The Most Important Trait Great Catchers Share—and How to Build Your Program Around It

Looking for the blueprint to develop a catcher who actually wins you games—and a program that players never want to leave? We sit down with Gaetano Gianni, former Reds draft pick and 2025 NHSBCA Region 7 Coach of the Year, to unpack the skill stack that matters behind the plate and the culture moves that turn a team into a true home. From leadership standards to real-world drills, this is a masterclass in catching and program building.

We start with the non-negotiables: why receiving quality drives everything, how blocking and throws slot in behind it, and how to evaluate catchers when the game speeds up. Gianni breaks down modern receiving, pancake gloves, and why live bullpen volume—especially with alumni pros—is the fastest path to better reads, cleaner transfers, and more strikes stolen. On the one-knee debate, he stays outcome-based: meet the standards or earn them the traditional way. For throws, he makes the case that short, connected footwork beats raw arm strength for most high school catchers.

Culture threads through every segment. Gianni explains how welcoming alumni and pros back onto the field raises standards for current players and gives parents confidence in the program. He shares mound-visit tactics that match a pitcher’s wiring, plus a powerful story about refusing a ball and unlocking a three-strikeout turnaround. Offensively, he details themed hitting sessions—oppo work, breaking balls, changeups, heavy balls—to prepare for 90-plus and build adaptable swings that play in pressure counts.

We also tackle recruiting in the transfer-portal era and what traits still project: athletic movements, frame, and relentless work. You’ll hear how a wild 6’5 arm turned into a 97-mph pro once the strike zone clicked. And for coaches battling early-season skids, Gianni reveals a simple dugout point system that shifted focus from outcomes to execution—and sparked a twelve-game win streak. Subscribe, share with your staff, and tell us: what’s the single most important trait you demand from your catcher?

Transcript

Tease: Catchers And Culture

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Today on Baseball Coaches Unplug, what to look for when developing and identifying catchers for your team? Is it arm strength, footwork, and great leadership skills? Former fourth-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Reds, Gaetano Gianni, takes us behind the dish, and we also examine the importance of team culture and how it led to over 500 wins and being named 2025 Region 7 National High School Baseball Coaches Association, Coach of the Year. Next on Baseball Coaches Unplugged.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

This is the Ultimate High School Baseball Coaching Podcast. Baseball Coaches Unplugged, your go-to podcast for baseball coaching tips, drills, and player development strategies. From travel to high school and college, unlock expert coaching advice grounded in real success stories, data-backed training methods, and mental performance tools to elevate your team. Tune in for bite-sized coaching wisdom, situational drills, team culture building, great stories, and proven strategies that turn good players into great athletes. The only podcast that showcases the best coaches from across the country. With your host, Coach Ken Carpenter.

Meet Coach Gianni

SPEAKER_02 1:18

Today's episode of Baseball Coaches Unplugged is powered by the Netting Professionals, improving programs one facility at a time. The Netting Pros specialize in the design, fabrication, and installation of custom netting. For baseball and softball, this includes backstops, batting cages, BP turtles, screens, ball courts, and more. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding, windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, and cubbies. The Netting Pros also work with football, soccer, lacrosse, golf courses, and now pickleball. Contact them today at 844-620-2707. That's 844-620-2707, or you can visit them online at www.nettingpros.com. Check out Netting Pros on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for all their latest products and projects. If you enjoyed today's show, please be sure to subscribe and look for a new episode every Wednesday as we sit down with some of the best high school, college, and professional coaches from across the country. Now, let's get to today's guest, Gaetano Gianni, out of Arizona, and we're going to be talking, catching, and culture building. Coach, thanks for taking time to join me on Baseball Coaches Unplugged.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Hey, it's a pleasure, and I appreciate you reaching out.

Why Alumni Bridges Matter

SPEAKER_02 2:40

Well, you're known for building a program where the alumni and former professional players felt that they always had a home. Why is maintaining that bridge between the past and the present so vital for high school baseball culture?

