Post-Game Show: Rangers 1, Blue Jays 0

Three Up & Three Down from the Rangers 1-0 win over Toronto on Thursday:

Three Up
• RHP Kevin Millwood did on Thursday what aces do. He stopped a losing streak before it could become a streak.
• SS Elvis Andrus is good at his job. Really good.
• Say what you want about all the offensive struggles – and there is plenty to say – but in the first nine games of this two-week stretch that was to define the season, the club has held its own. It is 4-5. Win two of three from LA over the weekend and it’s 6-6 against the best the league has to offer.

Three Down
• Here’s what there is to say about the offense: It has scored just 29 runs in the last nine games. That’s less than 3.5 runs per game.
• 2B Ian Kinsler just isn’t getting the job done in the leadoff spot lately. Like for more than a month now.
• DH Andruw Jones is now hitting less than .200 since May 1.

The Depot: Live Game Blog, News And Notes

THIS IS A WEATHER UPDATE: As of 6:05 p.m., we are told that storms are expected to pass South of Ballpark. So, it should be “Play Ball!”

4:47: I’m told there are storms headed this way and there appears to be a red-yellow-green jawbreaker on the radar, but after that, not sure it’s so ugly. This is not a professional weather advisory. Completely unsure if this will impact game start or not.

4:49: The Rangers lineup is the same as the one that was scheduled to play last night, so therefore, it’s the same as the one that is currently on the home run pool entry post.

5:00: Updated El Duque story with quotes from Ron Washington on possibility he’ll pitch for the Rangers this season.

7:30: GM Jon Daniels seemed to sound serious about the possibility that Orlando Hernandez will pitch for the Rangers this year. The Rangers were impressed by Hernandez’s physical condition and they’ve always loved his ability to pitch. For me, it’s a question of whether he’s got enough of a fastball to show hitters, even though fastball velocity has never been his No. 1 tool. He’ll go to Oklahoma City Sunday, throw a bullpen session, then throw live batting practice and could start before the end of the week.

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El Duque: Right-hander Orlando Hernandez Signs Minor League Contract With Rangers

Last update: 4:58 p.m.

The Rangers have signed RHP Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez to a minor league contract and he will join Triple-A Oklahoma City immediately. Hernandez has not pitched in the majors since 2007 and has been recovering from foot surgery.

Hernandez, the 1999 ALCS MVP, was 9-5 for the New York Mets in 2007 before undergoing surgery at the end of that season. Hernandez could become insurance for the big league starting rotation once he’s up to speed. He has a career record of 90-65 with a 4.13 ERA. Hernandez is officially listed as 39 years old, according to major league baseball, but a divorce decree granted him in Cuba years ago lists his birthdate as Oct. 11, 1965. That would make him 43.

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Previewing UFC 99

The next PPV in the UFC Machine is Saturday Night in Germany which represents the first ever UFC show in mainland Europe. Be still my beating heart.

These European shows honestly annoy me a bit, because they start at 2pm (but you can watch the replay at the normal 9pm slot) in the USA, and the cards are never as stacked as the Las Vegas shows. This would be a perfect opportunity for Dana White to offer up a nice free Spike show for the US fan base, but Noooooooooo.

Also, a mainstay of the Europe show appears to be Rich Franklin – who has not had a fight in Vegas since 2006, and has now been on 3 of the Europe cards. He is the main event against Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva, who clearly has the coolest nickname in MMA.

Silva has fought 5 times since the fall of 2006, and has lost 4 of them. Sure, Cro-Cop, Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell, and Rampage Jackson are quality opponents, but it is tough to get worked up for a fight where “The Axe Murderer” has 1 win in nearly 33 months.

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Home Run Pool: Early Entry Time

Since the starting pitchers are the same as last night and unless somebody slipped and fell in their driveway this a.m., I’m going to assume the Rangers lineup is the same as it was for last night’s rained out affair. Against Toronto LHP Ricky Romero, it was to be:

2B Ian Kinsler, 3B Michael Young, DH Andruw Jones, RF Nelson Cruz, LF David Murphy, CF Marlon Byrd, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 1B Chris Davis, SS Elvis Andrus and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Kevin Millwood.

You can jump in the pool right now – be careful, it’s kind of rain swollen and may splash over the sides – or you can wait to see if there are any changes. But if I don’t give something away soon, I’m going to go mad. Mad, I tell you.

Beavan To Frisco

As we predicted yesterday and suggested today, 2007 first round selection Blake Beavan has officially earned his promotion to Frisco.

Had he honored his commitment to the University of Oklahoma instead of signing with the Rangers, he would be eligible for the 2010 draft. Instead, he’s positioned himself to possibly reach the big leagues in 2010.

You hearing me Matt Purke?

The Others Part 2: Following Day Three Of The MLB Draft

It’s the last day of the 2009 MLB Draft. We’ll start with round 31 and go all the way until round 50. The Rangers have the option pass their pick at any time, meaning they essentially forfeit any picks they had from that point on. The first pick of the day is in…

10:34: Pick 934 – Shon Landry, SS, McNeese State

10:43: Pick 964 – Reggie Williams Jr., CF, Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate HS in Florida

10:47: Reggie Williams Jr. is the son of a former California Angels outfielder by the name of… you guessed it… Reggie Williams Sr. Senior hit 2 homers and drove in 14 runs during a career that lasted from 1992 to 1999, and apparently Junior didn’t play high school baseball until this year (follow the link on his name for more).

10:52: Pick 994 – Kyle Rhoad, CF, Eastern Michigan

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Crawford Hired

Wow. That did not take long.

Marc Crawford Hired …

Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk announced Thursday that the club has hired Marc Crawford as the 20th head coach in franchise history, and has relieved Dave Tippett of his head coaching duties. Crawford will be formally introduced at a press conference this afternoon at American Airlines Center.

Marc Crawford Photo Gallery
Crawford, 48, is the 16th winningest coach in NHL history with 470 career victories, and has also coached the 15th most games in league history at 987, over 13 seasons with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings. He has posted a 43-40 all-time mark in Stanley Cup Playoff games, including the 1996 Stanley Cup championship with Colorado, as well as five division titles and six seasons of 40-or-more wins. Crawford remains the youngest recipient of the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL Coach of the Year (1995 with Quebec, at the age of 34).

Why Would The Stars Fire Dave Tippett?

Sometimes you are left to make grand assumptions about a given story. For instance, we are still operating under the assumption that there really was major division and tension in the Cowboys locker-room in December – because if there was not (as certain guys who wear #81 tell us) then why would the Dallas Cowboys have sent their most explosive offensive player to Buffalo for nothing?

So, It seems that we are left to make our assumptions and draw our conclusions right now in the wake of the 2009 Dallas Stars mystery. Because otherwise, did the Stars need to do this?

Yesterday, word broke that they fired their long-time head coach Dave Tippett. Tippett had served the team since 2002, and in 6 seasons and 7 years with the team, he made the playoffs and finished with more than 97 points every year except this year.

This year, Tippett and the Stars missed the playoffs, but many of us who watched every second of every game certainly felt the season could be explained away rather simply – injuries and bad fortune.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (6/11)

I’ll get around to some more discussion on this later, but I’ll say that I am a big fan of the Rangers draft this year. What I like best about it is the approach has been extremely aggressive and anything but safe.

Up and down the board, you see big talent, big upside…big questions.

Rumors are swirling that Blake Beavan has been promoted to Frisco. We’ll seek confirmation this morning.

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