NewsRangers seeking new hitting coach
Daniels and Washington building list of candidates
GM Jon Daniels has not said who he is considering for the hitting coach position. (AP)
By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com
10/19/09 1:57 PM EST
The Rangers are just beginning the process of looking for a new hitting coach. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Monday that he and manager Ron Washington are starting to compile a list of candidates but have not yet begun the interview process. "We probably have 20 names right now," Daniels said. "We'll probably interview four or five guys, but we're in the process of paring it down." This is the first time the Rangers have been looking for a hitting coach since 1994. Rudy Jaramillo has been the Rangers' hitting coach since 1995, but his contract is expiring at the end of the month and he declined a one-year contract extension from the club last week. He is currently being pursued by the Cubs. Daniels declined to reveal any names under consideration, but there is a wide field to choose from, including internal candidates. The Rangers could consider Gary Pettis, who is their first-base coach but was a hitting instructor in the Brewers organization, or they could look at Minor League hitting coordinator Mike Boulanger, who understands Jaramillo's system and has worked with Rangers hitters at all levels of the farm system. The Rangers have also discussed the possibility of former outfielder Rusty Greer, although he has no professional experience as a hitting instructor. Another familiar name would be Toby Harrah, a former player and manager for the Rangers who is now a hitting instructor in the Tigers organization. Hall of Famer Eddie Murray has experience as a hitting instructor and would bring presence and credibility to the position. Both Thad Bosley and Dave Hudgens are former Oakland Athletics hitting instructors and have a past relationship with Washington. Former Rockies manager Clint Hurdle has experience as a hitting coach. Current Rockies hitting coach Don Baylor is not expected to be a candidate. Daniels said the Rangers are looking for a combination of things when seeking Jaramillo's replacement. "We're looking for somebody with a presence and commands respect of the players," Daniels said. "Somebody who can put together a plan and communicate across the board. I think the term 'situational hitting' gets used too much. It's more situational baseball. "It's not always mechanics or moving runners over. If a starter has 70 pitches, what do we need to do to get him out of there and win the game? We want to hear from each candidate what's important and what they stress and make a decision. It's about competing and playing winning baseball."T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
