junglejim

. Exactly . Just a few weeks ago many were complaining that the Rangers were sitting on their hands and doing nothing. Now we are taking too much risk and spending too much money in an effort to get an ace. :huh: . While you will fail with with some trades/signings as all teams do, you either have faith in your team's management or you don't. I do. Colby Lewis, Vlad, Endy Chavez, Napoli for Francisco, Beltre, Ogando to the rotation and back to the pen, getting Cruz in a trade and then being patient, and many more give me that faith. If I had performed in life as well as JD and company had with this team, and my family/friends still doubted my every move I would be very frustrated. . Enjoy the ride guys. Any time you get mad about a move, dial back to about 2005 and ask how much better this is. .

. This is what makes the risk even better. If we can't sign him, the next team in line does not get him. We get our money back and he goes back to Japan for the year. If nothing else we kept him from an opponent. I have no doubt we will sign him, reportedly we have scouted his every start the last two seasons with this day in mind. . While nobody knows what he will actually do, I believe in the guy that got Colby Lewis and traded Frankie Francisco for Napoli. Carry on, JD. .

. Heck, y'all are right. Lets just cancel the season and forfeit now. After all: . . We don't have any pitching without CJ, and certainly not any promising young guys like that Holland or Ogando guy. . We will still struggle to score runs since CJ contributed so much to our offense. . Our front office is simply asleep like last year when we traded Frankie Francisco for Napoli later in the year than this. . Go ahead and dial 91 and save the last 1 in case someone injures themselves jumping off the bandwagon. . No one knows what the season ahead holds and certainly not any of us.

. Poor game management was NOT calling the time out when Dez catches the ball with 23 clicks left. He had two timeouts. .

. Dez catches the ball with 23 seconds left and we have 2 timeouts. Garrett fails to call the timeout to try to get a little closer. That is not any assistant's fault, only Garrett's. And of course the second kick is just a few yards short. A few yards were critical, you don't get to take your timeouts with you to next week. .

. We may doubt them at moments during the game, but this team has a ton of HEART. They have confidence and great chemistry and never doubt themselves. . However, these extra inning, drama filled, (following the back-to-back one run games with Tampa) are taking years off my life and my recliner. Lets blow out Verlander and give me an easy day tomorrow! .

. Put the pipe down. 14 points scored without the defense on the field. You ever heard of momentum? Think that might have gave the Lions some? Another pick at the end of the game that set up the winning score in our end of the field. I have supported Romo in the past, but no one with vision or hearing could blame this game on anyone but him.

Our Rangers have evolved into a team that we used to wish we had, and wondered if we ever would. With all Wash's critics, this team plays their heart out for him and that is really the one thing that matters most. The Rangers are a team that looks like they can't wait to get to the park every day. . What GM made a better trade than Frankie Francisco for Mike Napoli? . I don't hear much moaning about Beltre these days. The guy simply rakes the ball, plays great defense, and is loved by his teammates. Not much else. . It is good to have a team that you believe knows what it is doing in the office and on the field. Happy days.

I really don't think that mantra was a knee-jerk, merely a statement of fact. I remember having this discussion last year and recalling the not too distant past when Ranger fans thought a good start would be 5 innings and 5 runs! I enjoy the 2-1, suicide squeeze, and a lot of double play type games.

To be sure the only thing that matters is that they clinch it. However, if we are going to wish for something, it should include a benefit for me! It would also set up our pitching rotation nicely.

. We have 6 left till we play the final 3 against the Angels and they have 7. While they could still catch us, if we go only 3 -3 they will have to go 5 - 2 in that stretch. . Of course being the selfish type I am, I want us to clinch on our final home game next Sunday since I will be there! .

. Sounds like the best move they could have made, considering all the factors of who else was available. Good luck to Chris and Tommy. . Speaking of the DL, Tommy was no stranger to it himself, starting the last 3 seasons on it. I had high hopes for him, and he might still develop into his potential. . There are still a few hours left, maybe JD can use the 2 million that the O's gave us in this deal to work some magic. .

. Beltre's injury doesn't look good, from how he said it felt: http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/6794808/texas-rangers-3b-adrian-beltre-leaves-injured-hamstring . From what they said last night, the guy was never on the DL in his 1st 8 seasons. and spent some time on the DL in 2009, so it is probably just bad luck. I know a couple of weeks ago he was limping some with his ankle and hammys but Tom and Dave said he insisted to Wash that he could keep playing. I did not realize till last night that he had played in every game this year, with some of them as DH. I could speculate that a game off here and there might have helped avoid this, but it would be just that, guesswork. . Hopefully Cruz's performance last night means he will be able to absorb some of the RBI's that will sit down with Beltre. We played through a lot of injuries last year and have to just keep on keepin on. Someone will get an opportunity to shine, and hopefully they will. .

