Texas Rangers (baseball)

Texas Rangers
2024 Texas Rangers season
Established in 1961 'Based in Dallas/Fort Worth since 1972'
File:TexasRangers 100.png File:RangersIcon.PNG Team logo Cap insignia
Major league affiliations
American League (1961–present) West Division (1972–present)
Current uniform
File:Al 2005 texas 01.gif
Retired numbers	26, 34, 42
Name
Texas Rangers (1972–present) Washington Senators (1961-1971)
Ballpark
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (1994–present) a.k.a. Ameriquest Field in Arlington (2004-2007) a.k.a. The Ballpark in Arlington (1994-2004) Arlington Stadium (1972-1993) RFK Stadium (Washington, DC) (1962-1971) a.k.a. D.C. Stadium (1962)-1968) Griffith Stadium (Washington, DC) (1961)
Major league titles
World Series titles (0)	None
AL Pennants (0)	None
West Division titles (3) [1]	1999 • 1998 • 1996
Wild card berths (0)	None
[1] - In 1994, a players' strike wiped out the last eight weeks of the season and all post-season. Texas was in first place by two games in the West Division (despite being 10 games under .500) when play was stopped. No official titles were awarded in 1994.
Front office
Principal owner(s)	Tom Hicks
General manager	Jon Daniels
Manager	Ron Washington

The Texas Rangers are a Major League Baseball team based in Arlington, Texas, a suburb in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. They are in the West Division of the American League. On March 19, 2007 the Texas Rangers changed the name of their ballpark from Ameriquest Field to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Franchise history

Washington Senators

President Richard Nixon throwing out the opening pitch for the Senators' season in April 1969; Senators manager Ted Williams is observing.

When the original Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1960, Major League Baseball awarded a team to Washington, D.C., giving it the name of the old franchise. Elwood Richard Quesada led the 10 man group that bought the franchise.

In eleven seasons, the new Washington Senators posted only one winning season (1969). Frank Howard was the team's most accomplished player. Hall of Famer Ted Williams of Boston Red Sox fame managed the team from 1969 to 1971, and moved with the franchise to Arlington, Texas in 1972.

The team played its games at D.C. Stadium (renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969) on East Capitol Street and the Anacostia River.

Team uniform colors: Red, blue and white, with script "Senators" across the player's chest

Efforts to bring baseball to the Metroplex

In 1962 the American League began to entertain the idea of bringing a professional baseball team to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Charles O. Finley, the owner of the Kansas City Athletics, sought to move his team to Dallas, but the idea was rebuffed by the other AL team owners.

In 1964, the 10,000-seat Turnpike Stadium was constructed in Arlington for the minor-league Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs. The stadium, later renamed Arlington Stadium, would eventually serve as the Rangers' first home stadium.

Meanwhile, the Senators received new ownership in 1968 in the form of Bob Short, the Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee. He sought to move the team from Washington. On September 20, 1971, he got his wish, receiving approval from AL owners to move the franchise to Arlington for the 1972 season. Washington fans were outraged, leaving the team's public relations director, Ted Rodgers, with the unenviable task of putting a positive spin on such events as fans unfurling a giant banner that contained Short's name, preceded by a popular four-letter invective. A photo of the banner appeared on the front page of a DC newspaper the following day. Fan enmity was so great that in the team's final game in RFK Stadium on September 30 against the New York Yankees, the Senators were forced to forfeit the game after angry fans stormed the field and damaged much of the stadium and playing surface.

First years in Texas

During the off-season, additions were made to Turnpike Stadium to increase its seating capacity, and it was officially renamed Arlington Stadium. Bob Short also announced that the franchise would be called the Texas Rangers (following the lead of the previous Senators team, which had become the Minnesota Twins). The team played its first game on April 15, 1972, a 1-0 loss at the California Angels. The next day, the Rangers defeated the Angels 5-1 for the team's first victory. The first home game was also against the Angels on April 21. After the season, Ted Williams retired as manager. Whitey Herzog was named the new manager, but he was replaced in the middle of the 1973 season by Billy Martin.

