The last time Unfair Park mentioned that the Rangers were looking a little too competitive, the team proceeded to lose 14 of 20, so we decided we should speak up again. Under the temporary -- for now at least -- leadership of Tim Bogar, the Rangers have won 9 of their last 10 games. They've risen o ... More >>
The 2014 Texas Rangers might not be the worst team in the club's 42 years in Arlington -- the 1972 and '73 Rangers have at least a claim to that title -- but 2014 has certainly been the worst year for the franchise as a whole. It started with the promise of knowing that the team had won at least 90 ... More >>
Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington has resigned from the club to deal with an undisclosed personal matter, effective immediately. Bench coach Tim Bogar has been appointed interim manager for the rest of the season. The team has scheduled a press conference for 3:30 at which co-chairmen Ray Davis a ... More >>
Behind a seven-inning, two-run start from Nick Tepesch and a two-run ninth inning, walkoff rally capped off by Adam Rosales' game-winning RBI single over a drawn-in infield, the Rangers knocked off the Angels yesterday, ending a four-game losing streak overall and a nine-game skid against the Halos. ... More >>
Derek Holland. Matt Harrison. Martin Perez. Geovany Soto. Prince Fielder. Jurickson Profar. Engel Beltre. Three-fifths of the rotation, the starting catcher, the starting first baseman, the starting second baseman and the backup outfielder are currently not playing. This doesn't include players who ... More >>
Yesterday on Twitter, the Texas Rangers Twitter account tweeted something awful. Something unbelievable. Something that's just not true. When asked by a fan, "What state makes the best BBQ?" the Rangers account replied, "North Carolina... sorry!" You're ellipsis-sorry for bashing Texas barbecue, T ... More >>
Every year, the Rangers roll out a whole bunch of stuff designed specifically to clog your arteries. It's their public service, as a socially-minded ballclub, to cut down on the population explosion in DFW by culling those stupid enough to eat a two-foot sandwich. I am one of those people. Yet some ... More >>
Our 2013 Best of Dallas award winner, and Observer writer, Michael "Grubes" Gruber, is renowned for nicknaming Rangers players. In fact, if you follow him on Twitter (@tweetgrubes) like thousands of other people do, then his Diamond Tweets covering the Rangers games are largely incomprehensible with ... More >>
There are a few new names we all need to get familiar with before the Rangers' season officially begins on April 1. In addition to Globe Life Park, Shin-Soo Choo, J.P. Arencibia, there's one more you're going to want to write on your cheat-sheet: Choomongous. Metroplex Sportservice, which manages ... More >>
There may have been a few Rangers fans who mourned when the club traded longtime second-baseman Ian Kinsler, but for most, his unreliable glove and mediocre performance at the plate far outweighed whatever goodwill his boyish good looks might inspire. Plus, we got Prince Fielder. But while Rangers ... More >>
There's always been something pleasantly nostalgic about the name of the Texas Rangers' stadium. The Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, like its red-brick facade, harkens back to simpler times, back before corporations plastered their names on every possible piece of sports-related real estate. Never m ... More >>
It's like clockwork. Each October, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announces that Eric Nadel, the longtime voice of the Texas Rangers, is a finalist for the Ford C. Frick Award. And every year, the award goes to someone else. Not this time. This morning, the hall of fame declared Nade ... More >>
We asked former Ticket board op and master nicknamer Michael "Grubes" Gruber to autopsy the Rangers so we can throw their cadaver into our winter fire and focus on football. Here's his hot-but-not-tremendously-hot sports take: This was a weird season for your Texas Rangers. For all intents and purp ... More >>
Here's something -- I am a very big fan of baseball. I can't explain why. I guess it's like really fast cricket. Anyway, I used to watch it late at night on TV back in the U.K. quite obsessively. It's the only American sport I've ever managed to get on board with, American football being poorly name ... More >>
Emilie Parker, a tow-headed and ever-smiling 6-year-old, was gunned down on December 14 along with 19 of her classmates at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Her parents, Robbie and Alyssa Parker, have coped with her death by sharing their memories of her in the media and on Facebook. She was a vibrant g ... More >>
Shortly after Rangers general manager Jon Daniels swapped erratic right-hander Edinson Volquez and reliever Danny Herrera for Josh Hamilton five years ago, I placed seemingly unrealistic expectations on the troubled outfielder. "He has the potential to be the best center fielder in Rangers' history ... More >>
