The Rangers have added pitchers Michael Kirkman and Zac Phillips to the 40-man roster, protecting them from being taken in the Rule 5 draft.

Kirkman, 23, combined to go 9-8 with a 3.48 ERA (56 ER/144.2 IP) in 26 games/25 starts this season for High-A Bakersfield and Double-A Frisco.  He recorded 61 walks against 118 strikeouts, holding opposing batters to a .251 (136-542) average with 10 home runs.  Kirkman allowed more than 4 earned runs in just 2 of his 26 outings this season.  He began the year at Bakersfield, his first action at the High-A level, going 4-1 with a 2.06 ERA (11 ER/48.0 IP) in 8 games/7 starts.  He was promoted to Frisco in late May, going 5-7 with a 4.19 ERA in 18 games/starts for the RoughRiders.  The club's fifth round selection in the 2005 June draft, the Lake City, Fla. native is entering his sixth professional season in 2010.

Phillips, 23, was a combined 2-3 with 4 saves and a 1.39 ERA (12 ER/77.2 IP) in 36 games/3 starts for Bakersfield and Frisco.  He recorded 75 strikeouts against 30 walks, as opponents batted just .163 (46-283) for the year.  Phillips allowed just 2 home runs all season, an average of one in almost every 39.0 innings.  He threw more than 1.0 inning in 23 of his 33 relief appearances (69.7%) and held left-handed batters to a .137 (16-116) average for the year.  Phillips was selected in the 23rd round of the 2004 June draft, a draft-and-follow player who signed the following May.  He has pitched primarily as a starter in his pro career before appearing in relief in 2009. 

With the addition of Kirkman and Phillips, the Rangers now have 37 players on the club's 40-man roster.

Rangers owner Tom Hicks on the state of the potential sale of the organization.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Hicks says he has been exploring the possibility of putting together a group of local investors lead by him that would retain ownership of the Rangers.  Hicks said Nolan Ryan and Roger Staubach have agreed to be a part of such a group.

• Hicks said he is expecting some proposals from three potential ownership groups by Friday.  Hicks said he will still study these proposals to see which one is the best fit for the Rangers.

• Hicks refused to comment on the identity of the three groups, but it is generally known that they are headed by Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenburg, Houston businessman Jim Crane and former sports agent Dennis Gilbert.

• Hicks said that as of Wednesday he had received interest from a fourth group which has not yet been indentified.

• It will be up to Hicks to decide which proposal is best for the Rangers.

• Any proposal must be approved by Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League  and the forty lenders who've extended credit to Hicks Sports Group.  The primary goal of any sale is to pay down and /or reduce the debt of Hicks Sports Group.

• Hicks said the process could be completed by the end of the year.

More on the website later.

Scioscia received 15 of 28 first place votes. Ron Gardenhire finished second and had six first place votes and  Joe Girardi was third.  Washington recieved one first-place vote, one second and 11 third-place votes and tied former Rangers coach Wakamatsu for fourth place.

Bailey beat out Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus. Rick Porcello was third.

Bailey was an All-Star reliever for the Athletics who had 26 saves and a 1.84 ERA. He is the seventh Athletics player to win A.L. Rookie of the Year since 1974 when Mike Hargrove was the only winner in Rangers history.

The Athletics have had eight Rookie of the Year winners, tying the Yankees for most ever by an A.L. team. The Dodgers have had 16.

Bailey received 13 first place votes. Andrus received eight and Porcello received seven.

Many changes around the Rangers this off-season - so what else is new - but sorry to see that Norm is stepping down from being Vice-President of Community Relations.

The Rangers are losing a great person, even if he was wrong every year.

Every year.

Each April, Norm would come up to me and say, "This is the year! I have a feeling that this is going to be it. Better not make any plans for October."

Actually there's little doubt that we'll still hear from Norm next April and every April from here on out. Maybe one day he'll actually be right.

2010?

How about those Cowboys?

