Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington, Texas, United States. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1994 to the present, the Rangers have played in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The "Rangers" name originates from the famous law enforcement agency of the same name.
An expansion franchise, the club was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1961 and was called the Washington Senators (not to be confused with the Washington Senators that left D.C. after 1960 to become the Minnesota Twins). The team then moved to Arlington in 1972 and became the Rangers. The Rangers are one of four teams to have never played in a World Series, having never won a league championship.

Franchise history

Washington Senators
When the original Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1960 as the Twins, Major League Baseball decided to expand a year earlier than planned to stave off threats of lifting its antitrust exemption. At the winter meetings that year, it awarded new teams to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.. FAA administrator Elwood Richard Quesada led the 10-man group that bought the Washington franchise. The new team adopted the old Senators name, but was (and still is) considered an expansion team since the Twins retain the old Senators' records and history.
The team played the 1961 season at old Griffith Stadium before moving to District of Columbia Stadium (renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969) on East Capitol Street and the Anacostia River.
For most of their existence, the new Washington Senators were the definition of futility, losing an average of 90 games a season. Frank Howard, known for his towering home runs, was the team's most accomplished player, winning two home run titles.
Quesada knew very little about baseball; he once wondered why he needed to pay players who didn't belong in the Majors. He also agreed to a mere 10-year lease at D.C. Stadium--something that would come back to haunt the Senators later. In 1963, Quesada sold his 10% stake in the club and resigned. Washington stockbrokers James Johnson and James Lemon took over as chairman and vice president, respectively; they bought out the remaining owners two years later. Johnson took the team's massive financial losses philosophically. However, he died in 1967, and Lemon sold the team a year later to hotel and trucking executive Bob Short, who outbid a group headed by Bob Hope. Short named himself general manager, and hired Hall of Famer Ted Williams as manager.
This seemed to work at first. Although Williams had never coached--let alone managed--at any level of baseball, he seemed to light a spark under the once-moribund Senators. Williams kept them in contention for most of the season; their 86-76 record was the only winning record in the franchise's first 12 years. What no one knew at the time was that this record would not be approached again until 1977--the franchise's 6th year in Texas. The year also saw the second-best recorded attendance in the history of baseball in Washington; 918,000 fans flocked to RFK Stadium.
However, this couldn't last. For one thing, Short had borrowed most of the $9.4 million he'd paid for the team. He was forced to make many questionable trades to service the debt and bring in needed cash. As a result, the team rapidly fell back into the American League cellar. He had little goodwill to start with in Washington since he hadn't promised to keep the team in town, and fans stayed away in droves. It didn't help matters that the Baltimore Orioles (45 minutes away) had turned into a powerhouse.
By the end of the 1970 season, Short had issued an ultimatum--unless someone was willing to buy the Senators for $12 million, he would not renew his lease at RFK Stadium and move elsewhere. Several parties offered to buy the team, but all fell short of Short's asking price.
Short was especially receptive to an offer from Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff, who had been trying to get a Major League team to play in the Metroplex for over a decade. Years earlier, 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.
Arlington's hole card was Turnpike Stadium, a 10,000-seat park which had been built in 1965 to house the AA Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs of the Texas League. However, it had been built to Major League specifications. It was also located in a natural bowl; only minor excavations would be necessary to expand the park to major-league size.
After Vandergriff offered a multi-million dollar up-front payment, Short finally decided to pull up stakes and move. 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 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 came to a head in the team's last game in Washington, on September 30. Thousands of fans simply walked in without paying because the security guards left early in the game, swelling the paid attendance of 14,460 to around 25,000. The Senators led 7-5 with two outs in the top of the ninth. Just then, fans poured onto the field. An obese teenager scooped up first base and ran away. With no security guards in sight, the game was forfeited to the Yankees, 9-0.

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. 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; he had made no secret of his distaste with the new city. 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; the Oakland A's led the first-half Western Division by a half-game. After 1981, the Rangers would not post a winning record for another five seasons. During this stretch, the Rangers made one of their most unpopular trades ever, sending multi-Gold Glove catcher Jim Sundberg to the Milwaukee Brewers for future Brewers' manager Ned Yost.
The Rangers faced attendance problems for a few years after moving to Texas, in part due to the team's uneven performance and in part due to the oppressive heat that can overtake the area in the summer. Until the Florida Marlins arrived in 1993, Arlington Stadium was the hottest stadium in the Majors, with temperatures frequently topping 100 degrees during the day. In part because of this, the Rangers began playing most of their games between May and September at night--a tradition that continues to this day. They usually get a waiver from ESPN to play Sunday night games.

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 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 over second place, 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 of the United States 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).

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, and to date only, playoff victory. Oates was named AL Manager of the Year and Juan González was named AL MVP. The team featured a powerful lineup of hitters with Iván Rodríguez, Will Clark, Mark McLemore, Dean Palmer, Rusty Greer, Juan González, and Mickey Tettleton but continued to struggle with pitching – a reputation that dogs the Rangers to this day – despite having Rick Helling, and Aaron Sele 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 era
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 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 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 US$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, Franciscisco , 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, US$33 million offer with an option for a fourth year at US$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 acquired Sammy Sosa. The Rangers subsequently signed reliever Eric 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. 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 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, US$75 million naming rights agreement with Ameriquest three years ago. Although Ameriquest has since experienced financial difficulties from the 2007 mortgage crisis, 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 US$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

2007
Although key hitters such as Michael Young and Mark Teixeira have rebounded after poor starts, the team overall ranks only seventh in the AL in runs scored despite playing in a good hitters park. On June 20, Sammy Sosa hit his 600th career home run against the Chicago Cubs at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Hank Blalock, the starting 3rd baseman who had been enjoying a good season, was placed on the 60-day disabled list on the 19th of May due to thoracic outlet syndrome, and Teixeira followed him onto the disabled list on June 9 (for the first time in his career) with a strained left quadriceps muscle. Although the team holds the highest ERA in the Majors there may be a few promising signs for the future with relief pitchers such as Willie Eyre doing a good job from the bullpen. With a record of 46-59 at the July 31st trade deadline, the team traded Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay to the Atlanta Braves in a deal that would eventually bring 5 prospects to the Rangers organization, including three of Atlanta's top prospects Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus and Matt Harrison. At the trade deadline of 4:00 CST, the team also traded closer Eric Gagné to the Boston Red Sox for left-hander Kason Gabbard and Minor League outfielders David Murphy and Engel Beltre in what can only be seen as an attempt to re-tool the team for the 2008 season. On August 19 at the Metrodome, the Minnesota Twins logged 19 strikeouts against the Rangers, one short of the Major League record. Three days later, the 22nd, in the first game of a doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Rangers' bats came alive with a modern record for runs by one team, defeating the Baltimore Orioles 30-3. Their 27-run margin of victory is also a modern day MLB record. Wes Littleton gained probably the easiest save in Major League history. Entering the game in the last of the seventh, with his team already ahead 14-3, Littleton gave up just two hits and a walk, earning a save because he finished the game and pitched at least three innings. The Rangers scored 16 of their 30 runs in the final two innings, giving Littleton a 27-run cushion in the last of the ninth. That raises the unanswerable question of how many runs Littleon would have had to yield before the Texas manager might have decided he was "in trouble". As it was, the O's were 3-up, 3-down in the ninth. The Rangers cooled off a bit in the nightcap, winning 9-7.

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