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.