Sportatorium

Reaction to Rangers’ Reaction

2008-05-09 15:45:51

Safe as a baby. 'Till July?

Never said it was imminent. Called them “contingency plans” in the headline, in fact.

But after reading the comments of Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and president Nolan Ryan in response to my post yesterday about manager Ron Washington, aren’t we more sure than ever that the manager is a dead man walking and the team has his successor on speed dial?

Thought so.

]]> If I’m a Rangers fan (or player, for that matter) and I read some bozo with a blog is writing that Washington will be fired at some point this season and that his replacement will be Don Baylor, Jim Tracy, Mike Hargrove or Jackie Moore, I want to hear that it’s bullshit. A complete and utter dismissal of the entire story would be refreshing, especially in light of my team winning seven of nine.

Instead, Daniels told Dallas’ Only Daily that my blog item was “full of inaccuracies” and that there is no “active conversation” regarding Washington’s status. Inaccuracies? The Rangers have an even longer list but haven't contacted every single person on it? Fine. Inaccuracies? Washington's team suddenly wins 20 of 25 and the list and his firing gets scrapped? Fine. But he also – for the life of me I dunno why – indicated that Washington’s job might be visited – no, make that revisited – at the All-Star break.

Nothing like a vote of confidence with a 60-day shelf life to galvanize the troops.

Then there’s Ryan’s take to the Morning News, which is basically a read-between-the-lines admission that the team has indeed already been discussing and mapping a future without Washington. Well, isn’t it?

"When we were looking at the overall situation, 10 days ago, obviously if you feel like you have to make some changes, you ask, 'Where do you go and what do you do and how do other people feel about those things?' You discuss a lot of different things. But there was no decision made."

One last thing before I head into a weekend tapping my toes and shaking my head slowly in disbelief that The Black Crowes are playing Taste of Addison. In his front-page rebuttal to my post, DMN beat man Evan Grant writes:

“The report also said that Ryan had ordered Daniels to call up rookies Brandon Boggs, German Duran and A.J. Murray … “

I like Evan. We’ve always been cordial. You can feel his passion for baseball in his writing and, in my opinion, the dude owns the Rangers beat in this market almost all of the time. But that just ain’t true.

What I actually wrote:

“ … recent confabs between president Nolan Ryan, general manager Jon Daniels and Washington led to a youth infusion of Brandon Boggs, German Duran and A.J. Murray …”

The word “ordered” didn’t appear in my post. Inaccuracies?

But back to baseball, the Rangers have an award-winning rookie and one less Kevin Mench in their farm system after trading him today to Toronto for cash. -- Richie Whitt

At the Risk of Beating a Dead Horse, the Sport of Kings is in Trouble

2008-05-09 13:25:21

Putting down galliant fillies like Eight Belles is only one of horse racing's serious problems

Tomorrow, Lone Star Park holds one of its biggest days of the year, and after a disastrous and embarrassing Kentucky Derby, horse racing could use some good news. Maybe that’s why Lone Star Park is trotting out the nation’s only female bugler to play the Call to the Post.

How progressive of them.

The bugle call does give me goose bumps, growing up in a horse racing family and all, but if the sport really wanted to do something progressive it would start with its cheats.

]]> I wrote about one of the sport’s biggest cheats last summer, but don’t think for a second that Arlington’s Steve Asmussen is one bad apple in a barrel full of good ones. Lost in all the hand-wringing over the filly Eight Belles’ ugly collapse at Churchill Downs last week is the fact that the winning horse was trained by Richard Dutrow, a former coke-head that has five doping suspensions in six states.

I couldn’t care less about Dutrow’s personal drug problems, but the fact that the guy dopes up his horses is reason enough he should be out of the sport. But he isn’t -- not by a long shot.

What Dutrow does, what Asmussen does is par for course -- it’s what all big-time trainers do. The problem, besides the fact that no one gives a rat’s ass, is that it’s killing the sport.

Modern-day horse racing has two problems. Horses are no longer bred to be sound, they are bred to be fast, and as a result their bones have become more brittle, which is one reason why Big Brown was the first Kentucky Derby winner in history to have just three starts under his belt before the Run for the Roses. The second problem, as the great turf writer William Nack noted way back in 1993 for Sports Illustrated, is drugs. And not just the illegal stuff, like snake venom (which trainer Patrick Biancone was busted for last year), but also legal drugs like lasix, which suppresses bleeding from the lungs, or phenylbutazone (commonly known as bute), which reduces inflamation in the joints. It’s rare to find a horse that doesn’t run on one of those.

