Rangers outfielder Marlon Byrd left Tuesday's game with what was reported as a hip capsule strain on his right side. He injured himself running to first base on a grounder to short in the first inning, falling face first at the end.
He was replaced by Craig Gentry in center field.
Byrd is listed as "day-today" but the Rangers only have five games left. The possibility exists that Byrd could watch the next five sitting next to Josh Hamilton but that is still unknown.
The Rangers have shut down outfielfder Josh Hamilton for the final six games of the season.
Hamilton, who has played in just two games since Sept. 2, has a pinched nerve in his lower back and will not play again this season. The Rangers came to that decision after a meeting between Hamilton, manager Ron Washington and assistant trainer Jamie Reed on Tuesday afternoon.
Had the day off on Sunday. It went something like this...
* Morning Mass at local Catholic Church.
* Drove to Fox Sports Grill to watch San Francisco 49ers play Minnesota
* Calculated the possibilities for the Rangers. If Angels lose and Rangers win, four games back. If both win or both lose, five back. If Angels win and Rangers lose, six back. Four possible outcomes. One really bad.
* 49ers lose Frank Gore and can't move ball.
* 49ers block field goal and miraculously lead 14-13 at halftime. Day is looking up
* 49ers lead 24-20 late in game. Vikings fans looking despondent. Tell them: "I wish we had Brett Farve."
* Said quarterback throws game-winning touchdown with two seconds left. Hometown team loses. Pay bill and leave.
* Turn car radio to Rangers game. Rangers leading 5-0 in the sixth and Brandon McCarthy appears to be cruising.
* Take Toby for a walk.
* Check Rangers score... 5-3 in the eighth.
* Take Helen to Memphis Red Hot & Blue. Stop at Barnes & Noble on the way home.
* Check Rangers score. They lose, 7-6.
* Take annoying dog for second walk. Don Meredith is singing inside my head...
1. Do you think the Rangers bullpen ran out of gas in the end?
2. What's your take on Julio Borbon's future with the Rangers?
3. Should Michael Young and/or Josh Hamilton play again this season?
4. Was Sunday the worst loss of the season for the Rangers?
5. Would you consider the four-game series with the Angels as meaningful games?
Rangers manager Ron Washington talked about his outfield at length before Saturday's game against the Rays. Among Wahington's thoughts:
* He wants Marlon Byrd back in 2010. Byrd is a free agent and the Rangers would like to re-sign him. He also wants to come back and has told the Rangers that. But it's still uncertain if they will be able to re-sign him.
"I think it's important for a lot of reasons," Washington said. "He's a very good defensive player, he's a leader, he shows up and plays every day and he's productive. I hope the organization does every thing they can to keep him."
Byrd went into Saturday's game hitting .280 with 17 home runs and 83 RBI, which is tied with Ian Kinsler for the most on the team.
* Washington said re-signing Byrd would allow the Rangers to move Josh Hamilton to a corner spot.
"Would that take some wear and tear off him?" Washington said. "Yeah. I'd like to have him in (either left or right). There is a lot of wear and tear in center field and that's a big body. It would be easy to do as long as we have someone to play center. We were very fortunate to have Marlon.
"If Josh ends up as our center fielder, he'll play. But if we can get somebody to take a load off him, we will."
* Washington wants to get Julio Borbon time in center field before the season ends but is not sure if he's ready to play out there every day. He still needs work with outfield coach Gary Pettis on getting jumps, reading the ball and running good routes.
"He's made good progress in left field but center field is a different animal," Washington said. "If we put him out there, we have to make sure he's ready. We can't let him start hurting our pitching."
Borbon is expected to play Winter ball in the Dominican Republic this off-season.
* Nelson Cruz was out of the lineup on Saturday for the third straight game. Washington said Cruz will start on Sunday against left-hander David Price. Cruz is hitting .260 with a club-leading 32 home runs and 74 RBI but is hitting .146 with one home run and three RBI in his last 14 games.
"I thought he's had a pretty good year," Washington said. "I just think at the end he ran out of gas. He just found out some times you to learn to play the game with your mentality rather than your physical ability. There were periods when he was amazing and periods when he was not so amazing. But, for the most part, as a first-time full-timer, he did well."
* The Rangers hottest outfielder down the stretch has been David Murphy. He went in Saturday's game hitting .429 (9-for-21) in his last six games and .338 with four home runs and 14 RBI in his last 18 games. After starting the season with that 0-for-23 slump, Murphy is hitting .276 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI.
"I thought he grinded it out," Washington said. "He got off to a terrible start but picked it up and has really been huge for us down the stretch. I played him against everybody and he wasn't fazed."
