The Texas Rangers Gift to the American League

Adrian Beltre is one of the few Rangers who can still intimidate the opposition

Texas is a big, brash, bold, braggadocios state. Apparently they are benevolent now as well. At least when it comes to the American League wild card race.

The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays began a series Monday evening in Florida.  The two teams entered play tied for the two wild card positions. However, the two are headed in two different directions. The Rays have won four of five after they took the first game of the series 6-2. Texas has dropped seven straight and 10 of 11.

The Rangers represented the American League in the World Series in 2010 and 2011, and made it to the wild card game last year, where they lost to the Baltimore Orioles. Texas got off to a good start in 2013 and led the AL West by seven games after 41 contests. Since then the Rangers have been a .500 team over their last 108 games (54-54). and entered Monday's play 6.5 games behind the first place Oakland A's.

Texas' poor play has enabled the Yankees, KC Royals, Orioles, and Cleveland Indians to all remain in the hunt for a wild card spot. There have been a number of reasons for the Rangers' demise. Injuries - Matt Harrison was lost for the year after just two starts, endured two back surgeries within nine days of each other in May and recently underwent surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. (Debilitating compression is relieved through removal of a rib and surrounding tissue.) The left-hander won 18 games in 2012.

Colby Lewis missed the entire season after undergoing elbow surgery in July, 2012. Then last month he had a hip resurfacing procedure to avoid complete hip replacement. Neftali Feliz was recently activated after he completed rehab from last season's Tommy John surgery. He's still not at full strength and has to be used cautiously. Swing man Alexi Ogando has been on the disabled list three times with shoulder inflammation and bicep tendinitis. #2 starter Derek Holland is healthy as far as anyone can tell, but has been awful in September with three losses and an ERA above 8.

Inept offense - The lineuptook a big hit when Josh Hamilton left for LA as a free agent after last season's 43 home runs and 128 RBI. He's struggled mightily with the Angels (.734 OPS, 20 HR, 68 RBI), but those numbers may have been different had he stayed in Arlington. Free agent acquisition Lance Berkman has played just 71 games due to injuries.

Nelson Cruz had 27 HR and 76 RBI when he was suspended for the remainder of the season for violation of the league's substance abuse policy.  Though he has 40 stolen bases, Elvis Andrus took a step back offensively (.652 OPS). Ian Kinsler started the year like a house afire - .919 OPS 5 HR 16 RBI in April - but he's hit just .256 since then with 6 HR and has been caught eight times in 19 stolen base attempts.

The Rangers were also counting on rookie Jurickson Profar to make a major contribution, but the top prospect has only produced a slash line .237/.310/.330 and has been thrown out on four of six stolen base attempts.

The combination of all the above have spelled disaster for Texas and it will come as no shock if the Rangers continue to slide right out of a playoff spot and into an early vacation.

Brad "The Animal" Lesley Gone Too Soon

Brad Lesley was one of baseball's all-time characters. One of those guys that you didn't like if he was on the opposing team. Lesley's big league career lasted only four years, but his intensity on the mound left an indelible mark. The 6'6" right-handed passed away over the weekend due to kidney failure.

Lesley's ex-wife Chiho Svimonoff told TMZ that Lesley had been living in a nursing home and was given dialysis regularly. He was just 54-years of age.

Here's a short clip of Lesley's reaction when he retired a batter and an imitation by Nolan Ryan  when Houston pitcher struck out one of Lesley's Cincinnati Reds teammates.


After his playing career ended, Lesley went into acting. He appeared in eight films including "Mr Baseball" with Tom Selleck, and "Little Big League".

My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.

BD Hot Stove: The Repercussions of Phil Lee

BD Hot Stove: The Repercussions of Phil Lee

The fallout from Cliff Lee signing with Philadelphia can be heard today from Texas to New York to Boston and everywhere in between. Lee left up to $50M on the table to play back in Philly, where he spent the latter half of 2009. You can go home again, and much to the dismay of the player’s association, you don’t have to take the most moneyed contract to do so.

