tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70768585950461163682011-04-21T16:31:13.450-05:00a Texas Rangers blogJPnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-57935657406400535962009-06-02T02:15:00.002-05:002009-06-02T02:18:19.516-05:00

After several months occupying this site, Hello Win Column is moving to:http://hellowincolumn.blogspot.comWe're excited about the move here at HWC. Nothing will be different at the new site, except for the URL. We hope that those of you who have been reading our work will continue to do so at the new site.On behalf of Thomas, Jon, and I, thanks for reading. See you at the new digs.Go Rangers,

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-72628438030178896862009-06-02T00:01:00.001-05:002009-06-02T00:03:12.590-05:00

"Splits", for those who don't know, is the term given to how players perform in different scenarios. For example: lefty/righty, day/night, home/road, etc. Let's take a look at the interesting splits that the Rangers have formed as a team:Author's note: all statistics are current as of 5/30 (when this post was written)Home/Road:The Ranger hitters at RBiA are slamming a .285/.357/.521, but away

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-26971232978104271322009-06-01T21:33:00.002-05:002009-06-01T21:35:55.743-05:00

Of course everyone, even non-Ranger fans, know about this, but some baseball moments are meant to be shared time and time again.

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-14143423249488133892009-06-01T00:10:00.003-05:002009-06-01T00:33:11.345-05:00

Though the month didn’t end on a high note, the Rangers leave May in jubilee, as they finish with a record of 20-9. In fact, May was only the second time the Rangers have had a 20-win month in franchise history. The other was way back in 1978, when they went 21-10 in September. They go into June 10 games over 500 and with a nice 4 game lead over the enervated Angels, who were on the verge of

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-12251170705100109502009-05-31T01:43:00.002-05:002009-05-31T01:50:18.589-05:00

What an outburst . . .Game Recap and Box ScoreIs Anyone Still Watching? from Athletics Nation"The first inning should tell you all you need to know about the A's offense. It is nearly impossible to receive three walks and follow that up with a double and manage to only score a single run, but that's just what the A's did. And what was a promising start to the game was immediately snuffed

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-53109483461689939382009-05-30T00:07:00.002-05:002009-05-30T00:18:29.450-05:00

Game Recap and Box ScoreTwo wins in one day, that's a pretty swell deal . . . . The first excerpt from the losing locker room today has some love for Ron Washington . . .Geren's Ineptitude Exposed Again In Doubleheader Sweep from Athletics Nation"This double-header was painful for me to watch, but not because the A's lost twice, not because the A's fell 10 games under .500, not because the A's

JPnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-84659866176976125292009-05-29T21:42:00.006-05:002009-05-29T22:06:31.275-05:00

Game Recap and Box Score Let's hear from the losing locker room:Open Thread: Game 46 - A's at Texas (Game 2) from Athletics Nation "Josh Outman pitched great in Game 1, striking out a career high 9 in 6.2 IP and allowing just 3 hits, but was pulled after 101 pitches because Bob Geren saw a game that was becoming dangerously close to being an A's win and took swift and decisive action."

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-89478224142987281622009-05-29T15:31:00.004-05:002009-05-29T15:34:16.750-05:00

Look at how different this team is after just 2 years . . . . I count at least 4 players that are no longer in the big leagues . . . .On an unrelated note, I still think Mark Teixeira looks like he's 14 years old.

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-50758446115256899312009-05-28T13:43:00.004-05:002009-05-28T17:13:16.411-05:00

During yesterday's broadcast, after Josh Hamilton took the first pitch of one of his 4 at bats, Josh Lewin said:"Josh is doing such a good job laying off those first pitches now."Of course, this prompted me to check. Since returning from his mini-injury sustained by crashing into the wall in the Angels series at RBiA, here is how The Hambino has handled first pitches:5/22 at Houston: Swung at 2

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-72014093990223758502009-05-27T19:43:00.002-05:002009-05-27T20:10:32.782-05:00

Game boxscore and recapThis was the highlight of my research for today's HWC post: a contrast between Lone Star Ball's game report and Pinstripe Alley's game report:Adam Morris (of LSB): "That was worth the wait."Travis G (of PSA): "I can't believe I stayed up for this."But wait, there's more from the losing locker room:Wrapping it up from Texas from The LoHud Yankees Blog"It would be nice if

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-73217357677281630712009-05-27T12:19:00.002-05:002009-05-27T12:29:56.394-05:00

Ian Kinsler, who indubitably has a large ego, has looked embarrassed every time he comes up empty at the plate these past few weeks. The Rangers’ second baseman, who got off to a brilliant start, has gone off track to the point where we don’t believe he’ll come through each at bat anymore. Now of course we know Kinsler will snap out of it, but for now, with his average all the way down to 283,

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-74416806347604212192009-05-26T14:45:00.002-05:002009-05-26T15:21:10.178-05:00

One of the cornerstones of the Mark Teixeira trade, Jarrod Saltalamacchia was (and still is) expected to be a star. As we all know, however, he's had his share of growing pains and has yet to really produce a "breakout" season. His struggles are demonstrated in Baseball Prospectus' scouting reports:2008: "Ignore the sub-par showing. Saltalamacchia is still a future star."2009: "Salty might

JPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-66252297719072667912009-05-25T00:04:00.004-05:002009-05-25T00:15:12.963-05:00

