Yost said that type of patience paid off for the Braves in his time there as young layers like Tom Glavine, David Justice, Jeff Blauser, and Ron Gant matured. But even veterans require some patience, Yost said, pointing to outfielder Alex Rios last season.
“I’d seen too much of Alex and knew he could be better,” Yost told me about Rios’ struggles during the season. “We had to put him in position to be successful.”
Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
Rios was put in that position as he produced some critical hits in the Royals’ playoff run last year.
“It’s not that hard to be patient if you believe in someone,” Yost said. “You have to believe in what you’re doing and, if that’s the case, it doesn’t matter what anyone says. My whole focus was to do whatever we needed to do to give these kids the experience to let them compete for a championship. They would know how to handle a situation and manage adversity. That helped them take off when the faced adversity in the playoffs.
“They knew as a group they were never out of the game,” Yost added. “The chemistry and trust in the clubhouse was phenomenal.”
Yost’s style of leadership adds to the trust the players have in each other and themselves. Even thought the Royals are considered a good baserunning team, Yost said he didn’t even have signs to steal bases.

“I don’t micromanage the games,” Yost told me. “Our guys like to play a certain style of baseball. My philosophy is to take a group of kids, teach them how to play the game right, and let them play. I trust them to do the right thing.”
Follow-through is important to implement Yost’s vision and he’s willing to take the blame when things go wrong.
“The worst thing you can do as a player is to play scared and be afraid to make a mistake,” Yost said. “You have to teach them to play the game fearlessly but you have to allow them to play the game fearlessly. That’s part of being a good manager. If you’re screaming and yelling every time they make a mistake, they won’t play fearlessly. That’s how you play to win.”
Yost said the Royals’ success is due to the entire organization, from the minor league teams all the way down to thorough scouting even before players get drafted.
As the World Series run and the recent surge shows, Yost knows about winning and so do the Royals who are making their move up the standings. By showing patience and once again managing change, Yost is putting the Royals back in position for another run.
When did you have to show patience to develop a teammate? Who has been the Ned Yost on your team who excelled in managing change? I’d love to hear your story!
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