During an interview last year, Michael Young told me that he wanted to finish his career with the Texas Rangers. Now, according to too many reports to list,Young hopes to finish that career with a team not named the Rangers.
How do his teammates feel about that?
"If we lose him, it's a big loss," outfielder Josh Hamilton said Monday as the Rangers loaded moving vans bound for spring training in Surprise, AZ.
Hamilton visited with Young Monday morning during a workout and talked to 34-year old for the first time since the latest round of trade rumors emerged.
"Obviously he'd be disappointed," Hamilton said. "He's been here a long time, this is all he's known for his whole career."
And if Young is moved?
"It's definitely a concern. You think about his leadership, how long he's been with this organization."
"It's going to be different if something happens and he's not here but we'll have to step up and focus on what got us to where we were last year. That was having that chemistry encouraging each other, loving each other and backing each other up."
"Anytime you lose a player like Michael it's hard on the team. Hopefully we can keep chemistry there, hopefully somebody will step up and be a leader."
Those leaders are hard to find (are you listening, Dallas Cowboys????) and perhaps even more difficult to replace.
UPDATE:
The Rangers held 5pm conference call with Jon Daniels and Nolan Ryan. Daniels confirms Young has a requested a trade and that they will try to accommodate his request. Young initially agreed to move to DH but had a change of heart. Daniels said he wishes "it hadn't come to this."
Stay tuned!!!!!
Friday, May 15, 2020
Rangers Beat the Yankees: By the Numbers
There are a million numbers you can look at from any baseball game. Here are a few quickies I thought were mildly interesting from last night's 13-inning marathon Rangers 6-5 win over the Yankees.
19: Pitchers used by both teams - tied for most ever, setting a new AL record
15: Rangers Magic Number
11: the number of pitches David Murphy had in his first at-bat in the first inning resulting in an single, also the number of pitchers used by the Rangers (a new team record)
9: Number of walkoff wins the Rangers have had this season
7.5: Rangers AL West lead over the A's
5 and 12: hours and minutes of last night's game, longest this season
4: Career-high number of RBI Julio Borbon had last night
3: Innings pitched by CJ Wilson - tied for his shortest outing this season, also the number of consecutive wins by Texas and the number of freaky members of the Blue Man Group that will haunt me forever
2: The number of total AND walkoff wins the Ranger have over the Yankees this season
1.5: Yankees AL East lead over the Rays
1: The number of runs the Rangers bullpen allowed in 10 innings
0: Doses of caffeine, cups of coffee or green tea I had last night. That might change today.
19: Pitchers used by both teams - tied for most ever, setting a new AL record
15: Rangers Magic Number
11: the number of pitches David Murphy had in his first at-bat in the first inning resulting in an single, also the number of pitchers used by the Rangers (a new team record)
9: Number of walkoff wins the Rangers have had this season
7.5: Rangers AL West lead over the A's
5 and 12: hours and minutes of last night's game, longest this season
4: Career-high number of RBI Julio Borbon had last night
2: The number of total AND walkoff wins the Ranger have over the Yankees this season
1.5: Yankees AL East lead over the Rays
1: The number of runs the Rangers bullpen allowed in 10 innings
0: Doses of caffeine, cups of coffee or green tea I had last night. That might change today.
Rangers & MLB Opening Day Lagniappe and the Presidential Connection
During Rangers Manager Ron Washington's meeting with the media throng on Thursday, he made a statement that just about anyone who has any sort of passing interest in baseball can agree with.
"Opening day is one of the best days in baseball," he said following the statement with a patented, mile-wide Wash grin.
I've joked all week long that it should be a national holiday. So many people play hookie from work to attend or just watch games. A couple of my friends' companies shut down their offices and take their staff to the ballpark to take in the game. I know two such companies that will be in Arlington, tailgating well before the Rangers 3:05 scheduled first pitch against the Red Sox on Friday.
