Hired in November to replace Clint Hurdle as Texas’ hitting coach, Thad Bosley was fired today two months into the season despite the Rangers ranking fourth among AL teams in runs per game.
Scott Coolbaugh will replace him, becoming the Rangers’ fourth hitting coach in less than three full seasons.
After scoring 787 runs on their way to the World Series last year the Rangers are on pace to score 760 runs this year and that comparison is even more favorable for Bosley than it looks because offense is down across baseball and the average AL team is on pace to score 25 fewer runs than in 2010.
At the time of Bosley’s hiring in November there were numerous articles about his friendship with manager Ron Washington, who noted that “our relationship definitely goes back a ways” and “Thad has a passion for being there and also has experience and he has knowledge.”
Clearly there are factors at play here beyond the lineup’s production under Bosley. Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star Telegram writes that “according to sources Bosley has failed to mesh with many of the Rangers hitters.” Perhaps, but you wouldn’t know it from their actual performances, as the team ranks second in batting average and homers, third in slugging percentage, and fifth in on-base percentage while scoring more runs than every AL team but the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays.