Dallas Round-Up | Rangers Stretch Lead | Cowboys Making Noise In Camp

Those doing their college football betting online are gearing up for the beginning of their season, but the baseball betting season is starting to heat up, and Texas is well on their way to the American League West crown.  In the NFL, Dez Bryant is getting off to an interesting start with the Cowboys.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers will be aiming to take the rubber match of their three-game set with Oakland at home, wrapping up a week in which they took three of four against the Los Angeles Angels at home last weekend.  Michael Young went deep three times for the Rangers last week, hitting .318 with four RBIs, while Nelson Cruz batted .417 with a pair of homers and four RBIs.  If the Rangers can continue to prove that their lineup isn’t just Josh Hamilton and Vladdy Guerrero, who struggled last week, their MLB betting odds will improve.  Cliff Lee continues to be a monster for the Rangers, going 1-0 in two starts last year, tossing 17.1 innings, and he struck out 17 batters….without walking a single one.  Neftali Feliz was perfect in three save opportunities for the Rangers, who have another important week coming up.  The Rangers head out on the road for a nine-game trip with teams from the West, beginning with a three-game set in Los Angeles against the Angels this weekend, following by a visit to Seattle, Lee’s former team. If they can manage to at least split their six games in the next week, the Rangers should be sitting pretty in the West.

Dallas Cowboys

NCAA football betting players know that Dez Bryant had a tough time at Oklahoma State, missing virtually all of last year because he lied to NCAA investigators about a meeting with Deion Sanders, and it’s things like these that caused him to slip in the draft (some folks call them “character issues”.  Then, Bryant made a fuss earlier this week when he refused to carry the pads of Roy Williams, who many people feel Bryant will replace in the starting lineup.  Bryant then said he wasn’t aware of the tradition that has been going on not only in the NFL, but in most professional sports, for years.  Rookies, no matter how highly touted or where they were drafted, are usually counted on carry pads, buy dinners, and be generally subservient to the veterans, and it’s not like they were trying to tape him to goalposts or anything.  Of course, the media took and made way too big of an issue, but Bryant is going to have to learn to be more humble and realize that he’s part of a team now.  Little things like that can mess with a team’s online betting odds.

Trading Jarrod Saltalamacchia Could Be a Bad Move

Over the last few years the Rangers have made some pretty good personnel moves: the signing of Vladimir Guerrero, The Cliff Lee Trade, Edinson Volquez for Josh Hamilton and of course the famous Mark Teixeira Trade. They have also made some bad ones: Chris Young for Adam Eaton, Alfonso Soriano for Brad Wilkerson, and John Danks for Brandon McCarthy.

The most recent move by the Rangers was trading catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to the Boston Red Sox for right hand pitcher Roman Mendez, first baseman Chris McGuiness, a player to be named later and cash considerations. The move was done because they were disappointed in Saltalamacchia’s performance, but it was also done to bulk up their roster as they make a serious run for the post-season.

Getting to the post season in Major League Baseball is probably more difficult than other professional sports such as the NHL or the NBA, so making deals that help a team in short-term is commonly accepted. However; are the Rangers hurting themselves in the long-run by parting with a catcher who has the potential to be one of the best in the league? Will this move join the list of regrettable trades made by the Texas Rangers?

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Rangers-Astros Rivalry Needs a Spark

The Rangers have wrapped up inter-league play and just recently concluded the annual Lone Star Series with the Houston Astros. Once again, the Rangers have won the series. But did anybody really notice or even care?

Before we start this discussion, a little back ground on the series is needed. The series began in 2001. It’s a six games series and the winner is awarded the Silver Boot – a 30-inch tall display of a cowboy boot cast in silver. To date the two teams have played sixty games. The Texas Rangers lead the series with seven silver boots and thirty three wins. The Astros have three silver boots and twenty seven wins.

Over the years there have been some memorable moments, but is this series on par with the classic cross-town inter-league rivalries we see in other baseball towns? Does the Lone Star series fuel a competitive fire between the two teams that spurs fan interest?

