The Depot: Rangers-Athletics Live Game Blog, News And Notes – Now With No MSG Added!

7:42: La Piscina de Quadrangular esta abierto!

8:40: Who ordered the large Rangers notes and McNuggets?

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Late Rangers Game, Early Rangers Notes

OAKLAND, Calif. – While giving 2B Omar Vizquel a day off after six straight starts, manager Ron Washington decided to hit replacement 2B Joaquin Arias leadoff. The people’s champion, SS Elvis Andrus remains ninth.

Washington’s explanation, even though Andrus has 50 more games and 150 more career major league at-bats than Arias: “Experience.”

“Arias has more time in the game,” Washington said. “But what it really comes down to is comfort zone. I don’t want to pull Elvis out of the spot he’s in where he is doing such a good job. He’d probably handle the leadoff spot well, but he’s doing a good job where he is and there is no reason to do anything about that. I just think  a 20-year-old at the major league level doesn’t need to be [hitting leadoff].”

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Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay, Watchin’ All The People Play In The Home Run Pool

Eat your heart out, Otis Redding.

First, a hearty congratulations to TD, noted designer of Home Run Pool logos, who correctly picked David Murphy last night to win his first homer pool title of the year. Nice job, TD. Second, a little heads up that I’ll be on ESPN News somewhere between 5:45-5:55 (CDT) to discuss – ever so briefly – the Rangers. Actually, I won’t be on, but my voice will be. Hopefully, they have a nice picture of me to flash up there. Nice being a relative term.

For now, here’s your home run pool entry form. When I get hold of the lineup, I’ll pass along the full deal.

UPDATED, 7:10: The lineup against Oakland LHP Bret Anderson is 2B Joaquin Arias, 3B Michael Young, LF Marlon Byrd, RF Nelson Cruz, 1B Hank Blalock, DH Andruw Jones, CF Josh Hamilton, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, SS Elvis Andrus and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Dustin Nippert.

Series Preview: Rangers at Athletics

If you were grumbling about the late finish the Rangers got Friday night, you’re in for a long week. With the team on the West Coast for a four-game series in Oakland –  and a subsequent three-game series in Los Angeles — the Rangers are slated for four 9:05 p.m. CST starts in the next five days. You might want to pick up a few extra coffee filters on the way home from work.

There is a silver lining: the games shouldn’t be lacking in excitement. With the Rangers four games behind the Angels, seven games in as many days against division opponents could significantly alter the landscape of the AL West by Sunday. The Rangers get the benefit of starting with Oakland who, at 44-60, is tied for the third worst record in the AL and have gone through their share of growing pains recently. With the Athletics dealing Matt Holliday and shortstop Orlando Cabrera before the trade deadline and sending a slew of young pitchers to the mound over the next four days, the Rangers hope those pains continue.

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Chris Davis: Ready, Willing And Trying Hard To Wait While Playing For Triple-A Oklahoma

The highlights of my visit with Chris Davis in Oklahoma City on Saturday:

• He believes he’s ready to return to the Rangers but is trying not to wait every day for the call.

• Said the biggest changes that he has made are to his bat path and being more patient.

• Said he has never really gotten a chance to develop rapport with Rudy Jaramillo, who was out for about six weeks because of knee surgery during Davis’ time in Arlington last season.

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Weekend In Review

There was a lot of buzz in Arlington heading into the weekend. Not because the Rangers are only a few games back in the division and wild card races. Not because division rival Seattle was in for a four-game series.  Not even because Derek Holland finally showed more than just a flash of his potential by spinning one of the most dominating pitching performances the Rangers have seen in years.

The buzz was surrounding Roy Halladay, and whether or not he’d be in a Rangers uniform by Friday afternoon. The answer, as it turned out, was not, but it wasn’t because the cash-strapped Rangers couldn’t afford him. Rather, Halladay didn’t seem all that interested in a move south, and when formally asked by GM J.P. Ricciardi, he invoked his no-trade clause and said he wouldn’t accept a trade to Texas. Just to add insult to injury, Rangers fans had to endure 30 minutes with their hearts in their throats when it looked like the Angels might be finalizing a deal to snag him for themselves.

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Training Camp Monday

It is time to do it again.  Now, starting my 12th Dallas Cowboys training camp – 4 in Wichita Falls, 4 in Oxnard, and now #4 in San Antonio, Texas.  The return of the Cowboys to San Antonio is not something I support, as being forced to go to camp in Southern California is something that I have become quite supportive of over the years. Usually, it is because of such things as golf without sweating, the ocean, and fish tacos.

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Omar Vizquel Eager To Provide Texas Rangers Second Option During Ian Kinsler’s Absence

ARLINGTON - The Rangers’ signing of shortstop Omar Vizquel to a minor league contract in January appeared to be greeted locally with yawns and groans. Texas’ off-season free-agent budget landed the oldest position player in the majors.

It wasn’t known then that Vizquel would in part play Mr. Miyagi to Elvis Andrus. And the 42-year-old learned a new trick on the Rangers’ most recent trip to Oakland – playing second base, after 21 seasons on the other side of the bag. That will be his address on the 10-game trip that will begin in Oakland on Monday night since Ian Kinsler was forced to the disabled list before Sunday night’s 4-2 win over Seattle.

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Cowboys ’08: Week 7 at St Louis

The following is part 7 of a 16 day series that will take us to the eve of the Cowboys first preseason game next Thursday. The 16 parts are all 16 of my game-after write-ups about the Cowboys 2008 Regular season.

We are officially into the painful part of the campaign, and the week between the Cardinals game and the Rams game was some of the most surreal theater that we have seen around here in quite some time. During the week, we found that Pro-Bowl punter Matt McBriar was lost for the year; That Tony Romo was hurt and could be out; Then, that Romo will play; Then that Romo is out for a month. We also found out that Felix Jones hurt his hamstring in the Arizona game and will be gone for a while….It ended up being the last we would see him all year long. And, of course, the Roy Williams trade was made.

Quite a week. Well, if the Cowboys were focused on everything but football – it showed on Sunday. This was about as sad and pitiful an effort as the Cowboys had shown on the field since the Dave Campo era. This game was horrible.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (8/3)

Jeez is he good.

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