The Boston Red Sox have taken their first step in improving their 18th-place ranking in 2014 in terms of runs scored by hiring the man who led the Oakland Athletics' offense to the fourth-place spot. MLB.com's Tom Singer reported Sunday evening that the Red Sox hired Chili Davis as their next hitting coach, replacing Greg Colbrunn, who resigned on October 3. Singer, though, also says that the Red Sox have not yet confirmed the report, however many Red Sox' beat writers have confirmed the reports. Rob Bradford of WEEI.com broke the news a few hours before.
The Red Sox scored 634 runs this past season, which ranks not only 18th in the Majors but 11th in the American League. While injuries to Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, and Dustin Pedroia -- along with the loss of Jacoby Ellsbury to the New York Yankees -- all played a major role in that low total, Davis can help the team overcome those difficulties next season. David Ortiz led the Red Sox with 104 RBI, a hefty total. However, the next-best RBI total was Napoli's 55.
Oakland's run total of 729 ranked fourth in the Majors and third in the American League. That run total fell off, though, after the non-waiver deadline trade of Yoenis Cespedes to Boston for Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes. Cespedes drove in 67 runs in 101 games for Oakland and 33 runs in 51 games for Boston. After the trade, Oakland's run production dropped to 12th in the American League in August and 11th in September.
Davis previously served as the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox hitting coach in 2011 before joining the Athletics' staff. He will now follow the run-producing outfielder Cespedes to Fenway Park.
In his 19-year playing career from 1981 to 1999, Davis hit .269/.366/.455 with 350 home runs and 1,372 RBI. He made three All-Star teams, two in the National League with San Francisco Giants and one with the California Angels. He also won a World Series ring with the 1991 Minnesota Twins and finished his career winning two more with the 1998 and 1999 Yankees.