Greg Gross . . . to the Rescue

On July 22, 2010, with the Phillies' offense floundering, former major league outfielder
Greg Gross was hired as the hitting coach. Well, almost two decades ago, Gross was the
head coach at Malvern Prep. Look below for Ted's story, which was published in the
Daily News on May 1, 1982.

HE'S THERE IN A PINCH
EX-PHIL GROSS ENJOYS JOB AS MALVERN COACH

by Ted Silary, Daily News Sports Writer

Malvern Prep's baseball players have not yet asked their first-year coach for his autograph.

"Maybe that'll happen after the season," the coach said.

He laughed, then added, "Or, maybe they don't care. "

Malvern 's new coach is none other than Greg Gross , who hit .287 in 17 seasons as a major league outfielder, including 1979 to '88 with the Phillies, and trails only Manny Mota (150) and Smoky Burgess (145) on the all-time pinch-hitting list with 143.

Gross lives just five minutes from Malvern and is a sales agent for a Fox & Lazo Realty in West Chester. He was told of the opening by Laura Caterson, whose son, E.J., is a starting infielder.

"E.J.'s mother, who is also a realtor, said that the former coach (Bill Ford) had resigned," Gross said, "and she asked me if it was something I'd think about.

"I'd never thought about coaching high school baseball, honestly. But I didn't have anything going (baseballwise) and the more I thought about it, the more interesting it sounded. It would be a chance to get a feel for this age group again and get back to baseball the way I remember it, when it was more fun than anything else. "

Those expectations have been met.

"Like every other coach, I'd like to win more," he cracked. Malvern is 7-6 overall and 3-3 in the Inter-Ac League. It plays today at Penn Charter. ''But I enjoy interacting with these kids. I've found it to be a very positive situation. "

Gross prefers a low-key coaching style.

Three days ago, when the visiting Friars dropped a 5-3 decision to Chestnut Hill Academy and star lefthander Dave Miller, a Clemson signee, Gross rarely raised his voice. He stuck mainly with encouragement and instruction. When he chastised a player, he did it privately.

"One thing he always tells us," said pitcher-third baseman Frank Oschell, who has signed with Penn to play football and baseball "is that he doesn't want to embarrass us in front of our teammates.

"Coach Ford would let you know you messed up right away. We miss a little of that, honestly. Maybe we need to get shown up. But that's not coach's way. He's much more laid back. Everyone likes him. "

In something that is uncommon at the high school level, Gross is not his own third-base coach. Sean O'Hara, an assistant last season under Ford, handles that duty while Gross remains on the bench.

Generally, he feels that today's youths are overcoached.

"Maybe coaches watch too much TV," he said. "Scouting, charting, etc. There's only so much you can do. I like to see kids react to situations. You don't want them at the point where everything is cut and dry. I don't want it to be, 'You have to follow this. You have to follow that. ' I don't want a mechanical man kind of team. "

Until he began coaching at Malvern , Gross had not seen a high school game since he played in one. He was signed by Houston in 1970 out of Red Land High, about halfway between York and Harrisburg.

Because the Inter-Ac's rules allow for designated hitters, courtesy runners and re-entry, Gross is still adjusting.

"I had never coached at any level," he said. "I don't know how much of a deterrent that's been for the kids. Hopefully, my not having experience isn't something that's cost us any games. After the year I intend to sit down and evaluate how I did.

"Initially, I'm sure the kids had some apprehension about how I was going to be. Hey, there was some of that on my part. But after we were together for a little while, I don't think too many of them felt uncomfortable. "

Said Oschell: "People on the outside are making a bigger deal out of this than the players. We don't see him as an ex-major leaguer. We see him as our coach.

"Opposing players ask us, 'What's it like to be coached by an ex-major leaguer? ' And I've heard, 'Is he an (uncompromising coach) because he was good? ' Like I said, he's just our coach. We don't think about the other stuff. "

Twice in the game at Chestnut Hill, Gross went onto the field to protest umpiring decisions. Once he trotted. The other time he sprinted.

"That was a first," Oschell said. "He hadn't done that all season. It was a little surprising. "

He then added, slyly, "The way those calls were, I could see why. "

When Gross retired from baseball, he did so with much reluctance. After splitting the '89 season between Houston and its Triple A farm club in Tucson, Gross was released. No one would sign him in '90, but he remained in shape and was asked to train with San Diego last spring as a non-roster player.

After hitting .250 with three RBI in 28 at-bats, he was not offered a contract.

"I thought about trying to get a (pro-level) coaching job," he said. ''But I didn't want my I-can-still-play attitude getting in the way of trying to teach, or run a club.

"This is a good way to get back into the game. There's not the pressure of having to win or having to move up. I really don't know what the future holds (for a job in pro ball). I don't know what opportunities are available and where they'd be. That would be a big consideration. "

Gross and his wife, Deborah, have two children. Megan, 15, is a budding equestrian. Michael, 12, plays baseball in the Chester Valley Little League, where Greg helps to coach the team.

"Between Malvern and my son's team, it's a long day," Gross said. ''Things don't get settled down in our house until maybe 9:30. But I'm not complaining."