In 1974, the Rangers began to come into their own as a team. They finished the season 84-76 and in second place behind the eventual World Series champion Oakland Athletics. (The 1974 Rangers are still the only MLB team to finish above .500 after two consecutive 100-loss seasons.) Mike Hargrove was named AL Rookie of the Year, Billy Martin was named Manager of the Year, Jeff Burroughs was named AL Most Valuable Player, and Ferguson Jenkins was named the Comeback Player of the Year after winning a (still) club record 25 games. However, the following season, after a 44-51 start, Martin was fired as the Rangers manager and was replaced by Frank Lucchesi.

The Rangers' first four seasons would set what has become a pattern for the franchise--cycles of poor to mediocre seasons, followed by an occasional year of near-success, followed by disappointment the following year, then reverting to poor to mediocre seasons.

After excellent seasons between 1977-79, the Rangers came very close in clinching a playoff spot in the first half of 1981. However, Texas lost the game before the strike hit. So the Oakland A's led the first-half Western Division by half-game. After 1981, the Rangers would not win again for another five seasons. During this stretch, the Rangers made one of their worst (and most unpopular) trades ever, sending multi-Gold Glove (and highly popular) catcher Jim Sundberg to the Milwaukee Brewers for future Brewers' manager Ned Yost.

Valentine era

Bobby Valentine, who would eventually become the Rangers' longest-serving manager at 1,186 games, became steward over an influx of talent in the team in the late 1980s and 1990s. The 1986 winning season was possible with the help of rookies Ruben Sierra and Pete Incaviglia. However, the Rangers finished 5 games behind division-winning California. The signing of 41-year-old star pitcher Nolan Ryan prior to the 1989 season allowed Ryan to reach his 5,000th strikeout, 300th win and throw his sixth and seventh no-hitters with the Rangers. Coupled with powerful batters like Juan González, Rubén Sierra, Julio Franco, Harold Baines, and Rafael Palmeiro and a pitching staff that also included Charlie Hough, Bobby Witt, Kevin Brown, and Kenny Rogers, fans expected much from the team. However, the team never improved past being average, and Valentine was let go during the 1992 season.

George W. Bush becomes Managing Partner

Meanwhile, in April of 1989, the Rangers' owner, Eddie Chiles, sold the team to an investment group headed by future President George W. Bush. Bush would serve as the Rangers' managing partner until he was elected Governor of Texas in 1994. During this time, the Rangers and the City of Arlington decided to construct a new stadium to replace the aging Arlington Stadium. Ground was broken on October 30, 1991 on what would become The Ballpark in Arlington (now named Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, after being known as Ameriquest Field in Arlington for over two years).

Success in the 1990s

In 1993, Kevin Kennedy took over managerial duties, helming the team for two seasons. The 1993 squad was the first since the 1974 team to be in serious contention for a playoff berth into mid-September. Kennedy was let go in 1994, although the team led the AL West prior to the players' strike. The strike wiped out what could have been the Rangers' first division championship when commissioner Bud Selig canceled the remainder of the season. The 1994 season featured a perfect game by Kenny Rogers.

The year 1995 saw the beginnings of the most promise for the Rangers. With a brand new ballpark that hosted its first All-Star Game, Johnny Oates was hired as the Rangers' manager and promptly led them to an AL West division title in 1996. The first Rangers' playoff series in history, 24 years after the franchise came to Texas, saw the Rangers lose to the New York Yankees, though they did win Game 1 for their first playoff victory. Oates was named AL Manager of the Year and Juan Gonzalez was named AL MVP. The team featured a powerful lineup of hitters with Ivan Rodriguez, Will Clark, Mark McLemore, Dean Palmer, Rusty Greer, Juan Gonzalez, and Mickey Tettleton but continued to struggle with pitching – a reputation that dogs the Rangers to this day – despite having Rick Helling, Aaron Sele, and John Wetteland on their roster. Oates again led the team to AL West championships in 1998 and 1999, but en route to a second straight last place finish, Oates resigned 28 games into the 2001 season.

