Texas Rangers

History

Washington Senators (1961–1971)

When the original Washington Senators announced their move to Minnesota to become the Twins in 1961, Major League Baseball decided to expand a year earlier than planned to stave off the twin threats of competition from the proposed Continental League and loss of its exemption from the Sherman Antitrust Act. As part of the expansion, the American League added two expansion teams for the 1961 season–the Los Angeles Angels and a new Washington Senators team. The new Senators and Angels began to fill their rosters with American League players in an expansion draft. The team played their inaugural season at old Griffith Stadium, then moved to the new District of Columbia Stadium in 1962 under a ten-year lease.

For most of their existence, the new Senators epitomized futility, losing an average of 90 games a season. The team's struggles led to a twist on a joke about the old Senators: "Washington: first in war, first in peace and still last in the American League." Frank Howard, an outfielder/first baseman from 1965 to 1972 known for his towering home runs, was the team's most accomplished player, winning two home run titles.

The concurrent rise of the nearby Baltimore Orioles to regular championship contenders (winning their first World Series in 1966) certainly did not help the Senators draw crowds. Further expansion and re-alignment in 1969 did not do much to help the Senators either, since (unlike the National League) the AL owners elected to align their new divisions strictly based on geography. This arrangement placed both expansion teams (the Seattle Pilots and the Kansas City Royals) in the AL West, while pitting last place Washington against the AL's five best teams in the AL East. Despite this, the Senators managed a winning season in 1969 (their only winning record in the nation's capital) when Hall of Famer Ted Williams managed the club to an 86–76 finish, good enough for fourth in the AL East.

Ownership changed hands several times during the franchise's stay in Washington and was often plagued by poor decision-making and planning. Following their brief success in 1969, owner Bob Short was forced to make many questionable trades to lower the debt he had incurred to pay for the team in late 1968; the purchase price was reported at $9.4 million. By the end of the 1970 campaign, Short had issued an ultimatum: unless someone was willing to buy the Senators for $12 million (by comparison, the New York Yankees were sold in 1973 for $8.8 million), he would not renew the stadium lease and would move the team elsewhere.

Texas Rangers (1972–present)

After moving from Washington, the Senators were renamed after the Texas Rangers, the state-wide investigative law-enforcement agency founded by Stephen F. Austin in 1823 when Texas was part of Mexico, whose mythology led to fictional characters such as The Lone Ranger and Walker, Texas Ranger.

Before the 1972 season, improvements were made to Turnpike Stadium, which reopened as Arlington Stadium, in preparation for the Rangers' inaugural season. The team played its first game on April 15, 1972, a 1–0 loss to the California Angels, their 1961 expansion cousins. The next day, the Rangers defeated the Angels, 5–1, for the club's first victory.

In 1974, the Rangers had their first winning season after finishing last in both 1972 and 1973. Under the ownership of Brad Corbett, they finished second in the American League West with an 84–76 record, 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 awarded American League Rookie of the Year, Billy Martin was named AL Manager of the Year, Jeff Burroughs won AL MVP, and Ferguson Jenkins was named the Comeback Player of the Year after winning 25 games, still a club record. The team posted winning records again from 1977 to 1979 but fell short of reaching the playoffs. The Rangers came very close to clinching a playoff spot in 1981, but lost the first half of the AL West by one-and-a-half games to Oakland at the time of the players' strike. Texas finished under .500 each season through 1985.

The Rangers faced an attendance problem for a few years due to both the team's inconsistent performance and the oppressive heat and humidity that can encompass the area in the summer. Until the Florida Marlins arrived in 1993, Arlington Stadium was often the hottest stadium in the majors, with temperatures often topping 100 °F (38 °C) in the summer. So the Rangers began playing most of their weekend games between May and September at night, a tradition that continued for years.

Manager Bobby Valentine became steward over an influx of talent in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A winning season in 1986 was a shock to pundits and fans alike as the Rangers remained in the race for the American League pennant for the entire season. With a team consisting of stellar young rookies such as Rubén Sierra, Pete Incaviglia, Mitch Williams, Bobby Witt, and Edwin Correa, the Rangers finished the season in second place with an 87–75 record, just five games behind the division champion Angels. The season marked a dramatic 25-win improvement over the 1985 season, which resulted in yet another last place finish in the West.

