Post-Game Show: Rangers 19, Orioles 6

There. Feel better now?

Up for discussion:

• Ian Kinsler:  6 hits, five runs, three RBIs, cycle. Best game ever at the plate by a Ranger hitter?

• Orioles intentionally walk Andruw Jones to load bases in key eight-run fourth inning. Sign that he’s already made opponents respect his bat again?

• Rangers have scored 30, 26 and 19 runs against Orioles. Once played in near tornado in Arlington. Once had game postponed by noxious hydrochloric acid spill in Baltimore. Why the weirdness when these teams get together? Average time of game in this series: 3:21. Ugh.

The Depot: Rangers News, Notes, Nuggets And Free Tax Advice (4/15 vs. Orioles)

Here’s the advice: Get ‘em done.

OK, and now on to the show. We start tonight with a bit of sadness, which seems to be the overwhelming sentiment for a young baseball season that has already had its share of deaths. Former Rangers broadcaster Merle Harmon passed away today after a brief illness. Harmon, who worked Rangers’ game from 1982-89, was 82.

“Major League Baseball and the Texas Rangers have lost a legendary play-by-play announcer and a great friend,” Rangers Executive Vice President John Blake wrote in a statement on the team’s behalf. “Merle Harmon called games with distinction and class in his nearly 40 years with the Kansas City A’s, Milwaukee Braves, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers. The Rangers had the privilege of having Mr. Harmon in their television booth for his final eight years as a broadcaster. He was one of the true gentlemen of his profession. We express our deepest sympathies to Mr. Harmon’s family and friends.”

(more…)

The HR Pool (And, No, This Is Not About Human Resources)

Had a winner last night. Can we have consecutive wins for the first time this year? You know the rules: Pick the Rangers hitter, the inning and the men on base.  Count is first tie-breaker. Distance is second. If you pick no homers, we’ll need a prediction of runs for the Rangers as a tie-breaker.

Here’s your Rangers lineup against Baltimore LHP Mark Hendrickson: 2B Ian Kinsler, 3B Michael Young (only Ranger with a HR vs. Hendrickson), CF Josh Hamilton, DH Andruw Jones, 1B Hank Blalock, LF Marlon Byrd, RF Nelson Cruz, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, SS Elvis Andrus and pitching for the Rangers. … RHP Kris Benson.

Start picking.

Slew Of Announcements: Newsletter Returning, Happy Hour Coming, McCarthy Joining Our Rotation

I’d like to be a father, really would. But when you can’t even get a date, fatherhood seems a little bit too far down the road to see. That’s why in my new role, I’m adopting contributors like they are orphans. Our family keeps growing! Today we’re adding a few more, but first let me just say that my newsletter will be returning to a website near you soon. We anticipate the first edition of the Rangers newsletter to go out sometime next week. The signup form  and D-tails on the website should be available in a day or two. In the meantime, you can email me questions here.

Also, wanted to announce our first event, which I’m calling “Happy Hour with the Hit Men.” We’ll be talking baseball, sampling appetizers and generally having a fine time with Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, Marlon Byrd and perhaps some other special guests at Pappadeaux on Oak Lawn in Dallas on May 11 from 5:30 to 7:30. There is no admission, just the hope you’ll join us for some appetizers and some dinner.  We’ll have a very casual mix-and-mingle event with some quick Q&A for the players. There will be some free goodies available at the restaurant and more made available here and in the HR pool. Not sure if the players will stick around for dinner afterward, but I will and I’ll be happy to talk baseball. Join us for ball talk, the sinfully delicious shrimp brochette (featuring all the major food groups: Shrimp, bacon, jalapenos and jack cheese) and some goofing around.

(more…)

Eyre Apparent: Willie Eyre Joining Rangers Bullpen

The bullpen situation is forcing the Rangers to go to RHP Willie Eyre a little earlier than they wanted. GM Jon Daniels said the club wanted Eyre to have a two-inning appearance at Triple-A Oklahoma City before activating him from the DL. But, that was before last night’s game, in which Eddie Guardado, C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco all pitched and made themselves unavailable for tonight. No official announcment has been made on Eyre, but the expectation has been all along that he would replace RHP Warner Madrigal, who also pitched last night.

