Snow Monkeys May Be Here to Stay

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Chuck Greenberg's ownership group, which includes Nolan Ryan, only entered into an exclusive 30 day negotiating period. The sale is by no means anywhere close to being final. And Tom Hicks will likely still retain a stake in the team, albeit a minority/non-controlling interest, should the sale to Greenberg's group get done. Furthermore, the sale will likely take 2-3 months to get done meaning the front office is in limbo.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
Tom Hicks is one step closer to being out as controlling owner of your Texas Rangers. If the sale happens Nolan Ryan will be part of the ownership group.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
Because the sale negotiations are beginning so late and will take so long the team the Rangers have now, for the most part, will be the team next season. The Rangers will miss out on any big trades because of the flux the team is in. So much for 2010 then? Now fans can look forward to 2011?

In case you don't know, "snow monkeys" come from a bit on the Ticket by the Musers where the real and fake Nolan Ryan talks about his dealings with snow monkeys. Here's the real Nolan Ryan talking about snow monkeys. Here's the Musers' bit with the fake Nolan Ryan talking snow monkeys.

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The Cowboys Aren't Any Better Than the Rangers, At Least Not This Millennium

or alternate title, Cowboys vs. Rangers a/k/a Jerry Jones vs. Tom Hicks
Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
The Rangers have never won a playoff series and have won only 1 playoff game and that was on the road. So it naturally follows that your Texas Rangers haven't appeared in a World Series and therefore have never won a World Series. The Cowboys won 3 championships in the 90's and have won 5 overall.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
The Rangers won a post season game the same year that the Cowboys last won a post season game.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
I guess I don't understand why so much is expected of the Cowboys as compared to the Rangers, especially given both teams' histories since 1996. Since 1996 what has Jerry Jones done that is so much better than Tom Hicks?
For example who has...
Over spent on players that don't pan out?
Jerry: LaFluer and Galloway and Roy Williams (WR) come to mind.
Hicks: ARod and Chan Ho Park come to mind.
or...
Not allow your head coach/manager to hire his own staff?
Jerry hired Garrett before he hired Wade.
Hicks hired Wash who had to inherit most of the existing staff.

Those are just a couple examples of Jerry and Hicks' similarities.

I know that the Cowboys have been to the playoffs since 1996 but keep in mind, it's a lot easier to make the NFL playoffs than it is the MLB playoffs. And again the Cowboys haven't won a playoff game since 1996. As a fan of both teams it's strange to me that my Rangers fandom is thought of as somwhat misguided or even downright weird. Yet everyone in the metroplex is a diehard Cowboys fan and that Cowboys devotion is seemingly never questioned as misplaced.

Why is so much more expected from the Cowboys as compared to your Texas Rangers, especially since 2000 for example? Would you expect from the Rangers anything close to what's expected from the Cowboys, which is to win a championship every year? For the most part, both franchises have been mediocre at best this millenium. Why haven't other Cowboys fans accepted or, at the very least, not be surprised by that mediocrity? I have.

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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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