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Fans attending the Texas Rangers’ home opener against the Cincinnati Reds in early April will get their first look at the newly installed permanent fixture in left field.
Billed as a tribute to the MLB franchise’s namesake, the Rangers on Monday unveiled the “One Riot, One Ranger” statue along the left concourse at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
In 2020, the statue was removed from Dallas Love Field amid increased racial tensions and the group’s complicated history tied to race relations.
The book “Cult of Glory: The Bold and Brutal History of the Texas Rangers” examines parts of the law enforcement unit’s past. Its release coincided with nationwide scrutiny of some police practices following the killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.
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Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on May 30, 2025 during a game between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals. (Tim Heitman/Imagn Images)
In an Associated Press article about six years ago, around the time the statue was removed from the airport, “Cult of Glory” identified the figure as Captain Jay Banks. The book states that in 1957, Banks led a group of Rangers who allegedly blocked black students from enrolling at a local high school and community college.
In the article, “Cult of Glory” author Doug Swanson said, “There’s a famous photo of him leaning against a tree in front of Mansfield High School while a black figure hangs in effigy above the school, and Banks makes no effort to take it down.
“And Banks sided with the mobs that were there to keep black kids out. So he was the face of it.”
The Texas Rangers take batting practice before facing the San Francisco Giants at Globe Life Field on June 8, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Texas Ranger Association Foundation board member Russell Molina acknowledged the Rangers’ controversial past but said those who lived “up to the ideal” deserve recognition and argued the statue wasn’t just meant to represent Banks.
“We recognize that the history of the Texas Rangers, like that of our state and our nation, includes moments that must be faced honestly,” Molina said. “While not everyone who served for more than two centuries lived up to the ideal, most did, and they deserve to be remembered for their service, sacrifice, and commitment to the people of Texas.”
Globe Life Field, the new home of the Texas Rangers on March 26, 2020, in Arlington, Texas. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Swanson told the Dallas Morning News he hoped the statue’s final location would include more context about the organization’s complex past.
PK Press Club Digital reached out to the baseball franchise’s media relations department but did not immediately receive a response.
According to Globe Life Field’s official website, “While the ‘One Riot, One Ranger’ statue commemorates the legend surrounding the agency’s involvement in stopping an unauthorized Dallas prize fight in 1896, it also serves as a tribute to all those who have served the organization during its storied history.”
Statues of former MLB stars Iván Rodríguez, Adrián Beltré and Nolan Ryan also stand in the Rangers’ retractable roof stadium.
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