especially with the Royals, Hillman is deeply respected and beloved. Isn't it the players responsibility to perform well and win games?

> You can also take another tact: How firing DOES help a team. For instance, Tony Pena replaced Tony Muser in 2002 and gave KC the push it needed the following year (along with a pitching addition) to end with a 3rd place finish.

> Here's my take: you clearly can't fire or bench every player. At some point, management feels they've got to make a change to shake things up, have someone else bring a new perspective, perhaps new players through trades and juggle line-ups to help spark a team.

Good luck, Royals and chat it up!