The Texas Rangers have been a part of the Major Leagues since 1961. The team was created as an expansion to replace the Washington Senators, which left Washington to become the Minnesota Twins. So, when the Rangers first came into being, the team was based in Washington and called the Senators.

This arrangement lasted until 1971, when the team was allowed to move to Texas. The team took up residence in Arlington Stadium and became the Rangers. Twenty years later, a new ballpark was built for the Rangers, The Ballpark in Arlington. While this is not the most inventive of names, the stadium itself boasts some unique features, such as the playing field built 22 feet below ground level. This protects the field, and the games, from hot summer winds. The park was renamed Ameriquest Field in 1994, and offers baseball tickets to crowds of more than 49,000 fans.

The Rangers did not have a stellar beginning. As the Senators, the team boasted one season record above .500, but finished most seasons at or near the bottom of the league. Moving to Texas helped. While the Rangers posted only a handful of winning seasons, they managed to finish in the top four most of the time, and flirted with the division championship regularly.

Finally, in 1996, the Rangers clinched the division and made their first trip to the American League championship game. Though they lost, the Rangers repeated the feat again in 1998 and 1999. Since the turn of the century, the team has slumped a bit, consistently taking third or fourth place.

A lack of championships hasn’t ruined sales of Rangers tickets. Over 2 million fans per year have filled Ameriquest Field, drawn by the terrific ballplayers who have worn Rangers uniforms over the years. Catcher Jim Sundberg and third baseman Buddy Bell both racked up multiple Gold Glove awards during the late 1970s and early 1980s. In the 1990s, catcher Ivan Rodriguez was honored with ten consecutive Gold Gloves and six Silver Sluggers, as well as an MVP award in 1999. Outfielder Juan Gonzalez’s solid hitting netted him five Silver Sluggers and the MVP award in 1996 and 1998. Shortstop Alex Rodriguez wowed the fans and took a slew of awards in 2003, including the Gold Glove, the Silver Slugger, and the MVP.

The most well-known Ranger of them all is pitcher Nolan Ryan. Ryan finished his spectacular baseball career with the Rangers, setting records that may well never be broken, at least not by just one pitcher. Ryan threw an astounding seven no-hitters, including two with the Rangers. He has the most strikeouts on record, 5,714. He even holds a record for most seasons ever played in the Major Leagues, 27. His number was retired by three teams, including the Rangers.

Fans of the Rangers hope that their best players aren’t in the history books, but that the team will revitalize with new talent and get ever closer to that dream of a Rangers World Series title.