Bohemian Banter

Drew Gooden: Favorite New Mav

2010-02-09T17:50:00.003-06:00

Ok, so football season is over and before I get too giddy about Opening Day in April (woohoo), we need to take a look at basketball season so far. I have now checked out three whole Mav games this year (way down from previous years) and I have one clear observation: I love Drew Gooden and his work ethic!
Now I know I have been spoiled by great Mav centers of the past: Shawn Bradley, Raef Lafrentz, and Eric Dampier (oh wait he's still playing for them). But Gooden has surpassed all of them in a short amount of time. He cleans the boards, scores from the 5-spot, and hustles for loose balls. On the season he is averaging 8.9 pts, 6.9 boards, and 1.1 blocks per game.

***As a starter he is averaging 11.3 pts and 11.4 boards.***

Has a Mavs center ever averaged a double-double?

Does anybody else appreciate this guy like me? Name your favorite Mavericks not named Dirk because I am interested in what kind of list we can come up with!

Could Art Briles be the next Tech coach?

2009-12-30T21:06:00.002-06:00

Immediately upon hearing the news that Mike Leach was fired, I thought about who would be next in line to coach the West Texas football squad. Ruffin McNeill instantly came to mind because he is the interim head coach for the Alamo Bowl game and he could become the front-runner if the Red Raiders win against Michigan State.
After Ruffin's name came to mind, an eerily thought came to mind...what if Texas Tech wanted Baylor's Art Briles? Now you might ask, "Why would Tech want a coach who has a 8-16 record in two seasons at Baylor?". Well, Briles has been a coach at Tech before (2000-02 RB coach) under Leach and runs a spread offense as well with more of an emphasis on the running game. Briles is also a good recruiter and has a long history in the state of Texas as a player at the University of Houston, head coach at Stephenville, and head coach at U of H.
Briles would ease a lot of tension in Lubbock as a proven coach who could make a smooth transition for the players and recruits. As a Baylor fan I would be dissappointed if Briles left Waco to go to Tech but I have known all along if he had success at Baylor he would not stay too long.
What do you think? Should Briles be the next coach or do you have a better name?

Texas Tech saves money, fires Leach

2009-12-30T18:42:00.002-06:00

When I first heard about this story, I wasn't surprised by Leach's antics and was completely on the James' family side. After a little research (listening to talk radio) from people who live in the Lubbock area, I have come to reside right in the middle on this controversy. Why you ask? Is it because I condone Leach's antics? Oh no, not by a long shot.
One reason: Leach was to get $800,000 by Thursday if he was the coach for the bowl game. We know that the "powers at be" did not have good negotiations with the West Texas pirate over his contract extension last February. Looking at this situation from afar, there has to be more to this than any of us know or will ever know.
We do know that Adam James, kid locked in shed, has a powerful daddy in Craig James, ESPN analyst, and he had the ear of the board of regents. We also know that young James did not get much playtime but has an all-important last name. According to Lubbock natives, this kid is a prima donna who lacked work ethic (this sentiment was also echoed by a Tech assistant coach) and who's dad was calling Tech coaches every week complaining about his son's playing time.
Should Leach have been punished for putting this kid in the shed? Of course he should have, but fired?....come on.
Something is fishy here and it is not the smell of Lubbock.

Roy Williams Who?

2009-10-11T19:26:00.002-05:00

At halftime of today's Cowboys game, I notice that Miles Austin had 4 catches for 71 yards and immediately thought of my next blog: Roy Williams Who? Of course Austin goes on to collect 10 grabs for 250 yards and 2 TDs and makes some people say T.O. who?

Roy Williams was left back in Dallas along with Felix Jones after suffering a hard collision in last week's loss to the Broncos. Going into today's game there was a question of who would step up in UnoUno's absence and Miles Austin went on to surpass Williams' total yards and touchdowns for the season in today's crazy game. So now the questions are: what do you do with Williams and is he ever going to be a #1 receiver? He is averaging almost twenty yards a catch but only has 11 catches in four games. He is not a locker room distraction like T.O. but he is not a playmaker like him either.

Do you think Roy is or will be a #1 WR?

Rangers Spotlight: Adios Hank!

2009-10-10T10:21:00.002-05:00

So I am still surprised that it is 2009 and there are still Hank Blalock fans out there among us. They could be the person sitting next to you in the movie theater, in the line at the drugstore, or your spotter at the gym. Yes, that's right these misguided Rangers fans are blinded by their feelings and emotions to see one of the worst players in MLB taking up payroll on a good team.

Good news for the logical fans: Hank is gone and is not coming back. He was on the books this past season for 6 million making him one of the highest paid players on the team....yikes! Okay, before the emotional Hank homies come running after me with pitchforks, here are Hank's stats:

Year-batting average--on base %, home runs, RBIs
2003-.300-.350-29-90
2004-.276-.355-32-110
2005-.263-.318-25-92
2006-.266-.325-16-89
2007-.293-.359-10-33--only 58 games played
2008-.287-.338-12-38--only 65 games played
2009-.234-.277-25-66

He came into the league as a guy that could hit for an incredible average to all parts of the field and had some power, but he leaves Texas as an one-dimensional player (power) that is not that good. It starts in '05 where his on-base % drops to .318 and this year his .277 was the second worst in MLB! If you don't believe me, check out Jamey Newberg's post on one of the most highly touted players to come through the Rangers farm system only to leave as a fragment of old self. This is a great article and must read for Blalock fans, but be warned...the veil will be removed from your eyes. Pandora's box will be open and you will thank your lucky stars that he is gone and Justin Smoak will be in the big leagues next year.

Let's hope that he does not turn out like Blalock...

Scotty Pods to test free agency...

2009-10-06T17:28:00.002-05:00

After finding a resurgence with the White Sox again, Scott Podsednik is going to test the free agent waters. There is a good article on Chicago White Sox's MLB page. This is what Scott says about the offseason:

"No, we are going to wait it out and see what happens," Podsednik said concerning his foray into free agency. "If they want to try to bring me back, then we will entertain that idea and go from there. But this is all kind of a new process to me. I'm going to seek counsel from my representation and do what we feel is best."

He is coming off one of his best seasons: .304 average, 7 home runs, 48 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases, but the most important aspect is that he did not miss any extended time with an injury, which has been his problem the last several seasons.

Scott has this to say about his history with injuries:

"I've put in hard work to counter things I was having problems with in the past," Podsednik said. "I haven't felt any muscle strains, aches, pulls, anything close to some of the stuff in the past. I feel I have a good working program and can keep my body healthy for a full season."

Most teams probably see Scott as a fourth outfielder at best, so he needs to be patient and find an opportunity that provides the most playing time for him. At 33, he is not through with his playing career and this year showed he can be a vital part of any team as a LF/CF and a leadoff hitter.

What does Baylor do now?

2009-09-27T17:54:00.002-05:00

By Cody

The last few weeks have been brutal for Baylor fans. We took UConn lightly and it showed on the field. Having a chance to still tie the game late in the fourth quarter against a solid BCS opponent showed the Bears are a talented team. However, execution, the inability to sustain drives, and the defense unable to get off the field on third down was too much to overcome.

The first offensive drive against Northwestern State could not have ended any worse. Robert Griffin was stopped for a loss on fourth down and hyper-extended his knee on the play. After wrapping his knee to stabilize the joint, he was able to return to the game and perform exceptionally. He will not be able to do that in any other game this season. He is out for the year with an isolated tear in his ACL. To make the season outlook even worse, Blake Szymanski suffered a bruised shoulder while trying to plow into the end zone. There is optimism that he can play next week, but was unable to raise his throwing arm following last nights game.

Nick Florence, a true freshman, should get the start against Kent State next weekend. RB Jay Finley is still day-to-day with an ankle injury and did not dress out for the NSU game. Jared Salubi and Terrance Ganaway are solid backs and have showed they are able to carry the load. Starting cornerback Antareis Bryan is out for six to eight weeks with a broken foot. Mikail Baker, a backup safety and cornerback and leading kick returner, is also out for the year with a knee injury. These injuries are going to force younger players to step up. A true freshman at QB, a redshirt freshman at RB, and a true freshman at CB.

Before these injuries, Baylor was already down on talent compared to the University of Texas and Texas A&M. Before the injuries, the average starter on offense for Baylor was a 3 star recruit and a 2 star on defense. A&M averages a 4 star on offense and a 3 star on defense. The Longhorns average a 4 star on offense and a 4 star on defense. Baylor needed to remain injury free and take advantage of every opportunity to reach 6 wins and be eligible for a bowl game. This Baylor Bear is extremely distraught currently. As a season ticket holder, I will not miss a home game and will be at Cowboys stadium to watch the season finale. Personally, I still see 6 wins as a possibility if the offensive and defensive lines step up and can take control of the line of scrimmage. Sic ‘Em Bears!!!

Aggie Spotlight

2009-09-11T21:58:00.002-05:00

by Chad

I had prior engagements this past weekend, but I can now focus on some of the ins and outs of Aggie football. Ok readers, what has the latest Aggie football game taught us? Shouldn’t beating a remedial team 41-6 prove that the Aggies will systematically dominate all other teams in 2009?
I wish this were true, but I need to assess this team fairly and also provide some semblance of a respectable column. Personally, I’m just hoping for respectability. It’s been a couple of long, hot summers, without a drop of rain in Aggieland. That’s not saying that this team will be unable to win any meaningful games. I’m just not gaining any satisfaction in this temporary shade provided by the pounding of a Mountain West cellar dweller.
The team is young… very young. The depth chart lists 24 sophomores or freshmen in the Aggie two deep, of which, 7 are starting on defense. From the way the team played last year, this is not a bad thing. Head Coach Mike Sherman appears to be willing to play the best players at his disposal. Underclassmen will make mistakes, but only in these sophomores and freshmen does hope truly lie for the Aggie faithful. It is just a sad fact that the Aggies were out manned in the trenches and in the secondary over the past couple of seasons. From what I have seen in the game against New Mexico, the team looks much better in these crucial areas. I’m just not sure how much of this improvement was due to Texas A&M being superior as opposed to the Lobos just being awful.
I can’t see waves rising, or hear the winds of change blowing just yet. Until the Aggies play well against Arkansas, let’s wait on labeling this team as being good. That being said, I do think that they are much improved. The suggestion I have to my fellow Ags is to sit back and enjoy the next couple of games before this young team gets to appreciate the minefield of the Big 12 South.

Big XII: What we learned in Week 1

2009-09-07T11:13:00.002-05:00

It was interesting weekend for the Big XII as they went 10-2 with the lone losses from Oklahoma and Colorado St.

Here are some thoughts on the weekend:

Oklahoma: Yes Bradford went down, but he played the entire first half and OU only had 10 points. It looks like the four rookie offensive lineman struggled against the veteran BYU defense and this could pose some big problems for the Sooners in the up-coming weeks.

Oklahoma St: Great win for the Big XII over the SEC as the Cowboys beat the Bulldogs by 2 touchdowns. For me, it legitimizes my 2nd place pick for OSU in the Big XII preview.
Baylor: Had the 2nd most impressive win for the conference as they beat Wake Forest on the road. At one point, Baylor had a 24-7 lead and managed to hold on 24-21 against the ACC school.

Texas, A&M, KU, Nebraska, and Texas Tech: All had lopsided victories against inferior opponents.

Mizzou: Another solid win for the conference as they beat Illinois in their annual rivalry game. Great win for the Tigers as they look to replace Chase Daniel at QB.

The week ahead:
Colorado @ Toledo
Iowa @ Iowa St
Ark. St. @ Nebraska
Houston @ OSU
UT @ Wyoming
Bowling Green @ Missouri
Idaho St @ OU
KSU @ UL-Lafayette
Rice @ Texas Tech
KU @ UTEP

Bye week: Texas A&M and Baylor

Tony Romo's New Squeeze

2009-09-02T19:56:00.003-05:00

Most of you only care what she looks like so her pic is to the right:

For those of you who want to get to know the local sports reporter/former Miss Missouri, here is a link to her website: http://www.candice-crawford.com/

Bix XII Prediction Time!

2009-08-31T19:50:00.004-05:00

It is that time of year again! I looked at each team game-by-game and predicted wins and losses. Don't hate me for it because it is only one man's opinion.

North Conf. Overall

Kansas (5-3) 9-3
Nebraska (4-4) 7-5
Colorado (4-4) 7-5
Missouri (3-5) 7-5
Kansas St. (1-7) 4-8
Iowa St. (0-8) 3-9

South Conf. Overall

Oklahoma (8-0) 12-0
OSU (7-1) 11-1
Texas (6-2) 10-2
Texas Tech (4-4) 8-4
Baylor (3-5) 7-5
A&M (2-6) 5-7

Big XII Championship: Oklahoma over Kansas

Bubble Game for each team:

Baylor @ Wake Forest: This Saturday's game can go a long way to Baylor's hopes to returning to a bowl game. This game will be close, but I say BU gets revenge for last year's stomping.....28-24.

Colorado vs. Missouri: This game is key for Colorado to return to glory days and I say they pull off the upset....24-17.

Iowa St. vs. Kansas St.: This will be ISU's best chance to win a conference game and yet it still won't happen...14-28.