It wasn’t just the rarity of the sweep over the Angels--rather, It was that the Rangers went 6-0 on their last home stand. The force of the team was a like hurricane, sweeping through everyone and blowing them away. Then onto Detroit, and the Rangers get swept away themselves in three games that came and went in a flash. So, was it back to the pit of death for the Rangers, who suddenly seemed

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-3571863340330146732009-05-24T19:38:00.003-05:002009-05-24T19:47:09.475-05:00

Final Score: Rangers 5, Astros 0Game box score and recapSwept, Shut Out, Shamed from Astros Daily"As is their modus operandi, the Rangers used the long ball to score runs. Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler and Jarrod Saltalamacchia took Mike Hampton deep in the first five innings. Hamilton was 3-for-4 to pace their offense."This is Why We Call the Blog Disastros from The Disastros"Ugh. I planned my

JPnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-84970550750943799402009-05-24T19:13:00.005-05:002009-05-24T19:47:30.387-05:00

Final Score: Rangers 6, Houston 3Game box score and recapInterleague play boosts attendance from Spikes and Stars"The way I knew this [series] was a sham was the FOX broadcast featured Josh Lewin . . . My experience featured the mute button . . . "Rangers Swat Moehler, Astros from Astros Daily"There was a time when Astros fans went crazy whenever a guy named Cruz hit a home run. But that was back

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-80848026090393592272009-05-24T01:56:00.011-05:002009-05-24T19:55:53.387-05:00

I had originally thought about attempting a write-up on Derek Holland's illustrious beginning to his major league starting career for this weekend's post... but a multitude of far more established (and intelligent) others, such as Jamey Newberg and Evan Grant are way ahead of me there. At this point I'm pretty sure there's nothing left that I could tell you that hasn't already been said, other

Jon Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13766915845917205573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-71746711460994828242009-05-23T14:15:00.002-05:002009-05-23T14:33:23.011-05:00

Derek Holland looks good in his first major league start, Elvis Andrus goes 4 for 5. Is the future here already?Game boxscore and recapI didn't find many recaps of the game in the Astros blogosphere, but there were a multitude of humorous game previews (I'll update as game recaps are posted, if at all):(Game Preview) Texas Rangers at Houston Astros, May 22, 2009 7:05 PM CDT from Crawfish

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-29255011953204300692009-05-23T14:06:00.002-05:002009-05-23T14:15:32.897-05:00

The story of this game? Josh Hamilton's unbelievable catch at the wall. Game box score and recapHalos Lose and Swept by the Rangers from Halos Heaven"Halos got swept by the Rangers. What a bummer, total bummer. Clearly, the Rangers were the better team . . . In the past we were able to get by with small ball and keep the game close and trust our bullpen, but Scioscia clearly does not trust

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-36272073536549400332009-05-22T00:52:00.004-05:002009-05-22T00:55:35.997-05:00

From a purely non-political standpoint, I always loved that the President of the United States was a Rangers fan.

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-46121644768117846502009-05-20T15:00:00.003-05:002009-05-20T17:06:19.054-05:00

One has to admit that it is a ton of fun sitting around at a table with a group of friends and dirt talking about how terrible the local sports team is. But in our inner selves, we all know that what feels truly wonderful is being able to examine the ingredients that make a star team so special. In the past, we would be talking about the former, but as of right now, only the latter can come to

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-85849264322031348082009-05-19T01:29:00.003-05:002009-05-19T01:34:31.870-05:00

JP told me about this video, but unfortunately I couldn't get the whole thing. But it's enjoyable nonetheless.Jokes.comStephen Rannazzisi - Softball Teamdians.comedycentral.comJoke of the DayStand-Up ComedyFree Online Games

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-8651258584064378332009-05-18T00:13:00.004-05:002009-05-18T00:28:32.938-05:00

The placement for the MLB draft couldn’t be at a better time. June is the month of the draft, which is when teams begin to truly realize if they’re really good, or if they just got sort of lucky during the first two months (our Rangers come to mind?). It’s a good time for the draft not only because June is sort of in no man’s land in relation to the other months (April and May are the “beginning”

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-78313224532990429642009-05-17T02:37:00.006-05:002009-05-17T07:49:06.141-05:00

First of all folks, my apologies for last weekend's absence. I'm afraid I was a bit under the weather... watching this team this past week though has made for a nice cure, however. Good defense cures a lot of ills... just ask Darren O'Day.I'm honestly not sure how much of a success my weekly game recaps have been though John Paul tells me they've done well... but honestly, their production has

Jon Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13766915845917205573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-75742104884001190262009-05-16T21:11:00.003-05:002009-05-16T21:30:43.174-05:00

Story of the game: John Lackey, ejected after two pitches. Also of note: Nelson Cruz's double was the only extra base hit of the entire game.Game boxscoreJohn Lackey, Angels Bumped in Texas from Halos Heaven"The Texas Rangers play in the nation's 4th largest media market and it is obvious that MLB wants to get the ratings going to bring in baseball dollars amidst Footballville. They have the umps

JPnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-33724037439325650632009-05-16T21:04:00.005-05:002009-05-16T21:18:11.910-05:00

Everything looked good until Derek Holland had a meltdown . . . .Game box score, recapRangers Send Angels Deep in the Red from Halos Heaven"Angels fans will tell themselves that It was just one of those games where nothing went right, and they better hope this is the case, because if the Texas Rangers are as dominant as they were Friday night at home, the division will be all theirs . . .All Star

JPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-53705315664799946552009-05-15T01:30:00.003-05:002009-05-15T01:46:23.090-05:00

Believe it. Game box score, recap16-19, Game Notes from Lookout Landing"Today's hockey games were good . . . .Chris Davis, by the way, has the lowest contact rate of any regular in baseball. If ever there were a good time for Morrow to take something off of his heater, that was it. Instead he played right into Davis' hands, going to the same spot with the same pitch four consecutive times . . .

