The Pile May Not Be Quite as Stinky as I Thought

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
I still haven't seen anything that says that the deals have officially been done to get Rich Harden or Mike Lowell. So, until they actaully have a news conference I'm still considering the recent Millwood trade a move to just save some cash.

Plus, Harden has a well documented injury problem dating back to the 2005 season. Great another Adam Eaton-type pitcher.

Lowell is also coming off an injury that limited his playing time last season.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
If healthy you have a decent to good pitcher in Harden and a former World Series MVP in Lowell. If they're healthy.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
Bottom line Harden and Lowell are not Rangers yet. Even if they are eventually Rangers the trade of Millwood and the possible aquisition of 2 recently injured players still stinks up the joint.

Of course if Harden is a 20 game winner next year and Lowell hits for power and average as a DH next year and both are healthy for the whole season and they are both Rangers next year I'll say, "great offseason moves," faster than Tom Hicks blows through 10 million dollars. It's just that there are an awful lot of "ands" in that previous sentence.

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Your Texas Rangers Trade Millwood for a Big Steaming Pile of...

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Can you say franchise in financial turmoil?

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
not applicable

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
What the f%(k? OK, the spin from the Rangers is/will be that trading Millwood frees up money for other moves. The truth is that MLB is probably running the franchise, a franchise which I'm guessing has been and is continuing to hemorhage money. Solution? MLB sheds payroll in the form of a Millwood trade. Soon to follow will likely be Marlon Byrd going elsewhere as a free agent. Keep in mind that the current Tom Hicks controlled ownership group seems to have driven the franchise straight into the ground. So, could someone explain how the heck Tom Hicks would be allowed to be even a minority owner in any potential new ownership group? Especially since I'd guess that MLB will decide who to sell the Rangers to.

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Time For TTRB to Hibernate for the Winter...

...I think TTRB is going to hibernate for the winter, at least for the most part, unless there's some pretty big Rangers news during the off season, like Hicks actually selling the team.

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
No baseball for a while.

And the hated Spankees won the whole thing.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
The Cowboys are 6-2 at this point. And the NBA is up and running so we're good on sports for the winter.

And, maybe next year will be the Rangers' year.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
I'll call it right now, playoffs for the Rangers in 2010 if:
1) Hamilton and Young stay healthy
2) Hamilton and Kinsler bat like they did in '08.
3) the pitching is even close to as good as it was in '09.

Until opening day 2010 then...

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The World Series Is About to Begin...

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
The hated Spankees are appearing in the Series for something like the 40th time in their history.
And they have 2 high-profile ex-Rangers on the team, A-Fraud and Tex-smellya. Number of times your Texas Rangers have appeared in the Series? Zero.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
Phillies are the defending champs and could beat the Spankees. Hopefully, maybe.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
The little I have watched of the post season has convinced me that the Rangers likely would have done poorly had they somehow made the playoffs. They may not have even been able to add to their total number of post season victories.

Go Phillies.

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Rangers' Hitting Guru Out

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Rangers past and present rave about Jaramillo's greatness.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

I know there were injuries but, down the stretch, when it really counted, your Texas Rangers went about 46(?, can't remember the exact number) innings without a solitary run crossing the plate. That lack of production lies at the feet of many, players and coaches. But, there's only one hitting coach. And they just weren't hitting when it counted.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
Apparently the Rangers offered him a contract and he said essentially, "thanks but, no thanks." Thoughts?

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Straight in the Lumberyard

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Crash Davis' error in the top of 8 started the Fish's comeback.

C.J. Wilson, O'Day, Frankie Fran didn't help either. After 7 innings the score was 5-0, Rangers leading.

Final score? Fish win 7-6.

Last home game, which was fan appreciation day at the ballpark, was a microcosm of the whole season...
Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
Wasted start by McCarthy. More and more the Danks for McCarthy trade is looking at worst like it's a wash.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
That's it. It's over. At least it is for me. Oh well. Maybe next year they'll make the playoffs.

