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The Depot: Rangers-A’s Live Game Blog, News, Notes And Bay Area Freeway Traffic Updates

7:02: Here’s your traffic update: Don’t get off the highway in Oakland, even if someone tells you about some great burger chain (and they have pie – Pie, Jerry!), if the ramps are under construction. It leads to lots of detours, wrong turns and a 90-minute adventure in the dark of night. And with that, we present the home run pool.

7:06: Also, updating for those who haven’t been following all day. I suggest INF Joaquin Arias is a riddle wrapped in an enigma. The Rangers decide there is no riddle, he just can’t help the team. So they call in a German.

8:04: The Big Bust Theory; why the Rangers have struggled in spacious stadiums where fly balls don’t fly out of the park.

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The Big Bust Theory: Texas Rangers Struggle In Parks Where Home Runs Are Still Rare

OAKLAND, Calif.  – After months of hair-pulling and hand-wringing, the Rangers have come to this manner of describing their offense:

“It is what it is.”

The Rangers dig the long ball. They hate taking pitches. They are firm believers in pitch equality. They will swing at a fastball, curveball, slider without discriminating. They live by the homer and they die by the lack of it.

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Rangers Option Joaquin Arias

So, as it turns out, maybe the Rangers did know what they had in Joaquin Arias and didn’t like it very much. This afternoon he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City and the Rangers purchased the contract of INF Esteban German. To make room for German, RHP John Bannister was designated for assignment.

Revisiting Rangers-Red Swap Of Edinson Volquez (And Danny Ray Herrera) For Josh Hamilton

SI.com’s Jonah Keri takes a look back at the monumental swap that sent Volquez to Cincinnati for Hamilton following the 2007 winter meetings. It’s good reading – right up until the point Keri talks about Hamilton hitting home runs at “Ameriquest Field.”

Note to Mr. Keri: While your baseball thoughts are good and all thatt,  the stadium still stands, but Ameriquest doesn’t.

Home Run Pool From Oakland, Where The Rangers Aren’t Hitting Any Home Runs

Well, now the headline is a hint, now isn’t it?

The Rangers have one extra base hit in this series (a double by Michael Young) and two homers in four games in Oakland this season. The only homer hit in Oakland by a current member of the roster was hit by SS Elvis Andrus on May 6. It came in the first inning on a day when Andrus was hitting second. It’s the only game the Rangers have won in Oakland this season. 1B Chris Davis hit a homer on May 7, but as you may be aware, Davis is not currently in the majors.

So, there is your scouting report going into tonight’s game against RHP Chad Reineke, who is stepping in for Dallas Braden (he has a rash; I’m not making that up). The lineup will be along  a little later.

UPDATE, 6:56 p.m.: As the Rangers are about to enter a brief team meeting, here is tonight’s lineup: 2B Omar Vizquel, 3B Michael Young, LF David Murphy, CF Marlon Byrd, 1B  Hank Blalock, DH Andruw Jones, RF Josh Hamilton, C Taylor Teagarden, SS Elvis Andrus and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Vicente Padilla.

Second Annual Blondes vs. Brunettes of Dallas

Normally, InsideCorner doesn’t promote events that we’re not directly involved in, even if it’s for a good cause.  It’s not because we’re cold, heartless people, but there are truly too many charitable groups putting on worthy events for us to keep up with.

But when somebody combines a good cause with pizza, beer, and 22 girls running each other down on a football field, we tend to make an exception.

Which is why we’re more than happy to plug the Second Annual Blondes vs. Brunettes Powder Puff Football Game benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. The game is Saturday, August 15 at SMU’s Westcott Field, with pre-game festivities getting underway at 7:00 p.m. and the game starting half an hour later.

You can make a donation here. For $25, you get a game ticket and entry to the after party at the Bryan Street Tavern where there will be… wait for it… free pizza and beer. I know having just graduated from college puts me in a demographic that tends to get overexcited about these kinds of things, but come on.

Linkin’ Park: Lurking Around The Web For You

Against all I know to be true in the world, it happened. The Angels lost on the road. They were 16-3 in their last 19 road games heading into yesterday’s series opener with the White Sox — and 15-1 in places not named Arlington — but Chicago managed a walk-off win thanks to Scott Podsednik’s 100th hit of the season. Because they had Monday off, that puts the Angels at 0-1 for the week.

