Gino Groover Talks Hitting, Adjusting to Pro Schedule
LuJames "Gino" Groover was the Diamondbacks' second round selection in last year's draft. Groover showcased a rare combination of contact ability, batting eye, and ability to square up the ball with North Carolina State last year. The bat is the main carrying tool in his profile as a prospect, with the potential to be a mainstay in the middle of the order.
"I put a lot of time into it, but I've always had something more of a natural feel. That's what baseball is, being able to have a little natural feel and the ability. That's what makes it so hard. Ability gets you so far but at the end of the day, you can teach hitting but you can't teach hitting in its own way. There's a lot you can teach, mechanics and stuff, but at the end of the day, mechanics only gets you so far. Hitting is just timing and rhythm, if you can do that you don't have to have the prettiest swing. As long as you can get on time and beat the baseball to places, hitting is hitting."
The biggest adjustment for Groover has been the minor league schedule. In college, teams played three, sometimes four, games a week. In the minors, teams play every Tuesday through Sunday, with Monday being a travel day. Doubling the amount of games played in a week has its own physical and mental toll, which can lead to players struggling out of the gate.
"Just adjusting to that period I think was the hardest thing, playing how many more games. Taking care of your body, making sure you're prepared and getting proper rest. You're on the road, living in the hotel for six nights. When I first got to High-A, we had back-to-back road trips, so I was like OK, this is already different. As you are prepared, you take care of yourself, everything will take care of itself."
In terms of coaching, it's much more individualized towards the player in the pro game than in college. Every player gets a unique plan on where they can improve and move on to the next level. In addition to the on-staff coaches with a particular affiliate, there are also coaches from the player development staff. With more instructors and more time to teach in a 1-on-1 setting or in smaller groups.
Groover was drafted specifically as a third baseman, a position he played his junior season at NC State. Since signing with Arizona, he has appeared at third in all 22 games played so far. Should there ever be a move to first, he has 80 games of experience at first base at the collegiate level. He started the Spring Breakout game at first base, with Ivan Melendez starting at third. Groover made a couple nice plays at first base and looked natural at the position. He's comfortable playing either spot.
When it comes to setting goals, Groover balances dreaming big and setting realistic expectations. He sets goals for both, but takes it day by day to avoid getting too caught up over things he can't control in this game.
