Texas Rangers Blogs

The Chicago White Sox won a big game 5-3, against the Texas Rangers.  Alexei Remirez hit a big two run blast in the 6th inning for the winning Sox.  The Sox climbed back in the race on a sorching hot streak.  They cooled off a bit on this road trip, dropping two out of three to KC, and then righting themselves with a big win tonight.  This coupled with losses by the Twins and Detroit give Chicago a fighting chance to do some damage right before the All-Star break. 

Continue reading "Sox In Race To Win It"

    After two consecutive years of winning the National League Central Division, the Chicago Cubs watched their hated rivals the St. Louis Cardinals win it. In order for this not happen again, the Cubs have some concerns they have to address in order to get back to their winning ways.

Continue reading "The Chicago cubs 2010"

1. Well, Brett Favre is back. Just as he started to drift out of our minds again, BAM, breaking news on ESPN: "Favre is a Viking." As obnoxious as this story has been for the last three years, it sure will make the Vikings vs. Packers games more interesting, especially the November 1st game when he returns to Lambeau Field. My guess is the reaction will be half cheers, half boos from the fans, all boos from Ted Thompson.

Continue reading "8-18 Football News and MLB Waiver Wire Deals"

Sunday August 16, 2009 following their 4-3 loss at Texas, is the first time since April 21st that the Red Sox do not have a share of the wild-card or AL East lead.  Does this mean that Red Sox nation should give up hope for the playoffs or a world series birth this year?  Probably not.  However, they should.  Sorry Red Sox fans and band wagoners, your team simply is not going to make the playoffs this year with the emergence of the Rangers pitching staff and the dominance of the Yankees offense.

Continue reading "Boston Red Sox to MISS Playoffs in '09"

After dropping two straight games to the last place A’s, we are left wondering just how much of a contender the Texas Rangers are for the post season. After falling to 59-46, the possibilities are looking more and more bleak.

Continue reading "Will this Ranger's team make the playoffs?"

MLB Boston Red Sox; Beckett goes for his 12th win, close but no Support!!
The Red Sox had lost 3 in a row and went into this game versus the Texas Rangers with their ace Josh Beckett on the mound

Continue reading "Red Sox Fall Out of First Place"

I already knew that the Red Sox were in first, and that the Yanks were in second.  I also knew that whenever I looked at the standings, Toronto was not far behind New York.  What I didn’t know was that Tampa Bay is currently only a game behind Toronto. 

Continue reading "Take a Look at the Standings"

The New York Times reported last week that former Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa was on a list of 103 players who tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003.

Sosa, 40, a 7-time All-Star selection and 6-time Silver Slugger Award winner, helped revitalize the game of baseball in 1998 when he and fellow juicehead Mark McGwire pursued Roger Maris’ home run record.

Continue reading ""

Disgraced former MLB slugger Jose Canseco apparently has one more trick left up his sleeve to help keep himself in the limelight, well beyond his 15 minutes of fame. Canseco wants to get together with fellow disgraced steroid users Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro to file a lawsuit against Major League Baseball and the Players Association to seek compensation for loss of wages and defamation of character.

Continue reading "Jose Canseco to bring full circus ..."

Ball players and their fans are very superstitious creatures. Ballplayers will do anything to get a hitting streak going. Pitchers will do anything to get a winning streak going. The fans will go anything to get a rally going if their team is behind during a game. They'll do everything from not washing their socks, to putting tar on their helmets. When a pitcher is throwing a perfect game, the rest of the players stay away from him, thinking that their mere presence is going to mess up his chances to make that milestone. New York Yankees SS Derek Jeter, our beloved captain is very superstitious. If he or his team is approaching some kind of milestone that he is not aware of, he will dog the media and say that they jinxed the team by bringing it to his attention. Case in point: during a post-game interview a couple of days before the Yankees beat the 2006 Boston Red Sox team record for most consecutive games played without committing an error, Kimberly Jones brought it his attention. The first thing that he tells her is, "Why did you tell me that, it's bad karma, " then he answers the questions. In a commercial on the MLB Network, they show fans showing up at the gate to their favorite teams ballparks some of them have face-paint on. Others are dressed like Shamans carrying Voodoo beads. Come on, people. Enough with the superstitions all ready! How about praying for your team? I do it! Whenever the Yankees are behind in a game and they're rallying, I lean forward in my chair and put in my hands together and bring them to my face in a praying position thinking, sometimes saying, "Come on!" I do this because I believe it will bring God into the situation and the Yankees will bring home runs. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Either way, I praise the Lord because ultimately the game is in His hands. Only He knows the outcome, but I believe prayer does more than just spark up a rally a bring in runs.

Continue reading "Yankee fans for Jesus, arise! Pray for your team!"

