ARLINGTON — The way Chuck Morgan looks at it, when he is inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame later this summer, Rangers might as well be, too.
Come to think of it, he might be right. Since Morgan arrived as the team’s P.A. announcer in 1983, nobody has become as staunch an advocate for the fan experience than him.
Morgan will be inducted into the Rangers’ Hall of Fame on August 14 prior to the 6:05 p.m. game against Oakland. The reason for that date: The other member of the Hall of Fame class, some guy named Adrian Beltré, preferred it so that former Ranger Elvis Andrus could attend. Beltré had a somewhat notable eight-year career in Arlington.
“For me it’s all about them,” Morgan, who now also carries the title of Executive Vice President for Ballpark Entertainment, Promotions and Productions, said of the fans. “I’m representing the fan here. I’m like anybody else here. I’m a baseball fan and have been for a long time, I can’t remember when I wasn’t. I care about their experience. Hopefully we have succeeded in doing that to the best of our ability. It’s important to me. There’s nothing better in my job now than getting to shake hundreds of fans’ hands in my booth every night. I share this with all Rangers fans.”
Beltré played the final eight seasons of his 21-year career with the Rangers, going over 3,000 hits in 2017 before retiring after the 2018 season. He joined the Rangers in 2011 and went to the World Series as well as three other trips to the postseason. He was named the team’s Player of the Year four times, won three Gold Gloves and a pair of Silver Sluggers. And, in case you weren’t aware, he became kind of popular as a lovable grump and big brother to Andrus.
They will become the 23rd and 24th members of the Hall of Fame, which was established in 2003. Over the last five years, though, there have been only two members enshrined: Former Arlington mayor Richard Greene and Josh Hamilton.
Members in the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame
Years in parenthesis are induction years
Charlie Hough, RHP (2003)
Jim Sundberg, C (2003)
Nolan Ryan, RHP (2003)
Johnny Oates, manager (2003)
Buddy Bell, 3B (2004)
Ferguson Jenkins, RHP (2004)
Tom Vandergriff, distinguished public servant (2004)
Mark Holtz, broadcaster (2005)
John Wetteland, RHP (2005)
Rusty Greer, OF (2005)
Ruben Sierra, OF (2009)
Toby Harrah, INF (2009)
Tom Grieve, as a player, team executive and broadcaster (2010)
Kenny Rogers, LHP (2011)
Eric Nadel, broadcaster (2012)
Ivan Rodriguez, C (2013)
Tom Schieffer, executive (2014)
Jeff Russell, RHP (2015)
Juan Gonzalez, OF (2015)
Michael Young, INF (2016)
Richard Greene, distinguished public servant (2019)
Josh Hamilton, OF (2019)
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