Hockey Night: Stars-Flames

Join in this evening as we watch what looks like the equivalent of a Rangers September game.

The Stars have two home games remaining, with St. Louis coming in Saturday night. Dallas has earned 43 points at home with an AAC mark of 19-15-5. Their recent home woes have been well documented, 2-8-1 after they opened what was supposed to be a promising five-game homestand in mid-February with a 4-2 win over Edmonton – then tied a club record with six straight home defeats. This figures to be the Stars’ worst home season since 1995-96, when they went 14-18-9 (back in the Paleozoic “ties” era). Seems like everytime there’s a team worst since to look up, the answer is 1995-96, when Bob Gainey stepped back and brought in Ken Hitchcock.

Speaking of Saturday night, the game will be marked by the traditional regular-season finale practice of giving away lots o’ stuff – mainly autographed items – during just about every game stoppage. I wish they’d bring in Billy Mays to hawk the items. (Did you see he’s getting a cable show? And if you order now …)

See you after the first period.

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Sports Food Porn: Texas Ranger Edition

Greetings hungry sports fans. Today the Texas Rangers rolled out their new food items for the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. There’s a lot of delicious new food. There’s a special new “Beers of Texas” program. And a hot dog story that may upset you. (Pictured: buffalo chicken sliders. Get it. Sliders. Very basebally cuisine.)

Game Report: Rangers 9, Royals 3

A quartet of Rangers prospects combined to hit for the cycle in the seventh inning as the Rangers ran away from the Royals at Surprise Stadium to claim the coveted best-of-seven Surprise City Championship four games to three. In the seventh, 3B Johnny Whittleman homered, OF Craig Gentry followed with a double. Later in the inning, OF-DH Chad Tracy singled and 1B Justin Smoak doubled. As winners of the Surprise City Championship, Rangers players will be entitled to free early bird dinner specials all next spring. Or not. (more…)

No Finch Watching In Arlington This Year

See the little guy to our left? That’s an American Goldfinch. You won’t see any of him this season at Rangers Ballpark.

See the little gal to your left? That’s a Jennie Finch and you won’t see any of her either. The Rangers released her husband RHP Casey Daigle from the minor league system Thursday. Also release were RHP Kendy Batista, OF Grant Gerrard and RHP Josh Giles.  Gerrard was a seventh-round selection in the 2006 draft. Sad day for all, but especially sad for those who hoped for a Finch spotting in Arlington.

Texas Rangers Get All Fan-Friendly This Season

Today the Rangers announced FANtastic Fireworks Fridays! What is FFF? I’m glad you asked. On all 12 Friday Fireworks games this season, tickets regularly priced at $25 will be available for $10. And $12 parking will only set you back $5.00. You can buy your tickets early online or by calling 972-RANGERS. The only Friday not available is August 14th. I call that a bargain.

Texas Rangers Announce Parking And Traffic Information For Opening Day

It’s hard to believe that Opening Day for your Texas Rangers is next Monday, April 6th. In an effort to get you to the ballpark before the 1:05PM start, the Texas Rangers, the City of Arlington, and the Arlington Police Department have outlined new parking and traffic information.

This morning, Rangers Executive VP of Ballpark Operations Rob Matwick, said the changes made in the off-season will make it easier for Ranger fans to get in and out with ease. The good news is this: they have a web address with details and directions. Pick your route and print it out—do not leave it at home on your printer. Also, once you’ve parked your car, the lot attendant will hand you a map of the parking lot that shows your best option for leaving the park.

Matwick urges fans to “come early and enjoy the festivities and stay late for the concert.” (Roger Creager will perform on April 6th ) Jump if you want more information. (more…)

Cat Nipped: Frank Catalanotto On His Release

Spoke with released Frank Catalanotto a little while ago. Catalanotto, you should know, was fully prepared for the decision. We spoke briefly after Wednesday’s game and he acknowledged the more he thought about the situation, the more he felt like Andruw Jones would make the team over him.

The Rangers tried to trade Catalanotto but found little intereste because it would have cost teams at least a token portion of the $6 million owed him plus a warm body. The Marlins were interested at one point, but elected to go after Ross Gload. Instead, Catalanotto will head home this weekend and wait by the phone for a club needing a left-handed hitter and extraordinary pinch-hitter to call.  Catalanotto would love a chance to play near his home in New York. The Mets, with Marlon Anderson as their last man on the roster, might be a decent fit. The Red Sox might also consider him now that there is no price to pay. (Completely personal note: Catalanotto has been such a pro during his two stays with the Rangers I’d really like to see him get a chance to go to the playoffs since he’s played 11 seasons and 1,163 games without ever experiencing that feeling).

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Texas Rangers Rotation Mystery: Benson-McCarthy or McCarthy-Benson?

While the Rangers have determined the five men who will comprise their starting pitching, apparently there is not yet a decision on the order in which those guys will pitch.

