YOUNG AT HEART

Upstarts hold the key

BY PAT DORWIN

Sportswriter               

DALLAS MORNING NEWS

ARLINGTON - IT USED TO BE, "DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS."

NOW, IT'S "THE MESS IN TEXAS."

AS THE "STRANGERS" HAVE FALLEN BY THE WAYSIDE TO A MAJOR-LEAGUE WORST 19-40 RECORD - AND 21 STRAIGHT LOSSES - IT'S TOO EASY TO POINT OUT THE OBVIOUS: THE 25-MAN ROSTER IS BY FAR THE YOUNGEST IN THE MAJORS AND THE HITTERS AND PITCHERS RARELY CONNECT IN THE SAME GAME.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN TEXAS FANS SHOULD GIVE UP HOPE.

"WE'VE MADE DEALS TO PUT THE NEW OWNERSHIP IN GOOD POSITION WITH SOLID CORE PLAYERS SIGNED LONG-TERM," SAYS INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER DAN RAJKOWSKI. "YOUNG PLAYERS ARE ABOVE THE LEVEL THEY SHOULD BE PLAYING AT, BUT HAVE DONE WELL AND SOME WILL BE STARS."

IN PHONE INTERVIEWS WITH A HALF-DOZEN MAJOR-LEAGUE SCOUTS, THE ORGANIZATION WAS BROKEN DOWN BASED ON PLAYERS' PROJECTED POTENTIAL -INTO STANDARD SCHOOL LETTER GRADES AS FOLLOWS.

CAPSULES MAY INCLUDE SCOUTS' REMARKS, STATS, CONTRACT INFO, AGE, POSITION ...ETC. STATS INCLUDE RECORDS WITH FORMER MLB TEAMS.

A

LEIGH WEIR #27
THE 19-YEAR-OLD LHSP HAS ONLY EIGHT DAYS OF MLB SERVICE. FIRST YEAR OF TWO-YEAR CONTRACT.

HAS POTENTIAL TO BE TOP-FLIGHT STARTER. THE 6-4, 200 WEIR HAS QUALITY STARTS IN 6 OF 8 AA GAMES AND 3.12 ERA.

"GOOD STAMINA, NOT A CLUTCH SP - YET. AVERAGE BB-SO RATIO. COULD REACH AS HIGH AS A NO.2 STARTER, BUT LIKELY A 3."

MADISON BUMGARNER #41
THE 6-4, 215 LHSP IS JUST 20, BUT POSTED AN 0-2 RECORD AS A LONG RELIEVER (12 GAMES, 3 STARTS) IN TEXAS WITH AN ERA NEAR 9.

ERA UNDER 2 IN 5 AA STARTS, GOOD STAMINA, BUT CONTROL ISSUES AT TIMES. HAS A 1-YEAR, 400K DEAL.

MAT LATOS #32
THE 22-YEAR OLD RHSP (6-5, 225) ALSO HAS 1-YEAR, 400K CONTRACT. POSTED 1-2 RECORD IN LONG RELIEF FOR RANGERS, WITH 4.59 ERA, INCLUDING A PAIR OF STARTS. WENT 4-5 IN SAN DIEGO LAST YEAR WITH 4.62 ERA.

NEVILLE CRUISE #9
"HAS HAD THE UPS-AND-DOWNS EXPECTED OF ANY 18-YEAR OLD WHO HAS BEEN THE MAIN STARTER AT 3B SINCE TRAINING CAMP BEGAN."

STRONG FIELDER, BUT SLUMP AT THIRD HAS SEEN HIM DH SOME IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THREE-YEAR CONTRACT PAYING HIM 374K IN 2010.

THE 6-0, 218 CRUISE CAN ALSO PLAY 2B AND 1B. SALARY RISES TO 393K, THEN 412K.

"TEXAS IS RE-ASSESING AN EXTENSION, AND THAT COULD GO EITHER WAY FOR THEM."

"I THINK TEXAS DRAFTED (RYAN) BRAUN FIRST IN THE FANTASY DRAFT WITH AN EYE ON MOVING HIM TO THIRD AS THEY HAD WITH (ALBERT) PUJOLS IN SEASON-ONE."

AVERAGE HAS FALLEN FROM NEAR .250 TO .228 WITH 9 HR AND 22 RBI. OBP JUST .247.

"THERE'S NO DOUBT HE HAS SUPERSTAR POTENTIAL, BUT WON'T SEE ROBIN YOUNT-LIKE STARDOM."

"CLUTCH HITTER AND RUNS BASES WELL AND 25- TO 30 HR POTENTIAL IS THERE."

RYAN BRAUN #8
"STRICTLY AN OUTFIELDER NOW, HE PLAYS THE WALL AND CORNER WELL IN LEFT."

THE 6-1, 200-POUNDER IS SIGNED TO A 6-YEAR, $46.8M CONTRACT AND IS A YEAR REMOVED FROM A 32, 114 AND .320 SEASON, ALTHOUGH CURRENTLY HITTING JUST .291 WITH 13 HOMERS AND 33 RBI'S.

"HE WAS IN THE LINEUP EVERYDAY FOR ALMOST THE FIRST 50 GAMES, SO HE MAY BE A BIT TIRED, BUT THAT'S NO EXCUSE FOR HIS POOR PITCH SELECTION. HE CAN BE BUSTED INSIDE OR FLAIL AWAY ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE PLATE."

"BRAUN HAS A VERY MANAGEABLE CONTRACT, SO YOU MAY JUST HAVE TO WRITE OFF THIS SEASON AS A BLIP BASED ON HIS PAST NUMBERS."

JUSTIN MORNEAU #33
THE FORMER AL MVP IS JUST 28 AND SIGNED TO A 5-YEAR DEAL WORTH $36.3M.
"HE WAS THEIR MOST DANGEROUS PLAYER EARLY, BUT HIS AVERAGE HAS DROPPED TO JUST .268 AND IT'S TOO EARLY FOR THE TEXAS HEAT TO BE AFFECTING HIM."

THE 6-4, 235-POUND MORNEAU PUT UP 30 HOMERS WITH 100 RBI'S WITH A .274 AVERAGE IN 2009.

"HE'S DEFINITELY LOST SOME FOCUS THIS SEASON."

HAS 14 HR AND 37 RBI WITH A .505 SLUGGING PERCENTAGE.

 B

DELMON BHADELIA #40
THE 6-2, 177-POUND RHSP WAS JUST CALLED UP TO THE BIGS AS TEXAS LOOKS TO HALT A RUN-AWAY TRAIN LOSING STREAK. SIGNED TO A 3-YR, $1.18M DEAL.

"NOT A STAR, STILL A QUALITY PITCHER."

WAS 7-2 IN THE MINORS.

MASAO OGAWA #25
THE 6-1, 201-POUND RHSP IS JUST 18 AND SIGNED TO A 2-YR/790K DEAL. HASN'T PITCHED MUCH AFTER FAILING AS A STARTER IN THE MINORS. NOW IN LONG RELIEF IN AA.

"HE NEEDS TO GET STRONGER SO HE CAN GET DEEPER INTO STARTS."

RANDOLPH GINDL #37
GOOD-SIZED (6-4, 205-POUND) RELIEVER HAS A 2.53 ERA WITH TEXAS IN 10 GAMES, BUT TIRES TOO EASILY.

SIGNED FOR CONTRACT YEARS OF $374K, $393K AND $412K.

"SOLID, BUT WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET."

CARLOS GONZALEZ #11
"INJURED ALMOST ALL YEAR (BROKEN ANKLE) AND THAT DOESN'T HELP HIS CHANCES NEXT SEASON."

THE 6-1, 215-POUNDER HIT .284 WITH 13 HRs LAST YEAR FOR THE ROCKIES, BUT DROVE IN JUST 29 RUNS.

THE SCOUTS WERE DIVIDED ON HIS FUTURE, HALF SAW STARTER POTENTIAL, HALF SAW JOURNEYMAN OUTFIELDER. JUST ACTIVATED BY AAA OKLAHOMA CITY.

CHA SEUNG LEE #50
THE 24-YEAR-OLD SWITCH-HITTING OF SHOWED PLENTY OF POTENTIAL IN SEASON ONE-2010, BUT HAS YET TO BE CALLED UP FOR SEASON TWO, AS INJURIES AND DEPTH HAVE HINDERED HIM.

"NICE COMBINATION OF SIZE (6-4, 231-POUNDS) AND SPEED (4.48 40-YARD DASH), BUT NOT AS STRONG AS HE LOOKS."

HITTING JUST .264 AT AA WITH NINE RBI'S IN 38 GAMES. IN INITIAL YEAR OF 2-YR DEAL.

GRAHAM DOLAN #15
HAS PUT UP PRODUCTIVE NUMBERS IN BOTH SEASONS AND WITH TAMPA IN EARLIER THREE-YEAR TRIAL.