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Oh boy, I think you there's a lot of reasons for that. I always wanted to build a culture where, you know, it was a family feeling. And we all know that anyone's baseball career could be over in a heartbeat. But the relationships and the friendships you form are lifelong. And I wanted my players to always feel comfortable when they're at the field, whether they're coming back as an alum, whether they're a you know a professional player just wanting to get a workout in. And um it it always was a goal of mine to create that kind of atmosphere. And when you have that and and you bridge the gap, the gap between the young and the old, I think it becomes really easy for our young players to be motivated and they look up to their professional uh players and you know they want to be just like them and to have them on the field where they feel comfortable enough where they can be around high school kids, uh, I think just makes a wonderful atmosphere. And it feels like home and it also extends to the parents as well. I I always wanted my parents to feel comfortable to the point where, hey, I really like my kid in this program. He's developing, he's having fun, he's making friends, and you know, I think ultimately if kids have that kind of experience, they'll want to continue to play beyond high school. So it's kind of a you know, a philosophy that I think is really important. You know, I played for a guy by the name of Bob Miller back in Chicago, and I love him to death. I still talk to him after all these years. And he was that kind of coach who also fostered that environment when I was in high school, and and I'll never forget that. Uh what a great man, what a great motivator, and just a role model. So, you know, I the relationships beyond the field to me are super important.

Making “Family” Real Daily

SPEAKER_02 4:48

And makes sense. Well, you know, many coaches use the word uh the word family, and what are some non-negotiable actions that you would take daily to make that a reality for your team?

SPEAKER_00 5:06

I I think respect in the classroom has to be in the forefront. If the kids can show respect in the classroom, I think they're gonna have respect on the field and they'll be respectful to their teammates. And and it's that is not always an easy thing for kids, young teenage kids to understand, you know, the the importance of respecting their elders, um, representing their family, representing the program, representing themselves, representing the school. I I think when you have that name across your chest and you're representing your school, and little kids look up to you, eventually they realize how important that is. And so when I would give my clinics with the little kids, and and they just look up to the high school player, like, oh my God, could I have your autograph? They realize that their experience in high school reaches out to so many young kids in the community. And that's something I also wanted to foster is just try to bring in the young kids in there to uh to look at look at our players, and then our players realize okay, well, maybe I do need to act a certain way, and I and I have to play the game right because people are watching me no matter what, whether it's the scouts, whether it's colleges, or whether it's the local little league kids who come to a ball game.

SPEAKER_02 6:27

My my next question was you were you were drafted by the Reds, and what was the the first thing you look for in a young player when we're talking about catchers here, that uh he needs to have. What what what do they need to have to be able to take the responsibility of being a catcher at the high school level?

SPEAKER_00 6:52

Wow, uh that's a great question. Um I I I would say that probably the most important thing for a catcher is leadership. Um I I I think that position uh demands somebody who has a voice, demands a person that their uh teammates can trust, um, demands a person who's not afraid to, you know, bark out some orders to their infield or control a pitcher when he's struggling. Um so the guy behind a plate better be a good leader, number one. You know, he's got to be smart and understand the game, but he has to have really good leadership abilities. And, you know, the ones that typically move on after high school, they are leaders in the classroom and their teammates respect them. And you know, I've yet to have a catcher move on from high school who didn't have good leadership qualities. I I think that's probably the the first thing I would say separates the really good ones from those that are never reached their potential, we'll put it to you that way. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

Well, when it comes to framing, what are do you have like did you have some go-to drills that you like to work with with catchers that uh that'll make them a better catcher and get their hands to be more efficient?

