T.R.’s Memoirs: Rangers have made it 50 years thanks to these 50 influential people
(AP photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Editor’s note: T.R. Sullivan covered the Texas Rangers over 32 years for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and MLB.com and is sharing his “memoirs” with Rangers Today.
The Rangers have had hundreds and hundreds of people — both on and off the field — help the franchise become what it is today. Here are 50 people who had a significant influence on the Rangers franchise. The list is not close to being complete. But these 50 certainly had a lasting impact on the franchise in a variety of ways.
1. Tom Vandergriff: The former mayor of Arlington worked for a decade or more trying to bring a major-league team to North Texas. He landed the Senators in 1971 by convincing owner Bob Short to move to Texas, and there is no doubt who is the most important person in Rangers history.
2. Nolan Ryan: His signing as a free agent in 1988 gave the Rangers an immeasurable boost in stature and credibility beyond his performance on the field. His return as club president in 2008 also brought badly needed stability to a struggling franchise.
3. Tom Schieffer: He provided the vision and leadership behind the construction of the Ballpark in Arlington, and also remade the culture of the franchise after taking over as club president.
I think you have Nadel under valued here. Easily a top 5.