#6-10 Rangers All-Time List

This week I am beginning voting for the third annual Texas Rangers Trades Broadcaster of the Year Award on the poll (on the left-hand sidebar). The winner will get an award, so please vote to make it more meaningful. Last year Eric Nadel won the award and in 2007 Victor Rojas won the award.

This week I will continue my Top 50 All-Time Rangers List, with numbers 6-10.

10. Fergie Jenkins: Hall of Fame, Rangers Hall of Fame, 90 CG (2nd), 93 W, 17 shut-outs (most), 1410.1 IP, 895 K, 3.56 ERA, .564 W%, 25-Game Winner (‘74), T-Win Leader
(74)
Fergie is a member of the Rangers Hall of Fame, and is only one of three people in the Hall of Fame who played significant time with the Rangers. He was tied for the MLB leader in wins in 1974 with 25 wins, and had 93 wins total in his Rangers career. He also had the most shut-outs in Rangers history, and the second most complete games. He had a 3.56 ERA and 895 strikeouts in 1410.1 innings pitched as a Ranger, and had a .564 winning percentage, too.

9. Ruben Sierra: 4580 AB, .279 AVG, 180 HR, 742 RBI, 3 100-RBI seasons with the Rangers, 1 200-hit season with Rangers (‘91), 2 .300 batting average seasons with Rangers, 325 consecutive games played, 90 SB, 645 R, 1281 H (5th), 44 3B (most), Silver Slugger (‘89), All-Star (‘89, ‘91, ‘92), RBI Leader (‘89)
Ruben, even though he played for the Yankees, is in the top ten all-time Rangers list, in my opinion. He only had a .279 average as a Ranger, but had three 100-RBI seasons, one 200-hit season, two .300-batting average seasons, and played in 325 consecutive games. He had 180 home runs and 742 RBI’s in his Rangers career and led the league in RBI’s in 1989. He was an All-Star in ’89, as well as in 1991 and 1992, and was a Silver Slugger in 1989, also. He was also my granddad’s favorite player when he played.

8. Alex Rodriguez: 482 consecutive games, MVP (‘03), best Rangers career slugging percentage, 156 HR, .305 AVG, 1863 AB, Hank Aaron Award (‘01-‘03), Silver Slugger (‘01-‘03), Gold Glove (‘02, ‘03), All-Star (‘01-‘03), 200 Hits (‘01), HR King (‘01-‘03), RBI Leader (‘02)
This list doesn’t take into account steroids (or saying you only took steroids as a Ranger and making the Rangers look bad), waste-of-money years where the Rangers paid a player’s salary after he left the team, or how nice the players are, because, if it did, he would be way down this list. But, as it is, he is number eight. He was the American League MVP in 2003, along with Silver Sluggers in ’01-03, Gold Gloves in ’02 and ’03, Hank Aaron Awards in ’01-03, All-Star in ’01-03, 200-hits in ’01, being the home run king in ’01-03, and being the RBI leader in ’02. That’s a lot of awards and is amazing for just a three year span with the Rangers. He had 156 home runs as a Ranger and hit .305 in his 1863 at-bats. That’s about as good as you can get in a three-year span in Major League Baseball.

7. Kenny Rogers: 528 G (most), 133 W (2nd), 1909 IP (2nd), 1201 K (3rd), .581 W% (2nd, min. 400 IP), Gold Glove (‘00, ‘02, ‘04, ‘05), All-Star (‘95, ‘04, ‘05),
Kenny pitched the most career games as a Ranger in Rangers history, and is also 2nd in wins, 2nd in innings pitched, 3rd in strikeouts and 2nd in win percentage. He also won Gold Gloves in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2005, and was an All-Star in 1995, 2004, and 2005. Hated by cameramen, he made it all the way up to #7 on my All-Time Rangers List.

6. Charlie Hough: Rangers Hall of Fame, 130 W (most wins in Rangers history (career)), 1452 K (most strikeouts in Rangers history), 344 G, 98 CG (most), 11 shut-outs (t-3rd), 2308 IP (most), 3.68 ERA, All-Star (‘86),
Charlie Hough is another member of the Rangers Hall of Fame, and deservingly so, as he has the most wins, strikeouts, complete games, and innings pitched ever as a Ranger. He also had a very good ERA at 3.68 career as a Ranger, and was tied for the third-most shut-outs ever, as well as pitching in 344 games, and making the 1986 All-Star Game.

Come back next week for #1-5 of my All-Time Rangers List.