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    Wednesday
    Apr112012

    Of Six and Eighteen!

    Hello and Happy Wednesday everyone! May you all get over the hump.

    Today is an anniversary of sorts here in North Texas. It was on this day in 1994 that Rangers Ballpark opened it's turnstiles for the first time against then American League foe the Milwaukee Brewers. Ranger David Hulse got the first hit and fans learned quickly that the wind blowing in from rigt field creates a heck of a jet stream on a well hit line drive. That was to become more enhanced when the Cuervo Club behind home plate opened back in 2000. To this day pitchers despise it.

    Tuesday night we saw a great pitching performance between a cool closer who resembled a veteran starter and a rookie hurler who once toiled within the Rangers farmlands. Courtesy of a David Murphy RBI double you saw my kind of a game. When Jay Betsill made a tweet (on my behalf) about Tuesday night's game being something I would enjoy, I smiled. 

    Heck, I admit I was spoiled living a half mile away from the temple of hardball for six years. The norm is to watch a seven homer affair and not leave until you got a solid four hours of baseball viewing. Opening Day was all of 144 minutes. Last night a meager 143. You get to the park early and still leave early!

    This being Ron Washington's sixth year at the Ranger helm the one mantra he has preached since Day 1? 'Pitching and Defense!' Since Day one! On this the 18th anniversary of Rangers Ballpark being open would you like to guess exactly how many 1-0 games the Rangers have played and won? 

    18 years...over 1,400 games give or take a strike year....are you ready? SIX! That's right, only six. I know of C.J. Wilson tossing one 2 years ago over the Angels on July 23rd. Kevin Millwood threw a 1-0 masterpiece on Toronto in 2009 June 11th. I saw Dustin Nippert toss a 1-0 shutout on Seattle in September of 2008.  The rest escapes me.

    Still, that is amazing to me. Need more proof of how much of a launching pad Rangers Ballpark is? I didn't think so. On Ron Washington's watch alone we have seen four of six 1-0 duels. Never mind the 1-0 game Ryan Drese lost to Roy Oswalt back in 2004...

    Nefty successfully went seven innings. Mike Adams and Joe Nathan finished up the gruntwork. Texas looks to have a strong quintet in place. In his defense Blake Beavan didn't do too badly in defeat. With the innings eater Kevin Millwood having earned a spot in the rotation this can only help the youth of the Mariners pitchers once you get past King Felix for pointers and knowledge. Me thinks the A.L. West will indeed be an exciting division.

    Happy Birthday Rangers Ballpark. Can't think of a better birthday present to pass along than a 1-0 pitcher's duel of all things. May we see six more in the next decade.

    Make it a great day!

    Over and out in Big D.

    Mr. Will

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