Hicks era

Meanwhile, Bush sold the team to an investment group led by Dallas businessman Tom Hicks in 1998. In 1999, Nolan Ryan became the first player ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame to have a Ranger cap placed on his plaque.

The Alex Rodriguez experiment

Prior to the 2001 season, star free-agent shortstop Alex Rodriguez, previously of the Seattle Mariners, was signed by the Rangers in the most lucrative deal in baseball history: a 10-year, US $252 million contract. The move was considered controversial and was frequently maligned by the media who thought that Hicks was placing too much emphasis on one player instead of spreading out money among many players, especially for a team that lacked significant pitching talent. Although Rodriguez's individual performance was outstanding, the Rangers continued to struggle, and manager Jerry Narron was fired following the 2002 season. He was replaced by seasoned manager Buck Showalter.

In the 2003 season, the Rangers finished in last place for the fourth straight year, and after a post-season fallout between Rodriguez and team management, the then-reigning AL MVP and new Rangers captain, Alex Rodriguez, was traded to the New York Yankees for Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias.

The present

2004

Prior to the 2004 season, little hope was held out for the Rangers to improve on their losing ways. However, the Rangers battled with the Anaheim Angels and Oakland Athletics for first place in the AL West for much of the season. Mark Teixeira, Alfonso Soriano, Michael Young, and Hank Blalock became one of the better tandems of batting infielders in the league, and Young, Blalock, and Soriano were named to the 2004 All-Star Game. Soriano was named the All-Star MVP after going 2 for 3 with a three-run home run. The Rangers remained in contention until the last week of the season, eventually finishing in third place behind the Angels and A's, but they finished the season only 3 games out of first place. (By comparison, the fourth-place team, the Seattle Mariners, were 29 games out of first.)

2005

In 2005 the Rangers struggled to find consistency amid controversy and injuries. Frank Francisco and Carlos Almanzar, two key members of the bullpen, were sidelined for Tommy John surgery. Kenny Rogers, the team's ace pitcher, received a 20 game suspension from commissioner Bud Selig for attacking a cameraman at Ameriquest Field. (Rogers signed with the Tigers for the 2006 season after the Rangers declined to offer him a contract.) Also, shortly after a spectacular homestand where the Rangers swept all three series (the first time in Rangers history that they ever swept an entire homestand involving more than one team), management unexpectedly placed opening-day starter Ryan Drese on waivers, where he was claimed by the Washington Nationals. After Drese's release and Rogers' suspension, the Rangers struggled to find consistency on the mound, and a disastrous road trip in August in which the Rangers went 1-12 all but assured that the Rangers would not make the playoffs in 2005.

2005-2006 offseason

On October 4, 2005, the Rangers announced that John Hart was stepping aside as general manager of the franchise, and that Jon Daniels was being promoted from assistant general manager to general manager. Daniels, at 28 years and one month, was the youngest general manager in major league history. However, Hart remained with the club as a "special consultant", thus giving rise to media speculation that Daniels would be little more than a "yes man" for Hart.

In any case, Daniels and the Rangers front office were very active in the 2005-2006 offseason. Alfonso Soriano, who had often been mentioned in trade speculation, was finally dealt to the Nationals for outfielders Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge. The Rangers then began making moves to acquire the pitching help that they have long sought. The Rangers acquired starter Vicente Padilla from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for Ricardo Rodriguez and acquired San Diego Padres pitchers Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka in exchange for Chris Young, Adrian Gonzalez, and Sledge. Finally, they signed free agent starter Kevin Millwood to a five-year contract worth $60 million. The Rangers were also mentioned in speculation as a possible destination for Roger Clemens, who was not offered salary arbitration by the Houston Astros. However, Clemens eventually decided to sign with the Astros and appeared in his first game for Houston on June 22.

2006

The Rangers 2006 season ended with a disappointing 80-82 record and a third-place finish in the American League West. The team contended for the first half of the season with the pitching staff showing some improvement. However, the team proved unable to keep pace with the surging Oakland Athletics in the second half of the year, and fell out of contention in September.