Modern Receiving And Drills

SPEAKER_00 8:16

You know, old school catching, you know, I played in the late 80s, early 90s, and I had all kinds of drills to improve someone's receiving skills, but now catching has changed a little bit, it's evolved. It's it's a different style of receiving pitches. And uh I unfortunately some of the drills I used in the past probably don't work for this new style of catching. Um, you know, I like to use a lot of pancake gloves, uh, where they're not necessarily even catching the ball, more deflecting it and just making sure they're receiving it in the proper spot. Um I think that was always very important. And, you know, I always tell my catchers, you know, when I hit 100 ground balls to a shortstop, he's getting his work in. By you catching bullpen and catching a hundred pitches in a bullpen, that's equivalent to a shortstop taking a hundred ground balls. So, you know, the more you can be in a bullpen and just working on your craft and just making sure you catch every pitch perfectly, it's kind of an old school approach, but uh you can't substitute that when it comes to you know comparing yourself in a game. You know, ultimately you're gonna have to perform in a game. And drills are great, and I think they're all helpful, but ultimately if it doesn't transfer into a game, what's the point of doing a drill? Um so again, just catching guys in a bullpen, I think, is super valuable. And and this ties into your earlier question, right? If some of the college alums come back and some of the pro guys need to throw a pen, and all of a sudden my sophomore high school kid is catching a guy in AAA who's got good life and you know, throwing upper 90s, that's the best drill in the world, in my opinion, for a catcher, you know, catching these guys with really good stuff. So again, kind of an old school approach. Um, but I but I think the more you can be in the pen, the better off you're gonna be.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

Well, I just saw Buck Show Walter, I believe he was on a podcast and he was talking about catching, and he seems like he's totally against the guys that are doing the one knee down. How do you feel about that?

Receiving Vs Blocking Vs Throws

SPEAKER_00 10:35

I think you when you see the guys in the big leagues catch on a knee, they're still extremely athletic. And if you ever watch them block a ball or transition into a throw, they move so gracefully and and they move fantastic. When it comes to a high school kid, most of them don't have major league ability or it's not quite there yet. They're learning, right? They're progressing. So I don't think a lot of these catchers in high school right now, it's not that they won't ever get to that point where they're really comfortable and moving well behind the plate. They just have to work at it a little bit more, you know, just to get that flexibility and and timing with their body and making sure they're in a position to throw a ball properly and block. So I'm not against the one-knee thing, but you know, I'm one of those guys that says, look, catch traditionally, catch on a knee, you better be able to block, you better be able to throw guys out, and you better be able to receive. That's all I really care about. Um, and if that means you're better off on a knee and you can hit the standards, then by all means be on a knee. Um, but if you can't hit those standards, we got to go back to the traditional way of catching. And again, I think it's up to the individual. Not everybody is athletic as the next, and they're not all flexible like the next. And you know, there's a lot of things you gotta weigh in as a coach and determine what's best for you.

SPEAKER_02 12:06

Well, with runners on base, what is the one mechanical cue you want your catchers to remember?

Footwork Over Raw Arm Strength

SPEAKER_00 12:19

Um well, I rate this in order of importance. I I think a good catcher has to receive first. Everything has to start with the receiving. If you know how to receive a pitch properly, that means you can transition into your throw a little easier. If you're not catching a pitch properly, oftentimes your glove work is long, you're gonna be slightly off balance, your your feet and your upper body aren't gonna be connected, and all of a sudden your throws are sailing. So I do think the emphasis always has to be on receiving first. Um, I would say blocking second, because you know, a course of a game, I I think obviously you receive the most pitches, you probably have to block the second most. And if you're a good catcher with a decent arm, not too many guys are running on you, anyways. Maybe you have to do two or three throws in a course of the game. Um, so an order of importance, I do think number one, a catcher should be able to receive, you know, command the zone, try to get strikes for their pitcher. You know, and you it's it's interesting you bring up this question. And you know, there's always the pitchers on your staff that are like, Coach, can you have so-and-so catch? I want so-and-so to catch. And every pitcher has a favorite catcher, not because they block well or not because they throw guys out, but because they can receive well. And they know that pitchers are smart, you know. Coach, please don't put this guy behind the plate. He's he can't catch me, you know. So the receiving has to be, I think, the number one priority when it comes to uh that position behind the plate.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Yes, I I agree with you on that. And you know, I I always uh you know wonder, you know, because you mentioned you maybe make two or three throws in the course of a game. So would it be more important to have good footwork or have the arm strength? And if you had to choose one to develop in a prospect, which one would you take and why?

