Oh Those Texas Rangers

Can I just say...how about those Texas Rangers? A series win against Boston over the weekend, and now they're in the lead for the wildcard playoff spot in the American League. I wouldn't say I've rediscovered the love I once had for the Rangers as a child (such fond memories of listening to games on the radio in my room at night) but I'm pleased and amazed at their success, and I'm definitely back on the bandwagon. If this keeps up, I may even watch a game before the regular season ends!

Afternoon Links

Things worth reading:

1. An earthquake in Italy is estimated to have killed a hundred people so far, and left tens of thousands more homeless.

2. Florida: bringing back debtor's prison (sort of.)

3. Turkey: President Obama visits Turkey, calls Turkey an important ally, speaks of resolving the conflict over the Armenian genocide. Turkish PM Erdogan tells us to accept the reality of Hamas.

4. Thirty-three Iraqis die in coordinated car bombings in and around Baghdad.

5. The brain: Researchers are working on ways of "editing" memory. Scientists have also concluded that the stress of being poor alters the brains of children.

6. Secretary of Defense Gates proposes to make cuts to several big-ticket defense items. To which I say, we'll see about that.

7. President Obama aims for a world free of nuclear weapons.

8. Millions of shelter animals die, while morons buy designer "hybrid" breeds raised in appalling conditions.

9. Sports: Can Brazil's talented soccer player Marta revive women's soccer in the U.S.? Speaking of soccer, FC Dallas has stunk it up in the first three games of the season, losing all three while giving up seven goals and scoring only two. The Dallas Mavericks, as is typical in this up and down season,lost to a woeful Memphis team with less than half their win total on Friday night and then blew out similarly struggling Phoenix on Sunday. They are now one win or one Phoenix loss away from wrapping up the eight seed in the playoffs, and still-amazingly-in the hunt for the seventh seed, which they can get with some help from Utah. And the Texas Rangers open their season today with a game at home against Cleveland.

And Now For Some Good News

The Mavericks are provoking much rending of clothes and gnashing of teeth, but there are a couple of bright lights in Dallas these days. The Dallas Stars finished off the Mighty Ducks in six games and are onto battle the San Jose Sharks in the second round of the NHL playoffs. FC Dallas, who take on the New England Revolution tomorrow night, have won two and tied two in their first four games to retain the only unbeaten record in the MLS, and their two wins have come in two consecutive and solid performances. Also, the Cowboys have a draft coming up so that's always nice, right?

Of course, in the meantime the Texas Rangers are challenging their legendary reputation for mediocrity by tanking so early in the season that it's a surprise even to long-suffering Rangers fans (but if you think Rangers fans are mad, see the fans of Hicks newest toy Liverpool FC who hate Rangers owner Tom Hicks with such passion that local police have begged Hicks to stay away from Liverpool games because they can't guarantee his safety.) But 3 out of 5 non-horrible storylines ain't bad, right?

Local Soccer Action

FC Dallas gets a mention in this piece in the Dallas Observer about the increasing ability of Dallas teams to flame out in the playoffs. Any press is good press, right?

In other local sports related news, both the Dallas Observer and the FW Weekly have documented the speed with which Rangers and Stars owner Tom Hicks has taken his newest toy, Liverpool FC, and reduced it to mediocrity utilizing the "don't spend" strategy that has produced so much success out at the Ballpark in Arlington. The terms under which Hicks bought the team require him to refinance the loans he took out to make the buy, which apparently hasn't been easy as of late with the general tightening of credit in American and European markets. Liverpool fans were looking to be rescued by investors from Dubai, but alas it looks like Hicks will be able to pony up the money to retain his hold on the team. As a perpetually disappointed Rangers fan I can only say this to fans of Liverpool...move to Manchester.

Mired in Mediocrity

Richie Witt at the Dallas Observer's blog Unfair Park summarizes another absolutely depressing and demoralizing Texas Ranger's season. Honestly at this point, we'd be happy to have them tumble out the playoffs. It'd at least be a change for once.

Weekend Sports Round-Up

This weekend was a mixed-bag for Dallas area sports. The Cowboys rolled over the injury-ridden and hapless St. Louis Rams 35-7, maintaining their status as undefeated at 4-0 along with Indianapolis, New England and Green Bay (yes, Green Bay.) Philadelphia did the Cowboys no favors, suffering an offensive meltdown (after an incredible game last week) against the Giants. The Redkins have a bye week, and so had no opportunity to make up ground against the Cowboys. New England plays Cincinnati tonight and Cleveland next week. This, combined with a Dallas game against the woeful Buffalo Bills next week means that both teams, currently the top two offensive teams in the league, are likely to meet each other undefeated. Mark your calendars.

FC Dallas enjoyed a 3-0 spanking at the hands of the Houston Dynamo at Pizza Hut Park yesterday. Big name acquisition Denilson contributed nothing and has thus far proven to be at best a distraction, and Carlos Ruiz was red-carded and ejected and is likely to be out for the next two games. FCD is still likely to finish 3rd in the West and thus secure a spot in the playoffs but at this point, one would have to question why these guys would want to experience further embarrassment.

The same could be asked of the Texas Rangers, who finished yet another season of mediocrity with their 87th loss of the season in Seattle. Their only highlight was the astonishing 30 run game against Baltimore last month, an experience a few around here would gladly trade for another berth in the playoffs.

30

You don't see much Texas Rangers blogging on this blog because frankly, there's nothing to blog about. But this is just too good not to mention:

The Texas Rangers rounded the bases at a dizzying pace and became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record Wednesday in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles.

Thirty runs. Comparisons are difficult, but that's the equivalent of scoring 100 points in a football game, 180 in a basketball game, or 10-15 goals in a hockey or soccer game. It's beyond ridiculous. Here are some highlights:

The Rangers, who had struck out 30 times over the previous two games in getting trounced by Cy Young contenders Johan Santana of Minnesota and Erik Bedard of Baltimore, got two homers and seven RBIs each from Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez. Saltalamacchia set a Rangers record for RBIs in a game by a rookie.

Oh, and Travis Metcalf and Marlon Byrd each hit grand slams. Metcalf ended up with four RBIs in the second game, too, tying a club record for most RBIs in a doubleheader.

Two players with two home runs each. Two players with two grand slams each...in a single game. And this was in a comeback at that, after the Rangers trailed the Orioles by three runs after three innings. Baseball is a game of numbers and statistics, and rarely do those stats change significantly after a single game, but that doesn't hold true in this case:

[Orioles Pitcher Brian] Burres (2/3 IP, eight earned) needed 34 pitches for his ERA to jump from 4.45 to 5.24.

Paul Shuey (nine earned runs in two innings) saw his ERA jump from 6.75 to 9.49.

Some more numbers for you: Baltimore's team ERA went from 4.39 to 4.60. Saltalmacchia raised his hitting average 83 points to .262. The Rangers overall hitting average went from .250 to .258. And four different Rangers had four RBIs each.

Insane, but fun. A nice highlight in what is otherwise a generation of mediocrity for the Rangers.

Ameriquest Field is now Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

The club on Monday severed its relationship with Ameriquest Mortgage, the financially troubled lending company that uses the bell as its logo and that had served as the title sponsor on the ballpark in Arlington.

I always hated that the new field was named for a corporation instead of the people who paid for it. But at least they made the wise decision not to go back to "The Ballpark in Arlington", which is about like saying "The Stadium in Irving". Duh. Tom Hicks at least is saying he wants it to be Rangers Ballpark from now on. That would be nice.