Hillman hopes to manufacture runs with improved fundamentals

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It didn’t matter, really, that the play backfired when first baseman Ryan Shealy made a terrific diving catch before the ball hit the ground and turned it into a double play. That was viewed, instead, as a defensive bonus.

Peña’s bunt represented definite progress.

“I want to put Tony in those situations,” Hillman said. “In two (simulated) games, he’s already improved.”

DeJesus, too, has become an advocate of the increased emphasis on fundamentals.

“That’s the way baseball is supposed to be played,” he said. “It’s not little ball. It’s getting the guy in. It’s moving the runners over when you have to. That’s the way the game has been played for a long time.

“We were bad at it last year. It showed last year that it’s something we needed to work on. He comes in here, and he’s the right type of guy. He stresses those little things.”

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Hillman contends he already sees progress after just two intense simulations. Five more drills are scheduled between now and March 11.

“We’re going to keep hammering it,” he pledged. “The great part for me as a manager, and the rest of the staff, is these guys are not complaining about this. They realize their deficiencies — they’re seeing them and it’s playing out.”

The Royals lost 93 games last year. They finished last in the AL Central for a fourth straight season. They had lots of deficiencies, and still do.

It makes for an attentive group.

“We’re not a team that can sit back and wait for the three-run home run,” outfielder Mark Teahen said. “Those will come, but we’ve got to find other ways to score runs — especially on days when we’re playing in the division and going up against some of the best pitchers in the game.

“We understand what type of team we are. And being such a young team, I think guys are more open to learning different ways to score runs, whether it be bunting or hitting-and-running.”

A series of sloppy bunting techniques last Friday prompted this lecture.

“When am I going to ask you to bunt?” Hillman questioned. “If you’re not bunting for a base hit, when am I going to ask you to bunt? Generally, it will be the seventh, eighth or ninth inning.

“That’s when you have the setup man or the closer in the game. The point is, the stuff you’re facing is nasty. It’s going to be high-velocity with sink, slide, split or a serious hammer.

“Those guys aren’t easy to bunt off of. You’d better be fundamentally sound and plan on getting the ball down in the right location. Simplify your technique.”

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The message is taking hold.

“What we’re doing,” DeJesus said, “it makes you more aware. You know the situation you’re in. Runner on second base and nobody out? Get that bunt down. You do that, and you build a team aura. Stuff like that makes everyone responsible for that run.”

Adds Grudzielanek: “It keeps you in tune with the game. You’ve got to understand it’s all about what your role on the team is. I think we’ll understand that better than ever this year.”

That shared responsibility speaks to the heart of Treyball.

“I’m big on the wa, which is chemistry,” Hillman said. “And I’m big on what kind of messages are you sending to your team with the decisions that you make.

“I’ll tell you something else I want us to represent. I want us to be a bunch of guys who get after it. You’ve got to play the game. Let’s get that back. You can’t do it all overnight. But we’re going to grind it out and get it back.”

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To reach Bob Dutton, Royals reporter for The Star, call 816-234-4352 or send e-mail to bdutton@kcstar.com