Former Texas Ranger, Juan Gonzalez, will receive his Rangers Hall of Fame jacket Friday night
It has been a long time since Juan Gonzalez has been back to Arlington. In fact, it has been so long that he will be receiving his 2015 Rangers Hall of Fame jacket this evening.
The Texas Rangers have a lot of players who have played for the team over the years. After they retire, some of them come back to Arlington to catch a Rangers game or speak to the current players on the roster. It was announced on Thursday that former Ranger, Juan Gonzalez will be throwing out the first pitch before the game against the Seattle Mariners.
He will be signing autographs for an hour at the New Era Alumni Alley at Globe Life Field tomorrow. What's also cool is that before he throws out the first pitch, he will receive his Rangers Hall of Fame Jacket. He was elected into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2015 but didn't want to partake in the ceremony.
This will be the first time since his retirement that he has been to a Texas Rangers game. He spent the majority of his career with the Rangers. Let's take a look back at his career and the stats he put up with the Rangers.
Gonzalez spent 13 seasons with the Texas Rangers. He was traded to the Detroit Tigers after the 1999 season. After spending a season with the Cleveland Indians and the Tigers, he returned to the Rangers. He was the American League home run leader in 1992 and 1993. He also holds the Rangers all-time record in homers (372), RBIs (1,180), and extra-base hits (713). He was the American League MVP in both 1996 and 1998.
Even after he retired from the game of baseball, Gonzalez has been mentoring the next generation of players. He was the Assistant Hitting Coach for the Puerto Rican national team in the World Baseball Classic recently. He is also a coach with the Puerto Rican national team.
I think Gonzalez will get a huge ovation at the game tonight when he receives his Rangers Hall of Fame jacket. He did so much for the Rangers franchise, and fans want him to know that they appreciate his loyalty to the franchise. He picked a good game to attend as the Rangers look to fight for their postseason lives tomorrow night against the Mariners.