Opening day!

What a great day, my wife brought my son who is 4 months old out to the ballpark and walked around with me and we took pictures with him. He loved being there, just like his old man!

Oh, then there was the game. great day to be at the ball game... The Rangers looked good, I love opening day! Nothing could have been better than this day a W a dog a beer my boy! what a day! I love this game!
Today was a good day.

1st Spring game!

It does not matter that it is spring training game #1. I hate listining to a loosing game it is 4 zip right now, Tanner Sheppers is pitching now maybe things will turn around...I love baseball but lossing sucks!

Just 4 fun and I like the movie...

Mon Feb 07 04:36pm EST

Bueller? For which Cubs game did Ferris play hookey?

By David Brown

With pitchers and catchers only moments from reporting to spring training, nothing else says baseball like an investigative essay about the time Ferris Bueller took in a ballgame at Wrigley Field.
Yes, Larry Granillo of Wezen-Ball has done it again. Piecing together details from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and the Baseball-Reference website, Larry does his best Sherlock Holmes-ian deducing to conclude which Chicago Cubs-Atlanta Braves game that Ferris, best bud Cameron Frye and special lady friend Sloane Peterson "saw" in the 1986 film.
You're probably thinking: What took someone so long?

[LINK: The cultural importance of Ferris' trip to Wrigley]

What a cool way for Larry to introduce himself to readers at Baseball Prospectus, where he also now contributes:

It appears obvious now that this is a real ballgame that Ferris is at, not just something recreated for a film crew. The Harry Caray play-by-play and the Braves players on the field are pretty solid evidence of that. So what game, then, are they watching? Did the Cubs win, or did Ferris sing "Danke Schön" as a way to wash away the stink of a Cubs loss?

View some of the evidence, along with a clip from the film, below.
Note: The baseball scenes begin at the 2:17 mark. 

The movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" was released on June 11, 1986. The ballgame then must have been filmed either real early in the 1986 season or sometime during 1985. Looking at game logs from those seasons, we see that there was no game in 1986 in which Lee Smith (#46) faced the Braves at Wrigley Field. There were four such games in '85, though Smith left the Braves hitless in one of those. Of the remaining three games, it isn't hard to find the game we're looking for.

It might not have been "hard," but Larry appears to be the first person in the history of the Internet to publish such a finding. His conclusion: It was a June 5, 1985 game that the Cubs lost (of course they did) 4-2 to the Atlanta Braves. Go on over and please read Larry's post for more of his detective work.
That's not to say that there might not have been any movie magic at play here: SB Nation's Al Yellon presents his case on why Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara and Alan Ruck likely shot their Wrigley scenes later in the year and the TV footage of the June 5 game was edited into the movie later.
As an aside, one of the minor things that always bugged me about "Bueller" — and about any movie shot in Chicago — is when they're driving along, say, Lake Shore Drive and then, in the next cut, they're going the opposite direction, only to switch back a second later. Not important to the movie; it's just art. It only matters to the synapses of a local who knows which way is which.
No such creative license was taken in filming the baseball scene, however. Featuring real players in a real game, it remains as pure as Bueller's intentions.

Let's start this thing!

Truck Day an annual rite of spring for MLB clubs
By Mark Newman / MLB.com
 
Monday -- the day after the Super Bowl across their shared parking area. Equipment will be loaded from the Rangers' clubhouse in the late morning, and at 3:30 p.m. ET, their truck will depart for Surprise, Ariz. Rangers players (to be announced) and their mascot, Rangers Captain, are expected to participate in a photo opportunity.

Live Video of the scorebord take down and construction

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?topic_id=16411622&c_id=tex&partnerId=ed-4348649-179201544

Brandon Webb - a one year deal if he passes the Physical

The 31-year-old Webb has missed the last two years, except for four innings, because of shoulder trouble, but he was stellar before then, winning one Cy Young and coming in second twice from 2006 to 2008 while pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Didn't we just go through this with Ben Sheets?

Well Cliff it was real....

