Rangers Notes: Coolbaugh Replaces Bosley as Hitting Coach

Former infielder Scott Coolbaugh (center) was named the team’s new hitting coach on Wednesday.

The Rangers made a change in their big-league coaching staff Wednesday afternoon, announcing that Thad Bosley had been let go as the team’s hitting coach and replaced by Scott Coolbaugh, who was the hitting instructor at Triple-A Round Rock for the past three years.

Bosley was in his first season with Texas after being named hitting coach last November, taking over for Clint Hurdle when he accepted the job as Pirates manager.

“Nothing has changed from a team standpoint,” Coolbaugh told MLB.com.

“Everybody knows we have a great lineup … I just want guys to feel comfortable around me so they can go out and perform,” he said. “I’m not saying I can make them better but I can help them get to the point where they can trust me, relax and go out and perform.”

Coolbaugh began his playing career as a third baseman with the Rangers in 1989, appearing in 92 games over the next two years before spending part of one season apiece with the Padres and Cardinals.

He becomes the fourth Texas hitting coach in less than three years, following Bosley, Hurdle, and Rudy Jaramillo, who had spent more than a decade with the Rangers before taking the same position with the Chicago Cubs.

Texas Drops Two of Three to Detroit

On the heels of a 6-1 road trip that included a weekend sweep of the Cleveland Indians, the Rangers lost the first two of a three-game home series against the Tigers this week before salvaging the finale on Wednesday.

Detroit outfielder Brennan Boesch went 5-for-6 with a career-best two home runs and five RBIs Monday as the Tigers cruised to a 13-7 win over Texas at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Batting with two on and nobody out in the top of the first, Boesch broke a personal 0-for-10 against Texas starter Colby Lewis with a three-run homer into the upper deck in right field.

After Lewis worked a scoreless second inning, he gave up solo home runs to Boesch and Alex Avila and a two-run shot to rookie Andy Dirks in the top of the third. Lewis was rocked for a total of nine earned runs on ten hits before being pulled with one out in fourth, by which point Detroit had opened up an 8-2 lead.

For the Tigers, right-hander Max Scherzer allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings of work and notched his first victory in nearly a month. Ian Kinsler had RBI hits against Scherzer in both the third and fourth innings while Nelson Cruz connected for a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth, the first of two long balls on the night for Cruz.

On Tuesday, every player in the Tigers’ starting lineup had at least one hit while right-hander Rick Porcello tossed six quality innings, helping Detroit hammer its way to an 8-1 win over the Rangers.

Neither team scored across the first three innings, but the Tigers broke through for four runs off Texas starter Matt Harrison in the top of the fourth. Victor Martinez led off with a double and came around on back-to-back singles by Alex Avila and Ryan Raburn.

After a walk to Danny Worth loaded the bases, Austin Jackson lined a two-run single to right that was played into an error by Nelson Cruz. Casper Wells then doubled on the first pitch he saw to score Jackson and give Detroit a 4-0 lead.

Harrison, who missed his last start due to a blister on his throwing hand, required 40 pitches to get through the fourth inning and was replaced by right-hander Dave Bush in the top of the fifth.

Meanwhile, Porcello sailed through the first five innings, keeping Texas off the board on just three scattered singles. The Rangers scored their only run on an RBI infield groundout by Josh Hamilton in the bottom of the sixth.

The Tigers added two insurance runs against Bush and one apiece off relievers Mark Lowe and Yoshinori Tateyama for a series-clinching 8-1 final.

Behind another strong start from right-hander Alexi Ogando, Texas avoided a sweep on Wednesday with a 7-3 win over Detroit in Arlington.

Ogando found himself in an early hole after giving up a home run to the second batter of the game – Tigers third baseman Don Kelly – but rebounded to keep Detroit off the board over the next seven innings.

Texas scored four times against Tigers starter Phil Coke in the bottom of the third, two runs coming home on a bases-loaded error by Don Kelly and two more on a double by Josh Hamilton.

The Rangers then added single runs off Coke in both the fourth and fifth innings, and Adrian Beltre clubbed his 12^th homer of the year against reliever Adam Wilk in the bottom of the seventh.

Left-hander Darren Oliver replaced Ogando and got out of a jam in the eighth inning before allowing the first two batters to reach in the top of the ninth. Both runners eventually scored, but Neftali Feliz struck out Brennan Boesch to end the game and help Texas secure a 7-3 victory.

Rangers Notes: Hamilton Sidelined with Broken Shoulder

Outfielder Josh Hamilton suffered a fracture in his right shoulder while attempting to score in the first inning Tuesday against the Tigers in Detroit.

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a small non-displaced fracture in his right shoulder, and Chris Davis has been recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to replace him on the active roster.

