On this date in franchise history, the Texas Rangers hired Buck Showalter as the team’s manager.
Showalter’s hiring came on Oct. 11, 2002, as the Rangers were coming off a losing season. In mid-2001, Johnny Oates resigned as manager and Jerry Narron took over. Narron remained as the manager in 2002 until he was fired at the end of the season.
At the time, Showalter had twice been the manager before the manager that took a team to a World Series title. Showalter managed the New York Yankees from 1992-95. After leading the Yankees to the postseason in 1995, he resigned after then-Yankees owner George Steinbrenner offered Showalter a new two-year contract, but demanded that Showalter fire his hitting coach, Rick Down. Steinbrenner’s next hire, Joe Torre, led the Yankees to a world championship the following season.
Showalter then led the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks from 1998-2000 before he was fired. The next year, his replacement, Bob Brenly, led the D-Backs to a world championship against Showalter’s other former employer, the Yankees.
He managed four years with the Rangers, compiling a 319-329 record. He never led the Rangers back to the postseason, but somehow won a manager of the year award in 2004. After leaving the Rangers, he went back to television and eventually took another stab at managing in Baltimore. In Baltimore, he wore No. 26 in tribute to former Orioles and Rangers manager Johnny Oates.
Also on this date …
Oct. 11, 2011: The Rangers went to Comerica Park in Detroit for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, losing, 5-2. Texas had a 2-0 lead in the series entering the game. The Rangers took an early 1-0 lead on three straight hits, but the Tigers escaped and eventually took the lead and controlled the contest.
Oct. 11, 2015: Sitting on a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series, the Rangers returned home to try and close the series out against the Toronto Blue Jays. But, Toronto bounced back with a 5-1 win in Game 3. The Blue Jays had a 5-0 lead after six innings before the Rangers scored their only run of the game in the seventh.
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