The Texas Rangers lost a tough one to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. They quickly turned around and earned a 7-1 victory last night over the Arizona Diamondbacks. With those two games in the books, the Rangers have a current record of 6-8, placing them in a tie for third in the AL West with the Los Angeles Angels. Texas is off to an inconsistent start, and instead of breaking down the club’s .212 batting average, or their struggling rotation, I thought I’d take a break from all the negativity and provide fans a trip down memory lane.
Some incredible players have put on a Texas Rangers uniform, although none of them earned a ring, many of them reached All-Star, or even legendary status within the organization. The Rangers may not have the history of the Red Sox or the track record of the Yankees, but they have had their share of dominant players.
I will take a shot at determining Texas’ all-time roster. This includes everything from the starting lineup to the coaching staff. The only qualification being the player must have been with the team for at least three consecutive seasons.
Here we go:
Starting Rotation
1. Charlie Hough
2. Ferguson Jenkins
3. Nolan Ryan
4. Kenny Rogers
5. Kevin Brown
I’m sure what first stands out is Nolan Ryan as the third best Rangers pitcher. Many people forget that Ryan didn’t pitch for the Rangers until the end of his career, his best years were with the Mets and the Astros. Looking specifically at the Rangers, he may not even be a top five franchise pitcher. But then again he is Nolan Ryan, the face of the Rangers franchise for so many years. He has also provided Rangers fans the everlasting memory of putting Robin Ventura in a headlock (as seen above).
Charlie Hough is the clear all-time ace. Hough is the club’s all-time leader in wins and innings pitched. He is also one of the best knuckle ballers in the history of the game. Fergie Jenkins gave the Rangers many great years, including the 1974 season when he went 25-12 with a 2.82 ERA. He also threw 29 complete games that year, not quite the anomaly that it would be today, but even in 1974, that was impressive. Kenny Rogers and Kevin Brown round out the all-time Rangers rotation. Rogers is second in franchise wins, he also contributed a perfect game against the Angels in 1994. He spent much of his career as the team’s only hope when it came to pitching. Kevin Brown pitched for the Rangers for eight consecutive seasons. He posted a 3.81 ERA during that span, and threw over 1,000 innings.
Bullpen
Long Relief: Yu Darvish (a couple more healthy seasons and he’ll make his way into the starting rotation)
Middle Relief: Darren Oliver, Jeff Zimmerman, Bobby Witt, Neftali Feliz, C.J. Wilson
Setup Man: Francisco Cordero
Closer: John Wetteland
The middle relief is comprised of starters, relievers, and a closer. The Rangers have lacked in successful relievers, and some of the players left out of the all-time rotation deserved some kind of recognition. John Wetteland earned the slight edge over Francisco Cordero, the edge being postseason achievements. Wetteland was at his best during the Rangers’ playoff seasons in 1998 and 1999. He had 42 saves in ’98 and 43 saves in ’99, and totaled 330 saves in his career. He also gave the Rangers more productive seasons than Cordero.
Lineup
1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
2. Michael Young, SS
3. Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, C
4. Juan Gonzalez, RF
5. Rafael Palmeiro, 1B
6. Adrian Beltre, 3B
7. Josh Hamilton, CF
8. Rusty Greer, LF
9. Will Clark DH
Utility IF: Buddy Bell
Utility OF: Ruben Sierra
Backup Catcher: Jim Sundberg
And of course the most exciting part, the all-time lineup! I doubt anyone would want to pitch to this group of sluggers. The Rangers have had sparing success among pitchers, but they have always been a power-hitting, show-stopping bunch of elite hitters. The lineup includes the club’s all-time hits leader in Michael Young, arguably the Rangers’ all-time best player, and all-time catcher in Pudge Rodriguez, and their all-time home run leader in Rafael Palmeiro. The lineup also includes four players from their 2010 and 2011 World Series runs (Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton).
You might be wondering where Alex Rodriguez is. I decided to leave him off for “political” reasons.
Coaching Staff
Manager: Johnny Oates
Bench Coach: Jackie Moore
Pitching Coach: Mike Maddux
Hitting Coach: Rudy Jaramillo
Last but certainly not least, we cannot overlook the guys behind the scenes. Johnny Oates is the all-time Rangers manager. Oates managed Texas for seven seasons, and led the team to three playoff appearances (1996, 1998, 1999). He is also one of only three Rangers to have their number retired.
Rudy Jaramillo deserves a shout out as well. Jaramillo was the Rangers’ hitting coach for 15 years, and was responsible for some of the team’s most prominent offensive seasons. Under his tutelage, Rangers hitters won 17 silver slugger awards, three home run titles and a batting title.
Picking the 25 best players from 43 seasons worth of players is a difficult and often controversial task. I’m sure some of you may disagree with my picks, therefore I welcome any feedback. I value all opinions, so don’t be afraid to chime in on the all-time Rangers conversation.