Ballpark

Globe Life Field, in Arlington, Texas, began serving as the home of the Texas Rangers in 2020. Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company, a subsidiary of McKinney-based Torchmark Corporation, owns the naming rights for the facility through 2048. The new ballpark is located across the street just south of Choctaw Stadium, the Rangers' previous home. Choctaw Stadium was previously named The Ballpark in Arlington, the original name of the facility which opened in 1994. Naming rights were sold to Globe Life and Accident Insurance Company in 2014 who changed the ballpark name to Globe Life Park in Arlington. Choctaw Stadium itself is located just southeast of the site of the Rangers' first home in Texas, Arlington Stadium.

During their tenure in Washington, the Senators played all but one season at RFK Stadium, following their inaugural season spent in old Griffith Stadium.

Uniforms

1972–1982

The Rangers debuted in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex wearing double-knit polyester buttoned uniforms. Both the home white and road gray uniforms feature "RangerS" in red serif rounded letters with blue drop shadows (with a white star at the bottom of the "R"), and the back of the uniform featured red block letters for the player names and red block numbers with blue trim. Red, white and blue stripes adorn the collar and sleeves. The original cap is blue with a red brim, and has a white "T" trimmed in red emblazoned on it.

In 1975, the Rangers went with a two-button pullover design and changed the road uniform color to powder blue. The home uniform design remained mostly the same save for the blue trim on the player's name. However, the front of the road uniform was changed to "TEXAS" in red letters with white and blue trim, which was also used on the numbers. Player names became dark royal blue. This style was used for one season before the blue trim disappeared and the middle three letters became lowercase in the word "TexaS". Also in 1976, a left sleeve patch was added containing the Texas map and red star on a red, white and blue shield with "RANGERS" in red letters on top. For 1976 only, the patch featured "1776" and "1976" in white in commemoration of the United States Bicentennial. Names would be dropped from the uniform in 1980, but returned the following season, during which the uniforms returned to a traditional buttoned style and a new circular sleeve patch featuring the "TR" in red letters in front of a baseball and blue Texas map was added.

1983–1993

This period saw the Rangers deemphasize red in favor of blue on their uniforms. The home white uniform now had "RANGERS" in uppercase letters, with the trim on the player names removed. The road uniform color was changed to a dark royal blue, and "TEXAS" was also featured in red-trimmed white uppercase letters. The "TR" patch minus the circle was moved to the left chest, and a road all-blue cap was unveiled featuring a red "T" trimmed in white. This design was used for one season. Then in 1984, the Rangers made slight tweaks to their uniforms, unveiling a red alternate uniform and going with a script "Rangers" in front. The sleeve patch, now featuring the script "Rangers" in red on a baseball and a blue Texas map, was added, and left chest numbers were also emblazoned.

Late in 1985, the Rangers returned to wearing road gray uniforms. This design has "TEXAS" in blue block letters with white trim; the same color scheme was also used on the player's name and number. Both this uniform and the existing home uniform removed the collar and sleeve striping. In addition, the all-blue cap returned after a two-year absence, replacing the original red-brimmed blue cap. Both blue and red alternate uniforms were retired.

1994–2000

The Rangers changed its uniforms in anticipation of moving to The Ballpark in Arlington. Red became the primary color and blue was relegated to accent color, and silver was also added. The home white uniforms featured red piping and "RANGERS" in red serif rounded letters with blue trim. That same color scheme was used on the player's name and number. The road gray uniforms featured red sleeve piping and "TEXAS" in red serif rounded letters with white trim; the player's name and number also adopted this color scheme. A new red cap was also unveiled, featuring a white "T" with a blue drop-shadow. Blue trim was later added on the road uniform letters. Starting in 1996, the Rangers sported a new sleeve patch. This patch is a blue diamond with silver pinstripes, and contained a silver star surrounded by a red circle that featured two baseballs and the full team name in white letters.

