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Pittsburgh Pirates Jeff Banister Could Be Texas Rangers Skipper Soon
By Tom Smith
Aug 11, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates bench coach
Jeff Banister(28) on the field before playing the Detroit Tigers in an interleague game at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sooner or later, Jeff Banister is going to be a manager in Major League Baseball. The Texas Rangers are the latest team to have Banister involved in interviews. Dallas News sports writer Evan Grant has post up on Dallas News today that handicaps the odds of the eight names in the mix to be the Rangers next skipper.
Banister is not the favorite, but it’s damn close according to Grant. Tim Bogar is even money, but Banny is right there at 2:1 and then Kevin Cash at 5:1.
The Rangers are going to hold second interviews this week and a decision on a new skipper could be finalized by Friday. Grant also wrote an excellent piece on the role models of the two favorites for the job. The link to that article is here.
Jun 18, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; MLB umpires Jerry Layne (24) and Mike DiMuro (right) talk with acting Pirates manager Jeff Banister (28) about a replay review against the Cincinnati Reds during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Banister is featured in the piece as learning under Clint Hurdle who of course spent time as the Texas Rangers hitting coach before coming to the Pirates. It’s interesting to know that the five external candidates all have worked under Terry Francona and Hurdle.
The favorite for the job is Tim Bogar who served as the interim manager for the Rangers. Bogar played for Hurdle in the minor leagues and has worked with Francona.
One other thing to note is that it seems like the Rangers are going to hire a manager that has never been a Major League skipper before. Many consider that Bogar is the favorite because he led the team to a 14-8 record after taking over for Ron Washington.
To get the job, Jeff Banister is going to need to nail the second interview. I have every confidence that Banister will do just that.
I know that’s not a good thing for the Bucs. But it’s a great thing for Banister.