It’s a good thing I’m not Evan Grant. Why? He has to write about these bad games and teams. I can just say “They suck”, and be done with it. He has to be more erudite than that. Of course, he gets paid for this, I do not. I guess that’s compensation enough, eh Evan? :) I am just at a loss. The pitching is far worse than anyone could have ever imagined. I did think that after the last few years, I shoudln’t be THIS disappointed, but like most Ranger fans I was pretty high on the spring training team, Ron Washington, etc, etc, etc.. I’ll still be a fan, but MAN are they not good.
Loe gave up nine runs in 2.2 innings. That’s an ERA of what, about 6,000? Eric Gagne pitched an inning and didn’t give up anything. Given the usual demand for pitchers, he’s probably our best bargaining chip next month. Hopefully he holds it together health wise until after he’s traded. Mark Teixeira had a home run in the bottom of the ninth, when it didn’t matter. I’m still up in the air on what will happen with him. Last week I figured he was a total goner, and then that quote by Mike Young came out saying “If he goes… that’s not what I re-signed here for”, makes me wonder. I say if Arod opts out of his contract, you immediately give Tex what he wants, throw all that lost Arod money at Tex ontop of what you were going to offer him anyway.
Speaking of bad teams, let me take a moment to point out a very funny book about some very bad Texas Rangers teams of the early 70’s. The book is called “Seasons in Hell”, and was written by Mike Shropshire. Here’s some text about it. If you’ve never read this, I strongly suggest you do – it’s extremely good. Especially if you’re a Rangers fan:
Assigned to cover the Texas Rangers for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in early 1973, gonzo sportswriter Mike Shropshire looked forward to the perks and padded expense account that went along with the job. He never dreamed he’d have to earn every penny–following arguably the worst team in baseball history. Full of wild games and wilder nights, and the exploits of some of the most extreme characters ever to play the game, this book is Shropshire’s irreverent, behind-the-scenes look at the hell a truly pitiful team can raise between games and innings.Joe’s Remarks: I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this one either. I bought it because of the tagline on the front about it being funny. I admit to not knowing a whole lot about the very early years of the Rangers (I didn’t move here until 1992, and didn’t really follow ’em until 1995), and the thought about reading a book all about them didn’t thrill me.
However, I quickly found out that this was a hysterically funny book. Mike Shrophsire has a very funny wit, and isn’t afraid to let it fly when talking about the Rangers of this era. His recollection of events is awesome, and makes for very funny reading. If you’re a fan of the Rangers, or even if you’re not, GET THIS! It’s a very great read, although I don’t recommend it for very small kids, as there’s more than just one or two cuss words in there. Still, for adults, it’s well worth it.