Rangerfans.com

Pudge & Kenny Rogers win Gold Glove Awards

Posted by on at

Catcher Ivan Rodriguez and pitcher Kenny Rogers have been selected as 2000 recipients of Rawlings Gold Gloves in the American League, it was announced today by the Rawlings Sporting Goods Company.
Rodriguez won his ninth consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove, the second most ever for a catcher behind the ten received by Cincinnati’s Johnny Bench from 1968-77. Rodriguez, who has won each year since 1992, has the longest current Gold Glove streak of any American Leaguer with his nine total awards matching Cleveland’s Roberto Alomar for the most among the 2000 A.L. recipients.
Rogers earned his first Rawlings Gold Glove, the first ever received by a Rangers’ pitcher. The Texas lefthander ends Mike Mussina’s four-year hold for A.L. pitchers’ honors.
It is the sixth time in team history that Texas has had two Rawlings Gold Glove winners in the same season, joining 1977 (Jim Sundberg, c; Juan Beniquez, of); 1979, 1980, and 1981 (Sundberg, c; Buddy Bell, 3b); and 1999 (Ivan Rodrigiuez, c; Rafael Palmeiro, 1b).
It is also just the fourth time in history that a pitcher and catcher from the same team have captured Gold Gloves, joining Minnesota’s Jim Kaat (P) and Earl Battey (C) in 1962, Pittsburgh’s Rick Reuschel (P) and Tony Pena (C) in 1985, and Kansas City’s Bret Saberhagen (P) and Bob Boone (C) in 1989.
Rodriguez, who was sidelined for the season with a fractured right thumb on July 24, appeared in just 87 games behind the plate but led all American League qualifiers with a career high .996 (2 e/543 tc) fielding percentage. He went 61 consecutive games without an error from April 23-July 13. Rodriguez threw out 16 of 33 runners attempting to steal, a 48% success rate and has thrown out 45.4% (348 of 766) of runners trying to steal in his career. Offensively, Rodriguez batted .347 with 27 homers and 83 rbi in 91 games.
Rogers led all American League pitchers with 66 total chances, 46 assists, and 6 double plays, the latter tying the club record. He had 10 more total chances and 12 more assists than any other pitcher in the league, with Seattle’s Aaron Sele placing second in both departments. Rogers also was second in the majors with 9 pitcher pickoffs, one less than Arizona’s Brian Anderson. He had a fielding percentage of .970 (2 e/66 tc). Rogers was 13-13 with a 4.55 era in 34 starts with Texas in 2000 after rejoining the club as a free agent.
The National League Rawlings Gold Glove team will be announced on Tuesday.

Position Player Team Awards Years
1B John Olerud Seattle 1 2000
2B Roberto Alomar Cleveland 9 91-96;98-00
3B Travis Fryman Cleveland 1 2000
SS Omar Visquel Cleveland 8 93-2000
OF Bernie Williams New York 4 97-2000
OF Jermaine Dye Kansas City 1 2000
OF Darin Erstad Anaheim 1 2000
C Ivan Rodriguez Texas 9 1992-2000
P Kenny Rogers Texas 1 2000

Roster Transaction

Posted by on at

  • Signed Minor League FA C Mike Hubbard –
    assigned to AAA Oklahoma
  • Signed Minor League FA P Al Sadler – assigned
    to AAA Oklahoma

The Thrill retires

Posted by on at

ST. LOUIS (TICKER) — “The Thrill” is gone.
Veteran first baseman Will Clark, who replaced injured slugger Mark McGwire and helped the St. Louis Cardinals reach the National League championship series this past season, announced his retirement today.
The 36-year-old Clark, a six-time All-Star, played for the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Cardinals in his 15-year major league career.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” Clark said. “It was a series of things. First off, 15 years is a long time. I’ve had three elbow surgeries, and by no means am I getting any younger. But having the experience I had in St. Louis, I thought this was the right time.”
A smooth-swinging lefthanded hitter, Clark had a lifetime batting average of .303 with 284 home runs and 1,205 RBI in 1,976 games.
Nicknamed “The Thrill” during his early years with the Giants, Clark batted .345 with 12 home runs and 42 RBI in 51 games with the Cardinals during the final two months of the 2000 season after being acquired from Baltimore at the July 31 trade deadline.
He also batted .345 in the postseason as the Cardinals rolled to a stunning three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves in the NL division series before falling to the New York Mets in the NLCS.
Clark admitted St. Louis’ success made the decision to retire more difficult.
“The temptation was definitely there (to return),” Clark said. “I had a lot of fun the last two months and the fans here are unbelievable. I definitely weighed the decision to come back for a long time.”
McGwire recently underwent knee surgery and said he expects to be at about “85 percent” for the start of spring training. However, McGwire’s status in no way affected Clark’s decision.
“No, I would not reconsider it,” Clark said of returning if McGwire was not ready to play first base.
Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty was stunned by Clark’s announcement, and left the door open for Clark to remain with the organization.
“This is kind of a sad day for the Cardinals,” Jocketty said. “We were looking forward to having Will come back. What he added in the second half helped put us over the top. We hope he will be a part of our organization in the future.”
The second player selected overall in the June 1985 draft out of Mississippi State by the Giants, Clark homered in his first major league at-bat, belting a fastball from Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan over the center field wall at the Astrodome on April 8, 1986.
“My greatest memory is the first at bat home run off Nolan Ryan,” Clark said. “Second would be the base hit off Mitch Williams in the 1989 NLCS to put us (the Giants) in the World Series. The third would be the last two months in St. Louis. That was an absolute joy ride.”
Clark carried the Giants to the World Series in 1989, earning Most Valuable Player honors in the NLCS. He hit .650 (13-for-20) with two homers and eight RBI as the Giants beat the Chicago Cubs in five games. However, San Francisco was swept by Oakland in the “Earthquake Series.”
Clark played the first eight years of his career with the Giants, setting career bests with 35 home runs in 1987 and 116 RBI in 1991.
The Texas Rangers signed Clark as a free agent in 1994. He helped them win division titles in 1996 and 1998, but averaged just 15 homers and 79 RBI in his five years with the Rangers.
Clark signed with Baltimore in 1999, but was hampered with elbow problems that season and played in just 77 games, batting .303 with 10 homers and 29 RBI.
Before he was acquired by St. Louis, Clark hit .301 with nine homers and 28 RBI in 79 games with the Orioles last season.

