| Darren Fenster | |
| Team: | Boston Red Sox |
| Position: | Infielder / Manager |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Birth Date: | 11 September 1978 |
| Birth Place: | Edison, New Jersey, U.S. |
Darren Fenster (born September 11, 1978) is an American former professional baseball player and manager who works in the Minor League Baseball system of the Boston Red Sox. As a player, he was listed at 5inchesft9inchesin (ftin) and 175lb while batting and throwing right-handed.
Fenster grew up in Middletown Township, New Jersey, and graduated from Middletown High School South in 1996; he went on to play collegiate baseball with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights baseball team.[1] In 1998, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL).[2]
Selected in the 12th round by the Kansas City Royals in the 2000 Major League Baseball draft, Fenster played in Minor League Baseball for the Spokane Indians (Class A Short Season), Burlington Bees (Class A), Wilmington Blue Rocks (Class A-Advanced) and the Wichita Wranglers (Double-A).[3] After five seasons in the Royals' farm system, a knee injury led to the end of his playing career. In 438 minor-league games, he compiled a .267 batting average with five home runs and 179 runs batted in. Defensively, he appeared primarily as a second baseman and third baseman, while also playing some games as a shortstop and outfielder.[3]
In 2006, Rutgers manager Fred Hill asked Fenster to serve as a coach for the Scarlet Knights. In 2008, Fenster returned to the CCBL an assistant coach for the Orleans Cardinals.[4]
Fenster was a manager in the Boston Red Sox organization for six seasons. His first minor league managing post was in 2013 with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox.[3] He then spent the next four seasons managing the Greenville Drive of the Class A South Atlantic League, winning the team's first league championship in 2017.[5] In 2018, he managed the Portland Sea Dogs of the Double-A Eastern League.[6] Fenster became the Red Sox' minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator before the 2019 season.[7] In February 2022, Fenster was named minor league infield coordinator for the Red Sox.[8]
| Year | Team (Class) | W | L | Pct. | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | GCL Red Sox (Rk) | 35 | 25 | lost in league finals | ||
| 2014 | Greenville Drive (A) | 60 | 79 | missed playoffs | ||
| 2015 | Greenville Drive (A) | 72 | 68 | missed playoffs | ||
| 2016 | Greenville Drive (A) | 70 | 69 | missed playoffs | ||
| 2017 | Greenville Drive (A) | 79 | 60 | league champions | ||
| 2018 | Portland Sea Dogs (AA) | 63 | 76 | missed playoffs | ||
| Total | 379 | 377 | ||||
In April 2021, Fenster was named as a coach for the United States national baseball team, for the team's final efforts to qualify for baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[9] After the team qualified, Fenster was named the team's third-base coach for the Olympics.[10] The team went on to win silver, falling to Japan in the gold-medal game.[11]