The world champion Texas Rangers won their first-ever World Series on November 1, 2023. The Rangers blanked the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 in game five to secure the Championship four games to one.
The Rangers have existed for 63 years, so there’s more to the Rangers team than meets the eye.
Without further ado, I have ten shocking facts about the Texas Rangers for you.
10. Washington, D.C. to Texas
The Texas Rangers’ tortured history began in Washington, D.C., not Texas.
Before 2023, the Texas Rangers were one of six MLB teams — Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays — never to have won the World Series championship.
The Rangers were originally the Washington Senators in the nation’s capital from 1961 to 1971. However, the Senators were affected by debt and poor decision-making and planning. The Senators’ short-term success was overshadowed by a battle over the stadium’s lease. The Senators eventually moved to Arlington, Texas, in 1972 after then-owner Bob Short earned acceptance from Arlington mayor Tom Vandergriff.
Senators fans went without an MLB team for 33 years until the National League’s Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals in 2005.
9. All Too Familiar
The Washington Senators/Texas Rangers weren’t the only professional sports team owned by Bob Short. Short — an American businessman, politician, and owner — also assumed ownership of the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers from 1957 to 1965. The Lakers were traded to Los Angeles in 1960 due to terrible attendance numbers and later sold the team to Canadian-American businessman Jack Kent Cooke in 1965.
Short’s brief political career consisted of serving as the Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 1968 to 1969.
8. What’s in a Name?
The Texas Rangers were named after the state’s investigative law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction. The Texas Rangers, or the Los Diablos Tejanos in Spanish, are based in Austin, Texas, and act in crimes ranging from capital murder to riot control.
The Texas Rangers’ name re-entered the spotlight in 2020 due to the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States. But, despite Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman’s column, Texas hasn’t changed its name.
The Rangers released a statement, “While we may have originally taken our name from the law enforcement agency since 1971, the Texas Rangers Baseball Club has forged its own, independent identity … The Texas Rangers Baseball Club stands for equality. We condemn racism, bigotry, and discrimination in all forms.”
7. It’s a Small World
Believe it or not, former MLB pitcher Dick Bosman not only played for the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers but also coached as a pitching coach for the Rangers from 1995 to 2000.
Bosman, now 79, was the only pitcher in MLB history to miss a perfect game due to his own pitching error. The Kenosha, Wisconsin, native was also known for being the starting pitcher in the Senators’ final game in D.C. on September 30, 1971, before moving to Arlington and becoming the Rangers, along with being the starting pitcher for the Rangers’ first game on April 15, 1972.
6. Two-Sport Athlete
Nelson Cruz is a retired MLB designated hitter and right fielder.
But, from 2006 to 2013, Cruz played for the Texas Rangers. Cruz’s tenure in Arlington was shaky at first, but he later became the second hitter to hit a home run into the upper deck in right field as a right-handed batter in the history of the Rangers’ ballpark. The Dominican Republic native also hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 2 of the 2011 ALCS against the Detroit Tigers to become the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in a postseason game.
Cruz represented the DR in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Previously, Cruz represented the Dominican Republic as a national men’s basketball team member. How does that sound to you?
5. Batter Up
Whether you like him or not, Josh Hamilton contributed to the Texas Rangers’ success.
Hamilton, now 42, played for the Rangers from 2008 to 2012. The Raleigh, NC, native was the 2008 AL RBI leader and the 2010 AL batting champion. Not just that, Hamilton hit 32 home runs and 100 RBIs in 2010, so he became the first MLBer in the AL to win the ’10 title while hitting 30+ home runs since the Boston Red Sox’s Manny Ramirez in 2002.
Hamilton led the Rangers to their first two World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
4. Time to Surrender
Chances are, you aren’t a fan of Josh Hamilton, but you might think, “At least he admitted he was wrong.”
In 2022, Hamilton was charged with a felony for allegedly assaulting his daughter. Hamilton pleaded guilty to unlawful restraint or “intentionally or knowingly restraining another person,” according to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. Hamilton was subsequently sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication or probation, a $500 fine to the Tarrant County Court, and the requirements to attend anger management and parenting classes, complete 20 hours of community service, undergo random drug tests, consume zero alcohol, and avoid contact with his daughter.
Back in 2019, Hamilton’s daughter told the local authorities that her father went on an anger-driven rampage. She claimed to have said something to upset her father, and he struck her with a water bottle that hit her in the chest, cussed and shouted at her, and then threw her over his shoulder and threw her on the bed. In addition, she claimed that Hamilton also threw and broke the chair she was sitting in and began to hit her legs with both an open hand and fist.
3. Country Grammar
Elvis Andrus is a Venezuelan-American MLB shortstop who is currently a free agent.
Andrus, now 35, was best known for his tenure with the Texas Rangers from 2009 to 2020. In Arlington, Andrus was a two-time MLB All-Star in 2010 and 2012. The Maracay, Venezuela, native went on to play for the Oakland Athletics from 2021 to 2022 and the Chicago White Sox from 2022 to 2023.
But did you know Andrus learned English as a teenager by listening to country music? That’s right. Andrus listened to Toby Keith and Rascal Flatts’ songs and read song lyrics on Google to improve his vocabulary. Because…Andrus’ only two English words were “hey” and “bye” in his first two seasons in the MLB.
2. Going Green
There’s going green. Then there’s growing green.
The Texas Rangers have been going and growing green over the years. The Rangers may not be known for their volunteer corps. But in 2010, the team hosted a three-day effort to encourage other local groups to consider volunteering throughout the year, not just when the team plays.
According to MLB.com, Texas uses surrounding lake water to irritate the ballpark’s field and local grounds while collecting grass clippings and spreading them as mulch or place in nearby creeks to hold bare soil. In addition, Texas sends off office papers to be shredded and cardboard to be compacted, and any incandescent light bulbs would be replaced by fluorescent ones.
1. Food is Here
Food waste is a significant issue in the United States.
According to Feeding America, 119 billion pounds of food go to waste, which equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion wasted each year.
But the Texas Rangers use their gameday food sparingly. The Rangers donate all edible food to Mission Arlington, a faith-based organization that helps people with their physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs. Please watch this video about a North Texas retiree who transfers leftover concessions from Rangers and Dallas Cowboys games to Mission Arlington…
