Friday, March 11, 2011
Chuck Greenberg OUT???
I told you I'm back. Developing story says Chuck Greenberg could be resigning as CEO of the Texas Rangers. Greenberg won a very public ownership battle for the Rangers last season and seemed to be primed to take this franchise into the next decade. Sources are reporting a possible rift between Rangers President Nolan Ryan, along with MLB officials, regarding how Greenberg operates his business. Wow.
The Hiatus. Is. Over
So after almost two years of non-posts and a trip to the World Series by The Kids, I have decided to resume posting. I took time off to assist in adding to all the awesomeness in the world and decided I should share with the interweblings too. Stay Tuned............
Sunday, June 14, 2009
My Homer Announcers
If you've never had the opportunity to sit on a couch and watch a Texas Rangers broadcast with Josh Lewin and Tom Grieve as your announcers, you are missing something. They are, to me, quite entertaining.
Grieve is a lifer in the Rangers organization. He was drafted sixth overall by the Washington Senators in 1966 and has only spent one full year outside the organization since. He is known to wear his heart on his sleeve at times, particularly when lamenting umpires or not playing baseball the "right way".
Lewin is in his eighth year as the play-by-play announcer and can get quite animated at times.
Anyway, there is something about the Dynamic Duo that has always puzzled me, and I think I figured it out. I believe I have been following this pair since I was a wee lad, and here's the proof.
Grieve is a lifer in the Rangers organization. He was drafted sixth overall by the Washington Senators in 1966 and has only spent one full year outside the organization since. He is known to wear his heart on his sleeve at times, particularly when lamenting umpires or not playing baseball the "right way".
Lewin is in his eighth year as the play-by-play announcer and can get quite animated at times.
Anyway, there is something about the Dynamic Duo that has always puzzled me, and I think I figured it out. I believe I have been following this pair since I was a wee lad, and here's the proof.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
So what is a frickin sports hernia anyway?
Josh Slamilton was placed on the 15 day DL by the First Place Texas Rangers today before the start of their game against the Spankees. The official reason was an "abdominal strain". Hambone had an MRI on Monday and saw a specialist today to review the results. What made me chuckle was Hambino had to wait to see the specialist as his earlier appointments ran long. Really? What? This is the starting CF for the First Place Texas Rangers, a man who has had as much exposure as anyone else in MLB the past year, and he had to sit in a waiting room reading three-month old copies of People magazine (with the mailing address cut out of the cover) while listening to cheesy Muzak until his name was called? Mr. Hamilton, the Dr. will see you now. What didn't make me chuckle was the prognosis, which was along the lines of what I predicted but may not be the end of the story. Diagnosed with an abdominal strain, the treatment prescribed was anti-inflammatory's and plenty of rest. The First Place Texas Rangers are seeking a second opinion to see if it may be more than just an abdominal strain, the good ol sports hernia.
All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler was diagnosed with a sports hernia at the end of last season, and ended up having surgery which placed him on the DL for six weeks. Hamilton's return may be late August/early September if he does have the dreaded ball bruiser, err... groin gasher, umm...pelvic pulverizer. Gahhh. As interested as I was in Hamiltons groin region, I decided I would finally figure out what the fuck a hernia is. Okay. Great. So, can he, like, perform in that special way with his lady friend? How exactly does surgery help this? Do they insert another mans abdominal wall into your abdominal wall? You know, like when the window in your car falls off the track and you pull the window back up and tape the top of it to the door frame: two pieces of tape = much better hold than one piece of tape? I think I am now more confused than I was before I started writing this.
Anyway, Josh has certainly not been the same since he made the running catch into the wall in Arlington on May 17th. In the 11 games since that catch, he was 9-38 for a .237 BA with 1 HR and 5 RBI's. There is no doubt this guy was not 100%. let alone 75%. But now the First Place Texas Rangers are looking at 2-3 months without their third hole-hitter and CF. They played great during Hamilton's first stint on the DL this year (man that sounds bad, 1st stint. Makes you think there are many more to come, doesn't it???) but the offense is not that great as of late and the pitching is going in the wrong direction. Kind of feels like a kick (or pull) to the groin. Something The Doctor would know a lot about.
All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler was diagnosed with a sports hernia at the end of last season, and ended up having surgery which placed him on the DL for six weeks. Hamilton's return may be late August/early September if he does have the dreaded ball bruiser, err... groin gasher, umm...pelvic pulverizer. Gahhh. As interested as I was in Hamiltons groin region, I decided I would finally figure out what the fuck a hernia is. Okay. Great. So, can he, like, perform in that special way with his lady friend? How exactly does surgery help this? Do they insert another mans abdominal wall into your abdominal wall? You know, like when the window in your car falls off the track and you pull the window back up and tape the top of it to the door frame: two pieces of tape = much better hold than one piece of tape? I think I am now more confused than I was before I started writing this.