Josh Hamilton said he is ready to return to the lineup, at least as a designated hitter. Manager Ron Washington isn't ready to put him in there yet.
Hamilton, who has been sidelined since Sept. 2 with a pinched nerve in his lower back, took 30 swings in batting practice and said he had no problems with his back.
"It went really good," Hamilton said. "I didn't really have any pain. We'll see how it feels tomorrow."
Hamilton said he told Washington that he could be ready to start at designated hitter on Wednesday.
"I feel good enough," Hamilton said. "That's what it's about, feeling good enough to play."
But Washington wants to wait and give Hamilton more time. It has been 20 days and since it is September, Hamilton can't go to the Minor Leagues on a medical rehabilitation assignment. He may not be back before the weekend series against the Rays in Arlington.
"He hasn't been able to do anything for three weeks," Washington said. "Today was just a start. If he continues to progress, Tampa Bay is realistic."
Rangers reliever Eddie Guardado appeared in his 906th game on Monday night, tying him with Cy Young for 21st place among all-time appearances for a pitcher.
He doesn't have many more appearances left.
Guardado admitted that he is thinking about retiring at the end of this season.
"Yeah, I'm thinking about hanging it up," Guardado admitted. "I can't give you a definite. December rolls around, you start getting that edge and mama wants you gone. But it may be time. You got the young guys coming up, doing their thing. But when you leave the game, you just hope you've left an impression on the young kids and they do it the right way and respect the game."
Guardado, a 21st round pick by the Minnesota Twins in 1990, is in his 17th season in the Major Leagues. He has 187 career saves, plus less than two weeks to pass Cy Young. That will be it. Mariano Rivera is in 20th place with 911 appearances and then comes Gene Garber with 931.
Guardado, who turns 39 on Oct. 2, will have to be content with passing the guy who they named the Top Pitcher trophy after.
"It's always special when you're in the history books with all those great names," Guardado said. "I keep telling these guys that's what happens to you as long as you keep coming to the ballpark, doing your work and getting prepared."
Regarding the Rangers sale...
* Former agent Dennis Gilbert, who now works for the White Sox, has apparently formed a group of heavy hitters to bid on the Rangers.
* Gilbert is not considered a serious contender, according to sources.
* There are between 4-6 groups who have expressed serious interest.
* There have been rumors that Sandy Alderson, former GM of the Athletics and president of the Padres, is getting a group together.
* Nolan Ryan apparently is not in the bidding.
* The process could go into next season.
* Tom Hicks still wants to be involved and it appears he is trying to find a way to keep at least a part of the team.
* Major League Basebal is hoping the sale price will be over $500 million although there are still several moving parts including the ballclub, the Balpark lease and the property around the Ballpark.
* George Bush is not interested in getting involved.
"I might as well be frank monsieur. It would take a miracle to get you out of Casablanca and the Germans have outlawed miracles." Senor Ugarta...Casablanca.
"It's Christmas Theo. It's the season of miracles. So be of good cheer and get me those detonators." Hans Gruber...Die Hard.
"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education," Albert Einstein.
"Everything is a miracle. It is a miracle that one does not dissolve in one's bath like a lump of sugar." Pablo Picasso.
Actually Pablo, the Rangers may have done just that on their last homestand.
So now they hope and pray for one last miracle, which may be nothing more than getting Michael Young and Josh Hamilton back in the lineup together for one more game.
Or Scott Feldman winning three more games and becoming the fourth 20-game winner in Rangers history.
Or Kevin Millwood pitching five innings tonight in Oakland.
Or the Rangers and the Cowboys playing on the same day in Arlington...
In October.
Just curious...did the Cowboys ever consider Mike Singletary as their head coach?
Oops.
Sorry....
1. What is your take on Derek Holland's season?
2. Is Chris Davis the answer at first base or do the Rangers need to upgrade in the off-season?
3. What's your take on Ian Kinsler's season?
4. Hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo said he's "I'm responsible" for the Rangers recent offensive woes. How do you feel about it?
5. Are you surprised by what has happened to Milton Bradley in Chicago and would you take him back next year if the Cubs pick up his salary?
The Rangers lineup for Saturday night does not include third baseman Michael Young or outfielder Josh Hamilton. Young remains sidelined with a strained left hamstring and Hamilton is out with a pinched nerve.
But Hank Blalock is in the lineup. He is playing first base while making only his third start this month. Chris Davis is in the lineup at third base.
Michael Young is out of Friday's lineup against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Young, who has been sidelined with a strained left hamstring since Sept. 1, faced Kevin Millwood in a simulated game Friday afternoon and did some sprints in the outfield. But the hamstring is still not ready.
