Red Sox announce 2015 minor league field staffs
BOSTON, MA - The Boston Red Sox today announced the 2015 field staffs for their minor league affiliates, including managers, coaches, and athletic trainers.
Red Sox Director of Player Development Ben Crockett made the announcements.
Pawtucket (Triple-A, International League)
Kevin Boles will return as manager of the PawSox in 2015 after leading the club to the 2014 Governor's Cup championship in his first year at the helm. The upcoming season will mark Boles' eighth year in the Red Sox organization. Also returning to the staff for his second year is coach Bruce Crabbe. 2015 will be his 11th year in the organization. The Pawtucket staff will have two new members in 2015, hitting coach Rich Gedman and pitching coach Bob Kipper. This will be the fifth year as a coach in the organization for Gedman, a Worcester, MA native who also spent 11 seasons (1980-90) with the Red Sox as a player. He spent the four previous seasons as a hitting coach for Double-A Portland (2013-14), High-A Salem (2012), and Short-A Lowell (2011). Kipper, who pitched for eight seasons in the majors, spent the last five seasons (2010-14) as Portland's pitching coach. He is entering his 16th year in the Red Sox organization as a coach. Jon Jochim will begin his sixth season as athletic trainer for the PawSox, with 2015 marking his 12th year in the organization.
Portland (Double-A, Eastern League)
Billy McMillon returns as Portland's manager in 2015. Last year, in his first season as skipper, he guided the Sea Dogs to a franchise-high 88 wins and the Eastern League's Northern Division title. McMillon is entering his eighth year in the Red Sox organization. Joining Portland's staff as pitching coach is Kevin Walker. He comes to the Sea Dogs after working in the same capacity for Salem for the past four years (2011-14). Walker is entering his seventh year coaching in the Red Sox system. Dave Joppie, who spent the last two years as Pawtucket's hitting coach, will man the same position for Portland in 2015. The upcoming season will be his ninth in the Red Sox organization. Athletic trainer Brandon Henry will return to the Sea Dogs in 2015. It will mark his fourth year in that post, and ninth overall with the Red Sox.
Salem (High-A, Carolina League)
Carlos Febles will be back to manage the Salem club in 2015, his second year in that position. Overall, 2015 will mark his ninth year coaching in the Red Sox organization, and his fifth year as a manager. Paul Abbott joins Salem's staff in 2015 and will serve as pitching coach. He spent the previous four years as pitching coach for Single-A Greenville (2013-14) and Short-A Lowell (2011-12). 2015 will mark Abbott's fifth year coaching in the organization. New to the Salem staff this year is hitting coach Jon Nunnally. A former outfielder, his major league playing career spanned six years (1995-2000), including part of the 1999 season with the Red Sox. Nunnally has eight years of coaching experience in professional baseball between the Cleveland Indians (2007-11) and Toronto Blue Jays (2012-14) minor league systems. Athletic trainer David Herrera returns for his fourth season in that role with Salem, and his eighth year overall in the Red Sox organization.
Greenville (Single-A, South Atlantic League)
Darren Fenster will return for his second season as manager of the Drive. 2015 will mark his fourth season in the Red Sox organization as a coach, and third as a manager. Walter Miranda has been named pitching coach for Greenville, a position he also held during the 2007 season. Heading into his 17th season in the Red Sox organization between his playing and coaching career, Miranda spent the last two years as pitching coach for Short-A Lowell. Nelson Paulino will return as hitting coach, his second year in that role. 2015 will mark his 18th year with the Red Sox organization. Athletic trainer Satoshi Kajiyama returns for his second year with the Drive. Overall, it will be his fifth year with the Red Sox.
Lowell (Short-A, New York-Penn League)
Joe Oliver will begin his second season at the helm for the Spinners in 2015. This is the second year of coaching in professional baseball for the 13-year major league veteran who ended his playing career with the Red Sox in 2001. A new addition to Lowell's staff is pitching coach Lance Carter. A right-handed pitcher with six years of experience with Kansas City (1999), Tampa Bay (2002-05), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006), Carter returns to the professional coaching ranks in 2015. He had previously served as a pitching coach in the Philadelphia Phillies minor league system from 2010-11, and as an assistant coach at the University of South Florida. Filling the role of hitting coach for Lowell in 2015 will be Iggy Suarez. An infielder originally drafted by Boston in the 2003 June Draft, Suarez spent seven seasons playing in the Red Sox system from 2003 to 2009, and four years in independent leagues from 2010-13. Nick Faciana will return for his second season with the club and in the organization, as Lowell's athletic trainer.
Gulf Coast League Red Sox (Rookie, Gulf Coast League)
Tom Kotchman, the 2014 East Coast Scout of the Year, returns for his second year as manager of the Gulf Coast League Red Sox. In his first year at the helm, he led the club to the GCL championship. The majority of Kotchman's staff will remain intact with the exception of Junior Zamora, who will serve as hitting coach. Zamora had spent the previous seven years (2008-14) as bench coach for the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League club. Goose Gregson, who is also the club's Latin American Pitching Coordinator, returns as a pitching coach for the club. This will be his 11th straight season in his role with the club, and his 14th year in the Red Sox organization. Dick Such returns for his third straight season as a pitching coach for the Red Sox, and his seventh year coaching in the organization. Dave Tomlin will spend 2015 as a coach for the GCL team, his fifth straight year in that role, and his 13th overall with the organization. Mauricio Elizondo, the Red Sox' Latin Medical Coordinator, will also serve as the club's athletic trainer. It will be his third straight year in that role, and his eighth year in the organization. Edgar Barreto will work as the GCL team's strength and conditioning coach. This will mark his second year in the Red Sox organization in a full-time capacity.
Dominican Summer League Red Sox (Rookie, Dominican Summer League)
Jose Zapata, the club's Latin American field coordinator, will also manage the DSL team in 2015. He has held both roles for the club since 2007. A new addition to the staff is pitching coach Randor Bierd. He pitched professionally over eight seasons (2003-10), including his final year in the United States with the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2010. Oscar Lira will be back as a pitching coach for the club in 2015. The upcoming year will be his fourth in that role. Wilton Veras returns for his fourth season as hitting coach. All four years of his professional coaching career have come with the DSL team. Coach Aly Gonzalez will be back for his third year with the club, all in that role. Guillermo Hinojosa will serve as athletic trainer. It will be his sixth year in the post. Antonio Diaz is back for his eighth year as strength and conditioning coordinator for the team. This year will be his 20th consecutive season with the Red Sox organization. Claudio Sanchez will work as a coaching assistant for the club. It will be his 10th year in that role. A bench coach for the DSL club has yet to be announced.