TEXAS RANGERS WILL NOT RETAIN DICK BOSMAN AS PITCHING COACH FOR 2001 SEASON
FOR RELEASE: Immediate
The Texas Rangers announced this morning that Dick Bosman will not return as the team’s major league pitching coach for the 2001 season.
Bosman, who has served as the Rangers’ pitching coach for the last six years, also will not work the final three games of the season this weekend in Oakland. Bullpen coach Larry Hardy will handle the pitching coach duties for the Oakland series. The search for a new pitching coach will begin after the season.
“The decision to change pitching coaches was totally mine,” commented Rangers Manager Johnny Oates. “After further analyzing where we are and where we want to be, I felt it was time for an overall change in our pitching philosophy.
“Dick and I have worked together for a long time, and I appreciate all his efforts. The job of a pitching coach in today’s game is a tough one. He is not the reason that we have failed to perform up to expectations this season. However, I feel that we need to make improvement and progress in our overall pitching.”
Bosman served as Oates’ pitching coach in Baltimore from 1992-94 before joining him in Texas for the 1995 season. The former major league pitcher with Washington/Texas, Cleveland, and Oakland from 1967-76 was previously pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox in 1986-87 and a minor league pitching instructor for Baltimore from 1988-91.
Oates also indicated that the other five members of the major league coaching staff: dugout coach Bucky Dent, bullpen coach Larry Hardy, hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, first base coach Bobby Jones, and third base coach Jerry Narron have been invited to return for the 2001 season. Dent, Hardy, Jaramillo, and Narron have been on Oates’ staff since 1995. Jones was added in May, 2000 following the retirement of Ed Napoleon.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rafael Palmeiro can now focus on what he considers a more significant milestone: 500 homers.
“There’s a lot more career ahead of me,” the Texas first baseman said after hitting his 400th career homer Saturday night in the Rangers’ 15-4 loss to Anaheim. “Hopefully, I can do a lot more in this game.”
While becoming only the 32nd major leaguer to hit 400 homers, and the first in a Texas uniform, Palmeiro wants to join the more exclusive club. Only half of the 400-club members have also hit 500 homers, and Mark McGwire (554) is the only active player among that group.
“Honestly, it felt like any other home run. I keep saying that to me right now 399, 400 and 401, it’s all the same,” Palmeiro said. “If I’m lucky enough to get close to 500, then I’ll feel a little bit different about it.”
No. 400 came when Palmeiro hit a 3-1 pitch from Anaheim reliever Scott Karl in the fifth inning Saturday night, with the Rangers trailing 8-0.
Palmeiro had three of the Rangers’ four hits and drove in all four runs in a loss that assured Texas, the AL West champion the past two seasons, of finishing last in the division. The Rangers are only the fourth team in major league history to go from first to last in consecutive seasons, joining the Philadelphia Athletics (1914-15), Oakland (1992-93) and San Diego (1996-97).
“It’s been tough, because we’ve struggled so bad,” Palmeiro said. “This has kept me going over the last couple of weeks. It’s not as enjoyable as I would have liked it to be, but I’ll enjoy it.”
Even as he continued to downplay reaching the 400-homer milestone, Palmeiro acknowledged it was a special night.
Not every trot around the bases ends with a kiss from his wife and a high-five from his son, who were sitting in the owner’s box next to the Texas dugout.
“It was rewarding to see him be able to share it with them,” Texas manager Johnny Oates said. “That makes it worthwhile to me. I get chill bumps knowing they were able to share it, and that he went over and acknowledged them.
“I don’t think he’s through. He’s saying that this is just another number and he’s really looking forward to 500.”
Palmeiro got his wish by hitting No. 400 in front of the home fans who haven’t had much to cheer about this season. After No. 399 in the third inning at Minnesota on Tuesday, he didn’t bat again until returning to The Ballpark in Arlington, where he has hit 193 homers.
“It’s been building up. They came out to witness this, so I felt somewhat under pressure to come through,” Palmeiro said. “I think they appreciate that I came out and was able to do it.”