Hamilton, who was getting a partial day off as the designated hitter, sustained the injury in the first inning of Tuesday’s loss to the Tigers in Detroit, when he tried to score from third base on a foul pop-up but was tagged out by catcher Victor Martinez following a head-first slide.

“It was just a stupid play,” he told reporters after the game. “I definitely shouldn’t have done it. They had a good angle to cut me off where I was going. It was a little too aggressive.”

After Hamilton had tripled to score Michael Young and give Texas a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Adrian Beltre hit a fly ball to Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge in foul territory. Detroit pitcher Brad Penny failed to cover home plate on the play, and Rangers third base coach Dave Anderson told Hamilton to try to score.

In an unsuccessful effort to avoid Martinez’s tag, Hamilton slid head first and hurt his shoulder when he hit the ground. He said he heard two ‘pops’ in his shoulder during the play and was pulled from the game soon afterward.

Though Hamilton had not yet hit a home run this year after slugging 32 and winning the American League MVP award last season, he was batting .333 with three doubles and seven RBIs through the team’s first 11 games.

In just five games at Round Rock this season, Davis had a .429 batting average with two doubles, four home runs and 11 runs batted in.

Texas Loses Two Heartbreakers in Detroit

Aside from the Hamilton injury, the Rangers also lost back-to-back games in the bottom of the ninth against Detroit after winning the series opener.

Right-hander Alexi Ogando made just his second career start Monday at Comerica Park, and he held the Tigers scoreless on two hits with four strikeouts over seven innings pitched. For the second game in a row, however, he was pulled due to a blister on his throwing hand.

Justin Verlander tossed a complete game for Detroit, but the Rangers got all the runs they would need in the seventh inning on RBI doubles by Young and Mitch Moreland.

Right-hander Neftali Feliz pitched a shutout ninth to secure the 2-0 Texas win and earn his fourth save of the year.

On Tuesday, left-hander C.J. Wilson was touched for four runs in six-plus innings of a 5-4 loss to Detroit, though he left in the middle of the seventh and did not factor in the decision.

Texas broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the sixth when Elvis Andrus and Michael Young both singled and moved up on a double steal. Andrus scored one batter later when Adrian Beltre grounded out to shortstop.

But with the game tied again at 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth, right-hander Darren O’Day gave up a leadoff hit and loaded the bases before allowing a walk-off single to Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera.

The Rangers were forced to use a handful of relief pitchers on the mound Wednesday – beginning with right-hander Dave Bush – because they had no fully-rested starters as a result of last Saturday’s doubleheader in Baltimore.

Outfielders Nelson Cruz and David Murphy each contributed run-scoring hits in the sixth inning to break a scoreless tie and put Texas in front 2-0, though the lead did not last very long.

After Bush and Mason Tobin combined to throw five scoreless innings for the Rangers, right-hander Mark Lowe came on in the bottom of the sixth and proceeded to give up two runs on three hits, and the game stayed tied at 2-2 going into the ninth.

Darren Oliver, who had tossed a shutout eighth inning, retired the first batter in the ninth before allowing a walk-off home run to third baseman Brandon Inge, giving the Tigers a 3-2 comeback win.

Despite the consecutive defeats to Detroit, the Rangers are still off to the second-best start in franchise history with a record of 9-3, trailing only the 10-2 mark set by the 1989 club.

Rangers Notes: Feliz Named A.L. Rookie of the Year

After moving into the closer’s role in mid-April, Neftali Feliz set a rookie record with 40 saves while posting an ERA of 2.73 in 70 appearances.

Rangers closer Neftali Feliz was named the 2010 American League Rookie of the Year on Monday by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Feliz received 20 out of 28 first-place votes and finished 24 points ahead of runner-up Austin Jackson of the Tigers in the balloting. The 22-year-old right-hander established a new big-league record for saves by a rookie (40) and at one point in the season converted 20 consecutive save opportunities.

After a brief call-up to the majors in 2009, Feliz auditioned for a spot in the starting rotation this spring but instead made the Opening Day roster as a late-inning reliever. He inherited the closer’s role when right-hander Frank Francisco was ousted in mid-April, and in 70 appearances he struck out 71 batters against just 18 walks with a 2.73 earned run average.

Feliz, who came to Texas from Atlanta as part of the Mark Teixeira trade in 2007, is the second player in franchise history to win the Rookie of the Year award, following first baseman Mike Hargrove in 1974.

Buck Signs with Marlins

The first big name among free-agent catchers to sign with a new team this offseason is former Blue Jays and Royals backstop John Buck, who agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract with the Florida Marlins on Wednesday. At age 29, Buck put up career-best numbers this season with Toronto, including 20 home runs, 25 doubles, 66 RBIs and a .281 batting average.

The Rangers were said to be interested in Buck last year before he signed with the Blue Jays, and with the team looking to add a reliable starting catcher this offseason, his was certainly a name to be considered.

