Kuzul

The 2010 baseball season will long be remembered as the year the Rangers made history.  I can only hope that one day someone will see the need to recreate it all on the movie screen.  During a season which will become almost mythical in Texas Rangers lore, two simple yet obscure clubhouse gestures were born.
 
From the stands or watching at home on TV you would see Michael Young give a quick swipe in the air, his up-turned, open fist mimicking a bear claw, after a base hit.  He aims it only at his dugout to the delight of his waiting teammates, who are strung about and hanging with anticipation over the protective railing of the dugout.  His mates quickly echo his silent cry by a show of arms in a return salute: all raise a paw in the air.
 
When Elvis Andres has safely stolen a base a new salute is seen—he puts both hands to his head with fingers spread to resemble deer antlers.  He looks only for his teammates’ approval as they echo his movement.

It doesn’t really matter who actually started these silent signals—the Rangers fans fell in love with the way the team encouraged one another with the “Claw and Antlers” and were quick to encourage their deserving team.
 
In the beginning of the season the Rangers players tried hard to keep the meaning of the “Claw and Antlers” solely within the confines of their dugout and clubhouse, using them as a show of team solidarity and friendship among teammates.  Once the fans caught hold of the meaning of the gestures, we wanted in on the fun, too.
 
The Bear Claw became the symbol of strength and power—it was displayed after a base hit when a player safely reached base.  Even a successful sacrifice fly would earn a show of the claw.  We, the fans, would shower the Claw on our pitchers making that punch-out, strike-out happen, too.
 
The Antlers simply mean speed and agility—they are earned by stretching a base run into extra bases or a by stealing a base.  Ranger fielders would be rewarded the Antler by the fans in the stands for a heads-up play on defense.
 
To those of us faithfully following the Rangers throughout this season, it didn’t take very long to figure out what these hand waves were all about. Before the end of the season, the “Claw and Antlers” would be our rally cry which would see our Texas Rangers to their first postseason victory. 
 
Near the end of the season, during the last series with the New York Yankees, the Texas Rangers released a t-shirt emblazoned with the two hand signals. The workers at the Rangers Majestic store could not keep up with the demand for these shirts.  I personally saw fans mobbing clerks  who were trying to re-stock the depleted shelves, taking the shirts right out of their hands and leaving them standing empty-handed.       
 
The Texas Rangers have long been known as the whipping boys, the floor-mates, and called the farm program by the rest of the MLB.  The 2010 season finally put an end to the team’s tormented drought and will go a long way to heal the sufferings of their devoted fans. 
 
And under the new ownership of Nolan Ryan, the Texas Rangers are serving notice to the rest of the league, not just by their great on-field play, but by announcing that the Farm is close to the rest of the league.  The Rangers’ front office is making big plans after this season to do all they can to keep as many of our players as possible—they have truly taken us to new heights this season. 

With the leadership of Skipper Ron Washington, the Rangers are making their first-ever appearance in the American League Conference Series.  No matter the outcome now—win or lose—every game is history in the making, as this Rangers team continues to go where no Rangers team has gone before.

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Acclaimed actor Sidney Poitier starred with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in the hit movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.

Guess which team will show up hungrier in this year’s American League Championship Series?

The actors in this year’s Major League Baseball saga may not win any Oscars or Golden Globes, but they have a chance to have their names etched in eternity as stars and winners nonetheless.

Starring for the defending World Series champion New York Yankees will be Joe Girardi, with co-stars Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, C.C. Sabathia and Derek Jeter.

Statistics aside, the Yankees may have the best batting lineup since the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals—the Gas House Gang.

The Gang featured five .300 hitters, including mammoth slugger Ripper Collins.

Which hitter will rip the opposing pitching staff apart? I predict it will be Josh Hamilton.

Playing the lead role for the Texas Rangers will be their once-beleaguered manager Ron Washington.  His supporting cast includes Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Michael Young, David Murphy, Ian Kinsler, Vladimir Guerrero and Cliff Lee.