To make a long history lesson short, all drugs were once banned from horse racing. In fact, in 1968 a horse named Dancer’s Image was stripped of its Kentucky Derby win when stewards found traces of bute in the colt’s blood. In the ensuing years the horse racing powers that be argued that because horses were no longer as sound as they had been in Man o’ War’s day, drugs like lasix and bute were necessary. The problem with this logic, as one horseman recently told me, is that a bleeder breeds a bleeder. In other words, a horse that needs lasix to stop the bleeding in its lungs will in all likelihood breed a horse that needs lasix to stop the bleeding in its lungs.

In a 1992 article in The North American Review entitled “The Corruption of Nobility: The Rise and Fall of Thorougbred Racing in America,” an anti-doping veterinarian named Gregory Ferraro wrote, “In general, treatments used to repair a horse’s injuries and to alleviate its suffering are now often used to get the animal out onto the track to compete-to force the animal, like some punch-drunk fighter, to make just one more round.”

Which is more or less what happened in 2006 at a track in Louisiana when a horse Asmussen trained pulled up lame during a race. Racing stewards later found the horse had been running on 750 times the legal amount of a drug called mepivicaine, which is used to block pain. Asmussen says he doesn’t know how the drug ended up in the system -- he blames a veterinary mistake -- but it seems like more than a coincidence that just seven days before the race he had ordered a cortisone shot for the horse’s knee.

The problem with all this is that because elite horses today are more fragile than they have ever been, and because they are really racing for a spot in the stud barn and not the winner’s circle, they are making fewer and fewer starts. From a fan’s perspective, this makes following a horse, rather than just a number, tough to do. Which is why most tracks at the country are inhabited by degenerate gamblers (Lone Star Park is an exception) that couldn’t give a shit about a horse’s name, to say nothing of what drugs are coursing through its system.

But the bigger problem is that the sport itself is institutionally opposed to cracking down on its cheaters. Why? Because they control the game.

When Asmussen blows into town with a string of horses, he fills a barn with winners, which fills the stands with gamblers who know a bet on an Asmussen horse has a good chance of a return. And in the end, from cradle to grave, that’s what horse racing is about anyway: Money.

I guess in that way, it’s like every other sport. The only difference is, its athletes have no voice.

You know what the saddest part is? In spite of all this, I’m going to be standing there Saturday, getting goose bumps when the bugle calls. But I'm in the minority. Horse racing is dying, and until the sport cleans itself up, its slow decline will continue. -- Jesse Hyde

Wanna Be The Voice of the AirHogs?

2008-05-09 11:30:38

Wanna job? Okay, then how 'bout a casket?

The new Minor League Baseball team that has hired Pete Incaviglia as manager, will next month give away a free funeral, and is probably considering Star Jones vs. Barbara Wah-Wah in a 7th-inning stretch Octagon wants you to be part of the zaniness.

The Grand Prairie AirHogs, an expansion team in the American Association, are holding tryouts Saturday afternoon for its PA announcer, mascot and National Anthem singer.

“We are looking forward to getting all sorts of talented individuals coming out,” says general manager Dave Burke. “It will be fun if this turns into a make-shift American Idol.”

]]> The auditions – all at the team’s new QuikTrip Park -- will be at 2 (mascots), 4 (PA) and 6 (anthem). The AirHogs actually started their inaugural season last night with a loss in St. Paul, Minnesota. The home is opener is May 16th against the Wichita – I kid you not – Wingnuts.

And on June 3rd, the team will give away the prize no one wants to use – a funeral.

Remember when you thought the Rangers’ old “Farm and Ranch Night” was wacky? -- Richie Whitt

Looks Like I Picked A Good Night To Blow Off Hockey

2008-05-09 08:00:56

Think his new, all-time favorite baseball moment is being driven in by Mike Rhyner?

While a lot of you wasted your Thursday evening on Red Wings 4, Stars 1, I trudged out to Frisco for some baseball. At least, I think it was baseball.

It was KTCK 1310 AM The Ticket’s “Great Game” and, actually, it was great. Perfect weather at the RoughRiders’ Dr Pepper Ballpark. Great, charitable cause. Awesome that Norm Hitzges, in his best Harry Caray, led the robust crowd in “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” in the bottom of the 5th. And kinda cool that – I was there, swear it wasn’t fixed – the final score was Team Musers 13, Team Hardline 10. Yep, 13-10.

But the baseball? Eh, not so great. Jump with me for some reviews:

]]> *Winning pitcher Craig Miller throws his fastball – delivery and velocity – like Charlie Hough pushed his knuckler. He did, however, have one of the night's hardest hit balls with a sharp single in the second.

