ARLINGTON, Texas – Texas manager Ron Washington said Tuesday that he wanted his entire coaching staff back for the 2014 season.
A day later the club announced that bench coach Jackie Moore and first-base coach Dave Anderson wouldn't be offered contracts for next year.
Moore, 74, has been the bench coach for the Rangers since 2009 and Anderson was also hired prior to the 2009 season. He spent four seasons as the Texas third-base coach before moving to first for the 2013 season.
Washington defended the move the day after saying he wanted his coaches back.
"It was the day after we finished the season," Washington said. "What more could I have said other than I'd like my coaching staff back. Yesterday we spent many, many, many hours in meetings and as an organization we wanted to move forward in a different direction."
The club said that the remainder of the coaching staff – pitching coach Mike Maddux, hitting coach Dave Magadan, third-base coach Gary Pettis and bullpen coach Andy Hawkins – are expected back next year.
Texas general manager Jon Daniels said he and Washington spoke briefly about staff decisions in September but didn't talk about it again until Tuesday.
"We value both of these guys, their contributions," Daniels said. "They're both well respected baseball men and spent a lot of time in this organization, worked hard in a variety of roles and ultimately we talked about it yesterday. While we're ultimately proud of winning 91 games and all that, we're not where we want to be. That's not on either Dave or Jackie. That's on us as organization."
He also said that neither of the coaches is the reason the team won 91 games but failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2009.
"There's a tendency for it to look like there's a scapegoat but that's not the case at all," Daniels said. "At all. Let me repeat that. That's just the reality of the calendar."
Daniels said there's no timeline on replacing the duo, but he'd like to have something in place later this fall. He said the club would look first at internal candidates but didn't mention names. The Rangers have baseball veterans managing both Triple A Round Rock (Bobby Jones) and Double A Frisco (Steve Buechele).
Washington said he wants a bench coach that's prepared, in sync with him and someone who can help him navigate through a game.
The decision not to bring back Moore was a tough one for Washington.
"Jackie is a family member of mine," Washington said. "Of course I'm going to miss him. This is not something we take lightly. My heart is aching but as anything else, I'm a baseball man and we'll get through it."
Moore came back to the Rangers in 2008, the same year Nolan Ryan took over as the team's president. It was his fourth stint with the Rangers. His first began in 1973 as a coach.
Moore has deep ties to Ryan, as he served as the manager for Round Rock from 2000 to 2007. Round Rock is owned by the Ryan-Sanders Baseball.
Daniels said the decision to part ways with Moore was in no way tied to Moore's relationship with Ryan.
"That had nothing to do with it," Daniels said. "That had absolutely nothing to do with it."
