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Thursday, May 26, 2016

#Rangers to Build New Stadium

I’ve been following the news about the new cathedral and can’st sayI'm that excited. Why in the world do the Rangers need to build a one billion dollar cathedral? That is just 200 million short of Jerry’s Deathstar otherwise known as AT&T Stadium, Jerry World or home of the Dallas Cowpatties. Whoops. Cowboys.
Are the Rangers trying to rival Jones? Or is it the City of Arlington that thinks the ball team needs new digs? Why does the team need a new stadium? The current one is only twenty-two years old and in perfect condition. If you’ve ever been to a game there, you know there is NOTHING wrong with the existing structure.
So what are the fans and residents of Arlington being told? A retractable dome will add to the fan experience. The new stadium will protect fans from inclement weather and make sure that all games are played as scheduled. I think it was the mayor of Arlington who made the statement. Since I’m sure I didn’t put it in quotes.
I might be mistaken, but the Rangers have been averaging over 2 million fans per year since there World Series run. Can’t be an attendance problem. Oh wait, we do have the occasional severe thunderstorm and tornado that can spoil an evening. For those who don’t remember, several years back or maybe it was ten, a tornado was heading right at the Ballpark in Arlington. It did create a bit of commotion. However, we knew all day that the storms were coming and yet Texans took to the Ballpark knowing what might happen. So what is it? Honestly, I don’t have a f… ,need to clean it up, a clue!
Can you imagine, any of these clubs playing in a dome: Tigers, Royals, Indians, Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and a host of others. Personally, I cannot. I’ve never been a fan of the dome. Baseball is meant to be played outdoors, in the elements and if a game gets cancelled, then we have a doubleheader. Oh wait, baseball and the player’s union don’t want to play double-headers. And I thought it was so supposed to be about the fans. My mistake.
There was a time when actually relished a rain-out so we, the fans, could spend the entire day at the ballpark and have not a worry in the world. But then, that was before the MLB Player’s Association became the strongest union in the United States and the baseball commissioners tailored to the fans. Yep, those days are gone.
Look, the bottom line for me is this, if I want to go to a game when the temperature is 100 degrees and sweat my rear off in centerfield, that’s my choice. If I want to endure the North wind barreling through the stadium in April, to the point I’m stuck to my seat, again, that’s my choice.
So, do the Rangers and residents of Arlington really need to build this monstrosity? My vote is no!

Will it be nice when it’s finished in 2021? Damn well better be. 

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

#Baseball #RangersvsTigers

It took a day or two to get over Wilson's crushing blow, Sunday. And DeShields added insult to injury. I must say, the Tigers are in one of those slumps that drives manager's wild. You're in the game and everything is looking good and then BAM, it falls apart so fast you don't know what to do. Verlander had a great outing till he got in a little trouble. Lowe took the mound and Comerica went silent three batters later. A 2-0 lead vanished! It was extremely disheartening to say the least. When Wilson made contact with that pitch, the question wasn’t would it make it out, the questions was, how far before it came down to Earth. That aside, I did feel a little better when the Rangers wound up on the other end of a grand slam Monday night. Not much, but a little. What does Detroit need to do? Nothing dramatic. This is the beauty of baseball. Remember where the Rangers were this time last year? Dead last and written off. I'm hoping the Tigers are in the same boat.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

#Baseball #RangersvsTigers

What can I say. This was a brutal loss. The Ranger's' bats have come alive. Even though Detroit showed a bit more excitement at the plate, Pelfry and the next five relievers came up extremely short. Five homers and ten runs. Not a good showing. What concerns me the most is how the Tiger batter's are reacting when they hit into an out of strike-out. The look of dejection and frustration is painted on each one of them. And when a play doesn't go there way then they decide to get fired up. EX: for those who didn't see it, J.D. Martinez bunted a ball that appeared to be foul in his eyes. Replay showed it stayed fair. Saltalamacchia picked the ball off the chalk, fired to 2nd for one then Odor calmly threw the ball to 1st for the double play. Where was J.D. Still standing at the plate complaining. Even Ausmus came out to plead the case, to no avail. If the Tigers want to get back to winning, someone in the clubhouse needs to hold a players only meeting and get these guys back on track.

#Baseball #Tigers/Rangers

Being a big Tigers/Rangers fan, I find myself between a rock and a hard place when they square off. Last night was no exception. Both teams have been on a slide. Both teams stack up evenly on paper and both have the capability to be contenders. Last night was an example of two pitchers dueling it out. Zimmerman looked good even though he gave up a few runs. Hamels. Well, Cole was definitely on his game. What I found aggravating was the stand in for Tom Grieves on Fox Sports SW1. What I can't handle is when an announcer believes they need to fabricate a story when there isn't one. Randall said something along the lines of "Hitters only hit pitcher's mistakes." Busby came right back, "That's not true. I know, because I use to pitch." That shut-up his co-host for a few minutes. Too bad it didn't last longer. Announcers need to get out of the way and let the game speak for itself! TV isn't radio. WE, the fans, can see what the hell is going on. WE don't need everything explained. What is most aggravating is this, I'm sure the Detroit media is bashing the Tigers over their lack luster offensive production. They should be commenting on how dominating Hamels was last night. He was lights out. Despite the home team going down, 5-0. I'm looking forward to the next two games. With luck, the Tigers can win this serious.