"Three things are necessary for the salvation of man: to know what he ought to believe; to know what he ought to desire; and to know what he ought to do."  St. Thomas Aquinas

First understand that everything had to go right for the Rangers to be contenders this year. That hasn't happened and it's now between Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla as to who will be the last man standing in the Rangers starting rotation.

Now we know why Sidney Ponson and John Patterson were signed at the end of Spring Training. It seemed superfluous at the time, now it may be life saving even if Patterson is still not ready yet.

This is a bad time for Eric Hurley to be 1-1 with a 6.46 ERA in six starts at Triple A Oklahoma. There are some guys who are pitching well in the Minors including Doug Mathis (4-0, 3.38) and Elizardo Ramirez (4-2, 4.13) at Oklahoma and Trey Hodges (3-1, 2.25) at Frisco. They aren't on the 40-man roster and that's full but a team that's 9-18 should have somebody who is expendable.

Wonder if Kameron Loe and Robinson Tejeda still think they should be starters.

Yes the Rangers are 9-18, yes they are talking about Ron Washington's job status and yes there is some speculation that a change could be forthcoming. No decisions have been made but no manager is going to be able to keep his job if his team plays poorly for an extended period of time. <p />

Even if this team wasn't built to win this year and even if the most important thing is the long range vision of the franchise that includes the development of young players being as or more important than going all-out to win right now.

Not that the Rangers are going all-out but if Barry Zito had said yes to $99 million two off-seasons ago, then the payroll would be bigger and they could be even in worse shape than they are right now.

Remember Jarrod Saltalamacchia is the only player on the active roster right now that the Rangers have to show for Mark Teixeira, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, John Danks, Chris Young, Adrian Gonzalez and Gary Matthews Jr. That can not be blamed on the manager and what has transpired at a position once manned by Teixeira, Rafael Palmeiro, Will Clark, Pete O'Brien and Mike Hargrove is mid-boggling. Wonder if Al Oliver can still fall out of bed and hit .300.

Jon Daniels is still in Washington's corner, believing that he is a great teacher of the game and the right manager for a team that is trying to build with young players. Should they be better?

Yes, especially on defense. Anybody notice the standings this morning? There are three teams in first place that were supposed to be in a rebuilding mode: Oakland, Baltimore and Florida.

Ouch. No doubt there was much discussed at the Cracker Barrel but if all problems were covered then hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo should have been invited to discuss the hitting with runners in scoring position.

A new manager, no matter who it is, inherits the same old problems and if you veer away from the long-range plan now, you run serious risk of falling back into the same painful rut that put the Rangers in this situation. The vicious cycle just begins anew and there are no shortcuts.

The problem is the Mavericks are toast and the Cowboys draft is done. The Stars are still rolling but as other teams leave the stage, the Rangers increasingly become the subject of talk-show flogging and the radio reception is good at Tom Hicks headquarters at the Crescent Hotel. The owner is off to England but there are plenty left behind to take notes and increase Arbitron ratings.

That's not the way to run a railroad but when there's dissatisfaction in the masses, that only cuts into ego and bank accounts and only stirs the call for drastic action.

The one thing Nolan Ryan understands is that it took the Rangers a long time to get to this point and it's not going to be a quick road back. Look, that doesn't mean Washington is going to still be here when the Rangers reach the end of that road. A team can't continue to play poorly no matter what the overall philosophy might be.

Really the Rangers set their course in July of last year. When they made those trades Teixeira, Kenny Lofton and Eric Gagne, they had crossed the same stream as Caesar and can not turn back. They have committed to a long-term plan of attack and a new manager is not going to accelerate the process. The more likely danger is another 180 degree turn for the worse.

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible."

St.Thomas Aquinas

Third baseman Hank Blalock will be sidelined 3-4 weeks with a small tear in his left hamstring. The Rangers will make a roster move on Tuesday

 

Today is April 28 and you know of course that it was on April 28, 1789 somewhere in the South Sea that Fletcher Christian led the famous Mutiny on the Bounty against Captain William Bligh.

That led to a classic novel - my all-time favorite book - several followup books about what really happened and three movies of which Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson make the best Bligh and the best Christian.

You know they ask you if you could have dinner with three people and my answer has always been Fletcher Christian and William Barrett Travis because I'd want to ask them both.

What on earth were you thinking?

Which begs the question....

What's on your minds this morning...

1. Might as well ask it...what is your take on the managerial situation and what should happen there?

2. How should the Rangers handle the catching situation now?

3. How much do you think the Rangers struggles in hitting with runners in scoring position has accounted for their overall struggles?

4. Who is the Rangers Player of the Month for April?

5. Do you think 26 games is too early to make sweeping changes?

 

If it walks like a dog and barks like a dog...

Remember we made this quite clear before the season began...

There was no Rangers team in history that would be harder to predict than this one and that nobody could accurately predict how this team would do. There were far too many variables. Any prediction was nothing more than a guess....

So were you smart enough to know that after 25 games:

* They would be winless in Jason Jennings first five starts.

* They would be hitting .218 with runners in scoring position and .188 in those situations with two outs. Michael Young, who ranks right there with Rusty Greer and Will Clark as one of the best clutch hitters in team history, is 4-for-22.

* They would be on pace to commit 174 errors. Actually that would not be a club record. The Rangers fumbled or botched 191 plays in 1975. They also won a division in 1996 by committing just 87 errors.

