Brock Quietly Molding Pirates’ Playing Skills

Tarrik Brock is an unsung hero for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

One advantage for new Pirates skipper Don Kelly is having a coaching staff that he is quite familiar with.  As he settles into his new leadership role for the Pirates, Kelly knows the strengths of each coach that he has shared locker rooms with over the past half dozen seasons.

Brock brings many strengths to the ballclub that, rightfully so, most Pirates’ fans don’t know much about. Pittsburgh followers pay to see the players, not coaches. However, how the players perform is usually a reflection of how much time coaches spend with them.

What really won me over with just how valuable Brock is to the Pirates came this past spring training in Bradenton.  For six weeks, every morning, I watched Brock, a second-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 1991, have fun working with the outfielders and baserunners.

Plus, and this is a big plus, Brock seemed to be the guy on the fields at Pirate City and LECOM Park having the most fun. His non-stop smile was infectious.  The way he carried himself in and around the clubhouse reminded me of the late Hall of Famer Ernie Banks. The years that I worked the ESPN induction ceremonies telecast from Cooperstown, N.Y., there wasn’t a time that I didn’t see the former Chicago Cubs’ slugger smiling and making everyone in his perimeter feel as if that day was the best day of their life.

One morning in mid-February, I watched Brock giving one-on-one instructions to Oneil Cruz in detail. Converted late last season by the Pirates from shortstop to his new everyday position in center field, Cruz seemed to be absorbing the many years of baseball wisdom from his caring coach.

“I want to keep him smiling.  What he missed last season was discipline,” said Brock, who, along with being the club’s first base coach, also carries out assignments as outfield and baserunning coach.  “I don’t want (Cruz) to be hard on himself.”

There were no shortcuts for Cruz and his fellow outfielders this frosty weekday morning from Brock during workouts. A long-range shooter is launching balls, far and high, for Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Tommy Pham, and Jack Suwinski to chase down.  

If Cruz’s glove and arm strength have Brock and the rest of the Pirates’ development team excited for this season and beyond, the speed on the bases he offers is another reason to keep close tabs on how his season progresses.

Although it was back in February that Brock told The Bradenton Times that Cruz is capable of 20 stolen bases a season, and that 6 feet 7 inches should “shoot for more”, the early returns thus far on the base paths must be gratifying for all parties.

Leading up to Wednesday evening’s game on the road at Citi Field with the New York Mets, Cruz has collected 16 stolen bases - tied with Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. for the MLB lead.

As a team, the Pirates have swiped 49 bases and have been caught stealing only on 10 occasions. Brock's baserunning training is paying dividends.

Brock has the respect of his players, and at the same time, has brought levity into the media room, as reporters were at work telling readers what progress Pittsburgh was making during spring training.  One morning, as several reporters were typing on their keyboards, and without warning, Brock entered the room with a foam football.

Instantly, a round-robin game of catch took over everyone’s attention.  I don’t remember any wordsmith not joining in the pass and catch session.  That’s Brock, always making others smile and bringing the best out of them.

As an outfielder of 1,391 minor league games spread out over a dozen years, Brock had enough seasoning at all levels of play to tinker and create successful strategies running the bases. Playing with and against talented young men in eight leagues allowed Brock to draw from the most diverse individual styles on diamonds from Elmira to Tacoma.

Now in his sixth season as part of the Pirates’ coaching staff, Brock previously spent two other MLB seasons as first base coach and working with the outfielders and on baserunning with the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros. Then, there was a spell during the 2010 Miami Marlins’ season when Brock was summoned to the big club to fill in as first base coach.

The 13 games that Brock is officially credited for MLB duty when as a member of the Chicago Cubs in 2000 remain a subject of great pride.  Brock, 51, (born on Christmas) is proving to be an asset to the Pirates’ position players far under the radar of the general baseball public. 

The next time a Pirate steals a base or makes a flashy catch from left to right field, give a quick stare in Brock’s direction. As a proud teacher watching his pupils do well, Brock will be the guy with the biggest smile on the field or in the dugout.