HOW MUCH CREDIT DOES CHILI DAVIS DESERVE FOR RED SOX PROLIFIC OFFENSE?
This 2016 edition of the Boston Red Sox sucks actually.
Not really.
I mean it’s all relative.
They have a world-class offense but they get a “Gentlemen’s C” at best in the pitching department.
They sit at 54–39 after 93 games, in front of Baltimore by a half-game, a damn-sight better than they were about a year ago when on Friday July 17th their record was 42–47 and they were in last place in the AL East — where they ended up — 6 ½ games behind the-then first place Yankees.
They play pretty good defense and their relief pitching is generally efficient but the pendulum in the bullpen is active shall we say.
The Boston Red Sox offense in the first half of this season on the other hand has been nothing short of mind-bogglingly stupendous.
Believe me Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley Jr., & Papi did not go to San Diego because of knuckleballer and fellow All-Star Steven Wright’s stellar first half.
They went on their own merit of course and beyond Wright, the Sox starting pitching is paper-thin.
Wright alone is just wrong.
Price will straighten himself out and any thinking Sox fan on the planet would be happy with Porcello’s 12–2; 3.47 ERA numbers — not to mention his near-invincibility at Fenway — as painfully difficult as he sometimes is to watch.
After that? Nothing.
Buchholz? Done here.
Kelly? Bullpen or gone.
Rodriguez? Singularly unimpressive rebounding from a spring training knee problem and at times, downright horrible.
O’Sullivan? Who? A strong and much-needed finger-in-the dike effort or two but who??
Thank goodness for Pomeranz — jury certainly still deliberating — (and Ziegler out of the pen).
Band-aids on broken legs? We’ll see what more Dave Dombrowski is allowed to do.
C’mon.
C’mon now!!!
John Henry should continue focusing on wheat futures, etc. along with the Liverpool FC and his other various holdings.
Because neither he nor Tom Werner nor Sam Kennedy nor whomever seem to be terribly concerned with the Olde Towne Team’s glaring starting pitching dearth.
After all, I suppose they have till August 1st. to get something done in that arena.
But why wait? The AL East is clearly up for grabs. And certainly money is no object; see Price.
Why torture the faithful who continue to happily (?) pay the highest ticket prices in the game?
Why???
Because they can.
Let’s turn our attention to this prolific, league-leading and potentially record-setting Offense shall we?
The players play. The manager and coaches do not.
So who should get the credit when things go well and the blame when they don’t?
This age-old question has been debated for eons and the subject shall not be singularly pursued in this writing.
But suffice it to say that one Charles Theodore “Chili” Davis, Jamaica’s first of only 4 MLB players ever, who hung up some pretty impressive numbers with the stick as a switch-hitter during a 19-year big league career is certainly — in part at the very least — responsible for the Red Sox’ collective hitting prowess.
Davis has been the club’s hitting coach since October of 2014.
In 19 major league seasons he amassed 2,380 hits to go along with 350 HRs, 1,372 RBI — which included no fewer than 506 recorded with two outs — and a .274 BA while toiling for six clubs (Giants-1981–1987; Angels — 1988–1990; Twins — 1991–1992; Angels again — 1993–1996; Royals — 1997; and Yankees — 1998–1999).
He was a 3-time All-Star (’84; ’86; ’94) & and a 3-time World Series Champion (’91; ’98; & ‘99).
After coaching with Oakland from 2012–2014, Davis began his Red Sox tenure.
In 2015 during their third AL East last-place finish in the previous 4 campaigns, the Sox put up some solid offensive numbers.
In the 15-team AL they were 3rd in Hits & OBP; 4th in Runs, Doubles & BA; 5th in Triples & TB; and 6th in SLG.
Not too shabby for a cellar-dweller.
After 92 contests in 2016, fuhgeddaboudit.
First in Runs, Hits, Doubles, BA, OBP, SLG, OPS & TB.
Second in Triples.
(Only 9th in HRs but just 46 behind 2015 total with 70 games to play).
In their 93rd game, a 13–2 Fenway thrashing of the moribund Twins, the Sox had 17 hits — 8 for extra bases, 5 Doubles and 3 HRs.
They have scored at least 9 runs no fewer than 17 times this season; 10 or more runs 13 times, including last night (07/21/2016).
The Red Sox offense is off the charts and out of control.
Papi, Pedey, Betts, Bogaerts, JBJ, Hanley, Shaw, (Cesar Tovar wannabe) Brock Holt — 2015’s singular Sox All-Star representative — and the white-hot Sandy Leon (.435 BA through July 21st).
Loaded.
Takin’ names and kickin’ ass.
Ask any one of these guys and they’ll tell you to a man that Chili with his preparation, patience and wealth of knowledge deserves a lot of the credit even though his switch-hitting days are well behind him.
He doesn’t play. He coaches and he’s really good. As good as it gets.
With a team ERA of 4.36 the pitching must be better.
Kudos to Wright, Porcello and occasionally to Price.
Pomeranz? We’ll see.
Uehara and Kimbrel can both perform when healthy, as can Junichi Tazawa. Matt Barnes has been doing very well for the last five weeks. Ziegler looks like a nice pickup.
But more is needed.
So John and Tom let’s loosen the purse strings yet again and permit Dombrowski to continue to do what he does best, which is to pursue quality power pitchers — cost secondary to winning.
If DD can do his job as well as Chili Davis has done and does his, then maybe this can be the year.
[Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Mr. Kaplan in July 2016.]
ADDENDA:
The 2016 Red Sox finished with a record of 93–69, first in the AL East. In the postseason, they were swept by AL Central champion Cleveland in the ALDS (3–0).
Chili Davis was the Red Sox hitting coach from 2015–2017. From there he moved on to the Cubs (2018) and then to the Mets (2019-) in the same capacity.
(He was fired by the Red Sox and the Cubs in successive off-seasons).
