Friday Happy Hour at the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill
Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where we note the passing of long-time New York sports writer Red Foley. He has his own watering hotel - Foley's - right across the street from the Empire Stadium that is a true sports hangout.
* Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton: "Obviously the better you are, the more people are going to listen. That's the way the world is. At the same time, if I wasn't doing well, I'd still be talking about what God's done in my life."
* Michael Young at the All-Star game on Milton Bradley: "Everyone - and rightfully so - has given Josh tons of credit for the season he's had. But if Milton's not (hitting) behind him, he doesn't have 95 RBI. He's got 95 walks."
* Kevin Millwood has made nine starts against the Twins and has never beaten them. He is 0-5 with a 5.86 ERA. Only three pitchers have ever made at least nine starts against the Twins and never beat them. Jim Bibby and Gene Brabender are the others.
* His 5.86 ERA is the 13th highest among pitchers with at least nine starts against the Twins. The highest is David Clyde with a 7.78 ERA. John Burkett was 6.54 and Roger Pavlik was 6.11.
* Ian Kinsler goes into the second half hitting .419 with runners in scoring position, second highest in the American League. David DeJesus of the Royals is hitting .460.
* By the way, only Vladimir Guerrero (11) has more intentional walks than Milton Bradley (10) in the American League.
* Bradley on manager Ron Washington: '"He knows me. He knows I'll be on time, play hard and follow instructions."
* Torii Hunter got to stay at his home in Prosper when the Angels were in town. Teammates Chone Figgins and Garret Anderson stayed with him. Figgins told the Los Angeles Times: "It's very nice. Usually, on the road, you can go to the mall, and that's about it. But we'd get up in the morning and fish. Just hung out by the dock and talked. You don't get to do that stuff. And for four days, it's just nice."
* On July 18 1952, the Cardinals trailed the Giants 11-0 at the Polo Grounds and ended up winning 14-12. On July 18, 1994, the Astros trailed the Cardinals 11-0 and won 15-12.
* TBS broadcaster Ron Darling on young pitchers: "They are very into the mechanics of throwing and the mechanics of delivering a pitch to a certain spot. I think what is missing a little bit is a real feel for the game. The best ever for this generation of pitchers is probably Greg Maddux, who had a feel for what the hitter was trying to do, and how the hitter would react pitch-to-pitch and would change his game plan based on what the hitter did."
* Just for the heck of it: Ricky Ledee
* Every member of the 1914 Army baseball team at West Point who made the Army their career ended up being a general. Most notable was Omar Bradley, who was a three-year letterman.
* Dwight Eisenhower wasn't on that team. He was cut from the baseball team and later said, "Not making the baseball team at West Point was one of the greatest disappointments of my life, maybe my greatest."
* Chicago sports writer Barry Rozner got this from White House director of communications Kevin Sullivan about George Bush and John Danks: "He laments that the Rangers gave him up, and he knows I'm a White Sox fan. He was an owner and he knows how difficult it is to find pitching.''
* Alex Rodriguez said he doesn't participate in the Home Run Derby because it messes up his swing but ESPN's Jayson Stark pointed out that he last appeared in the Derby in 2002, then hit four home runs in four games after the break.
* This from Debra at the world renown Dickie Thon Fan Club: A recent study found the average American walks about 900 miles per year. Another study found Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of beer a year. That means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon.
I think I'm getting a lot less miles to the gallon than the average person.
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Thanks for the story about West Point and Eisenhower. That was interesting.
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Can we start the grass roots campaign for contract extensions for Josh and Milton? That way JD can just worry about pitching and where to get more.
I hear Liriano is upset with the Twinks...
A.J Burnett is on the block.
Oakland was never going to trade in the division anyway and it looks like they robbed Philly...
Maybe we can go contract for contract and send Millwood and Connor to Seattle for Bedard (even if he is hurt, wouldn't be much different than now but the upside is better) and their pitching coach...
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I don't believe Bush was ever and owner of this team. I believe he was the managing general partner. Whatever you call it, i call it front man. I remember meeting the guy when Rusty Rose and Richard Rainwater and ESL Partners put the deal together. Bush is obviously more of a baseball fan than he is of our economic situation. Besides he has made more money for his oil buddies as president than he ever did as an oilman. I can't wait until he gets out of office and we hear what has gone on while "they" were in power. Does anyone on here really believe he was #1 a good governor, #2 a good general partner and #3 a good president? Please??? If Bush had a President during the Vietnam War who utilized the "reserves" as he does, then he would have been on the front line, that is if they could have found him......Rock on Osama Husein Obama at least you aren't as old as my Grand PA. Which leads to this question why would a seventy year old want to be President? Especially when his 55 year old wife is rich??????
