The Texas Rangers drive to win the 2010 World Series, couldn't get it done, Rangers go out with a ya
thenavarro
Posts: 7,497 ✭✭✭
in Sports Talk
Way to go guys. Nice come back win today. For the first time since the early 90's, I didn't go to Opening Day, but I watched every glorious moment in high def.
1-0
1-0
Buying US Presidential autographs
0
Comments
I hope this gives you hope!
<< <i>Should have done the Mike Lowell trade. Looks like he is going to be the Red Sox DH in about 2-3 GAMES now. >>
there, I fixed it for you
<< <i>they need a better pitching staff to advance in the playoffs.. >>
But isn't the case with the Rangers pretty much *every* year?
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
I"ll be in the park Monday night to watch him pitch against LAA. Opened up what looked to be junk mail tonight and it was a thank you letter from Nolan Ryan (facsimile sig though) thanking me for bringing my tee ball team out to the park last year. The Rangers included a voucher for $120 worth of tickets as well in it so I'm taking my wife and kiddos tomorrow. Thanks Nolan and thanks Rangers!
Mike
<< <i>Rangers are a solid team indeed! they will score runs in droves, but will the pitching be around to protect them? >>
But isn't that the same old question about the Rangers year after year?
Mike
By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer
3 hours, 17 minutes ago
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)—The Texas Rangers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday in hopes of spurring completion of the stalled $575 million sale of the team—and maybe clear the decks for the new owners to make pennant-chasing decisions this summer.
The bankruptcy filing comes four months after Tom Hicks announced an agreement to sell the team to a group led by Hall of Fame pitcher and team president Nolan Ryan and Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg.
“I did not want to put the baseball future of the Texas Rangers in jeopardy or uncertainty for an extended period of time,” Hicks said. “This action is all about creating an end to the impasse in allowing this team sale to go forward.”
Under the plan to be presented at a court hearing Tuesday, the Rangers would pay the $75 million of the club’s debt tied up in Hicks’ financially strapped ownership group. That would remove the team from the additional claims by creditors against Hicks Sports Group that have held up the sale.
“We feel like this is the correct thing to do,” Ryan said. “We have some deadlines coming up that are obviously important to us as a ballclub, and feel like by bringing this to finality that we will then be able to do the things we feel like we need to do and push forward with the winning ways of the ballclub.”
In order for the AL West-leading Rangers to have financial flexibility at the non-waiver trading deadline July 31, the sale of the team will need to be completed. There is also the amateur draft next month.
A 21-page filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Fort Worth included the top 30 unsecured creditors, a list headed by Alex Rodriguez(notes), who is owed $24.9 million in deferred compensation six years after he was traded. The next five are also current or former players: Kevin Millwood(notes) ($12.9 million), Michael Young(notes) ($3.9 million), Vicente Padilla(notes) ($1.7 million), Mickey Tettleton ($1.4 million) and Mark McLemore(notes) ($970,000).
Even if the court approves the Rangers’ bankruptcy petition, the sale would take several more weeks to complete.
“I know it will be faster than the other alternative would have been,” said Hicks, who bought the team in 1998 from a group that included former president George W. Bush.
Since the filing was made by the team, not Hicks Sports Group, the group of about 40 creditors owed money by HSG could object to the sale. Greenberg knows that’s a distinct possibility.
“Given the way a couple of these renegade creditors have behaved, I’m not expecting an overnight personality transplant,” Greenberg said. “So, the odds are they won’t take this well.”
Greenberg said he doesn’t believe the court will disregard the process so far, “particularly since every creditor of the Texas Rangers will be paid 100 cents on the dollar.”
Young, the longest-tenured Ranger in his 10th season, is the only current Texas player listed in top 30 unsecured creditors. Others creditors listed in the filing include Tickets.com, Rawlings Sporting Goods Co., Clear Channel Outdoor and Stats Inc.
Hicks, Greenberg and Ryan met with the players before their flight Monday night to Kansas City, assuring them that they would continue to be paid on time.
“After a huge sigh of relief, the meeting went on,” Young said. “Once we knew (bankruptcy) was a way to expedite the sale, we knew it wasn’t that big of a deal.”
New baseball players’ union head Michael Weiner said he has “been assured that all contractual commitments to players will be honored in full.”
After an agreement in principle was announced Jan. 23, after more than a month of exclusive negotiations, Greenberg’s group had hoped to have control of the Rangers by opening day. But the deal was slowed by concerns from Hicks’ lenders after Hicks Sports Group defaulted on $525 million in loans last year.
Hicks said it became apparent about a month ago that the Chapter 11 bankruptcy would be the only way to break the stalemate.
The filing is not the first in baseball.
The Chicago Cubs briefly filed for Chapter 11 protection last year in a step that allowed their new owners to avoid potential claims from Tribune Co. creditors. The Baltimore Orioles were sold in a bankruptcy auction in 1993 after owner Eli Jacobs filed for Chapter 11.
Once the bankruptcy issue is settled and the sale proceeds, at least 75 percent of baseball’s owners have to approve the transfer of ownership from Hicks. In a letter included with the bankruptcy filing, commissioner Bud Selig said he intends to recommend the approval of the sale.
Major League Baseball has agreed to give the Rangers a new credit facility while it waits for the deal to be completed, the team said.
This is the 50th season of the franchise that began as the Washington Senators in 1961, and moved to Texas in 1972. The Rangers won their only three AL West titles in a four-year span at the end of the 1990s, and have never won a playoff series.
Court records show that the team’s cash flow problems began in 2005. Hicks provided more than $100 million to the Rangers in his tenure, but problems have mounted over the years.
“Due to the unprecedented downturn in the U.S. economic and housing industry and global economic recession, other commitments and contractual restraints, Mr. Hicks was no longer willing to provide the same material financial support he had in the past,” Kellie Fischer, the Rangers’ chief financial officer, wrote in a separate filing Monday.
Rodney Fort, a professor at the University of Michigan and vice president of the International Association of Sports Economists, dismissed the notion that escalating player salaries played a role in forcing the bankruptcy filing.
“That’s the silliest of all economic logic—to blame your employees because you can’t manage the asset in such a way that you can make a go of it,” he said. “It’s unlikely that even if it were true that high salaries were causing problems for the Rangers, that the answer is declare bankruptcy and sell the team.”
AP Sports Writers Ronald Blum in New York and Noah Trister in Little Rock, Ark., and AP writer Paul J. Weber in San Antonio contributed to this report.
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
<< <i>Looks like the horses are going to do it this year. My Halos just don't have enough. Morales and Aybar out for a long time to come just won't help matters. >>
Treetop,
I never count the Angels out. They are a very resillient(sp?) team. Throughout our current streak, I think the Rangers have only picked up 3 games on the Angels. Rangers came back tonight from a 4 run deficit. I guess it helps that we were playing the Pirates. That's 11 in a row and 1/2 game back from the best record in the Majors (damn Yankees!!) Have an early season big series next week against the Angels. I sure hope we take at least 2 of those 3 and keep the momentum. I love head to head matchups when your team is the one behind in the standings, but I hate head to head when your team is the one ahead in the standings. It would be nice if the Rangers and Angels could push each other all year and have one win it and the other win the wild card, that would mean the Yankees would sit home if they don't win their division.
Mike
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
If the Rangers play .500 the rest of the way, they'd be at 89 wins. That won't win the division, but if they push it up to 20 games over .500 in the next few days, playing .500 from July 1 on might just win it.
Buying Vintage, all sports.
Buying Woody Hayes, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, and Jesse Owens autographed items
Mike
Mike
<< <i>Just heard the Rangers are trading for Bengie Molina. For all of y'all that know, can Molina play?? I'm not a big National League fan so I don't know much about him. >>
As a Giants fan, it's sad to see a guy leave who distinguished himself as a good Giants catcher, but at the same time, I think it was time for him to go.
