Your 2nd Place Rangers

Green Guy Bass · August 29, 2009

Angels add Kazmir

And we add Ryan Freel...sucks that Hicks Co. is broke.

Quoner · August 29, 2009

And we add Ryan Freel...sucks that Hicks Co. is broke.

Kazmir is interesting since his ERA is around 6.00, but he owns us. Does this mean Lackey walks?

Green Guy Bass · August 29, 2009

Kazmir is interesting since his ERA is around 6.00, but he owns us. Does this mean Lackey walks?

It has been assumed that Lackey will walk because he will fetch good money in the open market. However, the Angels have proven they will spend money. I just wonder how much payroll is off the books after this season. Will do some research on that.

Quoner · August 29, 2009

It has been assumed that Lackey will walk because he will fetch good money in the open market. However, the Angels have proven they will spend money. I just wonder how much payroll is off the books after this season. Will do some research on that.

Off the top of my head, Vlad, Lackey, Abreu, Figgins and Escobar are all free. All of them should get raises and/or be let leave, so it will be really interesting to see how they retool. Moreno will open his wallet, but I think the Red Sox and Angels will both be wondering why they didn't open the wallets for Tex for years.

Green Guy Bass · August 30, 2009

Off the top of my head, Vlad, Lackey, Abreu, Figgins and Escobar are all free. All of them should get raises and/or be let leave, so it will be really interesting to see how they retool. Moreno will open his wallet, but I think the Red Sox and Angels will both be wondering why they didn't open the wallets for Tex for years.

Absolutely agree with you there. They will be double kicking themselves because the will see the other big spender benefit from their inability / desire to financially commit to a great talent. Hell you can even lump Texas in to that category in some regards, but I feel we are way past that now.

UNT90 · September 3, 2009

Ok, this thread cannot die unless the Rangers are eliminated!!!! Rangers just went up by one on Toronto while the Angels have already lost. The Angels seem to be cooling off and the Rangers really need to keep the winning streak going. Can close to 3 1/2 of Angels, 2 1/2 of the RSox (if they complete the loss they are currently working on) with a win tonight.

I know UNT Football starts tomorrow, but let's not forget about the joy this team has brought us this summer.

EDIT -- Elvis and Cruz both have gone deep. 5 - 3 Rangers in the 6th.

Edited September 3, 2009 by UNT90

Rudy · September 3, 2009

Hamilton went into 2nd sliding on a double. I didnt like the way it looked as it happened. He is now out of the game, hopefully just as a precaution.

UNT90 · September 3, 2009

I saw that. Didn't look like a leg injury, considering he went hard from 2nd to home on that single. Hopefully not another Hammy injury.

MDH · September 3, 2009

He has a tight lower back.

GO RANGERS!!!

Rudy · September 3, 2009

Hopefully it was just a precautionary thing. The way he came up and immediately asked for time without even getting up or anything, it didnt look good.

UNT90 · September 5, 2009

The Rangers have pulled within 3 1/2 games of the Angels. Angels seemed to FINALLY be struggling offensively. Rangers need to win 4 or 5 more in a row during this stetch where they play the patsies of the AL. They will be within 2 games of the Angels by the time the 1st of 2 series begins during the last week and a half of the season. Fun times, an an unneeded distraction from UNT football.

MDH · September 5, 2009

Milwood struggling...surprised?

Brent · September 5, 2009

Milwood struggling...surprised?

I wish I was surprised.

KingDL1 · September 18, 2009

What the hell is going on?

1 Run in the last 37 innings how is that even possible, swept by the As. Man did we just give up or what?

I have been busy and lost track any insight?

Quoner · September 18, 2009

What the hell is going on?
1 Run in the last 37 innings how is that even possible, swept by the As. Man did we just give up or what?
I have been busy and lost track any insight?

Why are we still talking about this? It's COWBOYS SEASONS!! YEEHAW - we deserve a SUPERBOWL! Dallas sports fans are the best in the world! FIVE SUPERBOWLS!!!!!

UNT90 · September 18, 2009

Why are we still talking about this? It's COWBOYS SEASONS!! YEEHAW - we deserve a SUPERBOWL! Dallas sports fans are the best in the world! FIVE SUPERBOWLS!!!!!

