Watch: Charley Pride takes batting practice with the Rangers in 1974

It’s a good thing he stuck to “cutting” hit records.

Longtime Preston Hollow neighbor and country music hall-of-famer Charley Pride, who died this month, took batting practice with the Texas Rangers at spring training in 1974, when he was just turning 40 years old.

Pride, who played minor league ball for about six seasons, later became an owner of the Texas Rangers.

In this vintage news clip, he mentions playing in the minors with “Mr. Versatility,” César Tovar, who also played for the Rangers that year.

It is probably no accident that Pride was wearing No. 71, as that was a great year for him. That’s when “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” hit No. 1, and he won Entertainer of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards.