The Depot: Rangers-A’s Live Game Blog, News, Notes and Stunning San Francisco Bay Views

2:30: Though your gmail account may be closed, the home run pool is open.

3:21: Ian Kinsler steals base No. 30. Still looking for the 30th homer. He has been searching for the homer since Sept. 1.

5:46: Well, that was a perfectly good way to waste an afternoon. I did get a lovely nap out of it, however. Scott Feldman was perhaps the worst he’s been all season. The offense did nothing against a left-hander. And Ian Kinsler finished it off with an infield pop up. Just awful

It’s the Home Run Pool!

Here is your lineup for this afternoon’s first day game of autum: 2B Ian Kinsler, SS Elvis Andrus, LF David Murphy, DH Andruw Jones, 1B Hank Blalock, CF Marlon Byrd, 3B Chris Davis, C Taylor Teagarden, RF Craig Gentry and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Scott Feldman.

So have at it. Yes, we know Nelson Cruz is not playing. That might have something to do with his .147 average since he hit his last homer on Sept. 13. Cruz is getting a day off just as Ian Kinsler got one yesterday.

And yes we know Julio Borbon is not playing. Ron Washington just doesn’t appear to have much faith in him against left-handed pitching. Borbon is 2-for-13 (.154) with no walks against lefties since he joined the roster for good on August 8. DH Andruw Jones, who is playing, is hitting .167 (4-for-24) with four walks against lefties (.286 OBP) since Borbon returned. Neither is a very attractive option.

Analyze The Enemy – Week 3 – Carolina Panthers

THURSDAYS: We catch you up on this week’s opponent with an overall portrait of their team. This is not breaking down this week’s match-up, because that happens on Friday. This is just to set the table in preparation for laying out the gameplan.

In Week 3, The Cowboys welcome another playoff team from 2008, those Carolina Panthers for a little Monday Night Football. The Panthers are certainly another team that has its share of critics across the league, and as usual – the targets on that team are two familiar positions for football criticism, Head Coach and Quarterback.

John Fox, entering his 8th year as head coach of the Panthers, took the job over after serving 5 years with the New York Giants under Jim Fassel, where the Giants went all the way to Super Bowl 35. Led by their defense, Fox was the hot name for a few offseasons, and in 2002 he took over the Panthers who were coming of a 1-15 2001 under their previous coach, George Seifert. In fact, as hard as it is to believe, Fox has been the coach of the Panthers longer than Seifert and Dom Capers combined. Capers only coached in Carolina for 4 years (going to the ’96 NFC Championship game), Seifert for 3 (going 16-32). Fox, 63-49 in his 7+ seasons, took the Panthers to the brink of a Super Bowl 38 victory in his 2nd year, and to the NFC Title game in his 4th year, before losing to the Seahawks. His 3rd trip to the playoffs was last season where the Panthers equaled a franchise-high 12-4 record, but then were demolished in Charlotte by the Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs.

(more…)