C.C. Sabathia

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 >>

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 >>

Are Yu Kidding Me? The Texas Rangers Are About to Open the Bank Vault For Darvish.

​In winning the well-publicized bidding for Yu Darvish shortly after 10 Monday night, the Texas Rangers have positioned themselves to sign the famous Japanese hurler to one of the riskiest contracts in baseball history. And unless the 25-year-old right-hander immediately establishes himself among ... More >>

Exploring Texas Rangers' Options as Wheelin' and Dealin' Begins at Hilton Anatole

Photo by Sam MertenThe scene yesterday afternoon in the lobby of the Hilton Anatole.​Likely bracing for the departure of free-agent hurler C.J. Wilson, the Texas Rangers have already inked former Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan to a two-year, $14.5 million contract and announced Neftali Feli ... 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 >>

The Power of Plan B: Texas Rangers-Detroit Tigers ALCS Game 6 Preview and Open Thread

​Not so long ago, Minnesota Twins backstop Joe Mauer was the consensus pick as baseball's best catcher. But the 2009 American League MVP, four-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner and .323 career hitter had another injury-plagued season in 2011 (missing significant time for "leg weaknes ... More >>

Time For Y'all to Admit It: C.J. Wilson is a Bona Fide Ace

​No doubt Kenny Rogers is the Rangers' best all-time left-handed pitcher. But is C.J. Wilson already No. 2? He further helped his cause Tuesday night in Tampa, somehow resisting his stupid, "instinctive" urge to bare-hand comebackers long enough to shut out the Rays in a complete-game, 8-0 v ... 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 >>

Ten Items Worth a Look-See: Mavs, Stars, Cowboys, Rangers and Fox News Pundit Says Michael Vick "Should Have Been Executed"

The fans gave him a break, and even President Obama applauded Vick's return to the NFL. Tucker Carlson of Fox News? Not so much.​10. Mark Teixeira says teammate Andy Pettitte's "probably leaning toward retirement," which is good news for the Texas Rangers and everyone else aiming to win the AL pen ... More >>

Closing the Book on Cliff Lee, Who Would Have Loved Texas For the Right Price

Sam MertenAdios, Cliff. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.​I know. I know. You're tired of hearing about Cliff Lee. He's a goner, and it's not like the Rangers didn't do their best to keep him here. Actually, I'd say Jon Daniels, Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg did too much in their attemp ... More >>

Cliff Lee Shuns Rangers, Shocks Yankees and Signs With Phillies

The Phillies?! Now Rangers fans don't even get a chance to boo him.​The good news: Your Texas Rangers didn't lose Cliff Lee to the New York Yankees. The bad/horrible/devastating news: Your Texas Rangers lost Cliff Lee. To the Philadelphia Phillies?! We heard persistent whispers all through ... More >>

Werth It? Doing the Rangers' Math as Fat Contracts Swirl Around MLB Winter Meetings.

Photos by Sam MertenDamn. If Jayson Werth commands a seven-year, $126 million deal, how much is this guy worth?​Prior to the beginning of baseball's winter meetings yesterday at Walt Disney World Resort, a flurry of activity resulted in big-name players dealt and fat contracts inked. Predictab ... More >>

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

Five Reasons Why Your Texas Rangers Will Keep Postseason Badass Cliff Lee Next Season

Photos by Sam MertenCliff Lee tosses in the outfield on July 11 following his first start with the Rangers.​Ever since New York Baseball Digest's Frank Russo posted his "Five Reasons Why the Yankees Will Sign Cliff Lee" on Monday, it has made the rounds, and several of my fellow Texas Rangers ... More >>

2010 ALCS - Rangers-Yankees: Game 6 Preview

Is tonight THE night? ​The lights are on. Clouds are circling but so far nothing but sprinkles. The wind is howling in from the south/right field, which means -- as evidenced by Josh Hamilton's extra-hitting session right now -- the jet stream out to right-center is in full effect an ... More >>

For Now, At Least, a Fairytale of New York

​Sums up George A. King III in this morning's New York Post: "The Yankees arrived last night deep in the heart of Texas with a pulse. Faint, for sure, but enough of a beat that the ALCS stethoscope detected it. Can the pump tick long enough to get the Yankees to the World Series? That's not the wa ... More >>