The Boston Red Sox; Lose 2 out of 3 from the Central 1st place Texas Rangers but the Sox are still in 1st In The East!!!

  Today Dice-K and the Sox came out looking a little off for the first time in June!! Like I stated in a previous blog, if the Sox pitching is healthy they can take it all, and they had been proving that every game but today, Beckett and Lester almost threw no hitters this week, Wakefield and Penny(besides his last start) have been looking great and Dice got his 1st win since coming off the DL last week, but he didn't look that great today, a little off-- Hey you can't win them all!!!

Continue reading "Is Big Papi Back on Track?"

Boston Red Sox; Jon Lester has another amazing start!!!
  Lester was awesome and pitched like Beckett the other night, LIGHTS OUT!! Last night it was Texas at Fenway and Lester came out and took out the Rangers, hittless for 7 innings.  I thought he was going to get a no-hitter once the 6th inning came and went and Lester just was painting the corners and striking people out left and right, ending with 11 strikeouts and just was pitching great.

Continue reading "Lester Pitches a 2-Hitter for Rex Sox Win"

Lester was awesome and pitched like Beckett the other night, LIGHTS OUT!! Last night it was Texas at Fenway and Lester came out and took out the Rangers, hittless for 7 innings.  I thought he was going to get a no-hitter after the 6th inning--Lester was painting the corners and striking people out left and right, ending with 11 strikeouts. he was on fire!

Continue reading "Boston Red Sox: Another Amazing Start by Lester"

He's won close to 20 games in each of his first three seasons. No pitcher in baseball history has gotten to 40 wins as fast as him. He's Chien-Ming Wang. This Taiwanese titan on the mound had a m

Continue reading "Wang is back in the rotation and ..."

Every pitcher has that one team that bangs him around, hit after hit, homer after homer. He wants respect so what does he do? He decides to plunk an opposing batter. This is what Texas Rangers pitcher

Continue reading "Vicente Padilla beat the Rangers ..."

There's a lot of media out there stressing how the balls are flying out of Yankee stadium. Good! As long as the majority of the homers are off Yankee bats, I'm not worried. Our pitchers can handle it as long as the offense gives them plenty of run support and the relievers don't mess up. Granted, there have been more home runs at the new stadium than in any other ball park, but that's also been the case at Citizen's Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia, the home of the Phillies. They've made adjustments: removed a few seats here and pushed the wall back there. Balls are still flying out and who are the defending World Champions? The Philadelphia Phillies. Why? Because their many of their sluggers like Matt Stairs and Ryan Howard took advantage of it. I believe the Yankees can follow suit and do the same this year. Already their home run total is among tops in the American League. They've been swapping the team home run lead with the Texas Rangers the past week and a half now. Are you ready for a homerun derby between the Yankees and the Rangers the next 3 days? I sure am. I love home runs. The longer the homers, the better. Keep them coming A-Rod. Keep them coming Tex (Mark Teixiera). Oh what the heck! Keep them coming Josh Hamilton. We love 'em!

Continue reading "Balls flying out of Yankee Stadium. ..."

My Feelings On The Texas Rangers Thus Far This Year:

Good, Bad, and "Meh"

     So people in Dallas are pretty proud of their Rangers now, as they should be.  A lead in the AL West, a respectable 14-6 home record…plus it takes the minds of Dallas sports fans off the Cowboys and Mavericks for a second, which, given Jerry Jones’ and Mark Cuban’s further descent into Al Davis-Hood and the Cowboys and Mavs further descent into irrelevance, is a welcome respite. I’d say the Rangers represent the Dallas area’s best chance for a championship in the next five years (not counting hockey  because not enough people care and not counting soccer because I’m only including real sports). 

Continue reading "Texas Rangers-Quarter Season Likes and Dislikes"

If A-Rod Tipped Pitches, He Should Be Forever Banned From Baseball 

It has been nearly two weeks since Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts released her unauthorized biography,

Continue reading "If A-Rod Tipped Pitches, He Should ..."

People can jump up and down and scream their admiration for the first day of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday of the Masters or the NFL Draft, but Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season has been and forever will be my favorite day of the year. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain why. You either get it or you don’t. I’ll spare you the clichés. After months of hot stove talk, six weeks of spring training, the World Baseball Classic and hours of blog writing previewing each team in every division ( which you can read here), the regular season has finally arrived, and I couldn’t be happier.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's Sunday Musings: ..."

