Former Liberty baseball standout tony Beasley named rangers manager

Tony Beasley, a former standout baseball player at Liberty, was officially named interim manager of the Texas Rangers on Aug. 15. 

Beasley, a 55-year-old Fredericksburg native, replaced former manager Chris Woodward, who was relieved of his duties after the Rangers posted a record of 51-63. 

“It’s bittersweet,” Beasley said in a press conference Aug. 15. “It’s an opportunity for me, but it comes at the cost of someone who’s near and dear to my heart as well.” 

Despite the firing of his friend, Beasley recognizes the work he must do as interim manager at the major league level. 

“I have a job to do,” Beasley said in a press conference Aug. 15. “I’m tasked with a specific job, and I’m excited for the opportunity to do that.” 

Beasley enters his new role with a great deal of experience, having been around both the Major and Minor Leagues throughout his career. 

Beasley played collegiately for Liberty from 1988-1989. He broke out in 1989 batting .345, including a team-leading six triples and 24 stolen bases. This led to him being named team MVP in 1989. 

During his time at Liberty, Beasley played for Al Worthington, the baseball program’s first head coach and Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame member. 

Following his time at Liberty, Beasley was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 19th round of the 1989 MLB Draft. He played in the minor leagues for nine years as a member of the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates. 

He was named a Carolina League all-star in 1990 and 1991. He worked his way through the minor leagues and earned a Double-A Southern League all-star selection in 1996. 

In 1998, Beasley made the decision to hang up his cleats. However, he did not step away from the diamond. 

Immediately following his playing career, Beasley embarked on his coaching journey. He returned to Lynchburg in 2000 as the Lynchburg Hillcats hitting coach. He became a manager in the Pirates organization, finding great success as a manager in the minor leagues. 

He made his debut in the majors as a third base coach with the Washington Nationals in 2006. Beasley coached under hall of famer Frank Robinson while in Washington. Following his time in Washington, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates as a third base coach. 

In 2011, Beasley returned to the Minor Leagues as a manager of the Double-A Harrisburg Senators, a Washington Nationals affiliate. He had a successful stint with Harrisburg, leading to him becoming the manager for the Triple-A affiliate, the  Syracuse Chiefs. 

He made his return to the majors in 2015 when he joined the Texas Rangers as a third base coach. However, just as Beasley was getting comfortable with his new role, he received a devastating diagnosis.

In 2016, Beasley was diagnosed with a form of rectal cancer, which forced him to miss the entire 2016 season. 

One year later, however, he was able to call himself a survivor. On Dec. 5, 2016, Beasley had a final operation performed that officially made him “NED”, meaning that he had “no evidence of disease.” 

He returned to the Rangers in 2017 and has been with the organization ever since.

While he never got the opportunity to play Major League Baseball, he has certainly paid his dues to reach his current position. 

Beasley’s story is a perfect example of how hard work pays off, and the former Liberty Flame will finally get a chance to prove himself as a major league manager for the remainder of the 2022 season after a long time coming. 

ELMORE is a sports reporter.