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G4: Rangers take home opener, 3-2 over Angels

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I think I’m going to go with a stream of “comments”, vs an article for this game. I’m sitting at my desk doing a ton of things at once (all baseball related), and I have the chance to have live comments here..

Pregame:

Glad for this game to get started, I’m tired of hearing EVERY sports commentator asked “What do you think the reaction to Josh Hamilton will be?” Seriously, does this honestly need to be asked? The “Be silent” people don’t have a chance. We all know what the reaction will be.

I had to stay home for this one, I had a ticket option, but certain realities kept me from attenting. That’s unfortunate, but I’m still “virtually” at the game. Being connected with the radio, mlb.tv, and twitter feeds & Facebook timelines from people who ARE there.. It’ll be cool.

Even though I’m sitting at my computer, and could stream the game over the Internet, I broke out a manual radio, pulled the antenna up, and listened that way. Seems more “pure”. :) [Read more…]

Winners of Josh Lewin Book

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I picked these awhile ago, but real life has gotten in the way, and I’ve been unable to post the stories.  I picked a couple of winners, and am sending out the books.  One bonus that I didn’t tell people about.   I got Josh Lewin to autograph the books, too!   Josh was most kind, I mailed down the covers to him in Florida when the Mets were still in camp down there.  He sent them back to me, and now I’m ready to ship everything out, so I wanted to post the winners.  Thanks to those who entered, and if you missed the original post, go check it out, as it has my review of the book.   Let’s get to the winners:

 

1) Janis T.

I always enjoyed the interplay between Josh and Tom about “cookie talk”.  They had fun with it, and it didn’t just lie there between the two of them like a dead mackerel as it sometimes does now.  I know that’s inconsequential in the scheme of things, but as one of the people who is a Huge Rangers fan, and who also enjoyed making things to send up to the booth when I got to go to a game, it was fun. And hearing him shout “Ballgame!” after a win.  Always great.  I miss Josh.

2) Brandon C.

I think my favorite story about Josh was sitting in my bedroom after school on September 23, 2004, watching the Rangers face the Oakland A’s. I still remember keeping up with the game until I could get home, then turning the TV on in the bottom of the ninth, watching David Dellucci stride to the plate, and then seeing that swing. I saw the ball drop into fair territory, then all I remember next is Josh screaming hysterically as the two runs scored that would win the game, and for the first time in years would give the Rangers hope at making the playoffs. Even though it never came to fruition, that memory of Josh making one of the most exciting games in franchise history that much more exciting was something that I will cherish as a Rangers fan forever. If they’ll ever release the video of it, I’m pretty sure it will be one of the clips I show my kids one day to get them excited about baseball. But I have Josh to thank for really making it even more memorable than it already was.

3) Jeff W.

My absolute favorite Josh Lewin moment came when Bengie Molina hit for the cycle in Boston in 2010. Both Grieve and Lewin were fired up all game long with how well Molina was hitting, including his grand slam. But then, when Molina drilled that hit in one of the most improbable spots in Fenway, there was a point when both of them realized that this could be it.  The most unlikely player on the team was going to do the impossible. And there it was, “Big Fella”, as Josh affectionately called him, slid into 3rd and also into the history books. And the best part?  For that 12 seconds it took Molina to move 270 feet, Lewin wasn’t an announcer. He was a fan, just like the rest of us.

And finally, here’s my own favorite..

My single favorite memory (sorry if I already told you this) was probably the time you punked TAG with the telestrator, by diagramming something on the field, and you ended up writing JOSH.  I wish I had that on TiVo.  Most people will go with the Hamilton walkoff where Josh practically screamed his lungs out of his mouth with BALLGAME!!!!

And while I’m at it, I think my favorite TAG moment is probably when Hideki Irabu was with the Rangers..  He was getting shelled, and going to commercial, TAG”s mike wasn’t closed, and he said “This guy couldn’t pitch his way out of a fucking paper bag!”.  Roared on that one.  Loved the honest reaction there, but that’s something you guys can never do.  heh.

