With July upon us, I think it is worth revisiting the summer of 1996.  For me, the most anticipated series in my history as a Rangers fan was the four game set versus Seattle from July 4 through July 7July 1996.  This Angels series doesn't rank up there, but it is probably the closest thing I've experienced since the first Rangers-Mariners series of 2001.

I set up the series and discussed game one yesterday, and I will discuss game two  tonight.  I'll keep on going later in the week if folks are interested...

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With July upon us, I think it is worth revisiting the summer of 1996.  For me, the most anticipated series in my history as a Rangers fan was in July 1996 (and really the top five anticipated series' were all from that summer and fall).  This Angels series doesn't rank up there, but it is probably the closest thing I've experienced since the first Rangers-Mariners series of 2001.

Number one of all time though, was the four game set versus Seattle from July 4 through July 7.  I was a 16 year old Rangers fan at the time, and my entire life of fandom was really the stuff of sport nightmare.  Obviously each Rangers fan felt the same way, I was lucky really to only remember the previous ten years or so.  The Star-Telegram had a great front page graphic they ran each day charting the series which I can still picture in my head - I haven't been able to find these pages from those dates on their archive, though.  

I'm going to setup the series tonight and recall game 1, before finishing with games 2-4 tomorrow.

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Texas has put Padilla on the Dl, citing "elbow irritation" which was affecting his mental makeup.

Adam's projection that Padilla is about to undergo Tommy John surgery probably gets a boost from this decision...

http://tinyurl.com/22ma8u

Hopefully we have insurance, that way Tom Hicks can expand his 24 acre homestead, or at least add something to his 6000 sq ft pool cabana...  

Texas vs OU today at 3:30 eastern!

I've had two cable boxes break in the past month, so I am without HD for the game, which completely sucks.

As for predicted score, I'm going with Texas 28, OU 17.  

Unless Adam adds an official thread, here's a place to discuss...

I started visiting yelp.com recently.  This site has pretty much changed my dining habits.  It has a far, far better system than citysearch or guidelive or any of the other restaurant/activity review sites out there.  

It is very popular in the SF Bay area and Austin and is growing now in DFW.  I'd highly recommend giving it a try, and you should sign up and add some of your own reviews while you are at it.

Here is my page to see what I think of stuff - if you join up make sure to let me know.

http://patrickw.yelp.com/

Also I know this post sounds really like when people try to get you to be their "friend" on myspace, I assure you that that isn't my intent...

Today I bought A's playoff tickets.  I will be attending game 1 or 3 with a trio of corworkers and one of their wives.  We'll be sitting behind the RF foul pole.  

Frankly, I am wondering if I should just switch allegience to the A's.  I've liked them for years now, since the Beane era began, even though I am a Rangers fan.  My AL West hatred has been targeted squarely at Angels and Seaman fans.  

I won't do it, of course, because I am a sadist and I have to root for the Rangers.  Nonetheless, my life would be alot easier if I could just cut the cord and follow the successful francise that is located just down the highway from me...

I didn't even realize she was sick.

She was the first govenor I remember.  If only she'd been able to beat W. in 1994, we probably wouldn't have GWB in the White House today.  That'd be nice...

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/09/13/D8K4CEOG0.html

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So where was everyone on Sept 11?  And how did you first hear of the events?

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Oakland Athletics placed closer Huston Street on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a strained right groin.

*

The right-hander, who is sixth in the AL with 29 saves, was injured while taking the loss in the second game of a doubleheader against Kansas City on Friday night. The move is retroactive to Aug. 19.

This will clearly help Texas.  However, as a former Longhorn, I really get conflicted when something bad has to happen to Huston Street for the Rangers to benefit.  I don't like rooting against him.  

This may not deserve its own diary, but as there isn't a KC-Oakland Diary up...  

KC just scored 4 in the 8th to take a 5-2 lead.  3 more outs and Texas is back within 5.5 games.

Incredible that KC could be about to sweep a twin-bill against the mighty A's.

diary diary diary

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I live near San Francisco now, so I've been to several games in both Phone Company Park and the Oakland Coloseum.  Most people seem to think that Phone Park is the best in baseball, and certainly 100% of SF Bay residents are convinced of this.

