Rangers make coaching changes

[September 30, 2008]  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Bench coach Art Howe and third-base coach Matt Walbeck are done with the Texas Rangers.

General manager Jon Daniels said Monday that Howe and Walbeck won't be offered contracts for next season. Jim Colborn, who filled in as bullpen coach the past two months, will return to being the team's director of Pacific Rim operations.

"We wanted to change the dynamic of the coaching staff to ultimately best impact the play on the field," Daniels said.

Andy Hawkins, who became the interim pitching coach when Mark Connor was fired Aug. 1, will be a candidate to keep that job. Daniels said others will be interviewed as well.

"It is an opportunity for us to go out and identify other people in the industry that can help us," Daniels said. "It has to be a priority. We have to be thorough and make the right call."

Hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo will be back in 2009 for his 15th season with the Rangers, who led the majors with a .283 average and 901 runs scored this year. First-base coach Gary Pettis will also be back.

The Rangers (79-83), who ended their eighth losing season in nine years Sunday, had the worst pitching staff in the major leagues with a 5.37 ERA. They used 30 pitchers, seven of them making their major league debuts.

Texas relievers threw a majors-high 572 2-3 innings and allowed 360 runs after the starters averaged only a 5 1-3 innings an outing.

Daniels said Hawkins, who had been the Triple-A pitching coach when Connor and bullpen coach Dom Chiti were fired, will remain in the organization in some capacity even if someone else is hired as pitching coach.

Howe was hired two years ago to work for first-time manager Ron Washington, who had been an assistant coach the previous 11 seasons for the Oakland Athletics, the first seven when Howe was the manager.

Howe, who had a close relationship with Washington, came to Texas three weeks after he had been hired by Philadelphia to be Charlie Manuel's third-base coach and infield instructor.

Walbeck, a former minor league manager in Detroit's organization, was with the Rangers only one season.

[Associated Press; By STEPHEN HAWKINS]

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