1. Do you think Elvis Andrus should be the American League Rookie of the Year?

2. Who do you think will be his biggest competition?

3. Who should be the American League Manager of the Year?

4. Vladimir Guerrero anybody?

5. Do you think John Lackey would be a good investment?

Jim Reeves was all over it. He had the sources and he was the one who broke the story that Chiles was selling to George Bush.

The night he broke the story we were supposed to have dinner at Barnacle Bill's on Englewood Beach. Revo, James Walker, Mike Perry and I. Revo loved his stone crabs.

But he loved breaking news more and he stayed behind to work the story. Still remember him screaming at a source through the phone.

"I want this story and I deserve this story!" he screamed.

He got the story while I drove Walker and Perry to Barnacle Bills.

"There are great baseball writers and great reporters," Walker opined from the back seat. "Revo is a great reporter. I'll take a great reporter every time."

Jim Reeves, who is retiring from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, was a great writer and a great reporter for 40 years. They refer to the sports section as the toy department at the newspaper but it's still news and Revo broke more news than any of us.

Here was his lead the night the ball went through Bill Buckner's legs and the Mets beat the Red Sox in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

"Hold on to your hats and take your seats, the Red Sox just grabbed their throats. The World Series is going to a Seventh Game."

He covered the Rangers for 11 years. He was at the end of his run when I showed up from Denison in 1985. Four years later he was a columnist when they put me on the Rangers beat.

We did the World Series together in 1989. Giants-Athletics. We were back in my adopted hometown of San Francisco and sitting in the upper deck at Candlestick Park before Game 3. It was a gentle roar at first and then a giant concrete bowl filled with 60,000 people started rocking violently in the second worst earthquake to ever hit the city.

Revo had one of those battery operated television sets and he was watching the news. Our nerves were all still on fire with aftershocks when he uttered those words that I will never forget as long as I live.

"The Bay Bridge has collapsed."

We covered that story together and at least a thousand more over the next 17 years. He was the columnist, I was the beat writer. There were many others with us. Tony DeMarco, Simon Gonzalez, Jennifer Briggs, Roger B. Brown, Gil LeBreton, Galyn Wilkins, Randy Galloway, Johnny Paul, Mac Engel, Carlos Mendez, Jesse Sanchez and Kathleen O'Brien. And many others.

The one thing we did better than anybody else at the Star-Telegram was we worked as a team in the true sense of the word. Revo was our leader.

We were successful for one simple reason. Bylines didn't matter. We didn't care who got credit. To this day I still hate those taglines at the bottom of the story that say: "T.R. Sullivan contributed to this story."

Who cares? That's the job. Just get the story. Two things are true...

1. There were a number of news stories that I got credit for breaking that emanated from information that Revo originally gathered. They were really his scoops but they were under my byline.

2. Revo wrote a number of great columns that were originally my idea. I fed them to him for a reason. I knew what was going on the Rangers beat, I knew exactly what needed to be written and I knew exactly what stories Revo would hit out of the ballpark. He always did.

We did our best work in Spring Training. Revo loved Spring Training. I'm not overly fond of it. I love 162. He only had to write one story a day. I had to write two or three. Give Revo one story to work on and give him all day to do it and he was going to take one deep.

Still remember the time in Surprise when Garth Brooks was working out with the Royals and Charley Pride was with the Rangers. Revo got the two country legends together in the dugout to talk baseball, music and life. Revo wrote about it and it was one of his best. A grand slam.

We went to dinner at Padre Murphy's that night with Kathleen. We were waiting on Revo and I told Kathleen, "Heads up, Revo is fired up about his column and he's going to talk about it non-stop all night."

He did, but not from egotism. Revo loved the newspaper business and he loved a great story. He is a dear friend but he is the best newspaper reporter I ever worked with.

So, how is Hurdle going to do?

Apparently Bill James already has an answer for that in his Bill James 2010 Handbook. Here is what James projects for four Rangers players and Justin Smoak as well:

Key Rangers Hitters (by OPS)
Player                                    AB     R   HR  RBI SB   Avg.    OPS
Nelson Cruz                           542     89   36  98    21  .284     .895
Chris Davis                             494     80   30   91    2   .285     .877
Josh Hamilton                         501     75   23   91   11   .293    .860
Ian Kinsler                              575    106   27  84   28   .275     .837
Justin Smoak                         365      48    10  45    0   .274     .793

Bet the Rangers will take that right now from Cruz, Davis, Hamilton and Kinsler right now.