Kansas vs. Nebraska: This game will decide the North crown and I give the nod to the team with the experienced QB...35-31.

Kansas St. vs. Texas A&M: This game could truly go either way and I chose to go with Jerrod Johnson and the Farmers....27-17.

Missouri vs. Baylor: Mizzou squeaked out a win last year in Waco, but I think with Baylor's 2-50 record on the road in the Big XII, I will be going with the Tigers....31-24.

Nebraska @ Kansas: If Nebraska wants to win the North title, they will have to win in Lawerence (not happening)....31-35.

Oklahoma vs. Texas: This game will once again go a long way to determining the Big XII Championship. I see Zero-U getting their revenge....38-24.

Oklahoma St. vs. Texas: I know I will take heat from T-sippers with this one, but how do they go into Stillwater and pull off the victory? Keep in mind that last year the Cowboys went into Austin and barely lost 28-24. T. Boone Pickens will enjoy this victory...42-35.

Texas A&M vs. Baylor: If I ticked off the UT fans with the last game, this is the one that Aggies will not enjoy. I can't see them containing RGIII even in Kyle Field. This will be the statement game for the Bears....28-42.

Texas Tech vs. Baylor: This is suppose to be a home game for Baylor but they committed to playing Tech in Arlington this year and in Dallas next year. If this was in Waco, I would chalk it up as a Bear victory but there will be plenty of Red Raiders in the Metroplex and Tech wins this one close...42-38.
UT vs. Oklahoma St.: We have already said that Pickens will party the night away. Be mad now, UT fans, but remember this prediction a couple of months from now...35-42.

That's it, so let the comments come pouring in. Where did I go wrong?

Cowboys Spotlight: Felix Jones

2009-08-22T22:27:00.002-05:00

In the next few weeks we will be looking at several Cowboys that are essential to the team being successful. How do we judge success? I am glad you asked. You will not hear Super Bowl talk from me, instead a successful season will be a playoff win. That is it....one lousy playoff win. The last time the Cowboys won a playoff game was against Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl 13 years ago. That's right, there have been kids that have gone through all of their public education (K-12) and never seen America's Team never win a lousy playoff game.

After watching the game on Friday night, the one player who stood out to me was Felix Jones. Last year, the kid from Arkansas played in only 6 games before suffering a season-ending injury. In what little time he played last year, Jones showed off some incredible skills. He averaged 8.9 yards a carry and scored 3 TDs. When he gets out in open space there are a handful of players in the league that can catch him. He provides another element to the offense. He is the lightning to Barber's thunder and is an excellent receiver out of the backfield.

With the lack of a solid #2 WR, the Cowboys are going to have to utilize players like Felix to get where they wanna go.

Razorbacks Spotlight: Swine Flu?

2009-08-20T09:16:00.003-05:00

--by Elizabeth

Petrino is worried about a Swine Flu outbreak. A few of the players have been sick recently and he had them checked out for Swine Flu, the tests came back negative. It would be comical for Razorback players to get the Pig flu...from nwahomepage.com

"With the increasing threat of exposure to the H1N1 Virus, or Swine Flu, football teams are taking precaution including the Arkansas Razorbacks. After Wednesday's practice Bobby Petrino said, "We’ve got a couple of guys that have been sick. We’ve been doing a nice job of working hard to make sure we understand everyone’s health and making sure we know their temperature. I saw where Duke had 15 players out and quarantined. It is a big concern of mine and it will be especially when school gets started here.”

MLB expanded rosters explanation

2009-08-17T19:07:00.003-05:00

I have a request to explain the "September call-ups" in reference to when Tom Grieve and Josh Lewin talk about it on T.V.

This is from Yahoo Answers:

"On September 1, teams are allowed to add any player on the 40-man roster to the active roster - basically, raising the limit to 40 players. In practice, it's very, very rare that a team would actually hit that limit because several of the slots are usually held by players on the DL or minor leaguers who have to be on that protected roster but who aren't ready for the majors yet. (Plus, you've gotta pay them at the major league rate and they accrue MLB service time, which a team may not want to do for a player who isn't really needed.)

Once the playoffs start, teams still in contention get cut back to the 25-man limit (and those players must have been on the team prior to August 31)."

That is the best explanation that I found. Potential call-ups for the Rangers: Chris Davis, Max Ramirez, and Warner Madrigal. September call-ups are more useful for teams that are not in contention to bring up guys to get big league experience. See the last sentence of the explanation as to why it doesn't work for playoffs team usually.

I hope this helpful and feel free to give me blog ideas anytime!

Baylor's Scrimmage Highlights

2009-08-15T17:47:00.004-05:00

I went to Baylor's open scrimmage today at their new athletics complex on the campus. It was a great escape from the Texas Rangers' disaster that happened last night.

The scrimmage was great to see especially considering I was about 20 feet from the field the entire time. The team as a whole seems to have a swagger with a lot of chatter on the field and the "Green" squad breaking out in song at one point.

Things I took away from the scrimmage:

No surprise but RGIII (that's Robert Griffin for the non-BU fans and pictured above in red) is simply amazing. He oozes confidence and throws amazing on the run.

Freshman Willie Jefferson (#17 in the picture) is 6-6 and looks like a basketball player. He will be an incredible red-zone target that nobody will be able to contend with in the endzone.

Junior Krys Buerck is incredibly fast. He caught several balls and no one was able to catch him once he got into open space.

Sophomore Terrance Ganaway, Houston transfer, made the lone good run of the day breaking tackles in route to a 20+ yard gain.

Last point: The Bears are going to score a ton of points this year. I know, that was a Captain Obvious moment but I am stating it nonetheless.

Thanks to my lovely wife, Amanda, for taking the pictures and sitting in the hot sun for 2 hours.

Neftali Feliz: Super Freak!

2009-08-14T18:48:00.003-05:00

I am about to type out some stats that are not a misprint, but are freakishly awesome:

6.2 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 13 Ks, 1.35 E.R.A.

That's right.

He has faced 21 batters and struck out 13 of them. Only 1 batter has a hit which was a home run. He has been clocked out 101 mph on several occasions and his changeup is 91 mph. He doesn't look like a rookie out there, and in fact he looks like a seasoned veteran with a cool demeanor. Rob Neyer from ESPN called him "one of the best relief pitchers in the major leagues". I don't know if I would go that far but I am thanking my lucky stars that we didn't trade him for Halladay or Lee.

Welcome to the big leagues, Feliz.

Scott Podsednik's playing time

2009-08-11T17:58:00.002-05:00

Scott's playing time is now in question for the White Sox after they acquired OF Alex Rios from the Toronto Blue Jays. Pods has maintained a batting average around .300 all season long yet Rios is getting paid big-time money so it is highly unlikely that he will sit on the bench most of the time.

The White Sox outfield as it stands:

LF--Carlos Quentin: .239-11-29
CF--Scott Podsednik: .297-4-33 and 17 SBs, Alex Rios: .264-14-62 and 19 SBs
RF--Jermaine Dye: .270-24-67

Alex Rios brings power, speed, and incredible defense to Chicago with Pods only having one of those abilities (speed). But Scott also has an uncanny ability to bat #1 in the lineup and the Sox would miss his capabilites there if he was on the bench.

We will get an idea of Ozzie Guillen's plans after tonight's game against the Mariners. We will have to wait and see if Scott's good play continues to award him a spot in the lineup.

Josh Hamilton and a long-term contract

2009-08-08T14:42:00.003-05:00

Before the season started, I was anxious as anyone for the Rangers to lock up Josh to a long term contract. I figured that 1) he just had a major season and brought the Rangers national attention (in a good way) and 2) we would get one of the best hitters in baseball at a good discount if we locked him up now.

After this year's struggles and today's news coming out, I now know why the front office and Hambone's agent couldn't come to an agreement.

Two sides of the same coin:
For Texas, you have to look at Josh one year at a time. His body is too fragile (injuries and ADD medication) which means there is no guarantee which Josh you are going to get: last year's phenom or this year's injury-riddled mess. Can the Rangers afford to commit the next 5 years to a guy who is one bad night away from never playing the game again?

For Josh, today's news once again makes us realize that he lives one day at a time. Everyday he wakes up there is another battle he has to face with alcohol and drugs. Yes, he wins almost everyday but all it takes is one loss and he is done.

I have been a big advocate of Hambone but today was a reality check. I don't understand what he and his family must go through on a daily basis and I hope I never have to.

If you were the front office, what would you do with Hamilton?

Josh Hamilton's demons out of the closet...

2009-08-08T11:04:00.004-05:00

The morning after Hambone hits a 3-run home run and helps the Rangers defeat the Angels, I would love to talk about how he has been hitting better and getting on track but it is not meant to be. Jean-Jacques Taylor and the Dallas Morning News has reported that their are some pictures on deadspin.com that suggest Hamilton's old ways have come back in an ugly way.

It shows him in a bar in Arizona back in March before spring training. They show him with unknown women and alcohol all around. Now, you won't find a bigger Josh fan than me: I have his jersey, his book, and I admired his testimony that he has shared time and time again. But this points us back to Romans 3:23 and reminds us that is EVERYONE falls short even after we receive so many blessings from our Lord.

I hope Josh addresses the pictures and the Rangers understand that those demons in the closet are always going to be there. We all have them and they can rise up at anytime.

"Sin is always crouching at your door"

**Update** The Rangers are going to address the photos prior to today's game against the Angels. I would like to believe that these photos are old but MLB network is on in the background of some of those photos and that channel has only been around since January. For now we just have to wait and see. He is drug tested every 3 days so but alcohol would not be a banned substance.

Bye, Bye Padilla!

2009-08-07T21:28:00.003-05:00

Vicente Padilla finally used up all his 9 lives as a Ranger. Today the club designated him for assignment giving them 10 days to trade or waive him. He will most likely not find an immediate suitor which means he will be waived. On Wednesday he hit another batter, Kurt Suzuki, which led to Michael Young being beaned the next inning.

For whatever reason, Padilla's logic is when he makes a bad pitch and gives up a home run he has to immediately hit a batter on the opposing team. I know it doesn't make sense, but this is how Padilla's mind works.

The bottom line: We don't ever have to worry about him again because you will never see "Texas" across his chest.

Adios!

My Sports Weekend

2009-08-07T09:48:00.005-05:00

I apologize for taking so long to post a blog this week, this week has been hectic. Last weekend was crazy fun for me starting with going to the Cowboys stadium on Friday. If my wife and I had left earlier for Arlington, we could have taken a tour of the stadium which would have been awesome but we are going to a game on the 29th anyways. We walked around the outside of the stadium and checked out the pro shop while we were there.

After leaving the mammoth stadium, we went to our original destination for the night: Rangers--Mariners game in which we had to leave early due to the threat of rain. The important thing is that the Rangers won and we saw a couple of homers that set off the fireworks. It was a great day!

Saturday was the key day for the weekend: Cowboys training camp in San Antonio. The crowd was enormous and I am only estimating but I would say maybe upwards of 10-12,000. The crowd cheered for their heroes: Marion Barber, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, and of course the beautiful, Tony Romo.

Players who looked good in practice:

Tony Romo

Felix Jones---flat out explosive
Flozell Adams--lost a lot weight and was very mobile
Rudy Carpenter--I would like to see him as the #3 QB.

Players who didn't look so good:
Stephen McGee--his passes were off in the early practice.
Patrick Crayton--dropped several passes
Jesse Holley--Mr. "4th and Long" dropped a lot of passes.

One thing I take away from Camp:
I never liked Wade Phillips as the Cowboys coach and now I KNOW I don't like him as the head coach. He looked lost especially in the early practice when he was wondering around the 50-yard line waddling back and forth. If you don't believe me I have a picture to show you him by the "star" and no one within 30 yards around him. Check it out:

Rangers not giving up on Halladay!

2009-07-30T19:47:00.002-05:00

According to FoxSports.com, the Blue Jays rushed a scout to Arlington to watch Derek Holland pitch tonight for the Rangers in an obvious effort to work a trade with Texas before the deadline. The deadline is 3 p.m. tomorrow and if the Texas was to pull of a Roy Halladay trade, it would have to send fear to the Angels.

It would have to be a big time offer that could include: Holland, 1B Justin Smoak, CF Julio Borbon, and other legit prospect. As soon as something goes down I will blog about it!

Lets bring the "Doc" to Texas!

Rangers seeking rotation help

2009-07-28T20:23:00.002-05:00

What are we going to do Nolan?

Believe it or not: The Texas Rangers are among the league leaders with a 4.17 E.R.A yet they are still seeking a starter via trade.

Current Rotation:
Kevin Millwood 9-7, 3.39 E.R.A., 1.28 WHIP

Scott Feldman 9-3, 3.59 E.R.A., 1.14 WHIP

Vincente Padilla 7-5, 4.67 E.R.A., 1.52 WHIP

Tommy Hunter 3-1, 2.00 E.R.A., 1.17 WHIP

Derek Holland 3-6, 6.13 E.R.A., 1.62 WHIP

Now imagine for a second replacing Holland with one of these guys:

Zach Duke 9-9, 3.42 E.R.A., 1.23 WHIP

Jarrod Washburn 8-6, 2.71 E.R.A., 1.06 WHIP

Cliff Lee 7-9, 3.14 E.R.A., 1.30 WHIP

Lee could be headed to Boston according to T.R. Sullivan, but Texas still remains rumored to get Duke and the Rangers have a scout watching Washburn pitch tonight in Seattle.

