A HIT WITH DIDI
Cockrell credited with fixing Gregorius
HOUSTON — During Didi Gregorius’ first spring training with the Yankees in 2015, general manager Brian Cashman had a question for hitting coach Jeff Pentland. “He asked me, ‘When is he going to hit?’ ’’ Pentland recalled Thursday from his Arizona home. Pentland was in his first and only season as the Yankees’ hitting coach. Alan Cockrell, also in his first year, was his assistant and Gregorius was following the retired Derek Jeter. “Alan and I decided we needed to do a complete redo,’’ Pentland said. “He couldn’t hit the ball middle in. The plate is 17 inches wide and he was giving up 4 inches of white. We wanted him to get into position to hit and use his legs. You noticed the ability was there. He was certainly athletic and he had a lot of confidence.’’ Shortly into the season Cockrell and Gregorius formed a relationship so close that Pentland said they were like “Siamese twins.’’
According to Cockrell, the Diamondbacks and the Reds wanted the left-handed hitting Gregorius to hit the ball up the middle and to left field.
“There was some pop in his bat, just go ahead and get the head out,’’ Cockrell said. “He had been drilled to hit the ball on the ground. I think we just gave him the freedom that it was OK to pull the ball.’’
Cockrell’s plan took a while to cause a spark because Gregorius batted . 215 (32-for-149) in 46 games to start that season. From June 2 to the end of the year, Gregorius hit .285 (107-for376) in 109 games.
After hitting nine homers in 2015, when he finished with a .265 average, Gregorius reached 20 homers the following year and hit .276.
“Alan got Didi on board with everything and he has to be the Yankees’ most consistent hitter. In the major leagues you don’t make drastic changes, you tweak some things,’’ said Pentland, who watched Gregorius hit two homers Wednesday night in a 5-2, ALDS Game 5 victory over the Indians in Cleveland that sent the Yankees to the ALCS. “To do what he has done is something.’’
Working with Cockrell, who replaced Pentland and is in his second year as the Yankees’ hitting coach, has turned the left-handed hitting Gregorius into an impact player. After batting .252 with seven homers and 28 RBIs for the Diamondbacks in 2013 and .226 with six homers and 27 RBIs in 2014, when he was sent to Triple-A for 57 games, Gregorius recently has been the Yankees’ primary cleanup hitter. He hit .287 with 25 homers (a Yankees record for a shortstop) and drove in 87 runs in the regular season despite missing three-plus weeks with a shoulder problem he suffered playing second base for the Netherlands during the World Baseball Classic.
Pentland isn’t the only one noticing how far the 27-year-old Gregorius has come.
“I am a shortstop and for me he is a top-five shortstop in the league,’’ said the Astros’ Carlos Correa, considered by many to be the best shortstop in baseball. “He is unbelievable. He is really good defensively and right up there with good numbers.’’