GREG GROSS: NEW TITLE, SAME PHILOSOPHY

You could say Greg Gross has somewhat of a knack for hitting and teaching. 
Since 2013, Gross has served as the Aces' hitting coach, and before those four seasons, the line draws long for his experience in the game. 
To date, he ranks fifth in MLB history for most pinch-hits (143), and his 117 pinch-hit base knocks are the most ever by a Phillies player. He hit .314 in his rookie campaign with the Astros, garnering The Sporting News Rookie of the Year honors while finishing second in the BBWAA NL Rookie of the Year race. Over his 17 Major League seasons, never once did he strike out more than he walked. 

It was recalled in a 1974 article from The Sporting News that Gross' teammates would praise him and his "magic wand" - his bat - because of the way he would hit and keep finding holes to get on base safely, which earned him the rightful nickname of "Ty Williams" his rookie season.
"The Ty is for Ty Cobb and the Williams is for Ted Williams," explained Former Astros' teammate Bob Watson to The Sporting News. "He's got more concentration than any rookie I've ever seen. He's got an eye at the plate like Joe Morgan. He's got a great realization of the strike zone. You're not going to fool him. That's how it is with Ted Williams." 
To top off his major feats, Gross won a World Series ring with the Phillies in 1980.
Once the time had come to end his days as a player, the love for the game never faded for Gross, and rather than retreating to just being a fan of the game, he instead found purpose in coaching. 
"Coaching is fun for me. I never lost the passion for the game, and seeing guys ultimately get to where they want to be is a rewarding feeling, especially if they've never been there before."
Prior to his time in Reno, Gross spent two seasons as hitting coach for the Philadelphia Phillies (2010-12), working with names such as Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Jayson Werth. Before that, he served as the roving minor-league hitting instructor within the Colorado Rockies system. 
Entering his fifth season in the Diamondbacks' organization, the veteran baseball mind is serving in the capacity of team manager for the first time. In February, Diamondbacks' bench coach, Ron Gardenhire, was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which sent newly named Aces' skipper, Jerry Narron, out to Arizona to fill in as bench coach for the duration of Gardenhire's recovery. 
Though the title as "interim manager" and some other changes will be new to Gross, his soft-spoken coaching philosophy he has brought in season after season looks to be the same.
"I'm not a yeller or a screamer. I like to be honest with players, not by getting worked up, but by keeping it low-key and communicating what needs to be done. That way, you develop player trust."
Overall, this approach has proved to be successful in Reno. 
Under Gross, the Aces have consistently been among the Pacific Coast League's best in numerous offensive categories. Last season, the Aces finished second in the Pacific Coast League in triples (53) and third in average (.280), runs (726), hits (1,393), doubles (287), RBI (686), total bases (2,206), slugging percentage (.444) and OPS (.782).
Gross is still planning on keeping hitting as a main focus in the 2017 season despite adding manager tasks to his plate. 
 "I'm still going to primarily work with our hitters and keep that going the same way. The hardest part is going to be looking at the game overall as it's going on and not just the hitters. But with the combination of coaches we have, there isn't going to be a problem and I'm going to have a lot of support."
Aside from the statistics and analytics of a player-coach relationship, another managerial-plus for a man who has worked for so many years as a mentor to rising stars in the game of baseball is being the one to tell a player that their big-league dream is going to become a reality.
"To tell somebody that they are going up [to the MLB] is the ultimate goal. Being able to tell someone their hard work has paid off. That is going to be fun, and hopefully, I get to do it a number of times."
After over two decades of baseball tutelage now under his belt, Gross is "grateful for the opportunities he has been given" since his playing days. His undying passion for baseball, adaptability and will to continue to develop talent has made the difference for the former left-handed utility man. 
All in all, Gross intends to bring his best to Reno and to the community this summer as it is a place he looks forward to coming to each season. 
"I'm very comfortable in Reno. That's the best place I have been as far as coaching in the minors. The people, the community, it's a great place to spend the summer."
One final thing Gross is certain of after adding manager tasks to his plate: he will still be throwing batting practice, and, in his words, "on a daily basis".