Of the three, who do you want? I still would choose Duke because he would be the cheapest and we could hang onto him the longest.

Trade Rumor Spotlight: Josh Willingham

2009-07-27T21:02:00.003-05:00

Already mentioned Duke in the previous post, and now I will spotlight another potential Ranger in Willingham.

Bio:

Bats: Right
Throws: Right
30 years old

2009 stats: .296 AVG, 15 HR, 35 RBI, .410 OBP

The Rangers outfield is already crowded but he would be coming in as the DH, but the problem is Andruw Jones has occupied that spot for most of the last two months. Texas would have to figure out what to do with Jones and Cruz.

I like Josh W. because of his ability to get on base which is something all the Rangers are lacking this year and his contract runs through 2011 so he would not be a quick fix.

As much as I like Zach Duke, Willingham would be my #1 priority for the trade deadline. Stay tuned to this blog for the latest in rumors and actual trade news......hopefully we will have some!

**Update: Josh has 2 HRs and 8 RBIs tonight**

Trade Rumor Spotlight: Zach Duke

2009-07-27T19:50:00.002-05:00

Bio:

Left-handed starting pitcher
Born in Clifton, TX

2009 stats: 20 starts, 3 complete games, 9-9, 3.42 E.R.A., 139.1 IP, 74Ks

Has gone at least 6 innings in his last 10 starts and the 9-9 record is impressive considering that he pitches for the Pirates.

The Rangers would have to give up some prospects but I don't believe they would have to give away any top-tier prospects. How about 2 second-level tier prospects and throw in another young prospect.

Duke would immediately be the #3 pitcher (after Millwood and Feldman) and could be a stable in the rotation for years to come.

What do you think of Duke........is he worth it?

To trade or not to trade!

2009-07-27T18:57:00.004-05:00

I'm back from vacation with a vengeance! This week marks the trade deadline for MLB and the Rangers look to be big-time players with the addition of a starter or DH or both. I give credit to Jamey Newberg, Evan Grant, and Trot Coffey for the following names that have been linked to the Rangers:

Purely speculation

Pitchers:

Roy Halladay (longshot but the Rangers are in the top 5 of possible destinations)
Cliff Lee (Cleveland says they are not trading him)
Doug Davis--former Ranger
Zach Duke--my choice and a Texan
many others.....

Hitters:
Adam Dunn
Nick Johnson--good OBP, injury concerns
Josh Willingham--good AVG, OBP and is signed through 2011
Ryan Garko--not as good as the above 3 **Update: Just traded to Giants for Single A pitcher**

I would like the addition of Zach Duke and Josh Willingham because they would help the team immediately but also be here for the next couple of years. As soon as the Rangers make a trade check out this site for complete analysis!

Upcoming: Zach Duke and Willingham spotlights.

Going on Vacation

2009-07-20T05:18:00.003-05:00

The family is going on a cruise and they have been nice enough to drag me along. I won't be back until Saturday night by then I hope that:

Mavs have grabbed a big man.

Rangers have figured out how to hit and are back in first place.

Cowboys have not done anything to embarrass the organization.

In reality it will probably be:

Mavs will just sit around and talk a good game.

Rangers fall out of contention as they can't hit or pitch.

Cowboys make the headlines that are not in the Sports page.....crime section, front page, etc.

We will have to wait and see..........Peace out!

Book Review: The Blind Side

2009-07-18T20:10:00.002-05:00

I finished a book today that is as good as it gets: The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. Lewis also wrote another great book, Moneyball, but this is much better. It is about Michael Oher, an African-American kid from Memphis who is taken in by a rich white family on the other side of the tracks. The book also covers how the NFL has made the left tackle (the position who protects the QBs blind side) the most highly paid position in the league. Oher happens to play left tackle and was drafted in the first round back in April.

This book was written a few years ago so I feel kinda stupid for not reading it sooner but I am glad I did. It ranks up there with Friday Night Lights, Where Dreams Die Hard, and Beyond Belief in great sports books.

Go out and get your copy today, you won't regret it!

**A movie starring Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock is coming out later this year that is based on this book**

Goodbye Polish Hammer.......we hardly knew thee

2009-07-13T20:46:00.003-05:00

Dallasbasketball.com is calling this day "Day That Will Live In Mavs Infamy" and I am inclined to believe that after losing Marcin Gortat to Orlando and Roddy Beaubois to injury. The extent of Roddy's injury is uncertain at this time (check back for an update) but Gortat's absence from this team is the thing that stings the most right now. His agent had said that Mr. Gortat was disappointed to hear that Orlando had matched the deal because that means he has to settle for watching Superman from the bench for the next 5 years possibly.

So what do the Mavs do now? Well the off-season has now rebooted for Dallas after we thought they were basically done. Who are the suspects to take up the slack:

Tyson Chandler
Emeka Okafor
Elton Brand
Marquis Daniels
Marcus Camby
Chris Kaman (I like him IF he can stay healthy)
David Lee
Eddie Curry

Most of these guys don't get me excited primarily because you are going to have to overpay for them unlike Mr. Gortat who would have been payed half of Damp is owed this season.

Stay tuned for the lastest on the NEW off-season for the Mavs!

Update: Roddy has a left knee contusion according to the Mavs.

Rangers Spotlight: Scott Feldman

2009-07-11T20:19:00.002-05:00

Feldman did what he always seems to last night: pitch great and get a win. With the 6-4 win yesterday, Scott is now 8-2 on the season and has dropped his E.R.A. to 3.83. He has made himself a solid major league #3 pitcher and has been the Rangers second best pitcher only behind Mr. Millwood. But even Millwood has had an horrible outing while Feldman has kept Texas in every game he has pitched.

He is 10th in the A.L. in wins (8) and WHIP (1.18) and has gone at least 5 innings in every start this season and went at least 6 innings in 12 of his 15 starts. He always seems to have great movement on all his pitches and he has made it known to Evan Grant from Inside Corner that he wants to go deeper into games.

Heading into the All Star break you could make an argument that he is the Rangers most consistent pitcher this season and one of the main reasons they are in first place nearing mid-July.

Blalock is Red Hot!

2009-07-10T22:25:00.002-05:00

Blalock's red hot play helped the front office send Chris Davis down to the minors, but Hank hasn't cooled off now that he has the starting gig. He has seen his average jump 21 points in the last 10 games and has 3 straight multi-hit games going into tonight's game. It has been well documented that Hank has been complaining of lack of playing time and since that was leaked to the media he has been playing extremely well.

Example: in last night's loss, he had the two Rangers hits through the first 5 innings against King Felix. But not only is he making contact in this streak but the power has been unbelievable. He has 4 HRs and 8 RBIs in his last 9 games which includes tonight's 2nd inning solo home run.

Welcome back Hank, the team needs your leadership during this playoff run!

Oh C.J., how we loathe thee

2009-07-09T23:26:00.003-05:00

I have been a big C.J. Wilson apologist for a long time now, but he makes that difficult for me to hang onto that label after tonight's game. Wilson who has been lights out for most of the last month, blows the game tonight after Tommy Hunter and Darren O'Day do their job.

Mr. Blue Glove gives up a 3-run home run with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th to lose the game 3-1 to Seattle. To add insult to injury he almost collides with Michael Young to catch a foul out to end the 8th inning. That was a move based on pure emotions and it could have caused a severe injury to either of the players.

He has great stuff that nobody can argue with, but he has a 10 cent head that causes trouble when things don't go his way. If I wanted to watch an emotional player I would watch softball not professional baseball.

This loss hurts plain and simple.

Who is Nathan Jawai? Answer: Aussie Shaq!

2009-07-09T21:02:00.003-05:00

After the dust settles from the trade, the Mavs pick up Marion, Greg Buckner, Kris Humphries, and Nathan Jawai. We all know Marion, Buckner is a former Mav from 2 years ago, and Humphries has been in the league for a few years now, but what about Jawai?

Who is this guy that was thrown into the deal?

I was reading on the TorontoStar.com today and some of the comments from the fans showed they were really dissappointed that the Raptors let this Australian go. He only played 6 games last year and played college ball at Midland College here in Texas yet there has to be something they liked about him.

He is a 6-10 PF from Sydney and is nicknamed the "Aussie Shaq".

Interesting.

Matrix lands in Dallas

2009-07-08T22:10:00.003-05:00

According to Marc Stein and ESPN, Shawn Marion is a Dallas Maverick and it should be official by tomorrow. The details of the trade are not clear but apparently Stackhouse goes to Memphis as part of the 3-team trade.

With the addition of Marion, Gortat, and Kidd re-signing, the Mavs have to be considered a 50-win team next season and a legitimate playoff team. Also figure that the Mavs are not done by no means in the off-season with some reports out there saying Josh Howard could be the next piece moved for possibly...........Joe Johnson?

As it stands right now the starting lineup is:

PG: Jason Kidd
SG: Josh Howard
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Marcin Gortat

Other Notables: SG Jason Terry, PG J.J. Barea, C Erick Dampier, SG Antoine Wright

Does this move alone put us in the conversation with the Lakers and the Spurs?

***Update: Wright and Devean George are heading to Toronto and Kris Humphries is coming to Dallas from Toronto along with Marion***

Hamilton making his presence known!

2009-07-08T18:16:00.002-05:00

Josh Hamilton has only been back for two games but has only made an incredible impact on this team. He is 5-8 with a stolen base and has been flying around the bases leaving one to think that he is completely healthy. Ham's presence in this lineup causes pitchers to fear his bat and gives the entire team a boost of confidence.

The question is: Should Hamilton participate in the Home Run Derby at the All Star Game? The baseball fan in me wants to say yes after the performance he had last year, but Josh clearly lost something after the All Star break with his bat. Can the Rangers, tied for 1st place, afford to have #32 play in an exhibition home run derby? Do you risk your playoff chances for a couple of hours of entertainment?

What do you think?

West Spotlight: Pods update!

2009-07-03T22:28:00.003-05:00

Scott went 3-4 with a double and 2 runs scored as the Sox beat the Royals 5-0 to improve to 4 games above .500. Podsednik has raised his average back up to .317 which still leads the team. Here is a great article written recently on Pods resurgence with Chicago by MLB.com

Rangers Spotlight: Frank Francisco

2009-07-03T17:13:00.002-05:00

Should he still be the Texas Rangers closer? Before his injury, he had only given up 1 run in the first two months. But since coming off his stint on the DL, Francisco has given 5 runs in 5 outings. His last outing he did the most damage when he gave up a game-tying home run against the Angels on Wednesday night.

His E.R.A. was a meager 0.48 on June 3 but now is 2.28 which is still solid but I wonder if he is completely healthy?

I believe C.J. Wilson should be the Rangers closer again. He has only given up 1 run since that game against the Yankees on June 4th and that 1 run was in mop-up duty the other day in a win against the Angels. His E.R.A. now has dropped to 2.73 and he struck out the side in Wednesday night's game against the Halos.

How about the Rangers drop Francisco to the 8th inning for now and keep Wilson in the closer role? What do you think?

Rangers dominate the West

2009-07-02T18:00:00.002-05:00

After winning 2 out of 3 against the Angels, the Rangers are 15-4 against the AL West this year. The first place Angels are only 10-14 against the West and Texas is the only team in the division with a winning record.

If Texas can manage to play .500 or ball or slightly better against the rest of the American League this season and continue to play like they do against the West, the Rangers will have no problem winning the division. For some reason Texas struggled against the NL in previous weeks but were doing fine against the AL.

7 of the next 10 games are all against the West and on the road. It will be crucial for the team to go 4-3 against Seattle and LA. And based on the numbers so far this year, we have no reason not to believe that they go and have a winning record on that road trip. Hamilton is supposed to come back this weekend and will automatically put fear into opposing pitchers again like he was doing earlier in the season.

So Ranger fans have no fear for games against the West are here!

NBA Free Agency about to begin

2009-06-30T21:32:00.002-05:00

At 11:00 pm CT the free agency period will begin and Mark Cuban will be in New York mucking it up with Jason Kidd. The Mavericks have made it clear that Kidd is their #1 priority with keeping Brandon Bass #2. Kidd has a very good chance of staying while their will be a lot teams wanting to snatch up Bass and being able to offer him a larger contract.

Let's say the Mavs keep Kidd but lose Bass, that would mean Dallas still has their Mid Level Exception to use on one good player or two or three sub-par players. Possible players for the MLE could be Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, or Anderson Varejao.

Out of those 3 players who would you want the most?

Keep in mind, the Mavs still have Stackhouse's and Dampier's contract to dangle to teams for trade bait.

***Marquis Daniels could be a possibility for that MLE if the Mavs were willing to bring him back.***

Hunter's performance wasted in 2-0 loss

2009-06-28T22:17:00.002-05:00

Tommy Hunter had an incredible spot-start that was all for naught as the Rangers lost to the Padres and Chad Gaudin, 2-0. San Diego won a series for the first time this month and put Texas 1.5 games behind the Angels.

