2008 Texas Rangers

2008 Texas Rangers / Franchise: Texas Rangers / BR Team Page[edit]

Record: 79-83, Finished 2nd in AL Western Division (2008 AL)

Coaches: Dom Chiti, Jim Colborn, Mark Connor, Andy Hawkins, Rudy Jaramillo, Art Howe, Gary Pettis and Matt Walbeck

History, Comments, Contributions[edit]

The 2008 Texas Rangers were not expected to be a major factor in the AL West race when the season started. However, they surprised most observers by putting together an absolutely devastating offense, led by the double-play combo of Michael Young and Ian Kinsler, and two newcomers who put together career years, DH Milton Bradley and CF Josh Hamilton. The latter, who had been obtained in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in return for promising young pitcher Edinson Volquez, became one of the biggest stories of the first half by building on a solid but injury-filled 2007 campaign by bursting out with numbers that put him among AL leaders in all three Triple Crown categories, and then following that with an amazing display of power during the first round of the All-Star Game Home Run Derby.

However, pitching was another story, with the staff struggling to keep the Rangers in games in which their offense was pounding the opposition. On August 1, with the team hanging on the fringes of the Wild Card race, they fired pitching coach Mark Connor and bullpen coach Dom Chiti, replacing them with Andy Hawkins and Jim Colborn respectively.