I love the Rangers, but the bitchin by Kinsler about lack of fans support on a weekend where there was a monsoon and you lose 3 of 4 to the freaking A's while only scoring one run in 5,000,000,000 innings is embarassing. You know what? Win when you are supposed to win, prove your not the Rangers of the last 35 years (cept 96,98 and 99), then bitch about fan support. They would have had capacity crowds this weekend if they would have taken care of business against the A's. There would have actually been a pennant race to get excited about. When all you can do is barely stay in contact with the leaders, you are not going to maintain the interest of a football first state.

But, good things for 2010. Cue Greenguy.

KingDL1 · September 18, 2009

I love the Rangers, but the bitchin by Kinsler about lack of fans support on a weekend where there was a monsoon and you lose 3 of 4 to the freaking A's while only scoring one run in 5,000,000,000 innings is embarassing. You know what? Win when you are supposed to win, prove your not the Rangers of the last 35 years (cept 96,98 and 99), then bitch about fan support. They would have had capacity crowds this weekend if they would have taken care of business against the A's. There would have actually been a pennant race to get excited about. When all you can do is barely stay in contact with the leaders, you are not going to maintain the interest of a football first state.
But, good things for 2010. Cue Greenguy.

I may be wrong but I believe the Rangers were swept by the A's at home no less, Still how the hell do you only have one run in 37 innings? What is the record?

Quoner · September 22, 2009

I love the Rangers, but the bitchin by Kinsler about lack of fans support on a weekend where there was a monsoon and you lose 3 of 4 to the freaking A's while only scoring one run in 5,000,000,000 innings is embarassing. You know what? Win when you are supposed to win, prove your not the Rangers of the last 35 years (cept 96,98 and 99), then bitch about fan support. They would have had capacity crowds this weekend if they would have taken care of business against the A's. There would have actually been a pennant race to get excited about. When all you can do is barely stay in contact with the leaders, you are not going to maintain the interest of a football first state.
But, good things for 2010. Cue Greenguy.

And that is my problem with Dallas. For years, the official complaint was "git sem pitchin'!" People claimed they would support the team if they showed they could be competitive and pitch. Well, this year it happened. And most of the fans spent all season looking for an excuse to jump off the bandwagon. Every month the talk radio hosts who mostly didn't watch the game kept dying to point out the "catastrophic moment" by reading box scores and checking standings. Never mind that the Rangers were competing with the three best franchises in MLB for their playoff spots (Angels, Yankees, Red Sox) with a bankrupt owner holding the entire empire together with duct tape and loan papers. That doesn't matter - all that matters to the idiot DFW sports fan is seeing a team win a title to validate their ignorance of sports.

There's no appreciation for the process, for growing with the team, for appreciating what is there. It's a lie of "hey, I'll just be happy if we win," which lasts for three weeks, and then the demand for a title comes quickly after it. It's why people can't wait to tear apart a Mavs team that just reeled off 8 years most fan bases would kill for. It's why no one appreciates the Stars run of excellence since 1997-1998. It's why Texas and OU get every bandwagon fan possible. And yes, it's why North Texas can't keep it's own fans in house to wait for a contender.

The response to this is always "we don't git a team worth supporting," and if that is your goal, no, you don't. If the Chicago Cubs played in this town, they would have moved to Vegas 5 years ago because they don't win! Everyone blindly throws their faith and money behind a horribly mismanaged football team that more than happily leaches off the local economy without contributing anything but sunshine, bullshit and a history that validates one of the dumbest fan bases in the NFL (and I like the Cowboys).

You can call this a sports town or a winners town or whatever, but I call it a host of quick-fix, low self esteem losers looking for a quick fix. It also pisses me off because it is why our program won't ever get the support it needs until we run off 3-4 ten win seasons in a row.

Flame away.

