Sean Casey made an lively first impression on Wednesday.
The Yankees’ new hitting coach spent about 25 minutes with reporters over Zoom. While doing so, the previous first baseman and MLB Network analyst spoke emphatically about hitting, why he’s well-suited for the gig, the Yankees’ offensive struggles, and extra. And he did so whereas sporting what he known as the primary mustache of his life — a tribute to his childhood idol, Don Mattingly.
“The history, the storied franchise, all of the players who’ve had the opportunity to wear the pinstripes; I think it’s a dream for any player in this industry,” Casey stated in a gap assertion.
He went on to say that successful a World Series — and his first-ever ring after 12 seasons within the majors – is “the ultimate goal” earlier than answering questions and speaking about his profession so far.
CASEY THE CONNECTOR
Casey stated that he’s wanting ahead to attending to know the Yankees’ hitters and everybody’s particular person fashion on the plate. He additionally feels that his enjoying expertise will enable him to narrate to a veteran-heavy lineup.
“There’s nothing that you’ve struggled through, there’s nothing new that you have done that I haven’t done and I haven’t been there,” Casey stated. “I really want to connect with these guys and I want to find out what their approach is. I want to find out what’s made them big leaguers and made them great and made them MVPs and batting champions and getting a chance to be Rookies of the Year and good prospects. I’m looking forward to connecting with them right away.”
Casey stated he’s already had lengthy talks with Aaron Judge and Josh Donaldson, along with chats with Anthony Rizzo, Harrison Bader and Anthony Volpe. He’s additionally texted a handful of fellows, together with Gleyber Torres, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Kyle Higashioka.
Casey deliberate on flying to Denver with the group for the beginning of the second half, which begins Friday.
CAN HE MAKE AN IMPACT
It’s no secret that the Yankees have underperformed offensively. They wouldn’t have kicked Dillon Lawson to the curb for Casey if that weren’t true.
Lawson, in his second season because the group’s lead hitting coach, oversaw an offense that’s twenty ninth in hits (690), twenty eighth in common (.231), twenty sixth in on-base share (.300) and twenty first in wRC+. Those numbers received even worse after Judge tore a ligament in his proper massive toe on June 3. Over that stretch, they rank final in hits (218), common (.218) and on-base-percentage (.288); twenty ninth in RBI (105); twenty eighth in runs (117); twenty seventh in wRC+ (85); twenty sixth in slugging (.379); twenty fifth in fWAR (1.7); and twenty fourth in Okay% (20.3).
Meanwhile, people like Donaldson, Rizzo, Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu have all upset.
Casey, nonetheless, is assured that he can flip issues round regardless of not having any main league teaching expertise.
“One hundred percent,” Casey stated. “I’ve been there. I’ve been there at a point where I’ve had underachieving first halves. I’ve had those struggles. I know I’m going to be able to tap into these guys and get their talent out. We’re too talented. This team is too talented. This team is loaded with professional hitters. I always think the back of the baseball card doesn’t lie. Eventually, we got to figure out a way to get it going. I feel like I’m the right guy to tap into these guys and get this cast hot in the second half.”
ISSUES HE’S NOTICED
Casey stated that he’s had a while to observe just a few Yankees video games and a few movie. He’s seen “tension” through the at-bats, in addition to numerous fast outs and straightforward innings for opposing pitchers.
“I know in this game, when you struggle, the anxiety kind of creeps in a little bit and you’re chasing a little bit more,” Casey stated. “Maybe you’re swinging earlier than you would like because you kind of want to do so well.”
Casey stated that he’ll preach “hunting the zone” and ready for “pitches that we can handle.” He desires to see the group grind out at-bats and get to bullpens sooner.
“I’m seeing a lot of maybe five-, six-, seven-, eight-pitch innings,” Casey stated. “From the outside looking in, I’m like, ‘That’s very unlike the Yankees. That is not the Yankee way. That is not the way these guys go about it.’”
TALKING TIMELINES
Casey confirmed that his contract is for the remainder of the season. Once it’s over, he and the Yankees will see the place issues stand.
