Jerry Stitt shouldn't be in the Sidewinders dugout.
Instead, he should be across the street from Tucson Electric Park, teaching youngsters at the Diamondbacks' extended spring training and preparing to leave in June for his gig as hitting coach of the rookie-league Missoula Osprey.
But the team is one coach down, and Stitt is a loyal guy.
After all, this is the guy who spent 27 years as a UA Wildcat — as a player, hitting coach and head coach — before stepping down in 2001 after five years in charge.
Sidewinders manager Chip Hale is coaching third base for the Diamondbacks until coach Carlos Tosca recovers from a broken foot. Hitting coach Lorenzo Bundy is the Sidewinders interim manager. He earned his first career Triple-A managerial victory Sunday, when the Sidewinders defeated the Salt Lake Bees 8-6.
People are also reading…
Minor-league field coordinator Jack Howell is glad that Stitt is on the job; both Howell and Hale played for the UA while Stitt was the Wildcats hitting coach.
Last year, Stitt had to be part coach, part father figure and part principal on a rookie-ball team that had some players away from home for the first time.
"You teach them about everything — how to have a plan, what their approach should be, how to execute it," he said. "They still have to learn that they're professionals now. It's not summer ball or recreation ball."
When Hale returns, Stitt, in his third season with the Diamondbacks' organization, will go back across Ajo Way to teach hitting and fielding at extended spring training.
"Teach them how to play, pretty much," said Stitt,
Until then, he's just one of the coaches.
"Lo's their hitting coach," Stitt said. "What he says, I say."
Bundy said Stitt's experience helps him talk to players who, by this point in their careers, have heard thousands of theories about hitting.
"You don't want to be too complicated," Bundy said. "You need somebody that's very flexible. And who's heard more about hitting than Jerry Stitt? Nobody."
Inside pitch
● Dustin Nippert, rated the No. 67 prospect in the country by Baseball America, allowed no earned runs in seven innings in his first start of the season Sunday. He allowed three hits and three walks, striking out seven for the victory.
Five unearned runs scored in the second after an error by shortstop Stephen Drew.
"I need to work on minimizing damage," Nippert said. "I should have got out of the inning a little faster and gotten the guys into the dugout."
● A crowd of 4,664 fans and 105 dogs showed up for the team's "Bark in the Park" promotion, where dogs were allowed to roam the grass berm in the outfield.
● Jerry Gil finally got his first hit of the year, and it came at the perfect time. Gil, who started the season 0 for 10, did not start Sunday. But he pinch hit in the seventh, drilling a ball that hit off shortstop Erick Aybar's glove to score the tying run.
● Right fielder Carlos Quentin was scratched due to a strained side muscle.
● Reliever Brandon Medders allowed one hit in one inning in his second rehab appearance.
Today
● Who: Fresno at Tucson
● When: 6:30 p.m.
● Radio: 1450-AM
