And recent comments by Wash & Nolan vis-à-vis situational hitting failure pretty much lead me to believe this was an eventuality.

I’ll get some Summer’s Eve for you. They offered him a raise, and he didn’t take it.

It is just time for him to go.

Rudy for all the offensive problems this team had this year, he does deserve some of the blame. Just like he got a lot of credit when the hitters did perform.

It’s plain and simple. The Rangers approach at the plate this year sucked. Rather than hearing different versions of “we are who we are” from all the players and coaches in regards to hitting, something had to be done. You aren’t going to trade all the players and let Rudy stay. So this was the obvious move. Just like when a team loses and the manager gets the axe, or when the pitching sucks and the pitching coach is canned.

I approve of this move.

The Rangers want to see improvement in on-base percentage, in two-strike approaches and in pitch recognition. And after a pair of back-to-back multi-year deals, and with a manager whose contract expires after 2010, they didn’t want to be in a situation where the hitting coach had more security than the manager.

Jaramillo and the Rangers are in different places right now. That makes this move neither stupid (as Jaramillo fans have suggested) or brilliant (as Jaramillio detractor exclaim).

And Ian needs to take a PR course.

“I think they are trying to fix something that’s not broken,” Ian Kinsler said.

“I think they are trying to fix something that’s not broken . . . .”

Better statement he should have made: “Rudy gave us the instruction we needed to succeed. I, for one, admit that I didn’t execute as well as I should have.”

I know it might not seem like the Rangers have the money to make moves, but if they really want to do something in 2010, they’re going to have to make some trades to improve the top of the rotation and bring in a RH batter with their core hitting values that have just been broadcast to the entire world.

I’d hope that this take on Rudy gets wide attention.

possible replacement names.

Anyone got anything else besides someone like Coolbaugh?

how much difference a hitting coach is going to make. You are only going to be as good as the talent you put on the field.

Although this team can use a change in philosophy taught in the majors. Didn’t Washington preach “swing at it if you are comfortable with hitting it” or some bullshit like that? I remember Washington defending Byrd by saying something to that extend (I am paraphrasing of course).

Just an FYI.

What’s the point of asking a player questions if we expect the same answer no matter the player or situation. Interviews are so pointless today because we either expect the prototype answer or we’re hoping to be able to criticize the player’s response and make a story out of it.

“Rudy was a good coach, we wish him luck, we need to concentrate on next year… yada yada yada”

I appreciate a player who expresses his actual opinion and answers with honesty. He stood up for his coach, he’s grown a lot as a hitter under Rudy, and I completely understand his distaste for this move. Why lie about it?

Over the course of Jaramillo’s 15 years as hitting instructor, the Rangers rank in the top six in baseball in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

He’s one year removed from having the number 1 offense. Except this year, we took away his highest OBP hitter, and filled the lineup with incredibly young hitters (Salty, Davis, Elvis, Borbon, Tea, etc).

Then you have Hamilton’s inexplicable lack of performance—the team’s best hitter fell of the map and experienced injuries, clearly not Rudy’s fault. Did you expect Rudy to get more production out of Cruz? Byrd? Murphy? Do you believe he is the cause for Blalock looking worse than he ever has as a big league hitter? Kinsler went through a terrible slump… and I guess this is the only player about who I would listen to an argument blaming Rudy for.

If you want to implement change, you need to change the hitters. If you have complaints about the hitters swinging in 3-0 counts, give him the take sign.

Rudy has his players’ faith, and gets them to work hard. Having multiple hitting “greats” vouch for his worthiness should be enough for this team, when we won’t even have a replacement.

Did he make Teixeira a hacker? Did he make Milton a hacker? Did he turn Jones into a hacker? No. Hitting coaches aren’t going to dramatically change a proven hitters’ approach. They help with subtleties, and invoke confidence in their hitters.

Rudy has an incredible track record, and I believe this decision to pursue him more carefully is short-sighted.

I realize that I’m in the minority here, and if this is honestly ALL the Rangers could do to keep Rudy, then whatever, it was going to happen anyway. If the team in anyway didn’t do what they needed to to keep Rudy, then I think this was a big mistake.

Just my opinion

Money quote.

“He harped on it all the time,” Young said. “He wasn’t taking full swings at pitches in the dirt and he wasn’t encouraging it either. His goal was not to put balls into the seats, it was about making us into tough outs. It was about confidence and toughness and those are the two best attributes a player can have.”

Maybe eveyone wasn’t listening.

Audio

I agree. And tough shit, Ian. You’re part of the problem. Your uppercutting ass just further reinforces the need for a new approach.

Listen online

if some of the Rangers hitters will even listen to the new hitting coach.

Especially the vets like MY and Kinsler.

another controversial comment by the egotistical and defensive Ian Kinsler.

The media will eat this up and take every opportunity to bait Kinsler into making more stupid comments……pretty much for the rest of his career. Which in turn….will make Kinsler become more and more defensive……and in the end, Ian will only be remembered as an idiot who couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

Be careful Ian……the media and fans will always win, they will never back down, and they will never let things go.