To some extent the Rangers were the victims of bad luck, as their won-lost record was worse than their +51 run differential for the season would indicate. The pitching staff, anchored by Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla, improved to a ninth-place finish in the AL in combined ERA compared to 2005's twelfth-place record, despite Ameriquest Field's deserved reputation as a hitter's park. Although the offense was inconsistent for much of the season, with outfielder Brad Wilkerson, third baseman Hank Blalock and catcher Rod Barajas particularly disappointing, the team still finished fourth in the AL in runs scored.

Significant player moves included the July 28 deal acquiring outfielders Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero, Laynce Nix and a prospect pitcher. Cordero became expendable after early season problems led to his replacement as closer by Akinori Otsuka. Although Otsuka pitched well in the closer's role, fellow pitching acquisition Adam Eaton proved of little help to the club after injury wiped out most of his season. Rangers shortstop Michael Young was named the MVP of the 2006 All-Star game, played on July 11 in Pittsburgh, for his game-winning two-run triple in the ninth. Center fielder Gary Matthews, Jr. also played in the All-Star game.

2006-2007 offseason

As a result of the third-place finish, on October 4 the Rangers dismissed Buck Showalter as manager with three years left on his contract. On November 6, the team announced that Oakland Athletics third base coach Ron Washington had accepted their offer to manage the team. Washington beat out four other candidates for the job: Rangers bench coach Don Wakamatsu, New York Mets third base coach Manny Acta, Nippon Ham Fighters manager Trey Hillman and former Rangers catcher John Russell.

Gary Matthews, Jr., Mark DeRosa, Carlos Lee, and Adam Eaton all signed with other clubs as free agents. Vicente Padilla has accepted a three-year, $33 million offer with an option for a fourth year at $12 million. The Rangers also signed Frank Catalanotto from the Toronto Blue Jays to a multi-year deal. Catalanotto will likely bat second and play left field, similar to his first tour with the Rangers. He is also expected to be a regular DH, switching duties with the newly aquired Sammy Sosa. The Rangers subsequently signed reliever Éric Gagné and center fielder Kenny Lofton to one-year deals. In a sign that GM Jon Daniels is looking for results in 2007, the Rangers' top pitching prospect John Danks was traded to the Chicago White Sox, along with reliever Nick Masset and low-A pitching prospect Jacob Rasner for 23-year-old starter Brandon McCarthy and 18-year-old outfielder David Paisano. McCarthy will be able to join the Rangers 2007 starting rotation while Danks is not likely to have an impact until the 2008 season. Also new to the roster this year is veteran Sammy Sosa. Initially, the media and fans took this purely as a publicity stunt. However, Sammy quieted the critics with his hot bat during spring training. He has made the 25 man roster, and is expected to bat fifth behind Teixeira.

Renaming of the ballpark

On March 19th, 2007 the Rangers announced the termination of the agreement with Ameriquest Mortgage Company on ballpark naming rights. The team's stadium will now be known as Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers negotiated a 30-year, $75 million naming rights agreement with Ameriquest three years ago. Although Ameriquest has since experienced financial difficulties, club president Jeff Cogen said the Rangers were more concerned about getting their name back on the ballpark rather than what was happening with Ameriquest. "It's all about the brand," Cogen said. The Rangers lose $2.5 million per year from the naming rights but get back a number of advertising outlets at the ballpark that were included in the Ameriquest deal.

