ARLINGTON- (WBAP/KLIF) – The Texas Rangers will introduce and announce a new team manager on Monday. The club hires Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward as the club’s new manager. 42 year old Woodward has spent the last three seasons as third base and infield coach with the Dodgers, contributing to a .589 (287-200) regular season winning percentage while capturing the N L West Division title all three seasons, advancing to the World Series in 2017 and 2018.
Prior to Los Angeles, Woodward was first base and infield coach for the Seattle Mariners in 2014-15. He began his coaching career as Seattle’s minor league infield coordinator in 2013, and was promoted to the Major League staff late in that season. He started 2014 as Seattle’s infield coach before assuming first base coaching duties early in the season.
Woodward managed New Zealand in the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualification tournament in Australia in 2016 with a 1-2 record. The former infielder spent all or parts of a dozen seasons in the Majors with Toronto, New York, Atlanta, Seattle and Boston, hitting .239 with 33 homers and 191 RBI in 659 games. Making a Major League debut in 1999, he spent much of the 2002-2004 seasons as Toronto’s starting shortstop, hitting three home runs in gave versus Seattle.
Born in Covina, California, Woodward currently lives in Chandler Arizona with his wife Erin and three children.
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