D

No Purke for Texas Rangers; Jon Daniels Responds

ARLINGTON - The Rangers didn’t sign their first-round draft choice, LHP Matt Purke from Klein HS near Houston. They will get pick 14A in next year’s draft in addition to the pick that they earn with their 2009 finish. Purke is enrolled at TCU.

(more…)

Monday’s Depot: Texas Rangers-Minnesota Twins In-Game Blog, News, Notes and Draft Watching

ARLINGTON - Full disclosure that Mr. Grant won’t be at the park this evening and maybe not for much of this four-game series.

As of this hour, Rangers first-round draft pick LHP Matt Purke from Klein HS is part of the unsigned crowd in the top half of the first round. At No. 14, there are eight draftees ahead of him also unsigned. RHP Shelby Miller from Brownwood HS, No. 19 to St. Louis, just signed today. The deadline for signing is 11:01 CDT, though signings don’t have to be announced by then.

And we’ll try to keep an eye on Nelson Cruz and Brandon McCarthy in action for Triple-AAA Oklahoma this evening.

(more…)

Your Monday Night Texas Rangers Home Run Pool

ARLINGTON - Here’s the Rangers’ starting lineup for Monday night’s effort against the Minnesota Twins and lefty Francisco Liriano:

1. Ian Kinsler, 2b; 2. Michael Young, 3b; 3. Josh Hamilton, rf; 4. Marlon Byrd, cf; 5. David Murphy, lf; 6. Andruw Jones, dh; 7. Hank Blalock, 1b; 8. Kevin Richardson, c; 9. Elvis Andrus, ss.

Last time out, Liriano beat Kansas City 7-1, limiting the Royals to a run on three hits through seven innings. That was his first win since June 28. He’s 5-11 for the season with a 5.39 ERA. He has a career ERA of 1.13 in 16 innings in Arlington, including two starts.

Rangers to Release Vicente Padilla

Unable to get another team to pony up for any of RHP Vicente Padilla’s remaining salary, the Rangers placed the pitcher on waivers for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release on Monday. Padilla, who was designated for assignment on August 7, should clear waivers on Tuesday afternoon and then would be eligible to sign with any club. If he does, the Rangers will be responsible for all but about $100,000 of the nearly $2.5 million remaining on his contract. The Rangers are also responsible for a $1.l75 million option in his contract for 2010.

Weekend In Review

It was a big weekend at InsideCorner, mostly because Evan dished the dirt on the five worst Rangers teammates he’s covered. But there was also something about a playoff chase and a big series against Boston that created quite a buzz.

The Rangers managed to win their series by taking two of three from the Red Sox despite having to put their biggest power threat on the DL. And just when the news that Ian Kinsler would no longer be out — or in the leadoff spot — after a hamstring injury had hampered him, the disabled list claimed another Ranger, as catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia will miss at least two weeks with shoulder problems.

(more…)

Series Preview: Rangers vs. Twins

The past few weeks could not have provided more polar opposite results for the Twins and Rangers. While Texas has won seven of their last ten and left fans buzzing after taking control of the wild card race Sunday afternoon, the Twins are 4-10 in the month of August and used an ugly weekend series with Cleveland to fall to six games back in the AL Central.

The skid has left Twins pundits to prophesize that their season is already over, even if they still have reasons to play. But they haven’t won a series since the end of July, and they haven’t won a series on the road since the last time they were in Arlington, back on July 19.

But that was nearly a month ago when these two teams had completely different outlooks. Now, the Rangers are riding a hot streak and have a chance to create some cushion between Boston and themselves as they host a four-game series with the Twins. But the pressure is on Texas to maintain their lead in the playoff race, and they have to avoid a let down against a struggling opponent.

(more…)

Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (8/17)

Triple-A: @Oklahoma City 7, Salt Lake 6

RHP Elizardo Ramirez (7-10; 4.86) struggled initially, allowing three runs on five hits in his first two innings of work. But he settled in and held the Bees scoreless over three more innings, giving up just three hits and a walk the rest of the way.

The RedHawks entered the bottom of the 8th trailing 6-1, but managed a six-run rally to give them the lead. LF Casey Benjamin (.233/.336/.343) had two-run bomb in the inning, one of his two hits on the night. 1B Justin Smoak (.245/.352/.371) stayed hot with two singles and a walk in five trips to the plate. Smoak, who led the 8th off with a ground out, came back up with the bases loaded and two out, singling home the tying and go-ahead runs for the last of his three RBI on the night. He’s now hit in six straight games.

3B Chris Davis (.326/.416/.546) also had a pair of singles. RHP Warner Madrigal (2-1; 1.79) earned his 17th save, allowing only a two-out single in the ninth.  C Max Ramirez (.236/.311/.329) was hitless but walked twice in his first game game back after rehabbing in the Arizona League.

(more…)

Rangers Ability to Focus on One Game at a Time in August, May Well Mean Extra Dates in October

ARLINGTON – The season was over. It’s OK. You can admit it. That was your thought Friday night after all hell broke loose in the ninth inning. One strike away from leading the wild card race, Frank Francisco suffered a nuclear meltdown and the Rangers saw pole position for the playoffs yanked away. A 4-2 lead became an 8-4 loss. A certain half-game lead instead became a 1.5-game deficit.  And 1.5 games never looked so big.

This time they had to be done for good. Finis. Good night.  So, how’s Roy Williams’ wrist doing?

If you are a Ranger fan, and particularly if you’ve been one for a while, you had no choice but to make that conclusion. After 37 seasons of frustration and disappointment, defeatism is a birthright.

(more…)

MGM: Y.E. Yang, Tiger, and Jordan

It has happened. The last time it happened was in 1995 when Michael Jordan and the Bulls were taken down by the Orlando Magic. The time before that was probably when  Buster Douglas beat Mike Tyson. The category is “When the Invincible becomes Vincible.”

It certainly happens to everyone eventually, and yesterday, on the final day of the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, it happened to Tiger Woods.  He finally choked on the biggest stage. Woods, who is most certainly the most invincible figure in sports today, has shown that he bleeds like a human. And yes, he occasionaly can have such a bad day that it costs him a major in which he seemed to be in complete control.

It was a Sunday at a major, and it seemed that most competitors of the PGA took themselves out of the mix as the weekend went on. Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, and then Padraig Harrington with his 9 on a Par 3 was further elimination of what appeared to be the “real” threats to Tiger winning his 15th majors.

But, here was Y.E. Yang. A Korean who most of us – at least those of us who are obsessed with the greatest golfers in the world – had no idea who this guy was about 72 hours ago. And not only was he not reminding us of Jan Van De Velde in the 1999 British Open , by blowing up – but he was hitting winners.

(more…)

A Game is Won – Maybe More – by Texas Rangers

ARLINGTON - Over the first eight innings on Sunday afternoon, the Rangers put the stretch in stretch drive. Their pitchers worked from that position with men on base to 18 of 30 hitters (aside from the eight leadoff batters). Bosox were aboard in every inning, hovering like locust.

Texas pitchers walked the tightrope and handed a one-run lead to closer Frank Francisco. The man who was torched on Friday night retired Boston in order to preserve the 4-3 victory. Francisco finished with strikeouts of Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez, each of whom doubled off him during the seven-hit, six-run calamity. With the series win, the Rangers earned a half-game lead in the A.L. wild-card chase.

That’s the short-term benefit of Sunday’s events for Rangers fans. To listen to Francisco after the game indicates a long-term dividend was also achieved.

(more…)