Hunter's line: 6.1 IP, 7 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, and 3 Ks.

Is he worthy of keeping in the rotation after this start?

The Rangers bats went cold again against Gaudin, managing only 1 hit.

What does Texas need to do with the lineup? Do we need to add another bat? Nick Johnson is still available from the Nationals.

The Rangers rotation woes

2009-06-28T16:53:00.002-05:00

Though the Rangers hitting is far from perfect, it has begun to show life in the last 4 or 5 games. Chris Davis has seen his average climb back over the right side of .200 and Kinsler is also having more success at the plate.

At this moment, the top 3 in the rotation are solid with Millwood, Padilla, and Feldman but Holland and (insert 5th starter) are no guarantee to get the job done. Tonight, Tommy Hunter takes the mound in Harrison's spot after he went on the DL again. We were told that Jason Jennings would be the next guy to take a rotation spot the minute one was vacated and I hope that is the case. I think Hunter fills in tonight because it was on short notice and I see Jennings filling in from here on out. He wants the opportunity again to prove he can be starter and this could be it.

What about Derek Holland? He had one good start in San Fran, but struggled last night against a weak hitting San Diego team. He hammered fastballs into the zone over and over again and the Padres made him pay. It seems that he still thinks he can overpower players with his fastball but he needs to command his secondary pitches if he is ever going to be a starter in this league.

Do you think Holland should still be in the rotation? Who should be in the rotation? Who do you want the Rangers to trade for?

West Spotlight: Scott hits 3rd home run!

2009-06-27T18:44:00.002-05:00

Scott Podsednik went 4-5 with a double and a home run along with 3 RBIs as the White Sox beat the Cubs 8-7. For the season, Pods has 3 home runs, 20 RBIs, and raised his team leading batting average to .319. He could be the White Sox All Star representative if he keeps playing like this for the next week.

Marlon Byrd-Victor Conte Relationship Unsettling

2009-06-26T08:03:00.004-05:00

A couple of days ago news broke that Marlon Byrd has been receiving supplements from BALCO founder Victor Conte. This is the same Conte who supplied Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds, and Marion Jones among others with steroids of all kinds. He is the same steroid dealer who was made famous in the book Game of Shadows (excellent book) and the same guy who thinks that professional players should be super humans and the public wants to see juiced athletes.

So why does Marlon Byrd want to get his supplements from this guy? This is like someone who wants to buy a gun and decides to go see the Taliban instead of their local gun store. Why does Byrd choose to put his name in the same sentence as this guy?

Well apparently he has been doing this for the last 18 months and has not failed a drug test but don't think that this story is going away. This will not be the last piece of news to come out on this subject.

Byrd's 2009 stats: .285 avg, 4 HR, 33 RBI

Pods hit game-winning hit....Again!

2009-06-25T23:08:00.002-05:00

West product, Scott Podsednik, has another walk-off hit for the White Sox as they beat the Dodgers in the 13th inning today, 6-5. Scott went 2-6 with a walk and RBI and broke out of 0-15 slump with a 12th inning single. It is the 2nd time Scott has won a game for the Sox in as many weeks and he raised his team leading average to .305.

What a year for Pods!

Mavs Draft Talk

2009-06-25T22:53:00.003-05:00

Looks like the Mavs will end up with two guards: Rodrigue Beaubois, an athletic French PG, who is suppose to be at a press conference tomorrow and according to Rick Carlisle will be with the team this summer and should make the roster. It was believed that this guy would have to stay in Europe for at least another year but the Mavs are saying otherwise. The other guard is Nick Calathes, a combo guard who went to the University of Florida but has already signed a contract to play for a professional team in Greece. He put up some solid numbers at Florida and has good size at 6-5.

Note: Pay close attention to DeJuan Blair out of Pitt who is with the Spurs. They picked him up well into the 2nd round and I have a feeling that Mavs are going to regret passing him up much like Big Baby Davis a couple of years ago. Thank you Mavs for Nick Fazekas: how did that work for us?

What do you think of these two picks? Are they worth getting excited about?

Mavericks Draft Spotlight: B.J. Mullens

2009-06-25T20:27:00.002-05:00

The Mavs 1st Round pick is B.J. Mullens out of Ohio State. It is an interesting pick primarily because the guy didn't even start in college. He is a very raw talent but is 7-0, 275 lbs, and athletic. He average 8.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 1.1 bpg as a freshman at OSU.

The most exciting note about this selection is that Donnie didn't pick a European who is years away from playing in the NBA. This guy might not play a lot minutes next year but he will be in 09-10.

*Update* Looks like Mavs are trading this guy to OKC for some French guy that nobody ever heard of. **Pulls hair out**

Spurs get Jefferson

2009-06-23T18:38:00.003-05:00

San Antonio got a lot younger and better with the acquisition of Richard Jefferson from the Bucks for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto according to Espn.com's Chad Ford. This gives them the Big 4 instead of the Big 3 with the others being Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili.

Jefferson is a big time wing scorer that average 19.6 points a game last year and played in all 82 games. He is only 29 years old which makes him one of the youngest Spurs instantly (tongue in cheek).

For fellow Mavs fans: This is not good news because the Spurs instantly become better and more athletic and the worst part is dallasbasketball.com's Fisher suggested that the Mavs jump on Jefferson before the Spurs go after him. Now the Mavs have to make a move if they want to compete this year in the Southwest Division.

Do you want Shaq, the other big center from Orlando, Rondo and Ray Allen, Vince Carter, or Marcus Camby/Chris Kaman? Which one do you want?

Rangers woes continue

2009-06-21T21:21:00.002-05:00

The Texas Rangers struggles continued today with the completion of the three game sweep at the hands of the San Francisco Giants. Starting pitching has not been a problem of late but the bullpen and offense has struggled mightily. Here a few things that Ron Washington needs to think on over the off day:

Chris Davis: He went 0-3 today with 1 K and is now hitting .194 with 101 Ks. Washington needs to seriously consider sending him back down to the minors to regroup and allow Blalock to play first base. Hank is getting paid $6 million to play sparingly at the moment. At the very least it allows Blalock to get consistent playing time making him a commodity at the trade deadline.

Eddie Guardado: His E.R.A. has ballooned to 5.40 over the last two weeks and he does not seem to have the magic he had last year. Last season the bullpen needed his leadership but now with O'Day, Jennings, Wilson, and Francisco....the bullpen has leaders and if they need another veteran it will be via trade...i.e. Saito from Boston or Street from Colorado

Michael Young: He cannot hold down the #3 slot any longer with a .172 avg with runners in scoring position. Kinsler needs to be in that role with Young returning to #2 and Andrus taking the helm at lead-off. Andrus has showed patience at the plate that most of the team lacks and he knows his role wherever he is placed in the lineup.

What do you think of these moves? Do you have any other suggestions?

West Spotlight: Pods red hot!

2009-06-21T17:41:00.002-05:00

Scott Podsednik is 6-12 in his last three games after his latest multi-hit game today as the White Sox beat the Reds 4-1. Scott hit his 2nd home run yesterday and has now raised his average to .319. He has solidified the lead-off spot for the White Sox over the last month and a half helping the Pale Hoes record hanging around .500. This could be the kind of year that resurrects Scott's career.

Keep it up Scott!

The Re-birth of Derek Holland

2009-06-20T22:23:00.003-05:00

Tonight is where we saw patience meets success with young players. Holland has been struggling as a starter, but that was all forgotten on a crisp San Francisco night. He was relaxed all evening and still throwing heat late into the game. Hopefully we will look back on this game and say "This is when Derek Holland truly began his major league career".

Holland's line: 7 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 1 BB, 5 Ks

Having Holland have a quality start keeps Jennings in the bullpen and helps solidify this rotation with Millwood, Padilla, Feldman, and Harrison. The next start will determine if this start was just a fluke. But this should be a start the kid can build on and know that he is making progress in the big leagues.

I can't wait until the next start!

Farm Spotlight: Justin Smoak

2009-06-19T18:11:00.002-05:00

One of the hot conversations lately on the talk shows is when are the Rangers going to bench/send down Chris Davis. CD has 97 Ks in only 214 ABs and after hitting a nice home run yesterday, he still struck out twice. Davis is young and letting him break the strikeout record could do a number on his psyche. So what's the answer at first base?

Could be Justin Smoak once he is healthy. He is in AA Frisco right now after being drafted by Texas in the 1st round of the draft last year. He is on the DL at the moment and hopefully will be healthy soon enough because he is a switch-hitting first baseman with power (sounds like someone who is wearing pinstripes that we know). Since joining the organization he has shown why the Rangers like him so much and why all of baseball thinks the Rangers got a steal of a deal last year.

Smoak's stats this season:
.325 avg, 41 games, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 32 BB, 30 Ks

The numbers that should jump out to you is the walks and strikeouts. Anytime a player has more walks than Ks, it shows their patience at the plate (something Davis is lacking right now).

Many experts think that Smoak is not ready and maybe they are right but what is the front office going to do when he is ready? Can Smoak and Davis play on the big league team at the same time? We have had this problem before when he had Tex and Adrian Gonzalez both ready to be the first baseman of the future. We traded Gonzo and now he is among the league leaders in home runs at Petco Park in San Diego!

Management is going to have a tough decision to make: keep Smoak or Davis. Who do you want to keep? It is a good problem to have but one I don't envy deciding.

Rangers had scouts at Red Sox game

2009-06-19T08:28:00.003-05:00

According to the Boston Globe, Texas had scouts watching Brad Penny Wednesday night in Sox 6-1 win over the Marlins. Penny's line: 5 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, 3 Ks.

Season stats: 6-2, 4.94 E.R.A., 13 starts, 71 IP, 24 BBs, 47 Ks, 1.55 WHIP, .296 BAA.

His E.R.A. is not impressive for the season but he still has a solid record and and he has been solid his last two starts over Florida last night and the Yankees on the 11th. That night he went 6 innings and gave up 0 runs and had 5 Ks.

That being said, do you get excited about Brad Penny and his 4.94 E.R.A.? He is defiantly not Cliff Lee, Jason Marquis, or Roy Oswalt. He is not the kind of pitcher to put the Rangers over the top and what would they have to give up for his mediocre ability. The Rangers need to go out and get a #2 pitcher not a #4 if they are going to make a serious run at the playoffs.

I don't like idea of Penny coming here, but what you think? Do you want somebody or would you want to hold out for something great?

Salty preserves victory!

2009-06-18T18:19:00.003-05:00

Jarrod Saltalamacchia is becoming the catcher for the present and the future. In yesterday's game he hit a low and outside pitch 415 feet to straight away center with a flick of his bat. His defense played a key part late in the game when he through a perfect strike to 2nd base to get speedy Michael Bourn.

For the season Salty has thrown out 12 and allowed 34 stolen bases a 26% ratio. That is not Pudge-like by no stretch but it is 8% higher than last season and it was better early on, but base robbers have taken advantage of Millwood and others slow delivery to the plate.

Jarrod still needs to work on his offense but he is still young (24) and yesterday he showed his power potential. The future is bright for this young catcher and for many other young Rangers.

How confident are you in Salty's ability?

Pods hitting .315 after yesterday's game!

2009-06-18T06:14:00.002-05:00

Podsednik went 2-4 with an RBI and a stolen base yesterday in the White Sox 4-1 win over the Cubs. The RBI was his 14th and the stolen base was his 9th. He is still leading the team in batting with a .315 average and is playing like he the 2005 version of him which went to the All Star game and finished 12th in MVP voting.

Go Scott go!

Kevin Millwood: Legitimate Ace

2009-06-17T17:31:00.003-05:00

After the last several years, I never thought I would put Kevin Millwood and legitimate ace in the same sentence but he has proven me wrong this year. After last night's 7 inning performance only allowing a Pudge home run and striking out 6, Millwood (7-4) has won 3 consecutive starts. Not only is he playing like an ace, you can stack his numbers up against Roy Halladay and the other aces in the league:

Millwood: 7-4, 99.2 IP, 55 Ks, 2.62 E.R.A.

Halladay: 10-1, 103 IP, 88 Ks, 2.53 E.R.A.

Any guy that can match Halladay after 14 starts deserves to be called an "ace". He has been the anchor for the Rangers when they needed him most: after losing streaks. He was also the guy that Nolan singled out to elevate his game, he worked the "extra inning" all year, and Kevin provides great leadership for this pitching staff.

Now that we have an ace, we need a legit #2 for this rotation. The solution is Ben Sheets in my opinion. He could be here in August and would be in mid-season form by playoff time. Padilla and Feldman could hold down the #2 and #3 slots until he gets here. Imagine for a second that Millwood, Sheets, and a good Padilla is your playoff rotation with a solid lineup. That would put the Rangers in prime position to win at least a playoff series.

Do you think Millwood and Sheets are front-end playoff pitchers? Who do you want the Rangers to get for the rotation or the bullpen? Give us your thoughts!

Former Ranger Sosa tested positive in 2003

2009-06-16T18:39:00.002-05:00

New York Times first reported that Sammy Sosa tested positive in 2003 for steroids. Here is a link to the story on espn.com.