CHICAGO – There will no hunt for Red October this year for the Rangers. Or for any year in the foreseeable future, for that matter.
The Rangers will make changes to their uniform in 2001 for the second consecutive year. Red, the dominant color during the tenure of club president Tom Schieffer, will be replaced by blue. The Rangers will also add a hint of black.
The home white uniforms with red lettering will be replaced by a white uniforms with blue lettering. The player’s number will be on the front of the uniform as well as the back. The team will wear the blue hat with the white “T” it has worn for away games and with alternate uniforms this season.
The team will also introduce an alternate hat that will be blue with a black brim. Black will also be included on the lettering trim on both home and away uniforms. The alternate blue tops, which the team wears mostly on Sundays and for special occasions, will remain the same.
“We just like the blue better,” said club president Jim Lites, who was in Chicago to attend a National Hockey League Board of Governors meeting. “We surveyed the fans and did some focus groups, and the blue seemed more popular with them, too. We also want a consistent look. When you put all that together, going with blue made some sense.”

CHICAGO (AP) — Ruben Sierra is back in the majors for the first time since 1998.
The Texas Rangers called the veteran outfielder up Tuesday, allowing him to rejoin the team he broke in with in 1986.
“I want to thank God and the Rangers for giving me the opportunity to be here,” Sierra said before Tuesday night’s game against the White Sox.
Sierra got his first major league at-bat since he was with the White Sox in 1998 when he flied out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of the Rangers’ 2-1 victory over Chicago.
Sierra, 34, also has played with Oakland, the New York Yankees, Detroit, Cincinnati, Toronto and the White Sox. He spent 1999 with Atlantic City in the independent Atlantic League, hitting .294 with 28 homers and 82 RBIs in 112 games.
Sierra was invited to the Indians’ spring training camp but was released in late March. He began 2000 with Cancun in the Triple-A Mexican League, hitting .355 in 16 games.
Then he joined Oklahoma of the Pacific Coast League, the Rangers’ Triple-A farm club, where he batted .326 with 18 homers and 82 RBIs in 112 games.
“I know in my heart I can still play. I still have years left. I can still run,” Sierra said. “Any way I can help the team I will be ready.”
His last major league action before Tuesday came with the White Sox in 1998 when he hit .216 with four homer sand 11 RBIs in 27 games.
A four-time Rangers’ player of the year, Sierra is a .269 career hitter with 239 homers and 1,047 RBIs in 1,662 major league games.
Texas also called up right-hander Darwin Cubillan, infielder Kelly Dransfeldt and catcher Randy Knorr from Oklahoma City. They transferred left-hander Mike Munoz from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list.

NEW YORK (AP) — The 1999 opener was in Mexico and the 2000 opener in Japan. Next year, baseball could start its season in Puerto Rico.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers are likely to open the 2001 regular season in San Juan on Sunday night, April 1, several baseball officials said Tuesday.
“I would say it’s in the discussion-of-details stage,” Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash said. “There’s a willingness to participate. It’s just a matter of getting the details done.”
Toronto would be the home team in the game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, Ash said, and the teams would play an exhibition game in Puerto Rico the previous day. A decision is expected in a few weeks.
ESPN could televise the game as part of its Sunday night package. Network spokeswoman Diane Lamb said ESPN wouldn’t comment until after baseball makes an official announcement.
It would be the third straight international opener for baseball, which started the 1999 season at Monterrey, Mexico, with a game between San Diego and Colorado, and opened this season in Tokyo with a two-game series between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs.
Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez, the 1999 American League MVP, would be the top attraction for the game. Rodriguez, who is out for the season with a broken right thumb, was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, and lives in Rios Pedros.
Texas infielder Luis Alicea was born in Santurce and lives in Florida.
Toronto first baseman Carlos Delgado is from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. While he agreed last December to a $36 million, three-year contract extension, he has the right, in the 10 days after the World Series, to demand that Toronto trade him by Feb. 15.
Last year, baseball discussed moving a three-game series between the Rangers and the Chicago White Sox this May 10-12 to Puerto Rico, but nothing became of those talks.
News of these negotiations originally was reported earlier this week by The Globe and Mail in Toronto.

