Hours before the first pitch Monday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington between Oakland and Texas, the Rangers’ manager Chris Woodward was relieved from his duties. In his stead, team third-base coach Tony Beasley was named interim manager for the rest of the 2022 season.
The Rangers scraped their way to a 2-1 win that night, giving the 55-year-old Vicksburg, Virginia, native his first win as a Major League manager.
“One of the humbling moments in my life!” Beasley tweeted after the win. “Grateful for God’s favor!”
His second go-round on Tuesday night didn’t end as well as the Rangers failed to manufacture runs against the AL West cellar-dwelling Athletics in a 5-1 loss.
Beasley was named the club’s 19th all-time manager in the team’s 50-year history since relocating from Washington D.C. to Arlington in 1972. Beasley joins a list of Rangers skippers, including three Hall of Famers (Gil Hodges, Ted Williams, and Whitey Herzog) and Texas Ranger Hall of Farmer Johnny Oates. (Oates was named American League Manager of the Year in 1996 after leading the Rangers to their first-ever playoff appearance.)
Beasley is in his eighth season as a Major League coach for the Rangers, having been hired in 2014, and is the team’s longest-tenured staff member, according to the Rangers. Beasley, 55, previously coached in the Major Leagues for Washington (2006) and Pittsburgh (2008-10) and had a minor league record of 590-472 (.556) in eight seasons with the Pirates (2001-05) and Nationals (2011; 2012-13).
Beasley originally became a member of the Rangers coaching staff under then-manager Jeff Banister as his third base coach. Banister led Texas to back-to-back American League Championship Series in ’15 and ’16 (getting eliminated in the first round twice) and was fired near the end of the ’18 season after consecutive losing years. Beasley joined the Rangers in 2014 and is the longest-tenured staff member.
At the start of spring training in 2016, Beasley was diagnosed with rectal cancer and had to undergo chemotherapy, according to Baseball Reference. He missed most of the 2016 season, despite being able to join the team for brief periods, but returned to his coaching duties in 2017 after being declared cancer-free. Beasley sang the National Anthem in Arlington on Opening Day that year to commemorate beating cancer.
Woodward compiled a record of 211-287 and was likely headed to his fourth consecutive losing record with a young, rebuilding baseball team when he was fired on Monday.
Jon Daniels, the Rangers’ president of baseball operations, said Woodward always represented the franchise with class and dignity and thanked him for his performance as manager during unparalleled times.
“From the pandemic to a multiyear rebuild through the lockout this year,” said Daniels. “We have great appreciation and admiration for the work he’s put in and helped us in taking these steps.”
Who will be hired as the Rangers’ next full-time skipper remains undetermined, but in the interim, Coach Beasley wants his players to have fun and play winning baseball for the final 46 games.
“That would be ideal, and I think we have the capability of doing that,” he said. “We’ve got to play the brand of baseball that gives us that chance. I just want to see the players enjoy the game, embrace the culture, and the clubhouse embracing each other. Being a Texas Ranger should be something special.”