Are you really surprised? My wife and I witnessed Sammy hitting his 600th home run at the Ballpark and I was well aware that there was almost a 100% chance of his steroid use, but for at least that night we enjoyed the moment. When he officially announced his retirement a couple of weeks ago, the media talked like he would be inducted into the Hall of Fame because he was never proven guilty for PEDs. With this story breaking out, it is a guarantee that he won't get in on the first ballot if ever.

What are your thoughts on this news, or is it news at all?Does this change your opinion of Sosa as a player? Share your opinion!

Chris Davis Ks Game--Silver Boot Style

2009-06-16T18:07:00.002-05:00

Chris Davis is in the lineup tonight so it is time to play the CD Ks Game. It is easy as possible: just correctly predict how many times Davis will strikeout tonight.

Major League record: 204
Davis year total: 92
Predicted Season total: 240

Tonight's opposing pitcher: Wandy Rodriguez allowing a .213 batting average for lefties.

I predict 2 Ks again...........What do you predict?

4th and Long: Update

2009-06-15T23:42:00.002-05:00

Yes, this show is still going on and I am watching every week. We are halfway through this season and Barry Horn, Dallas Morning News Reporter, still feels that WR Andrew Hawkins is the favorite. He is only 5-7 out of the University of Toledo but he has 4.34 speed.

Other Notables:

WR Montrell Jones--6-2, 205 (yeah right), University of Tennessee
Irvin loves this guy but he is slow, lazy, and but does not have a grasp of the English language. He is more like 250, not 205.

DB Donte Gamble--30 years old, 4.32 speed, San Diego St.
Has shown promise at times but was hurdled by WR Speedy Gonzalez which was simply embarassing.
WR Jesse Holley--6-3, 216, UNC, 4.52
He has a lot of athleticism and has never been in the doghouse with Irvin. He also played basketball at UNC.

It is not too late to jump on the bandwagon of this show if you are a die hard Cowboys fan!

Monday Nights at 9 p.m. CT on Spike TV

Big Diesel in Big D?

2009-06-15T19:00:00.003-05:00

ESPN has reported the last two days Shaq going to Cleveland but as Tim McMacMahon, Dallas Morning News blogger, pointed out that Phoenix would save more money if they were to trade him to the Mavs. Dallas would give the Suns, Dampier and Stackhouse while Cleveland is dangling Ben Wallace and Pavlovic.

I have mixed feelings, but Shaq played in 75 games last year and never missed a game because of injury. Also add in the fact his numbers from last season: 17.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg. Those stats would instantly make him the best center in Mavs history.

Then there is the other side: injuries and age which go hand in hand. Can you trust Shaq to play 65-70 games? I don't even think he can jump anymore but he can clog the lanes. He is in the last year of his contract, so what if Dallas was to get him for this year and then go after Bosh next season? Are you on board? He has been on record saying that he would love to play in Dallas.

I am going to ponder the Big Diesel in Big D while waiting for your banter.

West Spotlight: Another multi-hit game for Pods!

2009-06-14T15:55:00.003-05:00

Scott Podsednik went 2-5 with his 13th RBI of the year as the White Sox defeated the Brewers 5-4. His average has climbed to .311 (team leader) and he has a modest 4-game hitting streak. He also has a hit in 14 of 16 games and 5 SBs in the month of June.

No Chris Davis Game today; The Kid to pitch

2009-06-14T12:31:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the inaugural Chris Davis K's game (though I was the only participant) and today their will be no game because Davis is not in the starting lineup. I correctly predicted that Davis would strikeout twice yesterday (the last was to end the game). The game is simple enough: the object to predict how many Ks Davis will have in a game that he starts. I look forward to more players next time around (probably Tuesday).

Chris Davis' total Ks is up to 92 for the season. He is maintaining a good pace to break the major league record (204).

Other Notes:

Holland (1-3) is scheduled to pitch the rubber match up against the Dodgers' Chad Billingsley (8-3).

Feldman has dropped his E.R.A. to 3.70 after his 5 scoreless innings yesterday.

Kinsler, Young, and Jones all got hits yesterday hopefully putting their hitting struggles behind them.

Darren O'Day pitched another scoreless inning to drop his E.R.A. to a ridiculous 1.02.

Chris Davis Ks Game

2009-06-13T17:20:00.008-05:00

The Dallas Morning News Rangers Blog has the Cowlishaw Game, Inside Corner on D Magazine has the Home Run Pool so we are going with the Chris Davis Ks Game.

Davis is on pace to set a major league record in strikeouts this year and here are the numbers:

Major League Record: 204 by Mark Reynolds-2008
American League Record: 197 by Jack Cust-2008
Chris Davis Currently: 90
On pace: 240

Tonight he faces Randy Wolf who is allowing lefties to hit .088 against him.

How many strikeouts will Davis have tonight?

I say 2!

Texas Rangers: Do you believe?

2009-06-13T10:48:00.002-05:00

After posting back-2-back shutouts at home for the first time since '81, do you believe in the 2009 Rangers?

Before you make up you mind here are things to chew on:

The Good:
Home Runs: Despite not hitting a home run in 4 straight home games, the Rangers are still 2nd in the A.L. and Nelson Cruz is a big reason for that.
Kevin Millwood: His 2.72 E.R.A. is in the top 10 of the league and he is also in the top 5 in innings pitched. He is pitching like the ace he is suppose to be.

The Bad:
Pitching: May was a good month for the pitching staff, but overall Texas is still 9th in the league in E.R.A.
Hitting: Rangers are 7th in runs and 8th in team batting average, but are 4th in OPS. How is Texas 1st in the West when they are 7th in runs and 9th in E.R.A.?

The Ugly:
Chris Davis: He is on pace to shatter the strikeout record and his average is sitting at .207.
Josh Hamilton's & Brandon McCarthy's injuries: When he has played he has struggled, but opposing pitchers still fear him and that makes him dangerous in the lineup. The problem is he has not been in the lineup and won't be until the All Star break. McCarthy I can even begin to talk about again.

So there it is, now what do you think? If the Rangers can get Hamilton, McCarthy, and Francisco back healthy than they are almost a lock to be in the race in September. But Rangers fans want a Red October and according to the poll on this website.....6 of 7 think that the Rangers will win at least 85 games which puts them in the playoff hunt.

ESPN tells amazing Brett Gardner story

2009-06-13T08:47:00.003-05:00

Jeremy Schaap from ESPN told a very heartwarming this morning on Sportscenter. It involves New York Yankees OF, Brett Gardner, and a promise to a sick girl in a hospital to hit a home run.

This is from the NY Daily News on June 12, 2009:

They're a pair of lucky charms.

Yankee center fielder Brett Gardner was reunited Friday with the ailing teenager who gave him a bracelet for good luck a few hours before he made history by hitting the first inside the park homer at the new Yankee Stadium.

What Gardner did not know then was that he brought 18-year-old Alyssa Esposito a whole lot of luck too - that same night she got the heart transplant she desperately needed.

"It's cool how it happened, that it happened on the same day," said a smiling Esposito as she donned Gardner's jersey at New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

The happy chain of events began May 15 when Gardner brought Babe Ruth's granddaughter, Linda Ruth Tosetti, to the hospital to read baseball books to sick kids.

Esposito, whose heart was ravaged by inflammation, had been waiting for a donor heart at the hospital since January. From her window on the ninth floor, she could see the lights of Yankee Stadium twinkling in the distance.

So when Esposito heard a real Yankee was coming to visit, she joined the excited kids in the reading room. And it was then that she gave Gardner a bracelet from Project Sunshine - the group that sponsored the visit.

"This will make you hit a home run," said Esposito, who is from Long Island.
Gardner, who is better known for his speed than his slugging, had doubts about the power of the bracelet but kept them to himself.

"I thought to myself, 'Yeah, right. I don't hit home runs'," he admitted.

Then that night, Gardner made history - and he remembered the bracelet and what the girl in the wheelchair had promised.

"A lot of things have to go right for an inside-the-park home run to happen," he said.

A lot of things also went right for Esposito after the heart transplant operation.

The next morning, Esposito was taken off the ventilator and two weeks later she was sent home. While she still breathes through a mask because her immune system is weak, doctors believe she will be able to lead a normal life.

To improve her chances, Esposito has her parents wearing the same kind of Project Sunshine bracelet she gave Gardner.

Esposito's mom, Laura, said she doesn't put much stock in lucky bracelets. She's wearing hers for a different reason.

"It's a reminder of a really good story, the story of Brett and Alyssa," she said.

Hopefully you will see the Jeremy Schaap story on Sportscenter because it tells more in the video than this article ever could.

One more amazing note from this story: Gardner wasn't even starting that night, Johnny Damon was. Damon was ejected in the 3rd inning which gave Gardner the opportunity to hit the home run in the 7th.

Simply Amazing!

Ian Kinsler struggles in lead-off role

2009-06-12T08:25:00.005-05:00

Kinsler is 2-17 in his last 5 games and he seems to be constantly getting under the ball to pop out. He seemed to clearly be more frustrated with himself as the night went on last night as he went 0-4 with 2 Ks. Maybe Rudy needs to talk to him about tweaking his swing, going opposite field more, or being more patient at the plate. Lewin and Grieve talked last night on the broadcast about how he is swinging at the first pitch more often lately but his average his .447 with a 0-0 count so why mess with that? I think the question here is: should Ian he be hitting lead-off?

***His avearage leading off an inning is .202, but his average with runners on his .392.***

At this point, the Rangers should see if Elvis could handle the lead-off spot as his bat fits the role more than Ian's power swing does. Andrus is hitting .250 leading off an inning and I think it would be a great confidence boost to his psyche to hit lead-off. How excited can you be to hit in the #9 slot every night. This is a very confident young man so lets feed it by hitting him leadoff.

That is my opinion, what do you think? Do you have someone else in mind to hit in the #1 hole?

Pods hits game-winning single!

2009-06-11T18:40:00.003-05:00

Scott goes 2-5 and knocked in the winning run as the White Sox beat the Tigers, 4-3. Podsednik, a West native, came to bat in the 9th inning with bases loaded, 0-2 count, and 0 outs and sneaked a single through the right side of the infield to score the winning run. With that hit, Scott raised his average to .299 and knocked in his 11th RBI.

Are you interested in Jason Marquis or Huston Street?

2009-06-11T18:30:00.003-05:00

Rumors started swirling Wednesday about the Rockies looking to trade SP Jason Marquis, RP Huston Street (former UT closer), and OF Brad Hawpe. The Rangers have plenty of outfielders so they would not be in the market for Hawpe, but it is no secret that the Rangers are looking for at least another bullpen guy or another solid starter. Texas has already picked up a former Rockies player this week, Jason Grilli, who pitched a scoreless inning on Tuesday night.

Stats on the players:
Huston Street--1-1, 2.84 E.R.A., 27 games, 25.1 IP, 11 saves, 1 blown save, 28Ks

Jason Marquis--8-4, 3.98 E.R.A., 12 Starts, 1 Complete Game, 81.1 IP, 1.34 WHIP

Thoughts:
Many people would welcome Street back home to Texas and if the Rangers were to trade for him he would immediately become the set-up man and emergency closer in the bullpen. Marquis is the intriguing guy here: If he was to come to Texas (for much cheaper than Cliff Lee or Eric Bedard) than he would instantly be our No.2 pitcher in the rotation. He is a free agent after this year so if he doesn't workout here than he can search for another team after the season. With Padilla being very combustible, I believe the front office would want to get another veteran on this staff for the playoff run and Marquis would be a solid starter that wouldn't cost Texas their top prospects.

What do you think? Who would you want out of these two guys: Street or Marquis? Do you want someone else that has not been mentioned yet?

Let your voice be heard!

Rangers Notes: El Duque is Signed

2009-06-11T17:52:00.002-05:00

Old man El Duque Hernandez who last pitched in the majors with the Mets in 2007 signed a minor league deal with the Rangers today. That year he went 9-5 with a 3.72 E.R.A. in 147.2 innings but has struggled ever since with injuries. Don't expect much from a guy that is either 39 or 43 years old. He will start in AAA Oklahoma City and if he somehow makes it to Arlington, I fully expect him to be as valuable as Kris Benson has been. That is the same Benson who has an E.R.A. well over 8.00 for the season. What do you expect from El Duque?

Other Notes:
Blake Beavan, 2007 1st round pick, has been promoted to AA Frisco. I usually don't start paying attention to prospects until they get to AA, so now is the time to watch Mr. Beavan.

Hopefully the rain will hold off so we can see some baseball.

Former Ranger David Dellucci signs with Toronto

2009-06-10T23:11:00.002-05:00

David Dellucci a.k.a. "The Godfather" was a fan favorite in Arlington and has been in Cleveland since 2007 but was cut on May 29. The Blue Jays are planning to use him as their 4th outfielder. This year he was hitting .275 in only 14 games for Cleveland.

Other Notes:

I made the trip to the Ranger game tonight only to wait out a 2 hour delay to be told the game was postponed. I now know what is worse than a Ranger loss: the Rangers not playing at all! The trip home was only made better by the fact that the Angels lost to the Rays tonight. Now the wife and I will have to work out our schedules and mail in tonight's tickets in order to see another game down the road.