"It's disappointing," Young said. "Obviously I want to play but I can't focus on the negative. I'm going to get after it today [treatment and rehab] and hopefully be ready tomorrow. But I can't play with it like this."
Young has played just once since Sept. 1. He was in the lineup on Tuesday at designated hitter but had to come out after just one at-bat when the hamstring tightened up on him.
"It's disappointing because I came in the other day and thought I would be ready to go for the rest of the season," Young said. "It just wasn't where I need to be."
Josh Hamilton, who has been sidelined since Sept. 2 with a pinched nerve, is also out of the lineup. He is not expected to play in the three game series against the Angels and there is still no clear indication when he will be able to return to the lineup. It won't be until the Rangers four-game series against the Athletics next week at the earliest.
"Who knows, he might make a miraculous recovery," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.
Washington said he has not given much thought to the possibility that Hamilton won't play again this year.
The Rangers go into Friday's game without their two top hitters and having scored just one run in their last 37 innings. Andruw Jones is in the lineup at designated hitter and Esteban German is at third base.
Millwood said he threw 50-something pitches in his simulated game. His next scheduled start is either Monday or Tuesday. Washington said Millwood would definitely pitch one of those two games.
"I haven't thought anything otherwise," Washington said.
It is 2:45 p.m. Friday and Kevin Millwood is throwing a simulated game at the Ballpark in Arlington. Michael Young is one of the hitters facing Millwood. He has finished his at-bats and is now running in the outfield.
No word yet if he is in the lineup tonight.
Josh Hamilton is not in the simulated game.
Matt Harrison is following Millwood to the mound to pitch to some hitters.
Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where we raise a glass to Steve Buechele who took the Bakersfield Blaze to the California League semifinals in his first season as a manager.
* Marlon Byrd: "I told the guys about Oakland (20 straight wins) in 2000 and Colorado in 2007. The Phillies catching the Mets. It can be done. But we need to start winning right away."
* Tommy Hunter's 3.23 ERA is the second lower ever by a Rangers rookie pitcher who made at least ten starts in a season. Lowest is by Steve Comer. He had a 2.30 ERA in 1978. The last time a Rangers rookie pitcher had an ERA under 4.00 was Kevin Brown with a 3.35 ERA in 1989.
* Derek Holland has a 6.01 ERA but that's not close to being the highest by a Rangers rookie pitcher with at least ten starts. That's Luis Mendoza. He had an 8.67 ERA last year.
* One run in four games has happened only once in franchise history and that was while they were the Washington Senators in 1971. The Rangers have never been shutout six times in one season at the Ballpark in Arlington until this year.
* The Rangers were held to one hit for the 3rd time this season on Wednesday, also May 19 at Detroit and June 28 vs. San Diego. Prior to this season, Texas had never been held to one hit or less at home at the Ballpark in Arlington, but it's happened twice in less than three month This matches the most times ever in a season for Texas to be held to one or zero hits in a game, also 3 times in 1984 and 1998.
* The Rangers batted .125 and scored one run in their three-game series with the Athletics. By comparison, they hit .141 with one run scored in the three-game ALDS series against the Yankees in 1998 and .152 with one run scored in the three-game playoff series against the Yankees in 1999.
* The Cubs had a hard time getting ahold of outfielder So Taguchi and telling him he was being called up from Triple A. Said Taguchi: "I don't have any friends in Chicago, so [I thought] maybe this was a wrong [number], and I just ignored it maybe for two hours."
* Just for the heck of it: Kazuo Fukumori.
* Ichiro Suzuki, getting a beer shower from his teammates after his ninth straight 200-hit season: "It's impossible that we're going to have the exact same team members as this year next year. So, to get to enjoy this moment now with them ... makes me very joyful."
* Jon Daniels on signing Tanner Scheppers: "We would have liked to have done this two months ago but hopefully ten years from now we'll be able to look back at the kind of professional career Tanner has had and see it was just a footnote."
* Scheppers was the 44th overall pick. So was Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who is hitting .303 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI. Best pitcher taken with the 44th overall pick was Jon Lieber by the Royals in 1992. He ended up a 20-game winner for the Cubs.
* John Grisham, a huge baseball fan, on Little League baseball: "The age of 12 is a magical year for boys playing baseball. It's the last year the kids are on the small field and they know the game and they are still little boys. After 12, they go to the big field, which is the same size field that the New York Yankees play on. So once they leave this field, they are in a whole different world of baseball."
* Yankees infielder Joe Sewell - 80 years ago tomorrow - set a Major League record by going 115 straight games without striking out. In 1929, he struck out just four times in 578 at-bats.
