Poor Mark McSteroid

Re: Mark McGwire's admission of using performance enhancing drugs:
What?!?!?! He used steroids?!?!? I don't believe it! I DID NOT see this coming! (How do you get this thing to type in sarcastic font?)

As he pretty much said in his interview with Bob Costas on the MLB network, apparently Mark McGwire thinks it's not his fault because he played during the "steroid era." It's not his fault that those monsters held him down and forced those syringes into him time after time over the course of apparently a decade. It's also not his fault that he is the poster boy for the steroid era:

After steroid users, like McGwire and Bonds, transformed themselves from slender athletic players into mini-Hulks they deluded themselves into thinking that everyone would just believe they all just got stronger, developed better recovery time, worked out more often and longer, had better endurance and put on tons of body/muscle mass in their mid to late 30's because they just worked out a lot and ate right.

Mark McSteroid stated he didn't take steroids to hit homers. McSteriod took 'roids just to stay healthy and thereby stay on the field making plate appearances. If by staying healthy he just happened to hit more homers than he would have had he been injured then, accoding to Mark McSteroid, it was just his "natural ability" being allowed to shine through thanks, of course, to the 'roids. For example, can you really blame McSteroid or the 'roids he took for the season he stayed healthy and hit 70 homers to break Maris' record? Yeah, with logic like how could anyone blame poor McSteroid? At least that's how Mark apparently sees it.

I think Mark McSteroid really believes it wasn't his fault, like he insinuated in his interview with Costas: It was in all the gyms, everyone was doing it, it was the steroid era, he had to do it because he was injured all the time, it was the one-armed man, etc. Poor, poor delusional Mark McSteroid, in his own mind he never had a chance.

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Vlad To Meet You

Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Vladimir Guerrero only played 100 games last season for the Angels in his FOURTEENTH year in the league. He had 2 stints on the DL last year in his FOURTEENTH year in the league. Some think that his knees have had it. He's turning 35 here soon. Not old in real life but old in baseball life when you're a power hitting right fielder.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
Since 1997 Vlad has played at least 140 games each year with the only exception being last year. If he's only DH'ing then he'll have a  better chance at staying healthy since he won't have to run around in the field.

At least he won't be playing for the Angels and against the Rangers anymore.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
If he stays healthy this will be a great addition. That's a big "if" though. Once knees start to go they usually keep going until the player becomes a former player.

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At Leats Hicks Jr. Is Up Front About How He Feels About Liverpool Fans

Hicks Jr. sent a profane email to a critical Liverpool fan. That email went public. In the email Hicks Jr. wrote, "Blow me f*** face. Go to hell. I'm sick of you." Hicks Jr. resigned from the positions he held with the Liverpool soccer team that his father partly owns. 


Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud:
Too bad Hicks Sr. couldn't have sent a similar email to a Rangers fan that would have forced him to sell years ago. Hicks Sr. never sent such an email or said as much to Rangers fans. But, as Rangers fans, we always kinda knew what he thought of us.

Glass Half Full / Silver Lining:
Maybe this is a little insight into how the Hicks view fans, whether they be Liverpool or Texas fans. Like father like son maybe? At least Hicks is in the process of selling controlling interest in the Rangers. Too bad for Liverpool fans Hicks has no such plans for their soccer team.

Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes:
Is the sale of the Rangers done yet? Please let it get done. Please.

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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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