Fin Stays in Texas

Michael Finley won't be moving to the Eastern Conference after all....while most experts predicted he would end up playing with Shaq and Wade in Miami, Michael Finley ended up staying Texas, inking a deal with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Although the specifics aren't announced yet it is most likely a 1 year deal for $2.5 mil or at most a 2 year deal. A few quotes from Finley:

To be a part of a championship team, I'm excited. This is the closest I've ever been to a championship. I'm looking forward to the challenge of helping this team repeat.

In a nutshell, they're already a championship team but they have room for improvement. And I feel my game can help them in the areas where they need improvement.

I give Finley a lot of credit considering he took less money to sign with the Spurs. I am saddened to see him in a Spurs uniform and know this will only hurt the Mavs chances. Finley will bring a lot to this Spurs team and I expect him to play big minutes. I know Cuban has emphasized that he won't drastically alter the roster this season, but I wonder if this will spark Cuban to make some sort of move.

If True...We are the Worst Cheaters of all-time

After Texas' 7-5 victory on Monday over the Chicago White Soxs, starting pitcher Mark Buehrle claimed the Rangers cheated by stealing signals and relaying them to batters through the lighting in the stadium. The Rangers are 37-30 at home, giving them the eighth best AL record. Overall Win-Lose percentage, the Rangers are 10th overall, so I don't think there is much validity to this. If the Home and Overall records were extremely off then you could make a case. The reason why the Rangers hit so much better in Texas isn't because they are stealing signs but because the ball travels further in the Texas heat and because the ballpark is a hitter's park. If the Rangers were really stealing signs there would never be great pitching performances by opposing teams' pitcher but there have been many, just ask Rich Harden.

Out of Town

Hey guys...I haven't had time to write a post as I have been out of town the past few days without internet access. I will be back in town tomorrow and will have access to a comp then.

Rangers' starters

The Rangers rotation of Kenny Rogers, Chris Young, Juan Dominguez, Joaquin Benoit, and Kameron Loe have produced of:

Chris Young 12 ip 1 er
Juan Dominguez 6 ip 1 er
Joaquin Benoit 7 ip 2 er
Kameron Loe 5 ip 0 er
Kenny Rogers 6 ip 0 er

AN ERA OF 1!!!!!

I am not sure if this has ever happened anytime in the Rangers franchise....folks we are witnessing something historic. Keep it up guys.

Who are these guys?

Over the last four games the Texas Rangers haven't looked like the Texas Rangers. Starting pitching has combined to allow just four runs in 23 innings, giving them an ERA of 1.56. Kameron Loe outpitched Kyle Lohse last night to give the Rangers the victory. Loe, who has been a reliever all year, was obviously given a pitch limit. He went 5 innings and was extremely efficient throwing only 50 pitches, while giving up just five hits and striking out five as well. Loe, like Benoit and Dominguez did the previous two days, pitched extremely well and made a case for himself in the backend of next year's rotation. It is great to see the young pitchers starting to pitch well...as long as Hicks decides that they are pitching so well he doesn't need to go out and get a few pitchers this offseason.

Big Time Game Tonight

Kameron Loe takes on Kyle Lohse...a lot of story lines in this game tonight. Loe makes his first major league start this season. Loe did start several games in the minors. Including 26 games in 2004, 18 in AA and 8 in AAA. He had a combined 3.27 ERA. Loe wants a chance at next year's rotation and he is getting a shot tonight. For the Twins, Lohse was the centerpiece in a rumored deal with Texas for Alfonso Soriano. It seemed the trade rumors didn't phase Lohse...this month in four starts he has posted a 2.39 ERA going 1-1. Both Benoit and Dominguez have pitched well lately hopefully Loe can do the same.

Today's stuff

Great article by Ben Rogers in "The Sportspage Weekly". In regard to the Cowboys, Rogers gives his impressions about the team after their preseason win over Seattle. He still isn't sold on Drew Bledsoe and is also concerned about Matt Hasselbeck's success against the Cowboy's first team secondary, who "is currently scheduled to do most of the heavy lifting this season". He is high on Julius Jones though and predicts 1,500 yards and 14 TD's. I think that is a bit optimistic but I do believe Jones easily has the potential to be a top 10 back in the league.

Rogers also goes on a rant about the Rangers and specifically Tom Hicks...

How embarrassing is this thing going to get? What an absolute disaster. If Hicks had any brains left in his sunburned melon, he'd figure out a way to fire himself, Showalter and Hart. Even if he just suspended himself from the park, and from the business, that would be a start. I think it is unrealistic to assume that he'd ever sell the team because he's making too much money sending out a pathetic payroll, yet watching the Arlington faithful roll in each night. Hicks damn well better extend his alligator arms this off-season, locate his man wallet, then go out there and overpay for A.J. Burnett.

Rogers also steals my term calling the DVD the "saviors"! It's okay I'll let him borrow it. And like myself he insists the DVD isn't as close to MLB-ready as we think. He also proposes the idea of trading Hank Blalock for starting pitcher, then moving Tex to third and starting Adrian Gonzales at first. Although I am a big Hank Blalock fan, if I were the Rangers I would consider a move like this. I am not sure about Tex's defensive skills at third but if they are adequate I think this is the best way to get a good starting pitcher. If you can get a solid pitcher for Blalock then also get a Burnett, your rotation would be much improved for next season.

In other news, after recently getting a DUI, making that his second since January, the Baltimore Orioles are trying to find a way to void Sidney Ponson's contract. The Rangers have had an eye on Ponson for some time. Ponson has struggled all year going 7-11 with an ERA of 6.21 and a 1.71 WHIP. If Ponson's contract is voided he will become a free agent this offseason and the Rangers will probably be looking to sign him to a cheap deal.

