tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-240211832024-03-13T07:46:45.538-07:00The Ghosts of 1996The ramblings of baseball loosely related to the Texas Rangers and other silly current events. A guy weakened by Northeast Ohio who desperately misses the Ballpark in Arlington and wishes the Rangers went back to the old red uniforms!Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-217409418682329722009-10-07T19:32:00.000-07:002009-10-07T19:47:20.367-07:00we are kinda good; FOR SALETom Hicks;I don't feel like managing a squad......naw....naw....I'd rather sit on the nice leather couch and have a microwave dinner after I touch myself.<br />
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Getting ..... Broken......must.....try........<br />
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(I think Detroit Lions have won more post season games than the Rangers all time....)Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-9418971036669461082009-10-03T04:49:00.000-07:002009-10-03T06:01:22.416-07:00What the f^ckAwesome article I just read off the Yahoo site....<a href="http://www.star-telegram.com/284/story/1654685.html">(article here)</a> It foretells the future by indicating that the Rangers are firing Hank Blalock. Ron Washington quoted as saying they "just don't see any playing time for him". I have a soft spot for franchise players. It tells me that this guy likes the game and may not all be about the money.<br /><br />So here we are, mathematically eliminated again from any possibility of post season play and the retarded antics from the Hick's office immediately go to work. We are booting a franchise player from the roster simply because we no longer have the payroll for him. As a Rangers fan, I see this as a whizzing shotput to the balls. The Rangers have languished in mediocrity for years; yet all they do is bitch about payroll. Now I am not stupid, I see that perhaps Hank got bumped down the depth chart with the advent of Davis, but any team that wants to win will have at least a few all-stars on it. Pony up you bitches. The math is terribly simple. You want to win, you pay the fuck big swinging dicks to come play for you. That's it.<br /><br />Let's take for instance one of the big name a fore mentioned big swinging dicks that have hit the market recently. Torii Hunter player known for flawless defense and a heavy bat goes on the auction block. A characteristic move from Texas: Throw some low-ball, pantie waste, offer into the ring and immediately proclaim"We're pulling out all the stops; we want to win with {insert name here}". Things progress and where the fuck do you think he goes.....fuckin Angels. What? I thought the Rangers wanted to win? Nahh, they want to put just enough asses into the seats to pay the bills and still have enough money for Tom Hicks to bathe his bean bag in a fine vintage congac. All I have to say is I am done praying that maybe one day we luck into a playoff run that doesn't end in a dry anal rape from the spankees.<br /><br />So, while Nolan continues to attempt to turn water into wine with our bull pen, and Daniels continues to be the cracker in Hick's circle jerk party I am ready for another rebuilding year where we throw away talent with yesterdays paper and pass on anything that could turn into a positive acquisition. Hey you never know, maybe in another 37 years we will have made it to the playoffs a couple times only to get handed the first round ass-kick by the Yankees.....<br /><br />Hey Rangers, why don't you have some loyalty to the guy that stayed with you for his entire career. We can find some place for an all star like this can't we? Maybe slide him a couple of dollars? Otherwise, he's gonna go knock the cover off the fuckin ball for New York or LA. Besides, it's not like your planning to go out and buy talent; we have seen how that goes.<br /><br />Oh and if it IS all about cash you greedy idiots, then how much money do you think you'd make hosting a couple rounds of playoff action? If you packed The Ballpark in Arlington (or whatever fucking corporate douchebaggery they have substituted for the name Ballpark in Arlington) a few times you would make a shit pile of money and you would have real fans like I used to be....Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-59593088805246310892009-07-02T10:48:00.000-07:002009-07-02T11:52:46.416-07:00Hank the HammerI have heard mixed reviews on Hank....and last night is a great example as to why the Hammer's naysayers need to take a hike. He got a little motivated last night and put two over the fence to win it in the ninth inning by 9-7. I like the kinda quiet guy persona he displays in the locker room. He is not too public, but he'll come out to sign for kids and do charity events and things like that. When it comes to game day the hat goes down just above his eyes and he's all business. You don't see him jawing the umpire and kicking dirt if he strikes out, he just tucks his chin to his chest and plays hard. Hank works well with the rest of the team and you get the feeling every guy has a lot of respect for him. Way to go Hank. You have a fan up in Ohio and several down there in Arlington. <br /><br />Within a half game of being back atop the AL West.Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-69250761244364885612009-07-01T10:35:00.000-07:002009-07-01T13:20:40.357-07:00Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of VictoryThe season got off to a slow start and to any Rangers fan's suprise they began doing something that had not been done in years.....winning. Winning undoubtedly due to the fact our home jerseys have been dubbed an interesting shade of red you see(much like 1996). However, despite this season beginning burst of winning it seems as though the grandure has worn off. After leading the American League West for a while they have relinquished the lead once again to our "rally monkey" pals in the greater Los Angeles/Anaheim area. After being ostensibly violated by the rally monkey 5-2 in the first game of the series, the Rangers came out in an awesome display of fireworks with a 5 homerun game winning 9-5.<br /><br />Only a game and change behind that bastard rally monkey, but I'm pretty peeved at dumping a 6 game lead in the division to these guys. I know they play pretty good ball, but much like the Yankees the Angels present some kind of "super-team" aura that will somehow many times result in beating the Rangers before they even take the field. <br /><br />In other news out of California, that crazy political hatchet wench Nancy Pelosi and her band of friggin idiots over there are getting geeked up about perhaps the most invasive environmental bill to have ever been suggested in Congress...H.R. 2454 the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. Say hello to socialism friends....where the government will tell you what to drive and tax you for it. Where the government will dictate how hot or cold your house or apartment will be and tax you for it....and much much more. <br />Never heard of this you say? Neither had I until I tuned into a local radio guy that has been largely dismissed by most media since he presents a somewhat logical republican argument on a regular basis. No you haven't even heard rumblings of this from FOX news probably since they are covering the latest reality TV show "AMERICA'S GOT CRABS" or Michael Jackson's death by Oxy/Viagra