Posts Tagged ‘Texas Rangers

29
Sep
09

Omar Vizquel is the “Most Interesting Man in the World”

By slanch 2 Comments
Categories: Awesome, Baseball and Random
Tags: , , , ,

Vizquel Bull FightTexas Rangers shortstop Omar Vizquel is a man of diverse interests; one of the smoothest fielding shortstops in baseball history with 2700+ hits to boot, kangaroo owner, semi-accomplished oil painter and last winter he added anaconda hunter to his resume. This winter’s new challenge: bullfighting.

“Just go and learn the basics and stuff,” Vizquel said. “It’s one of my things on the to-do list. There’s a lot of things still to do.”

Among the other items on the 42-year-old Vizquel’s to-do list: flying in an F-16 jet, parachuting and attending the Triple Crown horse races.

His adventure last winter involved heading to a wildlife refuge in his home of Venezuela to find an anaconda; 4 hours into their trip they found one. The 5′ 9″ Vizquel showed a video to his teammates during spring training showing him holding the 11 foot snake by the tail and then holding the head of the reptile, mouth agape and with it trying to coil.

“Anacondas already done, that’s a dream I’ve already conquered,” Vizquel said.

“Bullfighting? You are the most interesting man in the world,” said first baseman Chris Davis after hearing the news.

Vizquel isn’t done with baseball though, hoping to return with the Rangers next year for what would be his 22nd year in the bigs.

[ESPN]

28
Aug
09

We’re All Better Off with Doppelgangers

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Baseball, Doppelgangers and Television
Tags: , , ,

The Texas Rangers have progressed greatly this season, propelling themselves right into the thick of the wild-card race. At the beginning of the season and last year there were rumors that manager Ron Washington’s job was on the rocks. With the team’s success this season though, it looks like he’ll receive a well-deserved stay of execution. Malcolm Barrett plays Lem on the ABC sitcom Better off Ted, a show that I have never heard of and never seen. In fact, I have never knew Barrett existed until loyal doppelganger spotter the sister pointed this one out to me the other day. I buy it. Do you?

Please vote in the poll below to let this doppelganger venture into the magical land that is the permanent doppelganger page.

 

WashingtonBarrett

21
Jul
09

Omar Vizquel, Kind of a Weird Dude

By slanch 1 Comment
Categories: Awesome and Baseball
Tags: , ,

omarkangarooWe’ve seen Omar Vizquel’s prowess with the glove on the field and his “skill” with a paintbrush but I was never prepared for this little item in a notebook from Phil Rogers;  “Rangers infielder Omar Vizquel has three pet kangaroos at his home in Seattle.”

The marsupials don’t spend all their time at his home, he apparently brought them to the clubhouse last week. No word on whether or not Frank Francisco went a couple rounds boxing with them…

[Chicago Tribune via With Leather]

19
Jun
09

Bush Participates in Naming Ritual For Hicks’ Box

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Baseball
Tags: , , , , ,

Bush1-thumb-547x410-1259791Former President George W. Bush stopped by to take in the Rangers/Astros battle for Texas last night. W, who prior to becoming Governor of Texas was the principal owner of the Rangers was honored before the game by current Rangers owner — and recent defaulter of loans leading him to seek out new partners to buy 49% of the team from him — Tom Hicks who renamed the owner’s box to the President George W. Bush Owner’s Box.

Prior to the game, Bush also visited the Astros clubhouse, stopping in to congratulate Ivan Rodriguez on setting the new record for all-time games caught. Rodriguez who was on the Rangers when W was in command gave the former C-in-C one of his bats from the record-setting game.

Another Astros player, pitcher Tim Byrdak asked Bush if he could get a hug, a request Bush granted, Byrdak then yelled out to his teammates, “And you said it couldn’t be done!”

Bush responded with, “Just as long as he didn’t kiss me.”

It’s times like this that remind me how if only Bush had become the Commissioner of baseball instead of Governor of Texas how much better this entire world would have been. It’s not often you can say you would have changed the world, but no Bush presidency would have made everything better. Sigh.