The Rangers are no slobs themselves when it comes to hitting.

The first African-American manager in the 49-year history of the Texas Rangers, “Wash” is on the cusp of becoming the first black manager to hit the AL pennant lotto since 1993.

Clarence “Cito” Gaston was the last to do it. 

Born in San Antonio and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Gaston was also the first African-American to win the World Series (1992).

He was also once with the Atlanta Braves, and roommates with “Hammering” Hank Aaron.

Gaston has been quoted as saying that Mr. Aaron taught him “how to be a man, how to stand on my own.” 

Wash stood on his own for a little while during the 2010 MLB preseason, when he admitted to cocaine use. 

But team president Nolan Ryan provided his manager with some much needed company by predicting a 95-win season.

“We will win,” the former flame-throwing pitcher declared.

Now a part-owner of the Rangers, Ryan almost hit a bulls-eye with his bold prediction. 

His team finished the regular season at 90-72, and won the AL West division by nine games. 

This will be Wash’s first appearance as a manager in the ALCS, and Texas’ fourth postseason run ever.  The franchise has only won four playoff games entering into this year’s pennant series.

Needless to say, this will be the first time the Rangers have played in baseball’s version of the Final Four.

Their lone playoff victory before beating Tampa Bay 3-2 in a five-game series came in Game 1 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees.

The Yankees have pummeled the Rangers in every one of their four postseason series.

Which team is hungrier? It seems to me that they both are ready to gorge on equal amounts of home runs and extra base hits.

What will separate these two offensive juggernauts is pitching. 

Enter stage right Mr. Lee. 

The Yankees wanted to acquire him from the Seattle Mariners, but Ryan was widely viewed as winning a victory over the vaunted Yankee front office in sealing the deal.

The Rangers have dealt with 23 different managers in their history, and the only other one to guide them to the playoffs was the late Johnny Oates. 

As a result, he was named the 1996 Co-American League Manager of the Year. 

Joe Torre of the Yankees shared the award with Oates.

Oates and current Baltimore Orioles manager, Buck Showalter, were very close friends.  The Rangers retired Oates’ uniform number 26 in 2005.

Washington replaced Showalter as manager of the Rangers in 2007.

Showalter sported jersey number 26 as an Oriole this season in honor of Oates.

Washington had a mediocre career as a former shortstop and second baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Minnesota Twins, the Baltimore Orioles, the Cleveland Indians, and the Houston Astros.

His main claim to fame was breaking up Odell Jones’ May 28, 1988 no-hitter with one out in the ninth inning.

Washington was sent in to pinch-hit for Jay Bell, batting ninth. 

After he hung up his cleats for good in 1989, his former Astros manager, Art Howe hired him as the A’s first base coach in 1996.

He was then promoted to third base and infield coach, and he served in that role from 1997-2006.

His players adored him to the point of handing him some of their official MLB accolades.

Washington helped to develop six-time Gold Glove recipient Eric Chavez, and shortstop Miguel Tejada.  Chavez gave Washington a Gold Glove trophy, signed “Wash, not without you.”

That sentiment was shared by Ranger’s general manager Jon Daniels after the Game 5 win against Tampa Bay.

 “Manager of the Year, right here boys,” Daniels proclaimed to reporters in the ALDS celebratory club house.

Hero Cliff Lee won’t pitch until Game 3 in the ALDS, and hopefully in Game 7 for the Rangers.

Ron Washington and current Yankee first baseman Mark Teixeira had a rift over their different approaches to batting. 

Teixeira was traded three months later to the Atlanta Braves in July 2007, but he was reportedly being shopped before the rift.

I believe the Rangers pitchers will send a text message to their former star. 

It could read something like: “Tex, without you.”

I predict the so-called “Evil Empire” will fall in seven games to the Rangers, and that Ron Washington will be named 2010 AL Manager of the Year.

His boldest move was perhaps slotting SS Elvis Andrus in the lead-off spot.  Wash’s base-running aggression against the Rays helped to get his team to this point.