bender. <br />Here is what I suggest to whom ever may eventually come across this poorly written post.... read this garbage bill and contact your local senator. Tell him/her they are a socialistic asshat if they actually vote this in. Then, tell your representation that Nancy Pelosi should at least let someone read the national health care bill that she's hiding before congress moves that through as well. Unless of course you actually agree with this Marxist crap. In that case, I wouldn't stoop so low to call you a misinformed environmental zealot who most likely travels the country in hemp-wear speaking the dangers of CO2 emissions and carbon footprints. No, I wouldn't do that. Instead I think I'd tell you honestly that YOU need more than anyone else to read this thing and realize: They are going to take your bong and your VW bus away in the name of environmentalism. Then one day you'll be out front of your spacious one bedroom eco-douche apartment hula-hooping your little heart out and suddenly come to the realization that "shit maaaan, this sucks!" <br /><br />Glad to be posting again....I'll update the rest of this crap soon!Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-8781721824002261512008-08-07T10:57:00.000-07:002008-08-07T13:45:53.588-07:00wow more great pressSo it has been a while since posting, soley because of apathy. Since posting last, I have gotten to know the joys of fatherhood, and continued pain and agony associated with full time employment. Enough about me, I would like to get to the Rangers. <br /><br />Recently I have been witness to moments of greatness, by folks like Josh Hamilton, and Chris Davis. Of course being so far outside the loop of local North Texas news, the only national press the Rangers have received really is curious to see if our bullpen can continue to suck as much as it has or can it actually get worse(CJ Wilson)? Evidently there is question regarding his health....as if judging by past performance we really need to hear the words "yes I'm hurt". Like so many other decisions made within this organization, I don't get why we didn't take steps to avoid this.<br /><br />Doesn't look like the playoffs are a reachable goal. Again, kinda saw this before the allstar break. Overall, I have seen some flashes of greatness so far this season, and provided Jon Daniels and Tom Hicks don't sell prospects and talent for a half empty bag of Corn Nuts and a toilet brush we could be building a fairly good team. Nolan has scrapped some pitching staff and I can't say that he doesn't know about pitching, so the sentiment here is that this can only be good. Go Rangers, and I'll be crossing fingers for a wildcard spot!Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-78880694271139123332007-06-19T15:02:00.000-07:002007-06-19T15:13:33.149-07:00Trading TimeToday the great Ken Rosenthal discussed the prospect of the <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6938410">Rangers and Yankees making a deal</a> involving in principal players Phil Hughes and All-star first baseman Mark Teixeira, along with Eric Gagne and Akinori Otsuka. Rosenthal proposes the Yankees should make a deal for Tex not involving Hughes. Rosenthal writes: <br /><br />The Rangers' plan should be to hold out for Hughes, then accept other prospects from the Yankees' improved farm system, if necessary.<br /><br />I really have a problem if the Rangers pull the trigger on Rosenthal's deal. I feel if the Rangers are able to get Boston involved, not only could they acquire another player in the deal, they could likely take Otsuka off the table.<br /><br />If I am Jon Daniels, the second I hang up with Yankees GM Brian Cashman, I am calling Boston.Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-84126175128261313552007-04-25T20:00:00.000-07:002007-04-25T20:19:52.264-07:00Extra Innings in ClevelandI am impressed by how the Rangers really wanted this one. By Rangers I mean everybody except Cruz... You know...he's the mope in right field that couldn't catch anything all night, or hit a baseball even if they put it on a tee. I hope everyone else is noticeing this lack of baseball talent. I have seen this before, but at least Gonzales could hit. Good points of tonight are:<br />1. Young seems to be coming out of his slump...I hope.<br />2. Kinsler is still a beast<br />3. Sosa is not as bad as I thought (so far)<br />4. Benoit sure did well<br />too bad we lost... sure was an exciting though.Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-13999211042150905472007-04-23T11:40:00.000-07:002007-04-23T14:26:51.779-07:00Charlie Don't Surf!Just want to say after several months of dedicating all of my efforts to work and other responsible duties that are included with being a newly married man, that it is horribly boring and consequently my focus will once again return to baseball.<br /><br />Rangers got a hold of Oakland last night and took 2 wins out of a three game set. Honors go to Hank last <a href="http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20070422&content_id=1924129&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=tex">night</a> with a clutch hit to bring Texas up, but Gange hits the DL.<br /><br />Moving on... I REALLY enjoyed this:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GYzVcdNNi00"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GYzVcdNNi00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />I love seeing a pissed off manager. Many contend that if this were a notable relevant team, Manuel would be fired already. However, since this is Philadelphia we are talking about we have to assume a couple things:<br /><br />First, all of the fans look like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_z1P9aNg6qK0/Ri0WNvvbHKI/AAAAAAAAAAM/vipSVKujp1U/s1600-h/journey.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_z1P9aNg6qK0/Ri0WNvvbHKI/AAAAAAAAAAM/vipSVKujp1U/s320/journey.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056722382016421026" /></a><br /> (give or take the feathered mullet or sleaveless "Who-Farted" shirt)<br /><br />Next, bearing the amazing resemblance to JOURNEY, we also have to assume the nature of the average Philadelphien is as classless as current culture will allow(I mean just look at Eagles fans.)<br /><br />Suffice it to say that Charles has found a lovely home simply based on his attitude to local media, not to mention the horrible way in which he manages a team.<br /><br />I do like how he goes after ridiculous questions in a press conference after a loss. Remember this is PHILADELPHIA media that is behind this. Well thats my 2 cents anyway.<br /><br />The boys are going to be playing Seattle tonight, I'll be watching. Get'em boys!<br /><br />P.S. Expect more soon!Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1169015043988774002007-01-16T22:21:00.000-08:002007-02-20T05:11:34.993-08:00Guess who’s coming to dinner…Posted by <a href="http://www.lonestarmets.com">Dan in Texas</a><br /><br /><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2733168">ESPN.com reports:</a><br /><br /><blockquote>The Texas Rangers have offered Sammy Sosa a minor league contract and invited him to spring training, where the veteran slugger would have the chance to make the major league club.<br /></blockquote><br />Now to be fair to Jon Daniels, the Rangers are taking a chance without much risk. If Sosa is able to make a comeback and earn a paycheck, he provides a sorely needed righthanded bat. If he falls flat and confirms the commonly held belief; Sammy Sosa is done in baseball.