Rangers president Nolan Ryan said Wednesday that he anticipates both general manager Jon Daniels and manager Ron Washington will return for the 2009 season, but he stopped just short of making a full-scale announcement that one or both would be back.
"In my mind, as of today, they are going to be back," Ryan said. "I don't have any reason to think differently. Right now, we're talking about pitching and offseason issues like that. (Making management changes) isn't something that I'm even thinking about. As of today, that's how I feel." Both are under contract for next year -- Daniels is signed through 2011 -- so no formal announcement is necessary. Neither, however, has been officially invited back.
Washington said he expected to talk with Daniels on the final road trip, which begins Thursday. He has not invited any of his coaches back and said he has yet to be given authority to make decisions on coaches.
Ryan and Daniels are expected to meet with owner Tom Hicks shortly -- perhaps before the end of the season Sunday -- to discuss and evaluate the year. Hicks declined to comment on personnel matters Wednesday.
Asked why he couldn't make an unequivocal commitment to either Daniels or Washington, Ryan cited still unfinished business.
"It's premature to say that," Ryan said. "The season isn't over. We haven't sat down with Mr. Hicks. Just because people want to hear me say something, it isn't fair to say absolutely until you finish the process. In my mind, I don't anticipate a change."
RANGERS 14, A'S 4: The Rangers scored 13 of their 14 runs in the three middle innings Wednesday to take two of three from Oakland and build their second-place lead on the A's to 1 1/2 games with three remaining. The A's would have to win out at Seattle over the weekend to have any chance of sending the Rangers to a ninth consecutive finish in the bottom half of the AL West. The Rangers scored their first three runs on 1B Hank Blalock's home run. Blalock, who has homered in four consecutive games, is hitting .404 with seven homers and 18 RBIs over his last 14 games and has raised his season batting average to .290. The Rangers scored eight runs in the sixth in an inning that included a two-run double by CF Josh Hamilton. Those RBIs ended a 15-game stretch without an RBI for Hamilton.