It’s clear that RHP Kevin Millwood will pitch the opener against Cleveland and RHP Vicente Padilla will follow in Game No. 2. Also, LHP Matt Harrison will pitch in the No. 5 hole. What’s still to be decided is how the Rangers will use RHPs Kris Benson and Brandon McCarthy. Typically, the more experienced Benson would pitch in the third spot, but that would mean McCarthy would then have to pitch the fourth game of the season, Detroit’s home opener, in front of a hostile, sold-out crowd.

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Texas Rangers Lineup Mystery: Maybe or Maybe Not

Manager Ron Washington said today’s lineup could end up being the one that takes the field against Cleveland’s Cliff Lee on Monday, but said he’s still undecided on whether to stick with his left-handed hitters or to include right-handed Marlon Byrd and Andruw Jones over David Murphy and Hank Blalock.

“That lineup could end up being what we use, but I didn’t put it up there with any intent that it would be our Opening Day lineup,” Washington said. “I will ask all our coaches for their input and then I will sit down and compare everything before we make a lineup.”

Washington did allow, however, that when Jones plays, he’ll hit cleanup. Washington likes the experience Jones has in the spot. Jones has 1,538 at-bats as the cleanup hitter, more than double the total of the other cleanup candidates (Blalock and Nelson Cruz).  Jones has averaged a home run every 13.5 at-bats in the cleanup spot. It is the best ration among active right-handed, cleanup hitters.

“I like hitting there,” Jones said. “Even when he had all the big guys there like [Gary Sheffield] and Galarraga, I got to hit fourth when one of them was out of the game. I’d always come in the clubhouse and say ‘Look out, I’m going deep today. And mot of the time I’d end up hitting a home run. It’s a psyche thing there. I like it. I know I’ve got to drive in the runs. And I know [hitting instructor] Rudy [Jaramillo] will keep me focused.”

Stars Looking To Fabian To Turn It Loose

You, the Stars fan, were getting itchy last summer as NHL scorers kept changing uniforms without any of them coming to Dallas: Marian Hossa, Olli Jokinen, Erik Cole, Mike Cammelleri. The response from Frisco was the Stars took care of that business in early May, really only hours after that Brenden Morrow goal in the gazillionth overtime against San Jose.

They signed Fabian Brunnstrom, a late bloomer of a left wing in Sweden. (And that guy Avery to irritate the opponents’ scorers.) You thought it was genius when Brunnstrom scored a hat trick in his NHL debut. Well, only 10 more goals have followed to prove this wasn’t the second coming of Teemu Selanne. But Brunnstrom, now all of 24, has learned a lot about the NHL. And the Stars have learned a lot about him.

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Rangers Lineup: It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Opening Day

Rangers are sending this lineup out there today against Kansas City LHP Horacio Ramirez:

2B Ian Kinsler, 3B Michael Young, CF Josh Hamilton, RF Nelson Cruz, DH Hank Blalock, LF David Murphy, 1B Chris Davis, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, SS Elvis Andrus.

The Rangers are facing another lefty on Opening Day: Cliff Lee. Manager Ron Washington has not committed to whether he’ll stack the Opening Day lineup with right-handed hitters (i.e. Andruw Jones in place of Blalock and Marlon Byrd in place of Murphy). We’re getting a morning briefing a little later than usual today, but I plan to try and raise the question again. Three consecutive lefties from Nos. 5-7 against a left-handed pitcher (even though Lee has struggled this spring) just doesn’t seem to be a high-percentage play.

Very Nice Win

It was a rare treat for a guy employed to be at all home Cowboys and Stars games to be at the AAC for a Mavericks game last night, and the game did not disappoint. The Mavericks got a late win over the Miami Heat and further made their case for a chance to move-up in the Western Conference Playoff picture. The following is a random collection of observations that I jotted down from the Section 123 Auxiliary Press Row during the 98-96 win:

* Josh Howard’s return was the lead story (unless you consider seeing Dwyane Wade in person the lead story- more on that coming up) and there is no question that this team is better with him doing what he is capable of doing. The team just looks far more dangerous with Howard on the floor on offense (meaning that there is one more player that you have to guard) and the team has a prayer of getting a crunch-time stop with him on the floor as he uses his quickness and length to get into passing lanes and disrupt possessions.

I was talking to Mavs people last night who were quite clear that his ankle still isn’t right and he will clearly need surgery in the summer, but he is giving what he has for now.

There is no doubt that people have gone to extremes about Howard (either good or bad) and I may be to blame for some of that , but when he plays his game he can be so valuable.

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Farm Futures: Projecting the Rotations

Martin Perez & Michael Main

Triple-A OKC: LHP Derek Holland, RHP Neftali Feliz, RHP Doug Mathis, RHP Luis Mendoza, RHP Thomas Diamond / RHP Elizardo Ramirez (watch to see if Diamond opens the year in the rotation or the bullpen, where he could be of use to the big club sooner than as a starter)

Double-A Frisco: RHP Tommy Hunter, LHP Kasey Kiker, RHP Omar Poveda, RHP Michael Schlact & RHP Jared Hyatt (my understanding is that RHP Guillermo Moscoso was working primarily out of the pen this spring, but he could be in the rotation)

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