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim won the American League West by 21 games in 2008, a margin 13 1/2 games wider than the next largest difference which was the Chicago Cubs’ 7 1/2 game lead over National League Wild Card winner Milwaukee. With the departures of some key Angels and the acquisitions of some big name players by the other teams in the West, the race will tighter, but don’t expect Texas, Oakland or Seattle to leapfrog Los Angeles who should capture their fifth division title in six years.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's 2009 AL West Preview"

With Spring Training nearing and the competition getting fierce early on, here are my starting lineup projection in order of depth with a brief analysis:

1B:  Chris Davis--Showed he can play at the corner spots.  Offense is a plus for him.  

Continue reading "My Projected Lineup for the 2009 Season"

It's easy to blame the Rangers organization for Alex Rodriguez's use of PEDs in his years as a Ranger, but where does the blame lie?  Many argue that the Rangers are the ones to blame with their string of ball players who were accused of using steroids or other PEDs.  However, I have to argue that the one to blame is truly the player.  If you listen carefully, A-Rod said, "When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt the weight of the world on top of me, and I needed to perform and perform at a high level everyday."  His admittance of that fact puts the blame solely on his shoulders. When you sign a 10-year, $252 million contract, you should expect some amount of pressure.  As humans, we are given free will.  We have a choice to make whatever decisions we please.  Using PEDs was not forced on him; that was evident in his comment. 

Continue reading "Alex Rodriguez admission was the ..."

The Texas Rangers recently signed Andruw Jones to a minor league contract.  If he makes the squad, the Texas Rangers will pay him $500,000 and a up to $1 million in bonuses.  Why is this important?  Because Jones is still a viable player that can be traded for a smaller price if he doesn't make the Rangers roster this spring.  That and it doesn't break the Rangers bank.  Jones also provides a fail-safe if Josh Hamilton goes down with an injury.  Marlon Byrd, who recently re-signed with the Rangers, was a fill in player for Hamilton in Center field at times, but really found his niche in Left Field.  Already a logjam in the outfield, the Rangers can only hope that Andruw Jones can become the terror at the plate he used to be in Atlanta.  After leaving Atlanta for the Dodgers, Jones never regained his offensive form and after a series of injuries, faltered many aspects of his game.

Continue reading "What the Andruw Jones move does for ..."

It's been quit some time since the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils actually played a game that the Rangers didn't win in! Maybe just maybe it lit a spark in this heated rivalry, and I think it showed last night even while the Devils were kicking the Rangers butts all over the ice.  For the first time in a long time it was a rough and tough game that had plenty of fights in it, more than I've seen in recent bouts between the two teams. It  looked like a game out of the mid 90s where Mark Messier and Scott Stevens would be pushing and shoving after the whistle. All it took was for the Devils to stand up to the Rangers and finally play with them, and better than them for most of the game, to be honest.  As a Ranger fan, I had seen enough in last nights mess of a game, of course if your a Devils fan, there wasn't much of a reason for you to change the channel but it was Friday night and I had better things to do then watch the hated Devils beat up my Rangers so when I met up with some friends at a local pub, it was to my surprise to see a tie game 5-5, and I must've just missed the game tying goal cause seconds later just like the Rangers had done all game,  they let the Devils play and shoot in the middle of the ice, and it cost them. After the go ahead goal I figured maybe if I don't watch they'll come back again, but we all know that didn't happen, and I'm okay with the loss, I'll lose the battle to win the war so to speak, last nights game was one of the most passion I'd see out of them for awhile. It was defiantly one of the harder fought games I've seen in awhile, (Thank goodness for Rangers Replay at 2 am).  Hopefully for fans on both sides, this was just a preview of the kind of games we'll get to see down the road, the games where the players on the ice are playing for the name on the front of the jersey!

Continue reading "The Rangers and the Devils- The Re-Birth ..."

The names Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo aren't names you're familiar with, but you may in a couple short seasons.  The Rangers and Tigers made the trade as expected would happen with a surplus of catchers to trade at will.  This move is a good move for both clubs.  Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo have strong upside and their bodies were built to be pitchers.  Moscoso has the potential to be a young Pedro Martinez and he may be the first one of the two to make the 40-man roster. Melo, on the other hand, has good upside; his fastball can reach up to 100 MPH, but his control is an issue. 

Continue reading "Rangers make early move in the Winter ..."

I had planned on discussing the Phillies’ bullpen situation for this off-season today, but the organization just announced a deal that may have a profound affect on the way things will play out with Pat Burrell in left field.  An agreement has been made with the Texas Rangers to trade Phillies former first round pick Greg Golson (Drafted 21st overall in 2004) for Rangers prospect and former first round pick John Mayberry (19th overall in 2005). 

Continue reading "Phillies Prospect Greg Golson Traded ..."

Greetings and welcome to my brand-spanking new Reds blog. We currently boast a readership of, well, let's not talk about that right now, but we're growing! That's the idea. GROW!

The Reds just finished their 400th miserable season in a row, and, as always, there's talk of competing next year, but the question is, is it possible?