In New York, Yankees fans cried, whined, and sighed. And Met fans applauded that the Yankees lost out on Lee. Apparently it hasn’t sunk in yet that the Mets will have to face the Phillies rotation 19 times a year.

In Arlington, Ron Washington’s gut is in hiding. After all, it was Washington’s gut that told him Lee was coming back to Texas. And the Rangers are back where they were before last season’s trade deadline; with a huge hole in their rotation.


The Red Sox fans joy is twofold. 1) The Yankees didn’t get Lee and 2) The Yankees didn’t get a top left-hander to negate their lefty-laden lineup.

Meanwhile, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has to go to plan ‘B’. He told area beat writers this morning, via a conference call, that means “patience”. For now the Yankees have just three definite spots in their rotation- CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and A.J. Burnett. So the next logical step will be to see what Andy Pettitte’s status is. With no Lee in NY, Pettitte will probably ask for a higher amount of money than had the Yankees landed Lee. I can see a $15M asking price, though the Yankees will want the figure to be closer to $10M. Incentives can make both sides happy.

Another winner in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes is his agent Darek Braunecker, who is now a household name.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

Former Yankee Hideki Matsui finalized his one year deal with the Oakland A’s. It’s worth $4.25M. Good job by Billy Beane.

The Yankees may not have gotten Lee, but they did get the catcher they wanted. Russell Martin, recently non-tendered by the Dodgers, has agreed to a one year deal.

Lyle Overbay has agreed to a one year, $5M deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Overbay had a nice offensive year in 2010, but it’s not his norm. Still you would think there would be some upper echelon teams interested in him.

The Nationals have signed pinch-hitter extraordinaire Matt Stairs to a minor league deal.

One of the Rangers plan ‘B’ options is apparently Chien-Ming Wang. The former Yankee missed all of 2010 after undergoing shoulder surgery and was non-tendered by the Nationals. Nolan Ryan and company are reportedly also looking at Carl Pavano.

The Cardinals have agreed to a deal with Gerald Laird as a backup catcher to Yadier Molina. Laird will receive $1M for one year.

According to the Kansas City Star’s Terez Paylor, the Royals are still shopping Zack Greinke and looking for the best fit.

The Rays have re-signed lefty J.P. Howell to a one year deal. Howell, who had torn labrum surgery in May, will miss the start of the season and his exact return is in question.

The Mariners, looking for parts, inked Royce Ring, Ryan Langerhans, Denny Bautista, and Chris Giminez to minor league pacts.

BD Hot Stove Breaking News: Lee Going Back To Philly | Baseball Digest

Cliff Lee is going back to the land of cheesesteaks.

BD Hot Stove Breaking News: Lee Going Back To Philly | Baseball Digest

Tejada, Cantu Switch Leagues

As soon as San Diego Padres' shortstop David Eckstein went on the DL, rumors began that the Pads were looking at Baltimore Orioles infielder Miguel Tejada to replace him. Today the rumor became reality when the O's sent Tejada to the west coast for minor league pitcher Wynn Penzer.

Tejada started out like a house on fire, but has cooled considerably since. He's hit just .224 with 7 RBI in the month of July. Penzer has struck out 147 hitters in 150 innings pitched at High 'A' level Lake Elsinore.

Jorge Cantu also got a new home this afternoon. The Texas Rangers may be going bankrupt, but they continue to deal. They sent minor leaguers Evan Reed and Omar Poveda to Florida for the Marlins' corner man. Cantu average 97.5 RBI the last two seasons, but has just 54 RBI this year along with a .716 OPS. He'll expected to get at-bats primarily at 1st base, but could fill also fill in at 2nd baseman while Ian Kinsler is injured.

Reed was recently promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City after posting a 1.62 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 39 relief innings at Double-A Frisco. Poveda has missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March.

Just Another Day of Baseball

There's an old saying, and variations of it, that goes "anything can happen at the ballpark". So true. And yesterday was a perfect example.

