Our Last Visit to The Temple

Globe Life Park

On a warm evening, September 12, 2019, my youngest son Matt and I made our last trip to Globe Life Park to see a Texas Rangers baseball game. It turned out to be a very enjoyable evening. One of the great joys of being a father is going to a ballpark with a son who is also a baseball fan. There are no bad visits regardless of the game outcome, the weather, the seat location, the traffic, or anything else.

A little history. I am a big baseball fan. When very young, I was a New York Giants fan. We lived in the metro New York City area until I was about 6½ years old. I remember watching their games on an old black & white TV. Willie Mays was and is my all-time favorite baseball player. We then moved to Florida and there was no local or even near MLB team so I still rooted for the Giants but hardly ever got to see them play. After college, I moved to Atlanta and the Braves had also recently moved to town. I had the chance to go to several games back when Hank Aaron was their star. I even got to see Willie Mays on the few occasions that the now San Francisco Giants and New York Mets came to town. I became an Atlanta Braves fan. Even when I moved to south Georgia I could keep up because their games were televised on WTBS and carried on cable TV. Then in the mid-'80s, I moved to the DFW Texas area. The Texas Rangers were the local MLB team. I knew little about them since they were an American League team and were never contenders. Nevertheless, I decided to latch on to them as my new team. It was difficult. The team was mostly terrible and the ballpark was even worse. Still, Arlington Stadium could be fun. Admission and concessions were cheap and there was no problem getting good seats at the last minute. We all got used to mediocre at best baseball and facilities. 

Then in the '90s, the team started to get better. Not great but respectable. They had some young studs and signed Nolan Ryan. They also got new ownership that finally had some money. They planned and financed a new stadium along with the city of Arlington. It was just across a parking lot from the old stadium. 

I was lucky enough to go to the opening day of the new stadium and then the next night to the first night game. They were nosebleed seats down the right-field line but still great. It was amazing. It was a particularly striking contrast from the dump that was the old stadium. It was big, not cramped. It was shiny and green, not faded blue and rust. There were dozens of concession stands and restrooms, not just a couple of often flooded locations. There were big electronic scoreboards and TV monitors. It was beautiful. In fact, it was the best ballpark I had ever been in. Not the most iconic or historic but the best. I had been to (old) Yankee Stadium, Shea, Wrigley, Fenway, Dodgers, Anaheim, Candlestick, and several others. It was beautiful. The first time you emerge from the concourses to the field of any ballpark is special. This was extra special because I was one of the first 40,000 people to experience that Opening Day and the Rangers were my adopted team. That Opening Day was in 1994. Now in 2019, 26 years later, the stadium is apparently worn out. 

This ballpark will always hold a special place in my heart. Besides being there for Opening Day, I also had the opportunity to take my stepson to that first opening night game. I went to many games with friends and colleagues in those first few years. Finally, probably around 1997 or '98, it was time to take my youngest son to a ballgame. He was five or six by then and already a baseball fan and old enough to know what was going on at the game. He was a huge Pudge Rodríguez fan at the time. I still remember as we made our way to our seats, we passed a big poster of Pudge. Then we turned the corner and he saw the field. It was a magical moment for both of us. I have no memory of who the Rangers played or who won the game. It didn't matter. At that game and several others, Matt would drink Dr. Pepper, eat a hot dog, maybe ice cream in a little batting helmet. Dad had a couple of beers and maybe a dog. 

We also went to a couple of fan days during the off-season when we could tour the clubhouse, indoor batting cages, the dugout, and the field. Matt got to take batting practice, run the bases and slide into home. Special times. 

The Rangers continued to improve after they moved to the new ballpark. It was originally named The Ballpark in Arlington. It then became Ameriquest Field. Unfortunately, Ameriquest went out of business with the mortgage crash in 2007. The stadium went back to Rangers Ballpark. In 2014 it became Globe Life Park. The new stadium will be named Globe Life Field. 

Starting in the mid-'90s, the Rangers began winning division titles. They peaked in 2010 and 2011. By 2015 and '16, they made the playoffs again. Matt and I went to those playoff games. By then, he was joining me in drinking cold beers. We now go to games every season. It is always a joy. We splurge for good seats, pay attention to the game, and have a few beers. We once stayed through the end of an 18 inning game. 

