Hey guys I do a local podcast/radio show every Wednesday night from 8 - 10 PM.  It is a guys talk type format.  We have had MMA guest (Rampage Jackson as well as local up and comers Michael Sierra, Chas Skelly, Johnny Bedford, Joe Christopher, Liam McCarty, etc.), Local Musical talent (Allan Von, 1000 Miles From Home), Comedians (Ari Shaffir), Strippers, Porn Stars (Tia Ling), Wrestling dudes (Cold Cabana), etc. 

It is just guy talk 101 - I guess akin to something you might hear on The Ticket, but we never have tried to be the Ticket nor are we trying to be.  Just a bunch of dudes having some fun.  Anyhow tonight we will have an interview with Ryan Tatusko.  Tune in.  We live stream, and then we also put the shows up afterward so you can listen to at any time.

www.radio.bigstack.com

Listen in, and feel free to give any input you have or questions you might want to hear asked of Ryan.

MushMouthMike

I am not in full panic mode.  Baseball is an interesting game.  Our emotions flow one game at a time, but in reality one game is only 1/162 of the total picture.  This team probably played a bit over their head early, and are playing a bit under their norm at the moment.  I think this creates an interesting situation outside of what happens between the lines.  It is time for the new regime to take the bull by the horns, and for leaders to step up.

Mike Young has never been a real strong leader.  He has been the leader by default, because of his play and the fact he has played well on a bad team.  He has been pushed into that role, and it really is not his personality.

Cape Diem time.  Baseball is an ebb and flow game, and they need to circle the wagons and start to have confidence in themselves and each other again.

It is time for some of the next generation to step up, be vocal, and become leaders of this team.  I know he is young, but we have all heard what kind of respect Andrus garners.  Time for him to get in front of the room and be heard.  Ian Kinsler has become a superstar, and will be here for many years.  Time for him to be heard.  Chris Davis!  Yes, him of the 45,000 strikeout pace.  Step up, shoulder some things, and be heard.  He could be vocal simply by saying "I am not doing my part, and if any of you guys see anything help me out.  I am here to win.  WE are here to win, and we need everyone pulling their part.  I am not, and I need any help I can get.  I am also willing to help anyone that wants my help."  Josh Hamilton has the perfect situation now.  I think he kind of hung back last year, as he was getting in the groove again.  When he comes back he needs to say I am coming back to make a difference, but I need your help guys.  We need to do this, that, and the other.  He has overcome much bigger things than batting slumps, and can help get the guys going.  Maybe David Murphy is that guy.  Maybe Saltalamachia. 

I just think it is time for some of the younger guys to step up, and take leadership roles.  Not to chew asses, but to rally the troops.  These guys just lack a lot of confidence right now.  All it takes is a few games for the bats to start talking, and this thing can get turned around.  If the pitching can hold up there is no reason why this team can't compete, but it needs leadership from within

According to Jayson Stark:

Huston Street (0.60 ERA since April 26) is beginning to attract interest, and the Rangers are believed to be one of the teams following him closely.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&page=rumblings090611

After the Strasburg story.  I wonder if FX2 is worse off then we are led to believe?  Well I guess I need a few more words here to meet the 75 word minimum!

Would you pay it?  I know the guy looks like a beast, but as the article points out so did Pryor, Wood, McDonald, Matt Anderson, Brien Taylor, etc.  I will concede, for arguments sake, that this guy is better than any of those guys.  Does that make him worth 50M?  If he slid to the Rangers (yes I KNOW this is not going to happen) would you be incredibly upset if they passed?  What is was signing this guy or signing the majority of the rest of your draft class?  Kind of like a Ricky Williams trade scenario?

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/draft/index.jsp?feature=number_ones

What if it was Bryce Harper as a 17 year old wanting the 50M?  Where does it stop?

When I was driving today I heard the Ticket say something about Hamilton injured his achilles today?  I looked and didn't see anything posted, as I was sure you guys would be all over it.  Did they have the name wrong or did I just miss something?  If this is true this could be major.  Just looking for some insight from the baseball informed.  Maybe it happened in yesterdays game and I haven't looked there

OK folks three leagues isn't enough so I decided to make another.