But first flash back to May 1, 1991. Rickey Henderson breaks Lou Brock's all-time steals record (unfortunately, against the Yankees). That led to the (in)famous little speech that included "Lou Brock was the symbol of great base stealing. But today, I'm the greatest of all time". The only thing shocking was that he didn't say, "Rickey Henderson is the greatest of all time".

That night Henderson's big day was nearly forgotten thanks to a powerful Texas right-hander named Nolan Ryan. The Rangers' current head honcho was pitching for them back then and at age 44 threw his 7th and final no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Flash forward to yesterday, April 17, 2010. Ubaldo Jimenez had one of the games of his life for the Colorado Rockies. Jiminez threw the first no-hitter in the franchise's history as he blanked the Atlanta Braves. Albeit, it was a Joe Cowley type of no-hitter, but it was a no-no nonetheless.

But how many people outside of Colorado, and maybe Atlanta, are talking about the no-no today? Probably not too many because of the Mets-Cardinals game that went 20 innings last night.

I was shocked to see the game was still going on while checking out fantasy baseball stats at about 10 p.m. EDT. I was even more surprised to see that Fox still had the game on. Can I say I was even further stunned to see the game was scoreless? The Mets, who only had 9 hits in 20 innings, finally broke through in the 19th only to have K-Rod blow the lead. But thankfully for the weary Jerry Manuel, his counterpart Tony LaRussa opted to use an outfielder (Joe Mather - as far as I know, no relation to "The Beaver") to pitch.

LaRussa got away with using infielder Felipe Lopez in the 18th, but Mather gave up runs in the 19th and 20th and was saddled with the loss (as well as a 9.00 ERA). Mather is clearly no Nick Swisher. Mets starter Mike Pelfrey came on to earn the save. LaRussa was also fortunate that there were no injuries to any of his pitchers, such as Kyle Lohse, that he used in the outfield.

Cardinals and Mets fans also have to be thankful that Kenny Albert was doing the play-by-play and didn't have to listen to Joe Buck for 20 innings.


Some other notable Saturday performances - Nats' pitcher Livan Hernandez threw his first complete game shutout in six years. After blanking the Brewers, El Duque's kid brother has not allowed a run in 16 innings (2 starts).

The Astros finally won their 2nd game, beating the Cubs 4-3, but the O's dropped to 1-11 after blowing their game in the bottom of the 9th against Oakland.

Pat Burrell has stunk in his year plus with the Rays, but drove in his first five runs of the season yesterday as the Rays won the suspended and regularly scheduled games against the Red Sox. His 2-run HR in the 12th concluded the game stopped Friday due to rain.

Vegas Update - Day 3 - 2:00 EST

Ok, this is crazy. It's 53 degrees in Las Vegas and 60 in New Jersey. But alas it's back to normal tomorrow in the Garden State.

Fox Sports' Gerry Fraley was told by a source that the Braves surpassed the Yankees offer to A.J. Burnett. The new proposal is reportedly 5 years for $80 million. As much money as the Yankees may have they may opt to go with Lowe rather than give Burnett upwards of $80 million. Then again, this could influence Derek Lowe's demands as well. Lowe is a much more proven pitcher than Burnett.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the White Sox and Reds continue to discuss Jermaine Dye, but aren't aggressively trying to get something done.

When and if Kerry Wood passes a physical, he'll sign a 2-year, $20 million deal with the Indians.

Jon Heyman is reporting that Hank Steinbrenner is still pushing for Manny Ramirez. Someone better tell Hank he's not running the show. Heyman is also hearing that Mark Teixeira has received two offers of at least $160 million.

Rangers honcho Nolan Ryan thinks his team has a real shot of landing Ben Sheets.

Vegas Update - Day 3 - 2:00 EST

Ok, this is crazy. It's 53 degrees in Las Vegas and 60 in New Jersey. But alas it's back to normal tomorrow in the Garden State.

