Rangers History Today: 'Juan Gone' Signs His First Contract
On this date in Texas Rangers history, the Rangers signed continued their mining of future Major League talent in Puerto Rico with the signing of Juan Gonzalez.
On May 30, 1986, no Rangers fan had ever heard of Gonzalez, the player nicknamed ‘Igor.’ At the time, the Rangers were making a concerted push to sign talent in Latin American, in part because those players were not eligible to be drafted in the Major League Draft.
Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
So it came down to how much money one could offer a player and, in some cases, which team could get there first.
The New York Yankees almost did.
As a youth, Gonzalez played on the same team as future Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams, and against his future Rangers teammate, Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez. The Yankees wanted Williams to come to a scouting camp on the eastern part of the island. Williams requested that the Yankees allow him to bring Gonzalez to the camp.
But, as the story goes, the Yankees refused, citing a lack of funding (which, when you consider this is the Yankees, sounds absurd).
That turned out to be the Rangers’ gain. Texas signed Gonzalez at age 16.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
He methodically worked his way through the Rangers’ organization, earning status as the No. 4 prospect in all of baseball in the 1989 season. He earned a call-up with the Rangers in September and, at age 19, became the youngest Rangers hitter to hit a home run.
After one more season in the minor leagues in 1990, the Rangers gave Gonzalez a full-time job in the Majors in 1991. And a Rangers Hall of Fame career ensued, one that included a pair of American League Most Valuable Player awards.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard
Catch up with Inside the Rangers on Facebook and Twitter.