* Milton Bradley would have started just five games in the outfield and Frank Catalanotto would have started just four games at designated hitter. That was supposed to be the reverse.

* Ben Broussard would go three weeks without an RBI. Three weeks?

* Their three youngest starters - Kason Gabbard, Luis Mendoza and Brandon McCarthy - would all be on the disabled list by the end of April and that in theory, their fourth and fifth starters right now are Sidney Ponson and Scott Feldman. Oh yeah, we all knew at the end of April it would be Ponson and Feldman and two days of rain.

* That by the end of April, general manager Jon Daniels would be bombarded with questions about the status of manager Ron Washington.

It truly has been a Long Day's Journey Into Night.

The Oracle of the Elysian Fields:
"If I err, it's on the side of higher expectations."
Rangers president Nolan Ryan.

Toby's Toby Five
1. Josh Hamilton - Look who's leading the American League in RBI.
2. Houston Astros - Somebody has been winning in the Lone Star State. They won six in a row before losing on Saturday.
3. Ian Kinsler - He has reached safely in 24 straight games to start the season, tying Buddy Bell for the third longest streak in club history.
4. John Smoltz - 3,000 strikeouts. Enough said.
5. Billy Wagner - The Mets closer has pitched nine innings and has yet to give up a hit. He has walked two and struck out nine.

Anniversary:
It was 35 years ago today that good friend Steve Busby threw the first of two no-hitters for the Kansas City Royals. He beat the Detroit Tigers, 3-0, at Tiger Stadium.

Ex-Ranger of the Week:
Phillies pitcher Rudy Seanez. He was released by the Dodgers at the end of Spring Training and signed by the Phillies on April 2. He has pitched eight innings and is 2-1 with a 0.00 ERA. He has allowed one hit, walked seven and struck out just three. The loss came on an unearned run.

Seanez made his Major League debut in 1989. He has pitched with nine organizations including the Rangers in 2002. The Rangers are one of the few organizations he has had just one tour of duty with. He has been with the Padres four times and the Red Sox, Braves and Dodgers twice.

But don't forget about:
Chan Ho Park picked up his first save of his career when he pitched the final three innings of the Dodgers 9-3 victory over the Reds last Sunday. He also pitched three scoreless innings in an 8-7 victory over the Rockies on Friday to get his first win of the season.

Pitching matchup of the week:
Brandon Webb, 2006 Cy Young winner, faces Jake Peavy, the 2007 winner, this afternoon at Petco Park.

Birthdays: Frank Catalanotto turns 34 today, the same day that Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby was born 112 years ago.

Ron Washington is 56 on Tuesday and if you remember Edwin Correa, he is 42 on Tuesday. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is 23 on Friday. Saltalamacchia is one of five switch-hitting catchers who have at least 80 at-bats at the position for the Rangers. The others are Chad Kreuter, Donnie Scott, Gregg Zaun and Adam Melhuse.

Last call:
"I can pitch. It's not pretty but I can throw strikes. But I like hitting way better,"
First baseman Ben Broussard, who volunteered to pitch in a 19-6 loss to the Tigers last week.

 

The Rangers have sent down pitcher Kazuo Fukumori to make room for Sidney Ponson. Third baseman Hank Blalock is not in the lineup because of a strained hamstring and will not play in the next two games. But the Rangers haven't put him on the disabled list. They are hoping he'll be ready to go sometime next week. More on the website

Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where a cold one always awaits Wayne Krivsky and his terrific wife Linda.

* C.J. Wilson: "Detroit is one of the best heckling cities and Toronto has some of the least original hecklers. Detroit fans are original. They called Eric Gagne last year the French Tickler. They are equal opportunity. They pick on everybody. Toronto picks on one guy and says the same thing over and over again."

* Coming to a cable system near you: the MLB Network. It launches Jan. 1, 2009.

* The Rangers are hitting .194 with runners in scoring position. That puts them last in the Major Leagues. The Giants are 29th at .220. The Rangers are hitting .187 with runners in scoring position and two outs. The Angels, who lead the American League West, are hitting .317 in those situations.

* There are 16 players in the American League hitting less than .190 with runners in scoring position. The Rangers have four of them: Hank Blalock (.158), Michael Young (.150), Milton Bradley (.111) and Ben Broussard (.067).

* There are 23 players in the American League who are hitless with runners in scoring position and two outs. The Rangers have six of them. Bradley is hitless in 12 at-bats and Blalock is hitless in nine at-bats with two outs and runners in scoring position. Those are the highest number of at-bats for a player without a hit in those situations. The others are Broussard (seven at-bats), Marlon Byrd (four), Ramon Vazquez (three) and Jason Botts (three).

* Josh Hamilton on the Rangers: "It's part of baseball. Every great team goes through stretches where they don't win. There are things we can do better and things we're doing well but we have to have consistent games where we're doing things extremely well."

* Hamilton swings at the first pitch 47.7 percent of the time, the second highest in the American League.

* Brad Mills, who was Nolan Ryan's record-breaking 3,509th strikeout victim: "He was special. What a class act. When he retired, they had a dinner for him down in Texas, a special day. He invited back all the memorable strikeout [victims] and their wives, for the weekend. My wife and I flew in there, I want to say it was '93 or '94, I'm not sure, and my wife and I flew into Dallas and we all went to dinner and it was kind of a big thing. It was neat."

* Ian Kinsler on Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez: "I think I've tried to steal once off him and it was third base. He's Pudge. He's a Hall of Famer. He's still a great catch-and-throw guy. Always has been, always will be."