G3: Rangers shut out Astros again, 4-0

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I was out of practice keeping track of Rangers games, and given this one started at 1PM, I forgot about that until 2, so I missed the beginning.  Apparently what I missed was more of the lining up of strikeouts that Darvish had been doing in Game 2.   Alexi Ogando continued that parade of Astros walking back to the dugout in this game, too.    While he didn’t have 14 of them, he did have 10.  Always a good number to see.   Even better when it came in 6.1 innings of work! [Read more…]

G2: Darvish Oh So Close.. Rangers win 7-0

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Going into the bottom of the ninth inning, I had Eric Nadel on, and I have to say, I was getting waves of chills going over my back.  I mean, OH MAN.  I wasn’t watching when Kenny Rogers pitched his perfect game, but I have to imagine it felt like this.  I had contacted several friends, told them they needed to get the game on.   It was one of those “moments”.    While I am tired of hearing about the Cruz non catch in right in the World Series, I have to say that Newy Scruggs equated it well.  He said this was like that.  You got up high, let yourself believe, and the it crashed down.  Yeah, it was pretty crushing.   Before that, I was fist pumping sitting in front of my computer, I was seriously into it.  Was texting a friend at the same time, chatting with another on Facebook’s chat, so yeah, I was into it with a few friends.   Then… Marwin Gonzalez.  I mean, who? [Read more…]

G1: Rangers end up losing big to Astros, 8-2

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I was ready to go.  I caught up most of the parts of my Rangers site, I had the game loaded up on “WatchESPN”, so I got to see the game (and listened to some bad announcing).   Matt Harrison was looking good early, on, and then “that” happened.   And by that, I meant that somewhere between the top of the fourth and the bottom of the fourth, the Rangers and Astros seemed to switch uniforms.  They certainly were not playing like they were supposed to.   I think they switched uniforms! [Read more…]

25 Man Roster Set

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Here’s the big gaggle of transactions to set up for Opening Day (today):

  • P Colby Lewis placed on 15 day DL, retro to March 22
  • P Joakim Soria placed on 15 day DL, retro to March 22
  • P Martin Perez placed on 15 day DL, retro to March 22
  • P Cory Burns, P Josh Lindblom, & IF Jurickson Profar optioned to AAA
  • IF Jeff Baker & P Derek Lowe purchased from AAA
  • IF Brandon Allen given unconditional release from AAA

A lot has been written about the makeup of this roster, and it will be weird not having Michael Young here.  I’ll still get to see him in Philly, but it WILL be weird not seeing him here.   A few short remarks about guys on the 25 man roster: [Read more…]

G37: Rangers win final spring game, 5-2

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I got a bit behind with Spring Training Updates, and I’m taking a pass on the dozen or so I missed.  Got way too busy with actual work (which is good).  Will be with it for the regular season.  :)

This was the last game of the season, and given we open the season Sunday night against the Astros, we don’t get a day off.  The 25 man roster will be finalized (formally anyway), on Sunday afternoon – the cutoff was 2PM, according to a tweet by Jamey Newberg.    Will be curious to see the final shakeout.  Will have something to say about that on Sunday before the game starts.

G36: Rangers beat Padres 5-4 in Alamodome

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I got a bit behind with Spring Training Updates, and I’m taking a pass on the dozen or so I missed.  Got way too busy with actual work (which is good).  Will be with it for the regular season.  :)

G35: Rangers beat Mexican team, 12-1

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I got a bit behind with Spring Training Updates, and I’m taking a pass on the dozen or so I missed.  Got way too busy with actual work (which is good).  Will be with it for the regular season.  :)

Nice to see a home game from Arlington on my TV again.  It’d been awhile!

Interesting full circle event here.  Esteban Loaiza warmed up and came into the game at Rangers Ballpark for the Mexican team.  When his inning was done, the next Rangers pitcher was Josh Lindblom.  All we needed in the middle was Michael Young somehow, and the circle would have been complete.  :)

G34: DBacks take Rangers, 9-3

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I got a bit behind with Spring Training Updates, and I’m taking a pass on the dozen or so I missed.  Got way too busy with actual work (which is good).  Will be with it for the regular season.  :)