Opening Week in Major League Baseball!

Opening week for the Texas Rangers at home, after starting the season off 2-2 with the Oakland A’s in Oakland, the returned to Globe Life Park in Arlington to set up shop and take on the their , I-45 Rivals, the Houston Astros, and with that.. they begin their Silver Boot Series with them.

However, there is more to this than just the trophy for most wins against your down the block rival.  This is now the Season with a new manager, and a new attitude. Their Slogan is “NEVER QUIT!” to the point where it’s a hashtag and a battle cry with in the club house and on the field.

The weekend is filled with the pomp and circumstance that you would expect, the patriotic bunting along the stands, the introduction of the players along the baselines, then the playing of our National Anthem, the fly over of F-16 Fighter Jets, the first pitch by dignitaries, and then hearing the umpire yell “PLAY BALL!”

Nothing like opening day, or opening week at the home park, you get to see the players for the first time in the season, you get to smell the ball park for the first time, and there is a distinctive smell, that is hot dogs, popcorn, beer, and cotton candy! All of this fills your senses of sight, taste, smell, and feel! You get it all when you walk in the gates!

Then of course there is a matter of the game! In this particular instance, the Rangers didn’t fair all that well in the opening day festivities, where they literally were shellacked by the Astros, and if that wasn’t bad enough—they lose three players to injury on opening day! Starting with Ryan Rua in left field has a sprained ankle… then Shin Soo-Choo goes down with a muscle spasm I the lower back, and starting pitcher, Derek Holland doesn’t even make to the second inning with a strain in his left shoulder! Needless to say the clubhouse looks more like a M*A*S*H unit than a baseball club!

Though after the disaster that started the season—the second game of the series, looked more like what the Rangers were capable of doing, and beating back the Astros, then the rubber game on Sunday, not so much better than the first game, Colby Lewis got the start, and was lit up in the first with a home run, that wasn’t bad enough he gave up four runs in the second inning and before we could blink an eye, the Astros were up four to nothing! Oh let’s not forget another home run this time with a runner on base to give them that four/nothing lead!

The Rangers however pounded it back to cut the lead in half in the bottom of the seventh inning with a couple of hits and a walk sandwiched in there, the Rangers were able to get off the schnied, and score two runs on Leonys Martin’s single to left field that also got him going after starting the season 0 for 18!

So the 2015 Rangers are playing .500 ball to start the year, and looking to keep it at least even, when the Las Angeles Angels of Anaheim come for a three game set to the ball yard, including an afternoon game on the 15^th of April, when it is not only Tax Day, but Patriots Day in Boston, and for Major League Baseball, its Jackie Robinson Day!

That’s not only a day to celebrate a great ball player, and the fact that Robinson broke the color barrier with being the first African American to play Major League Baseball, but everyone in baseball gets to wear HIS number… 42 to celebrate it! HOWEVER! There’s a story behind that.

It starts with the fact that Jackie was getting all sorts of death threats from every major league city the Brooklyn Dodgers were playing, so while in St. Louis to play the Cardinals, teammate Peewee Reese, told Jackie that on the next game, they all would wear 42… that way they wouldn’t know who they were aiming for!

So, the last few years, the entire teams have worn 42 to honor Robinson, then MLB sells the jerseys on their website for charity!

So if the Rangers can keep pace with the rest of the West, than this team might find themselves in the driver’s seat for the Wildcard at the end of the season. HOWEVER! (there’s that word again) this team must find a way to stay healthy and keep everyone in the lineup, and Skipper Jeff Banister will have his work cut out for him, but for right now, it’s still early in the season, and there is a lot of baseball to be played!

SO! PLAY BALL! 

Its Just a thought! 

The Last Pre-Season Series before it gets for REAL!

First game at home for the Rangers after spending the spring in Surprise, Arizona for the last six weeks.

Now they return home for a two game set with the New York Mets then a day or two off and they start the season on the west coast against the Oakland A’s.

The strange thing, the first four series in April are against Division Rivals. They start with the A’s, then the Astros, the Angels, then the Mariners.

