Former AL MVP looking for a job in Japan

By WAYNE GRACZYK

One of baseball's most colorful and controversial figures is looking to make a comeback as a player at age 46, and his agent thinks Japan might be the place where Jose Canseco can resume his checkered career.

Nello Gamberdino, based in Chicago, represents the former major league superstar, and he has recently contacted all 12 Central and Pacific League teams, asking for a tryout for the one-time big league home run king and American League MVP.

Though it is obviously a long shot, Gamberdino thinks there is a chance some club will realize the potential of having the Canseco name in its lineup, despite the age factor, his history of using performance-enhancing substances and other off-the-field problems.

What has the agent excited is the fact Canseco played a stint last season in independent league ball with the Laredo Broncos (where he hit .385 with four homers and 13 RBIs in just 39 at-bats) and, according to Gamberdino, he went into the league out of shape but still looked good and hit some monster shots as he did regularly 15 or 20 years ago in the majors.

"He's been working out and is in great shape now," said Gamberdino, who added, "I know age is definitely an issue trying to land him somewhere, but I see where Japanese teams last season listed 16 players over the age of 40, including one (pitcher Kimiyasu Kudo of the Seibu Lions) who was 47.

"A second obstacle (in trying to get him a contract) is that people think it's a joke or publicity stunt; that he's only in it for the money, but Jose would play for free."

Gamberdino adds he wouldn't let his client play for nothing but would not be asking for a huge amount either.

Regarding the slugger's revelation of having used the banned substances and authoring a tell-all book, naming others who cheated, Gamberdino had this to say: "He took steroids and admitted so, but it's not so much what he did; rather the way he disclosed it by writing a book. Others who took steroids still enjoy playing and coaching (at a high level).

"I was not involved with him at that time and, as far as I am concerned, that is all water under the bridge. He is not taking steroids now and has not taken them in several years.

"Before deciding to take him as a client, I checked on him, and everyone with whom I talked who knew Jose said he was a great teammate; the first person to pick up a bill at a restaurant . . ."

Gamberdino has never been to Japan and never placed a player in Japan, so he does not have the contacts as do agents who have been regularly doing business with the Japanese teams. Canseco has experience playing in Japan as a member of the Major League Baseball's 1986 postseason All-Star touring team. That's when he was just breaking in with the Oakland Athletics at age 22 and was named the American League Rookie of the Year.

Gamberdino said he has sent a faxed letter to all 12 Japanese pro teams, trying to attract some interest. He had the message translated into Japanese and also sent it by regular post.

He confided that seven teams have responded, and four — Hanshin, Hiroshima, Softbank and Rakuten — said politely their foreign player rosters are full and they have no interest.

However, he said, as of Thursday, three clubs have left open the door for a possible connection, though he declined to name them. The other five teams have not responded.

Should a Central or Pacific League team decide to take a chance on Canseco, a contract would presumably have to be approved by the NPB, and there is precedent for a commissioner stepping in to dissuade a Japanese club from hiring an American player with a questionable background.

The late Steve Howe, in March of 1987, was invited to spring training by the Seibu Lions, but the former Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher left the country after then-Japanese Commissioner Juhei Takeuchi said he would prefer Howe, suspended by Major League Baseball seven times for drug use, not play in Japan.

"There is no way we can know for sure (if Canseco can still play) unless some team gives him a chance. He would definitely put people in the seats, as attendance would skyrocket," said Gamberdino.

"He can still crush the ball and hit home runs, and it would not be a bad business decision. Work him out, and see if you don't think he can contribute as a first baseman or DH."

They are also trying the Korea Baseball Organization.

Rangers off season in review

Major League Signings:
Arthur Rhodes, RP (1-year, $3.9 million + option year)
Brandon Webb, SP (1-year, $3 million + incentives)
Yorvit Torrealba, C (2-year, $6.25 million)
Adrian Beltre, 3B (5-year, $80 million + option year)

Minor League Signings:
Seth McClung, RP
Dave Bush, SP
Brian Barden, 2B
Endy Chavez, OF
Yhency Brazoban, RP
Zach Jackson, SP
Omar Quintanilla, UTL
Barret Loux, SP ($312K)
Kevin Cash, C

International Signings
Yoshinori Tateyama, RP (1-year + 2 option years)
Hirotoshi Onaka, OF (minor league contract)
Rougned Odor, SS ($450K, Venezuela)
Alberto Triunfel, SS ($300K, Dominican Republic)


Trades and Claims:
Mike Napoli, C/1B (acquired from Toronto)
Ryan Kelly, RHP (acquired from Oakland, assigned to Hickory)
Mason Tobin, RHP (acquired from Chicago Cubs)


