Buck Showalter has been fired as manager of the Texas Rangers, ending four seasons in which he was never able to get a team with several young all-stars high than third place in the American League West Division.

Texas was 80-82 this season, its sixth losing record in seven years since last making the playoffs in 1999. Showalter was 319-329 with the Rangers, his third managerial job, and still had three seasons left on his contract.

Showalter was the AL's manager of the year only two years ago, when after AL MVP Alex Rodriguez was traded in the spring the Rangers remained in playoff contention until an 11-inning loss in the 158th game of the season.

The Rangers were 89-73 in 2004, the fourth-best record in team history and an 18-win improvement over 2003. They finished only three games back in the AL West, but still in third place behind the division-winning Angels and Oakland.

But the Rangers weren't able to build off the momentum of that unexpected playoff chase. They posted just 79 wins last season and were only one game better than that this year.

© The Canadian Press, 2007