Roster Transaction

Posted by on at

  • Pedro Valdes’ contract sold to Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
    of the Japanese Pacific League 

Roster Transaction

Posted by on at

  • 2001 options picked up for OF Rusty Greer
    & RP Tim Crabtree
  • 2001 option for RP Mike Munoz not picked up –
    bought out for $100,000

Rangers & Royals to move to Arizona

Posted by on at

PHOENIX (AP) — The Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers say they will move their spring training sites from Florida to Surprise, Ariz., if the Phoenix suburb builds a stadium.
Top officials of both franchises made the commitment at a news conference with city officials Monday. The move is targeted for 2002.
Funding for the $45 million stadium would be in place if Maricopa County voters approve Proposition 302 on Nov. 7, Surprise City Manager Bill Pupo said. Two-thirds of the money would come from the measure and one-third from the city.
Proposition 302 would impose a hotel and rental car tax to fund a new stadium for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals as well as provide money to improve and construct spring training facilities. The measure also includes money for youth sports.
However, city of Surprise officials said they would seek other means to build the facility if the measure is defeated.
Surprise is a fast-growing city of about 40,000, located 35 miles west of downtown Phoenix.
“With the possibility of coming to Arizona, we didn’t think twice,” Royals executive vice president Herk Robinson said. “We are firmly committed to signing a long-term lease with the city of Surprise and feel that our relationship will be one of good citizenship that we can give to the community as well as receive.”
The Royals’ lease of their spring training site at Haines City, Fla., expires after the 2002 season, but Robinson said his team could move before then. The Rangers’ lease in Port Charlotte, Fla., expires after next season.
General managers and managers of both teams attended the news conference, along with Hall of Famer George Brett, who played his entire career with the Royals, and Rangers shortstop Royce Clayton, who lives in nearby Scottsdale.
“There’s no question that there are a lot of benefits to us to come here,” said Mike Cramer, chief executive officer of Southwest Sports Group, which owns the Rangers and the NHL’s Dallas Stars. “It’s an easier trip for our fans coming from Dallas. The quality of the league here is tremendous. The support for the league here has been tremendous.”
Royals manager Tony Muser participated in Arizona spring training for 19 years with the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers.
“It seems as though we’re always the visiting club when we play in Baseball City,” Muser said. “There’s never a feeling of roots. As a manager you hear bits and pieces when you are in Florida `Are we going to have a chance to go to Arizona?’
“The first time I talked to Herk about it, I said if the opportunity ever comes up, it’s a great place to train. The weather is consistent. It’s a little bit easier to get in shape. It’s just a better process all around.”
Clayton, who trained in Arizona when he was with San Francisco, said travel during the spring is a big consideration.
“Spring training can be tough if you have to travel far differences,” he said. “The Arizona area offers short trips between ballparks. Florida is tough. I was in culture shock having to go out to Florida, so I’m looking forward to coming back to Arizona if we can make that happen.”
Anaheim, the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee, Oakland, San Diego and San Francisco all train in the Phoenix area. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and Colorado train in Tucson.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA (TICKER) — The Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals are moving to the Cactus League.
The American League teams today signed a letter of intent with the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, Arizona to share a $45 million spring training complex beginning with the 2002 or 2003 season.
Both the Rangers and Royals currently hold spring training in Florida. The Rangers’ lease with Port Charlotte, their winter home for 14 years, expires after the 2001 season.
The Royals are scheduled to remain in Baseball City, Florida through the 2002 season, but their lease contains provisions that will allow the team to leave early. Kansas City has had the same spring home for 13 seasons.
Funding for the facility in Surprise would come in large part from the passage of Proposition 302, which calls for the expenditure of $331 million for a stadium for the the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and additional funding for tourism, the Cactus League and youth sports.
Even if the measure is defeated by the voters on November 7, both teams still hope to move to Arizona.
“If the proposition does not pass, we’re committed to find ways to make it work,” Royals executive vice president Herk Robinson said.
The Cactus League currently has 10 members and in recent years has been recruiting Grapefruit League teams to move their spring facilities west. The most recent addition was the Chicago White Sox in 1998.

