Sox Give The Nod To Colbrunn As Pitching Coach

As they continue to eye players heading into Major League Baseball’s winter meetings that start in Nashville, TN next Tuesday the Red Sox continue to round out their coaching lineup.

Sept. 10, 2011; Phoenix AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks former pitcher Randy Johnson hugs Greg Colbrunn before the game against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Hilderbrand-US PRESSWIRE

Today the Sox hired Greg Colbrunn, a former Major Leaguer who won a World Series in 2001 with the Arizona Diamondbacks and who has spent the last six years in the Yankees farm system with Single-A Charlston as a hitting coach. This is Colbrunn’s first gig as a Major League coach. So after an in-depth search what makes Colbrunn Boston’s go to hitting coach? It comes down the same ingredient for manager John Farrell; communication.

Of all the qualities Farrell values, a coach’s ability to communicate ranks near the top. Farrell told MLB, “As we’ve done with every position on the staff, we looked to find people that had great communication skills, that had a very solid personal experience level to tap into. And the more we did our homework, it became clear that he was a strong candidate…His fundamental approach to hitting is aligned with what we value. All things considered, this became a very clear choice as we went through that process.”

Colbrunn, 43, spent 13 years in and out of the majors. Over 992 games from 1992-2004, he hit .289/.338/.460/.799.

The jury is out on Farrell. Not everyone, including me, is as enamored of Farrell as Boston management, who still appears to be in a full-fledged bromance with the former Blue Jays skipper. I am, however, becoming a proponent of his approach to hiring a coaching staff. A plan is in place and he is working it. After 2012, I’m ready for a plan of any sort.

Bring it!