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">No harm here right? I mean win-win right?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Wrong.</span><br /><br />Allow me to express this from a fan’s perspective.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Cheater: </span><br /><br />It’s a fact that Sammy corked his bat. It was on tape; no one can argue otherwise. Except Sammy of course. Sammy’s excuse, he corked that bat to give the fans a show in batting practice. As if a hitter that can put up 50 plus dingers during regular play needed to give the few fans that actually showed up for batting practice an extra thrill. Gee thanks Sammy.<br /><br /><br />I can’t point to proof, that Sammy had juiced, though one can’t help remember Sammy’s performance on Capitol Hill. A man with countless commercials and appearances where he spoke conversational English suddenly forgot the language. Make your own judgment.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Laughing Stock:</span><br /><br />Might Sammy put a few extra butts in the seats in Arlington. No doubt that John Rocker and Jose Canseco did. The Rangers were also a joke employing two individuals with little character and helped the team in no noticeable way. Canseco’s head did give up a home run. Oh, and, according to his book, pumped steroids into himself and teammates. Rocker, Canseco and Sammy Sosa: fitting isn’t it? The Rangers need to start putting an elite team on the field, not a freak show.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spite:</span><br /><br />This one is just my feelings: I hate Sammy Sosa. I hate that show he put on during the “Summer of Love” with Mark McGuire. I hate the way he carries himself, he comes off as false and phony. I hate the stupid hop after his big hits and I hate the pointing and kissing of his hands. I just find no redeemable features in Sammy Sosa whatsoever.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Milestone:</span><br /><br />That’s right, <a href="http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=sosasa01">Sammy’s homerun count stands at 588</a>. Sammy needs only 12 homeruns to get to 600. If Sammy can hit those 12 dingers and achieve the feat of 600 home runs, he will be taken seriously by HOF voters when he is eligible. No Ranger fan wants to see this disgrace accomplish that achievement in Ranger duds.<br /><br /><br />Despite the need for a big right-handed bat, I hope he has little or no success in spring training and cut from the team or banished to AAA to fade into obscurity.Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1166930201117515602006-12-23T19:10:00.000-08:002007-03-29T00:27:16.560-07:00Danks and Masset headed for the Windy CityWritten by <a href="http://www.lonestarmets.com">Dan in Texas</a><br /><br />In a shocking trade today the Texas Rangers sent number one pitching prospect John Danks, highly thought of reliever Nick Masset and Jacob Rasner in exchange for Brandon McCarthy a 23 year old left-handed starter and David Paisano.<br /><br />Lets not dwell on Danks potential and just take a look at the highly touted Brandon McCarthy.<br /><br />Here is the <a href="http://www2.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/players/Brandon_McCarthy/">scouting report on McCarthy</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Assets:</span> Mixes a two-seamer and a four-seamer in the low-90s with a strong curveball to garner more strikeouts you'd expect from that kind of stuff. Also boasts terrific command.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flaws:</span> Leaves the ball up a little too often to right-handed hitters and watches the ball fly out of the park. Needs to improve his change-up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Career potential: </span>Solid mid-rotation starter.</blockquote><br /><br />For you stat-heads out there here are his 2006 big league numbers. He threw 84.2 innings for the White Sox year, starting two games and ended up with a 4.68 ERA striking out 69. He gave up 33 walks and 77 hits over those 84.2 innings (1.30 WHIP). His 2006 overall record was 4-7.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Doesn’t exactly knock your socks off, does it?</span><br /></div><br />I have seen McCarthy compared to Jack McDowell and Barry Zito.<br /><br />One might also think that the Rangers either are not serious about signing Barry Zito or they don’t feel confident that they can sign him. One could argue that the Rangers do feel confident they will land Zito; though the organization would not likely trade their number one prospect after touting him as the future of the organization in order to gain leverage over Scott Boras.<br /><br />McCarthy figures to join the rotation immediately behind Padilla as either the third or fourth starter. The 6 foot 7 McCarthy was highly thought of in the White Sox organization, so much so that it was rumored that he was the sticking point in a trade for Alfonso Soriano mid season.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Though, if one puts stock in scouting reports, a pitcher who is susceptible to giving up long fly ball to right-handed hitters does not bode well for the Ballpark.</span><br /><br />As far as David Paisano, a likely throw in, he is an outfielder that should be years away from big league service. <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061223&content_id=1767476&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp">T.R. Sullivan reports</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">Paisano, 18, appeared in 52 games for the White Sox's Venezuelan Summer League team in 2006 and batted .338 with no home runs and 17 RBIs. A native of Venezuela, he played with Chicago's Dominican Summer League club in 2005 and hit .272 with three home runs and eight RBI in 49 games.</blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bottom line, this isn’t a great trade nor an awful trade at this point in time. It should be clear to all Ranger fans, this trade has <span style="font-weight: bold;">“come back to bite us in the ass”</span> written all over it.</span><br /><br />On a different subject, I have felt that Daniels taking over the General Manger position and dictating the direction of the club would be a positive thing. Tom Hicks keeping his hands off the organization and limiting his duties to press conferences and signing checks could only help the Rangers.<br /><br />Unfortunately, it looks like Tom Hicks has taken over the negotiations with Barry Zito and his agent Scott Boras. The New York Post’s <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/12212006/sports/mets/mets_might_make_pitch_for_suppan_mets_michael_morrissey.htm">Michael Morrissey wrote earlier this week</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">…a source told The Post yesterday that Rangers owner Tom Hicks is helming the charge to sign Zito in no uncertain terms. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Earlier this month, the source said, Hicks walked into a meeting and told his front-office people something to the effect of, "I'm taking over this negotiation now." </span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br />Let’s face it Ranger fans, regardless if the Rangers sign Zito or he goes elsewhere, the man who outbid himself to sign Alex Rodriquez to a $252 million dollar contract and gave Chan Ho Park a $65 million dollar deal should not come anywhere near a player negotiation for his club’s own good.Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1166234328424352402006-12-15T17:51:00.000-08:002007-04-01T15:20:41.726-07:00Winter Malaise, Cowboy FearBy <a href="http://www.lonestarmets.com">Dan in Texas</a><br /><br /><br />Well here we are, Ranger fans. Marlon Byrd, Vicente Padilla, Kenny Lofton, Eric Gagne and Frank Catalanotto. Are all going to be on the roster come April.<br /><br /><br />Is Barry Zito going to be there too? That shoe hasn’t dropped just yet and Rangers fans shouldn’t hold their breath, he may not sign until January. Time will tell, but for now I don’t have the patience to think about Scott Boras’s motives.<br /><br /><br />Here’s what’s exciting in Arlington: The Outfield. Now let me say, Vernon Wells talk would have been better, but I really don’t see him walking away from <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061215&content_id=1761800&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp">a reported 126 million dollar seven year contract extension</a>. It was a wise preemptive move on the part of the Toronto Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi. Wells had stated publicly his interest to speak with the Ranger brass about returning to his home town of Arlington. Looks like that’s out the window barring some major change of thinking out of the Great White North. Take off, eh!<br /><br /><br />(Sigh) Why is the Rangers Centerfielder situation exciting? What’s the big deal about Kenny Lofton and his one year, six million dollar contract? The Rangers will likely head to Arizona with Kenny Lofton as the teams starting centerfielder. Nelson Cruz will be challenged to win that role in Surprise, Arizona. If the kid put’s up offensive and defensive performances as good or better than Lofton, he will be the Rangers centerfielder. I really feel Cruz could be one of the elites in the game in three years. If he can’t, next year the Rangers go centerfielder shopping; unfortunately Vernon Wells will be locked up until 2014.<br /><br /><br />The acquisition of Eric Gagne via free agency is promising; should Gagne recover from injury and return to past forms, the Rangers have an elite closer at a bargain price and a top notch set up man in Akinori Otsuka. If Gagne is through, Otsuka is a capable closer and the Rangers took a flyer on something that didn’t work out. That deal makes sense; one year at six million is very good for a pitcher with Gagne’s potential.<br /><br /><br /><em>Not to get off the subject of baseball but if you haven’t seen the </em><a href="http://www.wfaa.com/perl/common/slideshow/sspop.pl?recid=2346&nextimage=10"><em>artist’s rendering of the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium</em></a><em> (the Cowboys apparently really want you to know that it will hold a capacity of 80,000). I drove by the area the other day and the cranes are already up. I really don’t know if this will be good for Arlington. Sure it will get rid of the 12 pawn shops, 45 nail salons and that bar I thought was a salsa bar and almost got killed in. But what will take it’s place? The Rangers never really attracted the same type of crowd as the Cowboys. Are we going to see businesses set up to cater to the cocaine and boob job crowd who attend Cowboy’s games to be seen rather than watch the Cowboys? As always, in the DFW sports world the Cowboys occupy the stratosphere and the Rangers pick up the bread crumbs. Will the Rangers be relegated to their own little corner as Jerry Jones tries to push them into Six Flags? Will Jerry Jones make good on the promises issued when the Ballpark was built? Its 12 years after the place opened and the shops and restaurants surrounding the park are yet to be built.<br /></em><br /><br /><em>My hope is the Cowboys and Rangers coexist as neighbors peacefully as neighbors; both reaping the benefits of mutual success, with each others success bolstering its counterpart.<br /></em><br /><br /><em>My fear: the Cowboys culture dominates the Arlington area and as usual the Rangers are reduced to second, third and sometimes even fourth fiddle in their home town. The Rangers get the Sunday day game in 105 degree August weather while trying to win the West to make way for the Cowboy Sunday night game watching parties planned for the Cowboys’ second meeting with the Giants in East Rutherford.</em><br /><br /><br /><em>In my vision, though it’s my fear, Kevin Millwood throws a no-hitter blanking the A’s through 9 as does Oakland and with two out, Nelson Cruz crushes a walkoff homerun off homerun to secure the West and provide the Rangers with homefield through out the playoffs. The Rangers mob Cruz at the plate. The celebration would be explosive if it wasn’t played before a sweaty crowd of 10,000 spectators, who stand to appaud, though with reservation as they think of the traffic jam the drive home will be as most roads have been changed to facilitate easy access for Cowboy fans.<br /></em><br /><br /><em>Oh an mean while, the Cowboys lose 42 – 0 to the Giants before a record low crowd as most in the NY-NJ-CT tri-state area are at home glued to the screen watching the Mets clinch the NL East. (It’s comforting, though still my nightmare)</em><br /><br /><br />Let's just hope the Rangers win a Championship long before the Cowboys win thier next one.<br /><br /><br /><em>If you are one of the five readers this week that mistakenly stumbles on to this site durring a fruitless search for midget porn, Britney Upskirts or video of a guy eating Mentos and drinking Diet Pepsi, feel free to share your views on the stadium situation.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>And if you are a Cowboys fan, <a href="http://www.lonestarmets.com/?p=281">read this, it's funny...</a></em>Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1165288275770434572006-12-04T19:00:00.000-08:002006-12-12T16:49:43.586-08:00Day one of the Winter Meetings<p class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10;">By <a href="http://www.lonestarmets.com">Dan in Texas</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10;">MLB Radio is reporting the Rangers have come to terms with Vicente Padilla at 34 million for 3 years. I'm sure this will prevent them for going crazy after Zito<br /></p></span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10;">From <a href="http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061130&content_id=1747966&vkey=news_tex&fext=.jsp&c_id=tex">MLB.com:</a><br /></span></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:9;" >Zito is the Rangers' No. 1 target as they try to satisfy their off-season goal of adding two veteran starting pitchers. </span></span></i></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:9;" >The Rangers are also looking for a center fielder, and sources said <span id="lw_1165287264_0" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(0,102,204) 1px dashed">Texas</span> has made inquiries about Toronto 's Vernon Wells, who is from <span id="lw_1165287264_1" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(0,102,204) 1px dashed">Arlington</span> and can be a free agent after next season. </span></span></i></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:9;" >The