Mound Visits And Mindset

SPEAKER_00 14:26

I I do think the footwork has to be short and quick. Um I I think if the feet work uh in the arm in the upper body is connected to your feet where you're not out in front or you're not off balance. Most guys will have a strong enough arm to get a decent throw to second. Maybe not the best arm out there, but it's hard to make up slow feet with a good arm. And one of the analogies I use with my kids all the time, and you know, it doesn't matter if you're a catcher, an infielder, an outfielder, I ask them this oftentimes. You know, the fastest runner in the world, let's just say it's you saying Bolt. How fast does he run miles per hour? Oh, I don't know, coach, 30 miles an hour. Let's just throw that number out there. Okay, 30 miles an hour. He's running from home to first and 30 miles an hour. How hard do you throw the ball? Well, I throw 75, coach. Okay, well, you're throwing a ball 75. The fastest man in the world is running 30 miles an hour. So you tell me what's more important, a really strong arm or quick feet. Because if your feet are quick, again, you're gonna you should have enough arm strength to throw a guy out. Just assuming you have a strong arm, right? Not maybe not an above-average arm. But if your feet are slow and that guy, you know, it just doesn't correlate, right? You need a you need somebody with really fast feet who can fire off a consistent throw, and you'll you'll get the majority of guys out, you know, and and let's face it, you know, every team might have one or two speed burners, but the rest of the guys on a team are probably average or below average runners. Even with good feet and a strong arm, you may not throw out that really fast runner. You could have a great throw, perfect transition, and he can run. Pitcher didn't hold him on close enough, he got a great jump, you know, there's all these variables. But it's the the average runner that you should throw out. And more times than not, with good feet, you're gonna throw that guy out.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

Yes, totally agree with you on that. Now, what was what was your what's your philosophy when you go out for mound visits? What works best to get a picture back on track when they're either struggling throwing strikes or the game just seems to be getting away from all.

Practice Ownership And Games

SPEAKER_00 16:55

Yeah, that's where the psychologist comes in, and you have to really know your staff. Um there's some guys you got to really jump them and say, hey, you know, you're pitching terrible, pick it up a notch, let's go. And then there's other guys you got to distract them with a joke, perhaps, or you know, get their mind off of their pitching and make them smile a little. So I don't think there's one good answer to that. Um, you know, then you have other guys who everything's about mechanics and you got to make an adjustment. Hey, by the way, your stride's a little too short, you know, lengthen your stride a little, just some kind of tip to get them back on track. So I don't know if there's a right answer to that question. You know, I've kind of used every single technique, and you know, I one example I had this kid who was really struggling. One of my better pitchers years ago, he lost the strike zone. And uh I walk out to the mound, he's ready to hand me the ball. He just walked three guys in a row. I said, Don't hand me the ball. I don't want the ball. You're staying out there until you figure this out. And he gave me this look like, coach, uh like I can't throw a strike. I said, No, you're you're gonna strike the next three guys out. Let's go, go get them. And sure enough, he struck the next three guys out. So, you know, everybody's a little different, and you and you just have to understand with your pitching staff how they are mentally. Not everybody responds to the yelling, screaming coach. Some guys do, some guys don't. And uh, you know, other guys, you just they just got to take their mind off of the moment and try to relax a little. So I guess I would use all of those techniques when I go to the mound.

SPEAKER_02 18:36

Well, it's amazing when you show you know strong belief in somebody that that you know that that just changes the whole mindset. And the the kid goes out and he turns things around that quick for you.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

Sure, yeah, he was ready to hand me the ball. And I said, No, I'm not taking the ball. You made this mess, get out of it. Let's go. And uh, you know, he buckled up and did the job and threw another four innings and had a great game. So um, you know, in that case it worked. Now, could he have walked the next two guys and I'd you know, everyone in the stands would be yelling at me, Gianni, oh my god, why didn't you pull them two batters ago? You know, thank God it worked. Let's face it, sometimes it doesn't. And you know, that's the thing with the coach. You you could have a thought in your mind that, you know, this could work if the kids execute. But then if the kids don't execute, you know, it always falls on the coach's shoulders. You know, was the was the bunk call the right call? If he executes it, yeah, it's a great call. If he doesn't execute it, what a terrible call, coach. So a lot of times you're kind of under the mercy of of the kids performing and and you hope that things go a certain way, but sometimes they don't.

