Texas Rangers Cards

Best Seasons: Al Oliver - 1980.

2012-01-27T17:42:00.002-06:00

"Scoop" Oliver played for Texas for four years. His 1980 performance was memorable enough to land him number 15 on T.R. Sullivan's list of the 50 best seasons in Rangers history.

Oliver, shown here on card number 387 of the 1981 Donruss set, played mostly left field for the Rangers in 1980. He did well there but it was his offense that gets him mention on this list.

In a league-leading 163 games Al came to the plate 709 times. He compiled a .319 batting average and a .357 on-base percentage. He knocked in 117 RBI while scoring 96 times himself. He also had 19 home runs and 43 doubles.

Those offensive fireworks netted Oliver some MVP consideration along with a Silver Slugger award and an All-Star appearance.

Odd Moments: Using your (opponent's) head.

2012-01-26T17:31:00.002-06:00

We've all been told to use our heads. It's something parents often admonish their offspring to do. How about using someone else' head? That can happen as well.

May 26, 1993. Cleveland, Ohio. In the bottom of the fourth the Rangers were leading the Indians 3-1. Up came Carlos Martinez to lead off the fourth. Long fly ball to right. Jose Canseco, shown here on card 365 of the 1993 Upper Deck set, tracked it down. Instead of a long out though, the ball hit the top of Canseco's head and bounced into the stands. Solo home run. That gave the Indians an extra out and they managed to score two more runs. Final score: Cleveland - 7, Texas - 6.

That extra run that Canseco gave the Tribe ended up being the difference but that wasn't the only odd thing. First, Jose wasn't charged with an error. Also, he didn't leave the game. Not that being hit on the head was likely to injure Canseco but one might have thought that a ball coming in that high and hard would leave a mark.

Lastly, Carlos Martinez wasn't exactly a home run threat - he hit five all season. Hopefully he sent Canseco a thank-you note for the 20% of his home run total that Jose was responsible for.

Fielder's a Tiger.

2012-01-24T20:06:00.003-06:00

Well, there's good news and bad news on the Prince Fielder front for Rangers fans. The bad news is that he didn't stay in the National League. The good news is that he signed with Detroit and so isn't in the Rangers' division.

I know a lot of Rangers fans and media were pulling for Texas to sign Fielder. I'm sure he would have made the Rangers lineup out of this world. Having said that I am still a little relieved that they didn't sign him. Most of that relief has to do with finances.

It took $214 million to sign Prince for nine years. Texas is already running at a deficit. If they had signed him then Josh Hamilton, shown here on card 266 of the 2009 Topps 206 set, Mike Napoli, and several other guys would have been gone when their contracts ended. No chance of even talking about re-upping them. That's what got Texas into trouble with Alex Rodriguez. He was one big contract too many. I am afraid that Fielder would have been the same.

Don't get me wrong, Fielder's durability and power at the plate would make most any team better. The thing is, we know Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli. So does the team. They click in the clubhouse. Fielder might have as well. He also might not have. That's an expensive risk to run. Got to admit that I'll sleep a little better knowing that Texas didn't run it.

Millwood's a Mariner.

2012-01-23T12:39:00.002-06:00

So MLB.com is reporting that the Seattle Mariners have signed former Ranger Kevin Millwood, shown here on card number 839 of the 2006 Upper Deck set.

Kevin's had a hard go of it since Texas traded him to Baltimore at the end of 2009. In 2010 he headlined a losing effort by the Orioles as he went 4-16 with a 5.10 ERA. That was on a free agent year and didn't help his cause.

The Yankees signed him last year to a minor league contract but he never made it to the Majors with them. In May he signed a minor league deal with Boston but they released him in August. Two days later he signed with Colorado.

With the Rockies last year Millwood made nine starts in the second half of the season. He posted a 4-3 record and a 3.98 ERA.

The Mariners have reportedly signed him to another minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. The recent trade of Michael Pineda means that Kevin will be competing for a spot in the rotation with several other pitchers including another former Ranger, Blake Beavan.

This seems like a reasonable deal to me. If Millwood catches fire the Mariners are looking good. If his 37 years catch up with him there's little risk. Either way the club gets an experienced veteran with a good attitude to work alongside their young staff in Spring Training. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Senators Saturday - Bud Zipfel, 1963.

2012-01-21T12:06:00.000-06:00

Ok, I'm still two cards short on my 1962 Topps Senators set. Moving on to 1963 however since I'm having a hard time tracking down those two '62 cards at a reasonable price. If I manage to come up with them I'll make a detour back to 1962 at a future date. For now though it's on to 1963.

Leading off the return to 1963 is Bud Zipfel on card number 69 of the 1963 Topps set. By the time this card was issued the Zipfel era was over in Washington.

After two rather lackluster seasons in 1961 and 1962 Bud would not be back in 1963. In fact, by 1963 he was no longer with the Senators at all. I'm not sure how he left but he spent the 1963 season playing in the Reds minor league system.

All told Zipfel would bounce around in the minors until 1966. In that time he would play for four different organizations. Although he would play Triple A ball he would never again see Major League action.

Oops!

2012-01-20T21:25:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I lost a day. Earlier today I posted tomorrow's Senators Saturday post. I have no idea why I thought it was Saturday rather than Friday. Guess that's what I get for taking a nap prior to posting. I've rescheduled the Senators post for tomorrow where it belongs. Sorry about the confusion.

The day after Darvish.

2012-01-19T16:52:00.003-06:00

Not much going on today in Ranger-land. Apparently everyone is catching their breath after the Yu Darvish signing.

It's still free agent time though and aside from Fausto Carmona being arrested for identity fraud the big news is still the off-season signings. This time of year always depresses me a little. I know that professional baseball is a business but it seems to really air its ugly side when millions of dollars are on the line. Speaking of money, since I have no other ideas for a card today I'll leave you with this game-used one of Mark "Money Man" Teixeira. Tex's expensive jersey swatch shows up today on a 2004 Sweet Spot Home Run Heroes card, numbered 108/199.

I'm ready for Spring Training.

Darvish signs.

2012-01-18T17:02:00.004-06:00

So the Rangers signed Yu Darvish today. Six years at about $60 million. Hopefully this doesn't blow up in their faces. I'm always concerned about this type of deal. Unproven players just shouldn't be able to command such numbers. Texas has scouted Darvish though and that brings some comfort. Jon Daniels knows ballplayers and Nolan Ryan knows pitching. Hopefully neither of them has misread Yu's potential.

With Darvish on board the Rangers rotation now has six pitchers going into Spring Training. That's crowded and someone is going to lose a spot.

Derek Holland and Matt Harrison, shown here on card number 432 of the 2011 Topps Diamond Anniversary set, are likely safe. Both are left-handed, young, and have potential. Holland has a tremendous amount and really seemed to be putting it all together last season.

On the right-handed side Alexi Ogando and Colby Lewis will be battling with rotation new-comers Darvish and Neftali Feliz. Lewis is the old man of the rotation now. He will probably survive based on his big game performances and durability. If Darvish lives up to half his hype he's in. That leaves Feliz and Ogando to battle for the final spot.

Neftali brings his minor league starting experience to the table along with his heat. He seems to carry a lot of potential and eventually moving him into the rotation has been the long-term plan all along. Alexi has starting experience in the Majors but seemed to wear down over the long season last year. Both have success in the bullpen at the Major League level. Whoever loses out on the rotation competition will likely get more bullpen experience this season. Either would be an asset there.

In addition to the big six, Scott Feldman is still lurking in the wings and would probably jump at the chance to reenter the rotation. There's also still some pretty good starting pitching prospects left in the minors.

That's a good situation to have. A new possible impact signing to jazz everyone up. Lots of solid arms to compete against each other. Enough hungry young pitchers to nip at the heels of anyone who becomes complacent. Looks like the recipe for a great rotation.

Of signings...

2012-01-17T17:08:00.003-06:00

Ok, so the Rangers haven't yet signed the next coming of Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson - Yu Darvish. They're still hopeful they might get it done before the doomsday deadline of tomorrow afternoon. Still not sure what to think of all that.

Texas did sign Mark Lowe, Mike Adams, and David Murphy, seen here on card 603 of the 2011 Topps 60th Anniversary set, to one year deals. That avoids arbitration with those three players. Gotta say that this sits well with me. Murph is probably the best fourth outfielder in the game. Middle and setup relief is always a good thing. Can't have too many arms in case Joe Nathan doesn't come through.

Texas still has four arbitration eligible players left: Matt Harrision, Mike Napoli, Nelson Cruz, and Elvis Andrus. All need to be retained.

Josh Hamilton's contract negotiations have also been in the news. Apparently he has said that if a deal is not reached by Spring Training he will cut off negotiations. I am guessing there are two main reasons Texas has not locked him up by now. First is Darvish or another big off-season signing. The money needs to be there. Second is Josh's injury history. I like Hamilton. Like him a lot. Having said that, I am concerned about his injuries. He always seems to lose a big portion of the season. That's not good in a 30-year-old. Neither is the inability to hit during day games. Both could be linked to his physical condition due to his past. Both are also concerns.

Also in the news are rumors that Texas might be interested in Prince Fielder if they can't sign Darvish. Bad move in my estimation. Would Fielder make the team better? In the short-term he certainly would. The question is, would the money put into him be better spent on pitching and locking up players already in place? I have to say it might. The big temptation would be to break the bank to get Fielder. That would result in not being able to sign other young players or keep the ones currently with the club. The result could be that before Fielder's contract is up the team could consist of pretty much him. That's not good. Not good for Prince, not good for Texas.

Anyway, I'm not the one calling the shots and spending the money. The next few days should be interesting though. The face of the Texas Rangers could change dramatically.

Minor League Monday - Monty Fariss, 1991 Collegiate Collection.

2012-01-16T15:41:00.004-06:00

Not exactly sure what to do with today's card. It's not exactly a minor league card and it's not really a 1991 card. Well, it is a 1991 card in that it was put out in 1991 but the last year of collegiate stats listed is from 1988. For that reason I have it in with my 1989 minor league cards.

Card number 75 in the 1991 Collegiate Collection set features Monty Fariss during his time with Oklahoma State. Monty had been drafted by the Yankees in the 7th round of the 1985 draft but declined to sign and went to college instead. He would play three seasons for the OSU Cowboys from 1986 to 1988.

Each year in college Fariss got significantly better. The only areas he went the wrong way in were walks and doubles. His college career ended with a .330 batting average, 65 home runs, 45 doubles, 247 RBI, and 224 walks.

In 1988 the Rangers drafted Monty in the first round as the 6th pick overall. He signed with them and headed off to Butte, Montana to start his pro career with the Copper Kings in the Pioneer League. Apparently the three years of college ball had paid off for him.

Senators Saturday - Harry Bright, 1962.

2012-01-14T19:24:00.003-06:00

Harry Bright is listed on card number 551 of the 1962 Topps set as playing first and third base. That's probably a bit misleading. Harry did play one game at third and a few innings at catcher but most of his time during the 1962 season was spent at first base.

Bright played 833 innings in 99 games at first base in 1962. He made ten errors over the course of the season for a .989 fielding percentage. That was just one point off the league average.

Offensively Harry had 425 plate appearances in 1962 - more than double the previous season. He improved his batting average 33 points to .273 and inched his on-base percentage up to .319. He also scored 55 runs while snagging 67 RBI for himself. Interestingly, Harry's power spiked in 1962. He hit a career high 17 home runs, four triples, and 15 doubles.

Even though Harry had beat out Dale Long for the starting first baseman's job, the Senators weren't convinced he was a long-term answer. They dealt him to Cincinnati in November of 1962 for Rogelio Alvarez.

Random Rangers game-used.

2012-01-12T20:07:00.003-06:00

Been a busy last couple of days. I am headed into a weekend off though so hopefully I can get all caught up on everything and be able to spend some more time posting.

Until then I leave you with this 2005 Skybox Autographics Jerseygraphics card of former Ranger Hank Blalock. Enjoy.

1975 Topps - Toby Harrah.

2012-01-10T17:06:00.004-06:00

Toby Harrah, shown here on card number 131 of the 1975 Topps set, had enjoyed a power breakout in 1974. He would continue to deliver in 1975.

All told Toby would appear in 151 games in 1975. 118 of those games were at shortstop for a total of 986.2 innings. He also played 160.1 innings over 28 games at third base and 166.2 innings over 21 games at second base. Generally Harrah fared better at shortstop and third base than at third. His fielding percentages at short (.963) and third (.971) were both above league average. At second though, his .949 fielding percentage was well below the league average. Clearly it was better to keep Toby on the left side of the infield.

At the plate he improved on his performance the previous year. With 631 plate appearances he managed to raise his batting average (.293) and on-base percentage (.403). He also walked 98 times - almost double the previous season. His new-found power stuck around as well as he knocked 20 home runs and 24 doubles. Surprisingly, his speed actually improved as he stole 23 bases while getting caught only nine times. Toby bumped in 93 RBI while scoring 81 runs himself.

All in all Toby Harrah had a very successful season in 1975. His defense more versatile than the previous season and his offense improved significantly. In fact, he led the team in on-base percentage, stolen bases, walks, and doubles. The season was not unnoticed, Harrah was named to the All-Star team and even received some MVP consideration. It certainly looked like the Rangers had a gem in Toby Harrah.

Minor League Monday - Ed Ohman, 1989 Star.

2012-01-09T17:36:00.003-06:00

Moving on to the next card in the minor league binder we come to Ed Ohman's 1989 Star card, number 9 in the set. As you can see from the scan, this card has a creased upper left corner. That bums me out but it's the only copy of the card I've been able to come up with so in the binder it stays.

Texas drafted Ohman in the 46th round of the 1988 draft and he played for the GCL Rangers in Rookie ball the same year. In 1989 he would pitch one inning for the Butte Copper Kings in Rookie ball. The rest of the season would be spent in Port Charlotte playing A ball for the Charlotte Rangers.

Ed had showed a lot of promise in Rookie ball as he tallied a 0.99 ERA and a 0.853 WHIP in 36.1 innings pitched with the GCL Rangers. A level ball would prove to be a rougher ride.

In 1989 Ohman would pitch 26.1 innings over 23 appearances for Charlotte. All were in relief. His 4.10 ERA and 1.709 WHIP clearly showed that he did not make the jump successfully. Also troubling was the fact that his SO/BB ratio plummeted from 7.80 the previous season to 1.82 in 1989.

For a pitcher to have as much trouble as Ed Ohman had making the transition from Rookie to A ball is not a good situation. The lower the draft pick the less time the team is willing to invest. Ed was not only a low draft pick but he was also a right-handed pitcher. That's not a recipe made for extended chances. I'm not sure if the club or Ed made the decision or the exact reasoning behind it but 1989 was Ed Ohman's last season in professional baseball.

Senators Saturday - Mickey Vernon, 1962.

2012-01-07T18:27:00.003-06:00

Mickey Vernon, shown here on card number 152 of the 1962 Topps set, had a rough year as manager of the Senators in 1961. 1962 wouldn't be any better. In fact, it would be worse.

After the team posted 100 losses to start their existence in 1961 they dropped an additional game in 1962. The 60-101 record assured Washington of a last place finish in the American League. Wags were already parroting the old lines about Washington, "First in war. First in peace. Last in the American League."