Considered plodders on the base paths, New York may play possum in the running department.

The Yankees may have played possum to finish second to the Rays, but possum is a delicacy in certain parts of Texas—so I hear.

The Rangers swept the Yankees in September. 

Texas will clean the New York house with an ALDS triumph in seven games.

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The 1980’s cannot be thirty years in the past already, can they?

Surely there’s been some mistake; say it ain’t so, Peter Ueberroth.  Please tell me Cheers and The Cosby Show are still atop the ratings, Bruce Springsteen is still The Boss, and Major League Baseball still has 26 teams, four divisions, no interleague play and no wild card.  Or if you can’t say all that, at least pretend for the sake of argument.

Have you got it yet?  That’s right, all you have to do is forget steroids, imagine Roger Maris and Hank Aaron still reign supreme atop the home run charts, and mentally switch the Brewers back to the American League.  There you go.  See how much better that is?

Well, your mileage may vary as to better or worse, but the 80’s were definitely a different time in baseball.  Whiteyball and Billyball led to record-setting stolen base seasons, teams carried nine or ten pitchers… and the players you’re about to see dominated the diamond.

I’ve spent the last week sifting stats to determine the roster for the ultimate 1980’s team.  I ranked the top 100 players per year, then added those rankings together to find players who excelled consistently throughout the decade.  Remember: We’re looking for the players who performed the best overall, not necessarily the best players to step on the field.  In other words, Roger Clemens might have remained dominant through the 90’s and Tom Seaver might have starred in the 70’s, but that doesn’t matter for our purposes.  All that counts is what happened between 1980 and 1989.

Ready?  Then it’s time to meet the starting lineup…

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The age-old axiom so often quoted in baseball circles that pitching and defense win championships is just as true today as it has always been. Of course, loaded lineups and the ability to score runs in bunches are always a plus, but those aspects of a team don’t always show up in the playoffs when you’re facing the best pitching staffs in the league.

Fortunately for them though, the Texas Rangers possess the best of both worlds. They have a deep pitching staff, led by one of today’s premier left-handers, as well as the fifth-highest scoring offense in Major League Baseball. Even on the days that their lineup isn’t battering opponents pitching, Texas‘ staff can keep them in tight contests long enough to squeak out wins late in games.

Texas has a long tradition of slugging ball-clubs in Arlington, but under the guidance of team president, baseball Hall-of-Famer and former Ranger fire-baller, Nolan Ryan, the Rangers have endeavored to remake themselves as a pitching oriented franchise.

Helping lead them to an American League West title, and their first playoff appearance since 1999, their pitching staff as a whole is currently fourth in the AL with a 3.93 ERA. The starting staff has been consistent if unspectacular, but is rounding into form as the post-season approaches.

Their starters’ ERA of 4.25 ranks them eighth amongst AL clubs and their WHIP of 1.33 places them seventh. They have pitched slightly better in the second half, partially due to the arrival of Lee.

Texas’ bullpen has been a strength all year with its 3.33 ERA leading all American League bullpens, and their collective WHIP of 1.27 places them third in the AL. Their 7.63 strikeouts per nine innings ranks them fourth in the AL. Rangers pitchers are a significant factor in the increasing confidence evident around the Ballpark in Arlington.

Originally intending to use a three man starting rotation throughout the first-round divisional series, the club decided to go with a four-man staff after analyzing the statistics regarding pitching on three days rest.

For the ALDS, the Rangers will pitch Cliff Lee in Game 1, C.J. Wilson will take the mound for Game 2, followed by Colby Lewis in Game 3, and if necessary, Tommy Hunter will be handed the ball in Game 4. A playoff hero for the Phillies last season, Lee would then take the ball in a decisive Game 5 if the series came to that.

