Category Archives: Texas Rangers

Durham Bulls, Houston Astros, Major League Baseball, Texas Rangers

Astros and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Game

August 21, 2013 Ryan Anderson

My affinity for the movie Bull Durham is well known.

In fact, I have been known to quote the movie quite frequently as there seem to be quotes that fit almost any occasion in life.

So while I was watching Monday night’s debacle of a game between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers there were many Bull Durham lines that came to mind as the Double-A talent level Astros players with the big hearts and limited talent fell victim to the much more talented and much more Major League Baseball level Texas Rangers.

Bull Durham is one of my favorite movies. The Houston Astros are spending the season reenacting many of the scenes from the movie, and not in the good way. Photo R. Anderson — Bull Durham is one of my favorite movies. The Houston Astros are spending the season reenacting many of the scenes from the movie, and not in the good way.
Photo R. Anderson

One line from Bull Durham that kept coming to mind as I watched the wheels fall off for the Astros once again was, “You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you?”

And of course anyone who has seen the movie knows that the answer is lollygaggers.

The Astros have found ways to make a very simple game of throw and catch anything but simple the past few seasons as they lollygag through their games. Of course this year they look like doctoral students in the study of ways to lollygag during ballgames.

Quite frankly, each game tends to lead itself to even more absurd ways to lose. Balls falling between three outfielders? Check. An overworked staff of pitchers giving up more leads than a reporter on deadline? Check.

The list goes on and on with the creative ways that the Astros have found to lose this year. But Monday night seemed to find new levels on the losing scale.

In addition to the game reminding me of some scenes from Bull Durham, it also harkened back to some bedtime stories that my mom used to read to me.

One of those books in particular came to mind Monday night as I was watching the Astros go through yet another epic fail. That book was Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, which was written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Ray Cruz.

In the book, as the title suggests, Alexander has a bad day.

The way the Astros' season has gone I wouldn't be surprised if the song Bad Day is on a constant loop in the clubhouse. Photo R. Anderson — The way the Astros’ season has gone I wouldn’t be surprised if the song Bad Day is on a constant loop in the clubhouse.
Photo R. Anderson

The book came out in 1972 which was long before the days immortalized in Daniel Powter’s one hit wonder song Bad Day.

So, for the more musically minded readers one can replace the imagery of the printed page with the melodies of song if they wish.

Whichever way works the fact remains the Astros had a very bad day, err night Monday.

As part of the bad night the Astros gave up 11 runs in the third inning with all nine Rangers players in the batting order scoring at least one run during the third inning scoring marathon.

Then in the fourth inning the Astros lost their catcher to concussion like symptoms. Normally when that occurs the backup catcher is rushed into the game since most squads carry two catchers on the active roster for situations like this.

Of course when you are using your other catcher as the designated hitter, as the Astros were doing, a little rule goes into effect where they cannot go behind the plate without a team being forced to use a pitcher at DH to replace them.

So with the options limited at catcher, the Astros turned to their emergency catcher, Jake Elmore. It is not like Elmore had never caught before. The announcers on the broadcast were very quick to point out that Elmore once caught an inning in a Double-A game in Mobile, Alabama a few years back.

To his credit, Elmore did a good job behind the plate. Of course he was helped by the fact that the Rangers were not trying to steal any bases with such a sizable lead.

At least the hats are sharp for the Astros to make up for some of the less than sharp play on the field. Photo R. Anderson — At least the hats are sharp for the Astros to make up for some of the less than sharp play on the field.
Photo R. Anderson

The night for Elmore got even weirder in the eighth inning when he was called upon to pitch since it was determined that with the game so out of reach the Astros would just give the rest of the bullpen the night off.

Elmore needed only 11 pitches to get three outs and proved to be the most productive pitcher of the night for the Astros. Not bad for a guy making his Major League debut as both a pitcher and a catcher.

While there have certainly been games where infielders have been called on to pitch these are usually extra-inning games when the bullpens have been completely depleted. Elmore became only the 14^th person to be both a catcher and pitcher in the same game.

