Friday Happy Hour at the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill
Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where the patrons always howl at the full moon.
* Rangers pitchers C.J. Wilson and Kameron Loe, and Minor League pitcher Thomas Diamond will be at the Fox Sports Grill from 7-9 p.m. Friday in Plano. Just take the tollway north to Legacy Drive. The grill is just east of the tollway. Broadcaster Victor Rojas will also be there.
* You saw that Karl Kuehl won the 2006 Roland Hemond Award for long and distinguished contributions to scouting and player development. He oversaw the Oakland Athletics farm system from 1983-92 that produced Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Walt Weiss, Terry Steinbach and others. Yes, he was also the scout who signed Astros pitcher Larry Dierker. Also signed Don Wilson, who threw two no-hitters for them.
* Kuehl signed Wilson even though he had been cut by Compton Junior College. Liked his arm and had Frank Gabler, an Astros pitching instructor, work with him a couple of times on the side. The results were so startling that they didn’t wait and wait for him to pitch for his amateur team in a Compton Sunday league. Signed him on the spot. His amateur coach was a birddog for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
* Sandy Alomar Jr.’s agent said the Rangers have expressed interest.
* Manager Ron Washington is trying to talk to all his players personally this winter. He is headed for the Dominican Republic later this month. He has already had his 1-on-1 chat with reliever Rick Bauer.
* Guillermo Quirez makes history if he plays for the Rangers this year. He’ll be the first Ranger with the last name that begins with the letter Q. If so, that will only leave X.
* U? Jim Umbarger and Ugueth Urbina. I? Pete Incaviglia and Hideki Irabu.
* Chris Howard was a left-handed reliever for the Rangers who pitched in four games for them in 1995 and did not allow an earned run in four innings. So? He is one of two pitchers to have ever pitched for the Rangers and not given up a run.
* The other? Come on. Scott Sheldon. He struck out the only batter he faced while playing all nine positions against the White Sox in 2000.
* Remember when Wilson Alvarez pitched for the Rangers on July 24, 1989 against the Toronto Blue Jays? He faced five hitters and did not get anybody out, allowing three hits and two walks. Less than a week later he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. He is the only pitcher to ever pitch for the Rangers and not get at least one out. Three of the five baserunners scored. He has an infinity ERA with the Rangers, the only pitcher with that distinction.
* Jose Canseco gave up three runs in his ill-fated pitching performance against the Boston Red Sox on May 29. He ended with a 27.00 ERA. That’s the second highest ever by a Ranger. He’s actually tied with Corey Lee.
* Just for the heck of it: Ryan Snare.
* The 2007 Hall of Fame inductees are announced on Tuesday. The guess here is just Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn this time around but still seems like support is growing for Goose Gossage every year.
* Gossage pitched for the Rangers in 1991, the year Bobby Valentine banned beer from the clubhouse. Under prodding of Nolan Ryan and Gossage, Valentine agreed to lift the ban if the Rangers went on a ten-game winning streak. Almost immediately they won 14 straight, still the club record.
* Guessed this before I even looked it up. Toby Harrah committed 181 errors with the Rangers, most by anybody. Then comes Dean Palmer with 115 and Buddy Bell with 105.
* Pay attention, this is good. Remember Monty Fariss? He was the Rangers first round pick in 1988, a shortstop who had a completely erratic throwing arm that caused him to be a bust. But he still played 438 innings in the field for the Rangers and never made an error. That’s the second most in club history for an errorless player.
* Of course Darryl, Hamilton holds the record. He played center field all year for the Rangers in 1996 and did not make an error. Number of innings? 1,266.
* Detroit manager Jim Leyland said Ivan Rodriguez could be the Tigers leadoff hitter in 2007. His reasoning. Said Leyland, "He’s one of the fastest guys on our team and a good baserunner."
* Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima is so smitten with Rodriguez that he commissioned Arlington artist Vernon Wells Sr. (father of the center fielder) to do a special painting for him.
* Were you paying attention when Little League and ESPN reached an eight-year television deal? All 32 games from the Little League World Series will be telecast under the agreement. No word yet if ESPN Classic will show past Little League World Series.
* In case you were wondering, Charlie Hough turns 59 today.
* Frank Howard’s birthday isn’t until Aug. 8. He’ll be 71. Yes, he’s the oldest ex-Ranger.
T.R. Sullivan
Toby
1)I would sign Sandy Alomar because a 2nd string catcher isn’t a long-term guy anyway, and Sandy is a tremendous backstop, plus a team guy.
2)Daryl Hamilton was not as fast as Otis Nixon or Tom Goodwin, couldn’t throw like Gary Matthews, couldn’t hit like or run as fast as Mickey Rivers, but you know what–he was exempliary: a great team player, unspectacular but steady, a rock for us in our first division-winning team in the late 90′s. He should get all the credit for no errors and a steadying force for us. Never knew why we didn’t re-sign him.
3)I regret I can’t remember the name of the pretty good relief pitcher we had in the 80′s who could throw with both left and right hands, for strikes. He was a character, and even had a glove designed to be switchable to both hands. What a sight it would be for a pitcher to switch to whatever hand the situation dictated. He gets my vote for the “What If” category.
4)T.R. Thank you for keeping us all abreast of the latest Ranger news. You are terrific and I love the variety you present.
5)I literally had a dream, and WHY I would dream about this, I don’t know. But I dreamt about our Fifth starter as John Burkett, why I dreamt this, is beyond me. I have been obsessing about the Zito sweepstakes and after the McCarthy trade, I’ve gone into overdrive about the last spot in the rotation. Burkett isn’t pitching anywhere now is he, or is he retired? Would Burkett be any answer do you suppose? Oh, well, so much for dreams.
Isn’t John Burkett like ninety?
Bingo,
The ’80s reliever you are thinking of is Greg Harris.
Greg Harris, YES! Thanks hondo, it was driving me crazy trying to remember. And fenix, it WAS just a dream, but I think Burkett was last seen with the Braves…..I think. Yes, he would be too old I suppose. Well, does anyone have any ideas of any other “name” pitchers who might be able to help us–at least some that would come to Texas? Thanks T.R. for your reminisces.