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-40667109668149980492009-05-15T00:01:00.001-05:002009-05-15T00:01:04.085-05:00

Is it just me, or does Michael Young bear a striking resemblance to actor Carlos Bernard (a.k.a. Tony Almeida on 24)?

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-40834251274058535752009-05-14T00:10:00.005-05:002009-05-15T01:47:15.273-05:00

Hank the Tank got in on the walk-off act. We beat the M's. We were able to overcome several key mistakes in the process. What a great win.Game box scoreBackbreaker from USS Mariner "That’s a tough loss. Just like with Vargas last night, Washburn should get a medal for surviving Texas’ offense and ballpark. The offense was able to get a few longballs off of McCarthy, whose up-in-the-zone pitching

JPnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-36799119246667205892009-05-13T00:43:00.000-05:002009-05-14T00:54:10.505-05:00

Josh Hamilton is back, and he made his presence known.Game boxscore, recapSomething Has to Change from Bleeding Blue and Teal"There is no way that management hasn’t noticed that their ballclub cannot hit pedestrian right handers even if their collective lives depended on it. When will an adjustment be made to get some lefties in the lineup?"The Bright Side from USS Mariner"Yea, that sucked, but

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-30140034460318490972009-05-13T00:01:00.004-05:002009-05-13T00:10:38.465-05:00

The Rangers recently finished a 5 and 2 road trip (they did the same about this time last year) and the talk of the town (including local sports shows) is that the Rangers are in first place. So is it too early to get excited? Well there’s no harm in holding high hopes for the Rangers, but take a look at this time last year. The Rangers were only one game below 500 and only four games behind the

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-54965151405384075952009-05-12T01:46:00.004-05:002009-05-12T01:58:06.609-05:00

Sorry for the pun in the title. I stole it from Josh Lewin. Sorry for that too.Game box score, recapAnd now to hear from the losing locker room:Let's start off with this amusing game preview from South Side Sox:"Vicente Padilla is a douche bag who has been teetering on the brink of "meh" for a few years now. He's off to a terrible start and nothing would make me happier than if we got to keep

JPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-34178152454714157662009-05-12T00:00:00.001-05:002009-05-12T00:00:09.598-05:00

Something I read in TR Sullivan's recent mailbag is an interesting addition to the ongoing Chris Davis conversation . . . . see his numbers since April 13: .268/.326/.598.In fact, since April 13, Chris has hit safely in all but 5 games (pinch hit appearances notwithstanding). He has reached base safely via hit or walk in all but 2 games.Not too shabby, except for the strikeouts.I know that Chris

JPnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-46185835458462667642009-05-11T23:00:00.004-05:002009-05-11T23:57:38.060-05:00

Even though the act isn't actually that funny, you have to admit that Abbott and Costello were a crazy talented comedy duo. It's fun just to watch their talent on display, especially when they're talking about baseball.

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-35630375044633346462009-05-11T00:48:00.002-05:002009-05-11T01:00:21.147-05:00

When I worked on the staff at a Boy Scout camp a few years ago, I sometimes helped out as the umpire in the wiffleball games that the campers participated in. It wasn’t a difficult job and it wasn’t very arduous either (partly because these were kids playing, and many of them didn’t care about the game), but at same time, I had my share of tricky moments. Though the ball was plastic and moved

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-27269159439503655142009-05-09T13:24:00.008-05:002009-05-09T15:00:50.827-05:00

Wow.Game Boxscore, RecapNow let's hear from the losing locker room:Matt Harrison is a Left-Handed Sonnanstine from South Side SoxJose Contreras is broken from Sox Machine"I can pinpoint the exact moment where I threw in the towel for Jose Contreras' near future -- and nothing even happened on the play. In the second inning of Friday night's 6-0 loss to the Texas Rangers, two outs, Omar Vizquel at

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-76325390081406152632009-05-08T22:50:00.000-05:002009-05-09T12:07:10.936-05:00

And . . . . THAT happened.

JPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-29196574581903670752009-05-06T23:59:00.003-05:002009-05-09T15:37:11.830-05:00

Continuing the discussion that we've made about Chris Davis, I feel it's only appropriate to start out with this classic video clip from Major League. As it turns out, Pedro Cerrano (played by Dennis Haysbert, i.e. President Palmer on 24) has similar struggles at the plate:******************************************************* Here are Chris' pitch breakdowns from this year (courtesy of

JPnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-19519520303298022112009-05-06T23:32:00.001-05:002009-05-09T14:36:13.914-05:00

The Rangers are in first place at a time other than the first week of the season. It's a good feeling.Game box score, recapLet's hear from the losing locker room:What's Good for Giese, is Not Good Enough for the A's from Athletics Nation"Well the A's got all they could ask for from spot starter Dan Giese, who gave the Green and Gold 5-2/3 solid innings, but it wasn't enough . . . The second

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-81163144609110841642009-05-06T00:58:00.005-05:002009-05-06T01:20:48.712-05:00

