2011 Texas Rangers Alumni Legacy Weekend takes place August 5-7
Over 60 former Texas Rangers are expected to participate in the team’s annual 2011 Alumni Legacy Weekend, which takes place this weekend, August 5-7.
The weekend will be highlighted by the induction of Kenny Rogers as the 14th member of the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday, August 6, prior to the Rangers game with the Cleveland Indians. The on-field ceremony will begin at 6:40 p.m. with the first pitch of the Rangers-Indians game moved back to 7:15 p.m.
The festivities begin on Friday, August 5 with the Dr Pepper Hall of Fame Luncheon at the Arlington Convention Center at 11:30 a.m. The luncheon will honor Rogers and also features Rangers Hall of Famers Rusty Greer, Tom Grieve, Toby Harrah, Charlie Hough, Nolan Ryan, Ruben Sierra, and Jim Sundberg. Eric Nadel will be the master of ceremonies for the luncheon, which benefits the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation.
Tickets for the luncheon are priced at $50 for individuals and $500 for tables of eight that include a Rangers Alumni/Celebrity (subject to availability). Tickets are still available by calling 817-436-5933 or e-mailing foundation@texasrangers.com. Tickets can be picked up at the door.
On Saturday, the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington gates open at 4:30 p.m. There will be an autograph session with
Texas Rangers alumni on the Ballpark’s main concourse between home plate and third base between 5:00 and 5:45 p.m. Autographs are free for fans holding tickets to Saturday’s Rangers-Indians game on a first come, first served basis. The list of players who will be signing will be posted when the Ballpark gates open at 4:30 p.m.
TEXAS RANGERS BASEBALL HALL OF FAME MEMBERS (Year Inducted in parentheses)
- Charlie Hough (2003)
- Johnny Oates (2003)
- Nolan Ryan (2003)
- Jim Sundberg (2003)
- Buddy Bell (2004)
- Ferguson Jenkins (2004)
- Tom Vandergriff (2004)
- Mark Holtz (2005)
- John Wetteland (2005)
- Rusty Greer (2007)
- Toby Harrah (2009)
- Ruben Sierra (2009)
- Tom Grieve (2010)
- Kenny Rogers (2011)
KENNY ROGERS INFORMATION
The left-hander spent a total of 12 years with the Ranger over 3 separate stints (1989-95; 2000-02; 2004-05), the longest tenure of any pitcher in team history….in addition to being the Rangers all-time leader with 528 pitching appearances, ranks 2nd lifetime with 133 wins and 1909.0 innings, is 3rd in games started (252) and strikeouts (1201), and places 4th in relief appearances (276)…won 10 or more games in 9 different seasons, posting at least 16 victories on 3 different occasions…led the Rangers in wins 6 times, including a club record 18 victories by a lefthander in 2004…had a 77-42 (.647) record at Arlington Stadium and Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, the most lifetime wins ever for a pitcher in Arlington…a 4-time selection as the Rangers Pitcher of the Year (1994-1995-2002-2005), was selected to 3 All-Star teams (1995-2004-2005) and won 3 Gold Gloves (2002-2004-2005) as a member of the Rangers.
A 39th round selection by Texas in the June 1982 amateur draft out of Plant City (FL) High School, did not pitch at all until his 1st professional season as the high school outfielder was drafted based on arm strength…spent 7 seasons in the minors before making the major league club out of spring training in 1989 as a reliever…made just 12 starts in 286 total games from 1989-92, including an A.L. high 81 appearances in 1992, before joining the rotation fulltime the following year…retired all 27 batters faced on July 28, 1994 vs. the California Angels in Arlington…at the time, was just 11th regular season perfect game in major league history, the 1st for an American League left-hander…the following season, established a club record with 39.0 consecutive scoreless innings from May 6-June 1 before signing with the New York Yankees as a free agent at the end of the year.
Signed with Texas as a free agent prior to 2000 and ranked 3rd in the A.L. with 227.1 innings that season…after spending the 2003 season with Minnesota, returned to the Rangers and won 32 games over the next 2 seasons…pitched his final 3 seasons with Detroit, winning 17 regular season games and 3 more in the postseason in the Tigers’ 2006 run to the World Series…overall, was 219-156 in 762 major league games in a 20-year career with the Rangers, Yankees (1996-97), A’s (1998-99), Mets (1999), Twins (2003), and Tigers (2006-08).
Is the 5th pitcher and 1st left-hander to be selected for the Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame.