Checking the roster of the Rangers, some names are familiar, but there a slew of names on this team that are not even close to being known, but they can be by the end of the April, if this team takes off the way that Manager John Banister plans on this team competing.

The 2015 Rangers are not the same team that battled for the World Series title just four years ago, the only hold overs from that team are Pitchers Colby Lewis and Derek Holland, then you have Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Mitch Moreland, and closer Netali Feliz. Guess what folks, the rest of the roster is a who’s who of guys who are trying to make a strong living in Major League Baseball!

Opening day for the Rangers is a week from today, the 10^th of April at 3:05, but today—this game, this moment, is another moment in the sun for the Rangers, and their fans, and for this reporter, a return to the press box that he’s been away from for the last four years.

2011, the last time that I had the opportunity to sit in the press box and cover the Rangers, and to have a chance to see what this team could do, not only during the regular season, but take it into the post season.

Those dreaded Cardinals, those pesky Red Birds, then the dive of this team, post seasons for just one game playoff against the Orioles,  then last year a 163^rd game against the Tampa Rays, and then the departure of Manager Ron Washington, and the demise of this team.

New Manager, new attitude, new look Rangers. Only time will tell if these Rangers will live up to the expectations that the fans and the management put upon them.

Upon seeing the New York Mets roster, I am seeing an old familiar name as one of their coaches… Tom Goodwin, a former Texas Ranger outfielder in the 80’s and 90’s and then a coach / Manager of the Continental League Lewisville Lizards, in which the broadcast crew consisted of, yours truly, and others, and to see Goodwin in a major league uniform once again with the famous number 26 on his back, brings good feelings back into the fold.

Goodwin said that this was his first trip inside Globe Life Park, even when he was not playing for the Rangers anymore, he never played in this stadium.  It was built in 1994, and by then he was with Colorado or with the Dodgers, but never did he play inside this facility. With the Mets he at least gets to walk on the field, and see for the first time what this “Temple” is truly like!

Game time just moments away for an exhibition game! The CHILLS are still there!

Already into this short game—one pitching change and the reliever doesn’t look like he is sharp at all.. so Anthony Bass who the Rangers got from the Astros struggling in the 3^rd inning… but gets the third out… the Starter was Logan Verrett… and he only lasted 2 and third innings… with three hits .. one run it was earned… one base on balls and three strike outs.. but still struggled with his command as he gave up back to back doubles to lead to the Mets early 1-0 lead..

Aside from the fact that the Mets starting pitcher Jacob de Grom went four innings with toying with a no hitter until Prince Fielder broke it up in the bottom of the fourth… with a double into left field… though he was stranded at second—and the Rangers are down 2-0 after four… top of the fifth and a lot of new faces on the field for the Rangers… just trying to get in that last audition before the regular season starts.

This is why they play the game, this is why we watch the game… and all because we can push the sun back into the sky for one more chance to be a child of summer again!

Its just a thought!

Saying Thank You

Over time, there are people that come into our lives, and leave an impression upon us.

They could be celebrities that we have met, sports figures, politicians, or just friends, no matter, they all leave some sort of an impression upon us.

I have been fortunate to work in an industry that allows me to meet some of the Greats, the Not So Greats, and the ones that should've been or could've been the greats!

In this particular time, there are two people, to which I wish to talk about!

ONE is a good friend of mine, he has come to the rescue of me recently, and helped me out when I was a little bit down, with out work, and without means to fix a problem that, for the most part, is my lively hood!

There are those who say that they believe in the Christian way of life, and me being Jewish, and studied Comparison Religion while in College, I get it sometimes, and understand it, but to see it in action, to watch someone who has that ability to do just that for someone, and do it more often for those who need it It's more than just paying it forward, it's living the creed of what this means.

Cedric Bailey, there is a person who through his radio broadcast, and his ministry, its the reason why we call him the Deacon! Because he has lived it, breathed it, acts upon it! That is my definition of a Christian.

I truly appreciate his friendship, his leadership, and the opportunity to join his broadcast to do a weekly talk show on his air. IT allows us to work together, and join forces to create something special with YOU the audience!

