What do you think is the greatest regular season moment in Texas Rangers franchise history? You’ve got the chance to cast your vote with The Dallas Morning News’ bracket of the Rangers’ greatest regular-season moments.
It all comes down to Kenny Rogers’ 1994 perfect game and the Rangers clinching their first AL West championship in 1996.
Check out the full bracket below to see how we got to the championship round.
SportsDay Rangers greatest regular season moments in Rangers history bracket entering the championship round.
SportsDay Staff
Rangers
We had one close semifinal matchup and one not-so-close semifinal. No. 1 seed Kenny Rogers’ perfect game narrowly topped No. 5 seed Nolan Ryan’s seventh no-hitter 53% to 47%, while No. 2 seed Rangers clinch first AL West title rolled past No. 3 seed Nolan Ryan’s 5,000th strikeout 63% to 37%.
Starting on Wednesday, August 13, the championship voting will open at 6 a.m. and will close on Sunday, August 17 at 11:50 p.m. Each round of voting will go from Wednesday to Sunday until a champion is crowned on Aug. 20. The champion will be announced on next week’s episode of the SportsDay Rangers podcast.
By voting, you also are entering yourself into a contest to win our incredible grand prize. The winner of our championship contest will receive an incredible behind-the-scenes experience that will include Rangers tickets, on-field access during batting practice and a private Rangers artifacts tour!
Here’s the full voting schedule.
– Round of 16: July 23-July 27
– Quarterfinals: July 30-Aug. 3
– Semifinals: Aug. 6-Aug. 10
– Finals: Aug. 13-Aug. 17
– Announcement: Aug. 20
Without further ado, you can cast your vote below! In case you want your memory refreshed or just want a walk down Memory Lane, you can see the eight moments still standing in the bracket below, accompanied with a brief description, links back to The News’ coverage of the moment and a video.
Having trouble accessing the voting window? Tap here to try this link!
No. 1 Kenny Rogers’ perfect game, 1994
Rogers threw the only perfect game in franchise history in 1994, blanking the California Angels in a 98-pitch effort on July 28, 1994. It was the 12th perfect game in baseball’s modern era (since 1900) and is one of just 24 perfect games in baseball history.
“I still can’t believe it,” Rogers told The News that day. “I was just trying to get back in the dugout and give us a chance to hit.”
He struck out eight batters and the perfect game was famously preserved by an outstanding catch by Rusty Greer in the ninth inning. See Greer’s iconic catch and Rogers’ final out below.
No. 2 Rangers clinch first AL West title, 1996
On Sept. 27, 1996, the Rangers clinched their first division title in franchise history in unique, awkward fashion. While the Rangers were in an extra innings affair with the Angels, the Athletics eliminated the Mariners and secured Texas’ first division title.
The twist? Before smartphones, fans and players didn’t know that Seattle had lost until the outfield scoreboard revealed the final score. The crowd erupted, but the players showed no emotion. The Rangers eventually lost 4-3 in 15 innings, and after some handshakes in the dugout, fireworks were set off, the banner was unfurled and the celebration began in Arlington.
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