New Boston Red Sox skipper Bobby Valentine has finally filled all the roles on his coaching staff for the 2012 season.
There are three newcomers to the staff in addition to Valentine. Bob McClure has been named the pitching coach, Alex Ochoa will be the first base coach and Jerry Royster the third base coach.
The holdovers from former manager Terry Francona’s regime are Dave Magadan, who will stay as hitting coach and Gary Tuck, who remains the bullpen coach. Tim Bogar is also still around and will serve as the bench coach for Valentine.
To continue reading, the press release from the Red Sox, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.
Here’s the release from the Red Sox:
BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today announced their 2012 Major League coaching staff. Tim Bogar has been named bench coach, Bob McClure joins the staff as pitching coach, Alex Ochoa has been appointed first base coach and Jerry Royster has been named third base coach.
Additionally, Hitting Coach Dave Magadan and Bullpen Coach Gary Tuck will both return in the same roles they held in 2011.
Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington and Manager Bobby Valentine made the announcements.
The 45-year-old Bogar enters his fourth year with the Red Sox in 2012. He spent the last two seasons as Boston’s third base coach after joining the club as first base coach prior to the 2009 campaign. He served as the quality assurance coach for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008 and previously managed in the Houston Astros (2004-05) and Cleveland Indians (2006-07) minor league systems, leading his clubs to a 289-200 mark (.591) and three postseason appearances. A former infielder selected by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the 1987 draft, Bogar played 701 Major League games over nine seasons with the Mets (1993-96), Astros (1997-2000) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2001). He played under Valentine in New York for part of the 1996 season.
McClure, 59, recently joined the Red Sox organization as a special assignment scout/instructor. He spent the last six seasons as the pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals after being named to that position on October 12, 2005. During his tenure as Kansas City’s pitching coach, he worked with 2009 American League Cy Young Award Winner Zack Greinke and his 2011 staff’s 4.44 ERA was the best single-season mark for the club since 1994. Prior to joining the Royals, he served as a minor league pitching coach in the Colorado Rockies system for seven seasons, including three years with Single-A Salem from 1999-2001 and four seasons with Triple-A Colorado Springs from 2002-05. McClure began his coaching career with the Florida Marlins in 1994 as a coach on the Major League staff and also served as a scout with the Marlins in 1996. A left-handed pitcher, he played 19 Major League seasons with the Royals (1975-76), Brewers (1977-86), Expos (1986-88), Mets (1988), Angels (1989-91), Cardinals (1991-92) and Marlins (1993), compiling a 68-57 record with 52 saves and a 3.81 ERA (490 ER/1,158.2 IP) in 698 career games (73 starts).
Ochoa, 39, was the hitting coach for Boston’s High-A Salem affiliate last season and his batters led the Carolina League in on-base percentage (.328), and finished third in average (.254) and slugging (.387). He began his professional coaching career in 2009 as Boston’s staff assistant and served as a special assistant in the Red Sox Baseball Operations department in 2010. Ochoa is a veteran of eight Major League seasons with the Mets (1995-97), Twins (1998), Brewers (1999, 2002), Reds (2000-01), Rockies (2001) and Angels (2002). An outfielder, he hit .279 (597-for-2,143) with 131 doubles, 19 triples, 46 home runs, 261 RBI, 320 runs, 203 walks and 56 stolen bases over 807 career games. Ochoa played under Valentine for parts of two seasons with the Mets in 1996-97.
The 59-year-old Royster has been involved in professional baseball for over 40 years. He most recently managed the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization from 2008-10, becoming the league’s first foreign manager. He led the Giants to the playoffs in each of his three seasons at the helm. Royster previously served on Major League coaching staffs as third base coach for the Rockies in their inaugural 1993 campaign and as the Brewers bench coach from 2000 until taking over as interim manager from April 18, 2002 through the end of that season. His minor league managerial experience includes stints in the Dodgers (1989-92, 2005-06) and Padres (1995-98) systems, including five seasons at the Triple-A level. Additionally, he was Montreal’s minor league base running/infield coordinator in 1999 and the Dodgers minor league infield coordinator from 2003-04. Royster signed with the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1970, two years after Valentine began his minor league career with Los Angeles. He played parts of 16 seasons in the Majors with the Dodgers (1973-75), Braves (1976-84, 1988), Padres (1985-86), White Sox (1987) and Yankees (1987). Primarily a second and third baseman, he batted .249 (1,049-for-4,208) with 165 doubles, 33 triples, 40 home runs and 352 RBI in 1,428 career Big League games.
