Manager Ron Washington said Friday that he's pleased with the four finalists the Rangers have for the vacant hitting coach position.
"I'm comfortable with all of them," Washington said. "We want a coach that can understand each guy, bring a team-first attitude and help guys play to the situation. The job is to get the best of their abilities and do help the team win."
The Rangers have narrowed the search to Thad Bosley, Clint Hurdle, Rusty Greer and Gerald Perry, who will all have interviews Monday.
Bosley was the hitting coach in Oakland for two seasons in Oakland during Washington's tenure, and Perry was on the A's staff as hitting coach for one season. Washington coached Greer in the Arizona Fall League when Greer was playing for the Rangers. Washington was the third base coach when Hurdle managed Triple-A Tidewater with the Mets organization in 1992.
"It's a very interesting opportunity and it's a good, young club," Hurdle said of the Rangers. "They have a dynamic offense. But like many clubs, they are looking for that offense to be consistent. You have to find a way to beat those No. 1 and No. 2 starters and win low-scoring games by finding ways to get on base and score runs in different ways. That's the challenge as a coach."
Hurdle is familiar with Gm Jon Daniels, assistant general manager Thad Levine and director of player development Scott Servais from their days with the Rockies. Hurdle was fired as manager of the Rockies in May.
"We've been using the term 'offensive coach' in that the job involves both the mechanical/hitting side as well as helping to communicate an overall offensive philosophy of team-first baseball," Daniels said. "How does each at-bat contribute to our ability to win the game? There are many ways to have a quality, winning at-bat.
"The right candidate will have a strong understanding of hitting mechanics and each guy's swing, and the ability to effectively stress what needs to be done for the team to be successful."
The Rangers hope to be closer to that candidate after Monday's interviews.
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