In the comments on Monday’s post, there was a little debate over whether the clock is ticking on Chris Davis’ time with the Rangers. The speculation is due largely to the fact that Davis is striking out at a meteoric pace (he struck out three more times in today’s game) and that his approach at the plate seems slightly lackadaisical. He takes big sweeping cuts and seems to either strike out or

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-18428724950900626372009-05-06T00:52:00.003-05:002009-05-06T01:10:27.283-05:00

Vicente Padilla, he of the 7.20 ERA at gametime, badly needed to pitch well tonight. And he did -- 8IP 1H 3BB 4K. Padilla is now he of the 5.71 ERA -- not exactly eye candy, but much better.It's not everyday you see a pitcher -- much less a Rangers pitcher -- much less Vicente Padilla -- allow only 1 hit through 8 innings (and leave with no decision).Also, tough day for Michael Young on the bases

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-68725673222912565722009-05-05T13:14:00.003-05:002009-05-05T13:42:32.745-05:00

Michael Young summed the game up better than I could have:“It was a great team win. It was a fun game to play in. We just played really well. Our starter did a great job of battling, Our bullpen did a great job. The defense did a great job.”(from Inside Corner)Did you know that King Felix is 4-9 against the Rangers now in his career? Probably just a fluke, but it's nice to know we've had some

JPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-86594582118119516842009-05-05T00:01:00.000-05:002009-05-05T01:06:30.224-05:00

It's time for another Commentator Query, a piece I do whenever I hear something questionable said on a baseball broadcast. You can read my last Commentator Query on a comment made about Kevin Youkilis during the World Baseball Classic broadcast on ESPN here.The commentator in question is Steve Phillips from a comment he made during ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast of the White Sox - Rangers

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-32073984117481488692009-05-04T15:30:00.003-05:002009-05-04T15:37:41.748-05:00

I'm not really sure where this video came from. Despite its aggravating song, it does remind us of the importance of communication on the field.

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-25870033256594308692009-05-04T02:23:00.001-05:002009-05-15T02:37:48.347-05:00

Great game on national TV. I only wish the commentators would have talked about something other than the Rangers lopsidedness and hitter-friendly ballpark.Game box score, recapSox Lose 5-1 (Comments Section) from South Side SoxComment #1: "Another highlight: Joe Morgan takes credit for telling Rickey Henderson to start hitting homers, start swinging at the first pitch…"Comment #2: "Every time

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-65036362932932855322009-05-04T00:05:00.004-05:002009-05-04T00:18:13.860-05:00

As I write, I wonder: which month is the most important in a baseball season? The truth of the matter is, is that they all are, because (assuming that the team is in contention) a win on the second day of the season can be just as important as a win on the second to last day of the season. With that said, it becomes evident that the Texas Rangers’ first month of the season contained wins and

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-40894782667021212009-05-03T13:30:00.001-05:002009-05-04T09:13:01.540-05:00

24 games into the 2008 season, the Rangers sat dead last in the AL West at 8 and 16. Although they had just seen David Murphy deliver a dramatic walkoff win in the 10th inning against the Twins to snap a 7-game losing streak - a turning point that would see the Rangers go 71-67 from the next day on - their hole had already been dug thanks to one of the worst starts in franchise history.My

Jon Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13766915845917205573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-61258431132298429652009-05-03T02:37:00.000-05:002009-05-15T02:44:07.176-05:00

Thought for a second there the game was going to get called before it was official . . .Game boxscore, recapDidn't find much chatter from White Sox blogs about this game, so we're going to have to go with the boring old ESPN recap . . . fortunately, there are some quotes from the always uplifting Ozzie Guillen.Blalock drives in four runs as Rangers finish off White Sox after delays from

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-91416210996257248592009-05-01T13:25:00.008-05:002009-05-01T15:42:30.598-05:00

This season hasn't gone quite as well as Eddie Guardado and the Rangers hoped it would, allowing 5 ER in 4 2/3 IP. Eddie's struggles this season were something that I predicted a couple of weeks ago here at HWC in a post about Batting Average on Balls in Play:*****************************************************Eddie Guardado: 2008 BABIP (with Rangers): .240 Career BABIP: .290I have to admit that

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-1310100565028671202009-04-29T20:48:00.003-05:002009-04-29T21:03:29.881-05:00

Yesterday's game was interesting. The Rangers, all things considered, got lucky. They were lucky that the starting pitcher Anderson had to leave the game, having given up only one earned run through 5. They were lucky when the defensively sound Orlando Cabrera let a grounder go through his legs. They were lucky when Hank Blalock's grounder went in the direction of the defensively inept Jason

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-27380224444812728582009-04-29T20:34:00.003-05:002009-04-29T21:05:57.833-05:00

The Rangers win their first series since the opening sweep of Cleveland . . . feels pretty good.Game Boxscore, RecapI'm a little tardy with this losing locker room report, so I'll keep it brief:Rangers 6, Orioles 4: Breakdown! Go ahead, give it to me. from Camden Chat"The O's went out and blew a 4-0 lead today . . . Matt Harrison (1-2) got the win for the Rangers. Their new "no pitch counts"

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-66037194877204473842009-04-29T00:01:00.003-05:002009-04-29T00:16:16.545-05:00