Other Relevant News:

Kris Benson accepted his assignment to AAA Oklahoma City hoping that he can prove that he deserves a spot in the rotation. My 2 cents: He is not worth a minor league spot in the rotation at this point.

Rangers drafted a familiar name in the 6th round today: Ruben Sierra Jr.
He is very athletic but has only raw talent at this point. Nobody knows if he will be as good as his father, but Rangers fans can only hope.

Any predictions for tomorrow's game with Millwood starting?

Rangers acquire Jason Grilli off waivers

2009-06-09T21:28:00.003-05:00

Texas grabbed right-handed reliever off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. In return the Rockies received cash considerations. Grilli split last season between the Tigers and the Rockies and had a good season with a 3.00 E.R.A. in 75 innings.

Bio:
Height: 6'4
Weight: 185
College: Seton Hall University
Drafted: 1st Round (4th pick) San Francisco Giants

2009 Stats: 0-1, 6.05 E.R.A., 19.1 IP, 22Ks

At one time he was the setup man for the Rockies but has struggled over the last month and a half. But to be fair, the entire Rockies team has struggled this year. The Rangers are hoping that a change of scenery is good for Grilli and that he will workout like O'Day has and not like Benson. Richard Durrett from the Dallas Morning News says "This is a no risk move for the Rangers......I am for it".

What do you think about the move? How do you feel about the two losses in a row? Are the Rangers fading?

I will be at the game on Wednesday with my lovely wife and I look forward to seeing Millwood take the hill and the bats come alive!

What to make of Brandon McCarthy?

2009-06-09T17:45:00.002-05:00

"Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me!"
~Stuart Smalley

When I reflect on McCarthy, for some reason the SNL skit with Al Franken a.k.a. Stuart Smalley and Michael Jordan comes to mind. Obviously, Jordan needed a confident boost in the skit and Stuart was there to help. Maybe Brandon needs Stuart to cheer him up at this point in his baseball career.

***Let's jump into the time machine back to post-2006 season***

What was the front office thinking when they traded John Danks and Nick Masset to the White Sox for Brandon McCarthy?

This was the question I was trying to answer today when reflecting on McCarthy's Ranger career. If you look at his White Sox numbers you began to understand why the Rangers had a love interest in this guy. But you have to wonder if they (front office) ever looked at his frame and wondered if he was fragile. Even with the "extra weight" back in the future (2009), McCarthy looks like a flag should be at the top of his head.

Here is a look at his White Sox numbers:
2005: 3-2, 4.03 E.R.A., 10 starts, 67 IP, 1.179 WHIP, 6.4 K/9
2006: 4-7, 4.68 E.R.A., 2 starts, 84.2 IP, 1.299 WHIP, 7.3 K/9
Total: 7-9, 4.39 E.R.A., 12 starts, 151.2 IP, 1.246 WHIP, 6.9 K/9

These numbers are respectable to say the least, especially his WHIP both years. His E.R.A. is comparable to Padilla's career E.R.A. (4.36) and Padilla hasn't had an earned run average that low since 2003 before his time with the Rangers. Now let's hop back into the time machine and go back to '09.

***Present Day***
How did he get another shoulder injury? Did he sleep akwardly one night a couple of weeks ago? Did he bump a door frame? These are the questions that plague frustrated Rangers fans.

Here are McCarthy's Rangers stats:
2007: 5-10, 4.87 E.R.A., 22 starts, 101.2 IP, 1.564 WHIP, 5.2 K/9
2008: 1-1, 4.09 E.R.A., 5 starts, 22 IP, 1.273 WHIP, 4.1 K/9
2009: 5-2, 4.92 E.R.A., 11 starts, 64 IP, 1.438 WHIP, 6.2 K/9
Total: 11-13, 4.80 E.R.A., 38 starts, 187.2 IP, 1.487 WHIP, 5.4 K/9

Across the board his numbers are worse in Texas than in Chicago. In Chicago he had 7 victories in 12 starts while in Texas he has 11 wins in 38 starts. How does someone explain this annomoly? Does Chicago have a better pitching program? Does he just have bad luck in Texas?

What does Texas do with McCarthy from here? How can you feel confident that he will ever give you 200 innings in a single season? He is only 25 years old, but don't you have to look at his history and throw your hands up?

The Rangers will probably have another month of shaking their head wondering where it went wrong with Brandon.

What are your feelings on Brandon McCarthy?

"Rangers here to stay"--Jon Paul Morosi

2009-06-08T23:40:00.003-05:00

Morosi from Fox Sports wrote a good article concerning the first-place Rangers and how they are no fluke. Take a few minutes and read the article.

West Spotlight: Scott hits first home run!

2009-06-08T22:30:00.003-05:00

The White Sox played a doubleheader today and Scott was the leadoff man for both games. He went 2-4 with a run and a walk in the first game and was 1-4 with his 1st homer of the season in the second game. The Tigers beat the Sox in game 1, 5-4 but the Sox won the nightcap 6-1. After Podsednik's 3-8 day his average has climbed to .304 and he now has 10 RBIs on the season. Scott now leads the team in batting average and is 2nd on the team in SBs with 7. Probably the most impressive stat is he has only struckout 12 times in 135 ABs.

Keep it going Scott, all of West is watching!

Michael Young back to 2005 form

2009-06-08T18:45:00.003-05:00

The off-season was tumultuous for Young as the Rangers decided to go with a 20 year old kid to play SS and he asked to be traded. Many Rangers fans were torn over their allegiance with the team or Michael. Fans hate to be in a situation where they have to choose and Michael put them in that situation. Michael has always preached that the team came first and I understood his frustrations with the move to a certain extent, but you can't preach "team" and then demand a trade when things don't go your way. That all seems to be a lifetime ago now that the Rangers are in 1st place and Michael is once again aiming at 200 hits.

Last season was difficult for Michael as he won the Gold Glove for the first time, but struggled at the plate and fail short of 200 hits for the first time since 2002. He struggled with a couple of broken fingers and other lingering injuries, but still managed to tough it out and play 155 games. But fans were not use to seeing Michael hit under .300 and neither was he.

This year he has been healthy and from an offensive standpoint has been hitting great (except for his .133 w/RISP) and his defense has been solid at 3rd base. We are seeing the Young that Rangers fan grew to love over the last 9 years with solid defense, hitting for average, and showing some power. At his current pace, he is looking at hitting 20 HRs for the first time since '05, but his RBIs dipping to 20 below his average (an obvious sign of his poor RISP avg.). Overall you can't complain about a player hitting .336 and when I see him on a daily basis he looks like 2005 Michael Young, which good for everyone involved with the red, white, and blue.

Year-by-Year Stats over the last 5 years:
2005: .331-24-91
2006: .314-14-103
2007: .315-9-94
2008: .284-12-82
2009: .336-8-22

Rangers finish road trip even at 3-3

2009-06-07T16:19:00.002-05:00

Texas bounces back from a tough loss yesterday to pound out 12 hits and beat Boston 6-3 today. The story coming into the game was Vincente Padilla (4-3) and how he would respond to being put on waivers. He looked focused the whole game despite 4 walks his line looked good: 7 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, and 4 Ks. Anytime your starter can go out and pitch 7 strong innings and give up a couple of runs against one of the best teams, you will take it.

Other notes:
Nelson Cruz was a single away from the cycle and he hit his 17th homer of the season.

C.J. Wilson pitched the ninth to get his 5th save of the season because Frankie has been held out of action the last couple of games. For now, Francisco is not going on the DL.

David Murphy had a 3-hit game to raise his average for the season to .250.

Evan Grant of D Magazine, wrote a blog on Matt Harrison coming back from the DL which would result in Holland going back to the bullpen. That is nothing new, but he does have some good quotes from Kris Benson on his feelings about being in the starting rotation. All I have to say is give me a break.

Future Rangers: Update

2009-06-07T11:56:00.004-05:00

Brandon Boggs and Doug Mathis played in yesterday's loss to the Red Sox and it was the first appearance for both of them this year. It got me thinking about other future Rangers and how has their season gone so far this year.

Here is a quick look at some of the top prospects:

Julio Borbon, OF, AAA Oklahoma: .291 AVG, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 15 SB
Borbon was mentioned in a post the other day in a quote from Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal thinks that if an outfielder is traded from the big league team, Borbon would be the guy that gets the call up. So far this season, Boggs and Golson have got call ups so it looks like we might have to wait awhile to see Julio in the big leagues on a regular basis. He is a top of the order kind of guy that plays CF with good speed. After the trade deadline he could be on the big league squad.

Greg Golson, OF, AAA Oklahoma: .278 AVG, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 6 SB
Golson already has an AB in the big leagues this year, but his numbers aren't near as impressive as Borbon's. He is similar to Borbon in that he plays CF and has some speed and very athletic. He is not near as patient at the plate as Borbon (twice as many Ks) and has never lived up to his hype. This is the reason the Rangers have him in their system after they traded John Mayberry Jr. to the Phillies for Golson.

Neftali Feliz, SP, AAA Oklahoma: 10 starts, 3-3, 3.45 E.R.A., 44.1 IP, 42 Ks
He is the Rangers #1 prospect who hits 100mph on the gun with ease. He pitched 6 shutout innings last time out but this season hasn't been easy for Feliz. He has had trouble with too many walks and he hasn't thrown more than 6 innings in a game this season. If all goes well he could be with the big league team around August in the bullpen like Holland.

Rangers Notes: Benson has to go!

2009-06-06T20:18:00.002-05:00

Tough night for the Texas team. Jon Lester carried a perfect game into the 7th inning before Michael Young broke it up with a double to left-center. Holland got the start and had his best stuff with his fastball consistently hitting 97 mph, but a balk in the 5th inning led to the Sox's 2nd run and the wheels fell off for young Derek.

Other Notes:
Kris Benson has to be designated for assignment immediately following the game. His line for the night: 2.1 IP, 4 runs, 3 ER, 3 BBs, and 1 SO. His E.R.A. is now up to 8.46.

Andrus was the only Ranger not to strikeout against Lester.

Michael Young had both hits for Texas.

Padilla pitches tomorrow....how do you think he will do?

Scott helps Sox beat Indians, 4-2

2009-06-06T19:08:00.002-05:00

Podsednik goes 2-4 with a run, rbi, and 2 stolen bases as the White Sox defeat the Indians this afternoon 4-2.

Season Stats: .298 AVG, 0 HR, 9 RBIs, 7 SBs

Grading the Rangers: Outfielders

2009-06-06T13:15:00.002-05:00

Here is part 4 of the 4-part series: the outfielders.

Marlon Byrd's Stats: .301 AVG, 4 HR, 25 RBI

Marlon has been solid throughout the season with his defense and the bat, but has recently been brought up in trade rumors. Every team should have guys like Byrd.
Byrd's grade: B+

Nelson Cruz's Stats: .289 AVG, 16 HR, 41 RBI, 9 SBs

Cruz has been incredible the entire season with his average hanging around .300 and his home runs always seem to go at least 20-25 rows up. He is on pace for 48 HRs and 123 RBIs which puts him in the running for AL MVP with his teammate, Kinsler.
Cruz's grade: A+

Josh Hamilton's Stats: .240 AVG, 6 HR, 24 RBI

Hamilton has been struggling with injuries all season and it looks like he is not coming back anytime soon. Hamilton's grade: Incomplete

Andruw Jones' Stats: .278 AVG, 5 HR, 14 RBI

I am hoping that Jones will make his greatest impact on the team in Hamilton's absence. He seems to have got over his struggles with the Dodgers and has been one of the few patient hitters Texas has. The next few weeks should be big for Jones.
Jones' grade: C

David Murphy's Stats: .231 AVG, 2 HR, 10 RBI

You can't help but like the guy despite he might be at best a 4th outfielder. He has seemed to take two steps back this year and his playing time as reflected this. On a team with too many solid OFs (without Hamilton) Murphy has to step up his play.
Murphy's grade: D

That is it for this series, now on to the remainder of the season!

