Rich Harden

Rangers 7, A's 2: My Top 10 Observer-ations

​10. Only thing funnier than Oakland trusting Rich Harden is Comedy Central's Tosh.0. 9. Michael Young countdown to 3,000 hits is at 953 ... 952 ... 951. 25 3-hit games most ever by a Ranger in a single season and the guy most of us thought wouldn't be a Ranger this year now has a career-hi ... More >>

A Rangers Repeat? History Suggests Odds Are Long.

One Hit Wonders

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 >>

It's Never Too Early For Spring Training Knee-Jerk Reactions

Photo by Sam MertenIan Kinsler could be gearing up for a career year.​You hear it every year around this time: Spring training stats are meaningless. And, sure, while that can be true for guys like Doug Deeds -- the 29-year-old career minor leaguer who's hitting .357 with two homers and four RBI f ... More >>

Texas Rangers Spring Training: My Top 10 Observer-ations

​10. Pitchers and catchers report today. Means backyard pool parties and bikinis can't be far behind. 9. Whatever happens the first week of camp, it can't be more shocking than a year ago when manager Ron Washington announced that he had snorted cocaine the previous season. 8. Last year' ... More >>

Texas Rangers Swear They're Not Trading Michael Young

​Wanted answers as to yesterday's item about where Michael Young might fit into the Texas Rangers' plan in the wake of the recent acquisitions of Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli. Young is slated for utility infielder duty, maybe some first base and, of course, DH. But he says DHing is ... More >>

Michael Young OK With Moving Again. But Where?

​Your Texas Rangers whiffed on Cliff Lee and Zack Greinke, instead settling for Brandon Webb and Arthur Rhodes. I don't mind the signing of Webb because he's another low-risk, high-reward guy. He only costs $3 million, and what if he - 18 months after a reconstructive shoulder surgery - retur ... 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 >>

Dear Santa: Please Put a World Series MVP Under the Tree. Pretty Please?

Matt Garza's widely considered to be the best starter available, but could a better pitcher be had for the right price?​It's almost Christmas, and the Texas Rangers haven't done anything to address the hole in the rotation left behind when Cliff Lee signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and th ... 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 >>

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 >>

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington makes the most unlikely of journeys from cocaine to Champagne.

2010 ALCS - Rangers-Yankees: Game 3 Preview

​Look at it this way, if Cliff Lee beats the Yankees here tonight in Game 3 of the ALCS they'll have to beat the Texas Rangers in three consecutive games or else face him again in Game 7 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Saturday. Advantage: Rangers? Of course to take a 2-1 series lead the ... More >>

Rangers-Rays: Game 2 Preview

​We waited 5,100 days in between Texas Rangers' playoff wins. Might we suddenly get two within 24 hours?   As dominant as Cliff Lee was in the Rangers' 5-1 Game 1 victory on Wednesday, I like the matchup of C.J. Wilson over Tampa's James Shields even more in Game 2 today at 1:37. You ... More >>

Texas Rangers Fans: Let's Go Yankees! Clap ... Clap ... ClapClapClap!!

​I've seen Mavericks' forward Popeye Jones inadvertently tip a jump ball into his own basket, giving the Cleveland Cavaliers two points. I've seen Cowboys' defensive lineman Leon Lett inexplicably attempt to recover a blocked field goal on an icy Thanksgiving field at Texas Stadium, handing t ... More >>

No-Hitter = No Biggy

​I always TiVo the Texas Rangers. But last night when I got home my roommate already had the game on and when I got home I heard TV voice Josh Lewin exclaim:    "Hit record on your DVRs, you're about to witness history!" Whoa, I exclaimed back, the possibilities running through my m ... More >>

Whitt's End: 8.13.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Best news for your Texas Rangers is that they're not only successful, but extremely popular. Thursday night's Cliff Lee-pitched loss to the New York Yankees was not only a sellout, but also the hi ... More >>

Ready to Get Rich? Down the Stretch You Want Feldman or Harden?

​Scott Feldman has been bad this year. He's 5-9 with an ERA of 5.46. Feels like every game he's staked to an early 3-0 lead only to give up five runs in 5.1 innings and walk off the mound tied or behind. Frust. Rating. He's scheduled to get the ball again Friday when the Rangers op ... More >>

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

Angels 6, Rangers 5. Uh-oh?

