Even as they remain lashed to the mast of the game’s predictable canon, baseball teams seldom ride out the storm of a disappointing start to a season.
Instead, they find a scapegoat, usually the club’s pitching or hitting coach. A press conference ensues, in which the general manager praises the guy he just fired and professes a deep respect for the coach, wishing him well in the MLB unemployment line.
In their 46 seasons since arriving in Texas, the Rangers have employed 16 pitching coaches, including the resident scapegoat, Doug Brocail. There surely will one day be a 17th pitching coach, and Brocail knows that.