#23 Ted Kubiak

Good glove man....but struggled with the bat regardless of what side of the plate....went yard 13 times in a career spanning 10 years 1967-1976....for a career hit an uninspiring .231 over but other than his .157 debut was able to keep BA over .200 in every subsequent season....was never demoted to minors either....finest season was 1970....took over at 2nd base in Milwaukee....fair results .252, 2 HRs, 41 RBIs.....started slow in 1971 and flipped to the Cardinals .....Surfaced with newly relocated Texas Rangers for 1972 (the worst) then the pennant winning Oakland A’s (1st)....stayed in the eastern side of the bay area until mid 1975.....collected three championship rings.....last stop made San Diego his home....continuing reserve infield duties until age 34 at the conclusion of the 1976 season...Initially shied away from baseball in favor of real estate....eventually coaxed out into managing in the low minors for 21 season ranging from 1989 to 2014.....Cited art as his primary hobby, a deviation from the standard hunting, fishing, golf of most his contemporaries....in his early playing days bore a striking resemblance to 80’s Rocker Adam Ant.

#104 Toby Harrah

Palindrome last name....Future Ranger fixture that present for the franchises swan song from Washington….valiant effort  to make the DC crowd forget about losing the left side of their infield in the infamous Denny McClain trade...tough trick fresh out of AA ball....was the last Senator to bat although never registered a plate appearance for Tom McGraw was caught stealing while Harrah at the plate, next inning the crowd took over the field while the Yankees were at bat....result forfeit ending a truly bizarre contest....As a Ranger does a rare thing improves his numbers for five straight seasons evolving from a banjo hitter to a power threat....exceptional batting eye accelerating his on base % much in the mold of peer Gene Tenace....a keen batting eye over a pitcher reluctance to surrender a hittable offering....a subpar year of 1978 promoted a traded to Cleveland....regained his plate skills along with being united with fellow “walker” Mike Hargrove....also made for many a long game, sometimes referred as "human rain delays".....continues standard work past 1983....traded to Yankees for 1984....a decided flop in the Bronx....returns to Arlington for a comeback albeit a more limited role....at age 36 hits .270 and garners 113 walks in 521 plate appearances....personal best in walks and good for 2^nd in AL...1986 was last year as time caught up....4 time all star but did not play in 1972 due to shoulder injury.....Adaptable in the field, starting at short, middle career at 3^rd, and finishing as at 2^nd base....Did extensive managing and coaching both at minor and major league level....would be better known if he played in media centers rather than obscurity of cellar dwelling Cleveland or Texas....a practical joker....never spent a moment in a post season but remained a romantic and philosophic about participating in 2155 games.

#191 Jeff Burroughs

Intermittent superstar…reached MVP heights (1974)  then BA would drop dramatically, a phenomenon that took place a couple of times….after a couple less than stellar trials Burroughs makes good on his touted first draft pick in 1969 promise with 30 home runs in 1973….the first offensive threat for the Senator\Ranger franchise since the prime of Frank Howard…fine follow up in 1974 with AL best 118 RBIs and .301 average….rolled up MVP honors over the prime of the Oakland A’s lineup….drop off of 80 points in his BA 1975 while power numbers remain the same…another below standard season and Jeff is traded to Atlanta for 1977….. hitter’s park to his liking and Burrough is revitalized with 41 HRs, 114 RBI, and .271 BA….opposing pitcher got wise next season trying to pitch around Jeff….the move cuts into his run production but leads the NL in walks and on base %....1979 Burrough’s numbers drop again….this time while he comes back he is never the force with run production at about one-half and BA hovering near .260 making stops in Seattle and Oakland…wraps up his last year 1985 in Toronto….made a name for himself after playing as a  highly successful Little League coach winning back to back World Titles with his son and eventual big leaguer Sean his star player.    

#231 Casey Cox

Swingman sometimes starting sometimes relieving....started in bullpen circa 1966 but in later years never fully defined in a specific role....his dual role was a pleasant addition as Washington vaulted to a winning record 1969....like his employer the triumph was short lived....1970 both Cox (now mostly a starter) and the Nats regressed....Casey’s ERA was 1.5 runs per higher than his career averager.....1971 returned mostly to the Pen in a fireman by committee situation....Packed his bags to Texas with the franchise but was in effect being phased out of MLB employment....acquired by Yankees for a few innings late in the 1972 pennant race....pitched one game for Yankees in 1973, mostly worked in AAA Wichita....Cool name.

#242 Don Mincher

Three times Mincher was view to a franchise’s last days in a given location….and this might be record that no one keeps nor will be broken….the Forest Gump of franchise moves…it all started in 1960 and Mincher is called up and plays in the last game of the original frachise….Traveling with the franchise to Minnesota, Mincher gradually garners playing time and improves reaching 17 home runs and a .258 BA in 1963….hits over 20 homers the next two seasons….a drop in power in 1966 and the Twins jettisons him to the Angels for essentially getting the arm of Dean Chance…As an Angel, Mincher puts together his best over all season buoyed by .273 BA….another off campaign in 1968 and Mincher is exposed to the expansion draft….taken in first round, Mincher rebounds to lead the first year squad in their only year in Seattle….Mincher is traded to the A’s as Pilots metamorphosed into the Brewers….He continues to hit with power out homering teammates Reggie Jackson and Sal Bando….Don starts 1971 in Oakland but is traded to the second edition of the Senators who continue to have the same struggles as the first….A puzzling trade where the Nats surrender a better reliever and younger first baseman, Mike Epstein….Nevertheless, Don put together is highest average .291 of career….On again, on the field for Senator’s last game which was forfeit (although the books show Senators 7, NYY 5)….Starts 1972 in Texas….traded back to Oakland midseason…play little and hits poorly….still makes post season roster….in last official at bat in WS game 3 gets a critical hit for a 3-2 Oakland victory....stayed in baseball eventually becoming the commissioner of the AA Southern League.

