The Texas Rangers will name Pirates bench coach Jeff Banister as their new manager, according to a report from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The 49-year-old is tied for the all-time record for batting average in major league history (min. one at-bat), and he had been with the Pirates in some capacity for 28 years.
Rangers name Jeff Banister manager
The former Pirates bench coach will attempt to reverse the Rangers’ unfortunate slide.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Banister was a 25th-round pick in 1986, and he received exactly one at-bat in the majors, reaching on an infield single. He became a manager of the NYPL Welland Pirates in 1994, eventually managing the Augusta GreenJackets, Lynchburg Hillcats, and Carolina Mudcats before joining the Pirates’ staff in 1999. According to Baseball-Reference’s Bullpen, Banister had bone cancer in his ankle in high school and a crushed vertebrae following a home-plate collision in college, so he doesn’t care about the nasty things you’re going to say about him on Twitter when he bunts.
Banister takes over for Ron Washington, two-time pennant winner, who resigned suddenly at the end of the season to deal with personal issues.
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