RetroSimba

When Don Baylor became Cardinals hitting coach, he emphasized the importance of preparation and focus as much as he did mechanics.

Working with a core group of 25- to 27-year-olds on the cusp of their prime _ Bernard Gilkey, Brian Jordan, Felix Jose, Ray Lankford and Todd Zeile _ Baylor urged taking a professional approach to each at-bat.

In his one season with the Cardinals, 1992, Baylor had several successes. Lankford and Gilkey blossomed, Andres Galarraga, 31, regained his stroke and the team increased its batting average and hits total from the previous season.

There were setbacks, too. Under Baylor, the Cardinals’ run production decreased and they drew fewer walks while striking out more often.

Overall, the Cardinals benefitted from Baylor’s coaching and he benefitted from being on the staff of manager Joe Torre.

Torre shared with Baylor insights on being a manager. The mentoring helped prepare Baylor to become the first manager of the Rockies.

Mutual respect

An outfielder and designated hitter, Baylor played 19 years with six American League clubs: Orioles, Athletics, Angels, Yankees, Red Sox and Twins. He produced 2,135 hits, including 338 home runs, and 1,276 RBI.

From 1986 to 1988, Baylor played in three consecutive World Series. He batted .385 for the Twins against the Cardinals in the 1987 World Series and hit a home run off John Tudor in Game 6.

In 1990, Baylor, the Brewers’ hitting coach, was a candidate to replace Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog, who quit in midseason.

Baylor interviewed with Cardinals general manager Dal Maxvill and it went well. Fred Kuhlmann, president and chief executive officer, and Mark Sauer, executive vice president and chief operating officer, went to Milwaukee for a follow-up meeting with Baylor.

“That’s how much we thought of him,” Maxvill said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Torre, the leading candidate, got the job, but Baylor and the Cardinals made a connection.

“The Cardinals were up front with me from Day One and I’ve always appreciated that,” Baylor said. “Dal Maxvill couldn’t have been better. The whole process was that way. They weren’t just going through the motions.”

Nothing to fear

After the 1991 season, the Cardinals were seeking a hitting coach and Baylor was seeking a job. Torre and bench coach Red Schoendienst had tutored Cardinals hitters in 1991, but wanted a hitting coach in 1992. Baylor was available because the Brewers had changed managers _ firing Tom Trebelhorn, bypassing Baylor and hiring Phil Garner.

Torre approached Baylor and asked him to be the St. Louis hitting coach.

“I was interested right away,” Baylor said. “It renewed my admiration for (Torre) that he would ask that when, not long ago, we were both interviewing for the manager’s job. He had no fear of me.”

The Cardinals announced Baylor’s hiring on Nov. 15, 1991. Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz wrote, “He’ll have a major impact, assisting manager Joe Torre in a clubhouse that still needs leadership.”

Maxvill said, “He’s just a fine man. A good, quality person and a tremendous role model for our young players.”

Have a plan

In February 1992, Baylor arrived at Cardinals spring training camp with a clear vision of what he wanted to accomplish.

“What I try to do is get guys mentally prepared, get them to have a toughness, get them to not give away at-bats,” Baylor said.

“One thing I don’t like is hitters giving away at-bats. When you’re down 8-0, or when you’re leading 8-0, you just can’t give away at-bats. You have to be aggressive.”

Baylor shared with the Post-Dispatch his assessment of the Cardinals’ top batters at camp:

_ On Gilkey: “I like him. He hits the ball up the middle a lot, uses the middle of the field.”

_ On Jose: “He has to be ready to hit on the first pitch … If he just realizes and understands what he’s trying to do, he’s going to be that much more of an effective hitter.”

_ On Lankford: “Lankford has untapped abilities … You have to eliminate some of the strikeouts by getting some walks.”

_ On Zeile: “He doesn’t trust his hands enough. He has quick hands.”

Hitting for average

Players, for the most part, took well to Baylor’s instruction.

“He’s got me driving the ball by having me finish up my swing,” Lankford said. “I was cutting my swing short.”

Baylor worked with Galarraga on hand placement. When Galarraga lowered his hands below face level, he tended to hit under the ball and loft pop-ups rather than hit drives.

Gilkey and Lankford responded best during the season.

Gilkey, who batted .216 in 1991, hit .302 in 1992. Lankford, who batted .251 in 1991, batted .293 in 1992. Galarraga, who was injured early in the 1992 season, slumped when he returned but had a strong second half, batting .300 in July and .333 in September.

Zeile appeared to regress. After batting .280 in 1991, he hit .257 in 1992. His on-base percentage, though, remained a strength: .352 in 1992 after .353 in 1991.

As a team, the Cardinals increased their hits total (from 1,366 in 1991 to 1,464 in 1992) and batting average (from .255 in 1991 to .262 in 1992). However, they scored 20 fewer runs (631) in 1992 than they did in 1991 (651), struck out more (996 in 1992 compared with 857 in 1991) and walked less (495 in 1992 after 532 in 1991).

After the season, Baylor became manager of the expansion Rockies. “Joe Torre gave me an opportunity all year to talk to him about his approach,” Baylor said. “That’s why I appreciate him so much.”

Previously: Don Baylor played key role in Ray Lankford’s career