Albert Pujols

Divorcing Josh Hamilton Was Exactly What the Rangers Needed to Do

Shortly after Rangers general manager Jon Daniels swapped erratic right-hander Edinson Volquez and reliever Danny Herrera for Josh Hamilton five years ago, I placed seemingly unrealistic expectations on the troubled outfielder. "He has the potential to be the best center fielder in Rangers' history ... More >>

Five Key Holes the Rangers Need to Fill This Winter, and How They Should Fill Them

Just a few days after the 2012 MLB season kicked off in Japan, one of the elite players scheduled to become a free agent in the coming offseason took himself off the market. The Giants enticed Matt Cain to stay in San Francisco, signing him to a six-year, $127.5 million contract extension -- the mos ... More >>

Never Trust an Angel Face

A Texas Rangers Midseason Report: It's Time to Go All In

With the baseball season at the symbolic halfway point, we asked former Unfair Parker Sam Merten to root around in his beard and see if he could come up with anything to say. He obliged ... and obliged ... and ... Sports are unpredictable. That's why we watch. And there's no greater evidence than t ... More >>

If Signing Yu Darvish and Prince Fielder Are Mutually Exclusive, The Texas Rangers Might Be Better Off If Darvish Returns to Japan

As Wednesday's 4 p.m. deadline nears in the negotiations between the Texas Rangers and Yu Darvish, the most significant hang-up is reportedly the 25-year-old's request for a five-year contract and the team's preference for a six-year deal, according to Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan. Understandably, Dar ... More >>

Hell of a Day to Be a Texas Rangers Fan as Angels Snap up Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson

​What you see at right is the artwork currently decorating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's website: side-by-side pics of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, both of whom are now Angels. The now-former Cardinal's deal is for 10 years and worth between $250 and $260 million, and is said to include a ... More >>

Breaking Down the Texas Rangers Offseason Plans in the Wake of Coming So Close

Photos courtesy Texas RangersNo need to place all of the blame on Nellie. There are plenty of other folks at fault for losing the World Series.​No matter how hard you try to find a scapegoat, the story of the 2011 World Series doesn't have a chapter about its version of Bill Buckner, nor shoul ... More >>

Final Gut Check: Rangers-Cardinals World Series Game 7 Preview and Open Thread

St. Louis CardinalsTrying to forget this happened won't be easy for Texas, but they have to find a way if they want to salvage the championship.​As I've written before, I fell in love with the game of baseball in 1986 -- the first year I watched every inning of the World Series. Although I ha ... More >>

Guts, Not Gaffes Give Texas an Opportunity for the Kill Shot: Rangers-St. Louis Cardinals World Series Game 6 Preview and Open Thread

Texas RangersMike Napoli celebrates his game-winning double in the eighth inning of Game 5.​The intellect of one of the best managers and greatest players in baseball history short-circuited at the worst possible times for the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the World Series, but Monday night ... More >>

Leaving on a High Note: Rangers-Cardinals World Series Game 5 Preview and Open Thread

Texas RangersSouthpaw Derek Holland exits last night's masterpiece in style -- something C.J. Wilson and the Texas Rangers hope to emulate tonight.​I expected Derek Holland to finally realize his potential as a top-of-the-rotation arm in the American League Championship Series. That, of course ... More >>

Forgetting About Last Night and Entering Must-Win Mode: Texas Rangers-St. Louis Cardinals World Series Game 4 Preview and Open Thread

St. Louis CardinalsAlbert Pujols joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit three home runs in a World Series game. He also became the third player to have six RBI and the second player to have five hits in a World Series game. Oh, and he set a record for total bases as well with ... More >>

Stealing the Mojo: Rangers-Cardinals World Series Game 3 Preview and Open Thread

Texas RangersIan Kinsler completes the best defensive play I've seen in my 25 years watching the Fall Classic -- a diving stop by Elvis Andrus and flip to Kinsler with his glove to end the fifth inning of Game 2. Just spectacular athleticism displayed by Andrus.​If you've read my piece about S ... More >>

Refusing to Let Championship Dreams Wash Away: Texas Rangers-St. Louis Cardinals World Series Game 2 Preview and Open Thread

Texas Rangers​Sometimes the worst managerial moves are the ones that weren't made, but the focus tends to be on the ones that were. The vast majority of media and fans across the country agree that Tony La Russa out-managed Ron Washington in Game 1 of the World Series last night, which is har ... More >>

In the World Series Match-Up Between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals, Don't Dismiss the Impact of Tony La Russa

St. Louis CardinalsTony La Russa on the field at Busch Stadium yesterday afternoon.​For whatever reason, my relationship with baseball went from casual to deeply committed bordering on obsessive during the 1986 baseball season. Like most kids growing up in North Texas, my father taught me to l ... More >>

Albert Pujols Better Than Joltin' Joe? Say It Ain't So!: Texas Rangers-St. Louis Cardinals World Series Preview and Game 1 Open Thread

Texas RangersGives you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, doesn't it?​It's finally here. Pinch yourself. Your Texas Rangers are back in the World Series, and this time feels much different than last year's playoff run. There's a confidence flowing through my body that just wasn't there before, a ... More >>

Going, Going ... Yawn. How to Fix Baseball's Broken All-Star Gala.

​Not appearing tonight at baseball's All-Star Game: Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia, David Price and Albert Pujols.Injuries can't be helped, but the mid-summer classic needs to be fixed. From last night's boring home run derby to tonight's exhibition, ... More >>

Our Next American Sports Idol is ...

​Beats me. Monday I watched both Williams sisters lose at Wimbledon, a week after Andy Roddick bowed out. It leaves as the only American quarterfinalist gentlemen's 10th seed Mardy Fish, a 29-year-old doubles specialist who will hardly threatening Rafael Nadal's throne. We heard a b ... More >>

Whitt's End: 2.18.11

​Whether you've reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Coming to you today live from the Daytona 500. Literally. I awoke this morn -- as did hundreds of thousands of NASCAR fans -- to the public address blaring first, at precisely 6 a.m. "We ... More >>

The Difference Between What You Like and What's Good

​While riding a northbound train last week, I was struck by the conductor's judicious use of his P.A. privileges. He pointed out the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. He piped up again when we rolled past Lyndon B. Johnson's alma mater. And he made sure everybody knew the train was traveling p ... More >>

Do the Rangers' New Owners Have the Money and Will to Build on a Winning Formula?

An All-Star Game Tradition: The Rangers Make 'Fake-Baseball' News

​The Texas Rangers are frequently at their very best when real baseball is not being played. Last night's All-Star Game in Anaheim isn't "real baseball.'' In a sport where nothing much ever changes (I swear some of the Lords of Baseball would just as soon not have bothered getting the flannel u ... More >>

The Top 10 Greatest Players in the History of Your Texas Rangers

​If you watched Sunday's 7-2 win in Milwaukee, you'd think Texas Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis (two hits, including a key two-run single) is a better hitter than first baseman Justin Smoak (0-5 with five strikeouts). If you've been watching forever, you're convinced it's time to ... More >>

Case ... Closed?

​At least for a day, Texas Rangers' reliever Frankie Francisco wasn't Texas Stadium. On a tense afternoon in Cleveland, he stopped imploding. Francisco, demoted from closer after two blown saves last week, didn't fool anyone in Texas' 4-2, 10-inning victory, but he retired the side in or ... More >>

Tortured by His Bat for a Decade, Texas Finally Signs Rangers-Killer Vladimir Guerrero

Back to Basics

Once again, we spotlight what's important: football and, mostly, Gonz

N.E.R.D. Alert

Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams plan for the revenge of the N.E.R.D.