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Gaetti's calm approach helps Bulls' bats get going

By Jake Lloyd

May 19, 2008

There's a big reason why there was no panic in the Durham Bulls clubhouse during a stretch when the Bulls failed to score more than four runs in 11 of 14 games and went 5-9:

The steadying presence of Gary Gaetti.

Gaetti is in his second season as Durham's hitting coach. Helped by his guidance, the Bulls' bats are finally coming alive. Durham, which is off on Monday before a Tuesday game at Charlotte, has won five of its last seven games and is 20-23 overall.

Gaetti is well-known in baseball circles for his 20-year major league playing career, which included 2,280 hits, 360 home runs and a World Series championship with the Minnesota Twins in 1987.

He retired in 2000 as one of just 37 players with at least 2,250 hits and 350 home runs, and his long balls rank sixth all-time among third basemen.

More important for the Bulls is that Gaetti can teach hitting just as well as he did it. That was evident last season, when Durham led the International League in home runs and advanced all the way to the Governors' Cup series.

"He's very consistent and doesn't overanalyze anything," said Chris Richard, who blasted two home runs in Durham's 8-4 win over Charlotte Saturday. "I think he takes everyone on with a one-on-one mentality, so everyone's different.

"I think he knows what everyone's keys are as far as getting them going, and he's got a good relationship with everybody."

Gaetti has spent a lot of time working with leadoff hitter Fernando Perez on making contact, especially when Perez is facing two strikes. That labor paid off Saturday, when Perez led off the bottom of the first inning with a two-strike home run, his first of the season. The switch hitter finished a double short of the cycle.

"(He's worked with me) on just trying to be a tougher out," Perez said. "You know, making more contact, just making sure I'm putting the ball in play a lot because when I do that, it's very difficult to get me out."

Whatever Gaetti says, the players listen. He's no Tony Gwynn, but the Bulls are well aware of his accomplishments in the big leagues, and they're going to do whatever he instructs them to do as they strive to make it to the highest level of baseball.

"Some of them haven't had that experience in the big leagues, and I've seen quite a few things in (20) years in the big leagues that I can share with them," Gaetti said.

"But it's also good for me, too, because I know what it's like to fail at that level — at the highest level — and come back, and I know what it's like to be successful.

"I know what it's like to be in a 2-for-60 slump and I know what it's like to hit .450 in a month. So they can't be asking me, 'You've never done that.'"

It's safe to say that Gaetti suffered through his share of slumps during his playing career, so when the Bulls were hitting anemically during the first month-plus of the season, there were no drastic changes. He just continued to work with guys, and once Dan Johnson started hitting well recently, it triggered the rest of the Bulls' bats.

"It's almost like everybody has worked through a nice, little slump already," Gaetti said, "because everybody kind of goes through (one) at least once a year.

"It seemed like we all went through it at the same time. And there's been a big turnover in our team, so guys are starting to get regular at-bats all the time, and (manager) Charlie (Montoyo) has got his lineup set pretty nice where everybody's kind of settling into a role, into a slot in the lineup and stuff."

Gaetti also knew from experience that when a team begins the season in cold weather, it's not easy to hit the ball well right out of the gate. And when new players are still searching for apartments and there is a wealth of day games — even 11:05 a.m. starts — players' jobs don't become any easier.

Montoyo, also in his second season with the Bulls, admires Gaetti's work ethic more than anything.

"You know the one thing about Gaetti (is that) for a guy who played 20 years in the big leagues, he works as hard as any coach," Montoyo said.

"He didn't come here and say, 'I played 20 years; I'm not going to work that hard.' This guy works just like anybody else, and that's what I love about him. He'll throw in the (batting) cage, and he cares about winning.

"I love the guy. He's been outstanding."

This is Gaetti's second stint as a minor league hitting coach. The '87 American League Championship Series MVP began his coaching career with New Orleans of the Pacific Coast League, Houston's AAA affiliate, in 2002. He was named the Astros' full-time hitting coach at the end of the 2004 season and held that job for nearly two years.

Gaetti didn't consider it a big adjustment moving from the big-league club to AAA. And it doesn't hurt that the majority of Durham's players have major-league experience.

"It's a lot more hands-on here and there's a lot less scouting reports," Gaetti said of the differences between coaching at the two levels. "So you're kind of flying by the seat of your pants, where in the major leagues you have advanced scouts and a pretty good scouting report on opposing pitchers and what to expect.

"We don't have that here, so that's a big adjustment. You try to take notes the best you can and prepare the guys when you see them take batting practice. You're working with younger guys and you're working with guys who are coming down (from the majors) — a lot of different stuff — but it's good, it's all good."

And besides the technicalities, Gaetti is always good to share an anecdote from his playing days — some that are serious, but plenty of laughers as well. They help make for a laid-back clubhouse, even when the bats aren't working so well.

"He just keeps me level-headed," Richard said. "There are sometimes when I've been real down this year.

"From him I just get a lot of confidence and relax and make the game fun."