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Another in a long line of shining, yet ultimately hollow moments.

Another American League All-Star Game victory. Another significant Rangers contribution to the win.

But in the big photo, does it really matter?

Texas shortstop Michael Young provided the game-winning sacrifice fly in the 15th inning of last night’s 4-3 win, giving the franchise yet another recent All-Star highlight.

Surely you remember:

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Wow.

Babe Ruth may have built the house, but Josh Hamilton brought it down.

I’m not much into Home Run Derbys – or baseball, for that matter – but the Texas Rangers’ slugger last night provided one of those goose-bumpy moments that remind us why we watch sports. In one of the most memorable at-bats in the history of fabled Yankee Stadium, Hamilton set a record with 28 homers, including three of over 500 feet and two off the joint’s back wall, flirting to send one out of the stadium and into the Bronx night.

Like Kevin Costner in Tin Cup, Hamilton didn’t win the title despite owning the night.

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Nope, don't wanna see this again. Not with the game on the line. Okay?

That, ladies and gents, was the most scintillating, entertaining four-game split in the history of The Ballpark.

What we saw: The Rangers almost rally from down 8-0 in Game 1. A surprisingly stellar start by rookie Matt Harrison as the Rangers hold on for a 3-2 win in Game 2. Josh Hamilton’s walk-off homer off impeccable closer Francisco Rodriguez in Game 3. And last night, the Rangers erased a 10-4 deficit only to lose 11-10 in 11 innings when the best-hitting team in baseball inexplicably fell in love with the bunt.

What we learned: Max Ramirez is a stud. Hamilton isn’t a mirage. The Rangers are gritty and fun to watch and, best of all, legit.

But just think how good you’d feel if they’d have taken three of four and were within 5 ½ this morning.

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I know we're all immersed in Ticket talk, but after watching last night's Josh Hamilton walk-off homer I had two thoughts:

1. Wow.

2. Are we starting to believe this team is special?-- Richie Whitt

We wouldn't mind seeing her around town, though.

The Yankees and Madonna can have Alex Rodriguez. Evidenced by last night’s exhilarating 3-2 win over the Angels , the Rangers and their “24 kids” are doing just fine.

You do remember A-Rod telling ESPN Magazine back in ’04 that he would’ve never signed with the Rangers had he known it was going “to be me and 24 kids.” We’ll take Matt Harrison and Eric Hurley and Ian Kinsler and Max Ramirez and David Murphy, et al, thank you very much.

New York can have the great philanderer.

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After last night's debut, I hope he didn't throw away this jacket.

As I’ve mentioned a couple times this week, the Rangers are suddenly watchable again. Fun, even.

But last night’s 18-7 loss to the Yankees proves why their still not legit contenders for anything more than a healthy appetizer before Cowboys’ training camp. Drum roll … pitching.

Surprised?

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Two games over .500! Where's Laura Miller when we need her?!

When Ian Kinsler snagged a pop-up for last night's final out, Texas Rangers’ TV voice Josh Lewin screamed “Got it! Got it! Got it! The Rangers beat the Yankees!”

This morning on The Ticket, co-host Craig Miller made a declaration that “I’m convinced. This team is special.”

And here I am, blowing more hot air about the Rangers into cyberspace.

So what’s up? They take over first in the American League West? Win the pennant? Or, did they merely improve their record on July 1 to 43-41. Yep, two games over .500. Where’s Laura Miller and her parade plans when we need her?

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If this ball went foul, we'd be waiting another three minutes for a pitch.

I see your Texas Rangers continued to hover around .500 in my absence. Which is a good, amazing, frustrating thing.

Tonight they try (again) to get two games above .500 for the first time in the Ron Washington era. Which reminds me, considering the job the manager is doing is there any reason for management to get their contingency list out of the drawer and make a change at the All-Star break?

No way.

With the energetic, effective infusions of players like Eric Hurley, Brandon Boggs, Max Ramirez and Chris Davis, the Rangers are a more entertaining team these days. And without Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the lineup, they are a much quicker team.

I did manage to catch part of a game while on vacation, but I’ll be honest, I barely made it through Salty’s at-bats without hurling my stopwatch at the TV. No kidding, this is the guy’s right-handed routine after every friggin’ pitch (yes, even if he doesn’t swing):

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Somehow, the Rangers don't miss this guy's big bat.

