Posts Tagged ‘Ron Washington’
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Who’s On First? Third Base….May 26th, 2008
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Well, not yet, but it is too nice of a headline to ignore. As the season of bizarre-but-successful-adjustments-on-the-fly continues, suddenly the plan is for 2-time All-Star 3rd baseman Hank Blaylock to move across the diamond and take over first base. (However on Friday, Hank didn’t get called up because of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which is what will happen if you sit around playing GTA4 with Cary’s mom for weeks on end.)
While I love Hank, he’s looking less and less like the Hammer and more and more like the Nail. After missing great chunks of last season and the early going this season with various injuries, it’s getting tougher to count on seeing his name in the lineup. When he got Wally Pipped by Ramon Vazquez, Hank read the writing on the wall (and promptly had to go back on the DL with eye strain…). Actually, he saw Vazquez with a .359 average, read all the quotes about Ramon just helping this team to find a way to win, and thought maybe we could use a bat over at 1st base.
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Just another manic 25-run MondayMay 14th, 2008
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After the Gabbard-Sexton slap-and-tickle match last week, Monday’s game in Arlington had a special buzz to it. Vincinte Padilla, who spends the off-season thowing pitches at small children and old women to stay sharp, going against the Mariners in the first get-even opportunity. According to the Dallas Morning News, the teams weren’t even warned before the game about bean balls. (The umpire was going to, but then Sexton threw a batting helmet at him…)(By the way, I think Sexton’s five game suspension was far too severe. My three-year-old would only get a 15-minute time out for throwing things. But he’s almost four now, so he’s outgrown that kind of behavior.) All in all, it was set-up for an exciting game.
Then the Evil Padilla Twin comes out and gives up five runs in the first inning, before being tasered and replaced by the Good Padilla Twin in the 2nd. Maybe he tried to hit a batter, but his control was still sitting at ‘Will Call” and the ball was all over the place, mainly the plate and then the outfield.
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Happy Thoughts, Happy Thoughts, Happy Thoughts…April 24th, 2008
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I didn’t get to hear the whole game last night versus the Tigers. I know we had a 5-0 lead in the 2nd. Uhm, why did it suddenly get really quiet in here? Why won’t anyone make eye contact with me? Did something bad just happen to the Rangers?
Wow. Okay, we’re bad. I get that now. Historically bad, even for the Texas Rangers, which for those of you just joining us is really, really, really, rea…well, you get the point. Listen to the radio broadcasts. Eric and Victor are already bored with this season. They are veering off into stuff they don’t usually kill time with until July. They know it. Now, I do too. We’re really bad this year.
I mean, it’s one thing to know the Ranger’s season is over and wonder how long until the Cowboy’s training camp. BUT WE HAVEN’T EVEN HAD THE DRAFT YET. (Jerry, take Razorback FB Felix Jones…you won’t be sorry…) 22 games into the season and it’s done. And I’m the optimist out of me and Cary. He wrote them off two days ago, before they gave up 19 runs to the Tigers. By the way, if you are going to a game on the upcoming homestand, be sure to bring your glove! No seriously, for protection from opposing homeruns and our infield defense. It’s no accident that they are giving out batting helmets this weekend. And if you snag an errant throw or two you might get into the game. 
(Not me, though. I had 7 errors at second base in one softball game. And it would have been worse if I had gone out there for a third inning…)
So, now that we can all fold that optimism up, barely even touched, and put it away until later, let’s get on with finding the happy, sunny spots in this season. No more negative stuff. No more gloom and doom, because we are done for 08. We are the Battlestar Galactica, and the rest of this season is about picking up survivors and looking for a new home, a home called 2009. (Go ahead. Picture Ron Washington in the Admiral Adama role. It’s pretty funny…) Find out who can pitch. Find out if Josh Hamilton is the real deal and lock him up for a few years. Pull another couple of great vets-for-prospects trades. Then sit back and find the happy thoughts.
Hey, Kason Gabbard threw a no-hitter the other night at Fenway….
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Fleeing The CountryApril 16th, 2008
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Ron Burgundy: Boy, that escalated quickly… I mean, that really got out of hand fast.
Champ Kind: It jumped up a notch.
Ron Burgundy: It did, didn’t it?
Brick Tamland: Yeah, I stabbed a man in the heart.
Ron Burgundy: I saw that. Brick killed a guy. Did you throw a trident?
Brick Tamland: Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident.
Ron Burgundy: Brick, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. You should find yourself a safehouse or a relative close by. Lay low for a while, because you’re probably wanted for murder.
(From IMDB.com, a scene from the Oscar-winning motion picture “Anchorman”)
Yeah, it was that kind of first week at home for the Rangers. In fact, the only reason that they didn’t kill someone with a trident was that it happened with Runners In Scoring Position, and Texas can’t hit anything in that case. So, the clutch hitting could use some work, but they are making up for it by putting a quick 16 errors on the board in only 14 games. And that’s just the errors that you can officially count, not the inane caught stealings or Byrd’s “Didn’t watch the thirdbase coach, and hey, why is David Murphy standing here at third with me?” type of errors. Read more