Rangers History Today: Jose Canseco, Relief Pitcher

Jose Canseco was one of the game's most feared power hitters in his prime, but what happened when he pitched for the Rangers?

On this date in Texas Rangers history, outfield Jose Canseco made his infamous trip to the pitcher’s mound to fulfill a life-long dream of pitching in the Major Leagues.

It went up in smoke at Fenway Park on May 29, 1993, as the Rangers lost, 15-1.

Canseco wasn’t the reason the Rangers lost. But his brief appearance on the mound was a dose of comic relief on an otherwise putrid day in Boston.

John Iacono/Sports Illustrated

Jose Canseco

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Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

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Canseco wasn’t exactly throwing heat up on the hill that day. He threw just one inning, the eighth inning, but gave up two hits, three runs (all earned), while walking three Red Sox. He ended up with an earned run average of 27.00, ballooning the staff’s ERA for that day to 12.38.

Todd Burns started the game but ended up with the loss for the Rangers, as he gave up six runs in less than four innings. Former Rangers starter Danny Darwin earned the win for the Red Sox, as he gave up just four hits and one unearned runs in six innings.

Rangers center fielder David Hulse scored the Rangers’ only run.

The comic relief of it all. Only the aftermath wasn’t that funny.

Canseco was the first Rangers position player to pitch in a game, but he injured his arm and underwent Tommy John surgery to end his season.

But we’ll always have the video.

Also on this date …

May 29, 1974: The Texas Rangers are sold for the first time since the team moved from Washington D.C. Brad Corbett and his investors bought the team from Bob Short. Corbett immediately installs a former Yankees player, Bobby Brown, as team president. Brown would later go on to become president of the American League.

May 29, 1987: Pete O’Brien became first Rangers player to score five runs in a single game, when he scored five runs against the Kansas City Royals.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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