Game Report: Dodgers 13, Rangers 7

In their first spring training meeting since 1986 when Los Angeles trained in Vero Beach, Fla., and the Rangers trained in Pompano, the Dodgers scored 10 runs in the first three innings off RHP Kevin Millwood Monday. The Rangers came to within 11-7 before RHP Josh Rupe allowed a pair of eighth-inning runs.

The good: OF Andruw Jones hit his first homer of the spring and extended his hot streak. Counting a “B” game last Friday in which he faced major league pitching, Jones has nine hits in his last 18 at-bats. Jones, however, struggled again with the sun and the wind in the outfield. His inability to catch a second-inning fly ball turned it into a two-run triple. (more…)

Bleu, Blanc Et Pink Slip

When we left the Montreal Canadiens last night, coach Guy Carbonneau and assistant Kirk Muller were chatting it up in the bowels of AAC with Mike Modano, Stephane Robidas, et al. The Montreal boys, with so many Dallas connections dating all the way back to Bob Gainey becoming the father figure of Dallas hockey in 1993, had reason to be relieved and relaxed. They survived a dreadful first period to defeat the Stars 3-1, providing a day’s breathing room in the NHL’s toughest fish bowl.

Not really. Carbonneau was fired this afternoon by G.M. Gainey, who moves behind the bench. (Muller and fellow assistant Doug Jarvis, another ex-Stars guy, stay on.) This happens in the NHL: change your clocks for daylight saving and change your coach, even with a winning record. And your Stars are part of the reason.

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Rangers Unhappy Max Ramirez Has Been Unused in World Baseball Classic

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels Monday acknowledged disappoinment that Team Venezuela has not played Rangers prospect C Max Ramirez more significantly in the first round of the World Baseball Classic.

Daniels said the Rangers were led to believe Ramirez would start in the first round of games. Venezuela instead used veteran Ramon Hernandez. Ramirez got one at-bat Sunday in a 15-7 loss to the United States. Daniels has not contacted the Venezuelan Baseball Federation because, well, what’s the point? But you can bet that teams that don’t get cooperation from participating countries remember for the future who can be trusted to back up their words and who can’t.

The loss put Venezuela on the brink of elimination. They will face the winner of today’s game between Canada and Italy in an elimination game Tuesday. Ramirez was not the only Ranger on a World Baseball Classic, here’s a look at the others:

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In Other Broadcasting News

Eric Nadel will have as his special third-inning guest broadcast partner today CNN’s Larry King. King is here celebrating his son’s birthday. They are Dodger fans, dating back to Larry’s Brooklyn days. So, expect a lot of old-time Dodger talk on KRLD-FM 105.3 “The Fan.”

But perhaps more scintillating will be the appearance of Rangers Executive Communications of VP John Blake as the fifth inning play-by-play guy. Blake, a master of the spin, got his start in media by doing Georgetown basketball when he was in college. Blake, not a homer at all, developed his signature call ” Get out the rain coats, here comes the hose job!” after being unhappy with a call that went againt Georgetown in a game with Iona.

Given that the Rangers are getting blasted today – it’s 5-0 in the top of the second – maybe Blake can be cajoled into recreating that memorable line. Or perhaps explaining “The John Blake Peck Away” theory (it’s about how you have to peck away when an opponent has a big lead). Or maybe even his love of a good presentation of food at the dinner table. … Make that 6-0. … I suspect he may also try to sell some Rangers tickets during his broadcasting stint. He will also be doing the Rangers game as a webcast tomorrow at the team’s web site.

A Projection on Michael Young’s Defensive Impact

Later this week, I’ll be speaking with John Dewan, author of the Fielding Bible, which tries to measure defensive efficiency and ability. In Dewan’s first Fielding Bible, way back in 2005, he ranked Michael Young as the worst defensive shortstop in baseball. That ranking, I think, helped create the perception that Young was a below-average fielder at short. Never quite bought it. But that’s beside the point.

Just got an email from DeWan’s publicists with an excerpt from the book. Interestingly, he tries to answer the question at the top of my interview prep sheet: How much of an impact will Young have at third base. According to Dewan, he’ll be worth about four wins. Click on, my friends to find Dewan’s explanation

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Stars Spotlight: Loui Eriksson

The third-year left wing from Sweden last week became the 10th Dallas Stars player to reach the 30-goal mark in a season. As a Stars fan, there are some additional details regarding that feat that you should know.

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Multi-Media Tour Rolls On: Next Stop is the Ticket

We — and by “we,” I mean “me” — will be joining fellow baldy Bob Sturm, Dan McDowell and Donovan Lewis at 1:50 p.m. Dallas time this afternoon for some BaD Radio on KTCK-1310 AM The Ticket. Join us as we discuss the Rangers, the economic meltdown and grooming tips for the follicly-challenged. It will be a hoot.

Anybody Want to Chat?

We don’t have a chatroom set up, so this may be kind of awkward, but I think we can set something up that will allow you to post questions in the comments section and then for me to respond to those questions in the same comment section.

Here’s what we need to do this for tomorrow’s game against the Giants. We need enough positive responses, so let’s say 25 or so. And we need to pick a time. Here are my suggested choices (all Dallas times) 12 noon-1 p.m.; 2 p.m-3 and 3 p.m.-4. So, when you tell me if you want to chat, also give me the best possible time. We will go with majority rule on this one.

Farm Futures (3/9/09)

Maybe the most interesting thing about yesterday’s 7-2 Rangers victory over the Cubs was that Texas sent 22 year old lefty Derek Holland back out for a third inning of work. With so many arms battling for innings in this camp — especially, as Evan noted yesterday, in the bullpen – the decision to give two-plus frames to a kid who is not supposed to be a candidate to break camp with the big club was quite remarkable.

After putting together one of the greatest seasons by any Rangers minor league pitcher in memory, there’s no doubt that Holland is coming. The only question is how soon. Yesterday may have been an early hint that he may be moving up to the front of the line to step into the Texas rotation when one of the five starters goes down.

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