For John Farrell, the idea of dividing the work of hitting instruction between two coaches was a no-brainer. The job responsibilities of the position have grown to such an extent -- with a focus on both the technical aspect of swings and advance video work of scouting opposing pitchers -- suggest that the jobs of a hitting coach are now best divided among two coaches.

Once that decision was made, the Sox needed to find two coaches view similar views on hitting and about how such a dual arrangement might work. And once the team had hired Greg Colbrunn as hitting coach, the choice for an assistant became fairly clear.

Like Colbrunn, all of Victor Rodriguez’s career as a coach had been in the Red Sox’ minor league system. Indeed, he’s the longest-tenured member of the team’s baseball operations staff. After he concluded a 19-year playing career (that included a couple of cups of coffee with the Orioles and Twins) with Triple-A Pawtucket in 1995, he was hired as a coach by the team. Between 1996-2000, he served as a hitting coach for three different lower level Red Sox farm teams (High-A Sarasota, the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League and Single-A Augusta), spent 2002 as a roving minor league hitting instructor, worked as the organization’s Latin American field coordinator from 2003-06 before becoming settled into the role of hitting coordinator in 2007, a post in which he worked for the last six years.

Over his 18 years working in the system, he’s worked with virtually every prospect to come through the system. He’s seen Nomar Garciaparra, from the moment that he began life as a professional, smash line drives to all fields regardless of where the pitches have been thrown. He worked with a young Kevin Youkilis and with Hanley Ramirez when they were working up the ladder. He’s heard of the amazement that greeted Dustin Pedroia’s improbable skill set, which defied his size, and watched in 2006 when the young second baseman struggled but had the confidence in his approach and work to know that he’d be a good big leaguer. He projected Jacoby Ellsbury to develop from a slap hitter to someone with power, helped Will Middlebrooks transition from overmatched teenager with considerable raw power but without the approach to use it to an emerging Sox cornerstone and, more recently, he’s listened in amazement to the sound that Xander Bogaerts makes when his barrel smashes pitches.

He represents extraordinary institutional memory when it comes to homegrown members of the Red Sox, something that will be critical in helping Colbrunn as he transitions to a new organization.

“The history and relationships that Victor has with a number of our hitters is not only going to help us as a group, but it’s going to help Greg come in to deal with a new set of hitters,” said Farrell. “He can provide a lot of background information about what’s been attempted, what’s worked, what hasn’t worked, and hopefully save some time not only for Greg’s familiarity with those guys but hopefully to make them the most consistent hitters possible.”

For Rodriguez, the opportunity to coach at the highest level represents a special next stage of his career. Particularly in his capacity as a hitting coordinator, he’s been able to work with prospects at every level as they make their way towards the majors, but then he’s handed them off to the big league coaching staff. Now, he will get the opportunity to work with hitters as they complete their development at the highest level. He is in position to help players like Bogaerts and Jose Iglesias and Jackie Bradley Jr. on the other end of their development paths in coming years.

Rodriguez wasn’t sure if he’d ever get the opportunity to have a coaching job in the big leagues. He’d taken an approach to his own career similar to the one that he tried to instill in minor leaguers over the years.

“As a player, you want to play in the major leagues. You can’t control that decision. You just play hard, do what you’re capable of doing and control what you can control,” he said. “Same as a coach. I’ve been here 19 years. You’d always like a chance to coach in the major leagues, especially with the Boston Red Sox. Watching year after year, how they go about their business, you want to be a part of that. That’s something I learned through the years that you can’t control. The only thing you can control is go up there, help everyone out. Go do your job, do what you’re paid to do.”

He’s done that. He’s paid his dues within the Sox organization, and now, he is eager to begin work as Colbrunn’s assistant, a capacity in which he notes that his job will be defined by his ability not only to work with hitters but also to ensure that the messages he delivers are in lockstep with those offered by the hitting coach.

“The players have to know we’re on the same page, to know that the same message is going to be delivered from Greg and myself. Anything we do with the players, we all have to know about it,” said Rodriguez. “It doesn’t matter which way we go, with me or Greg, we’re all going to be on the same page, same goal -- get them prepared to play the game the right way and help the Boston Red Sox.”

That is something that Rodriguez has done in different capacities for years. But now, finally, he will have his opportunity to contribute directly at the highest level and to see the work that he’s been doing for years at the minor league level bear fruit in the big leagues.

“I’m very happy with the opportunity. My family is happy. Everyone around me is very happy. I’m looking forward to it and very excited to do it,” said Rodriguez. “There’s a lot of kids that are going to have a chance to play in the major leagues who are in the minor leagues now. I’m going to have a chance to work with them closely to help them any way I can.”