Weighing In On Josh Hamilton

The return of Josh Hamilton to the Texas Rangers the last week or so, has had its good and its bad!

First the GOOD!

He has hit home runs… hit a pinch hit 2 RBI Double to win a game, he has endear himself to the home crowd of which at one time, he alienated them when he left the Rangers and headed to the west coast, to play for the Angels!

Here’s the scoop, Josh Hamilton is a lightening rod, he just makes fans love him to death or hate his guts, and there is usually no gray matter in between!  He is just that polarizing!

I have watched his heroics in the stadium when he was helping the Rangers win back to back American League Pennants, he could have been the BIG hero in Game Six of the 2011 World Series in St. Louis. Then in 2012 the sluggish way he approached a pop fly in center field against the A’s in Oakland to allow them to win the American League West, and then the boo birds showed up when the Rangers had to play the Orioles for a one game wildcard playoff game.

Alright, now fast forward to the present, where he left the Angels and did so, with leaving them with a sour taste in their mouth, comes back to Arlington, puts on a Ranger uniform, plays on the road, does ok, comes back to the Stadium against the Red Sox for a four game set, and wins two of the three for the team, and the LOVE FEST is back on!

I never disagreed with what he said about the fans in Texas. As his quote, about this not being a “baseball town”.

After hearing that, and knowing this part of North Texas as I do, living here my entire life, (alright except for the 2 ½ years that I lived in Lufkin, Texas) this part of the state is very much a Football Town. They live and die with the Dallas Cowboys, and when they are not rooting for them, there’s the Texas Longhorns, the Texas Aggies, the TCU Horn Frogs, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, and then you still have SMU Mustangs, and UNT Mean Green Eagles. Whew—wait there’s the high school football.. you are seeing a pattern here.

The Cowboys lead ALL news items in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, whether they are in season or not, they also lead most of the talk stations in the metroplex as well!

Ok.. So that leads us to what DOES make a baseball town. Well I would consider the following baseball towns.. NEW YORK—oh DUH! Then there is St, Louis, I would put Detroit up there, and Cincinnati!

For the most part—even the Houston Astros have to deal with the Texans and to an even stronger point the Houston Rockets of the NBA. Though when the Astrodome was the basically the ONLY game in town, they still had to compete with the University of Houston Cougars and the Rice Owls, so as you can see, there seems to be a pattern here.

The Rangers have always been the step child, even when the Mavericks came to Dallas in 1980, the little baseball team to the west in Arlington, seemed to have to take a back seat.

When the Rangers had the announcement of their 1995 All Star Game, the Cowboys still stole the show with the signing of Charles Haley’s contract, BIG- HUGE—announcement on the sports and news talk stations, stealing thunder.. that’s what Jerry Jones does best.

So for whatever reason, Josh’s assessment that this is not a Baseball Town! Well I can’t argue with it! I agree with him, and the Rangers, for their two years to the big dance, this WAS a baseball town. Delirious with excitement, pretty much wearing Ranger gear, as much during that time as you would see Cowboy’s gear and apparel. The difference though, is that it was only kept to this part of the country, while the Dallas Cowboys are STILL America’s Team.

So with all of this said and done, the Rangers opened up their arms and the clubhouse, and welcomed Josh back into their fold, and into the family, the Crowds (up to 40,000 for two nights in a row) cheered and loudly for his return, so maybe all is forgiven, and maybe Josh can and will keep his sobriety up!

The real bad news is the fact that he has pulled his hamstring and will be out a month or so… so once again! Here  we go again! Another injury to Josh—and another time to wait and see if he returns better than before, was he pushed too soon to return to the Major League club or could he have waited a bit longer to get back into shape?

Its just a thought!  

2015 AT&T Byron Nelson Golf Championship

Well another year, and another spring at Las Colinas, to cover the AT&T Byron Nelson Golf Championship.

The first major change is going to be the title sponsor, instead of the former Hewlitt Packard logo that we have been used to seeing over the last 7 years, its now the familiar blue globe and orange background known as AT&T… Texas born and Texas Raised!

