18-10

Might as well ... jump

Only the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers are the only professional sports team that in its maybe best year in its history or at least the last decade, that can go into a game against the awful Toronto Blue Jays and go down 11-0 early, fight back to 11-10 and then eventually lose 18-10.

Only the Rangers.

It was a disaster. I'm afraid we might look back in a month at 18-10 and agree that that was the moment that the Rangers bid adieu to any thoughts for the post-season.

As I said yesterday, I really don't believe this team knows how to play meaningful games in August or September. However, that's a moot point. Because the Blue Jays certainly don't know how to play meaningful games in August or September and they're currently not playing meaningful games in August nor September.

Therefore, shouldn't the team with something to play for win the game?

It makes sense. However, it's a point that the Rangers can not grasp onto.

Notes:
1. Rod flippin' Barajas.

2. The Rangers scored 10 runs in pretty short order while only getting a walk, no Toronto errors or other miscues. It was all hits.

3. The Rangers left 11 guys on base. And they scored 10 runs. Amazing.

4. The Rangers learn to shut Adam Lind down and they might win a game.

5. A kick in the groin.

Born to run

Do you know what the lil' Texas Rangers need?

A nice big run.

I'm talking six or seven straight games. A streak like that sounds nice. A streak like that puts them right in the grill of the Boston Red Sox and pretty close to the California Angels.

And it's doable. Maybe.

Remember, the Rangers haven't been the most opportunistic team this season.

But the Rangers have Toronto, Baltimore, Seattle, Cleveland and Oakland in the next 15 games.

Nine of those games are at home.

The combined record: 295-355.

The Rangers can't go 10-5 (which is pretty good, actually) in this stretch and expect to be around the playoff talk at the end of September.

The Rangers have to go 12-3 or better. And a nice streak will be pretty good, too.

People get ready

Felix Jones is ready

OK, I've had enough pre-season.

I don't know about you guys but I need football that means something. Soon.

The art of being advantageous

Goofballs

The Texas Rangers are a lot of things. Opportunistic isn't one of them.

The Rangers lost two of three from Minnesota in the most heartbreaking fashions: A bad offense, a bum called strike and a faulty bullpen.

The Rangers easily sweep this series, but I don't feel the sense of urgency that I would expect a team trying to make the playoffs. It seems the Yankees, Red Sox and Angels are all playing as if there were no tomorrow. They have that extra gear. The Rangers seem to not have it. If they do, they need to shift into that gear quick because the Angels and BoSox are not slowing down.

Notes:
1. Tommy Hunter was better Friday night than Scott Feldman was Saturday night, but Feldman helped with a shutout and Hunter took a loss.

2. How many wins has the bullpen left on the shelf for Kevin Millwood? At least four.

3. The offense sucks. They haven't had a big hit in weeks and they fail to drive runs in to really put games out of reach.

4. I would've pulled C.J.Wilson quick Sunday. It was clear he didn't have it and it's a shame that Ron Washington isn't into winning games. I bring Frank Francisco or Neftali Feliz once the righties start coming up. But whatever.

5. Second guessing Ron Washington again: I pull Blalock out late in Sunday's game and put in the defensive Chris Davis.

6. Again second guessing: I pinch-hit Dave Murphy for Elvis Andrus against Joe Nathan, who Murph had doubled off of the day before. I mean, you're in the playoff race, why not actually try to make it?

5. I'm done with Hank Blalock.

6. Julio Borbon's the fourth Ranger with double-digit steals.

One last chance

Thumbs up

Everyone and their grandmother knows that the end of the NFL pre-season schedule is tonight.

Yes, there's a fourth game, but no starters play and basically every team knows who they are going to keep and going to cut. Mostly.

This is do or die time for a number of Dallas Cowboys. One big game and you might make the team or end up making $300 a week sacking groceries or driving the forklift at Home Depot.

Who to watch:

The Receivers Probably Making The Team
Most notably Kevin Ogletree. I've seen very little of him, but I like it. I mean, you get small chances in pre-season games to make a difference and I think there's something to guys to take advantage of those chances and those who don't no matter how fair that actually is. Also, Miles Austin has been a no-show all pre-season. Maybe he'll show up for this game.

The Receivers Probably Not Making The Team
Namely Isaiah Stanback. Right when I learn to spell his first name correctly, it looks like he may not make the cut. Maybe Jerry Jones' pride saves him, but you have to start considering who is going to stay healthy and contribute to this team. Stanback could use a big play tonight. I should note that there's a 66 percent chance that I'm crazy and there's no way Stanback doesn't make the team.

Nose Tackle
There's no concrete back-up for Jay Ratliff, who's undersized as it is and probably needs a back-up more than anybody. I believe it's Junior Siavii and Jonas Seawright battling for the back-up spot. Siavii is probably the frontrunner, but one or two big plays and that might change.

Felix Jones
He's the most electrfying player in Dallas-Fort Worth. And I really don't know if fans are truly ready or can currently figure out how he'll be used this season. I sure as hell don't know. There's an elated skepticism about the guy. Mostly dealing with his ability to be healthy. That may be unfair, but it's hardly unreasonable considering last season.

The Video Board Of Doom
The NFL says Jerry Jones can keep his little toy where it is. Just had to lay down some ground rules. The Morning Musers pointed this out and I have no doubt it's true: If Mat McBriar even scraps the bottom of the big screen, he's deported back to Australia.

Stealing is only a crime if you get caught

Bump Wells somehow weaseled his way onto an SI cover?

One of the more pronounced themes to the 2009 Texas Rangers is its sudden ability to steal bases.

It seems like a club-record pace. But it's not. It only feels that way because A) they are third in the league in steals; and B) the Rangers have only one season since 1993 with more than 100 steals (111, 1999).

The former has to do with the general decline in stolen bases and the reliance on the home run to score runs.

The latter is pretty much the same deal. The Rangers haven't had the talent to steal bases nor have they much cared to steal bases. It's a lot safer to instead knock the pitch to kingdom come and trot around the bases.

With 118 stolen bases in 2009, so far, this Rangers squad ranks eighth in franchise history. Figuring their current pace, they'll wind up third all-time trumping 130 swipes. The list:

196 - 1978
154 - 1977
130 - 1985
140 - 1988
126 - 1972
120 - 1987
119 - 1983
118 - 2009

Trends? Notice no teams from the 1990s or 2000s. The 1980s were very good for stolen bases for the Rangers and the league. You also have to figure that the 196 stolen bases in 1978 will stand forever.

The individual single-season mark is a bit more reachable. The ranks:

1. Dave Nelson - 57
2. Bump Willis - 52
3. Otis Nixon - 50
4. Cecil Espy - 45
5. Bill Sample - 44
6. Dave Nelson - 43

As you can imagine, the career Rangers totals aren't that scary either. Just saying, Ian Kinsler could be in the top 5 by next year:

1. Bump Wills - 161
2. Toby Harrah - 153
3. Dave Nelson - 144
4. Oddibe McDowell - 129
5. Julio Franco - 98
11. Ian Kinsler - 84
16. Mike Young - 77
47. Elvis Andrus 24

One mark that the 2009 Rangers could and should break is the number of individuals with double-digit steals. The current ranks:

1. Ian Kinsler - 24
2. Elvis Andrus - 24
3. Nelson Cruz - 17
4. Julio Borbon - 9
5. Marlon Byrd - 8
6. Mike Young - 8
7. Josh Hamilton - 8
8. David Murphy - 7

I would think Borbon and Byrd are locks for at least 10. Hamilton is likely. Murph may need some help.

Only five other times in team history have they had five different players with double-digit swipes (1974, 1977, 1978, 1985, 1987).

Of course, none of this actually means anything. The Rangers along with the rest of the league stole a trillion bases in the late-1970s and 1980s and it didn't win them anything. Then the Steroid Era took root in the 1990s, eliminated the stolen base and the Ranger go to the playoffs three times.

I think there's a balance here, like anything else. Is it good to steal 200 bases a year? Maybe not. I love stolen bases. I also really like bases-clearing doubles and 3-run homers.

