The Greatest Hitter of All Time Was a Ranger

-
Many Rangers fans aren't aware of the enormous presence that impacted the franchise during its formative years. In 1969, Hall of Famer Ted Williams, widely considered the greatest hitter of all time, was hired to manage the Washington Senators, who had finished in dead last in the AL with a 65-96 record the previous year. With the Splendid Splinter at the helm, the Senators turned their fortunes around and finished 86-76 in 1969. While his other three years as manager were clunkers, Williams had the honor of managing the very first Rangers game after the Senators relocated to Texas in 1972. Regardless of results, however, Williams's impact on the team was bigger than the game itself. 

Ted Williams's playing career spanned from 1939 through 1960, all with the Boston Red Sox. A six-time AL batting champion, four-time home run king, and two-time Triple Crown winner, Williams slashed .344 / .482 / .634 for his career (holding the all-time record for OBP) with 521 home runs and 1,839 RBI's, which are even more impressive considering that he missed almost five full seasons to military service in both World War II and Korea. Perhaps his most notable achievement is that he was baseball's last player to bat over .400 for an entire season, accomplishing the feat with a .406 mark in 1941. Sixteen years later, at the age of 38, Williams threatened .400 again when he finished the season at .388 and captured his fifth Batting Title. 

While his time with the franchise was relatively brief, Ted Williams remains an important part of Rangers history. Prior to his arrival as manager, the Washington Senators were a lousy expansion team with few notable players to put them on the map. Once Williams arrived, people started to pay attention to the club, and he left the franchise altogether transformed. Rangers fans can confidently say that the greatest hitter of all time was a Texas Ranger and can have pride in their team's heritage despite its comparatively short history. Ted Williams's time with the team was a privilege and a treasure that Rangers fans should never forget. 

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