"Take one for the Team!"

Over the years, the Chicago Rangers have had some of the toughest players in the CMBA. What defines how toughness? How many times you get hit by the ball of course. There are stories of Rangers players crying, yelling, and even falling to ground as soon as they are hit. Yet, the two toughest Rangers are Lucas Luecke and Jody Joseph.

Both Luecke and Joseph are not scared of the ball. In fact, there have been times where Luecke has thrown his entire body across the plate to get on base. It has been rumored that both Luecke and Joseph have trained for such hit by pitches channeling their inner Happy Gilmore (See batting cage seen).

Just a look at both player's stats and the rate at which they risk their lives is incredible.

Player	Year	Total Hit-By-Pitch
Jody Joseph	2007	11
	2008	5
	2009	6
	2010	12
Total		34
Lucas Luecke	2002	8
	2003	14
	2004	3
	2005	5
	2006	1
	2007	5
	2008	1
	2009	3
	2010	2
Total		42

In 4 years, Joseph has amassed 34 bruises. Luecke's 2003 season will go down as one of the most painful. He was hit 14 times in 73 plate appearances. Luecke was hit by a pitch in 1 out of every 5 at-bats (or about 20% of the time). It's amazing that he still is talking coherently.

A look at who may hate these two the most reveals that the Browns, Joseph's former team, dislikes both of the players equally over the years. In fact, Luecke has been hit more by the Red Sox than by any other team in the league.

Player	Opponent	Total Hit-By-Pitch
Jody Joseph	Vikings	4
	Mets	4
	Yankees	4
	Browns	4

Lucas Luecke	Red Sox	5
	Vikings	4
	Browns	4
	Cubs	4

As a team, the Rangers have been hit 249 times in 270 games played (through 2010). Based on these numbers, the Rangers have a 92% chance to get hit by a pitch in any single game.

Year	Total Hit-By-Pitch
2002	20
2003	22
2004	26
2005	32
2006	22
2007	42
2008	20
2009	31
2010	34
Grand Total	249

Thank goodness for the Rangers off season training regime. Without it, the 42 times the Rangers were hit in 2007 would have taken its toll on its run to the CMBA Championship Series.

The Magical 2010 Playoff Run of Jon Kohn

One of the most intriguing and dominant players the Rangers have ever had is Jon Kohn. Standing at 6'7" he is among the tallest players to ever play in the CMBA and thus the Rangers coined the nickname "Big Jon". In 2010, Big Jon had one of the best playoff streaks ever. Over a course of 5 games, he hit 7 HRs including 3 against the Marlins in the championship series. Kohn's 3rd HR in the final game of the championship series prompted the venerable Marlins pseudo coach Tom Farinella to scream out loud, "Why are we still pitching to him!"

Date	Opponent	Home Runs	Batting Average	Slugging Percentage
7/31/2010	Hounds	0	0.333	0.333
8/1/2010	Hounds	0	0.250	0.250
8/7/2010	Browns	1	0.250	1.000
8/8/2010	Browns	3	0.750	3.000
8/16/2010	Marlins	1	0.500	2.000
8/18/2010	Marlins	0	0.500	0.500
8/26/2010	Marlins	2	0.500	2.000
Totals		7	0.440	1.280

Big Jon finished the playoff run with a 0.440 batting average and 1.280 slugging percentage. He hit 3 HRs against the Browns in the semi-final clinching game. What is remarkable about Kohn's performance is that teams were willing to pitch to him. He only walked twice during the playoffs but drove in 21 runs! What were teams thinking?

Date	Opponent	Total Walks	Total Runs Batted In
7/31/2010	Hounds	0	1
8/1/2010	Hounds	0	1
8/7/2010	Browns	0	2
8/8/2010	Browns	1	9
8/16/2010	Marlins	1	3
8/18/2010	Marlins	0	1
8/26/2010	Marlins	0	4
Totals		2	21

Big Jon was dominant at the plate, but also helped the playoff trek with his arm. He won 2 games during the playoff run while striking out 26 in 3 games pitched. His game on 8/8/2010 against the Browns might have been the best all around game the CMBA has ever seen by one player. Kohn not only hit 3 HRs but pitched 6 innings, stuck out 10, earned the win, and propelled the Rangers into the championship series.

Date	Opponent	Innings Pitched	Total Strikeouts
8/8/2010	Browns	6	10

The 2010 playoff run of "Big" Jon Kohn will go down as the most dominant hitting and pitching performance the Rangers have ever seen and one of the most everlasting performances the CMBA has ever seen.

