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InsideCorner, R.I.P.

It really was magic. When we launched InsideCorner at the beginning of the baseball season, it was an opportunistic move made possible by the Morning News‘ shortsightedness. They had on their staff the best baseball beat writer in Texas, Evan Grant, and they decided to make him cover football (a move forced by their content-sharing agreement with the Star-Telegram). So, with the support of some visionary advertisers (Dr Pepper, Pappas Bros., Texas Rangers), we were able to make a home for Evan in our humble digital outpost. You know what happened after that: the Rangers had one of their best seasons in club history as a direct result of Evan’s comprehensive, insightful coverage (along with the fine work of Mike Hindman and Jeff Miller, it should be noted). Then, at the end of the baseball season, the News got its shortsighted vision corrected by ESPN and hired Evan back.

Meantime, we’d brought along some other writers to round out the coverage on InsideCorner, most notably Bob Sturm, he of Ticket fame. Bob broke down the Cowboys for us in the way that only he can. And Gina Miller of TXA 21 has been pitching in on the Mavs front. Zac and Eric threw up a few posts, too, from beyond the arc.

Here’s what we struggled with: we had this great baseball blog run by a full-time employee whose job was to feed and care for the thing more or less around the clock. Then we had this parentless sports blog that was getting passed around from babysitter to babysitter, each of whom gave the thing good care when they had the time but each of whom also had a full-time job (in Zac’s case, keeping Twitter in business; in Eric’s case, breaking necks and cashing checks; in Bob’s case, mediating on-air fights between his broadcasting partner and his producer on BaD Radio; in Gina’s case, keeping Derek Harper’s six-button suits in check on Mavs broadcasts; in Mike Hindman’s case, lawyering; in Jeff Miller’s case, writing books). This is no way to raise a child. A kid needs stability. Rules. An engaged parent.

So. We’ve decided to give our baby to a better home. Or, more accurately, we’ve decided to put the baby down. And not just for nap.

On Monday, we’re pulling the plug on InsideCorner. Its content will still live on the interubes should you ever want to search for a bit of information you remember reading, but there won’t be any links to it on our site. Thank you to everyone who was a part of the magic while it lasted. Thank you especially for your forbearance as we’ve figured out the right course of action.

God bless us all.

A Little Mavs Chemistry Lesson

Does Jkidd + Smarion + Dgooden + Dnowitzki + Jhoward –> Division Title + Conference Championship + Title?????

We won’t know the answer to that for a while, but just about every person involved with this Mavericks team feels good about what they’ve got. Sure they like the additions. Shawn Marion provides speed and athleticism. Drew Gooden is a self-described “monster” who says he’s looking forward to being a physical force. I like them, too, but what has struck me through almost four weeks of the Mavericks preseason is that these guys really seem to like each other.

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Linkin’ Park: NBA Edition

On the eve of the 2009-10 season, the NBA finally has its referees back — just in time, too, after Drew Gooden was ejected and promptly un-ejected during Friday’s preseason finale by a replacement crew — and the Mavericks finally look to be healthy. Dallas’ season gets underway tomorrow night with a game against Washington at the AAC, and the club isn’t as spry as it was a few years ago. How Jason Kidd’s mind and Dirk Nowitzki’s body hold up are going to be key in determining the Mavs’ success, and there are those that feel the prognosis isn’t much better than last year.

Shawn Marion, Drew Gooden, Tim Thomas, and Quinton Ross headlined the crop of newcomers in the summer, but question marks remain on whether Kris Humprhies and high-upside rookie Rodrique Beaubois can build on promising preseasons to become regular contributors in Rick Carlisle’s rotation this year. It’s hard to say considering we don’t really know Carlisle that well, either.

But if your eyes are too tired to do all that reading on a Monday, you could just listen Doug Collins talk about the Mavs for a minute and a half, and then watch clips of the Mavs hanging out on media day. Your call.