#329 Roy Foster

Example of strong rookie season then quick decline....A seven year farm hand who got a chance with Cleveland after developing in the Mets, Pirates, and mid winter acquisition by the Pilots/Brewer franchise....Never had even a taste of MLB work prior.....excellent rookie debut, exceeded expectations, 23 home runs, .268 BA ....Finished second in ROY to Thurman Munson.....Follow up season not as strong 16 home runs and .245 BA.... Ranger moniker on his 1972 card was façade for he never played for them....a case of reacquisition by the tribe just before 1972 contest began....His return to Indians was uneventful....Even though the Senator name is print on his card, Roy get a one team mention in the links section.

#334 Rangers Rookie Stars

Interesting lot...all players got in a varying amount of MLB playing time....none graced with superstardom in fact quite the opposite....Bill Fahey....career backup catcher with late blooming slant.....came to 1972 Rangers with a AA experience.....his 7 home runs in AA suggested some pop but showed very little at the top....Stayed with Texas organization for 8 years, struggling for playing time or even to stay with the big club at times....Spent 1973 and 1978 exclusively in Ranger AAA....trade to Padres gave him semi regular status a decent .271 BA over 1979-80....sold to Detroit where he finished as a seldom used reserve much like days in Tex...Jim Mason...got more playing time than Fahey but with very limited production....after two Rangers season of hitting barely .200 was acquired by Yankees....essentially snuck in as their regular shortstop 1974...mixed result;  25 errors counteracted his .250 BA which was a career high....failed at the plate thereafter....registered consistently near below .200 for rest of career which included return stops to Texas and Montreal....career highlight one World Series at bat, one home run, perfect OPS....with career BA of .201 in 1400+ at bats, (bear in mind Mendoza line is .215) possibly the worst player with that amount of MLB playing time...Tom Ragland...infielder most stationed at 2^nd base....hit poorly in his Ranger days and was caught up in a glut of Texas infielder wantabes...Found himself in Cleveland 1973, passable job with .257 BA but did not get a return ticket for 1974.

#396 Paul Lindblad

Save for 7 games with the Yankees at the very of his career, spent his career alternating between Athletics and Senators/Rangers organizations...good reliever but not #1 at any one time....just part of the effective phalanx of Oakland fireman.....season best  total of saves topped out at 9....Career span from 1965 to 1978....dabbled with starting at first but was fast stationed in bullpen....as a whole collected 64 saves bringing an average of 6 a year....high point was leading the AL in games 1972 with 66 with the first year Texas Rangers....two less than his career best during 1974 as a Oakland A’s

#424 Bill Gogolewski

Go Go Gogolewski....Wisconsin product....toiled for both Senators and Rangers incarnations ...above the Senator’s level of par in rookie season...a winning record and 2.67....an inning eater in Texas but lost early and often and could have suffered from shell shock...his 4.23 ERA was above the team average but not so bad by today’s standards....1973 was somewhat of a repeat the only difference was that he was relegated to the bullpen….meaning less decisions and innings….Return to starting in 1974, but for Cleveland’s farm system….was only able to get up to the show for 5 games….released and picked up by Chisox in 1975…was able to stay up entire year but used sparingly….released and quit the game thereafter.

#598 Hal King

Career MLB back up catcher…traded to Texas in a straight up for fellow catcher, Paul Casanova…best season 1970 was already behind him….Started in Houston organization and had two cups of coffee in 1967 and 1968…Traded to Red Sox who kept him in the minors for 1969….Taken in rule 5 draft by Atlanta where he split time with Bob Tillman….hit 11 home runs and respectable .260…1971 saw a loss of playing time and a drop to .207….the Texas odyssey resulted in a sub .200 average….tossed in as an add on in Cincinnati’s swap of Jim Merritt…finished career with season as a third string catcher behind Johnny Bench and Bill Plummer.

#658 Steve Dunning

Straight out of Stanford U to the Mistake on the Lake…1^st round draft pick in 1970…which turned out to be a mistake too…immediately pressed into service with the big club…winning pitcher in debut and was solid in next two games…subsequent poor outings inflated ERA to low 5’s or high 4’s…Finished season 4-9 and 1971 with 8-14 record...highlight of 1971 was hitting a grand slam and would be the last AL pitcher to do so in more than 37 years…Best season was 1972 where he went to the minors for the first time and was a mid season call up with a 6-4 record and 3.26 ERA….Pretty much went downhill afterwards…A bad start in 1973 prompted the Tribe to send him to Texas…things didn’t get much better, going 2-6 with ERA over 5.00….Spent next two years almost primarily in AAA and changing organizations…Did win American Association pitcher of the year award in 1975…Didn’t translate to for big success…despite appearing 36 games in 1976 Steve drifted through four teams in two years...White Sox, Angels, Expos, Oakland…finished career in 1978 with Hawaii.