This from the press release:

 "In any season, the vast majority of players play in a manner that seems a natural extension of what they had done before," James says in his new book. "When that happens, our projection should be reasonably accurate."
 
Although he's been in the projection business for almost twenty years, one thing James has no control over is playing time. "It is always my argument that we have no chance of figuring out, in October 2009, who will get playing time in 2010," James says. "But what we should do is try to answer this question: If this player plays, how will he play?"

Club officials aren't expecting it to happen but it's something club officials are definitely talking about as they try to figure out a way to repair an offense that scored 115 less runs in 2009 than in 2008.

A month ago, it seemed impossible that the Rangers would bring back Bradley. Now there seems some hemming and hawing.

The Rangers know that the Cubs are eager to unload Bradley, who has two years and $20 million left on his contract. They know there is a possibility the Cubs could pick up a sizable portion of that contract, a must if the Rangers are going to get involved.

The Rangers know that Bradley had a big impact on their lineup in 2008 when he hit .321 and set a club record with a .436 on-base percentage and a .563 slugging percentage. They know he's the kind of hitter they need in their lineup and they remember how productive Josh Hamilton was with Bradley hitting behind him.

They also know that he only played in 124 games because of physical issues and his 414 at-bats were only the second highest of his career. They also know that Bradley is high-maintenance, even for manager Ron Washington.

But if the Rangers can get him cheaply...

The Rangers are interviewing four hitting coach candidates today: Rusty Greer, Gerald Perry, Thad Bosley and Clint Hurdle. Bet Bradley is a topic of discussion during the process. Perry worked with him in both Oakland and Chicago.

Makes you wonder how much that was a consideration...

Rounding up the usual questions while getting the blog going for the winter. Sorry October was slow but needed a little down time... We are up and running again

1. Would you want Milton Bradley back with the Rangers?

2. Do you think Rusty Greer would make a good hitting coach?

3. Which of the other three candidates stand out for you:

4. Are you surprised that the DFW market has one of the lowest TV ratings in the country when it comes to watching the World Series?

5. How do you think you'll feel when you see Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez celebrating a World Series title?

More on the website later.

Grilli was 2-2 with a 4.78 ERA in 30 games with the Rangers after being acquired from the Rockies in June. He had a 2.00 ERA in June and July but it ballooned to 13.50 in August and 9.64 in September after he missed three weeks with inflammation in his elbow.

The Rangers also took catcher Kevin Richardson off the 40-man roster but are trying to resign him to a Minor League contract. He was 3-for-6 in limited time with the Rangers in August and September.

The Rangers now have 38 players in their 40-man roster

Kikuchi is an 18-year-old left-handed pitcher is apparently trying to avoid the Japanese Draft and come to the United States to pitch. Word is he is the equivalent of a late-first round pick here in the United States.

Holland joined Jim Colborn, the Rangers Pacific Rim Scouting Director, and A.J. Preller, the club's head of amateur scouting, in Japan to talk with Kikuchi.

Here is what Jamey Newberg wrote on the subject on Monday:.

Kikuchi, who boasts a fastball that has been touches 96 miles per hour, faces a Wednesday deadline to declare for Japan's October 29 amateur draft, in which he's certain to be the top selection. 
 
If drafted by a Japanese club, he can still sign with a major league franchise but, if he does so, he'd be banned from pitching in Japan for three years if he were ever to seek re-eligibility.  (Non-issue.) 
 
But if he signs to pitch in Japan, the only way he can pitch in the United States is to wait nine years for free agency or have his club choose to post him for MLB negotiating rights.
 
