Sunday marked the end of an era for the Texas Rangers, as the franchise played its final game at Globe Life Park.
The final day of Major League Baseball’s 2019 regular season included the last Rangers’ game at Globe Life Park, the home of the team since it opened in 1994 as The Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers ultimately ended their run at the ballpark in style, defeating the New York Yankees 6-1 on an afternoon that saw several former Rangers players and President George W. Bush–who was part of the ownership group that helped build Globe Life Park–in attendance to say their final goodbyes.
Globe Life Park will be replaced next season by Globe Life Field, the upcoming retractable-roof ballpark that will provide much more relief from the Texas heat than its predecessor. In their run at Globe Life Park, the Rangers had several memorable moments, including seven American League West division titles, and back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. Understandably, the franchise’s final game at the ballpark prompted plenty of nostalgia among the 47,144 fans who were in attendance Sunday. More from The Dallas Morning News:
In 26 seasons and more than 2,000 games, the ballpark has hosted scores of sweaty summer evenings, Wednesday games boasting $1 hot dogs, Friday nights illuminated by fireworks displays, walk-off grand slams and two glorious American League pennants. Those games were the backdrop for first dates, Kiss Cam smooches, marriage proposals, company outings, birthdays, anniversaries and family reunions.
“It’s not just about saying goodbye to a building; it’s about saying goodbye to the memories and the friends made here,” Rangers fan Kara Young said.
Dan Dargene, who also attended games at old Arlington Stadium, said he’s made a lot of memories at Globe Life Park, but his favorite will always be Kenny Rogers’ perfect game in 1994.
“Twenty-seven up, 27 down,” Dargene.
Although it will no longer host the Rangers, Globe Life Park is not going away completely, as it will remain operational for other events. In the near future, that will include a Billy Joel concert next month and football home games for the XFL’s Dallas Renegades, who will begin play early next year. Our own Kevin Reichard took an extensive look at Globe Life Park’s history in a story that was published Saturday.
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