Subject: Elvis Andrus

• Dwarfed by the Cowboys' New Stadium, the Rangers Spiffy Up Their Park

  March 26, 2009

• Taking the "Tex" Out of the Texas Rangers, Looks Like

  July 30, 2007

• Why Can't the Texas Rangers Always Play the Kansas City Royals?

  March 3, 2008

• Arm-Chair Managing in the Hours Before Ron Washington's Fired

  April 25, 2008

• Sure, the Rangers Are Fun and All. But There's Still Some Fixin' To Do.

  July 30, 2008

• 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 antics, the format change at Live 105.3 FM and the drama at Valley Ranch, Rangers' GM Jon Daniels and his colleagues spent most of last week in Las Vegas for baseball's Winter Meetings. Daniels has be

  December 18, 2008

• Wrapping Up Jon Daniels' Third Year As Rangers GM

  Armando Galaragga was the only thing of value Jon Daniels was able to get from the Alfonso Soriano trade. Then he gave him away for a player the Rangers released. Whoops. You want more hot-stove baseball talk from Sam? Merry Christmas ... As mentioned yesterday, Jon Daniels is entering his fourth year as general manager. He started off with a bang in year one, trading Alfonso Soriano in his first move and dealing Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez less than two weeks later. Unfortunately, he re

  December 19, 2008

• Whitt's End: 1.16.09

  Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *My summation of Thursday's dramatic plane crash/rescue in New York's Hudson River: It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!! *Found it funny that, although the crash happened at 2:30, Larry King and his ancient suspenders were still talking about the details on CNN under a yellow "BREAKING NEWS!" banner at 8:30. *To answer a couple of your questions, the way it's been explained to me is th

  January 16, 2009

• Texas Rangers: Hot Stove or Cold Shoulder?

  Give the Rangers credit. They are trying. With the Cowboys imploding and the Mavs and Stars wallowing in mediocrity, our local baseball team has a prime opportunity to earn some much-needed love this winter. Texas hasn't done diddly-poo as far as free agency, bringing in only reliever Derek Turnbow, pitching coach Mike Maddux and announcer Dave Barnett. But with the relocation of Michael Young, the premature exaltation of Elvis Andrus, the potential signing of Omar Vizquel and the promotions -

  January 21, 2009

• You Could Use Some ... Baseball?

  Has there ever been a better team player in the history of Metroplex sports?Approximately 5,000 fans braved freezing temperatures and decades of losing at Saturday's Rangers Fan Fest in Arlington. I was one of them. The highlights: *General manager Jon Daniels says he's recently talked to shortstop third baseman Michael Young and that their relationship is on the mend. "If we have a 15-year marriage with only four bad days in the middle, we'll be doing all right. Everything has

  January 26, 2009

• Whitt's End: 6.5.09

  Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Might Michael Irvin's days at ESPN Radio be numbered? This isn't sourced "breaking news", but more so a simple putting two-and-two together and arriving at a common sense conclusion. And, no, it has nothing to do with Irvin getting sued for allegedly stealing his Fourth and Long concept or the mysterious disappearance of that gun-pointing incident he reported last January. Consider

  June 5, 2009

• Play Ball! 5 Players the Rangers Need to Have a Good Spring Training

  Spring has sprung. Look out your window. And turn on your radio. Not only is it supposed to hit 80 degrees here today, but the Texas Rangers make their Spring Training debut on new weekday home 105.3 The Fan in, oh, about three hours. I know yesterday was the unofficial official opener in Arizona and I realize the Rangers have already crashed three homers, but there's nothing like Eric Nadel in the afternoon to announce the door has finally been slammed on winter. Kevin Millwood g

  February 26, 2009

• Rangers Spring Training Grades

  TexasRangers.com The kid's catching on pretty fastOnly 19 days until the Texas Rangers open the 2009 regular season at home against the Cleveland Indians. In other words, time for some mid-spring training grades. So far, so good I'd have to say. No major injuries. Josh Hamilton is pounding the ball. Michael Young is flawlessly fielding grounders at third instead of questions about swapping positions. Earlier this week the Rangers scored 10 runs off Indians' Opening Day starter

  March 19, 2009

• Whitt's End: 4.3.09

  Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Seems Highland Park-ex and potential No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Matthew Stafford isn't comfortable talking with teams - specifically a psychologist for the San Francisco 49ers - about his parents' divorce. It's wrong for 49ers coach Mike Singletary to go public with the tale, telling a radio station "if you're going to look at drafting a guy in the first round, and you're going to pay him mi

  April 3, 2009

• Play Baaaaaaalllllllllll!