The video above was taken at about 2:30 a.m. on Decenber 1 from inside the Texas Rangers store on McKinney Avenue. If you'll watch carefully -- or really if you just keep your eyes open -- you'll see the taillights of a white Ford pickup creep slowly backward, then smash through the glass door. Two ... More >>
Just a few days after the 2012 MLB season kicked off in Japan, one of the elite players scheduled to become a free agent in the coming offseason took himself off the market. The Giants enticed Matt Cain to stay in San Francisco, signing him to a six-year, $127.5 million contract extension -- the mos ... More >>
If you watch a Rangers game on TV for more than about five minutes, you're bound to encounter manager Ron Washington telling you wonderful things about Ace Cash Express. If you can ignore the glare from Washington's shiny pate -- he often appears sans baseball cap, even though he is a man who benefi ... More >>
What a week for Your Texas Rangers. Nolan Ryan and Ron Washington took turns publicly ripping Josh Hamilton for the alarming lack of discipline he's displayed at the plate, increasing the likelihood that he'll be headed elsewhere this offseason. Fans booed the slumping slugger at home for the firs ... More >>
With the baseball season at the symbolic halfway point, we asked former Unfair Parker Sam Merten to root around in his beard and see if he could come up with anything to say. He obliged ... and obliged ... and ... Sports are unpredictable. That's why we watch. And there's no greater evidence than t ... More >>
Heading into Tuesday night's 10-3 ass-kicking by the Seattle Mariners, the Rangers and their fans had very little to complain about the 2012 season. Name an offensive stat -- batting average, runs scored, hits, home runs, total bases, on-base-plus-slugging percentage (my personal fave) -- and the Ra ... More >>
The Texas Rangers just confirmed what everybody already knew: Eric Nadel is a bad ass.The team announced at a press conference this afternoon that the longtime radio broadcaster, the voice that has narrated, if not propelled, its climb into Major League Baseball's upper ranks, is the 2012 inductee i ... More >>
While the Mavs stare bleakly into James Harden's beard and the Cowboys kick tires ahead of Thursday's draft, the local sports world takes a minute to look longingly in reverse today, over the long, remarkable career of Pudge Rodriguez, arguably the best catcher of all time. (And what is baseball goo ... More >>
Oh, it's a Good Friday alright. Maybe the best Friday, if you happen to have a job that allows you escape the cubical farm and head to the nearest TV-and-frosty-beer-equipped bar with your fellow farmers. (For bar suggestions, mosey here.) Going to the game? Well, then, it's an Even Better Friday. ... More >>
Back in November the Texas Rangers invited media folk out to the Ballpark in Arlington for a sneak peek at $11.5 million worth of renovations being made out in Vandergriff Plaza, where, among other things, the team's adding a private-party zone, retooling the kids' area and building a new bar. Said ... More >>
As I've noted a few times, Mike Shropshire's Seasons in Hell, about the "worst team in baseball history" (the '73-'75 Texas Rangers), is my favorite sports book; probably has something to do with being raised on the '73-'75 Texas Rangers. Anyway.On a very related note, a Friend of Unfair Park sen ... More >>
With a 4 p.m. deadline on the horizon, T.R. Sullivan wasn't hopeful at daybreak: "The word Wednesday morning was that the Rangers' optimism has waned a bit." Sources have been saying in recent days that Japanese pitching sensation and magazine cover boy Yu Darvish wanted a five-year deal, the Tex ... More >>
As Wednesday's 4 p.m. deadline nears in the negotiations between the Texas Rangers and Yu Darvish, the most significant hang-up is reportedly the 25-year-old's request for a five-year contract and the team's preference for a six-year deal, according to Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan. Understandably, Dar ... More >>
You can buy this 1953 Cats-Oilers game program for a mere $38.Longtime Friends of Unfair Park will recall: In early 2009, United League Baseball co-founders John Bryant (yes, that John Bryant) and Byron Pierce said that come time for first pitch 2010, they would have a minor-league ballclub on th ... More >>
In winning the well-publicized bidding for Yu Darvish shortly after 10 Monday night, the Texas Rangers have positioned themselves to sign the famous Japanese hurler to one of the riskiest contracts in baseball history. And unless the 25-year-old right-hander immediately establishes himself among ... More >>
