Senators Saturday - Darold Knowles, 1967.

I am guessing that the hatless Darold Knowles is appearing in his Phillies uniform on card number 362 of the 1967 Topps set. Washington got Knowles from the Philadelphia in exchange for Don Lock on November 30, 1966. They were looking for some help in the bullpen and Darold was pretty highly regarded.

The back of Darold's card says he was figuring to become the big man in the Senators bullpen in 1967. He almost did. Knowles appeared in 61 games for Washington in 1967, all but one of them in relief. He tossed a bullpen best 113.1 innings. His 2.70 ERA was a full run behind the best mark in the pen but still good enough for second. His 1.262 WHIP was about average among Washington relievers. Darold also notched 14 saves, most in the pen, as he split closer duties with Dave Baldwin.

All things considered, Darold Knowles had impressed in his first season with the Senators and made the Don Lock trade look like the right move. As long as Knowles could keep it up he shouldn't have any difficulty keeping his spot in the bullpen in 1968.

Delayed game report.

Time for an overdue write-up. Spiff Jr and I were offered free tickets to the Rangers game last Sunday (May 18th) by a friend in our church. Needless to say, we took up the offer.

I have to admit, preparing for the game I felt like I did in the late 80's and early 90's. The team was riding a four game losing skid and I did not expect them to come out of it. I was still excited about going, I just didn't expect a win.

We got to the ballpark around 1245 for a 1400 game time. Took all of 15 minutes to get parked and walk up to the park. The parking lots were packed and it seemed like there were people everywhere. I wondered if I was the only fan who had the memo on how far out of first the fourth place Rangers were. As we got in line just over an hour before game time the gate staff announced they were out of the Prince Fielder bobblehead giveaways. That meant at least 15,000 folks were already through the gates.

Once inside we decided to take a stroll around the park before finding our seats. The stroll turned into more of a slow walk due to the thick crowds but was still a pleasant experience. Looked at a few kiosks, picked up a program, and reviewed the look of the concourse before deciding it was time to head for our seats.

We sat up on the third deck with an excellent view of the field, shade, and a nice breeze. On a day that touched 90 we didn't even break a sweat. Those in the really pricey seats roasted I heard later from someone who was down close to the field. The folks around us were pleasant and there didn't appear to be many empty seats in the house. When the attendance of 43,671 was announced I believed it. Made me think of Josh Hamilton's comments about Rangers fans being spoiled and not willing to support the team when things get rough. Over 43,000 folks paying to see a team well under .500, not in the race, and with a ton of injuries seems like support through rough times. Maybe Josh needs to clarify his remarks a little.

Prince Fielder was out with his neck issues so Mitch Moreland, shown here on a signed 2011 Topps Heritage card, got the start at first base. That proved to work out well for Texas. The teams traded zeros for the first three innings with Nick Martinez giving the Rangers a strong start. Toronto got to him for a run in the top of the fourth with a solo shot from third baseman Juan Francisco. Alex Rios put the Rangers on top with a two run triple in the bottom of the frame. The Jays tied the game up with another solo home run in the sixth, this one from Edwin Encarnacion. In the bottom of the seventh Rios reached on a Francisco error to bring up Moreland with a runner on. Mitch snuck one over the right field fence. That ball probably had green paint on it from the top of the wall but it counted and put Texas on top for good. The Rangers managed to add two more runs in the bottom of the eighth on a pair of doubles (one from Moreland) and two singles. Joakim Soria finished the ballgame up with a shaky but scoreless ninth.

All in all a great day at the park. Got to spend some time with Spiff Jr and see the Rangers break their losing streak. Also got to see the new replay rules in action on an unassisted double play in the seventh that ended up going against the Rangers. A day at the ballpark is always a good one. A win makes it better. Many thanks to Chuck for the tickets.

Senators Saturday - Johnny Orsino, 1966.

Johnny "Horse" Orsino appears in his Baltimore Orioles uniform on card 77 of the 1966 Topps set. The Senators obtained John from the O's in exchange for Woodie Held in an October 12, 1965 trade.

Although Topps lists Orsino as a catcher, he could also play first base. With most of Washington's catching being done by Paul Casanova and Doug Camilli, Johnny ended up as the third alternative. He caught just four innings in two appearances. Except for allowing one stolen base he was flawless. Orsino saw a little more time at first base. Over five games he played 31 innings and handled 27 chances without a misstep. Since John appeared in just one game for Double A York in 1966 it sure looks like he was spending a lot of time on the bench.

Johnny did some pinch-hitting in addition to his time in the field. He appeared in 14 games total for Washington and made 23 trips to the plate. The results were less than encouraging. Orsino's batting average tallied to .174 with his on-base percentage being identical. While he didn't walk he struck out seven times. A lonely double was his only extra base hit. John wasn't going to win more glove time with his bat.

Maybe it was the bench time or perhaps there was another factor but it was clear that Johnny Orsino was struggling. He had to bring his bat around if he wanted to carve out a spot for himself on the Washington roster in 1967.

