Surprise (Arizona)

A Season (Or So) After Getting Booted From Rangers' Booth, Lewin's Now a Voice of the Mets

​Just dialed into Josh & Elf on The Fan (or, as they're billing it this a.m., "Two Jews and the Flu") to see if there'd be any mention of this morning's news out of New York, where Josh Lewin's been named to the New York Mets' radio broadcast team. But, nope, nothing so far; Mavs head coach Ri ... More >>

Michael Young: Half Man, Half Hitting Machine

Though slumps and stardom, all Michael Young does is hit.

In-N-Out Burger: Worth the Wait, But Not the Fuss

First bite of the first fry by the first customer in Allen. Soon to be followed by two double-doubles.​Stay tuned to the Observer's food blog, City of Ate, for more from the In-n-Out opening.In-N-Out Burger is the best hamburger. Period. The end. When I'm in Oxnard, California for Co ... More >>

Whitt's End: 5.6.11

Whether you've reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End:*Mavericks-Lakers and Rangers-Yankees in our town in the same weekend. Delicious. If you had a front-row ticket to just one, which would it be? Are there really semi-sane humans who'd choose ... More >>

Josh Hamilton Breaks His Arm: My Top 10 Observer-ations

Uh-oh.​10. With Josh Hamilton it's always when, not if. And now you know why a lot of us were cringing and complaining when we saw him sliding on the rain-delay tarp in Baltimore last Friday night. He's one of the best players in baseball, but also one of the most injury-prone. 9. And do I ... More >>

Your Texas Rangers Are the Best Slow-Pitch Softball Team in the Majors

​Well, it seems like it. If you're counting at home -- and I know you are -- after last night's 6-4 win over the Seattle Mariners, that's 13 homers in 32 innings for the Rangers. At this rate they'll ... man I'm really bad at math be really hard to beat. You know things are going right when I ... More >>

Bronze Beltre

Whitt's End: 3.18.11

​Whether you've reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Couple weeks ago I circled tonight's Mavs-Spurs game at American Airlines Center in anticipation. Now? No biggie. After dropping games it should've won to Memphis, New Orleans and Portland, ... More >>

Michael Young: Still Here. Still Hitting.

​Don't know what else to call it, I'm just getting a weird vibe here in Surprise, Arizona. The defending American League champion Texas Rangers somehow only have two starters (C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis) inked into the rotation. Their elite closer (Neftali Feliz) might be a starter but ... More >>

Check That, Neftali Feliz Now Wants To Be a Starting Pitcher

​After watching Neftali Feliz hurl an impressive first four innings of Monday's 5-4 exhibition win over the Los Angeles Dodgers here in Surprise, Arizona, I sat down with general manager Jon Daniels to find out exactly where the 22-year-old fireballer fits in this season. Closer? Or starter? ... More >>

Surprise, Surprise. Chuck Greenberg is ... Poof.

​And just like that, the man who saved Nolan Ryan's job with the Texas Rangers has been replaced. By Nolan Ryan. I heard rumblings about this a couple weeks ago. Even hinted in a Whitt's End and on 105.3 The Fan that there were - seemingly out of nowhere - cracks in the foundation of the re ... More >>

Whitt's End: 3.4.11

​Whether you've reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Apparently Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones misunderstood. The NFL lockout hasn't yet commenced. While the Washington Redskins signed O.J.Atogwe and Bob Sanders lan ... More >>

Whitt's End: 2.25.11

Whether you've reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *I still don't fully understand Michael Young leaving Rangers spring training for two days. The team announced it was a "family matter." Manager Ron Washington said Young "has a family thin ... 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 >>

Michael Young Acting Like a Professional. And a First Baseman.

​We knew Michael Young would show up to Texas Rangers' spring training on time. We were pretty sure that he'd address the media and his teammates and act professional, saying all the right things. But did we think he'd already be taking grounders and throws at first base? Young apparentl ... More >>

Texas Rangers Spring Training Clouded with Awkward Spat with Iconic Captain Michael Young.

