Opening Day Miscellany & Observations

This was the first thing that struck me: During batting practice, Chuck Morgan showed highlights of the Rangers’ September 23, 2004 comeback victory over Oakland that ended with David Dellucci’s walkoff two-run double off of Octavio Dotel. It was the Rangers’ fifth win in a row and moved them to second place, just two games behind the A’s. Michael Young and Hank Blalock stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the highlights intently without saying a word to one-another. When it was over, Young nodded his head once and turned to Blalock as if to say — without saying it — that he was hungry to experience that feeling again.

Much was made of Elvis Andrus’s play at short — and rightly so, especially his fifth-inning gem to get Shin-Soo Choo — but the entire infield defense was exceptional. While it’s certainly true that no shortstop who has worn a Rangers uniform in the past ten years other than Andrus could have made that fifth inning play on Choo, it’s also true that no third baseman the Rangers have run out there in the past ten years could have made the play that Michael Young made to get Grady Sizemore in the sixth. Young’s quickness coming in on that ball was exceptional.

If / when Marlon Byrd is traded, it will leave a pretty large void in that clubhouse. Now I know why the guys who have been around this club every day for the last couple of years are pretty much unanimous in their support of him. Every time I saw him, either before or after the game, I thought “that’s what a great teammate looks like.”

Blalock, who has hit .247 / .312 / .404 against southpaws over the past three years, goes 2-for-3 with a bomb against a great lefty like Cliff Lee?

Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Ian Kinsler: I’m not sure which one’s motor runs faster. Both were so geeked up by 9:30 a.m., I wondered how they’d make it through the day.

There have been some whispers throughout the spring that C.J. Wilson was less than thrilled at losing his job as closer over an injury, but I got the sense in talking to him yesterday that he likes the idea of being part of the back end of a bullpen that can turn games into seven-inning affairs.

The Rangers ought to consider opening up the ballpark early enough for fans to watch the home team take BP every game.