Just Another Big-League Day For Elvis Andrus

ARLINGTON–Uniform numbers have a certain cache, usually near and dear to an athlete’s heart as well as his back. Any of the 49,000 or so fans at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington might have taken notice that rookie shortstop Elvis Andrus is wearing No. 1.

The number that almost serves as a bull’s-eye was not of his own doing for the third-youngest Ranger even in an opening day lineup. And he was comfortable in his own skin and his new number.

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New Beginning: Crisp Texas Rangers Clobber Indians 9-1

ARLINGTON - The great thing about Opening Day, anybody who has skipped work or school to attend one will tell you, is the optimism that abounds. For Rangers’ fans, that’s usually been good for, oh, at least three or four innings. Sometimes it’s barely lasted longer than the contrails from the ceremonial flyover that buzzes the stadium.

Not Monday.

On a blustery, but sparkling Monday afternoon, the Rangers were confronted with all the potential issues that could not only diminish optimism, but destroy it entirely. At every turn of a crisp 9-1 win over Cleveland, the Rangers handled those issues smoothly as a routine grounder.

“You really couldn’t have scripted this any better,” said outfielder Marlon Byrd, whose double gave real oomph to a four-run second inning. “Everything we wanted to have happen, did.”

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Confidence Key to Millwood’s Strong Start

Kevin Millwood allowed a run in seven innings Monday. (Photo: R.P. Washburne)

ARLINGTON — The theme in the clubhouse after the game — whether it was Rangers starter Kevin Millwood talking about himself and his teammates or others talking about him — was confidence.

Confidence that he was physically prepared to deliver the innings. Confidence that his catcher was calling the right game and would make plays behind the plate. Confidence that he could throw strikes. Confidence that his defense would get to whatever was hit their way.

Millwood sped through seven frames on 113 pitches (16.14 per inning), allowing one run on five singles and just one walk.

And when he was done, the bullpen came in — asked to deliver just two innings of work instead of the four they were asked to deliver so often last year — and slammed the door on the Rangers’ opening day 9-to-1 victory over Cleveland.

The Rangers couldn’t have drawn it up any better.

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Caption Contest

R.P. Washburne captured this photo of Laura Bush and daughter Barbara. Evan will pick the winning caption.

Dick’s Pics

InsideCorner staff photographer, R.P. Washburne, just handed me some photos to upload. I’ll pick a few and post.

Rangers radio broadcaster Eric Nadel on former president Bush:

He [Bush] said the reason he threw the pitch from the front of the mound instead of the rubber ws because now that he is not president, he doesn’t have to go up to the top of the mound anymore. He also said he expects to go to a lot Rangers games, and to watch on tv and listen on radio. But that he has no interest in getting involved in baseball anymore. No interest in the commissioners job if it becomes open. I suggested he be the third man in a broadcast booth and he said that might be fun to do.

Mill Work: Kevin Millwood Done For The Day

He threw 113 pitches in seven innings and struck out Kelly Shoppach on a 91 mph fastball to end the seventh. He lost his shutout on a wild pitch, but he went deeper into the game than in any of his three previous Opening Day assignments for the Rangers.

C.J. Wilson, wearing red glove to match uniform, is on his way into the game to face the bottom of the Indians’ order.

Nobody Had Hank Blalock

In the home run game. But he put the Rangers up 7-0 with a three-run homer with nobody out in the fifth. We’ll try something again tomorrow. Thanks for playing.

Zip Code: 00000

That’s the Cleveland Indians scoreboard line through five innings against Kevin Millwood. Last year, Millwood pitched five shuout innings against the Mariners, but allowed a pair of runs in the sixth. No Ranger has pitched at least six shutout innings on Opening Day since Charlie Hough pitched a complete game shutout against Detroit to start the 1989 season.

George W. Bush: Just One Of The Boys

Randy Galloway and Jim Reeves make a Star-T sandwich with GWB. (photo by Nancy Nichols)

Shift Pays Off

Was just about to note that Kevin Millwood allowed hitters a .335 batting average after the first at-bat last year when he got left-handed Travis Hafner to hit a ball back up the middle. Elvis Andrus, playing directly behind second base on a shift, was able to field it, step on the base and start an inning-ending double play. It squashed a 1st-and-3rd, one-out rally by the Indians.

Elvis v. Cy Young

In his first major league at-bat, the Rangers’ 20 year old shortstop faced off against the classic crafty lefty, Cliff Lee who happened to win the AL Cy Young award last year.

Lee had enough book on Andrus to know that with Davis on first, Andrus wanted to work the ball the opposite way and came in on him with a pair of early fastballs designed to back the rookie off the plate and take away the outside corner. Just when Lee thought he had the kid where he wanted him mentally, he tried to paint the outside corner with a fastball and Andrus stayed with it, doing what he does best — executing the hit-and-run.

I’ve written about this since last summer when I watched him in Frisco: The kid has an uncanny knack of hitting with runners on base and runners in scoring position. With runners on base last year, he hit .312 / .356 / .386 and with runners in scoring position and two outs, he hit .365 / .450 / .462.

In a whole lot of ways, Andrus is clutch.

Cliff Diving: Rangers Get To AL Cy Young Winner Cliff Lee Early

There was lots of murmuring around the Cleveland Indians new camp in Goodyear, Ariz., about Cliff Lee’s issues this spring. Today, it will be full scale hysteria. The Rangers got to Lee for four runs in the bottom of the second. It should be noted, though, that Lee has given up his share of runs to the Rangers in the past. Though he was 2-0 against them last year, he had a 6.17 ERA. The lineup the Rangers ran out to face Lee had a career .417 average against him.

But it was the the guys who had never faced Lee who did a bunch of the damage. Jarrod Saltalamacchia had a two-out, two-run single in his first-ever at-bat against Lee. Elvis Andrus followed with a double down the right field line in his first major league at-bat against anybody. And after Ian Kinsler delivered a two-run single, the Rangers had a 4-0 lead.

Rangers Radio Broadcast Team: Dave Barnett And Eric Nadel

Today marks the beginning of Eric Nadel’s 31st year of broadcasting Texas Rangers baseball. Thirty-one years at one job? On the other end of the spectrum, his new broadcast partner, Dave Barnett, is calling his first game as Eric’s side kick. Barnett, originally from Denton, has been with ESPN for the last 13 years. He also called the Mav’s games from 1981 to 1988.  Here is the twosome just before they hit the airwaves.

Bush Throws A Strike

Former president George W. Bush’s season-opening toss was a strike, albiet a strike from the “ladies tee” portion of the pitcher’s mound. Evan, who are those guys in the black suits coming towards me?

W: The Schedule

According to sources, after he throws out the first pitch former President George W. Bush will tour the Press Box. He is scheduled to stop by and do the bottom of the second inning on the radio with Eric Nadel and Dave Barnett. He is also supposed to do a half inning on TV with Josh Lewin and Tom Grieve, though exactly what inning hasn’t been determined. And after that, he’s tentatively scheduled to do a little blogging for InsideCorner. Or maybe that last part was canceled after our cover shot of him in bermuda shorts.