Earlier this hour, Josh Hamilton spoke to the media about the reports that broke last night indicating he’d been drinking Monday night at a Dallas bar. Here is a link to the full transcript of Hamilton’s statement, which he spoke without notes.
Josh Hamilton Holds Press Conference To Address Relapse Story (Link To Transcript)
February 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Josh Hamilton Reportedly Suffers Relapse; A Few Thoughts…
February 3, 2012 By 1 Comment
Quick note: The initial draft of this post that was published was done so under the assumption that Hamilton drinking Monday night was fact, as it was reported here by the Dallas Morning News. A report this morning (see bottom of article) casts at least some doubt on the veracity of the claims that Hamilton was drinking. I’ve updated the post in certain areas to reflect this ambiguity, though the tone and ultimate message remains the same regardless.
You have probably heard by now that Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton was spotted at a Dallas bar on Monday night, reportedly drinking alcohol.
I thought about it a lot last night and this morning, so here are a few scattered thoughts on the biggest non-Super Bowl story of the day.
Call To The Bullpen: Rangers Get Yu Darvish…Prince Fielder Next?
January 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
On this episode of Call to the Bullpen, Corey and I talk about the most important happenings in baseball over the last week.
Is Yu Darvish Worth the Money?
January 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The Texas Rangers and Yu Darvish went right up to the Wednesday deadline to finalize a deal, but they got it done. Darvish signed a 6 year, $60 million dollar deal to join the Rangers.
The 25-year old pitcher has been pegged as the best pitcher in Japanese baseball, and he has the stats to prove this claim.
Top MLB Pitchers Born in Ohio
December 21, 2011 By 1 Comment
In the long and rich history of Major League Baseball, the state of Ohio has produced an abundance of stars who have gone on to represent the sport in tremendous fashion.
Hall of Fame members Ed Delahanty, Rollie Fingers, Phil Niekro, Branch Rickey, George Sisler, and Cy Young were all born in the Buckeye state, and hundreds of other great players such as Pete Rose, Roger Clemens, Paul O’Neill, Barry Larkin and Thurman Munson called Ohio their birthplace as well.
Currently, the state of Ohio is well represented in the pitching ranks. Here are five of the top (current) MLB pitchers who were born in the great Buckeye state.
Baseball Hot Stove Report: Pujols Gone, Prince Fielder and Yu Darvish Next
December 9, 2011 By 1 Comment
Do not confuse Albert Pujols with LeBron James.
Albert wound up as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals for 11 years and helped lead his team to two World Championships, the most recent being just six weeks ago.
By comparison, Prince Fielder is likely walking away from the Milwaukee Brewers after the minimum six years.
Cardinals’ World Series title caps off magical month of baseball
October 29, 2011 By 4 Comments
I sit here on 29 October, the morning after the Saint Louis Cardinals captured their 11th World Championship, not tired, but sad. Bittersweet to be precise.
In Appreciation of the Ron Washington Managerial Doctrine
October 27, 2011 By 3 Comments
I love me some Ron Washington. And since the baseball season will only have one more night if Colby Lewis can continue to outdo himself, I’d like to tell you why.
Though I’m a White Sox fan first, foremost, and forever, I’ve had the good fortune of seeing the rise of the Texas Rangers from up close over the last four years. In fact, their ascent from AL West doormat to the cusp of a world championship coincided neatly with me moving here. (And, for the record, I’ve been in attendance for both of their ALCS clinching wins. Coincidence? Hell no it’s not. Which is why I’ll be requesting a ring if they win one.)
Perhaps the largest sea change in this town, a town that only has time for football and winners, has occurred with respect to public opinion of Ron Washington, affectionately dubbed the Old School Brother here in Dallas. When I first got down here, it seemed like Washington was managing for his job* on a near daily basis. As things stand in the sports world right now, there may be no coach outside of Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin with more job security than Wash.
Well played clever Rangers fan…well played
October 26, 2011 By 2 Comments
Just came across this photo on Twitter thanks to a retweet by the great Gordon Keith of a tweeter named @outoftown_Ed, who I’ll assume is an exuberant Rangers fan in Dallas.
