Jon Daniels Trade for Carlos Lee is the Gift That Keeps On Giving

Wanting the big bat now and hoping to keep him longer, the Texas Rangers acquired All-Star slugger Carlos Lee from the Milwaukee Brewers in a six-player deal.  http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2532418.  Lee was only with the Rangers for a few months and then cashed in on 6 years for 100 million with the Astros http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2674398.  


What that trade brought us was so much more than just a few months of Carlos Lee's big butt...er, uh bat.  It brought us Nelson Cruz along with him which was worth the trade in itself.  But also when Lee left for the big payday, it left us with two compensatory draft picks.  With those picks in the 1st round of the 2007 draft, the Rangers selected Blake Beaven and Julio Borbon.


Fast forward to June of 2010 and when it came time to get another fella named Lee...Seattle needed top-notch minor league prospects.  It just so happened that the Rangers had an abundant amount of those due to deals like the Carlos Lee scenario (they also got Tommy Hunter in the 1st round of that draft as compensation for the loss of Mark DeRosa).  When it came time to get Cliff Lee, the Rangers had to add Blake Beaven to the mix of other prospects to get the deal done.


If you really want to lock up the mind, remember that it was Francisco Cordero that was the big player in the Carlos Lee trade.  We got Cordero in the Juan Gonzalez trade in 1999.  So, in reality, the 1986 Tom Grieve signing of Juan Gonzalez as a skinny kid from the Dominican Republic turned in to Nelson Cruz, Cliff Lee, and Julio Borbon.  I'd say that's payback for Dave Stewart, Ron Darling, Jim Sundberg, Dave Righetti, Adrian Gonzalez, Travis Hafner and even Sammy Sosa.

What did the Rangers get from those horrible trades back in the day?

Dave Stewart - September 13, 1985: Traded by the Texas Rangers to the Philadelphia Phillies for Rich Surhoff. 
July 26, 1986: The Texas Rangers sent Surhoff  and Bryan Dial (minors) to the Chicago Cubs for Ron Meridith. 
June 18, 1987: Meridith was purchased by the Detroit Tigers from the Texas Rangers.  End the end - NOTHING.


Ron Darling - April 1, 1982: Traded by the Texas Rangers with Walt Terrell to the New York Mets for Lee Mazzilli.  
August 8, 1982: Mazilli was traded by the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees for Bucky Dent. 
April 2, 1984: Dent was released by the Texas Rangers.  End the end - NOTHING


Sammy Sosa - July 29, 1989: Traded by the Texas Rangers with Wilson Alvarez and Scott Fletcher to the Chicago White Sox for Harold Baines and Fred Manrique.
August 29, 1990: Harold Baines traded by the Texas Rangers to the Oakland Athletics for players to be named later. The Oakland Athletics sent Joe Bitker (September 4, 1990) and Scott Chiamparino (September 4, 1990) to the Texas Rangers to complete the trade.  Bitker and Chiamparino left the organization without any return.  Fred Manrique was later traded for a minor leaguer that never got called up.  End the end - NOTHING


Jim Sundberg - December 8, 1983: Traded by the Texas Rangers to the Milwaukee Brewers for Dan Scarpetta (minors) and Ned Yost.  
April 1, 1985: Ned Yost released by the Texas Rangers.  Scarpetta never left the minors.


Ferguson Jenkins - November 17, 1975: Traded by the Texas Rangers to the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named later, Steve Barr and Juan Beniquez. The Boston Red Sox sent Craig Skok (December 12, 1975) to the Texas Rangers to complete the trade.


November 10, 1978: Juan Beniquez traded by the Texas Rangers with Greg Jemison (minors), Mike Griffin, Paul Mirabella and Dave Righetti to the New York Yankees for Mike Heath, Sparky Lyle, Larry McCall, Dave Rajsich, Domingo Ramos and cash.

1. June 15, 1979: Mike Heath traded by the Texas Rangers with Dave Chalk and cash to the Oakland Athletics for John Henry Johnson.

• April 9, 1982: John Henry Johnson traded by the Texas Rangers to the Boston Red Sox for Mike Smithson.
• December 7, 1983: Mike Smithson traded by the Texas Rangers with John Butcher to the Minnesota Twins for Sam Sorce (minors) and Gary Ward. Ward was released by the Rangers in '86.

