T.R.’s Memoirs: How Major League Baseball came to Arlington. Part I: Baseball goes west

(AP photo/Jack Hogan)

Editor’s note: T.R. Sullivan covered the Rangers for 32 years and is sharing his memoirs exclusively with readers of this newsletter. This week: a three-part history that examines the long road baseball took to get Major League Baseball to Arlington.

The Rangers might not ever have made it to Arlington if not for Emperor Hirohito, Walter O’Malley or James Earl Ray.

On the other side of this tug of war were Bob Hope, Bill Veeck and Judge Roy Hofheinz. The irascible Charlie Finley was right in the middle. Yes, Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff moved heaven and earth to get Major League baseball to North Texas.

But the Pacific Ocean proved to be a daunting obstacle as well.

Every Major League team has a fascinating story of how they arrived at where they are today. For example, bet you didn’t know the Yankees were actually the Baltimore Orioles before they moved in 1902 to New York. Don’t worry, President George W. Bush didn’t know that one either.