"HE'S MISCAST AS A LEADOFF HITTER, WHERE HE'S BEEN SLOTTED WITH TEXAS MOST OF THE SEASON, AND THE ACQUISITION OF (MICHAEL BOURN) WILL CUT INTO HIS PLAYING TIME."

THE 6-1, 185-POUND ROOKIE HAS HIT .333 IN 108 AT-BATS WITH THREE LONGBALLS AND 14 RUNS KNOCKED IN. CAN PLAY ALL THREE OF POSITIONS, BUT DOESN'T STAND OUT DEFENSIVELY.

"HE'S VERY SOLID OFFENSIVELY AND COULD DEVELOP 20-PLUS HOME RUN POWER.DECENT SPEED, A NO 2. HITTER OR BOTTOM OF THE LINEUP ON A STRONG TEAM."

RANDY WOLF #43
THE LHSP BEGAN THE SEASON AS THE STAFF ACE - WITH TRADES FOR FELIX HERNANDEZ, JOSH JOHNSON AND COLE HAMELS, THE INJURED WOLF IS NOW A FOURTH STARTER.

"TEXAS REALLY NEGLECTED ITS PITCHING STAFF - AS FAR AS ESTABLISHED STARTERS - AND WOLF WAS THE ACE. HE SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM PITCHING BEHIND THE GUYS ACQUIRED IN TRADES."

THE 33-YEAR-OLD, WITH 11 YEARS IN THE BIGS, WAS JUST 1-4 WITH A 4.75 ERA, BEFORE FRACTURING HIS ARM THROWING A PITCH. HE'S EXPECTED BACK WITHIN TWO- TO THREE-WEEKS.

SIGNED TO A 3-YR,$15.5 MILLION CONTRACT.

MARCEL McARTHUR #66
RH CLOSER JUST TOOK THE CLOSING SPOT VACATED BY THE TRADE OF VETERAN RYAN FRANKLIN.

THE 6-3, 217-POUNDER IS IN THE FIRST SEASON OF A THREE-YEAR DEAL.

"NEEDS TO THROW MORE STRIKES EARLY IN THE COUNT AND NEEDS TO WORK ON HIS STAMINA."

COLTON METZGER #68
LHRP IS GETTING UP THE IN YEARS AT 28 AND HAS BEEN AT  FRISCO ALL SEASON WHICH IS DISCOURAGING AS RANGERS' PITCHING HSA BEEN UNSOUND. METZGER'S APPARENTLY UNER THE RADER DESPITE NOT BLOWING ANY OF HIS 14 SAVES  AND POSTING AN ERA UNDER 3.00.

JOSH JOHNSON #28
THE BIG RHSP (6-7 AND 252 POUNDS) WAS ACQUIRED IN A TRADE IN THE OPENING YEAR OF A 5-YEAR, $49M CONTRACT.

"HE MIGHT BE THE BEST MLB PITCHER IN THE PAST YEAR-AND-A-HALF."

JUST 4-7 WITH A 5.40 ERA THIS YEAR, HOWEVER.

C

LORENZO ORTIZ #35
HAD ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR CAMPAIGN GOING IN SEASON-ONE FOR THE PIRATES. IN FIRST OF TWO-SEASON CONTRACT.

"THIS SEASON HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT OF A LETDOWN FOR HIM, AS HE REALLY HASN'T GOT THAT EVERYDAY IN THE MAJORS HE GOT IN SEASON-ONE."

THE 19-YEAR-OLD HIT .260 IN 96 MLB AT-BATS WITH TWO DINGERS AND EIGHT RUNS DRIVEN IN. PLAYED 3B, 2B AND DH. IN 30 AA GAMES FOR FRISCO, ORTIZ HAS HIT 8, 24, .280, WITH  .517 LUGGING PERCNTAGE.

"TEXAS ACQUIRED IAN KINSLER, WHO THEN GOT HURT, AND THE YOUNGSTERS, (EDDY) CRAMM AND (TOSHIHSA) UCHIDA, ALONG WITH (SKIP) SCHUMAKER, BLOCKED HIS PATH AT SECOND, AND (NEVILLE) CRUISE IS THE THIRD BASEMAN."

IRA SOLERI #16
PITCHED A BIT IN MIDDLE RELIEF IN ARLINGTON, BUT ERA SKYROCKETED TO 7.43. IN 13 AAA GAMES, HE'S AT 4.26.

NICK SWISHER #44
EASILY THE RANGERS' MOST CONSISTENT PLAYER, THE VERSATILE SWISHER SEES TIME IN CF, RF AND 1B. THE 29-YEAR-OLD LEADS THE TEAM WITH 20 HOMERS IN ONLY 198 AT-BATS, AFTER CLUBBING 29 IN 300 MORE AT BATS THIS YEAR,

"THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE FOR NICK IN SEASON-TWO IS HIS ABILITY TO HIT LEFTIES, EVEN THOUGH HE IS A SWITCH-HITTER. THAT TURNAROUND ALLOWED HIM A FULL-TIME SPOT IN THE LINEUP."

SWISHER HAS KNOCKED IN A TEAM-HIGH 40 RUNS ON JUST 56 HITS, AND LOST HIS 13-GAME HIT STREAK WHEN TEXAS DROPPED ITS 20TH STRAIGHT, A 2-0, 12-INNING LOSS AT HOUSTON.

DARIN LOWELL #20
RECENTLY ACQUIRED CF WILL GET A CHANCE TO PLAY PLENTY IN CF, TO SEE IF HE'S A CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE TO MICHAEL BOURN. THE 19-YEAROLD HAS HIT 7, 18, .252 IN 115 MLB AT-BATS, GONE 4-FOR-4 IN STEALS AND SCORED 19 RUNS.

SIGNED TO A 3YR-$1.1M CONTRACT.
COLE HAMELS #88
JUST 26, THE LHSP SEEMS LIKE HE'S BEEN AROUND A LOT LONGER. ACQUIRED IN A TRADE, HE'S DROPPED HIS LAST SIX DECISIONS AND HAS A YEAR LEFT ON HIS CONTRACT.

"HE WAS NEAR THE TOP OF THE NL IN STRIKEOUTS BEFORE HE WAS TRADED, SO THAT EXTRA AL HITTER MAY BE TOO MUCH FOR HIM AS VELOCITY ISN'T HIGH, BUT HE'S GOT A HIGH STAMINA LIMIT."

HAS AN EXCELLENT CIRCLE CHANGE BUT IS 3-6, 4.21 A YEAR AFTER POSTING 10-11, 4.32 NUMBERS.

"2011 IS A CONTRACT YEAR - I EXPECT 18 WINS."

RANDY CHOATE #36
THE VETERAN SET-UP MAN WILL LIKELY CHANGE LEAGUES TO A CONTENDER SOON AS HE'S PUT UP A 5.84 ERA, WAY UP FROM 3.47 IN 2009. JUST TRADED.

SKIP SCHUMAKER #55
GUTSY 2B CAN ALSO PLAY ALL THREE OUTFIELD POSITIONS.

HAD FANTASTIC SEASON-ONE AS A LEADING SILVER SLUGGER AWARD CANDIDATE. HAS JUST 10 RBI'S IN 153 SEASON-TWO AT-BATS.

"A LOT OF TEAMS WOULD HAVE HIM PLAYING EVERYDAY, BUT TEXAS HAS TOO MANY YOUNGSTERS IN SEASON-TWO. BUT I DON'T SEE THEM MOVING HIM. HE'S TOO GRITTY."

AT AGE 30, SCHUMAKER COULD LAST ANOTHER DECADE IN THE MAJORS AS A UTILITYMAN AND PINCH-HITTER.

DERREK WILEY #45
JUST 23, THE 6-4, 209-POUND WILEY HAS FLASHED IMMENSE POWER AND HAS THE FRAME TO ADD ANOTHER 30 TO 40 POUNDS OF MUSCLE.

"BUT WHERE DO YOU PLAY HIM? HE'LL NEVER TAKE JUSTIN MORNEAU'S JOB AWAY AND THE RANGERS ARE FILLED WITH DH-TYPES."

HAS NINE HITS IN 34 RANGERS AT-BATS, WITH A HOMER AND FOUR RBI'S. WILL GET A SHOT SOMEWHERE IN 2011.

FELIX HERNANDEZ #10
KING FELIX GETS A "C?" WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

"YOU SAW WHAT HE COULD DO IN THE HOUSTON GAME, VIRTUALLY STONEWALLING THE ASTROS FOR 10 OF 11 INNINGS. BUT WHAT HAPPENS THE NEXT GAME? HE MAY GIVE UP FIVE RUNS IN FIVE INNINGS"

OR HE MAY BE PLAYING FIRST BASE. MANAGER RON WASHINGTON SAID HERNANDEZ WILL SEE SOME TIME THERE AFTER BATTING THE 6-3, 225-POUNDER IN THE SEVEN HOLE VS. HOUSTON.

IS 4-8, 3.55 A YEAR REMOVED FROM 19-5, 2,49 AND IN THE FIRST OF A 5-YR/$52.5M DEAL. AT JUST 23, HE HAS MORE THAN FOUR YEARS IN THE MAJORS.