Ranger Player from the Past: Jim Kern

Posted by on at

Jim Kern played in the Major leagues for thirteen seasons. He only spent three of those seasons with the Rangers, yet he is one of the most memorable players in franchise history. He stood at 6’5” and was well known for his eccentric, intelligent behavior. He was also widely known for being a prankster. Kern was called “Emu” by his teammates because he looked and acted like a big bird. He kept his teammates and the fans on their toes throughout every game. All of this aside, Jim was a very effective reliever as well.
Kern came to the Rangers in 1979 and enjoyed the best season of his career. He had an overpowering fastball and a lunatic reputation that made him an intimidating short reliever. The Rangers used Kern in 99 games during the 1979 season and he responded with a 13-5 record, a 1.57 ERA with 29 saves and 136 k’s in 143 innings. Jim and Sparky Lyle were both in the Rangers bullpen from 1979-1980 and they were known as “Craziness, Inc.” for their antics, both, on and off-the-field. During a game at Arlington Stadium in 1980, Kern was hit in the mouth with a throw from his catcher, Jim Sundberg, while watching a foul ball. Kern fell flat on his back and suffered a concussion and had a touch of temporary amnesia.
Kern was recognized for his brilliant season in 1979 by winning Fireman of the Year co-honors with Mike Marshall. Kern suffered an elbow injury in 1980 and was never the same again. He went on to appear in a total of 86 games for the Rangers during the 1980-1981 seasons. His record during this time period was 4-13, his ERA was 4.15 and he only recorded eight saves. He then bounced from the White Sox, Reds, Brewers, Phillies and Indians over the last five year of his career.
Kern’s trademark was his scraggly beard that hung down past his collar. This became as much a part of Jim as his rising fastball. In 1982, he was traded from the White Sox to the Reds and was forced to shave his beard so that he would conform to the Reds “no facial hair” rule. Kern was so unhappy in Cincinnati that he forced the Reds to trade him by regrowing his infamous beard.
When you scan the Rangers record book, you won’t find Jim Kern’s name anywhere. In fact, if you asked the casual fan what team that Kern played for, they would more than likely answer, “The Indians.” Jim’s remarkable season in 1979, and his eccentric personality will be remembered by Rangers fans for years to come.
Click here to see Jim’s lifetime stats.
Remember the Rangers!
Jeremy Northrip
rangerhistory@hotmail.com

Roster Transaction

Posted by on at

  • C Randy Knorr rejected assignment to AAA
    Oklahoma – declared a free agent
  • 3B Tom Evans assigned to AAA Oklahoma – is now
    also a free agent (presumably actived from DL for move)

Roster Transaction

Posted by on at

  • Claimed OF Bo Porter off waivers from the
    Oakland A’s
  • Corey Lee, Juan Moreno, & B.J. Waszgis
    assigned to AAA Oklahoma

G162: Rangers shut out on season finale, 3-0

Posted by on at

Well, the Rangers did get to play October baseball this year, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind we were looking for, it was just the final game in a very dismal season.
Ryan Glynn pitched like he was the ace of the staff yesterday. He went toe to toe with Oakland starter Tim Hudson, going a total of 7 innings, and giving up 2 runs on six hits. Two of the runs were in the final inning he pitched, when he seemed to be getting the ball up, Oakland hit two solo home runs. Other than that, he was masterful. Pitch count was good, he walked four, struck out four, and generally pitched awesome.
Problem was that Tim Hudson was even more awesome. With the division crown on the line, and going for his 20th win, Tim Hudson pitched like a CY Young winner. He went 8 innings, giving up no runs, striking out ten, and giving up only four hits. There were two walks, but one of them was intentional. Tim Hudson was totally awesome, and from the looks of yesterday’s game, he was a big part of the success the A’s have had this year.
My hat goes off to the A’s – they are worthy champs, and I hope they go further than we were able to in the last couple of years in the playoffs against the Yankees.
I did notice on the TV coverage that after the A’s had won, you didn’t hear anything from Tom Grieve anymore. I wonder if he was on the field or in the A’s clubhouse to congratulate his son or something. Again, I can’t express how glad I am it was the A’s that won the division, and not the Mariners. I don’t dislike the Mariners, but I like the A’s – great young team, great heart. Also, I’m from Philadelphia, so there’s that tie too (Although when I was born, they had already left for Kansas City).