* Elvis Andrus is the only American League rookie with enough at-bats to qualify to be listed among the league leaders in batting. He has 418 at-bats. Next most is Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold with 358. Most at-bats ever by a Rangers rookie was George Wright with 557 in 1982.
* The Rangers have scored 800 runs in 13 straight seasons, longest in the Major Leagues. They have 700 this season with 17 games to go.
Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia's season will end on Monday when he undergoes surgery on his right shoulder. Saltalamacchia has Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a condition where a rib bone pushes on a nerve and causes pain and numbness in the arm and fingers.
Saltalamacchia has played in just one game since Aug. 14 and that was as a designated hitter on Sept. 5 in Baltimore. He was trying to hang on as a pinch-hitter and DH but decided to get the surgery done and get ready for next season.
The surgery usually requires 10-12 weeks of recovery time. Saltalamacchia is expected to be ready for Spring Training.
Hamilton to be out longer: Josh Hamilton is still having tightness and discomfort in his lower back and is not returning to the lineup anytime soon. The anti-inflammatory shots have helped reduce the pain but he is still experiencing some tightness when he swings the bat and does other baseball activities.
"We're going to back off baseball stuff for a couple of days and see if it will calm down," Hamilton said. "The shots did a good job of calming it down but baseball activities are still giving me not pain but tightness. Tightness will lead to pain if I let it."
Hamilton has not played since Sept. 2 against the Blue Jays.
Young day-to-day: Michael Young was out of the lineup on Wednesday, one day after leaving the Rangers game with the Athletics after one at-bat with tightness in his left hamstring.
Young said he was a little stiff and a little sore on Wednesday. He is hoping for a good work day on Wednesday, a day off on Thursday and then try to get back in the lineup on Friday.
"But if it's one thing I've learned about hamstring muscles is it's day-to-day," Young said.
Michael Young left Tuesday's game after one at-bat because of his strained left hamstring. The report from the Rangers clubhouse is that Young did not suffer a physical setback but decided it was better if he waited a day or two before he returned to the lineup.
Young flied out to center in the first inning in his only at-bat as designated hitter. Nelson Cruz pinch-hit for him in the third inning.
Young may wait until Friday when the Rangers open a three-game series against the Athletics.
Michael Young is back in the lineup. Young is at designated hitter for Tuesday night's game with the Athletics. This is the first time he has played since a doubleheader against the Blue Jays on Sept. 1. He has been sidelined with a strained left hamstring but tested it running the bases before the game. He leads the Rangers with a .322 batting average.
Young admitted that he is not 100 percent. He admitted that he is taking a risk in going back to the lineup so soon. But he wants to play.
"My goal was to get in the lineup as soon as I was ready to play," Young said. "That was tonight. I'm not 100 percent so there is some risk but it's the middle of September and I want to play."
Four do
wn in the Wild Card Race
Six down in the division.
There are 20 games left. Did somebody say 18? Oops. Sorry.
We also know that the Angels are headed to the East Coast. They have a makeup game with the Yankees today and then three games with the Red Sox. The Rangers can gain ground on somebody if they can sweep the Athletics.
Or they can lose ground to somebody if they lose to the Athletics.
They could go 10-10 in their last 20 games. That would leave them 90-72 for the season. It would be tied for the third best record in club history. And it would leave them out of the playoffs for the 10th straight season.
Wonder if that would constitute a successful season in people's opinions.
As good a place as any to start.
By the way... here is what the owner said about the team over the weekend:
1. Would a 90-win season without making the playoffs rank as a successful season in your eyes?
2. How do you rate Scott Feldman's chances of winning the Cy Young Award?
3. How do you rate Elvis Andrus' chances of winning the Rookie of the Year Award?
4. What should the Rangers do with Kevin Millwood?
5. Would you have traded two prospects to the Mariners - say Omar Poveda and Engel Beltre - to the Mariners for Adrian Beltre even though he wouldn't have been on the post-season roster?
Hamilton suffered a stress fracture in his back from the accident. Watkins found on Friday that Hamilton has some inflammation around that stress fracture as well as a bulge in his lower back that was pressing on a nerve. That was causing the pinched nerve that has been bothering he received not one but two injections to help address the problems.
"I'm feeling a lot better," Hamilton said. "I'm able to walk without a limp and put my clothes on without pain."
Hamilton is also relieved that the problem will not require season-ending surgery. That apparently was on his mind when he went to Los Angeles.
"You want to hear that it can be taken care of without surgery," Hamilton said. "Dr. Watkins was very reassuring that it can be taken care of without surgery."
Hamilton hasn't played since Sept. 2 but is hoping to return to the Rangers lineup on Friday when they open a three-game series at home against the Angels.
"That's the goal if everything keeps progressing the way it is," Hamilton said.
