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From what I was seeing this week in the sports pages in NYC the Rangers are actually in very good shape for the present and future. They have a deep farm system, good attendance, no onerous contracts(Cubs still have Soruiano and Zambrano making BIG $$, Mets have Santana & Bay)and people in charge who have a clue. They look to be a contender for awhile.

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I'm normally an American League fan, but seeing that dirtbag Nolan Ryan's mug made it hard for me to root for the Rangers.

Why do you feel that way about Ryan?

Just my personal take. He comes across to me as an arrogant SOB. Plus I've always considered him overrated as a pitcher. I know - strikeouts & no-hitters. He just couldn't win many more than he lost. Yeah, he played on some bad to mediocre teams, but tell that to Walter Johnson and Fergy Jenkins. If I were a Texan, I might feel differently.

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I'm normally an American League fan, but seeing that dirtbag Nolan Ryan's mug made it hard for me to root for the Rangers.

Why do you feel that way about Ryan?

Just my personal take. He comes across to me as an arrogant SOB. Plus I've always considered him overrated as a pitcher. I know - strikeouts & no-hitters. He just couldn't win many more than he lost. Yeah, he played on some bad to mediocre teams, but tell that to Walter Johnson and Fergy Jenkins. If I were a Texan, I might feel differently.

I'm willing to bet money you never saw him play.

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I'm normally an American League fan, but seeing that dirtbag Nolan Ryan's mug made it hard for me to root for the Rangers.

Why do you feel that way about Ryan?

Just my personal take. He comes across to me as an arrogant SOB. Plus I've always considered him overrated as a pitcher. I know - strikeouts & no-hitters. He just couldn't win many more than he lost. Yeah, he played on some bad to mediocre teams, but tell that to Walter Johnson and Fergy Jenkins. If I were a Texan, I might feel differently.

I'm willing to bet money you never saw him play.

You'd lose that bet.

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He kept refining his pitching skills up until the end. He was a better pitcher in Arlington (where I saw him pitch regularly, once in person, even, six brilliant innings that resulted in a no-decision due to bullpen failure). than he was in Houston than he was in Anaheim that he was in New York.

Bob Gibson he most certainly was not, but nor was he the Dave Kingman of the mound. Definitely not. Borderline HOF-er based on career stats, but if he had been able to pitch the first half of his career like he grew to the last half, it wopul most likley be a total no-brainer.

As for "arrogant" and "SOB", not that I've heard. Strong willed, no-bullshit, yes. But him and the Rangers organization are not Jerry Jones & the Cowboys in either number of championships nor organizational character (at least not yet), and you have no idea of how grateful I am for that. At least the organizational character part of things.

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Best baseball fight EVER!

Geez, look at that - Hawk & Wimpy, BO JACKSON!, Ozzie Guillen as a player! TOM HENKE! Mickey Hatcher! Juan Gonzalez! Gino Petralli! Harold Raines (as a WhiteSox!) Dean Palmer! Jeff Russell even! and PUDGE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYvDWybYyCc

Heard a story quite recently that Ventura tells it like things had been chippy between the two teams and Lamont issued orders that the next guy who got hit charged the mound no matter what. When Ventuira got hit, that pause before he charged was him thinking "oh shit, I gotta do this with Nolan Ryan, is this really necessary?" He decided that it was, skip's orders, and off he went. A legend was born.

I love how Nolan was just sitting there waiting for Ventura. It wasn't the fight, it was this "old" guy standing there knowing that this young stud was coming at him and Nolan's all like, ok, whatever, I can hang, no problem. Other than the rare exception (lord, I still remember those horrific photos of the Marichal/Roseboro mixup...), baseball fights aren't really fights. This one looked like one at first, but on further review, Nolan was just bopping him on the top of his head. Looked great, was funny as hell, but other than Mickey Hatcher, no harm, and who knows How Hatcher got his anyway? No telling...

And now, a generation later, opening day 2012 in Arlington - April 6, 2012, White Sox @ Rangers, Ventura managing the Sox, Nolan sitting in his owner's box.

CAN YOUR HEART STAND IT?!?!?!?!?!?!?! :g

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When I was an Astros fan, it was Larry Bowa (as player, not as manager). This guy was always finding some way to fuck with everybody on every pitch. It was so bad (not bad/wrong, just bad/irritating) that my old man, never a vocal type in public, started heckling Bowa. I'de never seen him do that before, nor would I ever see him do it again.

Yeah, THIS guy.

1980_topps_bowa-763888.jpg

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The decision was made in August? Wonder if the players knew then and used that for motivation? That would explain their sudden demonic fervor and inability to lose in terms other than having made a pact with Satan.

Me, I'm still leaning towards the pact having been made. But it's nice to know there's a plausible alternative.

Or maybe the pact was made. Tony says you can have my soul, just let me go out on top one more time.

There was some kind of weird shit going on with the Cardinals this year, that's for sure!

