Another Hurdle, another obstacle It took one year for Clint Hurdle to leave.
GM Jon Daniels will need to address the position of hitting coach for a second straight year after the Pittsburgh Pirates came over and took Hurdle as their manager.
I didn't think much of Hurdle initially and when the Rangers kind of struggled early, I was railing against him.
But things settled. Hurdle was successful. Or, anything but Jaramillo was successful.
Hurdle's offense wasn't mind blowing. He fed into Ron Washington's mantra of getting contact, being patient and making the pitcher throw you a ball you want to hit.
The numbers don't lie:
| Runs | Average | OBP | Slugging | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 784 | .260 | .320 | .445 |
| 2010 | 787 | .276 | .338 | .419 |
| Change | +3 | +16 | +18 | -26 |
It's anti-Rudyball. It's getting on base, getting the base hit. Hitting the gaps and stealing bases. Damn the home run.
Hurdle will be missed. Daniels will have a chore in replacing him.
