Congratulations to the Texas Rangers, who won the 1st Championship in the
their 62 year history, ending the second longest title drought among the
franchises (only Cleveland has waited longer). Personally, I helped contribute
to the overall declining TV viewership numbers by not watching a single game.
Instead I went old school, listening to the local radio broadcasts for each
team courtesy of the MLB app.
Back in 2018, when the Red Sox faced the Dodgers, I thought it would be fun to
create a lineup consisting of players who have played for both teams. Since
then, every new World Series champion has gotten the "Former/Current Red Sox
who also played with that team" treatment. If you're interested, here's the
list so far:
2018 -
Los Angeles Dodgers
2019 -
Washington Nationals
(with a bonus
Montreal Expos
lineup!)
2020 - Since the Dodgers won, I didn't bother doing them again. Mookie Betts
would have been the only change.
2021 -
Atlanta Braves
2022 -
Houston Astros
Now it's time for the Texas Rangers! As a general rule, I tried to avoid
players from their Washington Senators days (there is technically one
exception, which you'll see later, but since he has a card of him wearing a
Texas Rangers uniform, I counted it!) Who are the greatest players that have
suited up for both franchises?
Catcher: Mike Napoli
By the time Napoli grew out his glorious beard, his days behind the plate
were pretty much over. He was the starting catcher for the 2012 AL squad,
joining 6 of his Texas teammates. The next year he joined Boston, where he
was a beloved member of the 2013 Championship team.
1st Baseman: Adrian Gonzalez
Gonzalez only spent parts of two seasons with each team, but his one full
season in Boston was everything you could have hoped for from a big
off-season trade: In 2011, he was an All-Star, finished Top-10 in MVP
voting, and won both a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove. Unfortunately, 2012
was the Bobby Valentine $h!t show, and Gonzalez was traded to Los Angeles in
one of the biggest salary dumps in MLB history.
2nd Baseman: Ian Kinsler
Kinsler's time in Texas will get him serious consideration for the Hall of
Fame. That alone gets him as our starting second baseman. The Red Sox traded
for him in 2018 to replace the injured Dustin Pedroia, and although he
didn't put up great numbers, he was a solid member of the 2018 World Series
Champions.
Shortstop: Scott Fletcher
Speaking of solid ball players, Scott Fletcher was one of those types of
players that didn't do anything particularly well, but rarely hurt his team
on the field. In his 6 years with both teams, he accumulated 18.1 WAR.
3rd Baseman: Adrian Beltre
Before 2010, no one considered Beltre a future Hall of Famer. He had a
spectacular MVP runner-up season in 2004, but the 5 years in between were
solid but not spectacular. The free agent was not finding many takers, and
ended up signing a one year "pillow contract" with Boston. He responded with
arguably is second best season ever. Now I'm not saying that his 8 years in
Texas aren't the reason he's practically a shoo-in for the Hall, but I am
saying that one year in Boston was the pivotal turning point in his career
that put him on the path.
Outfielder: Jim Piersall
Here's where I cheated a little. Piersall never donned the Texas uniform as
a player, as his time with the franchise was when they were in Washington.
As you can see, he does have a Rangers card though, thanks to his brief time
as a coach for the team. The 2-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner is famous
for his memoir "Fear Strikes Out" which was made into a movie in 1957.
Outfielder: Jose Canseco
Canseco has won more hardware, accolades, and championships than anyone else
on this list. Too bad it was almost all with his time in Oakland. Still, he
was a consistent power threat in the middle of both lineups while he was
there. Plus, it gives me an excuse to show off this classic clip:
Outfielder: David Murphy
In 2007, Murphy was one of the young up-and-comers the Red Sox traded to Texas in exchange for Eric Gagne. That trade didn't work out so well in Boston, as Murphy became a dependable starter for Texas during his 6 1/2 years with the team.
Designated Hitter: Mitch Moreland
"Mitchy Two-Bags" was a Gold Glove winner for Texas, and a surprising All-Star for Boston during that magical 2018 season. He's a fan favorite in both cities, and deserves recognition as this mashup team's designated hitter!
Starting Pitcher: Ferguson Jenkins
The first native Canadian to ever be elected to the Hall of Fame, the Rangers traded Jenkins to the Red Sox in exchange for the immortal Craig Skok. After two seasons, the Red Sox sent him back to Texas for the equally immortal John Poloni.
Relief Pitcher: Jeff Russell
All but 7 of his 186 career saves came in one of these two uniforms, topping the 30 save mark at least once for both teams. On an unrelated note, in my research to find the above Jeff Russell cards, I made a discovery that not enough people are talking about. Has anyone else seen Jeff Russell's amazing run of cards from the Mother's Cookies Texas Rangers sets? From 1987 to 1992, each card get more and more fantastic. Seriously, click on the link. It's frickin' art I tell you...
Manager: Ted Williams
Yeah, yeah, I know...Ted Williams never managed the Red Sox. It would be a crime against humanity for me to talk about the history of both these teams and not mention Williams though. The greatest player in the history of the Red Sox, who also happened to be the very first manager in Texas.
Congrats to the Texas Rangers on an amazing World Series. You can't help but be happy for the fans who have waited over 60 years for this moment!
Didn't watch or listen. Would just follow the game tracker on MLB.com. That is how I catch most of my ballgames these days.
ReplyDeleteI didn't watch this series either, or this season lol.
ReplyDeleteLove the Ted Williams SSPC and the Jeff Russell Mother's Cookies cards. I still need to add one of those to my All-Time Teams binder.
Napoli and Moreland were fan favorites (at least this fan) I wasn't thrilled with Kinsler. Beltre seemed surly in Boston, but that one year prove-it contract worked out well for him.
Why was Fergie Jenkins getting traded straight-up for scrubs? Did teams not value HOF-quality starting pitching in the 1970s?
I only guessed Beltre correctly. I might've got Fergie too, but had forgotten that he was a Red Sock.
ReplyDeleteThat Canseco clip will never get old...
ReplyDeleteFun post! And yes I clicked on the link and that was quite enjoyable!
ReplyDelete