Notable Losses:
Cliff Lee, SP (signed w/ Philadelphia)
Vladimir Guerrero, DH (signed w/ Baltimore)
Frank Francisco , RP (traded to Toronto)
Bengie Molina, C (free agency)
Jeff Francoeur, OF (signed w/ Kansas City)
Max Ramirez, C (designated for assignment)
Clay Rapada, RP (designated for assignment, signed by Baltimore)
Brandon McCarthy (signed w/ Oakland)
Guillermo Moscoso (traded to Oakland)
Dustin Nippert (free agency)
Warner Madrigal (signed w/ New York Yankees)
Cristian Guzman (free agency)
Rich Harden (signed w/ Oakland)
Jorge Cantu (signed w/San Diego)
Nathan Haynes (outright release)
Doug Mathis, SP (signed w/ Cleveland)
Willie Eyre, RP (signed w/ Oakland)

Summary: After making their first ever World Series appearance, Texas now goes from being the hunter to the hunted. However, despite the losses of All-Stars Cliff Lee and Vladimir Guerrero, and reliever Frank Francisco, the Rangers will begin 2011 an improved roster over what they had Opening Day 2010.

'Depth' seems to be the key word for this off season as Texas has made several moves to give themselves greater flexibility with both their lineup and their pitching staff. The acquisition of multi-dimensional player Mike Napoli (C/1B/DH) and the free agent signing of All-Star 3B Adrian Beltre allows Texas to make All-Star (and current unhappy camper) Michael Young their primary DH and 'Super-Sub' player. Assuming Young isn't traded (which has gone from being imminent to unlikely) Texas is hoping to give him time at every position around the infield. Underrated player Andres Blanco adds to the depth as he not only plays 2B & SS, but spent some time at both Catcher and OF during Winter League play.

Also of note is the loss of hitting instructor Clint Hurdle, who helped steer the offense to a league leading .276 batting average. Hurdle left after just one season to fill the vacant managerial job in Pittsburgh. He was replaced by former big leaguer Thad Bosley. Despite the change, Texas is going to hit the ball, that's a given. There's far too much talent on the roster to expect otherwise. What is in question is what the change in philosophy, if any, will mean for the offense overall.

Cliff Lee going back to Philadelphia definitely hurt the Rangers rotation but it was far from a surprise. Texas wasted no time in at least trying to rebuild their rotation, signing former NL Cy Young winner Brandon Webb. Webb is an unknown quantity, coming off two years of arm troubles but Texas is hopeful a 1-year deal coupled with a healthy arm will produce a good year from the former ace. The Rangers also signed righty Dave Bush to a minor league deal with the belief that he can provide some back of the rotation depth should young guys like Derek Holland and Michael Kirkman come up short.

Texas is also counting on yet another 40-year old reliever to stabilize their bullpen. Last season, old man Darren Oliver had a nice season, posting a 2.48 ERA in 64 appearances. However, Oliver wore down as the season went on and was largely ineffective throughout most of the playoffs. The signing of fellow 40+ left-hander Arthur Rhodes is expected to take some of the pressure off Oliver and keep him fresh for the entire season. Rhodes, who made the All-Star team last season for the Reds, is a 19-year veteran and has extensive playoff experience. Texas also added sidewinding Japanese pitcher Yoshinori Tateyama and traded for a live arm in Mason Tobin. Both pitchers are expected to at least make a push for a spot in the bullpen.

Lastly, Texas made a couple of moves with an eye towards the future, signing former 1st round draft pick Barrett Loux along with a pair of athletic shortstops, Rougned Odor and Alberto Triunfel. Pitching, defense and speed continue to be the focus not only at the Major League level, but in the Minor League and Developmental levels as well.

Most people will point to the loss of Cliff Lee as something that pushes Texas out of the upper echelon in the AL, but this sort of thinking is short-sighted and exactly the sort of thing the Rangers can use to make yet another run to the World Series. Losing Lee hurts. He was unquestionably 'the man' in the playoffs, and without him Texas never would have made it to the World Series. However, Texas was far was inept prior to Lee's arrival. Fact is, Texas had a better regular season record without Lee (50-36), than with him (40-36). Moving forward, there's no reason to believe 2010 breakout stars C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis can't continue to make strides and carry the rotation, at least until Jon Daniels and Co. are able to make a deal for another arm. If they pitch as expected, and if players like Tommy Hunter can continue to grow, the Rangers should once again find themselves in the hunt for another AL West title with an eye towards another run at the World Series.

Guerrero Not Offered Arbitration

Today, the Rangers made one thing abundantly clear to DH Vladamir Guerrero: We want you back, but we don't wanna pay ya much.