Our last trip to Globe Life Park was almost perfect. It was a Thursday night game against the Tampa Bay Rays. We headed that way around 5:30. We parked across the street from the stadium and right next to Texas Live, the new eat, drink, entertainment venue. We had a good early dinner. Better food, a real table, a server, and less expensive than the ballpark. We then matriculated across the street to the stadium. While standing in the security/ticket line, we heard the national anthem. Into the concourse and we grabbed a beer because we had to walk about halfway around the field to our seats. We stopped at our aisle to talk to our favorite beer vendor. Then walked to our seats just in time for the first pitch. No waste, no haste. They were good seats, row nine between home and the third-base dugout. The beer vendor in that section is a friend so we were well taken care of. It was warm but not oppressive and the Rangers won the game. Most importantly, I was with my son at a ballgame. What more can you ask?

The new ballpark opens next season. I'm sure it will be nice. It will have a retractable roof so there will be no more 100° days or rainouts. Comfortable, but it will never replace the current stadium or even the previous old dump. My youngest son will never see his first MLB game at the new field. I will never have to stand in ankle-deep water for a beer or piss in the trough of old Arlington Stadium restrooms. Matt and I for sure will go to games at the new Globe Life Field. Maybe someday there will be a son/daughter and grandchild we can go see a game with. That will make the new venue really special.

A local sports radio guy early on named the ballpark The Temple. It was an apt name and has stuck. I don't know if the new Globe Life Field will get a nickname but it will never be The Temple. RIP old friend. 

wjh

Hall of Fame Stats

After I wrote my thank you to Adrian Beltré, I realized I hadn't really said anything about the outstanding career stats he compiled. Any Rangers fan worth their salt is already aware of most of them, but hopefully, a few non-Ranger fans also read this blog. So here is a summary of Adrian's accomplishments on the field. They are certainly worthy of a first-ballot election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Adrian will be eligible in five years. 

Adrian played 21 seasons in the majors. During that time, he played with four MLB clubs. Seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, five seasons with Seattle, one year in Boston, and his final eight seasons with the Texas Rangers. 

Perhaps Adrian's most impressive stat, other than playing 21 years at a high level, is the 3,166 hits. That ranks him 15th on the all-time hits list. He has more hits than any foreign-born player. More hits than George Brett, Tony Gwynn, Rod Carew, and numerous other baseball greats. 

His other stats include:

• 1,707 RBI - That ranks 24th all-time
• 477 Home Runs - Ranks 30th
• .286/.339/.480 slash numbers - Batting average/ on-base %/ slugging %
• .819 OPS - on-base + slugging
• Played 2,933 regular season games
• Five Gold Glove awards 
• Four All-Star games
• Four Silver Slugger awards 
• MLB home run leader in 2004 with 48
• MLB hits leader in 2013 with 199
• Named MLB Personality of the Year in 2017. An award he should have won numerous times

With the exception of the five Gold Gloves, the above statistics don't really touch on Adrian's outstanding fielding. Baseball continues to struggle with meaningful defensive metrics. The few measurable categories like fielding percentage are flawed. It often penalized fielders with outstanding range by charging them with an error on balls a less talented player doesn't get close to. Many of the new sabermetrics also leave a lot to be desired. All that being said, I'll give you my opinion based on over 50 years of baseball watching. I have seen Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Chipper Jones, Clete Boyer, George Brett, Eddie Matthews, and many other good and great third basemen play. Several in person. I have had the opportunity to watch Beltré almost every game for eight years. I'm not saying Adrian is the best fielder ever, but I can't name anyone who is better. 

With the above offensive numbers and one of the best ever fielding third basemen plus the leadership and off-field contributions, there should be no doubt in my mind that Adrian Beltré is worthy of a first-ballot election to the Hall of Fame. 

Thanks again Adrian for a great ride. 

wjh

Adrian Beltré

The great Adrian Beltré announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on November 20, 2018. 

First off, let me say thank you for 21 years of outstanding baseball. A very special thanks for the last eight years with the Texas Rangers. It gave me the chance to see you play almost every game. Mostly on TV, but also several times live at the ballpark. We will miss you. It wasn't just the outstanding baseball, you were also a great personality. You played the game with a smile regardless of the circumstances. You brought a smile to those playing with and against you. You brought a smile to the fans. You even brought a smile to the umpires. Your antics are legendary. 

Don't let that happy go lucky exterior fool you. Adrian was a fierce competitor. He gave full effort every game. He played hurt without complaint. He was a leader on the field and in the clubhouse. Screw up and you got the LOOK. After the look, there was often a talk and a teaching session, followed by encouragement. 

Adrian was an outstanding fielder. I can't imagine any third baseman being any better. He had catlike reflexes at the hot corner and an exceptional arm. His fielding plays often made the highlights.