BRETT GARDNER #30
THE 26-YEAR-OLD OF HAS SEEN JUST 11 AT-BATS IN TEXAS, BUT HAS HIT .313 IN AAA.

MICHAEL BRANTLEY #87
PRIMARILY BATTED LEADOFF AND PLAYED LF FOR FRISCO. WENT O-FOR-14 IN BRIEF ARLINGTON STAY AND THE 22-YEAR-OLD IS NOW IN AAA.

JUDSON BANKS #7
THE CATCHER SHOWED SOME POP WITH TEXAS, BUT MANGED JUST FIVE HITS IN 39 RANGER AT-BATS BEFORE THEE 22-YEAR-OLD WAS SENT TO AAA. JUST RELEASED IN PS3 GLITCH.

OTTO SEANEZ #92
THE RHSP, ALSO 22, HAS STARTED AND PITCHED IN LONG RELIEF IN AAA, GOING 5-0 WITHA 4.50 ERA. CLOSER IN 2011.

D

MARLIN GREER #80
YET ANOTHER 22-YEAR-OLD, THE RHSP WAS 1-1 IN TEXAS WITH A 4.30 ERA IN THREE TEXAS STARTS BUT HAS GONE 3-3, 2.79 IN AA WITH FIVE QUALITY STARTS IN EIGHT GAMES.

DYLAN JARAMILO #93
THE RHSP HAS SEEN MOSTLY BULLPEN ACTION IN AAA, GOING JUST 2-7, 4.89.

NESTOR EPPERSON #57
LHSP IS JUST 19, 0-2. 7.36 WITH TEXAS, SAME ERA IN AAA

WANDY RINCON #67
CLOSER, 19, HAS FIVE SAVES IN 30 GAMES WITH FRISCO, A 3,09 ERA AND TWO BLOWN SAVES. HAS RECORDED A DOZEN HOLDS.

JEREMY WHITTEN #91
RHSP IS 4-3, 3.77 IN 13 STARTS AT AAA, GIVING UP 66 HITS IN 74 IP WITH 36 BB AND 37 SO.

ALDO MONTANO #46
RHSP PITCHED  TWICE IN ARLINGTON, GARNERING A LOSS AND A 7.56 ERA, BUT IS 3-0, 3.19 IN AA.

CAYDEN WOOTEN #12
THE 18-YEAR-OLD HAS SPENT A BIT OF TIME IN TEXAS,BUT HAS JUST FIVE HITS IN 24 ABs, WHILE CHURNING OUT 5. 19, .313 AT AA.

GIO GONZALEZ #47
LHSP SAW ACTION WITH RANGERS FOR FIVE GAMES IN LONG RELIEF AND INSPIRED NOBODY WITH A 10.38 ERA, BUT WAS 6-2, 2.97 AS A RISCO STARTER.

GABE GROSS #75
THE 30-YEAR-OLD VETERAN POSTED FIVE HITS IN 27 TEXAS AT-BATS, WHILE CURRENTLY 13-FOR-31 (.419) IN LIMITED AAA DUTY WHILE ALSO SEEING TIME IN AA. JUST TRADED.

KOYIE HILL #75
BACKUP CATCHER THAT GM DAN RJKOWSKI OVERVALUED IN RECENT DEAL.

BRIAN BARTON #64
CALLED UP AND SENT BACK DOWN WITHIN A DAY, THE 27-YEAR-OLD CF HAS HIT .302 IN AAA.

TYLER COLVIN #17
OF HITTING .347 IN LIMITED AA DUTY.

ZANE MIDDLEBROOK #83
20-YEAR-OLD RELIEVER HAD 4.63 ERA IN 10 TEXAS APPEARANCES, WHILE DROPPING ERA TO 2.16 IN EIGHT AA GAMES.

TOSHIHSA UCHIDA #52
PLAYS ALL IF POSITIONS BUT SEEN ACTION MAINLY AT SHORT AND 2B IN TEXAS WHERE HE SURPRISED EARLY, BUT THE 20-YEAR-OLD HAS FALLEN BACK TO EARTH WITH ,225, 0, 3 NUMBERS AND A DOZEN WHIFFS IN 40 ABs.

MICHAEL BOURN #22
JUST ACQUIRED IN A TRADE, THE SPEEDY 27-YEAR-OLD WILL LIKELY GET A SHOT AT CF AND THE LEADOFF SPOT THE REST OF THE YEAR AS HE GOES TO FREE AGENCY IN 2011.

HAS HIT .313 WITH A HOMER AND 24 RBIs A YEAR REMOVED FROM A 3, 35, ,285 SEASON. HAS 22 STEALS IN 27 TRIES. MAKES A BIT OVER $4M.

CHARLIE MORTON #48
RHSP STARTED THREE GAMES FOR RANGERS, GOING 0-2 WITH A HEALTHY 13.14 ERA. IS 4-3, 4,25 IN AAA.

IAN DESMOND #3
JUST TWO HITS IN 10 ABs FOR TEXAS, WHILE HITTING 5, 13, .278 AT AA.

FELIPE PAULINO #62
RHSP STARTED FOUR TEXAS GAMES, GOING 1-2 WITH 5.82 ERA, BUT STRIKING OUT 19 IN 21 IP. GONE 2-3, 2.43 AT AA.

BRAD NELSON #65
STRICTLY BACKUP HELP AT 1B AND OF. JUST WAIVED.

ESMERLING VAZQUEZ #58
RHRP HAS DONE WELL AT AAA WITH 2-4, 1.93, ONE SAVE, THREE BS AND FOUR HOLDS.

HUGO GARZA #2
ROOKIE 3B-2B IS CURRENTLY STATIONED WITH THE RANGERS, AND HAS JUST FOUR HITS IN 19 ABs, BUT THE 19-YEAR-OLD HAS SOME POTENTIAL.\

THAI TSAO #70
JUST SIGNED LHRP.

WEON JU #63
JUST SIGNED RHRP WHOSE AGE IS REVERSE OF UNIFORM NUMER, 36.

REYNALDO JOYNER #31
RECENTLY INKED LHRP.

TADAHITO YAMAMOTO #89
THE 22-YEAR-OLD RHRP HASN'T GIVEN UP AN EARNED RUN IN 4 IP WITH AA.

JONATHAN VAN EVERY #61
30-YEAR-OLD CF HAS HIT .290 IN AA WITH 28 RBI'S.

IAN KINSLER #5
WAS IN SECOND TOUR OF DUTY WITH TEXAS AND SHOWING GOOD POWER NUMBERS BEFORE INJURY SHELVED HIM. HITTING .235 OVERALL WITH 13 BLASTS ANS 38 RUNS KNOCKED IN AFTER POSTING 31, 86, .253 NUMBERS IN 2009.

THE 27-YEAR-OLD IS IN OPENING YEAR OF 3-YR, $19.4M CONTRACT.

BILLY BUCKNER #36
RHSP GOT IN EIGHT TEXAS STARTS, GOING 3-1 WITH 5,80 ERA BEFORE ERA JUMPED TO 5.11 IN THREE AAA STARTS.

ALBERTO CALLASPO #99
SURPRISINGLY, THE 26-YEAR-OLD UTILITY INFIELDER HASN'T SEEN ANY ACTION WITH THE RANGERS AFTER DOING QUITE WELL IN SEASON ONE. HIT .300, 11, 73 WITH ROYALS IN 2009.

HITTING 7, 31, .278 AT AAA.

ROBERT RAY #60
STARTED A PAIR OF GAMES WITH TEXAS AND FOUR-GAME TOTAL INCLUDED TWO LOSSES AND 9.00 ERA.

TYLER GREENE #88
SHORTSTOP INSURANCE HAS GONE 1, 27, .242 IN 63 AAA GAMES.

MITCH ADKINS #90
RHRP HAD HEALTHY 20.25 ERA IN TWO TEXAS APPEARANCES, CURRENTLY AT 5.57 IN AAA.

STANFORD ZIMMMER #69
GETTING SECOND CHANCE TO BE TEXAS' STARTING CATCHER, THE 22-YEAR-OLD LHB IS JUST 2-13.

CHRIS JOHNSON #23
ACQUIRED AS 3B-2B INSURANCE.

CHANG-HO DO #6
OF HAS GOOD SIZE AT 6-3, 224-POUNDS, BUT THE 23-YEAR-OLD HAS MANAGED JUST 111 AT-BATS IN AAA.

F

TORO MATSUMOTO #54
18-YEAR-OLD OF FLASHED POTENTIAL IN SEASON ONE, BUT HAS BEEN STUCK IN AA WITH 4, 23, .298 NUMBERS.

CLARENCE LONEY #84
2B

KING SNYDER #94
ONCE-HIGHLY RATED CATCHER HAS FALLEN BY THE WAYSIDE.

