General manager Jon Daniels said the club has not started interviews for the hitting coach position left vacant by Rudy Jaramillo's departure. Jaramillo rejected the club's one-year offer to stay on as hitting coach in 2010.
"We're still working through and finalizing a list of candidates," Daniels said.
That list could include external and internal folks.
An MLB.com report suggests the list could include Clint Hurdle, the former Rockies manager and former A's hitting instructors Dave Hudgens and Thad Bosley. With manager Ron Washington coming to Texas from Oakland, it would be natural to think that some folks he was familiar with there would get consideration.
If the club looks internally, Mike Boulanger, the minor league hitting coordinator, could be a possibility. So could Gary Pettis, the club's first base coach last season. He used to be a hitting instructor with the Brewers.
Daniels has in mind the type of characteristics he wants in a coach.
"Watching the playoffs, it's obvious that regardless of personnel type, managerial style, etc, the one thing winning clubs do is consistently make pitchers earn every out," Daniels said. "That's an area we can improve in. It's a combination of everything -- situational hitting, forcing the pitcher to make a pitch, playing as a team rather than at-bat to at-bat."
Comments that include profanity, or personal attacks, or antisocial behavior such as "spamming" or "trolling," or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. We will take steps to block users who violate any of our terms of use. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Contributors
Richard Durrett
Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.
Ben Rogers
Ben Rogers joined ESPNDallas.com in November 2009. He is one half of the "GameNight with Ben & Skin" show, heard weekdays from 6p-9p on 103.3 FM ESPN.