In a move that I consider a little surprising, Texas declined to offer arbitration to the slugging DH, a move which could signal the end of Vlad's run in Texas. The move is curious but it gives a clear indication that Texas appears to be more concerned with getting stuck with paying Vlad $10 million (which many speculated he'd receive in arbitration) for one year than they are about the possibility he'll walk to another team.

Said General Manager Jon Daniels, "We'd like to have him back and we figured the best way to continue those discussions is without the external pressure of the arbitration process and how that might affect things. Sometimes it's easier to negotiate without the arbitration process as a backdrop."

Had Guerrero been offered arbitration, Texas would have received a late first round (or, at worst early 2nd round) pick, as well as a 'sandwich pick' (a compensatory pick between the 1st and 2nd round). As it now stands, should Vlad move on to another team the Rangers would receive no compensation for his departure.

Josh Hamilton Wins MVP

In what many viewed as a forgone conclusion, Josh Hamilton was today named the American League Most Valuable Player. Hamilton led the AL in hitting (.359), slugging percentage (.633) and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.044), claiming 22 of 28 first place votes. The next closest player (Miguel Cabrera, Detroit) finished almost 100 points behind Hamilton in the voting.

The win puts a cap on the most successful season in Texas Rangers history as the team made it all the way to the World Series before falling to the San Francisco. Hamilton, while proud of his personal achievement, kept things in perspective, saying, "We made a lot of history in Texas that's never been done before. I said during the season, if I could give up the MVP to go into the playoffs and win, I would. We did both."

Hamilton becomes the 5th player in Rangers history to win the MVP Award, following All-Star players Jeff Burroughs, Juan Gonzalez (twice), Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez and Alex Rodriguez.

Rangers Set To Add Another Promising But Suspect Arm

Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket is reporting that the Texas Rangers are closing in on a deal with right-handed pitcher Rich Harden.

Harden was 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 games for the Cubs in 2009. The Cubs did not offer Harden salary arbitration, making him a free agent. Harden made $7 million last season in Chicago.



The Rangers have offered the pitcher a one-year deal for about $7.5 million in the hopes that they can catch lightning in a bottle with a player who, when healthy, is as dominant a pitcher as there is in the game. This however, is certainly not a given as Harden has escaped injury in just one of his seven seasons in the majors.

Harden, has a 50-29 record with a 3.39 ERA in 127 starts but has pitched more than 150 innings just once in his career.

Rangers Reaquire 14-Time All-Star

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez is returning to Arlington.

Several media outlets are reporting that the Rangers have reached an agreement with the Houston Astros to bring the future Hall of Famer back to Texas for one more run.

The move is important for Texas because their regular catcher, Jarrod Saltalamacchia was recently placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sore arm and numbness in his throwing hand.

"We're excited to have Pudge," club president Nolan Ryan said. "We're looking forward to having him, and he's excited about coming back. He brings experience, he's a veteran player and he's been in the postseason. He brings a lot."



It is believed that Texas will be sending two mid-level prospects (expected to be Class A pitcher Matt Nevarez and Double-A infielder Jose Vallejo) to Houston in exchange for the 14-time All-Star. It was confirmed that Texas first spoke to Pudge to ensure he understands his role with the Rangers will be to act as a back-up for Taylor Teagarden before going ahead with the deal.

"I'm feeling great, feeling good. It's nice to be back to the place that I started," said Rodriguez, who waived his no-trade clause. "It's nice to be back there. It's also sad. I think Houston is a great team and a good group of guys. The fans are great, but business is business. You've got to prepare for anything. Especially being a veteran player, those things can happen.

"I'm going to move forward. It's a good trade. It will be nice to go there. ... I'm looking forward to going there and to do my best to try to help them win."

Rodriguez, a 13-time Gold Glove winner, former AL MVP, and the all-time leader in games played for a catcher, spent the first 12 seasons of his career with the Rangers. A career .299 hitter, Pudge is hitting .251 this year with 8 homeruns and 34 RBI in 93 games.

Rangers Fail To Reach Agreement With Top Draft Pick

As the midnight deadline to sign top draft picks came and went last night, it passed with the Texas Rangers unable to reach a contract agreement with top pick Matthew Purke.

Texas reportedly offered Purke a $4 million package. Purke's representatives were said to be asking for $6 million.

"It's disappointing," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "We drafted a player we intended to sign, and for all the right reasons. We couldn't make it work."

Purke will now attend Texas Christian University and is not eligle to be re-drafted for two years. The Rangers will recieve the 15th pick in next years First Year Player Draft to compensate for losing this years pick.



"We'd prefer to get [Purke] in a Rangers uniform," Daniels said. "You'd like to add a premium talent, but this was one we couldn't afford to add."

When Purke was initially drafted by Texas and the idea of playing for his home state team (Purke attended Klein High School in Klein, Tx) was thought to appeal greatly to the young pitcher. Purke even went so far as to say he would be an "easy sign." He proved to be anything but.