CRAIG HANSEN #56666
RP

DIONER LOPES #93
C

SANTO BERROA #95
SS

CLA MEREDITH #26
RP

FERNANDO NIEVE #59
LHSP

JASON VARGAS #96
SAW SOME SEMI-POSITIVE ACTION WITH TEXAS.

DAN RUNZLER #77
LHRP HAS BEEN WITH TEXAS ALL SEEASON, GOING 1-1 WITH 6.08 ERA.

JASON JARAMILLO #39
NUMBER ONE BACKSTOP AFTER TRADE, SHELVED BY BAD SHOULDER.

DELWYN YOUNG #76
UTILITY PLAYER HAS RODE THE TEXAS-AAA-AA ROLLERCOASTER ALL SEASON BUT NEVER HIT ENOUGH IN THE BIGS.

 BRYON NANCE #65
19-YEAR-OLD OF PROBABLY SHOULD BE IN A BALL.

KANE McCARTHUR #84
CATCHING FODDER.

DIONER LOPES #93
MORE CATCHING FODDER.

TYLER CROOK #98
DITTO, BUT BIT OF POTENTIAL

JOHN JASO #78
DITTO.

SANTO BERROA #95
SHORTSTOP FODDER.

LINA DE AZA #79
BACKUP MINOR LEAGUE 1B.

DAN BEASHORE #86
NOT IN SS PLANS.

ROBERTO VILLANUEVA #81
NOT IN OF PLANS.

EDDY CRAMM #49
THE 4-6, 160-POUNDER HAS SURPRISED THE RANGERS, HITTING 1, 7, .278 WHILE PLAYING EXCELLENT 2B AND SS, WHILE THE 24-YEAR-OLD HAS GONE BACK TO SWITCH-HITTING AFTER DROPPING IT FOUR YEARS AGO.

HONG-CHI MA #82
UTILITYMAN FIGHTING TO STAY WITH ORGANIZATION.

HUNTER HAHN #20
BACKUP MINOR LEAGUE 1B.

13 DEFINITELY UNLUCKY FOR RANGERS

TEXAS NOW ON AUTO-PILOT

BY PAT DORWIN

SPORTSWRITER

DALLAS MORNING NEWS

WHEN THE MESS STARTED, THE RANGERS WERE IN THE MIDST OF CRAWLING THEIR WAY BACK TO RESPECTABILITY, MOVING TO WITHIN EIGHT GAMES OF .500.

THIRTEEN GAMES - AND 13 LOSSES LATER, TEXAS HAS SEEMINGLY THROWN IN THE TOWEL ON SEASON TWO-2010.

"I WOULDN'T REALLY SAY THAT," SAID TEXAS PLAYMASTER LEE GANNON. "OK, MAYBE I WOULD."

GANNON IS THE MAN ULTIMITALY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RANGERS' PLAY ON THE FIELD. IN THE MIDST OF THE LOSING STREAK, GANNON DECIDED TO GO TO FAST-FORWARD MODE.

"I FAST-FORWARD EACH HALF-INNING TO JUST OUR AT-BATS," GANNON SAYS. "OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NOT BEEN WORKING WELL."

GANNON WILL ALSO FAST-FORWARD ENTIRE GAMES AT TIMES (ALTHOUGH NOT DURING STREAKS) AND WILL FF TO LATER INNINGS TO SEE IF TEXAS CAN PULL WITHIN A COUPLE OF RUNS, THEN PLAY IT OUT.
THE STREAK INCLUDES LOSSES TO THE ROYALS (12-4), MINNESOTA (4-2, 10-9 AND 10-1), THE WHITE SOX (6-1, 9-1 AND 10-7) TAMPA BAY (5-2, 8-1 AND 15-1) AND THE MARINERS (4-1, 13-6 AND 10-3, WITH THE SERIES FINALE COMING UP).

"THE LOSING STREAK SHOULD HAV STOPPED AT 12, BUT A PS3 GLITCH DIDN'T SAVE ROOKIE PITCHER ROBERT RAY'S STRONG SEVEN INNINGS IN HIS FIRST MAJOR-LEAGUE START," GANNON SAID.

MORE NEW BLOOD HEADED TO TEXAS

BY PAT DORWIN

SPORTSWRITER

DALLAS MORNING NEWS

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER TRANSACTION.

SUCH IS LIFE WHEN YOU'RE PART OF A PROFESSIONAL SPORTS ORGANIZATION SEEKING AN IDENTITY WHILE TRYING TO LURE NEW OWNERSHIP WHILE BEING RUN BY THE LEAGUE ITSELF.

THE RANGERS BINGE-AND-PURGE MORE THAN ANY ACTRESS UNDER THE AGE OF 30 EVER HAS.

IT SEEMS LIKE INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER DAN RAJKOWSKI IS HOPING PLAYSTATION3 SEASON TWO-2010 WILL EVAPORATE MUCH AS SEASON ONE-2010 DISAPPEARED FROM THE COMPUTER SCREEN.

"THAT'S REALLY NOT THE CASE," SAYS RAJKOWSKI. "WE'VE MADE PLENTY OF OFFERS AND GOT NO TAKERS - IT'S SURE TOUGH - IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE - TO PASS ON GUYS LIKE (FELIX) HERNANDEZ, JOSH JOHNSON AND COLE HAMELS."

HAMELS WAS ACQUIRED MAY 21 FROM ATLANTA ALONG WITH 2B IAN KINSLER AND CATCHER JASON JARAMILLO. GOING TO THE BRAVES WERE HEAVY-HITTING SHORTSTOP YUNAR ESCOBAR, RECENTLY ACQUIRED BACKSTOP YORVIT TORREALBA AND ONCE-PROMISING THIRD BASEMAN ANDY MARTE,

"YUNAR DID EVERYTHING WE ASKED OF HIM AND MORE," SAID RAJKOWSKI. "HE WAS ABOUT TO TAKE OVER THE ONE OR TWO SPOTS IN THE BATTING ORDER."

RAJKOWSKI SAID CONTRACT-LENGTH AGAIN PLAYED INTO THIS DEAL, AS HAS BEEN THE CASE IN MANY PICKUPS. HE ADDED KINSLER MAY SEE TIME AT SHORTSTOP, ALTHOUGH THE EMERGENCE OF ROOKIES EDDY CRAMM AND TOSHIHSHA UCHIDA (CURRENTLY DISABLED WITH BACK PROBLEMS) MAY LEAVE KINSLER AT SECOND BASE, MOVING SKIP SCHUMAKER TO THE OUTFIELD.

THE 16-27 RANGERS ARE EIGHT GAMES BACK IN THE WEST AND NINE BACK OF WILD CARD LEADERS CHICAGO.

"WE'VE HAD A STREAKY MONTH OF MAY," RAJKOWSKI UNDERSTATED.

THE STREAKY RANGERS HAVE GONE 5-1, 1-5, 4-0 BEFORE DROPPING THEIR LAST FOUR GAMES.

NOTES:CRAMM HAS SHOWN AN INREDIBLE KNACK FOR TURNING A DOUBLE-PLAY FROM SECOND-BASE, AND THE 5-FOOT-6, 150-POUNDER IS PONDERING A RETURN TO SWITCH-HITTING. THE 24-YEAR-OLD ABANDONED IT AFTER HIS FIRST TWO PROFESSIONAL SEASONS AFTER HITTING. 303 RIGHT-HANDED BUT 40 POINTS LOWER FROM THE LEFT-SIDE.

"I SAW A SET OF TEAM CARDS IN THE GIFT SHOP, AND MINE SHOWED ME BATTING LEFT-HANDED IN A EXHIBITION HERE AT THE STADIUM WHEN I WAS 19," CRAMM SAID.

HITTING COACH CLINT HURDLE EXPECTS CRAMM TO TEST HIMSELF SOON.

UCHIDA WAS A REVELATION IN HIS SHORT TIME BEFORE STRAINING HIS LOWER BACK, GOING 4-FOR-7 WITH 3 RUNS DRIVEN IN.

"THE EMERGENCE OF HIM AND CRAMM ALLOWED US TO TRADE YUNEL," RAJKOWSKI SAID.

ESCOBAR HAD SCORED ONLY NINE RUNS, WHILE DRIVING IN 17, BUT HAD ONE OF THE CLUB'S HIGHER ON-BASE PERCENTAGES.

STAT STRETCH

(STATS WITH OTHER MLB TEAMS INCLUDED)

AB   H   AVG  HR   RBI

JARAMILLO    54     21  . 389     0      6 

DOLAN   50  19    .380   1     9

SCHUMAKER   36  107   .336      0    5

BRAUN     54   169   ,320       10    28    

CRAMM    5   17    .294     1    1

L ORTIZ   11  38   .289     1    3

MORNEAU   45 158   .285    13   31

SWISHER   31  117  .265   11  23

CRUISE  34  137  .248    8   19

GROSS   3   13  .231  0   1

KINSLER    33   148   .223   10    27

         WOOTEN  4   22    .182   0  0

                               ZIMMER  1   9   .111   0   0   1                             

RANGERS HEAD STRAIGHT FOR THE MOUND

BY PAT DORWIN

SPORTSWRITER

DALLAS MORNING NEWS

LET'S MAKE A DEAL.