The Rangers, despite their flaws, seem to be in better shape than they were this time last year, thanks in part to the struggles of the Angels and the Athletics (the Angels can be excused due to the tragedy of Nick Adenhart and the injuries inflicted on Guerrero, Lackey, and Santana). Texas is in second place in the West, and only three games behind the Mariners, whose unforeseen success has been

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-20967115734995400562009-04-27T23:59:00.001-05:002009-04-28T01:54:44.528-05:00

In lieu of the recent transactions that have been made, I have a few comments:1) Why bring up Luis Mendoza? You remember, he of the 8.67 ERA (dead last in the majors for pitchers with at least 50 IP). He seems to be having some success at AAA Oklahoma (approximately 10 scoreless innings pitched), but after last season's train wreck he's going to have to spend a lot more time in AAA to convince me

JPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-29827592478066295422009-04-27T13:30:00.005-05:002009-04-27T21:41:05.205-05:00

So yeah... I fell waaay behind with this this weekend's scoreboard. As Murphy's law would have it the critical stuff in life always seems to fall on what's supposed to be your recreational days/evenings... and as you can see, the result is it's now this Monday's scoreboard. With that in mind, I hope nobody minds if we skip the formalities jump right into this week's recaps...Saturday: Royals 2,

Jon Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13766915845917205573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-78493053284056115522009-04-27T00:32:00.003-05:002009-04-27T01:01:54.183-05:00

In the recent post about the upcoming ‘Moneyball,’ I, though not a huge fan of sports films in general, got to thinking about movies about baseball. Baseball has not had a major effect on the cinema, but it has a certain place of its own nonetheless. There are some baseball pictures that nearly everyone has seen, whether they’re a fan of the game or not. I mentioned that baseball movies have not

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-77661322630556485982009-04-27T00:03:00.007-05:002009-04-27T00:31:48.096-05:00

The last baseball movie that came out was 'The Final Season' in 2007. It came and went faster than a dog chasing a cat. Now a new one has come out and it's called 'Sugar.' For those of you who are unfamiliar with the film, it tells the story of a Dominican baseball player who is called to join the Minor Leagues in America. It's is supposedly a remarkable movie, being described as 'a compelling

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-26824410030230927902009-04-26T01:33:00.000-05:002009-04-28T01:54:25.232-05:00

An encouraging performance tonight by Scott Feldman, who let one run cross in five innings of work. I suppose Ian Kinsler's two home runs are worthy of mention as well. (Boxscore, Recap)But enough about the Rangers, let's hear from the Orioles . . . .Rangers 6, Orioles 5: I am SO over Ian Kinsler from Camden Chat"What are the odds you'll get good starting pitching from Adam Eaton and Mark

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-47106336729635533322009-04-25T02:57:00.006-05:002009-04-26T02:42:19.490-05:00

According to Bill James Online, Michael Young is hitting .500/.500/1.400 in 10 clutch at-bats this year. Unbelievable.Game Recap, BoxscoreBefore we hear from the angry Baltimore blogosphere, here was an interesting series preview:(First of) Three Against Texas from The Loss Column"One thing I’m confident of heading into this series is that Rangers fans feel our pain. In fact, you’d be

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-61747304527364712602009-04-23T23:59:00.001-05:002009-04-23T23:59:01.489-05:00

As many of you may have heard by now, Moneyball is being made into a movie. It has been rumored that Brad Pitt will play Billy Beane, and Demetri Martin will play Beane's assistant Paul DePodesta. Adam Morris at LoneStarBall talks about some of the rumors that have been thrown around about the adaptation of the infamous book. Judge for yourself whether these are accurate castings:

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-4155104036850792152009-04-23T15:22:00.004-05:002009-04-23T15:30:44.795-05:00

I know that this site isn't where you come for newsflashes, generally because the multitude of other sources available make such announcements here at HWC redundant. Regardless, here's a link to the story.I wanted to break the mold here for a little bit, because 1) I'm avoiding doing work, 2) I'm already at the computer, 3) Announcement of the trade just happened, and 4) I read the following

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-26723157935657473562009-04-22T23:59:00.002-05:002009-04-23T14:33:44.123-05:00

I don't really have a theme in mind for today's post. What I've mostly done is taken a few things that I've been thinking about this week and posted them all in one article.1) According to Bill James Online, Ian Kinsler is the hottest hitter in baseball right now with a temperature of 104 degrees (for an explanation of temperatures, go here). Certainly not much of a surprise given his offensive

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-35150639532360591092009-04-22T12:33:00.004-05:002009-04-22T13:00:21.618-05:00

I think my feeling are best summed up by Adam Morris' words after the game on Lonestarball.com: "Good things happen when you bring your best reliever into the game during the most critical situation."Game links: Box Score, RecapAnd now to hear from the losing locker room (the first one is actually a game preview):Get Ready for a Slugfest from Blue Jay Hunter"A highly offensive-driven team like

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-71296075062779685502009-04-22T00:02:00.004-05:002009-04-22T14:28:50.470-05:00

The title for today is simple: it relates to two topics that are obvious, but worth discussing nonetheless. As I predicted in one of my first articles for HWC, talk about Ron Washington leaving is heating up, thanks to the early struggles of the Rangers. I know fellow HWC writer Jonathan Page isn’t a big fan of Washington, and he’s not alone. But I’m a big supporter of the guy, especially

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-91888110638624280712009-04-21T15:36:00.003-05:002009-04-21T15:42:59.528-05:00