Anyway, Josh has certainly not been the same since he made the running catch into the wall in Arlington on May 17th. In the 11 games since that catch, he was 9-38 for a .237 BA with 1 HR and 5 RBI's. There is no doubt this guy was not 100%. let alone 75%. But now the First Place Texas Rangers are looking at 2-3 months without their third hole-hitter and CF. They played great during Hamilton's first stint on the DL this year (man that sounds bad, 1st stint. Makes you think there are many more to come, doesn't it???) but the offense is not that great as of late and the pitching is going in the wrong direction. Kind of feels like a kick (or pull) to the groin. Something The Doctor would know a lot about.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Baton Rouge, Doubleheaders and Shasta
So I've been in Baton Rouge on and off for the last couple weeks. Feels like I haven't been home in forever. Not only because of lovely Louisiana, mind you. Before I headed over here I was in terrific Temple (TX) for a couple weeks. Have you ever made your way to either of these towns? It feels like I have before, and it's weird, man. The accent in Baton Rouge is eerily similar to the good 'ol Baltimore-area.
Anywho, I was able to sneak back to Dallas on a Thursday afternoon flight as my girl and I had tickets to the Rangers doubleheader against the pAthletics on Friday. Let's play two! I was super-jazzed. I was concerned about my gal pal lasting the whole event, though. I talked to me hermano about this, although he wasn't much help. He kept putting little chat icons up like monkey's, poo and robots while we were chatting. * Side note, I don't ask him for much advice as he normally reverts to monkey's, poo and robots, but he's a season-ticket holder along with his wife in D.C. and I thought that he might be able to get us through the event. Maybe suggesting orange slices and Gatorade or something. Sigh.* So the old lady and I got ready Friday morning - hearty breakfast, sunscreen, over-the-shoulder cooler bag, whoopee - and headed off to the Temple (not the town in Texas I referenced earlier, but the place where magic happens, cause fucking nothing happens in Temple, TX).
You know what??? The First Place Texas Rangers swept the doubleheader, my girl stayed awake and attentive the whole time, and we didn't have to see this.
Anywho, I was able to sneak back to Dallas on a Thursday afternoon flight as my girl and I had tickets to the Rangers doubleheader against the pAthletics on Friday. Let's play two! I was super-jazzed. I was concerned about my gal pal lasting the whole event, though. I talked to me hermano about this, although he wasn't much help. He kept putting little chat icons up like monkey's, poo and robots while we were chatting. * Side note, I don't ask him for much advice as he normally reverts to monkey's, poo and robots, but he's a season-ticket holder along with his wife in D.C. and I thought that he might be able to get us through the event. Maybe suggesting orange slices and Gatorade or something. Sigh.* So the old lady and I got ready Friday morning - hearty breakfast, sunscreen, over-the-shoulder cooler bag, whoopee - and headed off to the Temple (not the town in Texas I referenced earlier, but the place where magic happens, cause fucking nothing happens in Temple, TX).
You know what??? The First Place Texas Rangers swept the doubleheader, my girl stayed awake and attentive the whole time, and we didn't have to see this.
I forgot how great an entire day at the ballpark can be. So your team goes down by one run in the second inning, there's 16 more, not counting free baseball (extra innings)! After so much traveling as of late, time away from my kick-ass dogs and girl, long days at work and nights in the hotel, it was a much needed mini vacation, even if I did have to be back at the airport at 8:30 Saturday morning. Super Nachos were inhaled, Bratwursts were ingested, beer was flowing like rain from Pacman (too dated???). I was refreshed (more on that later).
No, the First Place Texas Rangers are not looking perfect heading into June (post tomorrow, I hope, about nuts and bolts) but I am as happy as a fan can be in this town right now, and this was just what The Doctor, wait, not that one, the doctor ordered. And if you ever need a quick pick-me-up Shasta makes an 8 oz can of Ginger Ale that refreshes and hydrates in about 3.2 seconds.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Timmy Kurkjian, I am over you.
There's only so far pure stats can get you. Sometimes you have to acknowledge numbers are not everything.
I have always been interested to hear what Kurkjian has to say. There is no doubt that he loves baseball with a passion few have. But I have always thought he had a creepy fetish with the numbers baseball provides. After reading his book, I was pretty sure the last time he had sex was when he blew his own wad in a hotel room writing an article about some triple play turned by a low level A-ball player during a day game on the road.
