Gillett tasked with making '09 Tigers strong, healthy

JON PAUL MOROSI | INSIDE THE TIGERS
Gillett tasked with making '09 Tigers strong, healthy

BY JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • January 18, 2009

The Tigers have signed two free agents, shortstop Adam Everett and backup catcher Matt Treanor, at a total cost of $1.75 million. They traded for a starting pitcher, Edwin Jackson, and starting catcher, Gerald Laird. They might sign a reliever, such as Brandon Lyon or Jason Isringhausen.


Yet the fate of this year's Tigers will hinge, to a great extent, on the improvement of last year's Tigers.

Will Carlos Guillen and Gary Sheffield remain healthy? Will Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis rebound from dreadful performances? Were the nagging injuries that derailed Detroit in 2008 a one-year aberration?

One man qualified to offer a forecast is very optimistic.

"I've seen a few of the guys this winter, and I can tell they're very focused," Javair Gillett, the Tigers' strength and conditioning coach, said by telephone Saturday. "They've been a very knowledgeable and motivated group this off-season.

"These guys are working their butts off. They take a lot of pride in what they do. When things went wrong last year, when we didn't have the season we were supposed to have, they took that to heart.

"This off-season, they're on a mission."

It could be argued that Gillett, a 29-year-old Chicago native, is one of the organization's most essential employees. The Tigers' payroll exceeded $130 million last year. Gillett is an important guardian of that investment.

Gillett (pronounced jill-ETT) said he remembers a line from author Jon Gordon. "He said that if your body is worth millions, you should treat it that way," Gillett said. "Well, guess what? We've got a lot of bodies on the Tigers that are worth millions."

For the most part, Gillett said, they act accordingly.

"I've known a lot of the guys for a while now, and they have a great understanding of how to get the most out of their bodies," said Gillett, who is entering his fifth season in the big leagues. "They know what's going to make them feel good and what's going to make them feel like crap.

"That doesn't mean that you have to eat perfectly. That doesn't mean you can't have a candy bar or ice cream. But it's everything in moderation. If you find that balance, you'll be fine. And our players do a very good job of that."

Gillett lives in Lakeland, Fla., so he spends many winter days supervising workouts at the Tigertown complex. Several players are currently working out there, including Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya.

Gillett has traveled to see Miguel Cabrera and Guillen in Venezuela multiple times -- at the players' request. "Those guys are asking me to come down there -- that shows me that they're motivated to work," Gillett said. "I think they motivate each other. It's always good to have a partner. Sometimes it's easy to back off and say, 'I'm done.' But Miguel will push Carlos at times, and Carlos will push Miguel.

"They're going to make sure they're ready to go. They're not sitting back, saying, 'Oh, who cares about last season?' They're ready to come back with a vengeance."

Gillett acknowledged that some injuries are inevitable, because of the rigors associated with a 162-game season.

Gillett was an all-conference first baseman at DePauw (Ind.) University, before choosing an internship in strength and conditioning over trying out for an independent baseball team.

"Based on all that I've learned over the years, from listening to the coaches here, I can run faster and throw the ball better than I did in college," he said, laughing. "I wish I would have known that back in the day. Maybe it would have transferred to the field more."

Contact JON PAUL MOROSI at 313-223-4097 or jmorosi@freepress.com. Check out his Tigers blog at www.freep.com/sports

Lyon would help a healthy bullpen.

Is Gillett related to that guy that makes those razors?

Thats what I though.

bobrob2004 wrote:

Is Gillett related to that guy that makes those razors?

Wrong spelling... Gillette Razors