Dusty Baker's Tips Pays Off For Zack Cozart and Others

Forty-five years as a player, coach and manager in baseball as well as being the son of a high school teacher, Dusty Baker knows the value of learning.

From experience and a keen eye for the nuances and details of the game, he noticed that Zack Cozart was frustrated.  He found a small flaw in Cozart's swing and suggested a slight adjustment.

When asked this afternoon, Cozart told writers that Baker's tip has paid off in his last few games.  Cozart suffered through an eight-game, 3-for-36 slump which dropped his batting average from .270 to .230.

Baker saw something and gave Cozart a day off but worked with him in the cage.  Cozart put the tip into practice and has since had four hits in his last 11 at bats, including two home runs.

"Everybody is going to go through slumps.  It's a matter of how quick you kick your way out of it," Cozart said.  "The day off helped me mentally more that physically.  And Dusty talked to me about some things he saw."

Dusty was surprised that the writers found out about it.

"Who told you that? How do you know about this?" Baker asked.

When told that it came from Cozart, he looked surprised.

"He credited me with helping him?  He didn't have to do that but we're all here to help," Baker said.

"Sometimes you get out of synch. Usually it's a minor thing that gets you back in synch.  Sometimes it's so minute, you can't see it," Baker said.

"He was starting his swing a little too late," Baker said.  "If you watch, you see certain things. And you hope whatever you saw can get the guy back under way.  It is very discouraging to make outs, especially if you are getting pitches you can hit and making outs.  I could see the frustration in his face."

I was watching batting practice in Goodyear, AZ this March.  I was quietly standing next to Dusty as we were watching, Donald Lutz, who is playing for Ken Griffey Sr. in Bakersfield.  Dusty called Lutz out of the cage and told him to "stay in the box"   He meant that Lutz in his stance should keep hits abs tight and his knees bent until he is ready to uncoil to take his swing.  Lutz was standing straight up then taking his swing.

I was playing softball in my co-ed league Tuesday when I realized that is what I was doing.  I concentrated on staying in my stance until the last minute, otherwise I was swinging at the pitch with only my arms to supply power.

The result was a double on the hardest ball I've hit in three years. It was scalded.  I couldn't wait to tell Dusty this afternoon.  "And Lutz is killing the ball."

Lutz is hitting .302 at Bakersfield with 12 home runs and 15 doubles in 45 games.  He has driven in 38 runs.

"The next time you hope the player can make adjustments on his own or get back in synch sooner. Part of being a pro is figuring these things out.  When you get really good at it you can make adjustments at bat to at bat or even pitch to pitch," Baker said.



Baker laughed and said, "Get down on that," as he gave me a fist bump.