Bret Boone is returning to the American League West, this time as the new hitting coach for the Texas Rangers, the team announced on Monday.
Boone, who played nearly half his 14 years with the Seattle Mariners, will join the Rangers’ bench in time for Tuesday’s series opener at the Boston Red Sox.
In his first stint as a Major League coaching staff member, the 56-year-old former second baseman will look to infuse some much-needed offense to a Texas team that holds the league’s sixth-worst batting average (.228), third-lowest on-base percentage (.285) and second-fewest runs (113). Just a season removed from the franchise’s only World Series title, the Rangers have dropped four of their last five, losing by a combined score of 25-3 in those four losses.
Boone batted .266 in his career while belting 252 home runs, ranking 10th among second basemen in MLB history. He will reunite with Texas manager Bruce Bochy, whom Boone played for during his lone season with the San Diego Padres in 2000.
A three-time All-Star, Boone also won four Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards and drove in 1,021 runs before retiring in 2006.
His brother, Aaron, has managed the New York Yankees for the past eight seasons while his father, Bob, managed the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds for a combined six years.