Look back at those Rangers playoff teams. Who did they lose to in those series? The New York Yankees. Arguably some of the best teams in baseball history. Did they still a billion bases? No. But could just about any one of those guys steal a critical base when needed? All day.

That was Joe Torre's thing. They were smart base runners. Never were they the quickest or fastest, but they could time pitchers, get good jumps and surprise a battery every once in a while. That swipe leads to a RBI single and the next thing you know you're winning 100 games a season and World Series.

The AFC West

Angry pirate

Last season, the division winner out of the AFC West finished 8-8.

The second place team finished 8-8.

Yeah, this division sucks. And it doesn't look any better. It's not like the Chargers and Broncos got tons better. The Chiefs, I think are better. Who knows?

The Raiders. Honestly, they're the most interesting team in professional sports.

Rolling with the punches here:

San Diego Chargers -- 9-7
I think they'll be a little better. However, their schedule is rough. At Denver and Kansas City are never easy. At Tennessee, New York Giants, Pittsburgh and Dallas. Then Miami, Baltimore and Philly at home. All very losable.

Kansas City Chiefs -- 7-9
They went defense with their first three draft picks building a practical who's who of college All-Americans. The offense should be good enough. Remember, there were about five or so games that the Chiefs led up until the final quarter. They need to learn to finish. Matt Cassel, meet Dwayne Bowe.

Denver Broncos -- 5-11
No Jay Cutler. No Mike Shanahan. Probably no run game. Still no defense. A pissed off Brandon Marshall. If it couldn't get a lot worse, they've got just as hard of a schedule than the rest of their division.

Oakland Raiders -- 3-13
We crap on them now, but remember when the Raiders were in the Super Bowl? It was like seven years ago. The Raiders have won far more playoff games the last decade than the Dallas Cowboys. However, clearly, this team is pretty awful with no direction and very little talent outside of their running backs. It's good thing they don't have a decent quarterback because their receivers are even worse.

Past Predictions
AFC South
AFC North
AFC East

Who's afraid of the New York Yankees?

P-A-R-T-Y

We should all probably take a deep, long breath and come to the realization that the despair and disappointment the Texas Rangers have burdened its fans with.

The fact is, on any given day on any given field in any given burg, the Texas Rangers can compete with anyone.

Anyone.

That includes the dreaded New York Yankees who they beat today 7-2 following a sad 9-2 loss yesterday. It gives the Rangers the series and puts them back in the winning ways.

Don't get me wrong, Dustin Nippert's start looked like it would be a long day. He looked awful and simply couldn't find the strike zone. Fortunately, he got a few key outs and held out just long enough to eat up some time and innings.

The heroes of this game are many: Jason Grilli with two gigantic, game-changing innings of relief; Ian Kinsler's monstrous and ass-kicking 3-run homer; C.J. Wilson with another two innings of spotless relief; David Murphy and Taylor Teagarden breaking through to set up Chris Davis; Ron Washington for knowing when Nippert had had enough; the Rangers hitters for struggling against A.J. Burnett for battling and forcing him out after six innings.

It's a gigantic win in a gigantic series. The entire baseball world is watching now. No longer will the Rangers hide in the weeds ready to strike. They are legit. As if we didn't already know.

Notes:
1. Nippert allowed seven walks and four hits in 3.2 innings. Grilli and Wilson allowed just one hit in the next 4.1 innings. That is the formula for winning games.

2. After 20 innings as a Ranger, Grilli's WHIP is 1.00.

3. Rangers played another round of perfect defense. That wins you games, too.

Rangers moves

So long, thunder thighs

Jason Jennings was designated for assignment today make room for 24-year-old Pedro Strop.

First, Jennings. I hated the guy. I never liked the first time he was signed and disliked the second time he was signed.

I do give him credit. At best, he was useful out of the Ranger bullpen. At worst, he was a disaster. Opponents hit .286. He allowed seven home runs while allowing 28 walks.

His tendencies prohibited him from coming in mid-inning; not that he was going to get a big out anyway. He was a soft-tosser and a long reliever. I would suspect Brandon McCarthy to come back and for Dustin Nippert to take over for Jennings in that role. It should also be noted he had only eight appearances in August as Neftali Feliz came on.

Strop is a mild surprise to come up right now. Considering the Rangers had Warner Madrigal, Luis Mendoza, Josh Rupe and A.J. Murray in Triple A, and Strop had just come back up to Oklahoma City after a stint in Frisco.

Strop was an odds-on favorite to be an early call-up to the bullpen, but he fell flat in Oklahoma City and went to Frisco, where he righted the ship a little. He hadn't allowed a run in his last three OKC apperances.

Whereas Jennings allowed a hit an inning, Strop strikes out a guy per inning. At some point he needed big league exposure. Better now than later.

****
Michael Main, Engel Beltre and Tim Smith have all started rehabbing in Arizona this week. Main -- who'd been out several months due to a mysterious illness -- struck out all three batters he faced two days ago.

****
Second-round pick Tommy Mendonca -- the power-hitting lefty out of Fresno State -- is being promoted to Bakersfield (skipping low-A Hickory). Out of college, Mendonca was known for two things: Stricking out and hitting home runs. A perfect Ranger.

In Spokane, Mendonca was hitting .309 with 12 doubles and nine homers. He'd also struck out 66 times (17 more than games played) with only nine walks. He is what he is.

Video Board-gate

The potty lines at the Colosseum sucked

I love Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.

They always keep it interesting.

About a week before the Cowboys and Titans faced off in the first ever football game at the new JerryWorld, folks began to talk about the possibility of a punter hitting the massive, billion-square foot video board that hangs ominiuosly above the player field.

In pre-game rituals, The Dallas Morning News' Todd Archer reported on The Ticket that punters are perilously close to hitting the video board.

Then the game happened. Some eight-string Tennessee punter nails the board. Chaos ensues.

The question suddenly became: Should Jones have to raise the board despite it costing "millions" of dollars?

Odd. I would think question should be: When will Jones raise the board?

How is this a question? Why didn't Jones order the raising the day after the game? How embarrassing!

It's bad enough that the Cowboys built this monstrousity (or Colosseum) and basically priced out every hard-working Cowboys fan and made the franchise and state a punchline for the rest of the country, but now Jones is bull headed about raising the stinking board?

And he is stubborn. Still, he states that it's part of the game. That if he wanted to erect a brick wall in front of an opponents' end zone, he would and there's little anyone could do about it.

Just raise the fucking board.

However, the board does represent something bigger. I think the board and the people debating its current resting place or its eventual ascension represent the dichotomy of Cowboys/Yankees/Red Wings/Lakers fandom in America.

Those four teams are considered the most successful, well-known sports franchises in the United States from the four major sports leagues. Whether they are the most successful is debatable. I believe the Steelers and Celtics have more titles than the Lakers and Cowboys.

However, there's something magnetic about these teams. So much that individuals from around the national and world become die-hard fans of these franchises. As much as any kid from the Bronx, Detroit and some hillbilly who's lived in Dallas his entire life.

These are America's team, for better or for worse.

And what would a fan of these teams say about a video board of JerryWorld's enormousity in their own arena?

He or she would celebrate it. They'd support the board and its placement in the field of play, rink or court. It's their birthright. It's a beacon of their success and how a moderately sized video board does not do their franchise justice nor does it appropriately communicate the largeness of their fandom, courage, will, desire and ego.

This isn't about a video board. It's about how much you like or dislike the Cowboys.

And I feel that's what drives Jones batty more than the money he'll spend to raise it.

(Otherwise, why wouldn't he have raised it another five feet in the first place just to be safe because that five feet doesn't matter to the guy sitting 300 yards from it?)

Depth Chart: Wide Receivers

Ogletree

As part of the undying blog coverage Uwe Blog holds true, we'll go through the Dallas Cowboys roster and identify where they suck the most.

I'm no fan of Terrell Owens or anything, but I'm still of the opinion that you don't take a guy like him out of a starting line-up and suddenly your better.

Maybe. I do believe in chemistry. I do not find it coincidence that the New York Giants won a Super Bowl only after Jeremy Shockey was injured and his attitude was taken out of the huddle.

However, Shockey is no Owens. I don't know how you take Owens off a good football team and you get better. Simply doesn't make sense.

