Here They
Are in All Their Glory!
The
Uniforms of the Texas Rangers
Bask in the Tradition. Bask
in the Memories.
Titled “Life Is Just
Practice For Baseball” and Licensed by Major League
Baseball, the Artwork is available in two framed presentations:
An eye-catching framed-and-matted print
measuring 12” x 21” that sells for only $52 each—which is an exceptional
value for a fully assembled Artpiece of this size. And a dramatic 19” x 39” triple-matted high-quality print (a
Letter of Authenticity is included) that is limited to an edition size of only
299 and sells for the discounted cost of $399.
Please note your Artwork will arrive at your
door in 7 to 10 days when you place your order. And needless to say, there is a 30-day full moneyback
guarantee. In addition, The
Greatest-Scapes pays all shipping costs and any required sales tax!
The Greatest-Scapes also offers the option of
an interest-free Extended Payment Plan for credit card orders. For the $52 framed print, you can pay $26.00
upfront and the balance of $26.00 thirty days later. While the $399 framed Limited Edition can be purchased with an
initial $133, and payments of $133 billed thirty and sixty days later.
To phone in your credit
card order, please call us at 1-800-786-3022 anytime between 10am and 6pm
(Eastern) Monday through Friday. You
can also mail in your order, payable to The Greatest-Scapes, to: The Greatest-Scapes/P.O. Box
5548/Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Please
include your shipping address and specify which Artwork(s) you’re ordering and
how many. And please don’t hesitate to
call us toll-free if you ever have any questions or would like any additional
information.
For your convenience, you can print out our
Order Form.
Click Here for
Order Form
And this Artwork evokes an unmistakably
Classic quality. Indeed, it will look at
home next to a diploma or a work of fine art.
Whether you hang it on a wall or lean it on a shelf or mantle, the
Artwork will make a striking impression.
Please keep in mind, though, the visuals
depicted here on the website simply can not do justice to the detail and
quality of the actual Artwork.
Please note the uniform images shown are
produced from hand-painted watercolor paintings. The publisher chose this route, rather than photographs, because
in many cases original jerseys no longer exist, even at the various halls of
fame. In addition, a more consistent
look and feel for the uniforms is achieved by painting them, and allows for a
higher level of detail than a photograph in some cases.
Here, then, is a detailed description of the
12” x 21” Artpiece that sells for only $52 each. It consists of a 5” x 15” paper print that is housed in a black
frame with a textured black mat. The
black mat has a white groove cut into it, thus adding depth and beauty to the
piece. Weighing approximately four pounds,
the Artwork is protected by unbreakable Plexiglas and includes a “hanger” on
the back to allow for easy hanging. The
black frame—and especially the textured black mat with white groove—makes
this a truly stunning Artpiece.
The above is an example of
the 12” x 21” Artpiece, which depicts the Washington Redskins.
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As for the 19” x 39” Limited Edition Artwork,
please note each Artwork is printed on 115-lb Garda Gloss stock and then
mounted to avoid any rippling effects.
As for its matting and framing, the Limited Edition is triple-matted in
an acid-free framing style. The outer
mat is a rich, black textured mat with white core. The middle and inner mat colors have been selected to complement
the team’s colors and the overall framed piece. The matting is framed to create a shadow box effect, giving the
entire framed piece a unique three-dimensional look. The frame is an exquisite solid wood frame finished with a rich
black matte texture, chosen to complement all three mats and the print
itself. Finally, the Artpiece is
protected by high-quality framing glass; the total weight of the Artpiece being
approximately 10 pounds.
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The above is
an example of the 19” x 39” Limited Edition Artpiece,
which depicts the
New York Yankees.
Here then is the history of the Rangers’ Uniforms …
#1.
1962 The
Texas Rangers began as the Washington Senators in 1961. This was the second
coming of the Senators as they originally started in the American League as the
Nationals in 1901. They changed the name to the Senators in 1957. Then the team
was relocated to Minnesota for the 1961 season, where they became the Twins.
The American League awarded an expansion franchise to Washington once the
original team left, so the “new” Senators club began in the ’61 season. In the
new Senators season opener President John F. Kennedy threw out the ceremonial
first pitch in Griffith Stadium, (they only played here for the first season).
In 1962 the Senators move to their new home D.C. Stadium, (which would later be
renamed R.F.K. Memorial Stadium in 1969). In a year that featured two All Star
Games, (this was started in 1959, and ended this season) D.C. Stadium played
host to the first one and Chicago’s Wrigley Field was the site of the second.
The “new” Senators weren’t too successful this season, finishing in last place
in the AL with a 60-101 record.
The first uniform we see on the poster is a home jersey. The pinstripes were a
very classic look, but the zipper down the front gives it away as a ‘60’s
jersey. Several teams used the zipper as opposed to the buttons from the mid
‘40’s to the late ‘60’s. The Senators only used it on their home jerseys in the
’61 and ’62 seasons.
#2.
