Michael Young

Everybody's Getting Birthday Presents Today!

Pick Your Pleasure (or Poison)

America's Past Prime

Stinko de Mayo

Double Your Pleasure with Richie and Tony Casillas

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

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

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

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

Yeah, Bunt I Wouldn’t Have Bunted

The Texas Strangers

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

Ron Washington Channels Chuck Woolery

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 >>

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 fourt ... More >>

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 Ki ... More >>

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 ... 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 >>

Digging in

Friends of Greenwood Cemetery prepare a long-shot effort to protect paupers' graves

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 g ... More >>

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 pound ... More >>

Best Sign for the Rangers' Future

The young infield

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 Mi ... More >>

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.

The Hapless Texas Rangers Turn to their Farm System

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

Texas Rangers' Up and Comers

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

Status Woe

Insane Rangers again take similar path to identical destination

Plan See

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

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

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

Boy Blunder

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

Déjà Boo

Another Rangers season ends in a familiar Hunt for Dead October

The Young and the Peerless

Baseball's best-kept secret plays in your backyard

The Curse of Sucking

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

Best Youth Injection

Texas Rangers

Now Boarding

Hop on the bandwagon

Young's Town

Texas' popular new shortstop is the man of the moment

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. ... More >>

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 h ... More >>

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 Hamilto ... More >>

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 m ... 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 >>

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 wh ... More >>

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 flip ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 >>

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 ... More >>

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

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 ... More >>

Mike Modano: OUR Star Could Become THEIR Star

​After saying that he's 75-percent leaning toward not retiring and playing hockey again next season, all-time star of the Dallas Stars Mike Modano is now thinking the unthinkable - putting on the sweater of another team. Mike Modano, Detroit Red Wings? Criiiiiiiiiiinge. It's still a situ ... More >>

Hey Look, The Sportatorium Does Cover Pro Rasslin'!

Snowing like a mother -- yes, again -- as I leave the warm confines of Collin County for Dallas. Tried to be in a grumpy mood this morning, but this video made me giggle. For those of you who are clamoring for Michael Young trade news, only thing new is that the Colorado Rockies have lost interest ... More >>