Oakland Athletics

The Ticket's Sean Bass and His Sobering Stance on Driving Drunk

After surviving the drunken-driving accident that killed his girlfriend, a local sports-talker takes his pain on the air.

Divorcing Josh Hamilton Was Exactly What the Rangers Needed to Do

Shortly after Rangers general manager Jon Daniels swapped erratic right-hander Edinson Volquez and reliever Danny Herrera for Josh Hamilton five years ago, I placed seemingly unrealistic expectations on the troubled outfielder. "He has the potential to be the best center fielder in Rangers' history ... More >>

Why (and How) the Rangers Should Go All In as the Trade Deadline Looms

What a week for Your Texas Rangers. Nolan Ryan and Ron Washington took turns publicly ripping Josh Hamilton for the alarming lack of discipline he's displayed at the plate, increasing the likelihood that he'll be headed elsewhere this offseason. Fans booed the slumping slugger at home for the firs ... 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 >>

For Sale: Rangers Jersey Worn by Team's First Manager, Some Dude Named Ted Williams

Courtesy Heritage Auctions​Spent the better part of last night re-re-re-re-re-reading Mike Shropshire's Seasons in Hell, about the '73 to '75 Texas Rangers, which wasn't really the worst team in baseball, though it makes a great story. (The '74 Rangers finished second in the AL West, behind Oaklan ... More >>

Albert Pujols Better Than Joltin' Joe? Say It Ain't So!: Texas Rangers-St. Louis Cardinals World Series Preview and Game 1 Open Thread

Texas RangersGives you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, doesn't it?​It's finally here. Pinch yourself. Your Texas Rangers are back in the World Series, and this time feels much different than last year's playoff run. There's a confidence flowing through my body that just wasn't there before, a ... More >>

Memo to Ron Washington: It's the, Um, Postseason, Just In Case You Forgot

Photos by Sam MertenPerhaps more than any of his players, Ron Washington needs to break out of his postseason slump.​After the Texas Rangers fired Buck Showalter following the 2006 season, general manager Jon Daniels interviewed five candidates. Of course, there was Ron Washington, a longtime ... More >>

Turns Out, Jim Crane May Own an AL West Team After All ... the Houston Astros. Wha?

​The Houston Astros are this close to being sold, as Drayton McLane is set to sell the franchise to Jim Crane for $660 million, pending league approval. (And, yes, that's the same Jim Crane who tried to buy the Texas Rangers out of bankruptcy last year.) The deal's expected to be done in a matter ... More >>

Um, Shouldn't You Have Asked Me These Questions Before I Got on the Plane?

​Got home from the airport last night just in time to see Channel 8's piece on how Dallas PD and the FBI are prepping for the 10th anniversary of September 11. Would have been home a little sooner, but, ya know, I stopped by a Northwest Highway construction site. Oh -- and I was briefly detained b ... More >>

Good Friday: Death Cab, Rock The Bells, Torche, Trae and The Rest of Your Weekend

Death Cab For Cutie​There was a time when Death Cab For Cutie would have Centro-Matic in the support slot of their regional shows. But those days are long gone. On Saturday, Death Cab will be at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie with Frightened Rabbit. But if a Centro-Matic-less Death Cab doesn ... More >>

Rangers Partying Like it's, well, June 2010

​Your Rangers have done what good, potentially great teams do: Beat shitty opponents. When the Rangers begin their series in Anaheim against the second-place Angels Tuesday night, it will be their first opponent with a winning record in a month. Amazing. Since playing the Brav ... More >>

Triumph Over Tragedy: Rangers Roll Into All-Star Break

​Thursday: The lowest point in the history of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Sunday: The high point of Texas' baseball season. Was sitting at a blackjack table in Las Vegas when I looked up and saw Nolan Ryan in front of a microphone on TV. As the closed caption scrolled "Josh is very di ... More >>

The Tragic Accident at the Ballpark Last Night

At 10:02 last night, an email from the Texas Rangers arrived in the in-box bearing the subject heading "Statement From Texas Rangers CEO and President Nolan Ryan." This is what it said: The adult male who during tonight's game fell approximately 20 feet from section 5 in the left field lower reserve ... More >>

Texas Rangers Set Opening Day Pitching Staff and Who the Heck is Mason Tobin?