The Rangers are also hoping to have Young back by then. He continues to progress in his recovery from a strained left hamstring muscle with considerable improvement every day. He has taking batting practice in the indoor cages for the past two days and continues to pick up speed in his running.
The Rangers continue to be optimistic that he could be ready to go when the Angels arrive in town.
Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, sidelined with a pinched nerve in his lower back, will likely not play again until next Friday at the earliest. That's when the Rangers open their three-game series with the Angels at the Ballpark in Arlington.
Hamilton was examined by Dr. Robert Watkins - a prominent specialist - in Los Angeles on Friday and he confirmed an earlier diagnosis by Dr. Drew Dossett that the problem was a pinched nerve.
Hamilton received a third anti-inflammatory injection and Watkins suggested a week of rest, treatment and exercise before he returns to action.
"Going from what the doctor said, he felt continuing his core program and strengthening his back, Josh could be back in a week or so" general manager Jon Daniels said. "But at this point of the season, we'll wait until he gets back out on the field before we predicts anything."
But at this point, the Rangers won't have Hamilton back for their three-game series against the Mariners this weekend or the Athletics next week.
"The doctor said seven days and we'll go from there," Daniels said.
Hamilton hasn't played since Sept 2 against the Blue Jays.
The Rangers could get Michael Young back before Hamilton. Young has a strained left hamstring but continues to make good progress. On Friday he started swinging a bat in the indoor batting cage.
The Rangers are hoping Young will be back in the lineup when the Angels come to town.
Asked if Young could be back in the lineup before Hamilton, Daniels said, "I wouldn't be surprised."
Vizquel absent: The Rangers were also without infielder Omar Vizquel on Friday. He had to miss the game because of personal business. Esteban German started at third base on Friday. Vizquel will be back on Saturday, manager Ron Washington said.
Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where we remember the Tall Ships Saloon near the World Trade Center as being one of the great watering holes on the road.
* Rangers pitching Mike Maddux on Scott Feldman's success: "Nothing he throws is straight and he has the heart of a lion."
* Nelson Cruz as a pitcher? The Rangers brought it up to him at the end of Spring Training in 2008 when he wasn't going to make the team as an outfielder and was out of options. Said Cruz, who ended up clearing waivers and going back to the Minors, "They asked me about it. I thought they were joking. I said, 'No thank you.'"
* Wasn't that far-fetched. Cruz did pitch when he was 15 for his town team in the Dominican Republic: "The first pitch...home run. After that, I struck everybody out. Fastballs down the middle. Just overpowered them."
* Brewers general manager Doug Melvin on including Cruz in a trade with the Rangers: "I don't think the mistake was including him in the deal when we did, but I think back to, 'Why didn't I claim him off waivers last spring? What hurt us is that we [already] had three right-handed hitting outfielders. But I've talked with plenty of other GMs who are kicking themselves because they needed a right-handed hitting outfielder."
* Marlon Byrd on his physically repaired knee holding up for an entire season: My knee is fine. There are days that it's sore but as far as going full speed, it hasn't held me back at all. The rehab work I did this off-season worked. The knee has held up all year. It's completely healthy."
* You saw that Esteban German had five hits for the Rangers on Wednesday as their No. 9 hitter. That's only the second time in Rangers history that a No. 9 hitter went 5-for-5. Toby Harrah did so in a game back in 1986.
* Just in case you were wondering, Jim Sundberg's 380 hits as a No. 9 hitter are the most in club history. Of course his 1,621 at-bats as the No. 9 hitter are the most in club history. Next is Curtis Wilkerson with 309 hits in 1,169 at-bats at the bottom of the order.
* White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, since the designated hitter was adopted in 1973, was the most prolific No. 9 hitter in Major League history. He was used there in 1,185 games and had 1,053 hits.
* Yes, Kevin Elster still holds the single-season records for home runs and RBI at the bottom of the line. He had 21 home runs and 92 RBI batting ninth for the Rangers in 1996.
* Just for the heck of it: Lee Stevens.
* Michael Young on Ichiro Suzuki getting nine-straight 200-hit seasons: "That's pretty impressive to be at that point at the beginning of September. It's reached a point where we're starting to take him for granted but it's not an easy thing to do, especially as you get closer to 200 hits. Those last ten can be pretty tough. He's been so strong, he's spoiled all of us but the biggest thing is his endurance is unmatched. He occasionally misses some time but then he goes out on an incredible hot streak and makes up for it."
* Young on Derek Jeter tying Lou Gehrig's all-time Yankees hits record: "That's an incredible accomplishment considering how many great players have played for that organization. Their best players are guys that played their whole careers three. It's an amazing accomplishment. I've gotten to know Derek over the years and as much as he won't admit it, I think this means a lot to him."
