The Texas Rangers are in the middle of Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona. There may not be a lot of Texas Rangers headlines to address, but I’d like to fill you in on the latest news and notes. That being said, let’s get started.
A New Tattoo
Sean Bass, the co-host of “The Sweet Spot” on The Ticket, recently showed off his new tattoo, which was of the box score from Game 5 of the 2023 World Series. Bass’ tattoo commemorated the Texas Rangers winning their first-ever World Series and was something he said he’d do 14 years ago. Bass explained, “Sometime around mid-July, I was filling in for Ty doing The Hardline ‘Tickers’ … we were talking about how the good the Rangers were. I was feeling very good about where the Rangers were at that moment in time and I said, ‘Listen if they win the World Series, I will get the full game-winning box score tattooed on my back.'” “The crew loved the idea, because if you open up a newspaper and read a box score, it’s not what you get on some websites, it’s everything … its runners left on base, time of game, the umpires, all the pitching lines, all the hitting lines, you name it.” Bass continued, “It didn’t happen in ’10, of course, we were one strike away twice in 2011 and I would have been very happy to do this then. Then, we go through the desert for over 12 years, of not making the Fall Classic. And then they got it done in five games against Arizona and I was like, ‘Okay, man of my word, I’ve talked about it on the air enough, let’s do this.’ And this week was the right time.”
Turning Heads
Wyatt Langford is one of ITD’s top prospects. Langford, a outfield prospect for the Texas Rangers, smashed three homers in two games as of Saturday, March 2. One of Langford’s Saturday home runs saw the ball land on the roof of a building across from center field. Langford has a good, if not great, chance at making the Texas Rangers’ Opening Day roster. Langford saw 2023 as a grand success as he spent the offseason trying to replicate while training with hopes of convincing the Rangers he’d be ready this spring. Langford told ESPN, “The biggest goal is just to learn as much as I can, make sure to just be myself and go out there and play and have fun. If it happens, then awesome. If not, then I’ll go to wherever they send me to and do the best I can.” Langford added, “I know if I do what I can do, they’ll give me the opportunity to showcase that.” Langford’s time is now.
Full-Time Pitcher
Ronald Guzman was once the Texas Rangers’ starting first baseman. Now, Guzman wants to become a full-time pitcher for the Rangers. Best of luck to Guzman. Guzman broke through with the Rangers in 2018 and last played in MLB in 2022 as a minor leaguer in the Baltimore Orioles’ camp. According to MLB.com, Guzman has been throwing two bullpen sessions per week as he ramps up his arm to pitch. Guzman’s fastball has been recorded consistently between 94 to 96 MPG and has topped out at 97 MPH.
Guzman signed with the New York Yankees in late 2022, where he started his conversion to a pitcher for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Guzman pitched in one game for the RailRiders, throwing 1/3 of an inning while walking two and striking out one. He was briefly called up by the Yankees, but he was hitless in six at-bats and was ultimately DFA’d.
