The one-time Washington Senators, essentially forced out of our Nation's capital in disgrace, settled in the relative wastelands of Texas and have spent the better part of 35 years trying to live down that disgrace. What lies before you now is a lineup with some real gems, but a whole lot more average players, and possibly one of the 5 worst pitching lineups ever. To be fair, the pitchers in the lineup are mostly fine (3 HoFers and all), but were Rangers late in their career and faded into the sunset with some mediocre seasons.
This is a study of a team who, like modern day Oakland, seems to pull great prospects up, groom them and then send them to bigger markets. Witness the Yankee/RedSoxifying of MLB...
Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez (R)
1. Highlights: 8 year stretch over .300 BA, MVP winner in 1999, putting up career bests in just about every category (see next line).
2. Career Best: 1999 was a great year for him, .332/.356/.558 35 HRs, 113 RBI, 25 stolen bases. Career highs in all counting categories. BA: .347 and Slg: .667 in 2000.
3. Summary: Not even a close call here. 10+ solid seasons at catcher, excellent defensively (10 Gold Gloves in a row, only 2 seasons under .990 fielding percentage), and general team leader.
First Base: Rafael Palmeiro (L)
1. Highlights: His testimony before the House of Representatives... oh wait... He actually hit 321 homers and put up a solid career in the 10 years he played in Arlington.
2. Career Best: .324 BA in 1999, 47 hrs (twice, 1999 and 2001), 148 RBI in 1999. 159 OPS+ in 1999.
3. Summary: Honestly, Palmeiro should be in the Hall. Steroids or not, dude put up some great numbers and was remarkably consistent for 15 years. While contemptable as a person for lying to Congress and throwing Tejada under the bus, he is redeemed by his stats. Also, many points for an excellent moustache (one of many on this Rangers squad).
Second Base: Julio Franco (R)
1. Highlights: This man is not human... seriously, this man was a position player for 23 seasons. Plus, he took like 3 years off entirely. He is 48 years old and played in 50+ games last year. Among his many many many teams, he spent 5 years in Texas in the early 90s.
2. Career Best: .341/.408/.474 line in 1991 was his Texas career high, and 2 years of 27 and 2 years of 31 doubles in 5 seasons (talk about consistency, eh?).
3. Summary: Not necessarily his best stretch of offensive output, but really, there's not much competition in Texas (Soriano was only there for 2 years, Mark McLemore and Ian Kinsler suck).
Third Base: Buddy Bell (R)
1. Highlights: 4 time All Star and 6 straight Gold Gloves holding down 3rd in the late 70s.
2. Career Best: .329/.379/.428 line in 1980 were his best year in Texas, with 18 hrs and 101 RBI also a zenith of his performance there.
3. Summary: Second in a line of Bell baseball boys, he had a largely unremarkable tenure in Texas, but he strung together more solid seasons than Hank Blalock in his injury plagued run and had a more well rounded game than Dean Palmer.
Shortstop: Alex Rodriguez (R)
1. Highlights: He is number 6 on the Rangers all time HR chart, despite only spending 3 years here. Should say something about his performance here. These 3 years, though, are some of his best, and actually got an MVP in his last year there for the 2003 Rangers, even though they finished in last place.
2. Career Best: .318/.399/.622 were his highs for this period, achieved in 2001. Hit 57 hrs and 142 RBI in 2002. Silver Slugger and All Star all three seasons.
3. Summary: While I still have lingering anger over the manner in which A-Rod so summarily left a generous Seattle behind, he got what he deserved in Texas. Meaning, accolades he could pile on his significant mantle to be polished every October.
Outfield: Juan Gonzalez (R)
1. Highlights: Two time MVP, two-time Ranger (89-99, 2002-03), hit 40+ hrs 5 times. Clearly the best hitter in Texas history given the duration of his stay and sheer magnitude of his stats.
2. Career Best: 169 OPS+ in 1993 set a career high, and his 157 RBI was the third highest total in the 1990s (behind Manny Ramirez and Sammy Sosa).
3. Summary: Injuries plagued Juan Gone's career, but had he stayed healthy, he's a sure-fire Hall of Famer. He would have easily reached 500 HRs (ended up with 434), and his .295/.343/561 line is nothing to shake a stick at.
Outfield: Ruben Sierra (S)
1. Highlights: Another Ranger who came up through their system, flourished young and then went on to play for a ton of other teams, Sierra was quite the phenom in the late 80s and early 90s. Ups and downs through his early career, but stayed above .260 and around 20 hrs consistently, with some great up seasons.
2. Career Best: Definitely 1989, where he narrowly lost the MVP to Robin Yount back when the Brewers were in the AL. His .307/.357/.502 were career bests, and his 25 HR and 116 weren't bad either.
3. Summary: Strong start to a career that led him to 8 other teams, he'll probably be remembered more as a stop-gap than a force to be reckoned with, but he strung together a number of good years.