For the 2000 season, the Rangers kept their home uniforms, but the road uniforms were changed anew. Blue again became the dominant color on the road uniform letters, and a new all-blue cap was released, essentially the inverse of the all-red cap. A new blue alternate uniform was also released, featuring white letters with red and blue trim. A Texas flag patch adorned the home and road uniforms.

2001–2008

Starting in 2001, the Rangers again went with blue as a dominant color, while also adding black as an accent color. Black drop shadows were added on the home and road uniform letters, as were silver accents on the blue alternate uniform. The home uniform brought back the left chest numbers but removed the chest piping, while the Texas flag patch was added on the blue alternate uniform. The Rangers wore three different caps during this period. For both home and road games, the Rangers sported either an all-blue cap or a black-brimmed blue cap with the "T" in white and red drop shadows, while for road games only, the all-blue cap with a red "T" on a white drop shadow was used.

In 2004, the Rangers added a white alternate sleeveless uniform, containing the red "T" with white trim and blue drop shadows in front, along with blue piping and blue letters with red trim. The chest number was moved to the right. In 2006, the Rangers added a gray road alternate sleeveless uniform, similar to their primary road uniform but with the addition of chest numbers and blue piping, and the absence of black drop shadows. Both sleeveless uniforms were paired with blue undershirts. The red "T" all-blue cap which was not worn in 2004 and 2005 was brought back to be worn with the road gray alternates. However, the black-brimmed blue cap was retired permanently.

2009–2019

In 2009, the Rangers unveiled slight updates to their uniform design. The home uniform now featured "TEXAS" in blue letters with red and white trim along with black drop shadows. The chest numbers were also removed. In addition, the block letters and numbers added some pointed accents similar to the "TEXAS" wordmark. The Rangers also added a red home alternate uniform, which was essentially the inverse of their blue alternate uniform. This uniform also brought back the all-red cap which was last worn in 2000. Starting in 2014, the black drop shadows and silver accents were removed. While blue remained a primary color used on all road games and most home games, the Rangers would occasionally wear red accessories with the home white uniform.

2020–present

As in 1994, the Rangers changed their uniforms upon moving to a new ballpark, this time in Globe Life Field. The home white uniforms now featured a script "Rangers" wordmark in blue with white and red trim, and letters were blue with white trim and red drop shadows. As with the previous white uniform, this set is worn with either blue or red accessories. The road gray, red alternate, and blue alternate uniform remained mostly the same except for the updated letters and the addition of drop shadows. On the red alternate uniform, a blue-brimmed red cap with "TX" in front of a red Texas map in front was added as an alternate to the all-red cap. Also new was a powder blue alternate, featuring the "Rangers" script in white with royal blue trim and red drop shadows, and is paired with a powder blue cap with royal blue brim emblazoned with a white "T" on a red drop shadow. Unlike the other uniforms, the powder blue alternate does not have a corresponding batting helmet; instead, the royal blue batting helmet was used.

In 2023, due to MLB and Nike's new four-uniform plus City Connect limit, the Rangers' red uniform was retired. However, the red equipment worn with the uniform were retained for select home games. The red "TX" cap, last worn on a regular basis in 2021, was also officially retired. Also that year, the Rangers unveiled their City Connect uniform. The cream and midnight blue uniform featured a mythical-like creature titled a Peagle, which represents the metro area's two minor league baseball teams before the arrival of the team, the Fort Worth Panthers and the Dallas Eagles. Along with the Peagle, the uniform also features a typographic "TX" on the hat and across the chest, as this is similar to the uniform of the Eagles. The City Connect uniform was met with mixed reception, with most criticism stemming from fans who disliked the uniform's design.

The Rangers' second City Connect uniform, unveiled in 2026, featured a red base with lettering derived from their 1985–1993 road uniforms. The shade of red used is derived from the dye produced by the crushed-up cochineal insect. The chest featured the Spanish spelling "TEJAS" in red block letters with white trim. All-red caps featuring the 1970s "T" logo were paired with this uniform. The sleeve and pant piping featured a charro-inspired pattern while a sleeve patch contained a Texas outline inside a papel picado.