* Just for the heck of it: Tom Henke

* On the list of notables for Wrigley Field was the first organ. That was in 1941.

* Rangers bullpen coach Dom Chiti was just three when the Indians traded his dad to the Mets on April 26, 1962 for a player to be named later. The deal was completed in June. Chiti went back to Cleveland as the player to be named later.

* Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia on his terrible start: "The way I was pitching, I wished something was wrong. I was hoping something would be hurting. But that wasn't the case."

* Former Rangers pitcher R.A. Dickey on being sent down by the Mariners when closer J.J. Putz was activated: "It's been tough. I'm thankful I'm a little older. I'm able to deal with it. My family is here -- that's one of the hardest parts. They flew in [from Nashville] to stay with the team during the homestand here. It's harder for them than it is for me."

* Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte on the struggles of their young pitchers: "These guys have a great idea how to pitch, but they're figuring out that this is a very difficult league to pitch in. They're going to have to continue to go out there and figure out how to do it. We can talk to them and tell them how to do it, but you have to go out there and be mentally tough enough to get through certain situations."

 

The lastest on the Rangers pitching:

Jason Jennings is starting against the Tigers. Scott Feldman is up but in relief. Kazuo Fukumori has been called up and Wes Littleton has been set down. No starter for Saturday but Sidney Ponson and A.J. Murray are possibilities. Luis Mendoza on hold. More on the website

Luis Mendoza complained of a bad shoulder after Wednesday's game. The Rangers aren't happy they just found out about if after the game. Could be headed to the disabled list. More on the website.

 

The Rangers will place Kason Gabbard on the disabled list. Scott Feldman will pitch on Thursday. Jason Jennings has been moved back to Saturday. More on the website.

 

The Rangers have committed 22 errors through 21 games. The opposition has commited nine. The Rangers have allowed 14 unearned runs. The opposition has allowed three.

This is odd: Hank Blalock and Milton Bradley are both hitting over 300. Blalock is .311 and Bradley is hitting .328. But they are a combined 5-for-33 with runners in scoring position. All of Blalock's RBI have come on home runs.

Ouch. Rangers have walked 99 batters and struck out 99 batters. That's not a good thing.

The Rangers face Kenny Rogers Wednesday night. This is the third straight game in which the Rangers have faced a pitcher who has thrown a no-hitter in his career. They faced Clay Buchholz on Monday and Justin Verlander on Tuesday. The last time this phenomenon happened was in 1996 when they faced Kent Mercker, Randy Johnson and Chris Bosio on consecutive days.

Rangers relievers are already tied for second in the league with 71 innings pitched. Remember they led the league last year.

Josh Hamilton has driven in 24.4 percent of the Rangers RBI. Anything over 20 percent is considered extraordinary.

 

 

 

 

The Rangers are placing pitcher Dustin Nippert on the disabled list with a sore right foot and are recalling Frank Francisco from Triple A Oklahoma. Francisco has made eight appearances at Oklahoma and has not allowed a run in nine innings. More on the website.

Remember, the Rangers club record 14-game winning streak started with three losses in a four-game series with the Red Sox.

That was in 1991. Now it's 2008 and we await Game 4 of the Rangers-Red Sox series, and the Boston Marathon, which will pass a few blocks to the south through Kenmore Square.

Hope you have someone from Kenya in the office pool.

Lance Armstrong is running in it, I think. He threw out the first pitch the other night here at Fenway.

Still taking Kenya and the points. Or yards.

1. How tough was the Rangers loss to the Red Sox on Saturday after leading 5-0 into the seventh?

2. Do you see a need for Frank Thomas?

3. What do you see a need for?

4. Are you feeling better about the rotation after the first three weeks of the season?

5. What advice would you have for Ron Washington right now?

 

 

This dog misses the great Robert Crandall:

Lessons from Fenway: A full moon rose over Fenway Park on Friday night. The Sprouting Grass Moon is what the North American Indians call a full moon in April.

There were 37,958 fans there to see it and the Red Sox rally to defeat the Rangers. It's the largest crowd ever to see a game at Fenway Park since World War II. The previous high had been set the night before.

How about that? The Rangers are a bigger draw than the Yankees.

Actually it's because Fenway's capacity is bigger this year. The owners added more seats on the roof down the left-field line. They have done that every year for the past several years.

On Sunday the place they call the "Most Beloved Ballpark in America" will celebrate a birthday. No. 96 if you're scoring at home. Fenway Park opened on April 20, 1912 and everybody in Boston knows that's the same day that the Titanic went down on its maiden voyage.

Fenway isn't going down. It's getting better and better every year. Everybody was stunned a few years ago when the Red Sox owners decided to put seats on top of the Green Monster. That's the 37-foot left field wall that may be as sacred as the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.

The seats proved to be hugely popular. Rangers vice-president Andrew Silverman hosted 30 Rangers fans from Texas there Saturday night. Manny Ramirez's home run sailed over their heads.

The Monster Seats were such a big hit that the Red Sox owners kept finding ways to add seats. They put a whole new section of seats on the roof over the right field bleachers. They added bleacher seats on other sections of the roof. Capacity continues to grow. The charm stays the same.

It is still a great ballpark.

The Rangers need to pay attention. They have their own great ballpark although it is only 14 years old. You can make changes to a ballpark and not ruin it. Just be respectful.

