The Boston Red Sox’s offense has the potential to go from anemic to dynamic.
That’s the way hitting coach Chili Davis sees it.
The Red Sox ranked near the bottom of the league in several offensive categories last season, but the additions of outfielder Hanley Ramirez and third baseman Pablo Sandoval, in conjunction with several veterans returning to health, could lead to brighter days in 2015.
“I look at it like I’m very fortunate to be around this,” Davis, who was hired over the offseason, recently told CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam at spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. “I love it. When this engine starts rolling, it’s going to be fun watching this. It’s going to be tough on some pitchers.
“They’re going to be tough on some pitchers. There are going to be some off days, but I think with the cast we have, the off days should be less than the good days.”
Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino were among those who battled injuries last season as Boston stumbled to a last-place finish in the American League East. The lack of success left a bad taste in the Red Sox’s mouths, especially after winning the World Series in 2013.
Things have changed, though. A healthy core, a few talented additions and the continued development of Boston’s prospects make it reasonable to think this season could be a successful one. There’s a widespread belief throughout the organization that its disappointing 2014 was the exception, rather than the new norm.
“They know,” Davis told McAdam of 2014 being an aberration. “Last year wasn’t the typical Boston Red Sox’s year. They can sense that. To be around a team like this, it’s like being around the 1998-99 Yankees (for whom Davis played). They’re pros.”
Davis served as the hitting coach at Triple-A Pawtucket in 2011 before spending the next three seasons as the Oakland Athletics’ major league hitting coach. There certainly is familiarity on which the Red Sox can build, and this spring has been about building trust.
“I try to strike up conversations to hear where they’re at, what they’re thinking, where they want to get to,” Davis told McAdam. “This is a team with a lot of veteran players. They’ve played in the big leagues, they’ve won championships, they’ve won MVPs, batting titles. They know where they need to get to. They’ll tell me what to look for at a lot of times. If there’s a little piece I can add, or something to ask about.”
It’s a new season, a new team and a new hitting coach. Expectations are as high as ever.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@TomCaron
