Back of their enjoying days, Craig Breslow and Andrew Bailey used to sit down within the bullpen speaking about life after retirement. Even then Breslow imagined himself working a staff, and Bailey would say he may very well be his bullpen coach, pitching coach or supervisor.
Fast ahead a few decade, and that imaginative and prescient has change into a actuality.
Bailey was formally launched because the Red Sox new pitching coach on Tuesday, making the previous huge league veteran considered one of Breslow’s first additions as chief baseball officer. Bailey mentioned attending to staff up with Breslow was a giant a part of why he took the job and that he’s grateful for the chance to be again in Boston.
“Life’s too short to turn down opportunities like this,” Bailey mentioned. “To be able to kind of joke around like that with a former teammate and a true friend and now be able to see that path laid out and to be able compete together in another capacity is special, and I think that drove a lot of my thinking.”
A two-time All-Star who received Rookie of the Year with the Oakland Athletics in 2009, Bailey pitched for 5 golf equipment over eight seasons as a participant, together with the Red Sox from 2012-13. Following his retirement Bailey transitioned to teaching and over the previous 4 seasons as served as pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants.
Under his management the Giants pitching workers constantly ranked among the many finest in baseball, however this offseason Bailey’s contract ran out and the 39-year-old felt he wanted to get again to the East Coast so he may very well be nearer to his younger household.
Bailey had no scarcity of suitors. In addition to the Red Sox, who he says he related with early within the offseason earlier than Breslow had even been employed, the right-hander additionally reportedly interviewed for the New York Yankees bench coach job.
The private reference to Breslow supplied a robust pull, and Bailey finally determined Boston can be the very best match, each as a result of he and the group had been aligned philosophically and in addition as a result of he’ll now be solely a two-hour drive from his household.
Another perk of being again in Boston? An opportunity to redeem himself after an admittedly disappointing stint as a participant.
“It’s not too frequent you get a second opportunity to right the ship in a different capacity,” mentioned Bailey, who spent a lot of his two seasons with the Red Sox injured whereas posting a 4.91 ERA in 49 appearances. “I know what failure feels like in a major market, and in Boston specifically, so I’m super stoked to have that opportunity again to bring a sustainable winning franchise here to the City of Boston.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com