KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -Jose Guillen's profanity-filled tirade moments after the Kansas City Royals squandered a five-run lead and lost their 10th game in a row earned the outspoken outfielder a big thumbs-up from his frustrated bosses.
``Jose and I met,'' manager Trey Hillman said Thursday, a night after that loss to the Minnesota Twins. ``I said, 'Love your message, love your message. Just don't like the way you said it. Some of the language you used, we would greatly prefer that you didn't use.'''
Guillen, who signed a three-year, $36 million free agent contract last winter, blasted unnamed teammates and challenged them to ``learn to play this game right.''
``Too many babies in here,'' he said, spicing each comment with obscenities. ``They don't know how to play the game and how to win games. Now I know why this organization has been losing for a while. Now I know.''
Before batting practice on Thursday, the Royals had a team meeting to discuss their demoralizing streak.
It evidently didn't do much good. Kansas City lost its 11th straight a few hours later, 5-1 to the Twins.
Long losing streaks and angry fans are nothing new in Kansas City, which has had only one winning season in the last 14 non-strike years. Their current skid is their longest since losing 13 in a row from May 12-25, 2006. Eight times in the past 10 years they've endured losing streaks of nine or more games.
What is new is an angry player, someone to create turmoil and challenge slumping teammates.
``The style in which he presented it is something we'll talk about. It wouldn't be anything I would condone,'' said general manager Dayton Moore, referring to Guillen's comments. ``But Jose is a very passionate person. We knew that coming in.
``I know some of the things that have led up to some of Jose's remarks. He's passionate enough to say them publicly. I'm actually as encouraged as I've ever been to be in this position and what our goal is here, to win a World Series.''
The Royals' 21-33 record is the worst in the American League except for Seattle's 20-34, and entering Thursday night their offense was dead last in the league.
``It takes us more hits than anybody else in the American League to actually plate a run,'' Hillman said.
Nobody seemed to think Guillen's outburst would create any team dissension.
``Everyone understands what angered Guillen. Maybe we all should have the same feeling,'' said outfielder Mark Teahen. ``But sometimes you say things when you're (angry) that you wouldn't otherwise say. He's been a good teammate, so this is something you sweep under the rug. And he's right about some things. We do need to learn to win.''
Moore, in his second year as general manager of a franchise which hasn't played a postseason game since 1985, seemed especially pleased at Guillen's fighting spirit.
``I feel like events like this, believe it or not, are circumstances that you go through,'' he said. ``The losing we're experiencing now, the outburst Jose had, those are all part of the process that happens to teams along the way to win a championship.
``There'll be a lot of good coming out of it. I think the important thing is to move on from where we are and keep going out there and grinding it out.''
Hillman, navigating through choppy waters in his first season as a major league manager, is trying hard to maintain his cool.
``I always run a check on my demeanor and the way I'm perceived by the players, with the most experienced players because they're the ones who have seen the most managers at this level,'' he said. ``I did that as recently as (Monday) and I did it a week before that. I asked one of our most veteran players, 'Can you see any difference in my demeanor day in and day out?' And he said no.
``Every day's a fresh day.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
