The Texas Rangers fired manager Chris Woodward of Covina, California on Monday. The firing comes after the Rangers only posted a record of 51 wins and 63 losses. Texas was in third place in the American League West, but were 23 games back of the Houston Astros in the division, and 10 games back of the Seattle Mariners in the American League Wildcard hunt.
Woodward’s time as Rangers Manager
Woodward was the Rangers manager from 2019 to 2022 after being hired for the position on November 2, 2018. He posted a record of 211 wins and 287 losses. It did not help Woodward’s cause that the Rangers lost 102 games during the 2021 Major League Baseball regular season. The 102 losses the Rangers had in 2021 were the second most losses they have had in a season in franchise history. The most came in 1973 when the Rangers lost 105 games. That year the Rangers were managed by Whitey Herzog of New Athens, Illinois, Del Wilber of Detroit, Michigan, and Billy Martin of Berkeley, California. Herzog went on to be a very successful manager with the St. Louis Cardinals, as he won the 1982 World Series. Martin meanwhile won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1977, but will be famously remembered for being fired and rehired by the Yankees on four separate occasions by Yankees manager George Steinbrenner.
Woodward’s Coaching Career
Prior to being named the Rangers manager, Woodward was a coach with the Seattle Mariners for two seasons from 2014 to 2015, and then with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2016 to 2018. While with the Mariners, he was Seattle’s infield coach in 2014, and first base coach in 2015. Before working with the Mariners team at the Major League Baseball level, Woodward was the minor league infield co-ordinator for the Mariners’ organization during the 2013 season. While with the Dodgers, Woodward was Los Angeles’s third base coach.
Woodward’s Playing Career
Chris Woodward was an infielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, and Boston Red Sox from 1999 to 2011. In 1706 games, he batted .239 with 33 home runs and 191 runs batted in. During 1706 at bats, Woodward scored 211 runs and had 408 hits, 87 doubles, 14 triples, nine stolen bases, 137 walks, 622 total bases, 17 sacrifice bunts, 24 sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .296 and a slugging percentage of .365.
Who is the Rangers Interim Manager?
The Rangers interim manager is now their former third base coach Tony Beasley of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Beasley has spent more than two decades as a minor league coach or on the coaching staff of a Major League team. He was previously a player coach with the Carolina Mudcats of the Southern League (1998), hitting coach of the Gulf Coast League Pirates (1999), hitting coach of the Lynchburg Hellcats of the Carolina League (2000), manager of the Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York-Penn League (2001), manager of the Hickory Crawdads of the South Atlantic League (2002, 2003), manager of the Altoona Curve of the Eastern League (2004, 2005), third base coach of the Washington Nationals (2006), the Pittsburgh Pirates roving minor league infield instructor (2007), Pirates third base coach (2008-2010), the Harrisburg Senators manager of the Eastern League (2011), the Syracuse Chiefs manager of the International League (2012, 2013), the Nationals minor league field co-ordinator (2014), and with the Rangers as their third base coach since 2015.
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