"The biggest issue was money. The communication was good. Both sides were clear as to what they wanted to do, it just didn't match up. I don't have any issues with how they handled it," Daniels said. "Every player and every family has to make a decision on how they value themselves and what they want to do with their careers. Matthew made a decision and we have no choice but to respect it."

Josh Hamilton Still Battling Demons

Several pictures have surfaced from back in January of this year which show Rangers All-Star slugger, Josh Hamilton, in a less-than-positive light. First published on Deadspin.com, the photos depict an inebriated Hamilton in a bar with several women, none of whom are his wife.

Hamilton held a press conference today to own up to the incident.

"I'm embarrassed about it. For the Rangers, I'm embarrassed about it. For my wife, my kids," Hamilton said. "Unfortunately, it happened. It just reinforces to me that if I'm out there getting ready for a season and taking my focus off the most important thing in my recovery, which is my relationship with Christ, it's amazing how those things creep back in."



"Honestly, I hate that this happened," he said. "But it is what it is. You deal with it. I realized that, obviously, I'm not perfect, in this ongoing struggle, battle, that is very real. A lot of people don't understand how real it is."

"I wasn’t mentally fit or spiritually fit…. It just crossed my mind ‘Can I have a drink?’ Obviously, I can’t. One drink leads to two and two drink leads to 10 or 12. When I was in AA, one saying I heard was one drink is too many and 1,000 is never enough. Alcohol just doesn’t mix well with me."

Hamilton informed the team of the incident the day after it happened. The Rangers have said there will be no punishment of Hamilton.

"As soon as it happened, I called my support system -- my wife, the Rangers, MLB and told them what had happened," he said Saturday. "I was absolutely open and honest about it."

"My first reaction in January was concern," said Ranger GM Jon Daniels. "Here’s a guy who’s obviously dealt with substance abuse at a pretty significant level. But immediately he came forward and was honest. He was remorseful, he was accountable."



Hamilton was drafted first overall in the 1999 draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays but spent much of his time as part of their organization in and out of rehab facilities and/or on suspension by Major League Baseball. Hamilton's January incident was the first drink he'd taken since Oct. 6, 2005.

One would have to believe that what happened in January most certainly could end up costing Hamilton some money as it now re-introduces doubt in his ability to control his addictions. In March, Texas began negotiations with Hamilton on a long-term extention. The All-Star has 4 years of arbitration left before he will be eligible for free agency but the Rangers were looking to lock him up with what many experts speculated was a six-year contract. The offer, which would have paid him significantly more money than he would make during his arbitration years, would also allow Texas to control Hamilton's rights for the first two years of his free agency. While figures of the offer were never released, most believe they were somewhere similar to what Texas agreed on with Ian Kinsler (4 years, $22 million). Hamilton and his agent turned down the offer saying, "My agent and I were disappointed with their offer."

With Hamilton now back in the news due to a relapse (even if it was an isolated incident) you'd have to think, with Josh's past, the fact that he's clearly not out of the woods with regards to his addictions, and his season-long struggles at the plate, Texas may be even less willing to offer up a huge contract extention, choosing instead to ride out the arbitration process.

Hamilton is loved and respected by his teammates and is said to be a positive guy in the clubhouse. In the Saturday press conference, Hamilton said he would be addressing his teammates soon regarding what happened in January.



"What I do off the field affects my teammates and the name of this organization. They know who I am and what I want to accomplish.

"I don't feel like I'm a hypocrite. I feel like I'm human. I got away from the one thing that keeps me straightened out and going in the right direction."

*ALERT* Vicente Padilla Designated For Assignment

Two days after hitting Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki, followed by being shown on camera laughing after teammate Michael Young was hit the following inning in retaliation, Vicente Padilla has been designated for assignment.

"We're putting together a club and an organization that's pulling on the same end of the rope," Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels said. "It wasn't a fit for us anymore."

Texas now has 10 days to trade, release or send down the veteran starter. If a trade takes place, the Rangers would almost surely be forced to absorb a portion of his contract in exchange for some sort of prospect. More likely, Texas will have to release Padilla and eat the remainder of his contract.



This is just latest in what has seemingly been an ongoing series of unresolved issues between the pitcher and the Rangers. Things came to a head back in June when Padilla was pushed through waivers a day after hitting Yankees first baseman and former Ranger player Mark Teixeira twice in the same game. It was widely assumed that Padilla had pitched his last game with Texas then, but an apparent reconciliation bought the embattled starter some time.

After this latest flare up, it is apparent that Padilla's time is now up, at least with the Texas Rangers.