Ups and downs.

Got a random auto for you today with this 1996 Leaf Authentic Signature card of former Rangers pitcher Kevin Gross.

Well, it's been a week of contrasts. Last weekend the family and I went up to Branson, Missouri to celebrate my sister's graduation from The College of The Ozarks with her degree in nursing. She starts her first job as a registered nurse on June 1st. That was great. The whole family got together for the first time in years. We always enjoy it but there are quite a few of us so it doesn't happen often. Kind of a watershed as well. My sister is the youngest of my siblings and the last to graduate. Probably no more college graduations until Spiff Jr gets there.

While I was off in Missouri having a good time, the wheels were coming off for the Rangers. They are now at a game under .500, in fourth place, and well behind the front-running A's. There's not a lot of light at the end of the tunnel either. The injury bug is chewing this team up.

Pitcher Pedro Figueroa underwent Tommy John surgery on April 30th so he's gone for the season. Kevin Kouzmanoff is recovering from back surgery earlier this month. Donnie Murphy hit the Disabled List with a neck strain on the 8th. Yesterday came the most crushing blows. Martin Perez has a partially torn UCL in his left elbow. He may be looking at Tommy John surgery. Even if he isn't, he won't be back anytime soon. Matt Harrison left Tuesday's game with back pain and the outlook isn't good. It seems highly likely that he will need back surgery again. This time a spinal fusion that could end his career all together.

Needless to say, the injuries put a real damper on the season. The rest of the schedule could be a real long road. With the entire rotation except Yu Darvish being sidelined, the outlook is pretty grim. As Eric Nadel said during last night's game, the Ranger ship is listing 20 degrees to port and taking on water.

1977 Topps - Mike Wallace.

As is indicated by his airbrushed cap, Mike Wallace was something of a traveling man in his short Major League career. The Rangers sent minor leaguer John Sutton to the Cardinals for Wallace on October 22, 1976. Texas was Mike's fourth team since his Big League debut in 1973. He had been a Phillie and a Yankee prior to landing in St. Louis. He had yet to spend a full season in the Majors.

Wallace started the 1977 season with the Rangers. Working out of the bullpen, he had five appearances with 8.1 innings pitched by May 1, 1977. His 7.56 ERA and 2.400 were not calculated to inspire confidence. Having seen enough, the Rangers sent Wallace to Triple A Tuscon to finish out the season.

That was the end of Mike Wallace's career as a Ranger and as a Major League pitcher. He made his way back to the Phillies organization and spent the 1978 Season at Triple A in their system. The start of the 1979 season saw Mike at Triple A in the Baltimore system but he wouldn't finish out the season there.

Mike Wallace ended his pro career pitching for the Miami Amigos of the Inter-American League in 1979.

Mike Wallace finishes up the 1977 Topps Rangers team set. The next Topps Tuesday will see us moving into 1978.

Senators Saturday - Nick Willhite, 1965.

Nick Willhite, shown here on card #284 of the 1965 Topps set, was still somewhat of an unknown factor when he came to the Senators. Willhite arrived in Washington on October 15, 1964 after the Senators purchased his contract from the Dodgers. Nick had spent parts of the 1963 and 1964 seasons with Los Angeles but had yet to spend an entire season in the Bigs.

By early May Willhite had appeared in five games and pitched 6.1 innings for Washington. His ERA was a terrible 7.11 and his WHIP 2.211. Both were much higher than anything he posted with L.A.

Apparently the Senators decided Willhite was not adjusting well to the American League. The Dodgers agreed to buy Nick's contract back on May 11, 1965. Off he went to the west coast and the National League where he promptly dropped both his ERA and WHIP. The Nick Willhite experiment in Washington was over almost before it began.

Minor League Monday - Roger Pavlik, 1990 Charlotte Rangers Star.

Roger Pavlik, shown here on card 19 of the 1990 Star Charlotte Rangers team set, was a second round pick for the Rangers in the 1986 draft. He didn't start his pro career until the 1987 season.

Three years later Roger started the 1990 season with the A+ Charlotte Rangers. He made 11 appearances for Charlotte, all starts. In 66.1 innings Pavlik compiled a 2.44 ERA and a 1.357 WHIP. He also struck out 76 opposing batters while giving up just 40 walks. Those numbers gave him a 5-3 record and a mid-season promotion to Double A Tulsa.

Pavilk made 16 starts for Tulsa and pitched 100.1 innings. The work seemed to agree with him as his ERA actually lowered to 2.33. Some of that was due to luck though as his WHIP crept up to 1.365. The strikeouts continued but he was able to whiff just 91 while walking 71. The Double A batters had a better eye than the Single A ones.

Roger's reward was a 6-5 record and a chance to start the 1991 season at Triple A Oklahoma City. After some early struggles it looked like Roger Pavlik was on his way. If he could translate his Double A success to the next level he would very likely get a shot at pitching in Arlington.