Now they are the title sponsor of this golf tournament, that has some tradition that goes along with the name.

We’re familiar with the type of golf that comes into this area, the names roll off our tongues like a roll call of who’s who of golf royalty!

Lets start with Phil Michelson, or Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, just to name a few, but the list goes on and on.. former Dallas native, Scott Verplank, who won the tournament in 2007, the first year that was without the Patriarch of this tournament Lord Byron Nelson himself.

Though this year, 2015, the changes are subtle, but the golf is the same, only this time there is a young man from Dallas named Jordan Spieth, who just happened to have won the Masters back in April, and finished second at the Colonial in Fort Worth!

He has a following from family and friends, that are on the course, that are cheering his every move, but on a Saturday that where its commonly known as Moving Day on the PGA, we are seeing names on the leader board that we have not seen before.

For example, Steven Bowditch, or Brendon DeJonge just to name a couple of names that were leading the tournament after three rounds!

The tradition of the “Nelson” is still within the confines of the Pavilion along “Champions Way”… the music the sounds, the people watching, but for a change not the place to pick up or be picked up at the Pavilion as in years passed!

It might have more to do with the fashion or lack there of, in the past, there were more opportunity to see women in stilettos heels, and short skirts, however after a week’s worth of rain, there is more rain boots and keeping the fashion to work the elements that might come to the area, than worrying about how good they look!

In a couple of years from now, this tournament moves to Trinity Forest, which is south of the Downtown Dallas area, and out of Las Colinas, the contract runs through 2018, so that’s three more years, but between now and then anything can happen!

The Four Season, which has been the home to this tournament for 31 years, and before that it was held at Bent Tree for a couple, and Las Colinas Country Club, and truly before ANY of those there was Preston Trail, and then before that—before it was named after Byron Nelson, it was the Dallas Open.. and it played at Tennyson Golf Course in East Dallas…. Can you even imagine, if the “Dallas Open” was like the NELSON today—oh my goodness, the parking nightmares, and the logistics would be a joke! But none the less the tournament was played out near White Rock Lake, and now is in Las Colinas, and will soon move to South Dallas. WHEW figure it out if you can!

And so as this 2015 AT&T Byron Nelson Championship goes forward and soon into the history books, we are reminded the reason why all of this took place to start with! The KIDS!

The Salesmanship Club of Dallas is the charity, now its called Momentous and they make sure that children that have had hard times have a second chance, and that they can make something of themselves, even though they have been dealt the hand that they were given!

Camps and schools, and being able to be productive in the community… they give so much back to the community! So we back them, and salute them, and hope that in the end they will accomplish their goal of not letting one child be left behind! EVERYONE Goes forward!

The Nelson is and will be for many years to come, THE place for CHAMPIONS to GROW!

Just a thought! 

The Great Debate

Let us begin this discussion with the simple question. Should Josh Hamilton return to the Texas Rangers Baseball team?

That’s a loaded questions to start with.

Why? You might ask… well its simple. Josh left this team, and when he did, upon his first return in an Angels uniform, told anyone with a recorder, or pad of paper in hand, that “This is not a baseball town”. OH! Did that just anger the hell out of people? YES IT DID! BUT!!!!!! (Wait for it). HE was not too far off from the fact!

IF you consider that, this part of the North Texas has been constantly barraged by, sports talk stations (that number three in the market) and by TWO newspapers, and FOUR TV stations (and those are just the English speaking ones), they cover the Dallas Cowboys constantly! Of the THREE sports talk station, ONE is the flagship station of the franchise!

But lets not stop there… lets figure that the Cowboys, the Mavericks, and the Stars all have championship rings and trophy’s in their possession! Do the Rangers? NOPE! They were close—twice, 2010 and 2011, but came up short both times.