Cowboys trade for kicker Seth Marler. In return, the Jags receive an undisclosed 2006 pick. Hopefully one that is conditional on Marler making the team. Marler spent the past season on injured reserve. The season before he was 20-33 on field goals for the Jaguars which doesn't sound awful, but that is before looking at his breakdown. He was 10-11 from 20-29 yards, 4-8 from 30-39 yards, and 5-12 from 40-49 yards, and 1-2 from 50+ yards. Bottom line Marler is going to really have to impress the Cowboys in for him to make this team, especially considering Cortez is 4 for 4 on field goals in the preaseason.



----------------

POLL RESULTS

Thanks to everyone that voted in the poll. The questions was where will Michael Finley end up. Miami led the way with 4 votes, while Phoenix had 2, San Antonio got 1, and other got 1 as well. It shouldn't be too long before we find out. Over the past few days representatives of teams have flown to Chicago to try and persuade Finley to sign with their perspective teams. I only hope Finley ends up in the Eastern Conference, but no matter what uniform he is wearing I will be a Michael Finley fan.

Fantasy Football

Sorry about no post yesterday...I spent most of the day researching for my fantasy football draft which was last night..Here is a look at my team

Starters
QB1: Matt Hasselbeck
QB2: Brian Griese
RB1: LaDanian Tomlinson
RB2: Jamal Lewis
WR1: Javon Walker
WR2: Darrell Jackson
WR3: Chris Chambers
WR4: Jimmy Smith
K: Sebastian Janikowski
Def/ST: Colts

Reserves:
QB: Patrick Ramsey
RB: Fred Taylor
RB: Mike Anderson
TE: Alge Crumpler
WR: Keenan McCardell

If you have a draft coming up and want to talk fantasy football just leave a comment.

Dominguez makes a case for himself in second career win

Juan Dominguez got his second career victory tonight as the Rangers defeated the Mariners 8-1 at TBIA. This was Dominguez's third start of the month and his only three starts this season for the Rangers. In all three of his appearances he has been more than adequate. Dominguez isn't just one of the five pitchers in our rotation "pitching the season out". Rather, Dominguez is trying to secure a spot in the backend of next season's rotation. If the Rangers do actually go out and sign a few pitchers this offseason there will be heavy competition for one of the final spots in the rotation.

A look at Dominguez's first three starts:

New York 7, Texas 5= Dominguez get's a no decision as he goes 7 innings allowing 9 hits and 1 walk while giving up 5 earned runs and striking out 10, a career high. To go into Yankee Stadium on your first start of the year and pitch like Dominguez did says a lot about his mental toughness. Although he did give up 5 earned runs, considering it was versus the potent Yankees offense I would consider this acceptable.

Tampa Bay 2, Texas 1= Dominguez lowers his ERA from 5.59 to 5.11 as he allows only 2 earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched. However, he takes the lose as the normally high scoring offense looks impotent.

Texas 8, Seattle 1= Dominguez goes 6 innings only giving up 2 hits and 1 earned run. He does have some control problems as he issued 5 walks. This time Dominguez lowers his ERA to 4.40.

Dominguez has been solid in all three of his starts this year. Dominguez, the one-time top rated prospect in the organization, has solid stuff but has never been able to excel at the Major League level. Juan Dominguez is one of the few reasons I still watch Rangers games. The better Dominguez pitches this year, the one less hole the Rangers have to fix this offseason, and the more optimism I have for next season year.

Funny Story

Kinda funny that this will get you 6 games when first time steroid use only gets you 10 games.

Cowboys release injured Cundiff and Rogers

Today the Cowboys released right tackle Jacob Rogers and kicker Billy Cundiff. Rogers was an All-American left tackle at USC and was drafted in the second round by the Cowboys last season. Rogers was immediately moved to the right side of the line as a rookie but struggled playing the new position. In his rookie campaign Rogers managed to play in just two games, strictly on special teams. This offseason Rogers had shoulder surgery and came into camp as the favorite to win the starting job at right tackle. After just two plays in the preseason opener Rogers went down with a knee injury. Initially the injury was considered minor however after re-examining it, it was determined Rogers would have to sit out the season.

Meanwhile, Billy Cundiff was also released after sustaining a hip injury in training camp. Free agent kicker Jose Cortez appears to have won the job. Cortez is out of Oregon State and entered the league in 1999 with the Giants. Since then, Cortez spent time in San Francisco, Washington, Minnesota, and now Dallas. Cortez was used only as a kickoff man in the past two seasons. Cortez is a decent kicker at best. For his career, he is 1-2 from 1-19 yards, 17-20 from 20-29 yards, 14-16 from 30-39 yards, 8-18 from 40-49 yards, and 1-1 from 50+. The bottom line is Cortez is an average kicker who based on his previous stats is unreliable beyond 40 yards.

Rookie Marcus Spears returns to practice today. Spears was expected to be out four to six weeks but has recovered early.

“He needs to get a lot of work,” Parcells said of Spears. Parcells said Spears was way behind the other rookie defensive linemen.

Hopefully Spears can catch up and be able to contribute on defense sometime during the year. After watching Ware perform on MNF, I am optimistic that Spears, if caught up, can provide some help to the defensive this year.

Cowlishaw article criticizes Showalter

One of the few anti-Showalter columns this year will appear in the Dallas Morning News tomorrow. In the article, write Tim Cowlishaw discusses the state of Rangers' clubhouse, specifically the relationship of Showalter and his players.

Cowlishaw first dissects the situation:

The Rangers have a legitimate clubhouse crisis on their hands.

One view is that of the players, whose faith in management - all management - is beyond shaken. It doesn't exist.

The other is the view of a manager who says he "loves these players" and believes they will fight through the adversity and win again. Is it fair for someone to go from Manager of the Year in 2004 to the hot seat, a step away from a desk at ESPN?

In Buck Showalter's case, it is.

Cowlishaw associates all Ranger problems with Showalter:

It's that whatever the players think of Tom Hicks' unwillingness to spend for key players or John Hart's inability to upgrade the club through trades, Showalter has tied himself into all of that.

