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What can you say about this one? Kenny Rogers pitched well, but made one or two minor mistakes, and paid for them. David Wells made none. Not a whole lot more can be said about this one – David Wells shut us down, and he also stopped Kenny Rogers’ home winning streak of 19 games, which dated back to mid 1997 when he was with the Yankees.

This team is certainly up and down and all over the place so far this season. We win the first two games big, then we lose the second two, and we bounce back with a big 5 home run filled drubbing of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Mark Clark took the mound for the first time since last June, and to be honest, after the first two innings, I didn’t feel he was a whole lot different. Sure, he pitched fairly well during spring, but Florida’s games are a lot different than the ones that count. After two innings, we were down 4-0 (although one of the runs was unearned). However, that was it for the Blue Jays (except a solo HR by them in the 9th). From this point on it was all Texas.
What was interesting about this game if you check the line score, is that someone scored in all nine innings. The Jays scored in innings 1 & 2, and we scored in innings 3 through 8, and Toronto did in the 9th. However, we belted a total of five home runs, led by Royce Clayton, who had his first ever two home run game ever. Just about every one of our runs came from the long ball – was nice to see that, although I would not like to have to rely on it, as I can’t believe we can sustain that over the course of a whole season.
Mark Clark, after the first two innings, settled in, and became the pitcher he was supposed to be when we first obtained him. He looked good, and was pulled probably out of concern based on his past – he didn’t look thrilled sitting in the dugout after being pulled. However, he got a win for the first time in a long time, and he’s got to feel happy about that.

I’m really busy at work today, but I can sum up what I wanted to say about this game in two words.. “James Baldwin”. Man, he killed us last year, and he did it again last night! Not a whole lot more needs be said about this one. :)

Day games during the week are always tough for me to deal with, as I don’t usually have time to pay attention to the game. However, I did a little today – I went into the company lounge, turned on the DSS, and sat in the sofa and watched the first two innings of the Ranger game. I had tickets to this game, but couldn’t go because I had no one to go with – everyone I would have taken had to work. :)
Anyway, our pitching wasn’t great again – seems like start of season jitters to me, as our pitching staff was excellent during spring training – people might be trying to prove too many things. At least I hope that’s the case. Our bullpen is already overworked, having used a gob of pitchers the game before, as well as this one. Darren Oliver struggled the whole time he was out there. It appeared he had figured it out, but then fell apart again.
I was listening over the net at my desk, and when I heard that we had loaded the bases for Pudge, I ran into the lounge again to watch the game . Pudge singled, and scored two runs to bring us to just a 7-3 deficit, and then Raffy launched his second three run homer in two days into the Ranger bullpen. I was rather excited at that, and started clapping really loudly. The office manager ran into the lounge, and I thought I was in trouble for making noise, but he wanted to see the replay, as he was listening in his office on the radio. :)
We had brought it all the way back with a 7-7 tie in the bottom of the 8th, but it didn’t last. Zimmerman gave up a solo home run in the top of the 9th, and then the Chisox added a few more, for a 12-7 lead after 8.5. We did pick up a solo home run in the bottom of the 9th by Chad Curtis, but that was it.
A rather disappointing loss, especially after coming back from a 7-1 deficit to tie the game.

Opening night – not as exciting as opening day, but it’s still a great game – especially after the high from yesterday’s game. When I was driving home from work, I was thinking – HEY – there’s a baseball game on TV in about half an hour. After not having that for 6 months, it was a strangely weird feeling. I love baseball (as I think you know), but the fact that there was a Rangers game seemed strangely odd to me. Still, with Pizza on the way, you gotta love that.
Anyway, the first three innings of the game reminded me a lot of yesterday. Superb pitching from our starter, a big longball to jump out to a nice lead early. Rafael Palmeiro launched a three run monster shot into the upper home run porch (and almost out a walkway – that would have been cool) for a 3 run HR (his first of 2000) in the bottom of the first. Rick Helling looked sharp in the first three. However, that was it. In the top of the fourth, the fiasco started. Rick couldn’t keep the ball down at all in the top of the fourth frame, and gave up three straight doubles, followed by a triple, and two singles – knocking Rick out of the game. A parade of pitchers followed Rick from this point with no one pitching two full innings. Venafro, Cordero, & Munoz followed Rick, and neither was particularly effective, although neither was bad, either. Our last two of the night (Crabtree & Wetteland) both pitched well. Chicago didn’t do much better either, using a total of seven pitchers. Kip Wells, the starter, went 4 1/3, but no one pitcher pitched more than a single inning after that. Overall, an extremely sloppy pitching performance by both sides after the third inning. One of those “fiasco” games (my term), and we slugged it out. Our reputation this season is that we’re not supposed to have games like this, but when we do, it’s nice to come out of them with the W. Although this early in the season, it makes for some silly looking ERA’s. :)
Babe Kapler also continued to smoke this game, going 3-5 on the night. No RBI’s, but he did score a run, and looked good out there. The immediate breakout name of this season, I have no doubt of that. I’m also taking a much greater notice of Rudy Jaramillio this season – everything I’ve read and heard about makes me think he’s the one coach we cannot afford to lose. Our staff has been together now for 6 years without losing anyone. No staff has been together longer, and each year I doubt that we’ll keep it all together. I really think we’ll lose a coach after this season, and I don’t want to to be Rudy. Don’t want to lose anyone, but especially Rudy (or Bucky, either – although Bucky is probably first in line for a managers job from any of our coaches).

