re: For the Ranger fans who were here in 2010-2011

Absolutely! Full Respect.


Rangebaws, I was at both of the WS in 2010 & 2011. I have a long history with the franchise as a fan & former employee.

I am just so happy.

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I have a long history with the franchise as a fan & former employee

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I worked games for Sports Network in the late 80's. I was a rookie reporter in 1986, the year Pete Incaviglia, Mitch Williams, Kevin Brown, Ruben Sierra, Bobby Witt, Dale Mohorcic and Jerry Browne were rookies. Booby V was the manager. Charlie Hough was the ace of the pitching staff. I sat in the Auxiliary B press box with the radio and TV people, in Arlington Stadium.

You may have known John Welaj, who had the title of Spring Training Director, or something like that. He was in his 70's back then, and had played for the Washington Senators before WWII. He had great stories about playing on minor league teams in Havana with Joe DiMaggio's brother Dom and Chuck Conners. He brought in a team picture one night of one of those Havana teams. After I quit working games, I'd go before the season and buy tickets for a list of games. When they built The Ballpark I bought season tickets seven rows from the field under the homerun porch. You had to keep up with the games more down there because you couldn't see a scoreboard or the diamond vision. John knew where I sat. He'd come down, or I'd meet him before games and catch up. I didn't know he was a decorated WWII veteran until I read that in his obituary. I didn't realize the war was what basically ended his career.

I saw my last game in person in September of 2010. I had tickets for the 1st home game vs.Tampa on Oct 9th, but didn't go because I found out I needed a quadruple bypass on Oct. 4th. Had a blood clot mess up my leg and didn't get out of the hospital until Jan. 6th, 2011, the day before LSU played A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Had to give those tickets away too.

I miss Rangers and Mavs games a lot.