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Final Ian Kinsler Show

On Friday, Ian Kinsler joined the little Bob and Dan show in studio, and provided us with nearly an hour of good radio about the season, the ownership situation, and the baseball playoffs. I thought you might be interested in checking it out.

Segment 1
Segment 2
Segment 3

What do You Say? One Last Texas Rangers Depot for Old Times’ Sake Tonight; how about it?

UPDATE, 8:21 p.m. : Here we go …

I am going to take the weekend off to get my life in order before changing workplaces for the second time in seven months, but after leaving you in a lurch the last two days, I’ll blog tonight as the Rangers try to clinch second place, if you are interested in blogging along with me.

What do you say? Could we make a one-last time run at the unthinkable record of 1,016 in-game comments? Could we? Could we?

Do It Yourself Depot

We’re going to open up the thread tonight to talk. I’ll be in and out through the night. Jetted back from Cali this morning after the Rangers were officially eliminated from playoff contention. One bonus of all that: I got to dine at Bolsa tonight where I highly recommend the bruschetta sampler.

Anyway, go.

The Depot: At Least One More Night of Rangers-Angels News, Notes and Baseball Talk

Rangers lose, eliminated from wild card contention. It will be 10th consecutive season without a playoff berth for club.

9:11: The Angels played a video tribute to their season before the game. It was really beautifully done. Everything this organization does seems to be done in a first-class manner. That’s why even though the Angels are Texas’ biggest rival in the division, it’s hard to hate them very much. Coming to games here is always a pleasant experience.

9:17: Marlon Byrd, who seemed to injure his knee in the ninth inning last night, definitely did on Tuesday. He went face-first into the area just past first after grounding out to end the first. He had a lot of trouble putting  weight on his right knee. He tried to “walk it off” but the knee twice appeared to give out on him. He was eventually helped off the field and replaced by Craig Gentry. I think it’s very likely that Byrd has played his last game of the season, too.

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More Rangers Notes

ANAHEIM, Calif - Though he made a poor throw when tested from left field on Monday, rookie Julio Borbon is still likely to get a chance at center field before the end of the year.

It just won’t happen until the Rangers  final standing is settled. The Rangers began play Tuesday still mathematically alive in the AL Wild Card race, though a single win by Boston or loss by the Rangers would eliminate them. The Rangers were in second plce in the AL West five games ahead of Seattle with six to play. Any combination of Rangers wins or Mariners losses adding up to two owould clinch second place for the Rangers. Not until those two questions are answered does manager Ron Washington want to put Borbon in center.

“We haven’t settled everything there is to settle,” Washington said. “Once that happens, we will run him out there.”

The Rangers want to look at Borbon as a potential center field option for 2010. The club would like to move Josh Hamilton, the opening day center fielder the last two years, to right field to reduce the risk of injury. Marlon Byrd, who has started the most games in center this season, is a free agent after the seasona nd the Rangers are uncertain about whether they will be able to afford to bring him back.

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Rangers Notes: Josh Hamilton Done for Season

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Hours before the Rangers were officially eliminated from the AL West race, OF Josh Hamilton suggested it would be in his best interests if he didn’t play again this season. Almost as soon as the clinching loss to Los Angeles was complete, the Rangers concurred.

“We’re going to shut him down,” manager Ron Washington said Tuesday afternoon. “He will get treatment and hopefully get well. He will have no activity other than rehabbing for the rest of the season. We hope to get him into his winter program and get him ready and in shape for spring training.”

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Late Lineup Post

Oops. Lame-duckitis strikes. Thought I had posted the home run pool earlier. Alas, it was but a figment of my imagination.

Let’s not do a flat-out homer pool today, but feel free to play just for grins if you want. Here is the Rangers’ lineup:

LF Julio Borbon, 3B Michael Young, RF David Murphy, CF Marlon Byrd, DH Hank Blalock, 2B Ian Kinsler, 1B Chris Davis, C Ivan Rodriguez, SS Elvis Andrus and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Tommy Hunter, bidding to win his 10th game.

