Kevin Sherrington

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In the summer of 1988, Bobby Witt threw nine consecutive complete games after a brief exile to the minor leagues, prompting speculation as to what brand of exorcism took place in Oklahoma City and whether the rest of the staff should be on the next bus up I-35.

Ferguson Jenkins, Hall of Famer, earned most of the credit for Witt's revival. So much so, in fact, that it irritated Bobby Valentine.

"What exactly did Fergie tell him," the Rangers' manager asked, "that we didn't?"

Maybe it wasn't what Jenkins told Witt, I remember thinking, as much as who he was and how he said it.

The vignette comes to mind as the Rangers prepare to hire a hitting coach for the first time in 15 years.

Bottom line: Whether it's Rusty Greer, Thad Bosley, Gerald Perry or Clint Hurdle, who sources say is the Rangers' pick, the new guy had better be long on patience and short on bluster.

And another thing: Don't expect results as swift as Mike Maddux's.

In his first season, Maddux didn't tell his new charges much of anything that Mark Connor hadn't. He gave practical tips. Moved guys around on the rubber. Worked on balance. Made them work longer.

The pitchers bought in because of Maddux's track record, his gifts as a communicator and the fact that it wasn't as if anything else was working.

But if you thought it was difficult making pitchers out of the Rangers, wait 'til you see what awaits the man who succeeds Rudy Jaramillo.

The most popular coach on the Rangers' staff for years, Jaramillo earned the players' respect by giving it. He didn't preach a set philosophy. He didn't deconstruct stances. This is a guy loved by the likes of the Astros' Jeff Bagwell, who hit like he was straddling a sofa.

For better or worse, and usually the former, Jaramillo coached within the framework of a player's natural mechanics. He figured if a guy was good enough to get to the big leagues, he probably only needed a tune-up, not an overhaul. More than anything, he preached confidence, and for 14 of his 15 years, the sermon was a smash.

Even this season wasn't as bad as some would have you think. The Rangers finished 19th in baseball in hitting (.260) and 24th in on-base percentage (.320). But they were second in home runs (224) and 10th in OPS (.764).

As for individual cases, Chris Davis, both catchers and, to a certain extent, Ian Kinsler, didn't perform up to expectations. Neither did Josh Hamilton. But his problems were mostly due to injury. Nelson Cruz and Marlon Byrd had career years. Michael Young had his best season in the last five. Elvis Andrus hit better than anyone expected for a 20-year-old.

All of this is not to say the Rangers made a mistake in letting Jaramillo leave. It's a different game in the post-steroids era. The Rangers would obviously benefit from a more disciplined approach at the plate.

But first they have to believe that change is necessary. Their history gives them a pretty good argument.

If you ask me, it'll take personnel changes. The Angels didn't become more patient hitters until Bobby Abreu arrived and his approach rubbed off on them. The Rangers' defense improved only partly because of Washington's emphasis. The real difference was the addition of Elvis, who caused a ripple effect on both sides of the infield.

If the Rangers want a "team-first" approach, as Jon Daniels says, he should add hitters with those characteristics, especially at the top of the lineup. And then he should institute the approach throughout the system.

By the time players get to the big leagues, they're hard to change, especially if they're not sure they need to. The new guy had better be good. As the players will be the first to tell you, the old guy sure was.