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 >>

Can Michael Young and Your Texas Rangers Reconcile This Mess?

​When one party wants out, relationships are difficult to salvage. For now, Michael Young wants a divorce and the Texas Rangers are desperately seeking a lawyer to foster the proceedings. But what if it can't happen before next weekend and Young reports to Surprise, Arizona for spring trainin ... More >>

Whitt's End: 2.11.11

​Whether you've reached the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Finally some good news for Texas Rangers fans. After whiffing on Cliff Lee and having face-of-the-franchise Michael Young demand a trade, locking up Josh Hamilton for two years relieves some ... More >>

Josh Hamilton Says Dealing Michael Young Doesn't Make Sense; Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniels Confirm He's Requested a Trade

Photos by Sam MertenJosh Hamilton says trading Michael Young would be "a big loss."​As workers cleaned up the aftermath of Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium across the street from Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, the Texas Rangers equipment truck headed out this afternoon to the team's spring traini ... More >>

Whitt's End: 12.3.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *I'm going to be extremely disappointed gutted if the Rangers don't sign Cliff Lee, hopefully during next week's Winter Meetings in Florida. Sorry, but a consolation prize of Zack Greinke - or ... 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 Pitchers and Catchers Report to Spring Training in About 100 Days

​OK, so now what? The Texas Rangers just produced their latest, greatest season. Tonight at 6 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington we'll toast the 2010 team one last time with not a victory parade, but more so a second-place appreciation party to be shown on Fox Sports Southwest and heard o ... More >>

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

The Rangers In The Playoffs: What In The Wild World Of Sports Is Going On?

How - and When - the West Was Won

​"It's Time", meet "It's Over." With an 11-4 thumping of the Detroit Tigers last night - combined with the Oakland A's loss in Kansas City - the Texas Rangers won their first American League West division championship since 1999. I know the magic number is 10 and there are still 18 games rema ... More >>

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

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

Texas Rangers: More Buck For Their Bang

​Strangely successful season for your Rangers so far. In spring training manager Ron Washington admitted to using cocaine. Their catching tandem is Matt Treanor-Max Ramirez, instead of the planned Jarrod Saltalamacchia-Taylor Teagarden. Chris Davis is gone, and forgotten? Their elite closer ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 Texas Rangers try to Sweep Ron Washington's Drug Episode Under Their Well-Worn Rug

Tortured by His Bat for a Decade, Texas Finally Signs Rangers-Killer Vladimir Guerrero

Ron Washington Still Has His Job. I Know, I Can't Believe it Either.

​Take a bow Wade Phillips, Rick Carlisle and Marc Crawford, for you toil away at your head-coaching job ... without the use of cocaine. Amazingly, the same cannot be said for Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington. Let me get this out of the way right up front: Washington should have ... More >>

Ron Washington Apologizes, and We Talk to MLB About "Drugs of Abuse"

Before posting anything about Sports Illustrated's breaking story about Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington's positive test for cocaine last July, I wanted to clarify one question: How often are managers tested for drug use? Because initially, the SI story didn't say, though now it's been updated t ... More >>

New Texas Rangers Owner Chuck Greenberg: Man in Black

​Spent the 8th inning of yesterday's Seattle Mariners 6, Texas Rangers 3 Spring Training exhibition - Neftali Feliz was very sketchy - soaking in the Surprise, Arizona sunshine and getting to know new owner Chuck Greenberg. After years of being alienated by Tom Hicks, you're going t ... More >>

Texas Rangers President/Co-Owner Nolan Ryan Q&A: We Should Win the West

​I sat down with Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan yesterday afternoon here at Spring Training in Surprise, Arizona. We talked about Vladimir Guerrero ("He's making a statement."), Josh Hamilton ("I expect more production out of Josh.") and when the heck will he and Chuck Greenberg be formal ... More >>

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