Here's who's left:

Roy Williams
The general opinions about the Cowboys wide receiver conundrum changes with the seasons. First, the Williams trade was a steal. Then, at the very least Williams is your first-round pick. Then no one has any faith in the guy because of his work ethic. Now he doesn't run good routes. And he doesn't necessarily need to have a gigantic, TO-like numbers. He just needs to produce some. I'm not going to beat around the bush: Williams needs to have a pretty good season to the tune of 80 catches, 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. I don't know who we're kidding thinking this team is suddenly going to run the ball 45 times a game with Tony Romo under center. Sure, they'll run, but you don't sell tickets scoring 10 points a game. You don't fill out that new stadium without your stars shining.

Pat Crayton
I've written relatively extensively about Crayton. I think he's a bigger deal than Williams, Witten or just about every other pass catcher on the team. Crayton must show up this season.

Sam Hurd
What worries me about Hurd is his lack of speed and missing last season due to injury. I actually think he's a hell of a pass catcher, but if he can't get open or stay healthy, what's the use?

Miles Austin
At some point, if everything goes poorly, we all need to realize that maybe, just maybe, Austin isn't that good. I'm all for giving Austin time because of his speed (and because he's insanely cheap for a No. 3 receiver), but if he pulls out another stinker or gets injured for 12 games, it might be time to move on to the next project. It's not like there aren't another two dozen fast guys playing receiver in college.

Isaiah Stanback
Honestly, I don't think he makes the team. He's a fifth receiver at best. And one or two dudes lower on this list might catch him for that. GM Jerry Jones might have too much pride to cut Stanback, a seemingly favorite project of his, so he might slide into the sixth receiver spot. I love his build though. He's very tall with a tight end build.

Kevin Ogletree
Of all these guys (including Hurd, Austin), I've noticed Ogletree the most. He's an undrafted rookie out of Virginia. Looked really good against Tennessee.

Manuel Johnson
I liked him in college and I thought maybe he'd be a good depth guy for the Cowboys, but he's only caught one pass for 18 yards in two pre-season games.

Mike Jefferson
Mr. Practice Squad. It's good to see him for another training camp.

Jesse Holley
I refuse to believe that he's worse than every sixth receiver or practice squad guy in the entire NFL. I've seen him sparingly, but you can't deny the appeal of his reality show story and his apparent deep desire to play professional football despite not being very good.

Depth Charts
Cornerback
Defensive Line
Quarterback
Safety

My favorite Martin

It might have taken Texas Rangers lefty pitching prospect all of two games to figure out Double A.

Perez had by far his most impressive outing since jumping from Low A Hickory with five scoreless, 4-hit, no-walk, 3-K innings.

What I love most about Perez -- and also about other Rangers pitching prospects -- is that they throw strikes. Perez has allowed just three walks in 11.2 Double A innings. It shows he's mature and not afraid to throw whatever he has up there and challenging hitters.

He's allowd just 36 walks in 105 innings compared to 28 walks in 61 innings last season.

August is award-talking season

Tiny E

Around this time of year, MLB teams' public relations departments start going crazy trying to drum up support for their players in terms of awards.

I think a number of these awards are in the bag already. Any vote begging at this point is just to say that so-and-so finished in the top five of MVP voting or whatever.

The ballot:

AL MVP
Joe Mauer
The push is so far behind Mauer, who is running away with the batting title that it's not even funny. However, how can a guy on a losing team along with Mike Cuddyer and Justin Morneau claim the MVP this earlier or even at all? He's a fantastic player with unbelievable numbers, but I wonder if it's hurting the Yankees because Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira are probably splitting their votes. Jason Bay has to be considered. As does Miggie Cabrera. This might be closer than we think

Rangers' Say
They're pushing Mike Young, who should, if the Rangers maintain form, finish in the top 5 I think. He's on pace to hit .320 with 25 homers, 90 RBI, 90 runs, 40 doubles and pretty good defense at a new position.

AL Cy Young
Zack Greinke
If the league wants to get major pub, Greinke will get the nod. Mainly because he has apparent social and mental issues, but also because he's first in ERA and second in strikeouts on an awful team. Justin Verlander should get some major votes as he's near the top in about every category with a nice comeback season. Roy Halladay was in the talks, but he's fallen off a lot. Felix Hernandez and CC Sabathia are both names to consider.

Rangers' Say
I don't think they're pushing anyone. The only true candidate is Scott Feldman. He is top five in wins. But just has 86 strikeouts and an ERA closer than 4.00 than 3.00. I doubt he gets any attention barring three straight complete game shutouts.

AL Rookie of the Year
Elvis Andrus
This is a pretty lackluster cast. I think it's a two-horse race between Andrus and the Chicago White Sox' Gordon Beckham. Frankly, David Price and Matt Wieters haven't torn it up. There's other serviceable guys, but none of them changed the complexion of a team like Andrus. His defense is there -- enough Web Gems to stun a mastodon. Or the band Mastodon. His decent average, marginal power numbers, maturity and speed I think put him over the top. It also helps that he joined the Rangers and they suddenly are on pace for 90-odd wins and maybe a playoff spot.

Rangers' Say
Tiny E.

AL Manager of the Year
Mike Scoscia
I think this award winds up in the AL West no matter what. Ron Washington and Don Wakamatsu deserve credit for the turnaround of their teams (consider the Mariners last year compared to this). Scoscia has several things working in his favor; however, he would never wish it upon himself or anyone else. Between Nick Adenhart's tragic death and the subsequent injury of every member of his team, he still lead them to, maybe, a 95-win, division-winning season with a bunch of kids, a ragtag rotation and a bullpen that is less than scary.

Rangers' Say
Wash. His in-game tactics and bullpen use are suspect. But the players play hard for him and they're starting to play Wash's kinda ball: Stealing, bunting, moving runners, double steals, hit and runs, et al.

NL MVP
Albert Pujols
No need for any explanation.

NL Cy Young
Adam Wainwright
Except for Florida's Josh Johnson, this award will wind up in San Francisco (Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain) or St. Louis (Wainwright, Chris Carpenter). Wainwright, I think, is leading the pack considering he leads the best team in the National League and he also is in the top 5 in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched and ERA. However, if you want to be awed, check out the laundry list of great pitchers in the National League.

NL Rookie of the Year
J.A. Happ
The Cards have another candidate here in Colby Rasmus. Atlanta's Tommy Hanson is in the mix, but probably won't get a ton of votes due to the fact that he's playing for a so-so team and hadn't been around as much. Happ speaks to people in terms they can understand: Wins. He's 7-2 with a 2.97 ERA.

NL Manager of the Year
Jim Tracy
Popular and probably reasonable picks here are Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa. However, I'm rolling with Tracy. The Rockies were done after two months, which included then-manager Clint Hurdle getting fired. Tracy just steered his team to a decisive edge in the wild card race and even pushing the Dodgers in the division. All of this in a year when their best hitter (Matt Holliday) and pitcher (Jeff Francis) were gone for one reason or another.

By the hair of my chinny-chin-chin

Laying it all out on the line

Excuse me while I retrieve my testicles from the back of my throat.

The exercise in aggravation and nerves that Jason Grilli and Frank Francisco exhibited in the ninth inning of tonight's 10-9 Texas Rangers victory over the hated New York Yankees just about sent an entire baseball-watching city into such a jaw-dropping tizzy that it might have taken years (years!) to watch another game of baseball.

The Rangers were one base hit away from being an afterthought and from thousands of people suddenly getting very interested in the Dallas Cowboys.

The Rangers had to work for win No. 70.

I was all ready with a clever, but overused, boxing analogy: The Yanks and Rangers tapped gloves and the Yanks pull up and sock the Rangers square in the jaw with a right uppercut.

The Rangers stagger. Unbalanced, they body some more punches. Round 1 of nine was over and the Yanks were up 4-0.

Round 2-8 went to the Rangers. Clutch, ballsy hitting, gut-wrenching pitching from Kevin Millwood (the fact he made it to the sixth inning is remarkable) was just nearly enough to get the win and keep apace of the Boston Red Sox (winners themselves).