"When we have a disciplinary issue with a player, we talk to him," Daniels said. "It had gotten to the point where the club was better off without him."

Dustin Nippert will take Padilla's place in the rotation.

Holland Dominates Mariners As Texas Gets Back On Winning Track

Perhaps some fans had began to wonder exactly why Derek Holland has been the Texas Rangers' top pitching prospect the last few years, as he's struggled to find his footing for a fair portion of his rookie year. But last night, against the Seattle Mariners, Holland gave everyone a glimpse into what Rangers fans hope is the not-so-distant future. The young rookie pitched 8 2/3 scoreless innings (his relief would allow a run to score which was credited to Holland), allowing just two hits the entire night. In the process, he struck out ten batters, walking just one and completely shut down a Mariners that had taken it to Texas just before the All-Star break.

"I think we got a real good look at Derek Holland, as his future gets better," manager Ron Washington said. "He used all his pitches. When you have his fastball and secondary pitches like that, it's hard to sit on pitches."

For the first time all season, Jarrod Saltalamacchia sat with Holland in the dugout between innings, going over hitter tendencies and keeping him focused.

"We had talked about going out there and not going with fastballs," Saltalamacchia said. "We went with off-speed early. He did a great job tonight. I don't think anyone was comfortable tonight in the box."



Upon his exit in the 9th, just one out away from a complete game, Holland was given a standing ovation.

"Hearing the crowd was an awesome feeling," Holland said. "I had chills down my spine."

Holland's offense took a lot of pressure off his back early getting him an early lead, thanks to a big 3-run inning in the bottom of the 2nd courtesy of homeruns by Hank Blalock and Saltalamacchia.

"We had great offense with Hank [Blalock] getting us started," Holland said. "They started it off for me in the second."

Texas struck again the 3rd and then again in the 5th with solo homeruns by Michael Young who had 3 hits on the night and is now hitting .326 on the season.

Marlon Byrd capped the scoring in the 7th, blasting a 2-run homer, his 10th of the year.

The win not only kept Texas 3 back of the Angels in the West but also pulled them to 1 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Race.

Hamilton's Struggles Reach Critical Level

As the year goes on it is starting to look more and more like it may well turn into a lost season for Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton.

Texas' 2-time All-Star is now 2 for his last 32 and is mired in what has been, for the most part, a season-long slump.

Hamilton has responded to the slump by watching more video and taking more batting practice but, for whatever reason, just cannot seem to regain neither the timing nor confidence he showed last season when he led the league in RBI.

"I think I've almost overanalyzed it all to a point," Hamilton said. "I was thinking too much and thinking I needed to get a hit because I hadn't gotten a hit in a while. When you do that, it just makes things worse. It's hard not to do, too, because it's only human. I just need to shut all the head games down by myself."

In last nights game with Detroit, manager Ron Washington dropped Hamilton from his customary 3rd spot in the order to 7th, trying to help take some of the self-inflicted pressure off Josh's shoulders. Hamilton wasn't able to respond, going 0-for-4 on the night.

"We're giving him a chance to gather himself," Washington said. "You'd be frustrated, too, if you had a vision of what you're capable of doing and you can't seem to put it together. We haven't given up on him, and we're not going to allow him to give up on himself."



Since returning from the DL on July 6th, Hamilton is hitting just .198 with one home run, two doubles and four RBI. For the season, he is hitting .223 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs.

Hamilton continues to work hard but seems unable to pinpoint the reasons behind the slump.

"If I knew what was wrong, I wouldn't be struggling," said Hamilton. "I think I went 0-for-22 in the minors one time, but then I proceeded to hit .468 in the playoffs."

The Rangers are hoping that with some time and patience a similar turnaround will take place.

"We need to give [Hamilton] a break," Washington said. "He's trying too hard. His timing isn't there and the only person that can fix that is him."

Easier said than done as, at least from his body language, Hamilton appears to have lost a good deal of confidence.

"He needs to be aggressive," Washington said. "Once he steps in that batter's box, he's all by himself."

Kinsler, Bullpen Come Up Big Against Minnesota

Hopefully, last nights game for Ian Kinsler was a microcosm of how his entire season will go.

Mired in a huge slump, Kinsler led the game off with a solo homerun, giving Texas the early 1-0 advantage.

Derek Holland gave the lead away in the top of the 3rd, allowing a solo homerun to Nick Punto, his first homerun of the entire season. Holland's struggles continued in the 4th inning, as he allowed two more run to cross the plate, thanks in part to a fielding error he committed. He went just 4+ innings and seemingly never regained his composure post-error.

"In the first two innings, he was mixing his pitches very well," manager Ron Washington said. "Then he didn't catch the ground ball. He was erratic after that. When he left, we were in the ballgame."