question is, can they make such a trade without giving up shortstop Michael Young? <span id="lw_1165287264_2" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(0,102,204) 1px dashed">Toronto</span> wants a shortstop, but Daniels seems opposed to giving up any major pieces of his team in a blockbuster trade. </span></span></i></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:Arial;font-size:9;" >"I don't anticipate that," Daniels said this week. –</span></span></i></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:9;">From MLB.com<i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> </span></i></span></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:9;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">I think T.R. Sullivan needs his head examined. Why would the Rangers trade Young for a guy with one year left on his contract? They could wait a year and have both players for 2008. Just because Wells is from </span><span id="lw_1165287264_3" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(0,102,204) 1px dashed; FONT-STYLE: italic">Arlington</span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> doesn’t make the Rangers or Daniels crazy. </span><br /></span></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:9;">Speaking of Zito, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports is reported earlier today the Rangers have put an offer of 6 years at 102 million dollars. Great start, but I see this number going higher. Now that Padilla is resigned, it's hard to tell if it was only a negotiating tool to get Padilla to the table. We'll see...</span></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:9;">Piazza is still out there and the Rangers need a bat to protect Texieria in the order. Big Tex's homerun numbers have fallen, likely due to a shortened swing. Piazza would give Tex more pitches to drive. Stay tuned...</span></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:9;">Something big should break tomorrow, there is a buzz that a blockbuster will break sometime on Tuesday.<br /></span></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:9;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">God, I am ALREADY sick of Manny trade talk in its 4th straight year. Ugh</span><br /></span></span></p><p style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:9;">This just in, MLB radio is reporting the Padres are close to completing a deal with Greg Maddox<br /></span></span></p>Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1161617826473134522006-10-23T08:04:00.000-07:002007-02-07T14:58:38.486-08:00jeez.....wow, you gotta read this! what an <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-jimlitke&prov=ap&type=lgns">article</a>.<br /><br />Smudgegate?! this guy is a tool. He personally blasts Rogers and Leyland for no other reason than he is a bitter ass. It is somewhat evident that this guy is a homer for LaRussa and the Cards and just pissed off that they lost. How the hell can you say that Rogers does not have a history of putting scoreless streaks together when the guy has a PERFECT GAME....?<br /><br />Hey look, Rogers may be shady, maybe even a moral trash can...but this tool Jim Litke for the AP in my mind is much worse. Sorry about the Cardinals Jim, this one's for you:<br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6978/2487/320/sitinthecorner.0.jpg" border="0" />Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1161028390965266592006-10-16T11:23:00.000-07:002006-10-16T12:53:12.613-07:00Ranger's management at it's finest....this just in....Ranger's front office has just indicated that they will not pursue ANY big name former managers.....the quote from FOX SPORTS is this:<br /><br />"The club will not pursue Lou Piniella or another "big-name" former manager. The club also checked in with former Minnesota manager Tom Kelly, but he declined to interview."<br /><br />This tells me two things and it is what agitates me as a fan....The Texas Ranger's front office is SO BAD that any manager with half a sack, won't even consider Arlington even in the short term AND the front office (Hicks with a Daniels puppet) won't even consider someone with any MLB experience should they even find such a person.<br /><br />ya know....for many years Doug Melvin and his totally ridiculous trades and waffling about represented all that was wrong with the Rangers in my mind. Now, after further investigation, I am realizing the problem may not have been at all with his inability to GM his way out of the bathroom. In fact, the only problem with him and his successors, is their inability to say no to an ineffective and greedy owner. Hicks, I hope that this somehow finds you....please leave. You need to take your suitcases full of cash and get the hell out of Arlington. Sell this team to an owner that gives a damn or at least make an attempt to win.Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1160525329385192502006-10-10T17:02:00.000-07:002007-01-26T14:51:00.090-08:00The Off-Season PreviewPosted By <a href="http://www.lonestarmets.com">Dan in Texas</a><br /><br />Those of you who haven’t all but abandon Ranger baseball in its current form, here is a list of the free agents for 2007 from the American League West.<br /> <br />## Denotes a club option<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Texas</span></strong><br />Barajas, Rod<br />De Rosa, Mark<br />Eaton, Adam<br />Hairston Jr, Jerry<br />Lee, Carlos<br />Matthews Jr., Gary<br />Padilla, Vicente<br />Wells, Kip<br />Young, Eric<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Oakland</span></strong><br />Payton, Jason L.<br />Sauerbeck, Scott W.<br />Thomas, Frank<br />Zito, Barry<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Seattle</span></strong><br />Meche, Gil<br />Perez, Eduardo A. ##<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Los Angeles Angels</span></strong><br />Erstad, Darin<br />Kennedy, Adam<br />Romero, J.C.<br />Salmon, Tim<br /><br /><br />If you really want to depress yourself Adam Rubin has a list for the entire league <a href="http://blogs.nydailynews.com/mets/archives/2006/10/the_free_agent_pool.php">here</a>.<br /><br /><em></em><br /><em>After you take a look at either the West or the entire league and see all the players the Rangers don’t plan on getting off their rears to pursue- let alone sign lets pretend a real owner runs the club and the Rangers will actually be a player in the 2006 off season.</em><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Kiss ‘em goodbye<br /><br /></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span><strong></strong><br /><strong>Mark Eaton</strong>- Mark isn’t staying. He didn’t want to come to Arlington to begin with and I wouldn’t doubt he benefited from his injury as it clouds his true value. Pitching will be in demand this off-season (it’s kind of like predicting the post office will be busy on April 15th) so the Rangers would end up overpaying him to stay in Texas.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Carlos Lee</strong>- Gone with the wind. If Lee hasn’t packed his bags yet he may just Cowboy football. Lee hired Scott Boras to represent him during his contract season. We all know Boras doesn’t give hometown discounts, let alone discounts for teams that picked up free agents to be. The Mets may be interested depending on Floyd’s health and Lastings Milledge’s maturation. The Angel’s are hurting for offense and would love to put Lee on the same lineup card with Vlad. If Peter Angelos doesn’t sell he may try to mend some fences in Baltimore. The Cubs are as stupid with money as the Orioles. And who knows what Georgie S. in the Bronx. It should be obvious to Cashman that the Yankees problems are with the pitching staff but never count on Steinbrenner to let logic get in the way of running his ball club.