The Astros keep preaching rebuilding and patience but when they decide to completely rest an ineffective bullpen in favor of an infielder who has never pitched in a Major League Game and he makes it look easier to get batters out than the bulk of the full time pitchers, there is definitely something horribly wrong and will certainly test the patience of Job.

So, it is likely that there will be many more terrible, horrible, no good, very bad games for the Astros this year. And the trend will likely continue for several years to come. There is no quick fix for a team that does not want to spend money on talented players.

Of course, there are players like Jake Elmore that have the talent and the heart to be Major League ballplayers for the Astros they just aren’t being given the supporting cast to be successful and are left feeling like they woke up with gum in their hair day after day after day.

Now if you’ll excuse me, there is a certain book from my childhood that I think I will pull off of the shelf and read.

Houston Astros, Major League Baseball, Texas Rangers

Pudge Takes His Place Among Texas Ranger Greats

July 22, 2013 Ryan Anderson

This past Saturday in Arlington, Texas, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriquez became the 16th person to be inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony occurred prior to the Rangers and the Orioles taking the field. And while the game itself clearly belonged to the Orioles, the pregame ceremony was about honoring Pudge for his time as a Ranger.

During a 21-year career that started in 1991 when he was only 19-years-old, Pudge was voted to the All-Star game 14 times. He was named the 1999 American League MVP and earned seven Silver Slugger Awards with six of those coming during his 13-year tenure with the Rangers.

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez became the 16th person inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame Saturday before the Rangers versus Orioles game. Photo R. Anderson — Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez became the 16th person inducted into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame Saturday before the Rangers versus Orioles game.
Photo R. Anderson

While the bulk of Pudge’s career was spent in a Rangers’ uniform he played for the Marlins, Tigers, Yankees, Astros and Nationals before retiring at the start of the 2012 season.

While Saturday night was all about honoring his years with the Rangers, I tend to remember Pudge more as a member of the 2003 World Champion Florida Marlins squad as well as a member of the Astros in 2009.

It was during his brief time with the Astros that Pudge broke the record for most games caught. Fittingly enough Rodriguez surpassed Carlton Fisk’s record of 2,226 games caught during a game against the Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington allowing the Rangers’ fans to take part in Pudge’s record setting evening.

Shortly after breaking the record the Astros traded Pudge to the Rangers for the remainder of the 2009 season. The 2010 and 2011 seasons were spent with the Washington Nationals and Pudge ended his career with a major league record of 2,427 games behind the plate. It is doubtful that his record will ever be broken.

I have little doubt that Pudge could have kept playing. The fact that a team did not add him to their roster in 2012 is definitely a travesty in my mind. But baseball is a business and even the best players do not get a farewell tour. Of course the season long tributes that Chipper Jones and Mariano Rivera received are certainly the exception more than the rule.

While Pudge was known for having a rocket launcher of an arm and an ability to pick runners off at ease, he was also no slouch at the plate as a hitter.

Pudge was known as much for his play at the plate as behind it and leads the Rangers in many offensive and defensive categories. Photo R. Anderson — Pudge was known as much for his play at the plate as behind it and leads the Rangers in many offensive and defensive categories.
Photo R. Anderson

In 1,507 career games with the Rangers, Rodriguez hit .304 with 217 home runs with 842 RBIs.

He is second in club history in hits (1,747), doubles (352) and multi-hit games (490). Rodriquez also leads several categories across all of baseball for a catcher.

I was fortunate enough to see Pudge play on several occasions late in his career. I was definitely one of the people who thought that the Astros should have kept him around a little longer to help mold their pitching staff.

When none other than Hall of Famer, and Texas legend, Nolan Ryan calls Pudge the best catcher ever, one would think that people would listen. And Nolan would know a little bit about catchers and Pudge in particular.

During Pudge’s second game as a Major League ballplayer in 1991 he caught Nolan Ryan. Now 22 years later, Pudge works as a special assistant to Ryan to assist the Rangers in several areas, including international scouting, player instruction on the major and minor league levels and talent evaluation. He also represents the team in community and marketing endeavors.