Do the Rangers Play Better at Night or During the Day

MLB pundits claim that because the Cubs play so many day games, it takes a toll on the players (and thus why the Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908...at least the pundits believe this...See MLB Network Dan Pleasac).

So, the next question obviously is what about the Chicago Rangers? Do they play better during the day or at night? The answer is...its complicated. The Rangers actually have a better winning percentage in night games, yet have a better batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage in day games (Regular Season games only).

Day/Night	Winning Percentage
Day	0.508
Night	0.518
Total %	0.513

Day/Night	Batting Average	Slugging Percentage	On-Base Percentage
Day	0.318	0.443	0.421
Night	0.302	0.414	0.399
Total %	0.310	0.428	0.410

Well then, what is explaining the discrepancy? What about pitching stats?

Well, at it happens to be the Rangers actually do pitch better at night then during the day. It must be that crisp Winnemac air that helps the pitcher's fastballs and curve balls slice through opponents bats.

Day/Night	Earned Run Average (ERA)
Day	4.73
Night	4.66
Total %	4.69

So, that settles it. The Rangers play better at night...sort of. Lets start scheduling more of those Saturday and Sunday night games.

(Note: 2011 stats only run through June 13, 2011)

Which Day of the Week are the Rangers the most Successful

After a recent analysis of game by game stats, the Rangers are actually the most successful on Mondays. They have played 16 games on Mondays and have a 0.750 winning percentage. Which day do they struggle the most? Wednesdays. The allure of the Gio's $1.99 burger and fries must hinder their performance on Wednesdays.

Day of Week	Winning Percentage
Monday	0.750
Friday	0.667
Saturday	0.569
Thursday	0.525
Sunday	0.481
Tuesday	0.444
Wednesday	0.344
Total %	0.507

(Note 1: This will be a weekly (or more) display of particular Rangers Stats heading into the 2012 season. The revival of the Ranger media guide will be published close to opening day.)
(Note 2: These stats include regular season and playoffs. It does not include forfeits wins/losses)

Wysopal Injury Update

22's leg is gross. That is all.

(Hopefully Isaiah now understands why Mike didn't score from first on his hit to LF...)

Rangers Exploring New Funding Options

Ranger Baseball Cards (Part 33)

Petey “Pedro” Monroe, the younger brother of current Ranger Nick Monroe, retired from the Rangers after a 3 season tenure stretching from the 2008 through 2010 seasons. Petey and Nick were the second brother combination to play for the Rangers, but the first non-twin combo (Keston and Kelvin McCabe). Their younger brother, Mike Monroe, will be a Ranger for the 2011 season, making them the first set of three brothers to play for the Rangers. There is a fourth Monroe in the farm system, but he has another 15 years before he is eligible to play!

Petey came to the Rangers after the start of the 2008 season when the team was short players. In a bungled management move by Ranger CFO Mike LaRocco, Pete did not get his # 24 jersey numbered for the entire season. He instead had a taped on number that represented “Z4”, and the nickname stuck among the team, the umpires, and the rest of the league. His correctly numbered jersey arrived for the 2009 season and a jersey presentation ceremony was held at home plate. He wore that jersey for exactly one game before it was replaced by the new style Ranger jersey. League officials were asked if the letter “Z” could be used on his jersey instead of the number “2”, but that suggestion was shot down.

The best game of Pedro’s career was on July 2, 2008 against the Browns at Winnemac Park. The Rangers were struggling through the 2008 season and desperately needed a good game against the first place Browns. Petey went 3 for 4 with his only career Home Run, drove in 3 runs, and scored 1 run in an 8-2 Ranger victory, one of only 8 wins the Rangers had that entire season.

Pete’s best season was the 2008 season where he hit .321, had 17 hits, and drove in 8 runs. In his 3 seasons, Pete had a .253 batting average, 39 hits, scored 23 runs, and had 26 RBI. During the 2009 season, Petey and Matt Swary would also perform as a grounds-crew act every half inning, running out and raking the infield. It was very entertaining for teammates and fans alike In addition to this fanfare, an underground movement within the Ranger organization gained traction. Led by Mark Wegren, this movement sought to have Petey become the protagonist in a series of short stories entitled, “The Adventures of Little Petey Monroe”. Unfortunately the Rangers could not sell this idea to any publishers and until funding is found, this project is on the backburner.

Pete graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa and is back in the Chicagoland area. He will not be with the Rangers full time in 2011 but will be an emergency player if the need arises. Team president Luke Luecke would like all three Monroe Boys to be on the field at the same time at some point in the 2011 season. Combine that combination with getting all 5 Mikes on the field at the same time would be quite an accomplishment! The Rangers wish Petey the best on graduating to the “Real World”, even though as anyone can tell you, the real world sucks.