UPDATE: That move is official. Eyre activated; Madrigal optioned.

Norm Hitzges Nearly Made Me Drive Off The Road

Came into the office this morning and on the way in, I tuned in, as I always do to The Ticket. Caught a segment of Norm Hitzges dissecting last night’s Rangers loss. Norm, as always, had some very interesting observations about strategy in the 7-5 loss to Baltimore last night. Now, let me say this that Norm Hitzges and Bob Sturm (whom we share custody of with The Ticket) are the two most thorough, well-informed talk show hosts in this town. Norm researches EVERYTHING.

He made three points about strategy. One had to do with Hank Blalock facing George Sherrill in the 10th inning last night. Another had to do with the Rangers holding a runner at first base with two outs and a full count in the ninth. And the final point was about Ian Kinsler’s attempted steal of second in the first inning. The arguments were well-researched, well-constructed and agreed to by producer Mike Bascik, the best former big league left-handed reliever producing a talk show in any city.

And by the end of the discussion, I nearly steered right off Lemmon Avenue into Buzz Brews. Here’s why:

(more…)

Morning After: Revisiting Rangers 7-5 Loss To Baltimore

Some things to think about, discuss or just debate after the loss to Baltimore last night:

1. The bullpen is a mess. Only Frankie Francisco and Jason Jennings have inspired any kind of confidence at all and Ron Washington’s hands are pretty tied with the two of them. He’s got to save Francisco for the ninth inning and he can’t use Jennings on back-to-back nights. Talked to Jennings briefly after last night’s game and got the impression he was willing to pitch – he never told the Rangers he couldn’t go – but you can’t fault the club for protecting a guy who has two years worth of serious arm problems in his immediate past and who has never pitched in relief. Willie Eyre is going to be with this team before the end of the week, but how much trouble is a team in when the next great hope for the bullpen is a guy with a 5.23 career ERA and a .372 opponents batting average and who also hasn’t pitched in the majors in a year?

2. There is one bright spot in the bullpen and it’s a freakin’ 1000-watt bulb: Francisco. Since he took over as closer late last August, he’s not allowed an earned run in 15.1 innings of work. He’s holding opponents to a .096 batting average. In a word: he’s been brilliant.  But the Rangers can’t regularly stretch him out past an inning like they did last night (he went 1.1). That’s for special occasions. Ending a four-game losing streak qualifies as a special occasion.

(more…)

Dallas Cowboys Schedule Analysis

Well, well, well. Apparently, in this off-season of Cowboys non-stories, it would appear that we may actually have a relevant news item to discuss. I won’t lie, I enjoy the interviews with Troy Aikman and Deion Sanders, and I certainly enjoy the irony of many players, in an effort to talk about the team talking too much, offer another interview in which they themselves talk too much. But let’s get to this glorious moment where we can finally lay out our autumn agendas.

As usual, every scribe in the city must now offer you a 16 game run through, where they will assign with complete certainty a result while having no context, nor information with which to make any of these predictions. And yet, we all do it anyway.

(more…)

NHL Fans: Seeking Picks For Stanley Cup-Holders

Who will beat whom in the Finals in June? (Tie-breaker: How many games out will the Texas Rangers be on that date?)

In recent years, the Stanley Cup playoffs have reminded me of the NCAA Tournament: plenty of upsets early, but in the end we end up with one of the best teams skating around with the hardware. The last time that the champion wasn’t among the top three teams in its conference (not counting the lockout-shortened 1995 season)? The year before there were Dallas Stars, when Montreal won in 1992-93 after finishing fourth in the East.

After the jump, details on how I determine my favorites, which has almost nothing to do with who’s on the ice.

(more…)

Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (4/15)

As you suffer through watching the worst bullpen in baseball (an MLB-worst 8.02 ERA) night after night, perhaps you allow your thoughts drift to the Rangers ostensibly powerful farm system and wonder if the cavalry might be on the way with reinforcements.

Happily, I can report that it appears that there are a couple of high-level, high-upside bullpen candidates — both of whom are already on the 40-man roster making a strong case that they are ready to come up and deliver quality relief innings for the big club.

So in today’s Road to Arlington, we’ll stop down to take a closer look at Thomas Diamond and Willie Moscoso, because you could use a new bullpen.

(more…)