Consequently:

These three are joined at the waist, and that's why players who have lost faith with the top of the organization include Showalter in that mix.

Cowlishaw then compares the Rangers' organization to that of the Yankees':

Yankees players view their manager as an advocate. Rangers players view their manager as someone they can no longer trust.

Finally he tries to provide necessary course of action for owner Tom Hicks:

Hicks needs to hold a meeting with the leaders of this team. He can look at the All-Star selections from the last couple of years to see who they are.

This is about whether or not Showalter has lost this team and whether he can possibly get it back in the spring of 2006.

------------

I give Cowlishaw credit as he is one of the few members of the Dallas media to criticize Showalter and the entire Rangers' organization. Also, I believe Cowlishaw is absolutely right in suggesting what Hicks needs to do. But the only problem is that he won't. This team is sinking like the Titanic, and only Mr. Hicks can save the franchise. He must take control of this thing and insist the Rangers' have the best offseason possible. I turn to Jerry Jones who responded to an awful Cowboys' season by going out and having an amazing offseason...the result? Many predict the Cowboys will finish with 10 or 11 wins. Ideally Showalter needs to provide some separationon between himself, Hart, and Hicks. Cowlishaw makes a valid argument when examining the Yankees to determine how a franchise should effectively be run. Rangers players have associateded all of their frustrations with the Rangers' franchise with Showalter and thus the effectiveness of Showalter's managerial abilities are in question, like they became both in New York and Arizona.

Finley has " a good meeting" with Heat

Michael Finley met with Heat president Pat Riley and head coach Stan Van Gundy yesterday. Miami is courting Finley, and has all of their mid-level exception to offer to the swingman. Riley calls the engagement "a good meeting". Apparently Riley and Van Gundy assumed they made a hell of a presentation to Finley, as "In anticipation of a possible deal, the team placed 20 posters of Finley wearing a Heat uniform on light poles on the streets near the team's arena." Other teams expected to meet with Finley include Detroit and Denver, who both have all of their mid-level expectations, and Phoenix, who can only offer Finley the league veteran minimum, and the Spurs, who only have part of their mid-level exception remaining.

In Denver it is being reported that although Denver has all of their mid-level exception available to give to Finley, the former Mav guard isn't interested in playing in the high altitudes in Denver:

Oh, the Nuggets are still interested. Problem is, Finley apparently doesn't feel the same about Denver.

Finley and his agent met with Miami's Pat Riley and Stan Van Gundy yesterday in Chicago. Meetings with Phoenix, San Antonio, Detroit and Minnesota may also be in the works.
But Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe says it doesn't look like Denver's being invited.

Phoenix is next, as they are going to Chicago to make a pitch to Michael Finley today.

It seems like Finley has the best chance to win a championship in either Miami or San Antonio. However, his role would be largest in Phoenix. I don't think Finley would be happy in Miami, where he would have to play alongside Wade, Shaq, Walker, and Williams. With at least three of those guys on the floor at the same time it seems like Finley would rarely get the ball. In San Antonio, Finley would come off the bench, with Bowen and Ginobili starting at 2 and 3. But in Phoenix, Finley would replace the departed Joe Johnson in the staring lineup...and as we all know Phoenix is a team that lacks depth and plays its starters more than any team in the league.

A Preview of the Shopping List

Here is a great link with a thorough list of Free Agents for this offseason. Here are some free agent starting pitchers I would pursue if I were the Rangers:

Paul Byrd= Although Byrd is 34, he could be a great #3 starter for this team for the next few seasons. Byrd has posted an ERA under 4 in his last three seasons and his career groundball to flyball ratio is .94, which would help him in the ballpark in Arlington.

Kevin Millwood= I believe the Rangers must get Millwood, Matt Morris, or A.J. Burnett in order to be a legitimite playoff contender. Millwood is an interesting story....he has been a great pitcher throughout his career but his worst season came last season in Philadelphia when he posted a 4.85 era. But suprisingly when he moved to the AL he has improved significantly. Thus far this year, he has posted a 3.23 era with Cleveland. Hicks would have to open up his wallet to Millwood but he would be a #1 starter for this team for years.

A.J. Burnett= When it comes to pitchers, the spotlight this offseason will be on A.J. Burnett. Not only does this 28 year old have great stuff but he is finally starting to show he can use it effectively. Burnett is having a career year this year as he is 12-6 with a 2.90 era. What is even more amazing is the way he has pitched lately and throughout the trade talks. In Burnett's last 6 starts, he is 6-0 with only 4 earned runs in 46 innings. Burnett will demand the most money out of any of the free agent pitchers.

Roger Clemens= I know what your thinking is it possible? Not only has Clemens not lost a step with his age but he is pitching better than he ever has. And if Houston doesn't make the playoffs Clemens could consider playing elsewhere. I know the Rangers have pursued Clemens in the past, and if the Rangers can first land a guy like Millwood or Burnett, Clemens might be intrigued to play for the Rangers.

Matt Morris = Morris has been a Cardinal for all 8 of his major league seasons and only once has posted an era of over 4. Thus Morris has been a consistent pitcher throughout his career and he also sports a 1.68 groundball to flyball ratio. That would benefit Morris in Texas especially in the hot summer where the balls fly like birds migrating south. Like Burnett and Millwood, Morris will cost a bundle.

Esteban Loaiza= No way right? In 2003, Loaiza developed a cutter which resulted in an MVP year and finished second in the Cy Young balloting. Then 2004 came, and the tired-armed righty fell apart. Although he did pitch well for the Yankees in the playoffs, he didn't demand much in the offseason. Loaiza signed with the Nationals and has been a quality starter for them with a 3.66 era. Loaiza was 21-9 with a 2.90 era in 2003, if he isn't asking for much I don't see why the Rangers shouldn't take a flyer on him if it won't cost them much.