Bengie's a mixed bag.
On one hand, he's a good catcher. He's handled the Giants' young pitching staff well. They all love him. Molina's got the reputation of taking care of his pitchers and trying to help them succeed.
Offensively, he used to have some pop in his bat. Last year he hit 20 homers and drove in 80 runs. This year's been bad though. He has 9 extra base hits (6 doubles, 3 hrs) in 202 at bats. In contrast, the backup catcher Eli Whiteside has 10 extra base hits in 78 at bats. Bengie is horribly slow on the base paths though. He hasn't tried to steal a base in 4 years.
I doubt that Molina's going to be a better offensive player than Treanor... but with Nolan Ryan's wish to build the Rangers as a pitching powerhouse, then Molina provides a catcher that can be more than just a target for pitches.
So, how's this middle-reliever Chris Ray you guys are sending to us?
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25
<< <i>
So, how's this middle-reliever Chris Ray you guys are sending to us? >>
Digicat,
Ray has been used primarily in very short 6th and 7th inning appearances. I don't recall him having an outing lasting over an inning yet, but I may be wrong. He's serviceable, and walks about as many as he strikes out. Might be a potential setup man one day but that's primarily Francisco's job for the Rangers. I don't know anything about the other guy, Main.
Mike
This thread is looking better every day. Hopefully they can keep it up.
brian
<< <i>Cliff Lee is now on the Rangers. Congrats!
This thread is looking better every day. Hopefully they can keep it up.
brian >>
Thanks! I'm psyched. I'm tired of them basically saying every year that they are playing for the future. The future is now, let's win this dang thing. Go Rangers!!! Just make the playoffs and then anything can happen.
Mike
Mike
<< <i>WOW! Owned by Baltimore!! That's a total fluke. Tigers are to blame. We frustrated the heck out of them, so they are taking it out on you. Now the Rangers will seek revenge on us shortly after the break.... Was hoping to not have to face Lee again, but oh well.... I'm actually hoping Texas can win the division at least. If (when) Detroit craps out again, I'm rooting for Texas to go all the way. They solved 2 problems with one trade- got an ace, AND got rid of the (now) lackluster Smoak... >>
Yep, Baltimore is putting the SMACK DOWN on us. 3 in a row, and 2 of those were late comebacks, aarrgghhh. Oh well, Angles have been hurting this week as well. Hopefully we'll go into the All Star break with at least a 4.5 game lead. I'll take that!! Would be nice to win tomorrow though and send the players to their break with a good feeling in their head instead of a loss.
Way to go Bengie!! Way to go Rangers!!
Go Rangers! Keep it up.
Mike
PS- oh, and go Red Sox, whip on the A's the next 3 days, y'all should be pissed at the way the Rangers series just went, so take it out on the A's! and go Yankees, I rarely root for them but they are playing the Halos for the next 2.
Now a 5 game lead over the Halos. What a ride so far
I'm going with my 6 year old daughter tomorrow to meet Neftali Feliz, Elvis Andrus, and Nelson Cruz. I don't know who is more excited, me or her.
Go Rangers, keep the dream alive!!!!
Lead is at 7 games against the Angels, and 7.5 against Oakland. A big week lies ahead, home series against A's starts Tuesday and road series against Angels next weekend. Rangers have another chance to take care of their own business and not have to rely on other teams. Here's hoping that I wake up a week from Monday and we are in at least the same position as we are now.
I'll probably go to the game Wednesday night as well. I decided I'm going to enjoy the stretch drive in person when I can. Plus, tomorrow is "dollar hot dog" night, so I'm going to be very full and lethargic
<< <i>
I'll probably go to the game Wednesday night as well. I decided I'm going to enjoy the stretch drive in person when I can. Plus, tomorrow is "dollar hot dog" night, so I'm going to be very full and lethargic
Could be a new thread for Mike.
What's the over / under for hot dogs consumed at the game tonight by Mike?
Does anyone know what year was Oscar Meyer's rookie card?