Giants Q & A with Hitting Coach Gary Davenport
Joe Ritzo: What was it like to grow up the son of one of the great San Francisco Giants (Jim Davenport)? Did you spend a lot of time at the ballpark as a kid?
Gary Davenport: It was a great childhood. I was really young and I didn't really think about being in the clubhouse with guys like Mays and McCovey. They were just guys that dad worked with. I was very familiar with Candlestick. My brothers and I would run around the entire place. It was my playground. The players were nice and I've had great relationships with a lot of them. It was a family thing. We spent a lot of time up there.
JR: What have you learned from your dad that you've been able to apply to your career as a coach?
GD: Dad is a not a real hands-on guy. He's going to let you play. One of the guys that taught me how to play and hit was Jack Clark. Chili Davis too, guys like that. My interest in the teaching part came in high school and college. Dad would throw to me and my brothers all the time and we'd also go out and shag. A lot of the learning process was just watching and picking up stuff. I'd be in the rooms with the coaches and different managers and I would learn a lot.
JR: You spent some time playing and instructing overseas in Italy and South Africa. What was that experience like?
GD: I was done playing baseball with the Giants at 25. I ran into on of my friends from college and he was talking about South Africa. He said 'why don't you come down to manage and play.' I still had a sour taste in my mouth, but I wanted to end on a high note, so I played on a team in Cape Town in 1984 and I ended up playing seven months. I had the best time there. I loved the country, the beaches and the restaurants. It was a great experience. Then I got another call where they were looking for a shortstop in Italy and I went straight there. It was really neat. I ended up playing there in 1985 - the year dad managed the big club (San Francisco). I had a few friends that played on that San Francisco team - Rob Deer, Chris Brown, Chili Davis. It would have been nice to have been around because it was kind of a rough year for dad.
I married a girl from Italy and in 1986 came back and coached in Fresno. My wife was too young though, she didn't like it here and I felt I could still play so I went back and played three more years in Italy. Then I coached for a local team. I was also working for FedEx out there. We started FedEx in Italy, so that was neat. I would work for FedEx in the morning and then coach in the afternoons and evenings. I did that from 1986 to 1990. Then I managed a team in Milan - worked there for about 2 1/2 years. Eventually I went back to Rome where they opened a Call Center in downtown and they wanted me to run that. That was my 12th year over there. The last four years I coached the Olympic team and brought in dad to help. After that, I coached another two years there and then the job came up with the Giants in 2004. And San Jose has always been my choice of where to be. It's nice to be around dad - the players love him and he can help out.
JR: What do you think has made the San Jose team so successful in recent years?
GD: It's a combination of a lot of things. Obviously the caliber of players we get here are the best of the organization. We're 45 minutes from San Francisco, so it's a high-profile location for our minor leagues. We get to work with a lot of top prospects that come through. Every year we have those one or two guys that blow through the organization. (Kevin) Frandsen, (Buster) Posey, (Brandon) Belt, (Brandon) Crawford. Every year we have guys to work with, but we also have so many contribute. Next season, I think we'll have a really strong team as well. I think the coaching staffs prepare the kids well. We often have kids that are first-year players so it's our job to introduce them to pro ball and make them understand there's a lot of prep involved. I think they get that. They get the routines down. It's a matter of these players coming into their own. We work with good talent and what makes a good hitting coach is good players. I've been blessed. These guys listen and every manager I've had is also very hands on with coaching, so they get stuff from both of us. It's a really good relationship.
JR: What stood out for you when looking at Gary Brown's 2011 season in San Jose?
GD: You could break his year down in thirds. He was on fire, went into a funk and the last third of the season he caught fire again. It seemed like everyone else was getting tired and he came into his own. We always felt that if he had a good game, we'll win. He still has a lot to learn - he has to learn when and how to steal. He could have stolen 80 bases here. We worked on his headfirst slide a bit - making sure he was accelerating. He's a solid player and the total package. He knows there's room for improvement too. We've had guys struggle in Double A as each level has their own adjustments. Our job is to get these guys improving and ready for the next level.
JR: How close do you think Gary is to being ready for the major leagues?
