New Braves hitting coach Kevin Seitzer has gleaned much knowledge from two decades as a major league hitter and hitting coach. But one pearl of wisdom from George Brett was particularly influential in helping shape his philosophy.
It was 1986 when Seitzer was a Royals rookie picking the brain of Brett, then an 11-time All-Star and two-time former batting champion. He asked what percentage of pitches Brett tried to pull and the .305 career hitter told him only about two percent.
Brett insisted: “And of those two percent that I looked to pull, rarely did anything good happen.”
Hitting the ball up the middle or to the opposite field. Trying to hit line drives rather than home runs. Making adjustments with two strikes or runners in scoring position. These are things Braves hitters will hear plenty from Seitzer, 52, whom the Braves hired away from Toronto on Monday after a highly successful one-year stint with the Blue Jays.
“Basically my philosophy, my approach, plan, the things I teach, drills I use, are a conglomeration of all the coaches and guys I’ve been around throughout my career,” said Seitzer, a two-time All-Star corner infielder with the Royals and Brewers who called former teammates Brett and Paul Molitor the best pure hitters he’d ever been around.
“But I wouldn’t say I’d try to instill (in other hitters) what they did, other than using the whole field,” Seitzer said.
The Braves also hired Jose Castro, 56, as an assistant hitting coach, keeping the two-person arrangement Atlanta had for three seasons with Greg Walker and assistant Scott Fletcher. Walker resigned last month and Fletcher’s contract was not renewed after the Braves finished next-to-last in the majors in runs.
In their only season under Seitzer, Blue Jays hitters were fourth in the American League in runs (723) and average (.259), second in OPS (.736) and homers (177), and third in OBP (.323) and slugging percentage (.414). They were seventh or lower in each of those categories in 2013 except homers.
“We had five or six good candidates, but he stood out,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who was impressed by Seitzer’s energy and his detailed preparation and daily schedule.
Castro was on the Cubs’ major league coaching staff last season after 25 years as a minor league hitting coach in four organizations, including the Marlins, where he worked with Gonzalez.
“This is Fredi’s staff and he was actively involved throughout the process,” said John Hart, new Braves president of baseball operations. “With today’s two additions, as well as Bo Porter as our new third-base coach, we feel that we have a put a great staff in place.”
Seitzer was expected to return to the Blue Jays and while Seitzer said he wanted to, he wasn’t comfortable with their offer. He said the Braves were the first team he called after talks fell through.
Hart and Gonzalez interviewed Seitzer and a handful of other candidates. Braves president John Schuerholz and Hart already knew Seitzer: He came up with the Royals when Schuerholz was Kansas City’s general manager and finished his playing career with the 1997 American League champion Indians when Hart was GM.
"I can't tell you how fired up I am to get started," Seitzer said. "Kind of a dream come true to be an Atlanta Brave, from the history and watching them as a kid, then all the success they had throughout my career. It's an organization I've always admired."
Gonzalez noted Seitzer’s success working with a variety of hitters with the veteran Blue Jays and youthful Royals. Kansas City All-Star Alex Gordon gives Seitzer credit for helping overhaul his swing.
Seitzer is Braves’ fourth hitting coach in six years. In their second season under Walker in 2013, they led the NL in homers (188) and were third in OPS (.723) and fourth in runs (688) while tying for most strikeouts (team-record 1,384). But in 2014, the Braves struck out at the same rate (1,369) while production fell to 573 runs, 123 homers and a .665 OPS.
Unless the Braves trade B.J. Upton, Seitzer faces a task that proved impossible for Walker: Fix the swing of the veteran who in the first two seasons of a five-year, $75.25 million contract has hit .198 with 21 homers, a .279 OBP and a .593 OPS.
“I’m very anxious to get started with him and see how quickly he can make adjustment that he needs to make,” Seitzer said. “I think the kid’s been beaten up the last two years (from disappointment and criticism) and I’m hoping to be able to help him make some changes that will allow him to take off.
“With as good hands as he has and the leverage he has to generate power, I don’t know why he shouldn’t be able to hit for a high average.”
Seitzer hit .295 with a .375 OBP and 74 homers in a 12-year career. He had more walks (669) than strikeouts (616).
“I feel like God gave me a gift to be a hitting coach more than he gave me a gift to be a player,” he said. “I’ve had some success as a player, but had (a lot more) struggles. I got released twice in my career, lost my confidence.”
He thinks those struggles allow him to better relate to young players and veterans whose careers have hit rough patches.
