After three losing seasons and a .430 winning percentage, the Royals dismissed manager Mike Matheny last season. There were whispers of a tense clubhouse vibe, and it was clear that owner John Sherman was frustrated with a failure of data analytics being absorbed by on-field staff. In his search for a new skipper, J.J. Picollo made it clear the next Royals manager would be a good communicator.
“It’s communication,” Picollo said. “It’s really knowing the heartbeat of the player, knowing what’s going on, not only on the field, but anything that might be going on off the field.