Gary DiSarcina is heading back to the West Coast.
DiSarcina, a Malden, Mass., native and UMass-Amherst alum who has managed at two levels of the Red Sox’ farm system, accepted a job Tuesday to become the third base coach of the Los Angeles Angels, with whom he spent 12 years as a shortstop.
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DiSarcina, 45, spent the entirety of his 12-year major league career with the Angels, retiring in 2000 with a .258 career batting average, 966 hits and 355 RBIs.
He was hired to manage the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket prior to the 2013 season after two years of working within the Angels organization. In his lone season with the club, he led the PawSox to an 80-63 record and a second consecutive trip to the Governors’ Cup finals while mentoring Xander Bogaerts, Will Middlebrooks, Jose Iglesias and Jackie Bradley Jr., all of whom spent time with the big league club.
“DiSar is a really loose and upbeat personality, one who connects with a lot of different types of people well. That was absolutely one of his strengths throughout the year, especially coming in and not having managed at that level,” Sox farm director Ben Crockett recently told WEEI.com. “It was impressive the way he took charge, got guys’ respect quickly but also managed different egos — both older players and younger prospects. He really did a nice job of dealing with challenges as they appeared.”
Both of DiSarcina’s predecessors in Pawtucket, Torey Lovullo and Arnie Beyeler, are currently serving on John Farrell‘s coaching staff in Boston.
Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Pawtucket Red Sox