This week's question: Somewhat overshadowed by his consecutive games streak was Cal Ripken Jr.'s consecutive innings streak in which he played 8,423 innings in a row from 1982 to 1987. Which player on the 1987 Orioles replaced him at shortstop to end the streak? Write your answers in the comments section.Answer to last week's question:Out of the four hitters listed, it is Nick Markakis who

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-63617471828267038932009-04-21T11:20:00.000-05:002009-04-21T15:43:15.830-05:00

It's no secret that Kevin Millwood is off to quite an impressive start this season:Start #1: 7IP 1ER 5KStart #2: 7IP 0ER 6KStart #3: 9 IP 2ER 3K (complete game)Totals: 23IP 3ER 14KHis season ERA after these three starts is 1.17.It got me thinking, "When was the last time Millwood pitched this well to start off a season?" The answer was more recent that I realized: it was last year. Look at his

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-38788479493482728372009-04-20T17:58:00.004-05:002009-04-20T18:04:11.683-05:00

I had a hard time selecting something today, so I had to stick with this. I think just about everyone has seen it already, but oh well.

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-35862967784208270322009-04-20T00:03:00.006-05:002009-04-20T18:07:42.657-05:00

3-0, the best start the Rangers had gotten off to in years. Since then, it has been, to sum it up quickly, a light catastrophe. Yes, the Rangers are only 5-7, and yes it was fun to see Michael Young hit the walk off homerun, but what I’ve seen overall is a level of inconsistency that does not spell ‘winning ball club.’ Young would know as good as anyone when he talked about being more consistent

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-91708924133867136192009-04-19T23:10:00.004-05:002009-04-19T23:32:32.807-05:00

I had a bet with my family that Ron Washington would get the ax if the Rangers were swept by the Royals. Whether or not I was right, I bet that Michael Young's beers are on his manager tonight.Let's hear from the losing locker room (which is quite unhappy with Trey Hillman's management of the late innings):A breakdown of Treydaddy's Decisions: April 19th Edition from Royals Review". . . Did a lot

JPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-77280083231903090192009-04-18T18:41:00.026-05:002009-04-19T14:40:22.902-05:00

We knew this would happen at some point this season (well something akin to this, anyway)... but I don't think anybody could've predicted it would happen quite this quickly.Josh Rupe has been designated for assignment, and Derek Holland has been purchased from Oklahoma City. Apparently Holland will work out of the bullpen for now as a long reliever, eventually moving into the rotation once his

Jon Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13766915845917205573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-7607929464067211782009-04-17T22:46:00.011-05:002009-04-18T19:48:08.277-05:00

I don't really know where to begin.I guess I could roll out the old cliche "it was just one of those weeks..." but that wouldn't really be true. The results the Rangers have put up this week (outside of Wednesday's bash-fest anyway) have been depressing and abnormally horrible thanks to a combination of gaffes, bad luck and plainly sub-par bullpen - with some truly mystifying management sprinkled

Jon Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13766915845917205573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-77068136844096182502009-04-17T00:00:00.000-05:002009-04-17T00:00:14.289-05:00

Mike Ricigliano, who draws the comic strip for USA Today's Sports Weekly, draws cartoons for each Orioles game for The Baltimore Sun. While ignoring the first two comics for obvious reasons, here is the comic for Wednesday night's 19-6 game:

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-13916905256545723692009-04-16T17:07:00.004-05:002009-04-16T18:35:54.745-05:00

I have to say, after losing two of the first three to the Orioles, that one felt good. Surprisingly, however, we also saw some strength from the bullpen in the form of newly recuperated flamethrower Willie Eyre. Josh Rupe was, of course, the usual Josh Rupe, but a strong comeback from Eyre would go a long way towards improving the lackluster bullpen. So, despite the fact that the roar of the

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-84329129328575950982009-04-15T00:01:00.002-05:002009-04-15T00:08:14.892-05:00

When the Rangers announced that Michael Young would be moving to third base to make way for 20 year old phenom Elvis Andrus, I was slightly skeptical about the decision. It was exciting to know that the Rangers’ top prospect would be the every day shortstop, but it was also slightly unnerving, because he was making the jump from AA all the way to the big leagues. It seemed that he needed at least

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-45458297953479757902009-04-13T23:37:00.000-05:002009-04-13T23:30:16.772-05:00

Despite the fact that I usually leave game recaps to Jon (who is much better at them), for particularly interesting games I had an idea about writing an article entitled "What the Box Score Won't Tell You (and Some of What It Will)". I'm going to reserve these articles for games in which the box score just doesn't do the game justice (which, if you want to get technical, is every game, but I'll

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-38367793723444183962009-04-13T23:20:00.005-05:002009-04-13T23:32:22.523-05:00

After two weeks of absence, I am proud to announce the return of Tuesday Trivia! I've been trying to figure out a way to get more readers to respond to the question, and I have an idea:A new trivia question will be posted on the upper right side of the page in poll-format every Tuesday. All you have to do is select the choice you think is correct. Try it out!Just to keep a record of the question,

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-56369000078394232332009-04-13T12:51:00.002-05:002009-04-13T13:01:08.323-05:00

To follow up last week's humorous video, here's another one from The Onion newscast:I think my favorite part is when he says the Yankees always play their Friday games against the Pirates and the Royals.