1968 As we see on this home uniform,
the Senators have stuck with the same look as we last saw in ’62, with the
exception of a few things. The lettering on the front is now in cursive
writing, complete with a “swoosh” that underlines the team name. Also, buttons
have replaced the zipper we saw on the last jersey.
The team hasn’t improved much since ’62. They finish this season in last place
yet again, going 65-96. The only major bright spot is the outstanding play of
Frank Howard, the Senators big hitting outfielder/first baseman. He led the
American League this season with 44 home runs, and finished second in RBI’s
with 106. In the winter of this year Robert E. Short buys majority interest in
the team while former Red Sox great Ted Williams joins the team as its Manager.
They finish with the franchises first winning season since they started in ’61,
garnering Williams the AL Manager of the Year Award.
#3.
1972 This Rangers home jersey is a
double-knit style that most major league teams succumbed to during the 70’s and
early 80’s. It was made of stretchy, synthetic material and the pants were
called “Sans-a-Belt” because the elasticized waistline that eliminated the need
for a belt. The team kept the Senators color scheme of red, white and blue.
Piping was added around the collar and sleeves, also with the red, white and
blue.
At the end of the 1971 season, owner Robert
E. Short receives approval from the American League to move the team to
Arlington Texas for the next season, where they would play in Arlington
Stadium. They were renamed the Rangers, and went on to play a sub par season.
New city, same results. They finished in last place yet again. At the end of
the season, manager Ted Williams retired from baseball, and Whitey Herzog
replaced him at the helm. Herzog wouldn’t even last a season in Texas. He would
be let go in September and Billy Martin would take over. Keen observers might
note that in 1972 the Rangers only played 154 games instead of the usual 162 –
why? On March 30 1972, Marvin Miller, executive director of the Players'
Association, completes his canvass of players on the issue of a players’
strike. The vote comes in at 663 in favor of a strike, ten against, and two
abstentions. Thus on April 6, 1972, for the first time in history, the
major-league season fails to open due to a general player strike. The strike,
announced April 1, will erase 86 games from the major league schedule. The end
of the baseball strike is announced on April 13 with an abbreviated schedule to
start two days later. The Rangers finish with a 54-100 record.
#4.
1977 This road uniform is still the
double-knit style with the “Sans-a-Belt”. It is now a pullover, with only two
buttons at the top. The black armband and #4 on the left sleeve pays respect to
infielder Danny Thompson, who joined the Rangers in ’76, and passed away in
December of that year. The patch on the right sleeve was first worn in ’76 as a
bicentennial patch. It had on it the years 1776 and 1976. The team seemed to
like the patch and hung onto it for a few more years, but took off the
bicentennial dates.
The Rangers are now contenders. Despite going through four managers in one season,
they have a great season winning 94 and losing 68, to finish only 8 games
behind Kansas City in the AL West standings.
#5.
1983 The
Rangers still have the “Sans-a-Belt” on their road uniform, but have gone back
to the style of buttons down the front. This is a darker blue than the last
jersey we saw, and they have added a new logo on the front. It is the shape of
Texas with a baseball and a large “T.R.” on top of that. The letters for
“TEXAS” are now white as opposed to the red we have seen before.
Texas finishes the season leading the American League in fielding and ERA but
finish in third place in the AL West with 77 wins and 85 losses. On a record
setting night in Oakland, the Rangers score 12 runs in the 15th
inning, the most in a MLB extra inning. They won the game 16 to 4.
#6.
1984 A
second road jersey is added to the Rangers uniform this season, all red. The
lettering on the front of the jersey has also been changed. The letters now
read “RANGERS” as opposed to “TEXAS”. This is the first time the Rangers have
done this since 1974. Also the Rangers lettering has been changed to cursive
writing with the addition of a “swoosh” underlining the team name. This is the
first time player's numbers would appear on the front of the jersey. Uniform
numbers first made their appearance on the front of a uniform in 1952 - the
Brooklyn Dodgers were the first team to wear uniform numbers on the front of
their jerseys. The Braves followed suit in 1953, and the Reds joined in
beginning in 1956. The 1916 Cleveland Indians actually wore a uniform number on
their sleeve, but it wasn’t until the ’52 Dodgers that the number made it to
the front.
The Rangers fall back into their old ways and finish last in the AL West, going
69-92. To make matters worse, the Texas fans bared witness to a perfect game at
Arlington Stadium, when Mike Witt of the California Angels pitched the gem on
September 30th.
#7.
1989 This Rangers gray road uniform
first appeared in 1986. The “TEXAS” across the front is blue and they have
removed the numbers on the front that we saw on the last uniform. Also there
are no more patches on the sleeves.
The Rangers finish the season with an 83-79
record, after signing a 41-year-old free agent pitcher by the name of Nolan
Ryan in the off-season. When they signed him, the only question was, how much
could the “Ryan Express” have left? This season he would collect his major
league leading 5000th career strikeout. The following year he would
record his 6th no-hitter of his career and his 300th win.
Then in 1991, at the tender age of 44 he recorded his 7th no-hitter,
another major league record. I’d say it was a pretty good gamble for the
Rangers. Also this season, future President George W. Bush and investor Rusty
Rose, purchase controlling interest of the Rangers.
