Friday Happy Hour at the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill

Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, unofficial watering hole for the 282nd Black Cats.

* Manager Ron Washington on the Rangers in Spring Training: "The pitching has been outstanding. The execution of fundamentals has been outstanding and they have been running the bases well. I've been pleased with the workmanship they have been giving me. There hasn't been any complaining, they are just getting their work done."

* Pay attention, this is good: Rusty Greer retired because of a variety of serious injuries, including a bad shoulder and bad elbow in his left arm. He can hardly throw left-handed. He has three kids approaching Little League age. Greer has taught himself to throw right-handed so he can play catch with his kids. He can fire the ball with authority right-handed from 120 feet.

* Olympic gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson is in camp on Friday to talk to general manager Jon Daniels and the Rangers training staff. Johnson operates a training center in North Dallas and the two sides are going to exchange some ideas on how that might benefit the Rangers.

* Yes, the Rangers have talked to other teams about Frank Catalanotto. There have been no takers. Said one scout, "I still like him as a player but we just have no room for him."

* Kris Benson on trying to crack a rotation that appears to be set: "I think I have to prove myself every time out there. I can't control what will happen but I can make their decision as hard as I can."

* Outfielder David Murphy has not been limited by his right knee, which he injured back in August. He is still full speed. But he has to take care of the knee and his right hamstring, which has been a concern because of overcompensation. Said Murphy, "It feels not normal."

* Brandon McCarthy on Ian Kinsler's great spring: "He's ready to go. He can fly ahead and just meet us in Arlington."

* Hank Blalock on the possibility of ever playing third base again: "For me I have to realize I've had injuries and it's tough for my shoulder to hold up and play third base for a full season. So what I have left is to play DH. Michael Young is a guy who plays through broken fingers and anything else that comes up so playing third base is going to be minimal. I just want to focus on my position and help us win the division."

* Just for the heck of it: Rod Barajas.

* Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia on pitcher Matt Harrison: "Harrison looks night and day different from last year. He was good last year but now he commands all his pitches and even on a bad day he can get people out. He looks like a veteran out there."

* Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart spent the winter on-line studying video of Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan and told MLB.Com's Lyle Spencer: ""With Maddux, for instance, they showed him throwing in high school, early in his career, and then later. It was the same motion, same delivery. There was a consistency in everything he did. With Ryan and Clemens, there were similarities in their approach. You could see how they'd get their lower bodies into it, for leg drive. "

* MLB.Com's Jesse Sanchez on Cuba's failure in the World Baseball Classic: Wednesday's elimination marks the lowest finish ever in one of the four major international competitions -- World Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Olympics and World Baseball Classic -- for Cuba, and the lowest since a third-place finish in the 1951 World Cup. Since 1952, Cuba had played in 40 finals in the above tournaments -- and won 33 times. Additionally, Cuba had streaked to 38 international titles in 49 tournaments since 1939.