Fox Sports' Gerry Fraley was told by a source that the Braves surpassed the Yankees offer to A.J. Burnett. The new proposal is reportedly 5 years for $80 million. As much money as the Yankees may have they may opt to go with Lowe rather than give Burnett upwards of $80 million. Then again, this could influence Derek Lowe's demands as well. Lowe is a much more proven pitcher than Burnett.

According to Ken Rosenthal, the White Sox and Reds continue to discuss Jermaine Dye, but aren't aggressively trying to get something done.

When and if Kerry Wood passes a physical, he'll sign a 2-year, $20 million deal with the Indians.

Jon Heyman is reporting that Hank Steinbrenner is still pushing for Manny Ramirez. Someone better tell Hank he's not running the show. Heyman is also hearing that Mark Teixeira has received two offers of at least $160 million.

Rangers honcho Nolan Ryan thinks his team has a real shot of landing Ben Sheets.

Thursday Hot Stove

The Mets introduced Johan Santana to the media yesterday. Today they may be answering questions about Pedro Martinez's participation in cock-fighting in the Dominican Republic. Well, no, he isn't one of the fighters. But a video has popped up on Youtube of Pedro and Juan Marichal acting as "solitardes"- the person who puts the animal to fight. While cock-fighting is legal in the D.R., this is the 21st century!!!

In more baseball-related news, the Mets are said to be interested in former Yankee, Craig Wilson, and have been rebuffed by pitcher Oliver Perez in an attempt to sign him to a long-term deal. Perez, a Scott Boras client, would rather keep his arbitration eligibility and his free agency. It may be a big mistake for the very inconsistent left-hander. And with Santana now in the fold, the anticipated Hernandez bros. reunion will not occur, with the Mets taking a pass on Livan Hernandez.

Chris Carpenter is hoping to rejoin the Cardinals by mid-season, after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July. The D'Backs' Randy Johnson threw off a mound for the first time since his back surgery.

Still no update on the Erik Bedard front. The left-hander has yet to take a physical for any proposed trade.

The Red Sox re-signed Bobby Kielty to a minor league deal yesterday. It's reportedly worth $800k. Eric Hinske has left the Sox to take the same contract offer from the Rays. Also, Brendan Donnelley, recently accused of P.E.D. use, has signed with the Indians.

Nolan Ryan has been hired by the Texas Rangers as their new team president.

The Phillies are getting desperate looking for pitching, taking a look at Odalis Perez and Kris Benson.

Thursday Hot Stove

The Mets introduced Johan Santana to the media yesterday. Today they may be answering questions about Pedro Martinez's participation in cock-fighting in the Dominican Republic. Well, no, he isn't one of the fighters. But a video has popped up on Youtube of Pedro and Juan Marichal acting as "solitardes"- the person who puts the animal to fight. While cock-fighting is legal in the D.R., this is the 21st century!!!

In more baseball-related news, the Mets are said to be interested in former Yankee, Craig Wilson, and have been rebuffed by pitcher Oliver Perez in an attempt to sign him to a long-term deal. Perez, a Scott Boras client, would rather keep his arbitration eligibility and his free agency. It may be a big mistake for the very inconsistent left-hander. And with Santana now in the fold, the anticipated Hernandez bros. reunion will not occur, with the Mets taking a pass on Livan Hernandez.

Chris Carpenter is hoping to rejoin the Cardinals by mid-season, after undergoing Tommy John surgery last July. The D'Backs' Randy Johnson threw off a mound for the first time since his back surgery.

Still no update on the Erik Bedard front. The left-hander has yet to take a physical for any proposed trade.

The Red Sox re-signed Bobby Kielty to a minor league deal yesterday. It's reportedly worth $800k. Eric Hinske has left the Sox to take the same contract offer from the Rays. Also, Brendan Donnelley, recently accused of P.E.D. use, has signed with the Indians.

Nolan Ryan has been hired by the Texas Rangers as their new team president.

The Phillies are getting desperate looking for pitching, taking a look at Odalis Perez and Kris Benson.