  No time to dilly-daddle this morning, as I'm headed out to Arlington for Texas Rangers' Opening Day. Gotta get there in time to beat some traffic, smell the fresh-cut grass and, of course, see former Prez George W. Bush throw out the first pitch. I know it'll never happen, but wouldn't Dubya's popularity finally rise if he went to the mound and joking hurled a shoe toward the plate? I'll be blogging from Rangers Ballpark all day. But since parking will be a hassle for the opener (thank

  April 6, 2009

• We Have an Elvis Sighting!

  How's this for Elvis Andrus' Major League debut? A two-out double down the right-field line, with reigning American League Cy Young winner Cliff Lee on the mound and former President George W. Bush in the TV booth offering his thoughts on Fox4. Not bad, I say. Especially for a 20-year-old - third-youngest Ranger to start on Opening Day - heralded for his defense. Just for fun, he did help turn a first-inning double-play as well. Sandwiched around Andrus' hit in first big-league at

  April 6, 2009

• Strangers 9, Indians 1

  1-0!Seriously, who are these guys decked out in red? *The starting pitcher (Kevin Millwood) throws six shutout innings, the first Ranger to do so since Charlie Hough in 1989. *The 20-year-old shortstop (Elvis Andrus) gets a hit in his first at-bat and ranges on the first-base side of second, turning singles into outs. *The new starting catcher (Jarrod Saltalamacchia) drives in three runs, including a homer. *The designated hitter who can never stay healthy (Hank Blalock) is fit long

  April 6, 2009

• The Texas Strangers

  Seriously, who are these guys? With generally the same cast of characters that has face-planted out of the gate the last two seasons, the Texas Rangers are off to a dream start. Granted 2-0 gets only a subtle nod in Boston or New York or Anaheim, but in Arlington it's cause to get Laura Miller on the horn and dust off the Mavericks' old parade route. At least in September we won't have to hear the same old status woe from manager Ron Washington: Sept. 26, 2007: "We made it real tough

  April 9, 2009

• After a Dynamic Season Opener, Rangers Fans are Seeing Red

  The Rangers' debut was shockingly accessorized by pitching, defense and, don't look now, relevance.

  April 9, 2009

• The Hapless Texas Rangers Turn to their Farm System

  February 5, 2009

• Texas Rangers' Up and Comers

  After a decade of patience, Rangers' fans again believe they're about to be rewarded

  January 29, 2009

• Movin' On Up

  July 10, 2008

• Cheap Seats

  June 12, 2008

• Can Nolan Ryan Save the Texas Rangers? Again?

  March 13, 2008

• Texas Rangers Have Given Their Fans Something to Cheer About, Entering June With The Second Best Record in Baseball.

  June 4, 2009

• I Glove Elvis Andrus

  Michael Who?It's taken one month to realize that Texas Rangers' rookie shortstop Elvis Andrus would be okay. It took one play last night to remember he's going to be a star. For once, I think it's safe to say the Texas Rangers knew what they were doing. In last night's 6-5 win over the Seattle Mariners the 20-year-old Andrus got two more hits - raising his average to .284 - and saved the game in the 9th inning with a spectacular play you haven't seen a Rangers' shortstop make in, oh,

  May 5, 2009

• Whitt's End: 5.22.09

  Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *You'll have to savor this offering like a cow with its cud, because this morning I'm headed out to the Byron Nelson to chug margaritas and chase girls in The Pavilion watch golf and conduct research for next week's column in the Observer's print product. Allow me an excused absence? *First it was Bill Parcells. Now it appears Tony Romo's going to avoid referring to Terrell Owens by name. And

  May 22, 2009

• Mowed Down in Motown

  I Millwould've yanked Kevin in the 8th. You? Well, you were warned. Actually, the Texas Rangers played decent baseball in Detroit this week despite a three-game sweep. Just not so sure they played smart baseball. Especially in this afternoon's 4-3 loss to the Tigers, their franchise-record 11th consecutive defeat in Detroit. Nursing a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the 8th, Kevin Millwood allowed a two-out RBI single to Miguel Cabrera on his 119th pitch. The good news is that for the first

  May 21, 2009

• Paging Mr. Jaramillo ... Mr. Rudy Jaramillo.