In the past week, I've been to two games - one in SF and one in Pittsburgh (I was there for a family reunion).  I am positive that PNC is a much nicer park.  

For starters, it is designed better.  The concourse and food areas are way easier to navigate than at SF, where the corridors are frequently very narrow.  Also, the park faces the correct direction.  In SF, the park faces a fairly ugly portion of the bay, and it faces the Bay Bridge, which is much less picturesque than the Golden Gate Bridge.  Also, you can hardly see downtown SF from that stadium.  At PNC, you can see several bridges, as well as downtown Pittsburgh, which is very picturesque in itself.

Unfortunately, I had to pick some family up at the airport, so I only got to see a couple of innings at the game I went to, but it was worth it (and thats another thing - I got seats for $6 at PNC Park).  Plus it was triple-bobblehead night.  

After seeing these two parks several times, I rank the parks I've been to as follows:

1.  PNC
   
2.  Phone Park
   
3.  TBIA
   
4.  Minute Maid Park
   
5.  Colosseum

Texas lost to NC State today to be eliminated in the regional round of the NCAA baseball tournament, while the softball team lost last night despite having Cat Osterman on the mound.

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Princeton faced Harvard this weekend in a best-of-three championship series.  Princeton won both games today to sweep the series.  They are now the first team with a berth in the NCAA Baseball tournament.

Princeton got very good pitching all year and today was no exception as they beat a very good offensive Harvard team 9-3 and 8-2.

My brother was scheduled to start tomorrows game, if necessary, but ended up pitching 2.2 in relief, retiring all 8 batters, striking out 2.

Of course I know noone here cares about Ivy League baseball, nonetheless...

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I saw what I believe were his first 3 games in AA, right after he got called up.  Frisco were playing in Round Rock that first week, though they may have played a couple of games in Frisco already.  That was pretty sweet.  He hit 4 homers in those games.

The famous Chris Storm joined me for the first of those games...

You like William F. Buckley Jr., right?  

I went to see "Thank You for Smoking" last night, which is based on a book by Buckley's son Christopher.  The movie was great, but I've read from numerous critics that the book is funnier.

William H. Macy, Rob Lowe, Aaron Eckhart, Adam Brody, and David Koechner were all hilarious.  Katie Holmes was way out of her league, and miscast

I was wondering if you've seen or read either...

Very dramatic last 14 seconds, as the teams trade 3's, Texas' at the buzzer...

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Texas beat A&M 74-70 to advance to the Big XII fraud basketball championship.

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Remember 2002?

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Anyone interested in this game?

Go Longhorns!

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Texas plays Colorado today in the Big XII Championship Game, live from Houston, Texas!

Obviously the winner takes the Big XII and gets the automatic BCS berth.  

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The hated and reactionary Texas A&M Aggies are currently up 22-21 with 9 minutes to go in the 3rd.  

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Anyone else watch the WW debate episode?

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This website is quite neat.  

www.commoncensus.org

It allows you to vote on what city most influences you and your area, or what "region" you consider yourself to be a part of.

Now, they also have sports maps showing the influence of different teams.

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Huge game in South Bend today, as USC is visiting Notre Dame.  

As of this post, Notre Dame is up 21-14.

Right now, I think the top two teams in the rankings each have significant faults.  The big problem with USC appears to be their inability to stop offensive teams in the first half.  They will eventually fall if this keeps happening (hopefully today!).

Texas, meanwhile, is a turnover machine.  They get their own fumbles back quite often, but again, that won't necessarily hold all season.

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Today's college football action should be interesting.

This is your thread for ocllege football talk...

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Per Jamey Newberg:

"My buddy Mike Hindman decided to stop writing the daily recaps this weekend,
and while I'll end up begging him to consider returning to the post before
the 2006 season begins, the book is a day away from being closed on this
year's run of farm games that began in April for four clubs and in June for
two more, and so, for now, is the unparalleled body of work that Mike began
building in April of 2003.  He raked every time out, seven predawn days a
week, for three years of minor league baseball, covering every move made by
every Ranger prospect."

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I have found that this year, my interest in the Rangers has been at its lowest point since maybe...  1997.

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I hope everyone has a great 4th of July, especially Mahon.  

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Today is the final game (hopefully) of the CWS.

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