Josh Hamilton out of Lineup; Done for Year?

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Out of the lineup for a second consecutive day, OF Josh Hamilton summed up his situation for the final week of the season this way:

“I’m playing when I’m able to play,” he said of his injured back Monday afternoon. “It hasn’t stopped hurting. The three injections I got helped, and for a while, it didn’t get worse, but once I got out there and ran, it started up again. [Sunday] I couldn’t go. Today, I feel a little better. I can probably pinch hit, but if I got on base, they’d have to run for me.”

The Rangers lineup on Monday did include the return of Michael Young, who will be at third base. Young will bat second after missing all but one at bat of the last 27 days with a severely strained hamstring.

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Marlon Byrd is AL Player of the Week

Here is the press release from MLB, because we know how much you guys love press release writing. Some of the best writing there is.

Texas Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd has been named the American League Player of the Week presented by Bank of America for the period ending Sunday.

In seven games last week, Marlon hit .320 (8-25) with two doubles and seven runs scored while tying for the A.L.-high with three home runs and posting an A.L.-best 11 RBI. Byrd also posted a .760 slugging percentage and a .433 on-base percentage. On September 26^th, the right-handed slugger hit his sixth career grand slam, sparking an 11-run fifth inning and helping carry the Rangers to a 15-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The 10^th-round selection in the 1999 First-Year Player Draft knocked two home runs and collected five RBI, marking his fourth career multi-homer game and his third this season as he reached his career-high RBI total for the fifth time. With 59 career home runs through that grand slam, Byrd became the only player in Major League history to compile six-or-more grand slams with fewer than 60 career home runs, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The 32-year-old is currently hitting .283 with career highs in doubles (43), home runs (20) and RBI (89). This marks Marlon’s second career weekly award (previous: 8/11/08).

Yes, It’s Been Quite a Summer

It’s been an amazing run, folks.

I could be talking about the Rangers season, which could be, for all intents and purposes, over late tonight with a loss at Los Angeles. But, no, that’s not the subject for this moment. I’m talking about my run here at InsideCorner. Don’t know how to say this any other way, but come Monday (the headline is a Buffett lyric, might as well use a Buffett song title or two in the text) I’ll be back at the Dallas Morning News. The paper, which I proudly called home for more than 12 years, called last week, made me an offer I couldn’t refuse to write baseball columns and features and, of course, to blog about the Rangers. Though I couldn’t refuse it, I still had to think long and hard. D Magazine has instantly become a home to me and I love the people, the product and the community we created. I’m so extremely fortunate to have worked in two places in the same city for nearly 13 years and to have had so many good experiences and interactions.

And, of course, I’m fortunate to have gotten to know you that much better.

InsideCorner, which, by the way, was named the best overall blog in the city last week by the Dallas Observer, isn’t going away, mind you. Only I am. Bob Sturm will still be here to break down every facet of the Cowboys. Jeff Miller, the great one, will have hockey insights. Zac Crain and Eric Celeste will come off the bench to play a two-man game on the Mavs and a little of everything else. And I wouldn’t want to go two-on-two with them. They are good. And, of course, Sturm is such a sports nerd (mean it as the ultimate compliment) that he’ll weigh in on various topics.

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The Depot: Rangers-Rays Live Game Blog, News, Notes and Heaping Helpings of Hope

1:30: So, it was kind of an eventful Saturday night in the AL West race. The Rangers two wins over the last two games combined with the Angels losses mean that Texas will go to California still officially in the AL West race. As of this morning, the Angels magic number remains four.

1:47: Quick note: I am not at the game today due to travel plans. As such, I did get lineup in time for a homer pool. I do have the lineup now, though and here it is: 2B Ian Kinsler, SS Elvis Andrus, LF David Murphy, CF Marlon Byrd, 1B Hank Blalock, DH Andruw Jones, RF Nelson Cruz, 3B Chris Davis, C Taylor Teagarden and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Brandon McCarthy.