* On Sept 11, 1966 - 43 years ago today - Braves pitcher Pat Jarvis went to the plate and struck out. The pitcher was Nolan Ryan. That was the first of 5,714.
* It was also on Sept 11, 1886 that Connie Mack played in his first Major League game and on Sept. 11, 1928 that Ty Cobb played in his last game. He was with the Athletics that year. Mack was his manager.
* Elvis Andrus has a 12-game hitting streak, longest by a Rangers rookie since Michael Young in 2001.
Rangers manager Ron Washington believes that one of his players deserves to win a Gold Glove. It's not shortstop Elvis Andrus.
Washington said Wednesday that center fielder Marlon Byrd deserves Gold Glove consideration.
"I think he has been a Gold Glove center fielder," Washington said.
As for Andrus, not yet, said Washington.
"He has been good but he hasn't been Gold Glove," Washington said.
Andrus made a couple of dazzling defensive plays in the Rangers doubleheader sweep of the Indians on Tuesday. Twice he went deep into the hole, made a backhanded stop, then pivoted, jumped and made a strong throw to first for the out.
They were highlight plays but he also made two errors in two games. He has 19 errors on the season, second most in the American League. Orlando Cabrera leads the league with 21 errors.
Andrus is fifth in fielding percentage but leads all shortstops with 5.02 chances per nine innings.
"He needs to be more consistent," Washington said.
Chris Davis has also played excellent defense at first but Washington is not ready to endorse him either
"Not yet," Washington said. "He has been good. He has made the plays but there are a couple of guys that are better."
A few notes on Wednesday morning...
* Andrus has 26 stolen bases. The record for a Rangers rookie is 33, set by Cecil Espy in 1988.
* Andrus has an 11-game hitting streak.
* Class A Bakersfield opens the California League playoffs tonight. The Blaze were the only Rangers Minor League team to make the playoffs this season.
No scoreboard watching here
When Washington left the ballpark after the Rangers had swept the Indians on Tuesday night, he did not know if the Angels had won or loss. When he got to the hotel, he didn't bother to find out.
"I turned on the Weather Channel and fell asleep," Washington said. "I didn't turn on ESPN or anything like that. If I did, that would have kept me awake. When I got to the ballpark today, I found out the Angels had won."
Michael Young said Tuesday he was feeling "big improvement" in his strained left hamstring.
"I think the day of rest really did me some good," Young said.
Young, going into Tuesday's doubleheader, has been sidelined for the past four games because of the hamstring problem but remains encouraged by the work that he and conditioning coach Jose Vazquez has been doing.
He had three days of intensive rehab in Baltimore over the weekend, backed off on Monday and got back after it on Tuesday with some jogging, work in the weight room and more treatment on the muscle in the trainer's room.
"Jose and I had a really good day in the weight room," Young said.
The Rangers are also getting good news from Josh Hamilton. Word is the anti-inflammatory injection that he received in his lower back is starting to take effect and the Rangers remain hopeful that he will be back in the lineup on Friday. He is sidelined with a pinched nerve in his lower back.
Update: The Rangers activated Andruw Jones off the disabled list before Tuesday's game against the Indians.
To get to Weirton, West Virginia, you take Highway 22 east from Pittsburgh and the road cuts through the rugged forested hills of eastern Pennsylvania. Imbedded into the side of one hill appears to be an abandoned coal mine.
The town is located at the very tip of the West Virginia panhandle - five miles across - along the Ohio River and just before you cross the Veterans Memorial Bridge into Steubenville, you exit right and into downtown Weirton.
Downtown is sparse on a Labor Sunday as you pass the VFW, Elks, Moose and American Legion Halls, the taverns, coffee shops, antique and resale furnitire stores. There are cafes where they have legalized video poker for a town of about 20,000 people. On one side street leading away from the main drag, there are six houses in a row boarded up with large DANGER RAT POISON signs posted.
The steel mill is at the north end of Main Street, an enormous sprawling complex on both sides of the street, huge brick buildings, towering smokestacks and thick gas pipes running everywhere.
The steel mill is still open but the complex that once employed 12,000 at the height of the American steel industry now only has 1,200 workers. It is owned by a company based in Luxembourg.
Luxembourg???
Actually ArcelorMittal is 28th on the Global Fortune 500 but in Weirton the factory is only used for tin-plating. Word is though the plant is still one of the largest tin-platers in the country.
Parts of the movie The Deerhunter were filmed in Weirton.
Once you cross the Ohio, you head north along Highway 7 that passes on the west side of the river. This is the Ohio River Scenic Byway and it is scenic in an American way. The river is alive on Labor Day weekend with jet-skis, speedboats and water-skiers. The barges are also trolling the river, carrying massive amounts of what appears to be coal down from Pittsburgh.