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Shame on you, d'god! Isn't making derogatory remarks about The President of The US of A considered to be unAmerican? AND he is a fellow Texan. AND he is a former owner (ok, managing general partner) of The Texas Rangers!! I'm shocked! Shocked and stunned!! Personally, I think the Rangers should offer George Dubya a job come the new year. Heck, even if we don't make the play offs next season, at least he could keep the fans interested by invading someone.
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D'god...once again you have no idea what you're talking about. A general partner is an owner whether he's the managing partner or not.
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I sat here and read so many wild rants from the driving while intoxicated-drug recognition expert-"god?" until I'm almost about to pull my hair out. Is he all out of baseball material so he has to bring politics in here? I have to respond. First, while Bush was the owner of the Rangers, his "administration" put together the ONLY playoff teams this franchise has ever seen. The last playoff team was inherited by Mr. Hicks to he does not get credit. So, Bush didn't do a bad job at all. And, he was at the stadium consistently and the organization "genuinely" seemed to care about the fans. Unlike our current situation sans Nolan Ryan. I am surprised that the mega-ego "cop" has such liberal over the top views. But, D'"god", if you are going to spew, spew with substance. Please tell us which buddies the President has made money for and give us some proof. Also, brush up on your reading about how our government works so you can figure out that the President does not have as much control as the Congress. Then, look and see how inept the Congress (both Dems and Reps) have been and you will understand it has been a team effort to get us into this mess. And, only One can deliver us and he isn't running for President but he is in charge. I hope the cases you send to the DA have more substance than mere accusations. After that, leave your politics on Air America and let's keep this blog a pure baseball blog. Please?
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I personally would like to know who fronted Bush the money to buy into the Rangers? Because the facts are he had been a failure at everything he tried right up to being placed into a "leadership" role with the Rangers. That "leadership" role put him in the public eye, which put him in the Governors Mansion for two consecutive terms. While he wasn't a bad Governor, the role of Governor has the power of appointment, other than that it is limited. In Texas the LT. Governor basically has more power than the Governor. By the way, i don't believe Bush is a Texan. I do believe he was born in another state on the east coast. He like most Texans go to Yale and Harvard and join Skull and Bones. The bottom line is Bushes daddy placed him where he is, even as a 60 year old man, his daddy and his daddies buddies pull that chain. Believe it or not. I am not a Bush hater and believe what others have said about the president not being 100 percent culpable. But we sure don't see those W stickers on cars anymore do we? Since we are all concerned about facts here, remember their were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Ha Ha. I guess if McCain is elected he will spend 100 years looking for them. Ha ha.
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Now you really pushed my button you arrogant jerk. George Bush is not a Texan? Then I guess I'm not either since I was born in Wisconsin. For your information I got here as soon as I could and I stayed. We are now at war!
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You want the facts here they are: Bush was born in New Haven, Connecticut on July 06, 1946, that makes him a Yankee not a Texan. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass, Yale University and Harvard Universities. He invested $600,000 for a 1.8 % share of the Texas Rangers where he was made the Managing General Partner along with Rusty Rose. Bush as the "managing general partner" could not and i repeat could not take "material actions" without Rusty Roses prior approval. There was a plan or a procedure to remove Bush as "managing general partner", but no procedure for the removal of Rose. William De Witt is the person who brought Bush in. Bush brought in one frat brother from Yale University but is credited with putting together an investment team? Ha Ha. ESL partners a group headed by Richard Rainwater and Rusty Rose are the individuals that were brought in by Peter Ueberoth after Bush FAILED to put together an investment team. Now Rose's bonus was less than 1/2 of what Bushes was after Bush received a 10 % bonus for "putting the investment team together"? That equates to 12.2 million dollars for a person who had an original investment of $600,000 wow! Bush made 14 million for his short time with the Rangers and got what he wanted out of it, the public profile. Now i say all that to say that what i say is true no matter if you like it or not. If you weren't born in Texas you aren't from here, you may have moved here and claim you are but you aren't. It would be just as if i moved to New York and claimed to be a Yankee, it just isn't true. Roger Clemens and Bush are both Yankees not Texans. TEXANS are people who are born in Texas. Now for these questions" 1) How many people who own 1.8 % share of a team are made Managing General Partner of a any business sports franchise or otherwise? Isn't that usually reserved for the person with a majority ownership interest? Did George Steinbrenner only own 1.8 % of the Yankees? I challenge anyone to name any other sports franchise that has a managing general partner who only holds or held 1.8 % ownership. I think they call that having a minority ownership. ESL Partners wanted to own the team for the land that was available, where Siemans now sits on the frontage road.