There are many cross-town rivals/series that do. The Freeway Series (Angels vs Dodgers); the Windy City Show Down (Cubs vs White Sox), The Bay Bridge Series (Giants vs Athletics) and the Subway Series (Yankees vs the Mets). These series generate fan interest and create atmospheres similar to Texas-OU weekend.

The reason these series are so successful is because of two key ingredients: a rich history and both teams being located in the same city or metropolitan area.

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Halfway Home: A look at the Texas Rangers through 81 games

The Texas Rangers are 48-33 halfway through the MLB season. I continue to remind myself of this fact despite the recent four losses in six games.

Perhaps this is a loser’s mentality. Perhaps I shouldn’t be as thrilled that the Rangers are 15 games above .500, and have a 3.5 game lead in the AL West.

But I can’t help myself. I’ve been waiting for a team like this for so long, I just don’t know what to do with myself.

Keep on reading for some thoughts on each part of the Texas Rangers.

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The Wolfpack: Analyzing the Texas Rangers’ bullpen

A bullpen is a very fickle creature. It must be treated with care and respect, not loathing and contempt.

Except for guys who can’t throw strikes. They need to be dreaded.

The Texas Rangers‘ bullpen had a bad April. It was full of guys who gave up too many hits, couldn’t throw strikes and generally just sucked.

In May, they’ve been much better, locking down a lot of leads in a seemingly endless string of close games.

But are there reasons to be concerned? An explanation after the jump.

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The Borbon Ultimatum

At the end of 2009 Julio Borbon looked like a lock to solid contributor for years to come. In 46 games Julio sported an impressive .312 avg with 19 swiped bags. Conventional wisdom said that with a slight improvement in plate disciple and fundamentals this man could be a force in the lead off spot. As they say, “Speed never goes into slumps”.

What a difference a year makes. Julio has looked nothing like his 2009 self. With every passing day he looks increasingly lost at the plate. Through 119 plate appearance Julio is carrying a .221 avg, (which drops to .157 with RISP) and a K/BB ration of 18/2. To compound the issue, his woeful on base percentage (.246) has lead to a significant drop in stolen bases. One of the truly telling moments of this season for Borbon came in an early May 7-6 loss to the A’s. Down by one with Gentry on second and no outs, Ron Washington took the bunt off and allowed Julio to swing away against Andrew Bailey. This resulted in a shallow fly to left that left the tying run stuck on second. It left me with the feeling that the club has no faith in Julio’s ability to drop down the most basic of bunts. The most fundamental weapon for any speedster.

Defensively, Julio has been fine. His sub-stellar instincts in center are generally quelled by his speed, allowing him to make all the routine plays. It’s well chronicled that his arm is nothing short of a noodle, but that is a problem that can be worked around (Think Johnny Damon in his Red Sox days). To date, he has a UZR/150 rating of -1.7 (explanation here). Nowhere near a “liability”, but still not what you dream of from an every day center fielder. Especially one with his speed.

The Rangers have shown no signs of wavering from their commitment to Borbon, and that is admirable. You don’t want to destroy a young mans confidence, and possibly change his baseball future forever. Julio could easily turn out to be the every day CF they need. Baseball is a streaky game, and the man could easily light on fire. But the Rangers are in a very winnable division, and have a very talented team. That means if his numbers don’t improve, their hand will become forced and something will have to be done. Especially since there are very tangible benefits to having him on the bench. He would be an incredibly valuable 4th outfielder in case of injury, with the added bonus of being a phenomenal pinch-runner in big spots. I’ve decided to take this opportunity to brainstorm hypothetical outfield fixes if Mr. Borbon keeps up his horrid start.