While improvements were being made, Vernon was still dealing with an expansion franchise. That meant a still-developing farm system, no money, and little team cohesion with the revolving door the team had the first year.

With those obstacles it's little wonder that the Senators stumbled again in 1962. Still, a manager can't blame circumstances. Mickey Vernon needed to figure out how to make this team start working if he wanted to keep working as their manager in 1963.

Decisions: Letting Pudge walk.

2012-01-06T16:24:00.004-06:00

Number 16 on T.R. Sullivan's Top 50 Decisions list is the failure to re-sign Ivan Rodriguez, shown here on card number 316 of the 1992 Fleer set.

By the end of the 2002 season the Rangers were light years away from their postseason appearance in 1999. The losing record combined with the monstrous contract issued to Alex Rodriguez left the team a financial shambles. Pudge was one of the early victims.

Ivan enjoyed playing in Texas and was a huge fan favorite. Many considered him to be about the best player to ever don a Rangers uniform. He had made statements that he wanted to play in Texas until he retired and many fans hoped to see that happen. The problem was that he was up for free agency and the team had no money. The result was that the "washed up" backstop was let go for nothing.

Pudge's departure left a gaping hole for Texas behind the plate. Not since the ill-considered trade of Jim Sundberg had the team been in this spot. After eleven seasons the hunt for a starting catcher was on. It didn't go well as one questionable decision followed another and the parade of stopgaps went on. It started almost immediately as Texas sent a young Travis Hafner to Cleveland for Einar Diaz.

Diaz started for a year and then was replaced by Rod Barajas. Barajas held the job for three years before Gerald Laird took over in 2007. Laird lasted for two seasons and then the platooning started. Saltalamacchia, Teagarden, Treanor, Molina, Ramirez, Torrealba, and Napoli have all called significant numbers of games for Texas in the past three seasons. The quality has varied but none were Pudge.

Mike Napoli might present more than a stopgap solution but that remains to be seen in the future. What can already be clearly seen is that allowing Ivan Rodriguez to walk away in 2002 is still impacting the Rangers almost a decade later.

Best Seasons: Rusty Greer - 1996.

2012-01-05T16:50:00.004-06:00

1996 saw the Rangers first ever postseason appearance. It also saw what T.R. Sullivan considers one of the best seasons in Rangers history. Rusty Greer, shown here on a signed 2001 Upper Deck Heritage card, comes in at number 14 on Sullivan's list.

1996 was the real start of Rusty's power playing career. He played in 139 games and got 617 plate appearances that year. He would post a .332 batting average and a .397 on-base percentage. He also scored 96 runs while knocking in 100. He did that with just 18 home runs. What made Greer dangerous to opposing pitching was his doubles. All told he hammered 41 of them. He also stole nine bases without getting caught. Both of those numbers contributed to the number of runs he scored.

As dangerous as he was at the plate, Rusty was no slouch in the field. He played 1,196.1 innings on defense - all but nine of those were in left field and those nine were in center. He would commit just five errors all season to end with a .984 fielding percentage. That was five points above the league average for left fielders.

As impressive as Rusty's season was, he got little recognition for it outside of Texas. There was no All-Star appearance and no MVP consideration. Rangers fans recognized what they had seen though. Rusty Greer was well on his way to becoming a fan favorite in Arlington.

Odd Moments: Hough loses a no-no.

2012-01-04T17:18:00.004-06:00

The 1986 Rangers ended up second in the American League West with 87 wins. They show up 12th on T.R. Sullivan's list of Top 50 Odd Moments in franchise history.

On June 16, 1986 the Rangers were scheduled to play a night game in Anaheim against the then California Angels. Charlie Hough, shown here on card number 342 of the 1986 Donruss set, was on the hill for Texas.

In the first inning Hough set the tone for the night as he retired Gary Pettis, Wally Joyner, and Doug DeCinces in order. For the next seven innings the Angels remained baffled by Charlie's knuckleball. Going into the bottom of the ninth inning the score stood at 1-0 in the Rangers favor. More impressive was the fact that the Angels had no hits. Three more outs and Charlie Hough would have a no-hitter!

Starting off the inning, Rupert Jones pinch-hit for Bob Boone only to be called out on strikes. Two outs left. Jack Howell then came to the plate for Gary Pettis and reached on an error by left-fielder George Wright. Ironically Wright had replaced Gary Ward for defensive reasons heading into the bottom of the inning. The error placed Howell at third with Wally Joyner coming to the plate. Joyner singled to ruin the no-hitter and the shutout. Ballgame tied 1-1. With Joyner on first and DeCinces at the plate, catcher Orlando Mercado couldn't handle one of Hough's pitches for the first time that night. Joyner to second. DeCinces then struck out. One more out and the game would go into extras. Hough intentionally walked the still dangerous Reggie Jackson to bring George Hendrick to the plate. The count moved to 3-2. The last pitch was strike three but Mercado again couldn't find the handle. As the runners advanced, Mercado looked to throw home but nobody was at the plate. Charlie Hough had forgotten to cover home!

Final score: 2-1 Angels.
Final line for Charlie: 8.2 IP, 8 K's, 0 Earned Runs, and the loss.

1975 Topps - Mike Hargrove.

2012-01-03T18:07:00.003-06:00

Topps recognized Mike Hargrove's outstanding 1974 season with an All-Star Rookie Cup on his 1975 Topps card, number 106 in the set. Heading into the 1975 season the Rangers were hoping that Mike would be able to avoid the sophomore jinx.

Jim Spencer pushed Hargrove out of position in 1975 and he would spend the majority of his season in left field, 811.1 innings there as opposed to 319.1 at first. Mike struggled defensively in left field with seven errors. That resulted in a .964 fielding percentage, well below the league average .977. He was a bit closer to average at first base where he logged a .984 fielding percentage, just six points under the league average.

At the plate Hargrove made 609 plate appearances and managed a .303 batting average. That was twenty points lower than the previous season but his on-base percentage remained exactly the same at .395. The on-base percentage was due in large part to his 79 walks. Mike was also developing some power with the bat. He hit 22 doubles, two triples, and 11 home runs. The triples were down but the other two extra base hit totals were up from 1974.

At the end of the 1975 season there were still areas for Mike Hargrove to improve in but it was safe to say that he had avoided the sophomore jinx. His batting average had led the team and he had been named to the All-Star team. If he could improve on his defense and keep the bat performance steady he wouldn't have to worry about anyone pushing him out of position in 1976.

Minor League Monday - Steve Allen, 1989 Star.

2012-01-02T12:01:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year everyone. Hope the past year treated you well and that this one is filled with promise.

Now that the 1989 ProCards team set is past, we move into an area of the minor league binder that has a few random cards. The first one is Steve Allen's 1989 Star card, number 133 in the set.

Star was ProCards main competition in the minor league market in the late 80's and early 90's. As such the two companies ended up issuing cards of a lot of the same players. I have to say that I prefer the read border on this card to the orange ones on the 1989 ProCards set. I have already covered Steve's 1989 season in a previous post but the back of this card has a lot more biographical information than the back of his ProCards card.

Looking at the back of the card we read that Allen graduated from Bishop Guertin High School in Nashua, New Hampshire in 1984. While in high school he played baseball, basketball, and golf. After graduating from high school he attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He was named to the All-New England team in 1987.

Senators Saturday - Danny O'Connell, 1962.

2011-12-31T12:09:00.001-06:00

Future Rangers pitching coach Claude Osteen appears here on card number 501 of the 1962 Topps set. Washington had picked Claude up from Cincinnati in September of 1961 in exchange for Dave Sisler. It was an excellent move by the Senators.

The back of Claude's card says that he "has good stuff and should be a big winner." The winning was in the future but Osteen showed his stuff in 150.1 innings he pitched for the Senators in 1962. His 8-13 record did not do him justice. Primarily a starter, "Gomer" would kick off 22 of the 28 games he appeared in. Seven times he went all nine and twice he tossed shutouts.

Osteen posted a 3.65 ERA, about average for the Washington rotation. His 1.244 WHIP led the pitching staff though and would have been even lower if he could have shaved off some walks. Of course the 47 that he issued was still third lowest on the staff. He also struck out 59 of the 626 batters he faced.

1962 had been Claude Osteen's arrival season. For the first time he had thrown over 50 innings in a season at the Major League level. He had also made more starts than relief appearances for the first time in his career. The 22-year-old left-hander hadn't wasted his chance at the Big Show. Unless something changed he was a lock for the starting rotation in 1963.

Random Rangers auto.

2011-12-29T12:16:00.000-06:00

Dipping into the through the mail and in person autographs box today. Came up with this 1989 Topps UK card of Rangers mainstay Charlie Hough.

I picked this card up in a 50/50 deal in 2009. Charlie was managing in the Dodgers minor league system and was a very gracious signer. The result was a deal between me and a Hough collector in the area where Charlie's team played. He ended up with some Hough cards he didn't have and I ended up with some Hough autos I didn't have. Success all around!

1975 Topps - Steve Hargan.

2011-12-27T12:06:00.000-06:00

Steve Hargan, shown here on card number 362 of the 1975 Topps set, had a rather odd year in 1975. After a decent 1974 season it seemed like Steve's numbers couldn't decide if they wanted to improve or not.

Depending on which stats one looks at, Hargan was either the second or third starter in the Rangers rotation. He would make 26 starts in 33 appearances and end the season with a 9-10 record. He would pitch a total of 189.1 innings, up slightly from the year before. Hargan's ERA dropped by 15 points to 3.80 but his WHIP climbed to 1.400. This was mostly due to his walks jumping by 14 to 62 on the season, his hits allowed total inched up by just one. His strikeout total came to 93, five less than the previous year.

1975 was a troubling year for Steve Hargan. He didn't implode but there were signs of trouble ahead. In addition to the above numbers he also threw 12 wild pitches and allowed 17 home runs. Apparently he was struggling with his control. If he wanted to stay in Texas for the 1976 season he would need to address that issue. If he couldn't figure it out his post playing career in the mail order business might arrive sooner than estimated.

Minor League Monday - Coaching Staff, 1989 ProCards.

2011-12-26T12:05:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Taking the rest of this week off to spend with family so the posts will be pre-recorded. Letting you know in case I miss a major Rangers development. Going to finish up the 1989 ProCards Gastonia Rangers team set today. I have previously posted all the players and am now down to the coaching staff. Since the staff is rather hard to research I will be combining them all in this post.

First off is manager Orlando Gomez on card number 1017 of the set. Gomez was originally drafted by the Yankees in 1964 and spent 13 seasons in the minors as a player. He then moved into managing in 1977. Since then he has managed for 16 seasons in the minors. In 2011 he managed for the Baltimore Orioles A+ team.

Coach Jim Crawford appears on card number 1015. 1989 was his first year as a coach in professional ball after twenty years in the collegiate ranks. Can't find much information on Jim so I have no idea where he's at today.

1989 was also pitching coach Oscar Acosta's first year as a coach at the professional level. Acosta, shown here on card number 1025, played in the Phillies' minor league system for three years in starting in 1978. He must have liked coaching because he moved into minor league managing in 1999. He managed in 1999 in the Cubs system and in 2004 and 2005 in the Yankees system. Oscar passed away in April of 2006 at the age of 49.

Trainer Chuck Marquardt appears on card number 1010. It's almost as hard to find information on Chuck as it is on Jim Crawford. 1989 was Chuck's second season with the Rangers organization. He had previously served in the Navy and worked as a high school trainer and at the University of Washington. He also taught sports medicine in the off-season.

Well, that wraps up the 1989 ProCards Gastonia Rangers team set. Doesn't wrap up my minor league collection though so Minor League Monday will continue.

Christmas gift.

2011-12-24T12:14:00.000-06:00

Luke 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Amid all the wrappings and trappings of our modern-day Christmas each of us should remember to do as Mary. Keep in mind and ponder the greatest gift that mankind has ever received, reconciliation with God. Merry Christmas.

Kasey has struck out.

2011-12-22T13:01:00.003-06:00

The first round of the 2006 draft has officially not turned out well for the Rangers. Today they released their first round pick. Texas took Kasey Kiker, shown here on an autographed 2007 Bowman card, after the Giants took their original choice, Tim Lincecum.

Fortunately for Texas, Kiker didn't develop the drug habit that Lincecum apparently has. Unfortunately he didn't develop as a pitcher either. In the six seasons since he was drafted Kasey never made it past Double A.

In 2011 he pitched for Myrtle Beach in A ball. In 44.2 innings he posted a 7.05 ERA and an ugly 2.172 WHIP. Part of the reason for that was that he struck out just two more batters than he walked all season (54/52).

Well, I feel bad for Kasey but that's just the way things shake out sometimes. At least he stayed with it for six years and tried to get it put together. At 24 he still has a lot of good years left and hopefully he finds success in whatever he attempts next.

Quick show-off post.

2011-12-21T21:11:00.002-06:00

Very busy day today. Went from work to a meeting to church and now trying to get the kiddos to bed. Not much time to concoct a post.

Since I'm running behind today I decided to show off the latest addition to my Jon Matlack collection. I just picked this 1979 Baseball Guidebook up from Ebay. I had never seen this particular magazine cover of Matlack before so I jumped on it when it popped up. Gotta say that I like the picture.

Stunned.

2011-12-20T19:21:00.003-06:00

The title about sums it up. The Rangers won the rights to Japanese pitching phenom Yu Darvish.

Not really sure what I think about this. Never expected Texas to be a serious bidder so I never really mulled it over. Just hope he works out better for Texas than Hideki Irabu, seen here on card 488 of the 2002 Topps Chrome set, did for New York.

Minor League Monday - Mike Mendazona, 1989 ProCards.

2011-12-19T12:23:00.000-06:00

The Rangers signed Mike Mendazona as a free agent on June 7, 1988. That was about a month and a half before they signed another catcher, Ivan Rodriguez. That set up a big hurdle for Mike, shown here on card number 1026 of the 1989 ProCards set.

Unlike his drafted teammates, Mendanzona started his career with the Rookie level GCL Rangers in 1988. In 71 plate appearances he posted a dismal .183 batting average and a .280 on-base percentage. He committed just three errors in 134 chances though. His glove is likely what got him promoted to Single A for the 1989 season.

With Gastonia Mike's offensive woes continued. He made 147 plate appearances and posted a barely improved .188 batting average. His on-base percentage dropped to .250 while his strikeouts jumped. In fact Mike struck out 16 times in the course of the season while walking just 11 times. That might work for a thumper but Mendazona wasn't a power hitter.

If there was any improvement to Mike's game it was on defense. He again committed three errors on the season but this time they came in 318 chances. That pushed his fielding percentage up to .991. One possibly disturbing point was that his number of passed balls climbed from six the previous season to 15 in 1989.

Things just hadn't come together for Mike Mendazona in 1989. In spite of his defense, Ivan Rodriguez had blown past him. Mike had really needed his bat to show up for the season and it just hadn't. In fact, things had gotten worse. Apparently the Rangers weren't convinced they were going to get better either - 1989 would be Mike Mendazona's last season in pro ball.

Senators Saturday - Danny O'Connell, 1962.

