As tonight’s 1st pitch began at 6:07 pm under 104 degree temps a part of me began thinking back to the summer of 2009. A Ranger team that looked to be just a few pieces short of being playoff worthy. Newbie pitching coach Mike Maddux did a great job with the mantra of pounding the strike zone and trusting your stuff. Scott Feldman was great to watch that year with a 17 win season and a few no-decisions short of being a 20 game winner.
4 months prior to one of the largest soap-opera weddings seen on ‘General Hospital’ with Luke and Laura. 1 month removed from a move to the West Coast from Northern Illinois. My first thought was, ‘who in the hell would awaken at this ungodly hour to watch a procession?’ Little did I know we were being prepared for non-stop news in a few decades in a round-the-clock manner.
The Dallas Cowboys and football will always be first in Texas. That will never change. Now that there have been TWO World Series appearances by the Rangers, a Mavericks championship season in 2010, an All-Star Game, a Super Bowl, and even an AA title for the Air Hogs fans have more things to sink their teeth into as we fast approach August.
Admittedly it will be tough for me to maintain focus on the summer games as Pro Football training camps also start their buildup to Opening Night. Playoff races beginning to take shape in Major League Baseball especially in places like the Bay Area and Ohio. A 3 team race is now imminent in the A.L. West. I will openly root for the merits of a Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt while wondering aloud how a Mark Spitz or a Rafer Johnson might have fared in a head-to-head matchup.
In what will be his 9th season in the NFL coming from Hawaii and having a short stint with the Broncos in 2003 1 number stays in my mind: 43.8 as in average yards per punt. Stalled drive near mid-field? Push the opposition inside the 10. Stuck deep in your own territory and need some breathing room? Put the onus upon your defense to push back at the 50. This can only help the Philadelphia cause.
Monday, July 30, 2012 at 10:33AM