Mark DeRosa has three musts for hitting coaches.
The first is availability. “He has to be a cage rat,” DeRosa, who spent 16 seasons within the majors, instructed the Daily News. The second is a “ridiculously positive” demeanor that may information a participant by means of inevitable failure. The closing requirement is the power to resolve a hitter’s issues in a well timed method. “You got to get me out of a slump quicker than I can get myself out of it,” stated DeRosa, who’s now an analyst for MLB Network.
“You got to be able to do those three things,” the previous utility man continued, “and I know he can do those three things.”
The “he” in query is Sean Casey, who turned the Yankees’ lead hitting coach this previous week after the fourth-place workforce fired Dillon Lawson following extended offensive struggles.
Casey, who launched himself to reporters on Wednesday, involves the Yankees with 12 main league seasons, a lifetime .302 common, and a World Series look to his identify. He’s had success and exhausting instances within the majors, and he is aware of Aaron Boone from their time collectively in Cincinnati.
However, Casey has not coached within the majors earlier than. Instead, he started working for MLB Network after the 2008 season. Casey, an Emmy winner, doesn’t consider that’s a difficulty, as that job requested him to do hitting demonstrations, analyze gamers and watch movie.
“I feel like that job at MLB Network has set me up in a way to be an incredible coach,” Casey stated. “I’ve basically been coaching for 15 years every time I’m on air.”
For what it’s value, Casey’s former tv teammates agree. While some are admittedly biased, they insisted that Casey’s enjoying profession, time on the community and upbeat nature will assist him thrive in his new function.
“Sean’s an infectious personality that lights up every room, and everyone gravitates to him,” DeRosa stated. “But even more than that, he’s got a passion for hitting. He was great at it. It’s what the Yankees need. He’s the perfect guy to come in. I really think these guys are gonna fall in love with him.”
Bill Ripken, who shared an MLB Network workplace with Casey for 15 years, used related language whereas speaking to The News. The former Oriole additionally stated that hitting is nearly all the time on Casey’s thoughts, and that he’s “very excitable” when the topic comes up.
“You can get him wound up about some other topics as well,” Ripken stated, “but hitting is what it seems to always circle back to.”
Al Leiter, a former Yankees and Mets pitcher who additionally works for the community, used phrases comparable to “enthusiastic energy,” “salt of the earth” and “good person” when describing Casey to The News. A popular and revered participant, Casey’s nickname is “The Mayor.”
But the Yankees aren’t simply getting a pleasant man.
“Don’t mistake kindness for weakness,” DeRosa stated. “When this guy got between the lines, he was a killer. So I expect him to kind of bring that mindset to these guys.”
While Casey hasn’t coached earlier than, these at MLB Network stated his enjoying expertise provides worth that Lawson lacked. While there have been loads of nice coaches who haven’t performed within the majors — together with Rudy Jaramillo, considered one of DeRosa’s favorites — Ripken stated that that line on a resumé is “imperative.”
“You have to be able to have that understanding and that conversation,” Ripken stated. “If you’re the hitting coach in the big leagues, there’s got to be give and take, back and forth, between the player and the coach.”
Leiter argued that MLB enjoying expertise wasn’t the be all, finish all for a high quality coach. But he additionally feels that it doesn’t damage to have that feather in your cap when instances are powerful, like they’re for a number of veteran Yankees proper now.
“When you’re struggling, usually you don’t really want to hear the truth because it’s a very fragile sport,” Leiter stated. “There’s some degree of insecurity to all of it, irrespective of who you’re, irrespective of how a lot you’re making.
“When you struggle, and now I have a hitting coach who is kind of grinding down on me and maybe getting a little harsh — as expected because you’re not performing — there is a piece [of you] to say, ‘Hey, what the f—k, man? What do you know? You’ve never played.’ And not to say that it immediately goes there, but if a [coach] gets to an unreasonable place, either in his comments or his information, that’s where there lies the problem a little bit with a guy who’s never played. Casey’s not going to challenge that because he’s going to be positive.”
Leiter added that Casey comes with “street cred” after showing in 1,405 MLB video games.
He additionally comes with an understanding of analytics, one thing his MLB Network job helped with. While there have been loads of superior stats when Casey performed, being on TV with individuals like studio host Brian Kenny required him to maintain up with new metrics and terminology.
As the Yankees’ hitting coach, Casey plans on mixing a few of these numbers with a extra basic mindset.
“You can’t just, in this game, come in as an old school guy,” he stated. “I will come into it with my old school approach, but also the new school approach of analytics. You’d be crazy not to take the information.”
However, Casey additionally believes in attending to know every hitter and catering to their method and preferences. Some could not need all the data the Yankees can present, which Casey in comparison with “drinking out of a fire hose” for some.
“He’s intelligent and understanding enough to know that the statistics and data and biomechanics and all of those aspects of where we are with technology is definitely a great complement to helping players,” Leiter stated, however the former pitcher additionally thinks MLB has gotten “in the weeds” in the case of analytics. He stated Casey will strike a steadiness that some hitters want.
“Sometimes simplicity is a really good thing,” Leiter stated.
Whatever strategies Casey deploys, the Yankees absolutely received’t complain in the event that they work.
The lineup has underachieved all season, and it has cratered with Aaron Judge on the injured listing. With no set timetable for the reigning MVP’s return, it’s Casey job to repair or enhance the group and people likes Josh Donaldson, DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton.
“I know I’m going to be able to tap into these guys and get their talent out,” Casey stated. “We’re too talented.”
Fair or not, Casey signed up for the duty with restricted time to drag it off earlier than the commerce deadline. His work begins Friday in Denver, the place he and the Yankees get pleasure from enjoying at a hitter-friendly altitude.
Regardless of elevation, Casey’s former teammates count on him to thrive in his new function.
“I’m sitting here as a fan of Sean Casey,” Ripken stated, “and I’m thinking there’s going to be some visible results coming soon for the New York Yankees.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com