Rangers hire Jeff Banister as new manager
The Texas Rangers' long pursuit of a new manager has come to an end.
Texas officially announced Thursday night the hiring of Jeff Banister as the club's new skipper. The announcement comes after days of speculation and a report earlier in the afternoon linking him to the vacant position.
The Rangers will introduce Banister, who will become the 18th full-time manager in club history, during a press conference at Globe Life Park in Arlington on Friday.
"What stood out is his presence," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said of Banister, according to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. "He is an impressive guy to meet. You can understand how he can command a room."
Sullivan reported that Daniels had 40 candidates in mind before narrowing the field down to eight names.
Banister, who was a bench coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates since midway through the 2010 season, doesn't have any major league managerial experience but comes with a glowing reputation.
"I am elated to have the chance to make an impact on the organization, and I look forward to getting started," Banister said, according to the Rangers' official Twitter account.
Banister won the position by beating out a group of front-runners that included Cleveland Indians bullpen coach Kevin Cash and Rangers interim manager Tim Bogar.
Bogar filled in as the Rangers' manager for the final month of the season following the resignation of Ron Washington.
"Tim did not do anything to lose this job," Daniels said, according to Evan Grant The Dallas Morning News. "Jeff won this. We had great candidates and had seven difficult conversations with guys who didn’t get the job and one great one (with Banister).
"I understand Tim is disappointed. I hope to have Jeff connect with him and spend some time with him. If everybody's good about it going forward and feels like it would be productive, I’d have no problem with him on the staff. Actually, that would be my expectation."
Banister, who spent parts of seven seasons in the minors, singled in his only major league plate appearance in 1991
"(A) winner and survivor in every sense of the word," Daniels said.
The survivor part of Daniels' comment stems from Banister overcoming cancer as a teenager, as well as a nasty home-plate collision while playing college baseball that left him temporarily paralyzed.
The Rangers will now look to fill out the rest of their coaching staff. Third-base coach Gary Pettis is one member who won't be back, as he reportedly joined the Houston Astros.