Offensive Identity And Winning

SPEAKER_02 19:49

So yes, and you know, you know, you mentioned that there, and it just it just jumped in my mind that high school coaches, regardless of the sport, are uh putting their fate and everything in the hands of 15, 16, 17, 18-year-old kids. Right. And a lot of times the the coach, you know, if it doesn't work out, that's the one that usually gets the heat for it. And I don't know of man very many other professions where that happens, where you know, you're like, okay, I was counting on a teenager to to do something.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Sure. Yeah, that's that's that's true. You just hope you coach them up and they're ready for the moment, you know. And I always tell my coaching staff that practice is our time as a staff, the game is their time. You know, if we did our job during practice, uh we should see good results on the field. I of course you don't win all the time, but at least they're competitive and they battle and and they know what to do in certain situations. But if you if they go in a game and and they can't perform those those small tasks during throughout the game, then you know you you gotta reevaluate as a staff and say, hey, we didn't coach this up properly, we didn't coach it at all. I didn't expect this to happen in the game, we're not ready for this. And then, you know, as the season progresses, I think a good coach and a good staff sees those things and just realizes, hey, it's not their fault. We didn't train them properly, and we got some work to do. So, you know, it's the season is a short season, really. And you hope by the end of the season, all those little issues they have on the field, we can work them out and practice, but then they can form, you know, when the game time comes.

SPEAKER_02 21:43

Yeah. Well, you have over 500 wins in your career outside of had it having talent. What is um what have you found that whether it's with your teams or with uh the good coaches that you've competed against What makes those teams successful?

Training To Hit Premium Velo

Recruiting, Projection, And Portal

SPEAKER_00 22:04

Um well most of my teams are very offensive minded, and I spend probably a little more time on offense than I should, and less time on defense. Um there's times depending on my team, you know. My wife will tell you, I'll just come home and say, you know, if we're gonna win a lot of games, we've got to score seven runs a game. You know, my staff's okay, I got one really good arm, and then the rest are okay. But if we're not scoring seven runs a game, we're losing. And um not every year is like that, though, right? So going into a season knowing that we're gonna have to produce runs, you know, we're gonna give up our runs. You know, some of our pitchers might get knocked around a little bit. Maybe we don't have the best defense out there, but I still got to figure out how to win a game. Um, so in our preparation, I do spend a lot of time on offense, in other words. You know, we hit a lot, we do a lot of drills in a cage, we work a lot on hitting all fields, we, you know, we work on strength and power and just hitting the ball hard, executing in certain situations. Um, so I would say I'm more of an offensive-minded coach. You know, I definitely work on defense, and uh I've been blessed with some really good defenders. And but I I'm more of an offensive kind of coach, quite honestly. So it's worked. You know, we won a lot of games, we've been fortunate, and you know, it's nice to have some guys in the lineup that you know, hey, I need a three-run home run here, and the right guy's up at the right time, and we win a ball game. So that's always kind of been my philosophy. You know, I I think if we're not hitting well, uh, you know, we're not gonna stand a chance against the really good arm. And we've been able to hit really good pitching and and in my career with with the kids I had. You know, I'm always prepping for, you know, in Arizona, there's guys with with strong arms. And you know, the one region we're in, every night we're facing a guy 90 and above. You know, it's not uncommon. So you got to train our kids. Hey, you got to be able to hit this, or we're not scoring any runs. Um so we do I do focus a lot on the offensive game.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

When you say focus a lot, um how do you is there like a drill a drill or two that you do that says, all right, we're focusing on being able to hit guys throwing above 90, and this sure we're going to you know, and every day I I kind of have uh a theme to our offense.