#8A & B.
1993 The Rangers wore a main home
uniform, the one on the left, where the jersey stayed in the same style as
1986, but added two patches on the sleeves. To honor the last season of
Arlington Stadium, the Rangers wore a patch on the left sleeve, while on the
right sleeve they wore the initials H.E.C. for former owner H. E. (Eddie)
Chiles who passed away. The uniform on the right is a throwback jersey the team
wore on only a handful of occasions. The question is what were they throwing
back to? The Texas Rangers never had a team during the early days of baseball,
which is what this jersey is in the style of. Don’t get us wrong, we like the
jersey in its old style “T” with red piping running around the collar and down
the buttons, with wider red trim around the sleeves. It’s a classic look.
This would be a year of finales for the Texas Rangers. After 22 years of
baseball at Arlington Stadium, this season would be its last. It would give way
to a new ballpark that was built in Arlington Stadium’s shadow. Future Hall of
Famer Nolan Ryan would retire this season after 27 years in the majors, and 5
seasons with the Rangers. He is the all time leader in strikeouts with 5,714
and would pitch his last game on September 12th on fittingly enough,
“Nolan Ryan Appreciation Day”. The team would finish out their season with an
86-76 record.
#9.
1994 The road uniform we see has a new
style of lettering for the “TEXAS” on the front. The Rangers have all but taken
away any blue in their uniforms, and gone with red, including the belt. We also
see a new patch on the left sleeve, which is a diamond shape and has a large
Texas star in the middle for the “Lone Star State”. The commemorative patch on
the right sleeve is in honor of the 125th year of professional
baseball. The patch has the Major League Baseball logo and “125th
Anniversary” on it, and celebrates the Cincinnati Red Stockings 1869 team that
was the first openly professional team and went 65-0 in a nationwide
barnstorming season.
In this, the year of professional baseball’s 125th Anniversary,
there would be no World Series for the first time in 90 years, when a player
lockout in August 1994 put an end to the season. The Rangers were sitting in
first place in the AL West, despite a 52-62 record. Oh what might have been…
What a shame.
The Rangers move into a new home this season, The Ballpark in Arlington. It is
a fantastic new facility that has taken the looks of several old ballparks and
made it into an original field that players love to call home. So much so that
on July 28th, Ranger pitcher Kenny Rogers throws a perfect game, the
first for the Ranger’s.
#10A.
1999 This is a home uniform that is
very similar to the last jersey we saw. The “RANGERS” lettering on the front is
consistent with the “TEXAS” on their road jersey. The only addition is the
piping around the collar and down the buttons.
Nolan Ryan is elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and announces that
he will wear a Texas Rangers ball cap on the plaque that will hang in the Hall,
becoming the first Ranger to do so. The Rangers end the regular season in first
place in the AL West with a record on
95-67; 8 games ahead of the Athletics. They take on the Yankees in the
Divisional Series, but fail to win a game against the eventual World Series
Champions.
#10B.
2000 This jersey is what is referred to
nowadays as a “3rd jersey”. A 3rd jersey is a concept
that became commonplace by the mid 90’s. Most 3rd jerseys are worn
occasionally at home as well as on the road, giving a team a third option as to
what uniform to wear. And of course, the addition of a third jersey adds to the
options fans can buy, thereby increasing apparel revenues and ultimately
benefiting the team. More recently, teams have begun adding 4th and
even 5th jerseys to their roster of uniform possibilities. The
Rangers wore this blue 3rd jersey for the first time this season.
The “TEXAS” on the front was oddly enough white, with a red outline. We see a
new patch on the left sleeve, which is the flag for the State of Texas. The patch
on the right sleeve is in honor of the team’s Western Division Championship for
1999.
After a trip to the post season the previous year, the Rangers go from first to
worst in the American League West finishing 71-91. In the off-season they make
an offer to 25-year-old free agent shortstop Alex Rodriguez that he could not
refuse. Several teams tried to “woo” Rodriguez, but in the end, Texas became
his new home. And what a home he could build on the salary they give him, $252
million for 10 years. This is the largest contract in baseball history to date.
#11.
2001 As we see on this home uniform,
the Rangers have gone back to the blue and white look, with only a hint of red
in the outline of the letters and numbers. This also marks the return of
numbers to the front of the jersey. The Texas flag still flies proudly on the
left sleeve, while a commemorative patch for the 100th anniversary
of the American League is displayed on the right sleeve.
Even with the addition of Alex Rodriguez to
the team, the high priced and highly touted Rangers finish last in the AL West,
going 73-89, a whopping 43 games behind Rodriguez’s former team the Seattle
Mariners. Rodriguez led the AL in home runs with 52, runs with 133 and total
bases with 393.
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The Texas Rangers: “Life Is Just Practice For
Baseball”
TRADITION…
MEMORIES… CLASSY…
Order Yours Today … and Revel in it!
800-786-3022
412-781-3022
E-mail:
greatestscapes@hotmail.com