Remembering the Most Underrated Ranger of All Time

-
Toby Harrah was an infielder who played from 1969 through 1986, spending eleven seasons with the Texas Rangers. Although he has been largely forgotten, he ranks eighth in career WAR with the team. A consistently solid under-the-radar player, he is perhaps the most underrated Ranger of all time.

Toby Harrah began his career with a brief call-up to the Washington Senators in 1969, appearing in eight games. He moved to Texas with the franchise in 1972 and immediately made the first of his four all-star teams. Harrah made the all-star team again in 1975 and 1976, but had his best season in 1977, belting a career high 27 home runs and leading the AL with 109 walks.

Harrah stayed with Texas through the 1978 season before being dealt to Cleveland straight-up for Buddy Bell. Harrah continued to star in Cleveland while Bell developed into one of the game's finest third basemen, and nobody expected Harrah to return to Arlington. However, after five years in Cleveland and one in New York, he returned to the Rangers for his final two seasons.

After a rough season with the Yankees in 1984, the Rangers traded for Harrah before the 1985 season and he turned in a vintage performance, batting .270 and contributing 4.2 WAR, his fifth season with 4.0 or more. He played his last season in 1986, retiring with 1,954 career hits, 195 homers, 238 stolen bases, and 1,115 runs scored, effectively making him the most underrated Ranger of all time.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Three Hall of Famers You Forgot Played for the Rangers

-
Every MLB team has had a Hall of Famer grace its roster, and these all-time great players usually make the largest impact. The Rangers have had their share of Hall of Fame talent throughout the years, from Nolan Ryan to Pudge Rodriguez to Adrian Beltre, but several others made only brief stops with the club. Here are three Hall of Famers you forgot played for the Rangers.  Rich "Goose" Gossage   Rich "Goose" Gossage pitched in the big leagues from 1972 through 1994, becoming the second pitcher to earn 300 saves in 1988. A nine time all-star and three time league leader in saves, Gossage made a stop in Texas in 1991, posting a 3.57 ERA in 44 appearances as a setup man behind closer Jeff Russell.  Bert Blyleven   Bert Blyleven, a 287-game winner between 1970 and 1992, was best known for his work in Minnesota and Cleveland, but he made an impact on the Rangers during his brief tenure with the club. He made a total of 54 starts with Texas in 1976 and 1977, completing 29...
Read more

Texas Rangers' Hopes for the Second Half

-
As the all-star break comes to a close, the Texas Rangers have a 48-49 won-loss record, putting them 3.5 games out of a wildcard spot. While this is certainly a disappointment, they haven't been a bad  team this year, and certainly have some time to turn their season around. However, in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, a few things need to go right for Texas.  The Lineup Needs To Return To Form   It is no secret that the Rangers' offense has been vastly underperforming this season, but let us not forget that it's largely the same lineup that led the team to the World Championship only two years ago, with a couple key additions. If Josh Jung finds his footing in AAA in time for a call-up and Wyatt Langford lives up to his true ability, Texas could once again sport one of the deadliest lineups in the game. With a hot start to the second half, they could potentially hang onto Adolis Garcia and start building at the deadline.  The Team Needs To Get Healthy  ...
Read more

OLD POST: What to Expect from Wyatt Langford in 2025

-
After being drafted in the first round (fourth overall) in 2023 and tearing through the minor leagues, expectations for Langford’s rookie season were through the roof. He made the Rangers’ Opening Day Roster in 2024, but didn’t live up to the hype surrounding his name. While Langford’s 2024 season was widely seen as a disappointment, I see a bright future for the young slugger.  Most rookies start out their careers slowly as they try to acclimate to the big leagues, and Langford was no exception. He played 27 games before he hit his first major league home run (an inside-the-parker) and had a .588 OPS before hitting the IL with a hamstring injury in late May. After his return, the 22-year old outfielder turned on the jets, batting .309 in June with 22 runs batted in. He was the AL Player of the Month in September/October, slashing .300/.386/.610 with eight home runs and 20 RBI’s in 26 games. Overall, Langford finished at .253/.325/.415 with 16 homers and 74 RBI’s, a more than respe...
Read more