Inside The Rangers

New Texas Rangers Hall of Famer Embraced 'Annoying' Role Throughout Career

Former Tesas Rangers All-Star shortstop Elvis Andrus wasn't afraid to be himself as he became one of the franchise's favorites.

Tyler Maher

Sep 12, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus (1) throws to first on a ground out by Oakland Athletics third baseman Vimael Machin (39) during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Field.
Sep 12, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus (1) throws to first on a ground out by Oakland Athletics third baseman Vimael Machin (39) during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Field. / Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images
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Baseball is a serious game, but Elvis Andrus never took himself too seriously.

That was one of his greatest attributes during his 15 Major League seasons, the first 12 of which were spent with the Texas Rangers.

Earlier this week, the Rangers announced that they are inducting Andrus into their Hall of Fame, making him the 27th member. He officially retired last September, so the organization didn't wait long to add him.

On Thursday, the two-time All-Star joined MLB Network to discuss his career, his reaction to the news and his unique role on those star-studded Texas teams.

For starters, Andrus wasn't too surprised by the news, saying it had been roughly "a year in the making" behind the scenes.

Even so, the official announcement still had an emotional impact on him.

"As a player, you don't really talk about these things. I'm 100% honored," Andrus said. "I never thought this was gonna happens, especially me being this young. It's still surreal, but I'm very blessed, very honored."

The 36-year-old will be honored during a special ceremony at Globe Life Field on June 28 before a game with the Seattle Mariners.

Andrus, who debuted with the Rangers in 2009, feels lucky to have played with so many great teammates during his time in Texas. He named Adrian Beltre, Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and Ivan Rodriguez as some of the veterans who helped him adjust to the big leagues when he first came up.

Their tutelage paid off, as Andrus quickly developed into one of the best shortstops in baseball. He was AL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2009 and an All-Star in 2010 and 2012, helping the Rangers win back-to-back AL pennants in 2010 and 2011.

While Andrus excelled on the field, racking up over 2,000 hits and 300 stolen bases, he also had a special role off the field. Andrus was a notorious prankster, especially with older teammates like Beltre and Young.

"I love being annoying. I'm very proud of being annoying through my whole career," Andrus laughed.

His favorite pranks involved wearing a clown mask to Young's team Hall of Fame ceremony in 2016 and repeatedly touching Beltre's head.

While Andrus enjoyed antagonizing his teammates, it was all in good fun. Baseball seasons are long and grueling, and teams need guys like him to break up the monotony and keep things light.

Few players were better at that than Andrus.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Rangers. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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