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Texas Rangers Hire Jeff Banister As New Manager

By Mike Marteny

Mar 10, 2014; Bradenton, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Jeff Banister (28) watches batting practice prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2014; Bradenton, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Jeff Banister (28) watches batting practice prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Texas Rangers fans can rejoice, as the team has a new manager thanks to the hire of Pirate lifer Jeff Banister.

The Texas Rangers search for a new manager is over. Ken Rosenthal announced on Twitter that the Texas Rangers have hired Jeff Banister to be their new manager after the resignation of Ron Washington.

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Banister began his baseball career as a 24th round draft pick in the 1986 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finally fought his way to the major leagues in 1991 after regular catcher Don Slaught was injured. His major league debut came on July 23rd of 1991 when he pinch hit against the Atlanta Braves. He recorded a hit in that at bat and it turned out to be his only major league at bat.

That’s where his journey began and it has now taken him to the position of manager at the Major League level.

Banister got his first taste of coaching as a player/manager with the Carolina Mudcats in 1993. The next year he was the manager of the Welland Pirates of the New York-Penn League. In 1995, he managed the Augusta Green Jackets to the South Atlantic League championship. He served as the manager for the Lynchburg Hillcats in 1997 and part of 1998 before he was hired to manage the Carolina Mudcats again.

In 1999, the Pirates decided that they wanted Banister back in the majors again, this time as a coach. He served as the Major League Field Coordinator from 1999-2002. From 2003-2010, he was the Minor League Field Coordinator. Banister became the full time bench coach for the Pirates when Clint Hurdle was hired as manager in 2011.

Now the Pirate lifer is headed to Texas. Banister spent 29 years in the Pirates organization, and experienced just about every high and low that you can with a franchise.

Texas isn’t completely foreign to Banister though. He is from Weatherford, Oklahoma, so the 49 year old is heading closer to his original home.

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