Senators Saturday - Brant Alyea, 1970.

Wow, I'm not sure what happened to this scan of card number 303 in the 1970 Topps set. It looked a lot better in the scan preview and in person than it does here. The corduroy lines aren't on the card. Maybe the computer just doesn't like Brant Alyea.

Whatever the reason you can still see Brant showing off the red uniform of the late stage Washington Senators. He wouldn't be wearing the uniform during the 1970 season however.

Washington dealt Alyea to the Minnesota Twins on March 21, 1970. In return the Senators picked up Joe Grzenda and Charlie Walters. The trade was probably a wash for the Senators. Grzenda had one great season for them before they traded him and Walters never appeared in the Majors after the trade. Meanwhile Alyea had a decent 1970 season for the Twins before watching his numbers drop and being relegated to part-time roles for the rest of his career. He bounced around a bit and was out of the Bigs after the 1972 season.

Odds and ends.

Worked midnights last night and am supposed to go in this afternoon so this post is pre-scheduled since I figured I might not write well in a sleep deprived state.

Got a pretty much random post to go along with today's random Rangers game-used card. Get to see Hank Blalock on card number BF-L of the 2004 Donruss Elite Back to the Future set. The card features a piece of Hank's bat and is numbered 3/200. Somehow I ended up with lots of Hank Blalock game-used and autographed cards but I think this one is among the nicest looking.

As promised a couple of weeks ago, I have updated my links. I checked all the blogs listed and they appear to still be active. I will be keeping my eye on a couple to make sure they aren't slowly fading out but all still seem to be being updated at least occasionally. I also added three links to the set tours list: 1963 Topps, 1969 Topps, and 1970 Topps. I was a little let down that I was unable to add to the team blogs lists. Hopefully you will find the new additions entertaining.

On a final note, Spiff Jr and I are contemplating a trip to Duane's Sportscards in Arlington sometime next week. Due to a schedule change at work I have four days off between June 2nd and June 5th. Got called for jury duty on the 2nd so that's likely out. We haven't decided between the other days though. If anyone would like to try and meet up for a face-to-face trade or just to visit be sure and drop me a note. I know there's at least a couple of other Duane's customers who occasionally read here and I have yet to meet any other collectors since making the move to the area.

Royal delivery.

Got a text message from a friend of mine the other day. Always good to hear from Mark O and get his thoughts on the current baseball happenings. Mark's a rare find in the baseball world - a true blue dyed in the wool Kansas City Royals fan. He's why I have very few Royals cards to trade.

Mark wanted to let me know he sent me a few cards from my Rangers wantlist. That was a pleasant surprise. I have a couple of cards put back for Mark but haven't sent him anything in awhile.

I got the box yesterday and found Mark deceived me. I consider the 60 or so cards in the box to be more than a few. All but three or four filled holes in my Rangers wantlist. Took over an hour to update the wantlist and file the cards away.

One of the cards included in the lot was card number 183 of the 1992 Donruss Triple Play set. Rafael Palmeiro was the last card I needed to complete the set. Mark also finished off two other team sets for me.

Thanks a ton for the great package Mark, it really made my day. A word to the wise, if Mark O the Royals fan ever contacts you about a possible trade you would be best served to take him up on the offer.

1978 Topps - Doyle Alexander.

Doyle Alexander appears on card 146 of the 1978 Topps set to kick off the 1978 team set. Before we get to Doyle, I have a quick note I wanted to throw out there.

You can see a mourning band on Alexander's left sleeve. There are several other players in the team set with similar such bands visible. Because most of the photos featured on these cards were taken in 1977, I turned to the 1977 Texas Rangers Media Guide to answer the obvious question.

Turns out the Rangers acquired a player named Danny Thompson on June 1, 1976 from Minnesota in the Bert Blyleven trade. Thompson was apparently an all-around likable guy and quickly became popular with his teammates and the media. Danny lost his battle with Leukemia on December 10, 1976. The 1977 media guide was dedicated to his memory and the team donned mourning bands with Thompson's number 4.

Doyle Alexander was coming into his second season with Texas in 1978 and was working on solidifying his reputation as a strong starter down the stretch. The Rangers were hoping for a repeat of 1977 with a few less walks.

What Texas got from Alexander in 1978 was 31 appearances and 28 starts. That made him the third most used starter. Over the 191 innings he pitched he compiled a 3.86 ERA and a 1.408 WHIP. He struck out 81 opposing batters and issued eleven fewer free passes than the year before. For his trouble he ended the season with a 9-10 record.

Texas was going to be keeping an eye on Doyle Alexander. His totals in ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched all moved the wrong way from the 1977 campaign. He was still a solid starter and consistent stretch competitor but he could stand to improve a little in 1979 if he wanted to move into the top end of the Rangers rotation.

Minor League Monday - Jack Peel, 1990 Charlotte Rangers Star.

First let me start off by saying thank you to all the families of those who have fallen in defense of our country and the freedoms we enjoy. We should never forget those brave men and women or the sacrifices they made. I hope all remembered this as they enjoyed this Memorial Day.

I ended up spending a fair amount of my day at various ballparks. In San Francisco and Houston as Spiff Jr's Phillies and Pirates took on the Giants and Colt .45's in our 1964 Strat-O-Matic season replay. At Elysian Fields as Spiff Jr and his 2004 Rangers played exhibition games against the 1954 Giants and 1962 Senators. Perhaps the most enjoyable, at Field #4 as the family traveled down to the local park for some outside time. Spiff Jr and his team have tournament coming up so he went through his paces behind the plate while his sisters rode scooters alongside the field.

I think I probably had almost as much fun as Jack Peel is having on this severely mis-cut copy of card #20 of the 1990 Star Charlotte Rangers team set. I have no idea why the scanner read the border the way it did, it's actually a dark blue like the rest of the set.

Jack Peel started his professional baseball career in 1986 with the White Sox organization. I'm not sure how he moved over to the Rangers but by 1990 he had yet to play above Single A and Chicago gave up on him.

Peel spent the 1990 season with the A+ Charlotte Rangers, appeared in 87 games for Charlotte, and did indeed spend most of his time in the outfield as indicated on the front of his card. He committed two errors out there and ended the season with a .982 fielding percentage. Jack also appeared in one game each at first base and as a pitcher. He gave up a hit and a walk along with an earned run in one inning pitched to end the season with a 9.00 ERA and a 2.000 WHIP.

Jack made 299 trips to the plate in 1990 and posted a .229 batting average and a .291 on-base percentage. He did hit 14 doubles, two triples, and eight home runs but struck out 43 times while walking just 20.

Unfortunately for Jack Peel, his offensive numbers actually dropped from his 1989 totals back into the neighborhood of his 1988 numbers. Apparently Texas decided they would stay there and they had seen enough of Jack Peel. 1990 would be Peel's last season in professional ball.

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.