Former Braves coach Ned Yost took the Kansas City Royals to the World Series title last fall. And there’s a story from six years ago about his belief in the process it took for the club to get there.
It’s a belief born of his time with the Braves (from 1991-2002), and it holds promise for these Braves (and for Braves fans).
Last week, Kansas City Star columnist Sam Mellinger tolds Yost's story from Surprise, Ariz., one with a key moment that happened six years ago. Mellinger wrote:
Yost had developed something like a baseball crush on many of the Royals’ young players, and had started telling friends he had never in his life been wrong about something that he had ever been this sure about.
Quickly, however, Yost was learning that part of his job (as manager) would be as The Process’ salesman, the conduit from the team to the doubters — which, at least on this night, included David Glass. The club’s owner was angry, frustrated.
“I don’t like watching this team,” Glass is remembered saying. “It upsets me. I don’t like it.”
Yost snapped back.
“Mr. Glass, then don’t watch,” he recalls saying. “Alright? Do not watch right now. But it’s going to get better. Trust me, it’s going to get better.”
Yost, now in the midst of his victory lap, told Mellinger about his time in Atlanta and his belief that a young core takes 2 1/2 years to become big-league level winners. After 2 1/2 years, the Royals won 86 the next season, and then 95 and a title the next.
“So that 2 1/2 -year mark,” Yost says, “it was exactly right.”
So should the Braves model themselves after the Royals? The AJC's Mark Bradley says not so fast.
More here on the Braves’ rebuilding:
Jeff Schultz interview with Braves president John Hart in the midst of the rebuild.