Ah yes. Opening day. With it brings kids and gloves, hot dogs and beer, balloons & jet plane flyovers, big deal first pitches & lots of goodwill, shivering fans and 25-30 mph winds?!?! That’s right – it was a rather cold opening day in Arlington. The place was packed, the lineups were introduced, and former president George Bush threw out the first pitch (high and outside to Pudge). Everything seemed set, but unfortunately, the wind was insanely bad today. The game was really cold, the temperature said it was 59, but it felt more like 40. By the end of the game, my wife was sitting with her jacket all buttoned up, and her legs and hands underneath a towel we happened to have in the trunk of the car for extra warmth.
However, it was a wonderful game. During the player introductions, virtually every player (except possibly Tom Evans – who is a virtual unknown to the average D/FW baseball fan) got a huge ovation – the largest seemed to go to Johnny Oates, Pudge, Raffy, & Gabe Kapler. And that was before Kapler even did anything! Kenny Rogers took the hill at the Ballpark, and pitched an excellent game. He went 8 innings, allowing 6 hits, 2 walks, & one earned run (for an era of 1.12). He never seemed totally dominating, but Kenny was Kenny, making two or three great fielding plays, getting four inning ending double plays, and generally making the fans feel good about the pitcher. Our pitching in the ninth inning wasn’t so great, though. Tim Crabtree came in, and gave up three hits, loading the bases. All three of those guys scored in the inning (although Munoz & Zimmerman followed him) – all three were earned. However, that seemed lost in an otherwise great pitching day.
The other side of the coin.. Wow.. Not much happened through the first inning, and the first two batters of the second. However, Gabe Kapler stepped up to the plate, and just whacked the first pitch he saw over the fence for a solo home run, giving us a 1-0 lead. When the inning was over, the fans out in right field gave him a rather nice ovation, to which Gabe waved back at. We gave the lead back in the top of the 3rd, but in the bottom of the third, Luis Alicea singled, followed by an error allowing Clayton to get on. Rusty struck out, but Pudge followed and smacked a three run shot off the left field foul pole giving us a 4-1 lead, which we never surrendered. Gabe Kapler came up again in the 4th to much applause, and again hit the first pitch he saw out over the left field wall for his second home run – the first Ranger ever to hit two home runs in his first two Ranger at bats. This second home run prompted many calls of “Juan Who?” from Section 332 (most of which were coming from me, followed by laughter from others). Gabe got an even louder ovation from the right field porch after this inning, and when he came up again in the 5th, he got a stadium wide standing O, to which he followed with an RBI single. He came around to score in a very Pete Rose fashion in the inning, plowing through the catcher, making him drop the ball, and having to run back to the plate to score. Couple this with two really awesome (and I mean AWESOME) throws from right field to keep runners from advancing really made this feel like Gabe Kapler’s day, even though Pudge had 5 RBI’s, and two homers, this day just felt like Gabe’s in Section 332 – or at least for me.
Of course, one game does not a season make, but damn.. If this is any indication of what is possible from these guys, this season ought to be fun. Might debunk just about every national sports coverage who picks the Rangers third or last!
My wife’s nickname for Gabe Kapler – “Gabe the Babe”.

Man, Enron was gorgeous! Can’t wait for my trip down there in September to see an Astros / Pirates game. I initially did not like the choice of color for the new Astros logo & uniforms, but seeing it live in action coupled with their new park – it’s an excellent choice. Their uniforms really match the look of the new park – especially the dirt, which my wife commented looked more like clay than dirt. I’m headed down there in September for a game, and I have to say, I’m looking forward to it even more so now than I was before – Enron looked awesome on TV, and I bet it’s a hell of a lot better in person. One thing doesn’t look good – that’s Jeff Bagwell’s ZZ Top impression. Just looks BAD. Although I’m sure they’ll get some promotions out of it.
Esteban Loaiza started off the game, and looked good through the first two innings, not allowing a whole lot of activity. However, the third, he didn’t do as well, allowing three runs to tie the game, but that was it. He came back and pitched and excellent fourth and fifth. The final four innings were taken up by Venafro, Crabtree, Munoz, & Zimmerman, all who needed one last look see before the season started. Overall, and excellently pitched game by Texas, which is supposed to be our forte this year.
Offensively, it was the long ball. Royce Clayton hit two home runs, one down each side of the park – the first one out to left, almost cleared the train tracks and hit the big window over left field. His second went over the right field wall, and between the two, that was 5 RBI’s. The other jack was from David Segui, a three run blast, accounting for 3 more of the runs. Only one run was not from a long ball in Houston.
Overall, another great game by us – long balls providing the offense, good to great pitching, and a beautiful ballpark. About the only thing I would have liked more was for the game the actually count – that comes on Monday. :)