Season-by-Season records

Washington Senators

Year	Record (W-L)	Win Average	Place
1961	61-100	.379	9th
1962	60-101	.373	10th
1963	56-106	.346	10th
1964	62-100	.383	9th
1965	70-92	.432	8th
1966	71-88	.447	8th
1967	76-85	.472	6th
1968	65-96	.404	10th
1969	86-76	.531	4th
1970	70-92	.432	7th
1971	63-96	.396	5th

Beginning in 1969, the Washington Senators began playing in the American League East

Texas Rangers

Year	Record (W-L)	Win Average	Place
1972	54-100	.351	6th
1973	57-105	.352	6th
1974	84-76	.525	2nd
1975	79-83	.488	3rd
1976	76-86	.469	4th
1977	94-68	.580	2nd
1978	87-75	.537	2nd
1979	83-79	.512	3rd
1980	76-85	.472	4th
1981	57-48	.543	2nd/3rd
1982	64-98	.395	6th
1983	77-85	.475	3rd
1984	69-92	.429	7th
1985	62-99	.385	7th
1986	87-75	.537	2nd
1987	75-87	.463	6th
1988	70-91	.435	6th
1989	83-79	.512	4th
1990	83-79	.512	3rd
1991	85-77	.525	3rd
1992	77-85	.475	4th
1993	86-76	.531	2nd
1994	52-62	.456	1st
1995	74-70	.514	3rd
1996	90-72	.556	1st
1997	77-85	.475	3rd
1998	88-74	.543	1st
1999	95-67	.586	1st
2000	71-91	.438	4th
2001	73-89	.451	4th
2002	72-90	.444	4th
2003	71-91	.438	4th
2004	89-73	.549	3rd
2005	79-83	.488	3rd
2006	80-82	.494	3rd

• 1994 had no postseason due to the 1994 Major League Baseball strike.
• In 1996, the team lost the ALDS to New York Yankees, 1-3.
• In 1998, the team lost the ALDS to New York Yankees, 0-3.
• In 1999, the team lost the ALDS to New York Yankees, 0-3.

Overall Totals

Not including the 2007 season, the Rangers have won 3,416 games and lost 3,889 over their history, equating to a .467 lifetime average. They are 1-9 in individual playoff games, and 0-3 overall for postseason series.

Quick facts

Founded: 1961 (American League expansion)

Formerly known as: the Washington Senators, 1961-1971. (Not to be confused with the team that was the Washington Senators prior to 1961 and then became the Minnesota Twins, or with the Washington Senators that existed from 1891-1899 and were contracted.)

Home ballpark: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (known as The Ballpark in Arlington 1994-2004 and Ameriquest Field in Arlington 2004-2007)

Uniform colors: Blue, White, and Scarlet red

Logo design: A "T" superimposed on a baseball, set inside a circle with "TEXAS" on the top half and "RANGERS" on the bottom

Team motto: You Could Use Some Baseball.

Playoff appearances (3): 1996, 1998, 1999

Local radio: KRLD 1080

Local television: FSN Southwest, KDFI-TV (My 27), KDFW Fox 4

Spring Training facility: Surprise Stadium, Surprise, AZ

The Rangers (when combined with their predecessor the Senators) are the oldest franchise that has yet to appear in a World Series; in fact, they have yet to win any playoff series. In their history the team has only one playoff victory, on the road at Yankee Stadium in the franchise's first playoff game; they have never won a home playoff game.

See also: Lone Star Shootout (Rangers-Astros rivalry)

Baseball Hall of Famers

• 9 Ted Williams, Manager 1972 (inducted for his playing career with the Boston Red Sox)
• 31 Ferguson Jenkins, P, 1974-75 & 1978-81
• 36 Gaylord Perry, P, 1975-77 & 1980
• 34 Nolan Ryan, P, 1989-93

Chuck Hinton and Frank Howard, who played for the franchise in Washington (although Howard played for the Rangers in 1972), are listed on the Washington Hall of Stars display at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington. So are Gil Hodges and Mickey Vernon, who managed the "New Senators". Vernon also played for the "Old Senators", who became the Minnesota Twins.

