Texas Rangers team history

Washington Senators Period

When the original Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1960, Major League Baseball gave Washington, D.C., a professional baseball team named after the Senators. operating rights. Air Force Major General Elwood Richard Quesada purchased the team.

In the 11 seasons of the new Washington Senators, only 1969 had more wins than losses. Frank Howard is the Senators' most accomplished player. Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Ted Williams served as the Senators' head coach from 1969 to 1971 until the team moved to Arlington, Texas, in 1972.

The Senators' home stadium is at D.C. Stadium (later renamed RFK Memorial Stadium in 1969) on East Capitol Street and the Anacostia River. The colors of the Senators' uniforms are red, blue and white, with "Senators" written on the chest. Beginning in 1962, the American League had plans to move a professional team to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Kansas Athletics owner Charles O. Finley had planned to move the Athletics to Dallas, but the idea was flatly rejected by other American League team owners.

In 1964, the 10,000-seat Turnpike Stadium was completed in Arlington, home of the minor league Dallas Fort Worth Spurs. The stadium was later renamed Arlington Stadium and became the first home of the Rangers.

At the same time, the Senators were sold by Elwood Richard Quesada to Bob Short, treasurer of the Democratic National Committee, who managed to move the team out of Washington. On September 20, 1971, he received permission from the American League to move the team to Arlington in 1972. Fans in the Washington area were so angry that they unfurled a giant banner in front of Senators communications director Ted Rodgers with a curse word followed by Bob Short's name. The photo appeared on the front page of a Washington newspaper the next day. Due to fan hostility toward the team, the final game between the Senators and the New York Yankees at RFK Memorial Stadium was forfeited by the referee after fans stormed the field and destroyed stadium facilities and turf. After the 1971 season, Turnpike Stadium expanded its seating capacity and officially changed its name to Arlington Coliseum. Bob Short also announced that the team would be renamed the Texas Rangers (just like the former Washington Senators who changed their name as soon as they arrived in Minnesota). The Rangers made their first appearance on April 15, 1972, losing 1-0 to the Los Angeles Angels. The next day, the Rangers defeated the Angels 5-1, their first win as a team. The first home game was on April 21, also against the Angels. After the 1972 season, Ted Williams retired. Whitey Herzog was appointed as the new head coach, but was replaced during the 1973 season and replaced by Billy Martin.

In the 1974 season, the Rangers gradually developed their own style. The entire 1974 season record was 84 wins and 76 losses, and the division ranking was only behind the Oakland Athletics (also the World Series champions that year). In addition, the 1974 Rangers are also the only team in the history of the major leagues that after losing 10 consecutive games twice in a single season, the winning percentage in the entire season can still exceed 0.500. Mike Hargrove was selected as the American League Rookie of the Year, Billy Martin was selected as the Manager of the Year, Jeff Burroughs was selected as the American League Most Valuable Player, and Ferguson Jenkins (pitcher) set a record of 25 wins in a single season (still the Rangers today). The most wins by a pitcher in team history) won the Comeback Award of the Year. In 1975, when the record reached 44 wins and 51 losses, Billy Martin was replaced and Frank Kucchesi was appointed as the head coach.

The evolution of the Rangers in the first four years of their existence was almost their consistent pattern: the first season was weak, the next year they were almost able to make the playoffs, and the next year they were weak. Weakened again, and then started a weak season again...

After a very good season from 1977 to 1979, the Rangers almost made the playoffs in the first half of 1981. However, the loss in the game before the strike left the Athletics with a 0.5-game deficit to represent the American League West in the playoffs. After 1981, the Rangers' winning percentage was less than 50% for five consecutive years. During this time, the Rangers made their worst (and most unpopular) player trade: sending multiple Gold Glove Award-winning (and fan-favorite) catcher Jim Sundberg to Milwaukee. The Brewers traded for Ned Youst, the head coach of the Brewers. Before the 2001 season, Alex Rodriguez, the star free agent shortstop of the Seattle Mariners, signed the most impressive ten-year contract of 252 million in the history of American professional baseball. USD contract. The move was controversial, and popular media believed that Hicks was investing most of the team's resources in one player rather than spreading them to other players, especially for a team that was obviously lacking in pitching talent. Despite Rodriguez's individual performance, the Rangers continue to struggle with their record. Manager Jerry Narone was fired after the 2002 season and was replaced by experienced manager Buckshaw Walter.

In the 2003 season, the Rangers finished last in the league for the fourth consecutive year. After postseason negotiations between Rodriguez and the management team, the then-Rangers captain and reigning American League Baseball player Rodriguez, the league MVP, was traded to the New York Yankees in exchange for Alfonso Soriano and Joaquin Arias. After the 2009 season, the Rangers traded Kevin Millwood to the Baltimore Orioles and signed Colby Lewis, Richard Haden and Vladimir Guerreno in the free market. At the start of the season in April, the Rangers had a .500 batting average and an excellent record of 21 wins and 6 losses in June. On June 30, the Rangers traded Bengie Molina from the San Francisco Giants; on July 9, seven players, including Justin Smoak, were traded from the Seattle Mariners for Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee and right-hander Mark Lowe; on July 29 Traded Jorge Cantú from Florida Marlins; traded Cristian Guzmán from Washington Nationals on July 31. These trades and reinforcements helped the Rangers win the American League West Championship on September 25 and enter the playoffs for the first time since 1999. In the 2010 American League Division Series, the Rangers' opponent was the Tampa Bay Rays. In the end, they eliminated the Rays with 3 wins and 2 losses. It was also the first time in the team's history that they won a playoff series in 50 years. In the 2010 American League Championship Game, their opponent was the New York Yankees. In the last 6 games, the Rangers won the American League Championship with 4 wins and 2 losses. This was also the first championship in the history of the team and the first time they entered the World Series. Josh Hamilton wins American League MVP. The Rangers faced the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 World Series, but they only won 1 (4 losses) in the World Series. They lost the game and missed the chance to win the first World Series championship in team history.