The Oracle of Elysian Fields:
"I'll take the over."
General manager Jon Daniels scoffing at a national commentator's suggestion that manager Ron Washington was on the hot seat and might not make it until May.

Toby's Top Five
1. German Duran - We love Paschal High School. Long ago I lived just down the street from Paschal. You have to love a kid who played the outfield for the first time as a professional in just his second Major League game and wasn't intimidated by the Green Monster. He also had his first Major League hit and dropped two sacrifice bunts.
2. Kyle Lohse - The guy we said the Rangers shouldn't touch is 2-0 with a 1.48 ERA in four starts for the Cardinals and Scott Boras has a smirk on his face. Well, that's not unusual but..
3. C.J. Wilson - He hasn't given up a run yet. He just needs more work.
4. Josh Hamilton - He has more than twice as many RBI as any of his teammates. Actually that might be one of the Rangers problems.
5. Boston - What a great baseball town. Next up: Detroit.

Ex-Ranger of the Week: The Tigers called up pitcher Armando Galarraga from Triple A Toledo when Dontrelle Willis went on the disabled list. Galarraga made his first start on Wednesday and beat the Cleveland Indians, 13-2, allowing two runs in 62/3 innings.

The Rangers traded Galarraga to the Tigers this winter for Minor League outfielder Michael Hernandez. The Rangers released Hernandez at the end of Spring Training and he is now with the Mets Class A team in Port St. Lucie.

Birthdays: Former Rangers reliever Dave Schmidt turns 51 on Tuesday. Schmidt was a pretty good reliever from 1981-85 before being traded to the White Sox. If memory serves, his family was on Family Feud but can't remember if it was him or his wife. Do remember Richard Dawson saying something about the Phillies third baseman.

 David Clyde is 53 on Tuesday. One of our all-time favorites, Frank Lucchesi, turns 81 on Thursday.

Anniversary: Today is also the 92nd anniversary of the Cubs first game in Wrigley Field in 1916. It opened in 1914 for the Chicago Whales of the Federal League but the Cubs took it over after the League shut down. Actually it was Weegham Park. They didn't change the name to Wrigley Field until 1926.

Pitching matchup of the Week:
Jered Weaver vs. Josh Beckett on Tuesday at Fenway Park. Pretty good start to a three-game series between the Angels and Red Sox.

Last call:
"That was impressive. That makes my 14 innings look like nothing."
Rangers catcher Gerald Laird on Yorvit Torrealba of the Rockies and Josh Bard of the Padres catching all 22 innings on Thursday night.

 

 

Eddie Guardado was supposed to come off the disabled list on Sunday but that's not going to happen. He threw in the bullpen on Saturday afternoon and said his shoulder is still weak.

Also, German Duran is playing left field for the Rangers and Gerald Laird is at designated hitter. It's going to be an interesting game.

More on the website.

 

 

Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where we drink a toast to Jeff Idelson, the new President of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

* Gary Matthews Jr. on getting booed at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington: "Yeah, that seemed a little odd. I played well here, and I played hard for these people. I don't know what to make of it. But it was ... really odd."

* Cal Ripken Jr.: "It's unfortunate, but the stopwatch and radar gun seem to overly excite scouts. In terms of raw ability, speed and a strong arm tend to grab a scout's attention. That's kind of sad to me, because the most important attributes in my mind are the ability to hit, throw and catch, and sometimes I feel like scouts get too excited in how they describe a player when it comes to the "five tools."

* Sad news: Joan Shafer passed away on Monday. She was 80. She was the mayor of Surprise when the Rangers arrived in 2003, the one who led the town from obscurity to a thriving suburb. A great colorful lady who was always around and also was a U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Korean War.

* The Rangers 5.38 ERA at Fenway Park is their highest ever for any American League park. Next is Safeco Field (5.11) and Camden Yards (5.10) among current American League parks. Lowest is Angels Stadium at 4.32.

* Think a Rangers pitcher will throw a complete-game shutout this weekend at Fenway? Kameron Loe did it in 2006 but it was just five innings because of rain. The last Rangers pitcher to throw a nine-inning complete-game shutout at Fenway Park was Gaylord Perry in 1980. Only two other Rangers pitchers have done it: Doc Medich in 1979 and Ferguson Jenkins in 1974.

* They've only had three at Yankee Stadium as well: Kevin Brown (1993), Edwin Correa (1986) and Jim Bibby (1974).

* Oh yes, the last Rangers pitcher to throw a complete game shutout of any kind over nine innings was Kenny Rogers on May 14, 2005 against the Minnesota Twins.

* Just for the heck of it: Ken Hill

* If you've noticed Hank Blalock trying to go the other way more often, here's how he put it in Spring Training: "Tony Gwynn in a linebacker's body. Not a bad combination."

* Those maple bats that players use can cost up to $60

* Former Rangers manager Billy Martin: "Another club can be beating you for six innings, but for some reason the good ball clubs get tough and win in the last three."

* Yankee Stadium opened up on this date in 1923. Cost $2.5 million. First ballpark to have a third deck. Babe Ruth hit a two-run home run and the Yankees beat the Red Sox.

* If you're tracking Milton Bradley's 12-game hitting streak, he's hitting .383 (18-for-47) with a .453 on-base percentage. What's curious he is just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position during the streak.