Mascot

Rangers Captain is the mascot for the Texas Rangers. Introduced in 2002, he is a palomino-style horse, dressed in the team's uniform. He wears the uniform number 72 in honor of 1972, the year the Rangers relocated to Arlington. He has multiple uniforms to match each of the variants the team wears. Captain's outfits sometimes match a theme the team is promoting; on April 24, 2010, he was dressed up like Elvis Presley as part of an Elvis-themed night.

Achievements

Baseball Hall of Famers

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 Nationals Park 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.

Texas Rangers Hall of Fame

The Texas Rangers Hall of Fame was created in 2003 to honor the careers of former Texas Rangers players, managers, executives, and broadcasters. There are currently 27 members. The Hall is located in Globe Life Park in Arlington, behind right field. The Hall's two levels cover 13,000 square feet (1,200 m2) and included a 235-seat theater and various plaques, photos, and memorabilia. It can accommodate up to 600 people.

Retired numbers

All of the Rangers' retired numbers are directly incorporated into the posted dimensions of Globe Life Field. The left-field foul line distance is 329 feet (Beltré), the deepest point of the ballpark is 410 feet (Young), straightaway center field is 407 feet (Rodríguez), the right-field foul line is 326 feet (Oates), and the backstop distance, measured from the rear point of home plate via a line running through second base, is 42 feet (Robinson). A sign just inside the left-field foul line is marked as 334 feet to honor Ryan. The power alleys, at 372 feet in left and 374 feet in right, respectively pay homage to the Rangers' first season in Arlington (1972) and first winning season (1974).

Team captains

Buddy Bell 1985

Michael Young 2005–2012

Adrián Beltré 2013–2018

Team records

These are partial records of players with the best performance in distinct statistical categories during a single season.

Batting

Games played: 163, Al Oliver (1980)

Runs: 133, Alex Rodriguez (2001)

Hits: 221, Michael Young (2005)

Doubles: 52, Michael Young (2006)

Triples: 14, Rubén Sierra (1989)

Home runs: 57, Alex Rodriguez (2002)

Runs batted in: 157, Juan González (1998)

Stolen bases: 52, Bump Wills (1978)

Batting average: .359, Josh Hamilton (2010)

Slugging percentage: .643, Juan González (1996)

Pitching

Wins: 25, Ferguson Jenkins (1974)

Saves: 49, Francisco Cordero (2004)

Complete games: 29, Ferguson Jenkins (1974)

Strikeouts: 301, Nolan Ryan (1989)

Radio and television

Radio

KRLD-FM 105.3 FM

KRLD (AM) NewsRadio 1080 will carry any games that conflict with previously scheduled programming on 105.3 The FAN.

KFLC 1270 AM (Spanish)

In addition to the flagship stations listed above, Rangers games can be heard on affiliates throughout much of Texas, and also in parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Kansas. Eric Nadel is the primary play-by-play announcer. He has called games for the club since 1979 beginning on television broadcasts, then moving exclusively to radio beginning in 1985. He became the primary announcer after the late Mark Holtz moved to television. Currently, Nadel provides play-by-play in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, and 9th innings, and color commentary for the other innings. On December 11, 2013, he was awarded the 2014 Ford C. Frick Award by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for excellence in broadcasting. Matt Hicks now shares the broadcast booth with Nadel. He joined the broadcast in 2012 after Steve Busby moved from radio to television to replace Dave Barnett. Hicks provides play-by-play in the 3rd, 4th, and 7th innings, and color commentary for the other innings. Jared Sandler hosts the pre-game and post-game shows, and also fills in whenever Nadel or Hicks have a day off. For the Spanish radio affiliates, Eleno Ornelas is the play-by-play announcer, and former Rangers pitcher José Guzmán is the color analyst.

Television

Since the late 1980s when it started as Home Sports Entertainment, Texas Rangers games were a mainstay of the regional sports network Bally Sports Southwest, and during the network's period under the ownership of Fox Corporation as Fox Sports Net Southwest, a package of games also aired over-the-air on then-sister broadcast station KDFI (channel 27). During the 2016 season, they had an average 3.96 rating and 105,000 viewers on primetime broadcasts. In the team's outdoor era at Arlington Stadium and Globe Life Park, the team played Sunday home games at night through most of the summer and the team frequently appeared on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball as a consequence.

