One unique thing about living in a city with a minor league baseball team is that you get to see talent here that goes on to further their career on bigger stages. The Frisco RoughRiders have an even more unique situation in that they are only a short drive away from their MLB team, the Texas Rangers. So, it’s not uncommon at all for us to see players in Frisco then in Arlington the next week (or vice versa when they come down for rehab assignments).
Right now we’re in the midst of the Tokyo Olympic Games. There are four players in the games that played here in Frisco for the Riders. Let’s take a look at who they are.
The Frisco RoughRiders have four alumni who are representing their countries in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Anthony Gose (U.S.A.)
Nick Martinez (U.S.A.)
Adrian Gonzalez (Mexico)
Ian Kinsler (Israel)
Gose, who was a pitcher with the RoughRiders in 2018, made 21 appearances in Frisco. The former outfielder played five major league seasons, three with the Blue Jays and two with the Tigers before converting to a pitcher and heading back to the minor leagues.
Martinez spent time with the RoughRiders in both 2013, 2014 and 2016, going 2-0 with a 1.51 ERA over eight outings. Martinez pitched for the Rangers for four seasons from 2014 to 2017, going 17-30 with a 4.77 ERA.
The five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner Gonzalez was a Riders infielder in 2003 before going on to amass a 43.5 WAR over his 15 years in the majors. The San Diego, California native spend his first two seasons in Texas before playing five in San Diego, one and a half in Boston and five and a half with the Dodgers before finishing his career in New York with the Mets for one season.
Kinsler, the most successful Riders alumni by WAR (54.1), played for Frisco in 2004 before going on to star in Texas. He played for the Rangers for the first eight years of his career, amassing three All-Star selections and two World Series appearances. He then spent four seasons in Detroit, making another All-Star game and taking home two Gold Glove awards at second base. Following his time with the Tigers, Kinsler won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2018.