I'd prefer not to watch another game like that. Ever again.

Note:
1. Rangers hitters walked seven times and struck out eight. The strikeouts are better suited if they're paired with some free passes.

2. There were 16 Rangers hits. None were bigger than Elvis Andrus' 2-RBI double in the second inning to cut it to 4-2. No, it didn't steal the lead or win it, but it was a gutty response from a cagey rookie.

3. At 32, Mike Young's about to set a career mark for homers. He hit No. 22 tonight. His career high is 24.

4. Ian Kinsler with two doubles. Josh Hamilton with four hits. If they both pick it up at the plate this final month, it's just as good as adding two All-Stars to your team via trade.

5. Chris Davis looked good.

6. The Yanks scare the shit out of me.

7. I hate the Yankees, but there's little denying how stinkin' good Derek Jeter is. You overlook whatever defensive liabilities he brings when you realize what a gigantic winner he is.

8. The value of this win (no matter how trepidous) is unreal. It gives the Rangers two shots to take the series, but the Yanks on their heels, tears up at the Yanks bullpen. Basically, if the Rangers can be good one game and lucky the next, they could take a couple of gigantic games here.

Go Rangers!

Let's not mince words: The Rangers need to step up to the big-kid table in New York over the next three days.

Gigantic series.

Keys to the Season: Special teams

Folk rock

Say what you will about the guy, but the Dallas Cowboys simply haven't been the same since Bill Parcells left town.

More specifically, the special teams have really, really sucked.

Ironically, never have the Cowboys ever given so much attention to special teams. They keep yo-yoing Keith Davis on and off the team. They've drafted two kickers in three years. Hell, the 2009 draft's sole purpose for this year is to shore up the special teams.

They fired Bruce Read mostly because he sucked, but also because he had the most ridiculous haircut in the NFL and for every male over the age of 18.

It's easy to look at the last season and realize that special teams were the least of the Cowboys' worries. I mean, was it Nick Folk's fault that the Ravens rolled off two straight 70+ yard runs? Was it special teams that was responsible for Brad Johnson? 44-6? Hardly.

However, that doesn't mean it didn't make a difference. How many times did poor coverage give an opponent great starting position? How many times did the Cowboys start within their own 15 yard line because they couldn't return a punt?

The Cowboys were dead last in kickoff touchbacks. How many?

Zero. None. Zilch. Nil.

The Cowboys did not record a touchback on a kickoff last season. That, friends, is a remarkable stat.

Otherwise, they're either in the bottom half or the middle of the league in a ton of important special teams categories, but the proof is in the pudding.

Was there a moment at any point last season where you thought the Cowboys special teams would make a difference?

It sucked. They couldn't pin a team when they needed and they ended up pinned when they needed a score.

How do you improve?

Well, first off, punter Mat McBriar is back and apparently healthy. Also, Felix Jones is healthy. He probably breaks camp as the primary punt or kick returner. Pat Crayton sucks as a returner. No speed. And those hands aren't as cracked up as we all think they are.

With Read out, Joe DeCamillis is in as special teams coach. Can't be any worse.

In the draft, the Cowboys took a number of linebacker/defensive back types that should fill holes of speed needed on coverage. They also took David Beuhler.

The guy's reputation precedes himself. He's already beat DeAngelo Smith in a 40-yard dash. He's logged time in punt coverage. He's also in charge of kickoffs already booming kicks through the end zone in pre-season games.

OK, so in one off-season you've dealt with coverage issues, kickoffs, a ridiculous haircut and punting. On paper.

The Cowboys special teams, however, don't need to be perfect. Remember, this is a team coming off 13-3 and 9-7 seasons. Not great, but not lousy. If the special teams can improve by 30 percent, it could result in a difference in just about every game. Maybe a win or two.

Keys to the Season
Pat Crayton
Injuries
'But Can They Cover?'
Runnin' the Ball

A perspective: Marlon Byrd

Byrd is the word

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, there is a ton of crowing from fans of the Texas Rangers and the media that cover them. The team, that is, not the fans.

All about Marlon Byrd.

Byrd's an interesting bird. He's having an outstanding year. A career year, really. He's matched his career single-season totals for homers, and doubles. He should beat single-season numbers for games played, at-bats, hits, runs, RBI and who knows what other categories.

He's had a tremendous year. I can not deny this. My initial feeling in the off-season was to trade him over the winter. I was wrong. Byrd's had a career year and his value was never as high as it was at the trade deadline and it will only go up as the season wanes and maybe, if Byrd walks, the Rangers get a compensatory pick in the draft.

Or maybe Byrd comes back.

See, that's what all the hubbub is about currently regarding Byrd. He's finishing out a 1-year deal and he's probably going to look to get paid in the off-season. Soon, he'll be 32. This is probably his last chance at a long-term, big-cash deal.

The question is if the Rangers will pay him or another team.

Many media and fans apparently can't imagine the Rangers without Byrd and could never imagine, giving his current output, the Rangers simply letting him walk.

Don't get me wrong, Byrd is most invaluable, mostly because he's cheap. But also because he can hit anywhere in the line-up, he can play all three outfield positions, and he'll club a big hit here or there.

However, is he in the future plans of the Rangers? Should he be.

Let's be frank: Byrd is putting up a career year in a contract year. If Vicente Padilla was out there tossing shutout complete games in his contract year, we'd be pissed off royally to see a guy underperform only to show up when there's money to be made.

Byrd's kinda doing the same thing. The only difference was that he wasn't making any money to begin with.

Remember, Byrd is a guy who underwhelmed the baseball word since 2002. He'd never played more than 130 games, had more than 500 at-bats, 10 home runs, 70 RBI. He's a career .279 hitting with a paltry .340 OBP.

The guy was pretty spare. The Rangers took a chance and turned him into an everyday player.

Is this a guy you would throw three years at? Is he a guy you pay $10 million a year for?

I don't know about everyone else, but I wouldn't. Not that I don't like spending Tom Hicks' well-earned cash, but I can't see paying that much for that long for a guy that is kinda old and still kinda not all that great. He's good, but he's not Joe DiMaggio.

I take the three years and $10 million per from Milton Bradley's deal from last winter.

Bradley was 30 when he got that much from the Chicago Cubs following a career year with the Rangers were he had 22 homers, 32 doubles, a .327 average, a .436 OBP and 414 at-bats.

Byrd's older, but his power numbers could be a little better despite the lesser average. So I would fully suspect Byrd to attract $10 million per this off-season.

Again, Byrd's putting up his career numbers when it was most desirable to put up his career numbers.

For me, I stay away. If he drops a couple of million dollars over two years, I give him a good look. But the Rangers are currently knee-deep in outfielders already not getting enough time. I would hate to see Byrd taking up valuable innings and at-bats from Julio Borbon, Brandon Boggs and other (cheaper) youngsters in the Rangers farm system.

I love the Byrd-man, but between him and the future, I think the Rangers can win without him.

CD back, again

CD

Today, the announcement was made that Chris Davis is being called up again from Oklahoma City.

I really feel that the Rangers would have preferred to keep Davis in OKC a little bit longer, but I don't think Davis has played himself back into the line-up as much as Hank Blalock and Andruw Jones have played themselves out of it.

Blalock just finished a 1-11 series against the Rays. His average is down to .238. Jones has been a succubus in the line-up since June.

Davis has hit .327 in OKC with just six home runs compared to 12 doubles and a triple (clearly trying to drive the ball more). He still strikes out quite a bit (39 in 44 OKC games), but also drew 25 walks and, obviously, hit the ball way better.

The guy's going to strike out. It's just a matter of hitting more balls into play and walking a bit more. Plus, he's killing right-handed pitching at a .357 clip.

Also, there's the element of defense. Blalock's been OK, but he's nowhere near what Davis brings. Of course, Davis has been at third base for the past month and a half.

In general, this is a good thing. Davis needs to be in the Majors and next season Blalock and Jones will not be on this team. The Rangers will sink or swim with Davis. Anyway, it'd be heard for him to do any worse than what Blalock and Jones have been the last month.

No idea who Davis replaces on the 25-man.