* Kevin Millwood will be trying to snap a nine-game road losing streak when he pitches against the Red Sox on Sunday. He is 0-9 with a 4.02 ERA in his last 11 starts on the road. That's right: 4.02 ERA. Six of the 11 outings have been official quality starts . The Rangers are scoring 1.80 runs per nine innings for Millwood in that stretch and are 0-11 in those games

* Compare that to Vicente Padilla. He is 4-2 with a 5.10 ERA in his last nine road starts. Rangers are scoring 6.61 runs per nine innings for him and are 6-3 in that stretch.

* When the Triple A Oklahoma RedHawks finished beating up on Round Rock on Thursday night, seven of their nine starters were hitting over .300: Jason Ellison (.340),  Ryan Roberts (.306), Nelson Cruz (.314), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (.326), Brandon Boggs (.333), Joaquin Arias (.311) and Casey Benjamin (.318). The exceptions were Nate Gold and Kevin Mench.

* German Duran is the 27th player from TCU to play in the Major Leagues. From the Lone Star State, UT is first with 95, then Texas A&M with 48 and Baylor with 36.

* Starting lineup for the All-Texas Four-Year College Team: 2B Chuck Knoblauch (A&M), DH Freddy Sanchez (Dallas Baptist), CF Tris Speaker (Texas Wesleyan), RF Lance Berkman (Rice), 1B Norm Cash (Sul Ross), LF Bibb Falk (UT), 3B Pinky Higgins (UT), C Jerry Grote (UT).

* Rotation: Roger Clemens (UT), Ted Lyons (Baylor), Doug Drabek (Houston), Pete Donohue (TCU), Burt Hooten (UT). Closer: Norm Charlton (Rice).

 

 

You know that five game losing streak sent them all into meetings. The Rangers love to meet and talk, and nobody could have been happy with what transpired on the homestand.

Yes, the owner does have the Champions League and the Stanley Cup but the club president does not. His focus is solely on baseball and he's none too happy with how things commence.

 Remember the first 100 days are supposed to be the most productive for a new President, especially in crisis. Franklin Roosevelt had the Emergency Banking Act and the Agricultural Adjustment Act but the Rangers need something not in the Treasury or Agriculture but the Department of Defense.

That would certainly be a New Deal for the Rangers even if it's solely a left wing concept.

But they danced off the field after 14 innings in Toronto, about one inning after Josh Lewin finally got his answer about Hank Blalock, and they were all smiling and laughing as they headed to the clubhouse. Labatts and Molson taste better when it comes after terrific relief pitching and a well-timed wild pitch.

Hey, somebody had to score and Vernon Wells was about one at-bat away from finally measuring one.

Wes Littleton sinker vs. Franklyn German splitter? What was the pitch of the night?

Wonder if the Blue Jays GM is going to speak to his manager about handling a pitching staff.

The Rangers could use Jesse Carlson right about now. Methinks the Rangers are going to see a lot of guys like that against their lefty-laden lineup before the season is over.

Josh Hamilton is really good. So are the Rangers pitching and bullpen coaches. Nothing wrong with the Rangers offense that Hank Blalock and Michael Young can't solve. If they get hot, everything will be fine. If not, all other moves will be moot.

Updates from the abacus: the Rangers are hitting .183 with runners in scoring position.

.183?

The defense has to be a concern had every point on the diamond. Except catcher. Laird may have to accept a bronze medal for best arm ever for a Rangers catcher but he's still throwing well. The rest of the defense has to be a concern.

Interesting night on Thursday. Think the Rangers can get seven out of Vicente Padilla when they need it most?

The Rangers really need Milton Bradley in the outfield but it appears the reason why they signed Frank Catalanotto is starting to surface. The guy has always been able to hit and to hang in there at first base on Wednesday was pretty good.

If you have German on the mound, Catalanotto at first and Adam Melhuse at third, wouldn't the Blue Jays try to bunt more? That's what I was wondering. Plus what happened to Blalock.

Someone tell Tom Grieve that the walk from SkyDome to the hotel is an easy walk.

A great baseball game to watch, especially when you're in the comfort of the living room in Plano rather than the true north strong and free. Sorry, don't handle that exchange rate well but won't miss Fenway Park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Kinsler said it before the game about Jackie Robinson...

"Obviously he was an incredible player," Kinsler said. "He broke the color barrier but at the same time you shouldn't overlook what kind of ballplayer he was. He was a Hall of Fame second base.

A few observations:

On-base: Robinson's on-base percentage was over .400 in six of ten seasons he played. His lowest was .367 in his second season. His highest was .440. For five straight years in 1949-54, his OPS was over .900.

Strikeouts vs. walks: He had 740 career walks and just 291 strikeouts. In 1949, he won the National League MVP award, he walked 86 times and struck out just 27 times in a career-high 593 at-bats. His career high in strikeouts was 40. That was the same year he walked 106 times. Only twice in ten years did he not walk more than twice as many times as he struck out.

Bunt: He had 28 sacrifice hits as a rookie.

Fielding: He was the Dodgers regular second baseman in 1948-52. In those five years, his range factor was higher than the league average and his fielding percentage was higher than the league average. The Dodgers then brought up Junior Gilliam in 1953 to play second base and third base became Robinson's primary infield position. Over the next four years, his fielding percentage and range factor were also above the league average for a third baseman.

Hit by pitch: He was in the top three in hit by pitches in seven of his first eight seasons in the big leagues.