*Hardline lefty hurler Corby Davidson not only looks Johnny Damon, he throws like him.

*Donovan Lewis made a handful of above-average running catches in center field. By far the game's defensive MVP.

*I lost count, but the game just had to have set a modern-day record for “defensive indifference.” Two words that would’ve made it more like baseball but, in all honestly, not as exciting: Tight. Bases. With all the catchers’ passed balls, weak throws and surrendered bases, Pudge Rodriguez' legacy is safe.

*At one point in the second inning Team Musers scored seven runs on one hit, prompting a fan to stand up and disgustedly yell, “C’mon Hardline … Fock!”

*Only significant injury seemed to be a pulled quad by Sunday morning host Mark Elfenbein.

*Mike Rhyner’s hardball wet dream came true when, in the 7th, he squibbed an RBI groundout that scored his manager – Rusty Greer. Earlier, however, Rhyner did appear to temporarily play soccer with bouncing single into right field before sorta slinging it in the general vicinity of second base.

*Awkward moment of the night occurred in the 5th when a large section of fans behind third base stood up with hand-held signs that read “Where’s Greggo??” Not for sure, but he wasn’t in attendance.

*Gordon Keith, who dreamed aloud of playing center field on a unicycle, rounded the bases and scored a run – sans helmet.

*Most Valuable Player went to Team Musers middle reliever Dan McDowell who – seriously – threw like a relative Cy Young. His change of speeds and random sidearm delivery complimented his fastball, which eyeballed at around 65 mph. Impressive.

*Surprise of the night was the quantity – and quality – of female fans. There’s nothing sexier than a girl at a sun-drenched baseball park, hair in a cap and pony tail, proudly sporting her big … beers. -- Richie Whitt

Texas Rangers Making Contingency Plans In Case This Uptick is a Mirage

2008-05-08 15:30:55

On deck?

According to two baseball sources I trust way farther than I could throw them, your Texas Rangers are making plans for when – not if – manager Ron Washington is fired this season.

The Dallas Observer – via this here The Sportatorium sports blog – has learned from separate sources that the Rangers have held preliminary – if not more serious – talks with Don Baylor, Mike Hargrove, Jim Tracy and Jackie Moore about being Washington’s successor. At least one version of the inevitable overhaul, temporarily put on pause by the team’s recent uptick, includes the firing of all assistant coaches other than hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo and third base coach Matt Walbeck.

Odd timing, I know, in that recent confabs between president Nolan Ryan, general manager Jon Daniels and Washington led to a youth infusion of Brandon Boggs, German Duran and A.J. Murray that has propelled the team to wins in six out of eight games and out of last place in the American League. But apparently the team’s slow starts, sloppy fundamentals and general irrelevancy under Washington are considered ultimately irreparable.

“The players know Wash is a good guy,” one of the sources told me this morning. “But his enthusiasm and optimism isn’t translating into him being a manager that gets through to them. They’re ready to move on from him. Of course, these are the same guys who were ready to move on from Buck (Showalter), too.”

The silver lining is that Nolan, hired in February to infuse the organization with credibility, is finally aiming one of his trademark fastballs just under the chin of a franchise that has needed a brushback for a long time.

]]> It was Ryan who suggested Daniels and Washington start the youth movement. And three of the managerial candidates have strong ties to Nolan. The other, former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tracy, has a link to the organization through his son, Chad, the team's second-round draft pick in 2006.

According to one source, Baylor is the front-runner. An AL MVP during a 19-year playing career that included a teammate on the 1977-79 California Angels named Nolan Ryan, the Austin native has been out of baseball since 2005. In ’03 Baylor was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer but, after a stem-cell transplant, has a clean bill of health. He managed the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs, served as bench coach for the New York Mets, hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners and, according to this 2006 story, desperately wants another managerial shot.

A lot of us semi-old-timer Rangers fans remember Hargrove as the “human rain delay”, always stepping out of the box to adjust his cup and his cap and his sleeves and fidget relentlessly with his batting gloves while consistently hitting over .300 in the mid-70s. Another native Texan with an open line of communication to Ryan, he managed the Cleveland Indians to two World Series in the ‘90s before being fired by former Rangers GM John Hart. Of all the candidates, he’d likely sell the most tickets.

Moore might be the closest of Nolan’s old cronies, but still the longest shot to be Texas’ next manager. In 2000 Ryan named him the first manager in the history of his minor league Round Rock Express. Currently a bench coach for the Houston Astros, Moore’s only Major League managerial experience was way back in 1984 with the Oakland A’s.