Green P1 · September 22, 2009

And that is my problem with Dallas. For years, the official complaint was "git sem pitchin'!" People claimed they would support the team if they showed they could be competitive and pitch. Well, this year it happened. And most of the fans spent all season looking for an excuse to jump off the bandwagon. Every month the talk radio hosts who mostly didn't watch the game kept dying to point out the "catastrophic moment" by reading box scores and checking standings. Never mind that the Rangers were competing with the three best franchises in MLB for their playoff spots (Angels, Yankees, Red Sox) with a bankrupt owner holding the entire empire together with duct tape and loan papers. That doesn't matter - all that matters to the idiot DFW sports fan is seeing a team win a title to validate their ignorance of sports.
There's no appreciation for the process, for growing with the team, for appreciating what is there. It's a lie of "hey, I'll just be happy if we win," which lasts for three weeks, and then the demand for a title comes quickly after it. It's why people can't wait to tear apart a Mavs team that just reeled off 8 years most fan bases would kill for. It's why no one appreciates the Stars run of excellence since 1997-1998. It's why Texas and OU get every bandwagon fan possible. And yes, it's why North Texas can't keep it's own fans in house to wait for a contender.
The response to this is always "we don't git a team worth supporting," and if that is your goal, no, you don't. If the Chicago Cubs played in this town, they would have moved to Vegas 5 years ago because they don't win! Everyone blindly throws their faith and money behind a horribly mismanaged football team that more than happily leaches off the local economy without contributing anything but sunshine, bullshit and a history that validates one of the dumbest fan bases in the NFL (and I like the Cowboys).
You can call this a sports town or a winners town or whatever, but I call it a host of quick-fix, low self esteem losers looking for a quick fix. It also pisses me off because it is why our program won't ever get the support it needs until we run off 3-4 ten win seasons in a row.
Flame away.

Some complain about the teams, some complain about the fans.

Quoner · September 22, 2009

Some complain about the teams, some complain about the fans.

One evolves, one is constant.

UNT90 · September 22, 2009

And that is my problem with Dallas. For years, the official complaint was "git sem pitchin'!" People claimed they would support the team if they showed they could be competitive and pitch. Well, this year it happened. And most of the fans spent all season looking for an excuse to jump off the bandwagon. Every month the talk radio hosts who mostly didn't watch the game kept dying to point out the "catastrophic moment" by reading box scores and checking standings. Never mind that the Rangers were competing with the three best franchises in MLB for their playoff spots (Angels, Yankees, Red Sox) with a bankrupt owner holding the entire empire together with duct tape and loan papers. That doesn't matter - all that matters to the idiot DFW sports fan is seeing a team win a title to validate their ignorance of sports.
There's no appreciation for the process, for growing with the team, for appreciating what is there. It's a lie of "hey, I'll just be happy if we win," which lasts for three weeks, and then the demand for a title comes quickly after it. It's why people can't wait to tear apart a Mavs team that just reeled off 8 years most fan bases would kill for. It's why no one appreciates the Stars run of excellence since 1997-1998. It's why Texas and OU get every bandwagon fan possible. And yes, it's why North Texas can't keep it's own fans in house to wait for a contender.
The response to this is always "we don't git a team worth supporting," and if that is your goal, no, you don't. If the Chicago Cubs played in this town, they would have moved to Vegas 5 years ago because they don't win! Everyone blindly throws their faith and money behind a horribly mismanaged football team that more than happily leaches off the local economy without contributing anything but sunshine, bullshit and a history that validates one of the dumbest fan bases in the NFL (and I like the Cowboys).
You can call this a sports town or a winners town or whatever, but I call it a host of quick-fix, low self esteem losers looking for a quick fix. It also pisses me off because it is why our program won't ever get the support it needs until we run off 3-4 ten win seasons in a row.
Flame away.

So many things. First, welcome to being a baseball fan trapped in a football state. That's just the way it is. Second, TCU, which is a winner, can only draw about 30,000 a home game. Why? Lots of reasons, small private school being one. Not being a BCS auto-qualifier being the biggest. The invention of the BCS has basically changed college football to a professional league (Auto-BCS conferences) and then a big step down to everybody else. It changed recruiting and competetiveness, all in the name of a glorified undisputed national champ. It's kinda like, if you had your preference, would you attend a middle school football game or a high school football game? Of course 90% of the people will say a high school game. Same thing for the Auto BCS conferences vs. the non-Auto BCS.

The point of my post was Kinsler griping about low fan turnout in a Monsoon while they lost 7 of nine on a home stand. Win, and they will come. It's like that everywhere, except for the Red Sox and the Cubs, not coincidentally, two of the biggest losers in pro sports until recently. What incentive is there for the owner to provide a winning product when the fans just stupidly turn out every game to support a loser? None. Unless the owners care about something more than money, which both of the owners of these franchises now do. Tom Hicks? He has never cared about anything but profit margin.

Many fans will continue to follow the Rangers through the media, but simply won't attend September games unless there is a real pennant race occurring, which did not happen this weekend. Barely staying in touch with the leaders just doesn't cut it. It's not like the Rangers were hurting for attendance. Until the last 2 years, they were right at or above the league average in attendance, while being out of every pennant race in 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001 and 2000. What do you want from this fan base?? You can only get kicked in the teeth by Tom Hicks for so long. With that said, I'll bet you the Rangers are again above the league average this year.

