Rik Aalbert Blyleven is a Dutch-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 to 1992,primarily with the Minnesota Twins. Blyleven recorded 3,701 career strikeouts,the fifth-most in MLB history. He won 287 games,27th-most all-time,and pitched 4,970 innings,14th-most all-time. A renowned curveball pitcher,Blyleven was also a two-time All-Star and World Series champion. Although under-appreciated during his playing career,he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011—his second-to-last year of eligibility.
Guillermo Montañez Naranjo is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball first baseman,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the California Angels (1966),Philadelphia Phillies,San Francisco Giants (1975–1976),Atlanta Braves (1976–1977),New York Mets (1978–1979),Texas Rangers (1979),San Diego Padres (1980),Montreal Expos (1980–1981),and Pittsburgh Pirates (1981-1982). He batted and threw left-handed.
James Howard Sundberg is an American former professional baseball player,television sports analyst and executive. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1974 to 1989,most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers where he established himself as one of the top defensive catchers of his era. A three-time All-Star player,Sundberg won six consecutive Gold Glove Awards during his tenure with the Rangers. Later in his career,he won a World Series championship as a member of the Kansas City Royals in 1985. He also played for the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs. Sundberg was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2003.
Michael Lee Cubbage is an American former third baseman,coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m),180 pounds (82 kg),he batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
Thomas Alan Grieve is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball from 1970 to 1979 for the Washington Senators / Texas Rangers,New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals. He was nicknamed "TAG",which are his initials,and most notably as "Mr. Ranger",as he was a member of the Texas Rangers’1972 inaugural season. In 2010,Grieve was inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.
Roy Frederick Smalley III is an American former professional baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1975 through 1987 for the Texas Rangers (1975–76),Minnesota Twins,New York Yankees (1982–84),and Chicago White Sox (1984). Smalley was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. His father,Roy Jr.,was also an MLB league shortstop,and his uncle,Gene Mauch,was a long-time MLB manager and infielder.
William Robert Singer is an American former professional baseball pitcher with a 14-year career from 1964 to 1977. He played primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1964–72) and the California Angels (1973–75),spending his final two seasons with the Texas Rangers (1976),Minnesota Twins (1976),and Toronto Blue Jays (1977). His nicknames included "Sing Sing," "Billy No-No" and "The Singer Throwing Machine."
Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1971 through 1983 for the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers.
Kenneth Joseph Henderson is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1965 through 1980 for the San Francisco Giants,Chicago White Sox,Atlanta Braves,Texas Rangers,New York Mets,Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs.
Paul Adrian Devine was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher in 1973 and from 1975 through 1980 for the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. He batted and threw right-handed and served primarily as a relief pitcher.
The 1976 Minnesota Twins finished 85–77,third in the American League West. Only 715,394 fans attended Twins games,the lowest total in the American League. It was the third year in a row that the Twins attracted the fewest fans in the AL.
The 1978 Texas Rangers season involved the Rangers finishing second in the American League West with a record of 87 wins and 75 losses.
The 1977 Texas Rangers season involved the Rangers finishing second in the American League West with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses. The 1977 Rangers were notable for having an American League record four managers in the same season. Frank Lucchesi began the season as the manager but team's board of directors decide to make a change after the Rangers entered June with a .500 record. Former Major League player and manager Eddie Stanky was introduced as the new manager on June 17 but changed his mind after one game and returned to his home in Alabama. Bench coach Connie Ryan served as the interim manager for six games before Billy Hunter was hired and led the team to a 60-33 record for the rest of the year.
The 1976 Texas Rangers season involved the Rangers finishing fourth in the American League West with a record of 76 wins and 86 losses.
The 1978 Pittsburgh Pirates season was the 97th season of the Pittsburgh Pirates franchise;the 92nd in the National League. The Pirates finished second in the National League East with a record of 88–73.
The 1978 Atlanta Braves season was the 108th season for the franchise and their 13th in Atlanta.
Danny Leon Thompson was an American college and professional baseball player,a major league shortstop from 1970 to 1976. Diagnosed with leukemia in early 1973 at age 26,he played four more seasons in the majors and died ten weeks after his final game.
Víctor Manuel Cruz Gil was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during five seasons at the major league level for the Toronto Blue Jays,Cleveland Indians,Pittsburgh Pirates,and Texas Rangers.
The 1977 Major League Baseball season saw the American League (AL) having its third expansion,as the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays began play,with Seattle returning to the MLB fold after a seven-year absence when the Pilots relocated to Milwaukee to become the Brewers. However,the National League (NL) did not expand,remaining at 12 teams compared to the AL's 14,until the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins joined the NL in 1993.
Thomas Winton Boggs was an American professional baseball player and college baseball coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves (1978–1983).
