Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 17)

2005 was the year of 1-year and done Rangers. Jason "Wheezy" Keydel was one such player. Roommates with Dan O'Malley and Kevin Casey, Wheezy was a Right-Handed pitcher who was underused in 2005. His most notable achievement was leaving Gio's early after one early morning Ranger practice to go home and sleep, when two carloads of drunken and boisterous Rangers woke him up by stacking wooden chairs and whatever else they could find on top of him. Wheezy was known to roll and smoke his own cigarettes before and during Ranger games and sunbath in the grass at Winnemac (See Baseball Card Photo). Wheezy had a decent season in 2005, he hit .316 with 6 hits, 1 Triple, 1 Home Run,5 Runs, and 9 RBI, really good production considering how few At-Bats he had. Pitching he was 0-2 with 18 K in 18 1/3 innings. After his Inside-the-Park Home Run hit at Riis Park, Wheezy was definitely wheezing, circling the bases at a pace that would make the Statue of Liberty look fast. Wheezy is believed to be living in Detroit, although details of his whereabouts are sketchy at best. Wherever he is, the Rangers are sure he is doing a helluva job!

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 16)

Dan "Big Rig" Jeserig was an original Ranger in 2003, had his 2004 season cut short due to injury, and was a nominee for the "Life" Hall of Fame. Big Rig was a Left-Handed Pitcher and occasionally played the field. Although he claimed to be not much of a hitter, 2 of his 3 career hits were doubles. Dan finished that 2003 inaugural season with a 3 and 2 record, the only pitcher on the staff to have a winning record that season. The next year, he went 0 and 1, pitching in 2 1/3 innings, but did not give up a run. The beginning of the end of his pitching career came against the Yankees during the 2002 season. He gave up two long homes runs (possibly back to back) became angry, and threw straight gas to the the next hitter, striking him out on three pitches. As a result of overthrowing those pitches, Dan strained his shoulder, threw the Army Ranger figures (only the legs were left) the served as the teams first mascot, and walked off the mound in obvious pain. Other highlights include getting the first ever win in Ranger History against the Vikings on June 11th, 2002 in that comeback of epic proportions. Dan and his wife were excellent drinkers, spending a great deal of time ta hooters and Simply Rays. On July 3rd, 2002, Big Rig, his wife and the rest of the team were at Hooters for some shenanigans. The outdoor sprinkler was set off and Dan's wife ended up urinated on a lawn in Park Ridge. Always late to games, Dan always claimed he "had to let the dog out". If that was a euphemism for something else, we may never know!

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 15)

Nick Taylor arguably could be one of the most athletic Rangers in team history. He made plays at Shortstop that the team has never seen before, and his effort on the field was second to none. Nick was a rostered Ranger from 2005 until the 2007 season, although he appeared in only 1 game in 2005 and none in 2007. He was the first Ranger to have a uniform number taped on for that game in 2005 and went 1 for 3 with a triple. While running the bases on that triple (which occurred in his first Rangers at-bat) the tape fell off, prompting embarrassed team number taper Mike LaRocco to use better workmanship on future tape job. 2006 was a great year for Nick, he hit .357 with 15 singles, 15 Stolen Bases, 16 Runs, and 1 RBI, proving to be the lead-off hitter the Rangers were looking for. His season was cut short bu injury when he was setting up a stage and a length of rope became tangled around his leg while it was going through a pulley. The resulting wounds had him on the disabled list and barely able to walk for the last few weeks of the season. Nick was a member of the Loyola University Club Baseball team and currently resides in Addison, Illinois.

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 14)

The Rangers go through Shortstops like Spinal Tap went through drummers. Matt Hall was the primary Shortstop for the Rangers in 2005, a season in which he hit .316 with 12 hits, 1 double, 9 runs, and 8 RBI. Matt was the 6th consecutive club baseball president to play for the Rangers following Luke Luecke, Vince Caringi, Mike LaRocco, Kevin Casey, and Tim Brannon. the Loyola Rambler - Chicago Ranger pipeline was shut off after 2005 marking the end of an era. Matt wore the #00 jersey for the Rangers, the second person to do so. A native of Kansas City, Matt is a lifelong Royals fan, something he was made fun of for on a daily basis. A Physics and Math major at Loyola, Matt is currently studying Medical Radiation Physics at the Rosalind Franklin School of Medicine. Most importantly, there is actually a Facebook Group dedicated to Matt titled "We Hate Matt Hall", a fitting tribute to the man with the whitest teeth in the history of the Rangers.