AND ANOTHER.

AND MAYBE ONE MORE TO BOOT.

AFTER OPENING MAY WITH FOUR WINS IN FIVE GAMES - TEXAS FOLLOWED UP IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION - DROPPING FOUR OF ITS NEXT FIVE GAMES.

THEN THE VAULT OPENED UP SOMEWHAT AS THE THE RANGERS ADDED PITCHERS FELIX HERNANDEZ AND JOSH JOHNSON OVER TWO DAYS (MAY 12 AND 13) AT A COST OF ICHIRO, JAY BRUCE, ROBINSON CANO, DAVID FRESE, TIM WAKEFIELD  AND CASEY McGHEE.

PITCHER BOTH "KING FELIX" AND JOHNSON - PERHAPS THE BEST REAL MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHER OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS - ARE IN THE INITIAL SEASONS OF 5-YEAR CONTRACTS, WITH HERNANDEZ (2-4) EARNING $9.5 MILLION IN 2010 AND JOHNSON (3-3 AND 4.13 ERA) GETTING $8.8 MILLION.

TEXAS ALSO PICKED UP MINOR LEAGUE CATCHER JUDSON BANKS AND ARE RUMORED TO BE STILL LOOKING FOR STARTING PITCHERS DESPITE KEEPING JASON VARGAS (2-0, 3.48) IN THE ROTATION AND ADDING PROSPECTS BILLY BUCKNER AND MADISON BUMGARNER - THEIR SECOND SHOTS AT STAYING IN THE ROTATION.

"YES, WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF TURNOVER," SAID INTERIM GENERAL MANAGER DAN RAJKOWSKI. "BUT I THINK THAT WAS TO BE EXPECTED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T ADDRESS THE ROTATION WELL ENOUGH IN THE FREE AGENT DRAFT FOR SEASON TWO OF 2010."

MAT LATOS REPLACES WAKEFIELD AS THE TEAM'S LONG RELIEVER BUT WON'T BE THERE LONG IF BUCKNER OR BUMGARNER FALTER.

WITH MLB RUNNING THE RANGERS (13-23)  IN THE WAKE OF THE FORTHCOMING SALE OF THE TEAM, TEXAS ADDED TWO VERY SOLID STARTERS, RAJKOWSKI SAID. THE MINOR LEAGUERS CALLED UP AFTER THE DEALS OFFER AVERAGE (OF BRETT GARDNER), POP (FIRST BASEMAN DERREK WILEY AND VERSATILITY IN ANDY MARTE AND TOSHIHISA UCHIDA ADDING THE VERSATILITY AS THEY CAN PLAY ALL OVER THE INFIELD BESIDE CATCHER, WHICH WILL TAKEN OVER BY YORVIT TORREALBA, ACQUIRED FROM THE NATIONALS.

TORREALBA (.361, 4, 13) COST TEXAS A TOP BACKSTOP PROSPECT IN NELSON MYLES BUT HAS BEEN GETTING LITTE OFFENSE FROM THAT SLOT.

"THIS WILL GIVE GUYS LIKE SKIP SCHUMAKER (2B-OF) AND GRAHAM DOLAN (OF) MORE OF A CHANE TO BECOME EVERYDAY PLAYERS," RAJKOWSKI SAID.

HERNNANDEZ GAVE UP THREE FIRST-INNING RUNS FRIDAY, MAY 14 - INCLUDING SOLO HOMERS BY CAN0 AND TROT TULOWITZKI - BUT WAS THE BENEFIICIARY OF AN EIGHT-RUN RANGERS EXPLOSION IN THE FOURTH INNING FRIDAY, MAY 14 TO PICK UP HIS THIRD WIN.

SCHUMAKER, RYAN BRAUN AND YUNEL ESCOBAR EACH HAD THREE OF THE RANGERS' 19 HITS.

LOSING ICHIRO ($13.3 MILLION IN THE FIRST OF A 3-YEAR CONTRACT), CANO ($2.2 MILLION ON OPENER OF A 2-YEAR DEAL), McGHEE ($420,000 IN HIS WALK YEAR), BRUCE ($410,000, WHO IS JUST 22 YEARS OLD AND WILL BE LOOKING FOR A BIG FREE AGENT DEAL), FRESE (STUCK IN THE MINORS WITH A $400,000, SINGLE-SEASON CONTRACT), AND WAKEFIELD (MAKING $1 MILLION IN HIS ONLY TIME IN TEXAS), SHOULDN'T HURT TOO TERRIBLY.

ICHIRO, NOW 36 YEARS OLD, NEVER GOT IT GOING OFFENSIVELY AND BRUCE WAS STRUGGLING AS WELL, ALTHOUGH THE PAIR'S STELLAR DEFENSE WILL BE MISSED.

NICK SWISHER REMAINS SIDELINED WITH LOWER BACK PAIN.

EARLY MAY UPDATE

BY PAT DORWIN

SPORTSWRITER

DALLAS MORNING NEWS

THE RANGERS' ROSTER FINALLY BEGAN TO STABILIZE IN EARLY MAY DESPTE THE LOSS OF TOP STARTING PITCHER RANDY WOLF TO A FRACTURED ARM THAT WILL KEEP HIM OUT ONE- TO TWO-MONTHS.

OTHER STARTING PITCHERS CAME AND WENT, WITH THE CURRENT ROTATION FOLLOWING WOLF'S INJURY CONSISTING OF ALDO MONTANO (INITIAL START SET FOR SATURDAY, MAY 8 VS THE ROYALS), FELIPE PAULINO (1-1, 5.03 ERA, 17 SO, 3 BB), JASON VARGAS (0-0, 4.26), MARLIN GREER (1-0. 1.69)  AND NESTOR EPPERSON (0-0, 10.13, 1 SO, 6 BB).

"OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE HURTING WITHOUT RANDY (WOLF)," SAID MANAGER RON WASHINGTON. "VARGAS AND THE YOUNGSTERS WILL HAVE TO STEP UP."

THE BULLPEN HAS LONG RELIEVER TIM WAKEFIELD (0-2, 7.62, 19 SO, 11 BB), CRAIG HANSEN (0-1, 6.97. 9 SO, 5 BB), DAN RUNZLER (1-1, 4.15, 16 SO, 10 BB), ZANE MIDDLEBROOK (1 GAME, 13.50), RANDY CHOATE (0-0, 7.59, 5 SO. 7 BB) AND RYAN FRANKLIN (0-0, 1.29 AND SEVEN SAVES).

THE RANGERS HAVE WON ONLY ONE-THIRD OF THEIR GAMES (9-18), WITH  A DISMAL TEAM ERA OF 6.78 AND JUST FIVE QUALITY STARTS, TWO BY WOLF.

THE HITTING HAS STARTED TO COME AROUND, WITH A TEAM AVERAGE NEAR .270. THE TEAM HAS WON THREE OF FOUR TO START THE MONTH, WITH AN INCREDIBLE COMEBACK MAY 2 AT SEATTLE.

"WE PUT UP A NINE-SPOT IN THE TOP OF THE NINTH TO TAKE A 14-9 LEAD, THEN WEATHERED A COUPLE OF RUNS BY SEATTLE AS (RYAN) FRANKLIN CAME IN TO GET THE LAST OUT WITH THE BASES LOADED," SAID WASHINGTON.

CF JAY BRUCE, 2B ROBINSON CANO AND SS YUNEL ESCOBAR EACH HAD FOUR HITS, AS TEXAS BANGED OUT 24 TOTAL KNOCKS.

"IT CERTAINLY FEELS GOOD AFTER A LONG SPRING TRAINING," SAID ESCOBAR, THE SUBJECT OF TRADE RUMORS MOST OF MARCH AND UP UNTIL OPENING DAY.

CANO WAS RECALLED FROM AAA OKLAHOMA CITY AFTER SOURCES INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION SAID CANO WAS DEMOTED FOR INSUBORDINATION.

"WHO KNOWS WHAT WAS GOING ON, I SURE DON'T," CANO SAID OF A TEAM THAT IS BEING RUN BY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AS IT LOOKS FOR A BUYER. "IT'S ALMOST LIKE MARK CUBAN IS RUNNING THE SHOW."

CUBAN, MENTIONED A FEW TIMES AS A POTENTIAL OWNER, WILL NOT BE, MLB SOURCES SAY.

CANO HAS LIFTED HIS AVERAGE TO .313 IN 67 AT-BATS. THE TEAM'S FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK, RYAN BRAUN, IS THE ONL PLAYER TO SEE ACTION IN ALL 27 GAMES AND IS HITTING .314.

THE ONLY OTHER TWO PLAYERS WITH MORE THAN 100 AT-BATS ARE ICHIRO (.240) AND JUSTIN MORNEAU (.320, 9, 20). ESCOBAR LEADS THE TEAM AT .338, WITH BACKUP OF GRAHAM DOLAN (.323 IN 31 ABs) THE ONLY PLAYER WITH THOSE LISTED DIRECTLY ABOVE HITTING MORE THAN .300.