2011-12-17T12:01:00.000-06:00

Danny O'Connell, shown here on card 411 of the 1962 Topps set, was in the middle of the Senators' struggles at third base in 1962. After a comeback season in 1961 he split his time in 1962 as a backup for third baseman Bob Johnson and second baseman Chuck Cottier.

Most of Danny's defensive time was at third base. He put in 319 innings there in 41 games. He committed five errors at the hot corner for a .961 fielding percentage - nine points higher than the league average. At second he would see action for 167 innings over 22 games and commit five errors there as well. His .946 fielding percentage was well below the league average .980.

O'Connell made 268 plate appearances on the other side of the game. He managed to bump his batting average up to .263 but his on-base percentage dropped 34 points to .327. Danny also slowed down as he stole just five bases. Perhaps more ominously than anything else was the fact that his doubles dropped to seven. That was less than a quarter of the number he had hit the year before with a little over twice as many at-bats.

Danny's dropping on-base percentage and doubles production seemed to be signs that the end was near for his playing career. It turns out it was. After 26 games at Double A in 1963 Danny and the Senators parted ways. That would be the end of the line for his pro career.

Decisions: Cliff Lee.

2011-12-16T12:04:00.000-06:00

The trade for Cliff Lee in 2010 is number 15 on T.R. Sullivan's list of the fifty decisions that have shaped the Rangers history.

On July 9, 2010 the Rangers obtained the services of Cliff Lee and Mark Lowe from the Mariners. In return Texas sent Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke, and Matthew Lawson to Seattle. The trade occurred just in time for Lee to represent Texas in the All-Star game as shown on card US-305 from the 2010 Topps Update Series.

Sullivan enters Lee on the list with the simple words: "The trade that put the Rangers in the World Series for the first time." I think it's not as clear cut as that.

When the trade happened the Rangers were already in first place in the American League West and looked to win the division. Excepting any mental boost Lee did not affect the race at all. His ERA after the trade approached 4.00 as he battled back problems and posted a losing 4-6 record.

The American League Division Series is where the trade appeared to pay off for the Rangers. Lee was masterful as he beat the Devil Rays twice, both in Tampa. On the strength of Lee's two wins the Rangers won their first ever postseason series. That broke the glass ceiling for the franchise as they moved on to the American League Championship Series.

Lee made just one start in the ALCS and won it 8-0 as the Rangers pounded the Yankees in game three in New York to take the series lead. Derek Holland picked up a win as well and Colby Lewis stole Lee's thunder as he won two. Texas downed the Yankees 4-2 to advance to their first ever World Series.

In the 2010 World Series Lee made two starts. He lost both as his ERA soared to near seven. Texas lost the Series 4-1 to the Giants.

So, did Cliff Lee put the Rangers in the World Series? The answer appears to be yes and no. Lee was a non factor down the stretch in the regular season. He was vital in the ALDS, a nice piece in the ALCS, and a real downer in the World Series. The trade was probably worthwhile on the strength of Cliff's ALDS performance alone but the team still had to get through the Evil Empire in the ALCS to get to the World Series. Perhaps T.R. Sullivan should have said that the Cliff Lee trade was the trade that put the Rangers in their first-ever American League Championship Series.

Best Seasons: Kevin Brown - 1992.

2011-12-15T12:32:00.005-06:00

Number 13 on T.R. Sullivan's Fifty Best seasons in Rangers history is Kevin Brown's 1992 performance. I got this 1992 Upper Deck card of Brown signed back before he was really well known as a head case.

Issues or not, Brown wasn't a bad pitcher before he landed with the Yankees in 2004. 1992 wasn't the best season of his career but it was the best he had with Texas.

In 1992 Kevin made 35 starts and pitched 11 complete games. He led the league with 265.2 innings pitched and 21 wins. He also turned in a 3.32 ERA and a 1.272 WHIP on the season. Additionally he struck out 173 batters while walking only 76.

Those numbers made Kevin both the workhorse and ace of the Rangers pitching staff. They also garnered him some Cy Young consideration and a start in the All-Star Game. I believe that makes him the only Rangers pitcher to ever start an All-Star game.

Odd Moments: Final forfeit.

2011-12-14T12:36:00.004-06:00

The expansion Senators never encountered much success in the eleven years they were in Washington. After Bob Short bought the team under a mountain of debt they also experienced financial problems. The end result was that Short obtained permission to move the team to Texas following the 1971 season. The few fans the Senators had left were not impressed.

September 30, 1971 was the Senators' final game. They were slated to host the New York Yankees. 14,460 fans showed up and paid the admission to get into the last Major League Baseball game in RFK Stadium. There were rumors though that the security guards left early and several thousand more fans simply walked in for free. One estimate placed the total attendance at 25,000.

Most of the Senators players received applause when they appeared. Frank Howard, shown here on card 23 of the 1985 Topps Circle K set, got a thunderous ovation when he strode to the plate. Many fans were obviously upset by the imminent departure of the team. Signs began appearing around the stadium ridiculing Bob Short. As soon as security removed a sign another would appear. One of the ones that received the most acclaim was one that read simply, "Short stinks."

By the bottom of the sixth inning the Yankees were leading 5-1. Suddenly the Senators came alive and plated four runs to tie things up. The lead-off hit in the inning was Frank Howard's 26th home run of the season. That bomb seemed to lift the spirits of the crowd and even got to Howard himself. As he ran the bases he tipped his helmet to the fans for the first and only time. As he approached the dugout he tossed his cap into the stands.

In the eighth Washington put two more runs on the board to take a 7-5 lead. That held through two outs in the top of the ninth. By this point the crowd had turned ugly again and was calling for Bob Short's blood - literally. One sportswriter of the time compared it to a lynch mob in full swing. Already fans had rushed the field and been cleared off.

With two outs in the top of the eighth the crowd rushed the field again. Swarms of young people snatched tufts of grass and anything else they could get their hands on. One young man even made off with first base. Those remaining in the stands expressed their approval. The scene was total pandemonium.

With the crowd going wild, no security in sight, and only three bases remaining the game was called as a forfeit. Official score: 9-0 in favor of New York. Perhaps it was a fitting epilogue for a team that had struggled fruitlessly for much of eleven seasons.

1975 Topps - Bill Hands.

2011-12-13T15:54:00.004-06:00

The Rangers grabbed Bill Hands off waivers from the Twins on September 9, 1974. As such he had just a couple of appearances with the 1974 team. For all intents and purposes 1975 was his first year with the team. It is perhaps fitting then that Topps heavily airbrushed card number 412 of the 1975 Topps set in order to get Bill into Texas threads.

Bill had a rough season in 1975. On June 9th he pulled a calf muscle and was out of action until the 27th. In August his back started acting up and forced him out of action for the remainder of the season. Perhaps the expression of Bill's face isn't hostility but pain.

Due to the two stints on the Disabled List, Hands had just 18 appearances with the Rangers in 1975. All 18 were starts and he ended the season with a 6-7 record. In 109.2 innings pitched Bill posted a 4.02 ERA and a 1.331 WHIP. His strikeout to walk ratio was pretty good as he struck out 67 batters while walking 28. Aside from the strikeout to walk ratio the numbers seem to reflect his difficult year.

It is often thought that when a player ends up on waivers he has been struggling. This was true of Bill Hands. In 1974 his ERA had gone over 4.00 for the first time since 1966. His WHIP had also risen for three straight years. With Texas in 1975 he managed to lower the ERA but the WHIP continued to climb.

The consistently rising WHIP coupled with the injuries that cost him almost half the season sounded the final bell for the 35-year-old Hands. In Feburary of 1976 the Rangers traded him to the New York Mets for George Stone. Neither player would ever see Major League action again.

Minor League Monday - Tim MacNeil, 1989 ProCards.

2011-12-12T13:25:00.003-06:00

Tim MacNeil, shown here on card number 1024 of the 1989 ProCards set, was the Rangers 13th selection in the 1988 draft. He started his pro career the same year with the Butte Copper Kings in Rookie ball.

In 1988 MacNeil appeared in 24 games, all in relief. He posted a 3.00 ERA and a 1.667 WHIP. Those weren't very good numbers for a right-hander in Rookie ball. That's probably part of the reason that Tim split the 1989 season between the Rookie ball GCL Rangers and the Single A Gastonia Rangers. I'm not sure which team came first in the season but neither stint was particularly pretty. Since today's card shows him with Gastonia we'll take a look at those numbers.

MacNeil tossed 43.2 innings in 22 games with Gastonia. All but one of his appearances was in relief. Unfortunately for Tim his ERA climbed to 5.98 and his WHIP to 1.786. He also continued to battle wildness as he let loose with nine wild pitches and hit three opposing batsmen. Predictably he walked more batters than he struck out (38 walks/32 strikeouts).

Needless to say, 1989 was not a solid season for Tim MacNeil. He was still struggling to get his control and couldn't seem to keep runs from crossing the plate. Neither of these problems is good for a pitcher. That is doubly so for a right-handed pitcher at a low level of play.

Senators Saturday - Bob Johnson, 1962.

2011-12-10T17:54:00.003-06:00

Bob Johnson's 1962 Topps card, number 519, identifies him as a shortstop with the Washington Senators. While Bob was with the Senators in 1962 he didn't play just short.

Johnson was actually the closest thing the Senators had to a starting third baseman in 1962. He played 612.2 innings there in 72 games. He also played 416.2 innings at shortstop in 50 games. Those were his two main defensive positions but he also played seven innings in one game in left field. All told Bob committed 22 errors in total on the season - 13 of those were at third. There was a reason for that, Topps was right. Johnson wasn't a third baseman. 1962 would mark the highest number of games and innings he would play at third in his career. It was one of only three times in an eleven year career that he broke the 100 inning mark at the position.

Johnson made 504 trips to the plate in 1962 - over twice the number of the previous season. He managed to compile a .288 batting average (second only to Chuck Hinton on the team) and a .334 on-base percentage. He also knocked a career-high 12 home runs and 20 doubles. Two triples also jumped into the mix. Unfortunately Bob also struck out a career-high 50 times while walking just 32 times - also a career high.

By the end of 1962 the Senators had a problem. Bob Johnson was obviously struggling with the transition from shortstop to third base. Leaving him at short was not an option with Ken Hamlin and Ed Brinkman already doing battle for the position. That made Bob expendable. On December 5, 1962 Washington sent him and Pete Burnside to Baltimore in exchange for Marv Breeding, Art Quirk, and Barry Shetrone.

Best Seasons: Julio Franco - 1991.

2011-12-09T16:07:00.004-06:00

Number 12 on T.R. Sullivan's list of the Fifty Best Seasons in Rangers history goes to Julio Franco, shown here on card number BC39 of the 1990 Baseball Cards Magazine set.

Julio's 1991 season really stands out for one number, his batting average. Franco tormented opposing pitching that year as he racked up a .341 average. That easily won Julio the first batting title in Rangers history. How easily? Well, he was nine points ahead of second-place Wade Boggs in the race.

While the batting average and title stole the show in 1991 they weren't the only impressive numbers for Julio that year. He also complied a .408 on-base percentage and stole a career high 36 bases. His 108 runs scored were also a career high.

All told Franco had a career year with the bat in 1991 and the awards committees recognized it. In addition to the American League batting title he also went the the All-Star game and received a Silver Slugger award as well as receiving some MVP consideration. Perhaps just as important for the fans, he brought a batting title to a team that had never had a player win one.

Angels arm up for 2012

2011-12-08T17:53:00.003-06:00

Well, the past day or so has certainly been huge in the American League West. The Angels broke the bank open and signed both Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson to long term deals. Texas had told Wilson they were interested but had never tendered him an offer due to the long-term offers that the Angels and Marlins were shooting his way.

The question becomes, do these moves change the balance of power in the division? I think the answer is, it's hard to say.

The Halos addition of Pujols is a definite plus for them. There is always the possibility that the ten year, no trade contract could become a weight on their payroll but if any player can pull this one off it would be Albert Pujols.

The signing of C.J. Wilson is a little more murky. Wilson has pitched pretty well for Texas as a starter over the past two seasons. In the two seasons combined he has posted a 3.14 ERA, a 1.215 WHIP, and a 31-15 record.

Those aren't bad numbers at all but there are a few things to consider in light of the five year deal that the Angels just gave Wilson. First and foremost, his age. Wilson is 31 right now. That puts him at 36 by the end of the contract. Pitchers not named Nolan Ryan tend to start to slow down in their 30's.

The second item is his workload. Wilson has made a total of 73 starts in the Major Leagues in seven seasons. All but six came in the last two seasons. He has pitched a total of 708 innings in his career. 427.1 of those were in the past two years. Compared to the early years of his career Wilson has been under quite the workload the past two seasons. There is always the possibility that after five years of a lighter load, the increased work could catch up with him at some point. It might not but if it does it will be sooner rather than later.

The third point to consider is Wilson's performance in big games. Mainly that he doesn't. If he had the Rangers probably would be the World Champions right now. That's because they would have had the home field advantage and played games six and seven at home had C.J. not lost the All-Star game. He also stumbled badly in the 2010 and 2011 post seasons.

Back to the original question. Do these signings shift the balance of power in the A.L. West? I think that the answer is, possibly. Pujols is huge and is a veteran. He'll adjust and be the threat that he was in the National League. Barring injury he will be a major weapon for the Angels for the foreseeable future. Wilson is more of a question mark. While he has an engaging personality I can't help but doubt that he will be a force for more than a season or two at most. I think it's very possible that Anaheim will regret his contract. For the same reason I doubt that his departure will be a long term setback for the Rangers.

1975 Topps - Tom Grieve.

2011-12-06T11:53:00.002-06:00

Tom Grieve, shown here on card 234 of the 1975 Topps set, had a two-fold mission in 1975. First, he had to build on his 1974 performance and second he had to prove he could hit right-handed pitching.

TAG played in 118 games for Texas in 1975. That was a career high to that point and netted him 396 plate appearances. He managed to get his batting average up to .276 and his on-base percentage inched up to .316. Tommy also had a much higher RBI total with 61 and scored more runs than in 1974 with 46. He also hit 17 doubles, one triple, and 14 home runs. He did walk 22 times but struck out a troubling 74 times.

Tom played all three outfield positions in 1975 and served in 41 games as the designated hitter. He played left field most with 328 innings in 46 games. Next up was right field with 126 innings in 16 games and then center with ten innings in two games. His fielding percentage for all three positions combined was .990, better than the league average by eleven points.

Tom Grieve had been given a chance in 1975 and seemed to have used it. Perhaps he hadn't awed observers but he had significantly improved his offensive performance in almost every category while starting to hit right-handers and had maintained his great defense in the field. The only disturbing trend was his tendency to strikeout, he would need to figure out how to cut down on that. If he could 1975 looked to be his breakout year.

Minor League Monday - Jeff Fry, 1989 ProCards.

2011-12-05T12:10:00.000-06:00

Card 1023 of the 1989 ProCards set makes me smile. Jeff Fry looks so intense and yet so young. His boyish face, slight build, and screen-backed cap make him look more like a high school ballplayer than a 22-year-old man attempting to play his way the Major Leagues.

The Rangers drafted Jeff in the 30th round of the 1988 draft. He played in Rookie ball the same year with the Butte Copper Kings. In 1989 he would be assigned to Single A and would play with the Gastonia Rangers of the Gulf Coast League.

