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An Open Letter to Trent Williams [UPDATED]

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I updated this after the initial reaction on Twitter.  Read below the picture…

Dude, please stop.

I’m talking about the guy who has season tickets out in section 51 of Rangers ballpark.  This is the guy who in the last few years has a habit of running out on the field, catching home run balls and throwing them back.    He’s been doing this for some time now.  I don’t recall offhand when he first started doing this, but I recall for sure seeing it during the 2011 season.    The earliest I can (quickly) find was this reference to a game in September 2011.

When he started doing this, it was kind of cool.  Even amusing.   I used to get a kick out of it.  Not anymore.  I am starting to hate when opponents hit home runs out there.  Not because of my objecting to throwing home run balls back (which is another entire discussion), but the fact that this guy dominates home run balls.   I mean seriously – he seems to want to be “the man” out there, and that’s why I have a problem with this.  If I were a parent in that area, I’d be really pissed off, because Trent Williams near me means my kid has no hope of getting a home run ball. [Read more…]

G18: Rangers sweep M’s with 11-3 thrashing

Posted by on at http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_04_21_seamlb_texmlb_1&mode=wrap>MLB.com Recap

I am not going to write a lot about this one.   The old “running out of time to write” right now thing.  But I will put down a few bullet points.

  • Justin Grimm looked as good as I’ve seen him since his initial stellar major league start.   Was quite good.
  • I got to see just a little bit of this game, but I did get to see the bottom of the fifth
  • Always amusing to see a game with an 11-3 score with an official credit for a save.  :)
  • In watching game commentary on Twitter, it was funny to see both “Nelson Cruz boomstick” and “Nelson Cruz bloopstick” at the same time. :)
  • Nice jets on Leonys Martin.  Good to see he didn’t hurt himself on his triple.
  • Martin wins the slugging percentage award for this game with a triple and a double.
  • Always ALWAYS love seeing grand slams by the Rangers.   Even better when the outfielders for the other team don’t even MOVE when the ball is headed their way.  :)

G17: Two shutouts in a row, beating M’s 5-0

Posted by on at http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_04_20_seamlb_texmlb_1&mode=wrap>MLB.com Recap

Two shutouts in a row.  Granted, it’s the Mariners, who have had offensive problems the last several years.  But still.   Won 7-0 yesterday.  Won 5-0 today.   You’ve GOT to love that kind of performance from your pitching staff.   Yesterday the big deal was Yu Darvish.   Today the big deal was.. well.. all of them.    Because in the third inning, it looked pretty bad. [Read more…]

Misc Small Transactions

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Here’s a few small transactions that happened over a couple of days:

  • P Zach Simons released (Apr 11 – could be Apr 1)
  • P Justin Miller recalled from AA and placed on 60 day DL
  • P Jeff Beliveau traded to Tampa Bay Rays
  • P Julio Borbon claimed off waivers from Rangers by Chicago Cubs

I really was hoping that Borbon could go somewhere and win.  I always felt he got a bit of a bad deal here.  Not *TOO* bad, mind you – as he had numerous chances to seize the job.   But in the end, he was passed by other guys on the roster.   Shame, as I always liked the guy.   Hope he does well in Chicago.

G16: Rangers shut down Mariners, 7-0

Posted by on at http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_04_19_seamlb_texmlb_1&mode=wrap>MLB.com Recap

Whatever was bothering Yu Darvish in his second start, certainly didn’t bother him this game.   He looked more like the almost perfect guy in his first outing of the season.   Wasn’t quite THAT good, but man, he looked good here.  His pitches were moving – he mowed guys down.   He very much looks like what the Rangers expected to get when they sent a truckload of money to his Japanese team, and then offered Darvish himself another truckload of money.   Take that Dice-K! [Read more…]

G15: Rangers lose to Cubs on Thursday, 6-2

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This is one of those games that has a simple explanation.  Oh, I could write multiple hundreds of words about it, breaking down all the details, but it really is very simple.  Carlos Villanueva for the Cubs was good.  Alexi Ogando for the Rangers was not.    Ogando allowed five earned runs in 2.1 innings.  That was the game  in a nutshell.

Our only two runs came on two solo home runs (Kinsler & Cruz).  In fact, Kinsler & Cruz were our ENTIRE offense, as we had just four hits total.  Both of them had two hits (the others being singles).  Nobody else had any.

That’s it, folks!

Rangers rained out in Chicago

Posted by on at http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130418&content_id=45131716&notebook_id=45133220&vkey=notebook_tex&c_id=tex>MLB.com Recap

Wednesday’s game against the Cubs was rained out, and due to the way interleague is handled now (basically all the time), a replacement date is unknown.   They couldn’t DH it on Thursday because that day had rain in the forecast, too.   But the replacement game has no announced time.   Somewhere along the line, we’ll have to go back to Chicago just to play one game.   While I’m just a fan from home, and don’t have to travel, I imagine the players don’t care for that kind of thing.

The MLB story I link to here mentions the Rangers didn’t do their usual tarp slide – mostly because it was too cold.  :)

G14: Rangers eek out win in Chicago, 4-2

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April games in Wrigley were never as fun as the ones later in the summer.  Growing up a Phillies fan, I always thought what made Wrigley look as good as it did was all the walls and ivy.   Which was never the case in April, as it was a bunch of brown vines, which I thought made the park look just the opposite – pretty dreary looking.   I do like that into 2013, the walls are still advertising free.  I remember for the longest time Wrigley had NO advertising of any kind inside the park.  That was really unique.   That’s been lost, but the walls remain mostly ad free.  Be nice if it could have stayed ad free.  I have always loved the ivy covered walls there.  I hope to see a game there someday.  :) [Read more…]

G13: Rangers drop Sunday game to M’s, 4-3

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Nick Tepesch took the mound for this start, and while I didn’t think his line showed a very good outing, I didn’t feel it was that bad.   Oh, by every measurable number he didn’t do too great.  5.2 innings pitched.  Threw 102 pitches, allowed nine hits, four earned runs.  Pretty “meh” outing.  However, the “gut feeling-ometer” in my head didn’t think he was as awful as his line seemed to indicate.    I like this kid, really want him to do well.  Would love for one of our kids to come up, claim a spot, and not give it back.   With the surgery for Harrison, plus Colby Lewis still out, we need at least one of these guys to claim a spot on the rotation.   Hoping it’s Tepesch. [Read more…]

G12: Rangers beat Mariners, 3-1 on Sat

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I had to work and do a bunch of family stuff, and as such I went to bed early on Saturday night.  I didn’t get to see any of this one, so this is a pure box score recap from me.  :)

The pitchers duel I thought we’d get the night before with Darvish & Iwakuma materialized a bit more solidly on Saturday night with Alexi Ogando taking the hill against Joe Saunders.  Saunders is a weird case for us, I always feel like we should crush him, but he’ll turn around and do what he did last night against us; especially when he was with the Angels.   Sat night was not a “crush him” night, I see. [Read more…]