|
2007 Texas Rangers Season
The Texas Rangers' 2007 season began with the team trying to win an AL West title for the first time since 1999. The Rangers finished in last place in the AL West with a 75-87 won-loss record, 19 games behind the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Preseason *Manager Buck Showalter was fired with three years remaining on his contract. The Rangers hired former Oakland Athletics third base coach Ron Washington to replace Showalter. *OF Gary Matthews Jr., OF/INF Mark DeRosa, OF Carlos Lee, and RHP Adam Eaton signed with other clubs via free agency. *OF Frank Catalanotto signed a multi-year contract, *RHP Éric Gagné and center fielder Kenny Lofton each signed one-year contracts to close games and play center field, respectively. *OF Sammy Sosa also signed a one-year contract with the team that drafted him in 1985, expected to be the Rangers' right fielder. The team entered the season with only one spot in the pitching rotation to fill, with Jamey Wright beating out Kameron Loe and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Gary Matthews Jr
Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran * Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;United States *Gary (Tampa), Florida * Gary, Maryland *Gary, Minnesota *Gary, South Dakota *Gary, West Virginia * Gary – New Duluth, a neighborhood in Duluth, Minnesota *Gary Air Force Base, San Marcos, Texas * Gary City, Texas Ships * USS ''Gary'' (DE-61), a destroyer escort launched in 1943 * USS ''Gary'' (CL-147), scheduled to be a light cruiser, but canceled prior to construction in 1945 * USS ''Gary'' (FFG-51), a frigate, commissioned in 1984 * USS ''Thomas J. Gary'' (DE-326), a destroyer escort commissioned in 1943 People and fictional characters * Gary (surname), including a list of people with the name *Gary (rapper), South Korean rapper and entertainer * Gary (Argentine singer), Argentine singer of cuarteto songs Other uses *'' G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Stewart (baseball)
Christopher David Stewart (born February 19, 1982) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Amateur career Born in Fontana, California, Stewart attended Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, California. After graduating high school in 2000, Stewart attended Riverside Community College for one season before turning professional. During his freshman season at Riverside, Stewart hit .361 with a .509 slugging percentage. Professional career Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox selected Stewart in the 12 round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. He signed with the White Sox that year on August 18. Stewart began his professional career in 2002 with the Chicago White Sox rookie-level affiliate, the Bristol White Sox of the Appalachian League. With Bristol, S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bruce Chen
Bruce Kastulo Chen (born June 19, 1977), is a Panamanian former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, and Cleveland Indians, from to . Background Chen was born in Panama to José and Luisa Chen. He is of Chinese descent. His paternal grandfather, Kuen Chin Chan Lee, joined his brothers and other relatives in Panama at age nine during the Chinese Civil War. Chen's maternal grandmother, Kuen Yin Liu de Laffo, was born in Panama, but her family had to return to China after fire destroyed their home. After years of hard labor, she returned to Panama at age 24. Both of Chen's grandparents have died. In a 2006 article in ''The Washington Post'', Chen said that he would like to visit China to better understand his roots. Chen has a brother, Kastulo, and a sister, Karla. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kameron Loe
Kameron David Loe (born September 10, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, and Atlanta Braves. At , Loe was one of the tallest players in the long history of the game. Baseball career Amateur Kameron Loe played high school baseball at Granada Hills High School with Ryan Braun. Loe played college baseball at California State University, Northridge from 1999 to 2002, and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 20th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. Texas Rangers He made his MLB debut with the Rangers on September 26, 2004, against the Seattle Mariners, working 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. In his next appearance on September 29, he made his first start against the Anaheim Angels. He allowed five runs in 4 innings though did not receive a decision. He recorded his first win in a two inning extra-inning relief appearance against t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jamey Wright
