January 3 - The Thursday List: Revera Linguam Latinam Vix Cognovi

There is just not enough Latin written on MLB Blog entries lately and in the same vein – there’s still not enough baseball to muse about this time of year.   But that’s not necessarily going to stop me.

Viva Yaquis! As pointed out in Scott Lucas’s most recent Minor League Report on The Newberg Report, Yaquis de Obregon’s left fielder Jason Botts (yeah, you read that right – he played LF) was in the top 10 in every offensive category as his team heads to the playoffs.  What you didn’t read was that Jason's 54 RBIs are a new record for the Yaquis - erasing one that had stood for 27 years.

Everyday Eddie:  We are all still waiting with eager anticipation for the signing and official press conference introducing big free agent acquisition Eddie Guardado.  Maybe I’m exaggerating just a bit.  But what many of us, or at least I am wondering about is Guardado’s role in the Rangers bullpen. It'll be disappointing if I hear JD and Ron Washington anoint him as the closer.  I think C.J. Wilson is best suited for that role, and if they don’t trust him yet, why not Joaquin Benoit?  But as our friend Panther Parent pointed out on the Monday Morning Manager the Rangers are all talk when it comes to developing homegrown pitching because the reality is the Rangers”… remain reluctant to trust our own players. This is a franchise that always deems the neighbor's lawn far more plush.”

Speaking of Developing Pitching: Don’t miss Mike Hindman’s excellent Prospect Previews now being unveiled on The Rangers Farm Report.  They are terrific reading, and how can you not love a baseball article on Kasey Kiker that references Dr. Vinny Boombotz?

Off-Season Distractions:

Holiday Hangover:  There’s still time to view the Christmas Lights Extravaganza at Campo Verde restaurant in Arlington. I’m not making this up: over 150,000 lights, 12,000 feet of garland, moose heads with ornament earrings – you have to see it to believe it.  Our family fondly refers to the decorations as Extreme Navidad.  The lights are up through end the of the Fort Worth Stock Show (February 2nd). Since I’ve discovered taking pictures with my cell phone: on the right are a couple of blurry pictures of these famous lights.  (Click on the picture to get the full effect).

P.S. Campo Verde also has the tastiest chips and salsa in town!

Best Supporting Actors:  If you are like me and are tired of the plethora action, horror and gross-out humor movies aimed at 12 year old boys, let me recommend two movies for grown ups with great scripts that are riveting, smart and have some wonderful actors: “Michael Clayton” and “Charlie Wilson’s War”.   

"Michael Clayton" is the best movie I saw in 2007.  Everything about it reminds you of what a tremendously powerful storyteller movies can be and it’s adult without the gratuitous scenes of sex and violence – plus Tom Wilkinson is heart of the movie in an astonishing supporting role.   

Aaron Sorkin, the creator of  the late, great “SportsNight” and “Studio 60” (oh yeah, and “The West Wing” too – but I never watched that)  authored the script for "Charlie Wilson’s War".  Sorkin’s strength is dialogue, in this movie he is at his best.  The showy names in the film are Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts – and they are both very good – but Phillip Seymour Hoffman absolutely steals the show in a supporting role.

Finally: I read a world wide best selling book during the Christmas/New Year’s holiday.  There was an interesting short story in it about a young man who left home, became wealthy and then got himself in trouble, a lot of trouble.  He finally reached bottom and decided to clean up his act and went home, humble, with hat in hand.  His family, especially his Dad, was glad to have him back and pledged to support him on his road to recovery.  That is except for one family member who grumbled about the young man’s return – wondering why everyone should welcome and support him when they’d all managed stay out of trouble and lead normal lives. The young man’s father said – I understand ,  but we are a family and my son, though he’s had his problems, has admitted them is making an effort to change and asked for our help.  Are we so self righteous that we've never made a mistake, and are unable to forgive others faults? We should be glad to have him back rather than wandering the streets wasting his life.  If I remember correctly, this story from this book was part of the inspiration for a well-known song – one of the verses being “I was lost, but now I’m found”.

I thought that story was an interesting parallel to some of the messages I’ve been reading about the Rangers new CF Josh Hamilton.  Yes, he’s had his off the field problems, and it appears that he’s made a sincere effort to overcome them, but in some quarters compassion seems to be in short supply for him.  I don’t know how Josh is going to do this season, but one thing I do know: if I’m going to judge him, it will be on what happens in the OF and in the Batter’s Box - not on what happened in the past – just as I hope others would do for me.

By the way, you can read that book and story I referenced: it’s Luke Chapter 15 verses 11-32 – The Prodigal Son. Oh, in that same book is this timely reminder “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew Chapter 7, Verse 1)

Non est ad astra mollis e terris via – Marla Hooch