Grading the Rangers: Infielders & Catchers

2009-06-06T12:23:00.002-05:00

Let's take a look at the infielders through this point of the season:

Michael Young's Stats: .332 AVG, 7 HR, 21 RBI, 20 2Bs

Michael has played very well at 3rd base and seems to be getting better everyday. He has struggled with runners in scoring position (.133) but his average has been steady throughout the season. His power has come back this season with the 7 home runs and he is looking at hitting 60 doubles. Young's grade: B+

Elvis Andrus' Stats: .278 AVG, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 9 SBs

Elvis has surpassed everyone's expectations in the early season. His play at shortstop with his timely hitting has made him an instant sensation among Rangers fans. He has only scratched the surface on his potential.
Andrus' grade: B

Omar Vizquel's Stats: .333 AVG, 0 HR, 6 RBI

He has been a great mentor for young Elvis and when has been called on to play, he has held his own. This year he has been called to do something he has never done: play 2nd base and 3rd base and has done so very well. He is for the infielders what Everyday Eddie is for the bullpen.
Vizquel's grade: B+

Ian Kinsler's Stats: .281 AVG, 15 HR, 44 RBI, 11 SBs

Ian started off on fire and since has cooled down but his overall numbers are still startling. He is on pace for 45 HRs and 132 RBIs not to mention 33 SBs. Those are MVP numbers, but it would be nice if he could pick up the average to around .300. The big question is whether or not he can stay healthy. Time will tell.....
Kinsler's grade: A

Chris Davis' Stats: .210 AVG, 12 HR, 27 RBI

Much has been discussed on whether Davis should be in the lineup or not. He has been much better the last 3 games including going 3-4 last night. He is hitting .268 with runners in scoring position and his glove is keeping him at first for now. Hopefully Davis' struggles are behind him and we will be laughing about this by the end of the season. He is on pace for 36 HRs and 81 RBIs. Davis' grade: D

Hank Blalock's Stats: .259 AVG, 12 HR, 29 RBI

Hank is sort of a mystery because there has been times when he has not played for several days in a row. Nevertheless, he is still on pace for 36 HRs and over 80 RBIs but his average is 15 points below his career average.
Blalock's grade: C+

Jarrod Saltalmacchia's Stats: .248 AVG, 5 HR, 23 RBI

His defense has been most improved this year while his bat has not been an issue. He is on pace for 180 strikeouts which is way too high and has struck out 20 times in the last 10 games. Overall, on pace for 15 HRs and 69 RBIs at the catcher position: not bad.
Saltalmacchia's grade: C+

Taylor Teagarden's Stats: .239 AVG, 0 HR, 6 RBI

I would have thought Taylor would get more playing time this season, but Salty has proven with his defense that he belongs in the everday lineup. Playing sparingly has hurt Teagaraden more than anything as he can't get in a routine. He played so great last September, I had high expectations for him.
Teagarden's grade: C-

Those are the grades: Agree or Disagree?

Grading the Rangers: Relievers

2009-06-06T11:00:00.002-05:00

We have already looked at the starting pitchers, now it is the relievers turn.

Frankie Francisco's Stats: 19 games, 19.2 IP, 1-1, 12 Saves, 0.46 E.R.A.

He has been perfect in save opportunities, 12-12, with his only loss and run coming in the 9th inning against Oakland on an Adam Kennedy home run. He has had some injury trouble with a stint already on the DL, but he has been the leader of the bullpen in every way possible.
Francisco's grade: A+

C.J. Wilson's Stats: 25 games, 23.1 IP, 3-3, 4 saves, 4 holds, 1 blown save, 3.47 E.R.A.

He is the most polarizing player on the roster, but at the moment more people hate him than love him. Of course the fans are really fickle with Wilson much like his play. He is a very emotional player that has great stuff but he struggles between the ears. He blew the game on Thursday against the Yankees, but that was one day after he was dominant against them. One could argue that he should not have been in the game after pitching over an inning the day before but you have to get the job done. If you look at his stats over the course of the season, Wilson has been very good with a solid E.R.A.
Wilson's grade: B-

Eddie Guardado's Stats: 20 games, 14.1 IP, 0-1, 4 holds, 3.77 E.R.A.

He struggled early on in the season, but has hit his stride the last 10 games (0 Runs). He has lowered his E.R.A. to well below 4 and is the most beloved guy in the bullpen. He is a great mentor for the young guys.
Guardado's grade: B

Darren O'Day's Stats: 20 games, 17 IP, 2-0, 1 save, 4 holds, 1.06 E.R.A.

I am still not sure where this guy came from, but he has been the biggest surprise of the season. He is one of those guys that are fearless and do their job when called upon. JD gets major props for finding this guy.
O'Day's grade: A+

Kris Benson's Stats: 7 games, 2 starts, 20 IP, 1-1, 8.10 E.R.A.

Why is this guy still on the team? He has not shown any inkling of why he should be a part of the 2009 Texas Rangers. Only twice has he went to the mound in relief appearances and not given up a run. He only plays in mop-up duty which is maybe once a week. Pack his bags and get a guy from AAA in here immediately.
Benson's grade: F (I wish I could go lower)

Jason Jennings' Stats: 17 games, 26 IP, 2-1, 3.12 E.R.A.

Having watched Jennings at Baylor, I have a special interest in his career. When he came to Texas last season I had hoped he would resurrect his career and become a major part of the rotation, but it was not meant to be.This season, he has become the go-to in long relief for this team and has done a solid job. He has a good E.R.A. and has not given up a run in his last 4 appearances.
Jennings' grade: B

There's the grades, do you agree?

Grading the Rangers: Starting Pitchers

2009-06-06T10:09:00.003-05:00

The Rangers are 1/3 of the way through the season and their record stands at 32-22 which means if they play like this the rest of the season they will finish 96-66. That record would be good enough to win the West and compete for the best record in the AL. This will be a 4-part series covering the Starting Pitchers, Relievers, Infielders, and Outfielders.

First, we evaluate the Pitchers:

Kevin Millwood's Stats: 12 Starts, 2 Complete Games, 85 IP, 5-4, 2.96 E.R.A.

He is finally starting to pitch like an Ace this season with 9 of his 12 starts going at least 7 innings including last night's start in Boston. Nolan has had an incredible impact on Millwood getting to go at least 1 more inning in each start. Millwood's grade: A

Vincente Padilla's Stats: 9 Starts, 53.1 IP, 3-3, 5.57 E.R.A.

Much has been said of Padilla on this website alone, so I won't bore you with repeating myself. If you look just at the stats I would give him a C, but you have to look at the whole picture.
Padilla's grade: F

Brandon McCarthy's Stats: 11 Stats, 1 Complete Game Shutout, 64 IP, 5-2, 4.92 E.R.A.

Much like Millwood, McCarthy is looking like he has turned a corner on his struggles. He had a rough start in New York, but that has more to do with the ballpark than his pitching. It is concerning that he is a fly-ball pitcher having to pitch in the Ballpark, but he has shown flashes of why the Rangers wanted him in the first place. Keep in mind that he is only 25 years old and is looking at finishing the season with 15 wins. The guy that the Rangers traded away for Brandon, John Danks, is 4-4 on the season with a 5.10 E.R.A. Give the edge so far in this season to McCarthy! McCarthy's grade: B-

Scott Feldman's Stats: 8 Starts, 54.2 IP, 5-0, 3.79 E.R.A.

Feldman has been consistent ever since he got into the rotation when Benson went on the DL. He is continuing to lower the E.R.A. with every start and he even beat the Yankees his last time out in New York. He is another young pitcher, 26, with a bright future.
Feldman's grade: A

Matt Harrison's Stats: 9 Starts, 2 Complete Games, 1 Shutout, 54.2 IP, 4-4, 5.43 E.R.A.

He is currently on the DL, but is looking to come off next week. The 23-year old pitcher has looked dominating at times this season with a complete game shutout under his belt already. But at other times he has struggled much like his age would suggest he would. In his last two starts, he has given up 12 runs in 10 innings.
Harrison's grade: C

Derek Holland's Stats: 2 Starts, 27 IP, 1-2, 6.33 E.R.A.

I have him listed as a starter because he is starting today in Boston (though he is headed for the bullpen) and he has been in the rotation the last few weeks. I watched his first start personally in Houston and he was brilliant except for the ball he left over the plate to Berkman in the 5th inning. His pitches have a lot of movement on them and he rountinely he throws his fastball between 93-95 mph. But like Harrison, he has flat-out struggled at times to get guys out. He is incredibly young, 22, and the sky is the limit. He is going to go through growing pains this season and the fans have to be patient.
Holland's grade: D

Would you have given any of these guys a different grade?

Rangers Notes

2009-06-05T22:33:00.002-05:00

Rangers get a solid win tonight 5-1 over the Red Sox pushing the record back to 10 games over .500. Kevin Millwood wasn't great, but still gave up only 1 run and it wasn't earned lowering his E.R.A. to under 3.00.

Chris Davis went 3-4 with an RBI raising his average up to .210. He is now 6-12 in his last 3 games...so it begs the question: Is he out of the slump? Is it the power of the red thong?

More Rumors:

There is talk of Roy Oswalt coming to the Rangers, but know that Astros owner Drayton McLane loves Roy and if he was ever going to get rid of him, Texas would be the last team he would go to. Astros are still hurting over Nolan going to the Rangers 20 years ago, so it would be devastating if Oswalt went up I-45 to the Metroplex. IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, SO LET'S FOCUS ON MORE LEGIT POSSIBILITIES.

I will keep you posted on other rumors as they come in, but for now enjoy a good win in Boston and look forward to Derek Holland's start tomorrow. Peace Out!

West Spotlight: Scott Podsednik Update

2009-06-05T20:22:00.005-05:00

For all those Pod fans out there, I figured you would appreciate an update on how Scott is doing with the White Sox. He currently has the third highest batting average on the team at .284 while adding 8 RBIs and 5 SBs. He is consistently batting leadoff while playing LF and some CF. Unfortunately, the Sox are 3 games under .500 at 25-28 and are in 3rd place in the AL Central but only 3.5 games out of first place.

***Update*** Tonight, Scott is 1-4 with his 6th double of the season, but the Sox lost 6-0 to the Indians.

I will continue to give Scott updates on more of a daily basis.

Trade Winds Blowing

2009-06-05T18:55:00.002-05:00

Fox sports senior baseball writer, Ken Rosenthal, had an interesting article today talking about the Rangers. This is what he had to say:

"The Rangers still would consider trading a hitter for a reliever even if they lose outfielder Josh Hamilton for a prolonged stretch. Hamilton should learn Monday whether he needs surgery for an injury that is effectively a sports hernia.

If the Rangers trade, say, outfielder Marlon Byrd or infielder Hank Blalock, they could replace that player internally, promoting Class AAA outfielder Julio Borbon, Class AAA catcher Max Ramirez or Class AA first baseman Justin Smoak.

The Rangers, operators of the game's top-ranked farm system according to Baseball America, also will consider pursuing a starting pitcher such as the Mariners' Erik Bedard or Indians' Cliff Lee."

The name that interests me is Cleveland's Cliff Lee because I don't see Mariners trading within their division and they are only 2 games under .500. So lets take a look at Cliff Lee, the reigning Cy Young award winner:

2009:
3-6, 2.96 E.R.A., 82 IP, 59 Ks, 17 BBs

Cy Young Season 2008:
22-3, 2,54 E.R.A., 223.1 IP, 170 Ks

Those numbers are extremely impressive, so what do you think about going out and getting Lee? He would automatically become the ace from a talent standpoint (though I think from a leadership point of view, Millwood still is it) and would be a another great veteran for the young guys to look up to. We would have to give up either Byrd or Blalock and at least one young pitcher, but I have already mentioned that the Rangers have to put their chips all in for THIS year. Share your two cents on this hot topic!

Padilla clears waivers

2009-06-05T17:14:00.002-05:00

No surprise here: Padilla cleared waivers meaning no team in baseball wanted to take on his remaining $8 million contract. This means that Padilla will start on Sunday against the Red Sox. The Rangers are hoping that this move was a wake up call for Padilla and that he will start playing for the team instead of himself. Do you think Padilla will straighten up?

Other Notes:

Don't expect Hamilton to come back anytime soon. He is not feeling any better and he has been diagnosed with a sports hernia. If surgery is required (good possibility) than he could be out as late as September. There is a new surgery out there that only requires 2 to 4 weeks recovery time that Hamilton is hoping to take which would be welcomed by Rangers' fans all around.

In hindsight, how does the Andruw Jones pick up look now? He is an 8-time gold glover that Wash is hoping steps up in Hamilton's absence.

Jones' 2009 Stats:
.278 5 HR 14 RBI

Mavericks Spotlight: Chris Bosh

2009-06-05T16:16:00.003-05:00

The Mavericks surprised everyone by making it to the 2nd round of the playoffs, so what is next for an encore? This off-season is going to be interesting with Jason Kidd and Brandon Bass, are top two free agents, looking for a big payday. I fully expect Kidd to be with the Mavs next season because the way the money works out, Dallas can offer him the biggest contract. Bass on the other hand will probably find another team (which is sad because I like him a lot) that can give more than a mid level exception.

One of the players possibly coming to Dallas according to Tim McMahon from dallasnews.com is Chris Bosh. According to the Morning News, Bosh has made it clear that he will not re-sign with the Toronto Raptors next season and he is expecting a max contract after the 09-10 season.

Here are the stats on Bosh from nba.com:

Height: 6-10
Weight: 230
College: Georgia Tech
Exp: 5 years
Went to Lincoln High School in Dallas.

2008-09: 22.7 PPG, 10 RPG
Career: 19.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG

He made 14.4 million this past year so Dallas would probably have to trade Eric Dampier and Jerry Stackhouse to match his contract. Would Toronto go for that or would they want Josh Howard instead of Damp? Do we want to make a big time trade for one guaranteed season of another finesse PF?

Tell me what you think? Do you want Bosh, a hometown guy, playing for the Mavs next season?

Cowboys Spotlight: CB Mike Jenkins

2009-06-04T19:47:00.002-05:00

Now that CB Anthony Henry has via trade to the Lions for QB Jon Kitna, it is time for the young CBs to step up their game from last year. Nobody needs to do that more than Mike Jenkins after having a disappointing first season and 5th round pick Orlando Scandrick playing much better than him.

Quick Numbers on Jenkins:


Height:	5-10
Weight:	190
College:	South Florida
Years:	2

He was selected in 2008 with the 25th pick overall in the first round, but only had 19 tackles on the season.

