Rudy Jaramillo has turned down an offer to re-sign with the Rangers for the 2010 season as hitting coach. In spite of this past season's downturn in offensive production, I don't think this is a good thing for the Rangers at all. Makes you wonder what the full story here is.

Maybe Jaramillo's pride was hurt when the Rangers scored 1 run in 5 games during the stretch run of the pennant race last month. He could just want a change of scenery. He won't have any problems catching on with another team. He'll probably have several offers.

Huge loss...hopefully they'll find a worthy replacement.....

I think that his leaving is a combination of him being offended that the Rangers only offered him a one-year contract and that he probably is just ready for a change of scenery and a new challenge. He'll end up in Chicago with the Cubs and his old friend Sweet Lou Piniella. And he'll be sorely missed by the Rangers!

I doubt he will be missed too much, not after the horrible offensive season that the Rangers had.

Personally, I don't even see why they offered him a new contract, what would happen to you or I if we produced that poorly at our jobs???

How many other jobs are you rewarded as a great employee if you succeed 3 times out of 10? The point I'm making is that hitting a round ball with a round bat is the single hardest skill to execute in all of sport, so that anology in which you made, in my opinion, is not valid.

Jaramillo has an extremely impressive track record, commands a huge level of respect, and is generally regarded as the top hitting coach in MLB. One down offensive year is certainly no reason for the Rangers to have not offered him a bit more respectable offer than they did.

Well, I completely disagree with your attempt at discounting my analogy, so I'll try and go about it a different way.

Let me say also, I never said hitting a baseball was easy, and I am not trying to discredit anything Rudy J has done in the past.

The 2009 Rangers were TENTH out of 14 teams in the AL in Hits.
The Rangers were TENTH in team Batting Average.
The Rangers were TWELFTH in On Base Percentage.
The Rangers were TWELFTH in Walks.
But there is one batting stat where the Rangers actually were in FIRST place, Strikeouts.

Now, you don't have to agree with me, but these numbers that I have quote are completely unacceptable. SOMEONE should be held accountable for the lack of offensive production, that someone, IMO, is Rudy Jaramillo. Changes need to be made on offense just like they were made on defense and in pitching.

Entering this season, Rangers hitters had captured 17 Silver Slugger Awards, four Most Valuable Player Awards, three home run titles and three RBI crowns under the tutelage of Jaramillo. The Rangers led the Majors in runs scored with 901 in 2008 but dropped to 784 runs in 2009.

Rudy IS considered one of the best in baseball.

The Rangers contract offer to Jaramillo for one year was basically a slap in his face. Not good policy to basically run off the most respected hitting coach in the game with a proven track record and a remarkable rapport with his hitters. Not a popular move among the ballplayers, either. Go to dallasnews. com to read Michael Young's take on the situation. If you'll remember, the offense was clicking until Hamilton was lost in late May. Hitters began to press, trying to do too much, and from there the problems snowballed.

Sad thing is, Jaramillo will be back in 2010 instructing and mentoring hitters, just not with the Rangers.

Rudy wasn't the one up there every night swinging at bad pitches and popping the ball up or striking out. These guys are major league players and get paid millions of dollars and you want to blame Rudy Jaramillo? The man has been in Arlington for fifteen or sixteen years, the Rangers have one mediocre year hitting wise and you suddenly want him gone? Cut me some slack.

If he does go to the Cubs I'll be glad so the Rangers won't have to play against them.

Jaramillo signs a 3-year deal with the Cubs for $2.5 million, making him the highest paid coach in MLB.

I hope he makes JD regret not offering him more money.

I knew it wouldn't take long for Jaramillo to get hired. This happened so fast that I wonder if he hadn't already had an offer from the Cubs and offered the Rangers a chance to match it.

I think as soon as he turned down the Rangers initial offer, the Cubs requested to talk to him.

IMO he IS the best.

While he might be the best..it was obvious his voice had been lost to the batters..Chris Davis talked about the fact he never got the adjustments he needed until he went to the minors. I love what Rudy did here, but I do think it was time for a change

I wish you could ask Michael Young if his "voice had been lost" to the batters.

I doubt Rudy could have helped Davis much when it came to him chasing sliders in the dirt every 0-2 count, other then saying "Don't swing at this next one!" Criticism from a .220 hitter rings a little shallow, in my opinion anyway.