Rogers Signs With Rangers

Kenny Rogers returned to the team where he had his greatest success, agreeing with the Texas Rangers today on a $22.5 million, three-year contract.

The 35-year-old left-hander spent his first seven major league seasons with the Rangers. On July 28, 1994, he pitched one of only 16 perfect games in major league history, beating the California Angels 4-0.

Rogers was 5-1 with a 4.03 ERA for the New York Mets in the final two months of last season after going 5-3 with a 4.30 ERA for the Oakland Athletics.

However, he ended the Mets' season by walking Andruw Jones with the bases loaded in the 11th inning of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, giving Atlanta a 10-9 win and a berth in the World Series.

Rogers left the Rangers after the 1995 season to sign a $20 million, four-year contract with the New York Yankees. But his record dropped from 17-7 in 1995 to 12-8 and 6-7 in two years with the Yankees. The team concluded he couldn't handle the pressure of pitching in New York, a charge he always denied.

New York then traded him to Oakland and agreed to pay half of the $10 million remaining on his contract. Rogers went 16-8 with a 3.17 ERA in his one full season with the A's.

Texas, swept by the Yankees in the opening round of the playoffs for the second straight year, was looking for pitching following the departures of Aaron Sele (33 starts) and John Burkett (25 starts), who became free agents.

Sele refused the Rangers' offer of salary arbitration but is eligible to negotiate with them through Jan. 8. Burkett is ineligible to sign with Texas until May 1.

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