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Welcome Your New InsideCorner Overlords

Hello, Zac Crain here. You may remember me from such Mavericks playoff game live blogs as this one. I’m here today to talk to you about the future of InsideCorner, a scary, post-Evan Grant land filled with basketball, hockey, and Bob Sturm. I’m here today to tell you everything is going to be just fine.

First off, yes, Evan was certainly our star attraction during his six months handling the Rangers beat for us. But, arguably, what has made this blog so strong is you, the community that lives in the comments. We aim to continue that in the coming months as our focus shifts to other sports and other people writing about those other sports. We are hoping you remain our Lost-style constant.

Why should you stick around? For one, Bob Sturm and his big sports brain. You’ve already read and enjoyed his Cowboys coverage, as he breaks down each game like a fraction, before and after. He’s still here, and he’ll continue chiming in on everything from Dallas’ pro teams to UFC to  maybe even the English Premier League (though he follows the wrong team from Liverpool, if you ask me).

Also, we’re just about to embark on the NBA and NHL seasons, and there is plenty to talk about there. Jeff Miller is in the crease for Stars coverage, and Eric Celeste and I will be the glue guys keeping you up on the Mavs’ end. What to expect: week-by-week previews, live blogs for big games, and plenty of game books. Among other things — top-secret, ineffably awesome things, that we are currently working hard to make happen for you.

Plus, we will have some new players joining the roster in the coming weeks. They’re not going to replicate what Evan did, and we’re not asking them to. They’ll be conversation starters, ready to mix it up in the comments with you guys. Hopefully, it’ll be like watching games with friends, if one of your friends has a dashing salt-and-pepper beard and is fond of yelling “I see you big German!”

More as events warrant. And never forget: I loved you, even when no one else did.

The Winner & Leader In Training: 10 Good Minutes With Elvis Andrus

Magical. I’m beginning to think that the guy on the right is actually the lost son of the guy on the left. The energy he brings to the field every day. The fun. The electric smile. The sense that he’s just going to win. Somehow. Just because that’s what he does.

Make the jump to spend a few minutes visiting with the Rangers’ Human Highlight Reel, bottle of energy and leader in training.

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The Clubhouse Dogpile

ARLINGTON — The dogpiles that have littered Rangers Ballpark with alarming frequency this year don’t just happen at home plate or second base. They seem to continue down in the subterranean retreat that is the Rangers clubhouse.

Gathered in one corner of the room, they sat piled together in a group while the hero of the day, Chris Davis, was in the middle of the media gang-bang on the other side of the room.

Ian Kinsler, Marlon Byrd, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Andruw Jones, Hank Blalock and team leader Michael Young sitting in chairs, watching the game highlights playing on the expansive flat screen that hangs above the lockers. Pretty much everyone who didn’t have a date in the trainer’s room or who was being held up by a member of the leering press. A couple were even sipping on longnecks.

The scene wasn’t much different than you and your buddies getting together to watch baseball, except they were watching themselves. Standing next to them was Taylor Teagarden.

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Young Again: Another Ninth-Inning Homer From Michael Young Leads Rangers To 5-4 Win Over Baltimore

D-tails – Boxscore: Rangers 5, Orioles 4; The Depot live game blog; Post-Game Show comment thread

BALTIMORE - The Rangers are adopting an NBA approach to baseball. All you’ve got to do is show up for the last two minutes, er, innings.

That’s when the game changes. Especially if Michael Young has anything to say about it.

In what is becoming a nightly occurrence, Young turned a game around Friday with a ninth-inning home run. This one came with a man on base and two outs and provided the margin in a 5-4 win over Baltimore. This homer followed the one he hit Wednesday in Toronto to send a game to extra innings. And that one followed the one he hit Sunday in Arlington for a walkoff win over Kansas City.

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The Day After: Five Significant Things About The Rangers’ Opening Day Win

Looking good: The Rangers were sharply dressed in their new red unis, but were even sharper on the field (Photo: R.P. Washburne)

Some quick thoughts on stuff that lingers with me (longer than the migraine that wrecked my night) about Opening Day. Just a heads up: As much as the red uni tops grew on me over the course of the game, they don’t make this list. That’s how good a day it was for the Rangers. And if you’ve got your own list, please, please, please, feel free to send them along.

1. RHP Kevin Millwood:  113 pitches. Quality start. As I’ve said about 200 times this spring, this team will go as far as Millwood and Vicente Padilla can carry them. If these two guys consistently deliver this kind of effort, Rangers will win more than they lose.

2. The left side of the infield: No fewer than four outstanding plays by the new look combo of SS Elvis Andrus and 3B Michael Young. Andrus made a play up the middle that simply does not get made last year – or perhaps ever – by the Rangers. Young charged and made throws on two slow rollers that would have been hits last year. That’s the value of having a quicker-than-average, more athletic-than-average and stronger thrower-than-average third baseman.

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Ron Washington: “We Are Ready.”

The manager plans to deliver a pretty simple message to the Rangers before the opener today.

“I’m going to tell them we’ve improved our defense, we’ve improved our execution, our mindset is different,” Washington said. “Everything is a team accomplishment. We’ve got a lot of guys who were here for a big part of last year, I think the familiarity we have with all these guys is going to be important. These guys know what we’re looking for; that’s important. I’ve told them, ‘We are ready; we are ready.’ “