Rangers Hire Bengie Molina as First Base Coach and Catching Instructor; Promote Bobby Jones to Asst. Hitting Coach to finalize 2014 Major League Coaching Staff

The Texas Rangers announced today the hiring of former catcher Bengie Molina as first base coach and catching instructor. The team also promoted Triple-A Round Rock Manager Bobby Jones to assistant hitting coach to complete the 2014 coaching staff. 

Additionally, longtime trainer Jamie Reed has been named senior director of medical operations and Kevin Harmon has been promoted to head trainer.

Molina, 39, spent the 2013 season as the assistant hitting coach for the National League-champion St. Louis Cardinals, his first coaching job since completing a 13-year major league career with the Rangers in 2010. Acquired by Texas in a July 1, 2010 trade with the San Francisco Giants, Molina had a postseason average of .293 (12-41) with 2 home runs and 8 RBI in the Rangers' run to a first-ever World Series appearance that year. His last major league game came as the Rangers' catcher in Game 5 of the 2010 World Series. Molina hit for the cycle with Texas on July 16, 2010 at Boston's Fenway Park, when he became just the eighth player since 1900 to hit a grand slam as part of a cycle.

A career .274 hitter for the Angels (1998-2005), Blue Jays (2006), Giants (2007-10), and Rangers (2010), the two-time Gold Glove Award winner was the starting catcher for Anaheim's 2002 World Series champion club. He is the older brother of Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and Rays catcher Jose Molina.

Jones, 64, will be in his third stint on the major league staff, as he served on Johnny Oates' staff in 2000 and 2001 (third base coach, first base coach) and again under Buck Showalter for the 2006 campaign (first base coach, outfield instructor). The 2014 campaign will be the 27th season as a coach or manager in the Texas organization for Jones, who is one of the longest-tenured members of club's baseball operations. In 24 years as a minor league manager, he has compiled a 1656-1621 record and led his teams to 12 postseason berths, amassing the most games and victories of any manager in the history of the Texas organization. Originally selected by the Washington/Texas franchise in the 1967 June draft, Jones made his major league debut with the Rangers in 1974.

Reed, who will be in his 12th season with the Rangers, will oversee all medical aspects of the organization on the major and minor league levels. He will travel on both the major and minor league sides of the Rangers' system. Reed previously worked in both the Tampa Bay (1997-2002) and Baltimore (1982-96) organizations and had a stint as President of the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society.

Harmon will be in his 10th season with the Rangers and his first as head trainer. In addition to his work as a trainer, Harmon has also served as a strength and conditioning coach in a career that began in 1986 spanning stints in the Atlanta, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay organizations.