I last saw Pudge play in 2009 after he was traded back to the Rangers.

Ironically enough while Pudge was suiting up for the Rangers in a game against Tampa Bay, about four hours to the south the Astros were celebrating Pudge bobblehead day. I guess once you order the bobbleheads you still need to hand them out even if the player has moved on.

I went to some Spring Training games for the Washington Nationals in 2010 and 2011 but sadly Pudge did not play in any of those games.

Three years from now Pudge will become eligible for the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and his career numbers should make him a shoo-in for induction on his first year of eligibility.

From everything I can tell Pudge played the game the way it should be played. Hopefully that will earn him a trip to Cooperstown to take his rightful place among the other Hall of Famers.

There is little doubt that when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame he will go in as a Ranger and that should certainly make his former battery mate and current boss, Nolan Ryan, very happy.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some baseball games to watch.

Houston Astros, Major League Baseball, Texas Rangers

Knowing When to Call it a Career Doesn’t Always Come with a Singing Fat Lady For Guidance

July 10, 2013 Ryan Anderson

History is full of stories of athletes riding off into the sunset at the top of their game and as Champions.

Football has given us the image of Ray Lewis, Michael Strahan and John Elway hoisting the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl Champions before calling it a career and head into life after football.

In baseball Tony LaRussa managed the St. Louis Cardinals to a World Series title in his final game as a full-time manager.

In opera it was always known that the end of the performance was coming when the “fat lady” would come out and sing. This of course led to the expression, “It ain’t over til the fat lady sings.” Unfortunately sports careers do not always come with the benefit of a singing fat lady.

For every moment of ending on a great note there are many more of players who just don’t know when to call it a career and continue to play well past their primes.

Some of these instances are motivated by a fear of what to do in post playing days while others are driven by the urge to continue to make the kind of money that pro ballplayers make.

Two recent stories regarding players hanging on too long recently grabbed the attention of us at Triple B. So, let us study the cases of Roy Oswalt and Manny Ramirez.

Once upon a time Roy Oswalt was a dominating pitcher. Recent events have shown that time is likely passed. Photo R. Anderson — Once upon a time Roy Oswalt was a dominating pitcher. Recent events have shown that time has likely passed.
Photo R. Anderson

Roy Oswalt was once among the most dominating pitchers in baseball, and paired with Roger Clemens, he helped lead the Houston Astros to the 2005 World Series. The years since that first World Series appearance in Astros’ franchise history have not been kind to either the Astros or Oswalt.

Oswalt was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies and managed a couple of successful years before spending part of last year with the Texas Rangers.

Oswalt’s time with the Rangers could be called traumatic at best with the “Wizard of Os” getting demoted to the bullpen at one point based on his record of 4-3 with a 5.80 ERA in 17 games.

That brings us to this year. With starting pitching at some a premium and with teams competing to find the best arms available there are often risks taken by teams on former star pitchers to see if there is anything left in the tank.

This year the Colorado Rockies were the team willing to pay for Oswalt’s services. Much like the start of his Rangers tenure last year Oswalt spent a few games in the Minor Leagues after signing his contract. He dazzled in the Minors and was given a chance to get promoted to the Rockies and joined the starting rotation.

It has been déjà vu all over again though as the results have just not been there at the Major League level. Oswalt is 0-4 with a 7.64 ERA in four starts with the Rockies since signing a $2.3 million, one-year contract on May 2.

The news got even worse yesterday when it was announced that the Rockies placed him on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.

Time will tell if Oswalt will bounce back from this injury and return to form as a quality starting pitcher or if this latest injury is the fat lady quietly singing him into retirement.

It is not like he has not been one before as he was a three-time All-Star with the Astros and the 2005 NL championship series MVP. Oswalt was also a 20-game winner in 2004 and 2005.

But at age 35 it is very clear that his best days are behind him. Baseball is a young man’s game and there are plenty of young arms gunning for Oswalt’s roster spot if he can’t get the job done for the Rockies.

