Swing Is the Thing for Alex Gordon

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- George Brett is not just a Hall of Famer and not just the ultimate franchise icon for the Royals. He is also a daily presence around the club in Kansas City, and in spring training.

That means Alex Gordon is rarely far from the legend whose shoes he was supposed to fill, and Brett isn't shy about letting Gordon know what he expects of the kid.

"I've had arguments with Alex about his swing," Brett told FanHouse.

Gordon argues with a Hall of Famer?

"I just tell him what I think he needs to do," Brett said. "He doesn't really argue back. I tell him 'It's time to put up or shut up. You are not a prospect any more.' And this was two years ago. I tell him he's got too much potential and too much ability and he's too good of an athlete to be that inconsistent and that bad, and here's what I think he should do."

Gordon admits as much. The Royals' 26-year-old third baseman came to the big leagues amid much hype in 2007. While he took a step forward in 2008, he took a significant step back last year. A hip injury cost him part of the season, and when he got back he needed a trip to the minors to try to rediscover his swing. Gordon ended up hitting .232 with six homers in 49 games.

"I know after last year, I need to step up and be the kind of player that people expect me to be and that I expect myself to be," Gordon said. "I am doing everything I can here to get ready for that, and hopefully I'll have a good season."

"I know after last year, I need to step up and be the kind of player that people expect me to be and that I expect myself to be."
-- Alex Gordon It's no stretch to suggest that Gordon's performance will go a long way toward determining if the Royals can improve from last year's disappointing season. Simply being healthy is a part of the equation, and Gordon said that he's 100 percent recovered from last year's hip surgery, but there are also some issues in his swing that needed to be adjusted.

Gordon spent his winter in Kansas City, where he took batting practice four days a week with Royals hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. Seitzer has helped Gordon retool his swing. Although Gordon insisted that the changes have been minor, Brett said he sees a big difference.

"He stays on the right plane a little longer, has more of a weight shift," Brett said. "I think he's moved a little off the plate. ...He's changed his swing considerably. Hopefully it will compute when the games start."

Considering Gordon's swing changes, Brett recalled how he had to rebuild his swing as a rookie in 1974. Brett was hitting .234 at the All-Star break, when hitting coach Charlie Lau finally approached him about making some changes.

"He watched me get 200 at-bats and he never said a word," Brett said. "He wanted me to fail, so he could fix me. He didn't want me to be a .250 hitter. He said 'I'm going to let this guy bury himself and then he'll come begging for help.' ... At that point, I was rock bottom. That's when you get somebody. You don't get somebody when they think they are doing pretty good. You get them when they are rock bottom and they'll listen to you. They'll give you their heart and soul and say, 'OK, fix me.'"

Brett said he didn't think Gordon was at "rock bottom" yet, but he will be if he gets off to a slow start this year.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore said that Gordon still has the potential to be a "middle of the order, run-producer," but he can't put pressure on himself to be the franchise player.

"Alex just needs to concentrate on being a great teammate and letting his natural gifts take over as a player," Moore said. "You can't try to do too much in this game. And you certainly can't live up to the expectations and hype that he had."

The College Player of the Year in his junior year at Nebraska, Gordon was the No. 2 overall pick in 2005. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was often portrayed as a savior for the Royals, whose fans gave him a standing ovation the first time he batted in the majors.

"Anytime you are one of the top picks you are going to have pressure," Gordon said. "That's just the business of baseball. I always said just make the team first and don't worry about the individual stuff."