Texas Rangers Baseball Team

Nolan Ryan had been retired for two years when he returned to the Ballpark in Arlington to take in the Texas Rangers' 1995 home opener against the Cleveland Indians. Sitting next to then-general manager Doug Melvin, Ryan, baseball's all-time strikeout leader, a Hall of Fame member who threw a record seven no-hitters -- four for the Angels -- in a 27-year career, watched in horror as balls flew off the bats of the Indians. Paul Sorrento hit a two-run home run in the second inning.

Josh Hamilton smiled and pointed his index and middle fingers at his eyes, the universal sign for "watch closely." "Watch batting practice. Watch the game tonight," he said when asked about his readiness to play the outfield after collisions with the wall put him on the disabled list twice this season. "Actions speak louder than words." The Texas Rangers activated Hamilton from the DL for Monday's game against the Angels, his first since May 31.

He'll still dress in blue, a lighter shade of blue. But, on the first day of the rest of his life, he had Dodger blue on his mind. Eric Gagne reported to work with the Texas Rangers on Saturday, thousands of miles away from the Dodgers and hundreds of miles from the fans that adored him. He was the Fernando Valenzuela of his generation, the player that captivated fans with his performance, statistical and otherwise.

Sammy Sosa sits alone in a corner of the Texas Rangers' spacious spring training clubhouse and stares at the floor. Gone is the entourage that followed him around Chicago and Baltimore and, for one unforgettable day, up Capitol Hill. Gone too is the boom box that rattled nerves and windows during Sosa's 13 record-setting seasons with the Cubs.

Sammy Sosa's 600th home run resembled so many that came before -- except this time the Chicago Cubs were on the other side. Playing for the Texas Rangers after a year out of baseball, Sosa became the fifth member of the 600-homer club Wednesday night when he connected against his former team.

Texas Ranger pitcher Kenny Rogers could face criminal charges and a suspension from Major League Baseball after his attack on two cameramen as the team took the field for warmups about 2 1/2 hours before Wednesday night's game against the Angels.

Texas Ranger ace Kenny Rogers, a potential All-Star game starter who would be vital to the Rangers' second-half chase of the Angels in the American League West, was suspended for 20 games and fined $50,000 by Commissioner Bud Selig on Friday for shoving two cameramen before Wednesday night's game in Arlington. The extent of the discipline is unprecedented for a player-media altercation and, according to agent Scott Boras, Rogers has appealed the decision through the players' association.

The satirical newspaper the Onion saw this one coming. One year ago, its mock story trumpeted how the New York Yankees had ensured another championship by signing every player in the major leagues, capping the spending spree by purchasing the record contract of Texas Ranger shortstop Alex Rodriguez. Life imitates art yet again.

Despite concerns about the financial burden placed on the Texas Rangers, Commissioner Bud Selig on Monday approved the record-setting trade of Alex Rodriguez from the Rangers to the New York Yankees, allowing the most storied franchise in baseball to fortify an already potent lineup with one of the best players in the game.

Angel Manager Mike Scioscia adopted a zero-tolerance policy Tuesday night, pulling Ramon Ortiz after the erratic right-hander gave up four runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings of a 6-3 loss to the Texas Rangers in front of 33,892 at Angel Stadium. Now the question is: Will Scioscia's patience with Ortiz be as thin when it comes to setting the Angel rotation in the coming weeks? Ortiz earned a starting job despite his rocky spring (2-0, 6.