The road back to Major League Baseball has run through the Round Rock Express for both Roy Oswalt and Manny Ramirezz as each have hoped a stop at the Rangers' Triple-A affliate will lead them back to greatness. Photo R. Anderson — The road back to Major League Baseball has run through the Round Rock Express for both Roy Oswalt and Manny Ramirez as each have hoped a stop at the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate will lead them back to greatness.
Photo R. Anderson

The other player vying for a comeback is Manny Ramirez, 41-year-old slugger attempting a comeback with the Texas Rangers after a two-year absence from the Majors.

The Rangers signed Ramirez to a Minor League deal July 3 and he is currently on their Triple-A Round Rock Express roster.

Ramirez hasn’t played in the Majors since 2011 with Tampa Bay. After going 1-for-17 for the Rays, Ramirez announced his retirement in lieu of serving a 100-game suspension for failing a drug test.

The suspension was reduced to 50 games last season and Manny spent some time in the Oakland A’s Minor League system.

After leaving Oakland’s Sacramento affiliate, Ramirez tried his hand with the EDA Rhinos of the Chinese Professional Baseball League hitting .352 (64-for-182) with eight homers and 43 RBIs in 49 games.

Ranked No. 14 all-time with 555 career homers the Rangers are betting that there is a little left in Manny’s tank and he can be a productive hitter for them down the stretch.

While it is probably easier for older hitters to keep playing, and the designated hitter position has been filled by sluggers still going strong in their 40’s before there are certainly no guarantees that past success will lead to future success.

So Roy Oswalt and Manny Ramirez will try to go to the well as long as there is still water in it. But at some point the well will run dry and people will be left with more memories of them as broken down players as opposed to players who went out on top.

The very drive and determination that makes the elite athletes excel can also be the Achilles heel that doesn’t let them walk away when everyone except for them can clearly see that the time to heed the growing volume of the music has come.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to feed my tank some dinner.

Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Major League Baseball, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers

Tampa Bay Rays Join My Triple Double Club

July 3, 2013 Ryan Anderson

Tonight around 7:30 or so I will be at Minute Maid Park watching the Tampa Bay Rays play the Houston Astros in the third game of a four game series.

While the night will include postgame fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July, it occurs to me that it will mark another milestone as well.

While it did not occur to me at the time when I purchased my ticket, tonight’s game will mark the second time that I have seen the Rays play in Houston. Add that to two games at Tropicana Field and two games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and the Rays become the first member of my Triple Double Club.

Fresh off their first World Series appearance in 2008 I visited the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009 for a long overdue trip to Tropicana Field. Photo R. Anderson — Fresh off their first World Series appearance in 2008 I visited the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009 for a long overdue trip to Tropicana Field.
Photo R. Anderson

There have been numerous teams that I have watched come and go through Minute Maid Park through the years.

But with the exception of seeing a few of them for Spring Training games, there have not been many that I have seen in multiple Ballparks so the Rays induction in the Triple Double Club is sort of a big deal.

The fact that the event will be met with post game fireworks is sort of a happy coincidence.

Okay so the Triple Double Club may be something that only matters to me but I thought that it was pretty cool. Considering that I have only made it to four of the 30 Major League Ballparks so far the fact that I saw the same team twice at three of those ballparks is nothing to sneeze at.

I have seen the Baltimore Orioles play at three stadiums during the regular season but only once at each ballpark so they are in the Triple Single Club. Of course seeing them play in two different Ballparks over a four day period gives them bonus points. And I have seen them play in three ballparks over the years during Spring Training.

A second ballpark viewing of the Rays was added in Arlington when I saw them take on the Texas Rangers. Photo R. Anderson — A second ballpark viewing of the Rays was added in Arlington when I saw them take on the Texas Rangers.
Photo R. Anderson

The Texas Rangers are in the Double Double Club as I have watched them at both their home Ballpark and Minute Maid Park. It stands to reason that they would be a strong candidate to join the Triple Double Club as all it would take was a trip to an additional ballpark when they were in town to get them there.

The Toronto Blue Jays make it into the Double Single Club as I have seen them play at both Tropicana Field and Minute Maid Park.