What I find most interesting about this lineup is the absence of Julio Borbon. The Rangers simply will not play the rookie against left-handed pitching (today the opponent is LHP David Price).

2:04: Ron Washington told reporters today that Michael Young is available to pinch hit today and that he is expected to play third base on Monday in Anaheim.

2:33: Angels-A’s are about to start. You can follow it here. Just one of many places you can follow it.

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AL West Race: It’s On Again!

This is what is great about pennant race baseball.

Things change. Quickly.

One night. Four crazy hours. And this morning, the Rangers seem as alive as a team possibly can when trailing by five games with eight left in a strange, wonderful season.

If you weren’t around last night, let’s just recap the evening’s events.

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The Depot: Rangers-Rays Live Game Blog, News, Notes and Discounts on Area Attractions

7:05: 3B Michael Young is hopeful he can return to the lineup on Monday as the third baseman after being limited to one at-bat over the last four weeks by a hamstring strain. Young ran the bases on Saturday without issue. It’s the first time he’s run the bases since aggravating the hamstring injury on Sept. 15. Young said running the bases isn’t a problem, nor is pushing off when he swings. He aggravated the injury by landing on it during his one at-bat.

“When I come back, I need to be able to play third base,” Young said. “Being the DH doesn’t do us any good. That just means somebody else is going to have to sit. Right now Josh [Hamilton] is the DH and Nelson [Cruz] is having to sit down.”

7:16: Manager Ron Washington said he kept Nelson Cruz out of the lineup for a second straight day because he “thought the lineup we put out there [Friday] did a pretty good job and I wanted to keep it like that.” Cruz is in a 4-for-30 slump.

Asked to evaluate Cruz, Washington said he sees a player with a lot more maturity, but one who still has a some distance to go.

“I’ve seen his focus fade a little bit,” Washington said. “It’s been a good lesson for him.”

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Another Saturday Night Homer Pool

Still no Michael Young, but he said he hopes to be back in the lineup on Monday when the Rangers visit Los Angeles for what they hope becomes a more important series. The Angels begin the day six up and with a magic number of four. Here’s what the Rangers will send out against Tampa Bay tonight:

LF Julio Borbon, SS Elvis Andrus, DH Josh Hamilton, CF Marlon Byrd, 1B Hank Blalock, 2B Ian Kinsler, RF David Murphy, C Ivan Rodriguez, 3B Chris Davis and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Kevin Millwood.

Texas Rangers Ian Kinsler on 30-30 Season: “I Have to be a Little More Consistent”

ARLINGTON - It was hard to tell who was more thrilled for Ian Kinsler, his buddy, Michael Young, or his wife, Tess.

As soon as they could, both greeteed Kinsler with big hugs Friday him after he became the second player to have a 30 homer/30 steal season with the Rangers.

“It’s an incredible accomplishment,” said Young, who despite a sore hamstring, beat his teammates to the top step of the dugout to greet Kinsler after his three-run eighth-inning homer put the final touches on an 8-3 win over Tampa Bay. “I’ve played with guys who have had some incredible seasons here, but 30-30 is something special. He deserves a lot of credit. He battled all season long. That’s what separates the great players from the good ones.”

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The Depot: Rangers-Rays Live Game Blog, News, Notes and Greatest Hits Album

7:15: We are live-chatting in the comments section. Join us down there. I’m answering questions and what not.

7:20: Pudge Rodriguez makes sensational throw to get Carl Crawford 1stealing second for final out of first inning. Kept Crawford from reaching 60 steals. Pudge still has it.

9:03: Angels getting ready to host A’s. The Angels magic number is now four. Any combination of Rangers losses/Angels wins that add up to four will give the Angels the division title. The Rangers need to sweep this weekend to absolutely ensure the Angels can’t clinch the division before Texas gets to Orange County. Of course, it could mean the Angels clinch the division against the Rangers next week.