The second person I wish to take a bit of time and say THANK YOU to, is Channel 8's very own George Riba!

Here's a guy after 37 years at one station and over 40 years in this business starting out at Channel 11, is saying good bye to the business, and retiring, and closing this chapter of his life!

I cannot say enough good things about George, we have crossed paths on many occasions, be it Ranger games, Cowboys games, Mavericks, Stars, Texas Motor Speedway, Cotton Bowl, Armed Forces Bowl, Byron Nelson, Colonial-- and the list can go on forever from here.

Every time we see each other, its been a handshake and good to see you again-- now a few years ago, we discovered that we were a little closer than just casual friends,

It seems that George married an old high school classmate of mine, and we had (have) mutual friends over the years. We discovered this during a Byron Nelson Tournament one spring, and as George and I were talking about these mutual friends, he turns to me and says " well if you know all these people, then you know my wife"... to which I said I might, he then told me about Maggie, and yes I knew here quite well.

Maggie walks into the Media Room at the Nelson and George introduces us, but she had know idea that Dave Michaels was the same David that she went to school with! Lo and behold, it was a great surprise to the both of us, and George and I relationship is more than just a hand shake from time to time, its now a hug and "how you're doing?" and..."Be sure to say HI to Maggie for me"... type of thing.

ON February 20th, 2015, George Riba closed out his day with a farewell to his co-workers, and his friends, but not totally-- I am sure that George will do something, be it through voice work, or other means, but he is not gone-- not off the sports scene totally at least.

I am sure I will see him around-- and I am sure that we will still give one another the "man hug" and I will continue to tell him to be sure to tell Maggie HI for me... but the one thing I am certain we will both miss, is his interviews with former Skyline Basketball Coach and long time friend (to both of us) J.D. Mayo... he is class, and so is George!

To both George Riba and Cedric Bailey, from me, thank you for your time, for your ability to bring stories to us, and for helping others! YOU are both blessings!

Its Just a Thought!

The Off Season Blues (Football Style)

Well its that time again.

Yes we call it the off season. Football is over-- the Super Bowl is in the history books, the players that were long done before the February 1st spectacular ever took place, are not making head lines!

These are young men, who, once the season comes to an end, have time on their hands, money in their pockets, and trouble on their mind. Well maybe they didn't THINK that trouble was on their mind, but low and behold, guess it followed THEM none the less!

Lets start with Joseph Randle,the running back from the Dallas Cowboys. He is in Wichita Kansas, and its there that young Randle, is arrested and booked for possession of-- wait for it-- YES, WEED! For heaven's sake! OH and he's not the only one... there's another Defensive Tackle from the Green Bay Packers-- Letroy Guion, is busted not with just marijuana- but weapons AND $190,000.00 DOLLARS IN CASH on him.

Oh the off season is now upon us, and we read where Johnny Manziel has been placed in rehab, that he has done this on this own, to better himself. He was making headlines before January was out about partying and being drunk, and out of hand, and such.

We have seen this time and time again, we can roll the names off like a roll call, and yes it will include some famous players from "America's Team" back in the 90's.

We remember how Michael Irvin's name got tossed around for being around drugs and women, we remember, how Mark Tuinei was found dead in his car after he overdosed on Black Tar Heroin, we remember how Terrell Owens was in trouble because he couldn't fulfill court orders, or Dez Bryant being hounded for not paying jewelry bills that he owed.

What about players from other NFL Clubs that find themselves in trouble, Pack Man Jones to be the first, or Plaxico Burriss of the Giants (firing a gun into his own leg at a club) or Tank Johnson getting into trouble, these are just a thumbnail sketch of players that have too much time on their hands and too much money in their pockets, and not enough sense to know how to handle it.

I have heard the excuses before, but the truth is, EACH NFL team should have someone in charge of the room (the locker room that is) and put into place a class, a seminar, a scheme, of some kind to keep these guys out of the headlines of their local newspapers or TV Stations and especially off of ESPN and FOX1.

