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03-14-2003, 10:02 AM
Story by Bill Ladsen @ MLB.com (http://montreal.expos.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mon/news/mon_news.jsp?ymd=20030311&content_id=216669&vkey=spt2003news&fext=.jsp)
McCraw's teachings a big hit
Batting coach offers valuable insights
VIERA, Fla. -- Tom McCraw will be the first to tell you not to give him credit for the great seasons outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and second baseman Jose Vidro enjoyed a year ago. They were superstars before McCraw became manager Frank Robinson's hitting coach in 2002, and they will continue to be All-Stars when he leaves the organization.
Don't sell the hitting coach short. Guerrero and Vidro indeed ask for help, and McCraw provides the information that they seek. However, McCraw feels that he earns his money by making sure that lesser known players such as rookies Terrmel Sledge, Matt Cepicky and Ron Calloway come close to the level of a Guerrero and a Vidro.
"I could have come in here and buddy up with Vidro and Vlady, and latch on to them. Well, that's not satisfying to me," said McCraw, who hit .246 as a Major Leaguer from 1963 to 1975. "Now what I need to do for those guys is learn what makes them tick, and I can be an extra set of eyes for them. But you have to do some mind changing and physical changes with the lesser players. And that's what I do as well as anybody in this game. I can take a lesser player, get his head straight and elevate him to another level."
McCraw can back up those words. In 2002, for example, outfielder Brad Wilkerson led all National League rookies in several hitting categories including home runs (20), RBIs (59), and multi-hit games (39). Wilkerson wound up finishing second in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting behind Colorado pitcher Jason Jennings.
During September, McCraw watched Endy Chavez and Jamey Carroll become integral players who helped the Expos win 12 out of their last 15 games.
In fact, under McCraw's tutelage, the Expos placed seventh in the National League in hitting, and sixth in runs scored and slugging percentage.
"[McCraw] has that knack of getting through to hitters," Robinson said. "Our philosophy is a lot alike and he is always seeking advice from other people that he feels are good hitters. [He picks] their brain and puts it into use as he sees fit with certain hitters. He's low key, a hard worker and always has time for the hitter."
After talking to great hitters such as Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose and Kirby Puckett, McCraw figured out that it was the mental approach to hitting that made these legendary stars so great.
"Through these interviews that I have done with these guys, the one thing that really came out was they all thought alike," McCraw said. "It's amazing to me that Pete Rose would think just like Frank Robinson. That's the one thing that came out, and I said 'Boy, this is where everybody else falls off the track. That's where I fell off the track [as a player].
"You have to have a plan as a hitter. The pitcher has a plan to get you out. You have to have a plan to hit. And that's where a lot of them come up short to begin with. They don't have a plan. They step in there like I did, and you just decide whether you can hit it when it's on its way to the plate."
During his career, McCraw has been a hitting instructor for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, and Houston Astros. He has watched his players take his philosophy to hitting seriously. Todd Hundley and Bernard Gilkey had their best seasons under McCraw while playing for the Mets in 1996. Both drove in over 100 runs, while Gilkey hit .317.
There were the "Killer Bees" in Houston that featured Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio and Derek Bell. But McCraw is most proud of what he did to help Richard Hidalgo and Brad Ausmus become successful.
McCraw groomed Baltimore's Randy Mulligan into a respectable hitter after he languished for years in the minors.
Today, McCraw is working on the development of Damon Buford and Jeff Liefer.
"Why would I spend my time watching Vladimir? He has been hitting .300 for five years and driving in 100 runs and hitting 40 home runs," McCraw said. "I know if Montreal is going to be a better ballclub, I need to get the [Michael] Barretts, the Cepickys, the Calloways, the [Brian] Schneiders and the Wilkersons to elevate their games. Now once they elevate their games, we will be a pretty good ballclub. Most hitting instructors will latch on to superstars. I don't believe in that. I need to have the satisfaction knowing that I helped a guy prolong his career."
McCraw's teachings a big hit
Batting coach offers valuable insights
VIERA, Fla. -- Tom McCraw will be the first to tell you not to give him credit for the great seasons outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and second baseman Jose Vidro enjoyed a year ago. They were superstars before McCraw became manager Frank Robinson's hitting coach in 2002, and they will continue to be All-Stars when he leaves the organization.
Don't sell the hitting coach short. Guerrero and Vidro indeed ask for help, and McCraw provides the information that they seek. However, McCraw feels that he earns his money by making sure that lesser known players such as rookies Terrmel Sledge, Matt Cepicky and Ron Calloway come close to the level of a Guerrero and a Vidro.
"I could have come in here and buddy up with Vidro and Vlady, and latch on to them. Well, that's not satisfying to me," said McCraw, who hit .246 as a Major Leaguer from 1963 to 1975. "Now what I need to do for those guys is learn what makes them tick, and I can be an extra set of eyes for them. But you have to do some mind changing and physical changes with the lesser players. And that's what I do as well as anybody in this game. I can take a lesser player, get his head straight and elevate him to another level."
McCraw can back up those words. In 2002, for example, outfielder Brad Wilkerson led all National League rookies in several hitting categories including home runs (20), RBIs (59), and multi-hit games (39). Wilkerson wound up finishing second in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting behind Colorado pitcher Jason Jennings.
During September, McCraw watched Endy Chavez and Jamey Carroll become integral players who helped the Expos win 12 out of their last 15 games.
In fact, under McCraw's tutelage, the Expos placed seventh in the National League in hitting, and sixth in runs scored and slugging percentage.
"[McCraw] has that knack of getting through to hitters," Robinson said. "Our philosophy is a lot alike and he is always seeking advice from other people that he feels are good hitters. [He picks] their brain and puts it into use as he sees fit with certain hitters. He's low key, a hard worker and always has time for the hitter."
After talking to great hitters such as Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose and Kirby Puckett, McCraw figured out that it was the mental approach to hitting that made these legendary stars so great.
"Through these interviews that I have done with these guys, the one thing that really came out was they all thought alike," McCraw said. "It's amazing to me that Pete Rose would think just like Frank Robinson. That's the one thing that came out, and I said 'Boy, this is where everybody else falls off the track. That's where I fell off the track [as a player].
"You have to have a plan as a hitter. The pitcher has a plan to get you out. You have to have a plan to hit. And that's where a lot of them come up short to begin with. They don't have a plan. They step in there like I did, and you just decide whether you can hit it when it's on its way to the plate."
During his career, McCraw has been a hitting instructor for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, and Houston Astros. He has watched his players take his philosophy to hitting seriously. Todd Hundley and Bernard Gilkey had their best seasons under McCraw while playing for the Mets in 1996. Both drove in over 100 runs, while Gilkey hit .317.
There were the "Killer Bees" in Houston that featured Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio and Derek Bell. But McCraw is most proud of what he did to help Richard Hidalgo and Brad Ausmus become successful.
McCraw groomed Baltimore's Randy Mulligan into a respectable hitter after he languished for years in the minors.
Today, McCraw is working on the development of Damon Buford and Jeff Liefer.
"Why would I spend my time watching Vladimir? He has been hitting .300 for five years and driving in 100 runs and hitting 40 home runs," McCraw said. "I know if Montreal is going to be a better ballclub, I need to get the [Michael] Barretts, the Cepickys, the Calloways, the [Brian] Schneiders and the Wilkersons to elevate their games. Now once they elevate their games, we will be a pretty good ballclub. Most hitting instructors will latch on to superstars. I don't believe in that. I need to have the satisfaction knowing that I helped a guy prolong his career."