And I have to tip my cap to this Rangers fan.
World Series Game 5 Preview and Prediction: Texas Rangers v St. Louis Cardinals Series Hinges on Left Arm of C.J. Wilson
October 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Every 9 inning baseball game is a weird, fickle, mysterious entity all its own during which anything is possible. Over large sample sizes, certain aspects of baseball can be predictable and follow expected trends, but in the small sample size of 9 innings, especially when those innings come during playoff time, we often see things we don’t expect.
Did you expect to see Albert Pujols jack three home runs in a single game? He did.
Did you expect the signature pitching performance of the 2011 playoffs to come from the mustachioed Derek Holland? It did.
Did you expect a team to win by driving in the tying and winning runs on consecutive sacrifice flies? It happened.
So I present this World Series Game 5 preview to you with absolutely no certainty that anything I say (except for one thing at the end) will come true or even seem reasonable once the 54th out of the night is recorded.
Flipping Channels Between the World Series and LA Galaxy’s Champions League Run
October 21, 2011 By 2 Comments
Excitement for sports fans ran deep Thursday night as two thrilling events were unfolding at the same time.
The St. Louis Cardinals and LA Galaxy both took a 1-0 lead in their respective contests, but the teams went separate ways soon after their scores. The Cardinals lost their slim lead, and the game, 2-1 in the ninth and now have their series even at one game a piece. The Galaxy held on to their tight margin and made it a victory to advance to the quarterfinals in the CONCACAF Champions League.
MLB Trivia Challenge Podcast Episode 14 sponsored by Generational Equity
October 20, 2011 By 3 Comments
In Episode 14 of the MLB Trivia Challenge Podcast sponsored by the M&A consultants and advisors at Generational Equity, Jerod and Ari welcome…no one. They handle this one themselves.
Jerod takes a stab at Ari’s most challenging slate of questions yet, and then they discuss what has made the 2011 MLB playoffs so memorable before previewing the World Series matchup between Texas and St. Louis.
Podcast: World Series Preview and Picks, and a Look Back at the “Epic” 2011 MLB Playoffs
October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
On Thursday, the final episode of our yearlong MLB Trivia Challenge will be posted. Ari and I recorded the episode today, and since we spent a good deal of time talking about the World Series matchup between St. Louis and Texas, which begins tomorrow night (full schedule here), I am posting that portion of the podcast now so you can listen to it before the games actually begin.
World Series Preview: St. Louis Cardinals v Texas Rangers Position-by-Position Analysis, Prediction, and Poll
October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
It pains me not to be writing about the Milwaukee Brewers in this space, but I think I’ll recover faster from a 12-6 loss than I would had the Brewers lost on a Cardinals walk-off.
If I were to write a World Series preview from a Cardinals perspective, it would be full of bias and spite, so I’ll instead focus my efforts on my new (temporary) favorite team, the Texas Rangers, as I preview the 2011 World Series, which starts tomorrow night (TV schedule and pitching probables here).
2011 World Series: St. Louis Cardinals v Texas Rangers TV Schedule and Pitching Probables
October 17, 2011 By 1 Comment
If I only could bring such good luck to my White Sox.
Two years in a row I have attended Game 6 of the ALCS at The Ballpark in Arlington, and two years in a row I have witnessed the Rangers perform their Ginger Ale celebration in the infield after the game. Last year, it was a close win over the Yankees when Alex Rodriguez struck out. This year, it was an absolute blowout over the Tigers.
So now the Texas Rangers will go to the World Series for the second straight year, with their bats on fire and the bullpen in lockdown mode. Their opponent will the St. Louis Cardinals, who are one of the most improbable World Series contenders ever. The Cardinals were 10.5 games back of the Braves for the Wild Card with a few days left in August. Thanks to a 10-20 finish by the Braves, and their own September surge, the Cardinals stormed into the playoffs and haven’t stopped winning since.