In 125 games Fry made 543 plate appearances. He posted a .313 batting average and a .405 on-base percentage. His on-base percentage was helped by the fact that he knew how to take a walk. He worked 72 of them while striking out just 53 times. While Jeff could get on base he didn't have much power at the plate. He hit 26 doubles but only three triples and one home run on the season. He could run though and stole 33 bases but needed to work on his technique as he got caught 13 times.

As the front of his card indicates, Jeff played second base. In 1989 he put together a .977 fielding percentage at that position. His errors matched his uniform number, 14. Defense was definitely an area for improvement in Fry's game.

Apparently the Rangers thought Jeff had potential. Probably it was his bat that caught their eye. As a result he got a promotion. Not to Double A though but to A plus Charlotte for the 1990 season. I'm not positive but I would guess that the partial promotion had to do with the need for him to improve his glove work.

Senators Saturday - Joe Hicks, 1962.

2011-12-03T11:11:00.000-06:00

1962 was one of the few seasons that Joe Hicks, shown here on card 248 of the 1962 Topps set, spent the whole season in the Majors. In fact, most of 1961 had been spent in the minors.

Joe played in 102 games in 1962 and made 191 plate appearances. That was more in both categories than in all three previous seasons where he had Major League experience combined.

In his 191 plate appearances Hicks posted a .224 batting average and a .286 on-base percentage. His on-base percentage was undoubtedly hurt by the fact that he struck out over twice as often as he walked. (15 walks to 34 strikeouts.) He also displayed a lack of power with just four doubles, two triples, and six home runs.

In the field Joe served as a fourth outfielder and played 282.1 innings total in all three outfield positions. He made three errors for a .962 fielding percentage - well below the league average .980.

1962 was Joe Hicks first big shot at the Majors. Too bad he really couldn't capitalize on it. He needed to show something big in order to dislodge one of the regular outfielders. That just didn't happen either in the field or at the plate.

Decisions: Two-for-one.

2011-12-02T12:20:00.000-06:00

Ok, I have to plead ignorance as far as the first of the next two decisions off of T.R. Sullivan's list. As for the second, well I wasn't really paying much attention in 2001 so I don't remember it.

Number thirteen is is the rejection of Edward Gaylord's attempts to buy the Rangers. He tried in 1987 and 1988. Both times the American League refused to approve the sale for fear that Channel 11 would become a superstation. I have no memory of this and find it hard to understand given Ted Turner, TBS, and the Braves. I do know that with the Rangers still unsold the result was the ownership group headed by George W. Bush buying the team in 1989.

Number fourteen is the firing of Doug Melvin. I'm not sure what Tom Hicks was thinking when he fired Melvin and brought in John Hart. I do know that under Melvin the team had qualified for the playoffs three times and that they didn't at all under Hart. Meanwhile Melvin moved on to Milwaukee and moved them from a sub .500 team to postseason qualifiers. Not hard to see that the switch wasn't a very good move.

It's Valentine's day in Boston.

2011-12-01T13:46:00.003-06:00

MLB.com is reporting that the Red Sox will introduce Bobby Valentine as their new manager this evening at Fenway Park. Bobby V was the Rangers manager from 1985 to 1992. I am showing him today on a 1987 Topps card that he signed for me through the mail in 2008.

Valentine was the first Rangers manager that I can really remember. Doug Rader would have still been in place when I first latched onto the team but I have no memory of him. Valentine I remember and always enjoyed watching. I'm not the only Rangers fan who remembers Bobby. Until Ron Washington's recent postseason successes he was probably the most popular manager in Rangers history behind Johnny Oats.

After leaving the Rangers Bobby managed the Mets from 1996 to 2002. Not a bad stint for such a volatile environment. It probably helped that the Mets had several postseason appearances during his tenure.

Boston is probably closer to New York than Texas when it comes to the atmosphere and pressure of managing. Unlike New York though, the Red Sox are Boston. No shadow of the Evil Empire there, all the focus is on the Sox. Hopefully Bobby V will be able to deliver some success to the franchise and placate the fans and media. It would be nice to see him back in the Bigs and doing well. Not too well of course, can't root for Bobby over the Rangers.

Odd Moments: Randle v. Lucchesi.

2011-11-30T11:35:00.005-06:00

Lenny Randle is shown here on card number 8-RAN of the 1986 TCMA All Time Rangers set. He shouldn't be. Because of what is one of the ugliest incidents in Rangers history Len Randle cannot ever be considered in any list of top Rangers players.

Randle had made his Major League debut in 1971 for the Washington Senators. He made the move to Texas with the team and appeared for them in every season up through 1976. Prior to 1976 he had been used mainly as a platoon or utility player. In 1976 he grabbed the starting second baseman's job. Unfortunately he had not produced as well as Texas expected him to.

Frank Lucchesi had been appointed as the Rangers manager in 1975 following the firing of Billy Martin. By the Spring of 1977 the 50-year old manager was ready to lead the team back into contention.

During Spring Training in 1977 young rookie phenom Bump Wills arrived at camp amid much acclaim. Like with Elvis Andrus at shortstop a couple of years ago, the management decided that second base was Wills' position to lose. That didn't sit well with Randle and he threatened to walk out of camp. Lucchesi was not amused and made some pretty harsh comments concerning "punks saying play me or trade me..." The remarks showed up in the papers.

On March 28, 1977 the Rangers were in Orlando, Florida for a Spring Training game against the Twins. The Rangers were taking batting practice about an hour before the game. Frank Lucchesi was on the field talking to his players and coaches. He hadn't been there long and was still not in uniform. Randle approached him and said he needed to talk to him.

The two stepped to the side. A few words were exchanged. Suddenly Randle punched Lucchesi in the face, knocking him to the ground. As Frank fell, Len landed several more punches. As players rushed the Lucchesi's aid Randle jogged out to center field and started to run wind sprints. Outfielder Ken Henderson started after him with the intent of returning the punches for Lucchesi. Other players stopped Henderson.

Frank Lucchesi was transported to the hospital. Randle had broken his cheekbone and bruised a kidney. He needed surgery to repair the facial injuries and would be in the hospital for a week.

The Rangers immediately suspended Randle without pay for 30 days and fined him $10,000. The police got involved and criminal charges were filed. Before the 30 day suspension was up the Rangers shipped Randle to the Mets. He later plead no contest to the battery charges in criminal court and paid a $1,000 fine.

In late June the Rangers fired Frank Lucchesi. He claimed the firing was in part due to the incident with Randle. A lawsuit followed. The matter was settled out of court with Randle reportedly paying about $25,000 in damages to Lucchesi.

In sum total the incident cost the Rangers a decent manager and a public relations headache. It also cost them a versatile player and possibly a chance at the post-season. It cost Lenny Randle around $36,000 plus his lost wages. More importantly it cost him his good name. A high price to pay for an angry outburst.

1975 Topps - Jim Fregosi.

2011-11-29T11:08:00.003-06:00

Despite what card number 339 of the 1975 Topps says, Jim Fregosi spent most of his time in 1975 playing first base rather than third. He did play third and occasionally served as the designated hitter but most of his time was spent platooning with Jim Spencer at first.

Fregosi played in 54 games at first and logged 336.1 innings at the bag. He committed six errors for a fielding percentage of .985. That was five points below the league average. In contrast he got just four appearances at third for a total of ten innings.

Mainly employed against left-hand pitching, Jim got 217 plate appearances in 77 games. He ended the season with a .262 batting average and a .329 on-base percentage. Most of the rest of his offensive numbers were about as unremarkable. He struck out 39 times and walked 20. He also bumped in 33 RBI while scoring 25 times himself. Of his hits five were doubles and seven were home runs. He hit no triples and stole no bases.

For Jim Fregosi 1975 had been almost identical to 1974. Most of his offensive numbers were within a few points of the previous season. He had played more at first than third but at this point in his career he was a corner infield backup. He didn't let that get to him though and kept working with younger players to teach them the game.

Minor League Monday - Steve Allen, 1989 ProCards.

2011-11-28T11:49:00.003-06:00

Texas picked up Steve Allen, seen here on card 1022 of the 1989 ProCards set, late in the 1988 draft. By late I mean he was the Rangers 37th pick. He was 21 years old. Most of the time guys taken that low and that old aren't really expected to make a big splash.

Steve started off his pro career with the Rookie League Butte Copper Kings in 1988. He split his time between starting and relieving. In 46.1 innings he posted a horrific 9.32 ERA and a 1.899 WHIP.

In spite of those numbers Allen got moved up to Single A Gastonia for the 1989 season. He also got moved out of a starting role. All 51 of his appearances for the Gastonia Rangers were in relief.

Apparently Steve found his groove in 1988. He pitched a total of 89 innings and managed to improved his numbers pretty dramatically. His ERA tallied to 2.02 on the season and his WHIP dropped to 1.022. He struck out 84 batters in route to a 2.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He did hit ten batters though.

By the end of the 1989 season Steve Allen seemed to be on his way to bucking the trend for low draft picks. His numbers at Single A had been pretty impressive and he would get a ticket to Double A Tulsa for the 1990 season as a result. What he needed to do was stay on track and continue to improve steadily. Improved control resulting in fewer hit batters was also an important area for improvement.

Senators Saturday - Bennie Daniels, 1962.

2011-11-26T10:46:00.003-06:00

Let me start off by saying that there is a top border on my copy of card 378 of the 1962 Topps set. I'm not sure why the scanner insisted in cutting almost all of it off the scan. Perhaps it is messing with Bennie Daniels.

After a decent 1961 season Bennie was probably looking to build on that and secure a place in the top of the rotation in 1962. After all, he had tied for the most innings pitched, led in wins, and posted the second best ERA of any Senators starter in 1961.

Unfortunately for Bennie, and for Washington, 1962 would be a drop-off. Bennie's innings pitched dropped to 161.1, probably because he had lost a regular spot in the rotation. Of the 44 games he appeared in he started just 21. In spite of fewer innings his ERA rose by 1.41 to an unattractive 4.85. His WHIP was also up to 1.488 and his strikeout to walk ratio dropped to 0.97.

Needless to say, Daniels' 1962 season was not a positive follow-up to the Senators' inaugural effort. Probably one of the reasons that he managed to stay in the Majors was the lack of a developed farm system. However, if he wanted to stay there his 1963 season needed to be an improvement.

Best Seasons: Rafael Palmeiro - 1993.

2011-11-25T11:45:00.004-06:00

Rafael Palmeiro's 1993 season is number 11 on T.R. Sullivan's Fifty Best Seasons in Rangers history. By 1993 Palmeiro, pictured here on his 1993 Sports Cards Magazine card, had been with the Rangers for four years. His fifth season would be the final one before free agency and a five year hiatus to Baltimore.

Palmeiro played in 160 games for the Rangers in 1993. In all of those games he played at first base, a league best. Over the course of 1395.1 innings he committed just five errors for a .997 fielding percentage. That was four points higher than the league average and third highest in the American League. Interestingly, it was also higher than in any of the three later years where he won a Gold Glove.

At the plate Rafael posted a .295 batting average and a .371 on-base percentage in 686 plate appearances. He had 37 home runs, 40 doubles, and two triples. He also stole 22 bases while getting caught just three times. He also knocked in 105 RBI while scoring a league-leading 124 times himself. Perhaps Palmeiro's performance at the plate could best be summed up as balanced.

While Raffy would have better power numbers when he returned to Texas in 1999 he was a better all-around player in 1993. It was his breakthrough season.

Odd Moments: Good guy Dave?

2011-11-23T19:50:00.003-06:00

Number nine on T.R. Sullivan's Fifty Bizarre moments involves Dave Stewart. In January of 1985 Stewart, shown here on card 343 of the 1985 Donruss set, was a yet to be determined quality for the Rangers.

He was however well regarded among his teammates and the organization. As such he was selected to received the Harold McKinney Good Guy Award at the club's 1985 Winter Banquet on January 27th. Along with the rest of the team, Stewart was invited to the Banquet.

Here is where things started to go wrong for Dave. According to the Los Angeles Times he was arrested on January 25th in downtown L.A. "on suspicion of participating in an act of lewd conduct in a public place..." Apparently LAPD officers had observed Stewart soliciting a prostitute by the name of "Lucille". The pair were arrested as they sat in Stewart's car in an alley.

To add insult to injury (and spice to the tabloids) it was revealed after the arrest that "Lucille" was actually a man by the name of Elson Tyler. Stewart claimed that he had no idea he had picked up a transvestite until after the arrest. A LAPD commander commenting on the story stated that the police believed him on that score. It didn't help and the incident got serious media exposure.

The Rangers gave Dave the opportunity to skip the Winter Banquet. He didn't though and showed up to receive his Good Guy Award. Newly minted GM Tom Grieve and team owner Eddie Chiles were among those in attendance as were the rest of the team and almost 1,000 fans. The presentation of the award was greeted with silence. Stewart then apologized directly to Mr. Chiles, his teammates, then to the fans. According to the L.A. Times Stewart was brief in his remarks and commented that, "All I can say is good guys make mistakes, too." As he sat down those in attendance applauded. I am guessing that Tom Grieve then sighed a huge sigh of relief.

All in all the whole situation was an awkward one for both Stewart and the team. It was also truly strange that a man arrested for solicitation was awarded a good guy award just two days later at a public event.

Making a closing move.

2011-11-22T10:15:00.003-06:00

Jon Daniels has said that he has two goals for the Texas Rangers: keeping the core of the team and focusing on pitching. Yesterday he made a move that fell into the second category.

Texas dipped into the free agent pool for the first time this off-season with the signing of pitcher Joe Nathan. Nathan had been the Twins All-Star closer from 2004 to 2009. He missed the 2010 season due to Tommy John surgery and struggled with injuries in 2011. Obviously Daniels is hoping for a return to Nathan's pre-2010 form. That is a distinct possibility for an experienced pitcher like this. If that doesn't happen the contract is only for two years and has a buyout option on it.

If Joe can get his game back to his 2009 level he will help shore up the bullpen. He also allows the Rangers to move Neftali Feliz to the starting rotation. Feliz, shown here on card TT2-24 of the 2011 Topps Town set, was a starter prior to being called up the the Major Leagues in 2009. For a long time he was viewed as a potential top of the rotation arm, apparently that's back on the table.

For his part Neftali seems to have moved past his discouragement with the abortive move to the rotation last Spring. He released a statement saying that the Rangers had talked to him about the move and that he was happy with it. He referenced his minor league pitching career and says he is already running more in order to be ready to enter Spring Training as a starter. If Feliz can live up to his potential and Holland continues to solidify I think that Texas is looking at two very strong guns to lead off the rotation.

The Rangers say that their decision in signing Nathan and moving Feliz had nothing to do with the latter's blown save in game six of this year's World Series. I believe that. Jon Daniels, Nolan Ryan, and Ron Washington don't make decisions based on one game - even a game for all the marbles. Looking back at last Spring and before Feliz made the Majors in 2009 it seems to me that his being a starter was always the plan and that the closer gig was just a detour.

