D

The Depot: Rangers-Twins In-Game Blog, Notes

ARLINGTON - Sorry for the late start. (Evan should be back tomorrow night, by the way.) For those in the Home Run Pool, the listing of Elvis Andrus hitting ninth at short was incorrect. Omar Vizquel instead.

Here is the recent posting of Pudge Rodriguez and Jon Daniels meeting with the media separately this afternoon following Rodriguez’s acqusition from Houston.

(more…)

You Can Go Home Again: Ivan Rodriguez Speaks on Trade That Returns Him to Texas Rangers

ARLINGTON - Pudge Rodriguez, 37, plans to learn from 25-year-old Taylor Teagarden, who idolized him while growing up in Carrollton.

(more…)

Tuesday Night Texas Rangers Home Run Pool

ARLINGTON - After posting said lineup, I’ll commence to passing along comments from the recently arrived Pudge Rodriguez (“boring drive” from Houston, he said) and Rangers general manager Jon Daniels. When Rodriguez told Daniels earlier today that he’d waive his no-trade clause and return as a back-up, Daniels said he referred to Arlington as his baseball home. Just a few minutes ago, Rodriguez said he plans to play another couple of years and would love to retire as a Ranger.

As for tonight’s Rangers against Minnesota RHP Carl Pavano: 1. Julio Borbon, lf; 2. Michael Young, 3b; 3. Josh Hamilton, rf; 4. Marlon Byrd, cf; 5. David Murphy, dh; 6. Ian Kinsler, 2b; 7. Hank Blalock, 1b; 8. Taylor Teagarden, c; 9. Elvis Andrus, ss.

Blondes vs. Brunettes of Dallas

I used to think playing like a girl was a bad thing. Now I know better.

Blondes vs. Brunettes of Dallas put on its second annual powder puff football game Saturday to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. The idea started when the first match-up of Blondes vs. Brunettes was organized in Washington D.C. four years ago, and the success of the event sparked groups across the country to start their own game for Alzheimer’s research. A Houston chapter picked up the game in 2006, and Erin Finegold brought BvB to Dallas in 2008. (more…)

Catching Up on All Rangers Catchers News

ARLINGTON - If Pudge Rodriguez arrives in time for tonight’s game, he’ll be added to the active roster and Kevin Richardson will receive a pat on the back. Manager Ron Washington anticipates playing him twice a week. And Jarrod Saltalamacchia is aiming at a return on Sept. 1 with today’s decision that surgery isn’t necessary – at least not yet – for the nerve problem in his neck and ribs that has recently caused his shoulder soreness and a numb right hand.

(more…)

Murphy: I Was Just Borrowing No. 7 from Pudge

ARLINGTON - Last August, David Murphy’s season ended when he collided with Pudge Rodriguez at the plate. This August, he gives up his uniform No. 7 and will move to No. 14. Rodriguez is said to be driving here from Houston and expected in the area, presumably at the park, tonight.

“It’s always been his,” Murphy said. “I was just borrowing No. 7.”

(more…)

Considering Pudge Rodriguez’s Return to Rangers

According to multiple reports on the web, the Rangers are about to reacquire C Ivan Rodriguez as a backup to C Taylor Teagarden. You can read the sourced reports here and here.

Rangers officials said the club had no comment on the report, but a club source has also confirmed to me that its all but a foregone conclusion the 14-time All-Star is on his way back to Arlington to serve as a backup and perhaps as an occasional right-handed DH in September. According to one report, the Rangers are sending Houston RHP Matt Nevarez and a player to be named later to complete the deal. The player to be named will be INF Jose Vallejo, according to a source.

Here are some thoughts:

(more…)

Checking the Morning Mailbag

Tuesday, and I thought I would check the mailbag on a number of various topics. However, I will warn you that much like the metroplex, the mailbag seems relatively baseball-intensive today.

But, with “Bob being Bob”, I just had to start with a football note.

As many of you may or may not know (or care), I follow 2 NFL teams very carefully. The Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. Everyone in the media has a favorite team, but they generally don’t tell anyone for fear that they will be outed and are concerned that the readers/listeners cannot handle the idea that you did not grow up in Dallas and cheer for the Cowboys as a kid. Well, I did not. I was born in Wisconsin, so while I cover the Cowboys for a living, I also follow the Packers as a life-long fan (who has a Packers tattoo and a son, named Brett).

Hopefully, that will explain why I watched every play of the Green Bay vs Cleveland exhibition game.

(more…)

Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (8/18)

Triple-A: @Oklahoma City 2, Salt Lake 1  F/10

It was the second straight solid rehab start for RHP Brandon McCarthy, who went 4.2 innings and gave up four hits, a walk, a run, and stuck out five. The lone run to his name came in the 1st inning on a solo shot by Salt Lake RF Terry Evans, who now has 25 homers and 26 stolen bases.

Four relievers combined efforts to shut the Bees down the rest of the way, with RHP Josh Rupe (3-7; 7.06) and RHP Willie Eyre (0-0; 2.45) each tossed 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and RHP Brian Gordon ( 7-2; 3.26) got the win with a scoreless 10th.

The RedHawks only managed four hits all game, but they walked nine times as a team. Two of the hits came from 2B Jose Vallejo (.233/.318/.349) in the nine spot, who also had an RBI. 1B Justin Smoak (.240/.353/.364) was 0-3 with a pair of strikeouts, but he also walked twice. A rehabbing Nelson Cruz was 0-2 with a walk. Chris Davis was not in the lineup. (more…)

Post-Game Show: Rangers 8, Twins 5

• Box score • A.L. West standings • A.L. wild-card standings

Story of the Game

Eight years was worth the wait for Kevin Richardson to taste major league baseball. The Triple-A call-up filling in for Jarrod Saltalamacchia not only gave Taylor Teagarden a day off, but he collected two hits and showed he can score from first base … and not get lapped by the tripling Elvis Andrus behind him.

“That’s as fast as I can go,” Richardson said. “I don’t go too fast, but that’s all I’ve got.”

Of more importance, he settled down struggling starter Tommy Hunter early. The Rangers held a tenuous 3-2 lead in the top of the second with Twins on every base and two out. Richardson came out to talk to Hunter as did Michael Young. Hunter responded by getting Brendan Harris looking to end the rally.

“Mike came out to me and said, ‘You don’t have your stuff today. You can quit, or you can come out fighting right now,’ ” Hunter said. “Little words of encouragement like that get you pumped up. Kind of sets you back in your little mode.”

Richardson said he was fairly pleased with how he handled the pitchers: “Maybe a few things I would have done differently. I had, what, six different guys in there? I thought they all battled and picked each other up and got it done.”

(more…)