Steals: Robinson does not have eye-popping stolen bases numbers. You have to remember that he was 28 when he played his first game for the Dodgers and stolen bases weren't emphasized back then. His career high was 37 in 1949. But he also stole home 19 times, which is believed to be the highest since World War 1.

 

Do people really wait until the last minute to file their taxes?

Yes.

But it's done thanks to Turbo Tax. Our contribution to pork is on the way and hope they spend it wisely in West Virginia. Wonder is Sen. Byrd is trying to get the Nationals to move to Wheeling.

Wonder if the Rangers defense is really that big of a concern. Is it?

The outfield shouldn't be. Should the infield be? Remember the Rangers have a sinkerball staff. Jennings, Mendoza, Padilla....

1. What is your biggest concern about the Rangers defense?

2. What has been the most pleasant surprise in the first two weeks?

3. Is there any adjustments you would make in the lineup?

4. Are the Detroit Tigers finished or should they sign Barry Bonds?

5. What American League Ballpark would you like to vist that you've never been to before?

 

 

 

The Rangers have optioned pitcher Kazuo Fukumori to Triple A Oklahoma to make room for Scott Feldman. Fukumori has a 32.40 ERA after three appearances and agreed it was the rigt decision, saying, "I was the worst in the bullpen so I expected it."

More on the website

Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743. Remember what Jefferson said about baseball:

"Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind."

Tales from the dugout: Broadcaster Josh Lewin pointed out that Rangers manager Ron Washington was the last player to ever score a run against Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton before retired.

Washington had a better story about facing Carlton for the first time ever in Spring Training.

"I was with the Twins and he was with the Phillies," Washington said. "I singled off him. So I'm there on first base, I take a short lead, next thing I know he's picked me off. I never saw it. All I know is I'm standing there and the next thing I know the first baseman is tagging me out. All I saw was Lefty lifting his leg.

"I go back to the bench and they're all laughing their heads off. I said, 'Thanks for telling me about his pickoff move.'"

Or facing Bert Blyleven and his famous curve ball for the first time.

"Ken Kaiser is umpiring," Washington said. "I get down 0-2 and haven't seen the curve ball. Then he throws one and I duck away from it. Kaiser calls it a strike. I said, "Kais, that ball almost hit me.' Kaiser says, 'Wash, how would you know?'"

Oracle of the Elysian Fields:
"They could test ten times a year...I don't care."
Michael Young on increased drug testing

Toby's Top Five
1. Jackie Robinson Day - Enough said.
2. Chuck Morgan - 2,000 games as a public address announcer for the Rangers and Royals. Think that red dot is getting tired?
3. Arizona Diamondbacks - Wonder how much Doug Davis inspired them.
4.  Livan Hernandez - He didn't get a job until Feb. 25 but he's 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA after three starts for the Twins.
5. Kevin Millwood - Is a 1.29 ERA very good?

Ex-Ranger of the Week:
Anybody notice Gabe Kapler's comeback? After a year of managing in the Minor Leagues he is back in the big leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers and hitting .364 (8-for-22) with two home runs and eight RBI.

Pitching matchup of the week: On Tuesday, two former Rangers draft picks who never pitched for the Rangers face each other. Aaron Harang vs. Ryan Dempster. Reds vs. Cubs.

Category                             Harang                            Dempster
Year drafted                         1999                                 1995
Round                                     6th                                  3rd
Year traded                            2000                                1996
To                                         Oakland                            Florida
Acquired:                            Randy Velarde              John Burkett
Record                                    64-50                             60-75
ERA                                        4.11                                4.78
Saves                                          0                                   87
Accomplishment                   Led NL in                      All-Star in
                                           Wins in 206                   2000 for Fla.

                                 
Birthdays: Greg Maddux turns 42 on Monday.

You knew of course that Maddux was born in San Angelo. He and Nolan Ryan are 1-2 in most victories by a pitcher born in Texas. Third? That would be James "Hippo" Vaughn, who was born in Weatherford and was a five-time 20-game winner for the Cubs in 1914-19.

Anyway....Ryan vs. Maddux
Category                       Ryan         Maddux
Games                            807             713
Games started                 773             709
Innings                          5386           4827
Wins                               324             348
Losses                             292             214
ERA                              3.19             3.11
Complete games             222             109
Shutouts                          61               35
Strikeouts                      5714           3281

Anniversary: Monday is the 98th anniversary of Williams Howard Taft throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the Washington Senators first game. He is the first President to throw out the first pitch.

Also on April 14, 1969, the first baseball game ever played outside the United States took place when the Montreal Expos hosted the St. Louis Cardinals. Which leads us to...

Last call
"They discovered boo is pronounced the same in French as it is in English."
Harry Caray on Expos fans.

 

 

The Rangers have placed pitcher Eddie Guardado on the disabled list with a sore left shoulder, retroactive to April 5. That move leaves the Rangers without a left-handed setup reliever. More on the website

 

Scott Feldman is starting Sunday for the Rangers.

That's one of several developments on the Rangers pitching staff.

* Feldman starts Sunday and Jason Jennings is being pushed back to Monday just to give him an extra day of rest.

* This will likely be a spot start for Feldman, who has made one start at Double A Frisco.

* Somebody is likely headed for the DL, either Dustin Nippert (bruised shin), Eddie Guardado (sore shoulder) or Jamey Wright (strained rib cage muscle). Nippert could be the likely guy when the Rangers activate Luis Mendoza off the disabled list. Wright strained the muscle in his appearance Thursday in relief of Kason Gabbard.

