KC Royals players appreciate manager Matt Quatraro having their backs in times of need
In a year filled with firsts, Royals manager Matt Quatraro accomplished another Friday night.
Quatraro was ejected in the eighth inning — the first ejection of his MLB managerial career — during KC’s 8-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Why?
He disagreed with the umpire calling the last pitch against Royals second baseman Michael Massey a strike — Massey’s third of the at-bat.
“I thought, clearly, that last pitch to Massey was a ball,” Quatraro said. “Massey did a great job of controlling himself. Didn’t show up the umpire.
“It was a spot where I thought I had to stand up for the guys. I thought they’ve handled themselves really well, as has the whole team, whether they’re in the game or not. It was a spot where something needed to be said.”
In a frustrating season, the Royals players appreciated Quatraro having their backs.
“It was cool,” Massey said. “He’s an awesome guy to play for. Got some borderline calls in that at-bat that went the other way. It was super cool to see Q do that. Not surprised, though, we know he’s got our back.”
“He showed that he was with us and he didn’t want to let that slide,” left fielder Nick Pratto added before Saturday’s game. “Obviously I don’t know what was said, but he made it well known.”
Quatraro’s known for his stoic nature, but moments like these no doubt help him bond with his young team.
“I don’t think we win and lose games based on the umpire, to tell you that truthfully,” Quatrano said before Saturday’s game. “But there are things that you do that you stand up for your guys. I think ironically, two days ago, we had a meeting — these guys handled themselves extremely well.
Quatraro understands how tough of a season it’s been for the Royals (6-21), who are off to one of the worst starts in franchise history.
“It’s frustrating when you lose and find little things here and there that get frustrating,” the skipper said. “I told them if they were frustrated and they wanted to argue at the plate, I would back them because that’s where you do (it).
“It’s not the kind of thing where you want to just be complaining about borderline pitches all the time, but if there’s something that you really got wrong then it’s the right time to fight.”
Still, Quatraro isn’t the type of manager to get in umpires’ faces too often.
“Look, these umpires are overwhelmingly correct,” he said. “There’s very little arguing with plays out on the field because of instant replay. ...
“If it’s in the moment and something happens, I’m not going to back down from that, but that’s certainly not how I feel I like I need to manage a game.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2023 at 12:56 PM.
