ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers interim manager Tim Bogar is doing his best to try and get the interim tag erased as soon as possible.
He should know if his efforts have paid off in the next month or so.
Texas general manager Jon Daniels said Tuesday he expects to have a manager named sometime in October so the Rangers can get on with the rest of their off-season business.
Bogar, who has guided the Rangers to nine wins in their last 10 games, has done nothing to hurt his cause since taking off after Ron Washington's abrupt resignation Sept. 5.
"He's done a good job," Daniels said. "Obviously, the wins and losses, but on a bigger picture the communication, the energy level that the club has shown, I think those are all positives. Listen, I know some of it is where we are in the season and a lot of guys with something to prove and not a lot to lose, but it's been all positive and I think Tim has done a very good job."
That doesn't mean the job is guaranteed to be his though. The Rangers will interview candidates and some could come from playoff teams. Daniels said the club has reached out to organizations about certain candidates but the Rangers haven't asked for permission to speak with people under contract yet because they're not at that point in the process.
"Once free agency hits and then the offseason really starts I'd like to have all the staffing stuff behind us because I want the manager to be a big part of our offseason plans," Daniels said of his October timeline for finalizing Washington's replacement.
One person that won't be vying for the job is Michael Young. The Rangers all-times hits leader, who retired following the 2013 season, isn't at the point in his life where he wants to manage yet.
"Manager is a fantastic job but it has demanding hours," Young said. "I'm loving this chapter in my life in large part because of the flexibility it provides for me and my family."
Daniels lauded Bogar's communication skills and it's a trait he comes by honestly. His father was an insurance salesman and his brothers are also in a similar line of work. He's also worked with great communicators as a player and coach like Washington, Clint Hurdle and Steve Swisher.
"I think it's communication with the front office, communication with your coaching staff, communication with your training staff, your players, minor league system the scouting department," Bogar said. "The more you talk to everybody and the more you hear what their opinions are and what they think, I think it's only healthy for an organization to have that work because you know what everybody is thinking and you know what direction you need to go in. And there's nothing better for anybody I think in anybody's line of work to know what's expected of you and you know what's going on and so you know there's no surprises."
Winning makes it easier to communicate too. The Rangers have won nine out of 10 games for the first time since last August and the hot streak assured the club of avoiding the dreaded 100-loss mark.
"We're not a 100-loss team," Bogar said. "We're not that bad. Obviously we've had a lot of things go on that have caused that. But to end the season kind of on this positive note gives them the right attitude going into the offseason and building toward the 2015 season."
Bogar hopes that the 2015 season includes him as the manager. It looks like he'll know if that's the case soon enough.
