Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where we drink a toast to No. 233.

* Michael Young on the possibility of going to a sixth straight All-Star Game: "I've had a great time at the All-Star Game. I'd like to go every year but my goal is to have a big year, not just a good first half. If I'm selected it will be an honor but I'm also trying to keep my focus on the field."

* C.J. Wilson on the Texas heat: "A lot of visiting people have problems because they sweat more than they are used to. They have trouble gripping the ball. Maybe that's why Joe Saunders has trouble gripping the ball here."

* Hank Blalock's first walkoff home run on Wednesday was his 143rd home run of his career. Only two other players had more career home runs without hitting a walkoff.

* Manager Ron Washington on Frank Francisco; "Frankie is throwing the ball well. He just has to get the feeling back that he had before he got hurt. When he does, he'll be fine."

* Yankees manager Joe Girardi on Mariano Rivera, who recorded his 500th save this week: "It's a real honor to be able to say I caught Mo and I managed Mo. I don't know if we'll ever see another Mariano Rivera. I don't think we ever will."

* All 15 Major League team that are home on July 4 will hold special events to raise funds and awareness in the fight against ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. In memory of the Yankees Hall of Famer, all clubs will recreate his "Luckiest Man" speech, which Gehrig made at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, in a pre-game ceremony.

* Former Rangers first baseman Pete O'Brien, whose father, Jim lost his battle with ALS in 1986, will recite an abbreviated version of the Gehrig speech prior to the Rangers-Rays game in Arlington.

* Just for the heck of it: Kevin Elster

* Tony Cloninger was a pitcher who hit 11 home runs in his career. It was 63 years ago today that he hit two grand slams in one game. Only time that's ever happened in a National League game. He was pitching for the Braves in a 17-3 victory over the Giants at Candlestick.

* Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence but also said: "Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind."

* Abraham Lincoln had a baseball field built on the grounds of the White House.

* Chris Davis drove in two runs on Wednesday with a single and a groundout. It was the first time since June 5 that he drove in a run with something other than a home run.

* There are 73 pitchers in the American League who have pitched at least 45 innings to this point in the season. Former Rangers pitcher R.A. Dickey is one of them. He is with the Twins. His 2.36 ERA is the third lowest of those 73 pitchers.

* Kevin Millwood is throwing 110.8 pitches per game, highest in the American League. Rangers starters are throwing 99.3 pitches per game, second most in the league. Yankees starters have thrown 99.4.

* Last year Rangers starters threw 91.3 pitches per game, second lowest. The Yankees were the lowest at 90.7.

* Nolan Ryan averaged 126.7 pitches per nine innings for the Rangers in 1989. That's the highest for a Rangers pitcher since such things first started being recorded in 1988

* James Cagney was a catcher before he became an actor.

Word has been confirmed that the Rangers have signed Jurickson Profar, a former Little League World Series star from Curacao. The 16-year-old Profar is one of the top prospects to sign on international signing day. He is a pitcher and a shortstop who led Curacao to the Little League World Series title in 2004.

The Rangers do not announce international signings but that's the word around baseball that Profar is property of the Rangers.

The Rangers announced on Thursday they signed their fourth-round pick, Andrew Doyle from the University of Oklahoma. Doyle was the Sooners' Friday night starter, a role reserved for the best pitcher on the college staff. He led Oklahoma in innings pitched the last two seasons.

This year, Doyle posted 92 innings, which ranked him seventh in the Big 12.

He was drafted in the 39th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft by the Nationals. Doyle's four-seam fastball sits around 95 mph, and he also throws a two-seamer that sinks, a good slider and a changeup.

He is 6-3 and weighs 210 pounds.

Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere.

William Shakespeare, a Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 2, Scene 1

German Duran is on his way to the Astros, once a terrific infield prospect who hit .300 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI at Double A Frisco whose career path was knocked askew by a half-season three-tour stint as a Rangers utility infielder.

Easy come, easy go.

International signings begin Thursday. The Rangers are heavily involved although no announcements will be made until later in the summer after physicals and other matters are addressed. Hush, hush and all, kind of like the old days with the First-Year Player Draft when only the first round is announced.

The Rangers are sitting on a few gems including - supposedly - Jurickson Profar, a shortstop. People think the Rangers are the ones getting outfielder Guillermo Pimentel from the Dominican Republic but club officials are saying that may not be the case.

