MANSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU GOT NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MANSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JUST KEEP ON THROWING STRIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MANSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU'RE LOOKING GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MANSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DON'T THINK, JUST THROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some explanation may be in order. The above rant is from about a year ago at a Rangers' game when I heckled the opposing pitcher, a Mr. Manship for the Twins, and I was asked to quiet down by a Rangers' usher. No cursing, and they asked me to quiet down, I don't think they do that at Fenway. Rangers rallied for 3 or 4 runs during that inning versus the Twins-at least that's the way I remember it. Anyway, Ceasar bagging on Bengi Molina right before Molina went yard with the bases drunk against the Red Stockings made me think of ole' Jeff Manship for some reason.  And Rollie Molie Molina went for the cycle against the Red Stockings.  Keep up bagging on Rangers Ceasar.

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So I Haven't Been Watching the Rangers This Last Month, Have I Missed Anything?

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Harden has not panned out.  Scooter Feldman hasn't pitched as well as last year. 

It's before the All-Star game and June was as hot as August usually is in North Texas.  In other words, there's a lot of baseball to play.

Otherwise, I really cannot complain.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
Where should I start?  Vladdy Daddy = great; CJ Wilson's made the transition to starter; Cobra "Mr. Baseball" Lewis is the ace of the staff; Frankie Fran is great as a set up guy; if Frankie pitched the night before just in bring Darren Oliver; oh yeah, and this young closer Neftali "Nolan Jr." Feliz isn't too shabby; Elvis is a wizard at short and great lead-off man; Michael Young is just doing what he always does season after season; and Jedi Josh is batting about .500 for the month of June.  There's more goodness but, that's just the highlights.

In June: 20 wins in 25 played, with a 13 game win streak mixed in there.

Did I mention that as of today your Texas Rangers are tied with the biggest lead in their division? (The Padres also lead their division by 4.5 games.)

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
3 at the Halos coming up.  Biggest series of the season?  Probably, and the series are only going to get bigger the longer they stay in first.  Then they play 3 at home against the White Stockings who are only 2 back in their division.  Let's see how the Rangers are doing after the next 6 games.

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First Place Texas Rangers...For Now...

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Against the AL Central Division leading Twins the Rangers lost the first game of a 3 game series.  Now your Texas Rangers lead the AL West by .5 games.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
At least it looks like they're going to be sold to Nolan Ryan's group.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
It's getting warmer outside in Texas.  Let's see if this incarnation of the Texas Rangers can stand the brunt of full on, effort-draining summer heat that past Rangers clubs have not.

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When Last We Left Our Texas Rangers About a Week Ago...

Rangers Win on Walk-Off Sacrifice Fly Tonight in the Bottom of Nine

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Last weekend your Texas Rangers were swept by the Toronto Blue Birds, losing three straight on the road in Canada.  Lousy Canada.

Tonight Jedi Josh was robbed of a second home run tonight because of umpire errror.  It was a homer, no doubt.  And the umps didn't go to the video reply for some reason.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
The Rangers won the next 2 against the swingin' A's after losing a heart breaking extra inning affair to start the 3 game series last week(before getting swept by the Canadians, what was that all aboot anyway?).  Your Rangers started this week with a quick 2 game sweep against the hated Halos at home. 

Frankie Fran gets his 5th win of the season?!?!?

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
It's just fun watching Vlady Daddy bat and Elvis field at short no matter the outcome of an individual game.  But, it's a bit more fun when the Rangers win.

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Can You Say Roller Coaster?

Rangers lose in 13. 

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Rangers gave up the lead in the 9th and the A's took the lead in the top of the 11th and again in the 13th - and the Rangers couldn't rally again in the bottom of 13.  An error by Elvis in the top of 9 helped the A's out.

The game winning run was thrown out at the plate in the bottom of 12 (questionable to send Blanco, pinch running for Vlad, on a Kinsler single).

To write that your Texas Rangers bullpen was used quite a bit would be an understatement.


Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
And the Rangers came back to tie the ballgame in he bottom of the 9th and 11th.  Mr. Baseball Lewis looked good through 7 IP.


Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Roller coaster game, roller coaster season.  Rangers are now tied with A's now atop the AL West.

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About One Fifth of the Way Through the Season; Still First Place Texas Rangers, For Now

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Crash Davis cannot quite make it work in the bigs.  Salty has ongoing issues.  Remember when we all thought that Gerald Laird was expendable.  And Scotter Feldman still hasn't quite figured things out.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
Vlad.  CJ Wilson.  Colby, "Mr. Baseball" Lewis.  Neftali, "Nolan Jr." Feliz.  All have been nothing short of spectacular, in that order.  Elvis is leading off now and showing why he should be.  Jedi Josh Hamilton and Michael Young are figuring things out at the plate.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
Three at home against the second place A's starting tomorrow night.  Your Texas Rangers are only leading the division by 1 game.  This is where the Rangers can put some distance between themselves and the whole division or make it clear that this thing is going to be up in the air for some time to come.

The sale of your Texas Rangers is still in limbo because of the supposed convoluted mess that is the current ownership's financial situation.  Remember, MLB has supposedly has threatened to take over the Rangers after creditors rejected the terms of the sale to Greenberg and Nolan Ryan's group.  I, for one, cannot wait until the book is written about what truly happened to the Rangers' ownership.  Will Evan Grant write that book?  I hope so.  I know I'll read it.

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First Place Texas Rangers! Kinda

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Gave up 12 runs.  Oh, Frankie Fran...

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
Scored 13 for the win over KC for the win.  And someone alert he media, your Texas Rangers actually didn't commit an error.


Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
So the day the bats come alive the pitching actually goes south?  How does one of the best starting pitching ERA's teams, your Texas Rangers, also have one of the most used bullpens?

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Not First Place Texas Rangers!

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
It goes without saying one run won't win your ball club many games.  Tacking on 2 errors doesn't help either.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
Colby, Mr. Baseball, Lewis gave up only 3 runs in six IP.  Hopefully, most days that'll be good enough for a win.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
Still only .5 games back.  Next up, 4 versus KC at home.

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First Place Texas Rangers! Again!

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Offense is still not quite where you'd hope it'd be.


Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis have been awesome.  And your Texas Rangers swept the SeaMen.


Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
Thank goodness the Rangers are in the Western Division.

Hicks' creditors are threatening to put the Rangers into bankruptcy if the MLB does in fact take over the Rangers in order to sell the Rangers to Greenberg and Ryan.  Oh, this just keeps getting better.  And if the Rangers are forced in bankruptcy by the creditors then we could all get a great big look up the skirt of Hicks' financial mess of a skirt since the bankruptcy papers/pleadings would likely all be a matter of public record.

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So You're Saying They Have a Chance

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Scoring runs continues to be an issue for your Texas Rangers.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
Colby Lewis and CJ Wilson have been nothing short of awesome.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
The Rangers have won 3 out of the last 4 and are only trailing by half a game in the division.  Of course half a game separates ALL the teams in the division right now.

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