Beltré also had unique mannerisms in the batter's box. He would do a little dance after being brushed back. He would immediately point to the first base umpire on a checked swing. Maybe most famously, he would sometimes hit from one knee. Several of those one kneed gems left the park. 

Let's not forget Adrian's off-field behavior either.  He was always up for a visit to the local children's hospitals, a youth center, or a charity function. He gave personal attention to special visitors to the ballpark and locker room. Aways with that big smile and humor. 

Over the 30 plus years of following the team, I can think of only one other Texas Ranger who connected with the fans the way Adrian has. That would be Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez. Ironically, Pudge and Adrian reached career milestones on the same weekend in 2017. I am confident that Adrian Beltré will be following Pudge into the Hall of Fame in five years. 

I was sad when Pudge was traded and I am sad today because Adrian is retiring. Sad but grateful to have had the opportunity to see great baseball. I know both gave it there all and owe us, the fans, nothing more. Pudge came back to Texas and works for the Rangers. If they are smart, the team will make a similar offer to Adrian. 

So, thank you again Adrian Beltré for an outstanding career and a bundle of joy.

wjh 

MLB 2018 Season Predictions Results

Before the 2018 MLB season, I made my Fearless Forecast predictions. The predictions were made on our podcast, Two Old Guys Drinking Beer (TOGDB). You can check them out at this link, TOGDB - Season 2 Episode 12 at the 01:10 mark. Here is an accounting of those predictions and a recap of the season. 

A summary of those predictions shows that I got three of the six division races correct for 50%. I correctly predicted seven of the ten playoff teams for 70%. The Braves, Brewers, and Athletics fooled me. I also correctly predicted 50% of the World Series teams, the Dodgers, but I did not correctly pick the WS winner.

A few notes on the regular season. For the first time in MLB history, there were more strikeouts than hits. The AL East had two teams that posted 100 or more wins (Boston & NYY) and a team with over 100 losses (Baltimore). The AL Central had two teams with 100 or more losses (Chicago White Sox & KC). Baltimore finished 61 games out of first place in the AL East after losing 115 games. The NL Central (Chicago & Milwaukee) and NL West (LA Dodgers & Colorado) divisions both ended in a tie that required a one-game playoff. That left the wildcard and NLDS home field teams undecided until after those games. 

Here are my picks vs actual results: (correct picks are in bold)

• NL East pick Washington Nationals. Actual winner Atlanta Braves.
• NL Central pick Chicago Cubs. Actual winner Milwaukee Brewers
• NL West pick LA Dodgers. Actual winner LA Dodgers
• NL Wildcard picks St. Louis Cardinals & Colorado Rockies. Actual winners Chicago Cubs & Colorado Rockies

• AL East pick NY Yankees. Actual winner Boston Red Sox
• AL Central pick Cleveland Indians. Actual winner Cleveland Indians
• AL West pick Houston Astros. Actual winner Houston Astros
• AL Wildcard picks Boston Red Sox & LA Angels. Actual winners NY Yankees & Oakland A's.

• NLDS picks Washington Nationals & LA Dodgers. Actual winners Milwaukee Brewers & LA Dodgers 
• NLCS pick LA Dodgers. Actual winner LA Dodgers

• ALDS picks Houston Astros & NY Yankees. Actual winners Houston Astros & Boston Red Sox
• ALCS pick Houston Astros. Actual winner Boston Red Sox

• World Series pick Houston Astros. Actual winner Boston Red Sox

Now the champion BoSox get to celebrate for a year. The other 29 teams are in wait til next year mode. Spring training starts in mid-February 2019.

wjh

MLB Baseball Predictions - 2018

2018 MLB Predictions

These predictions were written prior to the start of the season and were broadcast on the Two Old Guys Drinking Beer podcast, Season 2 episode 12, on 04/12/2018. The text was originally meant to be my notes for the podcast so they may be somewhat cryptic and incomplete. Nevertheless, my picks are now additionally documented so there is evidence for October when the mocking will commence.

The numbering and bullets failed to transfer correctly but it is still readable. To fix it would require going into the HTML code or retyping much of it. Kind of a pisser since both the original document and this blog are Google apps.

My Fearless Forecasts picks for the 2018 baseball season. I got some right and many wrong in 2017. Some teams seem to be a lock for a division title and a place in the playoffs. Others seem destined to be eliminated early and finish in the cellar. It’s the teams in the middle that are intriguing. Will a rookie have a breakout year, will a free agent excel or fizzle, will a star suffer a season-ending injury? So many things to go right or wrong. Cliché warning - That’s why they play the games. So, on with the picks.