SKIP SCHUMAKER (.284) GOT AN EARLY CHANCE AT 2B AND OF, BUT SEEMS DESTINED TO A SPOT-STARTER ROLE. THE CLUB IS NOW FINDING A PLACE FOR NICK SWISHER TO PLAY EVERYDAY, AS THE 29-YEAR-OLD HAS SEVEN HOMERS AMONG HIS 20 HITS.

BRUCE HAS BATTLED BACK TO REACH ICHIRO AT .240 AND SETTLE INTO THE NO. 2 SLOT. ICHIRO IS SHOWING LITTLE PATIENCE DURING HIS SLUMP, BUT HAS SCORED 15 RUNS, HIT A TEAM-HIGH NINE DOUBLES AND STOLEN FIVE BASES.

ROOKIE NEVILLE CRUISE HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVELY AT THIRD, ALTHOUGH THE 18-YEAR-OLD IS HITTING JUST .238, BUT HAS 10 EXTRA-BASE HITS AND IS THIRD ON THE CLUB WITH 15 RBI'S.

A REVOLVING DOOR AT CATCHER SEES ROOKIE KING SNYDER GETTING HIS SECOND SHOT AT THE FULLTIME JOB, WITH CASEY McGHEE AGAIN THE PRIMARY BACKUP, MEANING HE COVERS EVERYWHERE BUT SHORTSTOP IN THE INFIELD.

ROOKIE IAN DESMOND BACKS UP ESCOBAR, AND OFFERS SPEED, BUT NOT MUCH MORE, SO LOOK FOR ESCOBAR TO STAY PUT.

"WE'LL LOOK TO REGAIN AND THEM MAINTAIN OUR CONSISTENCY," WASHINGTON SAID.

ZERO STEPS FORWARD, THREE STEPS BACK-SEASON TWO

THE PITCHING-POOR RANGERS STRUGGLED TO A 5-15 START, TIED WITH PITTSBURGH FOR WORST OVERALL RECORD. THE PITCHING STAFF WAS YIELDING 7.14 EARNED RUNS PER GAME, BUT IT'S NOT AS IF THE STAFF WAS GETTING HELP FROM MANY OF ITS HITTERS.

TEXAS' .251 BATTING AVERAGE WAS LOW, BUT HADN'T PLUMMETTED TO THE DEPTHS OF FLORIDA (.241),  ARIZONA (.239), PITTSBURGH (.235), PHILADELPHIA (.227) ROCKIES (.240).         

SPRING TRAINING POSITIONAL ROSTER

SP                                             contract/year/salary
MLB
RANDY WOLF                                1/3  33   4.9M
MAT LATOS                                    1/1  22    400K
DELMON BHADELIA                     1/3  20    374K
OTTO SEANEZ                                1/2  22    385K
LEIGH WEIR                                    1/2  19    385K
NESTOR EPPERSON                      1/3  19    374K
BILLY BUCKNER                           1/1  26    400K
DANIEL HUDSON                          1/1  22   400K

AAA
MASAO OGAWA                            1/2   18   385K
MADISON BUMGARNER              1/1   20   400K
DYLAN JARAMILLO                      1/3   18   374K
JEREMY WHITTEN                         1/3   21   374K

AA
MARLIN GREER                              1/2   22   385K
ALDO MONTANO                          1/3   23   374K
CHARLIE MORTON                        1/1   26   410K
GIO GONZALEZ                              1/1   24   400K
FERNANDO NIEVE                         1/1   27   400K

RP
MLB
TIM WAKEFIELD                             1/2   43   1.4M
RANDOLPH GINDL                         1/3   20   374K
RANDY CHOATE                             1/1   34   290K
ESMERLING VASQUEZ                  1/1   26   400K
CRAIG HANSEN                               1/1   26   400K
CLA MEREDITH                                1/1   26   540K
DAN RUNZLER                                 1/1   24   390K

AAA
IRA SOLERI                                       1/2   21   385K
ZANE MIDDLEBROOK                    1/2   20   258K

AA
MITCH ATKINS                                 1/1   24   270K


CP
MLB
RYAN FRANKLIN                             1/1   36   5.4M
COLTON METZGER                          3/3   28   34K
MARCEL McARTHUR                        1/3   23   374K
WANDY RINCON                              1/2   19    385K

C
MLB
NELSON MYLES                                 1/2   19   385K
TYLER CROOK                                    1/1   21   180K
KING SNYDER                                     1/2   22   136K

AAA
STANFORD ZIMMER                           1/2   22   82K

AA
SHINICHI IGUCHI                                1/2    20   53K
JOHN JASO                                           1/1    26   60K

1B
MLB
JUSTIN MORNEAU                              1/5   28   6.5M
NICK SWISHER                                    1/2   29   882K
DERREK WILEY                                    1/2   23   385K

AA
PATRICK HAGER                                  1/1   27   40K
ANDY TRACY                                        1/1   36   40K

2B
MLB
ROBINSON CANO                                 1/2   27   2.2M
SKIP SCHUMAKER                                1/1   30   920K

AAA
ALBERTO CALLASPO                            1/1  26   410K

AA
EDDY CRAMM                                         1/1   24   30K

3B
MLB
CASEY McGHEE                                       1/1   27   420K
NEVILLE CRUISE                                      1/3   18   374K
LORENZO ORTIZ                                      1/2   19   385K

AAA
DAVID FREESE                                          1/1   26   400K
HUGO GARZA                                            1/3   19   374K

AA
ANDY MARTE                                            1/1   26   180K

SS
MLB
YUNEL ESCOBAR                                      1/1   27   1.5M
IAN DESMOND                                           1/1   24   400K

AAA
TYLER GREENE                                           1/1   20   270K

AA
TOSHIHISA UCHIDA                                   1/3   20   104K
DAN BEASHORE                                          1/3   20   31K
HONG-CHIH MA                                           1/2   23   34K

LF
MLB
RYAN BRAUN                                               1/6   26   6.8M
GRAHAM DOLAN                                         1/2   21   385K
CARLOS GONZALEZ                                    1/1   24    400K
BRETT GARDNER                                          1/1   26   400K
DELWYN YOUNG                                          1/1   27   330K

AAA
CHA SEUNG LEE                                            1/2  24   385K

AA
MICHAEL BRANTLEY                                   1 /1   22   180K

CF
MLB
BRIAN BARTON                                              1/1   27   220K

AAA
BRYON NANCE                                               1/3   19   82K

AA
JONATHAN VAN EVERY                                1/1   30   50K

RF
MLB
ICHIRO                                                               1/3   36   13.3M
JAY BRUCE                                                        1/1   22   410K
TYLER COLVIN                                                 1/1   24   40K

AAA
CAYDEN WOOTEN                                           1/2   18   385K
AUSTIN KEARNS                                               1/1   29   390K

AA
GABE GROSS                                                       1/1   30   220K
TORU MATAUMOTO                                          1/2   18   220K

DRAFT TWO-2010

DRAFT TWO-2010

FELT MUCH MORE PREPARED GOING INTO THIS FANTASY DRAFT AS I KNEW WHAT PLAYERS I HAVE HAD - AND PLAYED AGAINST CAN DO. I WAS ALSO ABLE TO LOOK AT THE PLAYERS' ATTRIBUTES AND CONTRACTS, SOMETHING I HADN'T TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN MY INITIAL DRAFT.

SINCE MY PS3 ONLY STARTED HAVE PROBLEMS AFTER GETTING IT ONLINE, I WILL STAY OFFLINE WITH IT (NOT GETTING THE SHOW'S WEEKLY UPDATES THAT ADD NEW PLAYERS, LIKE CRAIG HEYWARD, AND THOSE HAVING STRONG SEASONS, SUCH AS PITCHERS UBALDO JMINEZ AND MAT LATOS). THIS IS SOMETHING I TOOK INTO ACCOUNT IN HE FIRST DRAFT.

I PICKED AT 13TH FOR THIS DRAFT, AFTER CHOOSING FOURTH IN DRAFT ONE. FOLLOWS IS A RECAP OF THE FIRST FOUR ROUNDS AND MY COMMENTS AS TO WHY I PICKED WHO I DID, WHO I WAS HOPING TO GET AND WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED.

THIS WAS A TYPICAL "SNAKE" FANTASY DRAFT AND I WAS HAPPY TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF 30 TEAMS.