The Rangers have trotted out Ben Broussard, Chris Shelton and maybe soon even Hank Blalock to his old position. And in last month’s draft they picked the next him.

But dig a little deeper – just a level or two down in the minors – and the trading of first baseman Mark Teixeira looks like a home run for GM Jon Daniels.

The deal, made last July 31, was officially Teixeira and middle reliever Ron Mahay to the Atlanta Braves for catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and four minor leaguers. With Teixeira making his first return to Rangers Ballpark tonight, seems like as good a time as any for some hardball analysis.

Shall we?

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Milton Bradley and another emotional dust-up. Geez, whoda thunkit?

At the risk of Milton Bradley catching a flight to Dallas this morning to come kick my ass, I’m going to re-affirm what we all already know: He’s a nut. (Quick timeout while I go double-bolt the door.)

If you’re surprised by the Rangers’ outfielder last night climbing four flights of stairs to confront (dismember?) a Royals’ TV analyst, you haven’t been paying attention. Bradley has long been an irrational hot-head. A blow-up like this was just a matter of time.

Remember, you were warned.

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Think he's nervous yet?

With the Rangers bobbling along around .500, manager Ron Washington’s job safe for at least another month and tonight’s game against the – vomit – Royals, there must be something sexy in our baseball world.

Can I interest you in a 23-game hitting streak?

Shortstop Michael Young, despite playing with a broken finger he dropped a weight on last week, can start making this guy nervous with a hit tonight. The team record streak, after all, is only 28, set back in 2000.

During the streak Young is hitting .339 (37 for 109) with three homers and 13 RBI. In other words, nothing worthy of waking up Joe D. Yet.-- Richie Whitt

Sure, now you get up.

In news even more shocking than Big Brown finishing last or Roger Federer getting bagled in a Grand Slam final, this morning I came across this line:

“R.A. Dickey pitched two scoreless inning for the win.”

What the %$#@*&?! The way ex-Rangers are chunking the ball this season, next thing you know Roger Moret’s gonna snap out of his catatonic trance and be a 20-game winner for the Angels.

Surely you remember Dickey. After so-so results with the results with the Rangers earlier this decade he added a knuckleball and became the team’s fifth starter in 2006. After consulting with Boston’s Tim Wakefield and former Rangers’ ace Charlie Hough, Dickey made his first start and – kaboom! – allowed six homers. He was immediately demoted to Triple A and disappeared until resurfacing in April with the Mariners.

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The sooner he gets here, the better.

My in-depth analysis of Rangers’ first-round draft choice Justin Smoak goes something like this: Can he be here by 7:05 p.m.?

By most accounts, the switch-hitting first baseman from South Carolina is the next Chipper Jones or Mark Texeira. For damn sure he’s better than what the Rangers have been trotting out to the position this season.

Ben Broussard? Chris Shelton? And coming soon to an error near you, Hank Blalock.

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Batters couldn't hit him. Pitchers can't catch him.

You know how you know when you’re a badass? When you own a 1,000-strikeout lead on every other baseball pitcher ever – and you haven’t thrown a pitch in 15 years!

No worries, Nolan Ryan. No worries.

Sure the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Randy Johnson fanned his way into second place on the all-time list last night. At 44, Johnson passed Roger Clemens, and I think we all know The Rocket’s best days are long gone.

(Editor’s aside: Remind me some day to tell you the story of how a mainstream newspaper a little west of here once censored me from writing about Johnson as “Big Unit” because, ya know, it’s a phallic reference. Now you know why I don’t work there anymore. Now, in fact, you kinda already know the story. Oh well, remind me some day to tell it again.)

Nonetheless, Ryan’s throne as strikeout king should be safe until about, oh, forever?

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Come for the offense. Stay for the fireworks. Leave when the pitching commences.

The Texas Rangers’ offense is stunning.

Josh Hamilton leads the planet in everything, will likely be an All-Star starter and is the American League’s first player to win consecutive Player of the Month awards to start a season. Milton Bradley has been anything but Milton Badly, hitting .317 with 16 doubles and zero controversies. Michael Young has an 18-game hitting streak; Ian Kinsler’s has reached 17. Even David Murphy can hit.

Somehow, the Rangers enter tonight’s game against the Cleveland Indians under .500.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

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