National League

East Division

1. Washington Nationals - Last chance, Harper and other stars free agents at end of season. Scherzer & Strasburg. Maybe 100 wins. Weak division.
2. Atlanta Braves - A little hopeful. Still young and rebuilding. A .500 season would be good.
3. New York Mets - Terrible injury riddled 2017. No major roster changes. Healthy pitchers and depth a problem.
4. Philadelphia Phillies - Rebuilding, still look a couple of years away. Could break through if a couple of youngsters excel.
5. Miami Marlins - Complete player dump & rebuilding mode. Weak hitting and pitching. Probably 100 losses. Jeter in charge.

Central Division

1. Chicago Cubs - Solid lineup. Some new pitchers, starting and bullpen. Lost Arrieta but signed Darvish. Should be a net gain.
2. St. Louis Cardinals - Could win division if Cubs falter, otherwise a wildcard team.
3. Milwaukee Brewers - Pitching a ?. If good, will be wildcard contender
4. Pittsburgh Pirates - Sinking. McCutchen gone. Starting to rebuild.
5. Cincinnati Reds - Young and rising. Could move to 4th.

West Division

1. Los Angeles Dodgers - Still loaded and young, right around 100 wins again. A couple of middle bullpen questions. A toss-up between West & Central for strongest NL division.
2. Colorado Rockies - Flip a coin between Rockies & D-backs for 2nd & 3rd. Both could again make the playoffs as wildcards. Maybe a tick better than 2017.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks - Same as above. Strong pitching (Greinke
4. San Francisco Giants - Added Evan Longoria (32) and Andrew McCutchen. Both good players, but past their prime. Bumgarner out 6-8 weeks with fractured hand.
5. San Diego Padres - Still not ready for prime time although the farm system has gotten better.

American League

East Division

1. New York Yankees - Loaded. Stanton & Judge, the new Bam Brothers. Sonny Gray for the whole season.
2. Boston Red Sox - No big additions or improvements, only beat Yankees by 2 games last season. Chris Sale, can David Price come back.
3. Baltimore Orioles - No starting pitching but never count out Buck.
4. Toronto Blue Jays - No big changes. One last try for this roster.
5. Tampa Bay Rays - Longoria gone, even lower payroll. Maybe finally a new stadium in Ybor City in the works.

Central Division

1. Cleveland Indians - Another 100 win season. Loaded pitching staff (Kluber, Carrasco). Weak division.
2. Minnesota Twins - Hoping for another wild card spot. Santana out for 12 weeks will hurt.
3. Chicago White Sox - Young and improving, but not yet.
4. Kansas City Royals - Early rebuilding period.
5. Detroit Tigers - Early rebuilding. Verlander and Kinsler gone.

West Division

1. Houston Astros - Young and talented. Maybe 100 wins in what could be the toughest division. MVP Altuve. Everyone back. Verlander for entire season. Strong starting pitching, maybe best in MLB (Verlander, Keuchel, McCullers, Cole, Morton)
2. LA Angels of Anaheim - Othani? Added Kinsler
3. Texas Rangers - No big changes. Gallo full-time 1st base. DeShields CF & leadoff. Left field? Calhoun sent to minors. Pitching? 6 man rotation, 5+ rotation, closer, Lincicum. Maybe wishful thinking, Rangers could lose 90+ games.
4. Seattle Mariners - No big changes. Pitching a question.
5. Oakland A’s - Young but some talent. No money, no big names, crappy stadium.

Playoffs

National League

• East - Nationals
• Central - Cubs
• West - Dodgers
• Wild Cards - Rockies, Cardinals

• NLDS - Nationals, Dodgers
• NLCS - Dodgers

American League

• East - Yankees
• Central - Indians
• West - Astros
• Wild Cards - Red Sox, Angels

• ALDS - Yankees, Astros
• ALCS - Astros

World Series

• Astros, Dodgers - Astros in 7

wjh

Where Teams Play

There are many professional sports teams in this country. How many teams home court, home field or home stadium is not located in the city they are named for? I'll look at the three major sports, baseball, basketball, and football. Others can examine hockey and soccer.

Let's start with basketball. There are 30 teams in the NBA. Since they play basketball indoors in arenas that seat about 20,000, there shouldn't be much need to go outside the downtown area of the host city. That is primarily the case. There are a couple of ambiguous names. The Golden State Warriors play in downtown Oakland. The Minnesota Timberwolves play in downtown Minneapolis. The Utah Jazz arena is in Salt Lake City. An aside is that the Utah Jazz is one of the most inappropriately named teams. Jazz and Salt Lake City have nothing in common. The franchise was originally the New Orleans Jazz before it was moved to Utah. The NBA should have required the nickname be changed. New Orleans now has another NBA team, the Pelicans. It should be named Jazz. The Salt Lake City team should be called the Mormons. The remaining 27 NBA teams actually play in the city whose name they carry. 