Lee, the suddenly well-traveled ace, has pitched for four teams in the last year-and-a-half, after spending the first seven-and-a-half years of his career in Cleveland. After getting off to a superb start with the Mariners, he was traded to the Rangers on July 9 to bolster their starting staff in order to make a strong run at a playoff berth. His numbers have dipped slightly after coming to Texas, but overall he has pitched well.

After the trade, he is 4-6 with a 3.98 ERA and a WHIP of 1.06. A poor August skewed his overall numbers, but his performances have been improving, and he just finished a stellar September in which he went 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA, as opponents only hit .189 against him.

His dominant playoff performance in 2009, in which he was 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in five starts, gives Texas every reason to hope he can repeat that form as he leads them deep into October.

Converted reliever C.J. Wilson made a seamless transition to the starting rotation for the Rangers. After spending the previous four years as a closer and set-up man, he has been one of the Rangers top starters all year. The lefty is currently 14-8 in 32 starts, pitching 199 innings, striking out 166, while posting an ERA of 3.35, with a WHIP of 1.25. He has proved tough to hit, as opponents have only hit .217 against him.

Wilson has been brutal on lefties, as they’ve only hit .144 against him, with a paltry .400 OPS. C.J. will prove a valuable commodity against any team with big left-handed hitters that the Rangers may face in the playoffs.

Game 3 starter Colby Lewis has made a triumphant return to Major League Baseball after pitching the last two seasons in Japan. Although he’s only 12-13, the big right-hander has pitched well, tallying 196 innings, and leading the team in strikeouts with 192. His 3.72 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and .231 opponents’ batting average have earned him a coveted spot in Ron Washington‘s post-season plans.

In the event of a Game 4 in the ALDS, 24-year-old Tommy Hunter will get the nod. After a solid first year with the team in 2009, Hunter joined the rotation in Arlington during June of this year. Overall his stellar 13-4 record, 1.27 WHIP and 3.72 ERA have been a pleasant development for the Rangers, but he has pitched even better than his totals might suggest.

Of course, the win/loss totals are great, but the ERA is bloated by a few terrible starts, but otherwise he has been a force in the rotation. Out of his 21 starts, he has gone at least six innings and allowed two or less earned runs in nine of them. His emergence has allowed the Rangers the luxury of a deep four man staff to ease the burden on the front three, eliminating the need for Lee to pitch on three days rest.

Although the Rangers have yet to announce their final post-season rosters, several recent revelations have helped to form a clearer picture of what their bullpen could look like in the playoffs.The decision to use Hunter as the fourth starter has eliminated him from inclusion in the relief corps.

It has also been announced that Frank Francisco, the 2010 squad’s original closer, who transitioned to a set-up role in favor of highly-touted phenom Neftali Feliz, won’t be available to pitch until at least the American League Championship Series.

Francisco strained a rib cage muscle in late August, and was hoping to return prior to the division series, but a recent MRI revealed that he was not yet ready to begin his throwing program.

After Feliz assumed control of the closer’s role around May 1, Francisco had thrived as the primary set-up man, throwing 41.2 innings, striking out 51 and only walking 11, posting a 1.15 WHIP and a 3.24 ERA, while stranding 85% of inherited base-runners. His presence will undoubtedly be missed.

Thankfully for the Rangers’ sake though, they possess a strong stable of quality arms capable of filling the void created by Francisco’s injury. After making his debut on June 15, rookie Alexi Ogando has emerged as likely candidate to fill Francisco’s role. He has assimilated nicely into the late-inning corps available to Ron Washington.

His predominantly fastball/slide repertoire has stymied AL hitters thus far, making him a dangerous weapon late in games. In just 40.1 innings, he has struck out 37, only allowed 31 hits, a fine 1.17 WHIP and a 1.34 ERA.. His only Achilles heal may be that he allowed 40 percent of inherited runners to score, so he is not ideal for situational use.

Closer Neftali Feliz is finishing off his first full season in fine form. Originally slated as a set-up man, he assumed full control of the closer’s role after Francisco’s struggles and never looked back. In 68.1 innings, he has notched 71 strikeouts, allowed a stellar 0.89 WHIP, a 2.77 ERA, with 39 saves in 42 opportunities.