Kikuchi conducted meetings with each of the 12 Japanese clubs on Friday and Saturday, which might seem unusual for a consensus number one overall pick if not for the crazy Nippon Professional Baseball rule that a player may be drafted by more than one team.  In the event that Kikuchi submits to the NPB draft and multiple clubs select him - Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker speculates that as many as 10 clubs could use their first-round pick on the lefthander - there will be a drawing to determine which of those clubs has the right to negotiate with him.
 
It's worth noting that Japanese clubs are restricted to a maximum signing bonus of $1 million, plus salary and incentives that could bring a total package to about $1.65 million, an amount that is expected to be dwarfed by the offers coming from the interested major league clubs.  The noted former big league scout Ray Poitevint compares Kikuchi's stuff to Clayton Kershaw's and suggested he'd be a top-five pick if eligible for the MLB draft. 
 
The $5.1 deal (including a $1.3 million bonus) that Boston gave 22-year-old righthander Junichi Tazawa in November - which was short of the $7 million offer the Rangers reportedly made - could be a baseline for what Kikuchi seeks.

By the way...covering the National League Championship Series and then taking some time off. The blog will pick back up in November. We were the seventh most read blog on MLB.Com this season. Thank you very much.

More on the website later.

Minasian has been with the Rangers for 21 years as the visiting clubhouse manager and the Rangers equipment manager. He moved from the visiting clubhouse to equipment manager in 1995.

Didier has been in baseball for over 60 years including the last six with the Rangers. He helped build World Championship teams with the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks.

Robertson has been with the Rangers in 2001 and came over with general manager John Hart from the Indians.

Sorry, don't do schoolboy grades. Mine were bad enough. Feel free to add your own

Starters

Kevin Millwood - Manager has already said he is the Opening Day pitcher in 2010
Scott Feldman - What an amazing season.
Derek Holland - This kid is going to be fine. Can't wait for his next start.
Tommy Hunter - Tommy, meet Nolan Ryan, the resident conditioning fanatic.
Brandon McCarthy - The Big Tease. He has talent but at what point do the Rangers say uncle?
Matt Harrison - He was pretty good before he got hurt
Neftali Feliz - The Rangers will try him in the rotation. Bet he makes it
Dustin Nippert - His numbers will work every year
Guillermo Moscoso - Should be Opening Day pitcher at Oklahoma City

Relievers

Frank Francisco - Needs warning label: handle with care.
C.J. Wilson - Most Valuable Reliever
Darren O'Day - Transaction of the Year
Jason Grilli - Wasn't the same after he got hurt
Doug Mathis - Can he fill middle relief role?
Eddie Guardado - No finer person in baseball
Pedro Strop - Needs more time. Just not ready
Willie Eyre - Taking long road back from injuries

Catchers

Jarrod Saltalamacchia - Should still be No. 1 on depth chart
Ivan Rodriguez - Would you give him $4 million for two years?
Taylor Teagarden - Should have been in Triple A
Kevin Richardson - He is from Seattle area. He should have started one game this weekend.

Infielders

Chris Davis - Only one other player is a bigger key for Rangers in 2010.
Ian Kinsler - Absolutely nothing wrong with 101 runs and 86 RBI.
Elvis Andrus - He lived up to it all
Michael Young - Turns out he can still hit...and play third.
Omar Vizquel - He has one definite vote for the Hall of Fame.
Esteban German - A nice fifth player if the Rangers had the room
Hank Blalock - Hank's Homies bid you adieu. It was fun while it lasted.

Outfielders

Josh Hamilton - Obviously the biggest key for the Rangers in 2010
David Murphy - Forget Rusty Greer all right? Anybody think he can be Paul O'Neill?
Julio Borbon - Definitely the kind of player the Rangers desperately need
Nelson Cruz - He is a good player. Can he be a great one or is this enough?
Marlon Byrd - Loved watching him tell the rookies to turn off the football game on Sunday and turn on baseball.
Andruw Jones - Next.
Craig Gentry - Off to Triple A to bide his time.

They are three of the best defensive players in the history of the game. They have won 34 Gold Gloves between them and have filled up plenty of highlight reels with their spectacular plays.

