Texas Rangers @ Kansas City Royals Spring Training Thread (3/28)
 

<table border=3 cellpadding = 4>
<tr><td>Final</td> <td> 1 </td> <td> 2 </td><td> 3 </td><td> 4 </td><td> 5 </td><td> 6 </td><td> 7 </td><td> 8 </td><td> 9 </td><td> R </td><td> </td><td> E </td></tr>
<tr> <td>TEX (16-12-1 spring)</td> <td> 2 </td> <td> 0 </td><td> 0 </td><td> 1 </td><td> 1 </td><td> 0 </td><td> 1 </td><td> 0 </td><td> 3 </td><td> 8 </td><td> </td><td> 1 </td></tr>
<tr> <td>KC (15-11-3 spring)</td> <td> 2 </td> <td> 0 </td><td> 1 </td><td> 1 </td><td> 0 </td><td> 1 </td><td> 0 </td><td> 0 </td><td> 0 </td><td> 5 </td><td> </td><td> 1 </td></tr>
</table>

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/v/mlb/te.../80x60/tex.gif

Scott Feldman 5IP 4R 4ER 1BB 6K
Jimmy Gobble 0.1IP 1R 1ER 1BB 0K
Win Jason Jennings 3.2IP 0R 0ER 1BB 4K

VS

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/sp/v/mlb/te.../80x60/kan.gif

Horacio Ramirez 5IP 4R 3ER 0BB 1K
Doug Waechter 1IP 0R 0ER 0BB 1K
Blown Save Jamey Wright 1.2IP 1R 1ER 1BB 1K
Loss Roman Colon 1.1IP 3R 3ER 1BB 2K

Starting Lineups

TEX

1. Ian Kinsler, 2B
1. Joaquin Arias, SS
2. Michael Young, 3B
2. Travis Metcalf, 3B
3. Josh Hamilton, CF
3. Andruw Jones, CF
4. Nelson Cruz, RF
4. Brandon Boggs, pr/RF
5. Hank Blalock, 1B
5. Ian Gac, 1B
6. Marlon Byrd, DH
6. Frank Catalanotto, DH
7. David Murphy, LF
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
8. Adam Melhuse, C
9. Omar Vizquel, SS
9. Marcus Lemon, SS/2B

KC

1. Coco Crisp, CF
1. Willie Bloomquist, CF
2. David DeJesus, LF
2. Shane Costa, LF
3. Mark Teahen, 2B
3. Alberto Callaspo, 2B
4. Jose Guillen, RF
4. Mitch Maier, RF
5. Mike Jacobs, 1B
5. Billy Butler, 1B
6. Alex Gordon, 3B
6. Luis Hernandez, 3B
7. Ryan Shealy, DH
8. Miguel Olivo, C
8. Brayan Pena, C
9. Mike Aviles, SS
9. Tony Pena Jr, SS

Umps squeezing the plate on us.

Rangers will win the World Series this year.

Top 1st

Kinsler grounds out to first 3-1
Young singles to center
Hamilton grounds out to first, Young to second
Cruz homers to center, Young scores
Blalock grounds out to first

2 runs, 2 hits

Bottom 1st

Crisp hits an infield bunt single to third
Crisp steals second
DeJesus grounds out to second, Crisp to third
Teahen singles to center, Crisp scores
Guillen singles to right, Teahen to third
Jacobs sacrifices (fly) to center, Teahen scores
Gordon walks, Guillen to second
Shealy strikes out (looking)

2 runs, 3 hits

Don't know why Hillman insists on having Crisp lead off and DeJesus in the 2 hole. Each do better in the other spot in the lineup.

Cause DDJ cannot steal a base to save his life.

Doesn't matter. Stolen bases are overrated.

OBP is far more important in the 1 spot.

Well, I agree to a point...but when you are a small ball team...SB''s are not overrated. And ont hat topic..the leadoff guy only matters for 1 inning.

I was in Surprise last week. Had the time of my life. All the guys were there. Wilson, Frank, Big John, Denny Leonard.

Frank was walking by me and I called him over.

Frank: Can't man. Working with the guys.

Me: Frank, Tommy John wants that pitch back that you hit into the LF stands in Game three in 1980.

Frank: (Big grin). I got all of that one.

ME: And Adujar is selling tickets at the StL planetarium that shows the comet you launched off him in Game 3 in 85.

Frank: ( LAughing out loud) I got all of that one too. Comes over to chat for about 5 minutes.

We talked about all sorts of stuff. The 7th inning of Game 5 in 77 where Reggie spiked him. Hal MAc body blocking Willie Randolph on hard slide at 2b in game 4.

Great time.

2nd inning
 

Top 2nd

Byrd flies out to left
Murphy grounds out to second
Saltalamacchia grounds out to second

0 runs, 0 hits

Bottom 2nd

Olivo strikes out (swinging)
Aviles flies out to center
Crisp grounds out to shortstop

0 runs, 0 hits

Frank White is the best of the best. Last year he was the only one who came over to sign autographs. He wasn't down there yet when I was there a couple weeks ago, unfortunately.

It is encouraging that Teahen might have a chance to stick at second. If he doesnt just completely suck out there, then his bat would be nice as a middle infielder, and we can always defensively sub him over to the outfield at the end of the game.

Pete, I'm not a real autograph guy. But if I can just get there attention - like with Frank - I can usually get them to come over and chat. Frank has always been one of my heroes. He played so deep and was so great with pitch location and anticipating where the ball might be hit. It became almost routine to see frank make those great plays in short rf.

I got to chat with Willie Wilson for almost 15 minutes whiel he signed autos on the concourse. Most of the people didn't know it was him.

I asked if he knew where AO was these days and how I saw WW's first game in 1976. Sept 4 to be exact. Replaced AO in Cf.

It was just so much fun.

3rd inning
 

Top 3rd

Vizquel grounds out to pitcher
Kinsler grounds out to pitcher
Young grounds out to second

0 runs, 0 hits

Bottom 3rd

DeJesus flies out to left
Teahen triples to right
Guillen sacrifices (fly) to center, Teahen scores
Jacobs strikes out (swinging)

1 run, 1 hit

Yeah, kind of. The lead-off man is going to get the most ABs, though, so that's why you'd like to have a high OBP guy.