Ranger Baseball Cards (Part 32)

Godfather, Busch Light, Captain Cuatro……whatever you know him by, you will never forget him. The myth is a man named Kevin Casey, and what you call him is up to you. Kevin joined the Rangers for the 2003 season during an illustrious Loyola Club Baseball Career. In one of his earliest appearances at Loyola, Busch Light did not show up to Centennial Forum at the appropriate time before a double header against Columbia in the spring of 2002. Team Captain Vince Caringi decided the team could not wait any longer for their starting pitcher and left without him. When the Ramblers got to the field, there was a figure sleeping on the bench wearing a tuxedo jacket over his baseball uniform. Yes, it was Kevin Casey. When asked about his appearance, Kevin, in no shape to pitch game 1, babbled about drinking Busch Light the night before. He did not know where his car was, and wasn’t sure the tuxedo jacket was even his. Hence the moniker “Busch Light”. While he did not pitch Game 1 that day, he did coach third base in his tuxedo jacket and managed to pull himself together to throw a one hit complete game victory in Game 2!
Kevin captained the Loyola Club team for their inaugural National Club Baseball Association season in 2004 and went winless. Kevin’s Loyola Career ended with a loss in Madison, only he did not play in the game. He was frantically searching downtown Madison for his car keys. As it turns out, Rambler right-fielder Chris Stearns had the keys since the night before. Chris did not realize he had Kevin’s keys until the team arrived back in Chicago!
Godfather has been a solid player for the Rangers while pitching, playing second base, shortstop,and the outfield. Offensively, Kevin has been among the team leaders every year during his tenure, which stretches from 2003 to 2005 and then from 2007 to present. The 2006 season was spent with a San Francisco team called the Mad Dogs, who believed in the “Five I’s.” Supposedly the “Five I’s” were Incompetence, Impotence, Ignorance, Idiocy, and Inbreeding; a perfect rallying cry for a team of tools.
Kevin threw a memorable two hitter against the Oriole Park Cubs on July 12th, 2003 at Taft High School. Unfortunately for Kevin and the Rangers, he shook off a fastball called by Ranger catcher Isaiah Panatsis and instead decided to throw a Split-Finger pitch he was working on. Isaiah knew better, but let Kevin throw the pitch. Well, of course he hung it, and the Cub batter hit a solo home run. The Rangers lost the no-hitter, lost the shutout, and ultimately lost the game 1-0. Kevin did technically throw a no hitter against the Aviators that resulted in a 15-0 win for the Rangers on June 26th, 2005. It is a no-hitter, but does it actually count since the game was ended in four innings due to Slaughter-Rule?
There have been many other antics during Godfather’s Ranger tenure, including but not limited to: falling off barstools, breaking glasses, telling teammates he is “Pressing Charges” against them, sweeping the floor of Gio’s, laying down on home plate after getting beaned, and other general mischief and mayhem.
Kevin’s statistics rank him among the career leaders in almost every offensive category. He has a career .385 Batting Average, 167 Hits, 158 Runs, 92 RBI’s, and 67 Stolen Bases. Kevin has also been a solid pitcher, although arm issues have limited him in recent years. Godfather is a cornerstone of the Ranger franchise and his antics on and off the field are what make the Rangers a great team to play for.

Game 1 Preview : Rangers @ Marlins, 5/8/11

In a rematch fit for ESPN Sunday Night Baseball, the Chicago Rangers will face their 2010 CMBA Championship foe Park Ridge Marlins in a road contest at Southwest Park at 10:00 am on Sunday, May 8, 2011.

Historically, the Rangers have not fared well against the Fighting Fish.  In 27 total lifetime games, the Rangers have mustered only 4 wins for a .148 winning percentage.  The last Ranger win over the Marlins came in Game 1 of the 2010 CMBA Championship by a score of 5-2.  The Rangers come into this game riding a 2 game losing streak against the sea dwellers.

This is not the first opening day match up between the 2 clubs.  The clubs met in 2006 and 2008.  Both resulted in Ranger losses.  The 2008 opener ended in a Ranger forfeit - the only one in Ranger history.

All-time, the Rangers are 2-7 in opening day play.  They come into Sunday's game riding a 2 game opening day winning streak - both against the Vikings.

The site for Sunday's game is Southwest Park in Park Ridge.  All-time, the Rangers are 5-17 (.227) at the suburban grounds.  Their last win at Southwest came on Opening Day 2010 in an 8-4 victory over the Vikings.  The game was originally scheduled to be played at Taft High School but was moved minutes before first pitch.