1. September 13, 1980: Sparky Lyle traded by the Texas Rangers to the Philadelphia Phillies for a player to be named later. The Philadelphia Phillies sent Kevin Saucier (November 19, 1980) to the Texas Rangers to complete the trade.

• December 10, 1980: Kevin Saucier traded by the Texas Rangers to the Detroit Tigers for Mark Wagner.
• November 7, 1983: Wagner Granted Free Agency.

1. January 4, 1980: Larry McCall traded by the Texas Rangers with Mike Bucci (minors) and Gary Gray to the Cleveland Indians for David Clyde and Jim Norris. 

• Neither Clyde or Norris panned out.

1. October 20, 1981: Dave Rajsich traded by the Texas Rangers to the Philadelphia Phillies for Ramon Aviles.

• Aviles never played for the Rangers

1. Domingo Ramos never played for the Rangers

In the end.  The Rangers got a little bit of Gary Ward for Ferguson Jenkins.

Longest continuous trades in Rangers history

1967 - Rangers draft Toby Harrah
1978 - Rangers trade Harrah for Buddy Bell
1985 - Rangers trade Bell for Duane Walker and Jeff Russell
1992 - Rangers trade Russell + 2 for Jose Canseco
1995 - Rangers trade Canseco for Otis Nixon
1995 - Nixon released

1986 - Rangers sign free agent Juan Gonzalez

1999 - Rangers trade Gonzalez for Francisco Cordero + others

2006 - Rangers trade Cordero for Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz

1969 - Rangers draft Jeff Burroughs
1976 - Rangers trade Burroughs for Adrian Devine + 4
1977 - Rangers trade Devine for Al Oliver and Nelson Norman
1982 - Rangers trade Al Oliver for Larry Parrish and Dave Hostetler
1988 - Rangers release Parrish

ARod, Mark Teixeira and Juan Gonzalez helped get these Rangers to the World Series

It's interesting to sometimes look at players and wonder how we got them.  Due to the trading process, one player can be linked to past generations for years back.  Here are some of those:

1986 - Nelson Cruz -




Aquired on 7/28/2006 for Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero; Cordero aquired for Juan Gonzalez on 11/2/1999; Gonzalez signed as a free agent on 5/30/1986

1986 - Cliff Lee -
Aquired on 7/9/2010 for Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke, Mathew Lawson.  Beaven was drafted in the 1st round in 2007 due to a compensation pick from Houston for signing Carlos Lee.  Lee was aquired with Nelson Cruz on 7/28/2006 for Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero.  Cordero was aquired for Juan Gonzalez on 11/2/1999.  Gonzalez signed as a free agent on 5/30/1986

1996 - Michael Young -
Aquired in a trade in 2000 for Esteban Loaiza.  Loaiza was aquired in a trade for Todd Van Poppel and Warren Morris.  Morris was drafted by the Rangers in 1996.

2000 - Frank Francisco -




Aquired on 7/1/2003 for Carl Everett. Everett aquired for Darren Oliver on 12/12/2001. Oliver signed as free agent on 1/27/2000

2001 - Jeff Francoeur -
Aquired in 2010 for Joaquin Arias.  Arias was aquired for Alex Rodriguez in April 2004.  Rodriguez signed with Texas in 2001.

2001 - Josh Hamilton - Aquired 12/21/2007 in a trade for Edinson Volquez.  Volquez signed as free agent on 10/29/20012001 - C.J. Wilson -
Drafted 5th round

2001 - Elvis Andrus -
Aquired in a trade in 2007 for Mark Teixeira who was drafted on 6/5/2001

2001 - Neftali Feliz -
Aquired in a trade in 2007 for Mark Teixeira who was drafted on 6/5/2001

2003 - Ian Kinsler
Drafted in the 17th round

2006 - Benjie Molina -
Aquired in a trade in 2010 for Chris Ray.  Ray was aquired in a trade in 2010 for Kevin Millwood.  Millwood signed as a free agent in 2006.

2007 - David Murphy -
Aquired in a trade for Eric Gagne in 2007.  Gagne signed as a free agent in 2007.

2007 - Tommy Hunter -
Drafted in the 1st round as compensation for Mark DeRosa

2007 - Julio Borbon -
Drafted in the 1st round as compensation for Carlos Lee

World Series Strangers No More!

Every excuse you've ever used for the Rangers just got thrown out.  "They can't pitch in that ballpark" - GONE.  "It's too hot in Texas" - GONE.  "They never win after the All-Star break" - GONE.  

