From what I recall hearing, as soon as Fuson left, the Rangers started looking at trying to get out of the Cal League.

...is why Texas signed a FOUR year contract. Usually they’re just two. Only thing I can guess is Texas thought they were locking themselves into a good situation once a new or rebuilt stadium was in place. But that location began dying a slow death when the Dodgers bailed in 1995. There’s been no movement on a new stadium, and the team was essentially in receivership for a while.

Come to the Carolinas!

Although God damn Fayetteville is a long way from me :(

Is that the Carolina League? I’m too lazy to research whether this would be a brand new Minors club.

I just remember reading what an awful hitters league Carolina is when Andrus came over…

I’m a little tired of 9:30 and 10:00 starts and tricked up ballparks.

if they came back to the Florida State League! I didn’t follow the team at all back when they were here… I would go a crap load if they came back!

i am from Myrtle Beach, SC so it would be awesome to get to see some of the young guys play. I get to see all the braves minor leaguers come through, but I would like to see ours instead. I was lucky enough to see Salty and Andrus over the years.

I don’t know if I mentioned the field… the grass was nice, the rest of the place was a dump.

You might have to right-click it to see the full size.

It’s 354 feet to center.

The sun sets in the evening behind that big wall in center.

That might be all you need to know.

And no one wanted them? I seem to remember talk about them trying to get into the Carolina League before they signed their renewal with Bakersfield (Wilmington in particular) but none of the teams wanted to be associated with them because they didn’t consider the Rangers to be an attendance draw. Am I dreaming that? Of course, now they have a lot more good prospects in the lower levels so I suspect they’d be a lot more attractive to teams now.

so I have tons of minor league baseball around me with The RR express (AAA of the astros) and the SA missions (AA of the Padres). but the nearest rangers affiliate is Frisco which is just as long as a drive as going to arlington. so i would be off my rocker if a rangers A ball affiliate made its way to waco. that would be amazing. since waco is just about 90 minutes on I-35.

It’s feasible to put a team into either of the Carolinas, eastern Tennessee, or western Virginia in the CL, but that’s about it. They are very limited to wheels on pavement transportation, and even the time zone matters.

Having lived in Bakersfield… they are in desperate need of a new stadium. Sam Lynn Ballpark is AWFUL. So uncomfortable and concessions so bad that a Ranger fan WANTING to be at the park wouldn’t go to the park.

The old owners used to only worry about Opening Night, Fourth of July and one other night for a nice crowd. Otherwise they drew maybe 300 actual butts in seats and announced 750.

The town is actually OK. It is pretty hot in the summer, but with a nice new ballpark the fans may return… but I don’t think they ever will build a new park. When the Dodgers left, that was it. Piazza played there.