Talk about losing some leverage when it comes to negotiations with your contracts when the time comes, talk about losing a position with the team when the legal matters get cleared up,

Hell even Nate Newton the great Dallas Cowboys Offensive Lineman was busted with a VAN full of marijuana and was sentenced to prison in Texas, REALLY! Now I will admit, he learned a lesson well, and he served his time and is making up for lost time to make things right, but that's NATE, he works his butt off to do that.

Not everyone is  a Nate Newton, not everyone can come clean-- Ricky Williams, Heisman Trophy Winner in '98, played in the NFL, but was busted on numerous occasions for pot, is trying to make it back with the Longhorn Network, but that jury is still out!

Its not just in NFL circles, its happens in other sports, maybe not as frequently, maybe not the "Super Stars" or the the ones that have a TEAM with that spot light on them, but it happens.

The league, the teams, the players associations, have to have a way to govern this, otherwise we will continue to read in the headlines about players and how they are in trouble once the off season starts.

Its just February folks, training camp is not until July, its a long off season!

Just a thought

Another Friend Gone Way too Soon!

It's one of those times, when we once again sit here at the computer to say good-bye to someone who was very close to us.

This was a woman who I met, back in 1999, when I moved to Deep East Texas, Lufkin, Texas to be precise! And it was there, that this woman, came into my life as I did hers.

Shari Horton Meyer Ratliff (I know, lots of names, but two of those names are because she was married twice), was a woman who I came in contact with shortly after I arrived in Lufkin, and worked on a couple of projects of hers. One was Red Ribbon Week, which is a week dedicated to bring Drug and Alcohol awareness to the forefront of Teenagers, the other was Shattered Dreams, again talking about the dangers of drinking and driving during Prom week.

During my time in Lufkin, I grew very fond of this woman, she and I would get together, and keep each other company, we both were going through divorces, and I was trying to start a new relationship with someone in Dallas.

Shari kept me on the straight and narrow, even though romantically it could have complicated things so much. We would talk sports, and movies, and religion, and business, while trying to keep things light and laugh a lot.

I was there when her mother passed away in January of 2000, I was there to hold her hand-- there to wipe the tears from her eyes-- I was there to make sure that she was not alone during that time.

She was there when I had to put my cocker spaniel to sleep, she held my hand-- she wiped my tears from my eyes.. and she was there to let me know that I wasn't alone!

Shari discovered her soul mate, a man that was in the United States Air Force, he was a Captain at the time, and made it to the rank of Major. Her two children took to the Major quickly and it was soon a family again!

Shari and her husband moved to North Texas, and while in Ft. Worth she was diagnosed with Cancer.. the two year fight and battles were on-- she picked the color Orange to be her battle cry--she did everything in her power to defeat this! To survive! TO BE THERE FOR HER CHILDREN! 

She saw her eldest son Cliff, married-- but her daughter-- Cheyenne, she will be without her mother on the day she is wed, when that day comes. Shari will miss holding her first grand child, she will miss the triumphs and the pitfalls of her day to day life.

I can say that she is no longer in pain, she is no longer suffering, she is at peace, and another Angel is watching over us.

I will miss my friend, I will miss her laughter, I will miss her smile, and most of all-- I will miss her HUGS!

We ended each email, each message with FIVE letters-- I W A L Y... truly Shari--I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU! And I will hope that you will continue to keep a watchful eye over us.

Be at peace my darlin Shari-- and be the blessing you have always been! 

I will ALWAYS LOVE YOU! 

Just a thought! 

Dallas/ Ft. Worth Radio!

Well I’m about to open up a can of worms and make a lot of people really on edge with this blog!

The truth needs to be spilled as to the goings on in our fair metroplex, and what the corporate suits think of YOU, the patron, the listener, the person who is going to LISTEN to the advertiser on their station!

THEY DON”T CARE! PERIOD!

They really don’t… from the Station Manager, to the Sales Manager, the Program Director, the only person that might care are the on-air personalities, and that’s just pushing it!