CB Terrence Newman is the only veteran left in the group and he is constantly hurt so it is up to Jenkins to show that he was worth grabbing in the 1st round. If the Cowboys are going to go anywhere this year, it has to start with guys like Jenkins to play up to their potential. Keep an eye on him through OTA's and training camp.

Elvis Andrus is Mr. Web Gem!

2009-06-04T06:16:00.003-05:00

If you were not able to see the game last night, than you missed Elvis making not one, but TWO web gems. Baseball Tonight had him as the #1 last night with TWO web gems and they probably could have picked a few more.

To see THE play, go to www.texasrangers.com and go to Andrus' bio and the video is there. I tried to place a link on here, but it failed so happy hunting!

Keep in mind he is only 20 years old!

Spotlight: Pedro Martinez

2009-06-03T21:42:00.002-05:00

The odds of the Rangers going out and getting Pedro Martinez to fill Padilla's shoes are slim to none, but nonetheless we will scout him out because he his a Hall of Fame pitcher sitting at home.

2008 Stats w/New York Mets:
5-6, 5.61 E.R.A., 109 IP, 87 Ks, 20 starts

Comments:
His strikeout rate is good but if you notice he only pitched 109 innings in 20 starts which comes out to a little over 5 innings pitched an outing....not something Nolan would be happy with.

2009 Stats in the World Baseball Classic:
6 IP, 1 hit, 6 Ks, 0.00 E.R.A., 2 starts

Comments: He pitched very well in the WBC for the Dominican and many people thought someone would take a flyer on him much like the Astros did on Pudge with his good showing in the Classic.

This is a good topic for us bloggers, but I don't believe anything will come of this rumor. I will try and post more legit possibilities as they come across my desk. Do you want the Rangers to grab Pedro?

One last odd fact: He is a fan of cockfighting!

Elvis has the Yanks all shook up!

2009-06-03T20:54:00.002-05:00

Thoughts on tonight's game:

HELLO WIN COLUMN!

Scott Feldman: Has been incredible has a starting pitcher and now we need him more than ever with Padilla's future up in the air. His line tonight: 6.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 Ks.

Elvis Andrus: He is a Freakin' Man-Beast at 20 years old! He made two web gems tonight and was inches away from another. He also went 2 for 3 and 2 stolen bases. You can rest assure that the Yankees know who Elvis is by now.

Chris Davis: It seems like everyday we are on Davis watch and tonight is no different: He went 1 for 4 with a RBI and only 1 strikeout again. It was good to see him finally get a hit tonight and is batting average has CLIMBED to .191.

C.J. Wilson: He had his A-game tonight with his fastball reaching 97mph. His line tonight: 1.2 IP, 1 hit and 2 Ks. He was constantly throwing strikes and never really got behind in the count.

Padilla placed on waivers...

2009-06-03T17:57:00.002-05:00

Vincente Padilla was placed on waivers today, meaning that the Rangers are looking to trade him to another team and lose his $8 million dollar salary for the remainder of the season. In reality, Texas would take on some of that salary in exchange for a low grade prospect.

This is what I wrote last night after the game:

Padilla was off from the beginning tonight, his line: 3.2 IP, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO He also balked in a run and hit Teixeira twice. Are you concerned with Padilla?

Obviously the Rangers were concerned with his erratic behavior last night during the game. He has always been a guy that was concerned more with himself than the team and this team will not tolerate that (see: Sidney Ponson--2008).

Well now what happens? There is a good chance Padilla will still be here after the waiver deadline has passed (12:00 PM Friday) and that means he will start in his normal spot on Sunday. But if a team WAS to trade for him, than it would leave one to think that Holland takes his spot in the rotation...........in the words of Lee Corso, NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!

With Holland struggling lately, he could be headed to the bullpen after his start this Saturday in Boston. There is whispers of the Rangers going out and looking for another veteran to step into the rotation. Could this veteran be Pedro (who is out there for the taking)? There is a reason Pedro has been on the market this long, but it would be an intriguing move. What do you think, should the Rangers take a flyer on Pedro, look elsewhere for an arm, or keep Holland in the rotation?

Vincente Padilla's Ranger stats:

2006: 15-10 4.50 E.R.A. 200 IP Best year and his last contract year (before this year).
2007: 6-10 5.76 E.R.A. 120.1 IP
2008: 14-8 4.74 E.R.A. 171 IP
2009: 3-3 5.57 E.R.A. 57.1 IP

Padilla YANKED early in 12-3 loss.

2009-06-02T20:57:00.003-05:00

Thoughts on tonight's game:

Padilla was off from the beginning tonight, his line: 3.2 IP, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO
He also balked in a run and hit Teixeira twice. Are you concerned with Padilla?

Derek Holland struggled again giving up 3 hits and 2 runs in 1.1 innings raising his E.R.A. to 6.33. These outings are good for developing his maturity as a big league pitcher.

Nelson Cruz hit a 3-run blast to left field in front of his family in New York. It was his 15th of the season and he has been on a tear lately (8 HRs in last 13 games). I am loving what I am seeing right now from Cruz, the future is bright.

Chris Davis.....what can you say? He ONLY struck out once tonight against a good strikeout pitcher, but still hitless going 0-4 with 3 flyouts. Now he did make contact 3 times and I guess at this point we should be happy with that. He did do his best impression of a woman again by making a stretch play at first base. His defense is keeping him in the lineup at this point, but for how long? Batting average sits at .189......yikes!

Vote Early, Vote Often!

2009-06-02T20:06:00.004-05:00

Since the Texas Rangers are in first place (though getting pummeled currently by the Yanks) in the American League, the least you could do is vote those hard working ball players into the All Star Game. You can go online to www.texasrangers.com and vote up to 25 times for your beloved Rangers. Get out and vote!

Here are the Rangers in voting currently:

2B Ian Kinsler--1st 787,619
OF Josh Hamilton--2nd 685,463
3B Michael Young--2nd 441,912
SS Elvis Andrus--3rd 393,606
C Jarrod Saltalmacchia--3rd 401,375
1B Chris Davis--5th 320,912
OF Nelson Cruz--9th 390,903

Other Rangers Notes:

Josh Hamilton went back on the DL as of this afternoon due to an abdominal strain. I don't think he was ever quite healthy after coming back the first time and then he made an amazing catch in the outfield a couple of weeks ago and re-aggravated his groin and ab problems.

Hopefully he be rested and come back at full strength and get back to the Josh that we have come to respect here in Texas.

Cowboys release Greg Ellis

2009-06-02T18:17:00.003-05:00

Last week it was announced that the Cowboys would either trade or release Ellis which is news that is not shocking considering how many LBs they drafted in April. The move saves Dallas $4.5 million dollars in cap room and gives Anthony Spencer the opportunity to start after being drafted in 2007.

Ellis long ago worn out his stay in Dallas after continuing to battle the front office over his contract the last several years. Some people in the media will tell you that Greg was a good leader and clubhouse guy, which could be true, but he was constantly whining about something each of the last 3 off-seasons. Ellis will always be known most for being picked in the 1998 draft instead of Randy Moss. A goof that Moss did not let Mr. Jones forget each and every time the Cowboys played the Vikings in the years after that draft.

Anthony Spencer Profile:
Height: 6-3
Weight: 255
College: Purdue
Exp: 2

Picked 26th in the 1st round of the 2007 draft.

Sound off on whether or not this was a good move for the Cowboys?
Are you going to miss Ellis?
Do you think Spencer is ready to start?

4th and Long: Review

2009-06-01T21:23:00.002-05:00

4th and Long is a reality show on Spike TV that comes on at 9 p.m. CT on Monday nights. If you are a die hard Cowboy fan than you should be watching this show. It is not too late to get involved because Spike TV runs re-runs on the episodes before the new show begins on Monday nights.

The premise is for Michael Irvin to find Jerry Jones a man to fill his roster before training camp. In the competition is 6 DBs and 6 WRs. Many of these guys are looking for one last chance to make the NFL because they have a history of injuries, troubles in college, or chose family over living their dream. Don't be mistaken, these guys have legitimate talent but they all have at least one flaw with several of them having several bumps along the way.

Bill Bates coaches the DBs while Joe Avezzano coaches the WRs, but Michael Irvin makes watching the show worth it. It is very clear that if he wanted to, he would be a GREAT coach at any level. He is so intense and you find yourself hanging on every word he says.

Who will make camp with the Cowboys? Watch and find out.

Grade:
Cowboys fans: A+
Football fans: A

Are the Texas Rangers ready for a Red October?

2009-06-01T18:38:00.003-05:00

Now that the Texas Rangers have completed 30% of the season and are still in first place, what do you think? Is it time to get excited or do we wait until after the All-Star break to crack a smile?

For the last several years, the battle cry from the front office was 2010 is our year! There are several problems with this outlook:

Ranger fans have no more patience for rebuilding! (Neither do the players for that matter)
The West division is obviously down this year with Oakland looking dismal, Seattle not playing up to their expensive payroll (again), and the Angels suffering catastrophic injuries to start the season and Vlad Guerrero struggling in the few games he has played (1 HR & 5 RBIs in 14 games).
Millwood and Padilla are in contract years, meaning they will never pitch better than this year in search of a big contract.

These are just a few reasons for the fans to scream this is OUR year! If we wait until next year to put our chips all in, then we are taking a huge gamble that is not worth the price. Oakland is not going to stay down forever, Seattle has to be good again eventually, and every other year LA is going to win 95 games. 2009 has to be the year for RED OCTOBER!

Now that we can agree that this is the year, the Rangers have to be willing to make the right moves to win without jeopardizing the future. It needs to include the following:

Getting another veteran pitcher via trade (I will discuss options in a later post).
Figuring out what to do with Chris Davis.
Making sure Josh Hamilton is healthy.
Grooming Neftali Feliz to handle major league duty in a potential post All-Star break coming out party.

We are now in a hunt for a red October and let us hope that it is in the very near future!

Move Davis to 4th

2008-08-04T13:08:00.002-05:00

With Milton Bradley out of the lineup the last 5 games, Josh Hamilton has been moved to cleanup where he is not protected. All season with Bradley batting 4th, pitchers are forced to pitch to Hamilton and the results have been amazing (.308-26-106). But with Bradley out, I noticed Sunday that Hamilton was walked twice which brings up Marlon Byrd who does not send shivers that the spines of opposing pitchers. So I have come up with this proposal: move Chris Davis to the 4th spot in the lineup and move Hamilton back to the 3rd slot where he is more comfortable and profitable. Davis is the type of player that pitchers, if they don't yet they soon will, have to respect because of his average (.295) and his raw power (11 HRs in 122 ABs). As of now Ron Washington has Davis either in the 7 hole or 8 slot which I think he feels like he is protecting Davis because of his youth. But why not see what he can do in the cleanup spot where he is soon to hold real estate for years to come.

Blalock good riddance/Young is tha Man

2008-07-30T00:17:00.002-05:00

After going on the DL again this year, 3B Hank Blalock looks to be done as a Ranger. I was saying this at the end of April when he went on the DL for the next two and a half months, but I was given hope by his play the last week. He didn't hit the ball well but his defense was outstanding while on the road trip. If you would have asked me two weeks ago what I wanted the Rangers do to with Hank I would have said trade him for something, but after last week with his $6.2 million option for next year I was thinking he might work out. Monday we find out that he has an "upset stomach" which turns out to be his shoulder (Ron Washington goof) and to add insult to injury (no pun intended) SS Michael Young comes back and starts tonight after a slight fracture in his ring finger on his throwing hand. He was supposed to be out for 5-7 games but instead he is battling through it by playing the next day. He has never been on the DL since joining the Rangers while Blalock seems to live on the DL. Give Young a slap on the back while you wave bye to Blalock.

Living in Loserville

2008-04-20T04:21:00.002-05:00

I watched the Mavs and Rangers last night and realized this is ridiculous. Both teams looked good early on in their respective games but both teams choked away leads when in mattered. The Mavs went into halftime winning by 12 and Dirk, Kidd, and J-Ho looked solid. They were leading in every statistical category that counted and so what did they do when they came out of the locker room? They laid an egg starting halfway through the third quarter and carried it to the final buzzer. Meanwhile, the Rangers were also busy blowing their own lead in the 8th inning.

On nights like this it is hard to live in "loserville" but fear not my friends because we have some hope in the Stars (though the series lead is only 3-2) and we have the Fort Worth Cats (Back-to back-to back champions of their conference).
The Cats are the reason I have decided to come out of blog hibernation. I have now lived in the Metroplex for two and a half years and I am sad to report that I have only been to 1 Cats game. I have been to many Rangers games and multiple Mavs games but not to games in my own backyard. This is the team we should all get behind and cheer because they know how to perform in the clutch. It doesn't matter who the manager is or the players but they always find away to win it all. I am going to make an effort to attend Cats games and follow the team as much as possible. I noticed on the website (fwcats.com) that they signed a player who was recently in AAA and was a 1st round draft choice back in '01. These aren't necessarily guys who have no talent but guys who are still holding on to their dreams. That is very rare this day in age because we know that they are not playing for the money but for that one remaining chance that somebody might see their work and give them a shot.

How about four championships in a row for Cowtown!