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Pony up some dough and we’ll talk</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><strong>Gary Mathews Jr.-</strong> 2006 was a career year for GMJ. He had an top defensive play in all of the Majors along with an All-Star appearance and finished strong with a .313 average .371 OBP and slugged .495. GMJ will cost more than he ever has at his career and likely more than he is worth. Mathew’s had as good if not better a year than last year’s batting champion Michael Young. If GMJ likes the confidence his manager placed in him by starting him in Center he may stay. Oh wait- sorry nevermind. The Rangers should have had an idea what Mathews would fetch on the free agent market and dealt GMJ at the deadline in return for some prospects.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Mark DeRosa</strong>- DeRosa like Mathews had a break out year after spending his major league career riding the pine in Atlanta. DeRosa (.357/.456/.296 OBP/SLG/AVG) is valuable to any team with his versatility in the field. DeRosa is used to playing in the first round of the playoffs at least and may be eager to move to a team with playoff aspirations. Like Mathews, DeRosa will cost more than ever and likely more than he is worth his off-season.<br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Vincente Padilla</strong>- Padilla was at times the best arm in the starting rotation. Pitching as always is valuable on the free agent market. Padilla is something of a wildcard in regard to his mental state. Who knows what this guy brings.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Likely free agent Acquisitions<br /></strong></span><br /><em></em><br /><em>I can’t go on, it’s too depressing. Who am I kidding? No one in their right mind is coming.</em><br /><br /><br />Barajas, Hairston and Young will likely stick around with deals slightly above the minimum. With what will likely be a vanilla manager selection (looks like the front runner will be Buck’s Bench coach), Texas wont be at the top of any one’s destination of choice list even if Tom Hicks wasn’t a cheap skate owner.<br /><br /><br /><em>Get your season tickets and mini plans while they are hot, the line forms to the left.</em>Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1159993677421727722006-10-04T10:21:00.000-07:002006-10-04T13:27:57.620-07:00Buck is out....Season is over...Players are pissed...Holy crap. <br /><br />The Ranger's number one yes-man is gone. What a fine way of doing so....leave it to Hicks to try and weasel out of paying for the only manager in recent history to catagorically accept every front office decision ever sent to him. This will do wonders for getting the big name manager in Arlington to skipper the way to the post season. <br /><br />Overall, the decision to can Buck was a good one I believe. Showalter was a good disciplinarian siting the issues with temper tantrums from people like Alex Rodriguez, and Alfonso Soriano and more... but there can be no excuses made for some of the bone headed decisions made by Buck. <br /><br />Well.....left to languish in a post season hell with of all teams to watch the Yankees.....<br /><br />Could there be any news\sports reporting organization that is not prepared to immediately fall to their knees and without hesitation, sloppily service Derek Jeter and company? I will leave it at this... I am sick of how effective the Yankees consistantly perform. I am jealous. There is no player that would not(or hasn't) jump(ed) at the chance to be a part of this organization. There are too many reasons to list as to why this occurs, but it boils down to a front office that wants to profit by winning.<br /><br />I will wait for another misguided appointee to drive the already tainted image of the Rangers to another lackluster ending of a regular season. Who wants to bet Lou Pannella for manager in 2007? Guess we'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, I can like so many other Rangers fans hope that Mr. Daniels stays focused and attentive to the goals of the club and stay suportive of the great guys we have playing for this team. We will miss you Rangers it will be a lonely post season without you. It is times like these that I miss the unwavering guidance of Johnny Oates.Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1158970396946090482006-09-22T17:06:00.000-07:002006-09-22T17:22:11.013-07:00Lies, Lies, LiesBy <a href="http://www.lonestarmets.com/">Dan in Texas</a><br /><br />I have been a Mets fan since Birth. When I came to Texas I adopted the Rangers as my second favorite team. I have that luxury as the Mets and Rangers only square off about every 5-6 years. Of course it is possible for the Rangers to Meet the Mets in the World Series.<br /><br /><em>I said possible, not probable.<br /></em><br />Evan Grant of the Dallas morning news reported the <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/baseball/rangers/stories/092206dnsporanglede.3193c87.html">“Rangers to break even financially”</a> despite decrease in ticket sales in Friday’s edition. I like Evan, I really do, but Mr. Grant I have two words for that headline “Panther Piss.”<br /><br />Tom Hicks, don’t lie to me through Evan Grant. How dumb do you think people are? These stories are an excuse to raise concession prices or why you can't sign quality free agents.<br /><br /><p>Notice in the story how it mentions the Rangers are considering “Variable Pricing Schedule.”<br /><br /><em>Several other teams use that pricing method such including the Mets. Variable Pricing means that a seat at Shea Stadium that costs $25 when the Pirates come to New York costs $35 when the Braves come and $55 for the subway series games.<br /></em><br />This story is obviously a test balloon for that method while getting people used to the fact that the Rangers do not plan on even thinking about Zito, Schmidt, Hernandez, etc during the Winter Meetings.<br /><br /><em>Oh and if Carlos Lee bolts for the money he’s worth then it isn’t Hicks fault, it’s the Ranger fans.<br /></em><br /><em>Try and convince me that “Variable Pricing” is just and attempt to cash in on the only series Hicks seems to care about, Rangers-Yankees. Go ahead, I’m waiting…</em><br /><br />I don’t believe for a second that Hicks didn’t clear a $68 million dollar payroll this season if you add up:<br /><br />-Local TV revenue<br />-Fox game of the week revenue<br />-Their share of playoff and World Series TV and Radio revenue<br />-Satellite Radio<br />-Local radio<br />-Sponsors<br />-Advertising sales<br />-Parking<br />-Concessions<br />-Merchandise revenue<br />-Licensing revenue<br />-Video game licensing<br />-Ameriquest naming rights money. </p><p>All before you even add up Ticket sales. </p><p><em>I am not crying for Tom Hicks.</em><br /><br />I would like to ask Tom Hick these two questions:<br /><br />“How come we never hear the stories of how much any team <em><strong>profits</strong></em>?”