20 Team League
ANYONE is invited
Very casual league

It will be an autodraft by Yahoo, or you can set your players prior to draft. The "season" will start on the 21st, but can be changed if we cant get enough people fast enough. Head to Head.

I think this link will work:

http://baseball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/b1/293879

League Name: Rick Rollers
League ID: 293879
Password: Weston

I am probably bringing up something most of you guys know, but heard his name today and it is a pretty interesting story.  It appears that Robinson broke the color barrier, but Fleet was the first black to play in Major League Baseball.

Interesting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Fleetwood_Walker

Awhile back Adam listed a book list of things he was going to read, and if I remember correctly it was online.  Does anyone remember this, or Adam, as I was going to put some things online.  Everytime I hear about a book recommendation I try and write it down, but I will always lose the majority of these names.  I would like to have something online similar to Blockbuster, except with books.

Also, definitely open to any real good books.  Trying to get back into reading a bit more.  It seems to be cheaper for me than online poker!

Any you think you have accomplished a lot in life!  Apparently this dude wrote a list when he was 15 of things he would like to accomplish in life.  It is truly amazing how many he has done, and the list in itself is very extensive.

http://www.johngoddard.info/life_list.htm

I think the only thing I had in mind when I was 15 was making the sports teams, and trying to get laid (wasn't real good at either).  

Taking from Adam this morning it got me thinking.  The guys in Oklahoma have apparently fixed the hole in Jason Botts swing, fixed Kameron Loe's delivery, fixed Nelson Cruz's stance, turned Marlon Byrd into a stud, turned Mike Wood back into a semi-prospect, etc.

My question why aren't these guys up here?  So as much as I want to see Botts up here maybe the best move is to "bring up" Andy Hawkins and Randy Whisler!

Anyone have an idea of how these guys are viewed throughout the league?

Man I like the makeup of that rotation!  So do you think they will be going with a 4 man rotation?  Not sure the other pitchers will get much work though.

'Preciate the site as always.  Good stuff.

Hurley Tonight
Castillo Tonight

Should be fun.

So who here see the Leprachaun?  I want to know where the gold at

Worth $27,500

Interesting site:

http://www.dnscoop.com/

Somehow you don't get a lot of hits from MSN Adam.  Not sure what that means.  You're moving up in the world Cuban der I mean Morris.

Now everyone will be running their trafficed sites through this thing to waste some of the day.  I need a nap, but need to get to 300

The Mavs just don't want it bad enough.  Their supposed MVP doesn't WANT to take the big shot, passes as soon as he gets the ball, and misses the wide open shots.

I HATE THIS

At least you know EVERY year the Rangers are going to be one of the most pathetic clubs in baseball.  The Mavs got us all excited for this?

Pathetic

Athletics acquired outfielder Chris Denorfia from the Reds for two players to be named and cash.

Denorfia, 26, will miss the rest of 2007 following Tommy John surgery, but he should come in real handy in 2008 as a fourth outfielder. The right-handed hitter had lines of .317/.391/.526 and .349/.409/.484 in the minors the last two years. He can play an adequate center field and he's above average in the corners. The Reds thought they didn't need him following Josh Hamilton's emergence.

Sure sounds like a guy we might could have been in on talks about.  I guess we'll have to see the caliber of the two players, but like the sound of this guy.

Hey guys a miserable Ranger fan here, and as usual I am about to the point of using a sharp pencil to just go ahead and take out my eyeballs so I don't have to watch anymore bad baseball.  It sucks being a Rangers fan.

Anyhow the reason I swam over this way is Borowski looks pretty uninspired as your closer, and the tribe looks like they are going to win a lot of games this year.  Trying to get interested in my fantasy team - if Borowski is replaced who takes his spot?

95 year old Roberto Hernandez?

Just curious - maybe I can pick up a guy that might eventually get me some saves.

Good luck this year.  I hate the White Sox, and you guys are better than Detroit.

Did anyone hear the discussion on this new completely stupid game the Rangers apparently play around the clubhouse?  Tom and Josh were talking about it on the telecast yesterday.  

For those that didn't here is a sample:  

Fred:  "Hey Bill did you see Pujols his a home run in the Twins game today?"