Down 3-1, the Rangers bullpen stepped up big time, shutting the Twins out the rest of the way, giving the offense a change to scratch and claw their way back. to a 3-3 tie.

"The bullpen came in and they continued to grind tonight," Washington said. "[Doug]Mathis saved us. [Dustin]Nippert saved us. Nippert was on fumes. He was the last guy standing."

The game went extra innings with both teams getting quality pitching from their bullpens. In the bottom of the 12th, Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled and was sacrificed to 2nd base by Elvins Andrus, setting up Ian Kinsler's heroics.



With former Ranger pitcher R.A. Dickey on the mound for Minnesota, Kinsler took a fastball out to left field for a 2-run, walk-off homerun.

"Ultimately the pitch rests in my hand, and I threw the wrong pitch," Dickey said. "That's all there really is to say about this one. I cost us this one, no doubt about it."

"It was a fastball that he tried to get by me," Kinsler said. "He had a good fastball before. He's tough with that knuckleball floating in there. If I was surprised, I wouldn't have hit it over."

With the late-inning win, Texas managed to prevent the Twins from leaving town with a sweep. However, despite the feel good moment, the Rangers continue to struggle at the plate and are now just 1 for their last 20 with runners in scoring position.

Regardless, Ron Washington and Co. are just happy to get themselves a win.

"What a win," said Washington. "They never quit, and tonight was an example of it. It was great. We needed it."

Offensive Struggles Continue As Texas Drops Another Game To Minnesota

Texas is off to a sluggish start here in the 2nd half of the season and is on the verge of finding themselves in 3rd place in the AL West.

The Rangers dropped another game to the Minnesota Twins, going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and striking out a ridiculous 10 times.

"I hope this is not the case, but this might be how our offense is this year, and pitching will have to take us to the promised land," outfielder Marlon Byrd said. "Hopefully, our offense will come around, but if not, we'll have to win it with pitching and defense. That's what good teams do in September anyway."

Nelson Cruz accounted for the lone Texas run, hammering his 23rd homer of the season. Cruz added a double and a single but recieved little help from the rest of the offense.



The Rangers have now lost 6 of 7 games, hitting just .192 during that stretch.

"We haven't done as well hitting as we did last year," outfielder Josh Hamilton said. "This would be a good time to pick it up and hit the way we did last year. We'll just see what happens. We just have to keep working hard and hope it comes around soon."

Scott Feldman did what he could to keep the offense close, giving Texas 6 innings, allowing 3 earned runs while striking out five. Feldman continues to give his team quality start after quality start. It's a shame many of his efforts are being wasted due to inconsistency on the part of his offense.

Regardless of the struggles, Texas' manager remains confident.

"We're not going any place," manager Ron Washington said. "We're still in it. We'll come back tomorrow. We know we're better than that. We're not going to drop our heads or make excuses. The name of the game is scoring runs and we're not doing it."

Hamilton Gets Hot, Padilla Implodes

Vicente Padilla likes to come at hitters. It's an admirable quality when his location is on. However, when his off-speed stuff isn't up to par, Padilla has a tendency to rely too heavily on his fastball. Friday night against the Twins, Padilla was rocked for 5 earned runs on 11 hits in 7 innings of work.

"Everything was fine, I only threw two bad pitches," Padilla said.

The two pitches Padilla is referring to resulted in a 2-run triple by Twins centerfielder Carlos Gomez in the 2nd and a 3-run homerun by Jason Kubel in the 3rd.

All five runs were allowed after Josh Hamilton blasted a 2-run homer into the right field seats in the bottom of the 1st. Hamilton added 2 more base hits and another RBI, delivering all the offense Texas would manage for the night.



"The day before the All-Star Game, I had a good batting practice," Hamilton said. "I just had that, 'I belong here' kind of a feeling."

"It is nice to see Ham swinging the bat," manager Ron Washington said.

Despite the offensive display, Hamilton wasn't able to dig Texas out of the hole by himself as the Rangers dropped the first game of the series 5-3.

"That's baseball," Hamilton said. "Sometimes you get it done, sometimes you don't. You keep working and when the situation arises, hopefully you will get the job done."

Rangers Drop A Heartbreaker Late In Seattle

When you make your way from one side of a 162-game schedule to the other, it's guranteed you're going to have your ups and downs. The very best teams in baseball this season will still manage to lose roughly 35% of their games. With that said, some loses sting a little more than others.

In a game with plenty of quality pitching, it was a pitching mistake that ended up costing the Rangers a win Thursday night in Seattle.

Seattle starter Felix Hernandez was electric, throwing 8 innings, allowing only one earned run (which scored on a wild pitch) and striking out seven. Hernandez allowed just five baserunners the entire game.