We trust in ... Omar Beltre?​For the first time in a long time, Darren Oliver sucked. For the first time since June 11, the Texas Rangers lost a road game. Not to panic, but a lot of things that have gone right lately for Texas went wrong in Tuesday night's 6-5 loss to the Angels in Anaheim ... More >>

Texas Rangers: Stick To It? Or Go For It?

​After years and a decade of wandering aimlessly from youth movement to patch-it-together-retread program to losing season, the Texas Rangers in 2007 gave general manager Jon Daniels a contract extension and a mission: Rebuild the farm system. Build a major-league winner. Three summers later ... More >>

Josh Hamilton Partying Like It's ... 2008

​Back in March at Texas Rangers spring training out in Surprise, Arizona I asked team president Nolan Ryan his expectations this season for Josh Hamilton. Is the real Josh the player who had 54 RBI by June 1 in 2008 or the player who hit only 10 homers between numerous injuries in 2009? "Some ... More >>

Does Dallas Give A Damn About The World Cup? It Does In The Right Frame Of Mind.

The Texas Rangers Are Putting Together a Winning, Weird Season

Where would the Rangers be without Colby Lewis? And others.​I was at Texas Rangers' spring training out in Surprise, Arizona the day they signed journeyman catcher Matt Treanor. Honestly, it registered a .5 on my 1-10 scale. The Rangers had their catchers of the future in Jarrod Saltalamacc ... More >>

Have You Seen Enough of Rich Harden?

​Tommy Hunter is a bulldog. A scrappy fighter of a pitcher who throws strikes and in his first start of the season hurled a complete game at the Tampa Bay Rays in Saturday's sweltering heat. Rich Harden is a, well, I dunno honestly. I never seem to have the patience to see his starts through. ... More >>

Um, Do Your Texas Rangers Have Enough Offense to Be Taken Seriously?

How's that new hitting coach working out?​What the what? I was listening to the Texas Rangers Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays and I left them in what I thought was good shape. Up 9-3 in the third inning. Rich Harden on the mound. Bats seemingly alive. Done. Then, yesterday aftern ... 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 >>

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 >>

Texas Rangers About to Take the First Steps of a Championship Journey

​This is no longer the year before the year. This, finally, is the year. After Neal McCoy's National Anthem and the obligatory military flyover and Roger Staubach's ceremonial first pitch, Texas Rangers' starter Scott Feldman will at 1:07 p.m. officially launch against the Toronto Blue Jays&n ... More >>

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

Day "Off": My Top 10 Observations

​10. Decided to take a day off today. At least from 105.3 The Fan. I'm working on a cover story for next week's Dallas Observer, plus I've contracted some ornery strand of the common cold that has me so congested that diced jalapenos taste like nothing but texture.  Seeing that I spent ... More >>

Whitt's End: 2.19.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *I'm setting the over/under on Tiger Woods saying the word "sorry" in this morning's sanitized statement at 4.5, and I'm taking the under. I'll also be shocked if he cries. At some point he will, b ... More >>

The Texas Rangers, With A New Owner And A New Season, Prompt A New Emotion: Hope

Your Texas Rangers Have Money! And Vladimir Guerrero!!

​If you can't beat 'em, sign 'em? For years Vladimir Guerrero tormented the Texas Rangers. Now, in a sign that new owner Chuck Greenberg has money and moxy and motivation, the Rangers will this week sign the free-agent slugger to a one-year contract. While Tom Hicks, Jr. has some fun wit ... More >>

Whitt's End: 12.11.09

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *You heard it here first back in October as a sorta be-on-the-lookout rumor. Now it's more solid, as in, Michael Irvin's days on 103.3 FM ESPN are numbered. Radio industry sources keep telling me h ... More >>

Moves by Rangers at Winter Meetings Has Our Baseball Weenie Harden-ing

Meet the Rangers' new ace: Rich Harden​Despite the financial restraints stemming from the team's unresolved ownership situation, Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels skillfully inked the most dominant free-agent starter at this week's Winter Meetings in Indianapolis without adding payroll ... More >>

And the Dumbest Move of the Day Goes To ...

Danny Bollinger​1. The Texas Rangers trading Kevin Millwood for Chris Ray, then pursuing Rich Harden and Mike Lowell. 2. Dallas Mavericks' forward Tim Thomas getting involved in a debacle at Denny's. 3. Your Dallas Cowboys considering Tony Romo as their new/old holder.

Past the Halfway Mark, the Rangers Look Like Contenders and Pretenders