ARLINGTON -- On Tuesday afternoon, the Rangers dedicated Oates Field presented by Papa Johns at the site of the team's new MLB Youth Academy in West Dallas, honoring the most beloved manager in franchise history, Johnny Oates, who died of a brain tumor in 2004 at age 58.
Oates guided the Rangers to their first three playoff appearances, in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
Oates Field will be the crown jewel of the new academy, which is under construction and scheduled to open in spring 2017. The state-of the-art turf field will feature seating for around 750 people, and replaces Johnny Oates Youth Ballpark, which Oates helped build in 1999.