SARASOTA, Fla. - Wheel him into the Gullett Garage. Three arm operations in three years? Tommy John surgery in 1999? A right arm as cut on as a filet mignon? Perfect. Paul Wilson is happy in the morning if his arm is sore, but not hurt. If you don't know the difference, you aren't a pitcher. Wilson is Don Gullett's kind of guy.

Wilson didn't sign with the Reds for the ambience. He came for the opportunity, and for Gullett. The Reds pitching coach does for guys like Wilson what Puerto Rico does for suntans. Gullett is money in the bank. The Reds can sign a free agent reclamation project like Wilson for Wal-Mart wages (in his case, $500,000) and say, "Fix him." It's like having a good mechanic for your '65 Mustang.

Mr. Fix-It

Gullett's fix-it resume reads like Bob Vila's TV credits: Pete Schourek, Jeff Brantley, Jeff Shaw, Dave Burba, Pete Harnisch, Elmer Dessens and Jimmy Haynes. While pitching for the Mets, Schourek was lobbing 84 mph cripples and wondering about another line of work.

Eighteen months later, in 1995, Gullett had him throwing 94 and winning 18 games.

Gullett had Haynes throw more fastballs. Haynes went 15-10 last year, compared to 8-17 for Milwaukee in 2001. That's a lot of wins for a pitcher making just $500,000.

"(Gullett) had real good praise from a lot of different people," Wilson said. "My agent, players who've been around him."

Gullett doesn't overcoach. "He breaks it down and makes it simple," said Wilson. "I like that. (Pitching) can get complicated real fast."

A lack of ego

Veteran pitchers looking for redemption and a few good years don't want to experiment. They want a better way to do what they've always done. Gullett's lack of ego makes that possible.

Among pitching coaches, Atlanta's Leo Mazzone gets the publicity. But Mazzone isn't shopping at Big Lots.

"We don't have four Cy Young winners here," Wilson said.

It's ironic. Gullett's career ended in 1978 at age 27 after 109 wins, partly because his pitching mechanics weren't great. That caused the shoulder strain that caused the double rotator cuff tear that finished him.

He went home to South Shore, Ky., on the Ohio River 120 miles east of Cincinnati, to farm tobacco, not to return to baseball until 1990, when then-Reds manager Lou Piniella called.

Still planting seeds

Gullett the coach might have made Gullett the pitcher a lot more money. Now, he's helping other people make money.

"A great deal of trust has to be put in me to make them better," Gullett said.

He's working with Wilson's motion. Something technical about extending Wilson's delivery so his sinker sinks more and later in the pitch. Wilson lost his last four starts last year, with an 11.57 ERA, a decline he blamed on fatigue.

"Nothing hurt," Wilson said. "Just the most innings (194) I've ever thrown."

The Reds think getting Wilson was a steal. Under Gullett's eye, it might be.

"I like planting things and watching them grow," Gullett said. Tobacco. And pitchers.

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E-mail pdaugherty@enquirer.com