Casey additionally stated that the Yankees reached out to him over the winter about an aiding hitting coach emptiness, however the timing didn’t work as a result of some well being issues inside his household. His fiancée had simply been identified with breast most cancers, whereas his father was recuperating from a second open-heart surgical procedure.
“It just wasn’t the right time to do it,” Casey stated. “I couldn’t do it back in February or January. I couldn’t commit to it. It’s a different season for me in my life right now. My dad’s home and he’s doing well, and my fiancée just finished up her radiation and she’s cancer free right now. It just seemed to work.”
Casey stated the Yankees reignited their curiosity this previous weekend. Aaron Boone, a teammate in Cincinnati, reached out to test on Casey’s fiancée, and to the touch base about his attainable availability.
“I feel like there was a kind of a seriousness in his voice,” Casey stated. “We revisited it over the weekend, and then the ball just kind of got rolling. I said that if the opportunity presented itself for me to be the hitting coach of the Yankees, I would definitely be interested.”
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
Perhaps the most important distinction between Lawson and Casey is that the latter has massive league enjoying expertise. While loads of nice coaches haven’t performed within the majors, Casey does see that as a bonus.
“When you get to the big leagues, there’s something about the mentality of it,” Casey stated. “It’s a tough place to be — the ups and the downs, the blokes that you simply’re dealing with on the market each day.
“A lot of guys that I crossed paths with that had been in the big leagues that were coaches, I know that for me, that gave me some comfort.”
BUT HE’S A FIRST-TIME COACH
While Casey is new to his job, he believes that his time within the majors and at MLB Network ready him to be an “incredible coach.” He stated that he needed to do hitting demonstrations on tv, along with analyzing gamers and watching movie.
“MLB Network has made me so ready for this job, no doubt about it,” Casey insisted. “I’ve basically been a coach for a long time. I’m excited.”
Casey added that his “biggest learning curve” will likely be understanding every hitter’s course of in a fast method.
WHO WERE HIS FAVORITES?
Casey stated that, from the time he was 15, he realized to hit from Frank Porco, an teacher from Pennsylvania. Casey grew up there.
And as for his favourite main league hitting coaches? That checklist consists of former Yankees Ken Griffey Sr. and Chris Chambliss, in addition to Don Slaught, Lloyd McClendon and Dave Magadan. Casey additionally credited Andy Van Slyke for serving to him discover success through the 2006 World Series, although Van Slyke wasn’t a hitting coach for Detroit.
“These guys have been there, done that,” Casey stated, referring to the key league expertise. “So they had big influences on my career.”
BALANCING OLD AND NEW
Casey additionally stated that MLB Network and his enjoying profession gave him an appreciation for and understanding of analytics, and that they don’t “intimidate” him.
He plans on balancing that information with a traditional baseball mindset whereas catering to every hitter’s wants.
“I will come into it with my old school approach, but also my new school approach of analytics,” he stated whereas noting that some gamers choose simplicity. “You’d be loopy to not take the knowledge.
“I don’t want to just give you all the information that you have and it’s like drinking out of a fire hose where you’re like, ‘Whoa, this is too much.’ I want to know what these guys need.”
UNDERSTANDING THE PRESSURE
Casey is conscious of the tall job at hand, and he’s conscious of the restricted period of time that he has. He additionally is aware of that expectations are excessive within the Bronx.
However, he doesn’t anticipate the whole lineup to only flip a change upon his arrival.
“I’m not crazy enough to think that I’m going to come in and all of a sudden, all nine guys are going to start hitting because Sean Casey has arrived,” he stated.
However, he believes {that a} championship is the one profitable consequence in New York, and that’s what he’s working towards.
“We’re here to win a World Series,” Casey stated. “I mean, that’s the bottom line. So anything less than that is a failure in New York and I understand that and I understand what that means. So yeah, I love the expectations. I love the chance to get these guys right and to be with them everyday and to give them as much confidence as possible to get their swings going and be one of the best offenses in baseball, and I welcome the challenge. I really do. Really looking forward to it.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com