  Let me guess ... strike three?This is a cruel joke. Texas Rangers fans who for decades have yearned for pitching are finally getting it, only to see their woody go limp when they finally need it. Something I thought I'd never type: The Rangers can't pitch hit. Spent Father's Day plopped on the couch not believing my eyes. Ricky Barnes leading the U.S. Open in a train conductor's cap. And the Rangers - long the best boppers in the American League - going 34 at-bats without a hit

  June 22, 2009

• Prepare To Be Amazed As Mind Reader David Magee Freaks Out Dallas Cowboys and Other Local Sports Celebs With His Mental Skills

  June 18, 2009

• Glass Halfway Full? Or Empty?

  Well, that sucked.With one All-Star back in the lineup and another shoulda-been All-Star on the mound, the Texas Rangers began their crucial three-game series in Anaheim last night by promptly taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The next time there was good news for Josh Hamilton, Kevin Millwood and the Rangers - courtesy of an Ian Kinsler homer in the 7th - they trailed 9-2. Sometimes an All-Star snub motivates a player to a spectacular performance in his next game. So

  July 7, 2009

• Neftali Feliz: Deal or No Deal?

  Mark GrahamShould Feliz and his 100 mph-plus heater be headed to Arlington or Toronto?While Ian Kinsler's bat - the first player with both a lead-off and walk-off homer in the same game - last night gave the Texas Rangers a momentary pulse, let's talk about the future of a dominant arm down on the farm. Sam, take it away ... On his blog yesterday, ESPN's Buster Olney made the case for the Blue Jays to deal ace Roy Halladay before the trade deadline if GM J.P. Ricciardi wants to maximize the

  July 20, 2009

• Jon Daniels: "Go For it" or "Stick To It"?

  ​Two years after sitting down with Texas Rangers' general manager Jon Daniels for this positive story with the negative headline, I had a long chat with him last week. Daniels deserves tons of credit for Texas' No. 1 farm system, for strokes of genius like Andruw Jones and Darren O'Day and Elvis Andrus, and for, let's face it, shoving the Rangers into a pennant race a year ahead of schedule. But as Friday's trading deadline approaches, Daniels has a dilemma. Pitchers like Ian Snell a

  July 30, 2009

• Rangers’ GM Jon Daniels Has Matured Into One of Baseball’s Best Brains

  August 6, 2009

• Whitt's End: 8.7.09

  ​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Sunday is the NFL's annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. More importantly, it's the induction of my first Dallas Cowboys hero - Bob Hayes. I'll be watching. For one thing, to see if Lucille Hester will try any shenanigans. Remember her? *Final comments scoreboard: Greg Williams 404, Russ Martin 73. *We can debate whether C.J. Wilson should close or whether Elvis Andrus should be

  August 7, 2009

• Because I'm Better Than Bitter, 20 Things I Love

  I love sports and stuff and, oh yeah, freaky things like, say, baby heads in glass vases.​No, no, no. You got me all wrong. Am I skeptical? Cynical? Inquisitive? Smart-assy? Guilty. But bitter? Hardly. I consider myself more tell-it-like-it-is realistic rather than jump-off-the-high-five negative. I don't think the Rangers will make the playoffs. I think Josh Hamilton should've come clean before he was caught. And I absolutely despise squirrels. But, honestly, I'm general

  August 13, 2009

• Whitt's End: 8.14.09

  ​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Lots of you asking for a breakdown of the latest Arbitron PPM radio ratings for July. Not worth a separate item these days because - yawn - The Ticket's dynasty just rolls on. Dunham & Miller and The Hardline have the equivalent of four-touchdown leads in morning and afternoon drive. The battle for No. 2, however, just got interesting. While The Ticket (No. 1 in the market) still dominates

