Friday, December 4, 2009

I Told You So.....

Here are links to columns by Randy Galloway about potential Rangers owner Dennis Gilbert here and here.

Please note Gilbert's desire to be a "hands on" owner with everyone reporting directly to him. As I said on Sunday: if Gilbert is chosen by Mr. Hicks and is approved by MLB - this is going to be a nightmare. Remember how bad things were with Mr. Hicks circa 2000 - 2003 - it's about to happen again. Gilbert is a former agent, he's not going to use his money to keep building the team - he's going to on spending spree with the likes of "veteran" players (just look at the broken down "veteran" players that littered the Texas rosters from 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003) - all JD's hard work to build up a good farm system to feed to the major league team will go straight down the drain.

The only hope left is that Randy is right in his assertion that Gilbert's financing isn't in place, and the fact that the NHL has to approve the new owner might work against a fomer athlete's agent. Thinking out loud - it could favor Mr. Greenberg who has had some dealings with the NHL in the past - although I haven't read how the NHL felt about Mr. Greenberg.

You know Tom Schieffer - one of the architects of the Rangers playoff teams in the 90's - is out of a job (no longer running for governor). Is it too late for him to put together a group - or maybe even the same group that owned the team back in the glory days? They knew a little something about letting the baseball operations do their job, and making the Ballpark a great place to visit for all fans (not just the corporate pals of the owner).

Meanwhile...do you hear the sounds of crickets chirping when it comes to making moves that will actually help the team on the field?

Tom Schieffer for owner! -- Marla Hooch

Sunday, November 29, 2009

What Can I Say?

Not much.

I can't get excited about additions to the 40 man roster - so what other baseball content is there write about lately?

The truth is that we are now fans of the Montreal Expos. Our current owner built his financial empire on a foundation of shifiting sands, and we the fans are paying for Tom Hicks wrong headed faith in bubble economics.

As every local pundit has written: the Rangers have no money to spend this off season, so we are likely to see pretty much the same team that we watched last season (which is not necessarily a bad thing). The problem is that Mr. Hicks, but mostly the primary owner (Mr. Selig) have unrealistic expectations of what the Rangers are worth - and the bidders haven't been willing to pay. But, when has Bud Selig been realistic about anything? (Just one example - performance enhancing supplements: Bud is still combing grains out his hair from leaving his head in the sand for so long about this situation).

Unfortunately, the financial solution to the Rangers problems doesn't appear to be any better that the current problem. National reports seem to indicate that the former sports agent and Selig crony Dennis Gilbert has a leg up on on the competition. The key phrase here is "former sports agent" and the fact that he is an "advisor" to the White Sox owner -- one more phrase comes to mind: managing and general managing from the ownners suite. If you thought Tom Hicks meddled too much - just wait and see what happens if Dennis Gilbert buys the team.

Enough - wake me up when spring training starts.

Tis the season to be jolly, and I have to thank my brother in law Ken for sending this video (see below). If you don't love the Muppets and their version of this Queen classic - then what planet of dour people do you come from?

I see a little silhouetto of a clam -- Marla