Happy birthday to former Ranger RHP Burt Hooton, who turns 61 today.
Hooton is a Texas native and University of Texas product who was drafted #2 overall in the June draft by the Chicago Cubs in 1971. Hooton spent most of his career pitching for the Cubs and Dodgers, providing solid work for quite a few good teams while compiling a career 151-136 record with a 3.38 ERA and 108 ERA+.
In the 1984 offseason, the Rangers signed the 35 year old Hooton, who had pitched well out of the bullpen for the Dodgers the year before, to a sizeable contract, along with fellow veteran free agents Dave Rozema and Cliff Johnson. None of the three performed well for the 1985 Rangers, who went 62-99 on the year, and Hooton was released in the spring of 1986.