Outfield: Rusty Greer (L)
1. Highlights: Very under the radar player, but in the late 90s-early 00s, he put together some solid, though not flashy numbers.
2. Career Best: Three times over 100 runs, capped at 112 runs in 1997. His .321/.405/.531 in 1997 remains his most well rounded season.
3. Summary: Really, not much more to say here. Lifelong Ranger, he quietly did his job, and then like all old cowboys, quietly rode off into the sunset. Oh also, he appears to be destined for aristocracy, as his birth name is Thurman Clyde Greer III. Not bad...
Designated Hitter: Mark Teixiera (S)
1. Highlights: Ah, he of the strangely placed, strangely pronounced 'X'. What is it with my teams and the letter X? Foxx, Teix... I suppose I'll have to take the Red Sox and any team with a Felix (Seattle?). Teixiera exploded on the scene in 03, put up 4 good seasons and hit the road running to Atlanta to complete his Yankees audition.
2. Career Best: .301/.379/.575, 43 HR 116 RBI line in 2005 all set personal highs for him while in Texas. Consistently between 7 and 8 RC/G.
3. Summary: New York Yankees, meet your future First Baseman.
Pitchers: Charlie Hough, Nolan Ryan, Kenny Rogers, Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry Closer: John Wetteland
1. Highlights: Not many... Jenkins came in second in the Cy Young race in 1974, Nolan Ryan struck out 301 batters at the age of 42 (Ryan was 42... not 301 42 year olds...)
2. Career Best: Wins - Jenkins with 25 in 1974, Ks - Ryan with 301 in 1989, ERA was Jon Matlack with 2.27 in 1978. Saves - Francisco Cordero with 49 in 2004.
3. Summary: Pretty rough... 3 Hall of Famers, but all at the tail end of their careers. While the offense had some spark, this pitching staff was not one to overpower.
This is a study of a team who, like modern day Oakland, seems to pull great prospects up, groom them and then send them to bigger markets. Witness the Yankee/RedSoxifying of MLB...
Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez (R)
1. Highlights: 8 year stretch over .300 BA, MVP winner in 1999, putting up career bests in just about every category (see next line).
2. Career Best: 1999 was a great year for him, .332/.356/.558 35 HRs, 113 RBI, 25 stolen bases. Career highs in all counting categories. BA: .347 and Slg: .667 in 2000.
3. Summary: Not even a close call here. 10+ solid seasons at catcher, excellent defensively (10 Gold Gloves in a row, only 2 seasons under .990 fielding percentage), and general team leader.
First Base: Rafael Palmeiro (L)
1. Highlights: His testimony before the House of Representatives... oh wait... He actually hit 321 homers and put up a solid career in the 10 years he played in Arlington.
2. Career Best: .324 BA in 1999, 47 hrs (twice, 1999 and 2001), 148 RBI in 1999. 159 OPS+ in 1999.
3. Summary: Honestly, Palmeiro should be in the Hall. Steroids or not, dude put up some great numbers and was remarkably consistent for 15 years. While contemptable as a person for lying to Congress and throwing Tejada under the bus, he is redeemed by his stats. Also, many points for an excellent moustache (one of many on this Rangers squad).
Second Base: Julio Franco (R)
1. Highlights: This man is not human... seriously, this man was a position player for 23 seasons. Plus, he took like 3 years off entirely. He is 48 years old and played in 50+ games last year. Among his many many many teams, he spent 5 years in Texas in the early 90s.
2. Career Best: .341/.408/.474 line in 1991 was his Texas career high, and 2 years of 27 and 2 years of 31 doubles in 5 seasons (talk about consistency, eh?).
3. Summary: Not necessarily his best stretch of offensive output, but really, there's not much competition in Texas (Soriano was only there for 2 years, Mark McLemore and Ian Kinsler suck).
Third Base: Buddy Bell (R)
1. Highlights: 4 time All Star and 6 straight Gold Gloves holding down 3rd in the late 70s.
2. Career Best: .329/.379/.428 line in 1980 were his best year in Texas, with 18 hrs and 101 RBI also a zenith of his performance there.
3. Summary: Second in a line of Bell baseball boys, he had a largely unremarkable tenure in Texas, but he strung together more solid seasons than Hank Blalock in his injury plagued run and had a more well rounded game than Dean Palmer.
Shortstop: Alex Rodriguez (R)
1. Highlights: He is number 6 on the Rangers all time HR chart, despite only spending 3 years here. Should say something about his performance here. These 3 years, though, are some of his best, and actually got an MVP in his last year there for the 2003 Rangers, even though they finished in last place.
2. Career Best: .318/.399/.622 were his highs for this period, achieved in 2001. Hit 57 hrs and 142 RBI in 2002. Silver Slugger and All Star all three seasons.