1. Move Josh Hamilton to CF, Murphy to left.  It has worked before, it can work again. David Murphy has capitalized on the increased playing time he has received with Nelly on the DL. If the struggles continue this scenario seems obvious enough. The biggest plus to this plan is that it’s free. The Rangers love free about as much as i love pie. That’s a lot. Why? Because pie is delicious (or because the Rangers are broke, depending on what you were inquiring about). The downside is that Josh Hamilton is a very streaky fielder.
2. Trade for an every day center fielder. This is without a doubt the sexiest of the options. Every fan loves when their team acquires a shiny new toy. When dealing with the Rangers, the biggest concern is money. The team is virtually broke, which makes taking on salary rough. If the Rangers were to dig deep into shallow pockets, it would most likely be for an every day catcher. However if they were able to enter the market the first and most likely spot to look would be to the Royals. All of their outfielders (Ankiel, Dejesus, Guillen, Podsednik) come off of team control at seasons end, so they are all easy enough to acquire. Jose Guillen is pretty much a full time DH these days and carries a mammoth contract. Thus, he is not at all an option. The other three, however, are certainly possible. Podsednik is far and away the most appealing. He has a batting average of .296, an OBP of .352, and has swiped 14 bags. Combine that with the fact that he makes a very manageable 1.65mm, and he becomes a pretty dreamy option. On the flip side, Dejesus and Ankiel both come with major concerns. Ankiel is aging, injury prone, and not at all playing well. He is batting only .210, and comes with a higher (2.75mm) price tag. Dejesus is a solid contributor, but comes with a 4.7mm price tag that I am not sure the Rangers would be thrilled about picking up. However, if the deal were right any of the three are possible. Outside the Royals, acquirable everyday center fielders are scarce. If the Mets fire Omar Manaya, they could start moving everyone. That would make Angel Pagan an interesting option. Now that Roy Oswalt has helped the Astros realize their need to wave the white flag on this season and next, there is an outside chance Michael Bourn could be available. Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle reported that, “There are 25 guys on their roster, and none of them are untouchable.”. This is of course the best of best case scenarios, as Michael Bourn is one heck of a ball player. Offensively, he is on the same pace as Scott Podsednik. However, he is an exceptional defensive center fielder and is much younger. It’s not a likely scenario,but, armed with massive amounts of pitching prospects and Chris Davis, it’s not an impossible one either.
3. Trade for a left field upgrade and move Josh Hamilton to CF. If the Rangers don’t love the idea of playing David Murphy day-in-day-out there are two intriguing LF options that are sure to be available come the trade deadline. The first, and in my opinion most appealing, is the Nationals’ Josh Willingham. Willingham is almost always amidst trade talks, and he is a consistent offensive contributor. He is not rock solid in left, lacks tools, and comes in at 4.6mm. But I believe his offense would overshadow those issues in the Ballpark At Arlington. Another LF option could be Conor Jackson of the Diamondbacks. While not often mentioned in direct trade talks, his time with the Dbacks is expiring and they could certainly use some prospects to fuel a rebuilding effort.
4. Acquire a utility outfielder: A scenario that comes to mind is in a deal with the Tigers. They have a ton of depth in the outfield, and also have a wealth of LH relievers (Coke, Fu-Te-Ni, Thomas, and Schlereth) that the Rangers could be interested in. They have to be terrified that 39 yr old Darren Olvers arm will fall off with a full seasons workload, and their bullpen is suspect to begin with. The Rangers may kill two birds with one stone and acquire a lefty and a utility man in one deal. Ryan Raburn seems like a likely candidate, as he was mentioned in trade talks this spring. If the Mets do end up in an “everyone must go” situation, then the Rangers could inquire about young utility man Daniel Murphy.
5. Await the return of Endy Chavez. Endy Chaves will be coming back from injury soon, and likely serve as the Rangers 5th outfielder. However, elevating him beyond is a little terrifying. It’s probably not a good idea to rest many hopes on an outfielder coming off of a knee injury who hasn’t played a full season in nearly two years.
6. And finally, Promote an outfield prospect from the minors: No. I’m kidding. There are none. Neither of the Rangers top minor league prospects are ready yet. Mitch Moreland is batting .240 in AAA Oklahoma City, and Engel Beltre is still playing A ball.

I think it is probably too early to panic, but that doesn’t mean panic is far off.  I would give it until mid June, but no longer. The last thing a contender needs is an average fielder who looks like he is swinging a garden hose at the plate.