Opponents have only hit .177 against him, with a meager OPS of .520. After struggling slightly at times early in the year, he has been absolutely dominant in the second half, posting an ERA of 1.47 and a WHIP of 0.69 after the All-Star Break. Although only 22 years old, there is little doubt about his ability to shut down the Rangers; opposition in the late innings of October.

Darren O’Day offers the Rangers the versatility to be utilized in a variety of roles. His submarine style delivery makes him death on RH hitters, as they only hit .185 off him in 2010. He was effective against lefties as well, only allowing them a .229 average, so he is not limited to situational status.

Overall, in 71 appearances, he has thrown 61 innings, allowing only 43 hits for a minuscule 0.90 WHIP. He only struck out 43, but excelled at keeping men off base. His arm will surely prove useful over the coming weeks.

Darren Oliver keeps defying time, and at age 40, continues to provide Ron Washington with a valuable veteran arm as his left-handed specialist. Since transitioning to full-time bullpen work in 2006, Oliver has turned in three of his best career seasons from 2008-10. Pitching 60.2 innings, he struck out 65, with a WHIP of 1.10, and an ERA of 2.52.

Against left-handed hitters is where he excels, only allowing a .192 average and .516 OPS in those splits. With all the top left-handed hitter on the opponents’ playoff rosters, Oliver will surely be a valuable component of the Ranger bullpen.

Other left-handed options for the bullpen include young starters Matt Harrison and Derek Holland. Due to their starting experience, each could be valuable as a long reliever as well. Holland could also be suited as a LH specialist to aid Oliver, since he only allowed lefties to hit .130 this year with an impressive .362 OPS.

Harrison was not as effective against lefties and struggled somewhat with his control this year, so he would most likely see long relief duty if included on the roster. Scott Feldman provides another long relief option as a regular starter, but he struggled mightily this year with a 1.6 WHIP and 5.48 ERA, after posting a strong 2009 in which he won 17 games.

Manager Ron Washington has several other hard-throwing options to choose from as he finalizes his postseason bullpen. Dustin Nippert can bring the heat as he vies for a spot in the Texas pen. He was very good in 2009, but regressed in 2010, as he struggled with his command and appeared too hittable at times. His 4.36 ERA was decent, but his 1.73 WHIP provided evidence to support the concerns over his ability to keep men off base.

Mark Lowe could be a late inclusion to help fill Francisco’s shoes. He has only pitched one inning for the Rangers after rehabbing from a back injury, but he is receiving a late look to see if he may help bridge the gap to Feliz.

A wild-card could be Rich Harden, he of the phenomenal ability, but unable to stay healthy. He was used only a couple times in relief, to disastrous results, but the Rangers may be inclined to try to get some value out of him, as they have thus far not been repaid on their $7.5 million investment.

We shall soon know how the Texas Rangers will construct their post-season bullpen for their first playoff appearance since 1999. Whichever relievers he selects, Ron Washington possesses a deep group to choose from, and the Rangers appear well-armed to attempt to make it beyond the Divisional Series for the first time in franchise history.

Please check out Featured Columnist Brian Winett’s detailed analysis of all the playoff teams’ bullpens in this piece.

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There is this beautiful song out on the country radio charts. In fact, it is now ranked at No. 2 for this week, and it is called, “The Boys of Fall,” and its artist is Kenny Chesney.

It talks of high school football and wearing the jerseys, digging in the cleats, and roughing up the shoulder pads. It is an emotional song that still manages to stay away from the label of “cheesy.”

Down where I live in Texas, it fits the culture like a glove because Texas is all about football.

The Dallas Cowboys have five Super Bowl wins, the University of Texas has the “Hook ’em Horns” sign with the index and pinkie finger, and because football is more popular than baseball, it just makes sense that the world of baseball would be overlooked.