These people don’t give a rat’s ass, if you listen or not, as long as MR ADVERTISER buys a schedule and the Account Executive can sell them a bunch of crunched numbers that anyone can manipulate and make work for them, to promote and sell their shows!

This goes for talk shows, or music stations!

Lets put it more on my level! Sports Talk Radio, in this market sucks!

There is a revolving door going on over at CBS Owned 105.3FM the FAN—and their AM sister station KRLD 1080, a station that has a legacy in this market, is nowhere to be found on the ratings sheets, unless there is severe weather, or really breaking news. WBAP AM and FM have more of a chance of beating 1080, but that is a toss up.

Let me give you some insight about how this business really works.

Twenty years ago, I ran into a young man at a place in Arlington, called Fatso’s Burgers and Blues, where a radio show was being produced on Tuesday Nights for 17 weeks, called Cowboys Live, starring Cowboys Star Running Back Emmitt Smith, and Channel 11 sportscaster Timm Mathews!  The radio station was KGBS AM1190, and one of their mainstays on the station was a man named Morton Downey Jr.

Now this young man that was working at Fatso’s comes up to me, and asked me if he could get a job working at the station, and I told him to arrive at 5AM the next day, and he did, and was an intern for a mere 2 weeks before they put him on payroll to be the associate producer for the Gerry Oher show, then later the Tony Hill Show (yes the same Tony Hill that caught a Touch Down pass from Roger Staubach against the Washington Redskins)… in any case, this young man works for the station for a year or so, before he jumps ship and joins a start up station on 1310 AM frequency, their calls become KTCK the TICKET!

This young man works for one of the shows called the Hardline as their producer, and he later leaves and goes to work for KCMO, a legend station in Kansas City.

He returns as the program director of KTCK the TICKET and joins the ranks as the PD that secures a Marconi Award, the tops in the business, and when someone calls him up to congratulate him, or ask him if there is an opening for a job, or just to say HELLO!, and you he doesn’t return any of the calls, one starts to wonder, what sort of EGO does this young man.

Short memory, and a large ego will do it to you every time! Jeff Catlin, when someone opens the door to you and allows you into our hallow fraternity, and you don’t give the time of day to the person who allowed to walk through that door, you show me that you have no integrity, nor honor!

I could have sworn I taught you better than that, but like a parent who’s child has turn their back on them, I guess I feel that same pain in my heart, because, all you had to do is return the call, or say “sorry my friend, but I just don’t have anything available right now.”…. you would think just that gesture alone would be suffice, but I guess not!

So now the revolving door at 105.3 THE FAN, has caused some un-ease among some of the mainstays of the station!

Lets see, first, Jasmine was let go from the morning show, and what is on the air is very questionable, I like RJ Choppy and all, but they teamed him with someone who he has no idea anything about this market, and they don’t know each other. I mean what makes the TICKET work, is the fact that every talk show host are friends with each other, they know how they breathe, they know how they think, and they know what buttons to push to get the best out of the other!

The FAN, they throw people together for no reason other than—oh this might work, look at Shawn and RJ Choppy, or Mark and Slatter in the mid-day, at least Greg and Richie Witt had some history before they were thrown together on the air, but personally I never like Richie on the air, I believe he was a great writer, but as a talk show host, he lacked the punch you need for the afternoon drive and especially for five hours on the air.

Gavin Dawson and Chris Arnold in the evenings are good, but then again, I know Chris Arnold and he can work with just about anybody, I know how good he is—its not just that he is professional but also he can fit with anyone on the air!

YOU CAN”T THROW talk show teams together in the fourth largest market in the country, this is not the 125^th market—this is FRIGGIN NUMBER FOUR!

That means New York, L.A., and Chicago are only bigger! REALLY!

Corporate America, and especially Radio, will tell you that they know best, really—you went to college and got a degree and all, but the fact is—YOU know NOTHING about marketing, because what made local radio work, was the fact that there was a connection with the listener to the station but once the cluster of stations started—that went away.

.

In the mid to late 70’s, a station in Dallas/Ft. Worth created such a sensation that they were the number one station in the metroplex in most day parts for over 10 years! TEN FRIGGEN YEARS!

