Dave Wallace, the Red Sox beloved (and talented) pitching coach is out of commission for a few months, possibly the season due to an infection in his hip that led to hip replacement surgery this week.
Bullpen coach Al Nipper was appointed interim pitching coach at the start of spring training and is expected to remain in that role until Wallace returns. Wallace joined the Red Sox in 2003.
He joined the Sox in 2003, the magical "Cowboy Up" season…the season that was the springboard for the 2004 World Championship season. And for that, and many other things, we in Red Sox Nation love Wally…and we want him back as soon as possible. But, more importantly, we want him to get well.
I don’t expect it to be a problem or anything that’s an issue,” pitcher Matt Clement said. "I think (Nipper) kind of comes out of Wally’s mold, in a way. To me, a pitching coach is more of a psychologist than a pitching coach.”
I agree to a point with Clement. I think a pitching coach is a little more important than that, but Wallace is most notorious around here for his trips to the pitching mound that invariably ended with his massaging his pitcher’s shoulders, giving a friendly pat to a pitcher’s stomach or just a friendly punch on the arm. (I took the picture here of Mike O’Malley hugging Tim Wakefield ath the Hot Stove, Cool Music: Fenway Sessions concert last summer. That is O’Malley’s impersonation of Dave Wallace.) He was Dr Feelgood for a lot of pitchers (Derek Lowe, I’m talking to you) who really needed it.
Come back soon, Wally!
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