1981 Texas Rangers Season
The Texas Rangers 1981 season involved the Rangers finishing second in the American League West with a record of 57 wins and 48 losses. The season was suspended for 50 days due to the infamous 1981 players strike and the league chose as its playoff teams, the division winners from the first and second halves of the season, respectively. Offseason * December 12, 1980: Richie Zisk, Rick Auerbach, Ken Clay, Jerry Don Gleaton, Brian Allard, and Steve Finch (minors) were traded by the Rangers to the Seattle Mariners for Willie Horton, Larry Cox, Rick Honeycutt, Mario Mendoza, and Leon Roberts. * December 18, 1980: Bob Jones was signed as a free agent by the Rangers. Regular season Season standings Record vs. opponents Notable transactions * April 1, 1981: Willie Horton was released by the Rangers. * June 8, 1981: Ron Darling was drafted by the Rangers in the 1st round (9th pick) of the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft. Roster Player stats Batting Start ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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American League West
The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the West Coast of the United States, west coast and in Texas, historically the division has had teams as far east as Chicago. From 1998 (when the NL West expanded to five teams) to 2012, the AL West was the only MLB division with four teams. The current champion of this division is the Houston Astros. In 2013, the Houston Astros went from the National League Central to the AL West. That move gives all six MLB divisions an equal five teams and both leagues an equal 15 teams each. Division membership Current members * Houston Astros - Joined in 2013; formerly from the National League West, NL West (1969–1993) and National League Central, NL Central (1994–2012) * Los Angeles AngelsThe Angels were formerly known as ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rick Auerbach
Frederick Steven Auerbach (born February 15, 1950) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. Early years Auerbach was born in Woodland Hills, California, to Esther and Jack Auerbach. He was drafted by the California Angels in the 13th round of the 1968 Major League Baseball draft upon graduation from Taft High School, but chose, instead, to play college baseball at Los Angeles Pierce College in Woodland Hills. He was drafted the next year in the secondary phase of the amateur draft by the expansion Seattle Pilots. He split his one season in the Pilots' farm system between the Pioneer League's Billings Mustangs and the Midwest League's Clinton Pilots, batting a combined .238 with four home runs and 29 runs batted in between the two. He began the season with Clinton (now a Milwaukee Brewers affiliate). After batting .325 through the first month of the season, he made the jump all the way up to triple A, where he batted an even .300. Milwaukee Brewers Auerbach began the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bob Babcock (baseball)
Robert Ernest Babcock (born August 25, 1949) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for three seasons. He was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ... in , and played for the Texas Rangers from to . External links , oRetrosheet oPura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League) 1949 births Living people Asheville Orioles players Baseball players from Pennsylvania Charleston Charlies players Denver Bears players Gulf Coast Expos players Gulf Coast Pirates players Major League Baseball pitchers Memphis Blues players Navegantes del Magallanes players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Peninsula Whips players People from New Castle, Pennsylvania Québec Carnavals players Rochester Red Wings pl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1981 Major League Baseball Draft
First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft. Compensation Picks Other notable players *Darrin Jackson, 2nd round, 28th overall by the Chicago Cubs *Mike Gallego, 2nd round, 33rd overall by the Oakland Athletics *Mark Gubicza†, 2nd round, 34th overall by the Kansas City Royals *Mark Langston†, 2nd round, 35th overall by the Seattle Mariners *Frank Viola†, 2nd round, 37th overall by the Minnesota Twins *Neal Heaton†, 2nd round, 39th overall by the Cleveland Indians *Sid Bream, 2nd round, 48th overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers * John Elway, 2nd round, 52nd overall by the New York Yankees * Phil Bradley†, 3rd round, 53rd overall by the Seattle Mariners *Tony Gwynn‡, 3rd round, 58th overall by the San Diego Padres *Sid Fernandez†, 3rd round, 73rd overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers *David Cone†, 3rd round, 74th overall by the Kansas City Royals *Curt Young, 4th round, 92nd overall by the Oakland Athlet ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ron Darling
Ronald Maurice Darling Jr. (born August 19, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from to , most notably as a member of the New York Mets team that won the 1986 World Series. Since 2006, he has been the co-lead color commentator for Mets broadcasts on SNY alongside former teammate Keith Hernandez. Darling was a 1985 National League All-Star and won the Gold Glove Award for National League pitchers. He ranks fourth in Mets team history in wins (99) and is also in the top 10 in complete games, innings, strikeouts and shutouts. During the 1986 World Series, Darling allowed just three earned runs in innings and won Game 4 in Boston to even the series. In 2020, Darling was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame. Darling had five pitches in his repertoire: the slider, a curveball, a circle changeup, a splitter, and a four seam fastball. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bob Jones (outfielder)
Robert Oliver Jones (born October 11, 1949) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War. He played all or part of nine seasons in the majors from until . He also played two seasons in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons in and . In November 2013, Bobby Jones became a coach for the Texas Rangers. Playing career Jones was drafted by the Washington Senators in the 36th round of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft. He spent the next seven seasons with the organization, during which time they became the Texas Rangers, and debuted in the major leagues with them. During the season, the Rangers waived him, and he was claimed by the California Angels, for whom he played two seasons. He was released by the Angels before the season, and he signed with the Chunichi Dragons, for whom he played two seasons as well. He returned to the Rangers in , and finished his major league career with them in 1986. Coaching/managerial career Since his reti ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Leon Roberts