Well it was fun while it lasted. Thanks for the memories. I can honestly say in the short time you were here we had our ups and downs. I will say there is no way I could see you here in TX for 7 years with the back issues you are having and the way Nolan will want you to pitch. Did I want you here, well yeah, for the stupid money, well yeah but I have to say "things worked out for the best". Good luck and will beat you next year!

All my best...

At least your not going to NY.

Sipkin/News

Cliff Lee returns to Philadelphia where he faces the Yankees in the 2009 World Series with teammates Ryan Howard and Chase Utley (far right).

Cliff Lee yawned and chewed gum while his glove, a basket hanging near his chest, snagged the Johnny Damon popup. It was Game 1 of the 2009 World Series at Yankee Stadium, and Lee was in the sixth inning of a masterpiece sublime enough to include that iconic moment. In the outfield and dugout, his teammates laughed and marveled at Lee's nonchalance.

That catch represented the peak of an otherworldly postseason for the lefty, and defined Lee for the Philadelphia public as a Phillie forever. It had the same effect on the pitcher, whose hurt was raw when the Phils traded him to Seattle in December to make room in the payroll for Roy Halladay. Twelve months later, clearly still pulled by the memory of a heightened experience, Lee did what professional athletes almost never do: He prioritized desire over dollars.
Of course, the approximately $100 million that the Phillies will pay Lee over the next five years is more than almost anyone would make in five lifetimes, but that is almost irrelevant in baseball. Athletes are among the most competitive people in this competitive country, and in their business, contracts indicate status and success nearly as much as titles do. Lee could have become one of the highest-paid athletes in the world had he signed with the Yankees. No matter how much he will make, it could not have been easy to turn down so much more.
Instead of doing that, he will try to recreate his favorite memory. It is a nice narrative, even a noble impulse, but it is fraught with risk and potential disappointment. The Phillies are already altered from the team Lee joined in July 2009, when he was traded from Cleveland.
The Phils' lineup is reduced, due to age and attrition. Jayson Werth, Lee's good friend and the team's only righthanded power hitter, is gone, having decided to accept a Publishers Clearing House check for $126 million from the Washington Nationals. Infielders Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins are aging, and could not make it through last season without suffering serious and nagging injuries. This month, centerfielder Shane Victorino turned 30, the last Phils starter to cross the precarious boundary. Decline awaits in a few years, if not sooner.
Unlike the Yankees, the Phils will not be able to buy their way out of a rebuilding phase. Had Lee signed with New York, he would have received the implicit promise of $200 million payrolls every season, enough to purchase playoff contention despite an abundance of aging regulars.
Derek Jeter can't play shortstop in a year or two? Move him somewhere else, and sign an All-Star replacement. CC's arm is dead after all those innings? Well, when is King Felix a free agent?
The Yankees would have given Lee not just more money, but the security of knowing he would not ever be stuck for long on an irrelevant team. The Phillies might be great next year, and a rotation beginning with Halladay, Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt sounds like one of the best ever. But what if it doesn't immediately click, due to injuries or inconsistency or other human frailty (remember, that group without Lee was supposed to win a World Series this year)?
This Phils team has a one-year window before it sees sweeping change. Oswalt, Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson have potentially expiring deals, and could follow Werth out of town in 11 months. Halladay, Hamels and Victorino might follow in the ensuing years. And Cliff Lee might be stuck chasing the ghosts of an elusive memory, and wishing he had just taken the money.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/2010/12/14/2010-12-14_in_signing_with_phillies_cliff_lee_chases_memory_of_world_series_run_but_he_may_.html#ixzz185et5Ia8

