July 3 - Baseball: The American Game

"It's our game . . . it has the snap, go, fling of the American atmosphere; it belongs as much to our institutions, fits into them as significantly as our Constitution's laws . . ." –

--- Walt Whitman on baseball

The day the Declaration of Independence was signed, the odds stacked against the colonies fighting for independence were huge.  Americans were decidedly the underdogs facing a fight with the larger, better equipped and trained British Army.   Much like the Rangers on their road trip last week:  the worst road team in the American League facing two formidable, division leading, playoff bound contenders – and just like the Continental Army they held their own and return home with winning record for the trip and for June.   British General Charles Cornwallis had his band play “The World Turned Upside Down” the day his troops surrendered at Yorktown and the Revolutionary War ended – the Tigers and Red Sox probably feel the same way.

Game Report: Saturday June 30 – Cardinals (St.Louis) at Frisco: I’d never seen LHP Doug Mathis pitch, and he didn’t have a particularly good night last Saturday – the Cards were hitting plenty of long fly balls – 4 of the 8 hits Mathis gave up went for extra bases.  There was a scary moment when CF Brandon Boggs crashed into the OF fence trying to catch one of those fly balls – he laid on the warning track briefly, but got up and finished the game – plus he had 2 hits that evening.  John Mayberry Jr. had a hit and a strikeout – I was sitting with my mentor Jamey Newberg – he put in the call for Mayberry – unfortunately, he grounded out to second.  I know this report is lacking details - it wasn't a terribly interesting game - Jamey and I found other worthy baseball topics to discuss.  Oh by the way, the Riders lost 5-2. 

Random Thoughts:

I talked to a friend from back home in Cleveland the other day. She’d gone to the Oakland/Indians game – in fact it was the night CC Sabathia won his 11th game.  The official attendance listed 17,000 plus – but she said there were only about 16,000 at Jacobs Field that night.  The Indians, in my overly exalted opinion, are one the most exciting young teams in baseball – and they are leading their division.  The Rangers are averaging almost 8,000 more fans per game than the Tribe. What in the name of Chief Wahoo is going on up there on the banks of the mighty Cuyahoga River?

Things that make you go hmmmm:  34-48 – the Rangers record after Monday night’s game.  36-43 – The White Sox record after Monday night’s game.  They’ve played fewer games – so they have fewer losses, but are only two games better in the win column.  I’m thinking – we don’t have to worry too much about watching John Danks pitch in October, and maybe we won’t be subjected to much more Ozzie Guillen either.

Let’s check up on some those “players who got away” that the local columnists just love to harp on:

LHP Doug Davis – started out strong – but fell pretty hard in June with a 2-3 record, 32 2/3 IP, 44 Hits and a 6.23 ERA. 

RHP Francisco Cordero apparently had a little trouble shaking off those 2 blown saves against the Rangers. There was a nail biter save against the Tigers giving up 2 runs before eeking out a 6-5 win and giving up 3 runs at Wrigley and blowing his 3rd save.  For June he was 0-2 with 3 blown saves and 7.50 ERA ---maybe JD did know what he was doing with that trade. 

There’s no doubt the infamous  trade with San Diego is still one of the worst in team history – but 1B Adrian Gonzalez definitely cooled off in June hitting .231 with just 2 homers in 26 games, and OF Termel Sledge is now playing part time – hitting .256 in only 16 games last month.

I’m surprised to realize how few good movies there are about the American Revolution.  Please don’t mention that dreadful TV mini-series on George Washington (Barry Bostwick – ugh!)  Or that 1970’s John Jakes romance novel passing itself off as history (William Shatner as Paul Revere – really?) and the less said about that Mel Gibson abomination of a few years ago, the better.

There is one good movie about the American Revolution, one of my personal favorites.  It is a musical, that’s right a musical, about the writing of the Declaration of Independence – called “1776”. Originally produced on Broadway in 1969 and then made into a film in 1972.  Casa Manana put on excellent production a couple of years ago at the Bass Hall starring many local theatre legends including Jac Alder (one of the founders of Theatre Three). The movie was recently re-released on DVD with scenes that were deleted now “restored” – one in particular that then President Nixon suggested removing –(read all about it on Wikipedia or IMDB) or watch it for yourself on Turner Classic Movies, Wednesday July 4th at 9:00. Don’t worry – you won’t miss any fireworks – it will probably still be raining.

Baseball is the American game – a little research proves our founding fathers have some words of wisdom for today’s players, managers, fans and errant baseball wives:

Thomas Jefferson advising Bud Selig: “In matters of style swim with the current, in matters of principle stand like a rock.”

John Adams to the fans on the Rangers chances of competing the rest of this season: “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of the facts and the evidence.”

James Madison on Tom Hicks on the selling the naming rights to the Ballpark, the Gold Club and those annoying True.com girls:  “Commercial shackles are generally unjust, oppressive and impolitic”

George Washington on the chances of Scott Boras’s client Mark Teixeira staying with the Rangers: “Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.”

Ben Franklin on those post game, sports talk radio shows: “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do”.

Patrick Henry on the growing Rangers DL list: “They tell us we are weak, unable to cope with so formidable an adversary.  But when shall we be stronger?”

George Washington on Cynthia Rodriguez’s questionable wardrobe choice: “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one”

Ben Franklin describing the preferred beverage of some of us Ranger fans and certain members of the local baseball media: “Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

Thomas Jefferson on Ranger GM’s Jon Daniels: “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past”

Ben Franklin on first year Rangers manager Ron Washington: "Do not fear mistakes.  You will know failure. Continue to reach out"

Thomas Jefferson's advice to Barry Bonds: "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom"

James Madison complimenting Yogi Berra: "Philosphy is common sense with big words."

And finally – from George Washington, good advice for all of us: “Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God”

E Pluribus Unum – Marla Hooch