Yes Kids, I Am Going To Write Something

I'm working on it. Meanwhile - here are some pictures from Frisco:

Friday August 7th and Sunday August 9th


Did you notice who asked the second question in TR Sullivan's mailbag today?


Cheering on those wild things in Arlington -- Marla Hooch

Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone

That's all I have to say about the Rangers lead story today.

-- Marla Hooch

Watch This Space.....

I'll start blogging again this weekend....

-- The Resurgent Marla Hooch

An Explanation

My explanation starts with a movie I've referenced a long time ago on this blog "Grace Of My Heart" which is based very loosely on the life of songwriter Carole King.

The central character songwriter Denise Waverly (Illena Douglas) marries a Brian Wilson type (brilliant but troubled) songwriter/producer named Jay Phillips (Matt Dillon). He has his "issues" one of them being that he can't find his "muse". In a very haunting scene Jay walks down to the beach alone on stormy evening whistling and calling for his muse (in case you haven't seen the movie - he doesn't come back - apparently drowning in the ocean).

Now, I'm not quite over the edge like Jay - but I can relate to not being able to find my muse. I am enjoying this baseball season, maybe as much as 1986 and 1996 my two favorite Rangers seasons past. The economic downturn has affected my ability and desire to go to Frisco and OKC - but I am still faithfully poring over the box scores and reading Scott Lucas daily reports.

Yet in these exciting and happy days the thought of writing my blog brings up a sense of dread that I can't explain.

Or maybe I can.

The more I read on the Internet, the less I want to read on the Internet. How's that for a conundrum? Freedom of speech is every one's right -- but is there a point where there is just too much speech and not enough listening and contemplation? I admire those fans who can write insightful commentary and analysis of players on their blogs and website. There are many terrific voices about Ranger baseball available to read - and then there are some out there that are just noise. I fear that lately I've become part of the latter and I'm just adding to the volume. It's been a struggle to find something original and interesting to write - which confounds me, makes me angry at myself and mainly sad - because baseball is the best part of my life.

To add some levity to this missive - as Chio Escuela said "baseball has been berry, berry good to me". Because of baseball I've met some of the most precious friends I've had in this lifetime, people who I adore and hope that will be part of my life as long as I am here on earth. I've had some amazing experiences that I could never have imagined when I listened to Tiger games on my red, white and blue transistor radio as a young fan back in Toledo. I'll say it again: baseball is the best part of my life.

But right now, I simply can't find the words to put on this page. I'm hoping that a taking a short sabbatical will help me find my muse as well as some new and better ideas for the next time I write.

Heartfelt thanks to my family, friends and everyone else who reads this blog for your support - I'll be back sooner than later - I hope.

I close with this thought from that fine Irish writer Thomas Moore:

"It's important to be heroic, ambitious, productive, efficient, creative,
and progressive, but these qualities don't necessarily nurture the soul. The
soul has different concerns, of equal value: downtime for reflection,
conversation, and reverie; beauty that is captivating and pleasuring;
relatedness to the environs and to people; and any animal's rhythm of rest and
activity."

Go Rangers! -- Eleanor "Marla Hooch" Czajka
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I Want To Believe

Anybody remember the “X-Files”?

I wasn’t a member of their legion of fanatics – but I did watch it everyone once in a while – it was different and I’m a fan of different.

Agent Mulder (David Duchovny) had a poster of a UFO in his office that read “I Want To Believe”. I’d like to get a team photo of the 2009 Rangers and write that same phrase on it.

This fan is conflicted.

Before the season started, I wrote that I felt this was still a developmental year. I still try to hold onto that thought – but I feel like I am being assaulted with those who think this is the year the Rangers should be handling the team as if it’s playoff bound.

There are miles of bandwidth and airwaves proposing that the Rangers should be re-aligning their batting order and talking trades for middle relievers and big bats. I want to make that leap of faith with those kinds of fans. But 30 years of being a disappointed Rangers fan makes me hesitant to embrace that kind of belief.

Trying to explain my reluctance I recalled a recurring character on the X-Files known as The Cigarette Smoking Man. He was a clandestine agent with far reaching powers to change world events. During one episode when he going through a to-do list of those events he remarked that he made sure “the Buffalo Bills will never win the Super Bowl”. I sometimes wonder if there isn’t a Cigarette Smoking Man among the baseball gods who says “the Texas Rangers will never make it to the World Series”.

The irrational little girl waving the pom-poms is just dying for another season like ’96, ’98 or ’99 – I long to have the swagger of one of those AL East team fans who know that their team is consistently good. I want to believe that the young players on this Rangers team have sped past the learning curve, that pitching is going to hold on and that the injuries will finally catch up with the Angels.

On the other hand, the logical long - suffering fan has that nagging little voice in the back of my head reminding me that a 5-7 record against four of the better teams in MLB is not a passing grade, it’s still just June and for heaven’s sakes how many June Swoons have you seen, how many times have those high hopes evaporated in the hot Texas sun, how often have the Rangers broken your heart?

Am I only a lone voice in the wilderness crying out: patience!...stick with the plan!... first place is great, but it’s not the goal this season.

Or am I just a curmudgeon whose beliefs are simply beyond changing?

The intriguing thing about the X-Files was that most episodes left you with more questions than answers which is how I feel about the Rangers today.

I'm still trying to decide which kind of fan I ought to be. Like Mulder and Scully - still searching for an answer - and I know, as the show slogan says "the truth is out there".

Hi Aunt Rita! – Marla Hooch
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I could use a draft - how about you?

My annual ritual: creating the Newberg Report Draft Page.


It is complete and online.



Right now I could use a pint of Guiness with a shot of Bailey's -- Marla Hooch