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-53074358210452956142009-04-13T12:39:00.005-05:002009-04-13T12:50:40.525-05:00

Chris Davis looks like a bulldozer stuck in the mud. He just can’t seem to pull himself out. Davis enters into the series against Baltimore with a .045 batting average and just one hit in 22 at bats. Ten of those plate appearances have resulted in a strikeout. Since I don’t think I’ve actually witnessed a hard hit ball off of Davis’ bat this year, then it seems clear that he’s simply lost his

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-86118737539220140702009-04-11T04:08:00.011-05:002009-04-11T19:38:16.145-05:00

If there's one thing that'll make you truly realize it's the beginning of baseball season, it's getting donkey-stomped 15-2. Nothing like some adversity to remind you why it's a loooong season, is there?Before we go any further I should mention I'm debuting what should be a new feature today: the Rangers Weekly Scoreboard. Every Saturday I'll take a look back over the last 7 days and do my best

Jon Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13766915845917205573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-28681537053396414172009-04-10T00:27:00.004-05:002009-04-10T00:30:08.555-05:00

The Ballpark in Arlington, filled with seats on Opening Day. Need I say more?

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-38110517357443931012009-04-09T23:36:00.004-05:002009-04-10T00:15:10.389-05:00

Win #3: Rangers 12, Indians 8: Game Recap, Boxscore And now let's hear from the losing locker room, whose pitchers just gave up 27 runs in the season's first series:Game Three: Rangers 12, Indians 8 from Lets Go Tribe "By the end of the second inning the Rangers had already amassed 9 runs, effectively ending the game. Some of the problems in the early going were Carl Pavano and then also there

JPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-70706337750127690462009-04-09T12:45:00.004-05:002009-04-09T15:37:01.121-05:00

You may remember from sometime in March that Vandergriff Honda promised free cars to certain customers if the Rangers start the season 4-0 and if the Yankees start the season 0-4.I previously commented on the exact probability of that occurence here at HWC using BP's PECOTA season projections. As you might expect, the probability was extremely low, at .0008 (.08%).As I'm sure Vandergriff Honda

JPnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-86491103399028303692009-04-09T12:11:00.004-05:002009-04-09T12:34:09.157-05:00

Win #2: Rangers 8, Indians 5: Game Recap, BoxscoreAnd now let's hear from the losing locker room, where the common theme is apprehension concerning the Rangers' disposal of Cleveland's two best pitchers, and the fact that only the immortal Carl Pavano stands in the way of a Rangers sweep:Game Two: Rangers 8, Indians 5 from Lets Go Tribe"Cliff Lee, and now Fausto Carmona, both vital parts of

JPnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-25151719097740617632009-04-08T00:10:00.002-05:002009-04-08T00:19:33.859-05:00

The rotation for the Rangers is obviously the key component for their success—the same can be said for every other Major League team as well. I don’t remember a great baseball team that didn’t have a great rotation, though that’s not to say that the rotation is the only element that is necessary for producing a winning team. Obviously the bullpen is vital, as well as a solid defense manning the

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-27603495628474684732009-04-07T00:20:00.009-05:002009-04-08T15:26:09.784-05:00

Today was a great day. Not only did the baseball season burst forth in all it's glory, but the Rangers also won, punishing Cy Young Award Winner Cliff Lee and the Indians 9-1. There was also plenty to talk about all over baseball:**Hank Blalock homered for the Rangers in the Rangers' home opener. Again. This marks the 5th time that Blalock has gone deep in home openers (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-66351066393844317702009-04-06T23:27:00.008-05:002009-04-07T00:18:23.347-05:00

Before I get started, I just want to say that this is not going to be a game recap. Instead, we are going to try out a new feature here at HWC for every Rangers win: covering the blogs of the losing team. This is something I started doing last year after victories, and it was entertaining to read things like this: "Well, that game was forgettable. Shut down by the immortal Luis Mendoza for seven

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-58482488855372459562009-04-06T21:16:00.002-05:002009-04-06T21:22:23.747-05:00

Here's a funny video of a clueless fan calling a baseball game from behind home plate. I would have loved to sit behind this guy at the game. This video is the next best thing to that, I suppose.So the question is, is he really that ignorant?

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-72387174392592237472009-04-06T03:22:00.006-05:002009-04-06T22:46:17.831-05:00

Hello, and welcome to another season of Texas Rangers baseball! Pretty soon, fans will be spilling into the ballpark, admiring its new features, eating ballpark food, and getting that first whiff of the sweet green grass. Now to veer away from that alluring thought: 'Hello Win Column' has been around for a few months now, and it will only get better as the season goes on. As a special Opening Day

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-71881341778134059422009-04-05T12:03:00.003-05:002009-04-05T12:28:13.323-05:00

It's roughly 24 hours until the first pitch of the 2009 season, and the past week has been filled with anticipation and excitement. Perhaps the most important thing to happen this past week while the final Spring Training games winded down was the finalizing of the Opening Day roster. Things are finally starting to pick up for the baseball season, so buckle your seat belts.It appears that things

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-67227013695306787872009-04-03T22:45:00.043-05:002009-04-05T06:41:25.087-05:00

With the calendar now down to mere couple of days before the gates open at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, I thought it might be prudent to put together a last-minute overview of the Rangers competition in the AL West as we prepare to dive into the baseball season. Whether or not you believe the Rangers have a shot at the postseason this year on paper (which, even to the most optimistic of us

Jon Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13766915845917205573noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-55665229875854215512009-04-03T00:30:00.008-05:002009-04-03T22:56:37.218-05:00