Don't laugh, we'll actually see this jersey on the mound for the Rangers this season​A year ago today we were dissecting the depth of a Texas Rangers' pitching staff anchored by No. 1 and 2 starters named Scott Feldman and Rich Harden. Hopefully that perspective will soften the blow of ... More >>

Ex-Rangers Jeff Burroughs and Charlie Hough Return to Arlington For Opening Day

Via.Here too is a sneak peek at the ballpark's new videoboard.​Nice to see the reigning American League champs haven't forgotten about those Texas Rangers associated with all those seasons in hell -- chief among them Jeff Burroughs, the top draft pick in '69 (for the Washington Senators) and my fi ... More >>

Texas Rangers' Pitching Staff: No. 3 in the AL West

​I fully admit it, at the end of last season I was calling for C.J. Wilson to pitch Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Considering the way he'd pitched all year and the way Cliff Lee had struggled at times it made sense. Turns out both pretty pitched damn skippy in the playof ... More >>

Pending Brandon Webb Signing Shouldn't End Rangers' Pursuit of Starting Pitching

Webb is a nice addition, but Texas should continue looking for another starter.​As expected, the Texas Rangers inked Brandon Webb to a one-year, incentive-laden contract reportedly worth around $3 million guaranteed with a potential for the veteran right-hander to earn between $8 million and $10 m ... More >>

My (Fausto) Carmona: Plan B Now That Cliff Lee and Zack Greinke Are Headed Elsewhere

Trading for Fausto Carmona would help ease the pain of losing out on Lee and Greinke.​Since we can all feel OK about losing out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, it's fair to evaluate Jon Daniels' Plan B, especially with the trade of Zack Greinke -- easily the best pitcher to be had on the marke ... More >>

Cliff Notes: Rangers Should Be in Seventh Heaven

​Let me just say this one last thing about Cliff Lee and then we'll move on. Maybe. Sorta. OK, probably not. Check that, definitely uh-uh. Don't tell me the Texas Rangers tried hard. Don't tell me we should be proud of sitting at the big boys table. Don't tell me the Rangers did everything po ... 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 >>

Reflections of a sportswriter on being a Texas Ranger fan... pretty much since birth.

Can the Texas Rangers Catch Fire? Or, for That Matter, Anything?

​We're at a rare, almost unprecedented and admittedly awkward spot in Texas Rangers' history. The Rangers will win the American League West, but they're still so far away with so much time left in the season that it makes for - honestly - some uninteresting and practically meaningless ba ... More >>

Blue Jays 8, Rangers 5: My Top 10 Observations

​10. Even for cup-runneth-over-in-red-flavored-optimism fans, this ain't good. Your Texas Rangers have lost five in a row (outscored 37-19) and eight of 10, and in the last two nights in Toronto have surrendered a whopping seven homers. Looks more like a slow-pitch softball game with all the ... More >>

Texas Rangers Outfielder Josh Hamilton, "The Baddest Dude In The League," Is Producing An MVP Season.

Game 1 of the Texas Rangers Playoffs I'm Handing the Ball To ...

​Nope, not our Lord and Southpaw Savior Cliff Lee. C.J. Wilson. Why? Because at this point I trust him more. Because at this point he's the best pitcher on the staff. No? Amazing for a pitcher who a couple years ago drew our ire when he disgustingly flipped the ball to manager Ron Washin ... More >>

The Texas Rangers Are a Great Team. Or Just a Good Team with Great Timing?