2nd Cowboys preseason game on MNF

Dallas at Seattle...7 pm CT kickoff. Dallas hoping to rebound from 13-11 lose to Arizona last weekend.

Rivera and Ferguson aren't suiting up tonight.

Soriano sticking around for rest of season

According to the Dallas Mornings News Soriano was claimed on waivers by the Minnesota Twins but the Twins most likely did so just to block a trade to any other potential teams. However, the Twins and Rangers are also discussing what it it would take to make Soriano a Twin. The deal would have to be completed by today and if not Soriano will remain a Ranger for the rest of the season. Just one note, Kyle Lohse, who was at the center of the Soriano trade rumors is is 1-1 this month will an ERA of 2.39, lowering his season ERA to 4.10....really makes you wonder if the Rangers should have pulled the trigger on that deal.... or if that deal is still on the table.

Cuban changes approach?

Tim Cowlishaw wrote an article in today's Dallas Morning News discussing Mark Cuban's new approach to the offseason...

The Mavericks trotted out five new players for a news conference Friday, which is par for the course for this team during the summer. Only this time, the new players do not represent radical change.

The Mavericks are pursuing stability. They are pursuing chemistry. They are following a plan laid out by head coach Avery Johnson that is a 180-degree turn from the days of Don Nelson.

"I'm not saying we aren't going to spend money. But we are going to be smart."

Cuban's intent is not to pinch pennies. It's to deliver a banner that matches the Stars' 1998-99 flag that flies at American Airlines Center.

"It's a business, but there's more emotion involved than there is in other businesses," Cuban said. "If I wanted to run it just like a business, I'd follow the Clippers' model. They can make a lot of money. But I don't have that championship."

I think Cuban's approach is a good thing for the Mavericks...now the only question is do the Mavericks have enough talent to win an NBA Championship.

Clemens and Damon on the juice?

There are rumors going around the internet that Boston's Johnny Damon and Houston's Roger Clemens have tested positive for steroids. There still isn't a lot of information about these rumors and I will update my blog as soon as I hear more details, either refuting or confirming these rumors. Clemens name has been involved in steroids talk, largely because at the age of 42 Clemens is having a career year for even his standards. Clemens is 11-5 with a 1.53 era and a .93 whip. Although Clemens might be suspected of steroid use because of his successful season so late in his career I think the more likely scenario is that his numbers are better because he is pitching in the weak-hitting NL. There are several other pitchers who in the past few years have gone from the AL to the NL and put up great seasons. Examples include:

Pedro Martinez - his 2.97 era this year is almost a point lower than his 3.90 era he had in Boston last season. in Boston last season.

Andy Pettitte- after posting a 4.02 era in his last season with the Yankees, Pettitte has a sizzling 2.67 era in his first full year in the NL.

Esteban Loaiza- after struggling with an era of 5.71 a year ago with the White Sox and Yankees, Loaiza era has sunk to 3.64 this season with the Nationals.

Derek Lowe- Although he was a key component in the World Series run last year, his regular season era of 5.42 was what made the decision of not resigning Lowe a little bit easier for the Sox. So what? Lowe goes to the NL where his era is now a much lower 3.97.

The amazing improvement of all of these pitchers provide evidence that perhaps Clemens isn't on steroids but his significant improvement over the past two years come from playing in an easier league.

New Poll Question Up!

Make Sure to vote in the Weekly Poll. This week's question: Where Will Michael Finley End Up? It is being reported that Miami is the favorite right now but that is just a rumor...Where do you think he will end up? Vote Now!

Mavs to introduce Christie, Diop today

The Mavericks will introduce newly acquired free agents Doug Christie and Desagana Diop sometime today. The DMN reports Diop's deal is a 3 year, $5.7 million contract. Meanwhile, it is still unknown what Christie signed for, however the Morning News insists its more than a one year deal, and Christie's agent claims, "his client turned down a one-year, $4-million deal and a 4-year, $20 million deal with other NBA teams." Christie turned 35 in May and if he did indeed sign a multi-year contract with the Mavs you have to question if and how much his defensive skills will deteriorate. I think Christie is a good replacement for Finley. But you can't just look at it as a Finley for Christie swap, because the money saved from waiving Finley will be spent within the next few seasons on a prized player via free agency or trade. Christie provides much needed defensive help when he is on the floor and Finley's offensive productivity will be replaced by the fact that Stackhouse will now get more minutes. I think it will be interesting to see if Christie starts and how much playing time he will get. If I were Avery I would start Terry, Howard, Christie, Nowitzki, and Dampier. This is a much improved starting unit from a defensive perspective with Christie in there. Then I would bring Stackhouse off the bench as your sixth man, providing instant offense.

Diop is an interesting player to say the least. Diop was drafted 8th out of the acclaimed basketball prep school of Oak Hill Academy. As a senior in high school Diop led Oak Hill Academy to a 33-0 season and a No. 1 national ranking by USA Today. During the year, Diop averaged 14.6 ppg, 13.2 rpg, and 8.0 bpg. However the NBA has been a different story for the 7-footer. In his four years with the Cavaliers his career numbers are 1.6 ppg, .80 bpg, 2.6 rpg, and only 10.8 mpg. Diop is still a project, but unlike Mbenga he does have four years of NBA experience. Diop is also a much bigger body and I would imagine Avery thinks he can more easily clog up space in the middle when Dampier is out (most likely because of foul trouble). I don't feel Mbenga is ready to be a backup center in the league but I hope the signing of Diop won't cut into what will already be limited playing time for Mbenga.

If Finley signs with Heat...

I am very curious where Michael Finley will end up signing. It is being reported that the Heat are the favorites to land Finley, however I find this hard to believe. If I were Michael Finley I would much rather sign with the Suns or the Spurs where he wouldn't have trouble getting his shots off. Anyways if Finley does sign with the Heat take a look at this 8-man rotation, no doubt the best in basketball. Thus making the Heat the deepest team in the NBA.

