The Depot: Rangers-Mariners Live Game Blog, News, Notes And Hall Of Fame-Worthy Chatter

5:11: Hello, and good evening. You can either go gamble away your earnings on the Texas Lottery tonight, which is worth a paltry $31 million, or, for free you can play the home run pool. And it’s safe to splash in our pool even if their is lightning in the area.

5:14: While you have been out playing, shopping, doing yard work or good things, we stayed in the house all day typing away (except for when we went to La Cubanita for lunch). Here’s what we have to show for it: We have our list of Rangers-oriented winners and losers from the trade deadline, a story on how Michael Young and Marlon Byrd responded to the quiet deadline, and some notes that also include news that Kevin Millwood will be pushed back again due to a sore gluteus maximus.

5:35: Wrote down the wrong name in Rangers lineup. Andruw Jones is not playing. Nelson Cruz is hitting sixth. Please note and change any entries accordingly. Thanks and apologies.

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Texas Rangers Notes

ARLINGTON – RHP Frank Francisco could be activated from the DL as soon as Monday, but he won’t immediately return as the team’s closer and it’s unclear if he will regain that role this season.

Francisco, who has missed the last three weeks with the flu and walking pnuemonia, pitched an inning of relief for Double-A Frisco Friday night. He is expected to throw another bullpen session for the Rangers Sunday and travel with the team to Oakland. If all goes well then, he could rejoin the bullpen quickly. When he does return, manager Ron Washington said it will not be in the closer’s role, at least not the start. The Rangers took a similar approach with Francisco following his most recent stay on the DL. He spent a week in a setup role, then moved back to the ninth inning.

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Rangers Push Kevin Millwood Back Again, Scott Feldman To Start Against Seattle Sunday

Kevin Millwood’s sore gluteus maximus problem has been, well, a real pain in the butt.

It forced him out of last Sunday’s start after just two innings and pushed his next scheduled start to tomorrow. Millwood, however, was still feeling the soreness late in the week and hasn’t thrown a bullpen session. Because of it, he’s being pushed back even further. Millwood is now tentatively scheduled to start Monday in Oakland. RHP Scott Feldman will take his place Sunday, pitching on three days of rest as a starter for the first time in his career.

Winners/Losers: Rangers Trade Deadline Version

Various TV and internet talking heads have labeled the Rangers a “winner” (from former manager Buck Showalter) to a loser for their ultimate decision to stand pat at the trade deadline. Truth is: I think the Rangers would have been winners had they traded for Roy Halladay or stood pat. A package of Derek Holland, Justin Smoak and another player would have been a fair offer for Halladay. It would have dramatically increased the Rangers chances of winning this year and in 2010 and would have created some other challenges starting in 2011. It would have opened one window a little sooner, but threatened to close one a little sooner, too. Fine for everybody to have opinions on which they should have gone, but after a night to sleep on it, I think they’d have come out in good shape either way.

But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some winners and some losers associated with the club’s deadline talks. A look:

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It Never Rains At The Homer Pool

The sun is out in Arlington. The giant State Flag of Texas is on the grassy hill. The splotches where grass is dying seem be more prevalent around the foul lines and it looks like it is creeping into the infield. The Mariners are playing football toss . And up in Cincinnati, they are talking about having surgery for Edinson Volquez. According to a tweet from injury expert Will Carroll, they are talking about “exploratory” surgery to determine if Volquez needs Tommy John surgery or has bone chips or even an inflamed nerve. I remind you of this in light of Josh Hamilton’s struggles this year. Volquez has made just nine starts for the Reds.

And now its time for some home run pool fun, whether its raining where you are at or not. We’ll play the Marco Polo version until I can get to the clubhouse for a lineup. But you can go ahead and enter now if you would like. Don’t expect 2B Ian Kinsler to make his return tonight.

UPDATED, 3:57 p.m.: Here is your Rangers lineup against RHP “King” Felix Hernandez: 2B Omar Vizquel, 3B Michael Young, LF David Murphy, CF Marlon Byrd, 1B Hank Blalock, DH Nelson Cruz, RF Josh Hamilton, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, SS Elvis Andrus and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Tommy Hunter.

UPDATED, UPDATE, 5:34 p.m.: Wrote down Andruw Jones name instead of Nelson Cruz. Cruz is hitting sixth.

After Deadline: Vets Michael Young, Marlon Byrd Shrug Off Rangers Inactivity, Key Another Win

Michael Young on lack of trade deadline additions: "It won't impact my play and I'm not going to let impact anybody else's either." (Photo: R.P. Washburne)

ARLINGTON - Since he became a major leaguer for good in 2001, Michael Young has played 1,312 games, ninth most in all of baseball, none of them in the post-season.

Nobody has played more games in that time and experienced more team futility than Young.

That is not a stat of which any player would be proud.

He is no stranger to the comings, goings and non-doings of the trade deadline. He watched the Rangers essentially stand pat in 2004 when they led the AL West. He saw a team below .500 play deadline-buyers in 2006 only to have it turn into yet another losing season. And in 2007, he sat in a bit of shock as the Rangers traded away 1B Mark Teixeira, the guy he expected to “dog-pile” celebrate with after a Rangers championship, in the ruins of a season.

So Thursday, when it appeared the Rangers had a real shot at Roy Halladay, he didn’t get too excited. And Friday, when the deadline passed and the Rangers had nothing to show for it, he did what he normally does at deadline time. He swallowed hard, answered some questions about the team’s playoff chances without any significant additions, and went out and reached base twice. The Rangers went on to win after a rain-delay, 5-4 over Seattle.

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Cowboys ’08: Week 5 vs Cincinnati

In the 5th part of our 16 day journey through the 2008 Dallas Cowboys campaign, we see the uneasiness start to emerge. This was a home game against the very silly Cincinnati Bengals, just one week after being beaten at home by the Washington Redskins. For whatever reason, bad things were starting to happen, and in particular Jason Garrett and his offense was having a hard time making things look as simple as they did in early September.

They won this game, but all week long they had to apologize for the win to the media and fans. You all remember the chaotic week, I assume, and by the time Week 6 arrived in Arizona, this team couldn’t wait to play. Or so we thought (more on that tomorrow).

Here are my notes from the morning after the Win over the Bengals, from October 5, 2008:

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (8/1)

Still here……………….

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