There are also 30 MLB teams. Baseball stadiums require considerably more land than a basketball arena. That makes it more difficult to find a location in some downtown areas. Although tax incentives rather than available land is more often the reason some teams threaten to build outside their namesake city. As with basketball, there are a few ambiguous teams. My favorite Texas Rangers play in Arlington, TX. The Arizona Diamondbacks are based in Phoenix. The Minnesota Twins stadium is in Minneapolis. The Colorado Rockies play in Denver. The Tampa Bay Rays are located in St. Petersburg. Those are all OK. Many people probably think that the Texas Rangers are in Dallas and the Tampa Bay Rays play in Tampa, but their names are technically correct. The Atlanta Braves recently moved to SunTrust Park which is northwest of downtown Atlanta in unincorporated Cobb County. While still in the metropolitan Atlanta area, it is not within the Atlanta borders and in fact is not even in the same county as most of Atlanta. Now we come to the longest and most confusing team name, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The team does play in Anaheim and were once named the Anaheim Angels. They were originally named the California Angels when they actually played in Los Angeles. 

The NFL has a whopping 32 teams. Like baseball, they require enough land for huge stadiums plus parking. The NFL is currently the most popular and high profile major sport. Competition for their stadiums and training facilities is intense The NFL also has its geographical area named teams. There are the Minnesota Vikings who play in Minneapolis. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in Tampa (not St. Petersburg). The Arizona Cardinals play in Glendale, AZ. The Tennessee Titans settled in Nashville after a year in Memphis. The Carolina Panthers are located in Charlotte, NC. The New England Patriots expanded beyond a single state to encompass a whole section of the country. They were originally the Boston Patriots but had the decency to change their name when they moved out of the city. Their home field now is located in Foxborough, Mass., halfway between Boston and Providence, RI.  

The NFL is the most notorious league to actually play outside the city limits of their namesake. The two New York City teams, the Giants and Jets, not only don't play in that city, they don't even play in New York state. Both teams share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The Buffalo Bills play in Orchard Park, NY. The Miami Dolphins play in Miami Gardens. The recently moved LA Chargers play in Carson, CA. The Washington team plays in Landover, MD. The San Francisco 49's stadium is located in Santa Clara. The local Dallas Cowboys haven't played in Dallas since 1971. They were in Irving, TX until 2008 and are now in Arlington, TX. As of now, the remaining teams play in the city they are named after.

If you have enough land and can pull off public financing and tax incentives, you may be able to get the next new major sports venue. No need to actually be in the city the team is supposedly named for. 

So, don't always believe the name on the hat or jersey. You can use Google maps to find your favorite team's stadium. It may not be where you expected. Let's all root for the Arlington Cowboys or the New Jersey Giants (or Jets) or maybe the Carson Chargers. 

wjh

Rangers at the Halfway Point - 2017

Here we are at the MLB All-Star break, the traditional halfway point of the season. It hasn’t been the greatest first half for the Rangers. The bad news is that they are two games under .500 with a 43-45 record and 16½ games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West. The good news is that they are only three games out in the wildcard race. 

It has been at best an inconsistent year. They have had both a 10 game winning streak and a 1-9 streak. There have been players who were expected to contribute who have failed. There have been surprises from young players and journeymen. 

Adrian Beltre, Cole Hamels, Carlos Gomez, A.J. Griffin, Keone Kela, Martin Perez, Andrew Cashner, Mike Napoli, Jose Leclerc, Tyson Ross, and Jake Diekman have spent time on the Disabled List (DL). There have been few games when the best 25 players were on the active roster at the same time. Obviously, the Beltre and Hamels injuries were the most significant absences from the lineup. Beltre has played fewer than half of the games so far. Hamels missed several starts. Thankfully, they are both back to full strength now and contributing. In fact, the team is in fairly good shape on the injury front as we head into the break and the second half of the season. 

The closer coming into the season, Sam Dyson, was completely ineffective and was traded. After an outstanding 2016, Dyson started this season with 0 saves in 17 appearances, 4 blown saves, 6 losses, and a 10.80 ERA. His performances were pitiful, but it was comical to see a superstitious ballplayer try to break the jinx. He started the season with a full beard, trimmed it, turned it into a mustache and chin whiskers deal, and for his final Rangers appearance was completely clean shaven. Nothing worked.  He now plays for the Giants.