Shaquille O'Neal
Alonzo Mourning
Dwayne Wade
Jason Williams
Michael Finley
James Posey
Antoine Walker
Udonis Haslem

Diop to sign with Mavs

It is being reported that free agent Desagana Diop is on the verge of signing a contract with the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs plan to use Diop to back up Dampier. Diop provides an abundance of size at 7 feet and 300 pounds. More commentary to come on this later in the day.

Mark Teixeira beat out Michael Young eight to four in the weekly poll to determine the most valuable player to the Rangers. Young and Teixeira are both vital parts of the franchise and hopefully this offseason the Rangers will be able to lock up Teixeira to a long term deal. Later today or tomorrow I will present a list of possible free agent targets for the Rangers.

Young dominates as losing streak comes to end

After struggling mightily throughout July, Chris Young pitched his second quality start of the month as the Rangers defeated the Indians 3-0. Young pitched 8 innings allowing 2 hits 1 walk while striking out 7.

A few notable things from the game:

After Hicks was quoted in the papers saying the Rangers were out of it and were now going to see what they had for 2006, McDougall still didn't get off the bench and DeRosa started instead of Mench.

The Rangers three runs came via the long ball. With their two home runs tonight Texas now has 197 on the year. That leads the majors with the Yankees in second with a mere 169.

Texas got a good look at Kevin Millwood, who will undoubtedly be one of the prized free agents this offseason. Although Millwood got the lose he pitched well going 8 innings giving up only 4 hits and one walk while allowing 3 runs and striking out 4. Millwood can't catch a break as he falls to 6-10 with an era of 3.11!

Rangers players speak out

After yesterday's 8-2 loss to Cleveland, bringing the losing streak to eight, the Rangers players spoke out, not only about the frustrations of the losing streak and the season but also indirectly about management and their offseason strategies. I will provide some relevant quotes from the following article in the Dallas Morning News.

John Hart has conceded the season apparently:

"As we go through the remainder of the season, we've come to the realization that we aren't going to win this year"

"We are by no means mailing anything in, but we are going to continue looking at our players all our players to determine what we have for next year."

A few things about Harts' comments. First, I never think it is a good sign when your general manager publicly states your franchise is giving up on the season when your team is not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. I really think the Rangers have possessed a "we aren't going to win this year" mentality, especially after they released Ryan Drese, and apparently this attitude starts in the front office. I don't think the Rangers have a chance at making the playoffs this year, but I think it is one thing to play your young players to see what you have and another thing to come out and say your season is basically over. Second, Hart says that the Rangers will continue to look at all of their players to determine what they have next year. IF that is really true why aren't Gerald Laird and Jason Botts on the big league roster right now? Laird was a triple A all star this season yet he can't sniff the big leagues. Botts is hitting .297 in Oklahoma with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs and he can't seem to get in a Rangers uniform for more than a week at a time. I guess evidenced by Marshall McDougall, the better question is why aren't these guys on the big league roster and playing at least two or three times a week. McDougall has only 7 at bats since his June 8th call up. Mr. Hart how can you determine what you have for next year with McDougall when you won't let him play at all? So let's see...isn't it a little hypocritical to say you are mailing the season in yet you still won't play your young players to see in your own words "what we have for next year"?

More quotes from the article:

Several players expected to be the core of next year's team acknowledged a growing crisis of faith over how the Rangers will return to contention.

"I have no expectations about this off-season," said Teixeira, with whom the Rangers are expected to have discussions about a long-term contract. "The last few years we've shown that we are only going to build from within." Asked if that gave him optimism about the 2006 season, Teixeira responded: "Not without making some huge changes."

Teixeira has the potential to be one of the greatest Rangers of all-time. He obviously cares about winning and wants to see Hicks and Hart prove this offseason that they want to win and will spend the money to be competitive. I think whether or not Hart and Hicks can do this will largely impact thnegotiationsns between Teixeira and the Rangers.

The huge changes Teixeira discusses refers to the fact that the Rangers are going to have to spend money this offseason. They are going to have to overpay to get quality pitchers to come to Texas..They are going to have to stop pretending they are a small market team and get their payroll back in the $80 million range. Will Hicks want to do this? Will he want to keep his young nucleus happy and intact? We will see...

Michael Young had the following to say:

"I have no reason to expect anything different from what I've seen the last 18 months. We're continually told how important the minor league system is. I think we'll continue to rely on players from the system rather than free agency."

Young is correct. Rangers fans and players have no reason to believe Hicks will start spending more money. Very few teams have enough of a quality farm system to simply avoid free agency and expect to be a competitive team each season, and the Rangers are not one of these. So far we have heard from the Rangers' two leaders, and both sound very pessimistic about the future of the franchise. That isn't a good sign.

Hart however did say that, "If the right situation presents itself, we'll be aggressive," I am happy with the fact that the Rangers didn't pursue pitchers such as Eric Milton and Aaron Harang last season if this means they are willing to spend money this year on a much better free agency pool. This years pool includes Matt Morris, Kevin Millwood, and A.J. Burnett. I don't how the Rangers could not aggressively go after one or two of these pitchers, especially after the Rangers players have voiced their frustrations publicly.

Rangers OF and DH David Dellucci explained that he felt confused as, "You have an offense that is ready, ready to compete for a world championship. It seems that we are developing pitchers, and the timetables are different."

Dellucci is absolutely correct. The Rangers can't wait on the DVD. Not only do the Rangers not know when they will be ready, but they don't know how good they will be (they are all struggling in double-A now). And by the time the DVD is ready and has a few years of major league experience Young, Blalock, and Teixeira might not be in Texas anymore.

Blalock also spoke and really summed up how Rangers fans and players have felt over the past few seasons: "I would hope management shows the same frustration and disappointment that we feel. I hope they'll make a few moves to put us over the top." After hearing all of these comments I really don't know how management can't go out and get some quality pitching this offseason. Otherwise I am bewildered as to how management thinks these guys will want to resign with a franchise who doesn't care about winning.

