SEATTLE -- On Sunday, Carl Willis will have been on the job for a week. In that time, the Red Sox have gone 4-2 and have allowed three runs or fewer four times.
On an individual basis, both Joe Kelly and Clay Buchholz have pitched their best games on his watch while the team ERA has dipped from 5.04 to 4.72.
But Willis is careful not to take the credit for turnaround.
"My philosophy is this - the game is about the players,'' said Willis, who was brought on board last weekend, two days after the team dismissed Juan Nieves. "I'm here to help. I told them, 'I'm not here to share success with them.' But hopefully, I'm here to help them attain that success and get through the hard times. I'm not coming in, trying to be any kind of guru; just a guy they can trust. It's going to take time for me to build that trust, but once I do, they can be confident in their own ability and they'll go out and make it happen.''
In the span of a week, Willis said he feels more acclimated than he expected to be.
"That's a credit to the players and how open they've been,'' Willis said. "I'm pleased that it's progressed in the way that it has, but there's still a long way to go. I'm looking forward to it.''
Willis said he's a "big believer'' in the mental side of pitching and has requested of his pitchers "100 percent intent and focus.''
Boston Red Sox
"If we can take that approach, executing each pitch,'' said Willis, "with the stuff these guys have, I think that builds confidence and comfort and allows them to attain the results they're looking for.''
In addition to Willis being new to the position, the pitching staff is working with two catchers with whom they weren't familiar. Backup Sandy Leon arrived in the last few days of spring training, while starter Blake Swihart didn't make his big league debut until two weeks ago.
"Blake and Sandy have been awesome,'' said Willis. "They've come out early, they've been very involved with the game-planning and we'll get to the point where they're going to be getting more information than the pitchers get and be a little more cerebral in their game-calling."
A baseball source said Willis has, in quick order, represented "a 180 degree'' turnaround from Nieves. While the latter tended to talk to pitchers about reacting to what hitters were doing, Willis has stressed that the pitchers have the ball, and as such, should dictate more and control the pace.
"The organizaiton and the players have been tremendous (as he gets adjusted),'' said Willis. ''Obviously, it's difficult having a change take place in-season. Certainly I respect the fact that I'm stepping into the shoes of a very good man (Nieves) and a guy who helped lead them to a world championship in 2013. I don't lose sight of that. I respect that.
"But the guys have been tremendous, welcoming me with open arms. We've had lots of conversations, from personal things to pitching things, how did we get to where we are right now, where we're at. Their feedback is obviously been helpful to me. At this point, things are good."