MLB NEWS

Red Sox hire Chili Davis as hitting coach

The Sports Xchange

October 23, 2014 at 11:59 pm.

Davis takes over an offense that struggled in 2014 as the Red Sox went from a World Series championship the previous year to last place in the American League East this year. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

One season as a minor league coach three years ago was enough to convince Chili Davis to change jobs.

Davis, the Oakland Athletics’ hitting coach the past three years, was introduced as the Boston Red Sox’s new hitting coach Thursday.

“The biggest deciding factor was that I had been in the organization,” said Davis, who guided Boston’s Triple-A hitters in 2011. “I had worked in the organization in 2011, so I am somewhat familiar with the personnel in the organization. They gave me the first opportunity to actually do day-in, day-out coaching for a full year. I loved the time I spent in Pawtucket and the people I was around. It was an opportunity to come back and be around them again.”

Davis takes over an offense that struggled in 2014 as the Red Sox went from a World Series championship the previous year to last place in the American League East this year.

Under hitting coach Greg Colbrunn in 2014, the Red Sox tied for 21st (with Oakland) with a .244 batting average; ranked 14th in on-base percentage (.316); tied for 23rd in slugging percentage (.369); and tied for 18th in runs scored (634).

Colbrunn resigned after a season in which he missed time due to a brain ailment.

Red Sox manager John Farrell endorsed Davis’ arrival.

“When you can look to tangible examples, guys who have gone from trying to break into the big leagues to becoming established everyday players, that goes a long way into seeing the value that Chili brings,” manager John Farrell said.

Davis, 54, played 19 years in the major leagues with the San Francisco Giants, California Angels, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees. He was a three-time All-Star, and he finished with a hitting line of .274/.360/.451 with 350 homers and 1,372 RBIs in 2,436 games.