From the Star Telegram this morning.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/13506866.htm

• Will Clark
• Nolan
• A-Rod
• Wetteland
• Palmerio (second time around)
• Kenny Rogers (second time around)
• Richie Zisk
• Bert Campaneris
• Gonzo (second time around)
• CHoP (please shoot me that he's on this list)

Pretty terrible list (but I can't think of any other big signings that they've brought in). Goes downhill pretty damn fast and half of them are failed or retreads. Sure hope that Millwood doesn't end up that way.

You forgot about Richard Hidalgo! </GWB>

That list is pretty pathetic. I agree with the article's author that Will Clark and Nolan were the best FA signings the Rangers have had, but I'd put Wetteland and Raffy before A-Rod. Best player in baseball, yes, but also a cancer in Arlington.

In other news, I just wanted to mention that Will Clark hit the first pitch of his first ML at-bat out of the park... it was thrown by Nolan Ryan.

[This message has been edited by friend of cheese (edited 12/29/2005 10:54a).]

I don't know how you can come up with a list of Rangers FA's and NOT have Nolan #1.

Funny that a team known for its hitting has 3 pitchers as its only HoF'ers.

In cardinalizing this kind of list, I think the only thing that puts Will on top is that the Rangers were winning (relatively speaking) when he was around.

That said, Nolan is hands down my favorite baseball player ever... I'm already working on my fiancee about naming a kid after him.

i agree. nolan, end of story. unless we get rocket......

quote:

---

i agree. nolan, end of story. unless we get rocket......

---

and it would STILL be nolan

A-Rod hands down. The guy is the best player in baseball (maybe Albert P.). A-Rod can't help it that we didn't have pitching. Bringing Nolan was very cool, though.

I was so pumped when A-Fraud signed and was even more pumped when we traded his ass. Never in the history of baseball has someone put up more empty stats than him. I think most of you who follow Ranger baseball closely know exactly what I'm talking about.

I wouldn't call them empty, I think A-Rod's biggest problem was intangible...he wasn't a leader. We Ags, should know a little something about that. He just doesn't make the people around him any better, but there is no way you can argue about his production.

I just look at the countless times he would come up with runners in scoring position and do nothing. Or hit tons of his homers when we were already out of the race after he would struggle eary in the year. He's also proved with the Yanks he is not a prime time playoff player. When the pressure is turned up he doesn't seem to step up. Don't get me wrong, he is a great, great player, and I don't have all of the stats to back this up right now, I'm just recalling everything I witnessed when the guy was here. And you're right, a leader he'll never be. The guy didn't do one thing to help promote the Rangers or do anything in the community while he was here. Still a great player but I lost loads of respect for the way he handled things while he was here, especially in the end.

Case in point for the 2005 season:
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/stats/individual_player_splits.jsp?c_id=mlb&playerID=121347&sitSplit1=All&statType=1&splitSet=3&statSet=1p
A-Rod's season grand total stats:
BA = .321, OBP = .421, SLG = .610

A-Rod's stats in late innings of close games:
BA = .255, OBP = .345, SLG = .468

Contrast with Jeter:
Season total:
BA = .309, OBP = .389, SLG = .450

Late innings of close games:
BA = .315, OBP = .393, SLG = .500

Choker vs. Clutch.

hold on...where is Scoop on that top 10 list?

Hit .324, .323. 319, and .309 in his 4 seasons with the Rangers. 2-time all-star too.

may have come in a trade perhaps.

Scoop was acquired via a massive 4 team trade, which included the Rangers giving up Blyleven and Grieve - among others.