Since every Cowboys game is a Game 6 these days, it's time to look to the 2012 baseball season, when Your Texas Rangers will celebrate 40 years in Arlington. And for those of us who've been going to games since first pitch at Arlington Stadium (thanks, Dad), today's announcement is full of all ki ... More >>
What you see at right is the artwork currently decorating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's website: side-by-side pics of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, both of whom are now Angels. The now-former Cardinal's deal is for 10 years and worth between $250 and $260 million, and is said to include a ... More >>
Photo by Sam MertenThe scene yesterday afternoon in the lobby of the Hilton Anatole.Likely bracing for the departure of free-agent hurler C.J. Wilson, the Texas Rangers have already inked former Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan to a two-year, $14.5 million contract and announced Neftali Feli ... More >>
My bad. Been meaning to get back in here and post something, anything, of note, and there's been plenty in recent days. And as Josh's Broken Groin notes, it's been way too long. So then, to today's Breaking, or Broken, Rangers News: The club has offered salary arbitration for next season to C.J. ... More >>
Photos courtesy Texas RangersNo need to place all of the blame on Nellie. There are plenty of other folks at fault for losing the World Series.No matter how hard you try to find a scapegoat, the story of the 2011 World Series doesn't have a chapter about its version of Bill Buckner, nor shoul ... More >>
I didn't sleep a wink last night -- kept replaying over and over the myriad mistakes made by Ron Washington and the Texas Rangers last night, twice one strike away from Winning It All. They're recounted below, blow by painful blow; how Sam gets it up for tonight's Do-or-Die preview and open threa ... More >>
Last night, during the 10th inning of Game 6, Steve Busby handed the mic to his Rangers broadcast partner -- Eric Nadel, Frick Award finalist and a man whose voice has gotten us through countless seasons in hell. Buzz wanted to make sure Eric had the opportunity to call the final out of the game, ... More >>
St. Louis CardinalsTrying to forget this happened won't be easy for Texas, but they have to find a way if they want to salvage the championship.As I've written before, I fell in love with the game of baseball in 1986 -- the first year I watched every inning of the World Series. Although I ha ... More >>
Texas RangersMike Napoli celebrates his game-winning double in the eighth inning of Game 5.The intellect of one of the best managers and greatest players in baseball history short-circuited at the worst possible times for the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the World Series, but Monday night ... More >>
Texas RangersSouthpaw Derek Holland exits last night's masterpiece in style -- something C.J. Wilson and the Texas Rangers hope to emulate tonight.I expected Derek Holland to finally realize his potential as a top-of-the-rotation arm in the American League Championship Series. That, of course ... More >>
St. Louis CardinalsAlbert Pujols joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players to hit three home runs in a World Series game. He also became the third player to have six RBI and the second player to have five hits in a World Series game. Oh, and he set a record for total bases as well with ... More >>
Texas RangersIan Kinsler completes the best defensive play I've seen in my 25 years watching the Fall Classic -- a diving stop by Elvis Andrus and flip to Kinsler with his glove to end the fifth inning of Game 2. Just spectacular athleticism displayed by Andrus.If you've read my piece about S ... More >>
The video you'll find after the jump was posted two days ago by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. So far it's been viewed 60 times. In it, John O'Dell, curator of history and research, provides a brief tour of Rangers artifacts in the Hall -- brief, because t ... More >>
Texas RangersSometimes the worst managerial moves are the ones that weren't made, but the focus tends to be on the ones that were. The vast majority of media and fans across the country agree that Tony La Russa out-managed Ron Washington in Game 1 of the World Series last night, which is har ... More >>
St. Louis CardinalsTony La Russa on the field at Busch Stadium yesterday afternoon.For whatever reason, my relationship with baseball went from casual to deeply committed bordering on obsessive during the 1986 baseball season. Like most kids growing up in North Texas, my father taught me to l ... More >>
Texas RangersGives you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, doesn't it?It's finally here. Pinch yourself. Your Texas Rangers are back in the World Series, and this time feels much different than last year's playoff run. There's a confidence flowing through my body that just wasn't there before, a ... More >>