Continue reading "What to Do with 30 Million Dollars"

Free Agency opened up on Friday, but has started off slowly fo the Rangers.  Milton Bradley and Jamey Wright will test the free agency waters, but it will be Milton Bradley iwho is commanding the most attention of all the Ranger free agents.  Bradley is looking for a multiyear contract, but will be hard pressed to get it with his history of injuries.  The Royals and the A's are looking for switch hitting designated hitters, but the A's would seem to be more in position to offer him a multiyear contract. 

Continue reading "With free agency underway, Rangers ..."

The obvious and ideal situation for the Rangers in the offseason is to find quality arms in the starting rotation.  While that seems easy, there are limitation to what can be done in developing this process.  The Rangers go into the Winter Meetings with leverage.  They have a surplus of catching prospects that showed their depth and mettle this past season.

Continue reading "Texas Rangers go into Winter Meetings ..."

10/25/08 9:20pm C.T. 

So I'm sitting here at home tonight watching Game 3 of the 2008 World Series between the Rays and Phillies. The game started an hour and a half later than slated because of a rain delay!! The fans on the East coast will be up late tonight! But you know what? These fans have waited over 20 years for this moment. I'm sure they would have all stayed at the ballpark even if the game didn't start until midnight. So would have I if I was in Arlington watching Texas witness its first World Series game ever. 

Continue reading "Oh when oh when will I be watching ..."

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the "Inbound Link Contest".  We have a winner!  A big congratulations go out to Marija.  Thank you for all your hard work on this.  While we had a lot of people participate, Marija was able to win with only 4 links!  So it wouldn't have taken a lot to win this contest!  We'll be having another contest soon so stay tuned.

Continue reading "Inbound link contest winner announced!"

In case you missed last night's game, it was a roller coaster.  Dad was so sure we'd won, he actually called me at the end of the first inning.  Now, as I've mentioned before in this blog, I TIVO the games, which means if you know what's going on, DO NOT, under any circumstances, tell me.  I'll see the game eventually and I don't want to know.  But sometimes Dad can't help himself and he ruins it for me.  So, yesterday he called all excited.  "I know you don't want to know, but I have to tell you," he said"Fine, tell me."  "We're up 10-zip and it's only the first inning."  Well, it

Continue reading "Wait, What was the Final Score?"

  I picked up on this one late; like into the 7th inning, and the Boston Red Sox were down 15-14. 15-14!???!!!. What the heck had I missed? Well, for one thing, a 10-run first inning for the Sox that included two homeruns by Ortiz, an 8-run 5th inning for Texas, followed by a 5-run 6th inning that put them ahead and set the stage for what could easily have been the most embarrasing Red Sox loss of the year. As it turned out, thanks to Kevin Youkilis, it was a 19-16 win that temporarily inched them one-half game closer to the Rays, who were in the process of a minor struggle versus Oakland when the Sox concluded their 4-hour marathon.

Continue reading "Boston Red Sox in an (almost embarrassing) ..."

    Since when is a four-run, seventh inning lead against a team 17.5 games out of first place not safe?  Since the Mets' bullpen hit rock bottom.

    The Mets' plan for Monday afternoon's makeup game against the Pirates was to get on top early and send Pittsburgh packing quickly.  When David Wright knocked a three-run home run to right center in the first, and Pedro Martinez allowed only one run through six innings, the game seemed to be following how it was scripted.  But then on came the New York bullpen.

Continue reading "Heilman Heads Up Another Bullpen Meltdown"

Theory of the Week:  Relief Spending

    Every winter the free agent frenzy escalates as contracts rise to astronomical amounts and lengths.  Some MLB executives balk at the dearth of talent and exhorbitant contracts, while others jump at the opportunity to sign what they think are the missing pieces, for whatever the market demands.  Swarming the headlines this past off-season were some of the questionable contracts signed by relief pitchers.

Continue reading "Are Relief Pitchers Worth Their Contracts?"

   After splitting the four-game series in Cincinnati, the Mets are back in a first-place tie with the Phillies for the lead in the NL East.  Lately it hasn't only been Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran leading the offense; Carlos Delgado has been on fire recently and came through with the clutch, game-tying hit in the seventh inning on Sunday, and the Mets' bench players have been carrying the torch as well.  The "irregulars," (as Mets television broadcaster Gary Cohen puts it) such as Fernando Tatis, Endy Chavez, Damion Easley and Ramon Castro, have been igniting the Mets' offense for the past three weeks.  But two new players with anything but household names were just as instrumental to the Mets' success in Cincy as anyone getting paid upwards of $12 million per year:  Argenis Reyes and Robinson Cancel.

Continue reading "Makeshift Mets Back In First, But ..."

