All-Star Voting Goes Down To Wire; Rangers Urging Assault Of The Polls

There are less than five hours remaining in All-Star online voting and if you, like me, have nothing to do this evening, the Rangers – and I’m sure Ian Kinsler – would just love it if you could possibly vote 25 times for him for the All-Star Game. If you do, you can receive two free Rangers tickets.

Also, with the Angels playing tonight, there is a perfectly legitimate chance the Rangers will take the field tomorrow night against Tampa Bay once again sharing first place in the AL West. Coincidentally, there are plenty of good seats still available here. Oh, wait a minute, the Angels are playing Baltimore; just take out the “perfectly legitimate”, but there is a chance.

Here is the very official release from MLB on the general voting situation.

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Announcements, Announcements!

A couple of announcements – announcements about which we are very excited – for you before you head off on your Fourth of July extended weekend:

First, for our next get together, we’re putting together a little party, er, fiesta we are calling a “Pennant Race Pep Rally” at Pappasitos in Arlington in advance of the second half of the season. All plans are still being finalized, but the current plan is for a get together on Thursday, July 16 at Pappasitos Cantina in Arlington. We’ll be there from 5 p.m. until who knows when. GM Jon Daniels and Ron Washington are tentatively planning to join the crowd and address what’s ahead for the Rangers. We will have a whiffle ball home run derby for the kids – emceed by none other than the great Chuck Morgan – early in the festivities. The lineup of players who will share some fajitas with us is still being ironed out. But make plans to join us. We hope to bring together the spirit of Cinco de Mayo and Pennant Race Fever.

Second, and we’re sooper-dooper excited about this: You asked for the opportuntiy to get together at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Well, we’re making it happen. And for a premium game, no less. Join us on Tuesday July 21 when the Rangers face the Boston Red Sox. As expected, I’ve requested the All You Can Eat Seats in the Home Run Porch. The Rangers have made tickets prices extremely affordable: $25 apiece and the food will be abundant. The Rangers have even put together a link for you to buy tickets directly. Password: inside. We’ll have more festivities, including possible Q&A sessions, available for you at the game, but those are all still being put together. Join me as I try to eat a whole cow’s worth of hamburgers. Even if you want nothing to do with me, the tickets are a good price and it should be a great matchup

Times Are Tough

Reports on the first day of NHL Free Agency were wild across much of the National Hockey League, but in Dallas, where we hear about the tough economic times of Hicks Sports Group, all seemed quiet.

Sure, the Stars were able to keep Jere Lehtinen for what was reported as a home-town discount (1-year, $1.5m), but forgive my cynicism when I point out that in order for there to be a discount, that must mean that someone somewhere else was planning on offering him top dollar. He is 36, and has been broken for the last two seasons. There was not going to be an aggressive bid placed on his services this summer, in my estimation.

Otherwise, the early days of the Joe Nieuwendyk/Marc Crawford regime have been dotted with very little discussions (that have leaked out) about improving this team at all cost, but rather the issue that we hear and read about is mostly about the Stars operating under a very tight (by Dallas Stars’ standards) budget.

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International Signing Day Is Here

The Rangers have vigorously bolstered their farm system through international free agancy, landing talents such as Martin Perez, Wilfredo Boscan, Wilmer Front, Omar Poveda, Jose Vallejo, Manny Pina, Carlos Pimentel and many others from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic over the past several years. While they were rumored to have been frontrunners to land last year’s big fish Michael Ynoa (who signed with Oakland for $4 million), Texas still hasn’t ever signed an international free agent for seven figures.

That was supposed to change this year as the Rangers were widely believed to have agreed to a deal with power-hitting outfield prospect Guillermo Pimentel for $2 million. But in recent weeks, reports have Pimentel signing with the Mariners for that figure instead.

This year — assuming the Rangers have the cash to sign anybody, and it’s entirely possible that they don’t — it appears that this guy is going to be their top international signee.

Venezeulan legend Jurickson Profar led his country to the Little League World Series title at the age of 11 back in 2004. Five years down the road, he’s expected to sign with Texas for about $800K. Profar has tantilizing stuff on the mound, but he reportedly prefers to play shortstop.

Other high profile Caribbean prospects linked to the Rangers of late include 6’6″ RHP Leonardo Perdomo –expected to sign for a high six figure bonus — and possibly SS Luis Sardinas, who may command a seven-figure bonus.

Texas Rangers Sailing, Sinking And Finally Walking Off With Series Clincher Over Los Angeles Angels

ARLINGTON - For those who have recoiled at the sight of Rangers scores like 3-1 and 2-0 and pined for the days when watching them required Dramamine, well, blasts and blown saves appear back in fashion. What looked like a laugher turned nail-biter against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night. The second of DH Hank Blalock’s two home runs thumped onto Greene’s Hill for a walk-off 9-7 win after the Rangers had given back a 7-1 lead over the final three innings.

The improbable victory gave the Rangers another series win over the first-place Angels – five out of six games this season, all played at Rangers Ballpark – to pull them back within a half game of the division leaders. They hit nine homers in the series and allowed five ninth-inning runs. The first half of the schedule will close Monday with the first of 10 games to be played at Angel Stadium spread out over July, August and September.

“We’re going to see these guys again in four days,” said reliever C.J. Wilson, an unsung series hero for throwing 48 pitches over the last two games without major incident. “But if you’re going good against a team – and we’re going pretty good against Anaheim this year – we can use it to our advantage.”

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (7/2)

Bakersfield's One Hit Wonder Ryan Tatusko

A lot of ballyhooed pitching talent entered the Rangers system in the summer of 2007:

Blake Beavan, Michael Main, Neil Ramirez and Tommy Hunter came in the draft.

Martin Perez, Eziquiel Rijo and Juan Grullon signed as international free agents.

Neftali Feliz and Matt Harrison came in trades.

None has done what this guy — the Rangers’ under-the-radar 18th round draftee that summer — just did.

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Club Officials Go Silent Over Chatter Major League Baseball Has Loaned Texas Rangers Money

UPDATED, 9:10 a.m. CDT to indicate it is Hicks Sports Group, not Tom Hicks personally, that is struggling with debt issues.

ARLINGTON – Amid increased internet chatter Wednesday that Tom Hicks’ sports group – Hicks Sports Group – financial woes are deepening and that the club has borrowed money from MLB’s rainy-day fund, team officials took a strange approach.

They went silent.

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