NEW YORK – Aaron Boone’s older brother Bret has a new baseball gig.
On Monday, the Texas Rangers hired Bret Boone as their new hitting coach, after dismissing Donnie Ecker on Sunday.
Bret Boone, 56, had been hosting a baseball podcast until his hiring by the Rangers through the balance of this season. At year’s end, Boone’s situation with Texas will be evaluated.
Advertisement
The disappointing fourth-place Rangers (17-18, AL West) were at or near the bottom of the league in runs scored, batting average and OPS entering the week.
Aug 24, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Former Atlanta Braves second baseman Bret Boone (24) competes in a home run derby before a game against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Like his younger brother, at the time of his 2018 hiring by the Yankees, Bret Boone has never previously served as an MLB coach or manager. He played for Rangers’ manager Bruce Bochy on the 2000 San Diego Padres.
A lifetime .266 hitter (.767 OPS) across 14 MLB seasons, concluding in 2005, Bret Boone’s best year was with the 2001 Seattle Mariners, when he batted .331 with 37 homers and 141 RBI and finished third in the AL MVP balloting.
Advertisement
In his 2005 book, “Juiced,” former slugger Jose Canseco implied that Bret Boone had used performance enhancing drugs in 2001, a charge that Boone has denied.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bret Boone, Aaron Boone’s brother, hired as Rangers batting coach