More on the website..

 

Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where a cold one always awaits our wingman.

* Linedrives and Lipstick has opened at the Legends of the Game Museum. The exhibition shows the contributions of women in baseball from the early years of the game back in the 1880's. You get to see how Jackie Mitchell struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition in 1931 and how Sophie Kurys stole 201 bases for the South Bend Blue Sox in 1946.

* Josh Hamilton on playing center field at the Ballpark "It's weird. The ball goes up and it looks like it's in right or left but it blows back you way even though you can't feel the wind out there. You look like an idiot standing there and the ball is coming toward you. You learn quickly not to give up on balls that are hit the other way."

* Hamilton played last year at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati and said, "It was basic, the wind wasn't a factor. I don't know about here yet but at Great American you thought you had a chance to catch a ball and it would go out of the ballpark. Hopefully I'll have more room here."

* Kevin Millwood on former Braves teammate John Smoltz getting close to his 3,000th career strikeout: "It's a huge accomplishment, especially for a guy like him. To have as many physical problems, change the way he has pitched and changed his role, it's a testament to how hard a worker he is and how good he is."

* The New York Giants forfeited a game to the Phillies on April 11, 1907. The crowd didn't like the way the Giants were playing and threw snowballs on the field. One hit umpire Bill Klem and he called the game.

* By the way, you knew that Thursday was the big anniversary date for the franchise. April 10, 1961. That's when the Washington Senators hosted the Chicago White Sox in the first game ever for this franchise. White Sox 4, Senators 3. That despite a two-run triple by Gene Woodling in the first inning to give the Senators a 2-0 lead.

* The Senators were in Washington for 11 years. They used 86 pitchers. Only five pitched in at least 100 games and had an overall winning record.

* Mike Mussina on tying Bob Hall of Famer Bob Gibson with 251 career victories on Monday: "I suppose it's kind of neat. I guess if you play long enough, you get lucky and come up on some names everyone knows."

* Just for the heck of it: Edwin Correa.

* White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen: "I'm the biggest [Roberto] Clemente fan ever -- I named my son after him. But Pudge Rodriguez is the best player ever out of Puerto Rico."

* Buck Showalter makes his first appearance on Baseball Tonight on Monday.

* The Yankees have yet to steal a base in ten games. Longest they've gone without one to start a season since 1948 when they went 17 games without a steal.

* Jason Botts said one of his important roles is Josh Hamilton: "Keeping him locked in is one of my unofficial duties. I give him a lot of forearm shivers to the chest so he doesn't lose that edge."

* Relievers C.J. Wilson, Eddie Guardado and have yet to give up a run. In 1991, relievers Jeff Russell (10 innings), Rich Gossage (8 innings) and Gerald Alexander (42/3 innings) did not give up a run in April.

* Most innings pitched in a month by a Rangers pitcher without giving up a run? Joaquin Benoit. He pitched 16 innings last August without giving up a run. He allowed seven hits, five walks and struck out 22.

* Honorable mention to Jeff Zimmerman. He didn't allow a run in June or July, 1999 over a total of 252/3 innings.

* Coot Veal?

 

 

Pitcher Robinson Tejeda has cleared waivers and has been assigned to Triple A Oklahoma. General manager Jon Daniels said he will continued to be used out of the bullpen....

Finally a home game....

1. What was the best home opener that you ever attend?

2. Can the Rangers .500 record on the road be termed a success?

3. What's you take on the Rangers starting rotation so far?

4. Do you think David Murphy should be playing every day regardless of who is pitching?

5. What roster move do you think the Rangers will make when Luis Mendoza is activated?

 

This dog is ready to go home:

The Week That is: The Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians, 12-4, on Sept. 22, 2006, at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Adam Eaton - remember him? - was the winning pitcher.

The victory gave the Rangers a record of 78-76. They proceeded to lose their next three games and six of their final eight. They finished 80-82 and Buck Showalter was let go as manager after the season.

The Rangers haven't been over .500 since then. They missed a chance on Saturday night when they lost to the Angels, 2-1. A victory and they would have had a winning record for the first time under manager Ron Washington.

They were 4-4 and 5-5 last season but lost both times and never got back to .500. They go into today's game at 2-3. A victory today would send them into the first home stand with a chance for a winning record.

The Oracle of the Elysian Fields: "Every day they take the mound I'm looking for that one guy. Why can't we have a guy who can stick it to the other team for nine innings?"
Ron Washington, on the dearth of complete games from one of his starting pitchers.

Toby's Top Five:
1. Eric Nadel - Throwing out the first pitch on Tuesday to celebrate 30 years as a Rangers broadcaster.
2. Rangers starting pitching - The Rangers just need to score some runs for Kevin Millwood
3. A.L. East - Look who is on top after a week: the Orioles and the Blue Jays.
4. Scott Feldman - Former Rangers reliever is now a starter and had a no-hitter through six innings in his first start for Double A Frisco. He ended up as the winning pitcher in a 2-1 victory over Springfield.
5. Ben Broussard - His 6.98 grand slams per home run is the second highest rate among active players with a minimum of 50 career home runs.

Ex-Ranger of the Week:
Chan Ho Park is back in the Major Leagues. He was sent down at the end of Spring Training and was supposed to pitch the first game for Triple A Las Vegas on Thursday. But the Dodgers needed a pitcher and called him back to the Majors on Wednesday.

