Former Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks, who allegedly misdirected millions of dollars from the team. cc/ma/Moses Almos UPI 

DALLAS, Aug. 16 (UPI) — Former Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks misdirected tens of millions of dollars from the team to acquire what are now profitable parking lots, a lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit, filed Monday by the team’s post-bankruptcy administrator, accuses Hicks of using money from the franchise to acquire the lots near Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and Cowboys Stadium, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Hicks also forced the Rangers to spend at least $18 million on parking lots and roads instead of financing deferred compensation for players, as required by Major League Baseball, said Alan Jacobs, the administrator charged with disbursing assets from the bankruptcy sale,

A total of $30.5 million was misdirected, according to lawsuit, filed in the 116th state District Court in Dallas.

The suit says financial statements released by Hicks hid a funding shortfall.

The Star-Telegram said Hicks’ Ballpark Real Estate takes in several million dollars a year in parking revenue near Cowboys Stadium and could be worth an additional $100 million “if Hicks is successful in extorting additional parking revenue from the Texas Rangers’ new owner and the team’s fans.”

Hicks spokeswoman Lisa LeMaster labeled the lawsuit’s claims baseless and pointed to a “bizarre flip-flop” by the Rangers’ major creditors, including hedge funds that bought the team’s debt.

“We welcome the opportunity to challenge these allegations in court,” LeMaster said.

The Rangers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2010 while Hicks owned the team after his company defaulted on bank loans. The team was sold in 2010 for $593 million in a bankruptcy auction to a group including Nolan Ryan, the Hall of Fame pitcher.

June 7, 2011

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Left-handed pitcher Mike Mason was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 23^rd round with the 714^th overall pick on day two of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. 

Mason joins fellow southpaw Greg Williams on the Rangers draft board in 2011 and marks the third Thundering Herd player drafted by an American League West squad thus far.  Rhett Stafford was picked by the Oakland Athletics a round prior to Mason.

Mason served as the Saturday starter for Marshall over the past two seasons and produced a breakout year in 2011.  The lefty finished his junior campaign with an even 3-3 record, firing a team-best 78.1 innings with 65 strikeouts.  He surpassed the 100-strikeout plateau for his career and collected 157 over the past three years with the Herd.

The lefty collected four quality starts as a junior, including a dominating performance against Houston.  In the no decision, the Maumee, Ohio native tied a career-high with 7.1 innings, giving up two earned runs, while fanning eight and not walking a batter.  Last season, Mason fanned ten batters against Southern Miss, which eventually won the 2010 Conference USA Tournament Championship.

Mason marks the second of three players drafted off the 2011 Marshall squad that was not selected by a MLB team out of high school.

June 7, 2011

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Left-handed pitcher Mike Mason was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 23^rd round with the 714^th overall pick on day two of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. 

Mason joins fellow southpaw Greg Williams on the Rangers draft board in 2011 and marks the third Thundering Herd player drafted by an American League West squad thus far.  Rhett Stafford was picked by the Oakland Athletics a round prior to Mason.

Mason served as the Saturday starter for Marshall over the past two seasons and produced a breakout year in 2011.  The lefty finished his junior campaign with an even 3-3 record, firing a team-best 78.1 innings with 65 strikeouts.  He surpassed the 100-strikeout plateau for his career and collected 157 over the past three years with the Herd.

The lefty collected four quality starts as a junior, including a dominating performance against Houston.  In the no decision, the Maumee, Ohio native tied a career-high with 7.1 innings, giving up two earned runs, while fanning eight and not walking a batter.  Last season, Mason fanned ten batters against Southern Miss, which eventually won the 2010 Conference USA Tournament Championship.

Mason marks the second of three players drafted off the 2011 Marshall squad that was not selected by a MLB team out of high school.

The Texas Rangers completed their first four-game sweep in Cleveland in nearly 33 years with a 2-0 victory over the American League Central-leading Indians on Sunday.

Texas pitcher C.J. Wilson fired 7 2/3 innings of three-hit ball and struck out seven batters to help the Rangers shut out the Indians for a second successive game as they swept four in Cleveland for the first time since August 1978.

“It was like a video game, I used every pitch I had,” Wilson told reporters. “I didn’t try to play country hardball and just throw the ball by people.”

Wilson improved to 6-3 as Darren Oliver and Neftali Feliz, who notched his 13th save, came on to provide hitless relief. Mitch Talbot (2-2) took the loss.

Cleveland (33-24) had been a big surprise this season by charging out to the best record in Major League Baseball with a 30-15 mark, but they have since spiraled, especially at home where they have lost six straight. Meanwhile, the AL West-leading Rangers (34-26) are heating up and have won five in a row. Reigning American League champions Texas utterly dominated the Indians during the four-game sweep, outscoring them 24-6.

“Our pitchers have led the way the last few weeks,” said Rangers designated hitter Michael Young. “That’s the way it has to be if we’re going to get where we want to go. If our pitchers keep pitching like this, I like our chances.”

The return of reigning AL MVP Josh Hamilton two weeks ago, after he missed most of the season with a shoulder injury, has also sparked Texas of late.