• Rangers sign Doug Davis to a 1 year contract today.

• The Rangers signed Francisco Cordero, Ryan
  Glynn, & Ruben Mateo to one year contracts over the weekend.

• The Rangers signed Jovanny Cedeno & David
  Elder to one year contracts today.  We also invited Kevin Mench to
  spring training – check it out.

• The Rangers signed three minor league players
  to one year contracts: P Aaron Meyette, P Joaquin Benoit, & IF Mike
  Young.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Gabe Kapler was rewarded for a strong 2000 season on Friday, getting a $5.6 million, three-year contract from the Texas Rangers.
Kapler, 25, gets a $150,000 signing bonus and a $400,000 salary this season, up from a $280,000 salary last year. He’ll get $1.8 million in 2002 and $3.25 million in 2003.
While Kapler is not eligible for free agency until after the 2004 season, the key for Texas was to avoid the often-bitter arbitration process. Kapler would have become eligible after this season.
The outfielder hit .302 with 14 homers and 66 RBIs in 116 games last season, his first in Texas after being acquired from Detroit in the trade for Juan Gonzalez. His season was highlighted by a 28-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors last year.
Kapler, a workout buff who has appeared on the cover of fitness magazines, has a career average of .272 with 32 homers and 115 RBIs.
Also Friday, the Rangers signed pitchers Darwin Cubillan and Jonathan Johnson to one-year contracts and signed outfielder Curtis Goodwin to a minor-league contract with Triple-A Oklahoma.
Cubillan, acquired from Toronto last July, had a 10.70 ERA in 13 games with the Rangers and a 1.08 ERA in eight games with Oklahoma.
Johnson, taken by Texas with the seventh overall pick in the 1995 amateur draft, was 1-1 with a 6.21 ERA in 15 games with the Rangers last season.
Goodwin has played for five teams in five big league seasons and spent last year in the minors.

• Some contracts were signed today.  Gabe
  Kapler to a 3 year deal, and Darwin Cubillan, Jonathan Johnson, & Curtis
  Goodwin to 1 year deals.  Details here.

• The Rangers sign 5 players to 1 year contracts
  today: Scott Sheldon, Bo Porter, Travis Hafner, Carlos Pena, & Jason
  Romano.
• Luis Alicea signed a one year contract to play
  with the KC Royals.  Check it out.
• There’s an article online today about the
  pending interleague play between the Rangers & the Astros.

This is a copy of a press release mailed out by the Texas Rangers. I am copying it here, along with some pictures that I nabbed from the net, and some I captured myself off of local TV broadcasts tonight.

gain, I think the loss of the Red uniforms is a major mistake. There’s still a little red in here, but I’m not buying another cap this year, you’ll be seeing me wear my Ranger Red cap in protest. The virtual elimination of red is bad, IMHO. However, I do like the addition of the uniform number on the front. I do like the warm up jacket that Crabtree was wearing, it felt like the one that the Rangers wore right before the 94 introduction of red.

If you have an opinion (and what baseball fan doesn’t), please join in the discussion by visiting my forums.

— [ Press Release Start ] —

The Texas Rangers introduced a series of uniform changes for the 2001 season this morning at The Ballpark in Arlington.

The home uniform has undergone significant change with blue replacing red as the dominant trim color. The home jersey will also include black trim for the first time. In addition, the Rangers’ primary cap both home and road will be the blue cap with a white “T” that was introduced as the road cap for 2000.

The primary road uniform, which was changed significantly for the 2000 season, remains the same except that black trim has replaced the gray trim on the jersey front and number on the back. There are no changes to the all-blue alternate jersey that was first introduced in 2000 and is used both home and away.

The team is also introducing a second alternate cap – the first time in team history.

Rangers’ players modeled the uniforms today. Shortstop Alex Rodriguez wore the home uniform, first baseman Rafael Palmeiro modeled the road uniform, and pitcher Tim Crabtree sported the warmup jacket and new alternate cap.

Highlights and features of the new uniforms:

Home Uniform: Jersey is white with blue piping on sleeves. “RANGERS” in blue block lettering with red and black outline and player number in blue with red and black outline are on front of jersey. Player number in blue block lettering with red and black outline and player name in blue block lettering with red outline are on back of jersey. Jersey has button down front. Pants are white with no trim.

The Rangers will have royal blue stirrups, sleeves, batting helmets, and catching equipment and black belts and shoes both home and road.

Warmup Jackets: Blue with black sleeves. “Rangers” in white script lettering with red and black outline on the front. White and red trim at top of sleeves.

Patches: The Texas flag patch that was introduced in 2000 will be on the left sleeve of home, road, and alternate jerseys and warmup jacket. The American League 100th Anniversary patch will be on the right sleeve of the home, road, and alternate jerseys.

Arod & the new home uniform	Tim Crabtree & ARod

Raffy “Interviewing” ARod	Just about all the red that’s left	All of the guys at once

Raffy with the new default cap – it was last year’s alternate	Tim Crabtree with a new jacket, and a new uniform number	Tim Crabtree with the 100 Anniversary AL patch

One more of the jacket, it shows the black arm	Raffy showing off the back of the road uniform	Raffy showing off the front of the road uniform

ARod with the back of the new home uniform	The guys off stage	Another shot of all three guys

The new alternate cap with a black brim. Sorry for the crappy picture, there’s no large image – I get bad reception on Channel 4.	The real reason for all this new uniform stuff!  :)

Rangers signed LHP Chris Haney to a minor league contract.

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers acquired pitcher Matt Perisho from the Texas Rangers on Friday for minor league pitchers Kevin Mobley and Brandon Villafuerte.
Perisho, 25, was 2-7 with a 7.37 ERA in 34 games for Texas last season. He made 13 starts.
He pitched briefly for the Anaheim Angels in 1997 and for the Rangers in 1998-99, and has a career record of 2-11 with a 7.29 ERA.
“Perisho is a young left-hander whose pitching style suits Comerica Park,” general manager Randy Smith said in a statement. “He’s got a good fastball and excellent changeup and is a pitcher we feel can make a contribution in 2001.”
To make room on the 40-man roster for Perisho, the Tigers designated right-handed pitcher Victor Santos for assignment.
Mobley, 25, was 6-0 with a 2.70 ERA last season at Double-A Jacksonville.
Villafuerte, who turns 25 on Sunday, spent most of the season at Triple-A Toledo and was 4-9 with four saves and a 6.67 ERA.