Named after Texas' elite law enforcement agency, the Texas Rangers are an expansion team that began as the Washington Senators in 1961 but changed names and moved in 1972 to Arlington, Texas. After several disappointing seasons, in 1974, Rookie of the Year Michael Hargrove and MVP Jeff Burroughs lead the team to contention with a great record, finishing just shy of the 3-time champion Oakland A's. After two decades of finishing a few places back from first place, the Texas Rangers acquired future Hall -of-Famer Nolan Ryan in 1989 to attract more fans and increase ticket sales. This works to great success as the team improves not only in box office sales but also in their record. In 1993, the Rangers signed slugger Jose Conseco to beef up the offense. It was a championship season until bad luck falls on the Rangers when Nolan Ryan is forced to retire due to injuries, and Jose Conseco suffers an injury in the playoffs. Three-time Hank Aaron Award winner and future MVP Alex Rodriguez joined the team in 2001, adding his name to an amazing line-up of players which also included All-Star Rafael Palmiero and former MVP Ivan Rodriquez. The team didn't meet expectations due to poor coaching and the team had to go back to the drawing board for the next year. The team's success since then has been average for a MLB team. In total, their franchise accomplishments include four division championships.
For this 2008 season, new manager Ron Washington looks to bolster the Rangers line-up and get them back into contention. They currently stand at 3rd place in the American League West division with a 32-33 record, although this relatively slow start is to be expected until the team develops a better sense of chemistry and the new management staff gains cohesiveness. All-Stars Vicente Padilla and Kevin Millwood along with slugger, designated hitter Milton Bradley make this a fun team to watch this season and we expect good ticket sales in anticipation of a mid-season turnaround.
