Some of the changes were made quickly, including the removal of Dr. Thomas Gill as medical director. Cherington also looked deeper in an effort to create what he termed “the best possible environment’’ for players.
The Red Sox created two new positions, hiring Mike Boyle as their strength and conditioning consultant and Dan Dyrek as a clinical consultant.
Boyle is a local legend in the strength and conditioning community, having spent 25 years with Boston University while also working with athletes from the NFL, NFL, NBA, and baseball.
Cherington described Boyle as having a dual role.
He will be with the team at spring training and at home games while providing “mentorship’’ to new strength coach Pat Sandora and members of the minor league conditioning staff.
Rick Jameyson, who was with the Indians for 20 seasons, was hired as the head athletic trainer. Brad Pearson was promoted from the minor league staff to be his assistant.
The Sox retained their other assistant trainer, Masai Takahashi.
Former head trainer Mike Reinold will now be the lead physical therapist.
The Sox decided to keep medical operations coordinator Jim Rowe and massage therapists Russell Nua and Mitsugi Funatsu.
In addition to Gill, the Red Sox parted ways with assistant trainer Greg Barajas, strength and conditioning coach Dave Page, and physical therapist Scott Waugh.
“We felt like we needed to make some changes to bring it to the next level,’’ Cherington said. “There were two primary objectives - that’s to increase the level of clinical care in the clubhouse and at the same time, while we’re doing that, provide the players with the traditional day-to-day needs that they have to go out on the field and play.
“So we think this staff combined the best of the traditional baseball world and the next generation of methodology and clinical care.’’
Cherington and his staff studied other sports and felt the Sox needed a better ratio of staff members to players.
Reddick’s insight