A beaut

Scott Feldman: Dealing

I always wanted to use "beaut" in a headline or something.

"Beaut." It's not used nearly enough nowadays. I love how at some point in the English language, a generation of speakers decided that saying something was "beautiful" was far too tedious. They shortened it.

But I guess "beaut" suggests more. As in:

"Scott Feldman pitched one beaut of a game!" or

"Scott Feldman pitched a majestic game in which he was able to locate and throw all of his pitches for strikes and change speeds with regularity thus providing the Texas Rangers with a 4-0 win."

Yes, "beaut" is easier.

Two months or so ago, Jamey Newberg called Feldman the most underrated Texas Ranger in franchise history. This is probably the case. However, it's not going to be for long.

Feldman wasn't just good Sunday. The dude has never, ever pitched that good as a baseball player. The probably thought he peaked in high school. No. Sunday was the peak of his career so far, as has the entire 2009 season.

Right now, Feldman's the best pitcher the Rangers have got. Thankfully, his start came after losing two straight to the Tampa Rays and on the same day the California Angels and Boston Red Sox lost (frankly, they need to keep both teams in their sights).

All I know is that the guy is not top 5 in the American League in wins. Now, who guessed that?

Notes:
1. Loved this nugget from the Dallas Morning News: Feldman's 11 strikeouts were not only a personal best, but the most from a Rangers starter since 1999 ... clutch the pearls ... when Matt freakin' Perisho had 12.

2. Again, Matt Perisho.

3. Speaking of taking a ride in our 1999 way-back machine, Pudge Rodriguez pushed a couple of runs home. There's something to be said about the change of scenery for a professional athlete.

4. Mike Young pushed his hit streak to 10 games. He has a hit in all but three August games.

5. I realize that a heap of blame was placed at the feet of the pitching staff when the Rangers lost two straight Friday and Saturday. Maybe deservedly so. But they lost those games 5-3 and 5-4. Umm, how about the offense taking some blame as well? Folks, there hasn't been a team in the history of the league that tossed 162 shutouts. This line-up needs to wake up.

6. Darren O'Day hadn't looked that good in weeks.

7. Rangers got the error bug all of a sudden.

Forgetting the Titans

Roy Williams: Where is this interview doing right now?

I don't know how everyone else feels, but it has to be good times for the Dallas Cowboys after they whipped the Tennessee Titans 30-10 in the grand football opening of JerryWorld.

Yes, I get that it's a pre-season game. But winning is winning. No matter how you slice it. Yes, some December wins in lieu of August wins would be nice, but the Cowboys' third-string beat the Titans' third-string. Same for the first-, second- and fourth-strings.

The Cowboys, as a whole, looked anywhere from 25 to 75 percent better, depending on the squad.

Anyway, here's some thoughts:

1. Fifteen Cowboys caught passes. None were named "Isaiah Stanback" or "Miles Austin." Austin might be losing his grasp on the third receiver spot. Stanback might losing his job. Shocking the development between the two.

2. Kevin Ogletree's your fifth receiver. Maybe the kick returner.

3. I thought the second- and third-team Cowboys defense look a lot better. Quicker to ball, more active and ready.

4. Tony Romo looked exceptionally well. As did his rapport with Jason Witten and Roy Williams. Very promising.

5. Did you know the Cowboys were opening a new stadium?

6. Poor Vince Young. He looks lost. Would it have killed him essentially retire out of college, going out as one of the best "amateur" athletes in history?

7. Jon Kitna looked a ton better tonight than the first pre-season game. Stephen McGee looked good against the third stringers.

8. I dislike the Cowboys. I don't dislike watching Felix Jones run.

9. Martellus Bennett is a great football player.

10. Mike Jenkins is the other starting cornerback. Might as well get used to the idea because Orlando Scandrick isn't coming out of the slot.

11. Guys that caught my attention: Ogletree, Keon Lattimore, Steve Octavien and Jason Williams.

12. Thirteen penalties is simply unforgivable.

13. Some of those penalties came on the special teams, which looks absolutely awful.

Evaluating another pre-season game

Hurd is the word

Pre-season game No. 2 is tonight for the Dallas Cowboys.

A pretty momentous occasion since it's the first real football game at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium.

Still, decisions need to be made, and we should find some answers out tonight. Maybe.

Here's what to look for, in my opinion:

JerryWorld
It's interesting for several reasons. First, it's fun to see how the stadium looks on TV. Two, how much will the local broadcast play up the new stadium? It'll be sickening. Also, it will be interesting to see how much of a home-field advantage it will provide. Funnily enough, we always say how the simple, small Reunion Arena had such a great atmosphere. Since, Dallas teams have proceeded to build two sporting arenas that are so big and gaudy that they provide zero home-field/court rowdiness. Let's see how loud it gets tonight.

Isaiah Stanback
No other Cowboy needs a bigger game.

Young, Inside Linebackers
Victor Butler, Brian Williams and Co. had an awful start to their professional careers. To the point that everyone talked about it. They need to get better, quickly.

Secondary
It needs straightened out. A lot of names and draft picks back there. Somebody ain't making this team and it could be some pretty/formidable names. Pat Watkins could use a couple of passes defensed.

Sam Hurd-Miles Austin Battle Royale
Hurd took round 1. Austin probably still has the inside track to the third receiver spot due to his speed, but another 7-catch game for Hurd and we might be re-thinking things.

Minor Threat VI

Mark Sanchez does stuff to this

Our semi-, sometimes weekly jaunt through the Texas Rangers farm system.

Oklahoma City RedHawks
Five days after tossing a no hitter, Luis Mendoza allowed 12 hits in just over four innings.

Here we go again: Pedro Strop is back with OKC after righting the boat a little in Frisco.

Josh Rupe is a reliever. Again.

Extremely disappointing year for Max Ramirez, who's back after a month and a half on the injured list.

Justin Smoak's figuring it out: .364 with 9 walks and 7 strikeouts in his last 10.

Frisco RoughRiders
Zach Phillips is finding a bit more resistance in the Texas League (.235, 17 walks), but he's still allowing less than a hit an inning and striking out one per frame. Still, one home run allowed in 69 innings this season.

Opponents are hitting .228 against Kasey Kiker. I predict we see him in Arlington next season.

Before going down with injury, Manny Pina had four straight games with two hits including four doubles and no strikeouts.

Elio Sarmiento, 26, has come up to fill in for Pina. He's hitting .344 in Bakersfield with 19 walks and 35 strikeouts.

Jonathan Greene is up with Frisco after hitting 20 homers and 27 doubles in Bakersfield. He also totaled 124 strikeouts in 109 games.

Chad Tracy is hitting .429 with five home runs and 11 RBI in his last 10. What do you do with the logjam of Tracy, Justin Smoak, Mitch Moreland and Chris Davis at first base/outfield?

Bakersfield Blaze
Dick Bleier allowed 25 earned runs in July. In three August starts, he's allowed four. Including three walks.

Tim Murphy's stats are mesmerizing. Still bad. But mesmerizing: 111 IP - 154 hits - 100 runs.

Tanner Roark is 8-1 overall this season including wins in five of his last six and three straight.

In 99 professional innings, Tyler Tufts -- now with Bakersfield -- has allowed 16 walks.

In two Bakersfield games since his call up, Erik Morrison is hitting .571.

Mike Bianucci has 16 RBI and six homers in his last 10.

David Paisano -- the third member to move up to Bakersfield -- is hitting .289 with comparable if not better numbers than Hickory.

Hickory Crawdads
In 87 professional innings for Cody Eppley: 5 homers - 11 walks - 101 K.

Last 10 games for Wilmer Font: 4-1 - 1.93 ERA - 10 ER - 42 strikeouts.

Vinnie DiFazio jumped to Hickory after collecting a .414 OBP in Spokane. He was drafted in the 12th round this year.

Eric Fry's picked it up recently. Sporting a .333 average in his last 10.

Cody Podraza has 13 hits in his last six games. He's been to Spokane, Bakersfield and, now, Hickory and performed admirably at all three levels.

Cristian Santana is killing pitching. Twelve his in his last seven including four straight with homers.

Spokane Indians
Matt Thompson has 13 K and no walks in his last three starts.