These kids cost money. That's something that doesn't appear to be in abundance around Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Word is the Rangers haven't even  begun serious talks with Matthew Purke, the left-hander from Houston Klein who was their first-round pick. Most of the first-round picks signing now are taking "slot" money. Guys like Purke won't get signed until the Aug. 17 deadline or close to it.

Tanner Scheppers? That one will take awhile too. He doesn't appear eager to accept slot even though he's coming off injury and having played independent ball this summer. That could be a classic case of hard ball.

Dustin Nippert is emerging from the fog of disabled list/medical rehabilitation assignment. He allowed one run in five innings in a start for Triple A Oklahoma City on Tuesday. At some point he could get a look while Derek Holland goes back to the bullpen. Remember, Nippert is out of options so he can't stay down there forever.

Brandon McCarthy's next start will be in August. At the earliest.

The Rangers appear eager to give Tommy Hunter an extended look in the rotation beyond the All-Star break

The Rangers would love to be able to move Triple A catcher Max Ramirez for pitching help. That .238 batting average and .332 slugging percentage isn't helping.

There's not a lot of love in the Triple A Oklahoma City numbers except for a few guys in the bullpen. And Neftali Feliz. Josh Rupe is 1-5 with a 6.75 ERA in nine starts. No wonder it's mostly the Class A guys that have everybody excited.

Michael Young's .149 batting average with runners in scoring position is the second lowest in the American League.

He hit .357 in those situations in no less than 807 at-bats over the past five years.

Still think Eric Hurley is the biggest loss among all the pitchers who have been on the disabled list. And there have been a bunch. Again.

Money more than prospects appears to be the biggest impediment to a big trade by the Rangers before July 31. Get the feeling that Nolan Ryan wouldn't mind being aggressive if the Rangers could take on the payroll....

The Rangers have signed third baseman Tommy Mendonca, their second round pick from the First-Year Player Draft. He was at Fresno State but now he has been assigned to Class A Spokane.

The Rangers called up outfielder Julio Borbon from Triple-A Oklahoma City and send reliever Willie Eyre to Oklahoma City to make room for Borbon on the 25-man roster.

Borbon is penciled to hit sixth in tonight's lineup as the designated hitter. In 71 games with Oklahoma City, he was hitting .298 (90-for-302). He had a .323 average (32-for-99) in June, which raised his season average from .286.

Borbon has primarily played center field for Oklahoma City and led off. He has also played a bit of left field, the position manager Ron Washington said Borbon may play Tuesday.

The Rangers drafted Borbon 35th overall in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft.

The Rangers were carrying eight relief pitchers -- 13 pitchers total -- which left them with three bench players before this move. Washington said he would carry 13 pitchers until the bullpen settled down after heavy use.

Eyre has thrown 5 1/3 innings for the Rangers this season after returning from the disabled list. He has a 5.06 ERA with the Rangers. Eyre had been on the disabled list from April 23 until June 25 with a right groin strain.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are in first place in the American League West. The question is if this is a temporary thing or if the Rangers have fallen to earth.

Josh Hamilton is less than a week away from returning.

Maybe that will help. But he won't be there this week for the Rangers. He'll be in Frisco. And Des Moines.

1. How big is this series with the Angels?

2. DH: Hank Blalock, Andruw Jones, platoon or somebody else?

3. Do the Rangers need rotation help or do they need bullpen help?

4. Should Jason Jennings go into the rotation?

5. Should Neftali Feliz be moved to the bullpen?

Josh Hamilton will be the designated hitter for Frisco on Monday at Dr. Pepper Ballpark. The Roughriders will be playing Corpus Christi in their last game before the Texas League All-Star break.

Hamilton will play nine innings on Monday, and then workout with the Rangers on Tuesday in Arlington.

On Wednesday he'll join Triple A Oklahoma in Iowa and play with the RedHawks for the remainder of the week while they are in Iowa. He could be activated with the Rangers at some point during their weekend series with the Rays or by next Monday against the Angels in Anaheim.

Matt Harrison was scratched from his start Sunday against the Padres due to inflammation around his left biceps. He underwent an MRI Friday, which showed no structural damage.

Taking Sunday's start is Tommy Hunter, who allowed three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings on May 29 in an emergency start. He was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City when Harrison went on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder.

Harrison is expected to see a neurologist on Monday to rule out trouble with nerves. He is 4-5 with a 6.11 ERA in 11 starts for the Rangers this season.

Hunter has a 3-2 record with a 3.83 ERA for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season.