Who Owns the Texas Rangers? A Tale of Baseball, Billionaire, and Bootleggers
The Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball team based in Arlington, Texas, is owned by a group called Rangers Baseball Express, LP. But who are the people behind this group? Let's take a look at the fascinating story of how the Rangers came to be owned by a group of billionaires with ties to everything from oil and gas to professional wrestling.
The Early Days: From Bootleggers to Baseball
The Texas Rangers were founded in 1972 by a group of businessmen led by Bob Short. Short was a colorful character who had made his fortune in the oil and gas industry. He was also known for his involvement in organized crime, and it was rumored that he had used his connections to help finance the team.
Short owned the Rangers for 10 years before selling them to Edward DeBartolo Jr., the owner of the San Francisco 49ers football team. DeBartolo owned the Rangers for just two years before selling them to Tom Hicks, a billionaire businessman with interests in everything from banking to professional hockey.
Hicks and the Hicks Sports Group
Hicks owned the Rangers for 15 years and during that time, he made a number of significant investments in the team. He built a new ballpark, the Ballpark in Arlington (now known as Globe Life Park), and he signed some of the biggest names in baseball, including Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira.
In 2010, Hicks sold the Rangers to a group of investors led by Ray Davis, a billionaire businessman with a background in the energy industry. Davis is the current owner of the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers Today
Under Davis' ownership, the Rangers have continued to be a successful franchise. They have made the playoffs on multiple occasions and they have won the American League West division title twice.
So, who owns the Texas Rangers? It's a complicated story with a number of different players involved. But at the end of the day, the team is owned by a group of billionaires with ties to the oil and gas industry, professional wrestling, and even organized crime.
A Few Interesting Facts About the Texas Rangers:
- The team is named after the Texas Rangers, a law enforcement agency that was founded in 1835.
- The Rangers' first home was the old Arlington Stadium, which was also the home of the Texas Rangers baseball team.
- The Rangers have won the World Series twice, in 1990 and 1992.
- The Rangers' current manager is Chris Woodward.
- The Rangers' biggest rival is the Houston Astros.
I hope you enjoyed this lengthy post about the Texas Rangers. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Please note that this post is intended to be humorous and should not be taken as fact.