Arlington to Dallas: Don’t mess with our Texas Rangers

When Arlington voters turned out in record numbers in 1991 and overwhelmingly approved a half-cent sales tax to cover part of the cost to build a new ballpark, they did so to accomplish a primary mission.

The purpose was to ensure the Texas Rangers Baseball Club remained in Arlington — where it belonged.

When the Rangers arrived here in 1972, the town achieved status as a major league city, a privilege enjoyed by few others across the country and throughout the world.

From that Opening Day until the team moved into The Ballpark in Arlington in 1994, the city had welcomed almost 32 million fans of the Great Game. But the best was yet to come.

Before the city could enjoy helping make it possible for the Rangers to become one of the game’s elite teams, with the economic benefits attendant to that achievement, Arlington had to fend off efforts from Dallas to steal the team.

When new Rangers’ owners acquired the team in 1989, assumptions spread across the sports and news media that the future of major league baseball in North Texas would take place in Dallas, the city with the capacity to fund a new ballpark the team would require for the years ahead.

As it turned out, just about everybody underestimated Arlington’s resolve to keep its team.

Together with team owners faithful to the history and legacy of the city’s support for the ball club, the city crafted a public-private partnership and put it before voters for their approval.

In the largest turnout before and since that 1991 election for a stand-alone local measure on the ballot, by an almost 2-1 margin, voters said “yes” to helping build the team’s new ballpark.

Since Opening Day of 1994, the Rangers have achieved milestones directly related to having a world-class facility for fans to enjoy an exceptional experience every time the gates swing open.

The team and its fans have been to postseason playoffs seven times, gaining six division championships, two American League pennants and back-to-back appearances in the World Series.

Rangers attendance has topped 57 million since then, with the best year reaching the 3.5 million mark and finishing third among the game’s 30 teams.

Nevertheless, Dallas once again has designs on stealing our team.

Nefarious actions by some in that city are an attempt to lure the Rangers away with promises of a downtown stadium.

They justify their wrongful yearning as a business opportunity, but that only disguises their interference with a renewable contract many years before its expiration.

This matter is beyond a “business deal.” It is borderline immoral as covetousness, the inordinate desire for something that belongs to others.

But that is what’s happening, and Arlington is again challenged to defend what is ours.

Fortunately, we have strong leaders at City Hall led by Mayor Jeff Williams, who has developed good relationships with the current team owners.

They have, like their predecessors, shown great respect for the strong bond between the team and the host city that has supported them for four and a half decades.

Time passes quickly, and the lifespan of sports facilities has become shortened in the modern age. A new era has been launched, and a new ballpark is being planned.

For me, the only thing sadder than seeing the days of The Ballpark in Arlington drawing to a close would be for Dallas to finally succeed in taking our team away.

Underestimating the resolve of the people of Arlington will again remind those in the big city to the east that it is futile to mess with our team.

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 6:37 PM with the headline "Arlington to Dallas: Don’t mess with our Texas Rangers."