Since 2017, Dave Raymond is the primary television play-by-play announcer and color commentary duties (as of 2024) are split between Mike Bacsik, Dave Valle and David Murphy. Raymond replaced Steve Busby, who since 1982 on both TV and radio has had various stints in various positions on Rangers broadcasts from play-by-play to color commentary to pre-game and post-game analysis. In June 2012, Busby moved back to television play-by-play after Dave Barnett left his position as game announcer following an episode in which he experienced speech difficulties. Beginning in 2016, Raymond substituted for Busby on select games. Previously the primary color commentator, Tom Grieve still broadcasts many games. A former Rangers player and general manager, Grieve has been in the TV booth since 1995, following the end of his tenure as GM. Another former Ranger, Mark McLemore, has substituted for Grieve in the past and often joins the booth for an inning during home games. In 2017, C. J. Nitkowski joined the broadcast team, performing mostly as either a secondary play-by-play announcer or primary color commentator until 2023. He and former Ranger Iván Rodríguez are among the pre-game and post-game analysts used on Fox Sports Southwest. FSSW pre-game and post-game shows are hosted by a rotation among Dana Larson, John Rhadigan, Ric Renner, Erin Hartigan, and David Murphy. In-game reporters include Rhadigan, Hartigan, Lesley McCaslin, and Rangers employee Emily Jones (formerly of FSSW).

On March 14, 2023, Diamond Sports Group, the owner of Bally Sports Southwest (BSSW), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Diamond missed a payment to the Rangers. On April 5, 2023, the Rangers filed an emergency motion asking the bankruptcy judge to order Diamond to pay the Rangers fully or give its media rights back to the MLB. A hearing on the matter was set for May 31, 2023. As an interim, on April 19, the bankruptcy judge ordered Diamond Sports to pay 50% of what the Rangers were owed. On June 1, 2023, after a two day long hearing, the bankruptcy judge ordered Diamond to pay the Rangers fully within five days.

Rivalries

Lone Star Series: Houston Astros

The Lone Star Series (also known as the Silver Boot Series) is a Major League Baseball rivalry featuring Texas' two major league franchises, the Rangers and Houston Astros. It is an outgrowth of the "natural rivalry" established by MLB as part of interleague play as the Rangers are a member of the American League and the Astros were a member of the National League until 2012.

During interleague play, the winner of the 6-game series was awarded the Silver Boot. A 30-inch (760 mm) tall display of a size-15 cowboy boot cast in silver, complete with a custom, handmade spur. If the series was split (3–3), the winner was the club which scored the most runs over the course of the series.

In 2013, the Astros joined the American League West with the Rangers and changed their rivalry from an interleague to an intra-division rivalry, the Astros played their first game in the American League against the Rangers on Sunday Night Baseball that season. In 2015, both teams made the playoffs and were in a tight division race during most of the season. In 2023, they met in the postseason for the first time, as the Rangers defeated the Astros in seven games for the American League pennant, with the road team winning all seven games.

Los Angeles Angels

The Rangers' rivalry with the Angels has been said to have developed over a domination in the division between the two teams, and also in recent years more animosity between the two teams due to players who have played for both teams, including Nolan Ryan, Mike Napoli, Darren Oliver, Vladimir Guerrero, C. J. Wilson, and Josh Hamilton. In 2012, Wilson played a joke on Napoli, his former teammate, by tweeting his phone number, causing Napoli to exchange words with Wilson. The feuds go back to two incidents between Angels second baseman Adam Kennedy and Rangers catcher Gerald Laird which led to punches being thrown.

The Angels and Rangers have each pitched a perfect game against each other, making them the only pair of MLB teams to have done so. Mike Witt pitched a perfect game for the Angels against the Rangers in 1984 at Arlington Stadium and Kenny Rogers for the Rangers against the Angels in 1994.

Minor league affiliations

The Texas Rangers farm system consists of seven minor league affiliates.