Statistically, the Rangers should fare well in Sunday's contest.  Lifetime, the Rangers are 80-79 (.503) in intra-division play and 73-57 (.562) in weekend games.

Opening Day 2011

The Chicago Rangers will kick off their 2011 campaign when they square off against the defending league champion Park Ridge Marlins in a 10 am tilt at Southwest Park in Park Ridge.  The 2011 season marks the Rangers' 10th in the Chicago Metropolitan Baseball Association (CMBA).  The Sunday contest features a rematch of the 2010 CMBA championship series that saw the saw the Marlins win 2 games to 1.

Roster Reload

The Rangers' 2011 roster features a couple of new faces with the additions of pitcher Matt Havey and catcher Andy Robledo.  The rookie duo traces their roots back to their high school playing days at Loyola Academy.  Havey went on to pitch collegiately at Northwestern University where he enjoyed a successful Big 10 career.  Havey shores up a pitching staff anchored by another fellow Wildcat, Mike Folan.  Robledo will spell Ranger slugger and franchise home run leader Isaiah Panatsis behind the dish.

The Rangers will attempt to find a way to live without Eric Morrissey, who not only managed the club but could play just about every where on the field.  The loss of Morrisey's multi-dimensional role will be the Ranger's biggest challenge heading into 2011.

The Rangers also say goodbye to Brad Weigand, Mark Wegren, Ed Arambula, Dan Garcia, Pete Monroe, Darrin Meaders and Tony Bosma who have all officially hung up their Ranger cleats.

Managerial Modification

Long-time Ranger Matt Swary will begin his first season at the helm of the club.  He takes over for a departed Eric Morrissey who has returned to the Big Apple.  Swary has been with the club since its inception in 2002 and traces his Ranger lineage back to the great Loyola University Baseball Clubs of the late 1990's.  Swary becomes the 5th manger in team history (Lucas Luecke, Tim Brannon, Mike LaRocco and Eric Morrissey).

The Only Original

With the departure of veteran Mark Wegren, only 4 members of the Rangers' inaugural 2002 team remain - Mike LaRocco, Lucas Luecke, Isaiah Panatsis and Matt Swary.  That 2002 team went 12-15 in their first year.

Ranger Baseball Cards (Part 31)

Two outs, top of the seventh, down by one run, tying and winning runs on second and third respectively, Matt Swary at the plate. Would he be a hero or a goat? If you know Swary, you already know the answer to that question. “I knew I would strike out, I was distracted!” Rangers as a group ask, “What distracted you, what the hell are you talking about?” Swary replied, “The Rainbow, there was a rainbow in Right Field!” That’s right, Swary was distracted by a rainbow and took three straight pitches right down the middle of the plate and the Rangers lost 6-5 to the Maywood Braves (now the Mets). And this is the legend behind Leslie Gore’s “Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows” being the official theme song for the Rangers.
Swary is a man of many names : Swary, Matt Swary, Swampy, Swampass, Swaggle, Swagglestick, Swagg, Swaggletoothed-Tiger, Swagadocious, Docious, Hocious-Docious, Swaggle-daggle-ding-dong, and many more lost to copious consumption of beer.

An original Ranger, Swaggle experienced a career year in 2010, culminating by hitting an over the fence home run in the CMBA Championship against he Marlins. Another career highlight is hitting a Walk-off Home run against the Electrons in 2008 during a 2 week tear that had the Rangers campaigning Swary for MVP. That effort was crestfallen when Swaggle did not get a hit the rest of the season. Swaggle also has a penchant for giving up Game-Winning grand slams. He once gave up Game-Losing walk-off grand slams in consecutive appearances vs. the Browns and Vikings, prompting sponsorship calls from Denny’s and their Grand-Slam Breakfast!

Other highlights include kicking down the door in the men’s room at Gios after a playoff game in 2007, consistently showing up to the wrong park for games and telling the Rangers and the opposing teams that they were at the wrong park, calling Ranger teammates at all hours of the night to find out useless information like “Where can I find a Laundromat?” or “How do I get to the Post Office?” and also giving Luke’s Mom a ride on his motorcycle through the Mississippi valley. Swary also does not believe the Ranger Weather hotline has enough information on it. When a game is cancelled, he wants all the details. One Particular morning he calls Luke after calling the Weather hotline to ask “Why is the game cancelled?” Luke’s, drunk groggy 6 AM response was, “Swag, look outside, its pouring!” Swary responded, “Oh, I am in New York, I just wanted to know why the game was called!” He was concerned about the cancellation of a game he had no intention of even showing up to, not being in the same time zone as the rest of the Rangers.

