History of the Texas Rangers (baseball)

Lore & Background

The franchise began in 1961 as the Washington Senators, an expansion team created after the original Senators moved to Minnesota. The new Senators played at Griffith Stadium in 1961 and then at RFK Stadium for the next ten years. The team struggled for most of its Washington tenure, losing an average of 90 games per season, with only one winning season in 1969 under manager Ted Williams. Owner Bob Short, facing financial difficulties, moved the team to Arlington, Texas, in 1972, where it became the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers played at Arlington Stadium from 1972 to 1993, then moved to the Ballpark at Arlington (renamed Globe Life Park in 2014). The team took 36 seasons to reach the playoffs, making their first postseason appearance in 1996. They have since made nine playoff appearances, winning division championships in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2016, and wild card berths in 2012 and 2023.

In 2010, the Rangers won their first American League pennant by defeating the New York Yankees, but lost the World Series to the San Francisco Giants. They repeated as AL champions in 2011 but lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals. The franchise finally won its first World Series in 2023, ending a championship drought that had been one of the longest in baseball history, though not the longest among all North American professional sports franchises (the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians had longer droughts).

Reader's Guide

The Texas Rangers' history reflects the challenges of an expansion franchise that relocated and eventually achieved success. The team's origins in Washington, D.C., were marked by futility and financial instability, culminating in a controversial move to Texas. The Rangers' long wait for a playoff appearance—36 seasons—underscores their early struggles. However, since 1996, the team has become a consistent contender, with multiple division titles and two American League pennants before finally winning the World Series in 2023. The franchise's journey from the Senators' last-place finishes to a championship team illustrates the perseverance and eventual triumph of a once-struggling organization. The Rangers' legacy includes breaking the longest championship drought in North American professional sports, cementing their place in baseball history.

Did You Know?

• The franchise was established in 1961 as the second incarnation of the Washington Senators, an expansion team.
• The team moved to Arlington, Texas, in 1972 and was renamed the Texas Rangers after the state law enforcement agency.
• The Rangers took 36 seasons to make their first playoff appearance in 1996.
• The team won its first World Series in 2023, ending a championship drought that had been one of the longest in baseball history, though not the longest among all North American professional sports franchises (the Chicago