​With a little help from Andres Blanco, your Texas Rangers beat the Minnesota Twins, 4-3, Tuesday night. They are now 71-54, their lead in the American League West is 8.5 games and their magic number to clinch their first division title this millennium dwindled to 27 over the Anahei ... More >>

Whitt's End: 8.20.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *If Dallas Cowboys' quarterback Tony Romo gets hurt behind a patch-work offensive line Saturday night don't come crying to me. I don't think he should even suit up. There is exaggerated risk, and ... More >>

Which Rangers' Pitcher Do You Most Fear?

Welcome back.​Another weird game at Rangers Ballpark last night: *Something I've never seen: With Ian Kinsler caught dead along the third-base line during an aborted steal of home, Oakland A's starter Gio Gonzalez panicked and half-balked, half-wild-pitched him home with a crazy ass throw ... More >>

Reports: MLB Will Seize Rangers and Nullify Creditors' Loans, Which Means ... Bankruptcy

To be honest, I really thought we'd be done with this picture by now. Apparently not.​On the field, they're Your Texas Rangers -- back atop the American League West, fresh off the first four-game series sweep since '07 and headed into an early season showdown with one-game-behind-'em Oakland, ridi ... More >>

Don't Look Now, But the Texas Rangers are Pitching Well Enough to be Winners

​While you have been drowning your Mavericks sorrows, engaging in mosh-pit violence out at Edgefest 20 or keeping an eye on Dez Bryant's wacko mom, the Texas Rangers have started doing something very strange. Pitching. Well. Don't look now but the Rangers are now the first-place Rangers. Duri ... More >>

American Baseball, the European Way

​Even if European soccer owner Tom Hicks convinced Major League Baseball to inject the same screwy tables that govern soccer into America's pasttime your Texas Rangers wouldn't be a playoff team. But, alas, they wouldn't be relegated, either. If baseball were run according to European soccer ... More >>

Batter Up

Texas Rangers: Soar, Then Stoop

Some days the Rangers seem legit; others full of saline.​Got this "friend" named Newy Scruggs. He has his theory that the Texas Rangers "play well against the big boys." Hogwash I'd tell him, until the Rangers took two of three against the Angels last weekend. Then I watch Texas last night ... More >>

Feliz Navidad!

Ladies and gentlemen, the future. Well, at least part of it.​And now you know why I didn't exactly shed a tear that the Texas Rangers decided against acquiring Roy Halladay in exchange for a package that included one Neftali Feliz. In a word: WOW! Merry Christmas, Rangers fans. The 21-year- ... More >>

Whitt's End: 6.26.09

Whether you're at the end of your rope of merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Ventured down to the Mavs' draft last night and it was ... sad. Not the selection of Rodrigue Beaubois - though underwhleming - but more the lack of buzz. I remember when a much worse Mavs' orga ... More >>

Whitt's End: 5.29.09

Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Trust me, you'll be elated if David McDavid buys the Texas Rangers. Biggest reason: His dream is not to make more money, but to own a championship sports franchise in the Metroplex. *One of the thing ... More >>

Back Back Back: Un-enhanced Performance with Too Many Errors

Audience Adds New Wrinkle to Raisin in the Sun

Texas Rangers Making Contingency Plans In Case This Uptick is a Mirage

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

Zito Finito

Wake Me Up, Before You Zi-to

How the West Was Lost (Hint: It Rhymes With "Suck")

Hello Cowboys, Goodbye Rangers

Cheer Up

Rangers fans must remember this: It coulda been worse

This Week's Day-By-Day Picks

Unlucky Luis

All-Star Tuesday should have been a great one for Rangers second baseman Alicea

Positive reinforcement

The Rangers and their fans continue to see the team's glass as half full

Out There

Hammered

When Kevin Abdullah wrote a rap song for his idol MC Hammer, he thought he was getting his big break. Instead, he got screwed.

Damned Rangers

The Texas Rangers better win the pennant this year, if only to atone for subjecting fans to two decades of baseball hell. Mike Shropshire chronicles the team's cursed early years in an exclusive Observer excerpt.