So the Rangers finally beat the Twins. How many hits did they muster?

Uh, three. One of them was a homer by Taylor Teagarden (who?), and that was all Texas needed to win 1-0 at the Metrodome on Sunday.

Continue reading "Rangers arrest Twins' streak"

I figured maybe the Twins were due for a bad game after such a great game Friday shutting out the Rangers. Boy, was I wrong -- but then just about everyone's been wrong about the team this wrong.

Continue reading "Twins torment Texas"

To try and motivate our bloggers to get inbound links we're going to have a contest to see which blogger can get the most inbound links to their blog. The contest begins now and ends July 31st, 2008. To be entered in to the contest all you have to do is go out and get as many websites to link to your blog as you can and at the end of the month send us an email listing all those links. All links must be active from August 1st through August 7th when we'll be judging the entries - a winner will be announced on August 7th. All entry emails must be received by Midnight on July 31st, 2008. You can email them to sportsfan@nbabasketballonline.com

Continue reading "Inbound link contest - Win $100!"

I watched the All Star game last night. 15 innings. It was at times boring, at times exciting, and for the most part, it reminded me of the Dodgers. With the exception of great defense and you know, having more than one “honorary” all-star on the team. Pitching, at least on the National League side of things, hasn’t been at a premium the last few years at the game, but this year, the NL pitched like a group of Saitos, Broxtons, and Wades. Runners remained stranded, even though the NL was in constant trouble in the late innings. Both teams hit like the Dodgers, constantly getting on base with nobody out, and then being left exactly where they were. The biggest threat being if an opposing batter ever tried to, I don’t know, not swing at every pitch (where was this Aaron Cook in the world series last year?) thrown in their direction. Dan Uggla (whose name sounds like the reaction you have when you step in something of solid and liquid form) struck out 3 times in 4 at-bats and was the Matt Kemp/Andruw Jones of the game. Russel Martin played the Russell Martin roll, coincidentally, but seemed to play it as if he was amped up on something, with the defensive abilities of a superman out there. It was so noticeable that Tim McCarver and Joe Buck spent a good 20 min “Alyssa Milano-ing” him (verbally of course). The prowess of Russell Martin on his knees was extolled by them for all to hear. I also worry that he was pumped to actually play with good players, and this gave him a taste of what it is like to play with players who are actually quite awesome. Unfortunately, there was nobody old or crotchety, enough to play the Jeff Kent roll, but you take comparisons where you can get them.

Continue reading "IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY 07.16.08: ..."

I remember it like it was yesterday.  Sitting on the edge of my Laz-y-Boy, my snack forgotten on the coffee table, and my eyes riveted to the little black-and-white TV with goosebumps all over my arms and a thrilling chill running down my spine.  It's 1984, and I'm watching Jack Morris working the last out of his no-hitter.  As he gets the last out, the feeling that overwhelms me is the essence of why I love baseball.  What being a fan is all about. 

Continue reading "Chills and Goosebumps are Back in Baseball!"

the general assumption is that brendan shanahan will not return to the rangers.  in light of sather's push to get younger and faster and his desire to play a more up-tempo game, it seems shanny doesn't fit.  but...

Continue reading ""

In light of the recent Ranger overhaul, many have been asking and wondering what is in store for the 2008-2009 season and what fans can reasonably expect from this "new" team.  Predictions can often be a waste of time--particularly with the summer only half over.  Rosters are not nearly finalized, deals are not finished, and training camp and pre-season are still a month and more away.  Still, one things is certain in Rangerland: a transition has been made.  It's been out with the "old" (old not just a reference to age)--Jagr, Straka, Avery, Malik, Shanahan (likely), Tutin--and in with the "new" (again, not just a reference to age)--Naslund, Redden, Zherdev, Kalinin, Voros, Fritsche, and Rissmiller.  The Rangers have turned a corner from generation Jagr and officially become Gomez and Drury's team.  All I can say is, it's about time.

Continue reading "Expectations for New York Rangers in 2008-2009"

Easily the most criticized Glen Sather move of the off-season was letting Sean Avery walk.  We've all seen the numbers of how good the Rangers were with Avery in the lineup as opposed to without him.  We all saw the difference in the team's play when Avery was doing his thing.  We all read and heard Avery talk about his love for New York.  But, there is one thing we didn't see--as mere fans we never see: locker room/behind the scenes Avery.  Sather could not be dumb enough to just let this guy walk unless there was more to his locker room antics than we heard.  There's a reason that Avery has played for 3 teams in 4 years, despite obvious talent and on-ice value. 

Continue reading "Sean Avery: the ex-New York Ranger ..."

The UFA season has largely been completed--aside from a few big names hanging around--and the NHL standings may look very different next season.

