The Life and Career of Former Arlington Mayor, Tom Vandergriff

When you think of the State of Texas, what the first thing comes into mind? The Texas Longhorns? Dallas Cowboys? However, there was one man who was determined to bring a baseball team to Arlington. His name was Tom Vandergriff, and everyone should thank him for being persistent and making his dream a reality for the city. Let's learn more about Mr. Vandergriff's life and career.

Tommy Joe Vandergriff was born in the Texas town of Carrollton, a suburb of Dallas, in January 1926 to William Thomas "Hooker" Vandergriff and Charles Pleasant Mayes. Vandergriff earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1947. Despite suffering with a speech impediment at at a young age, Vandergriff was determined to have a successful career. For nearly three decades, he served as the Mayor of Arlington, bringing a General Motors plant to the city. However, one of his biggest contributions as a businessman was that he brought a Major League Baseball team to Arlington, which we know today as the Texas Rangers. Arlington voters raised $135 million for a new stadium to be built for the Rangers. The Ballpark in Arlington, which it would be called, opened for its inaugural season in 1994. During the 25 years the team has played there, they went through several name changes until 2019 where the Rangers played their final home game. Their former home is now known as Choctaw Stadium, which is next to their current stadium, Globe Life Field, which opened in 2020. After his tenure as Mayor concluded in 1977, Vandergriff went into the realm of politics, serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1985 and then following up with serving as a County Judge of Tarrant County for nearly 20 years until he officially retired in 2007 at the age of 80.

Vandergriff's final public appearance was in late October 2010, where the Rangers defeated the New York Yankees in the final game of the American League Championship Series (ALCS), clinching the pennant and would make their first World Series appearance in franchise history against the San Francisco Giants. Unfortunately, he would miss seeing the Rangers in the Fall Classic, due to a broken hip. Tom Vandergriff's career spanned nearly 60 years and he was known as "The Father of Baseball in Arlington" and "Mr. Arlington." On December 30, 2010, Vandergriff passed away at the age of 84, leaving behind a lasting legacy that the Dallas-Fort Worth area will remember for years and decades to come. Several places in the metroplex are named in Vandergriff's honor, including Vandergriff Park in Arlington and a statue of the former mayor stands in front of Globe Life Field.

The Rangers would lose to the Giants in the 2010 World Series and made another trip to the Fall Classic the following year to face the St. Louis Cardinals. In Game 6 of the seven-game series, the Rangers were one out away in both the 9th inning and extra innings to clinch their first championship, but both attempts failed. The Cardinals would end up winning the final two games of the 2011 World Series, securing the title. 12 years later, the Rangers would finally deliver the promise they made to their fans that slipped through their hands years prior: winning a championship. It's sad that Mr. Vandergriff didn't live long enough to witness that historic moment. He would've been proud of them achieving that important milestone and noticed their continuing success.

Tom Vandergriff deserves an abundance of credit for working tirelessly of brining a MLB team to a now populous city. His legacy continues to live on toady, due to his prolific career and being a part of Texas history.