Counting down Ranger All Star performances -- #6, Ruben Sierra

by Adam J. Morris on Jul 7, 2011 12:00 PM CDT

Continuing our countdown of the ten greatest Ranger performances in All Star Game history, we now move on to the #6 Ranger performance: Ruben Sierra, in the 1992 All Star Game

Ruben Sierra was named as a reserve outfielder for the American League in the 1992 All Star Game, played on July 14, 1992, at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Teammate Kevin Brown was the starting pitcher for the A.L., and Pudge Rodriguez was on the team as the A.L.'s backup catcher.

This was Sierra's third time being named to the All Star team, and he had a .306/.340/.491 line in the first half of the season. However, there was tension between the Rangers and Sierra, as Sierra was entering his walk year, and had rejected a long term contract extension from the Rangers.

Sierra entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, technically replacing Roger Clemens (who had entered the game in the 4th inning and was batting third as part of a double switch) in the lineup, although he was replacing Joe Carter as the A.L. right fielder.

Batting in the top of the sixth, Sierra came up to the plate against Cardinals righthander (and future Ranger starter) Bob Tewksbury. Tewksbury, who would end up finishing third in the N.L. Cy Young balloting, had a one-two-three top of the fifth, but was being knocked around in the sixth. Ken Griffey, Jr., led off the inning with a double to right, and then after a pair of ground outs, Carlos Baerga and Robin Ventura each also doubled. Up 8-0, with a runner on second and two outs, Sierra homered off of Tewksbury, giving the A.L. a 10-0 lead.

Sierra got one more plate appearance in this game, against Doug Jones, with two on and none out in the 8th. Sierra grounded into a force play, ultimately coming around to score later in the inning on double by Yankee outfielder (and future Ranger) Roberto Kelly.*

* Roberto Kelly, All Star? He only had a .272/.322/.384 line, good for a 98 OPS+, but he stole 28 bases and was a centerfielder. Besides, the Yankees weren't that good that season, winning just 76 games under Buck Showalter, and he was the token Yankee pick. Seriously, though...go look at the '92 Yankee roster, and marvel at the collection of mediocrities they were running out.

While this was one of the greatest Ranger All Star performances, Sierra wasn't a Ranger for much longer. Just seven weeks later, on August 31, 1992, the Rangers made a huge deadline deal with the Oakland A's, shipping Sierra, Jeff Russell (also a free agent at season's end), and Bobby Witt to Oakland for Jose Canseco.

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I was hoping the image for this article would be this:

"Nolan's about to make me shit my pants." by LiamP on Jun 21, 2011 11:10 PM CDT

by Brad on Jul 7, 2011 12:03 PM CDT reply actions

I think I was at this game

It was a nice speech, broken English and all. He could barely get the words out behind the tears.

Salma Hayek is not hot.

by AndrusImpersonator on Jul 7, 2011 12:07 PM CDT reply actions

How is Ruben Sierra Jr doing in the minors?

flaming out?

by Ranger miker on Jul 7, 2011 12:13 PM CDT reply actions

Ruben Sierra

He used to just obliterate the ball

"Anyone that knows me, an' the game of baseball, know what Ron Washington is about."

by Atticus F on Jul 7, 2011 12:21 PM CDT reply actions

Jeff Russell and Ruben Sierra

were my two favorite Rangers as a kid. I lived and breathed baseball (memorized box scores and stats from the sports page every morning). Drunk guys at Arlington Stadium couldn’t believe that I could name opposing players just by their jersey number.

I was eleven in 1992 and didn’t really understand free agency and big picture stuff. Needless to say, trading Russell and Sierra broke my heart. Getting Canseco made me bitter. That, combined with the lockout in 94-95, made me turn my back on baseball in the mid 90’s. Then, in my juvenile, emotional, stupidity, I sold all my baseball cards in freaking garage sale for $25. Biggest regret of my life.

"We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames." - Ron Washington 04/03/11

by erudy on Jul 7, 2011 12:22 PM CDT reply actions

ugh

"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz

"Baseball's all that's real" - JB

by Ryin A on Jul 7, 2011 12:24 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah.