Well, there is a subculture of baseball here, and it is usually found in my sect. The tall, lanky boys that wear caps on the weekends, and wear sunglasses so the girls don’t know we are looking at them.

We are the laid-back, cool under pressure/live for the moment which is baseball.

I love baseball. I have more memories of baseball than any other sport. I get those skin-tight white pants and my white socks, then I’d put on my cleats, and my jersey and my cap.

I still have my old brown glove sitting on the desk right next to me. I still have my ball with Tony the Tiger’s face on it.

I remember going to practice, and just throwing a ball around. It was athletic yet relaxing because it was so simple for us. We didn’t think about getting under the hoop for a inside pass to dunk it or making the trap block here.

It was simple. Catch/field the ball, throw it to first, hit the ball, run to first.

Best of all, it was a game where you took time to be friends. In football games, you’re studying the team across, and heaven forbid you talk about your favorite action figure.

When I was a kid, I sat in that dugout next to my friend Jeff, and between my other friend Scott, and we just talked.

We drank Gatorade from paper cups, we chewed sunflower seeds, and we talked about what video games we wanted for our game systems.

When we won, we may argue cheese vs. pepperoni on our pizzas. When we lost, we got some sugary sweet snack in a package that our parents brought (each parent had a set week for snacks), and then we planned to fool around in our backyards on Sunday.

We grew apart as we hit middle school, but the constant for us was baseball.

I may have thought about law school and swimming. Scott wanted to do medical school and tennis, and Jeff and Zach went into tennis with him. Taylor was obsessed with golf, but we all remembered those days.

I will never forget winning the championship with my friends. I was playing third base, and there was a pop-up and it looked like it was going to fly beyond my grasp for a hit. I still said to myself to go after it anyway, what could it hurt?

I was always like that, and so were my teammates. We never gave up on a game or on each other, which was wonderful because I was jealous of my pals.

I couldn’t even throw a ball straight half the time while Jeff was a switch-hitter. Zach was just awesome at second base, Scott just did his thing always, but me? I knew I was the underdog, the last guy picked, but it didn’t affect our friendship.

Yet, it was the defining moment of my life at the time when that ball just curved and plopped downward into my glove with me staring at it.

I looked at the ball with confusion on my face, and I’ll never forget it when coach just hugged me and lifted me up in the air with all the pride in the world. I had caught the last out of the game.

We had won the championship, we had won it all. We were the happiest set of boys alive in the state of Texas.

Today, as I lay back in my chair and gaze at my glove, I think of that day. I think of that, the sunflower seeds, the soda bottles, the white and brown stains on our clothes when we went home to take our baths, and I smile.

Today, me and my friends add more memories. I see Jorge Cantu’s double into left field that gave him the first RBI of his Ranger career to put us in the lead. I see Nelson Cruz, Julio Borbon, and Jeff Francoeur catching fly balls.

I see Ron Washington and Nolan Ryan, the men who kept this organization on course even though the Rangers were almost bankrupt.

I see a gigantic dogpile and everyone hugging. I’m wishing the guys were all here, so we can do the same.

I see Michael Young embracing every man on the field because he, Mr. Ranger, is finally going to the postseason after 1,502 games with the Rangers. The all-time hits leader for the Rangers is finally going to the postseason.

I see myself throwing my glove in the air along with the players as I watched that last out happen. I see Neftali Feliz getting his 38th save, a new rookie record for the MLB, as the Rangers clinch playoffs.

We’ve been waiting a decade, and while I’m still at home, and Jeff is at Texas Tech, Taylor is here, Zack and Scott are at Texas A&M, and Chris is at Texas; I know we are, in our hearts, in our tiny cleats and little caps.

And we are playing at Meadowcreek Park, and we are hoping the Rangers win this year.

The Texas Rangers beat the Oakland Athletics today, and they are going to the playoffs for the first time in 11 years!

Eleven years, guys. Was it worth the wait? I think it was.

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Here’s a little baseball trivia for you: how many major league baseball players with the first name of “Ryan” have there been in baseball history?