As we all know by now, Frank Catalanotto was placed on waivers recently after losing his roster spot to the inexorable Andruw Jones. The Cat served the Rangers in two different stints: 2000-2002 and 2007-2008. He was a class act who always looked like he was about 14 years old in his JumboTron pictures at the Ballpark: He was first acquired by the Rangers in the trade that sent Juan Gonzalez to

JPnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-2657637241370848052009-04-02T11:29:00.001-05:002009-04-02T14:58:56.561-05:00

I had another post planned for today, but in light of some recent roster moves I thought this might be more fun. Please excuse the pun in the title, I couldn't help myself.Roster Move in Question: Keeping Andruw JonesFor those interested, all of us here at HWC have already written about some aspect of this situation:John Paul: On Andruw JonesJon: Andruw Jones, Fourth Outfielder?Thomas: The

JPnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-79921712731933950142009-04-01T00:01:00.005-05:002009-04-01T00:46:25.421-05:00

From 1991 to 2003, Ivan Rodriguez was the Rangers’ front line, MVP, Gold Glove award winning catcher. He was a star catcher, equal to the best in the game. When Pudge left after the 2002 season, the Rangers were suddenly faced with the difficulty of finding a replacement. Since then they have been unable to produce a catcher who can consistently play solid baseball like Rodriguez did. It's just

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-34549285793890119522009-03-31T09:51:00.010-05:002009-03-31T23:51:45.759-05:00

In a follow up to last week's post about the state of Michael Young's career and his chances for a rebound (The Curious Case of Michael Young, Part I), I wanted to demonstrate exactly what kind of trend in which Young is entrenched. Fortunately, http://www.fangraphs.com/ provides exactly the kind of visualizations that we need. Aside from the commentary I've made, notice how drastic his ascent

JPnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-40808319226891861232009-03-30T00:23:00.004-05:002009-03-30T00:42:07.043-05:00

In the 'baseball movie' genre, 'Field of Dreams' is considered to be a classic, a movie that mixes baseball and fantasy to create a magical world worth visiting again and again. Kevin Costner is the star (one of three baseball movies he made, the other two being 'Bull Durham,' and 'For Love of the Game') and as you probably know, plays a man who builds a baseball diamond in his corn field. The

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-51005118583130570102009-03-30T00:07:00.006-05:002009-03-30T00:22:17.919-05:00

So now the Rangers team seems to be set for 09. We’ve been pretty sure about the roster for some time now, though Kris Benson’s sudden emergence has definitely been a bit of a bolt from the blue. It’s looking as if he may even take Scott Feldman’s place in the rotation, with Feldman then moving to the bullpen as a long man. This spring Benson hasn’t been very impressive (1-0 with a 4.91 ERA), but

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-73823929883413923562009-03-29T01:50:00.004-05:002009-03-29T02:06:40.097-05:00

As you know, Hello Win Column is a relatively new Texas Rangers blog, having been around for roughly 2 months now. These first two months have been a little bit of a trial and error process--I try something for a while, see if it works, and then modify it as necessary. In short, I'm still trying to find the right niche for this blog, and I am constantly looking for new ways to improve the blog

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-15866709361784705372009-03-29T01:15:00.005-05:002009-03-29T01:50:26.410-05:00

Here we are, a week away from Opening Day. Though we all may be growing tired of Spring Training, it is offset by the ever-increasing excitement for the start of the actual season. Luckily for those of us who write about the Rangers, this means there isn't a shortage of topics to write about as there might have been in the dark, cold offesason. Let's take a look at what we've discussed this past

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-20174105805877705422009-03-28T07:00:00.005-05:002009-03-28T18:13:53.193-05:00

Well folks, it would seem reports of my departure from HWC have been greatly exaggerated. That's right folks, Jon is back - well, on Saturdays anyway. Maybe if John Paul lets me, we can even have select "Jon-out" weekends (Internet hi-five on the red-unis pun? Anyone?)I'm glad to be back, even if it is on a limited basis - frankly I'm quite flattered that John Paul thought enough of my work last

Jon Pagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13766915845917205573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-69829733756865348022009-03-27T07:15:00.000-05:002009-03-27T07:15:04.179-05:00

We all know the deal about Michael Young, in part because it was shoved down our throats during this past offseason when the whole "moving to third base" controversy surfaced: the Rangers are paying him a lot of money (an average of $16 million per year), and over the past four seasons (2005-2008), his vitals have substantially, if not continuously, decreased:Year AVG/OBP/SLG'05

JPnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-61774767980716775742009-03-25T23:29:00.004-05:002009-03-26T00:50:59.452-05:00

This is Thomas Lowery again. Please note that I'll be continuing to write on the blog a few days each week.The number 23 (and we're not talking about that cheap Jim Carrey flick). We're talking about 23 names to remember who have managed the Texas Rangers (Including when they played in Washington), though some of their actual stints with the club don't necessitate remembrance (think Ted Williams:

Thomas Loweryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16549711057581924153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7076858595046116368.post-78452691061671622502009-03-25T07:11:00.001-05:002009-03-25T07:11:03.968-05:00

For anyone not familiar with Baseball Prospectus' annual publication, they break down every single player in the majors by team and provide original statistical analysis as well as witty, dry, and sarcastic commentary for most of the players (for instance, in the 2007 edition they referred to Jason Botts as "an honorary member of the Giambi clan" when discussing his defense at first base). It is

JPnoreply@blogger.com1