Texas is also saying that the signing of Joe Nathan is not a comment on their attempts to re-sign C.J. Wilson. I'm going to have to pass on buying that one for now. Wilson is reportedly looking for at least a six year deal and Texas is notorious for cringing at long-term deals for pitchers. They'll still try and get Wilson to stay but this deal looks like an insurance plan they are likely to use.

Minor League Monday - Darren Oliver, 1989 ProCards.

2011-11-21T09:04:00.003-06:00

Today on Minor League Monday we see current Major League pitcher Darren Oliver. Darren is showing off his early form on his 1989 ProCards card, number 1021.

Texas made Oliver their third pick in the 1988 draft. The same year he played in Rookie level ball with the GCL Rangers. After posting a 2.15 ERA he was promoted to the Gastonia Rangers in A ball.

In 1989 for Gastonia the 18-year-old pitched a minor league career high 122.1 innings in 24 games. He started 23 of those games. Ollie's ERA for the season tallied to 3.16 and his WHIP to 1.373. While those weren't bad numbers it is obvious that he was beginning to struggle with the bane of lefthanders everywhere - wildness. In addition to walking 82 batters he also hit five and threw 15 wild pitches. Of course his 108 strikeouts showed that he could control his pitches on occasion.

While Darren's ERA had climbed from 1988 to 1989 it was still pretty acceptable and the extra run could be attributable to the increase in competition. The wildness was a concern but it is also expected with southpaws and especially with young hurlers. Oliver was still impressing management and still had time to learn the ropes.

Senators Saturday - Bob Schmidt, 1962.

2011-11-19T11:07:00.003-06:00

Washington picked up Bob Schmidt, shown here on card 262 of the 1962 Topps set, and Dave Stenhouse from Cincinnati on December 15, 1961. In return the Reds got Johnny Klippstein and Marty Keough.

Bob hadn't seen much action in 1961 with the Reds and the back of his 1962 Topps card says that he was happy to be with Washington where he would get more work. Bob did get more work with the Senators - about 51 games more. He was still the second string catcher though. Ken Retzer had the starting job.

In the 88 games Schmidt appeared in he got 274 plate appearances. He used those to post a .242 batting average and a .281 on-base percentage. The 37 strikeouts as compared to the 14 walks helped put a damper on the on-base percentage. Not great numbers but apparently when he hit, Bob could hit for power. Of his 62 hits, ten were home runs and 14 were doubles. He also batted in 31 runs.

Probably if Bob could have brought his on-base percentage up he could have given Retzer a challenge for the starting job. His batting average was only four points lower and he was better behind the plate. In fact, looking at the innings played on defense it looks like Schmidt often served as a late-inning defensive replacement. In 639 innings Bob committed just one error for a fielding percentage of .997. That was eight points higher than the league average and the best in the American League for backstops. He also caught 53% (16/30) of base runners trying to steal on him.

All in all Bob Schmidt appeared to have the glove and the power to play every day. He just needed some patience at the plate in order to bump up his on-base percentage. He didn't seem to be in a bad position with the team still in flux. From all appearances Schmidt stood an excellent chance to challenge for the first-string catcher's job in 1963. Appearances can be deceiving though and Bob's 1963 season would not turn out the way he was probably thinking it would.

Astros AL bound.

2011-11-18T09:36:00.005-06:00

Nolan Ryan, shown here on card 665 of the 1990 Donruss set, played nine years for the Houston Astros before joining the Rangers in 1989. That information is easily discoverable if you look Nolan up on Baseball-Reference.com. Right next to the Astros' name is the notation "NL".

That notation will apparently be out of date starting in 2013. Yesterday Commissioner Bud Selig announced the move of the Astros to the American League West starting in 2013. To be honest, this move puzzles me.

Starting in 1962 the Astros have always been a National League franchise. They have lived and died in the National League. During their dominant years they were mainstays in the NL playoffs. Now they're going to the American League and not everyone's happy about it. One survey I saw referenced stated that up to 75% of Houston fans strongly oppose the move to the AL.

I can't say I blame them. As much as I prefer NL ball to AL ball I'm not sure how I would feel about the Rangers switching leagues. If they were already in the NL I am sure I would oppose a move. Apparently the vast majority of 'Stros fans agree with me. So why move them?

Not sure I know. Commissioner Selig says he wants to even out the leagues and expand the AL West to five teams. OK. Why the Astros? For all of their existence they have been a National League team. Compare that to the Milwaukee Brewers. From 1969 to 1998 the Brewers were an American League team. Then came the move to the National League. Why not move them back? Looks like the best option to me. After all, the Brew Crew has a World Series appearance as an American League team but not as a National League team. The Astros World Series appearance came as the representative of the National League.

Of course the Brewers weren't for sale. That means their owners weren't over a barrel to force the move. Also, Bud Selig never owned the Astros. That's probably the real reason Houston's making the move. Commissioner Selig can give any reasons he wants for the Astros to move but I can't see it. Move the Brewers back to the AL Central and slip the Royals over to the West. Those moves would likely grieve KC fans but they make more sense than what's being done.

Random Ranger game-used.

2011-11-17T07:59:00.003-06:00

Aside from Matt Treanor signing with the Dodgers there hasn't been a lot going on as for Rangers fans the past few days. Ron Washington got passed over again for Manager of the Year but that's nothing new.

Seeing as how things are relatively slow, I thought a random jersey piece might be in order. This particular one is in Ivan Rodriguez's 2002 Fleer Focus Larger than Life card.

I like the concept of the card but there is something about Pudge's picture that seems off. Can't quite put my finger on it but there are other cards I like more. Still, it is a game-used card and in my world that still means something.

Decisions: Standing behind Ron Washington.

2011-11-16T12:04:00.000-06:00

Long-time readers of this blog will remember the post I wrote in March of last year about Ron Washington. The news of Washington's positive Cocaine test during the summer of 2009 had just broken. The title of my previous post says it all: "Disappointed."

Washington, shown here on his 2008 Dr. Pepper card, came clean about the whole mess. He admitted to his use and stated that it was a one-time experiment. According to him, he had never used since the time of the test in 2009 or before that. Some folks believed him, some didn't. There were lots of calls for his job and blood seemed to be in the water. From the looks of things Texas was going to be looking for a manager sooner rather than later.

Jon Daniels and the rest of the upper management in the organization didn't follow conventional wisdom this time though. They stood behind Washington and kept him on as manager. That was decision number 12 on T.R. Sullivan's list and it shocked and angered quite a few people.

I don't know if there were any conditions given to Ron for keeping his job. If there weren't there should have been. Staying clean should have been at the top of the list. Regular testing should have been a must. I'm guessing that there are a few conditions - Jon Daniels isn't stupid.

In 2010 and 2011 Ron Washington went out and showed the baseball world just how smart Jon Daniels and the rest of management were to keep him. Less than a year removed from the controversy he led the Rangers to their first ever World Series appearance. He followed that up by walking them back to a second consecutive appearance this year.

The Rangers could have fired Ron Washington. They didn't and instead he led them to the World Series twice in a row.

1975 Topps - Steve Foucault.

2011-11-15T14:26:00.003-06:00

Steve Foucault, shown here on card number 283 of the 1975 Topps set, had turned in a career year in 1974. His bullpen performance had played a key role in Texas remaining in contention as long as they did.

Manager Billy Martin had called on Foucault a career high 69 times in 1974 and he had pitched in a career high 144.1 innings. By 1975 those innings appeared to be taking a toll.

Foucault appeared in 59 games for Texas in 1975. All were in relief. While still leading the bullpen in appearances Steve's appearances had dropped off. His innings pitched also dropped off - even more so than his appearances. Not only was he being used less often, he was being used less when he was used.

Steve tossed 107 innings in 1975, second most among Texas relievers. He posted a 4.12 ERA and a 1.411 WHIP for the year. Both were significantly higher than the year before. His strikeout-to-walk ratio also went the wrong direction as it fell to 1.02. That was less than half of 1974's total.

Steve Foucault had been ridden hard in 1974 but had done well. 1975 was a different story though. Whether it was overuse from the previous year or a failure to make needed adjustments, things had not gone well. From a key component in a contender Steve had gone to a big question mark. He needed to get some rest and figure out what he needed to do to recapture the magic of 1974.

Minor League Monday - Francisco Valdez, 1989 ProCards.

2011-11-14T18:25:00.003-06:00

Francisco Valdez appears here on card number 1020 of the 1989 ProCards set. Judging by the picture Francisco didn't get the memo about picture day. It looks like he is wearing jeans underneath his untucked jersey.

Texas signed Francisco as a free agent in January of 1987. After waiting a season, perhaps for Valdez to complete high school, the club started him at Rookie Ball in 1988. Francisco pitched in 13 games and tossed 63.1 innings for the Gulf Coast League Rangers. All but one of his appearances was as a starter. His 3.55 ERA wasn't anything to write home about but it was good enough to get him a ticket to Gastonia for the 1989 season.

Francisco continued to start in A Ball. Of his 26 appearances 24 were starts. All told he would pitch 135.1 innings and post a 14-3 record. He also saw improvement in important areas. His ERA dropped to 3.13 and his WHIP dropped 136 points to 1.190. He strikeout-to-walk ratio also improved slightly to 1.56.

1989 had been a good year for Francisco Valdez. At age 19 he seemed to be a solid pitching prospect for Texas. He wasn't burning through the system but he was young and was making progress. Texas needed pitching and Valdez seemed to be on his way. That makes it all the more strange that the 1989 season was his last in pro ball. In spite of looking I can't find any information on why. After just two years Valdez's career seems to have come to an abrupt end.

Senators Saturday - Ray Rippelmeyer, 1962.

2011-11-12T12:27:00.003-06:00

Ray Ripplemeyer appears today on card number 271 of the 1962 Topps set. The photo is probably a little off to avoid showing any more of Ray's Reds pinstripes than necessary.

Washington picked Ray up from Cincinnati in November of 1961 during the Rule 5 draft. That meant that he had to be on the Senators Major League roster all season or be returned to the Reds.

Ray ended up playing in 18 games for Washington in 1962. Most of his appearances were in relief as he started just one game. All told he would spend 39.1 innings on the mound and face 179 batters. Ripplemeyer's ERA tallied to an ugly 5.49 and his WHIP to a monstrous 1.627. He walked as many batters as he struck out (17). Those were some bad numbers, even for the Senators.

Ray tried to make up for his pitching performance at the plate. He had six plate appearances and batted an amazing (for a pitcher) .500. One of his three hits was a solo shot home run and one was a double. That's some pretty decent power for a pitcher.

Unfortunately for Ray, the Senators didn't seem to think his bat was worth putting up with his arm. On July 11, 1962 they returned him to the Reds. He would spend the rest of the year in the minors. Following the 1965 season he hung up the spikes, his time with Washington his only Major League experience.

Odd Moments: On camera(men).

2011-11-11T16:12:00.003-06:00

Number eight on T.R. Sullivan's Fifty Bizarre Moments is truly bizarre.

On June 29, 2005 Kenny Rogers, shown here on card number 107T of the 1989 Score set, was nearing the end of his third stint with the Rangers. As he walked out onto the field in Arlington for pre-game warmups he spotted two cameramen filming him. Unprovoked, Rogers confronted the two men.

Kenny shoved a Fox Sports Net Southwest cameraman and told him, "I told you to get those cameras out of my face." He then grabbed a camera from a local television station's cameraman, threw it on the ground, and kicked it. Kenny then went after two other cameramen. Rod Barajas stepped in though and got Rogers off the field. As he left Rogers was saying that he would break all the cameras.

What made the incident so odd was that neither cameraman who was assaulted had even spoken to Rogers. In fact, Kenny had stopped speaking to the media following a previous story in the local news that he was having trouble getting a contract extension from the Rangers and might be considering retirement if the extension wasn't granted.

Stories like that are annoying and the media can be a real circus but Rogers apparently had some deeper issues. ESPN quoted Texas General Manager John Hart as saying, "Kenny is having anger issues right now, I don't know what's going on inside. We're responding to something that's very unusual." Unusual is right. Rogers had just missed a start after breaking a finger during an angry outburst and now he had gone after two members of the media. Something was definitely wrong.

The Rangers sent Kenny home and contacted the Commissioner's Office. A suspension and fine were levied. The cameramen filed charges with the Arlington Police and Rogers ended up with two misdemeanor charges and anger management classes. He also had to deal with a civil suit from one of the cameramen.

At the end of the 2005 season Texas did not resign Rogers. He didn't retire either as he signed with the Detroit Tigers and pitched for three more years before retiring. Too bad that one of the last memories Rangers fans have of him is this incident.

Best Seasons: Michael Young - 2005.

2011-11-10T10:55:00.004-06:00

As long as Michael Young has been with the Rangers you would have to figure that he would eventually show up on T.R. Sullivan's list of the Fifty Best Seasons in Rangers history. Sure enough, here he is at number ten.

Young, shown here on his 2007 UD Masterpieces Captured on Canvas card, has been Mr. Consistent during his time with the Rangers. That makes picking a best season a little difficult. T.R. tabbed 2005 as his entry on the Best Seasons list.

In 2005 Michael won his only batting title to date as he led the league with a .331 batting average. He also led the league in hits with 221. Additionally he had career highs in home runs (24), on-base percentage (.385) and walks (58). He tied a career high for runs scored with 114.

As a result of those numbers Young was named to All-Star team and received MVP consideration. Amazingly he did not win a Silver Slugger award.

*T.R. Sullivan published his list of the Fifty Best Seasons in Rangers history on June 13th of this year. At that time there is no way he could have known what kind of season Michael would turn in this year. While Young did not win a batting title this season it is up for debate if 2011 was a better year for him than 2005.*

Odd Moments: One-night stand.

2011-11-09T10:16:00.003-06:00

Getting back to T.R. Sullivan's list of odd and bizarre moments in Rangers history. Since today's moment was so brief I don't have a card of the involved person. As such you will have to settle for the cover of the 1977 media guide.

In June of 1977 the Rangers fired manager Frank Lucchesi. The firing was in part due to an altercation that Lucchesi had with Len Randle in Spring Training. To replace Lucchesi Texas tabbed Eddie Stanky.

Stanky looked like a good grab. He had played eleven seasons in the majors between 1943 and 1953. Starting at the end of his playing career he had moved into managing. In 1952 and 1953 he had been a player/manager for the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1954 and 1955 he was the manager for the Redbirds. In 1966 the White Sox had named Eddie as skipper. They kept him until 1968. During those two stints Stanky had posted a 466-435 record as manager.

Following his time at the helm of the Cardinals and ChiSox, Stankey became the head basketball coach at the University of South Alabama. He encountered success there as well. As Leo Durocher once observed, Eddie Stanky knew how to win.

A winner was what Texas needed. The team was in internal disarray but was still contending when Stankey took over. They were in third place in the American League West and just four games out. Stanky would face Gene Mauch and the second place Twins for his first game.

The Rangers were on the road in Minnesota on June 22nd. In the bottom of the first inning the Twins scored four runs to take a significant lead. Texas would score a lone run in the third but otherwise was shut out until the seventh. In the top of the seventh Texas put together a four run inning to take a one run lead. Minnesota would score a run in the bottom of the frame to even things up.