The fact is, this team never had the TEAM that was built for a true pennant push until this year.  There are so many things to like about this team that it's impossible to state them all.  One day, you'll read a book about these Rangers or maybe even see a movie about them. 

This team overcame the following:

1.  Josh Hamilton's fall off of the wagon last year.

2.  Ron Washington's cocaine admission in March that happened last year.

3.  The bankruptcy of the team by owner Tom Hicks

4.  Never having won but one playoff game

5.  A fanbase that would rather talk about Cowboys training camp in July than the 1st place Rangers.

6.  Your top two starters to begin the season (Scott Feldman and Rich Harden) not make the playoff roster

7.  Your closer Frank Francisco was demoted after a week on the job and replaced by a rookie

8.  The back and forth court battles that came down to a late night standoff in a Fort Worth courtroom.

9.  Virtually no catcher to speak of until July.

10.  and on, and on, and on.....

I pick the Rangers to win the West every year, so this year was no surprise.  But I think all of us that truly follow this team and drool when pitchers and catchers report to spring training knew that something special was going to happen in Arlington this year.  And tonight by beating the Yankees to find themselves in the World Series for the first time, should now have them known for something other than introducing nachos to Major League Baseball.

To see the excitement of the crowd when Nelson Cruz hit the Yankee dagger was absolutely breathtaking to witness.  All I've ever wanted is for my ugly little girl to go to the prom.  And tonight, a limo pulled up...and Nolan Ryan opened the door with white gloves on.

All of us true Rangers fans that have spent summer after summer wondering if we were really a Major League team had everything validated tonight.  Tonight meant that there actually is payoff for loyalty, patience, and class.  I think the great Tom Landry would be way more happy with the Rangers fan base right now than America's Team...that's not even Arlington's Team.

Today is for all of the people in the Rangers organization through the years and the fans that wanted them to be a winner for so long.  These are the names that just come off the top of my head....

Mark Holtz, Eric Nadel, Jim Sundberg, Steve Busby, Chuck Morgan, Tom Vandergriff, Nolan Ryan, Michael Young, Toby Harrah, Buddy Bell, Ferguson Jenkins, George W. Bush, Rafael Palmeiro, Kenny Rogers, Sisters Maggie and Frances, Zonk, Bobby Witt, Jeff Russell, Will Clark, Ivan Rodriguez, Johnny Oates, Rusty Greer, Mike Hargrove, Tom Grieve, David Clyde, Jeff Burroughs, Charlie Hough and so so many more.

Texas Rangers fans, you deserve this.  

Monte, why are you such a baseball fan? Well, it all started......

Monte, why are you such a baseball fan?  Well, it all started when I was 12...the date was October 14, 1986 when Nolan Ryan's Houston Astros traveled to Dwight Gooden's New York Mets for Game 5 of the NLCS.  I was coming home from middle school that day with my best friend Chris Garner, who was a huge baseball fan.  I was very familiar with the Astros since I would stay with my mom's first cousins in Houston in the summer and they had taken me to the Astrodome to see both Nolan Ryan and Mike Scott in '85 and '86.  I never really caught on or was hooked by going to see the Astros in that big dome...I guess to me it just didn't seem like baseball.  But something about this NLCS game http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=198610140NYN grabbed my inner soul and from that afternoon on...I was HOOKED.  Hooked like Stevie Ray Vaughan was hooked on the guitar at age 12.  


I started watching this game somewhere around the 6th inning.  Nolan Ryan and Dwight "Doc" Gooden were standing toe-to-toe locked in a 1-1 tie and both were throwing right hooks back and forth.  The tie went to the 7th, then the 8th, then the 9th.  Ryan had thrown a complete game and then for good measure Doc Gooden freakishly comes back out in the 10th inning!  Charlie Kerfield finally came in for the Astros and gave up the winning run to the Mets in the bottom of the 12th inning and my adopted team the Houston Astros were defeated only to die in game 6 the following day.  But the damage to this 12-year old had already been done.


I grew up playing baseball.  I loved it.  But as most kids in Texas, I grew up watching the Dallas Cowboys and becoming a football fanatic.  I also started to love the hometown Howe Bulldogs just as much.  It was football, football, football and I couldn't get enough of Danny White, Tony Dorsett, and eventually Herschel Walker, but something changed in '86.


