Texas Rangers legend, Tom Vandergriff expires at the age of 84
Tom Vandergriff was inducted into the Texas Rangers’ 2004 Hall of Fame class for a particular reason. The former Arlington mayor was responsible for bringing the franchise to Texas. Working to bring baseball to the state of Texas,
Tom dedicated 13 years of his life until perseverance finally drew results. The ‘Rangers’ brand made its way to the region and fulfilled Vandergriff’s wish of seeing a ball club operate from the state.
Vandergriff was a former United States Congressman and a Tarrant County Judge as well. Apart from establishing the Rangers in Texas, he brought two major changes to Texas. He convinced General Motors to set up an assembly plant
in Arlington. Furthermore, he helped establish the Six Flags amusement park. However, talking in regards to his career, his 50 years of public service helped groom the economy and society in North Texas. For the Rangers, he was an important cog in the wheel
since the club’s existence.
Vandergriff recently expired in Fort Worth and the impact it is having on the Rangers’ is immense. Passing away at the age of 84, Tom was able to see his club achieve a major hallmark this season. His second dream was to see the
ball club avail a World Series spot in a season. That dream came true this season as the Rangers pulled off an American League Championship victory over the New York Yankees.
Ryan Nolan, President of the club, and Chuck Greenberg, CEO of the team issued a statement in relevance to Tom’s passing, hailing the veteran’s contribution to the franchise and the fans.
"His tireless efforts to make the Texas Rangers a reality will never be forgotten. There was no one more deserving for induction into the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame, an honour received by Mr. Vandergriff in 2004. Mr. Vandergriff
leaves an enduring legacy that lives on. On behalf of our ownership group and the entire Texas Rangers organization, we extend our thoughts and prayers to his family at this difficult time."
"Everyone in Texas owes Tom Vandergriff a debt of gratitude, not only for what he did for the game and the sport, but for the whole community," former Rangers president Tom Schieffer said. "He had a real sense of feeling that every
citizen had a duty to make their community better, and he did that in a hundred different ways. He was an inspiration to all of us. I don't think anybody loved the game more than Tom Vandergriff, and he was the one who put his heart and soul into bringing
baseball to North Texas."
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