The tie would only last until the top of the eighth when the Rangers managed to keep the scoring train going as they posted five more runs. That would be enough to hold even with the Twins three run rally in the bottom of the ninth. Final score: 10-8 Texas.

A comeback win against a division opponent seemed to be a good start to Eddie Stanky's managing career with Texas. Here's where things got weird though. Following the game Stanky announced that he was resigning as the Rangers manager. Apparently he missed Alabama and collegiate basketball. He returned to the University of South Alabama and basketball success. After just one game Stanky was finished as the Rangers manager.

Unprepared for the resignation, Texas named coach Connie Ryan as interim manager. He would last six games before Billy Hunter took over and finished out the season as the team's fourth manager of 1977.

1975 Topps - Bill Fahey.

2011-11-08T12:48:00.003-06:00

1973 and 1974 had been rough on Bill Fahey, shown here on card number 644 of the 1975 Topps set. 1975 would present its own set of challenges.

To start with Bill ended up in the backseat behind first string catcher Jim Sundberg. Sunny was in his second year of major league service and suffered through a sophomore slump with a .199 batting average.

In the 39 plate appearances he got, Bill was better with the bat than Sundberg. He posted a .297 batting average and a .316 on-base percentage.

While having an edge at the plate Fahey struggled to keep up behind the plate. His .983 fielding percentage was two points higher than Sundberg's but he caught just 21% of baserunners stealing on him. That was less than half the percentage Sundberg caught.

All things considered it was looking like Bill had lost the starting catcher's job to Jim Sundberg. If something didn't happen quick the situation would become permanent. Something did happen but it wasn't to Bill's liking. On June 21st while in California Fahey broke his hand. Apparently it was another accident since he didn't even play on the 20th or 21st. That injury would sideline him for nearly two months. Not a good occurrence. With three major injuries in three seasons Fahey now had to be concerned with being labeled as injury prone.

Minor League Monday - Jim Hvizda, 1989 ProCards.

2011-11-07T09:49:00.003-06:00

Well, it's hard to believe that I haven't had a Minor League Monday post since August. Guess that's what happens when there is a post season to talk about. To bring back the series we have Jim Hvizda on card number 1019 of the 1989 ProCards set.

Hard to find much on Jim Hvizda. Looks like the Rangers picked him up as the 19th selection in the 1988 draft. He played Rookie level ball that year with the Butte Copper Kings. Even though he posted a 4.50 ERA in 42 innings pitched he was promoted to A ball for the 1989 season.

With Gastonia in 1989 Jim caught fire coming out of the bullpen and recording 35 saves. In 90.2 innings he posted a very respectable 1.19 ERA along with a small 0.816 WHIP. He struck out 84 while walking 22 for a 3.82 SO/BB ratio.

Those numbers were a nice improvement over Hvizda's first season. In a pitcher needy organization like Texas they were more than welcome. They also earned Jim a ticket to A+ Charlotte for the 1990 season. In spite of the hiccup in Rookie ball, Jim Hvizda's career in pro baseball seemed to be off to a good start.

Miller time for Michael.

2011-11-04T12:08:00.004-05:00

No, not a beer salute. Michael Young, shown here on card number 77 of the 2005 Upper Deck Flyball set, was named the Marvin Miller Man of the Year yesterday. This is the second time Young has won the award. He won it for the first time in 2008. Michael joins Jim Thome and John Smoltz as the only players to have won the award twice.

The award is given by the Major League Baseball Players Association. In explanation of the award I quote MLB.com which says the award "is given to a player 'whose on-field and off-field performance most inspires others to higher levels of achievement by displaying as much passion to give back to others as he shows between the lines on the baseball diamond.'"

Nice to see Young get the award. Michael's had the reputation as a nice guy and a team player. Good to see he still has it. Hopefully his preseason antics this past Spring were just that, antics and not a new pattern of behaviour.

Hot stove begins.

2011-11-03T10:06:00.003-05:00

Well, Adrian Beltre picked up some more hardware yesterday with a Silver Slugger award. He really seems to be cleaning up this year.

While Beltre was receiving his awards the Rangers were rewarding Colby Lewis. Lewis, seen here on a signed 2000 Royal Rookies card, could have been a free agent this year. However instead of testing the market he can spend the winter resting and getting ready for next season since the Rangers exercised their option on his contract for next season.

The same day that Texas insured Lewis' return they also picked up the option on reliever Yoshinori Tateyama. Apparently they felt he is worth bringing back in spite of his late season struggles.

Texas still has several players who are free agents this off season. C.J. Wilson heads the list. Endy Chavez, Michael Gonzalez, Darren Oliver, and Matt Treanor round out players who were on the post season roster. Minor leaguers include: Omar Quintanilla, Brett Tomko, and Brandon Webb. Tim Wood has already signed a minor league contract with the Pirates.

In addition to releasing Ryan Tucker the Rangers have also out-righted Omar Beltre, Merkin Valdez, Eric Hurley, Andres Blanco, and Esteban German off the 40-man roster. That doesn't mean that these guys won't be back - just that they need to clear waivers. Darren O'Day didn't clear as the Orioles stepped in and grabbed him.

Even with the core of the team returning the Rangers look to be busy this off season. C.J. Wilson, or another front-line starter, is the priority. However, shoring up the bullpen is a big point as well. As Jon Daniels said, "Pitching, pitching, pitching." Good. The offense is in place and pitching is how you win ballgames.

One final snag for Beltre in 2011.

2011-11-02T12:48:00.003-05:00

After two years of no Gold Glove winners the Rangers have one this year. Adrian Beltre, shown here on his 2011 Topps Sapphire Blue card, was announced as the third base winner last night. This is Beltre's third Gold Glove.

Adrian had a .965 fielding percentage this past season with just 11 errors. He was also ranked third in the league in range factor among third basemen. One thing's for sure, Adrian is a joy to watch play defense. Some of the plays he makes are pure gold.

Beltre's Gold Glove this year marks the first time a Ranger has won the award at third since Buddy Bell won his sixth straight in 1984.

Right now Adrian is looking good enough to possibly displace Bell as the Rangers best third baseman ever. He is also looking good enough to make Jon Daniels look like a genius for signing him. Hopefully that will continue throughout his contract.

1975 Topps - David Clyde.

2011-11-01T07:40:00.003-05:00

Ok, the 2011 season is over. Time to move on with the off-season posting. Back to past Rangers on Topps Tuesday.

1975 was a rough year for young David Clyde, shown here on card number 12 of the 1975 Topps set. After his straight from high school debut in 1973 he was actually able to improve in 1974. Not enough though.

The Major Leagues are not a learning environment and in 1975 the Rangers finally did what they should have done with David back in 1973, sent him to the minors. Clyde would spend most of the season with the Double A Pittsfield Rangers. In 161 innings he posted a 3.07 ERA.

David also got one start with Texas in 1975. He went seven innings and gave up three runs for a 2.57 ERA and the loss.

At just 20 years of age, Clyde was still considered a valuable prospect and the Rangers were looking forward to his continued improvement. Sadly that didn't happen. David would spend two more years struggling in the minors before being dealt to Cleveland in February of 1978.

Although the Rangers reacquired him in January of 1980 they released him in March of the same year. The lone game in 1975 would mark the last time the once highly touted phenom would pitch in a Rangers uniform.

Drained.

2011-10-29T08:43:00.002-05:00

Very disappointed even though I knew game six was the deciding game. So close. Going to take a day or two off and let it slide. 2011 is over and in the books. Now it's time for the off-season and Strat-O-Matic to get through the winter.

All over?

2011-10-28T10:07:00.003-05:00

Not even going to recap last night's nightmare. You want a recap then go to any media outlet. They're all screaming about what a great World Series this is and how the game was awesome. As an ending note most of them say what a great game tonight is going to be.

I don't agree. I think the deciding game of the series was played last night. Mike Shannon commented that if Texas blew the game last night then St. Louis would own tonight. I fear he is right. The championship belongs to the Cardinals unless they hand it to the Rangers.

It's up to Matt Harrison, shown on his 2009 Topps Heritage card, to prove me wrong. I hope he does. I really hope he does. More than anything hope he does. Get out there and throw the game of your life Matt. That's what you're going to have to do to stand a chance of wearing a ring.

Rain, rain go away...

2011-10-27T07:56:00.002-05:00

Ok, hopefully tonight's game is on and won't be postponed. Looking for clear skies for game six.

Decided to try the Charlie Hough magic again. Charlie's at 1-1 during this World Series. Hopefully this signed 1988 Fleer card of the Rangers all-time wins leader will help them clinch their first World Series title in franchise history.

Go Rangers!

Nostradamus Ryan?

2011-10-26T12:07:00.001-05:00

In 1993 when Nolan Ryan posed for card number 30 in the Baseball Cards Magazine set I don't think that anyone was predicting that someday he would be the team president.

When he was hired as the Rangers team president I doubt too many people thought he would be an owner soon thereafter. He was though.

This past spring Nolan said he thought the Rangers would win 90-95 games this year and take the division. There was a lot of scoffing. They won 96 and the division.

Here's to hoping that Ryan can keep his prediction streak alive. If Texas wins tonight he will have been right again - Rangers in six.

Go Rangers!

Nap time.

2011-10-25T20:20:00.003-05:00

Well, last night was a change. For the first time in a long time I watched the Rangers in a critical game and didn't think to myself, "I wish they still had Pudge." Catcher Mike Napoli did a pretty good impersonation of Ivan Rodriguez, shown here on card numer 96 of the 1996 Aficionado set.

Nap did just about everything for the Rangers last night. He hammered a two run double in the eighth inning. That added to the two solo home runs the Rangers had already scored off Chris Carpenter courtesy of Adrian Beltre and Mitch Moreland. 4-2 ended up being the final score.

Pretty good night for Nap eh? Well, in addition to his RBI performance Mike also made three great plays in the field. He caught Ranger nemesis Allen Craig stealing. Twice. Once on a missed hit-and-run play and once on the back end of a strike-out throw-out double play. The batter at the plate both times? Albert Pujols. On the final play of the game Neftali Feliz struck out Lance Berkman. Napoli missed the ball and it hit his left shin guard before shooting up the first base line. I figured that the Cardinals had just gotten an extra out. Up popped Mike and raced down the line. He outpaced the sprinting Berkman and pounced on the ball about three quarters of the way to the bag. An underhand toss to Moreland and the Rangers have a 3-2 lead in the Series.

Back to St. Louis with the lead. I'll take that. Go Rangers!

Dutch does it!

2011-10-24T17:38:00.004-05:00

Sure, Mike Napoli made all the noise with his three-run home run last night. We all know that chicks dig the long ball and it's pretty clear that Nap can grow a better mustache than Derek Holland.

In spite of all that Holland's 2009 Topps 206 card, number 61, is the card of the day. With Texas down 2-1 in the World Series they absolutely had to win last night. Derek Holland made sure they did. Dutch went 8.1 innings shutout innings while giving up just two hits. he struck out seven Redbirds while walking just two before handing the game over to Neftali Feliz with two outs left.

Feliz was a little wild but kept the Cards shut down to seal the 4-0 Rangers win. Evens the Series at two games each and gives the Texas bullpen a much-needed breather. Hope to see C.J. Wilson come out tonight and follow Holland's lead.

Prepping for Game Three.

2011-10-22T16:15:00.004-05:00

Ok, so it's not Thursday and so not normally the day to post autographs and game used cards. This is not a normal day though, tonight is game three of the World Series and it's all knotted up at one game each.

Posting an autographed card of Charlie Hough prior to game two seemed to work. Decided to try it again today with this signed 1988 Donruss card. Hey, if it works...

Go Rangers!

My, oh my!

2011-10-21T22:08:00.005-05:00

Wow! Last night's game was a heart-stopper to be sure. Fortunately the Rangers played some good ball and were able to pull the win out at the last minute.

Where to start? Well how about with Colby Lewis who delivered 6.2 innings of dominate pitching. The one run he did allow came in after Alexi Ogando took over. Very nice to see the starting rotation show up for the post-season. Lewis got a no decision but was simply fabulous.

Most of the reason that Lewis did so well was his execution. The defense behind him played a role though. Elvis Andrus, shown here on card number 138 of the 2009 Topps 206 set, showed everyone why he is so highly regarded in Texas. Elvis saved at least one run - probably more with two spectacular diving plays. Ian Kinsler played a role as well as he was able to read Andrus' mind and position himself well on each play.

In spite of all that the Cardinals led the pitchers duel 1-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth. I have to admit that I was already trying to figure the chances of the Rangers coming back from a two game hole. I was premature.

Kinsler led off the inning with a single and then stole second. Andrus then singled him to third and took second on a missed cutoff. Josh Hamilton and Michael Young then delivered to straight sacrifice flies to score Kinsler and Andrus. Neftali Feliz came in and worked the save around a lead off walk. Whew! Talk about a nail-biter.

Interesting trivia. Last night was only the third time in the history of the World Series that a team rallied with two or more runs in the ninth inning or later to win the game. The other two teams? The 1911 A's and the 1985 Royals. Both teams ended up winning the Series. Hope that's a sign of things to come.

Rough start.

2011-10-20T07:03:00.004-05:00

Well, C.J. Wilson pitched tolerably last night but Chris Carpenter was better. The game really wasn't a bad one but I didn't particularly care for the 3-2 score in St. Louis' favor. Care even less that it gives the Redbirds a 1-0 lead in the Series. Rough start.

Hopefully things go better tonight. To do my part to help out I am posting this signed 1987 Topps card of Charlie Hough. Who better than the Rangers all-time win leader to give a boost to the team when needed?

It's all about pitching.

2011-10-19T10:54:00.003-05:00

Under the watchful eye of Nolan Ryan, seen here on card number 45 of the 1989 Baseball Cards Magazine set, the Rangers have emphasized pitching in the past few years. The question remains though, have they improved over last year's World Series team? As in yesterday's post, all stats are from the entire year. Let's work through the rotation and then look at the bullpen.

Number one starter:
2010 -
Cliff Lee - 3.18 ERA, 1.003 WHIP, 5.67 SO/BB, 16 HR.
2011 -
C.J. Wilson - 2.94 ERA, 1.187 WHIP, 2.78 SO/BB, 16 HR.
I gotta admit, I figured that this one was going to be a cake walk for Lee. It isn't. Lee was clearly better in WHIP but lagged behind in ERA. Lee gets the edge though in his strikeouts to walks ratio. Going to have to call a tie here.

Number two starter:
2010 -
C.J. Wilson - 3.35 ERA, 1.245 WHIP, 1.83 SO/BB, 10 HR.
2011 -
Colby Lewis - 4.40 ERA, 1.213 WHIP, 3.02 SO/BB, 35 HR.
Colby has obviously been bitten by the long ball this year but this is another mixed bag. WHIP and the strikeout ratio go 2011's way. That ERA on Lewis this year and the homer problem throw this slot to 2010 though.

Number three starter:
2010 -
Colby Lewis - 3.72 ERA, 1.189 WHIP, 3.02 SO/BB, 21 HR.
2011 -
Matt Harrison - 3.39 ERA, 1.276 WHIP, 2.21 SO/BB, 13 HR.
Even closer here. 2010 gets the WHIP and strikeout ratio. The lower ERA and and significantly fewer home runs allowed give 2011 the spot.