During a Beer-Pong tournament hosted by The Harem, Swaggle decided it was time to take his pants off. When the partygoers yelled, “Swary, what the hell are you doing, why did you take your pants off?”, Swaggle responded “Because I can’t find my shoes!”. Classic Swary, in his mind, it made perfect sense! It is scary to think that Swary is now the manager of the Rangers. Are his shenanigans planned to take the pressure off the rest of the team, or is he a bumbling lovable character? The Rangers still have not figured that out, but whatever happens in 2011, it will be interesting!

Ranger Baseball Cards (Part 30)

Chris “River” Rivera was a super-utility player for the Rangers. The only position he did not play was pitcher, and possibly Center Field, but the Rangers details on items like that are fuzzy at best. River joined the Rangers after his freshman season of Loyola Club Baseball in 2003 after playing High School baseball for the Shamcocks of St. Pats on the North Side. River had a natural opposite field swing, driving the ball into right field on a consistent basis. River even volunteered to catch despite having limited experience behind the plate. During a heated game against the Cubs at Riis Park in 2006, Curtis Brown of the Cubs attempted to barrel over River at the Plate on a long sac-fly to right. Lucas Luecke fired a strike from deep right (and shredded his shoulder in the process) and River stood his ground. Brown was ejected for making contact (he did not know there was a no slide rule) and River showed the team how much of a bad-ass he really was. His competitiveness came out again when he was ejected at Riis for joining a fracas when a Red Sox Player got in the face of mild mannered teammate Matt Brooks. Ever a fiery competitor, the Rangers miss River and his love of Jack Daniels and cooking pots. He retired after the 2009 season with chronic shoulder problems. The sight of him swinging and his arm sliding out of its socket became too painful to watch. Perhaps the slowest skinny guy to ever run the bases, Rivera retired with a career .286 Batting Average and 109 Career hits. His presence is missed, although we know he is making the streets of Chicago safer in the law enforcement industry.

Amphibious Dan still at work

Ambidextrous pitcher proves nearly unhittable with either hand

By Cameron Smith

The first time a batter saw Westminster (Ill.) Christian High pitcher Ryan Perez stop warming up right-handed, pick up another glove and start warming up left-handed, the hitter's jaw dropped with a wide-eyed reaction. The man outside the batter's box had good reason for the reaction, too: Perez is a top flight pitcher with either hand, one of the few -- if not the only -- legitimate ambidextrous pitching prospects in the United States.

Perez, who is one of the top pitchers in the Chicagoland area, is no simple novelty act. His right-handed fastball has been clocked at 91 mph, and his lefty heater hit 86 mph on the gun before the season. He continues to build strength in both arms in a personal quest to reach more than 90 mph with either hand.

If that speed wasn't impressive enough, Perez also throws three other pitches with both arms, with his cut fastball, curveball and change-up making his fastball even more effective by keeping batters off balance ... as if the ability to pitch with either arm didn't do that already.

In his second year as a starting pitcher, Perez continues to turn heads. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Perez's big breakthrough came in 2010, when he went 9-0 with a 1.15 ERA (weighing in both right- and left-handed performances) while leading Westminster Christian to the Illinois Class 1A state title. In 2011, the junior has been even better. On April 5, Perez threw a no-hitter against Rockford (Ill.) East High while pitching left-handed, then came back and threw four innings of relief in a victory against Aurora Christian, pitching right-handed and allowing just two hits and no runs.

While his teammates have become accustomed to Perez's unique dual-handed warmup, and the unique, six-fingered ambidextrous glove he uses, their coach said that other teams are still left in awe watching the dual-threat fireballer.

"The whole other team was in the dugout, going, 'Did you see that?'" Westminster coach Jeff Moeller told the Sun-Times of his team's 2010 sectional playoff opponent Eastland. "It was like they were getting psyched out before the game started."

Perez's father, Juan Perez, is Westminster's pitching coach and the impetus behind his son's ambidexterity. A left-handed pitcher himself, the elder Perez taught his youngest son to throw with both hands by having him skip stones with alternating hands. While he was open to ending Ryan Perez's quest to pitch with both hands at any point in his development, Juan Perez said that -- aside from some minor issues with confusing which foot to stride forward with on some deliveries as an 8-year-old -- there have been few hiccups in Ryan Perez's rapid rise up the ranks of pitching prospects, regardless of which hand father and son focus on developing at any given time.

Now father and son are trying to maintain Ryan Perez's impressively consistent defense, all while continuing to build more strength and accuracy in both pitching arms. Whenever he isn't on the mound, Perez serves as either a right-handed infielder or left-handed first baseman, avoiding errors with aplomb despite he and his father's struggles to find him more practice time during the hectic baseball season.