Leon Kauffman Roberts (born January 22, 1951) is a former corner outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1974 through 1984 for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals. Listed at 6' 3", 200 lb., Roberts batted and threw right handed. Career Roberts was born in Vicksburg, Michigan, and graduated from Portage Northern High School, where he played baseball, football, basketball and ran track. He attended the University of Michigan, originally recruited to play football by coach Bo Schembechler. He played three years of college baseball and college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. He was drafted by Detroit and eventually earned the dubious honor of replacing Al Kaline in right field for the Tigers. Roberts was dealt along with Terry Humphrey, Gene Pentz and Mark Lemongello from the Tigers to the Astros for Milt May, Dave Roberts and Jim Crawford on December 6, 1975. With the Mariners needing ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mario Mendoza
Mario Mendoza Aizpuru (born December 26, 1950) is a Mexican former professional baseball infielder. Mendoza, a lifetime .215 hitter, is best known for being the source of the name for the threshold for batting ineptitude, the "Mendoza Line", meaning a batting average of .200. Mendoza managed in the minor leagues and in Mexico after his nine-year Major League Baseball (MLB) playing career. He is a member of the Mexican League Hall of Fame. Playing career Pittsburgh Pirates Mendoza first caught the eye of the Pittsburgh Pirates while playing for the Mexico City Red Devils (Diablos Rojos) of the Mexican League in 1970. His ability for picking grounders prompted the Pirates to purchase Mendoza's contract from Mexico City. Mendoza played four seasons in the Pirates' farm system before debuting with the Pirates on April 26, 1974, as a pinch runner for Willie Stargell. With the Pirates down 3–2 in the ninth inning to the Houston Astros, Mendoza scored the tying run in the Pirates ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rick Honeycutt
Frederick Wayne Honeycutt (born June 29, 1954) is an American former professional baseball coach and pitcher. Honeycutt pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six different teams over 21 years, from 1977 to 1997. He pitched in 30 post-season games, including 20 League Championship Series games and seven World Series games, and never lost a game, going 3-0. Honeycutt gave up no runs in the 1988 and 1990 post-seasons, and was a member of the Oakland Athletics' 1989 World Series championship team. He was also the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 through 2019. Playing career Honeycutt was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and graduated from Lakeview – Fort Oglethorpe High School in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Honeycutt played for the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team from 1973–1976, where he was an All-American first baseman-pitcher and won the Southeastern Conference batting title with a .404 mark. He played summer ball in Liberal, Kansas, in the Jayhawk ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Larry Cox (baseball Catcher)
Larry Eugene Cox (September 11, 1947 – February 17, 1990) was an American professional baseball catcher and coach. He played all or parts of nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1973 until 1982. Cox threw and batted right-handed, standing tall, and weighing , during his playing days. Early life Cox, a native of Ottawa, Ohio, was a 1965 graduate of Ottawa-Glandorf High School, located in Ottawa. The following year, he was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent. Playing career After spending seven full seasons in minor league baseball in the club's farm system, Cox debuted with the Phils on April 23, 1973, appeared in one game, and was shuttled back to the minor leagues. He split the 1974–75 seasons between Philadelphia and the minors. At the end of the 1975 season, Cox was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Sergio Ferrer. He then spent the entire 1976 campaign back in Triple-A for the Twins, then was purchased by the Seattle Mariners. He ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Willie Horton (baseball)
Willie Horton (born William Wattison Horton, October 18, 1942) is a former left fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Detroit Tigers. Over an eighteen-year career spanning six American League teams he was a four-time All-Star and won a World Championship with the 1968 Tigers. He hit 20 or more home runs seven times, and his 325 career home runs ranked sixth among AL right-handed hitters when he retired. He enjoyed his best season in 1968, finishing second in the AL with 36 homers, a .543 slugging average and 278 total bases. In the later years of his career he was twice named the AL's top designated hitter. Early years Horton is the youngest of 14 children of James Horton and his wife Lillian (Wattison) Horton. He was born in Arno, Virginia, a small community in the corporate limits of Appalachia, Virginia. He hit a home run at Tiger Stadium at 16 years old during an all-city high school game. After winning a city championship with ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team in 1977 Major League Baseball expansion, 1977 playing their home games in the Kingdome. Since July , the Mariners' home Baseball park, ballpark has been T-Mobile Park, located in the SoDo, Seattle, SoDo neighborhood of Seattle. The "Mariners" name originates from the prominence of seamanship, marine culture in the city of Seattle. They are List of baseball nicknames, nicknamed the M's, a title featured in their primary logo from 1987 to 1992. They adopted their current team colors – navy blue, northwest green (teal), and Silver (color), silver – prior to the 1993 season, after having been royal blue and Gold (color), gold since the team's inception. Their List of Major League Baseball mascots, mascot is the Mariner ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |