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Sports Title: The dream candidate list for Texas Rangers bench coach The Rangers have two coaching openings with two distinctive needs: One guy needs to be an instructor and another needs to be more of a coordinator. It’s easy to understand the duties of a first base coach or an infield coach, two jobs that will fall to the coaching staff hire that replaces Dave Anderson. Those jobs are self-explanatory. At first base, you give baserunners times on pitchers to help with steals and advise on pickoff moves. As the infield instructor, you tutor the infielders on fielding and presumably set defensive shifts. Replacing the bench coach requires a different set of skills. He’s more quality control guy than instructor. Former bench coach Jackie Moore helped call the catching signals, but more of the job calls for organizing spring training workouts, running advance scouting meetings on other teams during the season and managing the game ahead of the actual manager. To wit: If there is a conceivable situation in which the manager might need his backup catcher to hit in a late-season game, it’s the bench coach who has to make sure the catcher gets notice in the bullpen in enough time to get to the dugout and get loosened up. On one occasion this past season, the Rangers faced that exact situation and ended up having to use Robinson Chirinos instead of Geovany Soto. That’s not a rip of Moore, per se, but really more of an indictment that the overall game prep has to be better. But indicting anybody is not our objective here. Offering suggestions for what would make the bench coach more of an asset is. And make no mistake, Rangers GM Jon Daniels wants a “star” in the making as a bench coach. He wants somebody who will be coveted as a manager. It creates a very difficult set of job requirements: The guy must be a star, but must also earn the trust of manager Ron Washington. That’s often an issue when a coach is replaced by somebody not necessarily of the manager’s choosing. He’s first seen as an outsider and then often seen as the manager-in-waiting. Hiring a younger coach with managerial aspirations would only have a tendency to to heighten the “threat.” So, with that in mind, here are a few guys who I think for various reasons might work: • Tim Bogar: At 46, Bogar is the prime age to have gained enough coaching/minor league managerial experience to be considered an expert but still be able to relate to players. He had been on major league staffs from 2008-2012, first with Joe Maddon in Tampa Bay as – wait for it – quality assurance coach and then with Terry Francona in Boston. If you are looking for managerial pedigrees, those are two guys to learn how to do things. He spent 2012 as the bench coach in Boston, learning how not to do things as the oft-ignored lieutenant to Bobby Valentine during the Red Sox debacle. Bogar spent 2013 managing Double-A Arkansas in the Los Angeles system – and being named Baseball America’s top managerial prospect in the Texas League – after turning down a chance to be Houston’s bench coach. Yes, he could be viewed as a “threat.” What helps is prior relationships developed with Rangers’ staff. Bogar was an infielder for Ron Washington during the Ranger manager’s first two years working as a minor league coach in the New York Mets system. Bogar also worked with Rangers hitting instructor Dave Magadan in Boston and was a teammate of pitching coach Mike Maddux with both the New York Mets and Houston. That familiarity may help break down some trust barriers. Los Angeles let bench coach Rob Picciolo go, but replaced him with third base coach Dino Ebel, leaving an opening on its staff. A bench coach position, however, would likely be more desirable to an aspiring manager than a third base coach’s job. • Jason Giambi: This would fall under the heading of “outside-the-box,” thinking since Giambi has no coaching experience whatsoever. Giambi isn’t even retired. And, even if he’s willing, the Rangers may not be able to afford taking on a guy who may require a learning curve when it comes to anticipation. Colorado, however, interviewed him for its managerial opening last year before going with Walt Weiss. Had Giambi been offered the job, he would have hung it up. He has indicated a desire to play again next year and Cleveland, where he spent 2013, is interested in having him return. The Indians have also reached out to Giambi, who turns 43 in January, to say they would find room for him on the coaching staff should he decide to retire Giambi has always been a very thoughtful and intellectual hitter with a patient, disciplined approach. He could help reiterate what hitting instructor Dave Magadan is trying to get across. In addition, Giambi played for Oakland during Ron Washington’s first five years as a major league coach. The two worked closely on fielding. He would have big presence in the clubhouse and have the instant trust of Washington. And if Giambi doesn’t retire, it might be worth checking in on Eric Chavez’s status for 2014. Pretty much the same qualifications as Giambi. • Rene Lachemann: He is neither young – he’ll turn 69 next year – nor a “start,” but he’s got some interesting credentials. It’s been nearly 20 years since he managed and he doesn’t have that burning desire to manage again, which would certainly be non-threatening to Washington. He spent 2012 working as Colorado’s first base coach. He worked with Washington on a coaching staff in Oakland in the early 2000s, but also coached for Tony LaRussa in both Oakland and St. Louis and has, for years, been a discipline of the detailed, matchup oriented kinds of things that LaRussa used to his advantage. It’s also worth noting that Lachemann is the only former catcher on this list and he could handle calling the catching signals (i.e, pitchouts, etc.) from the dugout. Like Clint Hurdle, Lachemann also has a loud voice and a big presence, but it’s never been of a “chewing out” nature. The bench coach is certainly going to be the more intriguing of the two coaching moves. Finding a guy who Washington trusts is important, but the responsibility of the organization is to find the guy who can be the best asset. The guys on this list offer chances to meet both desires.
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#1. To: redleghunter (#0)
I vote for Bogar because if worse comes to worse he could be Washington's replacement.
I agree and that would send a message to Wash too.
#3. To: redleghunter (#2)
I agree and that would send a message to Wash too. I've never really figured out why they hired Wash in the first place other than he was a "players manager", he seems to be lacking in the strategy department.
I agree and that would send a message to Wash too. Rangers hire Bogar http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/texas-rangers/headlines/20131021-new-bench- coach-tim-bogar-can-help-texas-rangers-defensive-efficiency-improve- dramatically.ece
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