Rangers 2000 Awards

2000 Rangers: (Top row, from left to right) Jeff Carr, David Moran, John Quinn,
John Allen, Bing Hadley, Jeff Husen. (Bottom row) Marty Stucky, Scott Gibson,
Bobby Frank, Jerome Turner and Joe Washington.

Jordan Bluestein

Jordan Bluestein earned the Rangers Lou Gehrig Award for his defense at first base and his potent bat going the other way into the left-field gap. The player/manager appeared in just 12 games because of an ankle injury but finished fourth on the team with a .333 batting average. He also was among the team leaders in RBI (8) and doubles (3). Bluestein went 3-for-3 and drove in a run in a 7-2 loss to the Red Sox.

First baseman for the New York Yankees, Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games. In 1934 the "Iron Horse" led the American League in batting average (.363), home runs (49) and RBI (165).

Jeff Carr

Jeff Carr earned the Rangers George Sisler Award for being incredibly productive as a part-time player while juggling a career as CEO of an electronics company. In just 12 games, Carr had nine hits, three walks and was hit by pitches three times to finish the regular season with a .290 batting average. Carr also managed to score four times and drive in five runs. Carr had two multi-hit games. He picked up two hits in a 10-8 loss to the Astros and went 2-for-3 in a 15-6 loss to the Red Sox. Carr also made himself invaluable as an outfielder.

The St. Louis Browns' George Sisler won two batting titles, set the record for hits in a season and produced a 41-game hitting streak -- all while maintaining a reputation as one of the true gentlemen in Major League Baseball.

Bobby Frank

Bobby Frank earned the Rangers Eddie Collins Award for having a solid season in his first year with the team. Frank missed just one of the Rangers' 17 regular-season games and finished fifth on the team with a .326 batting average. He also was second on the team with 12 runs scored and had two doubles, five RBI and drew five walks. His play in left and right field was outstanding and Frank also saw a few innings on the mound as a pitcher.

Eddie "Cocky" Collins played the game of baseball for 25 seasons, a 20th century record for nonpitchers. His brilliant baserunning and batting helped four teams win World Championships.

Scott Gibson

Scott Gibson earned the Rangers Tris Speaker Award for making one highlight-reel play after another. The Rangers centerfielder made the play of the season diving on his face to catch a shallow pop fly and once used his powerful arm to throw a runner out at third by 10 feet from deep centerfield. Gibson also had an outstanding season at the plate. He scored 11 runs, had nine RBI and tied for the team lead in doubles with six. He finished with a .295 batting average and drew five walks.

Tris Speaker revolutionized outfield play by positioning himself in shallow center field. As a result, this Cleveland Indian recorded more assists than any other outfielder in the long history of Major League Baseball.

Bing Hadley

Bing Hadley earned the Rangers Mickey Cochrane Award for his skill behind the plate. Hadley has a knack for handling pitchers and his insight and leadership is inspiring. Hadley also made things happen wherever he happened to bat in the lineup. He had the game-winning homerun in an 8-7 win over the Reds, scored seven runs, stole four bases and had 6 RBI.

Mickey Cochrane sparked the Philadelphia Athletics' championship teams of 1929-1931 with his potent bat, skill behind the plate and fierce competitive spirit.

Jeff Husen

Jeff Husen earned the Rangers Honus Wagner Award for having an outstanding year as the Rangers' shortstop. In his second year as a Ranger, Husen helped solidify a defense that turned six double plays and a triple play. Husen also hit .300 with four doubles and six RBI and scored 10 runs in 16 games. He drew four walks and stole five bases. Husen also made himself useful as a relief pitcher. He made four appearances and earned one save. He struck out seven in eight innings of work.

The Pittsburgh Pirates' star shortstop, Honus Wagner also was a league-leading batter and base-stealer. The "Flying Dutchman" enjoyed 15 consecutive .300 seasons, eight as the National League batting champion.

David Moran

David Moran earned the Rangers Babe Ruth Award for hitting both for average and power. Moran was one of only three Rangers players to homer during the 2000 season and he finished third on the team with a .364 batting average in his first season as a Ranger. He had three doubles, scored nine runs and had seven RBI. Moran had three of the Rangers' seven hits and drove in the game-winnng RBI in the Rangers' 6-3 win over the Stars. He also played outstanding first base.

Babe Ruth was the most celebrated athlete of his time. Before beginning play with the New York Yankees in 1920, the "Sultan of Swat" was a successful pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. In 1927, he hit a record-setting 60 homers.

John Quinn

John Quinn earned the Rangers Jimmie Foxx Award for leading the team in slugging with a .627 percentage. Quinn also led the team in on-base percentage (.475) and was second in batting average (.392). He also led the team in runs scored (14), RBI (11), doubles (6, tied), triples ( 3), walks (7) and stolen bases (11, tied). Quinn is the Rangers all-time leader in games played (72), hits (97), runs scored (73), doubles (25), triples (9), home runs (4, tied), walks (29) and RBI (77). Quinn also is a five-time Tri-Valley MSBL all-star and considered one of the best defensive catchers in the league.

One of the top Major League Baseball sluggers of all time, Jimmie Foxx hit 30 or more home runs for 12 seasons in a row. Foxx won the Triple Crown for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1933, leading the American League in home runs, batting average and RBI.

Jeff Schmidt

Jeff Schmidt earned the Rangers Christy Mathewson Award for earning a win and a save in 32.2 innings pitched in his fifth year with the Rangers. Schmidt struck out 18, walked 15 and hit six but only half of the runs he allowed were earned. Schmidt also had an outstanding year at the plate, hitting .325 and scoring nine runs. He also was second on the team in on-base percentage (.438), doubled, walked six times and drove in seven runs.

In 1901, 21-year-old Christy Mathewson won 20 games for the New York Giants. With his fadeaway pitch, he posted three consecutive 30-victory seasons and in the 1905 World Series threw three shutouts in only six days.

Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier when he came to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Two years later, he hit a league-leading .342, drove in 124 runs and was voted the MVP of the National League.

Jerome Turner

Jerome Turner earned the Rangers Jackie Robinson Award for his speed on the bases and his outstanding glove in the field. Turner tied for the team lead in steals with 11 and hit .320 with 10 runs scored. He had two doubles and a triple, walked six times and drove in seven runs. In his fourth year with the Rangers, Turner was one of the Rangers' most versatile fielders. He spent time in the outfield and played infield at second base, shortstop and third base.

Joe Washington

Joe Washington earned the Rangers Rogers Hornsby Award for his outstanding play at second base. The Tri-Valley Men's Senior Baseball League rookie made several key defensive plays up the middle, including starting two inning-ending double plays in the Rangers' 4-1 win over the Giants in league play. Washington also turned out to be an excellent hitter. He went 5-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored in the last two regular season games to raise his average to .300.

Rogers Hornsby was the most impressive right-handed hitter in the history of the game. He won seven batting championships (six straight) and managed the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals to their first World Championship.