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 13)

In the 2009 Ranger campaign, Shawn Polk appeared in 5 regular season games, just enough to make him eligible for Post Season play. In that short time, Shawn hit .556 with 5 hits, 5 runs and 5 RBI. He played for Ranger legend Alonzo Hilliard at Brooks High School in Chicago and now plays on the Claflin University (South Carolina) Baseball team. Shawn made his mark in the playoffs going 3 for 4, walking twice, and laid down a key sac bunt, finishing the playoffs with both a .750 Batting Average and a .750 On-Base-Percentage. In his brief Ranger tenure, Shawn wore # 14, Nick Monroe's number, since Nick took a season off from baseball. Unfortunately, that jersey was not returned has been missing, forcing Nick to wear a # 58 jersey in 2010, a number worn by past Rangers Colin Clark and Ryan Varney. The Rangers had hoped that Shawn would be the speedy center fielder and lead-off hitter they have been seeking, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. It is a goal of Ranger management to reclaim Shawn's # 14 jersey and maybe 2011 will be the year that goal is fulfilled!

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 12)

Colin Clark had a few strikes against him when he joined the Rangers. A natural rival to the team's Loyola Club Baseball Roots, Colin was the captain of the Eau Claire Wisconsin Club team during the last season Luke Luecke was the captain of the Loyola Club team. In fact, Eau Claire ended Loyola's 2000 season with a blowout of the Ramblers and even injured future Ranger Vince Caringi on a line drive back to the mound. This game is actually on tape in the Ranger Archives. Was it Colin's fault he ran a good team, yes it was. Colin was also born in Canada, making him the first non American citizen to play for the Rangers. All fun aside, Colin was a great teammate with infectious competitiveness. His career with the Rangers lasted from 2004-2007 when he relocated due to a job opportunity in Maryland. In three seasons, Colin went 4 and 2 as a pitcher and played a stellar center field. He left the Rangers with a .341 Batting Average, garnering 27 hits, 2 double, 2 triples, and 1 Home Run. Colin also played first base and caught, becoming the first of 2 Left-Handed Catchers to appear for the team. We wish Colin and his wife the best on the East Coast and hope that he can one day rejoin the team!

Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 11)

An argument can be made for Tony Litzey being the best one year Ranger in the team's long and storied history. He stabilized the Shortstop position for the Rangers in that dream like 2007 run to the CMBA Runner-Up position in the standings. Tony attended a tryout for the team before the game against the Oriole Park Cubs on May 19th, 2007, the second game of that season, with Alonzo Hilliard. Jonathan Kohn also attended a tryout that morning as well, all three players obviously made the team and paid huge dividends that season. Tony did not start that day, but with the Rangers trailing by more than a few runs, he came in the game and sparked a Ranger comeback by going 1 for 2 with 2 runs. With Tony on the team, the Rangers only lost 3 games that season, ending up with a 23 and 4 record. In his Ranger career, Tony hit .385 with a .444 On-Base-Percentage, drove in 12 Runs, scored 15, and hit 1 Home Run. The most amazing aspect of Tony's Ranger career is that he is an overnight crane operator, going straight to work after week day games and coming straight from work on Weekend Games. The Rangers wish Tony the best, and will always have a roster spot open if he decides to make a comeback!

Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 10)

Dave Mullan was a rostered Ranger in 2007 but appeared in only 1 game for the team. He was a friend of then Ranger Manager Tim Brannon and was needed for an emergency start on May 28th 2006 against the Black Sox. Dave pitched 1 1/3rd of an inning giving up 2 Earned Runs, 4 Hits, 1 Walk, and Struck out 2. At the plate, Dave went 0 for 3 with a walk. The game was a lackluster effort from the Rangers that resulted in a 12 - 11 walk off loss. Dave was spotted at Tim Brannon's Bachelor Party and wedding, but this in the only known picture of him in an "almost" official Rangers uniform. The blue striped warm up pants were a Ranger uniform experiment that failed spectacularly. The Ranger wish Dave the best in whatever it is he is doing at this point in time.