Rangers send message about team identity by removing Willie Calhoun from game

Before removing him from a game for not running hard, Willie Calhoun had been warned about his occasional lack of hustle to first base, Rangers officials confirmed Monday.

Calhoun, 23, was taken out of Sunday's Triple-A Round Rock game after not going hard to first base in his first at-bat. Rangers manager Jeff Banister said the message was about the organization's identity.

"Our identity is we are going to run hard down the line," Banister said. "It's about the effort you are giving your teammates. That's the identity we want to have."

Banister said Round Rock manager Jason Wood has had conversations with every player on the roster about hustle.

In the first inning Sunday against Omaha,…