You go through Empire, Stratten and Toronto, which was the childhood home of actor Robert Urich. Hills and limestone bluffs tower above the river and the trees are turning color as autumn approaches and there are massive factories up and down both sides of the river, some still alive and some a distant memory in America's rust belt. The Homer Laughlin China Factory is alive and well apparently, commanding a position of prominence a bluff across the river in West Virginia.
East Liverpool, Ohio - hometown of Lou Holtz - proclaims itself the Pottery Capital of the World and there are still three major potteries still in operation in this picturesque village of 13,000. The historic downtown has been restored, one street is lined with brick-and-stone Eastern European style churches and for 75 cents, you can take the rickety steel Newell Toll Bridge across the Ohio to Newell West Virginia and the Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort, where they have slot machines and the West Virginia Derby.
It is at East Liverpool where the highway breaks west away from the river.
It is maybe 25 miles from Weirton to East Liverpool. It is an awe-inspiring drive, just from the natural beauty of the area that still exists and the industrial might of what it once was. You drive away wondering what the future holds for such an area, and whether it will be great once again.
Kind of like the Rangers in a roundabout way, with their great hitters shut down and some of their pitchers starting to hit a wall. They have been great all year, but like in the Ohio Valley, things are getting tough. The team is for sale and the treasury is low. The Rangers are the Ohio Valley of Major League teams right now.
1. How big of a loss has Michael Young been?
2. How has this season changed your view of Josh Hamilton?
3. Who do the Rangers have a better chance of catching...Angels or the Red Sox.
4. What suggestions do you have for manager Ron Washington?
5. Who is the best team in baseball right now.
Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where there are no exceptions to the First Amendment.
Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston on Ron Washington's chances of AL Manager of the Year: "If I had a vote, I'd give it to him. He's done a great job over there. Wash is a guy that if something was to happen over there and he didn't have a job, there'd be a lot of teams that would love to have him. As far as managing and coaching goes, he's a great teacher. He loves to teach. He likes to play the game the right way. He believes in pitching and defense and that's what wins ballgames."
Gaston on the Rangers this year: "I'm not surprised with the way they're hitting the ball. They've always been tough in this ballpark. I think the pitching has helped out and given them a chance to win. I think that's the big surprise to all of us, just to see the pitching has held up. And imagine if Hamilton was having the year he had last year. They might be in first place. But it looks like he's starting to heat up now, too, so it's time for us to get out of town."
Rangers playoff tickets go on sale Sept. 12. But if you register for Inside Pitch on texasrangers.com, you can participate in an exclusive pre-sale of American League Division Series tickets. Fans can join Inside Pitch and participate in this ALDS pre-sale by registering at texasrangers.com by 11:59 p.m. CT on Monday, September 7. Fans who register will be notified via e-mail of the details of the pre-sale, which will take place on Thursday, September 10.
Over eight starts beginning July 27, Tommy Hunter has given up 12 of his 23 runs (52%) in the first inning. In those past 8 starts, he has a 11.25 ERA in the first inning and a 2.08 ERA in all others.
Blue Jays right-hander Jason Frasor on the toughest Rangers batter to face: "I'd say Michael Young. He's always been a tough out. He's so quick with his hands and that's why he hits .320 with 200 hits every year. If you throw away to him, he takes it to right-center. If you throw it inside to him, he can pull it. He's kind of like a Jeter-type hitter and that's how I approach him."
Young has played in 1,081 games since the beginning of the 2003 season. Only Ichiro Suzuki has played in more. Four more. Only Ichiro has more at-bats and hits than Young in that time.
Young also has a .900 OPS this year with a .376 on-base percentage and a .524 slugging percentage. If he doesn't play again, that will be the highest OPS by a Rangers third baseman ever.
By the way, Ian Kinsler's .891 OPS in 2008 was the highest ever by a Rangers second baseman. Alex Rodriguez twice went over 1.000 as a shortstop with a best of 1.027 in 2001. Rafael Palmeiro was best among first basemen with a .995 OPS in both 2000 and 2002. Juan Gonzalez had the best ever in left field (1.025 in 1993) and right field (1.001 in 1998) but Gary Mathews Jr.'s .875 OPS in 2006 was the best by a Rangers center fielder.
Catcher? Stop it. Ivan Rodriguez has the top eight before Rod Barajas finally shows up
Just for the heck of it: Einar Diaz.
Oyster Burns (right) had 128 RBI with just 13 home runs for Brooklyn in 1890. Not sure that's a record but 115 more RBI than home runs in pretty impressive. Actually just wanted to mention there was once a player named Oyster Burns.
