By Joe Mock
All Rights Reserved on text and photos
To accompany our article on the remembrances of six men who know Globe Life Park extremely well, we produced the following list of the biggest moments during the ballpark’s 26 seasons:
April 11, 1994 – The Ballpark In Arlington, as it was known at the time, hosts its first regular season game, a 4-3 loss to the Brewers.
July 28, 1994 – Kenny Rogers pitches a perfect game, beating the Angels 4-0.
July 11, 1995 – The Rangers host the MLB All Star Game for the first time since the franchise moved from Washington. The National League wins 3-2.
September 27, 1996 – Even though they lose to the Angels in 15 innings, the Rangers clinch the first playoff appearance in franchise history.
October 4, 1996 – The first home playoff game for the franchise is a 3-2 loss to the Yankees.
June 12, 1997 – The Rangers fall to the Giants 4-3 in the first regular-season interleague game in MLB history.
May 11, 2003 – Ranger Rafael Palmeiro hits the 500th home run in his career in a 17-10 win over the Indians.
May 8, 2004 — In one of the park’s wildest games, Ranger Alfonso Soriano collects six hits in a 16-15 win over the Tigers.
July 1, 2006 – Gary Matthews, Jr. robs Houston’s Mike Lamb of a home run. It’s regarded by many as the best catch in the park’s history.
June 20, 2007 – Sammy Sosa, playing for the Rangers, hits his 600th career home run in a 7-3 win over his former team, the Cubs (see photo).
April 15, 2009 — For the first time since 1890, a Major Leaguer hits for the cycle while collecting six hits. It was the Rangers’ Ian Kinsler who accomplished the feat.
June 27, 2010 – A home run by Josh Hamilton is deemed to be the longest in the ballpark’s history after two physics professors assess its distance at 490 feet.
October 22, 2010 – Former Ranger Alex Rodriguez strikes out in the 9th inning, giving the Rangers their first pennant with a 6-1 victory over the Yankees in Game 6 of the ALCS (see photo at the top of this page).
October 30, 2010 – The franchise’s first home World Series game is a winner, with Colby Lewis defeating the Giants 4-2.
October 10, 2011 – The first walk-off grand slam in postseason history comes off the bat of Nelson Cruz, as the Rangers beat the Tigers 7-3 in Game 2 of the ALCS.
October 15, 2011 – The franchise’s second pennant comes in a 15-5 drubbing of the Tigers in Game 6 of the ALCS.
October 23, 2011 – Derek Holland and Neftalí Feliz shut out the Cards 4-0 in Game 4 of the World Series.
July 30, 2017 — Adrián Beltré doubles down the 3B line for his 3,000th hit (see photo).
September 29, 2019 — the Rangers play the last baseball game at Globe Life Park. From Nolan Ryan’s ceremonial first pitch to a parade to transport home plate to the team’s new park, the day doesn’t disappoint (see our coverage of the day here)
I went to the final two games at the Ballpark in Arlington (I refuse to call it by its purchased name). Having been to the last game at Arlington Stadium and the first game there at The Ballpark (both the first exhibition game and the first regular season game), it was sad for me to see. The ceremony at the end of the game reminded me of the one they had when Arlington Stadium closed, digging up home plate and moving it to the construction site of the new park. I’m sad to see it go. Arlington Stadium was where I went to games as a kid; The Ballpark in Arlington was where I took my kids to games; so I don’t know what this new Globe Life Field will be to me.
Thanks for writing. Your sentiments are shared by many. I was called by someone in California today who wanted to know why in the world Arlington’s wonderful ballpark is being replaced. We’re certainly seeing the lifespan of sports facilities getting shorter and shorter, and Turner Field in Atlanta and Globe Life Park are two prime examples. HOWEVER, I toured the construction site of the new retractable-roof park a block from GLP, and all I can say is that Ranger fans are going to love it. It is going to be truly spectacular … and most importantly, air conditioning will be pumping cool air into the facility to make it comfortable for fans.