ARLINGTON -- Elvis is back in the building. After 12 years as the Rangers’ longtime shortstop, Elvis Andrus returned to Texas on Monday. This time, as an opponent with the Oakland A’s.
Andrus described the experience as an emotional one, being that Texas was the only other club he had been a part of in his big league career. Andrus debuted with the Rangers in 2009 at 20 years old and was a two-time All-Star with the club.
“Everything was here,” Andrus said. “My dreams came true here, I had my first kid, the World Series, all those memories, man. It’s hard to forget about it. There’s always gonna be a great place in my heart. And being back on the other side feels weird, but I’m really happy [with] where I'm at right now.”
Andrus was the last remaining player from Texas’ 2010-11 American League pennant-winning teams before being shipped off to Oakland in February for Khris Davis and Jonah Heim. Texas was home for him and his family, which he said made it the hardest part of the situation, despite it being the best business decision for both him and both organizations.
Even through the first few months of the 2021 season, it took him time to get used to the new situation.
“He was just a thorn to us, all the time,” said Oakland manager Bob Melvin. “We see the infectious personality on our side now, which is fantastic. You could see it over there and how everybody gravitated to him and his leadership qualities, his playing every day. There’s a lot to Elvis, and we’ve gotten to know that.”
Though he played 11 years of his career with the Rangers across the street at Globe Life Park, Andrus said he was excited to finally play in front of the fans at Globe Life Field, which opened officially during the 2020 season.
“Everybody knows how pumped I get with the fans, how much I feed off the fans,” Andrus said. “Being here with the fans showing support and all the love, it’s made me feel even better.
Andrus said that while he’s focused on the A’s right now, he’s aware of guys like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Adolis García and what they’re doing on the field. He took time before the game to talk with his former teammate Willie Calhoun down on the field.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward said he’s happy that Andrus is getting the opportunity to thrive with Oakland, and he’s rooting for him to succeed all the time -- except when he’s playing the Rangers.
President of baseball operations Jon Daniels praised the way Andrus approached the game each and every day while he was part of the organization, especially for a guy that made it to the big leagues at such a young age and was in the spotlight for most of his career.
“He brought a level of energy day in, day out, whether the team was in first place or struggling,” Daniels said. “That's not easy to do. We all know that in our daily walks of life, when things aren't going great at work ... it's easy to hang your head a little bit. He's human, he had moments, but for the most part, he brought that enthusiasm and energy to the park every day, and it was infectious. A lot of very good clubs fed off that.”
When asked how he wanted fans to remember him, it was simple:
“I just want it to be remembered as a guy that gave everything he had for the organization,” Andrus said. “I came as a kid and got out as a man. I brought a lot of great memories to this franchise. I was always [proud] to be a Texas Ranger and will always be. I think that it’ll never go away. Nobody will take that away."