KVIL 103.7FM with Ron Chapman and the promotions department, made it exciting to listen to local station with their give a ways, and their prizes like cars for the rest of your life, and money and trips.. bumper sticker promotions for cash, and other fun and games!

They had a jingle that asked “Whatever happened to radio?” Damn good question!

Someone needs to take back the airwaves and concern themselves to the business of the listener because you are loosing them to IPODS, Iphones, and Ipads…. Along with CD’s and other devices that we listen to for our entertainment!

You want to win them back, you have to convince your advertisers to jump a bit and get into the deep end and start contest that will involve them and your listeners, the best interaction with your station and the listener is give them something worth while to listen to, and win something for doing it!

WHAT A CONCEPT!

You think for one moment that corporate America will do that—you got live visions of CBS, Culmus, Disney, and others would do this? Not a chance in Holy Hell!

Because remember—they know more than the old timers—I have bad news for you 30 something year old PD’s… NO YOU FRIGGIN DON”T! So deal with the fact that there are some people out there that do know MORE than you do! And LISTEN TO THEM!

Just a thought!

Teacher..... LEAVE US KIDS ALONE!

My apologies to those who are Pink Floyd Fans, but the truth is... I think a chord was struck by an 18 year old High School Sophomore, who "Laid" into his teacher for NOT teaching!

A Duncanville High School student named Jeff, who was videoed by a fellow student when he started his tirade against his teacher for NOT teaching in a manner that would excite, and entice his fellow students to learn.

This young man said something that, lord knows, I have been saying for a number of years! TEACH THE CLASS!

The State of Texas as a whole along with many other districts across this country, have dug itself into a major hole, trying to put all of the eggs into one basket! They call this the STARRS test or TAKS or whatever else you wish to call it.

Its based solely on the numbers game! How many can past this test, and in turn, how much money can the district receive from Federal and State coffers to keep the schools ratings as exemplary!

REALLLY! For G-DS SAKES PEOPLE! WAKE UP!

This is the future that you are talking about, and a future that is on the brink of not knowing how to write properly, how to use math properly, because we have machines that do it for us! EXAMPLE: The computer that I am using to write this piece with, has spell check! I REFUSE TO USE IT! I will work the spelling out myself before I break down and use that device! HOWEVER! Students have gotten so use to using spell check or for that matter TEXT SPELL, which is ridiculous! I KID YOU NOT, when I received a resume' a few years back... the person wrote in their cover letter "... my last job in radio was GR8!" ...

REALLY????? this is what we send our children to school to learn?

THROW AWAY THE DAMN TEST! and start teaching again! Lets face it-- pretty soon history book will no longer be needed because no one cares to teach the history of not just our country but the world.!

IF you graduated in the 1970's or 80's! Think about how the world has changed, just in boundaries alone! I mean, there is no more USSR, there are changing lines of every country in the Baltic States every decade or so!

There was an old saying-- if you don't know where you have been, how do you know where you are going?!

This young man stood up for his RIGHTS to be taught by a teacher who says that this is her PAY CHECK! Damn right its your pay check-- and if you wish to keep getting one-- I suggest that you start teaching and reminding yourself that the minds that you have in front of you are there not just because they have to, but because they need to be taught what it is that YOU know!

Here's an idea-- instead of spending millions of dollars on athletes who entertain us-- why don't we have the owners of major sports teams-- give a few million dollars a year to education and see if we get a better source of teacher in the classroom and see how many wish to continue the great tradition of teaching instead of losing qualified educators to outside sectors of industry, because it pays better!

Damn right it pays better because we are too concerned about our HEROES earning enough to keep them happy and in some cases, in trouble with the law!

Our dropout rate would decrease and our crime might decrease as well! WHAT A FRIGGEN CONCEPT!

Jeff! I applaud you, and for those of you who wish to see the video, here is FOX 4 's report on it! http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/22201163/duncanville-students-teacher-rant-goes-viral#.UYse-G7d44A.facebook

Its one for the books...

Just a thought