Number four starter:
2010 -
Tommy Hunter - 3.73 ERA, 1.242 WHIP, 2.06 SO/BB, 21 HR.
2011 -
Derek Holland - 3.95 ERA, 1.354 WHIP, 2.42 SO/BB, 22 HR.
Dutch has had some bad outings this year. It seemed like Hunter never really did last year. Going to have to go with 2010 on this one.

Bullpen:
2010 -
Derek Holland, Dustin Nippert, Darren O'Day, Darren Oliver, Frank Francisco, Alexi Ogando.
2011 -
Scott Feldman, Darren Oliver, Mike Adams, Mike Gonzalez, Koji Uehara, Yoshi Tateyama, Alexi Ogando.

I am sure I am leaving some guys out here since I can't completely recall last year's pen. I will say that I feel much more comfortable with this year's group of guys. With the exception of Uehara and Tateyama they are all pretty solid and generally keep the lights out. Going to have to go with 2011 on this one.

Closer:
2010 -
Neftali Feliz - 2.73 ERA, 0.880 WHIP, 3.94 SO/BB, 5 HR.
2011 -
Neftali Feliz - 2.74 ERA, 1.155 WHIP, 1.80 SO/BB, 4 HR.
Feliz was just better last year. His ERA hasn't gone up all that much but I don't like the rise in WHIP and drop in the strikeout ratio. 2010 on this one.

Ok, here's the rundown:
Number one starter - Tie
Number two starter - 2010
Number three starter - 2011
Number four starter - 2010
Bullpen - 2011
Closer - 2010
Not as encouraging as yesterday's post. The pitching isn't bad but it looks like some ground has been lost. The staff is good enough to keep the team going but if the offense shuts down then there could be serious problems.

Comparing Rangers to Rangers.

2011-10-18T11:37:00.004-05:00

Ok, so the World Series starts tomorrow night. Last year I was simply happy that the Rangers were going. The loss was not a good thing but at least they made it there and didn't get swept. This year I am just as happy that they made it. I got to wondering though, is this year's World Series team better than the 2010 World Series team? Well, let's see. All stats represent the entire season's performance. Fielding performances are at the respective positions.

Catcher:
2010 -
Bengie Molina - .249 BA, .297 OBP, 5 HR, 36 RBI, .993 Fld%, 23% CS.
Matt Treanor - .211 BA, .287 OBP, 5 HR, 27 RBI, .994 Fld%, 28% CS.
2011 -
Mike Napoli - .320 BA, .414 OBP, 30 HR, 75 RBI, .996 Fld%, 36% CS.
Yorvit Torrealba - .273 BA, .306 OBP, 7 HR, 37 RBI, .988 Fld%, 33% CS.
Torrealba's defense is a bit of a concern but otherwise I think that the 2011 backstops have this in a walk away. I particularly like the caught stealing percentages when facing a National League team.

First Base:
2010 -
Mitch Moreland - .255 BA, .364 OBP, 9 HR, 25 RBI, .993 Fld%.
Jorge Cantu - .256 BA, .304 OBP, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 1.000 Fld%
2011 -
Mitch Moreland - .259 BA, .320 OBP, 16 HR, 51 RBI, .995 Fld%.
Michael Young - .338 BA, .380 OBP, 11 HR, 106 RBI, .989 Fld%.
Moreland looked better in 2010 than he did in 2011 in spite of the HR and RBI which were inflated by a full season in the Majors. Of course Young takes Moreland and Cantu to the bank in everything but defense. In the NL park Young will most likely be on first. That alone gives 2011 a very slight edge.

Second base:
2010 -
Ian Kinsler - .286 BA, .382 OBP, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 15/5 SB/CS, .985 Fld%.
2011 -
Ian Kinsler - .255 BA, .355 OBP, 32 HR, 77 RBI, 30/4 SB/CS, .984 Fld%.
Ian's BA and OBP were better in 2010 than in 2011. His power and speed were better in 2011. His fielding remained about the same. This one looks like a tie to me.

Shortstop:
2010 -
Elvis Andrus - .265 BA, .342 OBP, 0 HR, 35 RBI, 32/15 SB/CS, .976 Fld%.
2011 -
Elvis Andrus - .279 BA, .347 OBP, 5 HR, 60 RBI, 37/12 SB/CS, .963 Fld%.
Elvis improved his offense in 2011 while dropping significantly in defense. Up the middle I think defense weighs more so I'm going to show a slight edge to 2010.

Third base:
2010 -
Michael Young - .284 BA, .330 OBP, 21 HR, 91 RBI, .950 Fld%.
2011 -
Adrian Beltre - .296 BA, .331 OBP, 32 HR, 105 RBI, .965 Fld%.
Clearly the 2011 Beltre has the 2010 Young outclassed in every category. The only question is by how much. I like Mike but 2011 clearly has an edge here.

Left Field:
2010 -
Josh Hamilton - .359 BA, .411 OBP, 32 HR, 100 RBI, .979 Fld%.
2011 -
Josh Hamilton - .298 BA, .346 OBP, 25 HR, 94 RBI, .975 Fld%.
No way Josh could stay at his 2010 levels of performance. That and the fact that he is battling an injury this year gives 2010 a clear edge.

Center Field:
2010 -
Julio Borbon - .276 BA, .309 OBP, 3 HR, 42 RBI, 15/7 SB/CS .988 Fld %.
2011 -
Endy Chavez - .301 BA, .323 OBP, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 10/5 SB/CS, .992 Fld%.
Craig Gentry - .271 BA, .347 OBP, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 18/0 SB/CS, .990 Fld%.
Looking at the OBP, stealing, and defense 2011 has a clear advantage either way Wash decides to go.

Right Field:
2010 -
Nelson Cruz - .318 BA, .374 OBP, 22 HR, 78 RBI, 17/4 SB/CS, .979 Fld%.
2011 -
Nelson Cruz - .263 BA, .312 OBP, 29 HR, 87 RBI, 9/5 SB/CS, .978 Fld%.
If his recent ALCS explosion is not considered Nellie looks much better in 2010 than in 2011. His power is up a bit this year but his speed, BA, and OBP combine to give this one to 2010.

Designated Hitter:
2010 -
Vladimir Guerrero - .300 BA, .345 OBP, 29 HR, 115 RBI.
2011 -
Michael Young - .338 BA, .380 OBP, 11 HR, 106 RBI.
Michael Young is not your typical DH and that's one reason I like him over Vlad. Not that Vlad caused me heartburn but he just wasn't as versatile as Young. Playing Vlad in the field was like playing a player short. Mike's got some decent defense and can play at all four infield positions if needed. Since the Cards have home field advantage this could be crucial. Edge clearly goes to 2011.

Bench:
2010 -
Andres Blanco, Jeff Francoeur, David Murphy.
2011 -
David Murphy, Esteban German.
The 2011 bench looks lighter but that's because the guys are playing more everyday than they did last year. Of course David Murphy can and did both years. I think that gives 2011 an edge because more of what might be considered the bench can function as first-line players.

Whew. I'm running out of time before work so I think that the position players are all that I'm going to get to today. Perhaps the pitching staffs could be a future post. So here's how the positions break down as far as who looks better:
C - 2011
1B - 2011
2B - Tie
SS - 2010
3B - 2011
LF - 2010
CF - 2011
RF - 2010
DH - 2011
Bench - 2011
Seems to me that 2011 looks to have improved on 2010, at least in position players. Any areas where 2010 has an edge are not significant drops while I think there has been some significant improvements in 2011. Hopefully this year's team can improve on last year's results as well.

A.L. Champs a second time!

2011-10-17T11:46:00.003-05:00

Well, Holland stumbled and Hamilton still lacked power. The defense and bullpen held though and Young's bat caught fire as Texas trounced Detroit 15-5 to end the American League Championship Series Saturday night.

Nelson Cruz, shown here on card number 494 of the 2010 Upper Deck set, continued to hammer opposing pitching as he went 2-for-4 at the plate with a walk. His two hits were a home run and a double. In addition, he also made a spectacular catch while running into center fielder Craig Gentry.

All told Nellie sent six balls over the fence and bumped in 13 RBI during the series. Both are all-time records for post-season series. That performance won Cruz the ALCS MVP as well as helping to send the Rangers back to the World Series.

Back in the World Series for the second time in a row. Hasn't been done since the Yankees did it in 1999-2000. After 49 years the drought has broken and now the dam seems to be totally down. Can't say this is getting old at all. I am about as pumped this year as I was last year.

Up next, the St. Louis Cardinals. Kind of a conflict here as my father has always been a Redbirds fan and my Grandfather followed them prior to 1972. If the American League team had been anyone other than the Rangers I would be pulling for the Cards. Texas trumps though. Go Rangers!

Coming home for the ALCS finale.

2011-10-15T13:53:00.003-05:00

Well, after a 1-2 road trip to Detroit the Rangers are back in Arlington to host the Tigers tonight. The ALCS stands at 3-2 in Texas' favor with two games left in Texas. If would be really nice to see the Rangers end the series tonight. A couple of days extra rest for a few of the guys might help ease some of their nagging injuries. There are a few things that Texas needs to see happen for a win tonight.

Derek Holland needs to be on. Dutch started game two but went only 2.2 innings and gave up three runs before Ron Washington pulled him. Normally Derek either has it or he doesn't. He needs to have it tonight and hold the Tigers down deep into the game. Traditionally Dutch doesn't have two off starts in a row, that needs to hold true tonight.

Josh Hamilton needs to power up. Hamilton, shown here on his 2010 Topps Attax card, is dealing with a strained groin. That kept him out of the Rangers optional workout yesterday. It has also killed his power during the playoffs. Hopefully the day of rest can put the boom back in Josh's bat.

Michael Young needs to keep the spark in his bat. Michael has been in a slump but has had multi-hit games the past two games and knocked his first extra base hit in game five. That spark of life needs to become a flame fast.

The defense needs to hold. Defense wins games and keeps your pitcher confident. The Rangers need both a win and confidence right now. Watch Adrian Beltre at third - his knee is a concern after he fouled a ball off it in game three.

The bullpen needs to keep the lights out. Overall the Rangers pen has done pretty well during the playoffs. With Washington being quick on the hook during this series the relievers will likely see action. Another great performance is in order.

If the pitching holds and the offense gives Derek Holland his normal robust run support the night could go well. Let's hope it does.

Random Rangers game-used.

2011-10-13T11:24:00.000-05:00

Decided to post a random game-used card today. This Hank Blalock card isn't connected with anything but I enjoy it and hope you will too. It's from the 2005 Donruss Prime Patches set, is numbered 78/150, and has a piece of Hank's bat and two pieces of his jersey.

Best Seasons: Frank Howard - 1969.

2011-10-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. The American League Championship Series is going on. Problem is that I don't have access to a scanner for a couple of days so I had to pre-write today and tomorrow's posts. As such they won't match what is going on in the playoffs.

Number nine on T.R. Sullivan's list of the fifty best seasons in Rangers history marks the first appearance on the list by a Senator. Of course this is appropriate since Frank Howard's Senators later moved to Texas.

1969 was the only winning season the Senators experienced in eleven years in Washington D.C. It was also in the midst of the peak of Frank Howard's career.

Hondo played in 161 games in 1969 and made 702 plate appearances in the course of the season. He posted a .296 batting average and a .402 on-base percentage. The batting average was a team best and the on-base percentage was second best on the club. As a result of the on-base percentage Frank scored 111 runs - easily the best on the team. He also hit 17 doubles and 48 home runs (second best in the A.L.). Those numbers helped him amass the team best 111 RBI that he knocked in during the season. Amazingly for a power hitter, Howard actually walked (102) more times than he struck out (96).

People other than Senators fans noticed Frank Howard's season. He was named to the All-Star game and even received some serious MVP consideration.

Feldman, Cruz grab number two.

2011-10-11T10:14:00.003-05:00

Well, Nelson Cruz almost got two cards in a row. While looking for a Cruz card I came across card number 505 in the 2010 Upper Deck set first.

Decided to post this card of Scott Feldman to recognize his performance in last night's game. Starter Derek Holland wasn't having a good night and Ron Washington pulled him with one out left in the third inning. Seeing as Dutch had given up three runs to that point, the hook made sense. Apparently Derek just didn't have it.

The downside to pulling the starter that early is that it can really burn up the bullpen. With no travel day that can hurt. Enter Scott Feldman. Scooter came in and tossed 4.1 innings of one hit ball. He finally gave Alexi Ogando the ball in the eighth inning. Talk about saving some wear and tear on the bullpen.

Good thing that Feldman lasted as long as he did since the game lasted as long as it did. Tied in the ninth the game remained 3-3 until the bottom of the eleventh. With the bases loaded Nelson Cruz hammered his second home run of the game. Walk-off grand slam! (First time in postseason history by the way.) Texas wins 7-3 and takes a 2-1 lead in the ALCS.

I have to say that I am enjoying the way things are going for the Rangers right now. Cruz seems to have found his bat and the bullpen seems to have found their groove. Going to Detroit is always stressful but it's a little less so with a two game lead in the series. Colby Lewis faces off with Doug Fister tonight. Here's to hoping that Colby can stay on target and keep the Tigers off the board.

Water water everywhere.

2011-10-10T08:56:00.003-05:00

So rain seems to be the real story of the ALCS right now. It rained enough on Saturday evening to force two different rain delays in the fifth inning. Last night there was enough rain to postpone the game to this afternoon. That's good news. North Texas has been bone dry and could use every drop that fell in the past two days.

Other good news is that the Rangers managed to beat Tigers' ace Justin Verlander on Saturday to take game one. C.J. Wilson struggled some between rain delays but the bullpen came in and held the lead to get the 3-2 win.

Very nice to see the pen perform like it is supposed to. Even nicer to see Nellie Cruz get his bat back. Cruz, seen here on card number 227 of the 2009 Allen and Ginter set, had really stumbled in the ALDS. On Saturday he seemed to shake it off a little as he parked a Verlander pitch over the outfield wall in the bottom of the fourth. That solo homer proved to be the margin of victory that the Rangers would need. Hopefully it will also prove to be the return of Nellie's offense.

Kicking off the ALCS.

2011-10-08T11:35:00.002-05:00

The American League Championship Series starts tonight in Arlington. Sadly I am working third shift and so will probably miss most of the game.

C.J. Wilson, shown here on card number HH94 of the 2011 Allen and Ginter Hometown Heroes set, is starting for Texas tonight. Hopefully when I wake up it will be to find that he has pitched like he did during the regular season and not like he did in the first game of the Division Series.

Go Rangers!

Inbound Yankee-eating Tigers!

2011-10-07T10:11:00.003-05:00

So the Tigers downed the Yankees last night to win their side of the ALDS. The win came in part thanks to former Ranger Joaquin Benoit, shown here on card number 423 of the 2004 Fleer Tradition set. Now the Tigers are headed to Arlington for the kickoff of the ALCS tomorrow.

So far Ron Washington has announced that C.J. Wilson will start game one. Jim Leyland has stated that Justin Verlander is headed to the bump for the Tigers. Hopefully C.J. can hang tough. I have a feeling Verlander will so it could be a close game. A clunker like Wilson threw in game one of the ALDS could be real trouble.

