Subject: Michael Young

• Everybody's Getting Birthday Presents Today!

  March 1, 2007

• Pick Your Pleasure (or Poison)

  October 6, 2006

• America's Past Prime

  March 15, 2006

• Stinko de Mayo

  May 2, 2007

• Double Your Pleasure with Richie and Tony Casillas

  July 11, 2007

• Play Ball! Notes from Texas Rangers Spring Training, Thus Far.

  February 27, 2008

• Now That Basketball Season's Almost Over, Guess It's Time For Baseball. Joy.

  March 31, 2008

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

  April 25, 2008

• The Rangers are Sending a Pitcher to the Mound Tonight. Duck!

  June 3, 2008

• Yeah, Bunt I Wouldn’t Have Bunted

  July 11, 2008

• The Texas Strangers

  July 16, 2008

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

  July 30, 2008

• Ron Washington Channels Chuck Woolery

  September 24, 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

• Digging in

  September 4, 1997

• Food For Thought 3.16.09

  "It's a for-profit business, not a community event. It's a bar mitzvah out of control." (Neighborhood activist/curmudgeon Avi Adelman complaining before Saturday's St. Patrick's Day parade down Greenville Avenue. Not sure what part of "saint" he misunderstood...although he is right, the party can get a little on the fun side. As quoted by Michael E. Young in the Dallas Morning News.)

  March 16, 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

• Best Sign for the Rangers' Future

  September 25, 2003

• 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

• Status Woe

  Insane Rangers again take similar path to identical destination

  October 2, 2008

• Home On the Rangers

  July 24, 2008

• Plan See

  With blueprints A and B trashed, the Rangers have stumbled onto a visually stimulating development

  July 17, 2008

• Two Iconic Baseball Voices Announce a Texas Dream Team for the Ages

  March 27, 2008

• Boy Blunder

  Is baseball's youngest general manager man enough to rebuild the Rangers?

  July 12, 2007

• Déjà Boo

  Another Rangers season ends in a familiar Hunt for Dead October

  September 28, 2006

• The Young and the Peerless

  Baseball's best-kept secret plays in your backyard

  July 20, 2006

• The Curse of Sucking

  Is this the year the Texas Rangers finally...? Nah.

  March 30, 2006

• Best Youth Injection

  Texas Rangers

  October 14, 2004

• Now Boarding

  Hop on the bandwagon

  May 20, 2004

• Young's Town

  Texas' popular new shortstop is the man of the moment

  March 11, 2004

• Did Mike Jacobs Save Ron Washington's Job?

  Because the Kansas City Royals couldn't catch the ball, the Texas Rangers hung on to their manager. For now. After a 3-0 start that feels like months ago, the Rangers are 5-7. Not good, especially considering nine of those 12 have been at home and half against the lowly Orioles and Royals. But as they tonight begin a seven-game road trip against the Toronto Blue Jays and the best pitcher in baseball (Roy Halladay), they have some momentum, and their manager. Barely. Rangers' management

  April 21, 2009

• Good Riddance, Greg Ellis

  Good guy and good player ultimately not good enough.In the end, soon-to-be former Dallas Cowboy Greg Ellis is so much Michael Finley and Michael Young: A great leader and good player buried in a shitty era. Except that - with his annual bitching about this or that - Ellis may have tarnished his ultimate legacy. Considering the 33-year-old Ellis' diminishing returns and escalating complaining and the anticipated rise of Anthony Spencer, it makes perfect sense for the Cowboys to sever

  May 27, 2009

• Will Your Texas Rangers Ever See First Place Again?

  Maybe we starting celebrating singles?Notable deaths in the last week: Ed McMahon. Farrah Fawcett. Michael Jackson. Billy Mays. The Texas Rangers? After getting 1-hit last night by someone named Chad Gaudin and losing two of three to a San Diego Padres outfit that hadn't won a series since Memorial Day, a Rangers' team that led the American League West by 4 1/2 games on June 13 enters this week's three-game series against Anaheim suddenly trailing the Angels by 1 1/2. The Ranger

  June 29, 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

• Pudge Over Potential

  ​I realize Pudge Rodriguez was brought here with the understanding he'd be a backup. But less than a week into his second coming, scuh-roo that! If starting Pudge throughout the three-game series against the Yankees that starts tonight in New York hurts Taylor Teagarden's wittle feewings or momentarily thrwarts the return and/or development of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, so be it. Pudge has hit, called good games, is the best catcher on the team and, therefore, he should be playing. Why?

  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

• Texas Rangers Win Again, Issue a Press Release That'll Blow Your Mind

  Not sure why I had a Christmas ham under my cap. But at least I can prove I'm a Rangers' lifer.​They've lost Michael Young (two weeks with a hammy) and now maybe even Josh Hamilton (left last night's game with back ouchie). But, give them credit, your Texas Rangers haven't lost hope. And why should they? Allow me to quickly clarify my position: I don't think the Rangers will make the playoffs, but I sure as hell hope they do. I've been a fan since watching Frank Howard whistle a homer o

  September 3, 2009

• Whitt's End: 9.4.09

  ​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *93.3 FM - the station formerly known as The Zone, The Bone, Quality Rock and who knows what all else - has for the last day or so been "stunting." That is, playing nonsense in advance of flipping formats. My station - 105.3 - played college fight songs ahead of changing from Live to The Fan back in December. Today at Noon we'll find out what's in store for 93.3. Maybe a simple switch to s

  September 4, 2009

• The Resilient Rangers: Episode XLV

  This Rangers' playoff run has had more twists and turns than a ... well, you know.​At this point don't fear the valleys, just enjoy the roller-coaster. Just when - yet again - it seemed your Texas Rangers were going to fall out of playoff contention by not scoring a single run in their last 15 innings in Baltimore, this happens. The resilient Rangers, playing without big bats Michael Young and Josh Hamilton, last night scored 21 runs on 31 hits (Marlon Byrd had seven) in sweep

  September 9, 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

• Entrance Music: The Texas Rangers Have Hits and Ice Cream.

  Over on his Sportatorium blog this morning, Observer sports columnist Richie Whitt checks in with the head of the Texas Rangers' in-game entertainment, Chuck Morgan. Uh, why care? Well, 'cause of this: Morgan's the guy who runs the music at the Ballpark, and he helps the players decide what songs they're going to come up to bat or approach the pitching mound to. And today, Morgan's been kind enough to provide Richie with a list of players and the songs to which they enter the game. 

  September 10, 2009

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

  October 8, 2009