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If you could be made Managing General Partner for 1.8% investment of $600,000 why would you pay say $189 million to own the team? Why did Jerry Jones pay that for the Cowboys? In George Bushes world he could have got control of the Cowboys for $3,402,000. I think Jerry would have gone for that. But alas in the real world you have to pay the piper that is unless your last name is Bush. Jerry had to pay the rest of that $186 million to get a majority ownership and named as the managing general partner.....
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I rather enjoyed that political discourse. Thank God, not dwidregod, that we have that freedom in our great country. God Bless America and let's not let our lousy economic situation and those who are certainly responsible for that situation allow us take shift our focus from the importance of this blog: vent our hopes and, mostly, frustrations about 35 years of Texas Rangers baseball. Dgod, while I do not agree with most or almost all of what you say, I support your right to say it. Fred, many great points about our heroes out on the diamond. Keep it up. Back to the task at hand, what other organization would you guys rather trade with than one like Minnesota, given their track record scouting and developing talent in their farm system. It seems like, as a small market team, no organization, outside of the A's, does a better job of competing with the big boys with their own homegrown talent. I say this hoping that they really are interested in Hank. Maybe we can get some of their young pitchers in return. Any thoughts?
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As usual D'god your reasoning is all screwed. You admit that George Bush owned a percentage of the Rangers as did his other partners. DBuh? Key word is owned. And I objected once to your Jingoism about who is a Texan and who isn't. YOou're an idiot. A Texan is someone who lives in Texas (or some would say those who's heart is here. I'm a Texan (though I was born and educated in Wisconsin and George Bush is a Texan even though he was born in Connetecut and educated there and elsewhere in New England. According to your definition the only Texans are those who were here before the Alamo. That's absolutely stupid. Get over the damn war of 1860. This is a baseball blog...keep it to baseball of which I might add you know little. Most of what you say here is just plain wrong or after the fact stuff that we all can see. You need to get a life, get some lithium carbonate, get a 12 step program and quit wasting our time. Your post about Teagarden callup was so wrong it was pitiful. Saltalamachia had the flu...that's why he was called up. You know Saltalamachia...your new trade um guy...after you harranged us to let him ctch...o'h and then changed it to let him play first base...and when we told you he was no good at either position we get...ohh haha just kidding. Fool!
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1.8 % is like 98.2 less than full ownership. Most managing General Partners own at least a majority ownership interest. I said that to say this, Bush was put out front as the managing general partner to create a political career for the guy. If you look at what his real input was, you would see that it was pretty limited as in a limited as in 1.8 % limited. Bushes oil buddies certainly benefitted from his political career as we all are pinched. Not a finger has been lifted by your hero to lessen the blow to us ALL including those WEESconsinors who think they are Texans. As Lyle Lovett sings Thats right your not from Texas thats right your not from Texas, thats right your not from Texas but Texas loves you anyway. Sorry to touch your Republican nerve freddie but i don't like your personal attacks but keep them coming and remember as Rhoden will tell you, ye who utter you fool, well you are in danger of hell fire, not my words, i think those belong to Jesus. Ha ha. Get a life old man.....
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Hey freddy i will let you be a Texan just as long as we start distinguishing and saying as in Fred is a Texan because he lives here. Dwidregod is a native Texan as in he was born and raised here, his parents before him too, his parents parents well they were kinda kin to Davey Crockett, as in born on a mountain top in Tennesee. Now the Grand Parents parents well they were from Scotland. Of course they migrated here legally, now that of course is another thing we shouldn't discuss here. ha ha.....
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Once a jerk always a jerk!
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Has everyone notice that d(GOD) doesn't like to talk about past posts he has made about certain players if it doesn't
turn our his way. Like his man Obama notice how he is changing as the tide turns. He is like all politicians just HOT air. If he wants to turn this site into a political fight I think there might be some people on here that would oblige him.
he doesn't want to talk baseball as long as the Rangers are playing good ball. But just wait until they have a let down then he will be back telling RW and Nolan how to run the team. Also you say you have met all of these people, it doesn't count being a security guard. You were not invited to sit at the table!
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