No one has been able to consistently fill the closer roll. In fact, the entire bullpen has had trouble holding and closing games. The Rangers could easily have between five and 10 more victories if the bullpen had performed at even an average level. Hopefully, the group or at least a couple of pitchers will step up in the second half. 

Almost all the starters have been inconsistent and most have spent time on the DL. Ten different pitchers have started games so far. The starting five is still in flux. One nice pitching story is Austin Bibens-Dirkx, a 32-year-old rookie who looks older, who has bounced around the minors for 12 years. He got his Major League debut and his first MLB start while here filling in for those on the DL. In 10 appearances, five starts, he had a 3-0 record and 4.04 ERA. He had a couple of quality starts when the team really needed them. He was sent down when a couple of guys came off the DL. Yoeman's work Austin.

On the offensive side, we have to use the word inconsistent again. The Rangers have gone stretches when they can't score runs and then stretches when they can't be stopped. They have scored 29 more runs than they have given up yet are still below .500. The disappointments include an overall .242 batting average which is actually way up from most of the first half. The disappointments include Jurickson Profar at .172. Profar was the #1 prospect in all of baseball a few years ago. After recovering from a shoulder injury, he has had several opportunities with the Rangers. He is an outstanding and versatile defensive player, he can play every position, except catcher and pitcher, and play it well. Even a .230 or .240 batting average and he could stick in the majors. For the umpteenth time in the past few years, Profar has been sent down to the AAA club. Ryan Rua is in the same boat. He gets a chance with the big club every year and fails to hit. This year he hit .202 and is now also at AAA Round Rock. Another young guy, Joey Gallo, is batting .194 but he gets to stay because he leads the club with 21 HRs, has 41 RBI and also hits majestic 450' HRs. He filled in admirably at 3rd for Beltre the first few weeks of the season. He now platoons at 1st with Mike Napoli. Napoli is our other power hitter who is batting .194. He has 18 HRs and 39 RBIs. Power is good, but a few more singles would also be welcomed. Rougned Odor, our young starting 2nd baseman, signed a big contract in the offseason. He has had an off year so far, batting only .240 with 17 HRs and 40 RBIs. His bat has shown some improvement in the last couple of weeks. Our other young star, Nomar Mazara, has been up and down. He was Player of the Week early in the season and sported a batting average well over .300. He has come back to earth with a .258 BA, 12 HRs, and a team-leading 56 RBIs for the first half. Delino DeShields has also forced his way into the starting lineup with .286 BA, .344 OBP, and 19 SBs. His speed is disruptive.

The left half of the infield has been solid with the veterans Beltre and Elvis Andrus. Since returning from the DL, Beltre's stats are .283 BA, 7 HRs, and 27 RBIs in only 35 games. Andrus is leading the team with a .300 BA, .318 BA with RISP. He also has 11 HRs, a career season high, 50 RBIs and 20 SBs. As usual, they are both superb defensively. I have said this many times in the past and will say it many times in the future, Adrian Beltre is a joy to watch. His field antics with Elvis Andrus makes it even more joyful. Watch them if you get a chance.

With a hopefully healthy second half, the Rangers have a chance to get into the playoffs as a wildcard. The AL West is out of reach. Houston enters the All-Star break with 60 wins, one of only 10 teams in history to do that. They are dominant this season, like the Cubs of 2016. 

In the AL West, the Angels and Rangers are tied for second place 16½ games behind the Astros, the Mariners are 17½ out in fourth place, and the A's are probably done at 21 games out.

All is not lost for the Rangers. It has been extremely frustrating to watch them this season. All the late-inning blown games, the stretches of futility at the plate, and the number of injuries especially to the pitching staff. Jon Daniels, the Rangers GM, has said that they will not be sellers this year. He also didn't say that they would be buyers. Hopefully, he adds at least a solid arm or two to the bullpen.

Regardless of the final season outcome, I will remain a dedicated fan. I invested too many years in very bad teams in a terrible stadium to let a poor half season deter me.

GO RANGERS! 

wjh

Larry Doby

Every baseball fan and most other people know who Jackie Robinson was. He was the first African-American to break the color barrier of Major League Baseball in 1947. What many people don't know is that just three months later on July 5, 1947, the second Black ballplayer entered the league. That player came straight from the Negro League to the Cleveland Indians. He was Larry Doby, making him the first American League player of color. 

Larry was a talented outfielder who played 13 seasons in the majors for Cleveland, ChiSox, and Detroit. He had a .283 lifetime batting average, was a seven-time all-star, two-time AL home run leader, one-time AL RBI leader, and a member of the 1948 World Championship team. Doby was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998 by the veterans committee, many years too late. Thankfully, Larry was still alive to receive the honor. 

