1.12.21 AYP with Texas Rangers

Your AYP Committee is actively looking for ways to bring value to your membership and are excited to bring you an opportunity to hear from the Texas Rangers from the comfort of your office in the new year!

Speakers for the virtual event include:
Dave Raymond – Television Play-By-Play
Dave Raymond enters his fifth season as the primary play-by-play announcer for the club’s broadcasts on FOX Sports Southwest after joining the Rangers in 2016.
The 25-year broadcasting veteran called radio and television games for the Houston Astros from 2006-2012. Raymond also has Major League experience on the radio side with the San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles, and has been a Minor League broadcaster for the Brockton Rox, Sonoma County Crushers, Charleston River Dogs, and Iowa Cubs. From 2013-15, he served as a play-by-play and studio host for Major League Baseball Advanced Media. His other broadcasting credits include college football, basketball, baseball, and softball for ESPN, Comcast, Root Sports, and the CBS Sports Network. Raymond was the pre and postgame studio host for Houston Texans shows on FSSW in 2013 and 2014. He was also a business reporter for Forbes and Forbes ASAP from 1997-2002. Raymond is a 1994 graduate of Stanford University, where he was Senior Class President and a member of the track and field team. Dave resides in Flower Mound, TX with his wife Tish and sons Donnie (17), Tommy (15), and Mike (12).
Nick Solak – Rangers Second Baseman
CAREER: The 26-year-old Solak has led qualified Texas batters in both hits (90) and on-base percentage (.351) since making his big league debut on Aug. 20, 2019, making starts at several positions in that span: LF (23), 2B (21), CF (13), 3B (11)…acquired on 7/13/19 from Tampa Bay in exchange for RHP Pete Fairbanks, Solak posted an .884 OPS figure over 33 games in his debut season en route to earning 2019 Rangers Rookie of the Year honors from the DFW chapter of the BBWAA…the Chicago-area native was selected by the New York Yankees out of the University of Louisville in the second round of the 2016 June draft…was acquired by the Rays from the Yankees in a three-team trade that also involved the Arizona Diamondbacks on February 20, 2018…has played mostly second base as a pro, but has also seen significant action in left field and center field…owns a career .294/.383/.468/.850 slash line over 435 games spanning four campaigns at the minor league level.
2020: Tied for the club lead with 58 games played (also Kiner-Falefa), logging time at LF (23), 2B (16), CF (13) and DH (5)…had at least one plate appearance at all nine spots in the batting order, but was penciled in at the 1-5 positions in 49 of his 57 starts…was the club’s Opening Day LF, his 1st time on a season-opening roster.
RAKING ROOKIE: Led Major League rookies with 56 hits, the 1st player in Washington/Texas franchise history (since 1961) to complete a season as MLB’s rookie hit leader…also ranked among American League rookie leaders in doubles (2nd, 10), total bases (3rd, 72), runs (3rd, 27), stolen bases (3rd, 7) and walks (5th, 18)… had a .351 BA (13-37) with runners in scoring position to lead all Rangers, 10th-highest mark in A.L…the only qualifying rookie in TEX history to post a higher BA w/ RISP is Mike Hargrove (.393) in 1974…has graduated from rookie status after surpassing the requisite number of ML at-bats.
SUMMARY: Batted .313 (20-64) in first 18 G/17 GS of the season, but hit just .248 (36-145) over his last 40 G/GS to dip his season mark to .268, still 2nd-highest among qualified Texas batters (Kiner-Falefa-.280)…reached safely via H/BB/HBP in 45 of 58 G and led team with 76 times on base…set career high marks for total bases (8) and extra-base hits (3) on 8/14 at COL, his 50th career G...ranks all-time among TEX batters in 1st 50 career G: multi-H games (T2nd, 16), hits (T4th, 53) and total bases (7th, 84)…diving grab in LF on 8/22 at SEA was rated as a “5-star catch” by Statcast, 1st of his career and lone 5-star catch by a Ranger in ‘20…recorded 1st career OF assist on a FC putout at 2nd base on 8/17 vs. SD.
PERSONAL/AMATEUR: Nicholas Blake Solak…participated in Rangers Winter Caravan and Comerica Peek at the Park event last offseason…selected by the Yankees in the second round of the 2016 June draft out of the University of Louisville, where he was teammates with Grant Kay (2014) and Brendan McKay (2015-16)…was a team captain, second team All-ACC and third team All-American as a junior, batting .376/.470/.564 (62-for-165) with 14 2B, 5 HR and 29 RBI as the Cardinals made a run to the Super Regionals…graduated from Naperville North (Ill.) High School in 2013.
Eli White – Rangers Utility Player
CAREER: The 26-year-old White made his Major League debut in 2020, appearing in 19 games as an outfielder for Texas…reached the Triple-A level for the first time in 2019, spending the entirety of the campaign with Nashville and belting a career-high 14 home runs…a versatile defender, White served as the Sounds’ primary shortstop that year and also saw extended time in center field…has also played second base and third base in his pro career…is entering his third season in the Texas organization since being acquired in a three-team, seven-player trade on 12/21/18…the Clemson University product and South Carolina native has registered a .277/.355/.413/.768 slash line with 29 home runs and 159 RBI in 426 games over four minor league seasons…a three-time draftee, he was selected by Oakland in the 11th round of the 2016 June draft and signed by Athletics scout Neil Avent…he was also drafted by Pittsburgh in 2015 and by Cincinnati in 2013, but did not sign.
2020: Saw action at all 3 outfield positions in his Major League debut season…had 19 games/15 starts in left field (11 GS), right field (3 GS), and center field (1 GS)…marked 1st professional action in left field (Majors or minors)…recorded 1st career hit (RBI double) on 9/9 vs. LAA, snapping a career-opening 0-for-17 span that was T2nd-longest in TEX history to begin a career…batted .111 (4-36) in 1st 15 G/12 GS prior to a 5-for-12 finish over his final 4 G/3 GS…the latter stretch included a career-high 3 hits on 9/22 at ARI (3-for-4)…made ML debut with start in LF on 9/1 at HOU…lone start in CF was on 9/25 vs. HOU…recorded 1st career RBI on sacrifice fly 9/8 vs. LAA…had a .296 BA (8-27) against RHP and was just 1-for-21 (.048) vs. LHP.
SUMMARY: Contract was selected from the Alternate Training Site on 9/1 and spent the remainder of the season on the active roster…had been assigned to the Alternate Site on 7/19…suffered a Grade 2 strain of his left oblique in pregame workouts on 7/7 during Summer Camp, as he was scratched from the scheduled intrasquad game that day and did not appear for the remainder of camp…received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) shot shortly after, which greatly aided the healing process.
PERSONAL/AMATEUR: Elijah Thomas White…was the starting shortstop for the Clemson Tigers in 2015 and 2016, helping the club to an ACC Tournament title and NCAA Regional appearance in 2016…was teammates with D-backs prospect Seth Beer in his final season at Clemson…was a two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member and majored in financial management…selected by Oakland in the 11th round of the 2016 June draft and signed by Neil Avent…also drafted by Pittsburgh in the 37th round of the 2015 June draft and Cincinnati in the 26th round of the 2013 June draft, but did not sign…was an all-state selection as a senior at Wren (S.C.) High School.