Their lockers are side-by-side in the visitor's clubhouse at Safeco Field in Seattle, forming a three-man Mount Rushmore of defensive brilliance: catcher Ivan Rodriguez, infielder Omar Vizquel and outfielder Andruw Jones.

Now, after a combined 54 seasons and 7,101 games played, the three of them made one thing clear on Saturday.

All three want and expect to play again in 2010.

Ivan Rodriguez

Rodriguez met with general manager Jon Daniels on Friday here in Seattle. Daniels told Rodriguez that the Rangers have interest in re-signing him for 2010.

"I'm sure they'll make a decision," Rodriguez said. "I talked to Jon and he said he would get back to me in the off-season. I told him I wanted to come back. I want to finish my career here and still want to play a few more years.

"This club needs to stay together for next season. Winning 87 games is a great season. We wanted to make the playoffs but we need to take some positives out of this and a positive is 87 wins. I think next season will be better."

Rodriguez, who turns 38 in November, was re-acquired from the Astros on Aug. 18 and is hitting .245 with two home runs eight doubles, 14 runs scored and 13 RBI in 28 games.

"Physically I have no problems other than I'm sick right now," said Rodriguez, one of several Rangers fighting the flu in Seattle. "My legs and body feel great. I know how to take care of myself. I work very hard to keep myself in good shape."

The Rangers have two young catchers in Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden. Rodriguez understands that and understands that his playing time could be limited. He still accepts that.

"Teagarden has a great future," Rodriguez said. "Saltalamacchia has a great future. I have to be realistic. It's hard for me to play every day. If I play two or three times a week, one or two times a week, whatever, and help the kids, that would be okay. It would be a good thing to stay here and help the kids.

"I don't know what they'll do but I hope we work something out. If not, we'll see what happens."

Andruw Jones

Jones is ending the season as the Rangers first baseman. He was in the lineup on Saturday at first base for the third game in a row. Hank Blalock remains sidelined after suffering a mild concussion Wednesday night and Chris Davis is limited to designated hitter duty because of his hamstring.

Jones went into Saturday's game hitting .209 with 17 home runs and 43 RBI in 81 games and 278 at-bats. It's an improvement over last year when he hit .158 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 75 games for the Dodgers. But he was hoping for better.

"It was kind of okay," Jones said. "Well, not really. It's not the way I wanted to go. Power-wise the numbers were good. Average-wise not so good. Lack of consistency...I knew the situation coming in but I wasn't getting consistent at-bats like I did early in the season. I knew I was going to play every day but I thought I'd get more consistent at-bats like I did early in the season."

Jones is only 32. He expects to keep playing next year for somebody. It won't be for the Rangers. Club officials have made it clear he's not expected back in 2010. He'll try for somebody.

"I still feel I can play," Jones said. "I still feel I can play the outfield. I don't know if I can play center field but I can help a team in the corners and I can play first base too. We'll see.

"I'm not done yet."

Omar Vizquel

Vizquel is 42.

So what?

Anybody who watched him play this year can tell that he can still field a baseball and he can field it at any position. How about the night Michael Young had to leave the game against the Blue Jays with a strained left hamstring?

Vizquel went into the game, playing the position for only the ninth time in his career. He then made a spectacular play, diving to his right and throwing from his knee to get the out at first base.

Vizquel may no longer be a front-line everyday shortstop but he proved he could be a valuable utility infielder. He does not have an error this season.

"That is something I surprised myself with," Vizquel said. "I had never played any other position but shortstop. I didn't get many chances at second and third but I was able to handle it."

The Rangers have interest in Vizquel returning. He said he would be interested in coming back but wants to see what else is out there. Vizquel suggests in a roundabout way that he never expected Elvis Andrus to be this good this fast and he thought he would play more than he did this season.

"I didn't know Elvis and the kind of player he was," Vizquel said. "He slowly improved in every department. I was surprised he took to the challenge of playing every day. They told me he was 20 and I thought that was young. But he showed he can be one of the best shortstops in the game, not only to me but everybody."

As for 2010, Vizquel made it clear...

"I'm going to get ready to play another year," Vizquel said.