New Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis really doesn’t want to take any credit for Boston’s recent turnaround on the mound.
To which I say, “What you talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?”
While it would be foolish to give Willis all of the credit for Boston’s team ERA dropping from 5.04 at the time he was hired May 9 to its 4.64 mark entering Sunday’s game against the Seattle Mariners, it would be equally as foolish to not give credit where it’s due. Either directly or indirectly, Willis’ hiring has impacted the Red Sox’s pitching staff.
“My philosophy is this: The game is about the players,” Willis told CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam before Saturday’s game at Safeco Field. “I’m here to help. I told them, ‘I’m not here to share success with them.’ But hopefully, I’m here to help them attain that success and get through the hard times.
“I’m not coming in, trying to be any kind of guru — just a guy they can trust. It’s going to take time for me to build that trust, but once I do, they can be confident in their own ability and they’ll go out and make it happen.”
It’s nearly impossible to quantify Willis’ real impact at this stage of his Red Sox tenure. And it’s also unfair to suggest former Red Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves — fired two days before Willis’ hiring — was some huge detriment to the organization. As Willis alluded to, this game boils down to executing between the lines, so it’s therefore on Boston’s hurlers to make necessary adjustments.
However, the Red Sox entered Sunday’s game having allowed two runs or fewer in each of their last four contests. The only real hiccup since Willis jumped aboard was Justin Masterson’s implosion Tuesday in Oakland, which preceded Boston placing the right-hander on the 15-day disabled list.
“That’s a credit to the players and how open they’ve been,” Willis told McAdam. “I’m pleased that it’s progressed in the way that it has, but there’s still a long way to go. I’m looking forward to it.”
Joe Kelly and Clay Buchholz — two pitchers with plenty of upside who have lacked consistency to this point — each had a different look and feel in his most recent start. Kelly, who often features an electric fastball with limited command, took some zip off his heater, pitched to location and stayed in the driver’s seat as a result. Buchholz, whose mental makeup has been questioned several times throughout his career, looked locked in while dominating for eight innings Friday against the Mariners.
“If we can take that approach, executing each pitch, with the stuff these guys have, I think that builds confidence and comfort and allows them to attain the results they’re looking for,” Willis told McAdam.
Maybe Nieves’ firing was a wake-up call for the Red Sox’s then-struggling rotation. Maybe it’s simply a coincidence and Boston’s pitching staff was primed for a turnaround regardless of the man behind the current. Or maybe Willis truly is a miracle worker.
It really doesn’t matter.
Results do matter, though. And they’ve been better for the Red Sox since the coaching change.
