José Flores and the art of first-base coaching

For a moment, José David Flores was incredulous that we even asked the question.

“What does a first-base coach do?” he asked.

“Actually, I have a lot of responsibility,” he added with smile, warming up for his full answer. “Just so you know, I went through a really extended interview process with the Phillies to be able to get this job. I went — and I’m not lying to you — through 20 interviews. R&D (research and development) interviewed me. The front office interviewed me. The entire staff interviewed me. I was the last hire that they got on the staff.”

Born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, Flores is 47, bright and talkative — or to use the current parlance in baseball, “communicative.”

A member of rookie manager Gabe Kapler’s staff on the Philadelphia Phillies, he’s part of the new wave of coaches entering the major leagues eager to use analytics and the huge trove of data available today to transform their teams and the game. The Phillies, whose young, promising talent includes Venezuelan outfielder Odúbel Herrera and Dominican reliever Héctor Neris, have suffered through five straight losing seasons.

“Being a first-base coach, you are in charge of baserunning,” Flores said in an interview with La Vida Baseball at the Phillies’ spring training complex in Clearwater, Fla. “I’ve got to make sure that I study videos on the pitchers’ tendencies, and catchers. You’ve got to study their moves.

“It’s not an easy job. You’ve got to pay attention to the game. You’ve got to be able to coach these guys as they get through first base and hopefully coach them all the way around the bases until they get to the plate and score a run, which is the main goal to be able to win games.”

Baseball lifer

A 34th-round pick in the 1989 draft by the Astros, Flores played five seasons in the minors without getting to The Show.

Yet as testament to his knowledge of béisbol, this is his 18th season coaching, coordinating or evaluating at all levels. He’s managed in the Dominican summer league and took the Bravos de Cidra to four championships in Doble A — Puerto Rico’s competitive semipro league.

His last job was as minor-league infield coordinator for the Chicago Cubs from 2013 to 2017. Given the Cubs’ emphasis on analytics under the direction of general manager Theo Epstein and manager Joe Maddon, we can say with a straight face that Flores deserves credit for coaching Javy Báez and others — and helping end the Curse of the Billy Goat in 2016.

But back to first base and the Phillies. This is Flores’ first major league gig, and like he already said, it’s not easy. He’s also the team’s infield and base-running instructor.

“It’s very challenging,” Flores said. “You’ve got to know your players. You’ve got to know who is able to steal a base. You’ve got to know who remembers pitchers’ tendencies and who is smart enough to make the right decision.

“And hopefully, the guys that you may think don’t have that instinct, you stay on top of them and just coach them as pitchers go by and keep them aware of the situation of the game. And hopefully they keep on learning and keep what you tell them and the good things that they learn through the course of the game. And hopefully, by the time they have to react on a certain play, they go ahead and react in a good way.”

Deciphering spray charts

Under the direction of general manager Matt Klentak, the Phillies are dead serious about all this detail and analysis. For the first time since 1970, there are no former Phillies major leaguers working as coaches. With one exception, the 42-year-old Kapler rounded out his staff with people from the Dodgers, Cubs, Astros and Yankees — all clubs that have openly embraced analytics.

Kapler, who was the Dodgers’ director of player development the past three seasons, took the additional step of hiring the Phillies’ first player information coordinator, Sam Fuld, a 36-year-old former major leaguer. His responsibility will be giving Flores and assistant pitching coach Chris Young, who’s in charge of positioning outfielders, all the data necessary for defensive shifts.

“When I’m in the dugout, I’m positioning all the infielders,” said Flores, not quite finished explaining what a first-base coach does. “We’ve got to study spray charts, and study hitters’ tendencies — when they are ahead in the count, when they are behind in the count.”

“It’s a very complicated job,” Flores said, finally stopping for a breath. “But I’m all for it. I’m loving every minute of it.”

Spoken like a true first-base coach.

Featured Image: Miles Kennedy / Philadelphia Phillies

Inset Image: Miles Kennedy / Philadelphia Phillies