The Texas Rangers have a public relations problem. The same problem they’ve had for years. The signing of Alex Rodriguez for a Major League record contract was the last time anyone in the Dallas Fort Worth area felt really good about baseball. Devoted fans became causal fans, casual fans became apathetic fans and apathetic fans became fans of other teams or other sports. Rangers fans, past and present have come to think of the years from 1996 to 1999 as “The Golden Years” of Rangers baseball.

Baseball is known as “the talking sport” where everyone has an opinion of what direction the team should take; win now versus rebuild, to gear toward Pitching and defense or win with the long ball. But even the diehard fans, the ones who still hold out hope all agree on one single fact; Tom Hicks has been a disaster as the Rangers owner. That’s been the majority opinion in the Dallas Fort Worth area for the past four years. Even the Dallas Fort Worth Media has begun to cover the Rangers with the same zeal they cover local high school sports and if Arlington could hold a recall election, Hicks would surely be voted out of office by a 99 percentile margin. If a poll was conducted asking who was the worst owner in baseball, Tom Hicks would lose only to Peter Angelos, though not on Merit; He would lose because Oriole fans still care enough to vote. Tom Hicks has damaged the reputation of the Texas Rangers beyond repair, and with the mighty Dallas Cowboys moving in just to the west, the Ballpark in Arlington stands to appear smaller and smaller with every luxury box Jerry Jones erects next door.

Where can Hicks turn to find the last shred of credibility, the relic the organization hasn’t tarnished in the Hicks era, Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. But the personal services contract the Rangers have time shared with the Astros Ryan would be an obviously transparent gesture. The fans love to see Nolan, he’s still beloved by Rangers faithful and Rangers scorned alike. The next step up the ladder? President of the Ranger organization. Hicks may have got the Dallas Fort Worth population on a technicality; true Texans wouldn’t dare call Nolan a lair or question his thrift spend ways. That gets you the death penalty in Texas.

There is hope that Ryan’s presence in the front office may breed new life into a Ballpark, return the air that was sucked out somewhere around the turn of the century. During the presser introducing Ryan as Rangers President (when did they start calling them pressers) Hicks was asked if General Manager Jon Daniels would report to Nolan or Hicks. Hicks responded that they would all work collectively. I can tell you right now, that wont work. Mr. Hicks, take a long vacation; leave your checkbook with Nolan, you can trust him can’t you.

If Tom Hicks has any hope for this organization, he needs to sell the team to Ryan. Nolan does have money, mind you, he just sold a bank, he’s owned a beef company, two minor league teams and has likely never turned down an endorsement deal. Nolan may not have the 350 Million dollars to buy the team, but the Ryan Express could find enough limited partners.

The only hope for the Texas Rangers may be their only Hall of Famer, the Strikeout King himself. Nolan Ryan may be the only man that can bring Rangers fans back to the ballpark and challenge the 3,000 pound Cowboys gorilla for ownership of the Metroplex. But its going to take more than giving pep talks to double A pitchers or photo ops or stories of seven no-hitters or weekly shows on 1310 the Ticket. Tom Hicks needs disappear out of town and out of mind and let Nolan and Jon Daniels try his hand to build a winner. Rangers fans know Hicks doesnt have the stomach for it. Until Tom’s fingerprints are off this team, the fifth best baseball market in America will still seem like Tampa Bay.