OnlyBucs

Bobster wrote: ↑Sun Aug 25, 2024 10:29 pm I would like to see someone in leadership get through to Cruz. And that probably means a change in leadership. Shelton and his coaches are worse than useless. They're counterproductive. I see Cruz's problem as more ignorance than selfishness. Because I don't think he consciously decides he doesn't care about the team. I believe he just simply doesn't get it. He may not be very bright, I don't know. I would like to see someone teach him that there is more to a team than the sum of its individual performances. Players contribute to the team in a variety of ways. Sometimes as much as what they don't do as what they do. He can help the team more by not playing SS, by not running into ill-advised outs, by not lazily admiring his hit instead of sprinting for extra bases. I think he's accustomed to being the freak on the field at every level he's played and people just marveling at his abilities. I doubt he's ever grasped the concept of just being one of the players all doing the best they can to obtain a favorable outcome for the team. Maybe I'm wrong and he just doesn't care. But he needs to mature as a player and I'd rather it be here than with another organization laughing at the Pirates for another failed attempt to develop a player.