Rangers hire Banister as manager
Arlington, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – The Texas Rangers have hired Pittsburgh Pirates bench coach Jeff Banister as their new manager.
The Rangers said Thursday evening that Banister signed a multi-year contract and will be introduced during a news conference Friday morning.
He was the bench coach for the Pirates for four seasons, helping them reach the playoffs the last two years, but doesn’t have any major league managerial experience.
Banister, 50, just finished his 29th season working for the Pirates organization, which included stints as a minor league instructor and manager. He singled for the Pirates off Atlanta’s Dan Petry on July 23, 1991 in his only major-league at-bat.
“I am elated to have the chance to make an impact on the organization, and I look forward to getting started on that task,” Banister said in a statement released by the Rangers.
He will replace Tim Bogar, who served as interim manager for 22 games after Ron Washington resigned in September over personal reasons. Bogar went 14-8 in his brief stint and was reportedly among the finalists for the full-time job.
Washington is the most successful manager in Rangers history with a record of 664-611 from 2007-14, including consecutive trips to the World Series in 2010 and 2011.
Categorized in: MLB
Tags: Rangers, Texas, Texas Rangers