Maybe destined to always be number two, Larry became the second Black manager in Major League history. He managed the 1978 Chicago White Sox for about half the season.

Since there was no inter-league play back in those days, Doby had to break the color barrier in every American League city the Indians played in 1947, just like Jackie Robinson did in the National League cities. 

The men who brought them into the major leagues deserve credit too. Branch Rickey with Jackie and Bill Veeck with Larry. Like Larry, Veeck is largely forgotten for his contribution. It doesn't pay to be second.

Seventy years ago two brave Black men entered a previously all white domain. They entered a completely segregated and highly prejudiced environment. They played in front of mostly white and segregated crowds. They endured racial slurs, death threats, and untold indignities from players and the fans. 

Let's all celebrate Larry and Jackie and Bill and Branch in this 70th year of an integrated Major League.

wjh

A-Roid

Crime doesn't pay, cheaters never win or is that all bullshit? It certainly seems so in the case of one Alex Rodriguez. On Sunday, August 7, 2016, the Yankees and Rodriguez announced that he will play his last game as a Yankee and presumably the last game of his major league career on Friday, August 12th. Because the Yankees are giving Rodriguez his unconditional release, they are on the hook for the remaining $27 million of his contract plus he theoretically could sign with another team. Let's hope that doesn't happen. 

To add insult to insult to injury, Rodriguez will be a special advisor and instructor to the Yankees organization. I don't know whether that job includes more pay or if it is rolled into the $27 million payout. He is also free to pursue broadcast jobs which would definitely pay him and which he will definitely get offers for. Now if you only look at the numbers from his 22 year career you might think all this is fine. An old star player fades into the sunset with a huge severance and thank you package. Just look at some of his numbers. 

That's not how I see it. This is an asshole who made more money than any other Major Leaguer while playing a good part if not the majority of his career while taking performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Then lying about it, gaming the system, mounting a legal and public relations defense and throwing others under the bus. He is baseball's version of Lance Armstrong only much richer. 

Young Alex was a helluva baseball player even at 18 years old. Of course, who knows whether he was already juiced even then. He was the first overall pick in the 1993 draft and was a part-time starter in Seattle by '94. He had seven terrific years there before signing a $252 million, 10 year contract with the Texas Rangers. It was a record setting contract and wound up hamstringing the Rangers budget for several years. Although he had all-star and MVP numbers while in Texas, he later admitted that he used PEDs during his time there. He also exhibited an aloof and phony demeanor during that time. After three years in Texas, he was traded to the Yankees although the Rangers continued to pay a significant portion of his salary, despite which he badmouthed the organization. He was mostly successful in NY although again the PED problem popped up. He also had several incidents of being an ass both on and off the field. 

This blog is not meant to be a recap of the Rodreguez career. It is meant to convey my total disgust at a first class cheater and pretty miserable excuse for a human being. The fact that he was able to collect almost $400 million in salary despite being at least a two time PED offender speaks volumes. Sure, he was suspended for a season but when you're already that rich what is the real punishment. On top of that, the Yankees were obligated to take him back after the suspension and pay him the remaining $50+ million on his contract. 

Back before the 1970's, the players were taken advantage of by the owners. That power pendulum started to swing towards the players when Marvin Miller became the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). Now that pendulum has swung too far in the player's favor. They have consistently blocked meaningful testing and punishment for PED use. Teams should be able to void the contracts of players who fail drug tests or other offenses. Rodriguez should have lost many more millions and been kicked to the street.

Instead, he get's gently let go at full pay from a team and a league that he trashed and with a free pass to possibly play again. The other disturbing point is that Rodriguez will almost certainly end up as a baseball analyst on one of the TV networks that broadcasts baseball. I will bet you large sums of money that we will see him as a regular commentator during the 2016 postseason. That will only be the beginning of his lucrative broadcast career in the future. 

A-Roid or A-Fraud earned those nicknames and he deserves to fade into the background never to be heard from again. His $400 million should be enough. Unfortunately, the Yankees, MLB and media started their image rehabilitation of A-Roid last season and it will continue. Let's hope the Hall of Fame voters don't forget what a fraud and disruptive force he was.

So who will be A-Roid's next employer? Will it be the Miami Marlins or some other desperate team? Will it be the MLB TV Network, Fox Sports, TBS or ESPN? 

Cheaters mostly win nowadays and big cheaters are even bigger winners. 

wjh

Why I Love Baseball Season

There are many reasons why I love the baseball season. In the next few paragraphs I'll let you know several of those reasons.