Retired Numbers

• 26 Johnny Oates, MGR, 1995-2001
• 34 Nolan Ryan, P, 1989-93
• 42 Jackie Robinson, retired throughout Major League Baseball

AL MVPs

• Jeff Burroughs, 1974
• Juan Gonzalez, 1996, 1998
• Ivan Rodriguez, 1999
• Alex Rodriguez, 2003

AL Managers of the Year

• Johnny Oates, 1996 (was co-manager with Joe Torre this year)
• Buck Showalter, 2004

AL Rookies of the Year

• Mike Hargrove, 1974

AL Gold Gloves

• Buddy Bell, 3B, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984
• Juan Beniquez, OF, 1977
• Rafael Palmeiro, 1B, 1999
• Gary Pettis, OF, 1990
• Alex Rodriguez, SS, 2002, 2003
• Ivan Rodriguez, C, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
• Kenny Rogers, P, 2000, 2002, 2004
• Jim Sundberg, C, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
• Mark Teixeira, 1B, 2005, 2006

Current roster

Texas Rangers roster
Active roster				Inactive roster		Coaches/Other
Pitchers Starting rotation 61 Cody Bradford 17 Nathan Eovaldi 44 Andrew Heaney 35 Jack Leiter 54 José Ureña Bullpen 45 Chase Anderson 59 Andrew Chafin 63 Matt Festa 58 Gerson Garabito 25 José Leclerc 52 Walter Pennington 37 David Robertson 43 Owen White Closer(s) 39 Kirby Yates		Catchers 28 Jonah Heim 18 Carson Kelly Infielders 20 Ezequiel Durán 56 Justin Foscue  6 Josh Jung 30 Nathaniel Lowe 21 Jonathan Ornelas  2 Marcus Semien  8 Josh Smith Outfielders 40 Sandro Fabian 53 Adolis García 16 Travis Jankowski 36 Wyatt Langford  3 Leody Taveras		Pitchers 65 Grant Anderson 68 Marc Church 87 José Corniell 33 Dane Dunning 67 Jacob Latz 51 Tyler Mahle 57 Daniel Robert 66 Josh Sborz 31 Max Scherzer Catchers 55 Sam Huff Infielders  5 Corey Seager Outfielders 73 Dustin Harris		Manager 15 Bruce Bochy Coaches 27 Tony Beasley (third base) 86 Seth Conner (assistant hitting) 14 Donnie Ecker (bench/offensive coordinator) 87 Brett Hayes (bullpen) 75 Tim Hyers (hitting) 41 Mike Maddux (pitching) 64 Corey Ragsdale (first base) 83 Will Venable (associate manager) 88 Bobby Wilson (catching) 60-day injured list 32 Evan Carter 84 Carson Coleman 48 Jacob deGrom 22 Jon Gray 60 Cole Winn 28 active, 12 inactive 7-, 10-, or 15-day injured list # Personal leave Roster and coaches updated September 4, 2024 Transactions • Depth chart → All MLB rosters

Minor league affiliations

• AAA: Oklahoma RedHawks, Pacific Coast League
• AA: Frisco RoughRiders, Texas League
• Advanced A: Bakersfield Blaze, California League
• A: Clinton LumberKings, Midwest League
• Short A: Spokane Indians, Northwest League
• Rookie: Arizona Rangers (baseball), Arizona League

Radio and television

As of 2007, the Rangers' flagship radio station was KRLD, 1080AM. Eric Nadel and Victor Rojas alternate play-by-play duties. As part of the contract that landed the team's broadcast rights, KRLD moved its studios to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, although KRLD has since moved to a location in North Dallas. Rangers games are also available in Spanish on KFLC 1270AM.

Television rights are held by Fox Sports Net Southwest. Josh Lewin, also of Fox Sports and the National Football League's San Diego Chargers, calls the action alongside Tom Grieve; Jim Knox provides field reports. Some games produced by FSN are shown over-the-air on KDFW, "Fox 4" and KDFI, "My27." (Coincidentally, KDFW was once known as KRLD-TV.)

See also

• All-Time roster
• Lone Star Series - interleague rivalry with the Houston Astros
• Rangers award winners and league leaders
• Rangers statistical records and milestone achievements
• List of Texas Rangers broadcasters
• Managers and ownership of the Texas Rangers

External links

• Texas Rangers official web site
• Lone Star Dugout
• Baseball Time in Arlington
• Lone Star Ball
• The Newberg Report
• Sports E-Cyclopedia