Tag: Texas Rangers

Sept 30: Not amicable

SEPTEMBER 30, 1971 | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Senators can’t beat the “Damn” Yankees even when they outscore them. The last American League game played in the nation’s capitol ended in a forfeit on this date in 1971 when hundreds of fans stormed the field at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium with two outs in the 9th. Many had run onto the field in the 8th, but this time they wouldn’t leave so the umpires called the game.

It gave the Yankees a 9-0 win even though the Senators were one out from a 7-5 victory. Fans were upset that owner Bob Short was moving the club to the Dallas-Forth Worth area for the 1972 season to become the Texas Rangers.

The “Senators” had been in D.C. for 71 years as an American League team, but under two different franchises. One franchise, owned for most of that time by the Griffith family, called Washington home from 1901 to 1960. Calvin Griffith moved the team to Minneapolis in 1961, where they remain, and changed the name to the Minnesota Twins. D.C. got a new “Senators” franchise in ’61, but it only lasted until 1971 when they left for Texas.

In the 62 years the Senators were in Washington, D.C. they only had 15 winning seasons. They did win the World Series though in 1924. To pour salt into the wounds of the original Senators’ fans, a change of scenery helped. The Minnesota Twins made it to the World Series in 1965, won it in 1987 and 1991.

Contributing sources:
Washington Post
New York Times, October 1, 1971, Pg. 49
Associated Press, October 1, 1971, by James Polk

June 4: Fans, beer, trouble

JUNE 4, 1974 | CLEVELAND, OHIO – The suds flowed a little too freely on this date in 1974, and it got scary. A promotion by the Cleveland Indians to get more people into Cleveland Municipal Stadium worked. More than 25,000 showed up for 10¢ beer night, about triple the normal Indians crowd. There was no limit to the beers or, as it turned out, the rowdiness. The fans got more rowdy as the game went on. There were several instances of inebriated fans running on the field and throwing objects at visiting Texas Rangers players.

It all came to a head in the 9th. Texas was up 5-3, and the Indians began to stir, but so too did hundreds of already rowdy fans into their 3rd hour of consumption. The Indians rallied and tied the game 5-5, and still had runners at first and second with 2 outs. This is when the rowdiness turned into more of a riot; fans began stomping on the Rangers dugout, more ran on the field harassing visiting Rangers, especially first baseman Mike Hargrove (later an Indian player and manager, but at the time a Ranger) and outfielder Jeff Burroughs. Ranger Manager Billy Martin, not one to back away from a fight, led some of his players to Burroughs’ aide after fans surrounded him. Even the Indians joined in the rescue. It became apparent the game would not continue. Home plate umpire Nestor Chylak called it a forfeit by the Indians.

There was some history between the Rangers and Indians that year. A week before the Cleveland incident, Texas had a “cheap beer night” with the Indians in town. There was a bench-clearing brawl in that game. Fortunately the fans stayed out of it.

Contributing Sources:
Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas, April 10, 1965
More on 10¢ beer night
June 4, 1974 box score

A STORY FROM APRIL 19 IN BASEBALL HISTORY – RANGERS BY 3 TOUCHDOWNS

TODAYinBASEBALL.COM TAKES US TO ARLINGTON, TEXAS ON APRIL 19, 1996. The Texas Rangers ran up a heck of a score against the Baltimore Orioles on this date. The host Rangers showed no mercy in beating the Orioles 26 to 7. Both teams were in first place in their respective divisions at the time. 

The game was relatively close into the bottom of the eighth, the Rangers last at bat if they were ahead, which they were; 10 – 7. But the Rangers scored an astounding 16 runs in an 8th inning that lasted almost an hour. No team ever scored that many runs in an 8th inning.

The inning consisted of a grand slam home run and an Oriole reliever walking four – three with the bases loaded. Some sniping developed between the managers, Davey Johnson for Baltimore and Johnny Oates for Texas. Each thought the other had run up the score in previous games

That was not the only time Texas and Baltimore were involved in a massive slugfest. Texas set a new record for the most runs scored in an American League game by beating Baltimore 30 to 3 August 22, 2007. But on this date the Rangers win by just 3 touchdowns.

CONTRIBUTING SOURCES:
Runs scored records: Baseball-Almanac
April 19, 1996 box score, etc: Retrosheet

A STORY FROM FEB 21 IN BASEBALL HISTORY – TED WILLIAMS RETURNS

TODAY IN BASEBALL TAKES US TO WASHINGTON, D.C. ON FEBRUARY 21, 1969. Ted Williams returns. The Hall-of-Fame slugger was lured back to baseball on this date in 1969 to manage the Washington Senators . This will be a challenge. The greatest hitter of all-time leading a struggling expansion franchise that had yet to finish a season with a winning record.

The Senators lost at least 100 games in four of its first eight seasons. Remember this was the new Washington Senators, a 1961 expansion team after the original Senators moved to Minnesota and became the Twins.

Williams knew it would be a difficult task, telling the Associated Press (AP), “This may be a long, hard grind for a while.” And what about when he has to deal with a young player wound as tight as he was in his younger days? Would he tolerate a player with a temper, “If he can hit like Ted Williams, yes.”

Williams’ presence brought immediate results. The franchise had its first winning season in 1969, Williams first year as manager. They finished the season 86-76, but it was back downhill after that.

The Senators lost 92 games in 1970 and lost 96 in 1971. Attendance got so bad the team moved to Arlington, Texas in 1972 and became the Rangers.

That first year in Texas the Rangers finished with a record 54-100, the worst year of their history. The headline again could be, “Ted Williams Returns,”  but this time he returned to fishing and hunting. His baseball managing days were over.

Contributing Sources:
Chicago Tribune, February 22, 1969, “Ted signs to manage Senators for 5 years”
Washington Senators 1961-1971
Year to year results
Ted Williams