And yet, due to a rough 10-inning stretch, all the Rangers have managed to do is drop a half game in the standings. It started with a 9th-inning collapse Monday that culminated in an injury to Nelson Cruz on the game’s final play. Cruz is hoping to avoid a stint on the DL, but even a few days without their leading home run hitter could be problematic for Texas, writes Gil LeBreton. The Rangers followed with a hangover game that featured a heavy dose of Gio Gonzalez’s curveball. They lost by a 6-0 final.

So what Ranger topic can be broached today without causing indigestion? Oh, that’s easy.

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Do You Know This Man? Joaquin Arias Remains Rangers Mystery Nearly Six Years After Acquisition

OAKLAND, Calif. – Of the 25 players on the Rangers active roster Tuesday, INF Joaquin Arias ranked sixth in terms of length of service to the organization.

But is there a player on this team about whom the Rangers know less?

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Cowboys Chat with Bryan Broaddus

Bryan Broaddus is one of those guys who can say things because he has done things. For many years, Broaddus was a scout in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. He knows what scouting departments look for, and looks at football from a different perspective than many people in the media.

I really, really desire to understand more of the NFL game from a coach/scout perspective, and I find you can only do this if you figure out what they look for.

That is not terribly easy, but talking to Bryan whenever I can is one way to learn. And, unless you have worked in the NFL, you cannot learn enough of this great game.

You can follow his Rapid Reports on CBS Sportsline and can find him on ESPN Radio. He knows what he speaks of, and for his chat we talk all offense. I think in the next few weeks, we will get him back for a discussion of the defense. But, here is our talk about the offense of the Dallas Cowboys:

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Cowboys ’08: Week 9 – At New York Giants

In a season of low spots, this will compete with every Sunday of the year (with the possible exception of the final week in Philadelphia) as the lowest.  If you want to talk about a humiliating and devastating day at the office, look no further than this mess.

Of course, this is Chapter 9 in our 16-chapter journey through the 2008 Dallas Cowboys season.  This is the final game of the Tony Romo injury absence, so the Cowboys had to take on the Super Bowl Champions with Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger – Two QB’s who happen to be missing here at the 2009 Training Camp.

The Giants were loaded for bear, and the Cowboys were already convinced they didn’t have a chance when they got off the plane.  Any good feelings that the Tampa Bay game may have generated, this day once again made you wonder if this team had the intestinal fortitude to stay and fight rather than mail it in.

I think we all saw there position on “mailing it in” several times in 2008, including St Louis, New York, and Philadelphia.  Consider them exhibits #1, #2, and #3 why this team should have strongly considered a coaching change the second the 2008 season ended.

But, Wade is back.  So, now you may attempt to re-live the horrid day from November 2, 2008:

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (8/5)

This is how it starts,

no matter where you come from.

I’ve got nothing today. Pretty miserable night on the Rangers farm and for some reason it got me to thinking about the essence of the game. Don’t ask me why. Probably a budding midlife crisis or somesuch.
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Post-Game Show: A’s 6, Rangers 0

D-tails
• Boxscore, standings

Three Up
• 3B Michael Young extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an eighth inning double. But you know when an 11-game hitting streak is highlight No. 1, it’s going to be slim pickings thereafter.
• LHP Eddie Guardado appeared in his 900th game, making him one of only 21 pitchers in major league history to reach that level.
• The Rangers did not lose any ground in either the West race or the Wild Card as Los Angeles and Boston both had walkoff losses.

Three Down
• INF Joaquin Arias, the second piece in the Alex Rodriguez trade, has been in the Rangers organization almost six years now and his biggest impact has come in the last two days when questionable defensive plays contributed to a pair of losses.
• LHP Derek Holland demonstrated why rookies are hard to count on. Five days after taking a one-hitter to the ninth inning, he couldn’t command his fastball and had nothing on his curve ball.
• RHP Doug Mathis’ streak of scoreless relief innings ended at 22 when Arias made a weak throw on Mark Ellis’ eighth-inning grounder. Mathis’ streak was tied for the third longest scoreless relief streak to start a career in major league history.