The Angels are starting C.J. Wilson on Saturday against the Rangers. Wilson faced just five batters on Friday night before the game was delayed two hours by rain. He did not return after the delay but will start on Saturday.

Josh Hamilton hit four home runs against the Orioles on Tuesday night and of course it was all about his contract. Was there any doubt about that being brought up again.

And again and again and again.

This one won’t go quietly into the night. So much for things being done quietly or not being a distraction, although Hamilton doesn’t seem to be distracted by anything right now.

But general manager Jon Daniels went on national radio and told one of his industry buddies that the Rangers were talking with his agent, which combined with four home runs at Camden Yards was all anybody needed to start opining about, money, length of contract, past history and health issues.

Only six more negotiating months to go before he actually hits the free agent market.

The Rangers have been talking with Hamilton’s Mike Moye regularly and have been for months. That is nothing new but exactly where it all stands is at least being kept under wraps if nothing else.

We all know Hamilton is the best player in the American League and we all know that his annual average salary should be somewhere north of $20 million. We all know that length of contract is crucial in these discussions and we all know that the new regional television contracts have baseball officials handing out lucrative contract extensions faster than advertisers can fill up spots.

We all know Hamilton’s history and we all know that these mega-term contracts carry considerable risk. Here are the outfielders currently making at least $16 million per year: Ryan Braun, Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, Torii Hunter, Ichiro Suzuki, Vernon Wells, Jayson Werth, Matt Holliday, Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee and Jason Bay.

Forget Josh Hamilton. How many of those guys would you rather have playing left field for the Rangers right now instead of David Murphy? Less than half would be a conservative estimate.

We all know the Rangers want Hamilton back and we believe it when he says, “I love Texas.”

So should a deal get done? Maybe, maybe not, just wait for the next radio spot or tweet from somebody who really has the inside scoop.

In the meantime, maybe something else will finally trump the glare of contract negotiations.

Maybe somebody will realize that Hamilton has a chance to do something that hasn’t been done in 45 years.

He could win the Triple Crown.

Carl Yastrzemski did it for the Red Sox in 1967 in the greatest single season by one player in the history of the game, leading the American League in batting average, hone runs and RBI. He led the league in many other categories including, no doubt the mystical, magical WAR, but batting average, home runs and RBI were big deals back then.

That gave him the Triple Crown and nobody has ever done it since. That list is quite exclusive, more so than perfect games and four-homer barrages. Only 11 players have done it since 1900 and all 11 players are in the Hall of Fame.

Ted Williams and Rogers Hornsby did it twice while Yastrzemski, Frank Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Joe Medwick, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Chuck Klein, Ty Cobb and Nap Lajoie each did it once. That’s quite a studly bunch.

As of Wednesday morning, Hamilton led everybody in batting average, home runs and RBI. By the way, his batting average is .406, which is what Williams hit in 1941 when he was the last player to hit over .400.

Can we also mention that Hamilton is currently on pace to hit 75 home runs and 194 RBI, which would be Major League single-season records. We all know Barry Bonds hit 72 home runs in 2001 but the single-season RBI record is 191 by Hack Wilson for the Cubs back in 1930.

Nah, it’s way too early to talk about Triple Crowns and single-season RBI records. We are only one month into the season. There are five more months to go in the regular season. Why bath in baseball history when it’s premature speculation.

Let’s get back to those contract negotiations. Back to you Jim.

RHP JUSTIN GRIMM AND OF CHRIS GRAYSON AMONG WINNERS

OF CLUB’S APRIL MINOR LEAGUE AWARDS

C Kellin Deglan and RHP Randol Rojas also honored

 

Arlington, Texas – The Texas Rangers announced today the club’s minor league award winners for April. Right-hander Justin Grimm was named Pitcher of the Month, outfielder Chris Grayson was named Player of the Month, catcher Kellin Deglan was named Defender of the Month, and right-hander Randol Rojas was named Reliever of the Month.

