Clint Hurdle is expected to be named the Rangers' hitting coach at some point this week (the Rangers aren't likely to announce it during World Series days, so it could be Thursday or Friday depending on what happens Wednesday at Yankee Stadium).

Rangers officials, not to mention manager Ron Washington, were very pleased with the four finalists for the job. All were qualified individuals who want to stress a team-first approach to hitting and finding ways to score runs on a more consistent level. The Rangers to focus on situational hitting and find ways to move runners over in close games. In other words: find ways to score besides the long ball. Several officials that were in the interviews with Rusty Greer, Thad Bosley, Gerald Perry and Hurdle felt all four could do that.

But in terms of familiarity with the current Rangers' front office and vast experience -- not only as a hitting coach, but as a manager -- Hurdle makes sense.

His first job will be to gain the trust of the players. That's difficult because Rudy Jaramillo is the only major-league hitting coach most of the Rangers' core group know. They trusted and respected him, and it will take time for them to do the same with Hurdle. So Hurdle will need to show he knows what he's doing and that he can help.

I think he'll be able to do that because of his track record. Hurdle's tenure at Colorado as hitting coach had similarities to Jaramillo's in Texas. The most important is how much his players respected and liked Hurdle. Look back at what happened in Colorado starting in 1997, when Hurdle arrived as hitting coach under manager Don Baylor. When Jim Leyland was named manager for the 1998 season, Hurdle remained the hitting coach. Buddy Bell was named manager in 2000, and Hurdle remained as hitting coach. Sound familiar?

Jaramillo was the constant as the Rangers went through managerial changes, too. I'm not concered that Hurdle can step back into a coaching role after being a manager for nearly six seasons. Hurdle missed the game -- he was fired in late May -- and coaching hitters is where he got his start. I think he'll be fine doing that, and it gives Washington another experienced coach to lean on when needed.

In talking to a few folks who dealt with Hurdle while in Colorado, he stayed because those players made it clear they didn't want him going anywhere. That certainly tells you something about his abilities. I was also told that Hurdle in no way favored the team's stars. He didn't come in and spend all of his time with the key guys in the lineup. He worked with everyone.

Hurdle's comments about his philosophy and approach seem to indicate that he's not going to swoop into Arlington and make wholesale changes to a bunch of swings. He'll watch, evaluate and point things out as he sees fit. That's not unlike Jaramillo, who could help get players out of a mechanic funk, but didn't try to redo a batter's swing. He worked with what they had, telling me constantly that they didn't get to the major leagues with a swing that couldn't work.

If Hurdle can stick with that philosphy -- and stress how to better see pitches to get in more favorable counts, have a better two-strike approach and hit to the situation that's presented -- he'll be fine. It will take time, but I think Hurdle can get the job done.

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