Pitching matchup of the Week: Edinson Volquez makes his first start of the season for the Reds today. He faces Brett Myers and the Phillies. Doug Davis makes his second and last start for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday before undergoing surgery for thyroid cancer.

Birthdays: Kason Gabbard and Brian Burres share the same birthday. Burres turns 27 on Tuesday and Gabbard turns 26. Burres is the Orioles left-hander who gets to celebrate the day by making his first start of the season against the Rangers in their home opener at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Bert Blyleven turns 57 today while Jose Guzman turns 45 on Wednesday. Chuck Connors, who was the Rifleman but also played for the Cubs, would have been 87 on Thursday but he died in 1992. Hal Morris turns 43 on Wednesday. So? The former Reds first baseman was born in Fort Rucker, the Army Aviation Center in south Alabama. Rusty Greer was born there too.

Anniversary: Yes it was 35 years ago today that Ron Bloomberg became the first designated hitter in Major League history. In his first plate appearance, he drew a walk off of Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant.

Top Six Rangers DH by at-bats
Player                             AB      Runs   HR    RBI   Avg.
Larry Parrish                 1,439    174     65      231    .259
Rafael Palmeiro             1,399    221    100    291     .281
Juan Gonzalez                1,183    192     91    269     .291
Tom Grieve                       709      74     22    101     .255
Brian Downing                  702     128    27      83     .278
Mickey Tettleton               642     105    35     106    .240

Last call
"My only choices were to retire or go to Las Vegas. I chose to go to Vegas."
Chan Ho Park

 

Hank Blalock was scratched from Friday's lineup after complaining of being light-headed during batting practice. Ramon Vazquez started at third base.

Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where Rangers-Angels takes precedent over Lakers-Mavericks every day of the week.

* My all-time favorite TV show is MASH. So on Thursday's off-day I went to Malibu Creek State Park and hiked 21/2 miles to the site where they pitched the original 4077th compound and filmed the outdoor scenes. It's been 26 years and there's not much left. The site has been turned over to nature. But if you ever watched the show regularly then you know it was a unique thrill to stand up on the chopper pad. That was one of a few goosebump moments BigFriar.

* Mariners manager John McLaren on Vicente Padilla, who pitched against his team on Tuesday: "I really don't remember Padilla throwing that hard. The scoreboard said 97 and I looked at my coaches and said, "Am I reading that right. I don't remember him throwing that hard."

* McLaren on the A.L. West: "Everybody is talking about us and the Angels but we don't take the other teams lightly. We fight each other hard. Forget about that stuff about rebuilding. We don't take anybody lightly."

* Ian Kinsler said a player he admires is White Sox shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who was traded by the Angels in the off-season. Said Kinsler, "He doesn't make very many mistakes, defensively, offensively or on the basepaths. He had seventy-something straight games last year where he got on base. That's impressive with the guys hitting behind him. That's something I admire, knowing the guys behind me. That's something I'd like to do or get close to doing."

* Angels manager Mike Scioscia on the Rangers: "The Rangers have enough of an offensive game to let you know if you're not making pitches. A guy like Michael Young, a guy like Josh Hamilton coming in, a young guy like Kinsler who's come a long way and is a very productive offensive player . . . they'll let you know if you're not making pitches."

* Thomas Diamond, just over a year removed from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, is scheduled to throw two innings in an extended Spring Training game on Saturday.

* Friday marks the 34th anniversary of Hank Aaron hitting his 714th home run, tying Babe Ruth for first place all-time.

* Just for the heck of it: Steve Hargan

* In the Rangers first 3 contests, Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, and Jason Jennings each lasted 5.0 innings or more. While it's a small sample, and despite the 1-2 start for Texas, the rotation's 2.65 ERA after 3 games is the lowest since a 2.49 mark in 1996. It is just the 11th time the team has had a sub-3.00 ERA over the first three contests in 37 seasons

* Josh Hamilton's two-run home run on Tuesday marked the 21st time in club history in which a Ranger hit a home run in the ninth inning to put his team ahead when they were trailing. The last time that happened was on April 9, 2005 by none other than Richard Hidalgo. It was also in Seattle. The guy who gave up the home run was Eddie Guardado, who is now with the Rangers.

* The other 20? Juan Gonzalez did it three times. Pete O'Brien, Ruben Sierra and Buddy Bell did it twice.

* Two consecutive quality starts by a Rangers pitcher in the first two games of the season? It's happened nine times in club history but just four times in the past 25 years: Ryan Drese and Kenny Rogers in 2005, Rogers and Chan Ho Park in 2004 and Ken Hill and Roger Pavlik in 1996. It happened three straight times in 1976-78.

* The Texas Rangers announced this week that all concession stands, suites and fine dining areas, including the Diamond Club, Cuervo Club and Rawlings All American Grill, inside Rangers Ballpark in Arlington will serve Nolan Ryan Guaranteed Tender Beef Products during the 2008 season.

* Larry King, the talk show host who is 74, was thrown out of a Little League game this week. He is coaching his son. Got to love someone who is 74 who has a son in Little League.

 

 

Apparently the Mariners are losing reliever J.J. Putz. He is on the disabled list with inflammation in his ribcage. Apparently he hurt himself pitching to Michael Young in the ninth inning just before Josh Hamilton hit his home run.

Michael Young and Hank Blalock are both battling the flu. Like Ian Kinsler, they are going to try and play Tuesday night. But they are both hurting... More on the website.