This year's make over awards go to the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning.  First, the 'ning--as runners up.  For Florida's only relevant franchise, the makeover began weeks ago with the firing of John Tortorella and the hiring of Barry Melrose (aside: here's hoping Pat Burns makes it back to the NHL and squares off against Melrose.  Was there anything better than the barbs the two exchanged in the 93 playoffs?).  They then selected highly touted Steven Stamkos--a likely second line center behind Vinny the Becoming Great.  Those changes alone would make headlines.  But Tampa didn't stop.  They have since added Vaclav Prospal, Gary Roberts, Ryan Malone, Radim Vrbata, Olaf Kolzig, Ryan Hall and Wyatt Smith.  New look, yes.  The result, however, will be determined.  They've certainly added some size up front, but just how well that translates into success is anybody's guess.  If Kolzig has another super year in him, they have solved their constant goaltending woes and may be ready to take another run at a playoff birth and beyond.

Continue reading "New Look Rangers in better position ..."

All right then, it’s almost July, which means it’s almost time for yet another midsummer classic, which once again will pit the National League against their arch-rivals, those bums from the junior circuit.

Continue reading "All-Star foppery"

So, a couple of days ago I decided to drive a few blocks down from the workplace to the new Cowboys stadium. Let's just call it: The Monstrosity. I'm still having a hard time believing Jerry and the crew decided to start this billion dollar project in the congested where it's going up.

Continue reading "Cowboys New Stadium"

This is a big week for the Yankees, their final homestand before the stadium is converted into an All-Star facility.

Monday, Tues, Wed- Texas Rangers

The Yankees pitching will be tested this week as they face the hot-hitting Texas Rangers. This series will actually feature 6 of the top 10 hitters in the AL (Kinsler, Bradley, Hamilton, A-Rod, Damon, and Matsui.) The Yankees will likely score a bunch of runs, they need to hope that they can hold Texas to under 5 runs a game. Yankee fans will get their first look at the great story of Josh Hamilton however it wont be their only one as he will likely be back July 15 for the mid-summer classic. Look for the Yankees to take 2 out of 3 in this series.

Continue reading "Preview of the Upcoming Yankee Week"

Maybe the Astros should make it a habit of having a hotheaded pitcher get into a skirmish with General Manager Ed Wade.

Every day.

Call it the Keith Hernandez Principle.

Back in 1988, the New York Mets first baseman had gotten word from his attorney that his bitter divorced had become final. The next night, Hernandez (never a real power hitter) hit two home runs and drove in seven runs. He mused: "Maybe I should get divorced every day. I'd be broke, but I'd also be in the Hall of Fame."

Continue reading "Houston Astros are 1-0 in post-Shawn Chacon Era"

Let me preface this article: it is not meant as an indictment of Ranger management--the Smith and Sather regimes in particular.  It's meant to make clear this point: the Rangers have some nice talent in their system.  But, aside from Lundquist and possibly Staal, they lack a sure-fire superstar.  Even more alarming is that no where in the Rangers' system is there a bona fide blue chip 

Continue reading "NHL Draft: Trouble Brewing for New York Rangers"

To some, my sports allegiances might seem like contradictions.

I love the Dallas Cowboys but absolutely hate the Texas Rangers (my favorite American League team is the Kansas City Royals).

Continue reading "LAstros beat StRangers, 4-3"

Hey Hockey Fans. Last night was the 2008 NHL draft. Let me start off by sending a congratulations to Boston University Center Colin Wilson - the only collegiate player selected in the first round. Having attended BU over the last four years I was able to watch Colin play and I think that the Nashville Predators made a great selection on raw ability. Wilson is quick to the puck and he's strong enough to play an NHL style dump and chase type game - his strength will compliment the speed of Nashville quite well and I think he'll make a good contribution if and when he gets there.  

Continue reading "Draft Recap"

As I remarked in my blog when he was released, Sidney Ponson has brought his teams little but grief to go with his occasionally adequate pitching. When the Rangers released him, I’d hoped that would be the last of Sir Sidney.

Continue reading "Sidney "Poison" Ponson"

The 2007 - 2008 NHL season drew to a close last week with Hockey Town's own Detroit Red Wings hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup for the fourth time in twelve years. For Wings fans it marked the culmination of yet another magical run to prominence while the Pittsburgh Penguin faithful took solace in the notion that their young stars, now armed with playoff experience, will undoubtedly become the annual favorite in the Eastern Conference. The future's of both franchises seem certain: Detroit will lose aged experience and retool with young talent, they've done it before; and while veterans like Chris Draper and Nikolas Lidstrom break in the future of the Wings the Steele City, aided by an increased salary cap, will be able to keep their young firepower under lock and key. What is not certain is how the rest of the league will attempt to catch what most would say are the two best teams we've seen in quite awhile.