9:33: Question of the night: Ian Kinsler has just hit home run No. 30. It gives him a 30-30 season, the second in Rangers history. So, how do you define his season now. Joining the 30-30 club is, without a doubt, a great season-long accomplishment. But is it a great season? I’m torn over defining this season. I know he struggled in the leadoff spot, but, like I said, it’s a 30-30 season.  So, explain your thoughts.

9:47: One thing that will always haunt Frank Francisco is his poor fielding. If he is going to retain the closer’s job long-term and be a closer on a championship club, he is going to have to make a significant improvement. Francisco dropped a throw from Chris Davis that would have ended the game moments ago.

Home Run Pool Time

The lineup tonight features Josh Hamilton for the first time since Sept. 2. The pain from a pinched nerve in his back has eased up enough to allow him to play again. Here is the full lineup against Tampa Bay’s James Shields:

LF Julio Borbon, SS Elvis Andrus, DH Josh Hamilton, CF Marlon Byrd, 1B Hank Blalock, 2B Ian Kinsler, RF David Murphy, C Ivan Rodriguez, 3B Chris Davis and pitching for the Rangers … LHP Derek Holland.

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.

The Depot: Rangers-A’s Live Game Blog, News, Notes and Free Award-Winning Cheese Samples

Sorry for the lack of homer pool tonight. We had a little emergency in the Cornerian world. All is OK now, but the Corner had to help out SideDish tonight. Don’t worry, we got some really good cheese and wine for helping out. Bells and whistles coming up.

9:12: In case, you weren’t reading earlier, I suggested there are still some interesting things worth watching over the final 12 games of the season.

9:22: According to Reuters, three groups have emerged as the front-runners to purchase the Rangers. I know very little about two of them, but would still hazard a guess that the group represented by Chuck Greenberg is worth watching. Why? Greenberg helped negotiate the deal that allowed Mario Lemieux to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins. Might Greenberg team up with Nolan Ryan in a deal that would annually earn Ryan some “sweat equity” in the team.  Here is a little background on Greenberg when he first got into the sports ownership business.

9:31: I am starting to like this Greenberg fellow. Love the promotions.

10:26: Elvis Andrus now has 30 steals. Leads team. Ian Kinsler, who is off tonight, is at 29.

12:11: Rangers go to their best defensive alignment for the bottom of the ninth. They have to learn to make that move for the ninth inning  at home, too.

12:20: Well, the Rangers are 6.5 back and I’m gassed from serving cheese and sipping wine (life is sooooooooo rough) at the SideDish event tonight, that I’m calling it a night. Who knows, maybe Jack Daddy is ahead of us all. If the Rangers can cut the lead by another 1.5 games by the end of the weekend, at least the first night of the final week of the season will be important. And then maybe the night after that. And so on and so on.

Dirty Dozen: There are Still Things to Settle in Remaining 12 Games of Texas Rangers’ Season

The Rangers have reached the 150-game mark in the season and technically they are still alive in both the AL West and the AL wild card races. Technically, yes. Realistically? Not so much.

Despite all that, there are still things worth paying attention to over the final 12 games. Here’s a dozen things worth paying attention to over these final dozen games:

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The Home Run Pool

The shipping department here at Home Run Pool central has gotten a little backed-up. Mainly, it comes down to packing the prizes and shipping them off. And, well, I haven’t done a great job of that lately. Promise, your stuff will be in the mail shortly. In the meantime, here’s another chance to grab some goodies before we roll into the offseason.

Tonight’s lineup goes a little something like this: DH Julio Borbon, SS Elvis Andrus, LF David Murphy, CF Marlon Byrd, 1B Hank Blalock, 2B Ian Kinsler, RF Nelson Cruz, 3B Chris Davis, C Ivan Rodriguez and pitching for the Rangers … RHP Brandon McCarthy.