The Rangers record on opening day is 22-28, dating back to 1961 when they were originally the Washington Senators. President John F. Kennedy threw out the first pitch as the Senators lost to the White Sox in the franchise's first game. Texas has won their last two opening day games, doing so in dramatic come-from-behind fashion in 2010 against the Blue Jays.
Sure, opening day is fun. It celebrates all the pomp and circumstance of America's pastime. In reality, it's more for the fringe fans. I liken it to New Year's Eve, which I call "amateur night". It seems like THE game that people who rarely (or never) attend any baseball games make the effort to get to opening day. I'm not hatin' on it, I'm just sayin'....
I was looking up some information for a story and stumbled across an article in the Atlanic about presidential connections with opening day. It's an interesting read. Who knew that William Howard Taft was the first president to throw out the first pitch at a game in Washington in 1910?
And did you know that every president since Taft has thrown out at least one ceremonial first pitch while in office, except for one? Can you guess who it is? That would be....Jimmy Carter.
For the record, President Obama did not throw out a first pitch prior to Thursday's Nationals/Braves game. A group of three generals and two admirals, each representing a branch of the U.S. military, threw out the first pitch instead.
"Opening day is one of the best days in baseball," he said following the statement with a patented, mile-wide Wash grin.
I've joked all week long that it should be a national holiday. So many people play hookie from work to attend or just watch games. A couple of my friends' companies shut down their offices and take their staff to the ballpark to take in the game. I know two such companies that will be in Arlington, tailgating well before the Rangers 3:05 scheduled first pitch against the Red Sox on Friday.
 |
| New Rangers video board |
Sure, opening day is fun. It celebrates all the pomp and circumstance of America's pastime. In reality, it's more for the fringe fans. I liken it to New Year's Eve, which I call "amateur night". It seems like THE game that people who rarely (or never) attend any baseball games make the effort to get to opening day. I'm not hatin' on it, I'm just sayin'....
I was looking up some information for a story and stumbled across an article in the Atlanic about presidential connections with opening day. It's an interesting read. Who knew that William Howard Taft was the first president to throw out the first pitch at a game in Washington in 1910?
And did you know that every president since Taft has thrown out at least one ceremonial first pitch while in office, except for one? Can you guess who it is? That would be....Jimmy Carter.
For the record, President Obama did not throw out a first pitch prior to Thursday's Nationals/Braves game. A group of three generals and two admirals, each representing a branch of the U.S. military, threw out the first pitch instead.
What Athletes Should Say About Their Former Teams
Former Ranger Ian Kinsler got in Josh Hamilton-like trouble with Texas Rangers fans when he said in an ESPN the Magazine interview that he hopes Texas goes "0-162" in 2014 and called Rangers GM Jon Daniels a "sleazeball".
Kinsler also complained about having to take on additional leadership responsibilities in the absence of Michael Young in 2013. Funny, because Kinsler told me in a 2012 Spring Training interview for TXA21 that he welcomed the opportunity to be more of a leader on the team. Things change.
Here's the thing: I have had this very conversation with professional athletes regarding the right way to approach an interview about former teams. Unless an athlete is ready to deal with the backlash, questions and scrutiny that come with making bold, harsh statements, don't say anything incendiary.
"I appreciated the opportunities I had with {INSERT NAME OF FORMER TEAM HERE} and am excited about my future with {INSERT NAME OF CURRENT TEAM HERE}."
That's a great answer when asked about a former team.
A reporter will continue to probe, undoubtedly. A solid follow up would be:
"I learned so much with {INSERT NAME OF FORMER TEAM HERE} and am looking forward to applying what I learned and maximizing my potential with {INSERT NAME OF CURRENT TEAM HERE}.
When pressed about how things ended:
"That's all in the past. I'm focused on being the best player I can be for the {INSERT NAME OF CURRENT TEAM HERE}."
If an athlete wants to rankle feathers, which is fine, fire away. Be prepared, though, to readdress what was said, don't backtrack or claim something was taken "out of context".