ROUND 1

1-TIM LINCECUM SP METS

2-ROY HALLADAY SP BREWERS

3-JOE MAUER C ROYALS

4-HANLEY RAMIREZ SS REDS

5-JONATHAN BROXTON CP INDIANS

6-ALBERT PUJOLS 1B MARINERS

7-JOSE REYES SS REDSOX

8-MARK TEXEIRA 1B ORIOLES

9-RYAN HOWARD 1B PIRATES

10-BRANDON WEBB SP CUBS

11-JOHAN SANTANA P PHILLIES

12-C.C. SABATHIA ASTROS

13-RYAN BRAUN OF RANGERS
MY THINKING HERE WAS TO GRAB A YOUNGER PLAYER WITH AT LEAST A 3-YEAR CONTRACT. I SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED SNAGGING AROD HERE, BUT WAS A BIT TURNED OFF BY HIS AGE (34) AND LENGTH OF CONTRACT INVOLVED (EIGHT YEARS).

MIGUEL CABRERA WAS A CONSIDERATION AS WELL, BUT SONY'S CRACK PRODUCTION SQUAD SEEMED NOT TO LKE HIM AS MUCH, ALTHOUGH HE HAD A LONG  CONTRACT, I DECIDED TO GO WITH BRAUN AND HIS SECOND-HALF COMEBACK AND PASS ON JOSH HAMILTON AS WELL.

BRAUN'S SIX-YEAR DEAL IS FOR ABOUT $42 MILLION. ALSO FIGURED IF A TON OF GOOD OFs WERE AVAILABLE, I COULD MOVE BRAUN BACK TO 3B, HOPEFULLY WITH THE SUCCESS I HAD WITH ALBERT PUJOLS IN SEASON ONE-2010.


14-CHASE UTLEY 2B CARDINALS

15-JONATHAN PAPELBON CP DBACKS

16-JOSH HAMILTON OF GIANTS

17-MATT KEMP OF TWINS

18-PRINCE FIELDER 1B YANKEES

19-JAKE PEAVY P NATIONALS

20-MIGUEL CABRERA OF ANGELS

21-JOSE VALVERDE CP ROCKIES

22-TROY TULOWITZKI SS JAYS

23-CARLOS BELTRAN OF DODGERS

24-EVAN LONGORIA 3B  RAYS

25-RAFAEL SORIANO CP A'S

26-KEVIN YOUKILIS 1B BRAVES

27-JIMMY ROLLINS SSWHITE SOX

28-ALEX RODRIGUEZ SS TIGERS

29-DAN HAREN P MARLINS

30-FELIX HERNANDEZ P PADRES

2ND ROUND
1-HEATH BELL CP PADRES

2-SETH GRIENKE P MARLINS

3-HUNTER PENCE OF TIGERS

4-JASON BAY OF WHITE SOX

5-IAN KINSLER 2B BRAVES  KERSWA?

6-DEREK JETERS SS A'S

7-JOE NATHAN CP RAYS

8-CHAD BILLINGSLY P DODGERS

9-JOSH JOHNSON P JAYS

10-JUSTIN VERLANDER P ROCKIES

11-ANDREW BAILEY P ANGELS

12-ADRIAN G\ONZALEZ 1B NATIONALS

13-JAYSON WERTH OF YANKEES

14-JUSTIN UPTON OF TWINS

15-MARK REYNOLDS 3B GIANTS
16-BRANDON PHILLIPS 2B DBACKS

17-SHANE VICTORINO OF CARDINALS

18-ICHIRO OF RANGERS

DAVID WRIGHT (3-YEAR CONTRACT), DUSTIN PEDROIA (5-YEAR), CARL CRAWFORD (1-YEAR) AND GRADY SIZEMORE (2-YEAR) WERE ALL POSSIBILITES HERE, BUT WENT WITH ICHIRO (3-YEAR) AFTER SEEING HIM THE LIKELY NL MVP CHOICE WITH THE PHILLIES IN SEASON ONE.

19-DAVID WRIGHT 3B ASTROS

20-GRADY SIZEMORE OF PHILLIES

21-ARAMIS RAMIREZ 3B CUBS

22-CHRIS CARPENTER P PIRATES

23-TORII HUNTER OF ORIOLES

24-DEREK LEE 1B REED SOX

25-CARLOS MARMOL CP MARINERS

26-LANCE BERKMAN 1B INDIANS

27-MATT CAIN P REDS

28-JOEY VOTTO 1B ROYALS

29-ADAM WAINWRIGHT P BREWERS

30-BEN SHEETS P METS

ROUND 3
1-MATT HOLLIDAY OF METS

2-BRIAN McCANN C BREWERS

3-JOAKIM SORIA CP ROYALS

4-KENDRY MORALES 1B REDS

5-DUSTIN PEDROIA 2B INDIANS

6-RYAN ZIMMERMAN 3B MARINERS

7-JAVIER VAZQUEZ P RED SOX

8-SCOTT BAKER P ORIOLES

9-CARL CRAWFORD OF PIRATES

10-CARLOS PENA 1B CUBS

11-JOSH BECKETT P PHILLIES

12-BOBBY JENKS CP ASTROS

13-TEXAS JUSTIN MORNEAU 1B RANGERS

GUYS I HOPED WOULD DROP MY WAY INCLUDED CRAWFORD, AND I CONSIDERED VICTOR MARTINEZ, YOVANI GALLARDO AND BILLY WAGNER - AS CLOSERS WERE GOING FAST - BUT LIKE SECOND BASEMEN AND CATCHERS IN A REAL FANTASY DRAFT, I IGNORED CLOSERS SINCE ALMOST ALL THE GOOD ONES WERE GONE. MORNEAU HAS A 5-YEAR DEAL.

14-BRIAN WILSON P CARDINALS

15-RAFAEL FURCAL SS DBACKS

16-CHADS QUALLS RP GIANTS

17-JUAN RIVERA OF TWINS

18-CARLOS LEE, YANKEES 1B

19-FRANCISCO CORDERO CP NATIONALS

20-MARK BUEHERLE P ANGELS

21-NELSON CRUZ OF ROCKIES

22-VICTOR MARTINEZ C JAYS

23-YOVANI GALLARDO P DODGERS

24-ROY OSWALT P P JAYS

25-CARLOS ZAMBRANO P A's

26-COLE HAMELS P BRAVES

27-CLIFF LEE P WHITE SOX

28-SHIN-SOO CHOO OF TIGERS

29-BEN ZOBRIST 2B MARLINS

30-JERED WEAVER P PADRES

ROUND FOUR
1-JAMES SHIELDS P PADRES

2-FRANKIE RODRIGUEZ CP MARLINS

3-RYAN DEMPSTER P TIGERS

4-MIKE GONZALEZ CP WHITE SOX

5-ADAM LIND OF BRAVES

6-AARON HILL 2B A's

7-HUNTER PENCE OF RAYS

8-JORGE CANTU 1B DODGERS

9-GARRETT JONES 1B JAYS

10-JOHN LACKEY P ROCKIES

11-CHIPPER JONES 3B ANGELS

12-PABLO SANDOVAL 3B NATIONALS

13-CLAYTON KERSHAW P YANKEES

14-ADAM DUNN OF MIN

15-ALEXEI RAMIREZ SS GIAINTS

16-MANNY RAMIREZ OF DBACKS

17-A.J. BURNEETT P CARDINALS

18-ROBINSON CANO 2B RANGERS
PRETTY EASY DECISION HERE, EVEN WITH ONLY A TWO-YEAR CONTRACT.

19-MAGGLIO ORDONEZ OF ASTROS

20-BILLY WAGNER CP PHILLIES

21-JAIR JURRENS P CUBS

22-ZACH DUKE P PIRATES

23-JON LESTER P ORIOLES

24-RICKY NOLASCO P RED SOX

25-YADIER MOLINA C MARINERS

26-ALFONSO SORIANO OF INDIANS

27-ORLANDO HUDSON 2B REDS

28-ANDRE ETHIER OF ROYALS

29-JASON BARTLETT SS BREWERS

30-CHONE FIGGINS 3B METS

ROSTER

AS OF 8-5-10

RANGERS

SP
35 UBALDO JIMENEZ R
55 JOSH JOHNSON     R
28 L WEIR                     L
51 MAT LATOS            R
59 JON NIESE              L


AAA
SP
36 BILLY BUCKNER     R
0 RAFAEL VALLLE        L
11 HAL BROUSSARD    R
84 FERNANDO NIEVE   L
98 JOULOUS CHACIN   L


AA
SP
7 THEODORE STARK     R
37 CHARLIE MORTON   R
93 WILLIAMS CORREIA  R
77 WAYNE MITCHELTREE  L
70 DANIEL HUDSON       R

TEXAS
RP
25 M LUNA
18 EDDIE GUARDADO      L
71 SCOTT LINEBRINK      R
43 BRANDON LEAGUE     R
52 JASON BULGER            R
15 RAMIRO DIAS               L
54 JOAQUIN BENOIT        R

AAA
RP
88 A REYNA
90 D DELLAERO
75 BOONE LOGAN     L
47 M MARINO
72 R DOOLEY
91 ANTONY GOBBLE  R
66 M McARTHUR

AA
RP
81 SUNG-UK HONG
19 L YOUNT
83 HYMAN SWANN
12 THERON STORY
67 Q LUTZ
82 T YAMAMOTO
96 SHAD IVERSON
69 ALPHONSE MANN


TEXAS
POSITION PLAYERS
45 S SCHUMAKER
44 N SWISHER
5 A PUJOLS
2 H RAMIREZ
32 J BRUCE
27 G DOLAN
56 K SNYDER
23 N CRUISE
97 T NAKAJIMA
17 T COLVIN
49 D WILEY
29 R PAULINO
10 A CALLASPO


AAA
POSITION PLAYERS
8 O VILLA
50 CHANG SEUNG LEE
32 R BUCKLEY
57 T CROWE
41 T MOSQUERA
89 M MAIER
85 B NANCE
61 D KINSLER
92 J JASO
95 S ZIMMER
94 J SHAVER
31 T UCHIDA


AA
POSITION PLAYERS
20 B FERREIRA
9 T MATSUMATO
58 J MORALES
33 H GARZA
14 H PUNTO
71 M WESTBROOK
48 K THORMAN
1 BYUNG-HYUN CHO
79 L BLANCHARD
63 F ALCANTARA
30 D MILES
 
DISABLED LIST
64 T HUNTER

62 R BRIGNAC

73 B GARDNER
22 J ELLSBURY

3 I DESMOND
6 E PATTERSON
65 J LOBATON
60 M PELFREY

IN THE BEGINNING...