The Houston Astros are the team I have watched the most due to the close proximity between my house and the Minute Maid Park. I have probably seen close to 100 games at Minute Maid Park over the past decade but ironically I have never seen them play a regular season game at any other Ballpark.

I’ve made numerous trips to Florida to see the Astros play in Spring Training games but during the regular season it seems that the desire to see them play far from home just doesn’t exist. In that way the Astros closeness is both a blessing and a curse.

Minute Maid Park became the third ballpark to watch the Rays in when I saw them take on the Houston Astros in 2011. Photo R. Anderson — Minute Maid Park became the third ballpark to watch the Rays in when I saw them take on the Houston Astros in 2011.
Photo R. Anderson

There have been years where I thought about making the four hour drive to see them play the Texas Rangers in Arlington but those thoughts were usually quashed quickly at the thought that I could just wait until the Rangers came to Houston.

But there are certainly worse places to watch games than Minute Maid Park.

With the Astros move to the American League this year the odds of me completing the Single Thirty Club of seeing all 30 teams at Minute Maid Park is pretty high.

I do not have the number in front of me but it seems highly likely that I am less than five teams away from reaching that goal of seeing all 30 teams from the air-conditioned comfort of Minute Maid Park.

Off of the top of my head I know I have yet to see the New York Yankees play there but the other teams that I am missing escape me at the moment. The Oakland Athletics seem like another team that I have yet to see play but with them sharing a division with the Astros that is an easy team to cross off of the list.

Tonight will mark the sixth Tampa Bay Rays regular season game that I have attended and the second at Minute Maid Park earning an inaugural induction into the Triple Double Club as I have seen a pair of games at Tropicana Field, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, and Minute Maid Park. Photo R. Anderson — Tonight will mark the sixth Tampa Bay Rays regular season game that I have attended and the second at Minute Maid Park earning an inaugural induction into the Triple Double Club as I have seen a pair of games at Tropicana Field, Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, and Minute Maid Park.
Photo R. Anderson

I suppose it is entirely possible that the Yankees and Athletics are the only missing teams but I will definitely have to look into that.

I do know that the National League, and in particular the National League Central, is well represented in my list of teams that I have seen multiple times there.

While the focus tonight will be placed firmly on enjoying the Rays and the induction of the first member of the Triple Double Club the festivities will be short lived.

Tomorrow afternoon I will start my way towards the Triple Triple Club as I will be catching a matinee game between the Rays and the Astros.

I guess that means I need to plan road trips back to Arlington and St. Petersburg to complete the Triple Triple Club for the Rays. I don’t think my arm will be twisted to hard to make that happen.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to decide which Rays shirt to wear to tomorrow’s game.

Major League Baseball, Texas Rangers

To Cheer, or Not to Cheer? That is the Question

April 5, 2013 Ryan Anderson

Earlier this week Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers came within one out of becoming the 24th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw a perfect game.

For anyone unfamiliar with the term, a perfect game occurs when a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) pitches a minimum of nine innings in which no opposing player reaches base safely for any reason including hits, walks, hit by pitch, etc. In short, the pitcher has to be “perfect” on the mound.

Despite falling short in the bid to retire 27 Houston Astros batters in a row, the Rangers ended up winning 7-0 and Yu took his denial of immortality in stride.

Current Astros Bullpen Coach Dennis Martinez threw a Perfect Game on July 28, 1991. Martinez was rooting for Yu Darish to join the fraternity as well. — Current Astros Bullpen Coach Dennis Martinez threw a Perfect Game on July 28, 1991. Martinez was rooting for Yu Darvish to join the fraternity as well.

The game brought up many interesting questions. Chief among the debates that have occurred is the issue of whether is it okay to cheer against your team when one is witnessing potential history in the making.

With the Astros down by seven runs in the late innings few could argue that the odds of an epic winning rally occurring, while conceivably possible, were likely.

So the argument in one camp would say that with victory of your team out of the realm of possibility it is okay to cheer for the guy that is mowing down the batters one after another.