Here's a tip: in TV interviews, the camera is an ally (or worst enemy). TV reporters and editors can't wholly manipulate sound and take things "out of context" unless some Oscar-worthy editing is done. As it relates to the Josh Hamilton interview, you saw the whole exchange. When I asked him about his time with the Rangers we did not cover it with video or edit the sound. Everything you saw was as it happened.
I do like the fact that Hamilton has a sense of humor about it. He was nice when we talked about it on Opening Day last season and had some fun with Kinsler on Tuesday via Twitter:
The Takeaway
I think former Rangers minority owner Chuck Greenberg made the most appropriate statement about delivering on-the-record comments about "sticky situations".
New Tiger @IKinsler3 sits down for an interview with MLB Productions. pic.twitter.com/Uy96p6Wjan
— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) February 19, 2014
Image via Twitter.com/Tigers
Here's the thing: I have had this very conversation with professional athletes regarding the right way to approach an interview about former teams. Unless an athlete is ready to deal with the backlash, questions and scrutiny that come with making bold, harsh statements, don't say anything incendiary.
"I appreciated the opportunities I had with {INSERT NAME OF FORMER TEAM HERE} and am excited about my future with {INSERT NAME OF CURRENT TEAM HERE}."
That's a great answer when asked about a former team.
A reporter will continue to probe, undoubtedly. A solid follow up would be:
"I learned so much with {INSERT NAME OF FORMER TEAM HERE} and am looking forward to applying what I learned and maximizing my potential with {INSERT NAME OF CURRENT TEAM HERE}.
When pressed about how things ended:
"That's all in the past. I'm focused on being the best player I can be for the {INSERT NAME OF CURRENT TEAM HERE}."
If an athlete wants to rankle feathers, which is fine, fire away. Be prepared, though, to readdress what was said, don't backtrack or claim something was taken "out of context".
Here's a tip: in TV interviews, the camera is an ally (or worst enemy). TV reporters and editors can't wholly manipulate sound and take things "out of context" unless some Oscar-worthy editing is done. As it relates to the Josh Hamilton interview, you saw the whole exchange. When I asked him about his time with the Rangers we did not cover it with video or edit the sound. Everything you saw was as it happened.
I do like the fact that Hamilton has a sense of humor about it. He was nice when we talked about it on Opening Day last season and had some fun with Kinsler on Tuesday via Twitter:
Not any fun being in the Texas doghouse, is it @IKinsler3?
— Josh Hamilton (@thejoshhamilton) March 4, 2014
Well, played, Josh. Well played.The Takeaway
I think former Rangers minority owner Chuck Greenberg made the most appropriate statement about delivering on-the-record comments about "sticky situations".
You never get tired of the view from the high road.
— Chuck Greenberg (@chuckgreenberg) March 4, 2014
This is outstanding advice, whether discussing a former team, old flame or previous employer.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
FCD Live Atiba Harris
FC Dallas Live Presented by Toyota is back for another episode. Join FC Dallas midfielder/defender Atiba Harris and Gina Miller on Tuesday, October 20 at 1pm CT for an in-depth conversation as the club prepares for its regular season finale against San Jose and gears up for the playoffs.
FC Dallas has clinched the top seed in the Western Conference as well as a first round bye in the playoffs. The club is still battling the New York Red Bull for the Supporters' Shield.
FCD Live Zach lloyd
FC Dallas Live Presented by Toyota is back for another episode. Join FC Dallas defender Zach Loyd and Gina Miller on Tuesday, September 15th at 1pm CT for an in-depth conversation as the club prepares for a match against Sporting Kansas City and jockeys for position in the Western Conference.
FCD Live Oscar Pareja
We're back for another episode of FC Dallas Live presented by Toyota on Tuesday, September 8th at 3pm.
Join FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja as the club jockeys for position in the tight Western Conference and prepares for its game against New York City FC on September 12th.
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