<br /><br /><em>and</em><br /><br />“If you can’t make money with this organization why not sell it? Mark Cuban has made it public record that he will be a player for the next MLB franchise that goes on sale.”<br /><br />And how come after hearing all these stories no one is shocked when MLB or an organization flat out <strong>REFUSES</strong> to open its books and show a balance sheet?<br /><br />I have a friend that told me he is protesting by not going to any games or purchasing Rangers merchandise. Sure it hits Hicks in the only other thing he cares about besides Texas Longhorn football: His check book. Simple and effective but not likely to change current trends. I've never been a big believer in sports apathy. </p><p>Anyone care to start a fan base revolt?</p><p>Not likely since Hicks has the one thing that has taken his falure's at running a baseball fanchise and bailed him out year after year:</p><p>Cowboys Football</p><p>If Rangers fans would get as upset about Rangers franchise stratagy as they do about who the back-up quarterback or right tackle is this town just might see a World Series.</p><p>Don't hold your breath...</p><p><br /><em>Sometimes I don’t blame Ranger fans for not getting as excited about Rangers baseball as I am about Mets baseball and it is really a shame.</em></p>Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1153217262369050142006-07-18T02:30:00.000-07:002006-07-18T03:07:42.396-07:00Plenty of room for improvementToronto didn't have a good game until the fourth, where either, 1. they started swinging the correct end of the bat, or 2. Koronka began pitching underhand. The rest of the team was not without a little blaim as there were three errors on the evening. <br /><br />There are some who believe that the remainder of the season can be predicted by the 5th game after the ASB. If this is the case then we may have a bit of a problem. The fellas from <a href="http://www.lonestarball.com">Lonestarball</a> made a great reference....." its like the bad news bears out there, minus the kid on the motorcycle who could actually hit." This game was perhaps one of the worst this season in my opinion, complete with pitchers throwing at opponents heads and the threat of a bench clearing brawl. This is disappointing and I hope we can find some talent before we are out of the race.Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1153172026396684042006-07-17T14:19:00.000-07:002006-07-17T14:33:46.406-07:002/4 with Baltimore.500 with Baltimore, and Daniels is making noises about buying pitching. As the trade deadline approaches, names like Willis and Elarton are being thrown about. I could be really negative here and say that we have heard all of the song and dance about how the Rangers are going to sign the next Nolan Ryan; and it never happens ending with me the superfan shoulders slumped walking home dragging my oversized foam finger and Rangers pennant. I really think Daniels may have a head full of steam and actually might get something accomplished with starting pitching. I don't think that Dontrelle will come over, but I have a little more faith in this guy than GM's past....we'll see how it comes out in the wash.<br /><br />Tonight we start a 3 game set with Toronto and then on to Boston. Now would be a great time to heat up. Go Rangers.Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1152800332317531262006-07-13T07:10:00.000-07:002006-07-13T07:18:52.316-07:00My Hero:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fbtuHjAZYOw"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fbtuHjAZYOw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1152590101667803532006-07-10T20:38:00.000-07:002006-07-10T21:09:38.646-07:00To early for magic numbers and playoff tickets?Posted by <a href="http://www.lonestarmets.com">Dan in Texas<br /></a><br /><em>Maybe, but who cares? Congratulations to the Texas Rangers who beat the Twins Ace to finish the first half of the season tied for first place with Anaheim, er Los Angles, uh, Californ- I mean... whatever- the Angels.<br /></em><br />I think Magic numbers are fun, thought you might like to know:<br /><br />The Texas Rangers Magic Number: 75<br /><br /><em>*Magic number denotes the amount of either wins by the leader or losses by the closest opponent in the division combined. Any combination of wins and opponent losses equaling the magic number will win the division. i.e. 38 wins by the Rangers and 37 losses by the Angels would place the Rangers in first on October 1st with a record of:<br /></em><br />Rangers 83-79<br />Angels 82-80<br /><br /><em>NOTE TO READERS- Sorry I have been missing in action the past month or two, I have been currently engaged with my new site, <a href="http://www.lonestarmets.com">Lonestar Mets</a>. The other Ghost will do most of the posting but I will drop in just to say hello from time to time.<br /></em><br /><strong><em>Before I go any further, I would like to say, "Happy Birthday, Lee Stevens!" You were a favorite of the Ghosts of 96.</em></strong><br /><br />The Rangers find themselves in a precarious position on July 10th. The Rangers have Adam Eaton coming back shortly to fortify the starting staff and Millwood on the way. What the Rangers do have is ample supply of young arms that should hold up in the hot July, August and September to come. A veteran presence wouldn’t hurt here, especially a front line starter. If the Rangers want to compete in October, they really need to make a move before the deadline. In my opinion the Rangers are holding two valuable chips to deal right now.<br /><br /><em>No, not perennial trade chip Kevin Mench, I think Mench wont bring back much more than a weak hitting, defensive utility infielder/outfielder. If Jon Daniels feels that’s what the team lacks, fine, pull the trigger.</em><br /><br />Now before I start, let me preface that if you heard the sound bite of Daniels on the Ticket stating something to the effect of: “I don’t want to move a valuable chip for a 2 month rental” don’t believe every thing you hear. The Rangers have long been known as a team that says one thing to conceal its intentions. Don’t think that hasn’t changed.<br /><br />The Rangers have two chips to swap that are in a walk year and, realistically, are at their maximum value right now. Taking a look at the White Sox, Tigers, Red Sox and Yankees the Rangers are going to need another ace if they plan to make a run at the West and have a shot at the best in the AL.<br /><br />I speak of course of Gary Mathews Jr. and Mark DeRosa.<br /><br />OBP SLG AVG<br />DeRosa .384 .494 .332<br />Mathews .374 .539 .328<br /><br />If anyone thinks that DeRosa or Mathews will continue to put up those numbers has been sitting in section 301 without a hat for too long. Take a look at his career numbers:<br /><br /><br />DeRosa .331 .400 .275<br /><br />Best season? 2002<br /><br />.339 .429 .297<br /><br />Since then he has been about a .240 hitter. Will he keep his numbers where they are in 2006? Maybe, and maybe bringing David Clyde to the Majors was a good idea.