As we get closer to the fun starting again on Thursday with pitchers and catchers, I’ve been working behind the scenes on my site to get some things done. Not terribly obvious to you, but this one might be.
One of the features on my site that I don’t think I’ve seen on any other Rangers site is a history of Rangers uniform numbers. I’ve got all the Texas Rangers years covered, and some Senators years, too. I’ve been keeping up with all the changes for the last 5 years or so as that’s when I started tracking it. Information going backwards is not as complete, but still pretty accurate. What I mean by that is guys who were up for just one game or something in say 1977 aren’t likely to be in here. I do have info for the numbers in the Senators years, but I haven’t found the time to put that stuff in there. Hopefully soon.
Anyway, I’ve gone through and updated it for 2008 based on the published spring training rosters that are out and about. A couple of minor things which I don’t have an answer for:
- Our new third base coach this year is Matt Walbeck. The official Rangers site doesn’t list a number for him, so if you know what his number is, please tell me.
- It’s been in several papers that old schoolers like Mark McLemore, Rusty Greer, Steve Buchele and others will be in spring training to coach the current players – possibly even in uniform. If anyone has seen assignments for these guys, let me know.
- If anyone has numbers for some of the other guys who are in uniform (bullpen catcher, some of the other folks in the dugout who aren’t on the field coaches), let me know that, too.
Thanks, and I hope you get a kick out of my uniform number section of the site.
Great stuff, Joe – gave this a shoutout at BTiA this evening. This is a really nice repository of information.
Something interesting, I have seen in a few places that Juan Gonzalez had #13 and #19 in his 1989 season. However, he made his debut on 9/1/89, and the Rangers traded for Harold Baines and Fred Manrique on 7/29/89 and Baines wore #13. Also, Thad Bosley wore #13 that same season and I am guessing when the trade went down he switched to #32.
Love the feature! Love the site!
I also love the feature… however, there has to be some distinction between 00 and 0… they can be worn simultaneously by teammates as they are, for the intents of the game, different numbers. Oddibe, Ortiz and Oliver all wore “0” as opposed to “00” which I’m not sure if anyone in baseball has ever worn.
At least 3 players in the NFL (Kenny Burroughs, Jim Otto and another who I forget) wore it but I haven’t seen anyone wear the single digit “0”. “00” has a particular interest to me as it’s the only number I ever wear…
el oh-oh, anyway (Looney) ;^)