Baseball Historians

The Rangers traded minor leaguer pitcher Jose Marte to the Arizona Diamondbacks for 26-year-old reliever Dustin Nippert. Nippert is a big boy at 6′8 and weighing in at 225 lbs. and has a hard fastball, but struggled this spring, posting an 0-2 mark with a 14.40 ERA in eight appearances. He gave up 24 hits […]

As spring play comes to an end, managers have to make tough decisions. This was one of them. Ranger’s Manager Ron Washington made a decision for who is going to be the starting catcher for the 2008 season. After much debate, starting catcher from last season Gerald Laird beat out 22-year-old Jarrod Saltalamacchia for the […]

Pitchers Sidney Ponson and Elizardo Ramirez were assigned to Minor League Camp on Saturday. Ponson started his second game this spring, but left the game in the top of the fourth with a mild right ankle sprain. He finished the game pitching three innings with three hits but no earned runs, strikeouts, or walks. Ponson […]

Eddie Guardado had one of the more unfortunate outings when he played the Chicago Cubs yesterday. Although the Rangers beat the Cubs 5-4, Eddie came in the fifth inning and pitched to four hitters giving up two hits, two earned runs, one home run, and his first blown save this spring. To go along with […]

This is a small minor league deal but the Rangers have signed pitcher Sidney Ponson to a minor league contract and an invitation to join the team at camp in Arizona on Monday. Ponson is a 31 year-old right-hander that had a disappointing seven starts for Minnesota last year going 2-5 with a 6.93 ERA. […]

The Rangers improved their spring training record to 4-1 today when they beat the San Francisco Giants 8-6 in 10 innings. So far they have played the Kansas City Royals (three times), Los Angeles Angels, and the Giants where the only team they lost to was the Angels last friday with a score of […]

Yes, the Rangers’ pitching was terrible last season and yes, offensively they put together the fewest runs by a Rangers’ team in a decade. But despite that, Manager Ron Washington now believes the main priority for spring training is defense.
I obviously understand why Washington is concerned with the fielding because the statistics show how […]

Yet again, another injury occurs for the beleaguered Texas Rangers pitching staff. According to the Dallas News, John Rheinecker will undergo shoulder surgery that will be to alleviate symptoms of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, in which a rib bone is pinching a nerve and creates swelling and pain. Although last season the 28 year old lefty […]

The Texas Rangers finally got Ian Kinsler the deal he wanted. On Tuesday, they locked up the promising second baseman to a five-year, $22 million contract extension. The deal also includes a sixth-year club option worth $10 million. If the Rangers decline the option, Kinsler would get a $500,000 buyout. The 25 year old noted […]

Two-year vet. Gerald Laird and the upcoming Jarrod Saltalamacchia are currently battling for the starting catcher spot. Laird started most of last season and was strong defensively, although he hit just .224 letting Saltalamacchia, one of Atlanta’s top prospects (before he was traded to the Rangers), have a chance to take the spot. The loser […]

Outfielder Josh Hamilton, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and second baseman Ian Kinsler, were three of the 14 Texas Ranger players that signed for the 2008 season, according to The Sports Network.
Hamilton, the first overall pick of the 1999 draft, played his rookie season last year for the Cincinnati Reds, although his season was interrupted by […]

One of the greatest pitchers of all time has once again made his stomping grounds in Arlington, Texas. Except this time he isn’t at Rangers Ballpark looking to pitch. Nolan Ryan played a major league record 27 seasons from 1966 to 1933, playing for the NY Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, and finished his career […]

The Rangers’ main concern in this off-season is to improve their pitching staff significantly. In 2007, the starting pitchers put together a terrible season as they finished last in the American League in wins (42), innings (838), and ERA (5.50).
The top three starters from last year- Kevin Millwood, Vincente Padilla, and Jason Jennings are each […]

Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus recently published his list of the top eleven Rangers prospects and while a number of these guys weren’t drafted by the Rangers, it’s nice to have a restocked farm system principally after the trades of Eric Gagne and Mark Teixeira.  Neftali Perez, who came over in the Braves trade for […]

This is one of those minor deals but the Rangers signed utility infielder Ramon Vazquez to a one year deal for $810,000.  In the process, the Rangers will avoid arbitration and will get to keep the flexibility Vazquez brought to the team. He filled in when both Ian Kinsler and Hank Blalock went down and […]