So here is Josh Hamilton, who lived here, played here, was a part of those two teams that went to the post season and made to the World Series both times, a league MVP, a American League Championship Series MVP, and he listens to the radio, watches TV, reads the Newspapers, and knows exactly what he observes. That this is INDEED, a FOOTBALL TOWN! And its not just the Cowboys, it’s the Mustangs, the Mean Green Eagles, The Horned Frogs, the Longhorns, the Aggies, the Raiders, and so on. Its FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, with high school football, its everything BUT BASEBALL!

I am a born and raised Dallasite, and I have seen how the Cowboys rule the media, and even before there was a Jerry Jones and that circus, the Cowboys still were the lead story most of the time!

Since 1972, the Rangers have called Arlington, Texas home, and with all that the team has done, getting over 3 million though the doors in 2011 and 2012, they haven’t come close to that number since. They haven’t won the division since 2011, they barely made it to the post season in 2012, and did a one game against the Rays to see who would play in the post season. This team isn’t the same team at all!

So that brings us back to this debate about Josh Hamilton. Should the Rangers bring him back into the fold?

Frankly, its really not our decision, its that of Management, that means Jon Daniels and company that wish to bring #32 back to the clubhouse.

Players such as Adrian Beltre, and Elvis Andrus, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, all have said “YES” bring him back, there are those who didn’t play with Hamilton when he was here the first time, like Prince Field, and Leonys Martin who wish to have him back, Michael Young, who is a special assistant to the GM, wants him back. There are those who believe, that this team, this town, would be more of an asset to Hamilton, to make sure that he stays “Healthy”.

Hamilton fell off the wagon, so to speak, when he relaspsed into the world of drug abuse and alcohol. He freely admitted it before spring training. However, he never took a drug test, and therefore, the arbitration that was asked for by the Angels, said that Hamilton did not need, nor warranted a suspension from the league.

With that, the team, in their own mind, wanted to do something to punish Hamilton, and yet they couldn’t suspend him without the Players Association getting involved, so they sat him on the bench and have basically said, that “We don’t want you—WE DON’T NEED YOU—you’re on your own buddy!”

125 Million dollar contract, and of that the still owe something like 83 million to Hamilton. The Rangers came in and said that they would pay 7.5 million of that contract, but the Angels had to pay off the rest!

Hamilton in February filed for divorce from his wife, and with four children involved, you know that can’t be easy on him either, or how about going back into history, when in 2011 on a July night, Josh gets a ball that was hit foul down the left field line, and then tosses it into the stands, there a man with his son, he reaches over to get the ball, and he flips over the railing and falls 14 feet behind the out of town scoreboard. Shannon Stone, a father, a husband, a firefighter from Brownwood, Texas, died. And Josh Hamilton has had to live with that! I am not making excuses for his actions, but I know how hard it is to forgive yourself for something like that!

Josh slipped, he relapsed, he fell off the pedestal, and he is mortal!

The fans most likely will “boo” his at bats, they might even heckle him in the outfield, but the fact that the organization is willing to accept him with open arms and allow him to be a part of this team, and this clubhouse, is speaking volumes, that they are here to take care of him, to watch him, and to protect him!

The GREAT DEBATE! Is his talents enough to help this team?

His bat, his glove, his ability to play left field, can he play full time, and if his bat is once again sound from the left side of the plate, there is a jet stream in Globe Life Park that has his name written all over it!

Can he still hit 30 home runs in a season, 100 RBI’s, and score 80 to 100 runs? If any of those answers are YES, then, then the debate is over! He can wear a Ranger uniform once again, and maybe give a little glimmer of hope to this team, who right now could use a little bit of a prayer, or at best what is left in the Jeff Hamilton tank!

There is only one real answer to all of this! Are YOU willing to forgive Josh Hamilton for his transgressions? Are you willing to forgive those things that he has said in the past, or you willing to look at the future, and see what might be, or what could have been?

I think that this is the time for Josh Hamilton to look himself in the mirror and look those demons in the eye, and start the fight, and live each day and try and forgive himself for the tragedy that happened in July of 2011, and put the other speed bumps in his life behind him.

Josh Hamilton needs the love of the Rangers Family as much as that family needs him!

Its just a thought! 

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