"You start thinking about it, 'How does he deal with that? How does he deal with this?'" Juan Perez said. "At the same time, you've got to keep him healthy. He works out during the offseason; during the season, you want to keep your strength. We're trying to figure out a way to get into the gym and work out and just maintain his strength. You get five or six games a week, it's hard."

When he does get time, the younger Perez has begun communicating with Yankees pitching prospect Pat Venditte, the only ambidextrous pitcher affiliated with any major league club. Venditte encouraged Perez to throw more long toss with his left arm, a trick which the younger prospect said has improved his arm strength.

All that extra work is made worthwhile whenever Perez steps on the mound, warms up and leaves onlooking opponents shaking their heads trying to deciper how they can handle batting against him.

"I just kind of smile and try to get focused," Perez told the Chicago Sun-Times. "That's an advantage to me. They're thinking about that up at the plate."

Ranger Baseball Card (Part 29)

Brad “9.8” Wiegand had a short one-year and one game Ranger career spanning the 2009 and 2010 seasons. A graduate of Occidental College, Brad was primarily an emergency pitcher during his Ranger tenure. Brad claimed to possess a variety of pitches, but to opposing hitters, they all looked the same, slow enough to not break the speed limit. To be honest, his pitches did have movement, they all dropped due to the effects of gravity, explaining the “9.8” moniker. For those of you who are not science minded individuals, gravity exerts a force of 9.8 meters/second on a free falling object. In two Ranger at bats, both in 2009, Brad had one walk and one strikeout. His time on the mound was limited, the few starts he had he could not command his pitches and had a tough time finding the strike zone. In 7 2/3 innings, Brad was 0-1 with a 10.05 ERA, surrendering 15 Walks and 12 Hits, but did manage to strikeout 6. After the 2010 season, Brad moved to Scottsdale, Arizona where he and his pooch Tillman now reside.

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 28)

Ed Arambula came to the Rangers from East Chicago, Illinois. Previously coached by Jon Kohn, Ed came in at the end of the 2010 season to help the Rangers out with a pitching shortage and played a stellar infield as well. Ed appeared in 5 Regular season games, hitting .625 with 10 Hits and scoring 10 runs. His presence was needed on the mound, pitching 3 1/3 innings, giving up 1 hit, 1 walk and striking out 6. Ed used the Rangers as a rehab assignment coming back from Tommy John Surgery and he threw straight gas, making a mockery of CMBA hitters. Ed appeared in one Playoff game against The Hounds, throwing two innings before he had to leave to return to college. He is currently enrolled at Southeastern Community College in Iowa where he is a member of their Baseball Team, the Blackhawks. The Rangers hope to have Ed back in 2011 to help him along on his rehab and to study his domination of CMBA hitters.

Ranger Baseball Cards (Part 27)

Rob Winn, a self described poor hitting, mediocre fielding outfielder, was nonetheless an excellent addition to the Rangers. Not so much for his on the field prowess, but mainly for one incident that happened after a rare Friday night tryout/practice at Gio’s. The team had been looking to replace the since departed Jason Thorn, Ranger Drinking All-Star, and Rob, with his uncanny Thorn look-alikeness, was just the ticket. This specific Friday night was one the Rangers will never forget, involving acts of chivalry, a late night encounter with angry drunks, and a breakfast date/sleepover between two Rangers. Rob was a key contributor to the shenanigans. After drinking his fair share of beer, Rob just disappeared. Longtime bartender Jason comes out from behind the bar and tells eMo “Your friend is outside and he does not look good.” A quick Ranger headcount is tallied and it is determined that Rob is the missing party that is not doing so hot. Emo, goes outside and Rob has once again disappeard. We find Rob’s terrific “Member’s Only” Jacket and hold it for ransom until the next time we see him, which is not for two weeks (must have been some hangover!). Later on, we get the rest of the story. Rob got in a cab to get safely home to his lady friend’s place. When he gets there, he could not figure out how to pay the cab driver. He described it as he “forgot how to work a wallet.” The doorman had to come out, pay the driver and escort Rob to the elevator. When Rob miraculously got to the correct apartment door, he could not get the key in the door, became frustrated, and just sat down outside the door, and passed out. At around 3 A.M., his lady-friend arrived home, found Rob passed out on the floor, woke him up and put him to bed. Rob’s on the field exploits pale in comparison to this night, a night he may not remember, but the rest of the team will never forget!