I am glad to see Blalock, Teixeira, Young, and Dellucci all express their concern publicly. This should put a lot of pressure on Hicks and Hart to deliver the goods this offseason. If they don't, expect a lot of miserable Rangers fans and players.

The Transformation of R.A. Dickey

Rangers pitcher R.A. Dickey seemed destined to be a long reliever in the Majors for the remainder of his career. During the 2003 and 2004 seasons R.A. started 28 games, going 9-12 with a 5.85 ERA. Dickey's mentality seemed better fit for a relief role, and in the past two seasons he had more success coming out of the bullpen rather than starting games. In his 35 relief appearances he went 6-3 with a 4.11 ERA. This season R.A. was supposed to be the team's primary long reliever but struggled early allowing 6 earned runs in just 7.2 innings. He was placed on the 15-Day DL with right triceps inflammation on April 14th and activated and immediately demoted to Oklahoma on May 26th to "work things out".

Throughout R.A.'s career he has never possessed a great fastball, partially due to the fact that he lacks a ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm. Consequently, he developed a pitch a few seasons ago which is a mixture of a splitter and a knuckleball, which he self-promotes as "the thing". Dickey struggled in Oklahoma as well, posting a 3-4 record with an ERA of 6.09 after nine starts.

Unsure what to do with R.A., the Rangers tried to persuade the pitcher to become a knuckleballer. Although it took some time to finally convince R.A., he eventually agreed. Although R.A. hadn't ever really thrown a knuckleball before, he had thrown "the thing" many times and that pitch somewhat resembled a knuckleball. Dickey's first knuckleball start came on July 24th when the Oklahoma RedHawks faced the Iowa Cubs. In end, Iowa won 12-2 and Dickey allowed 14 hits, 5 walks, and 12 earned runs while lasting 5.2 innings and striking out none. Many felt RedHawks manager Bobby Jones left Dickey in for far too long, not to mention potentially destroying Dickey's morale and confidence. Jones knew this was going to be a challenge for Dickey and the fact that Dickey survived the night manifested he was ready to accomplish the task at hand...the transition to a knuckleball pitcher.

However, not even Jones could have predicted Dickey's success over his next four starts. It seemed as though Dickey's 12 earned run night helped him, and Jones came off as a genius. In Dickey's second start he got his first win as a knuckleballer in a 14-4 victory over Tucson. Dickey went 6 innings allowing 6 hits, 4 earned runs, 4 walks, with 5 strikeouts. Dickey's four walks were still a little bit of a concern but the improvement from the first start to the second start was dramatic. It appeared Dickey also started to figure out how to strike batters out with his knuckleball. In Dickey's third start he got another win once again going 6 innings this time allowing only 3 earned runs with 8 hits and 4 walks while striking out 8 this time! In Dickey's fourth start he looked phenomenal, winning again, allowing merely 1 run in 7 innings, giving up 6 hits while striking out 4 and issuing only a single walk. Not only was Dickey winning but he had finally figured out how to control his knuckleball, and thus allowing less runners on base. In Dickey's last start, yesterday, he got his fourth straight win going 7 innings, giving up 9 hits 3 earned runs, and walking only 1 again while striking out 6.

Dickey's considerable improvement in such a short time is really encouraging for all Rangers fans. As the Rangers are falling and falling in the standings, and the DVD are struggling in Double-A, R.A. is providing us with a bright light in this seemingly depressing season. Hopefully next season and beyond, R.A. will be a key component in the solution to our everlasting pitching problems.

BREAKING NEWS...FINLEY WAIVED

Just minutes before the amnesty clause deadline, the Mavericks released veteran swingman Michael Finley. Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News reports possible suitors for the guard/forward are Miami, Phoenix, Denver, Detroit, Chicago, New York, Utah and San Antonio. Finley will be greatly missed it Dallas and I will cheer for him no matter what uniform he ends up in..Michael Finley thank you for helping retransform the Mavericks back into a winning franchise.

Give Cuban Credit

While there is still no word out of Dallas camp as to what they are doing with Finley, you have to give Cuban and company credit for genuinely exploring all of their options before making a final decision. Meanwhile, here is a list of players that have been waived today as part of the amnesty clause. I will continue to update this blog until we hear what the Mavericks have decided to do with Michael Finley....STAY TUNED.

Decision on Finley by midnight

UPDATE

While there still hasn't been a formal announcement on the status of Michael Finley, several players already today have fallen victim to the new amnesty clause. The most surprising move of the day was the Knick's decision to release Jerome Williams rather than Allan Houston. Williams was due for $21 million over the next 3 years. Other released waives include: Ron Mercer (Nets), Calvin Booth (Bucks), Aaron McKie (76ers), Doug Christie (Magic), Brian Grant (Lakers), Derek Anderson (Blazers).

Apparently the decision to keep Houston did not come from Isiah Thomas, but Madison Square Garden chairman. Daily News Sports Writer Frank Isola argues that waiving Houston would have been the logical decision as he is owed $40 million through 2007 and he has only played 70 games the past two years (due to injury). Isola goes on to say that "From both a basketball and economic standpoint, it makes sense for Houston and the Knicks to mutually sever ties. If Houston struggles in October, the front office may pressure him into retiring, which is something Houston has been reluctant to seriously consider. Dolan is risking a public relations mess because many Knick supporters - either fairly or unfairly - have blamed Houston's injury and his $100 million contract for the team's five-year slide."

Howard Beck of the New York Times reports that Houston and Dolan were close and also if healthy Houston is the team's best shooter. He also says that team officials felt Houston is owed more time to make a comeback from his injuries.

Also, here is a good link to a Q & A session with ESPN's Marc Stein in regard to the NBA's new Amnesty Clause.

