Friday Happy Hour at the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill

Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where the patrons know that the biggest mistake ever made in Rangers history was owner Bob Short firing manager Whitey Herzog in 1973 after less than a full season on the job.

Buck Showalter: "The best day of the year is the workout day before the playoffs begin. The weather is cool, the leaves are turning, everybody is happy, it's what you work for. It's the only time that George Steinbrenner ever put his arm around me."

* The Phillies are 8-2 in Randy Wolf's ten starts since he returned after missing a year because of Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. He was a 16-game winner for the Phillies in 2003 before the elbow started bothering him but now he seems healthy again. He is also a free agent after the season is over. The Rangers know that very well.

* The Cubs figure to buy out Kerry Wood for $3 million and make him a free agent rather than pay him $13.5 million next season. He said he wants to pitch in relief next year to reduce the wear and tear on his arm. The Rangers need an eighth-inning setup reliever.

Second baseman Ian Kinsler on his defense: "My defense needs to be more consistent. There were a lot of mistakes on throwing errors - not glove errors - and those can be wiped out. I never want to take my aggressiveness away, that's part of my game. But I need to control it, know when to hold the ball and when it's necessary to be aggressive. Experience taught me some. Mental preparation will help that too."

* Mariners rookie Cha Seung Baek could pitch against the Rangers on the final day of the season. If so, he has a shot at being the eighth rookie to win at least three games against the Rangers in their first season.

* Houston's Taylor Buchholz and Minnesota's Francisco Liriano are two of eight pitchers who have pitched at least ten innings against the Rangers in their rookie season and not given up an earned run. Gustavo Chacin did it for Toronto last year.

* Baek, Buchholz and Liriano have to go aways to match the success that the immortal Paul Hartzell had against the Rangers in his rookie season.

Hartzell, while with the Angels in 1976, pitched in six games against the Rangers including four starts. He was 3-0 with an 0.79 ERA. He had three complete games, including two shutouts. He had a save. The shutouts were his only two in 77 Major League starts from 1976-1984.

* Danny Darwin won 55 games with the Rangers while Nolan Ryan won 51. So Darwin holds the distinction of most victories with the Rangers by a native born Texan. Roger Pavlik is third with 47. Next is Chris Young with 15.

* Ryan (105) is first with the Astros while Darwin is second (47) as far as most victories for the Astros by a native-born Texan.

* Just for the heck of it: Gary Mielke

* White Sox outfielder Carlos May, the American League Rookie of the Year in 1969, wore No. 17. He is the only Major League player to wear his birthday on the back of his jersey.

* What do pitchers Seth McClung, Bruce Chen, Scott Schoeneweis and Ron Villone, catcher Matt LeCroy, first baseman Ben Broussard, infielder Alex Cora and outfielder David Newhan have in common. They are also represented by Scott Boras.

* This was not quite what he was saying in Spring Training but this is what Nationals manager Frank Robinson said after Alfonso Soriano stole his 40th base to join the 40-40 club: "It's been good for the team because of the individual who was pursuing this record. He's a super individual, and the guys like him. He carries himself the same way all the time. He's upbeat and [his teammates] were happy for him, they were rooting for him and they wanted to see him get it."

* Angels owner Artie Moreno is promising one big free agent signing or major trade acquisition this winter, telling the Orange County Register: "Yeah, I'll guarantee that. That's pretty easy to guarantee. We're going to do it."

* Tigers manager Jim Leyland was one of three to interview for the Rangers job in 1983. Doug Rader and Bobby Valentine were the others. Rader got the job. Leyland was third base coach for the White Sox at the time. He also interviewed with Seattle and Houston before getting his first job with the Pirates. The Astros hired Hal Lanier.

* Mark Teixeira, Jeff Zimmerman, Rick Helling, Will Clark, Kevin Brown, Pete Incaviglia. Going backward in time, those are the Rangers last six player represenatives.

* You have been a Rangers fan too long if you can remember Pantyhose Night and the club gave out a free pair to every woman who came through the turnstiles.

* Reliever Wes Littleton gets through an inning in 13.3 pitches. Starter Edinson Volquez needs 19.6. All other Rangers pitchers are somewhere in between.

* Two other Rangers career records that Charlie Hough holds: 30 balks and 24 batters reaching base on a strikeout. Bobby Witt is second in both with 24 balks and seven reaching after strike three.

* Of course everybody fan knows that Bump Wills is the only player to steal home twice during his time with the Rangers. But the real Ranger fan knows that Cecil Espy is the club's career leader with 17 steals of third base. That may not be as unusual as Ivan Rodriguez actually trying to steal third 23 times while he was here but he was successful on 13. Espy was 17-for-21.