The Rangers are set to hire Tim Hyers as the club’s new hitting coach, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link). Hyers was in demand after leaving the Red Sox coaching staff last week, Passan reports, and chose Texas multiple other suitors.
Hyers is a known quantity for Rangers manager Chris Woodward, as the two worked together on the Dodgers’ staff in 2016-17 when Woodward was the L.A. third base coach and Hyers was assistant hitting coach. Hyers moved from that role to the Sox, where he spent the last four seasons as Boston’s hitting coach (winning a World Series ring in 2018).
Prior to his coaching career, Hyers was also a Major League player, appearing in parts of four seasons with the Padres, Tigers, and Marlins from 1994-99. His Detroit ties led to his first coaching job as a minor league hitting instructor in the Tigers’ farm system, and he also worked as a scout and minor league hitting coordinator for the Red Sox, as well as a brief stint as Boston’s interim hitting coach in 2014.
The Rangers have now added two well-regarded hitting instructors within a week, as Texas has also hired former Giants hitting coach Donnie Ecker to work as the new bench coach and offensive coordinator. Ecker’s role is to oversee the organization’s overall hitting philosophies and strategies, while it can be presumed that Hyers will work more directly with the big league roster.
a good hyre
Hopefully Hyers hiring will result in a higher team batting average..
“Offensive Coordinator”.
Besides the fact that it sounds like an NFL position, can’t wait to see how it plays out when batters are told to hit “the team way” instead of allowing them to stick with their strengths and what makes them most comfortable at the plate.
And what makes them the money.
I will guarantee they will never be told to hit “the team way.” That’s stupid ⚾️
I always judge coaches (pitching or hitting) on which of their players go south under their tutelage. Really, besides Andrew B., nobody on the Sox really did, and you can make the case several got better. And Bene’s issues can be traced possibly to injury.
Seems to be a pretty good hire. Or hyre.
The Rangers obviously are looking to move Hyer in the standings with this Hyer.
Excellent move Cashman!
Oh, wait, nope that’s the Rangers. You’re still waiting and measuring your decision through your analytics department.
You really can’t blame the players for all of the 3 true outcomes in MLB. After all, the incentive program is designed to benefit those that hit homers, let’s face it. So if you’re MLB, it’s messed up to say we want more contact while all the time rewarding the slug…
So as a hitting coach, there is only so much you can do. I mean, to be effective, any teacher needs to create consequences. So what’s the consequences for the homer happy? You get to suffer through millions and millions of extra dollars. Oh the horror!
Thoughts and prayers for Tim Hyers. Good luck on coaching a lineup that was/is/will be worse than many AAA teams.