The “Oh yeah..” former Rangers list

If you’ve been a fan of any sports team for longer than five or so years, the number of players that can claim being members of your favorite teams can really stack up.

Some can be your favorites that you never forget.  Some might be guys who only make a cameo appearance or two at the highest level. Most fall into a middle category of players who make you say, “Oh yeah, that guy played for us!”

Over the last couple of months, the Texas Rangers have added an interesting duo of veteran pitchers who have made a major impression on the Major League Baseball landscape before their arrival here.  The signing of 44 year-old pitcher Bartolo Colon in February and the surprise addition of Tim “The Freak” Lincecum after he was away from baseball for all of 2017 were definite head scratchers.

In all likelihood, this duo won’t have incredibly lengthy tenures with the Rangers.  In fact, Colon might not even be with the team anymore once you read this.  However, they’ve officially joined the surprisingly interesting “Oh yeah, those dudes played for the Rangers” list.

What does it take to qualify for this list? My idea for this list is mostly players who had major success for varying lengths of time in other places throughout their career, like being an All Star or major award winner, but their stint with the Rangers was so brief or uneventful that nobody would ever associated them with the franchise.

Someone like 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Vladimir Guerrero wouldn’t be a candidate because even though he only played one year in Texas, he finished in the top ten of American League MVP voting and the Rangers made their first of two straight World Series appearances. When thinking of names for this list, think more along the lines of long-time Atlanta Braves outfielder Andruw Jones who apparently blasted 17 of 434 career home runs in 82 games with the Rangers in 2009.

Adrian Gonzalez
Five-time All-Star, four Gold Gloves at first base in 1875 career games
With Rangers: 59 games, .229 BA, 7 HR from 2004-2005

Gonzalez was coming up in the Rangers system simply at a bad time.  The organization’s first baseman of the future was already in place with Mark Teixeira and Gonzalez’s 59 games with Texas came during his age 22 and 23 seasons when he wasn’t near the hitting machine he eventually became.

When he was eventually shipped out as a piece in a trade that netted the Rangers pitchers Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka, Adrian Gonzalez found himself with the San Diego Padres.  He eventually became the face of the franchise and was an All-Star first baseman for four straight seasons from 2008-2011.

Even though he isn’t exactly riding into the sunset with the way his career is winding down, Gonzalez will be remembered as one of the best hitters in baseball over the first fifteen years of the 21st century.

Eric Gagne
Three-time All-Star, 2003 National League Cy Young Award winner, 84 consecutive converted save opportunities from 2002-2004
With Rangers: 16 saves, 1.050 WHIP in 34 games in 2007

There was a time in my youth where I could guarantee that I would wake up one morning, pour a bowl of Frosted Flakes, sit down in front of the TV, turn on SportsCenter and see that Eric Gagne added another save to his impressive streak of converting save opportunities.

After he had injury-ravaged 2005/2006 seasons that limited him to just 16 games over two years, Gagne was a free agent and signed with the Rangers for the 2007 season to revive his career.  The 2007 Texas Rangers were an odd bunch with a mix of youth with the likes of Teixeira and Ian Kinsler beginning to rev up their successful career and the likes of Kenny Lofton, Gagne and another member of this list trying their hardest to extend their career.

Even though he was dealt to the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline, Gagne was impressive in his half a season in Texas. His showing allowed him to be dealt to a contender and he eventually appeared in five games for the Sox throughout their postseason run to the World Series.

Lance Berkman
Six-time All-Star, four seasons finishing in the top five of NL MVP voting
With Rangers: 6 home runs, 34 RBI in 73 games in 2013

Lance Bergman absolutely “mashed” as a member of the Houston Astros throughout the 2000’s.  He was the up and coming face of the franchise when they made their surprise run to the 2005 World Series before losing to the Chicago White Sox.  Nowadays, it’s a major strike against someone in the eyes of a Rangers fan if they once played for the Astros.  To make matters worse, Bergman was a member of the most evil team in Major League Baseball history: the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals.  No need to go into that any further.

When Texas signed Bergman for the 2013 season, it was another reclamation project as the then 36 year-old slugger was following up an injury riddled 2012 campaign where he only appeared in 32 games.  Things didn’t get too much better in his lone season in Arlington as he only appeared in 73 incredibly forgettable games for the club in 2013,

We’ll forgive you for your dud of a season with the Rangers, Lance… but we’ll never forgive you, David Freese or any members of the 2011 Cardinals. *Sheds one single sports tear*

Sammy Sosa
Seven-time All-Star, 1998 NL MVP, 609 career home runs
With Rangers: 22 home runs, 95 RBI in 139 games between 1989 and 2007

Sammy Sosa’s short time with the Rangers during his age 20 season in 1989 isn’t what qualifies him for this list, it’s his strange 2007 season with the team after he spent all of the 2006 without a team.

As a young fan at the time, I was excited for my team to have added the likes of Sosa, someone who I’d grown up always seeing do his trademarked “Sosa hop” after hitting a home run.  His fall from grace with steroid use and corked bats was pretty secondary to a 14 year-old just wanting his favorite team to add an exciting player.  Sosa also came to the Rangers with 588 career home runs, so it was definitely an exciting narrative to have him chasing 600 home runs throughout the season.  I was lucky enough to attend the game where he smashed career homer 600, and it’s one of the more memorable sporting events I’ve ever attended.

Interestingly, Sosa hit 6oo against his former team: the Chicago Cubs.  His time with the Rangers was really just strange and you can think back on that entire mid-2000’s era of Rangers baseball and he would be so far down on the list of players you’d name as major contributors in that time.

All of these players made incredible imprints on Major League Baseball throughout their storied careers, but nobody will ever think “Ah, man.  Lance Berkman was so great for the Rangers.”

Or, “Dude, remember how untouchable Eric Gagne was for the Rangers at the end of games?”

While that doesn’t diminish their accomplishments with the team, it certainly cements their status on the “Oh yeah, that guy played for the Rangers” list.

 

*Still active as of 2018