"[Hernandez] showed why he's an All-Star," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. "His sinker was absolutely unhittable at times. The one miscue, where he got two quick outs and then a walk and hit ... we'll take that any day of the week."

Rangers starter Tommy Hunter was also very effective, pitching six innings of shutout baseball before giving way to Darren O'Day, who also manage a scoreless inning.

Then the wheels came off.

In the bottom of the 8th and with C.J. Wilson on the mound, Ichiro worked a 2-strike double to lead off the inning. From there, C.J. recorded 2 quick outs, setting up a confrontation with Ken Griffey Jr., Wilson's boyhood hero. But after an 8-pitch battle which saw the count run full, Griffey worked a walk out of Wilson, putting the go-ahead run on base.

"I thought I had him on the last pitch, but it just was a little bit outside," Wilson said. "I thought maybe he was going to swing at it. I threw the ball where I wanted to throw it, within a couple inches, it just wasn't right where I wanted to throw it. It's pretty simple."



Unfortunately for both C.J. and the Rangers, Griffey was the out they needed as the next hitter, Franklin Gutierrez stepped to the plate and drilled a Wilson sinker over the left-center-field wall, giving the Mariners a 3-1 lead they would not give back.

"One hundred and ninety nine times out of 200, that's a ground-ball out," Wilson said. "First time I've made a mistake with that pitch all season. I've thrown 500 of those things, and it's the first time I've made a mistake."

"My hat is off to those guys," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "They won that game tonight. We didn't give it to them."

The loss was the first in five meetings this season against the Mariners.

Angels Spoil Return Of Josh Hamilton

Welcome back, Josh Hamilton. Texas' All-Star center fielder returned to the lineup Monday night for the first time since the end of May and didn't disappoint, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Unfortunately, the Angels had to go and spoil all the fun.

Starter Kevin Millwood turned in his worst performance of the season, allowing nine earned runs in only five innings of work, putting Texas in a hole they were never able to climb out of.

"I didn't hit my spots. When I tried to go away, it would drift over the middle of the plate. And when I didn't hit my spots, they hit those mistakes," Millwood said.

The loss was only Millwood's second in his last eight starts.

"When you look at their lineup, one through six, that's as good as it gets," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Sometimes you get through it and sometimes you don't. Seven, eight and nine aren't easy either. That's a tough lineup to make it through, and we didn't get it done."



The offense gave Millwood an early 2-0 lead thanks to an RBI base hit by Hank Blalock and an error which allowed Josh Hamilton to score but, save for a 2-run homer by Ian Kinsler after the game was out of reach, didn't manage anything else against Angels starter Jered Weaver.

Prior to Monday nights game, Millwood had held opponents to a .189 average with runners in scoring position. Highlighted by a 3-run blast by Jeff Mathis and 2-RBI nights by both Torii Hunter and Juan Rivera, the Angels hit .750 going 6-for-8.

"You've got to give them credit; they swung the bats well," Rangers third baseman Michael Young said. "The middle of their lineup did a great job. It's just one of those times where you chalk it up to being one of those nights. When Millwood is on the mound, we feel we have a good shot of winning, but it just didn't happen."

Hamilton Back, Davis Headed To Minors

The Rangers announced on Sunday that Josh Hamilton, coming off a 2-for-7 performance in a double-header in Oklahoma City, will be returning to the Rangers. Hamilton had abdominal surgery last month and was expected to miss another two weeks.

Hamilton has hit .148 (4-for-27) in six Minor League rehab games.

"He's been down there and played [six] ballgames," Washington said. "It was time for him to come help us out."



To make room for Hamilton on the roster, the Rangers have sent their much-maligned first baseman, Chris Davis, down to Oklahoma City.

Davis has struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .202 and striking out at the record pace of just over 44% of the time.

"What I'm doing is not working," Davis said. "It was definitely not the Chris Davis that they thought they were getting. They know how productive I can be and I haven't been that guy. We all know how this year has gone. It's no secret. It's good that I can clear my head, take my time, figure out what's going on and get back here.

"I want to go out, work my tail off, get squared away and get back up there. I want to be a part of this team."

AA All-Star Game Comes To Frisco

Frisco RoughRiders Press Release:

The South and North rosters both had some powerful bats, but it was the pitching that dominated the 73rd Texas League All-Star Game at Dr Pepper Ballpark as the North edged the South, 2-1. The North was led by Corey Smith who went 2-for-3 with a run scored, earning All-Star Game MVP honors.

In the second inning, Smith, Hank Conger, and Tyler Henley each reached on three consecutive singles to load the bases and bring Mike Trumbo to the plate. Midland’s Jason Fernandez hit Trumbo to plate Smith and give the North Division a 1-0 lead. The score stayed like that until the eighth when Nate Sutton reached base for the North, stole second base, and scored on an RBI single by Kurt Mertins, giving the North Division a 2-0 advantage. The South would snap their scoreless streak with a run in the eighth frame when Midland’s Josh Horton hit an RBI double to put the South on the scoreboard.

