The Red Sox and hitting coach Greg Colbrunn have parted company after a disastrous offensive year for the team. Boston was last in runs in the American League for most of the season. According to a recent article by Jon Heyman, the Red Sox have six potential candidates they will choose from. From other reports, interviews are starting this week.
Let’s take a quick look at the candidates.
Rich Gedman is a former Red Sox catcher (1980-1990). He hit 88 homers and batted .252 over 1,033 major league contests in 13 seasons. He has managed five years in the Can-Am League (2005-2010). Gedman has been a Minor League hitting coach with the Red Sox since 2011, spending last year with the AA Portland Sea Dogs.
Tim Hyers is the Red Sox Minor League hitting coordinator. Hyers spent parts of four seasons in the majors, logging 133 games and batting .217 between 1994 and 1999. He was a scout for four years with the Red Sox before taking his current job in 2013.
Paul Sorrento played 11 major league seasons, batting .257 with 166 career homers. Sorrento played in two World Series, for the Twins in their 1991 championship year and for the Indians in 1995. He has been a hitting coach in the Angels system since 2012, serving as the Minor League hitting coordinator since the end of the 2012 season.
Kevin Long is a name that Red Sox should know well. For the past eight seasons he has been the Yankees hitting coach, until he was recently fired from that capacity. Long batted .273 over eight minor league seasons in the Royals system before going into coaching. After eight seasons in New York, Long would certainly have ample experience working in a big market like Boston.
Bill Mueller was a member of the 2004 World Champion Red Sox, after winning the 2003 AL batting championship with a .326 average and 19 home runs. For his career Mueller batted .291 with 85 homers in 11 major league seasons, appearing five times in the postseason. After ending his playing career with the Dodgers in 2006, he served briefly as hitting coach before working for GM Ned Coletti as well as serving as a scout. Mueller spent last season as the Cubs hitting coach. Earlier this month Mueller resigned after his assistant was fired.
Chili Davis had a distinguished 19 season major league career from 1981 to 1999. Davis slugged 350 homers, amassed 2,380 hits, and was a three-time World Champion, in 1991 with the Twins and in his final two seasons with the Yankees. Davis has been the hitting coach for the Athletics the past three seasons, after spending one season in the same capacity for the Pawtucket Red Sox. The Yankees are among those vying for their former slugger’s services.
With this pool of candidates, who should the Red Sox choose to revive their offensive fortunes?