SPEAKER_00 24:58

Um you know, one day might be, hey, we're opposite field hitting today. You know, one day is we're hitting breaking balls today, you know, the next day is changeup day. And when we're in the cage, I even change our drills up in the cage. So again, one day might be heavy ball training or trying to drive a ball and build strength. You know, my one hitting coach, my assistant's outstanding, where we work a lot about you know, path, staying up the middle, thinking uh, you know, opposite field, that kind of thing. So every time, every day there's a different theme when it comes to what I like to do with hitting. And and then, of course, if there's you know, everyone's a little different. And if you got a kid who's struggling with, let's say, sliders, for instance, hey, you know, let's do a little extra work today. We we need to work on your approach on a pitch down and away, for instance. So we're able to even, you know, take these kids individually and and hone in on them a little bit so they have more success. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 26:09

Now you've had a lot of really talented players leave your program and go on to play. Uh what does it take in your mind to be draftable or be a Series D1 recruit with the way the transfer portal is affecting college baseball right now?

Love Winning Or Hate Losing

Turning Losses Into Fuel

SPEAKER_00 26:28

Um it's getting harder, it really is. Um I think athleticism is super important, right? Uh you know, is does the kid move athletically? Is this swing athletic? Is this pitching delivery athletic? I think that's really important. Um you know, the strength eventually is gonna come, right? You got kids leave high school, they come back in two years, they're 30 pounds heavier, and you know, they have muscles that they didn't have before. So you you know that development's gonna happen physically for them in a year or two. And you know, I just I just had a kid a couple years ago that the kid couldn't throw a strike, but he was big and strong. And I called up his college and said, hey, this kid's gonna be really good in two years. Trust me on this one, he can't throw a strike right now, but if he figures it out, he's got a chance. All right, we're gonna take a chance on him. He's 6'5, great body on him, and just gonna throw a strike, throwing 91, and it's all over the place. So sure enough, he's a red shirt freshman because he can't throw a darn strike. Uh goes off to play summer league, you know, collegiate summer league, and figures it out. Comes back his sophomore year. Now all of a sudden he's throwing strikes. He's throwing 97 with a nasty slider. Long story short, he's playing with the Brewers right now. Um so sometimes you just got to look at these kids and realize it's there. It's just everyone's a little different, right? Some kids develop early, some kids are late bloomers, and you know, when I look at these kids, if they have the athleticism, right? If they have the frame, if they have the will to work, you can see them moving on and having a pretty good career. The hard thing right now is, you know, 10 years ago, you can tell a coach, hey, try this kid. I think he's gonna be good in a couple years. And a lot of colleges would take their time. But now at the portal, it's a little different. It's a different game. They can go out and get a kid who's got two years of college experience who's polished already. You know, why would I recruit this high school kid who's a year away from really helping me? Yeah, he might be great in a year, but why waste a roster spot when I can get this kid out of the portal who's a proven college player? So that's starting to be the challenge. And um, you know, I feel it's tough for these kids nowadays because there's some really good players out there that in the past would be a Division I player, and now they're going junior college route because of the portal and how that whole thing is working out. But eventually, you know, the cream rises, and if they prove themselves and they continue to develop, at this point, any college roster spot, I think, is a great opportunity for anyone, whether it's junior college, NAIA, division three, division one. As long as you're on the field and you're developing and playing, you know, that there's always that ability to, you know, hit the transfer portal or get drafted or whatever the case may be.

SPEAKER_02 29:58

Yes. Do you hate losing or love winning?

The Dugout Point System

SPEAKER_00 30:02

Excuse me, say that again. Do you hate losing or love winning? Oh my gosh. I would say, you know what? If a team is clearly better than us and we lose, and it's a tight game, and my kids battled, I'm okay losing in that situation. And I just tell the kids, hey, we gotta work harder. They're just better than us. They had better pitching, they executed better. Um, but when you lose to a team that physically on paper, they're not better than you, that that's probably harder for me than anything. You know, and I feel like, hey, that team didn't beat you today, you beat yourselves today because this, this, and this. I hate losing, but I'm okay when the other team's just better. You know, you you face that picture that you do your best, and you know, hey, we tip your gaps. He's good. He beat you today. Uh so I could live with that. So I I would I would say I love winning more. Um I think I love winning more than I hate losing.