BOSTON (TICKER) — Bill Haselman has done enough as a fill-in for injured star catcher Ivan Rodriguez to warrant a two-year contract extension.
The Rangers today agreed to terms on an extension with Haselman that will keep the veteran catcher in a Texas uniform through the 2002 season.
The deal also includes an option for a third season. No financial terms were disclosed.
Haselman, who would have been a free agent at the end of the season, is batting .267 with four homers and 19 RBI. He has been Texas’ primary catcher since Rodriguez suffered a season-ending fractured finger on July 24.
The 34-year-old Haselman was acquired from the Detroit Tigers in November, making this his third stint with the Rangers. He batted .273 with four homers and 14 RBI in 48 games for the Tigers during the 1999 campaign.
Haselman also has spent time with Seattle and Boston in nearly eight years in the major leagues. The Rangers made him the 23rd pick in the 1987 draft and re-acquired him in a 1997 trade with the Red Sox.
— Second Story —
BOSTON – The Rangers on Saturday signed catcher Bill Haselman to a two-year contract extension worth $1.6 million, saying his contributions to the team go well beyond what he does on the field. The Rangers also hold an option for 2003.
The Rangers consider Haselman, 34, one of the preeminent backup catchers in baseball because of his preparation and his rapport with pitchers. Haselman has been pressed into extra duty this year because of the season-ending broken thumb Ivan Rodriguez suffered last month. Haselman, who did not start Saturday, was hitting .267 with four home runs and 19 RBIs.
Because the Rangers’ backup usually plays so little, the team has had a hard time keeping one. The Rangers haven’t had the same backup for consecutive seasons since Dave Valle in 1995 and 1996.
“We have a unique situation at catcher because the backup usually gets to play so little,” Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. “Bill understands his role. Even when he’s not in the lineup, there are things he does to contribute to us winning games.”
Rangers general manager Doug Melvin, who said Haselman “does so much beyond his role,” also might have more on his agenda. Melvin said he might take a cue from the Oakland A’s and start talking about long-term contracts with younger players such as Gabe Kapler and Frank Catalanotto.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Gabe Kapler doubled in the second inning of Saturday night’s game against the Boston, setting a Texas Rangers’ record by stretching his hitting streak to 25 games.
Kapler’s double off the left-field wall also gave him the longest hitting streak in the majors this season. Arizona’s Tony Womack had a 24-game streak from May 2-29.
Mickey Rivers set the previous Rangers record in 1980, when he hit safely in 24 straight games from Aug. 14-Sept. 9.

TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays sent pitcher Pete Munro to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday on a waiver claim to complete the deal for outfielder Dave Martinez.
The Jays acquired Martinez last week for a player to be named.
Munro, a right-hander, has a 1-1 record and 5.96 ERA in nine games for Toronto this season, including three starts. In 10 starts with Syracuse of the International League, he was 4-3 with a 2.48 ERA.
Martinez, 35, made his debut in right field for the Jays on Sunday, hitting a three-run homer.
He tied a major league record by appearing for his fourth team in the same season. He also played for Tampa and the Chicago Cubs before going to Texas.
Martinez has played for eight teams during his career.