Eight North pitchers combined to throw nine innings of one-run baseball, despite the South out-hitting the North 7-6. Fernandez took the loss for the South while starter Trey Hearne earned the win for the North. The South combined to strike out 12, including three by San Antonio’s Mat Latos.

Frisco’s Craig Gentry and Manny Pina combined to go 0-for-4 while South starter Kasey Kiker had an excellent first frame, striking out one and not allowing a baserunner in his only inning of work.


Box Score

Hicks Rumored To Have Borrowed Money From MLB To Make Payroll

If you're curious what a sports franchise in dire economic straits looks like, you may get a chance to view one up close and personal.

It is being reported that the Texas Rangers needed to borrow $15 million from Major League Baseball to cover payroll and operating cost. When asked about the validity of the report, Rangers & Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks referred the questions to team spokesman John Blake, who promptly had no comment. Rangers President and rumored potential buyer Nolan Ryan also had no comment on the report.



Evan Grant of D Magazine reported:

Club sources, however, said the team has paid its employees for the most recent pay period and that Hicks remains in control of the organization. According to a source familiar with the situation, the Rangers are continuing normal operating procedures and have financial resources to sign both draft picks and international free agents. The source, however, did not mention the possibility of increasing payroll at the trading deadline.

According to a source, a scenario has been in place for several weeks that would have allowed the Rangers to borrow from the MLB fund. It would not mean MLB would take control of the club, but under those circumstances, it’s likely MLB would have much more say on spending matters. The Rangers top two draft picks, LHP Matt Purke and RHP Tanner Scheppers, are both demanding bonuses well in excess of the current MLB-recommended “slotting” system.

It's well-known that Tom Hicks has been actively seeking a buyer for the Rangers since defaulting on an interest-only payment on a $525 million loan previously made to his U.S. sports operations.

While Hicks has claimed it's "business as usual" and that "both teams are able to make moves, if those moves make sense for the general managers" he also said "They have to be able to operate successfully and be profitable. That's just smart business.

"You can't continue to spend money if the team is losing money," Hicks added. "We are determined to create as much revenue as possible for each team, and that's one of the reasons we have changed things. One of our biggest challenges right now is to find ways to market and sell our teams."

Apparently, Hicks' Sports Marketing Group isn't what he meant by "business as usual."

Today, news has broken that Tom Hicks has dissolved the joint-marketing Rangers-Stars sales force, reassigning most of the employees previously working under the marketing groups umbrella.

Former Hicks Sports Marketing Group president Tom Lites' contract was not renewed but has said he would like to remain in the North Texas area and didn't rule out trying to put together a group of investors to make a push for the purchase of the Rangers.

"I've put in a lot of time here, and I like it here," he said. "I'm very proud of what we have accomplished."

Lites was hired as Stars president in 1993 by former owner Norman Green and acted in that capacity until 2007 when he was relieved of his duties in a front office shake-up.

The dissolution of the marketing group comes on the heels of layoffs that cost almost 10% of all Rangers front office personnel their jobs.

Texas Locates The Missing Offense, Hammers The Padres

On a night when starter Kevin Millwood claimed to have, "the worst stuff I've had all year", the offense decided to break out the bats and give him more than enough support to notch his 8th win of the year.

"My fastball and location weren't very good," said Millwood, who hit two batters and walked three while battling for six tough innings. "It feels good to win, but I wanted to go deeper in the game and give the bullpen a break."

The bullpen was up to the task, however, as Jason Grilli, Willie Eyre & Doug Mathis each pitched an inning of hitless, scoreless baseball.



The offense appears to have found a bit of it's old spark, scoring runs in the first innings, giving Millwood plenty of room to breathe.

David Murphy had another big game, hitting a 3-run blast in the 2nd inning. Chris Davis also kept his hot hitting going, going 1-for-3 with a walk.

On the whole, Texas pounded out 13 hits and worked 6 walks, putting 12 runs on the board.

Kevin Millwood feels good about the 3-game winning streak saying, "It seems like we're getting back on track."

Before the season began, everyone seemed to think the pitching would be the key to Texas taking the next step. Suprisingly, it's been the pitching that has carried the heaviest load. It not appears as though it is the offense that will need to show better consistency if the Rangers are to truly make a run at the AL West.

Third baseman Michael Young thinks the offense will get things figured out.

"There's not a magic formula," Young said. "We're a confident group of guys. We're focused on having good at-bats, whether it's a two-pitch at-bat or if we work the count a little."