Bill:  "Pujols doesn't play for the Twins he plays for the Cardinals"

Fred:  "Gotcha - I knew he played for the Cardinals"

I don't really get it.  Apparently you make some stupid comment and if someone corrects you then you "got them."

I guess yesterday Blalock and Lewin were talking and it went something like this:

Josh:  "Hey Hank you going to watch the game tonight?"

Hank:  "No I am not much of a Hockey fan"

Josh:  "I meant the Mavericks"

Hank:  "Gotcha I knew you were talking about basketball"

Maybe I just don't get it, but this sounds real dumb.  Maybe they should take some more batting practice as they obviously have too much time on their hands.

DALLAS -- Wilford "Crazy Ray" Jones, the boisterous Dallas Cowboys fan who energized crowds for decades with his cowboy getup and sideline cheerleading, died Saturday. He was 76.

Wilford "Crazy Ray" Jones entertained Cowboys fans with his sideline antics and magic tricks for decades.
Jones died at his home, said Tracy Moberly, a friend of the family. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease were listed as the causes of death, according to the Dallas County medical examiner's office.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2802745

is it time to start considering this guy a 4th or maybe 5th outfielder?

I have tried to give this guy as much rope as possible, but all he keeps doing is hanging himself.  He played last year hurt, and knowing he was hurt, which hurt the team.  I heard him in an interview early last year talk about how he should be able to hit a lot of home runs here, which means to me he was going to swing even wilder then he already does.

Now this spring he is once again sucking.  Don't give me this Spring Training crap either.  He has a LOT to prove, and he is just proving that he sucks.  

He is hitting a nice crisp .227 this spring, and yesterday he comes up twice with the bases juiced and doesn't do anything.

I am not completely giving up on this guy just yet, but with every passing day it looks like this guy just sucks ass more and more.  A lot of people, including me, seem to think it is crazy to think we can get something out of Sosa who hasn't had a good year since 2004 but we seem to cling to this guy who hasn't had a good year since oh...let me see...2004!

And he really only had a few good years - maybe THEY were the aberrations, not the sucks years.  Man I hope this cat starts to come around!

Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Parcells ... Cowboys fans have been waiting for the next big name to lead a storied franchise. They might be surprised by the answer.

League and Cowboys sources have told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will be named Dallas' head coach. Phillips traveled from San Diego to Dallas on Wednesday night after being told that he was their choice to replace the now-retired Parcells.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2758164

This has to be old news here, but Jamey posted this and I thought it was amusing:

http://striketwo.net/teamblogs/texas_rangers

Adam has the #1 Ranger Blog on the net, and the 64th ranked team blog

http://striketwo.net/blogs/30&index=61

If it is old news carry on! I think it is the most influential blog's according to the site, and now I am just trying to complete the 300 character minimum

I have seen his name mentioned a few times, and I like him myself.  What kind of money is he going to get?  Anybody hear of what dollars he is looking for?

I wouldn't mind seeing him on a multi year deal.  We don't have a lot of outfield depth coming up, and he can fill in there and also 1B.  How good of a defensive outfielder is he?

are grasping for straws with Fatty Ponson.  I thought of something.  Once he flairs out after 2 or 3 starts they will again be looking.  Why not send them someone like Wasdin or Loe?  They have to know they are better options than Ponson and Chacon types.

Maybe we could get a decent prospect or two lower level guys out of them for one of those guys.

It is being reported that he will resign with the Mavs for a 6 year deal, money not yet disclosed.

I like that he will be back.  I just hope they give the reigns to Harris and push him over to the 2 slot, which will be nice to have two "point" guards on the floor at the same time.

I don't know much about Ager's game, but I hope he is a slasher type.  That is the biggest hole in Terry's game is that he is not a very good slasher/to the hoop guy, but with Harris in there he can fill that role at times.

I have always liked Page 2, and this is a definite keeper:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060626

I spent about an hour on these.  Some really good ones in here.  I guess I am generally long winded, because this is the first time I had the vaunted 300 character attack!

