Adrian Beltre didn't join the Texas Rangers until he was 32. But his eight-year stint in Texas was arguably the best – and most consistent – of his career.
He made three All-Star teams, won three Gold Gloves, hit over .300 and slugged 30 or more home runs in his first six seasons with the club, before he was slowed by injuries.
But it wasn't the stats alone that made Beltre a star. He hit homers from one knee. He tap-danced at the plate. He dragged the on-deck batting circle where he pleased. He dodged head pats (when he could). He engaged in staring contests with opposing catchers.
With his retirement announced on Tuesday, he'll go down as one of the all-time fan favorites in Dallas-Fort Worth. Here are a few others in that select company (in our totally subjective opinion).
(Second disclaimer: This isn't a "best DFW athletes" list, either, though many of the following players were among the best in their sports)
Dirk
Do we even need to include his last name? The Mavericks star signed with the team in 1998, when he was 20, and never left, winning an MVP award in 2007 and leading the Mavs to a championship in 2011. Along the way, he climbed into the top 10 of the all-time scoring ranks (he's now at No. 7) and racked up 13 All-Star selections. And as other NBA stars fled to free agency, Dirk stayed in Dallas.
Pudge
Another first-name basis star. Pudge didn't spend his whole career with the Rangers, but he won an MVP award in 1999 and led the club to three postseason appearances, its best run since coming Texas (before the back-to-back World Series appearances).
Pudge was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year and also had his No. 7 retired by the Rangers, joining the next guy on the list.
Nolan Ryan
He only spent five of his 27 seasons for the Rangers, and now he's working behind enemy lines in Houston. But he tossed two no-hitters and later helped build a back-to-back World Series contender. And he gave us this:
The Triplets
Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. When you're part of the core of an NFL dynasty, you tend to become a fan favorite. The 1990s Cowboys featured plenty of drama (Irvin chief among it), but also plenty of wins, thanks to this trio. All three made the Hall of Fame and Smith, the last one to leave, topped Walter Payton for the most rushing yards of all time.
Roger Staubach
The Cowboys were already a successful NFL franchise when Staubach joined the team in the late 1960s. His leadership took the team to the next level: Four Super Bowl appearances, including two wins, and NFC championship game appearances.
Bob Lilly
The first Dallas Cowboy, literally. The team used their first draft pick ever, in 1961, on Lilly, who played college football at TCU. His "Mr. Cowboy" nickname was fitting. That first pick was a good one: Lilly was an 7-time first-team All-Pro and a Hall of Famer.
Jason Witten
He didn't win a Super Bowl but accomplished about every individual achievement for a tight end. More than 1,100 catches, 68 touchdowns and 243 consecutive games played, from 2004 through 2017. Witten's career catch total (1,152) is fourth most all time and second among tight ends. He also made plays like this:
Mike Modano
No American has scored more NHL goals than Modano, and he played right here in Dallas, helping launch the sport in a new market. Oh, and did we mention he helped the Stars win a Stanley Cup just six years after coming to town? As the Stars blog Defending Big D wrote in March, there will never be another Mike Modano.
Alex Rodriguez
His stint in Texas was brief but prodigious, as he led the American League in home ru–––
Just kidding.