[Tag Lines]

23
Apr
09

Oh What a Day for Darren O’Day

By slanch 1 Comment
Categories: Baseball
Tags: , , , ,

The old adage in baseball is that you can NEVER have enough pitching, unless you’re the New York Mets and your pitching rotation after Johan is a mess and so you drop two useful pitchers over a couple days. First, the Mets put Darren O’Day on waivers; now O’Day isn’t going to remind anyone of a young John Wetteland, but he was a serviceable bullpen arm, and had pitched solidly in the spring and to start the season.

odayO’Day, after being picked up by the Texas Rangers off waivers had quite the day yesterday, at home in Panama City, FL, he received a call from his agent that the Rangers had picked him up and wanted him to make his way to Toronto to meet the team. Getting onto a flight to Memphis and then a connecting flight to Toronto, O’Day landed around 9:45 pm, expecting to go to the hotel and meet up with the team after their game. The plans changed though, “The travel secretary was texting me back and forth,” said O’Day. “The original plan was to go to the hotel, but he said, ‘Go to the field, we might need you.'” As the game went into extra innings O’Day arrived at the stadium at the beginning of the 10th, except there was another problem, the team didn’t have a jersey waiting for him.

Apparently, the club’s equipment manager doesn’t bring blank uniforms with him, but does maintain a stash of uniforms for players who MIGHT be called up. So, O’Day donned a spare Kason Gabbard uniform — who is currently in AAA — and headed to the bullpen. Alas, O’Day only got the chance to face one batter, Kevin Millar, who promptly welcomed O’Day with a hit to the left-field gap, winning the game.

Then, to show that the Mets are the smartest team in baseball, today they designated Nelson Figueroa for assignment, I guess because he was too useful in his role as a spot starter on Sunday. Don’t worry though, come June the Mets won’t be desperate for pitching… Blech.

[MLB]

07
Apr
09

Rangers’ Owner Defaults on Bank Loans

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Baseball and Hockey
Tags: , ,

84579878It must be tough being Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks, after all, he is only the 701st richest person in the world and that type of thing can really stick in your craw. So, maybe that’s the reason why his holding company, which controls the Rangers and Stars has defaulted on loans totaling $525 million.

Hicks insists the move was deliberate, as a business strategy to get the banks to change the lending agreements and provide access to reserve accounts and a revolving line of credit. He also said that the whole thing is a “nonevent for the teams, fans, sponsors and vendors.” Of course, this news comes after rumors that Hicks has been actively seeking selling as much as a 49% minority stake in both teams. “We are simply asking the lenders to be reasonable. “Hicks said in an issued statement, “They need to understand that these important assets must be managed with long-term perspective and a commitment to winning.” That’s an interesting strategy, one the Rangers have eschewed since about 1999…

[Bloomberg and Luxist]

06
Apr
09

Mission Accomplished: STRIKE!

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Awesome and Baseball
Tags: , , ,

I can’t decide what I love more; that Fox News broke in LIVE to see former President Bush throw the first pitch for today’s Rangers game, or the look on the female anchor’s face when they are going to the shot. It’s like her entire life has been waiting for this one very special moment.

Of course, the liberal elite media is hiding Biden’s first pitch offering; it isn’t available online yet. Say what you want about Bush, but the man consistently comes in for the First Pitch and throws strikes and really what more could you want from a leader.

26
Jan
09

Rangers’ New Helmets Make Me Want to Barf

By slanch 1 Comment
Categories: Baseball
Tags: ,

The Texas Rangers, unable to compete in actual baseball are trying to grab attention by changing their uniform colors once more. In addition to reverting BACK to blue uniforms, after previously red ones, and blue ones before that, the team has changed its batting helmets.

The new design is awful, it’s a two-tone helmet with a red metallic stripe along the top and the whole concept is simply terrible. Thankfully, the helmet will be worn with both home AND away uniforms so whenever the Rangers come to your town you’ll have the chance to see these awful pieces of crap. The choice of a metallic red is simply inexcusably bad, I have to hope that everyone involved in this debacle was fired immediately.

[Uni Watch]

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16
Jun
08

What Willie Randolph Should Expect Today

By slanch 8 Comments
Categories: Baseball
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Willie Randolph’s Damoclean adventure seems to be coming to an end, and none too soon.

“These are our coaches today. I think we’re not playing up to our potential. I always leave room to evaluate things.” Those are the less-than-encouraging words of Mets GM Omar Minaya after the Mets split a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers yesterday.