Rangers Holding Onto Top Spot; Mavs, Stars Going Through Motions

Take a break from those Champions League betting odds for a minute, and check out how Dallas’ teams are doing right now as only one is in season, while the other two are looking at their offseason options.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers rebounded from a sweep in Toronto to take both of their games at home against the Los Angeles Angels, and they took the first game of their two-game set with Baltimore on Wednesday.  Nelson Cruz led the way with nine RBIs over the last week, while Vladdy Guerrero added a homer and six RBIs.  Starters C.J. Wilson and Rich Harden struggled over the week, but Naftali Feliz converted both of his save opportunities.

The next week brings a visit from the Chicago Cubs, and MLB baseball betting odds should favor the Rangers at home, where they were 16-7 as of Thursday.  Then, the Rangers will head to Kansas City for a two-game set with the lowly Royals.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are still trying to figure out if they have cap room this year, as Dirk Nowitzki has a player option for $21.5 million this year.  It’s highly unlikely that the Mavericks will be parting ways with their star, who has spent all 12 of his NBA seasons in Dallas, but their major mission would be to get rid of Erick Dampier, who is slated to make $13.1 million next season, which is outlandish.  Caron Butler’s contract is also expiring like Dampier’s after next year, but the thing with him is, he can be productive.  The Mavericks may try and re-sign Brendan Haywood, who took Dampier’s job after he was traded from Washington with Butler.  The Mavericks likely won’t be a major player in this year’s free-agent bonanza, but they should have plenty of cap space for 2011, when there will be an impressive list of players on the market.

Dallas Stars

NHL betting players saw Dallas decline to offer another contract to long-time goalie Marty Turco, who will be looking for a new team after eight years with the franchise, and the Stars instead signed Kari Lehtonen to a $10.65 million contract over four years.  The Stars picked Lehtonen up from Atlanta in February, and even though he played just 12 games in Dallas, it was enough to make him the No.1 guy going forward.  Lehtonen is 26 years old, so he’s heading into the prime of his career, and he has career numbers of a 2.87 GAA, and a .912 save percentage.  Those are decent numbers when you consider that he played behind some pretty awful defenses in Atlanta.  With Lehtonen between the pipes, the Stars could be a solid betting darkhorse next season.

The Return of Nelson Cruz

It’s unfortunate that we haven’t gotten that Andrew Bailey-Nelson Cruz matchup we’ve been looking forward to so much. Just missed it by a day.

But as the Texas Rangers pass through customs for a relatively big series against the surprising Toronto Blue Jays, all I’ve got to say is one thing:

The boomstick is back, baby.

(Well, okay, maybe more than one thing.) Read more

Texas Rangers Spotlight: CJ Wilson

Before the 2010 season started everyone expected Scott Feldman and Rich Harden to carry the load for the Texas Rangers starting pitchers. However the Rangers two most dominant starting pitchers didn’t start a single game last year. CJ Wilson was the Texas Rangers setup man and part time closer last year and everyone was shocked when we heard that he would be in the starting rotation this year. The other starting pitcher that has been getting the job done for the Texas Rangers has been Colby Lewis, who pitched in Japan last year. Below you will find a spotlight on the Texas Rangers starting pitcher CJ Wilson that will include stats, twitter, and other interesting facts.

CJ Wilson Bio:

CJ Wilson was born in Newport Beach, California on November 18, 1980 and graduated Fountain Valley High School in 1998. Wilson also attended Santa Ana Junior College and Loyola Marymount University before turning professional after being drafted by the Texas Rangers 141st overall in the 2001 MLB Draft. Wilson moved his way up through the Texas Rangers minor league system before making his debut with the Rangers on June 10, 2005. CJ Wilson does have a verified twitter account and website, and you can check them out here:

CJ Wilson Twitter & Website Information
CJ Wilson on Twitter: @str8edgeracer
CJ WIlson Website: http://www.leftylefty.com/

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Return of Ian Kinsler sparks Texas Rangers

Man it sure is nice to get quality starts on a consistent basis.

There are a lot of people who think that stat is flawed – and it is – but its main use is to determine whether or not a pitcher kept his team in the game.

Each of the last five games, the Rangers starters have done that.

Their record in those games?

4-1. Read more

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