GD: He did everything you could possibly do in Single-A. He hit for power, stole bases, played great defense. He did it all. He needs to keep doing that at each level. Different adjustments will have to be made. In Double-A they really go both inner-third and outer-third of the plate. In A-ball they stay away from you a lot until you prove you can hit it. There's different ways to make adjustments. Some guys make those adjustments quick and you move up to Triple-A. And those guys in Triple-A really know how to pitch - they have command of multiple pitches. With Gary, in talking to him, he can get into that guess mode and he's at his best when he's not guessing. He's really good when he's reacting and anticipating certain pitches. He's got a surprising amount of power for his size. He could steal third base a lot more too - he needs to learn how to do that. Also needs to learn to get a better jump at first base. He never got picked off, so he almost waits a bit too late and relies on his speed. He'll have to fine-tune that. He's a very polished player. I would not be surprised if he even started the season in Triple-A. If there's need for a center fielder there, I think he'll be there.
JR: Tommy Joseph really broke through last season starting in June. What was the difference for Tommy that led to all of that success?
GD: I think the biggest thing that happened was (Hector) Sanchez leaving. When he left (promoted to Triple-A), Tommy was given the role to catch everyday and he really stepped up. It seemed like you could not get him out there for about a month and a half. A lot had to do with the path of the bat. In early hitting, I'd throw him outer-half and get him to cover the plate. I told him you don't have to be a pull guy because you're so strong. He's strong enough where he could stay through the zone a long time. Posey is so good because his bat stays flat for a really long time. We really worked on his bat path. Tommy took the stuff that worked for him and discarded the stuff that didn't. He really came into his own in the second half. And for a 20-year old kid, he is super-mature. He handled the pitching staff so well. He's not afraid to give them a kick when they needed it or a pat on the back. His catching skills also got better.
JR: Someone you worked with only in the first half was Chris Dominguez. We all saw his incredible power, but also his high strikeout total while his average dipped considerably in Double-A. What were the things you worked on with Chris?
GD: We're just trying to get a feel for plate discipline. You don't have to swing 110% every swing. He's so strong that all he has to do is get to the right spot and stay flat with his swing. He's got unbelievable power, but he needs to make more contact. He had a really good first half. He would chase some breaking balls down, so we're trying to raise his vision. If you see something down, let it go. We did a lot of work on the field with him. He's what you call a slot hitter. You put a ball in a certain spot and he'll hit it 10 miles. I like using the breaking ball machine with Chris. He's streaky and if we get him to not chase, they'll throw it in the zone and he really takes off. You make the adjustment and then the pitcher has to make an adjustment. But you're talking about a great kid. I put him with a host family - my wife's best friend. I said, 'hey, I've got a kid for you guys - the nicest kid in the world' and at the end, they wanted to adopt him. He's so even-keeled and respected by the other players. Chris is definitely one of my favorites.
JR: Who were some of the other hitters that really impressed you with their improvement over the course of the year?
GD: I'd say Ryan Cavan. He made one of the biggest adjustments that I've seen in a season. He was a dead pull hitter when he came to us. It worked out well for him in the South Atlantic League (with Augusta), but I tried to stress that in the Cal League, especially lefties, they'll pound you away until you prove you can handle that pitch. The great left-handed hitters we've had over the years were successful because they could hit the ball to left center. It took a lot of conversation with Ryan to try to make him understand that you can't be an all or nothing guy. I know he's smaller, but he's very strong. I tried to explain to him that if you want that inside fastball, you need to hit the outside pitch. Be a good hitter first and worry about power later. Be a situational hitter. He really bought into it and his average improved. He had a big RBI year and his strikeouts went down. I think we got him better prepared for the next level.
(Alex) Burg got his chance and took off. He had crazy power there for awhile. He came back down to earth a little bit at the end, but we tried to get his bat in the lineup when we could. (Ehire) Adrianza got a little stronger and had a lot of doubles. Swung the bat with a lot more authority. We know about his defense - he's a big league shortstop. What's going to get him there is his bat. He played very well. He understands now what it takes to put in a full year.
JR: What does it mean for you when you see the hitters you worked with in the minor leagues have success in San Francisco?
GD: Like I said before, we've had almost a guy or two a year that would make it to the big leagues the following season. That's pretty shocking in itself. You have to credit the player because they have the talent. Then you credit the guys that work with him. It's why I like San Jose - I get my hands on the top prospects sooner rather than later. We learn from them too. It's a give and take relationship. Every guy is different. There's not one formula that works for everybody. You have to find what makes them tick and get their trust. We are more excited than anyone (when they make it to the big leagues). That's how we get our joy. Everybody feels like you did a little something that helped them get to that level. And the players then come back and say thanks and I miss you. I think the Giants have some really, really good kids. Nice young men. Outstanding citizens as well.