----------------------------------------------


The Mavericks have till midnight to decide on whether or not to keep Michael Finley. If the Mavs do not keep him, which they most likely will not, Finley will either be traded or released. The Mavs would prefer to trade Finley to an Eastern Conference team. If Finley were simply released odds are the Spurs and the Suns would try to sign him, making a Western Conference foe even stronger. A Finley waive seems more probable though as they have already signed a "replacement" for him in veteran defensive-minded guard Doug Christie, to a one year $3 million dollar deal. The Mavs are $61.7 million over the luxury tax and implementing this new one time "Allan Houston Rule", the Mavs would save $51.8 million by waiving or trading Finley. MORE DETAILS TO COME....

Pros and Cons to waiving Finley

My fellow Mavs fans,

From a personnel perspective there are valid arguments to both keep and waive Finley. For the argument against getting rid of Finley, one could state that Finley is the heart and soul of this team. There are plenty of young players on the team such as Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels, Devin Harris, Jason Terry and even Dirk that will be the leaders of this team in the future, and playing one more season with Finley will help improve on their leadership skills. Also, although Finley's points per game has decreased the past six seasons (from 22.6 to last year's 15.7), he is also playing less (42.2 mpg to 36.8). And while Finley's slashing abilities have diminished the past few seasons and he enjoys hanging around the perimeter, his three point percentage has improved dramatically, he is a career 37% 3 point shooter, but he posted a 40.5 percentage two seasons ago and 40.7% this past season. Another thing is that Finley has played in 56 career postseason games, by far more than any other Maverick not named Dirk (53) or Jerry (31). In the playoffs Finley's experience will be significant, and his struggles in last season's postseason could be blamed on his bum ankle which he insisted was in need of surgery. The final argument for keeping Finley is a defensive minded one, the possibility that if waived he could end up in a Suns or Spurs uniform. Not only could Finley's long distance shooting help these two teams substantially, but it would only cost them the mid-level exception to obtain Finley.

On the other side, Finley's minutes, points, rebounds, and assists were career lows (with the exception of his rookie year in Phoenix). It is time for the younger players, the Mavericks' future, to get more time in games. Last off-season, Marquis Daniels signed a 6 year $36.8 million contract but couldn't even get into game 6 versus Phoenix last year. With Finley gone, Daniels, Harris, Howard, Stackhouse, and Terry will all get more playing time. With that increased playing time Terry and Harris will be able to further develop as point guards, while Howard can finally take his game to the next level, an NBA all-star. Also, we witnessed Finley's numbers decline greatly in the post-season, with averages of 13.1 ppg/4.3 rpg/2.2 apg. And while Finley blamed this on a poor ankle, perhaps all of the minutes logged by this former ironman are starting to catch up with him.

From a financial standpoint, while it is a very sad time to see Finley go, I think it is the right move for the Mavericks. If Finley is waived the Mark Cuban saves $51.8 million from the luxury tax. While the Mavericks' salary cap will not decrease Cuban will no doubt use this money sometime down the line in the future to help improve upon this team. The bottom line is Cuban didn't not pay Nash the money because he was being greedy, but he didn't think locking up Nash for five years would be a wise decision. Mark Cuban is not going to pocket this $52 million dollars and not later put it back into the team. Mark Cuban is not Tom Hicks. Mark Cuban is not a cheap owner. Releasing Finley economically makes sense and must be done!

NEW Poll!

Make sure to vote in the new weekly poll!

Back from vacation

Hey guys,
Sorry I haven't posted in the past few days...I was out of town in California. Well I must say things were a lot nicer looking than the Rangers. After getting sweept by the Red Sox, the Rangers continued their road woes by losing four straight to the Yanks. Now 12 games back in the west things are looking pretty bad for the Rangers. The one thing Rangers fans have to look forward to is September call ups when hopefully we get to see studs like Kinsler or Botts in Arlington. Hopefully they can perform well and give us something to cheer about.

Poll Update: According to the Poll three of you do not want the Rangers to bring up any of the DVD, while two of you want Volquez, just one individual wants to see Danks this year in the ballpark in Arlington, and none of you think Diamond is ready. I personally agree with the majority in this instance. All three are struggling in Frisco, and I think it would only hurt their moral and confidence if they received call-ups and struggled in Arlington. The DVD should continue pitching out the year in the minors, hopefully regaining the form they possessed in single-A ball.

Rogers returns; team tries not to avoid sweep

An arbitrator yesterday ruled that Kenny Rogers could re-join the Texas Rangers today. Selig responded to this news by saying that, "There is a standard of behavior that is expected of our players, which was breached in this case. The arbitrator's decision diminishes that standard and is contrary to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. In my opinion, the decision is seriously ill-conceived." All along I have felt Selig went overboard with the 20 game suspension. I am glad the arbitrator agreed. So now the question is, with Rogers coming back now is it too late? 9 games back in the west and 8 out of the wild card. The Rangers are 56-56 with 50 games remaining. Last season Boston took the wildcard with 98 wins. This year I think the Rangers are going to have to win 40 of their last 50, which is nearly impossible especially for a team whose rotation includes C.J. Wilson and the slumping Ricardo Rodriguez.

As the Rangers fall out of the playoff race I have noticed a few things around the league. Last night Seattle phenom Felix Hernandez pitched a gem, defeating the Twins while going 8 inning allowing 5 hits no runs and striking out 6. This should worry Rangers' fans to say the least. Hernandez is only 19 and will be facing the Rangers many times over the years. While this may excite Rangers' fans hoping that the DVD can contribute like thisimmediatelyy, that most likely won't happen. Hernandez was the #1 ranked prospect in all of baseball according to many rankings. According tobaseballlAmericaa, Hernandez is #2, while Diamond is 52 and Danks is 59. Rangers management is asking the DVD to cure the team's pitching woes. If Diamond and Danks were ranked in the top 10 I would agree with their expectations. But to ask these prospects to save the franchise seems a little bit farfetched. They can help build this team but the Rangers are still going to have to spend money and get help from outside this organization.

