Frankie Francisco

A Rangers Repeat? History Suggests Odds Are Long.

One Hit Wonders

Rangers Re-Do: Frankie Francisco for Mike Napoli

​Mike Napoli may help the Texas Rangers win some games this season, but right now he's a big pain in the butt. How's that? Because think of the team's landscape had general manager Jon Daniels not acquired Napoli from the Toronto Blue Jays on January 25 for reliever Frankie Francisco. If tha ... More >>

Eye on Surprise: The Texas Rangers' 2011 Bullpen

​Forget missing out on Cliff Lee and Zach Greinke at the front end of the rotation, a huge factor in how the Texas Rangers will defend their American League championship will be who pitches and how they perform out of the back end of the bullpen. I think the Rangers have voluntarily ... More >>

Not Sure I Get the Texas Rangers' Latest Trade ... For Another Catcher

Adios, Frankie​A week after Texas Rangers team president Nolan Ryan said he's happy with the team and that his roster is set for spring training, his franchise made a trade yesterday. One I don't quite grasp. The Rangers sent reliever Frankie Francisco to the Toronto Blue Jays for veteran c ... More >>

Stop it. Ron Washington Did Not Get Hosed.

​Texas Rangers' manager Ron Washington deserves credit. But not a trophy. I was neither surprised nor disappointed yesterday when Minnesota Twins' skipper Ron Gardenhire was named American League Manager of the Year. While he led his team to 94 wins and a division championship despi ... More >>

Rangers Reeling, But We're Not Worried. Yet. Right?

​The Texas Rangers haven't won a game since last Wednesday. They've dropped four in a row - including a 7-2 Labor Day thrashing at the hands of the Blue Jays in Toronto and one of the wildest, worst endings to a game you ever did see on Sunday in Minnesota - and seven of their last nine. Pitc ... More >>

Rangers 4, Twins 3: My Top 10 Observations

​Live from Rangers Ballpark in Arlington ... 10. News of Vladimir Guerrero's imminent demise were, in retrospect, premature. His sixth-inning homer to left gave the Rangers their fourth consecutive win - another playoff-esque, 4-3 triumph over the Minnesota Twins - and dwindled thei ... More >>

Rangers 4, Yankees 3: My Top 10 Observations

Yeah, but the Rangers' left fielder has reversed the curse. ​10. It's rare that Yankees' Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera surrenders three hits in an inning. And you usually don't win when you commit three errors against the best team in baseball. But each happened last night during the ... More >>

Whitt's End: 7.9.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Hope last night doesn't come back to haunt the Texas Rangers down the road. Despite leading 4-0 with undefeated pitcher Tommy Hunter on the mound in Arlington, the Rangers imploded late and lost t ... More >>

Your Texas Rangers, With Its Weird Winning Record Into July, Is Hardly The Baseball Team We Recognize.

As Rangers Look to Add Another Game to Division Lead Tonight, a Reminder of the Architect of This Surprising Bunch

Photos by Sam MertenAll-Stars Josh Hamilton and Elvis Andrus​As Richie mentions in this week's paper version of Unfair Park, the Texas Rangers could be headed toward their winningest season in franchise history, as they nabbed their 50th win of the season last night and increased their lead to ... More >>

With a 22-Game Taste, Let's Circle the Bases: Last-Place Rangers Have First-Place Potential

Ian Kinsler makes his season debut tonight against the Mariners and lefthander Cliff Lee, who's also making his first appearance of the year. ​While Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has cryptically blamed the refs yet again for his team's fourth first-round exit from the playoffs in the last seven y ... More >>

Texas Rangers: It Could Be Worse?

​You look at the Rangers' 9-11 start through 20 games and mumble "meh", same old Rangers. Right? But, believe it or not, this could be a lot worse. Consider: *Supposed ace Rich Harden is yet to make a quality start, issuing 18 walks in 17 innings. *Taylor Teagarden is 1 for 27. *Chris Da ... More >>

Ron Washington = Hot Seat?

​I know. It's early. The Texas Rangers' season is exactly two weeks old. But there are ominous signs, no? Getting swept by the Yankees in New York isn't Apocalyptic. But mustering only eight runs in four games is troublesome. More so, the 5-7 Rangers have already blown two wins with thei ... 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 >>

A Week After the Opener Your Texas Rangers Need a Closer

​The Rangers lost three games last season when they took a lead into the ninth inning. In this season's first week, they've already lost two. Hence, an organization founded upon second chances (see Josh Hamilton and Ron Washington) is suddenly playing hardball accountability, yanking Frankie ... More >>

Would-Be Owner Chuck Greenberg has the Money and Moxie to Lead the Texas Rangers Back to Relevancy and into the Playoffs

Neftali Feliz and His 101 MPH Arm

​When I was out at Rangers' Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona, I saw Neftali Feliz compliment a 98mph fastball with a 78mph curve. Totally buckled the knees of the forgettable Seattle Mariners' minor leaguer who struck out looking. Humiliated him. But then Feliz hit a batter, wal ... More >>

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

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 Mari ... More >>

Rangers 5-5, Blue Jays 2-2. My Top 10 Observations.

'Twas a sweep. Get it?​10. I'm impressed. Your Texas Rangers bounced back from Monday's gut-wrenching 18-10 loss with typical, testosteroned resiliency. Granted, the Blue Jays suck - 18 runs one night; last night only 12 hits in 18 innings - but the Rangers could've caved. They didn't. 9. I ... More >>

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 ... More >>

The Closer

For the first time in a long time, your Rangers have a better option than Kyra Sedgwick​After Friday's monumental, six-run implosion in a gut-wrenching loss to the Boston Red Sox, I heard lots of calls for Frankie Francisco's job - if not his head. But give Texas Rangers' manager Ron W ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 Dub ... More >>

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, ... More >>

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 tal ... More >>

Root, Root, Root for the Home Team

Blame Game

The Buck passes as Rangers go riches to rags