Hall of Famer pitcher Bob Feller placed in hospice care

By Ian Casselberry 

It's been a sad year in baseball, as we've lost so many icons of the game — Ron Santo, Sparky Anderson, George Steinbrenner — just to name a few.
The news worsened Wednesday night with the news that Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller has been placed in hospice care.
Feller, 92, recently had been admitted to the Cleveland Clinic with pneumonia. That was likely a complication of his treatment for leukemia, which Feller was diagnosed with in August.
But Feller has struggled through a variety of serious ailments over the past few months. Chemotherapy treatments had resulted in him suffering from vertigo. A heart problem required the installation of a pacemaker. And when Feller was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic, he was also diagnosed with thrush, an infection of the mucus membrane lining the mouth and throat that was preventing him from eating. 
That's no way for any person to exist, of course, but it's even tougher hear about it when he or she is an iconic, robust figure such as Feller.
Feller pitched 18 seasons for the Indians, compiling a 266-162 record and 3.25 ERA. That win total is the highest in franchise history. Feller also is the team's all-time leader in innings pitched (3,827), strikeouts (2,581), complete games (279) and games started (484). He threw three no-hitters in his career and 12 one-hitters. 
Additionally, Feller also holds Indians single-season records for complete games (36), strikeouts (348), innings pitched (371 1/3), walks (208) and shutouts (10).
The man was so good that he earned not one, not two, but three nicknames. He was called "Rapid Robert" for a fastball that was estimated to reach 104 miles per hour. (Feller claimed to once throw even harder than that.) But this was before the advent of radar guns, so unusual methods were sometimes deployed to gauge Feller's fastball. Such as racing it against a motorcycle.
From Sports Illustrated:

In 1941, for example, a motorcycle going 86 mph roared up behind him and tried to beat his pitch to the plate. The pitch won easily. Deduced from that: Feller threw at 104.

Feller was also called "Bullet Bob" (hopefully he didn't throw his fastball beside a firing handgun) and "The Heater from Van Meter," his hometown in Iowa. (Van Meter features a museum devoted to Feller and his career.) 

And he accomplished all of these feats despite missing three seasons while serving in World War II. He enlisted in the Navy the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed. After returning from the war, Feller went on to pitch for 12 more seasons. 
Feller was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. His No. 19 was retired by the Indians in 1957, one of only seven numbers given that honor by the team.

Thu Dec 09 01:52am EST

Round Rock Express unveils new colors, logos, unis

Round Rock Express unveils new colors, logos, unis .Friday, 03 December 2010 15:43 .
BallparkDigest.com

To coincide with their new status as the top farm team of the Texas Rangers, the Round Rock Express (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) unveiled new colors and logos that are reminiscent of the colors and look of the Rangers.

The rebranding includes a new primary mark, new secondary marks, new colors and new uniforms. While blue and red continue as the Express colors, they now are in line with the Texas Rangers colors; the blue is a brighter royal blue, while the red remains unchanged. The new marks incorporate traditional Express elements, including a "train" theme and the Texas flag. The interlocking R logo remains as is save color alteration.

"We worked hard to keep some of our traditional elements while tying the past to the future," said team CEO Reid Ryan of Ryan Sanders Baseball. "We have honored our traditions from the past but also pushed forward in a new direction. Given our new affiliation with the Rangers, it was important to us to align ourselves with their color scheme."

Round Rock's new primary mark (above) includes the Express word mark with half a baseball encircled by a red banner with "Round Rock" in white lettering. Portions of the Texas flag are in the background with a cattle catcher in the foreground. The new E-Train logo (above) features a metallic E concaved upward with a cattle catcher at the bottom.

The Express will don four jerseys this season: white (home; below), gray (road), blue (alternate) and red (alternate). The white and blue jerseys both sport the Express word mark across the chest. The gray and red jerseys both feature the interlocking R logo on the left chest.

"Having been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work on the Corpus Christi Hooks brand identity and other Ryan Sanders Baseball projects, we were tremendously excited when Round Rock's affiliation change to the Texas Rangers led to the team contacting us about creating a new branding identity for the Express," Dan Simon of Studio Simon said. "We hope that Express fans are as excited about the new identity as they are about their hometown team being the new Triple-A affiliate of the American League champion Texas Rangers."

Four new caps also will be worn for the 2011 season: blue with E-Train logo, red with E-Train logo, blue with interlocking R logo, and blue with interlocking R logo and red bill.