Now that Buck is off the market, Texas may try to step up its effort to sign free-agent catcher Victor Martinez, though he is also being courted by a number of teams.

German Agrees to Minor-League Deal

Less than two weeks after he cleared waivers and opted for free agency, utility infielder Esteban German has been signed by the Rangers to a minor-league deal for next season, according to Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com.

German is batting .318 (20-for-63) across parts of three seasons at the big-league level with Texas, and this year he led Triple-A Oklahoma City with 136 hits, 79 runs scored and 50 stolen bases.

Rangers Notes: Team Weighs Free-Agent Options

Third baseman Adrian Beltre (left) and catcher Victor Martinez could both be attractive free-agent options for the Rangers this offseason.

Baseball’s free-agent shopping season officially began on Sunday, and the Rangers may look to add upgrades at several positions, in addition to trying to re-sign ace left-hander Cliff Lee.

The area which is in need of the most improvement seems to be catcher, where youngsters Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Taylor Teagarden and Max Ramirez were either injured or failed to produce at the big-league level this year, giving way to veterans Matt Treanor and Bengie Molina before the season’s halfway point. The team would clearly like to have a consistent No. 1 catcher for an entire season, and the free-agent market provides options in the form of John Buck, Victor Martinez, A.J. Pierzynski and Yorvit Torrealba, to name a few.

General manager Jon Daniels tried to add a right-handed-hitting first baseman before this year’s trade deadline but could only muster Jorge Cantu, who batted .235 with just two runs batted in and 19 strikeouts in 30 regular-season games with Texas. While Mitch Moreland performed well after his mid-season call-up (nine home runs and 25 RBIs, including a team-high .462 batting average in the World Series), the Rangers are still seeking a right-handed bat to complement him at first. Choices among this year’s group of free agents include Paul Konerko, Troy Glaus, Derrek Lee and Ty Wigginton.

Across the infield, Michael Young is closer to a defensive liability than an asset at third base, and a move to designated hitter may not be too far off. Among free-agent third basemen this offseason, the bar is set high with Adrian Beltre – who hit .321 with 28 home runs and 102 RBIs for the Red Sox this year – but then falls off drastically with the likes of Pedro Feliz, Akinori Iwamura and Nick Punto.

Whether or not Cliff Lee decides to re-sign with Texas, the team will likely try to add depth to its starting pitching rotation, where the only guaranteed spots for next season appear to belong to left-hander C.J. Wilson and right-hander Colby Lewis. Topping this year’s list of free-agent starters are right-handers Jon Garland, Brandon Webb and Chris Young and left-handers Erik Bedard, Jorge De La Rosa and Jeff Francis.

In other news, the Rangers announced Friday that they had outrighted three players off of the 40-man roster – infielder Esteban German and right-handers Doug Mathis and Brandon McCarthy – making them all free agents. The moves brought the number of players currently on the team’s 40-man roster to 31, not including three right-handed pitchers still on the 60-day disabled list: Omar Beltre, Eric Hurley and Guillermo Moscoso.

Rangers Notes: Team Runs Wild in Boston

Designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero had two of the Rangers’ club-record nine stolen bases Tuesday off Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield.

The Rangers stole a club-record nine bases Tuesday against the Red Sox battery of pitcher Tim Wakefield and catcher Victor Martinez, surpassing the previous high of eight in one game, which was set last year. Shortstop Elvis Andrus and right fielder Nelson Cruz had three steals each, designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero had two (equaling his total from 2009) and center fielder Julio Borbon added one. Andrus, who led Texas with 33 stolen bases last year, is tied with Cruz for the team lead with five steals this season.

After winning the first two games in Cleveland, Texas lost six in a row against the Indians, Yankees and Red Sox to fall to the bottom of the American League West standings. Left-hander C.J. Wilson scattered just four hits across 6 and 2/3 shutout innings Thursday in Boston to help end the team’s losing skid and give the Rangers a 3-0 win. After three turns through the rotation, Wilson leads the team with 19.2 innings pitched and a 1.37 earned run average.

Meanwhile, owner Tom Hicks told Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News Wednesday that he is “concerned” about the pending sale of the team to a group headed by Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg and Rangers president Nolan Ryan. “We’ve received information that as it stands right now, the deal would not be approved,” Hicks said. That night, Major League Baseball issued a statement saying it is “in control of the sale process,” which is being stalled by a hedge fund group that holds 51 percent of the debt on Hicks Sports Group.

And after opening the season with a .188 batting average and a team-high 17 strikeouts, first baseman Chris Davis was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City following Thursday’s game in Boston. Texas called up 23-year-old switch-hitter Justin Smoak, who is expected to make his major-league debut Friday against the Detroit Tigers.