2009 eighth rounder Braden Tullis has allowed one run or less in nine of his last 10 games.

2009 fouth rounder Andy Doyle sports a 2.00 ERA and 24 K in 18 IP.

Jason Ogata is hitting .405 in 126 at-bats.

Jared Prince is showing some patience: 21 walks, 20 strikeouts.

Arizona Rangers
Third rounder Robert Erlin struck out the side in his one and only inning of professional ball.

Tomas Telis is hitting .450 in his last 10, .321 for the season.

The AFC South

The NFL needs more live mascots

There's a good chance that the AFC South is the best division in the NFL. You might have multiple 10-game winners. The Jags are maybe the best worst team in the league.

You've got three of the best running backs in the league, arguably the best quarterback and maybe on of the best franchises of the past decade considering Indy's affluence since the late 1990s.

Plus, there's reasons to watch. Mo Drew-Jones is fun. The Indy offense and Titan defense are two of the best squads in the NFL since 2000. Plus, the Texans have too much young talent to ignore. Love this division. Chances are, all of my predictions could all fall through.

Indianapolis Colts -- 12-4
Did you realize the Colts ended 2008 with a 9-game win streak. Yipes. All without having a very good running game at all and without Peyton Manning throwing for 600 yards a game. The Colts have to run the ball. They just have to. I think their sked is pretty favorable. I can see them back on top of the division.

Tennessee Titans -- 11-5
Titans are a tough team. Mostly due to the defense. Also, those two running backs are pretty good. Punishing, really. However, the Titans are a tough nut to crack. I'm a huge Jeff Fisher fan, but I don't care much for Vince Young or Kerry Collins. Is Albert Haynesworth MVP enough to sink this team by his absence? Tough roadies at New England, Indy, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh and Seattle. I don't like this pick at all.

Houston Texans -- 9-7
It's tough giving the Texans just nine wins. They went defense with five of their seven draft picks, deepening an already solid squad. They've got a very favorable sked. Steve Slaton's a stud, their pass catchers are pretty salty. All Matt Schaub needs to do is improve by 15 percent and stay healthy and they might get double-digit wins. Might. Watch out. Or not. They could very easily fall on their face year and never recover.

Jacksonville Jaguars -- 4-12
I like Maurice Jones-Drew, but I don't think he's an every down back. Plus, he's their second0leading receiver, which is never really good. No pass catchers, the team might be tuning out Jack Del Rio and they're in a division with Indy and Tennessee. Heads will roll.

Past Predictions
AFC North
AFC East

Seven-Twin split

Dutch oven

A friend of mine and myself debated several weeks ago about the nature of the "ace" in baseball.

I think an ace is a starter that eats innings, strikes out a lot of opponents, has decent stats and gives your team an 80+ percent chance of winning your game when you take the rosen bag.

He thought an ace was much more. Shinier stats, big-time strikeouts and ERA.

I see his point, however. Our point of contention was the Atlanta Braves' Javy Lopez. He gives you 200 innings and 200 strikeouts a year. Typically the wins and ERA come around. Sometimes not. But if I'm a Brave infielder or reliever, I can assume with pretty good accuracy that Lopez will go seven or eight innings and either grab the win or keep my team really close.

Derek Holland may be figuring out what an ace does. He won his third straight last night -- 11-1 to split the 4-game Twins series. However, I think it's really noteworthy that the last three wins have come after losses. The 5.2 IP - 7 hit - 1 run - 0 walk - 3 K performance last night ended a 2-game skid. A huge win considering the California Angels lost and the Boston Red Sox won.

Holland sits at 102 innings and a 7-7 record and his ERA is falling faster than a bridge jumper. For the record, Holland is three wins away from setting the Rangers rookie record for wins by a lefty. Set by Matt Harrison. In 2008.

He's no ace yet. But Holland is something special. He's someone I don't mind seeing on the mound when the Rangers need a big win. The experience these guys are getting this season is invaluable.

Notes:
1. I think Nellie Cruz is a huge part of this offense. Good to see his big bat back in the line-up.

2. For two straight games, the Rangers built a marginally big lead only to lose it (and both games) due to big innings, mostly because manager Ron Washington rolled with his starter too long. You can always teach an old school brother new tricks. In the sixth inning, Holland loaded the bases. Washington's reaction with one out? Bring in Neftali Feliz who promptly induced a double play groundball. Great move, skipper.

3. I can't remember a Rangers rookie making his MLB-debut look so easy as Julio Borbon is doing. Hit his first homer and second double in the Show.

4. Since striking out four times Aug. 9, Borbon's struck out three times in five games.

5. Mike Young's started another 8-game hit streak. He hit his first double since Aug. 7.

6. The Twins are Rangers kryptonite. They play really good baseball. A couple of injuries and years go a different way and they're regarded different in the game.

7. I'd have Joe Mauer any day. Simply a fantastic ball player.

A really big show

The beast

Dallas Morning News Cowboys beat writer Todd Archer brings it just about every time. Today, he points out the five areas of concern for the Cowboys as the season creeps ever nearer. Good, good stuff.

****
Then poor Eric Aasen has to do the story about the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders' opinions about the new stadium.

****
Last night, the new JerryWorld hosted a former Beatle, former Wing Paul McCartney.

First off, it presented probably the biggest traffic test for the area to date as McCartney's crowds gathered so did about 35,000+ to the Texas Rangers game featuring the gallant return of Pudge Rodriguez.

Apparently, there were no major issues with traffic.

However, there's bigger fish to fry here. The new stadium opened up June 6 for George Strait and Co. Since, they've featured the Jonas Brothers, McCartney and at least two well-attended soccer games.

No telling how much money they've already pumped into the local economy already.

And a stinking football game hasn't even been played their yet.

Dallas will rue (if it doesn't already) not getting that stadium.

Depth Chart: Cornerback

Newman!

As part of the undying blog coverage Uwe Blog holds true, we'll go through the Dallas Cowboys roster and identify where they suck the most.

By far, the most interesting part of this Dallas Cowboys season is going to be the cornerback position.

You just don't let Anthony Henry and Pacman Jones walk and expect not to have people notice.

This is a big deal. It's a ton of faith in two second- and third-year guys and even some rookies.

Can these jokers cover? Can they stay healthy?

Terence Newman
If he's healthy for an entire season, it'll be a miracle. Not like he's taking a ton of punishment out there. Furthermore, did you realize that his career-high in interceptions is four? Four? And I don't want to hear the "They don't throw his way!" argument because they throw at him plenty and often he's too busy pointing fingers to make a play.

Orlando Scandrick
I'm not in San Antonio and haven't been this entire training camp. However, I firmly believe in the "where there's smoke, there's fire" maxim. I find it hard to believe that everyone can tout Scandrick as being better than Mike Jenkins and it not be true. He's one guy I'm very interested in watching.

Mike Jenkins
No one will forget his "non-tackle" from last season. He has a lot to prove this season.

Alan Ball
Was consistently lauded following last week's pre-season game against Oakland. Did make a number of plays. I firmly believe he'll break camp as the fourth cornerback ... and that may not be such a bad thing. I think you could pay a lot more to do a lot worse.

Mike Mickens
The Cowboys set to address their secondary during the draft by taking half of the Cincinnati bearcat defensive backfield. I bet Mickens makes the team. Hopefully for them, they won't see a lot of him except on special teams.

Depth Charts
Defensive Line
Quarterback
Safety

The refreshingness of Martellus Bennett

I love Cap'n Crunch too, Marty B

"Are we still taking blocking tight ends this early?"

I wrote that on Monday, April 28, 2008, two days after the Dallas Cowboys drafted Texas A&M tight end Martellus Bennett 66th in the NFL Draft.

To my credit, it's not like everyone else was jumping on Bennett when he was taken. Two, I was in love with about a half dozen receivers in that draft (mostly James Hardy, Malcolm Kelly, DeSean Jackson) and I felt the Cowboys could've grabbed one pretty easily.

Little did I know the power and magic of Martellus Bennett. And how I wouldn't trade him for any of those receivers (eh, well, maybe Jackson).

