WFAA Rewind: The Rangers' first home opener in Texas in 1972

The Rangers' 1972 home opener marked the first time American League baseball was played in the state of Texas. WFAA's Jim Green and Verne Lundquist cover the game.

[@jeremyrench4592]

It’s crazy seeing this. I remember how hot those bleachers in the outfield got. I was little, but I’ve actually had the chance to watch games in this ballpark, and I remember when the first new stadium was built.

[@FredoDeLeon]

2023 World Series Champions !!!!!!

[@steveharkins4049]

Oh man I miss that old scoreboard.

[@mainman127]

@M nobody cares about soccer

[@coachbaseball7618]

Me too. Iconic. Simple. Beam me back to sitting in the outfield for pennies ⚾️⚾️

[@krisschedler]

definitely a pitcher's ballpark, just asking Jeff Burroughs how many towering shots died in that wind... he was traded to Braves and his homers jumped to over 40... he still won the MVP in Arlington though

[@robertboruski4302]

Awesome !!!

[@rockvilleraven]

The Rangers only drew about a few thousand more that year, than they did in Washington. They only broke a million after Short sold the team.

[@rockvilleraven]

@M We're talking baseball, not soccer.

[@davanmani556]

Verne Lundquist.

[@lsmftymf]

Interviewing future Orioles pitching coach Dick Bosman.

[@LinkRocks]

@@lsmftymf Who was also pitching coach for the Rangers in the 80s.

[@lsmftymf]

@@LinkRocks And the White Sox and Rays, too.

[@samstevens8012]

Who was the pitcher that Vern was interviewing ? Anybody know ??

[@wizardtruestar]

Seemed like a sharp dude.

[@luisvaldes1568]

Did you see the ticket prices sign. How do except anyone to go to a game? Outrages.

[@westernmaryland1928]

Short Still Stinks

[@rockvilleraven]

He's so cheap, that when the Rangers had the first batting helmet night, they just painted a white "T" over the curly W.

[@luisvaldes1568]

Team will lose over 100 games this season and in 1973. Then much more competitive starting in 1974 after hiring Billy Martin, thur the rest of the 70's.

[@americangiant1003]

Bad job by MLB. The AL should have just expanded by say 1974 to North Texas, Toronto and Seattle. And let the Senators stay in DC but build a new stadium. Could not understand the rush to play in a then crappy minor league stadium in Arlington that was rushed to be upgraded for the 1972 season. Should been a new ballpark in the city proper of Dallas. Dallas/Ft Worth no doubt deserves a MLB club by 1971-'72 maybe even sooner. It can debated that North Texas should had been picked first over say the NL expansion teams that Montreal(who by 2005 moved to DC) and San Diego got in 1969. In 2018, the population in Texas is so huge now, it can argued it should have a 3rd team in the state such as one in San Antonio? And back to DC? How in the world there was no team based in the American Captial City for over 30 years is insane. fyi. I know about Baltimore being nearby but if both teams in that Mid Atlantic region are doing well, there more than enough room for 2 teams in that part of the country.

[@DNSKansas]

You would have had 15 teams in the AL. Where would you have put the 16th team? I guess it would have been Denver or New Orleans (LMAO). Or would you have put D/FW and another team in the NL?

[@americangiant1003]

Either or that other scenrio would have worked Sir. No reason for the game of musical chairs in the 1960's and early '70's across MLB. Expansion in most cases made more sense.

[@rockvilleraven]

AmericanGiant100 It took DC 33 years to get a team because MLB thought they lost two teams. Washington perhaps should have gotten an expansion team and the Expos stayed in Montreal.

[@RRaquello]

The Stadium in DC was new. Less than 10 years old when the Senators moved out. From what I've heard over the years, teams in Washington have always had difficulty because Washington being the type of city it is (meaning all government workers) everybody wants to get comped into the ball park. Nobody wants to pay for their tickets. So if you're in congress, you expect a free ticket because you're a congressman or senator. They consider themselves to be VIP's and they get in free everywhere else. So that takes care of them. Then if you're the assistant or secretary to a congressman or senator, you expect a free ticket because you're a senator's secretary. And so on down the line till the janitor in the congressional office building expects a free ticket. So you get 20,000 fans in for a game, and only 5,000 have actually paid to get in. Don't know if it's still like that.

[@LinkRocks]

Calm down.

[@jeffreyreyes6800]

What a horrible stadium it is a minor league stadium baseball is soo dumb