Quoner · September 22, 2009

So many things. First, welcome to being a baseball fan trapped in a football state. That's just the way it is. Second, TCU, which is a winner, can only draw about 30,000 a home game. Why? Lots of reasons, small private school being one. Not being a BCS auto-qualifier being the biggest. The invention of the BCS has basically changed college football to a professional league (Auto-BCS conferences) and then a big step down to everybody else. It changed recruiting and competetiveness, all in the name of a glorified undisputed national champ. It's kinda like, if you had your preference, would you attend a middle school football game or a high school football game? Of course 90% of the people will say a high school game. Same thing for the Auto BCS conferences vs. the non-Auto BCS.
The point of my post was Kinsler griping about low fan turnout in a Monsoon while they lost 7 of nine on a home stand. Win, and they will come. It's like that everywhere, except for the Red Sox and the Cubs, not coincidentally, two of the biggest losers in pro sports until recently. What incentive is there for the owner to provide a winning product when the fans just stupidly turn out every game to support a loser? None. Unless the owners care about something more than money, which both of the owners of these franchises now do. Tom Hicks? He has never cared about anything but profit margin.
Many fans will continue to follow the Rangers through the media, but simply won't attend September games unless there is a real pennant race occurring, which did not happen this weekend. Barely staying in touch with the leaders just doesn't cut it. It's not like the Rangers were hurting for attendance. Until the last 2 years, they were right at or above the league average in attendance, while being out of every pennant race in 2006, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2001 and 2000. What do you want from this fan base?? You can only get kicked in the teeth by Tom Hicks for so long. With that said, I'll bet you the Rangers are again above the league average this year.

I agree with you on the TCU/private stuff. They want title winners in every sport - nothing else matters anymore. College football has become the best example. There 120 teams and 5 BCS conference titles to go around, but everyone thinks they should finish #1 every year.

I'm not here to defend Tom Hicks -- my hatred of him is well, well documented across the interwebs. However, for the past three years, I got to watch a team of players go from AA to the majors and succeed, and that has trumped my hatred for that moron. My anger is directed at the thousands of people who emailed, called talked radio or used message boards to discuss how they would show up if there was a good to above average team. Well, here it is. I'm not just talking about the monsoon games - that makes sense. There was a lack of turnout for most of August when the thing was right there within reach. Attendance may finish around what it was last year, but it's telling that it never improved at any rate close to the team.

If there were no other baseball fans in the town I also wouldn't complain, but many folks, especially in the 18-31 demographic, decided that did like baseball - just winning baseball. That is why you see 400 Red Sox hats at most football games nowadays. They want baseball - but only baseball that will win a title. They didn't just say screw it, they used a third cousin or loose Boston tie to replace the contending void the Rangers gave them. Just like thousands of North Texas grads adopted the college team du jour during their time in Denton because the team sucked. I know it happens and I get why it happens, but you know where it doesn't happen: a good sports town.

I know I am kicking several of you in your Cowboy-loving crotches and I'm fully prepared for the responses, but let me repeat it one more time: This. Is. A. Bad. Sports. Town.

Eagle1855 · September 22, 2009

So many things. First, welcome to being a baseball fan trapped in a football state.

This may be a football state, but there are plenty of baseball fans in Houston that support the local team, averaging about 10k more fans per game than that of the Rangers.

Quoner · September 22, 2009

This may be a football state, but there are plenty of baseball fans in Houston that support the local team, averaging about 10k more fans per game than that of the Rangers.

And their owner runs the team like an Alzheimer's patient who lost his wallet (and scouting budget).

TAMU and Texas baseball both have great attendance numbers - as do many other smaller schools through Central Texas. This seems to be a regional problem.

Eagle1855 · September 22, 2009

And their owner runs the team like an Alzheimer's patient who lost his wallet (and scouting budget).

Fact. It's all kinds of frustrating. But I'll save it and see what they do in the off-season.

I like the Rangers. They are the only DFW-area team I adopted in my time there, even though they had a pretty bad record most years. But then again, I genuinely love baseball.

Maybe DFW is just a Cowboys town. Yes, I realize the Mavericks have developed quite a following over the past 5 years, but I believe that is less related to basketball fans and more related to being apart of something that is "cool". The Cowboys grab all the headlines and rightfully so; they are historically one of the more successful franchises in all of professional sports.