The answer is 45.

Here’s another one: how many of those players played before 1990?

The answer is one: Ryan Kurosaki.

What’s going on here? Has the overall popularity of the name “Ryan” spiked in the last 30 years? Are teams more likely to sign guys named Ryan? What’s the deal?

We have a theory: a whole generation of children born during Nolan Ryan’s hey-day have been named after the Ryan Express by baseball-crazy fathers, and those same baseball-crazy fathers have also raised their sons to be ballplayers.

Crazy? Perhaps. But the evidence, albeit circumstantial, is there.

For example, let’s take a look that the 2010 All-Ryan All Star Team.

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Trevor Cahill has become the ace of the Oakland A’s staff. Brett Anderson had the role at the beginning of the year, but because of injuries, Anderson has conceded the role. 

Today, Cahill improved his record to 12-4 today, his ERA is now at 2.56, WHIP .98, and has struck out 76 while walking 41. At 22 years of age, Cahill has blossomed. 

When the season started, it didn’t look like Cahill was going to have a shot in the rotation. He started the year off rough against Toronto, but has been tremendous since. So much so Cahill is about to tie Nolan Ryan for most starts going five plus innings with giving up six or less hits. 

Ryan did it 20 consecutive starts and Cahill, after today, is at 19. 

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It has been reported in various overnight news services that Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan has won the high-stakes bidding war for the team.

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This is the day a lot of people have been waiting for since the decision came down that the Texas Rangers would go up for auction. At this moment it’s a two team race, so to speak, as to who will be the new owners of the Texas Rangers. The two teams are groups headed by Attorney Chuck Greenberg and Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan up against Houston businessman Jim Crane and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban .

What we learned earlier today was that the group led by Crane and Cuban had the highest bid over Greenberg and Ryan by more than $25 million. At that point, the attorney’s for the Greenberg and Ryan group wanted 12 hours to look over the Crane and Cuban bid. The judge gave them one hour and asked that they come back and tell him where they were.

If you think this has been a clean battle, you’d be dead wrong. Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News, Dan Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal, Bob Nightengale of USA Today, and Brian Dolgin with the Texas Rangers are all on hand, and all have reported several heated arguments between the attorneys from both sides.

Dolgin and Kaplan both reported, via Twitter, that Louis Streubeck and Thomas Lauria, respective attorneys for both sides, got into a shouting match and cussed at each other during a confrontation in the hallway of the courtroom.

We may not know the resolution of the proceedings today but what we do know is Major League Baseball is not a fan of Cuban and does not want to see him become the owner of any team let alone the Texas Rangers. After his attempt at buying the Chicago Cubs from The Tribune Company, Cuban wrote on his blog , “On the flip side, my dedication to winning could also make my job of getting approval with MLB baseball much harder.”

Whether Major League Baseball approves Cuban and Crane as the new owners of the Texas Rangers is still yet to be seen. However, if the creditors get their way, they will urge the presiding judge to award the Cuban group for no other reason than to get more money.

If you ask a lot of the Ranger fans, at least those not after the “big name” owner, they’ll tell you that the best ownership group for the foreseeable future is the group led by Ryan. However, it might not be so far fetched to think that Cuban can’t bring a championship to North Texas. He has the kind of money that can bring in the players needed for the Rangers to compete in not only the AL West but also in the American League year in and year out. He can take the money from ticket sales, concessions, and advertising among other avenues, and put it back into the players on the field.

I’m not saying Ryan won’t do the same as he’s been a big part of the rebuilding process of this team over the years, however,  Cuban isn’t a bad owner and Dallas Maverick fans will tell you the exact same thing.

What those around Major League Baseball object to is his constant questioning of NBA officials as well as the members of the NBA front office as well. Major League Commissioner Bud Selig gets questioned enough by those around baseball, having Cuban’s outspoken manner might not go over so well in baseball circles.

Whatever comes of the court proceedings over the next few days, I believe the Rangers will be in good, and capable, hands going forward.

