born january american retired professional baseball player current manager joining rangers spent years organization pittsburgh_pirates player coach pirates major minor league system played baseball high school texas developed bone cancer sophomore year necessitated leg playing college baseball suffered home plate collision broke neck leaving paralyzed days named junior college american season received scholarship play houston baseball team drafted pirates playing appeared major league game july recording hit plate appearance appear major league game ended playing career season following playing career remained pirates served manager minor league major league field coordinator pirates considered managerial vacancy season hired bench coach served role season rangers hired manager offseason named american_league manager year playing career amateur career attended texas played school baseball basketball american football teams sophomore year high school injured right ankle playing baseball examination ankle slow heal diagnosed bone cancer developed required skin treat infection leg led development spread right ankle knee doctors recommended order save rest leg refused hoped able continue baseball career doctors performed seven operations leg saved senior year suffered knee injury playing american football nearly led cut baseball team decreased mobility father suggested change positions catcher allowed remain baseball team conducted professional scouts noticed coaches junior college texas recruited play college baseball lee catching game suffered collision home plate attempted jump hit head knee collision broke neck originally scheduled play game scout new_york_yankees major_league_baseball mlb told lee coach hoped catch resulted added starting lineup minute change result collision paralyzed neck days doctors initially warned walk operations performed learned walk season entering hospital weighing pounds weighed pounds discharged recovered played season lee named junior college american transferred season play houston baseball team scholarship professional career pittsburgh pirates selected 25th round major_league_baseball draft player chosen draft playing professional debut member pirates class short season new_york batting average games played played class south atlantic league batted games played games senators class eastern league batting returned batted games named returned season recorded batting average games season received promotion games batted began season buffalo pirates promoted minor leagues july catcher injured placed disabled list manager pinch hitter pitcher eighth inning day game atlanta braves rivers stadium cecil bat hit ball beat shortstop throw base batters excluding pitchers baseball history record hit major league plate appearance sent buffalo playing game pittsburgh finished class aaa season average games missed season suffered right elbow injury required surgery served player coach class southern league playing games batting average season ended playing career retired career batting average minor league games played coaching managing career overview retiring player remained pirates organization served manager pirates minor league system served manager new york year later managed led win league championship managed hawaiian winter league manager midway season named manager position held season win loss record winning percentage manager worked pittsburgh coaching managers assigned job served role served interim manager resigned position personal reasons interim pitching coach resigned position took job managed august named pirates interim bench coach fired organization end season pirates fired manager finalists position pirates named manager named time bench coach pirates bench coach learned analyst traveled team learned use data inform decisions pirates employ defensive shifts field initially chosen manage season replaced pirates special assistant possibility pirates reaching mlb postseason season interviewed houston candidate fill managing vacancy following firing porter instead hired interviewed texas_rangers finalist position rangers interim manager pitching coach october rangers named new manager signed year contract option fourth season rangers general manager indicated help rangers incorporate baseball decisions began discuss coaching staff season decided record winning percentage resignation return rangers retained hitting coach coaching staff base coach left base coach return team role guided rangers american_league west division championship record wins losses rangers end losing named american_league manager year season offseason rangers extended contract season option season releasing pitching coach hitting coach later hired new pitching coach new hitting coach managerial record july personal life born january originally oklahoma age moved father bob coached jeff american football basketball teams mother teacher sister carey father died age heart attack grandfather died heart attack weeks later met wife karen students karen worked teacher houston children jacob college player reside arlington texas won inaugural won pride pirates award demonstrating dedication outstanding character
Jeff Banister