For those that dont know he is the hitting coach for the Texas Rangers and has been for the past 15 years, they have gone through manager after manager during this time and yet they always keep him on as hitting coach but he has never been a serious candidate for a managerial job.
A few of the guys that have blossomed under his tutelage:
Rafael Palmeiro
Juan Gonzalez
Alex Rodriguez
Pudge Rodriguez
Jose Canseco
Ken Caminiti
Ruben Sierra
Jeff Bagwell
Travis Hafner
That is a very interesting list, others that have emerged out of nowhere as good hitters with Texas and then sucked when they left:
Kevin Mench (his 4 years in Texas hit .275 while averaging 20 homeruns per season, has not hit more then 8 the 4 years since)
Gabe Kapler (hit his career high of 17 HRs in his one season in Texas)
Herb Perry (hit 22 homeruns one year in Texas, previous career high 8, never hit more then 9 again his entire career)
Rod Barajas has 76 career homeruns in 10 yr major league career 47 came in his 3 years in Texas)
His current crop of stars:
Michael Young
Hank Blalock
Chris Davis
Ian Kinsler
Also he has completely rejuvenated the careers of:
Josh Hamilton
Andruw Jones (he is hitting .300 with 4 homeruns and 11 rbis in 64 at bats this year, he didnt do that in .500 at bats over the previous 2 seasons)
Nelson Cruz (considered a bust was traded 4 times and now at 28 years old busts out and is hitting .270 with 7 homeruns and 22 rbis so far this year, which is also his first year with Rudy)
Marlon Byrd (.270 career hitter who is now hitting 40 points above his average at 33 years old in Texas)
So the conclusion I have is either he is the greatest hitting coach of our generation, The Ballpark at Arlington is the greatest hitting ballpark of our generation, or Rudy has a direct line to some serious steroids.
A few of the guys that have blossomed under his tutelage:
Rafael Palmeiro
Juan Gonzalez
Alex Rodriguez
Pudge Rodriguez
Jose Canseco
Ken Caminiti
Ruben Sierra
Jeff Bagwell
Travis Hafner
That is a very interesting list, others that have emerged out of nowhere as good hitters with Texas and then sucked when they left:
Kevin Mench (his 4 years in Texas hit .275 while averaging 20 homeruns per season, has not hit more then 8 the 4 years since)
Gabe Kapler (hit his career high of 17 HRs in his one season in Texas)
Herb Perry (hit 22 homeruns one year in Texas, previous career high 8, never hit more then 9 again his entire career)
Rod Barajas has 76 career homeruns in 10 yr major league career 47 came in his 3 years in Texas)
His current crop of stars:
Michael Young
Hank Blalock
Chris Davis
Ian Kinsler
Also he has completely rejuvenated the careers of:
Josh Hamilton
Andruw Jones (he is hitting .300 with 4 homeruns and 11 rbis in 64 at bats this year, he didnt do that in .500 at bats over the previous 2 seasons)
Nelson Cruz (considered a bust was traded 4 times and now at 28 years old busts out and is hitting .270 with 7 homeruns and 22 rbis so far this year, which is also his first year with Rudy)
Marlon Byrd (.270 career hitter who is now hitting 40 points above his average at 33 years old in Texas)
So the conclusion I have is either he is the greatest hitting coach of our generation, The Ballpark at Arlington is the greatest hitting ballpark of our generation, or Rudy has a direct line to some serious steroids.