I must admit, I’m surprised Washington outlasted Avery Johnson. But even more shocked that Washington’s rosey outlook hasn’t translated into on-field success. -- Richie Whitt

Another Cool Sporting Event You Won’t See in the City of Dallas

2008-05-08 12:45:12

This joint is already jumpin'.

Okay, it’s not that cool. Unless you’re a fan of Arizona State or Notre Dame, that is. But it is a sporting event. And, no, it ain’t coming to Dallas.

In a deal announced just moments ago, the Sun Devils and Fighting Irish have agreed to a college football game at the Cowboys new stadium in Arlington on Oct. 5, 2013. I know, mark your calendars, right?

"We are excited to participate in this unique college football event in the new, state-of-the-art stadium the Dallas Cowboys are building in Arlington, Texas," said Arizona State Director of Athletics Lisa Love, who, I’ll be darn, was the women’s volleyball coach at UT-Arlington back in my college days. Good on her. "We believe this will be a magnificent game for our fans and alumni. Our coaching staff recruits the state of Texas, and this will only serve to assist in that area."

If you’re keeping score, the new stadium will now host the Cowboys starting in 2009, the Cotton Bowl starting in ’10, the Big 12 Championship Games in ’09 and ’10, an annual Arkansas-Texas A&M game starting in ’09 and, of course, Super Bowl XLV in ’11. There’s even talk of the digs attracting the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four.

Dallas, last I checked, was “hoping” to land Texas Tech-Oklahoma State, or perhaps another bowl game to put in the abandoned Cotton Bowl.

If I hadn’t told you in a while, thank you, Laura. Thank you so much. -- Richie Whitt

The Sighs of Texas Are Upon Us

2008-05-08 12:00:14

Was reading this the other day. Then this. And this.

When it struck me: For all its greats and glories, the University of Texas spits out some real goofballs.

To be fair, Cedric Benson may prove to be innocent and Roger Clemens may not have taken steroids and Tom Hicks may win trophies this year as a soccer and hockey owner. Still, it wasn't too hard to jot down a quickie Top 5 list of Longhorn losers.

I’m sure they’re others. Right, Aggie fans?

5. Cedric Benson – Got handcuffed off his own boat for being drunk and disorderly on Lake Travis

4. Chris Jessie – Mack Brown’s step-son thought it a swell idea to touch a live football in Holiday Bowl

3. Ricky Williams – Heisman Trophy and NCAA rushing record lost amidst cloud of marijuana smoke

2. Tom Hicks – Filthy-rich genius is loathed in both the Rangers’ Arlington and Liverpool’s Anfield

1. Roger Clemens – Steroids? Adultery? Public apologies. Has an icon ever fallen farther faster? -- Richie Whitt

Stars-Wings Drop Puck in 10 Hours. All Aboard!

2008-05-08 08:15:51

Red Wings' fans throw octopi on the ice when their team scores. How very SpongeBobby of them. And stupid.

The Dallas Stars’ bandwagon – so desolate three months ago that team president Jeff Cogen was bending over backward to win back fans – is suddenly more congested than the complaint line at American Airlines.

Just as it should be. Because Dallas isn’t a sports town, but rather a winners town. And the Stars, in case you’re late to the party, are four wins from the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stars, in their first Western Conference Finals since 2000, begin their series tonight against the hated Detroit Red Wings at 6:30 on the most obscure sports channel in the history of ever, Versus. If you find it, you’ll see a hell of a series. One that ESPN.com predicts the Red Wings will win in seven games but The Hockey News envisions the Stars winning in seven.

Me? I was at American Airlines Center in February when the Stars smothered the Red Wings, 1-0. How could I not pick Dallas in six? Actually, I can’t.

A series primer for fans ranging from life-long puck-heads, to “hey, is that frozen water?”-types and the rest of us in between:

]]> *To get you properly lubricated for Game 1, Fox Sports Net Southwest will replay last Sunday’s exhilarating Game 6 against the San Jose Sharks this morning at 11. The 2-1 Stars’ victory ended at 1:23 a.m. Monday. This version – in which captain Brenden Morrow again scores the game-winner in the fourth overtime – will play out in only two hours. Given that emotionally draining climax, don’t be shocked if the Stars get off to a slow start tonight.

*Dallas’ history against the Red Wings – especially in Detroit – is worse than Terrell Owens’ battle against humility. When Dallas won in February, it improved to 4-11 over four seasons. More daunting, goalie Marty Turco is – ouch – 0-7-2 in Detroit. Says Stars coach Dave Tippett, “I expect him to use that as a motivating factor rather than a mental hurdle. It’s a great time to shed that label.”