Continue reading "Looking Ahead"

The Texas Rangers aren't known for making shrewd organizational moves. They were nicknamed The Strangers in the 1970s, in part because of their no-name team, but also for their proclivity towards hiring oddballs or also-rans. In the 1980s and 90s, striving for acceptance, they built a new ballfield (which has proved to be not only a sauna in the hot Texas summers, but also a launching pad for hitters) and enjoyed a brief window of respectability, appearing in their first postseason and winning their only playoff game in 1995. 

Continue reading "Texas Rangers Show Some Character"

MY FIRST BLOG!  
Which team shall we start with? Well the Seattle Mariners of course!  What better topic?  Why the controversial king himself, Richie Sexson.  Even the name bites into the controversy.  Last week, during the Mariners losing streak, facing the Texas Rangers, Richie took a high pitch.  The pitch was high enough that the six foot eight player thought it was for his head and not his bat.  In a rage, Richie responded by tearing out to the pitchers mound in a entertaining manner seeking revenge for the attempt.  When the bench cleared, and the football tackling was over, The Big Sexy found himself suspended. Watching the altercation go down, you could clearly see the frustration of a losing streak bursting out from behind home plate.   Richie was replaced by Miguel Cario at first base while the suspension was being served.   I am confident that the Mariners will snap the losing streak.  The team has been playing a better brand of baseball. 

Continue reading "Richie Sexson"

We all can't be too sure about just what the next two games will bring for the Boston Celtics -- their opening round series against Atlanta should have taught everyone a lesson about looking ahead.

Continue reading "Celtics won't bow to King James"

For many baseball fans, last night wasn't a great night to watch baseball, as blowouts predominated early on. But, because of the beautiful game that is baseball, only three of them continued in their lopsided fashion, with the best of them highlighted by a homer from Micah Owings, the best-hitting pitcher in baseball, whom teammate Conor Jackson said had the "best pop" of anyone on the team. And all of them showed something about the winning and losing teams, proving that any baseball game is worth watching, even when it doesn't seem exciting.

Continue reading "The Night of the Blowouts"

  Hello everyone, My name is Adam Rosario, and this is my first blog post. I'm a 24 year old from Brooklyn and a huge New York sports fan. I root for just about all the NY teams, except for the Islanders, and although I'm mostly a Yankees and Giants fan, I root for the Mets and Jets, too when they play other cities, I can't be a NY hater, I'm sorry. My timing for writing this couldn't be better. The Yankees get crushed again tonight, The Mets got killed, Rangers got killed again last night and they are pretty much done. Good Times in New York! A-Rod is on the DL, Posada is out, Bruney is out. Even Phil Hughes is now on the DL (maybe that's not such a bad thing at this point). But hey, at least the Giants got to hang out with Dubya at the White House today. It seems like the New York sports fan has only the Giants to hang their hats on these days. Boston fans tease us about the Knicks and the Yankees and the Jets and we can only respond with "uhh...18-1!, huh huh!" The Super Bowl was great but you know what, I want more. I want Kyle Farnsworth to stop giving up late inning homers like he did again tonight again the Tigers. I want Cano to start hitting again. I want Henrik Lundqvist to stop giving up goals like he's Goldberg from The Mighty Ducks! I want to stop hearing stories about how Isiah Thomas is allowed only allowed to observe the players from those little TVs at the concession stands at the Garden! I want more than what we are getting now as New York fans. The number one topic on WFAN this whole week was whether or not Delgado should have given the fans at Shea a curtain call after hitting two dingers at Shea! I think when Ollie Perez gives up 7 runs in 1.2 innings against the Pirates, Mets fans may have more important things to worry about. (What is it with Pittsburgh teams this week, anyway?) And of course, there is the continuing saga of everyone's favorite Yankee hero, Roger Clemens! Things are not to good for us New York fans right now, but they will hopefully get better soon. And when they do, I'll be there to comment on it. Until then, to all my wonderful friends and family in Massachusetts..."18-1."

Continue reading "Good Times in New York"

 
    GS IP HR BB SO AVG VORP
Verlander (DET) 4 24.1 4 12 14 0.234 -9.2

Padilla (TEX) 4 26 2 9 15 0.292 5

Continue reading "Tonight's Starting Pitcher Matchup: ..."

The Tigers will face off against the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park tonight. Both teams come in with a 7-13 record. Texas, however, was not expected to be good. The Tigers, by contrast, have been incredibly disappointing so far.