Rangers pitcher Scott Feldman: "Our staff is really led by Kevin Millwood. As a group, we really feed off of him. He goes about his business the right way. He's a competitor, and he really leaves everything on the field. All you have to do is watch him and you're bound to learn a lot."
Feldman pitches today in Baltimore with a 10-1 record on the road. He needs one more victory to tie the club record for most road victories in one season. Vicente Padilla (2008) and Rick Helling (1998) both won 11.
In case you are wondering, Giants pitcher Juan Marichal won 18 on the road in 1968. Plus eight more at home. He was 18-2 on the road. Greg Maddux was 13-0 on the road while with Atlanta in 1995. That's the most wins on the road without a loss.
Like those doubleheaders? In 1906, the New York Highlanders played five doubleheaders in six days. They went 10-0. In 1924, the Brooklyn Dodgers won swept four doubleheaders in four days. They beat the Phillies six times. In 1928, the Boston Braves played a record nine straight doubleheaders. They went 4-14.
There is a report that the Rangers have made a Minor trade with the Royals. Kansas City has traded Class A righthander Danny Gutierrez to Texas for AA catcher Manny Pina and AA outfielder Tim Smith.
Rangers officials refused to confirm the trade but...
Here is Jamey Newberg's take on the deal:
Texas wins this deal on talent alone, but rumored, unspecified off-field issues with the 22-year-old Gutierrez (deemed to be the Royals' number 7 prospect before the season by Baseball America) might have made him available when he otherwise would not have been.
A 2005 draft-and-follow, Gutierrez has fanned 25 Carolina Leaguers in 27.1 innings for the Wilmington Blue Rocks this season, walking only seven and scattering 17 hits (.173 opponents' average). His ERA in four starts and four relief appearances is 1.65, and get this - all the runs he allowed came in one game. In his other seven appearances, he fired 22.2 scoreless innings.
Last year, Gutierrez went 4-4, 2.70 for Low A Burlington, fanning 104 and walking 25 in 90 innings of work.
Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton has been diagnosed with a pinched nerve in his lower back.
Hamilton was given an anti-inflammatory injection to reduce the inflammation. He is scheduled to fly to Baltimore tomorrow and head trainer Jamie Reed will examine and evaluate Hamilton at that point. Hamilton is day-to-day.
Hamilton has been bothered by pain in his lower back since the Rangers three-game series on the artificial turf at Minnesota's Metrodome last weekend. He left Wednesday's game in the fourth inning when the back tightened up on him.
Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia was activated off the disabled list on Wednesday.
He will likely be used as a pinch-hitter, designated hitter and emergency catcher over the final weeks of the season.
He said he plans on having surgery after the season for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, the condition in his right shoulder that is causing pain and numbness in his right arm.
Rangers third baseman Michael Young will be out 2-3 weeks with a strained left hamstring, according to general manager Jon Daniels.
Young had an MRI on the hamstring after injuring it in the second game of a doubleheader against the Blue Jays on Tuesday. Young is getting a blood platelet injection on Wednesday to help the healing process.
Chris Davis is starting at third base with Hank Blalock at first base on Wednesday.
The Rangers have designated pitcher Thomas Diamond for assignment to make room on their 40-man roster. The Rangers will likely try to get Diamond through outright waivers and back into their Minor League system. Another team could claim him and put him on their 40-man roster. The Rangers could also trade him for a player who is not on a 40-man roster.
Diamond was the Rangers No. 1 draft pick in 2004. Diamond is on the Arizona Fall League roster as one of the Rangers represenatives.
The Rangers also placed Brandon Boggs on the 60-day disabled list with a dislocated left shoulder.
The Rangers needed two spots on the 40-man roster because they were at 39 before adding pitcher Brandon McCarthy, catcher Kevin Richardson and outfielder Craig Gentry as September callups.
The Rangers do not have one single first-round draft pick from this decade currently on their 40-man roster.
Add Double Frisco center fielder Craig Gentry to the list of names being called up by the Rangers for September.
Gentry, 25, hit .303 with 100 runs scored, eight home runs and 53 RBI for the Roughriders. He also stole 49 bases and had a .378 on-base percentage. He gives the Rangers an extra right-handed bat and some speed off the bench.
Gentry was a 10th round pick out of the University of Arkansas.
The Rangers are also expected to call up pitchers Guillermo Moscoso and Warner Madrigal, catcher Kevin Richardson and infielder Esteban German. Pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Eddie Guardado will be activated off the disabled list. Willie Eyre will likely be added later but he was optioned to Triple A Oklahoma City last week and has to wait ten days before he can be called up again.