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I live in dread of the Rangers next World Series appearance (hoping, of course, that there will at some point be another one) being against the Cubs. The loser of that series would bear the weight of the cosmos on their backs for the duration of eternity, I'm afraid...

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And now, a generation later, opening day 2012 in Arlington - April 6, 2012, White Sox @ Rangers, Ventura managing the Sox, Nolan sitting in his owner's box.

Nolan is a fairly regular guest on the Dan Patrick Show and he has a good sense of humor about things. The closest thing to arrogance is when asked if he could throw 85 mph he says "give me a week." But you know, maybe he could. :) Last time on Patrick pointed out the opening day matchup and noted at Arlington they still run the Ryan-Ventura fight on the scoreboard (before the game I believe.) He suggested to Ryan that perhaps to make Ventura feel more welcome they could give that a break for the series. Ryan chuckled and agreed.

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Nolan is a fairly regular guest on the Dan Patrick Show and he has a good sense of humor about things. The closest thing to arrogance is when asked if he could throw 85 mph he says "give me a week." But you know, maybe he could. :) Last time on Patrick pointed out the opening day matchup and noted at Arlington they still run the Ryan-Ventura fight on the scoreboard (before the game I believe.) He suggested to Ryan that perhaps to make Ventura feel more welcome they could give that a break for the series. Ryan chuckled and agreed.

Yeah, it's part of the montage of "great moments" in Ranger history they run to, I think, give the fans a reminder of where we've been and where we are now. Myself, I think this last World Series renders that unnecessary now. As a buddy of mine put it, the culture of the team has been once and forever changed by this last turn of events.

As for Nolan being able to hit 85, if the guy would lose a pound or twenty, I bet he could. Mrs. Ryan appears to be the type of lady who appreciates the hard heat, if you know what I mean...

610x.jpg

Edited by JSngry
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I'm no fan of LaRussa, but I give him credit for knowing when to call for the check. I've heard talk this morning about Dave Duncan (who has already said he has no interest) and also of Mark McGwire. Not sure if he's ready. Frankly, I was always surprised that MLB let McGwire back in the house. He certainly brought shame upon the game much in the manner of Pete Rose, who, needless to says, continues to be treated as a non-entity by Bud and his boys.

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Nolan is a fairly regular guest on the Dan Patrick Show and he has a good sense of humor about things. The closest thing to arrogance is when asked if he could throw 85 mph he says "give me a week." But you know, maybe he could. :) Last time on Patrick pointed out the opening day matchup and noted at Arlington they still run the Ryan-Ventura fight on the scoreboard (before the game I believe.) He suggested to Ryan that perhaps to make Ventura feel more welcome they could give that a break for the series. Ryan chuckled and agreed.

Yeah, it's part of the montage of "great moments" in Ranger history they run to, I think, give the fans a reminder of where we've been and where we are now. Myself, I think this last World Series renders that unnecessary now. As a buddy of mine put it, the culture of the team has been once and forever changed by this last turn of events.

As for Nolan being able to hit 85, if the guy would lose a pound or twenty, I bet he could. Mrs. Ryan appears to be the type of lady who appreciates the hard heat, if you know what I mean...

610x.jpg

Director's Cut: Bringing It All Back Home /

An annotated version of Tony Kornheiser's classic 1980 profile of Nolan Ryan @ GRANTLAND

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I'm no fan of La Russa, but I give him credit for knowing when to call for the check. I've heard talk this morning about Dave Duncan (who has already said he has no interest) and also of Mark McGwire. Not sure if he's ready. Frankly, I was always surprised that MLB let McGwire back in the house. He certainly brought shame upon the game much in the manner of Pete Rose, who, needless to says, continues to be treated as a non-entity by Bud and his boys.

Dave Duncan's wife has a brain tumor and I would expect that he may retire. I'm not sure what happens to the other La Russa sidekick Dave McKay. As far as McGwire the word is he's an excellent hitting coach. Great hitters (and yes, regardless of the timing of his use of steroids I still consider him a great hitter as far as his patience & power) don't usually make for good hitting coaches, but the word is he's good at communicating how to prepare, even for the Punch & Judy hitters. The players appear to have the utmost respect for him, so frankly that matters more than what sportswriters and fans of other teams think. But whether he'd make a good manager is another matter.

I give La Russa a lot of credit for not hanging around to go for McGraw on the win list.

*edited to add a space to Tony's name. I blame Tommy Lasorda. :lol:

Edited by Quincy
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C.C. Sabathia announced that he has agreed to a contract extension with the Yankees. The announcement comes via the left-hander's Twitter account and on Zoodig.com. ESPN's Buster Olney says it's a one-year extension worth $25MM on top of the four years and $92MM remaining on Sabathia's original deal. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds that there is a vesting option worth $25MM with a $5MM buyout. The 31-year-old left-hander could have opted out of the remaining four years of his original seven-year, $161MM with New York by midnight tonight.

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