:’(

Rino e-hug?

"We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames." - Ron Washington 04/03/11

by erudy on Jul 7, 2011 1:28 PM CDT up reply actions

so by the time of the Canseco trade

I was fed up with Sierra and happy he was traded. I was just a kid too, but I remember that year – I think it was 1990 or 1991 – that Sierra came to camp looking twice as big as the year before. He spend the offseason “weightlifting” (yeah…right). Anyway, he wasn’t as good as he had been in 1989 (when he very well could have been MVP). By 1992 Juan Gone and Pudge were my favorite players, and I was hoping that trade could catalyze something in the team (wrong…).

Go Rice Owls!
Would be a Matt Harrison fan, but I only like superstars

by JBImaknee on Jul 7, 2011 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions

I was stoked about getting Canseco.

He was a legit Super Star and Sierra was just a nice player.

I never felt like Sierra got the respect he should, and I was happy we were getting a guy that everyone would talk about in return. And he’d hit 40 HR every year for us.

Then he had the HR off his head… then he had the blowout game where they let him pitch…

Ugh.

"Nolan's about to make me shit my pants." by LiamP on Jun 21, 2011 11:10 PM CDT

by Brad on Jul 7, 2011 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions

Don't feel too bad

Born in 81, so you started collecting in 84/85/86? Stuff from that era through 94/95 can be picked up relatively cheaply. It was so mass overproduced that you can probably pick up late 80s early 90s sets for $10-$15.

So if you need to relive your childhood through cardboard pictures of baseball players you can.

If I had a gun to my head and had to pick one pitcher to pitch a game to save my life.... I'd pick 1999 Rick Helling.

Fire Pat Knight Hire Billy Clyde

My Sports Stuff on Ebay

by matthewbschultz83 on Jul 7, 2011 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions

im hoping one day everyone will just throw them away

or use them to start a fire and the market will go back up… i have a badass 88-96 baseball card collection that is worthless.

/dreaming

by I am Neftali Feliz on Jul 7, 2011 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions

The one set from that year that isn't

is 1995. I realized I didn’t have one from my childhood and I wanted the Topps Factory Set. It was $110. Everything else is from that era isn’t even 1/3 of the ’95 price set.

If I had a gun to my head and had to pick one pitcher to pitch a game to save my life.... I'd pick 1999 Rick Helling.

Fire Pat Knight Hire Billy Clyde

My Sports Stuff on Ebay

by matthewbschultz83 on Jul 7, 2011 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions

The one set from those years that isn't

is 1995. I realized I didn’t have one from my childhood and I wanted the Topps Factory Set. It was $110. Everything else is from that era isn’t even 1/3 of the ’95 price set.

If I had a gun to my head and had to pick one pitcher to pitch a game to save my life.... I'd pick 1999 Rick Helling.

Fire Pat Knight Hire Billy Clyde

My Sports Stuff on Ebay

by matthewbschultz83 on Jul 7, 2011 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, I'm going to restock at some point.

I had a few autographs that I got from Ranger events, so it’s more of a sentimental thing.

"We’re not about sending messages. We’re about winning ballgames." - Ron Washington 04/03/11

by erudy on Jul 7, 2011 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions

While this was one of the greatest Ranger All Star performances, Sierra wasn’t a Ranger for much longer. Just seven weeks later, on August 31, 1992, the Rangers made a huge deadline deal with the Oakland A’s, shipping Sierra, Jeff Russell (also a free agent at season’s end), and Bobby Witt to Oakland for Jose Canseco.

And thus began my Rangers fandom.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Jul 7, 2011 1:19 PM CDT reply actions

I really enjoyed that moment in the picture

"Look if you want a journalist hire a UT grad. If you want a doctor you pick a Baylor grad. If you need a vet you see an Aggie grad. And if you need a pizza you call a Tech grad." -BUBacker

by Mike E on Jul 7, 2011 1:37 PM CDT reply actions