<br /><br />On to Gary Mathews Jr., referred to from here on as GMJ. Here is what John Dewan’s assessment of GMJ is from the <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0879462973/sr=8-1/qid=1152424669/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-0168261-8484131?ie=UTF8">Fielding Bible</a></em>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Gary Matthews Jr. - Matthews picked the ideal time to have his career year, throwing fuel on the fire for contract year believers. He's ranked 8th on defense and has a strong arm. Obviously he's not a true .332 hitter, but the All-Star appearance, </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKBLWmR-cR4"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Catch</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">, his defense, and his ability to hit for power make the 32 year-old quite a commodity. He makes less than $2.4 mil this year and will probably become overpaid from here on out.<br /></span><br />Let’s take a look at the teams that are rumored to be looking to move pitching:<br /><br /><strong>The Chicago Cubs</strong>- The Cubs are sorry. They have an aging Maddox who knows how to pitch and has all the experience in the world. Maddox is the definition a control pitcher so arm problems are not a risk. However the Cubs have stated that Maddox will not be traded anywhere without his consent so a midseason trade to the American League isn’t very likely. If I had to guess where Maddox will go? Philadelphia<br /><br /><strong>The White Sox</strong>- The Sox are <a href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2006/07/white_sox_pursu.html">rumored </a>to have an interest in upgrading their rotation with Jason Schmitt and thus dealing another player elsewhere. That makes Jon Garland, Javier Vazquez and Freddy Garcia available for a price.<br /><br /><strong>The Tigers</strong>- Its’ well known that the Tigers are looking to add a power bat. Would they be interested in DeRosa and GMJ? Sure. Who would they make available? The only pitcher is see the Tigers moving is probably Kenny Rogers. I know my counterpart on this sight would love it, but does anyone else think that is a good idea?<br /><br /><strong>The Nationals</strong>- The Nats have been shopping Livian Hernandez for months. His numbers this year are far from impressive, despite pitching in a "pitchers park." The buzz around the trading block is the Nats think they can ask a huge price for him. Plus his huge contract expires at the end of next season. Excuse me, I don’t see Hicks raising Beer and Parking prices for Hernandez. I do see Hicks raising Beer and Parking prices for no valid reason, however. (to recoup losses from the NHL strike, University of Texas recruiting “donation” for a quarterback, Hicks still owes Chan Ho Park more money somehow, etc.)<br /><br /><strong>The A’s</strong>- Yes, Barry Zito is a free agent after this season and yes Billy Beene would love to get something for him. There is no way in hell he would trade him to the team in competition for the West. I don’t think Zito goes anywhere until November.<br /><br /><strong>The Marlins</strong>- Strange things are going on in Miami these days. The Marlins looked content to sell off the talent and start stockpiling youngsters until they reach Las Vegas/San Antonio/Portland. The Marlins are a very good young team. They realistically don’t have a chance to win the east but could make a run at the wild card with the NL in a down year. If the Marlins make the playoffs, all bets are off. However the scuttlebutt is Willis is on the table but I would guess that the Rangers would have to ship out one from category A and one from category B:<br /><br />A. Danks, Diamond or Volquez<br /><br />B. Kinsler, Botts or Rheinecker<br /><br />You don’t think its worth it? Willis is a great pitcher and will probably be an ace for a long time. I would offer the worst of the A list (I don’t know who is best) and Botts. Odds are on member of DVD lives up to the hype. If two of them due the Rangers will be very lucky. All three? Not likely.<br /><br />Finally, like an old, fatally ill man searching for the fountain of youth, you have the <strong>Yankees</strong>. As a general rule, anyone the Yankees are willing to trade is either a washed up veteran or an over-hyped rookie. If Cashman calls Jon, don’t answer the phone.<br /><br />There you have it, anyone that may help is going to be overpriced. I think the best bet is to try and trade DeRosa and GMJ for one of the surplus White Sox starters and hope a change of scenery can get him back on his game. Willis is intriguing and if the Rangers have any doubts about any of the DVD boys, they are never going to be worth more than they are now. If they persue Willis, Botts is a small price to pay. I mean, how times have the Rangers ever <em>really</em> needed another big bat?<br /><br /><em>Happy All Star Break everybody!</em>Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1152559655295455722006-07-10T11:50:00.000-07:002006-07-10T12:27:35.306-07:002 out of 3.... not too badTeixeira and GMJ went long to beat up the Twins.... and I think it is safe to say that Santana and Francisco Liriano were not given enough credit in previous posts. Nevertheless, Rangers took 2/3 and going into the break this is a good omen. Hopefully we can come back firing on all 8!Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1152398879720012342006-07-08T15:23:00.000-07:002006-07-08T15:47:59.733-07:00Welcome to Arlington......We are at home and this is a hitter's park so lets hope Rudy's speech had an effect. We're gonna need to shell this guy to gain some confidence. We have a capable pitcher that is pretty damn intimidating, lets see what happens....<br /><br />Word has it that Harriston is in left and batting second....we need a REAL "get off the pot" moment or two from this guy.<br /><br />beat their ass Rangers...by the way Dave Chappelle rules.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6978/2487/1600/funndave.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6978/2487/320/funndave.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1152279273249519742006-07-07T05:38:00.000-07:002006-07-07T06:35:58.296-07:00Come on Buck......are you serious?Wasdin gets the nod tonight against the Twins who Buck refers to as the "team playing better than everyone else" at this point..... Sure Buck. The Royals just handed them three back to back to back beatings. I say all of this not to really bag on the Twins, but to pull the curtain on our guy Buck that seems a little less than honest. All I'm looking for here is not the canned response he consistantly gives. Is the AL Central tough? Damn right, two of the best teams in baseball are in this division and Minnesota isn't too far behind, but "the best of any team in baseball"???<br /><br />B.S. - Buck.<br /><br />I hope Rudy's speech yesterday has a lasting impact, and we can develop some momentum at home. Kinsler is the guy to watch for some fireworks tonight and hopefully the rest of the boys will follow suit. If you guys have any insight on what I have written please give me some feedback. Silly picture time: Who doesn't like Uncle Rico???<br /><br /><br />P.S. Yankee's suck<br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6978/2487/320/unclerico.jpg" border="0" />Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24021183.post-1152219754780911712006-07-06T12:15:00.000-07:002006-07-06T14:02:34.820-07:00THIS JUST IN.....I just heard Charlie Steiner tell me via XM Radio that Kenny Rogers is now 11-3 for the season, and I figured that I would pass that along......Thanks Hicks, another in a long line of great moves.Tom AL West Fanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16525565012601944262noreply@blogger.com0