I've got to be honest, I was hoping for the Yankees. Detroit is going to be tough and the Rangers never play well in MoTown it seems. I would have felt a lot more confident headed into a series with New York. At least Texas has home field advantage. Hopefully they can take advantage of that and prove my forebodings wrong.

Anyone else a bit nervous about the Tigers coming to town with it all on the line?

Best Seasons: Alex Rodriguez - 2001.

2011-10-06T09:51:00.003-05:00

Been awhile since we had an installment on T.R. Sullivan's Fifty Best Seasons list. Since the Rangers are off today and tomorrow I thought this might be a good time to get in another season.

Number eight on T.R.'s list is Alex Rodriguez's 2001 season. Alex, seen here on a 2002 Flair Power Tools Dual game-used card, had monster seasons all three years he was with Texas. That makes it kind of a flip of the coin as to which was his best.

In 2001 Rodriguez played in a league-leading 162 games. He had 732 plate appearances, posted a .318 batting average, and a .399 on-base percentage. He led the league in runs scored with 133 (a Rangers club record), and home runs with 52. His 135 RBI were third-best in the league and easily led the team. His 34 doubles were also a team best and he also managed to steal 18 bases while getting caught just three times.

In the field he committed just 18 errors in 749 chances over 1,395.1 innings. That gave him a fielding percentage of .976 - three points higher than the league average.

Rodriguez took home a Silver Slugger award and was named to the All-Star team for his efforts. He also received some MVP consideration.

Wrapping up the Rays.

2011-10-05T10:32:00.003-05:00

Wow! That's about all that can be said about Adrian Beltre's performance yesterday. Beltre, pictured here on card number 34 of the 2011 Bowman Gold set, hammered three home runs to follow up Ian Kinsler's solo shot that led off the game.

Those long balls mark the first time in the history of the Division Series that a player has gone deep three times in one game.

All told, Texas ended up scoring all their runs on solo homers as they beat Tampa Bay 4-3. Starting pitcher Matt Harrison went five innings and gave up two runs to get the win. Derek Holland, Mike Adams, and Alexi Ogando combined out of the bullpen to hold the Devil Rays scoreless for an additional three innings. Neftali Feliz stumbled a bit in the ninth as he coughed up a run but he still got the save.

The win gave the Rangers a 3-1 victory in the ALDS. Now they just have to wait and see who wins the Yankees/Tigers series. New York thumped Detroit last night to send the series to a fifth game tomorrow.

Have to say that I am very glad to see the Rangers win this series. Repeating as a divisional champ is hard. Having any level of success in the playoffs two years in a row is even harder. Hopefully the team is able to keep pushing and is able to make a second World Series appearance.

Well that was a surprise!

2011-10-04T13:13:00.004-05:00

Well, I was going to write about Colby Lewis throwing six innings of one-hit ball yesterday to get the win over Tampa Bay. I was going to mention how this appears to be the year of Napoli as Mike continues to dismantle opposing pitching. I was even going to touch on Nap's stolen base. Of course Josh Hamilton, Craig Gentry, Neftali Feliz, and Elvis Andrus were all in for a mention as well.

I was running late though and didn't get the post up before the start of today's game. As I was looking for a card to post, Ian Kinsler hammered the second pitch he saw for a home run to give Texas an early lead. That made me decide to post card number 18 of the 2007 Bowman Chrome set. The shot was Kinsler's first of this year's postseason. Way to go Ian!

Now that Matt Harrison has a lead he just needs to hold it and give the offense some room to add on.

Texas evens the ALDS 1-1.

2011-10-03T16:02:00.002-05:00

Well, the Texas offense finally showed up on Saturday afternoon. Makes sense that they would with Derek Holland pitching. Seems like Dutch has been given generous run support all season.

Ian Kinsler, seen here on card number 67 of the 2009 Allen and Ginter set, was one of the Rangers to find his bat against James Shields and the Rays. Kinsler went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Mike Napoli (2-for-4 with two RBI), and Michael Young (2-for-4) also had a good game at the plate. Mitch Moreland found his zone as he pounded a home run in the eighth off Tampa Bay reliever Brandon Gomes.

Today the series moves to Tampa Bay. The Devil Rays are sending David Price to the hill while Texas counters with Colby Lewis. Hopefully the offense stays alive and we get to see the Lewis who pitched for Texas last year in the playoffs.

Go Rangers!

What happened ?!?!

2011-10-01T13:56:00.003-05:00

Well, the Rangers decided to follow the Red Sox example, that's what. Totally ugly game one. Absolute face plant.

If it wasn't for Scott Feldman, shown here on card number 371 of the 2006 Upper Deck, the afternoon could have been worse. C.J. Wilson gave up eight runs (six earned) in five innings. That put the game out of reach. Feldman took over in the sixth inning and went three scoreless frames while allowing just two hits.

If it wasn't for Josh Hamilton Texas might have gotten no-hit. Josh went 2-for-4. That was the total of the Rangers' offense. Good thing Hamilton at least brought his bat to the game.

Certainly the wrong way to start off the series. Down one game the Rangers are already looking at an uphill climb. With James Shields starting tonight for Tampa Bay the hill is even steeper. Hope Derek Holland is on.

Start of the playoffs.

2011-09-30T16:32:00.002-05:00

So Josh Hamilton got the first base hit of the ALDS just a few minutes ago in the bottom of the first inning.

Unfortunately C.J. Wilson coughed up a two-run home run to Johnny Damon in the top of the second just now.

Hope the offense has their bats ready.

Go Rangers!

96!

2011-09-29T11:18:00.004-05:00

The Rangers 3-1 victory last night over the Angels finalized their season record at 96-66. Starter Matt Harrision turned in an acceptable performance and Mike Naopli knocked in all three Rangers runs.

The win also moved the team past Ivan Rodriguez, shown here on his 2001 SP Piece of the Action card, and the rest of the 1999 squad. The 2011 club now stands alone as the having the most wins in franchise history. That leaves the 1999 team in second and the 1977 squad in third. Very nice achievement.

In addition to a franchise record, the win last night also gave the Rangers home field advantage for the American League Divisional Series. That will start tomorrow at 1600 in Arlington. The red hot Tampa Bay Devil Rays will be coming in fresh off their upset of the Yankees last night. Both teams are hot and both are hungry. This will be an interesting series. Hope to see a repeat of last year.

Kinsler, Rangers win.

2011-09-28T11:57:00.004-05:00

The Rangers ended up not facing Ervin Santana last night. Angels manager Mike Scioscia shut Santana and Jered Weaver down for the season. Scioscia says that he didn't want to risk injury to his top two pitchers in the final days of a season that won't see Anaheim in the playoffs.

The Rangers took advantage of Santana's absence as they pounded the Angels 10-3 to keep their one game lead over the Tigers intact. The win also moves the 2011 club into a tie with the 1999 team for the most wins in franchise history. Either a Rangers win or a Tigers loss in the last game of the season will ensure that Texas starts the ALDS at home on Friday.

Texas had plenty of home runs in last night's game. Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, and Nelson Cruz all went deep. Mike Napoli had two on the night. At one point Beltre, Napoli, and Cruz went back to back to back with long balls. Additionally Kinsler and Mitch Moreland also hit doubles. Good to see the offense getting tuned up going into the playoffs.

Also good to see Ian Kinsler, shown here on card number 185 of the 2008 Goudey set, steal third in the fourth inning. That steal punched his second ticket to the 30/30 club. It seemed fitting that he homered and stole a base in the same game. With his totals sitting at 32/30 Ian is looking at a banner year. The 32 home runs are the most he has ever his in a season and the 30 steals are one short of his all-time best. He is also having one of his best years on defense. Congratulations Mr. Kinsler on your second induction into the 30/30 club.

Tying 1977.

2011-09-27T12:20:00.003-05:00

Texas beat Anaheim last night to stay one game up on Detroit for the second best record in the American League. The win was the team's 94th of the season. That ties them with the 1977 club for the second most in franchise history. One more will tie them with the 1999 squad for the most in franchise history. I wouldn't mind seeing them stand alone with the most wins ever. That's unlikely though with the two remaining games of the season being in Anaheim against their number one and two pitchers. Probably need to win at least one of those to stay on top of Detroit.

Adrian Beltre's home run, Elvis Andrus' four hit night, and Mark Hamburger's first major league win were what stole the spotlight last night. I found those to all be great news but I was following two less glitzy stories.

The first is Ian Kinsler's attempt to get back into the 30/30 club. Unfortunately he was unable to steal a base last night and so his season totals are stalled at 29/31. Two more games to swipe a bag. Let him run I say.

The second saga that I am keeping tabs on is Michael Young's chase of Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera is currently leading the American League in batting average with a .343 average - that with a three hit game last night. Michael, shown here on card number 124 of the 2004 Bowman set, had one hit last night and his average currently stands at .338 - tied for second with Adrian Gonzalez. A couple of good games and Mike could catch Cabrera and win his second batting title. It would be nice to see him do so but it's a long shot with the way Cabrera hit Cleveland pitching last night.

One up on Detroit and one base to go.

2011-09-26T14:47:00.004-05:00

Well, the Rangers sent a patchwork lineup against the Mariners on Saturday as most of the regulars got the day off. Manager Ron Washington even pulled starter Alexi Ogando after just two innings.

In spite of facing Felix Hernandez, the Texas subs came up with a big win as they downed Seattle 7-3. Meanwhile Detroit lost to Baltimore. That put the Rangers by themselves as the second best team in the American League. If they can hang on to their lead over Detroit that will give them home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Yesterday several of the regulars were back for the final home game of the regular season and the fireworks really went off. Derek Holland allowed a Seattle home run as did Darren O'Day out of the bullpen. Yorvit Torrealba single-handedly answered for Texas as he knocked a pair of long balls, one of which was a grand slam. Adrian Beltre and Ian Kinsler both homered as well to help bring the final score to 12-5 Rangers.

Ian Kinsler, shown here on card number 218 of the 2008 Upper Deck set, also stole two bases in yesterday's game. That brings his season total to 29. Couple that with his 31 home runs and he is on the verge of his second 30/30 season. 2009 was his first. If he can steal just one more base against the Angels in the last three games of the season he will be there. You can bet that Ron Washington and Gary Pettis will be looking for a chance for Kins to run.

Along with Ian Kinsler's 30/30 chase the Rangers are also looking to stay ahead of Detroit in the win column. Since Texas is headed to Anaheim and Detroit is playing Cleveland at home that could be kind of tough.

Two reasons to celebrate!

2011-09-24T13:27:00.003-05:00

Double celebration today. When I went to sleep last night the Rangers had already closed out their win against the Mariners in Arlington. Anahiem and Oakland were still playing out west though. The Rangers victory dropped their magic number to one. A divisional crown was within reach if the A's beat the Angels. Let's go A's!

Got up this morning and headed downstairs. Checked the mail on the way to the computer. Card box! From Brian at Play at the Plate. This box was the result of a long worked on trade between us and was packed with wantlist fulfilling goodies. Included was an entire base team set of the 2011 Topps Lineage Rangers. Card number 62, shown here, featuring Adrian Beltre was included in the lot. Since Adrian started the Rangers scoring last night I thought it was very appropriate that his card was included in the package. In addition to this card there were at least a hundred and thirty five other cards that filled holes in my collection. That knocked a ton of cards off my lists and completed four team sets. If that weren't enough, Brian also included a couple of game-used and a couple of autographed cards that fit extremely nicely into my collection. Very impressive. Thanks a bunch Brian! Please let me know if you are ever interested in another trade.

After exclaiming loudly over the box from Brian I switched on the computer and checked the scores from last night. A's win! Rangers clinch the A.L. West crown! Awesome news! Now the fight for home field advantage in the first round. Texas is currently tied with Detroit for the second best record in the American League. Detroit won the season series though so the Rangers need to be at least one game better to get the home field for the first round of the playoffs. Great to be in the position of thinking about things like that.

Nolan knew.

2011-09-23T10:54:00.004-05:00

Some of you might remember a post from March of this year where I talked about Nolan Ryan's prediction of the Rangers 2011 season. Ryan, shown here on card number BBC45 of the 1992 Baseball Cards Magazine set, had said that he thought that the Rangers would win 90 to 95 games and would win the division. He wasn't discounting the A's or Angels but thought that Texas would pull it out.

At the time I asked if anyone had any comments on the prediction. Mr. Napkin Doon was full of hope and looking forward to full years from Kinsler and Cruz. At least he got a full year from Ian.

LoCoDe commented that Nolan pretty much had to predict positive things in their opinion. They also thought that the Rangers would drop off a bit to maybe 86 wins.

Well, the night before last the Rangers won their 90th game of the season. With six left to play their record stands at 90-66. I would be pleased but very surprised if the team wins all six of the remaining games but I also doubt they will lose all six. Even a 3-3 record will put them squarely in Ryan's prediction window. With the magic number down to two and a five game lead it is also looking more and more like the division crown belongs to Texas again.

Apparently Nolan knew his stuff!

A milestone and some convoluted reasoning.

2011-09-22T21:39:00.004-05:00

Ok, so today's card, 2007 Sweet Spot Classic #CM-GP, has a very weak connection to the events of the past couple of days. There is a connection though so hang in there.

Texas lost today to the A's in Oakland. Colby Lewis allowed three earned runs as the A's topped Texas 4-3. Mike Adams allowed the fourth run to take the loss. That stalls the Rangers magic number at three.

At least the Rangers took two of three from the A's on this road trip. That was in part due to C.J. Wilson's performance in last night's game. Wilson didn't get the win but he did keep the team in the game to set up the late inning scoring that comprised the 3-2 win.

During his six innings Wilson struck out eight A's. That brings his season strikeout total to 206. That makes him the first lefthander in Rangers history to reach 200 strikeouts in a season. It also makes him the first Rangers pitcher to reach 200 in a season since Nolan Ryan did it in 1991.

Gaylord Perry never struck out 200 batters in a season when he was with Texas. He is in the Hall of Fame though. So is Nolan Ryan. Since I have no game-used or signed cards of Nolan or C.J. that I haven't already posted, that's as close as I could come. Still, puts C.J. Wilson in some pretty impressive company.

200, 104, 4.

2011-09-21T16:41:00.003-05:00

The Rangers saw several important numbers come up in their 7-2 win over the Oakland A's last night. Michael Young, shown here on card number 308 of the 2005 Donruss Champions set, said that the most important number was 4. That's the magic number after the win. With a five game lead and eight left to play, things are looking good. Not that the Angels couldn't still rain on the parade but it's looking good so far.

In addition to the magic number getting down to four, starting pitcher Derek Holland saw his season win total rise to 15 as he threw seven innings of two-hit ball. One hit was a solo home run. A second solo shot off the bullpen gave the A's their total runs for the night.

The other important numbers on the night belonged to Michael Young. He went 3-for-5 at the plate to raise his season hit total to 201. That's his sixth 200 hit season and the first since 2007. He also managed to raise his season batting average to .333. Additionally Michael bumped in two RBI to push his season total to 104. That beats his previous career high of 103 in 2006.

Good to see the winning continuing and Young clicking on all gears. I gave him some grief at the start of the season over his behaviour but he seems to have put that behind him. Nice to see.