  August 14, 2009

• The Resilient Rangers

  Now that's more like it.​Okay, I'm impressed. Friday night's kick-to-the-crotch loss to the Boston Red Sox felt like that moment. Big game. Big crowd. Gigantic implosion. Frankie Francisco's blown save - six runs - felt like the big-bang instant in which a demoralized, gutted bunch of Texas Rangers' youngsters starts sinking in the standings, inexorably chained to the weight of an emotional defeat. I likened it to a guy going to a club, catching the eye of an extremely hot, outta-his-le

  August 17, 2009

• Who's the Most Trusted Man in Dallas/Fort Worth? On TV? When it Comes to Sports?

  Ah, the bad ol' days.​When Walter Cronkite punted the bucket recently, the title of "Most Trusted Man in America" fell to - believe it or not - Jon Stewart. While this news made me, a Daily Show devotee, click my heels, it also got me to thinking: Who's the Most Trusted Sportscaster in the Metroplex? I've appeared on Fox 4's Sports Sunday with Mike Doocy. I predict Channel 11's Babe Laufenberg will feel some love in next month's annual Dallas Observer "Best Of" issue. These days I

  August 20, 2009

• Dallas' Fantasy Roster

  No. 12 in your football program ... No. 12 on our fantasy roster.​When I say No. 22, who comes to mind? Do you immediately think of the Dallas Cowboys' all-time best runner? Or their all-time best rusher? Or perhaps instead the second-leading all-time scorer in the history of the Dallas Mavericks? The quest is to attach a Dallas/Fort Worth player to every sports uniform 0-99. A fantasy roster, if you will. The criterion for determining which local athlete "owns" a specific number is as

  August 25, 2009

• Rangers 10, Yankees 9. Frank(ie)ly, That Was Too Close For Comfort.

  ​Random thoughts after a roller-coaster, thrilling, frustrating, sweat-stained best game of the Rangers' season: *From 0-4 to 2-4 to 7-4 to 7-5 to 10-5 to 10-9, seriously, what a damn entertaining baseball game. *Elvis Andrus turns 21 today. His baseball IQ turns 219. *I watched the game at a bar, so maybe it was just me. But that game wasn't in HD wasn't it? *Something's not right with Kevin Millwood. Of course without him allowing a 4-spot in the 1st the Rangers wouldn't have been

  August 26, 2009

• Some Random, Frustrated Thoughts on Your Texas Rangers

  Yeah, he had some help. But he blew it.​*Catching and throwing the ball has rarely been a problem this season, but yesterday's 5-3 loss was hideously reminiscent of years gone by. First off, I blame C.J. Wilson. The worst thing you can do when protecting a 1-run lead is walk the leadoff man. Nelson Cruz made an error and Hank Blalock made a high throw and - considering they got only eight hits and scored only eight runs in three games at the Metrodome - the tiny margin fo

  August 31, 2009

• Neftali Feliz is a fireballin’ pitching phenom who has brought the surprising Texas Rangers Christmas in September.

  September 10, 2009

• Batter Up

  September 10, 2009

• Texas Rangers: The Hits Keep a Comin'

  Neftali Feliz likes him. So should you.​I have no idea who or what Omega El Fuerte is. But if it's good enough for Texas Rangers' fireballin' phenom Neftali Feliz, it's good enough for me. When the ridiculous rookie enters a game over the weekend in a crucial series against the Seattle Mariners, he'll be serenaded by cheers from frenzied fans and by the pulsating sounds of Omega - a hot Latin artist from his Dominican Republic - courtesy of Rangers' in-game entertainmant guru

  September 10, 2009

• Whitt's End: 10.2.09

  ​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Former Carter High School star Michael Crabtree may not be a bad guy, but he's following some horrible advice. Friend of a friend of Crabtree tells me that he and the 49ers remain $10 million apart in contract negotiations and that the former Red Raiders receiver is indeed prepared to sit out the season. He's living in Florida, by the way, working out daily with a personal trainer and cat

  October 2, 2009

• The Rangers May Be Out But They Are Not Down--Not Come Next April

  October 8, 2009