PORTLAND — The Boston Red Sox have announced the Portland Sea Dogs coaching staff for the 2016 season. Carlos Febles (FAY-blace) has been named the club’s new manager replacing Billy McMillon.
Febles will be joined by hitting coach Jon Nunnally and pitching coach Kevin Walker. Eric Velazquez has been named the team’s athletic trainer and Chris Messina will serve as the strength and conditioning coach.
Febles is the 12th manager in the Sea Dogs’ 23 year history. The 39 year-old managed the Salem Red Sox for the past two seasons, where he compiled a 134-141 record. The 2016 season will be his sixth season managing in the minor leagues. He made his managerial debut with the Lowell Spinners in 2011 and skippered the Greenville Drive in 2012 and 2013 before joining the Salem Red Sox in 2014.
He previously held positions as hitting coach with the Salem Red Sox (2009-2010) and Lancaster JetHawks (2008) after making his professional coaching debut with the Lowell Spinners in 2007. He led the JetHawks to California League-best marks in hitting (.285), hits (1,423), and homers (154) in 2008.
The second baseman spent six seasons in the major leagues with the Kansas City Royals from 1998 to 2003, where he hit .250 with 24 home runs and 146 RBI. He played his final professional season with the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2004, hitting .257 in 68 games. Febles resides in La Romana, Dominican Republic with his wife and two children.
Febles takes over for Billy McMillon, who was named the Red Sox minor league outfielding and base running coordinator. In two seasons with the Sea Dogs McMillon compiled a 141-143 (.496) record. In 2014, he was named the Eastern League Manager of the Year after leading the Sea Dogs to a franchise best record of 88-54.
Nunnally joins the Sea Dogs as the teams’ hitting coach for 2016. The 44 year-old has nine seasons of professional baseball coaching experience. The 2016 season will be his second season coaching in the Red Sox organization having served as the hitting coach for the Salem Red Sox in 2015. Previously he coached in the Cleveland Indians (2007-2011) and Toronto Blue Jays (2012-2014) organizations. With Toronto he served as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats hitting coach in 2014. Nunnally had a six year Major League career as an outfielder with the Kansas City Royals (1995-1997), Cincinnati Reds (1997-1998), Boston Red Sox (1999), and New York Mets (2000).
Walker, 39, returns for his second season as the teams’ pitching coach. Prior to joining the Sea Dogs in 2015, Walker spent four seasons as the pitching coach for the High-A Salem Red Sox. He has also been the pitching coach for Low-A Greenville in 2010 and Short-Season-A Lowell in 2009. A left-handed pitcher, Walker pitched six seasons in the major leagues with the San Diego Padres (2000-2003), San Francisco Giants (2004) and Chicago White Sox (2005). In 122 big league games, Walker notched a 7-3 record with a 4.76 ERA.
Velazquez joins the Red Sox organization after six seasons in the New York Mets organization. He spent the past two seasons as the athletic trainer for the Savannah Sand Gnats (A) of the South Atlantic League. From 2012-2013 he was the athletic trainer for the Mets Short- Season-A team in Brooklyn. Previously he was the athletic trainer for the Gulf Coast League Mets (2011) and the Mets Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic (2010). Additionally, he was the athletic trainer for the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League in 2012 and the head athletic trainer for the 2011-2012 Leones del Escogido Dominican winter ball team. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Biology from the University of California, Davis and a Master of Science degree in Athletic Training form Stephen F. Austin University.
Messina joins the Red Sox organization in 2016. In 2015, he was the strength and conditioning coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates Appalachian League affiliate in Bristol, Virginia. Messina has a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from S.U.N.Y Fredonia and a Master of Science degree in Applied Health Physiology from Salisbury University.
The Sea Dogs open the 2016 season on April 7 against the Reading Fightin Phils in Reading, Pennsylvania. The home opener is set for Thursday, April 14 at 6 p.m. against the Hartford Yard Goats. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs ticket office at 879-9500 or online at www.seadogs.com.
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