By Will Martin
This past weekend was an exciting weekend in North Texas. Lots of festivals and arts events went down.
This separate from the start of three game set with the Rangers and Astros here in Arlington. Then first Place FC Dallas hosted the Seattle Sounders with Clint Dempsey and the return of Kenny Cooper. And the anniversary date of a Ballpark being christened back in the day in 1994.
Then came a tweet that got me to thinking…Newy Scruggs at about 10:30 Friday night tweeted the following: ”@DallasStars have made the playoffs for the 1st time since George W. Bush president. Props to owner Tom Gaglardi. Happy for @RalphStrangis”
Yes, not since 2007-2008 had the Dallas Stars made a push for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Man, they came close in the Western Conference Finals. Indeed George W. Bush was the POTUS at that time.
It also occurred to me that as a pitchers duel that went extra innings on Friday night I recalled that in 1994 George W. Bush was also a part of the Rangers ballclub. The opponent was from Houston which is where Daddy George Sr. can be seen attending many an Astros game. I thought nothing more of this until the Rangers game made it’s way into extra innings. We were then made aware that the longest scoreless extra inning game at Globe Life Park…prior to Friday night’s game…was 8/25/00 when the Blue Jays were in town and the Rangers won in the 11th 1-0. A walk off hit by Robinson Chirinos off the arm of Brad Peacock in the last of the 12th inning with two outs gave the Rangers a third straight walk-off win 1-0.
Now for some real fun. The longest game to go extras and finish up 1-0 in Rangers history? 13 innings 9/22/92 with the Minnesota Twins. That was the date in 1975 when Gerald Ford survived a second assassination attempt within two weeks in 1975!
And now the clincher. As we reached the top of the 12th inning and the Texas Rangers had left 15 runners stranded, got to 16 before the Chirinos hit we learned that record for most baserunners stranded in a game in Rangers history? 8/9/74 in a game with the Oakland Athletics.
Richard Nixon resigned from office that day in Washington DC!
Coincidence or presidential precedence?