One thing you can take away from both Cuban and Ryan is the fact that both of these guys will be committed to winning and both will show that as the owners. I’m not going to say one is better than the other, but what I will say is one knows baseball, the other has admitted at previous times that he is not a baseball guy. I’ll leave you to figure out which is which.

The bids are in and Cuban is the lead horse at this moment with a bid of $335 million, much to the chagrin of Ryan and Greenberg who’s offer currently stands at $320 million. There’s been no response from the Greenberg/Ryan camp and the judge has said that he’s willing to work through the night to have a resolution by morning.

Though there’s been some talk of stopping for the night, the two sides have ordered themselves dinner to be delivered to the courthouse so it looks like they are ready to work through the night as well.

This is a long ways from over and, if today was any indicator, there are more fireworks still to come.

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No, there is no talk of a new prospective owner of the Rangers moving the team to Cuba. But will the Rangers soon be a Cuban team?

The well-publicized bankruptcy of the Rangers becomes more of a headache with each passing day. Every day this situation goes unresolved is like throwing gasoline on a fire.

The Greenberg/Ryan group, comprised of Chuck Greenberg and legendary Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, had a deal in place months ago to acquire the organization. However, creditors went up in arms and have delayed the deal, claiming the $525 million bid from Greenberg and Ryan was not the highest bid—simply the bid that MLB executives and owners wanted to accept, since Ryan would remain the team’s president.

Creditors were quick to argue that the highest bidder should have gained control of the organization, purely because it would’ve meant more money repaid to the creditors than from the Greenberg/Ryan group.

Many more details emerged through the months that clouded the water even further, leading to the August 4th auction of the Rangers. Any new bid must enter the auction at no less than $530 million, with consequential bids requiring an increase of at least $2 million per bid. A further detail that emerged over the last few months was Mark Cuban and his strong interest in acquiring the organization, after he appeared to have no interest in the franchise whatsoever a few months ago.

Cuban is known for his radical attitude and actions as owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. It was said that even if Cuban were to place a bid on the Rangers, Major League Baseball would not approve him as an owner due to his radical ownership beliefs. Cuban attempted to purchase the Chicago Cubs last year and it was rumored that his bid was strongly opposed by Bud Selig and MLB.

However, details emerged early on July 22 that confirmed Cuban had expressed interest in placing a bid for the organization and that MLB has approved his request to place that bid.

Would this be good for the Rangers? And for MLB?

Yes. It would be very good.

At the very least, it would be exciting and entertaining. And for a franchise that has only one playoff win in its history, a change of pace and a radical owner may be the spark that gets this young, exciting team over the hill.

Look first at what Cuban did for the Mavericks. Yes, his antics and behavior have cost him multiple fines for millions of dollars. But the Mavericks have become one of the most valuable NBA franchises in the league, the team has won 50-plus games for 10 consecutive seasons, and he brings a fresh attitude to the game. He is not afraid to spend money in order to make the team better. (Please take notes here, Tom Hicks.)

Imagine, what would that type of owner do for a franchise stuck in a rut for the last 38 years? And for a franchise beginning to come into its own and gaining national attention as a legitimate World Series contender? Could Cuban turn the young Rangers into a Braves-like dynasty for the next 15 or 20 years? I think he could.

Critics are skeptical and fear that Cuban would taint the league and the Rangers. It wouldn’t happen. Cuban would retain Nolan Ryan and, more than likely, Chuck Greenberg. They would form a front office three-headed monster that would be rivaled and well-respected around the league. The Rangers would finally be seen as a legitimate organization and be recognized around the league as a title contender, year after year.

Mark Cuban has done nothing but good things for the Dallas Mavericks and has helped improve the NBA. Why not let him do the same for the Rangers and MLB?

With all the possible suitors for a new owner, the team could go in any number of directions, based on who ultimately gains ownership. If Cuban wins the auction, you can feel confident that the organization would be in trustworthy hands. 

Jump on the Cuban train. It promises to be a good ride.

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