Prior to that Astros/Mets October game sat a July 26, 1986 game in Arlington, Texas http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=198607260TEX, which was my first visit to the hometown Texas Rangers' Arlington Stadium.  I knew of the Rangers fairly well due to local hero Danny Darwin from Bonham who had pitched for the Rangers just a few years before.  I remember watching him on T.V. and liking Buddy Bell and Jim Sundberg, but I didn't really know much about them...not nearly as much as the Astros. But all of that changed in October.  I HAD to have a team...and they were the closest thing I could get.


By the time the spring of 1987 came around I was in full-force Texas Rangers mode.  I had learned all of the players and my thirst for information grew and grew and grew.  Pretty soon, my favorite players were "Inky" (Pete Incaviglia), "LP" (Larry Parrish), "Boo" (Steve Buechele), "OB" (Pete O'Brien), "The Governor" (Jerry Browne), "Scooter" (Scott Fletcher), and a young Latin hot-shot named Ruben Sierra may have been my favorite of all.  Then there was Charlie Hough, the old-man who was so old all he could throw was a tired old knuckleball...but was still able to lead the team in wins.  There was a young fireballer named Bobby Witt and the result of the Buddy Bell trade gave us a young strong-armed Jeff Russell.  The "Wild Thing" Mitch Williams was fun to watch with his crazy left-handed leg kick motion and his lack of command of anything.  But watching wasn't the best thing about that Rangers team which was my first.  Listening was magical.


The games were on WBAP-820.  It was "The 50,000 watt sports voice of the great southwest!"  Broadcasters were the late Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel.  Some of my most beloved days were sitting on the back porch in the summer of '87 and listening to Holtz call a game on the radio while I kept score in my scorebook.  At the time, I remember being very upset that we only could see road games because that's all KTVT-11 out of Dallas would televise.  I wanted to watch the games so badly, but am so thankful now that I couldn't because of the memories I have of the peaceful summer night of just me and the radio and the scorebook.  Baseball was made for radio.  It's the same argument people make that the book is always better than the movie.  Well, same in baseball.  The images you create in your mind are way greater than what you actually see on T.V.  And add a dynamic and brilliant play-by-play man to that mix and you have magic.  The summer of '87 was absolute magical...even though the team was mostly in the toilet.  But that's the way Texas Rangers baseball was...and I got a heavy dose that year.


I went back to Houston to stay with the cousins again that summer of '87.  This time, I had changed.  I was a Texas Rangers freak.  I remember listening to the radio upstairs of my cousin Netha's house where I could juuust barely pick up that 50,000 watt sports voice of the great southwest.  In 1987, the Rangers started off the season horribly losing a ton of games in April to Milwaukee and Baltimore and found themselves in a terrible hole to start the season.  That night outside of Houston with my little radio, the Rangers had come from behind to win a game and had broke even at .500 and the entire country club could probably hear me screaming.  


From that summer on, it's been a roller-coaster ride of baseball.  I was at the last game ever played at Arlington Stadium and the first game ever played at The Ballpark in Arlington.  I took a trip took a trip at the age of 22 to Wrigley Field for a Saturday afternoon game and flew to Boston the next morning and caught a Sunday afternoon game at Fenway Park and saw Roger Clemens throw a shutout vs. California.  I went to Cooperstown, NY in July of 1999 to see Nolan Ryan and George Brett get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  I've been to nearly every Opening Day in Arlington since 1993.  I was lucky enough to go the the All-Star Game in Arlington in 1995. 

Years into listening to games on the radio, I finally realized that I idolized the announcer Mark Holtz more than I did the players.  It was Mark Holtz' quote of "It's Baseball Time in Texas" before each game that stood out to me...and of course his trademark of "Hello Win Column!" after each win.  On Nolan Ryan Day in 1993, I was able to get Mark to autograph a baseball for me which is my prize possession.  He was so shocked that someone asked HIM for his autograph.  He smiled at me like that made his day.  We both made each others day if that was true.  Mark died in 1997 after a battle with leukemia and it shocked the entire Rangers family.  Years later, I was asked to be a part of a radio broadcasting crew for high school football and I obviously jumped at the chance.  I worked my way up to play-by-play announcer and my touchdown call was "It's Touchdown Time In Texas!" as a tribute to the man that gave me all of those visions in my head of pictures he so eloquently painted in my mind.  I broadcasted for 16 years before hanging it up this year.  


I missed out on tickets for playoff games back in 1996, 1998 and 1999, but I'm making up for it in 2010.  It's Time!