I was not at the stadium Monday night but I was watching along at home. I will admit I had the game on as background noise at first but as the innings were winding down I found myself glued to the couch watching and hoping that I was about to see history occur.

David Wells threw his Perfect Game on May 17, 1998.

I am of the opinion that when it comes to the ninth inning you root for the pitcher trying to throw the perfect game regardless of whether or not it is your team that is on the losing end.

The Tampa Bay Rays have had three perfect games thrown against them since 2009. Does that mean that the Rays are a bad team? Far from it as their recent string of playoff appearances would attest to.

If anything one could argue that being at the receiving end of no hitters further fuels the fire of the team. And last time I checked there aren’t any teams that win all 162 games so whether you lose in a no hitter, perfect game or any other fashion doesn’t really matter in the final win-loss column in my opinion.

I know that there are people who will disagree with me. They will say, “But Ryan how could you ever root for someone to beat your team. Doesn’t that make you a fair weather fan?”

To that I say that there are moments in the course of baseball events when the time to rise up and support the singular performance temporarily outweighs one’s allegiance to a team.

Randy "Big Unit" Johnson threw his Perfect Game on May 18, 2004. — Randy “Big Unit” Johnson threw his Perfect Game on May 18, 2004.

In fact, after the game the Astros Bullpen Coach, Dennis Martinez, himself a perfect game throwing pitcher, admitted that he was rooting for Yu to get the perfect game and join that elite club of perfect game throwing pitchers.

So, if a coach on the team on the receiving end of the perfect game can see the history in the making aspect why wouldn’t it be okay for the fans to get caught up in the moment as well?

Think about it, in the entire history of Major League Baseball only 23 players have ever thrown a perfect game. There is so much that has to go right over the course of 27 at bats and nine innings for that to happen.

While much attention is focused on the need for the battery of pitcher and catcher to work in harmony during a bid for a perfect game all nine players on the field have to be working in perfect harmony to make a perfect game occur.

Aside from the fans wanting to see the perfect game occur there is another group of people that was affected by the game not ending in a historic manner. That group is the media that was covering the game.

Current Texas Rangers executive and Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan threw 7 no hitters during his career. Nolan Ryan did not however pitch a perfect game showing just how rare of an achievement they are.

Back when I covered games on deadline I, like many other reporters, would try to get a head start on my articles before heading back to the newsroom to file them.

Despite the availability of laptops and internet connections that allowed people to file stories directly from the press box, I never had that option during my career as I always had to go back to the newsroom to write my stories and put the pages together for the next day’s paper.

So, during the game I would try to gain every time advantage I could when constructing the article. While entirely boring for half of the fans in attendance blowouts and total one sided games were definitely fun to cover from a reporter’s point of view since that gave ample time to get a head start on the article since the outcome was very much clear early on.

Nail-biting games where the lead changed hands several times were good for the fans but definitely hard for the reporters trying to get an early start on the story.

On Monday night when it appeared that the perfect game was going to happen I am sure that there were certain media members who had already written leads along the lines of “Yu can do it”, etc. I lost track of the numerous bad puns I read afterwards involving Yu’s name in headlines.

There were probably even some reporters who had a nice 140 character tweet all set to send out when the final out was made.

As an aside, let me just say that I am so glad that the bulk of my career, or at least the formative years, did not occur during the age of Twitter. I have nothing against Twitter when it is used properly to send out an important bit of data. But, having to send out constant updates during the course of a game is a certain side of multitasking that I can do without.

So when the perfect game bid fell apart those preemptive tweets were erased and leads were rewritten as the reporters than tried to track down the player who foiled the game by getting the lone hit of the night.

So while the bid for perfection fell short for Yu Darvish this week as he became the 12th player to lose a perfect game on the 27th batter he faced, I am confident that he will have other chances to flirt with baseball immortality. And when he does, or when any other player does for that matter, just remember that regardless of whether the color of their jersey matches yours, it is okay to cheer for the good of baseball.

Now if you’ll excuse me I have a baseball road trip to get to.

Southpaw Musings