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"Just When I Thought I Was Out..." *

"...They Pull Me Back In..." *from the greatness that is The Godfather movie series - I'm not saying I'm going to watch all the games but...
...I might...

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

Why do they have to do this? Why make it interesting now? Just to crush my hopes of a miracle comeback in the standings?

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

So you're saying we have a chance? OK, now I may have to watch.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:

They're down 5 games in the division with 8 games total to play. They have one more against the Fish(Rays) 4 against the division-leading Halos and to end the season 3 against the Seamen(Mariners). OK, it's a long shot. And I know the Halos' magic number is 4 and it would take a monumental collapse on their part but, stranger things of happened right? OK, probably not going to happen. But, I'm in anyway. And these games coming up for the Rangers are as close to the playoffs as I'm going to get this season. Unless...fingers crossed...

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It's Officially Football Season

Rangers lost 2 out of 3 versus Halos, so now, for me, it's now officially football season because I've given up all hope of your Texas Rangers making the playoffs. It was fun while it lasted though. Who knew that they'd be in it until September. Now we have to hope Tony Romo and the Cowboys maybe win a playoff game.

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Doggie Holland loses his 5th straight start giving up 5 homers.

Even if the Rangers had taken 2 out of 3 they would have had an incredibly difficult path to winning the division.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
The Rangers managed to finally put up some runs. But, too little and too late unfortunately.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
Who else would like Tom Hicks to PLEASE sell the team asap? Also, build a new, indoor stadium near downtown Dallas (ala MinuteMaid in Houston). Or somehow put a retractable roof on the old one at the very least.

More thoughts on the whole season after the final out of the Rangers' season.

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Rangers Score No Runs, Again

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Rangers lose 2-0 to Halos.
If my math is correct that's forty-six(46), let me write that again, FORTY-SIX (46) innings without a base runner crossing the plate for your Texas Rangers.
Hitting coach where are you? That's over 5 games worth of scoreless ball if you're having trouble with the math like I am.

I know Young and Hamilton are out but, come on, really? No runs in 46 straight innings? How many games can you win if you score zero runs? Oh, that's right, none.

I love Wash as a manager but putting homerless Hank Blaylock in to pitch hit in the bottom of the 8th didn't seem like a good idea. I know he almost had one drop but, it didn't. And he hasn't had many drop in a while that's why he's only appeared about 3 times in the last 20+ games.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
The pitching kept them it, again.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
Why does it look like they're always swinging for the fences? Sometimes a base knock is OK.

Also, about a month or 2 ago when other teams were adding an arm or a bat or both what did your Texas Rangers do? Nothing really. Yes, they picked up some pitchers off waivers and had the call up of the brilliant Feliz so that helped the pitching. They had no minor league well to go to for offense. I remember hearing a quote from Wash where he said that they weren't the type of team to go add an expensive piece(I'm paraphrasing badly). But, that was the sentiment of Wash's quote regarding why the team didn't go add a bat. For whatever reason(finances) they couldn't spend the money(lack of money) to go add one stinking offensive piece(can you spare a dime?). Josh and Young get hurt and this is what's left. They've been in the race all year and when they could've used some help on offense from the front office the front office basically pulled their pockets inside out and shrugged their shoulders to the team. I wonder how that went over in the clubhouse?

Wishful thinking: What if Josh Hamilton would've had the type of season he had last year this year with the pitching the Rangers have had. But, that's why it's wishful thinking.

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That's All She Wrote on the 2009 Season

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:

1 Run in the last 3400000 Innings. 6 Games, 6.5 Games Back from the Wild Card. About 17 Games Left.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:

Sorry, Got Nothing Here.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:

Young pitchers running out of gas. Young hitters running out of gas. Key Injuries, a GAME effort for this year, but the chances of getting into the playoffs seem less than 10%. And I must admit, that I can't blame the heat on this one. The bats going silent is quite confounding.

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