SPEAKER_02 31:21

Well, you know, it it's funny because I I I asked that of every guest, and I have had a string of I can't even count how many were they all have said, I hate to lose, hate to lose, hate to lose. But the there's a part of me that says, you know, I I wished I would have enjoyed some of my wins more and not worried about the next the next game or the next season or whatever it may be.

Bench, Koufax, Griffey, Ripken

Funniest Team-Bonding Stories

SPEAKER_00 31:49

Well, it's in uh out of all my years. There's some games that are really good losses. And and this, I don't know, this coaches who've been through this understand. Sometimes you need to get beat really bad. You know, the team's getting a little, you know, cocky, maybe overconfident. Oh, we're not losing a game, and then all of a sudden you lose uh to a team you should never lose to. As much as you hate that as a coach, now that becomes a motivating factor the next day in practice. And now everyone's mad, and we don't ever want to have that feeling again, especially to a team that we felt were we were better than. Um so psychologically, coaches can really play that off very well. And uh I had a really good team this particular season. We ended up going really far into playoffs, but I think we started the season like one and eight. And everyone was negative and pouting, and everyone was mad. And I had they were a really good team, and uh and I'm racking my brain. I'm like, I man, our practices are great, we're doing everything we're supposed to do. Why are we losing these games? You know, it was one thing after another. One day it's pitching, one day it's hitting, one day it's defense. And so I came up with a point system. I'm like, I gotta try something different. You know, I told my coaches, no more negative talk. We're not bashing them, we're not punishing them for anything. Well, let's come up with a point system. So I put it in the dugout wall, and for everything they did well, they earned a point. For everything they did poorly, they lost a point. And at the end of the game, we tally them up, and that'll determine how many sprints we run at the end of the game. And it didn't matter what the score was, they they didn't even care what the score was at that point. They're like, oh my god, we executed a bunch. Oh, minus two sprints. Oh, two out RBI, minus a sprint. So now they're worried about all these little intricate parts of the game that if they do well, we should win a lot of games. And it wasn't even about the score anymore. And then all of a sudden we win like 12 in a row, not even worrying about the score. We were more worried about are we executing these things properly in the game and are we eliminating our mistakes? As a coaching staff, we didn't have to yell anymore. Um we were helping, we were encouraging. They were, they all sudden became a team because the focus changed. It wasn't about, oh my god, we lost another game. No, it was, hey, we did all these things great today. And because we did these great things, we won a ball game. Um and again, I I just threw that out there just because I didn't know what to do anymore. You know, I I was at a loss, and it really changed our perspective going into the rest of the season.

SPEAKER_02 34:54

It's funny how when you turn a a small competition and put it in the dugout, the whole mindset changes with players, and that's a great idea. Well, I like to I like to put you in a situation here. You're an MLB manager and we're going up the middle here. You can you can have these four players on your team to win a World Series. You gotta pick group A or Group B. Okay. Group A's catcher is Johnny Bench. You got Cal Ripkin Jr. at shortstop, Sandy Koufax is pitching, and Ken Griffey Jr. is in center field. Okay. Group B. Yogi Barr is the catcher, Willie Mays is in center field, Derek Jeter's at shortstop, and Randy Johnson is your pitcher. What group are you taking?

SPEAKER_00 35:55

Oh my goodness. Well, I think if Griffe didn't get hurt, he goes down as maybe the all-time greatest ever. When I was with the Reds, Johnny Bench was in the Reds organization, and I was had the privilege to train with him a little bit when I was in a Reds organization. Um Sandy Koufax's prime. I don't I don't know if Randy Johnson in his prime or Koufax in his prime. Uh I I would have to go with group A with Bench Griffey and Koufax and the Iron Man in Ripkin.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

Yes, that's you. I don't think you could go wrong with either one, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

No, no.

SPEAKER_02 36:41

Well, to finish up, what is your best story or funniest moment from coaching baseball, or in your case, playing baseball?