FOR RELEASE: 4:00 p.m. (CDT), Monday, August 7, 2000
The Texas Rangers announced today that the club has recalled righthanded pitcher Darwin Cubillan (COO-be-on) from Oklahoma of the Pacific Coast League. Cubillan is expected to be in uniform for tonight’s game in Cleveland.
To make room for Cubillan, righthanded pitcher Francisco Cordero has been optioned to Oklahoma.
Cubillan, 25, was acquired by Texas from the Toronto Blue Jays with infielder Mike Young in the deal for righthanded pitcher Esteban Loaiza on July 19. Since joining Oklahoma, he has pitched 13 scoreless innings in six relief appearances with one save, allowing 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out ten. For the season, Cubillan has posted a 0.39 era (2 er/45.2 ip) in 30 relief appearances with Syracuse of the International League and Oklahoma.
Cubillan also pitched for Toronto from May 19-June 24, going 1-0, 8.04 in 7 relief appearances, his first major league action. The righthander defeated Atlanta for his first big league victory on June 7.
Originally signed by the Yankees in June, 1993, Cubillan pitched seven season in the New York organization before being signed by Toronto as a minor league free agent in November, 1999. He had not pitched above class A prior to this season, spending 1998 and 1999 at the Yankees’ Tampa club. Cubillan was 7-4, 2.51 in 1999, ranking second in the Florida State League in appearances. He pitched in just one game total in 1996 and 1997 after having reconstruction surgery on his right elbow.
The 6-foot-2, 170 pound righthander is a native and still resides in Bobure, Zulia Venezuela.
Cordero was 1-1 with a 5.62 era in 41 relief appearances with the Rangers this season but had compiled a 9.75 era in his last 22 appearances beginning May 30. He was acquired from Detroit in a nine-player trade in November, 1999.

DARWIN CUBILLAN-2000 STATISTICS
Team            W-L  ERA   G   GS  SV  IP    H   R   ER  BB SO
Syracuse        3-1  0.55  24   0   6  32.2  14  2    2  13 41
Toronto         1-0  8.04   7   0   0  15.2  20  14  14  11 14
Oklahoma        0-0  0.00   6   0   1  13.0   5  0    0   3 10

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Bill Haselman is an insurance policy paying off for the Texas Rangers.
While no player could provide complete replacement coverage for AL MVP Ivan Rodriguez, Haselman has been more than adequate since the nine-time All-Star catcher was lost for the season with a broken right hand.
“There’s no way you can totally protect yourself against losing Pudge, but if you’ve got to have a guy sitting behind Pudge, Bill Haselman is as good a guy as there is in the game,” Texas manager Johnny Oates said.
Going into the series opener at Toronto on Thursday night, Haselman had made eight straight starts — his longest stretch since seven straight in April 1997 with Boston — and hit .414 (12-for-29) in that span. He had his second three-hit game in three nights Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox.
More important is how Haselman handles the pitching staff.
“We knew he would step in with no complications because we knew he was prepared. Even before when he knew he wasn’t going to catch, he was already prepared just in case,” Kenny Rogers said.
Rogers and Rick Helling, the Rangers’ other top starter, noted that Haselman would spend hours as a backup watching tape of opposing hitters.
“Obviously with Pudge back there, you love it,” Helling said. “But with Has back there, I have just as much confidence in him as I did in Pudge.
“It’s not like he’s a guy that sits here and knows he’s backing up Pudge Rodriguez and isn’t going to play, and just shows up at the park. He comes ready to play.”
Haselman, 34, returned to Texas last November as part of the nine-player trade that sent two-time AL MVP Juan Gonzalez to Detroit.
When finalizing the Gonzalez deal, Rangers general manager Doug Melvin had Haselman added. Melvin wanted a quality backup that could give Rodriguez an occasional day off.
Haselman served as Rodriguez’s backup in 1998, hitting .314 in 40 games. He then signed as a free agent with Detroit and hit .273 in 48 games last season while backing up another All-Star, Brad Ausmus.
Melvin also needed some insurance in case of an injury, such as the broken hand Rodriguez suffered July 24 when he hit Mo Vaughn’s bat while making a throw to second.
“A lot of people forget Bill Haselman being a part of that deal. If he wasn’t, I don’t know where we’d be right now with Pudge being hurt,” Melvin said. “It’s a real key. A backup catcher of his caliber would have been difficult to get.”
Rodriguez had started more games behind the plate than any AL catcher each of the past six seasons. Haselman, who played a season-high 77 games for Boston in 1996, likely would have been the league’s least-played backup catcher had Rodriguez (.347, 27 home runs, 83 RBIs) not gotten hurt.
“Of course, that’s not the way I want to get to see the opportunity,” Haselman said. “I don’t like to see anybody get hurt, especially somebody like Pudge who offers so much to our team.
“But the fact is since he is hurt, I’m just trying to go in there and play my game and try to first and foremost catch a good game and call a good game, and go from there.”