Grimm, 23, was 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA (5 ER/28.1 IP) and 27 strikeouts against 6 walks, while holding opposing Texas League batters to a .194 average (20-103) over 5 games/starts with Double-A Frisco.  The University of Georgia product recorded the 6th-lowest ERA and WHIP (0.92) among all Double-A pitchers during the month. The 6-foot-3 right-hander also came within a strikeout of his career high with 10 in his Double-A debut on April 5 at Springfield. Overall, Grimm has gone 6-1 with a 1.60 ERA (7 ER/39.1 IP) and 37 strikeouts against just 7 walks in 7 games/starts this season. Grimm was selected in the 5th round of the 2010 June draft and signed by Ryan Coe.

Grayson, 22, batted .400 (32-80) with 16 walks, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 11 RBI over 21 games with Low-A Hickory in the month of April. In his first full professional season, Grayson recorded at least one hit in 19 of 21 games during the month, while his .500 on-base percentage was 3rd-highest among all minor leaguers. The outfielder saw his 24-game on-base streak come to end last night, as he entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 9th inning and hit a sacrifice fly. The streak is tied for 2nd-highest in the South Atlantic League this season. Overall, the Lee (TN) University product ranks among the SAL leaders in batting (2nd, .366), doubles (T3rd, 11), hits (T4th, 37), triples (T4th, 3), OBP (5th, .463), SLG (5th, .594), and walks (T9th, 18). Grayson was selected in the 13th round of the 2011 June draft and signed by Chris Kemp.

Deglan, who turned 20 last Thursday, started 15 games behind the plate for Low-A Hickory in the month of April. The native of Canada rates statistically as the top catcher in the South Atlantic League with a 1.000 fielding percentage (171 TC). He has also thrown out 9 of 22 (40.9%) would-be base stealers, the highest rate in the South Atlantic League. At the plate, Deglan is batting .257 (19-72) with 9 doubles, 3 home runs, and 4 RBI in 22 games overall. Deglan was selected in the first round of the 2010 June draft and signed by Gary McGraw.

Rojas, 21, combined to go 1-0 with a 0.48 ERA (1 ER/18.2 IP) over 6 relief appearances between Low-A Hickory and High-A Myrtle Beach in April. The right-hander compiled 17 strikeouts against 7 walks, while holding opposing batters to a .107 average (6-56) with no extra-base hits during the month. Rojas was promoted from Hickory to Myrtle Beach on April 24 and retired 16 of the 18 batters (2 walks) over his first 2 appearances with the Pelicans. Overall, Rojas has gone 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA (2 ER/22.0 IP) in 7 relief appearances. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent on December 22, 2008 by Rafic Saab.

Adrian Beltre is the DH in tonight’s lineup vs the Orioles.  Michael Young is at 1B and Brandon Snyder is playing 3B.

More on the website later.

So they no longer have the best record in the American League. That honor belongs to the team they are facing on Monday, managed by Buck Showalter and includes a roster of what someone said was “Texas Rangers East.”

If only the Rangers bullpen had Chris Davis. Two scoreless innings?

The Rangers aren’t worried about their bullpen, they just want Adrian Beltre back in the middle of their order and their rotation rolling again.

But what a spectacular display from fair Luna this weekend…

Personally the highlight of the weekend after the full moon was reading “Rather Outspoken” although “The Camera Never Blinks” still ranks No. 1 as far as journalistic offerings. The author of both now works for the Mavericks owner and his basketball team is toast, and some of us will miss the Jet.

But in North Texas it is now the Rangers by themselves until the next mini-camp and it is on to Texas Rangers East for four games.

1. Are you concerned about Nelson Cruz?

2. What ex-Rangers pitcher do you root more the most: R.A. Dickey or C.J. Wilson?

3. What ex-Rangers manager do you root for the most: Bobby Valentine or Buck Showalter?

4. What’s your take on the Angels?

5. What should be the Rangers biggest concern right now?

 

 

3B Adrian is not in the lineup for Satuday night’s game against the Indians. This is his the 4th straight game he’s sat out.

More on the website later

Josh Hamilton is in the lineup playing CF tonight vs the Indians. 3B Adrian Beltre is not playing  for the 3rd straight game.

More on the website later.