To add to the great night with the Mavericks advancing in the playoffs, the Rangers winning, and the A's losing here is some action down on the farm:

Diamond:
6 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 6 K, 0 Runs
ERA Down to 2.92

Rheinecker:
8 IP, 3H, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 0 Runs
ERA Down to 3.26

Komentani:
Through 4 Innings, 3H, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 0 Earned Runs
ERA Down to 2.94

Nice night

Adam said something the other day in regards to this team feeling different to him, and it really hit home.  I am not going to pull Adam into my crazy thinking, but this team feels different to me.  It doesn't feel like they are playing over their head (2004) or just on a streak.  I think this team is a legitimate contender.  They are 15-12 (13-5 over the last 18) five games shy of 1/5th of the season.  They got off to an abysmal start, and have recovered nicely.  

On offense they really don't have anyone that is playing insanely better than they actually are.  There are a few guys that may be a tick or so above their play once the season is over, but nobody pulling a Chris Shelton.  You could actually make the argument that the offense is still not clicking on all cylinders.  Anyone think Teixeira ends the season under 20 homers?  Brad Wilkerson is just now starting to come around - leadoff?  Even if Barajas somehow keeps his job he isn't THIS bad, and if Laird gets more time he will put up some decent numbers.  We haven't had our 2B for close to 20 games now, although Jiminez and DeRosa have filled in nicely.

The starting pitching actually looks like a legitimate staff, although this is an area that could cave.  Millwood has been essentially as advertised, but may get a little better.  Padilla has pitched nicely, but could digress as Millwood improves.  Loe is a huge factor, but he seems to have something with 14 consecutive starts.  Koronka is also a huge factor.  Has he figured it out or is this a fluke?  I tend to think we might have found something here.  He is probably not going to win 20 games, but if he wins 12-14 I think everyone is happy.  Tejeda/Bauer/Rheinecker or whomever I think will be fine for the 5th spot.  Adam Eaton has yet to pitch as a Texas Ranger.  So the 5th spot might not even be a concern in a few months.

The bullpen I think will end up being dominant by years end.  I really like the guys in the pen this year.  Cordero might not be a dominant closer anymore, only time will tell, but he is a pretty damn good pitcher.  Otsuka looks like the real deal, and looks like a positive energizer for this ball club.  I like Benoit in the pen - a LOT.  Alfonseca looks to have something left in the tank and is settling into this role nicely.  Mahay, Castro, Shouse, Feldman, Wilson, etc. round it out nicely.....and FrankFrank is on his way.  

We have a solid, well rounded ball club.  Not great in any aspect, but good in many.  Nobody saw the White Sox coming.  Not claiming we are the 2006 version of the 2005 White Sox, but these guys have something.  Should be a fun summer.

Why do we continue to think this guy has something?  You put him in any kind of pressure situation and he sucks!  Does he have the "good face" like Barajas and Wilkerson?  CJ SUCKS!  Maybe not quite as bad as Rod, but he sucks.

I mean the guy simply does not get people out on a consistent basis.  I know he looks tough in his "I need to take a dump" look  on the mound, but he sucks.  I am PISSED.  More at Rod, but EVERYONE know he sucks

Ok let the egg throwing begin.  What if RA has actually "got it" with his knuckler now?  What if some light went on, or something like that?  Maybe this guy deserves a shot at the #5?

I know the Dominguez apologist will tell me he is so great, and this, and that.  Facts are the guy has had MAJOR suctitude this Spring.  Stack that against his apparent attitude where he just doesn't get it, and maybe RA is the best they have.

I would love to see Domi get his chance in a Ranger uniform, but at sometime you want him to play the same game (in his head) that the rest of his teammates play.  He is almost 26 years old.  Time to grow up.

RA on the other hand, whether you like him or not, probably has more "heart" than any guy in a Ranger uniform.  No I am not a big Dickey fan, but the guy does seem to try and do whatever he can with the limited ability he has.  What if he became as valuable as Hough or Wakefield?  What if he became a guy that could eat up innings for us, post an annual ERA in the mid to high 4's, and got the confidence of his team behind him?  

I repeat I am not a huge RA fan, but he gets so vilified around here you think most would rather be right than for him to be successful.  I still want them to trade for Thomson, but if RA breaks camp as the #5.....maybe we should give the guy a chance!