Chan Ho struggles in debut with Padres

Returning to the NL didn't seem to do much good for Chan Ho Park as he was light up in his first outing in San Diego. Park went 4.1 innings allowing 8 hits and 3 walks while surrendering 7 runs (5 earned) and only striking out 1 batter. However in typical Chan Ho Park fashion he was able to get the no decision as San Diego scored 3 in the 5th and 3 in the 6th to give themselves the lead for a few innings. San Diego drops 52-55, still good enough for first place in the NL West, a game up on the Diamondbacks. One interesting tidbit, no team has led a division with a losing record so late in a season since Texas (52-62) led the AL West on Aug. 11, 1994, the day before a season-ending labor dispute began.

Boxscore from Pad's game

Poll Results; Raffi in HOF?

The poll was very close, 12 people voting for YES Raffi did betray you by using steroids while 10 of you felt that NO he did not betray his fans. Perhaps some of the people that voted No felt this way because we are coming to an end in the "Steroid Era" and it is almost expected that the majority of the home run hitters from this period at one time or another took steroids.

Another question to discuss is should Rafael Palmeiro be inducted in the Hall of Fame given that he tested positive for steroids? Voters will have a tough time with inductions over the next ten years as so many players are connected with steroids in different ways.

For example, Mark McGwire has never tested positive for steroids, in fact he never said "I took steroids". But at the congressional hearings in March, he did the closest thing to that without saying those exact words. So does McGwire get into the HOF? His credentials are undeniably HOF quality, but voters will have a tough decision to make there.

In 2003, Gary Sheffield admitted to a grand jury of unknowingly using a steroid cream given to him by Balco. Sheffield is a borderline hall of famer. He has 436 home runs and at the age of 36 if he can go two more years he will easily reach 500...so should Sheffield be in? Yes he took steroids, but because he supposedly unknowingly took them should he still be a hall of famer?

And of course Barry Bonds...Arguably the greatest hitter of all time. Assuming his leg will heal by the 2006 season, Bonds is most likely to become the Home Run King, surpassing Henry Aaron. Bond's numbers put him in an elite class with Ruth and Aaron. But like Sheffield, Bonds testified to a grand jury that he unknowingly used a clear substance and a cream given to him by Balco which contained steroids. Can the home run champ not be in the HOF? Is it fair to Henry Aaron if Bonds does break his record? Aaron earned that record, while Bonds cheated, knowingly or unknowingly.

And of course you have Raffi. Apparently Raffi took a very potent steroid that according to several sources it isn't something you could have accidentally ingested. So you have to ask yourself, does it matter if you willingly or unwillingly know you have cheated? My answer is NO. These players are paid millions of dollars to play baseball. It is their job to play the game and to not break the rules. For how much they are getting paid it is their responsibility to know what is going into their body. It is their responsibility to question anything any trainer or anyone else does to their body to make sure steroids never come close to it. Whether you know or don't know, by using steroids you have an advantage over your competitors...that isn't fair and it is cheating.

To me one of the most interesting things about the steroid issue is the fact that no one has ever questioned A-Rod. He is arguably the best hitter in baseball and because of his work ethic and his pureness he has never been questioned. A-Rod has a chance to be the best hitter of all time. If someone from the steroid era emerged with that title, I couldn't choose a better candidate that Alex Rodriguez, a player who somehow in this steroid filled time was never once suspected of using the illegal drug.

Prove Us Wrong Raffi...I DARE YOU

On March 17th in front of the House Government Reform Committee Rafael Palmeiro insisted, "I have never used steroids. Period. I do not know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never."

Yesterday, after the public learned of Raffi's recent 10-day suspension, he publicly stated in a conference call that "I have never intentionally used steroids. Never. Ever. Period." With the negative test along with Canseco's allegations, it is hard for Raffi fans, as well as baseball fans in general, to believe that Raffi unknowingly took steroids. That steroids somehow just ended up in his body.

The Bottom Line is this.... If Rafael Palmeiro wanted to prove his innocence than all he would have to do is take a lie detector test and televise the test as well as the results. If Rafael Palmeiro is really telling the truth than why wouldn't he be in favor of this? However we all know the simple answer to this question, which is Palmeiro intentionally took steroids this year and most likely has taken them if not his entire career then at least starting in 1993 when Canseco joined Palmeiro in Texas.

Here is a link to the transcript of the opening statement of the conference call Rafael Palmeiro made yesterday in regard to his suspension


A few interesting notes about Palmeiro's career to show perhaps he began taking steroids in 1993 when Canseco became a Ranger:

• Palmeiro is the only 500+ home run hitter to have ever led the majors in singles in a single season. (1990 with 136)
• Palmeiro was never in the top 10 in home runs until 1993, when he was 28. In his 7 previous season, his career high in home runs was only 26.
• Beginning in 1993, Palmeiro has been in the top 10 in home runs every year except last season.
• This year, in his 19th season Palmeiro had 1 home run in his first 100 AB's. After, he has had 17 in his last 243 AB's....quite the sudden power surge for a 40 year old man....

Franklin another victim to the testing

Seattle pitcher Ryan Franklin has tested positive to one of the banned substances on the MLB banned substance list. This comes one day after Palmeiro tested positive. Franklin is 6-11 this year with a 4.61 ERA. Franklin is 32 and has spent all of his 6 MLB seasons with Seattle.

Rafael Palmero busted!

Rafael Palmero has been suspended 10 days by Major League Baseball for breaking baseball's steroid policy. Palmero has immediately appealed the suspension. Palmero recently got his 3,000 hit, and reaching that milestone along with 500+ HRs, he had assured himself a spot in the Hall of Fame. Now, who knows? This is going to cause a huge media riot especially cause Jose Canseco's book. So, if Canseco was telling the truth about Palmero (an unlikely suspect) can't we assume he was telling the truth about everybody else?

Story