Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy Values Tony Beasley
Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy will host his new staff in Nashville later this month as they prepare for his first season with the club.
That also means significant time will be spent with his predecessor, interim manager Tony Beasley.
Bochy said last month they've talked since he was hired in October. January’s meetings are part of the ramp-up for the Rangers going into spring training, which will include some prospects coming to Arlington for workouts, along with the return of Fan Fest at the end of the month at Globe Life Field.
Bochy is hosting the meetings in Nashville, where he’s made his home since stepping away from the San Francisco Giants after the 2019 season.
Bochy said he’s still in “listening and learning” mode right now, but every meeting he has with staff is critical. Even more critical is Beasley, who returned to his former role as third-base coach after the Rangers hired Bochy.
“Beasley is a guy I’ll be talking to more as we get closer to spring training,” Bochy said. “His experience and knowledge of these guys is important.”
Beasley joined the organization for the 2015 season when the Rangers hired Jeff Banister as manager. Both worked in the Pirates organization. After the Rangers let Banister go after the 2018 season, Beasley worked on Chris Woodward’s staff from the start of the 2019 season until the Rangers fired Woodward in August.
Beasley was named the interim manager. He had a successful tenure as a minor-league manager, going 590-472 overall and was named a Baseball America minor league manager of the year three different times.
Beasley went 17-31 as the interim manager. He was the only other candidate interviewed for the job by general manager Chris Young.
Back in October, Beasley told The Dallas Morning News he understood why the Rangers went with Bochy.
“This is probably what we needed,” Beasley said. “I say that reluctantly, but honestly. How could I be upset with it? He (Young) made a good choice. Bochy can help (Young) him more in that role than I can. If you hire me, it’s not necessarily a win-now move; you are looking to grow. Bruce Bochy didn’t come out of retirement to lose. That gets through to people.”
Bochy won three World Championships with the San Francisco Giants.
The Rangers made two additional hires this offseason. Mike Maddux returned as pitching coach, having worked for Texas in that capacity under former manager Ron Washington. Will Venable was hired as an associate manager.
Otherwise, the rest of Woodward’s staff returns, including bench coach and offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker, hitting coach Tim Hyers, assistant hitting coach Seth Conner, field coordinator Corey Ragsdale, bullpen coach Brett Hayes, catching coach Bobby Wilson, bullpen catcher Pat Cantwell and bullpen catcher Josh Frasier.
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