1976 Texas Rangers season

1976 Texas Rangers
Major League affiliations
American League (since 1961)
Western Division (since 1972)
Location
Arlington Stadium (since 1972)
Arlington, Texas (since 1972)
Other information
Owner(s)	Bradford G. Corbett
General manager(s)	Dan O'Brien, Sr.
Manager(s)	Frank Lucchesi
Local television	KXAS-TV (Dick Risenhoover, Tom Vandergriff)
Local radio	WBAP (Dick Risenhoover, Bill Merrill)
< Previous season     Next season  >

The 1976 Texas Rangers season involved the Rangers finishing 4th in the American League West with a record of 76 wins and 86 losses.

Offseason

• November 12, 1975: Dave Nelson was traded by the Rangers to the Kansas City Royals for Nelson Briles.^[1]
• December 9, 1975: Stan Thomas and Ron Pruitt were traded by the Rangers to the Cleveland Indians for John Ellis.^[2]
• March 12, 1976: Mike Kekich was released by the Rangers.^[3]

Regular season

Season standings

AL West	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
Kansas City Royals	90	72	0.556	—	49–32	41–40
Oakland Athletics	87	74	0.540	2½	51–30	36–44
Minnesota Twins	85	77	0.525	5	44–37	41–40
Texas Rangers	76	86	0.469	14	39–42	37–44
California Angels	76	86	0.469	14	38–43	38–43
Chicago White Sox	64	97	0.398	25½	35–45	29–52

Record vs. opponents

1976 American League Records Sources:
Team	BAL	BOS	CAL	CWS	CLE	DET	KC	MIL	MIN	NYY	OAK	TEX
Baltimore	—	7–11	8–4	8–4	7–11	12–6	6–6	11–7	4–8	13–5	4–8	8–4
Boston	11–7	—	7–5	6–6	9–9	14–4	3–9	12–6	7–5	7–11	4–8	3–9
California	4–8	5–7	—	11–7	7–5	6–6	8–10	4–8	8–10	5–7	6–12	12–6
Chicago	4–8	6–6	7–11	—	3–9	6–6	8–10	7–5	7–11	1–11	8–9	7–11
Cleveland	11–7	9–9	5–7	9–3	—	6–12	6–6	11–6	9–3	4–12	4–8	7–5
Detroit	6–12	4–14	6–6	6–6	12–6	—	4–8	12–6	4–8	9–8	6–6	5–7
Kansas City	6–6	9–3	10–8	10–8	6–6	8–4	—	8–4	10–8	7–5	9–9	7–11
Milwaukee	7–11	6–12	8–4	5–7	6–11	6–12	4–8	—	4–8	5–13	5–7	10–2
Minnesota	8–4	5–7	10–8	11–7	3–9	8–4	8–10	8–4	—	2–10	11–7	11–7
New York	5–13	11–7	7–5	11–1	12–4	8–9	5–7	13–5	10–2	—	6–6	9–3
Oakland	8–4	8–4	12–6	9–8	8–4	6–6	9–9	7–5	7–11	6–6	—	7–11
Texas	4–8	9–3	6–12	11–7	5–7	7–5	11–7	2–10	7–11	3–9	11–7	—

Notable transactions

• May 10, 1976: Danny Darwin was signed as an amateur free agent by the Rangers.^[4]
• May 17, 1976: Bobby Jones was selected off waivers from the Rangers by the California Angels.^[5]
• May 28, 1976: Stan Perzanowski and cash were traded by the Rangers to the Cleveland Indians for Fritz Peterson.^[6]
• June 1, 1976: Bill Singer, Roy Smalley, Mike Cubbage, Jim Gideon, and $250,000 were traded by the Rangers to the Minnesota Twins for Bert Blyleven and Danny Thompson.^[7]
• June 8, 1976: 1976 Major League Baseball Draft
  • Billy Sample was drafted by the Rangers in the 10th round.^[8]
  • Andre Robertson was drafted by the Rangers in the 12th round, but did not sign.^[9]

Roster

1976 Texas Rangers
Roster
Pitchers 25 Mike Bacsik 39 Len Barker 35 Steve Barr 28 Bert Blyleven 38 Tommy Boggs 34 Nelson Briles 29 Steve Foucault 26 Steve Hargan 43 Joe Hoerner 36 Gaylord Perry 18 Stan Perzanowski 19 Fritz Peterson 48 Bill Singer 33 Craig Skok 46 Jeff Terpko 40 Jim Umbarger		Catchers  9 John Ellis 14 Bill Fahey 10 Jim Sundberg Infielders 22 Doug Ault  4 Mike Cubbage 17 Jim Fregosi 21 Mike Hargrove 11 Toby Harrah 13 Roy Howell  5 Ken Pape 15 Greg Pryor  7 Lenny Randle 15 Roy Smalley  4 Danny Thompson		Outfielders 12 Juan Beníquez 20 Jeff Burroughs 16 Gene Clines  6 Tom Grieve  3 Joe Lahoud 30 Dave Moates		Manager 44 Frank Lucchesi Coaches 45 Pat Corrales 47 Dick Gernert 54 Sid Hudson 42 Jackie Moore

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
CF	Beníquez, JuanJuan Beníquez	145	478	122	.255	0	33

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
Thompson, DannyDanny Thompson	64	196	42	.214	1	13
Moates, DaveDave Moates	85	137	33	.241	0	13
Smalley, RoyRoy Smalley	41	129	29	.225	1	8
Cubbage, MikeMike Cubbage	14	32	7	.219	0	0
Ellis, JohnJohn Ellis	11	31	13	.419	1	8
Ault, DougDoug Ault	9	20	6	.300	0	0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Briles, NelsonNelson Briles	32	210	11	9	3.26	98
Blyleven, BertBert Blyleven	24	202.1	9	11	2.76	144
Boggs, TommyTommy Boggs	13	90.1	1	7	3.49	36
Singer, BillBill Singer	10	64.2	4	1	3.48	34
Barker, LenLen Barker	2	15	1	0	2.40	7

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Hargan, SteveSteve Hargan	35	124.1	8	8	3.62	63
Barr, SteveSteve Barr	20	67.2	2	6	5.59	27
Peterson, FritzFritz Peterson	4	15	1	0	3.60	4

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
Foucault, SteveSteve Foucault	46	8	8	5	3.33	41
Bacsik, MikeMike Bacsik	23	3	2	0	4.25	21
Perzanowski, StanStan Perzanowski	5	0	0	0	10.03	6

Awards and honors

• Jim Sundberg, C, Gold Glove, 1976

All-Star Game

Farm system

Level	Team	League	Manager
AAA	Sacramento Solons	Pacific Coast League	Rich Donnelly
AA	San Antonio Brewers	Texas League	Marty Martínez
A	Asheville Tourists	Western Carolinas League	Wayne Terwilliger
Rookie	GCL Rangers	Gulf Coast League	Joe Klein

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: GCL Rangers

Notes

1. Dave Nelson page at Baseball Reference
2. Stan Thomas page at Baseball Reference
3. Mike Kekich page at Baseball-Reference
4. Danny Darwin page at Baseball Reference
5. Bobby Jones page at Baseball Reference
6. Fritz Peterson page at Baseball Reference
7. Bert Blyleven page at Baseball Reference
8. Billy Sample page at Baseball-Reference
9. Andre Robertson page at Baseball-Reference

References

• Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (3rd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-1-932391-17-6.

External links

• 1976 Texas Rangers team page at Baseball Reference
• 1976 Texas Rangers team page at www.baseball-almanac.com