Granted, it's not like Bennett's leading this team in receiving. Hell, he's not even the starter. However, it's pretty clear he's beyond a "blocking tight end" as I referred to him.

Bennett is a character. Bennett more than any other athlete in Dallas-Fort Worth realizes that he's a grown-up kid playing a boy's game for an obscene amount of money. He doesn't take himself too seriously.

Last season during HBO's "Hard Knocks" many of us were ready to run this dude out of town after apparently snickering at a coach and not tucking in his jersey. In the end, the film was probably edited poorly to make him look bad and what's the big deal about an untucked jersey anyway?

Now, I stop down anything I see a Bennett quote, a YouTube video or a TV-radio interview.

He's a yang to the sports ying in Dallas. He's a good guy that probably isn't playing around with big guns or messing with anything insane like hardcore drugs or prostitutes. Does the guy know how to party? Yes. But he also knows there isn't any Jerry Jones money or iPhone money without the weekly paycheck. He gets it.

We make fun of the Jerry Jones money/iPhone money rap, but I think it's a realization and admission on his own part that he knows who puts food on the table and far be it from him to dick around with a lot of junk that could get him in trouble.

Yes, I'm sure the Cowboys would love him to chill on the videos. Maybe he doesn't have a career in the hip-hop realm. But it doesn't mean he's not enjoyable.

He's having fun. Why aren't we?

Rangers need to nut up

Chocolate Ichiro with style

I'm tired of all this bellyaching about how hot it is and how the dog days of summer are upon us and that's why the Texas Rangers can't hold a goddamn lead.

That's bullshit. You don't think the Boston Red Sox, California Angels and every other halfways decent team in professional sports hasn't had its fair share of tough breaks, bad weather and tired bodies.

Good teams do not let such bullshit drag them down.

All of this whining is going to come to a head real soon when the Rangers head out of town. There, they will find no 100 degree nights. All excuses are out the window. They're good, they'll win. If they're not, it'll show.

Furthermore, I'd like to contend that pitching isn't the issue. It's the hitting.

Yes, it'd be great if Rangers pitching hurled no hitters every night, but the fact is, every pitcher gives up 4-0 leads. It's happens all the time. The rub is, how does the line-up react.

The last three games, the Rangers offense has eked out two runs from the sixth inning on. The line:

10-43 - 7 BB - 9 K - 2 hit into double plays.

It's not like the offense isn't getting guys on base, they're just not getting timely hits to push runners across and tie the score or take a lead.

Again, the problems with the last two games isn't as much the pitching as it is the hitting.

Did the Rangers overpay for Pudge?

I think everyone in Texas Ranger fandom is pretty pleased at having Ivan Rodriguez back in the fold for a playoff run.

It's good times. Takes us back. Of course, "syndrome" is the operative word when thinking about the "good ol' days." There's typically not a good denotation of the word "syndrome."

However, if Jarrod Saltalamacchia is indeed out for the year, the Rangers could have done a lot worse in addressing the back-up catcher situation. If he plays solid defense, hits .250 and maybe adds some veteran, Omar Vizquel-like experience to the clubhouse, then it'd be hard to consider the deal not good.

Until you consider what the Rangers gave up.

Don't get me wrong, upon first glance, giving up second baseman Jose Vallejo and righty reliever Matt Neverez does not look awful.

Vallejo is a speedy, good defensive middle infielder, who can hit for average. His power and average fell off during his tenure at Triple A, but solid Double A numbers in 2008 (11 homers, 29 doubles) shows he has definite promise. But by no means is he a sure-fire everyday player in the majors. Furthermore, he'd never leap over Joaquin Arias or Ian Kinsler at second and Marcus Lemon is doing well at Double A this season. The Rangers have second basemen.

Neverez has been pretty good in low-A Hickory sporting a 2.83 ERA, just one home run and more than a strikeout an inning. He's a big (6-5, 220 pounds) hard-throwing righty that appears to have his control issues under wraps.

Unfortunately, Neverez was drafted in 2005, and he's eligible for the upcoming Rule 5 draft in the winter.

So, two players who are nice, but extremely expendable for the Rangers.

The kicker is this: Did the Rangers overpay for an old catcher, who has very little left and totes around an awful on any level .280 on-base percentage?

Could Neverez and Vallejo had been used more efficiently and effectively in other trades as sweetners?

Also, if the Rangers happen to make the players, they own the Astros another prospect. It's not going to be Martin Perez or Wilmer Font, but does that matter.

Why are the Rangers potentially sending three solid prospects for Pudge when the Cardinals gave up a solid starting prospect and a so-so reliever for Mark DeRosa, who is 100 times the player Pudge is right now?

It's not a huge, franchise-altering trade no matter how Vallejo or Neverez work out in Houston (who is dying for prospects right now). We may not think twice about it? But, nevertheless, the Rangers overpaid mightily.

Rangers are cheapskates

Is probably already getting laid at TCU

Yesterday, I opined about the Texas Rangers inability to sign first-round pick Matt Purke, who, instead, decided to chase tail at TCU rather than ride around on buses in Hickory, North Carolina.

The issue with me wasn't with Purke not getting signed, but being drafted in the first place when everyone on Earth knew it would take around $6 million to sign the guy.

Baseball America has a new chart showing how much each MLB team spent on picks from the top 10 rounds. Not shockingly, the Rangers come off looking very poor.

The Rangers are tied for last in signing only seven picks (Purke, Jabari Blash and Thomas Lemke all didn't sign).

Furthermore, the Rangers were second to last in spending having only doled out $1.9 million on their seven picks.

Now, you'd have to assume that if you signed the least amount of picks you would have spent the least amount of money. True. The Mets are last in spending and, too, signed only seven picks.

However, the Houston Astros signed all 11 of their 1-10 round picks for only a total of $3.4 million. The Chicago Cubs spent $3.2 million on 10 of their 10 picks. The Philadelphia Phillies spent $2.7 million in signing all nine of their picks.

I get that the Rangers in narrow financial straits right now, but they let their No. 1 pick, a guy that was slated to fly through the minors walk over about $2 million if the $4 million offer is true. But the Rangers are not in that bad of shape compared to teams like the Astros, Nationals, Athletics, Padres and Royals, who all spent significantly more this draft class.

Again, I have no problem with Purke necessarily moving on to college. However, issue must be taken up with the Rangers for picking him in the first place when it appears you had no real interest in signing the kid in the first place.

Pudge

Kind of a gay photo

He's back. The Texas Rangers aptly addressed their catcher situation by acquiring Ivan Rodriguez from the Houston Astros for two "mid-tier" prospects. No word on who that is.

Like the ol' grey mare, Pudge ain't what he used to be. Despite a really nice 2007, he's fallen off the last two seasons hitting .251 with eight homers and a .280 OBP for the Astros. I'm sure they're glad to get something for him. I would suggest he'd be a major upgrade over Kevin Richardson.

Most notably, this should serve notice as to the extent of Jarrod Saltalamacchia's hand injury. First it was super serious, then it wasn't and they hoped he be back in two weeks. OK, so if he's back in late-August, what do you do with Pudge, Taylor Teagarden and then Salty?

To me, they're admitting that Salty's worse off than first thought or else they'd trudge along with Richardson some more.

TCU has a new baseball player

The Texas Rangers failed to sign their No. 1 pick in the 2009 draft, Matt Purke.

The Klein High School product will, instead, go to TCU.

Apparently, the "easy sign" turned out to be a pretty tough pickle wanting Rick Porcello money (about $6 million signing bonus) and turned down $4 million from the Rangers. He apparently also wanted a spot on the 40-man roster, which is no big deal if you think he can cruise through the minors.

It's unclear as to what exactly happened. Did the Rangers fail to sign him or did he simply decide to go to college? It feels like the former. To me, that's silly. I realize the Rangers are cash-strapped, but we're not talking $10 million here. Also, you knew what he wanted when you drafted him. Everyone knew. It was no secret he wanted big money in order to forego college. Why you wouldn't pony up the cash seems really, really odd.

Then again, if you're the Rangers, do you feel any pressure with a top-ranked farm system and a bevy of prospects blistering through the system to overpay for a kid straight out of high school that may need more time in the minors than he or anyone else would like to admit?