Ranger Baseball Cards (Part 26)

Former Ranger catcher Dan O’Malley put the anger in “RANGER”! Dan played for the Rangers from 2003-2005, appeared at one practice in 2006 and then retired to pursue other opportunities. Dan came from the Loyola Club Baseball Minor League system as part of the duo of all-pro catchers, joining Isaiah Panatsis in that club. Most baseball teams struggle to find one decent catcher, the Rangers were lucky to have two excellent options. A die hard Cubs fan Dan also rooted for the Packers, which never sat well with the Rangers. He was roommates with Kevin “Busch Light” Casey and Jason “Wheezy” Keydel for a while, then along with his cat Azreal, formed the odd couple roommate situation with Lucas Luecke. Dan is best remembered for losing his pants after an evening out at Maifest in Lincoln Square. Kevin Casey woke up the next morning to find Dan in his boxers sleeping on their front porch. Kevin later received a call from Chicago’s Finest asking if he knew a Dan O’Malley, which he reluctantly confirmed. The police told him they had Dan O’Malley’s pants, along with his wallet, keys, and cell phone and that they were found in some ladies backyard. Classic Ranger’s drinking. Dan was also involved in a fistfight at Gio’s with then Ranger Manager Tim Brannon, which prompted a series of late night phonecalls between Team President Lucase Luecke, CEO Mike LaRocco (both of whom were not at Gio’s for some reason), and an incoherent Kevin Casey (who was at Gio’s). LaRocco and Luecke sprang to action on a damage control plan that was not needed (thank goodness, it was not a good plan); since neither O’Malley or Brannon even remembered their late night fisticuffs. Dan’s fiery personality is missed, along with his .359 career batting average. You can find him today working at a beer stand at Wrigley Field along the Right Field Line.

2011 Chicago Rangers Schedule

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 25)

Alex Christian’s Ranger career got off to a really bad start. Very early in the 2004 season, Alex became embroiled in a “disagreement” with the Loyola University Financial Aid Department, yelling at the poor girl on the other end of the phone. Little did he know, the girl he was yelling at was a girl who was near and dear to the Rangers. When she vented about how “little Alexander Christian” had ruined her day to her favorite Ranger and the connection was made, Alex was promptly given a stern lecture about how to behave the “Ranger Way”. Alex was a big, strong, left-handed pitcher who hit right-handed. He had a lethal pick off move that every team complained was a balk. Even after getting warned not to get picked off by their managers, opposing runners would still get picked off! Alex hit a Home Run at Grosche Field against the Browns that helped the Rangers to their first ever victory against that club on June 3rd, 2004. Alex’s Ranger career came to an end on July 31st 2005 during a playoff game against those very same Browns at Winnemac. He was thrown out of the game when the Rangers were down big, packed up his gear, and went home. He did not realize that the team came back and won to force a pivotal game 3. Alex was not able to attend Game 3, which the Rangers lost in dramatic fashion. His moniker on the team was “Stupid”, which he obviously hated. Alex currently works in Washington D.C. doing something with energy credits to emerging countries, or some bullshit like that, a fine waste of our tax dollars.

Ranger Baseball Cards (Part 24)

Ross Pometta was a rostered Ranger for both the 2004 and 2005 seasons, but he only appeared in games with the team in 2004. Although primarily a shortstop, Ross also pitched, but developed Ismael Valdes-like blisters on the fingers of his throwing hand whenever he took the mound. Ross was the third member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity to play for the Rangers, following Mike LaRocco and Matt Brooks. Ross did have some speed on the bases, stealing 9 bags in 2004. Ross was part of a monumental play in Ranger history when he started the first 6-4-3 double play ever turned by the team. His double play partner that day was second baseman Matt Brooks, who completed the turn to catcher Dan O’Malley, who for some reason was playing first base. He has talked about a come-back in recent years, but that has not yet materialized. His father was a consistent fan at all Ranger games and his little brother also played in the Winnemac Park Little League. Ross still lives in the Chicago area and is a Coordinator for Member Services at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon headquarters in Evanston, Illinois.

Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 23)

If you have been a longtime baseball fan, you know that the Oakland Athletics wear white spikes. Then why the heck did Jeff “Shitty” Schmidt wear white spikes when he played for the Rangers in 2003? In all seriousness, Schmitty was a terrific all around ballplayer who had great speed, a terrific arm, and a tremendous inside out swing. Schmitty was a doubles machine, with two-baggers accounting for 33% of his career hits. The Rangers found out first hand how good of an arm he had when he easily threw out a runner trying to score on a deep fly ball to right field. The throw did not even bounce and was on a line the entire way. A high school teammate of former Ranger skipper Tim Brannon, he was known to ask for a ride to the “Beer Store” on more than one occasion. Jeff also pitched a few innings for the Rangers, although his numbers did not reflect the pitcher that he was. Jeff played college baseball at a contending Division 3 school, possibly in Texas. Or maybe he moved to Texas after High School. Records from that era in Rangers history were lost in the great flood of 2010 (which amazingly occurred the day Schmitty appeared back in Chicago for Brannon’s Bachelor Party…coincidence?). Jeff did make an appearance at Brannon’s wedding that summer and the obligatory Ranger wedding picture was taken, although its whereabouts are unknown at this time.

Ranger Baseball Cards Part 22)

After a 7 year Ranger career, Mark “Wiggy” Wegren announced that he is officially leaving the Rangers, for a second time! His first departure from the team came after the 2005 season. He returned to the team in 2008 after two tumultuous seasons with the Aviators. Wiggy was a high school teammate of Mike “Heartattack” LaRocco and Brian Salgado at Archbishop Weber High School in Chicago and also played with LaRocco, Salgado, Bob Wacker, and Lucas Luecke on the Garfield Park Renegades in the Aurora Men’s Baseball League. Wiggy is best known for having a perfectly level swing that consistently makes contact with the ball, but with limited power. Wiggy is a career .262 hitter with the Rangers and was a consistent presence at former Ranger sponsor bar Simply Rays, and of course Gio’s. Also an avid runner, Wiggy will compete in both the 2011 Chicago Marathon and a half-marathon on the Great Wall of China. Wigs also enjoys softball, floor-hockey, and collecting autographs. The Rangers would like to wish Wiggy luck in his future adventures.

Ranger Baseball Cards (Part 21)

It was announced this week that the Chicago Rangers and Tony Bosma have agreed to part ways for the upcoming 2011 CMBA Season. Bosma, the oft-injured infielder, decided it was in his best interests to pursue other baseball related opportunities in the Chicago metro area. Each of Bosma's two seasons with the club ended in injury. His 2009 campaign ended with a torn calf muscle in the third to last game of the season and his 2010 return ended after the fifth game of the season due to a golf related knee injury. In his two seasons while hitting .352, Tony compiled 19 hits; including 3 Doubles, 1 Triple, and 1 Home Run. Although Tony was a respectable player, his most notable achievement came off the field when he and skipper Eric "Emo" Morrissey, polished off a case of beer before a Ranger fantasy football draft. A native of the great state of Ohio, Bosma attended Akron University. The Rangers wish Tony luck in the future and hope that his chronic injuries will relent and allow him to have success on the diamond in the coming years.

Ranger Baseball Cards (Part 20)

Danny Garcia was everything that you could ever want in a Ranger. He was an exceptional teammate, always helping other players with their fundamentals. He had a great attitude with an infectious personality that rubbed off on his teammates, and was always willing to lend a hand, especially when it came to raking the field! He was such a great teammate, he even voluntarily gave his starting spot to a fellow Ranger in a playoff game versus the Hounds. Danny was certainly a great humanitarian and his solid presence and personality will be missed!


Danny in fact is a great baseball talent. He was the second Ranger ever to come to the team after having Tommy John Surgery. Primarily a pitcher before his injury, Danny played a very solid shortstop, but as you know, the Rangers can never hold onto a shortstop for more than a few years. In 2011 , his only year with the club, Danny hit .327 with a .463 On-Base-Percentage and threw 5 1/3 Scoreless innings, Winning 1 Game and Saving 2. Danny will return to Southern University this season and the Rangers wish him well.

Ranger Baseball Card Double-Shot

.....and the TWINS!!! No, unfortunately not that kind of twins. Keston and Kelvin McCabe were original Rangers in 2002 but soon split apart. Kelvin played for the Rangers in 2003 and Keston, after a year absence, rejoined the team in 2004. One oddity about the twins is that one batted Right-Handed and one batted Left-Handed. Which one did what is a fact that is not really remembered. The first ever Home-Run hit in Ranger history was hit by Kelvin at Taft High School and Keston hit 2 Home runs in that inaugural season. The McCabe's also were fantastic drinkers and still can occasionally be seen at the longtime Ranger sponsor Gio's on Damen. Best known for partying with Estonians, they brought their Estonian Entourage to one of Scary Swary's Chungoween Parties. When the Rangers went to see the Parent Club defeat the White Sox at Comiskey Park in 2002 for Elvis Night, Kelvin dressed up as Elvis and forever will be known as "Kelvis". One McCabe is a personal trainer and the other is a lawyer, which is which is unknown at this time.