Continue reading "Tuesday Preview: Tigers vs. Rangers"

March 26, 2008 -- The San Diego Padres announced yesterday that it would give free tickets to first responders and victims of the wildfires in San Diego County last October for this Friday's Spring Training Contest (March 28) at Petco Park between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Padres. Players will wear ballcaps from first responder agencies and organizations. 1,500 families that qualify for the tickets can still pick them up from their local long-term assistance centers. Pre-game activities will be devoted to the more than 35 organizations that assisted in relief efforts. Included are local fire agencies, law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Red Cross,  the U.S. Border Patrol and various animal help agencies; on Tuesday the Padres announced that the team has exercised manager Bud Black's contract option for the 2009 season. Black led the 2007 Padres to an 89-74 record, the squad's best record since 1998. Black's winning percentage of .546 was the best for a first-year "skipper" in the majors since 2003. Black is the 16th Padres manager; also on Tuesday the Padres optioned three more players to Triple-A Portland and three others were assigned to minor league camp. Infielders Byron Myrow, Oscar Robles and Craig Stansberry were optioned to Portland while RHP Adam Bass, LHP Shawn Estes and OF Chip Ambres were reassigned to the Beavers. As of today that leaves the major league squad with 32 players in camp including 30 from the 40-man roster and two non-roster invitees; Jake Peavy gets his final start of Spring Training today against the Texas Rangers at 1:05 p.m. PDT (Double XX SportsRadio AM 1090 & FM 105.7) live from Peoria...Ah the last days of Spring Training...

Continue reading "San Diego Padres today"

For the latest installment of my preview of the 2008 Major League Baseball season, I’ll take a look at the American League West.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Will Torii Hunter be able to provide another big bat to help Vladimir Guerrero carry the load?

Continue reading "MLB 2008 Season Preview: American League West"

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/how_about_them_florida_panther_

They beat the New York Rangers last night to pull within 5 points of the Division lead.

SUNRISE - Panthers captain Olli Jokinen had not scored in eight games but had been finding ways to contribute during Florida's five-game win streak.

Continue reading "How about them Florida Panthers?"

Moving away from the National League we will turn our attention to the much better American League.  We will start out west which a division that should be a great two horse race.  The Rangers are still struggling; the A’s are now re-building which leaves us with the Mariners and the Angels.  Let’s get to it.

Continue reading "Preview IV: AL West"

March 7, 2008 - The San Diego Padres won their Spring Training game today. They beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-3. Scott Hairston homered and Michael Gardner got the win.

The Padres play @ Texas Rangers tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. Pacific.

Continue reading "Padres Friday wrap up ... beat the ..."

You’re killin me!
These “precautionary” scratches from the lineup are really making me wonder. Carlos Quentin got pulled because of a shoulder. Jerry Owens of course missed that time with a groin, and now is missing more games, which worries me greatly (see end of season ’05 Podsednik). Smoke and mirrors really piss me off. I guess it really is only spring training and I should just let it go.

Continue reading "OH! IT HURTS!"

March 4, 2008 -- The San Diego San Diego Padres will televise the follow Spring Training games on Channel 4 San Diego. The games are:

Chicago (AL) @ Padres (Peoria) Sunday, March 9 @ 1:05 p.m.; Texas Rangers @ Padres (Peoria)  Monday, March 10 @ 7:05 p.m.; Los Angeles Dodgers @ Padres  (Beijing, China) Friday March 14 @ 10:05 p.m.; Padres @ Los Angeles Dodgers (Beijing, China) Saturday, March 15 @ 10:05 p.m.; Kansas City Royals @ Padres (Peoria) Tuesday, March 25 @ 7:05 p.m.; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ Padres (Petco Park) Friday, March 28 @ 7:05 p.m.

Continue reading "Padres announce Spring Training TV schedule"

Today, the AL West.  People always say things like: 'The Wild West', 'East Coast Bias', and 'Texas never ever has pitching ever'.  Well, here's what I say.  The west is a 2 horse race.  The other two horses are looking at each other in a staring contest.  The winner gets the right to finish 20 games out.  The loser...well glue comes from somewhere.

Continue reading "Baseball Division Preview II"

The answer, of course, is not as much as they think they’re worth.

From rotoworld.com: “The Royals and Brett Tomko have reportedly agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract.  It's so ridiculous to complain about what Alex Rodriguez is making when baseball is swimming in so much cash that Tomko can disappoint organization after organization and still receive $3 million. The soon-to-be 35-year-old had a 5.55 ERA while pitching in two of the National League's bigger ballparks last season. Once in 10 years -- with the Giants in 2004 -- has he actually met the expectations a team had for him. There's simply way too much money being made by baseball if he's worth $3 million.”

Continue reading "How much are ballplayers really worth?"

I know that my absence was grieved by many a reader, however I was on a vital mission of unimaginable importance.  Leaving that aside for the moment, let us return to the subject at hand.

Continue reading "I’m Back… and so are the Rangers ..."