3. Summary: While I still have lingering anger over the manner in which A-Rod so summarily left a generous Seattle behind, he got what he deserved in Texas. Meaning, accolades he could pile on his significant mantle to be polished every October.
Outfield: Juan Gonzalez (R)
1. Highlights: Two time MVP, two-time Ranger (89-99, 2002-03), hit 40+ hrs 5 times. Clearly the best hitter in Texas history given the duration of his stay and sheer magnitude of his stats.
2. Career Best: 169 OPS+ in 1993 set a career high, and his 157 RBI was the third highest total in the 1990s (behind Manny Ramirez and Sammy Sosa).
3. Summary: Injuries plagued Juan Gone's career, but had he stayed healthy, he's a sure-fire Hall of Famer. He would have easily reached 500 HRs (ended up with 434), and his .295/.343/561 line is nothing to shake a stick at.
Outfield: Ruben Sierra (S)
1. Highlights: Another Ranger who came up through their system, flourished young and then went on to play for a ton of other teams, Sierra was quite the phenom in the late 80s and early 90s. Ups and downs through his early career, but stayed above .260 and around 20 hrs consistently, with some great up seasons.
2. Career Best: Definitely 1989, where he narrowly lost the MVP to Robin Yount back when the Brewers were in the AL. His .307/.357/.502 were career bests, and his 25 HR and 116 weren't bad either.
3. Summary: Strong start to a career that led him to 8 other teams, he'll probably be remembered more as a stop-gap than a force to be reckoned with, but he strung together a number of good years.
Outfield: Rusty Greer (L)
1. Highlights: Very under the radar player, but in the late 90s-early 00s, he put together some solid, though not flashy numbers.
2. Career Best: Three times over 100 runs, capped at 112 runs in 1997. His .321/.405/.531 in 1997 remains his most well rounded season.
3. Summary: Really, not much more to say here. Lifelong Ranger, he quietly did his job, and then like all old cowboys, quietly rode off into the sunset. Oh also, he appears to be destined for aristocracy, as his birth name is Thurman Clyde Greer III. Not bad...
Designated Hitter: Mark Teixiera (S)
1. Highlights: Ah, he of the strangely placed, strangely pronounced 'X'. What is it with my teams and the letter X? Foxx, Teix... I suppose I'll have to take the Red Sox and any team with a Felix (Seattle?). Teixiera exploded on the scene in 03, put up 4 good seasons and hit the road running to Atlanta to complete his Yankees audition.
2. Career Best: .301/.379/.575, 43 HR 116 RBI line in 2005 all set personal highs for him while in Texas. Consistently between 7 and 8 RC/G.
3. Summary: New York Yankees, meet your future First Baseman.
Pitchers: Charlie Hough, Nolan Ryan, Kenny Rogers, Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry Closer: John Wetteland
1. Highlights: Not many... Jenkins came in second in the Cy Young race in 1974, Nolan Ryan struck out 301 batters at the age of 42 (Ryan was 42... not 301 42 year olds...)
2. Career Best: Wins - Jenkins with 25 in 1974, Ks - Ryan with 301 in 1989, ERA was Jon Matlack with 2.27 in 1978. Saves - Francisco Cordero with 49 in 2004.
3. Summary: Pretty rough... 3 Hall of Famers, but all at the tail end of their careers. While the offense had some spark, this pitching staff was not one to overpower.
Bench: Will Clark, Michael Young, Alfonso Soriano, Dean Palmer, Jim Sundberg (wow... backup catcher doesn't get much lower than this...)
Bullpen: Francisco Cordero, Tom Henke, Jeff Russell, Bobby Witt, Kevin Brown
Bullpen: Francisco Cordero, Tom Henke, Jeff Russell, Bobby Witt, Kevin Brown
Batting Order:
1. Franco (R)
2. Greer (L)
3. Rodriguez (R)
4. Gonzalez (R)
5. Palmeiro (L)
6. Teixiera (S)
7. Rodriguez (R)
8. Sierra (S)
9. Bell (R)
Conclusion: What to say about the former employees of our esteemed President? They were forced to leave Washington in disgrace because of the young upstarts up the road. They've lived out the rest of their days in relative obscurity, occasionally coming to the surface with efforts to redeem themselves, only to be bounced back into the cellar by glaring weaknesses. Yeah, the Rangers past history are about what I predict their former boss's future to be...
1. Franco (R)
2. Greer (L)
3. Rodriguez (R)
4. Gonzalez (R)
5. Palmeiro (L)
6. Teixiera (S)
7. Rodriguez (R)
8. Sierra (S)
9. Bell (R)
Conclusion: What to say about the former employees of our esteemed President? They were forced to leave Washington in disgrace because of the young upstarts up the road. They've lived out the rest of their days in relative obscurity, occasionally coming to the surface with efforts to redeem themselves, only to be bounced back into the cellar by glaring weaknesses. Yeah, the Rangers past history are about what I predict their former boss's future to be...
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