Bohn.

Ian Bohn.

No, he's not a new agent promoted to "Double O" status for Her Majesty's Secret Service.

He certainly isn't 008, a replacement for 007, James Bond.

Ian Bohn is the Yankees' starting leftfielder and cleanup hitter. Sorry New York fans, things like that happen when you set up a franchise on "The Show: MLB 10" for the Playstation3 and use a fantasy draft.

I am not sure what round Bohn was drafted in - I had control only over the drafting of my team, the Rangers - while the computer filled out the 75 selections for every other general manager, enough to stock each Major League team, along with its AAA and AA squads.

So that's how the Yankees ended up with Ian Bohn in their lineup after what have must been a strong spring training - and he wasn't bad over his first 10 games - hitting more than .300 with six RBI's when my Texas team came calling at the new Yankee Stadium.

But, ugh, Ian Bohn hitting cleanup, where the likes of Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey, Joe Dimaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield and Alex Rodriguez had all likely hit?

Even Robinson Cano has batted fourth for the Yanks.

I promptly dropped two of three to the Yanks, losing the first game 11-7. Bohn went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, but gained revenge in the third game of the series. With New York trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Bohn, who was now hitting hitting eighth in the order, slammed a three-run homer off my closer, Brandon League, to deliver a 6-5 win for the Yankees and earning me the aptly-named "Choker Trophy."
What's in store for the video Ian Bohn? Is he even a Yankee prospect or just a ficticious player The Show adds to its game? A Google search for the name yields 2,050,000 results in a lightning like 0.27 seconds. Hey, there he is on Facebook, a photo of him standing by a pool. Looks too skinny to hit fourth, however. But wait, there's a YouTube video of an Ian Bohn booting a 60-yard field goal; another Ian Bohn is a high-school newspaper writer, another Ian Bohn was honored in Australia for his rugby play in 1995 by the QUT Student Guild.

Another Ian Bohn runs his own business in the United Kingdom - maybe he's a spy after all as adding the word "Yankees" after Ian Bohn gives us no clues he's a real professional ballplayer.

Moving on, the Yankees' computer GM must have been hungover on draft day, as NY's lineup the first time I played them was: Edgar Renteria, SS; Ronnie Belliard, 2B; Carlos Beltran, CF; Bohn; Jorge Cantu, 1B; Garrett Anderson, DH; Jermaine Dye, RF; Alex Gordon, 3B; and Chris Snyder, C.

You don't even want to know who the starting pitcher was for this lineup that probably averaged at least 34 years old. Couple that with the fact Beltran's just returning to the real majors after rehabbing from injury and Anderson and Dye weren't even in the big leagues to start this this year, and woe could be the Yankees on my PS3.

The game itself is challenging enough that I play it on "veteran" setting, one step below the easist level. Seeing how my record against the computer is less than .500, I am not ready to go "primetime" and go online and play, basically because I'm not used to fielding and throwing. In my settings, the computer catches and throws to the correct base, unlike me.

Simply pitching, hitting and stealing bases is enough for me. Of course, I like to fill out lineups, make trades and sign free agents that blossom.

When I first got the game in the spring, I tried using the Twins as a franchise, primarily because their stunning new outdoor stadium is rendered in such fine detail. Then I tried playing a season with one of my favorite teams, the Brewers, but they were awful.

Those records were lost after I had to exchange the game, as it would freeze quite a bit, mostly on plays at third base. The new game did it a time or two, so I thought it was just a glitch with the game, but it hasn't happened in a few months.

Moving on to playing a season as the Tampa Bay Rays, I found this mode pretty cool and made some deals that helped me. During the 2010 season, I acquired third baseman Mark Reynolds and outfielder Conor Jackson from the Diamondbacks in a multiplayer deal that included my slumping third baseman, Evan Longoria. I hovered around 10 games under .500 for the season, but showed some promise for 2011 as Reynolds, Jackson, Ben Zobrist, Carl Crawford, pitchers James Shields, Matt Garza and Luke Hochevar had strong years.

A couple of mid-season callups, outfielders I had never heard of, showed enough promise to allow me to let Crawford leave for Baltimore as a free agent. But Crawford's replacement in left field was hurt fielding a ball in the top of the first inning on opening day, a harbinger of things to come.

Through my adept management skills, plus a very leaky bullpen, I somehow "led" the Rays to a 1-18 start.

One win in 19 games? What in the name of Boof Bonser was going on here?

Boof?

Bonser?

Yep, he's a real-life pitcher - one that (sort of) confounded my Texas hitters in the aforementioned first Rangers-Yankees game. What in the name of Hank Steinbrenner is going on here?

Well, even with the long baseball season, a 2-23 start won't win you too many pennants, although don't tell this season's White Sox who went on a 25-5 tear to end the All-Star break on a roll.

Not making up much ground, I eventually fast-forwarded to the end of the season but not before getting the leadoff hitter I needed (Brian Roberts) from the Orioles for Zobrist.

Starting the 2012 season, I dealt Reynolds and Jackson to the Mets for David Wright, who lasted less than a week in Tampa before heading further south to the Marlins in exchange for righthander Josh Johnson, perhaps the best MLB pitcher for real over the past 18 months.

I was playing decent ball when my PS3 freaked out and I lost all the data. Game over, dude.

Next up was my shot at doing it all, using the Rangers in franchise mode. I had the fourth overall pick in the draft, which snaked up and down in typial fantasy fashion, albeit for 75 picks. I grabbed Albert Pujols, although I found out later the 30-year-old was in the last year of a contract that pays him $16 million - I'll have to probably go up to at least $20 million a year to resign him as he's currently The Show's leading MVP for the A.L. MVP with a .342 average, 25 homers and 65 RBIs, trailing only teammate Skip Schumaker (.345 batting average) for the Triple Crown.

Despite leading the majors in hitting, my team is in last place, 12.5 games behind the Angels, but just 4.5 behind the Wild Card leader, as the Rangers are 34-41. I drafted pitchers who were having good real MLB seasons, in hopes of capitalizing on the weekly updates The Show releases. But that hasn't worked out too well.

Ubaldo Jiminez has won 17 games for the real Colorado Rockies, for me he's 7-6 with an ERA over 5. Even Josh Johnson has cooled off, dropping to 6-4 and seeing his ERA rise to 3.90 after nearing 2.05 early.

But I can't fire myself, can I? No, I have too much offense and the pitching is rounding in to shape. Of course, over the last few games injuries have shelved CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.293, four homeruns, 26 RBI's) and SS Hanley Ramirez (.310, 19, 57), who I acquired a month into the season from San Diego. The pair has combined for 35 steals and Ramirez has also belted 27 doubles overall.

So, now I have to rely on Pujols, Schumaker, Jay Bruce (.305, 14, 47), Nick Swisher (.288, 17, 42), Joey Votto (.267, 12, 34) and a group of made-up rookies led by catcher King Snyder (.371, 9, 26), outfielders Toru Matsumato (.323), Cha Seung Lee (.321) and Graham Dolan (.285, 4, 13). League (four saves) was replaced by Joaquin Benoit (eight saves) who has since yielded the closer's job to 20-year-old rookie Alphonse Mann (3-for-3 in save tries).

I am blessed with youngsters such as Mann, Matsumato (18 years old), Lee (24), Bruce (22), Dolan (21) and Snyder (22). Then there's the core group of 26-year-olds: Ramirez, Ellsbury, Jiminez, Johnson and Votto. Down on the farm are talented starting pitchers such as Mat Latos, Madison Bumgarner and Tommy Hunter.

If I get desparate, maybe I can deal for Bohn.

He's not with the Yankees anymore, getting sent down to Class AAA.

But I'll pass on Boof Bonser and his Yankee ERA that's over 6.25.

I don't need pitching that bad - yet.