2010 ALCS Game 4 - Rangers 10, Yankees 3: My Top 10 Observer-ations

This guy is the Yankees' only hope. In other words, 'tis over.​10. And that, my friends, is why I wanted the New York Yankees. Between CC Sabathia and Mariano Rivera, this is a flawed pitching staff. Just ask the Rangers, who in this series have posted 5, 7, 8 and 10 runs in building a comm ... More >>

Hard Times in New York Town

​Writes Mike Lupica in this morning's New York Daily News: "So it has come to this for the Yankees, after the Texas Rangers threw them down another flight of stairs, trying to throw them all the way out to 161st St., all the way into next season. It has come to CC Sabathia trying to keep them aw ... More >>

2010 ALCS - Rangers-Yankees: Game 5 Preview

Can it end right here? Right now? Abso-friggin'-lutely!​Pssst, I'm not supposed to talk about this. Like a no-no in the 7th inning, baseball's unwritten etiquette says you're not supposed to whisper a word about celebratory plans. Especially when you're on the enemy's fabled field. But ... More >>

2010 ALCS GAME 2 - Rangers 7, Yankees 2: My Top 10 Observer-ations

​10. I've never seen a scarier, more intense 5-run baseball game in my life. With closer Neftali Feliz flying 98-mph fastballs all over the joint in the 9th, the tension felt as though it were 3-2 instead of 7-2. 9. I know Elvis Andrus gets credit for manufacturing a 1-0 lead with his "A ... More >>

Rangers-Yankees: You Ready For History?!

​We're about two hours from Pitch 1 of Game 1 of the American League Championship Series between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. I'm at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington where Nolan Ryan is talking to the national media, Josh Hamilton is taking batting practice and the glorious sun i ... More >>

2010 ALCS: Yankees v. Rangers Position-by-Position Breakdown

​Gleefully, I was wrong about Rays in 5. In accordance, take this synopsis with a pinch of salt, a hint of lime, a chug of a six pack, then wake up Friday night and watch for yourselves. ALCS rosters won't be set until Friday at 10 a.m. so there could be some tweaks to the Rangers- Yankees b ... More >>

Texas Rangers Fans: Let's Go Yankees! Clap ... Clap ... ClapClapClap!!

​I've seen Mavericks' forward Popeye Jones inadvertently tip a jump ball into his own basket, giving the Cleveland Cavaliers two points. I've seen Cowboys' defensive lineman Leon Lett inexplicably attempt to recover a blocked field goal on an icy Thanksgiving field at Texas Stadium, handing t ... More >>

Rangers 3, Yankees 0: As Good As it Gets

​Same as we shouldn't get too low with the Dallas Cowboys, let's not get too high with the Texas Rangers. Because, well ... oh eff it. You know what, let's do get high. I know the Rangers didn't face C.C. Sabathia or Andy Pettite, but sweeping the New York Yankees in September is about as goo ... More >>

The Hapless Texas Rangers Turn to their Farm System

The World's Top 10 Left-Handed Athletes

Right is wrong and left is ... right? Seems to be. It's not exactly a bass-ackward revolution, but left-handers are doing okay for themselves in sports these days. Or are they? The idea struck me last week when I saw highlights of college quarterbacks Josh Heupel and Matt Leinart winning BCS Nation ... More >>

A Christmas List for Jon Daniels

Here in The Sportatorium, every now and then we like to talk baseball. I mean hard-core, balls-and-strikes baseball. By "every now and then" I mean this morning. And by "we", of course, I mean seamhead colleague Sam Merten. Sam, the floor is yours: For those of you distracted by Sean Avery's ... More >>

Typical Rangers: 10 Years Late and a Dollar Short

Your Texas Rangers are the type of guy who would go out and buy a classic '57 Chevy - in '67. They invite you over to check out their new 8-track tape player. And - 10 years after being left at the altar by an All-Star pitcher in his prime - they keep throwing millions at Randy Johnson. In 199 ... More >>

Never Forget|Strike Back|Focus on Plate, Not Walls

10 Steps to Fixing Your Texas Rangers

Status Woe

Insane Rangers again take similar path to identical destination

NFL Quarterback Rankings: Week 5

Past the Halfway Mark, the Rangers Look Like Contenders and Pretenders