The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Sunday afternoon that they have brought back former player and coach, Jeff Banister. He has been hired as a Special Assistant for Baseball Operations. That’s the same job title that David Eckstein took yesterday, though they will have different specific jobs.
Special Assistant for Baseball Operations usually involves an on field coaching job separate from the specialized coaches. An example would be Kevin Young, who works on defense with the first basemen in the organization.
Banister spent 29 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, first as a player, then in various roles throughout the minors, working his way to a Major League bench coach role from 2010 to 2014. In 2015, he was hired as the manager of the Texas Rangers. Banister posted a 325-313 record in four seasons with the Rangers, twice leading them to the postseason. He was named the AL Manager of the Year in 2015.
The Pirates today announced the hiring of Jeff Banister as a Special Assistant, Baseball Operations.
He was a member of the Pirates organization for 29 seasons and returns to the Bucs after spending the last four seasons as the manager of the Texas Rangers.
Welcome back, Banny! pic.twitter.com/Xlkr0MQ8rw
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) January 6, 2019