. Time will tell, evidently the Rangers weren't the only team to think the kid has a lot of talent. 5 million is a lot of money, but be glad our team is investing money in trying to acquire and develop talent instead of wanting "another A Rod" free agent at $250 million. Not every prospect you get turns out to be a player, but you have to keep acquiring them and hopefully enough do. .

. CJ made the team as Wash's pick, and a deserving one. I found it interesting that the players voted Beltre as the starter for 3rd base, but the fan votes put A-Rod in front of him. Glad to see Josh and Michael there as well. .

. This is my biggest irritation. The day after the Mav's victory, all you heard was "the Heat lost it", "the Heat collapsed". Why didn't we hear that "The Mavs won"? They made the stops, they made the shots, they did not give up in what everybody thought was an impossible situation, but they still got no credit. It MUST be something the Heat did, not the team that actually won. If the Mavs manage to win this series in spite of the odds, Van Gundy will ask the listeners for a moment of silence to ponder what went wrong. . Ok, my rant is complete, carry on. .

. How does the song go "Thank God for unanswered prayers"? Just think, if we sign Cliff Lee, if Tommy Hunter is healthy, if Brandon Webb had progressed as hoped, if Nefty had taken to starting or the situation would have allowed him to start.............. Ogando would still be in the bullpen and we would not know what a dynamite starter he would be this year. I know it is still a small sample, but the guy has the goods and the mentality to get it done, and he can still get better. While I am feeling good I'll give JD a little shout out for taking a chance on Endy Chavez. .

. Exactly, you could tell he was trying hard and knew himself he was struggling. Recently he shouted "Strike three!!" only to realize it was only strike two and had to correct it. It was like watching a close friend or relative struggling at something. You wish you could help him but all we could do is sit there and hope for the best. . One other thing. It was said that Grieve thought Josh didn't let him have opportunity to talk as much as he wanted/needed to. Well Tom, there was a lot of dead air that you failed to fill adequately as well. Sometimes you think you want something until you get it. . Barnett will have to modify his calling a little to go from radio to the TV broadcast but he is the right choice. .

The above statement is absolutely not true. As someone who has dealt with amphetamine users for a long time, it does not sharpen their focus and attention, quite the opposite. Would you recommend your surgeon to take some to help his skills before he does your bypass? . However, the argument can be made that it can pick up someone who is tired, hung over, or worn down from the season. They will not be a better hitter, but at least they will be more conscious. The general consensus from players and reporters of that era is that the players took them to help get through the grind of the season, and increase their energy level, which it certainly will do. If you were hitting 12 homers a year, amphetamines will not get you to 30. Sorry to interrupt a good argument, carry on. ....... .

Good game last night. While we have been snake-bitten lately and have found ways to lose instead of win, the positive is that with all that we all still only 1/2 game out of 1st. My thoughts: . They keep discussing (on air) moving Ogando to the pen to help there when other pitchers are healthy. Are they blind!!!! Ogando has been our most consistent starter, no offense to CJ. He has been dominant, with only his blister holding him back from going even deeper into ballgames. Hunter, Webb, or Fieldman cannot begin to replace him. . While Beltre's average isn't where it needs to be, his RBI's are tied with MY for 2nd in the AL and the man's glove is worth the price of admission. Our pitchers appreciate the job he does. . Borbon took a beating early for defensive mistakes, but he is gonna be missed if he is out for long. He has cleaned up his defense and has hit the ball well. Now our entire starting outfield is on the DL. Considering that, being 1/2 game out looks pretty good huh? If anyone had told us that Hamilton would be on the DL for 6-8 weeks, Nellie for 2-3 weeks, ect, and that we would still be on the doorstep of 1st in our division most of us would have been thrilled. .

. 11 singles last night and 1 run. We are a little snake-bit currently and struggling, but I would rather be struggling and in a 1st place tie than struggling along in the basement. If things go as they usually do we are about due for a winning streak. I hate the west coast night games because they test my loyalty on work days!! .

. The man can throw some leather around at 3rd base. .

. Rhadigan seems to be a really good guy and it is obvious that he is really trying hard. I believe he has improved some since he started as well. With that said, he isn't the right man for the job. Now, all you who were screaming for Josh to be fired, and shouting how no one could do worse, please walk to the nearest door and slam something you hold dear in it. You got what you thought you wanted. .

While I know most like to see the long bombs hit, I really enjoy a low-scoring, well pitched game with some defensive gems thrown in for good measure. Add a suicide squeeze and you have the perfect game. The bonus is that the game goes quickly. Hopefully Ogando can solve his blister issue. Only 79 pitches in 7 innings is impressive to say the least.

Beltre shows his defensive value with an incredible play behind the bag and Moreland finishes the play off with a big-time scoop. For those who didn't get to see the play the video is on the Rangers' web site. Our pitchers' ERA will be effected by Beltre's glove. The guy can throw the leather around. Winning breeds confidence and this team has a lot of swagger.