Way I figure it, you knew who you were getting in bed with, so why not put out?

So, we look towards next year. The Rangers have until next June to sign supplemental pick Tanner Scheppers (I do think they need to get him done) and they get an extra first rounder in the June 2010 draft due to not getting Purke.

According to Anthony Andro, the Rangers signed 25 of their 51 picks. My count has 24, but Andro is smarter than me so we'll go with his number.

Twin killing

Air

It was a hell of a lot closer than it should have been, but the Texas Rangers' early offense held true in a 8-5 win over the Minnesota Twins last night.

Tommy Hunter wasn't very good, but good enough for his sixth win of the year. Neftali Feliz didn't strike anyone out, but still got four outs. The offense didn't hit a homer and garnered a mere three extra-base hits, but thanks to three RBI singles, two sac flies and a hit batsman with the bases loaded they squeaked out eight runs.

Basically, the Rangers won their 67th game by doing none of the things that have signalled success this season.

And, thusly, the Rangers have been successful.

Notes:
1. A full game up in the wild card.

2. At 40-22, the Rangers are only the second team to get 40 wins at home (New York Yankees being the other).

3. With the win, the Rangers are above .500 against every American League division.

4. Since coming off the DL, Ian Kinsler's doing this: 5-9 - 4 runs - 2 homers - 1 strikeout.

5. Since Friday night, Frank Francisco's doing this: 2 IP - 0 hits - 0 runs - 0 walks - 4 K.

6. Remember when Frankie Liriano was the future of the Twins' franchise?

7. Josh Hamilton's average has jumped 47 points since Aug. 2.

Keys to the Season: Pat Crayton

Patrick Crayton

With the depature of Terrell Owens, fans and media surrounding the Dallas Cowboys tend to put all the pressure on No. 1 receiver Roy Williams and the No. 3 receiver, either Sam Hurd or Miles Austin.

I think attention is being unfairly and unwisely diverted from the real issue when it comes to the Cowboys' passing offense: The No. 2 receiver.

That would be -- by default -- Pat Crayton.

Crayton, in fact, has been quite a find for the Cowboys. He went to high school in DeSoto and was taken in the seventh round out of Northwestern Oklahoma State. Crayton, considering everything, has completely overachieved as an NFL pro and it's halfways unfair to place such a burden on a guy who has become, arguablyt, the greatest seventh round pick in the history of the franchise.

Unfortunately, with promotion comes great responsibility. Just because you're the seventh rounder from Pit Stain University doesn't mean you get to underperform if you're going to be paid No. 2 receiver money.

Crayton peaked in 2007 when he caught 50 passes for 697 yards and seven touchdowns. His season ended with him dropping a catch in the New York Giants playoff game. He really hasn't been the same since.

His numbers dropped in 2008 with 39 catches and just 550 yards. That's good for a No. 3 receiver, not a No. 2.

Now, you might state that Crayton is not the No. 2 receiver. Arguably, Jason Witten is the No. 1 or if you have to put Williams at No. 1, Witten falls to No. 2.

Indeed, Witten's a most valuable weapon and his rapport with quarterback Tony Romo has made his value skyrocket outside of Jerry Jones' retractable roof.

Witten, however, is no game breaker. Most tight ends aren't. Neither is Crayton, something often No. 2 receivers are. At best, Crayton is a No. 3 receiver (someone who can get open, catch and move the chains) who's portraying a No. 2 receiver. Add in the fact that Williams may not even be a good No. 1 receiver, then the Cowboys have problems. Essentially you have have a No. 1 who's a No. 2, a No. 2 who's a No. 3 and a No. 3 who's a No. 4 or 5. Yikes.

Therefore, the key to the Cowboys completing passes isn't Williams, Austin or Hurd. It's Crayton.

The guy needs to play above his head again. I don't think it's unfair to slate him for 65+ catches and 750 yards. If Crayton ekes a season up to that standard, the Cowboys should be in a pretty good place.

If not, then good luck getting three defenders off of Witten.

Past Keys to the Season
Injuries
'But Can They Cover?'
Runnin' The Ball

Turning Japanese or turning pro

Today is the deadline for MLB teams to sign their draft picks from the June affair.

Except for Tanner Scheppers. The Texas Rangers picked Scheppers as their supplemental pick in June. However, due to the fact that Scheppers was chosen last year and didn't sign and subsequently played independent league baseball, he is not subjected to the regular rules per signing with a team. Therefore, the Rangers have a lot more time to ink Scheppers. Plus, I'm sure the Rangers have bigger fish to fry with Matt Purke and others who still aren't sign who are a slave to the Aug. 17 deadline.

Most recently, Scheppers and his crew put out the line that he was considering bypassing the Rangers and the Major Leagues to play in Japan. Clearly, Scheppers is extremely confident in his ability to have success in the Majors or else he wouldn't be grandstanding.

And don't misunderstand: This is grandstanding. Scheppers wants to get paid just like any other pick and the instead of using a university to hold a team over the barrell, he's turning Japanese.

Well, good luck with all that. This would be his second straight draft to spurn a team and his value is plumetting. He was a top 10 pick last year and he slipped past the first round this year. Plus, there's ugly rumors that Scheppers needs shoulder surgery. Whether these are true or not (where there's smoke, there's fire), Scheppers should jump on the Rangers offer, if there is one.

Furthermore, why would any prep phenom even consider dissing the Rangers? They're a pitching-hungry organization with their franchise arrow pointing way up. Plus, they're a franchise that challenges and pushes their prospects through the system (see: Martin Perez, Derek Holland, Tommy Hunter, Neftali Feliz, Blake Beavan). If Scheppers is half the pitcher he thinks he is, he'll be in the Majors by next year.

Right now, Scheppers is playing with fire. The last thing he needs to do is go to Japan. He needs to pitch to legit professional players in a legit professional baseball league. Not to former MLB hacks in Tokyo or the Carl Everett All Stars in the indie leagues.

Watching golf

My weekend included a lot of Europeans and sand

I did something Saturday and Sunday that I hadn't done in a really long time: Watched extended amounts of professional golf.

I like golf, but most weeks I find it boring. I do like Tiger Woods, but I don't need him to win every week to enjoy the game. However, it'd be nice to have a cadre of guys just below Tiger that won with some consistency.

The PGA broadcast force fed us Walter Hagen. Apparently Woods would've tied Hagen and Jack Nicklaus for the number of PGA Championship wins had he caught up to Y.E. Yang on Sunday. Hagen won eight total majors and had 45 career PGA wins.

Looking at today's golfers, 45 career wins seems amazing and mind-blowingly out of this world. Especially considering that Yang had no PGA wins (well, one now), Lucas Glover has two, Paddy Harrington has five and Phil Mickelson has 43. None of these guys will not catch Hagen including Mickelson.

I guess I want some guys to be able to roll into a season and win three or four times. Maybe that's too much to ask considering the rate that guys play tournaments and the amount of competition. And, frankly, there's little the PGA can do about this, but hope. Or maybe they just care about Woods.

Anyway, I wanted to comment on how much of a joy it is to watch professional golf nowadays on the TV. The graphics, information and data they are able to get in between shots is really interesting and makes the broadcast go a lot smoother.

Also, there isn't a sport that has evolved as much as golf in relation to their shots they get of the actual golf.

The slow-mo putt shot as the ball inches to the hole and either lips out or sinks in is probably the best 30 seconds of TV I've experienced in a really long time.

It's great seeing the commentators view a slow-mo version of a player's swing telling the viewer what is right or wrong with a shot. They'll even station a camera on the tee or ball as the player strikes with awesome clarity (no sports has benefitted from HD more than golf) as the player strikes even and true or catches a pound of sod. The PGA broadcast aims to make me smarter at golf, and that's its purpose.

My other favorite shot is actually from Snooper II, the MetLife blimp. This is especially true on drives where they show the ball shooting through space and distance and giving the viewer a great perspective of how far and long the ball was shot and where exactly the next shot will take place in its relation to hazards, the rough or the fairway.

Anyway, I had about eight hours of golf all weekend and I enjoyed every second of it.