Despite Royals’ struggles, Whit Merrifield doesn’t feel need to speak to teammates
Second baseman Whit Merrifield’s stall in the Royals’ clubhouse had been next to Alex Gordon for the past few years.
During that time, the two shared more than tips on facing an opposing pitcher. Merrifield also learned a bit about being a veteran team leader from Gordon, who retired after last season.
With the Royals having lost eight straight games — all against AL Central opponents — might this be the time for Merrifield to speak to the team?
That is what he was asked Monday by Cody Tapp of KCSP (610 AM) on “The Whit Merrifield Show.”
Merrifield, who is in his sixth season with the Royals, prefers to lead by example.
“No, I mean, there’s a time in a place to address certain things and to speak out, but doing too much it can get overkill. So I learned that from Gordo,” Merrifield said. “You just show up every day with a great attitude and go out and bring energy and do your work. And like I said, just trust your preparation and play to win.
“And if you do that every day, I think it becomes contagious and that’s sort of how you get through this. But there is a time and a place to speak up and you just get a feel for it.”
You can listen to the entire interview with Merrifield here.
This story was originally published May 11, 2021 at 9:24 AM.