Jamey Alan Wright (born December 24, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who serves as the pitching coach for the Oklahoma City Dodgers. He played for 10 different teams in Major League Baseball (MLB): the Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Tampa Bay Rays. Wright batted and threw right-handed. An Oklahoma City native, Wright was a first round draft pick of the Rockies in 1993. He reached the majors with them in 1996 and was part of their starting rotation through the 1999 season. Traded to Milwaukee before the 2000 season, he became the Brewers' Opening Day starter in 2001, winning a career-high 11 games. After being traded to St. Louis during the 2002 season, he spent most of 2003 in the minor leagues, then pitched for the Rockies again in 2004 and 2005. He was named the fifth starter for the Giants and the Rang ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Right Fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the right fielder is assigned the number 9. Position description Outfielders must cover large distances, so speed, instincts and quickness to react to the ball are key. They must be able to catch fly balls above their head and on the run, as well as prevent balls hit down the right field foul line from getting past them. Being situated 250–300 feet from home plate, they must be able to throw the ball accurately over a long distance to be effective. Of all outfield positions, the right fielder often has the strongest arm, because they are the farthest from third base. As well as the requirements above, the right fielder backs up first base on all throws from the catcher and pitche ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, 1968) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs. After playing for the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox, Sosa joined the Cubs in 1992 and became regarded as one of the game's best hitters. Sosa hit his 400th home run in his 1,354th game and his 5,273rd at-bat, reaching this milestone quicker than any player in National League history. He is one of nine players in MLB history to hit 600 career home runs. In 1998, Sosa and Mark McGwire achieved national fame for their home run-hitting prowess in pursuit of Roger Maris' single-season home-run record. With the Cubs, Sosa became a 7-time All-Star while holding numerous team records. He finished his career with stints with the Baltimore Orioles and the Rangers for a second time. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. Lofton was a six-time All-Star (1994–1999), four-time Gold Glove Award winner (1993–1996), and at retirement, was ranked 15th among all-time stolen base leaders with 622. During his career, he played for the Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Texas Rangers. Lofton attended the University of Arizona on a basketball scholarship. The Wildcats made it to the Final Four in 1988. He did not join the school's baseball team until his junior year. Lofton made 11 postseason appearances, including World Series appearances in 1995 and 2002 with the Indians and Giants, respectively. From 2001 to 2007, Lofton did not spend more than one consecutive season with a team. For his career, the Indians were the only team he played ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Center Fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the center fielder is assigned the number 8. Position description Outfielders must cover large distances, so speed, instincts and quickness to react to the ball are key. They must be able to catch fly balls above their heads and on the run. They must be able to throw the ball accurately over a long distance to be effective. As well as the requirements above, the center fielder must be the outfielder who has the best combination of speed and throwing distance. The center fielder "covers more 'grass' than any other player" (see photo) and, most likely, will catch the most fly balls. The position also has the greatest responsibility among the three outfielders for coordinating their play to prevent collisions when converging on a fly ball, and on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné (; born January 7, 1976) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher who played 10 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Los Angeles Dodgers. After signing with the Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher. After he struggled in that role, the Dodgers converted Gagné from a starter to a reliever, where for three years (2002–2004) he was statistically the most outstanding closer in the game, winning the Cy Young Award in 2003. During that period, he set a major league record by converting 84 consecutive save opportunities. The phrase "Game Over" was heavily used by the Dodgers and the media in connection with his appearances to finish close games. Gagné played sparingly in 2005 and 2006 due to injury, undergoing elbow surgery in 2005 and back surgery in 2006. The Dodgers did not re-sign him after 2006, and Gagné started the 2007 season with the Texas Rangers, where he briefly enjoyed suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frank Catalanotto
Frank John Catalanotto (born April 27, 1974) is an American baseball coach and former infielder and left fielder, who is the current head baseball coach of the Hofstra Pride. Catalanotto played professional baseball for the Detroit Tigers (1997–1999), the Texas Rangers (2000–2002, 2007–2008), the Toronto Blue Jays (2003–2006), the Milwaukee Brewers (2009) and the New York Mets (2010). In his career, Catalanotto played all infield and outfield positions except shortstop and center field. He then went on to be the head baseball coach of the NYIT Bears (2019–2020). Professional career Detroit Tigers (1997–1999) Catalanotto began his professional baseball career in 1992 when the Detroit Tigers—who first noticed him while scouting higher-profile players at a Smithtown East baseball game in 1991—drafted him in the tenth round of the 1992 Major League Baseball draft. Primarily a second baseman in the minors, he made his major league debut at second base on September 3, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