*The Red Wings’ goalies are Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek, both who have won Stanley Cups. Turco’s playing better, but he’s never been this far in the post-season.

*Detroit’s hottest player is Swede Johan Franzen, who has 11 goals in the playoffs and answers to “The Mule.” Dallas’ hottest player is Morrow, who is by far the best two-way athlete in the Metroplex and answers to no one. Check that, he still defers to Mike Modano.

*When you see the “MM” on the back of the Stars’ helmets, no, it’s not for Mikey Mo. The initials belong to Matt McKee, the popular director of ticket operations who passed away due after a heart attack at age 32 on Jan. 16. McKee, an inspiration while battling cancer, had worked for the Stars and Rangers organizations for 10 years. He and his wife, Tracy, had one child, who turned 2 a few days after his passing.

*The Stars’ chances will greatly improve with the return of injured veterans Philippe Boucher (hip strain) and Stu Barnes (concussion). Both traveled to Detroit, but are doubtful for tonight’s Game 1.

*If all else fails and you can’t find Versus with your rabbit-ear antennae, the Stars are holding game-watching parties in the AT&T Plaza outside the AAC. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Can’t beat the giant TV, or the price: Free. -- Richie Whitt

A Move Tom Hicks Can Be Proud Of? Believe It

2008-05-07 16:00:05

Your Rangers have 10, no, make that $84 million reasons to be glad they missed out on this guy.

Your Texas Rangers are no longer the worst team in baseball as Colorado and San Diego have struggled mightily with 12-21 records after fighting it out for the NL Wild Card last season. But despite winning five of its last seven games, Texas is still tied with Detroit and Seattle for the worst record in the AL at 14-20. And make no mistake, the Rockies, Padres, Tigers and Mariners are much better teams.

The Rangers have managed to get production from Sidney Ponson, who posted a disastrous 6.93 ERA in seven starts last year for Minnesota. The last time his ERA was under 5.00? Try 2003. No one wanted to touch this guy, yet somehow he’s posted a 1.33 ERA and 1.18 WHIP while winning two of three starts with Texas, including last night’s 10-1 thumping of the Mariners. His decline will come soon enough.

Speaking of declines, at least the Rangers were able to avoid the nightmare going on in San Francisco.

]]> After Barry Zito was demoted to the bullpen, he’s suddenly back in the rotation without making one appearance as a reliever. After balking at a generous six-year, $84 million offer from Texas in the ’06 off-season, Zito signed a shocking seven-year, $126 million contract with San Francisco.

This was the second time Texas missed out on the 2002 AL Cy Young winner. The Rangers drafted him in the third round of the 1998 draft, but the team was only willing to pay him $300,000 instead of $350,000. Zito went to USC and was drafted the following year as a first-rounder by the A’s.

While passing on Zito for $50,000 was a bone-headed move, seeing him take an offer from the Giants that was $42 million more than Texas offered has turned out to be one of the best non-signings in Rangers’ history.

Zito, who turns just 30 next week, finished out his career in Oakland with a strong season in 2006 (16-10, 3.83 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) before cashing in via free agency. His first year across the bay was his worst (11-13, 4.53 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), and this year has been nothing short of a disaster, losing all six of his starts while posting a 7.53 ERA and 1.95 WHIP.

Zito once relied on a high-80s fastball and devastating curveball, but his fastball has slipped into the mid-80s, and his curveball doesn’t have the bite it once had. All this while playing in the National League in a pitcher-friendly park -- imagine what his numbers would look like playing in Arlington.

A lot of fans are frustrated that owner Tom Hicks doesn’t spend more money on free agents, but this illustrates the long-term damage you can do with one signing. You thought Chan Ho Park’s contract was bad? Zito’s is more than twice that amount.

So thanks, Tom. For once, doing nothing actually accomplished something. I didn’t think this year could get much worse, but knowing Texas didn’t have to put an $18-million-per-year pitcher in the bullpen makes things just a teensy bit better. -- Sam Merten

Guy Who Started FireAvery.com Now Twiddling Thumbs

2008-05-07 11:30:07

Hey, the Mavs do need a backup point guard.

Now that Greg Holland’s Web site actually worked and Avery Johnson is, well, fired, what’s he do for an encore?

He could seize momentum from the success of fireavery.com and launch keepjoshhoward straight.com.

How about clonedirknowitzki.com? Perhaps, because he’s seemingly so influential, he’d be interested in giverichiewhittaraise.com.

Or, alas, he could simply power down his computer.

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"Turns out I’m just not made to be a blogger."

Ouch. Run outta town by a one-hit wonder. -- Richie Whitt