And this is what Willie should expect from Omar later today:

Especially since, according to news reports from the New York Daily News, Omar Minaya has received permission from the owners of the Mets, the Wilpons, to fire Willie and Rick Peterson and to have Jerry Manuel take over as manager.

I just hope the Wilpons saved a little of that firing sauce for Omar Minaya too.

And just to help out the poor Mets fans who have been suffering so recently, here’s some video from when Josh Hamilton, Milton Bradley, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young and Ryan Rupe decided to turn the infield tarp into a giant slip-and-slide during the rain delay and of Saturday’s game.

09
May
08

Bring Me the Head of Big Sexy

By slanch Leave a Comment
Categories: Baseball
Tags: , , , , ,

The Seattle Mariners might as well go up to the plate without their bats right now, they might have a better chance. Mired in the midst of a 22 inning scoring drought nothing seems to be going right for the currently hapless M’s. Richie Sexson, a giant of a man, albeit one who is hitting .209, had a hunch he might get hit when he went up to bat in the 4th, after Felix Hernandez had previously plunked two batters. Kason Gabbard threw his first pitch, high and inside, but not hitting Sexson and Big Sexy lost it. He tossed his bat down immediately and charged the mound throwing his helmet first at Gabbard and then wrestling him to the ground.

As far as brawls go, this one ended up with little else exciting, sure Eddie “Please Retire” Guardado restrained Felix from joining the melee, (for which the Mariners franchise owe him dearly), and then there was Gerald Laird being carried out of the fray by noted peacemaker Milton Bradley. Otherwise, relatively tame. Sigh.

Rangers manager Ron Washington after the game denied that there was any intent. “If we were trying to hit him, we would have hit him. If you go look at the replays, Gabbard didn’t even come close. Sexson was just frustrated, and things got out of control. You look at the replay — that ball was over the middle of the plate. He overreacted.” As for throwing the helmet, Washington said, “I thought that was bull. How tall is he? Six-foot-13? Run at a little guy and throw a helmet, that’s just frustration. The guy, he’s a competitor; he’s just frustrated.”

Expect to see Sexson in the clubhouse for a couple games as MLB is sure to send him off with a suspension. And of course, it still made no difference as the Rangers housed the Mariners once more. Is there a team that needs Bonds more than the Mariners? (OK, maybe the Blue Jays)

22
Apr
08

Maybe Not One for Milton Bradley’s Hall of Fame Audition

By slanch 7 Comments
Categories: Baseball, Funny, Pop Culture and Television
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I understand that Milton Bradley is a significantly better athlete than I am, he is capable of agility and grace, and that he has accomplished many things at the major league level. However, Monday was not one of those outings.

Embarassing! I wonder what his competitors would say sarcastically to him after such a misplay…

I can just watch that over and over and over, it’s hilarious to me. And I do agree with Buck Showalter, it does indeed look bad. He just crumples in abject horror, justifiably so, scorched cow skin raining randomly from the sky, that’s something most people would want nothing to do with. (On a tangential note, I’m glad to see Buck Showalter back on Baseball Tonight, he gives much better analysis than any other manager they’ve had on recently and was missed.)

That was not all for the bizarre outfield plays this Monday, secret pen-pals Corey Hart and Ryan Ludwick combined together to make two of the stranger plays of the evening. First, there was Corey Hart going for an easy liner off the white-hot bat of Ludwick,

now, to be fair, Corey did just miss a great catch and then banged into the wall pretty hard earlier in the game, so while he should have caught this ball, I’m not going to hold it totally against him for being uneasy about the wall again.

But wait, there’s more! Ryan Ludwick felt bad, he didn’t want to have Hart go home feeling bad about himself, he just knew it would be reflected in an angry IM message later, so he figured he’d do a little something to put the hop back into Corey’s step. With Corey at bat Ludwick charged in on a dropping liner and–

Indeed that is nasty. Strange day out here at Windswept fields

ed. to add:

Great, so MLB took down the videos. Sweet, thanks MLB. I can see why you’d want to take down any ways for the fans to possibly enjoy the game outside of MLB.com. After all, why utilize the millions of users on Youtube, I mean, they don’t matter at all right. Sigh. I’ll try and see about getting them back up. Blame MLB.

I apologize for the shitty screengrabs but they’re the best I can do… it kinda works…

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