Closing And Sponsor Reminder

SPEAKER_00 36:52

Oh my goodness. Best moment, funniest moment. Oh, this might take a while to think about. Um my gosh. My wife is chiming in the background here. So I'm I'm coaching at junior college in Chicago, and um probably the most enjoyable group of kids I've ever had. Um, we had a particular player, I don't want to say his name because I don't know if it's appropriate. Um, this kid was very unique. Um, he was a college freshman at the age of 16. So he got promoted. Very smart kid. But because he was 16, physically he wasn't quite as strong as the 18 and 19-year-olds. Um but he was the guy in a dugout that kept everybody loose and just made it very enjoyable. So you imagine us going to a game, you know, I'm driving one bus, the other coach has the other, and everything's going smoothly, and this young man yells out and the bus, shirts off. And like, uh oh. So now everyone takes their shirts off, and here we are riding the white bus, and these kids have their shirts off. I'm like, you know, I'm driving. I'm like, oh my goodness, come on, guys. And then all of a sudden he yells out, helmets on. Now everyone puts their helmets on, shirts off. We're driving down the highway in a white bus. And they didn't, they it was harmless, right? They're just sitting there with helmets on and their shirts off. And you know, this guy was always up to something that again was harmless, but just made you laugh and created such memories and and brought everyone together. And there's some other examples I probably shouldn't talk about um on this podcast, but um, you know, we'd go uh every Friday was our thing when we were training, we'd go to the local olive garden. This was with my college team, and uh, I'd have to call them in advance because these college kids really didn't have money. So all we did, we had the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks. I'm there with my you know junior college team. So I'd call them in advance, like at around noon, and say, hey, it's Coach G. We're coming in at around 2:30 today, get the breadsticks ready. And uh we would just sit there and hammer out the salads, the breadsticks and the soup. And it and this was a Friday thing, right before our season started, and we'd go every Friday as a group, and it was just so enjoyable. And even the staff got to know us and they they liked us there so much, they would sit down and join us, and we would just, you know, tell stories and just the team bonding was amazing. And um, you know, this one particular kid just was the glue to the team, you know, he was our heartbeat, and you know, still to this day, I I still talk to those guys, and it's you know, 30 years ago, and uh a lot of it is because of this one particular player that just made it just a great experience. Um so now he goes to try out as a walk-on at northern Illinois, and it's week one, so all the returning players are allowed to be on the field. And he calls me, hey coach, you know, it's it's wrong that these guys have a week to try out or a week to get loose, and I'm down here and I can't be on the field. I'm like, Well, what are you gonna do about it? Like, I'm just gonna go off the field like I belong there, and I'm gonna just start working out with them. Like, okay, let's see how that goes. Sure enough, you know, they're asking, What are you doing here? You're not a returning player. Who are you? He's like, he tells the coach, sir, I'm a walk-on. And if these guys are out there, there's no reason why I can't be out here. So I'm not leaving, coach. That's the kind of kid he was, right? Just and sure enough, he's like, okay, fine. If you want it that bad, you can be out here. Long story short, he made the team. Um and uh had a great experience. But but you know, when you come across kids like that who have that personality, love of the game, they're able to be the heartbeat of the team, you know, those are some special moments. And uh you don't always have you don't always have that dynamics from year to year. And when you do have that particular player, let him go, right? Let him do his thing, let him be him. And I I think it makes everyone around him a better player.

SPEAKER_02 41:49

Absolutely. I I that's a great story. I love it. Well, it's Gaetano Gianni, coach. Uh thanks for taking the time to join me here on Baseball Coaches Unplugged. And please tell your wife uh, thanks for letting me steal you and hope uh you're not late for dinner.

SPEAKER_00 42:07

No, no, uh, thanks a lot. I appreciate the opportunity, and uh, you know, uh it's an honor to be on your podcast.

SPEAKER_02 42:15

Today's episode of Baseball Coaches Unplugged was part of the Netting Professionals Improving Programs. One facility at a time. Contact them today at 844-620-2707 or visit them online at www.nettingprost.com. As always, I'm your host, Coach Ken Carpenter. Thanks for listening to Baseball Coaches Unplugged. See you next Wednesday.