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 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.

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.

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 8)

Nick "Tikidikee" Tenekedes played for the Rangers in 2009 as a switch-hitting outfielder and Left-Handed pitcher. In limited duty, he hit .154 but had an impressive .421 On-Base Percentage. Nick had a tremendous eye at the plate, which in the CMBA can be a detriment since control is not a strong point of most pitchers in the league. Most Rangers go up hacking, but Nick was an All-Conference High School Baseball player in Florida (meaning he actually had a plan at the dish). Nick also was a Football Player at Holy Cross University and had 12 tackles his senior year. He was also an all-conference QB and defensive back in high school. Even in his limited duty, Nick managed to smoke a triple and core the Ranger's only run against the Marlins

in an 11-1 loss on July 1st, 2009. His dog was a proud member of the Ranger's Dog pound and even though he is no longer a Ranger, Nick can still be found on the softball diamonds on Chicago's North Side.

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 7)

Tom Heindl, another inductee into the "Life Hall of Fame", an original Ranger who did not actually appear in a game until the 2007 season. His absence from 2002 through 2006 was blamed on among other things, his love of the Detroit Red Wings and Loyola University Men's Basketball. Contrary to popular belief, Tom did not actually attend Loyola, although most people who know him believe it to be the case. Best friends with Big Joe Dlugosz since childhood, Tom made his Ranger debut on Opening Day 2007 against the Yankees, going 1 for 3 with a run. He went on to hit .429 in 16 at bats that year with a .500 on base percentage in that magical Championship appearance season. 2008 was a busy year for Tom and he only attended a few games and decided top retire during the season. The most impressive stat about Tom is that he is the Career leader in Game Winning Walk Off Walks (GWWOW) with 3 (as best we can tell). He also participated in the record breaking (at the time) 29 pitcher Friday night extravaganza at Gio's Bar and Grill. Tom's quick wit, terrific eye at the plate, and drinking abilities are sorely missed on the Rangers and hope one day he will pull a Sandberg and come out of retirement.

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 5)

Chad Pilcher, original Ranger whose look alikes included Jim Thome, Tom Sizemore, and most impressively....Mr. Incredible! He did some incredible things on the field for the Rangers, being an extremely agile first basemen from the Rangers inaugural season of 2002 until the ill-fated championship run of 2007. Another in the long list of Loyola Club Baseball recruits, Chad spent some time serving his country in the Navy before becoming a Ranger. He also was the first ever switch hitter in Rangers history, although it is not known if he ever got a hit Left-Handed. Chad was a feared hitter in the CMBA providing protecting in the lineup for Isaiah Panatsis. His regular season home run totals were hampered by the lack of a fence at Winnemac Park, where many of his majestic shots we caught by outfielders playing extremely deep. He ranks in the top ten in virtually every Ranger offensive category. In his last at bat of his Ranger career in the 2007 Championship Series, Chad cranked a 2 - Run Home Run, a fitting end to a tremendous Ranger career.

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 3)

Brain Salgado formed the Weber High School Triumvirate with Mike LaRocco and Mark Wegren and all three starred on Weber High School's baseball team in the late 1990's. Known for his speed on the bases and in the outfield, Salgado scored the winning run on a dropped third strike during the Rangers first ever win against the Browns on June 3rd 2003. He also had a game winning walk off infield single against the Black Sox on July 16th 2004.

Perhaps his most notable Ranger achievement was wrecking his Nissan Altima a few blocks from Southwest Park in Park Ridge prior to a crucial game against the Marlins on June 25th 2004. At that time, he was the crucial ninth guy to prevent a forfeit. Joe Dlugosz's wife drove from the field to pick him from the accident scene. After that, Salgado went to to go 1-2 with a single and a run. Salgado briefly came out of retirement in 2007 for two games, but you can find him on softball fields around the city all summer long!

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 2)

Joe 'Big Joe" Dlugosz played for the Chicago Rangers from 2002 until the 2009 season, in which he did not appear in a game due to various "ailments" (mostly work related absences). Joe always seems to pitch against the Browns and Marlins, two of the most formidable offenses in the CMBA. His pitching style is best described as that of Bill "Spaceman" Lee, or for the generation, Eddie Harris of "Major League" Fame. His out pitch was a changeup, described by Isaiah Panatsis as being one of the best he has ever seen. He ranks 9th on the Chicago Ranger's Career wins list with 8, a total blemished by the fact the team was not very good against the teams he pitched against.

Big Joe's is a connoisseur of fine wines, cigars, beer, and trying to collect the entire 1989 Upper Deck baseball card set in PSA 10 graded condition. He is currently an executive chef's consultant at A New Dawn Professional Chef's Services and is the moderator of the #1 Loyola University Chicago fansite on the web, ramblermania.com.

Chicago Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 1)

Tim Brannon: Rangers Legend, hated foe, umpire berater, and manager of the 2007 CMBA Runner-up Rangers. Tim was a great player for the Rangers for several years but his career was cut short by a career and location change to become a teacher in Washington D.C., where he now resides with his new bride. Tim was the first ever Ranger All-Star in 2002 and threw a no-hitter against the Dodgers June 19th 2003. Even though he left the team after the 2007 season, he is still among the career leaders in all offensive categories.

This is the first in a series of postings (hopefully) that will have a brief summary of Rangers Legends Past and current players and a preview of the very collectible All Time Rangers Baseball Cards.