Now I know he's a one-trick-pony. And I'm bummed. I've been a fan of the MLB Network since it aired. I think it's because they have no nonsense ex-ballplayers who talk about how it was, and how it should be, from the trenches. When I watch Baseball Tonight these days, I see the Mickey Mouse ears trying to please their "targeted" audience. Who "targeted" this audience, anyway? I think it had to be some 40 year old exec who thinks they know what the current young baseball generation is - a bunch of stat monkeys who have the attention span of a five-year old (thank to the Internet) and want to be the first one in their group to throw out some meaningless stat that makes them feel like baseball jesus. Bleh.
So allow me to present when I felt Kurkjian "jumped the shark". In a summation of how the (First Place) Texas Rangers got to where they are this year, Kurkjian applauded the output of Elvis Andrus and what an improvement he was in the infield over the prior year. He said that Andrus was a "much improved replacement" to the "less than stellar Michael Young".
Hey, Dill...Michael Young won the Gold Glove last year. Now the statement that Andrus is better at short than Young does not bother me. But it's the matter-of-fact way Kurkjian laid his statement down. So it is Kurkjian, so it is said. Andrus is a pure "eye-ball guy". His stats are not phenomenal. He makes plenty of errors. Young does not. What I have expected Kurkjian to do is back up his statement with fact - but he has none. Young is, statistically a much better shortstop than Andrus... So WHY make this statement? It goes against everything Tim-ahy has ever said. I might be okay with this change in trend except he has beating me to death with stat after stat after stat after stat. And now - he doesn't even back up the Gold Glove winner with any stat-based facts.
If Kurkjian wants to set his new precedent of going with the eye-balls over the stats, so be it. But I will no longer be able to pay attention to his 30-second rants that describe how a second baseman's OPS rating in 1921 translates to a pitchers WHIP in 2008, thus declaring a catchers pitch selection in the top-fifth of his league, only to not be relative in the 2009 playoffs due to the manager's history of sending runners with one out and the infield at double play depth.
I guess I'm rambling, but here is my summation. Andrus is a better athlete at short than Young is. I can say that But I have never backed any of my infield thoughts with stats, only eye-balls. But Kurkjian never has, and now he's dissed the face of The First Place Texas Rangers. And I will never jump that shark. Unlike The Doctor, who likes to blow the shark.
I have always been interested to hear what Kurkjian has to say. There is no doubt that he loves baseball with a passion few have. But I have always thought he had a creepy fetish with the numbers baseball provides. After reading his book, I was pretty sure the last time he had sex was when he blew his own wad in a hotel room writing an article about some triple play turned by a low level A-ball player during a day game on the road.
Now I know he's a one-trick-pony. And I'm bummed. I've been a fan of the MLB Network since it aired. I think it's because they have no nonsense ex-ballplayers who talk about how it was, and how it should be, from the trenches. When I watch Baseball Tonight these days, I see the Mickey Mouse ears trying to please their "targeted" audience. Who "targeted" this audience, anyway? I think it had to be some 40 year old exec who thinks they know what the current young baseball generation is - a bunch of stat monkeys who have the attention span of a five-year old (thank to the Internet) and want to be the first one in their group to throw out some meaningless stat that makes them feel like baseball jesus. Bleh.
So allow me to present when I felt Kurkjian "jumped the shark". In a summation of how the (First Place) Texas Rangers got to where they are this year, Kurkjian applauded the output of Elvis Andrus and what an improvement he was in the infield over the prior year. He said that Andrus was a "much improved replacement" to the "less than stellar Michael Young".
Hey, Dill...Michael Young won the Gold Glove last year. Now the statement that Andrus is better at short than Young does not bother me. But it's the matter-of-fact way Kurkjian laid his statement down. So it is Kurkjian, so it is said. Andrus is a pure "eye-ball guy". His stats are not phenomenal. He makes plenty of errors. Young does not. What I have expected Kurkjian to do is back up his statement with fact - but he has none. Young is, statistically a much better shortstop than Andrus... So WHY make this statement? It goes against everything Tim-ahy has ever said. I might be okay with this change in trend except he has beating me to death with stat after stat after stat after stat. And now - he doesn't even back up the Gold Glove winner with any stat-based facts.
If Kurkjian wants to set his new precedent of going with the eye-balls over the stats, so be it. But I will no longer be able to pay attention to his 30-second rants that describe how a second baseman's OPS rating in 1921 translates to a pitchers WHIP in 2008, thus declaring a catchers pitch selection in the top-fifth of his league, only to not be relative in the 2009 playoffs due to the manager's history of sending runners with one out and the infield at double play depth.
I guess I'm rambling, but here is my summation. Andrus is a better athlete at short than Young is. I can say that But I have never backed any of my infield thoughts with stats, only eye-balls. But Kurkjian never has, and now he's dissed the face of The First Place Texas Rangers. And I will never jump that shark. Unlike The Doctor, who likes to blow the shark.
Friday, May 22, 2009
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