ARLINGTON, Texas – Johnny Oates has resigned as manager of the Texas Rangers, who are off to their worst start since 1985 despite signing Alex Rodriguez to the richest contract in sports history.
Third-base coach Jerry Narron will coach the Rangers for the rest of the season.
Texas is 11-17 and 11 games behind Seattle in the AL West. While the Rangers are near the lead in every offensive category, their pitching staff is by far the worst in the majors.
Rodriguez signed a $252 million, 10-year contract during the winter. The Rangers also signed other free agents during the offseason, including Andres Galarraga and Ken Caminiti.
Oates’ seven-year tenure included three division titles but a last-place finish in 2000.
Owner Tom Hicks said this week that Oates’ job could be in jeopardy if the team didn’t start playing better.
“I am very concerned, as everyone should be,” Hicks recently told Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “On the other hand, I really do feel Johnny can still do what is within his control to get the team turned around.”
Oates went 506-476 in Texas through six full seasons and part of this year. He’s the second-winningest manager in franchise history and the only to lead the team into the postseason. He’s under contract through next season.
The Rangers are the second team to change skippers in the first five weeks of the season. Tampa Bay fired Larry Rothschild.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas catcher Ivan Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday night because of a bruised left heel.
“I can’t do anything about it,” Rodriguez said. “I prefer to miss two weeks than play the whole year in pain. It’s only two weeks. I’ll be OK.”
Doug Mirabelli replaced Rodriguez in the starting lineup against Detroit, and was 0-for-1 with two walks in the Tigers’ 8-4 win.
To replace Rodriguez on the roster, Texas has purchased the contract of catcher Mike Hubbard from Oklahoma of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. Hubbard was to join the Rangers on Thursday.
“This is the best way to get him well,” Texas manager Johnny Oates said. “The move we play him, the longer it would take to get better or get 100 percent. We’ll shut him down for two weeks and hope he is 100 percent after that.”
Rodriguez was hurt when his heel hit first base awkwardly as he ran out a grounder in the ninth inning Friday night at Cleveland. He then missed two games.
He still appeared hampered the injury Tuesday night against Detroit, despite going 2-for-4. He led of the fourth with a hit into the right-field corner, routinely a double for him, but was obviously slow running and was more than 10 feet from second base when Roger Cedeno’s throw got there.
With the game tied in the eighth, Rodriguez was lifted for a pinch-runner after reaching on an error.
Rodriguez, who is hitting .309 with six home runs and 11 RBIs, walked gingerly as he made his way through the clubhouse before Wednesday night’s game. He didn’t talk to reporters.
“Talking with the doctor, he thinks it’s best he stays off it for a while to get it well rather than try to do what he did last night for 10 days,” Oates said. “It’s a bruise. We probably didn’t help it, but we didn’t hurt it either.”
Rodriguez played in just 91 games last year, the fewest since his rookie season in 1991. He didn’t play after breaking his right thumb July 24, two weeks after starting his eighth straight All-Star games, and still won his ninth straight gold glove.

• In further DL news, Chad Curtis was placed on
  the DL (same injury that knocked him out before), and Ruben Sierra was
  called up.