Always first on the list is that I love the game. I have always loved the game. I enjoyed playing when I was young, coaching when the kids were young and watching either live or on TV all my life. I have memories of watching baseball games on a gigantic black and white TV that probably had a 7" or 9" screen. That was back when I was under six years old and living in the metro NYC area. There were three teams in New York back then and it seemed one of the teams was almost always on TV. There were a lot of day games back then. Besides leading the nation in major league teams, NYC had the most TV stations. Atop that 9" gigantic TV was a set of rabbit ears antenna that picked up all the NYC stations, some of which were actually in New Jersey. I have no recollection of specific games, just a general memory. At the very end of my time in the NYC area Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays were just breaking in. Duke Snyder in Brooklyn was a little older. Three all star Hall of Fame center fielders in the same city. Somehow Willie Mays caught my attention and I became a huge fan. I still believe he is the best overall baseball player ever.

 
What is ironic, or maybe how it's supposed to work, is that my dad was a die hard Yankees fan. How could my favorite player be Willie Mays who played for the Giants? Somehow I carried those foggy images of Willie throughout my life. Of course I saw him on TV occasionally on the game of the week or an all-star game after we moved to Florida. Thankfully I did finally get to see Willie play in person when I moved to Atlanta in the late 1960's, first with the now San Francisco Giants and finally with the New York Mets. The fact that I got to see my favorite player on a fuzzy TV when I was four or five and then in person in my early twenties was great. It's another reason I love baseball. 

The first twenty years of my major league experience was mostly watching on TV with the occasional live minor league game. I had gone to a few MLB games live, but it was an event. That changed when I moved to Atlanta in the late 60's. I was able to go to several games each season. As many of you know, there is no comparison between a live game at the ballpark and one on TV. That Atlanta team I watched included a fair ballplayer by the name of Hank Aaron.

 
When I moved to Texas I had a new MLB team in the neighborhood. Not a particularly good team and not a particularly good stadium. I didn't really care. I was now able to go to a MLB game any time I wanted. There were no sellouts for the Rangers back then. I could get a cheap ticket for a good seat for almost any game on game day. The old ballpark was a mess but it sure was fun. There were usually about 10,000 fans there on a good night. Even that small crowd could overwhelm the concessions and restrooms. The whole bottom level of the stadium was often flooded.  Back then we went to games to drink beer and see the opposing team's stars since there were no stars on the Rangers.

Arlington Stadium

In the early 90's the Rangers got better. Not playoff better, but respectable. Nolan Ryan came to town to pitch. Supposedly an old man he managed to throw two more no-hitters (7 total), get his 300th win and 5,000th strike out. A young buck catcher named Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez also joined the team. Maybe the best catcher to ever play the game and a joy to watch. 

The next chapter includes the new Rangers Ballpark in the middle 1990's and continued improvement of the team. It was a team with several Latino stars which played well in D/FW. The new ballpark was beautiful. Then came playoff baseball. The Rangers kept running into the Yankees in the first round so our post-season ended early. It was during this time that my youngest son caught the baseball fever. He and I went to Rangers games where he got to see his favorite player, Pudge Rodriguez. We also went to a few pre-season open house fan days where he got to see the locker room, hit in the Rangers batting cages and run the bases. He's became a fan forever. There is nothing better than going to a baseball game with your son, regardless of their age.

Rangers Ballpark

Finally in the 2010's the Rangers got to the World Series twice, but fell short. It was exciting. The whole area was pumped. I went to a couple of playoff games and the stadium was rocking.

Besides the live enjoyment, I love baseball season for the TV broadcasts. Since I get every Rangers game on my local cable Fox Sports SW, local TXA 21 or some national broadcasts on ESPN, MLB.TV or Fox, I have something enjoyable to watch every night. This is reality TV that is actually real. On the few nights the Rangers don't play or when they have a day game, there is usually another game on. I always watch the game live and record any other stuff on TV that I may want to watch later. During the game I have time to read, do computer stuff or any number of other things.

I almost always read, write or do some other activity when I watch TV. Baseball broadcasts are perfect for this. If needed I can mute the TV and still keep track of what's going on. I can even tune out for a couple of innings and catch up later.  

Baseball has given me joy for many, many years. I fully expect that to continue for at least a few more years. I'll watch any baseball game I come across from T-ball to the major leagues. You will never see any two games that are the same. Even after watching thousands of games you are apt to see something for the first time. There are hundreds of nuances to the game.

So, take me out to the ballgame. 

wjh