Again, we’re not on KRLD (grrr), so there’s little to talk about (from my standpoint, anyway) that is game specific. I did kind of watch the line score developing off the sports ticker, and it was 1-0 for the longest time, I thought pitching was doing well. Then I turn in and see a big 6 spot for the Twins. Burkett was tagged for the loss, even though four of the Twin runs came off a slam against Wetteland. Burkett did pretty good, pitching five innings and allowing only one run and three hits. Kind of a shame then that he got tagged for the loss, as our runs didn’t come until after Wetteland allowed six friggin runs in one inning! Wetteland isn’t doing that great so far this spring. Of course, he’s coming off a surgery, so he has more of an excuse than some others who are struggling this spring.
We did have a couple of home runs by our guys (Mateo & Clayton), but that was all the offense. We also had another error today. I haven’t actually sat down and counted them, but it really seems like we’re making far more errors than we did last year, and last year wasn’t that great. :( I know, I know, it’s still Spring Training, but I still don’t like to see them, anyway.
Other: Boy, Kerry Wood sure is taking a beating. Out all of 99, and could conceivably miss 2000 as well! Yikes!
Commentary by Jim Meeks:
The Rangers came up losers 7-2 to Minnesota Thursday in the first game of a rare spring doubleheader, ending a 5 game win team streak. I can only think of one other time that the Rangers ever played a spring doubleheader and that was several years back.
This game was only played to a 7 inning conclusion, since travel by bus is the norm in the spring, the Twins obviously didn’t want the hassle of fighting alligators *and* old ladies all night long on some God-forsaken Florida highway to Fort Myers (I can say that since I live only 150 miles from Fort Myers). This game wasn’t on radio anywhere, so you’ll have to forgive me if my accounts from the box score aren’t very accurate. I got stuck listening to the only all-AL Grapefruit game on the web today; Boston and Tampa Bay. It was bad anough listening to those Beantown announcers yesterday and today I got a second-helping. Oh well.
Rangers’ starter John Burkett came up with a good outing, throwing 5 strong innings and giving up just 1 run on 3 hits. This is his first good outing this spring and it’s without-a-doubt the strongest outing by a Rangers starter all spring.
Unfortunately, John Wetteland looks like he was shelled again. In his last 2 outings (2 IP) this spring, he’s given up a hefty 12 runs on 11 hits and 2 homers. Makes me wonder if his ankle and elbow really are ok. If they aren’t, the Rangers will have another large problem on their hands other than the disabilities of Mike Simms and Rafael Palmeiro.
Ruben Mateo continues to have an auspicious spring. In this game, the young Dominican went 1 for 1 with a homer and an RBI. In his last 5 games, Mateo is 5 for 9 with 2 homers, 2 doubles and 3 RBIs.
Rusty Greer had a couple of hits for the Rangers and Pudge Rodriguez had 2 as well, including a double. Royce Clayton hit a HR in the final frame but also commited his third error of the spring.

Oh great. Another big inning against us. We were up 1-0 for awhile, and then in the fifth inning, we give up five runs. This is starting to become a disturbing pattern. We made a run at it towards the end of the game, and closed the big gap (at the time 8-1) to 9-7, but we still lost. A bit busy this afternoon – I don’t have the time to write much here. However, we did have another error. :( Mike Morgan is starting to look like someone who will stick, which is odd considering this would be his 11th team. :)
Was nice to see a rally in the making, makes we wish we had two more innings. :)
Commentary by Jim Meeks:
Argh! If there’s one thing I have learned in all the years I have been a fan of the Rangers, it’s that losing two games in one day is no fun. The Rangers fell again to the Twins in the second half of today’s double-dip 9 to 7 (another 7 inning game).
There’s not a whole lot good to say about this game. It’s safe to say that Mike Morgan not only has a job for his 11th team (a MLB record) but that the Rangers will be counting on him to get them out of a lot of fires this year. Really good teams have a guy in the pen like Morgan, a guy who can come in and start when he is needed or break out the fire extinguisher in the 5th inning of a ballgame. Plus he can pitch almost anytime he’s needed. His nickname is “Rubberarm”. It looks like he pitched well again today and I’m not surprised.
The spring pyromaniacs (the scrapple from the bullpen who probably aren’t going to make the team) were at it again in game two. Matt Perisho, Jonathan Johnson and Mike Munoz all need to get out of the first-aid kit for their burns.
Hopefully, Perisho (who’s coming off arm surgery) and Johnson (who’s not coming off of anything but another lousy year in the minors) will probably be pining away at the AAA camp in a week or so. Who knows about Munoz; he’s someone Johnny Oates has said good things about in the papers, despite his rather lousy performances.
Gregg Zahn, who hit under .200 last year in Florida, remains hot, belting another homer today. Ruben Mateo remains red hot too, whipping out another couple of hits and knocking in another couple of runs. You know, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Mateo captures the imagination of Oates and Doug Melvin this spring and makes this ballclub. I read that there was serious talk in the winter about releasing Tom Goodwin outright, because Melvin was assured by the people at Tulsa that Mateo was ready to play in the big leagues. He might struggle offensively at first, but would he struggle any worse than when Tom Goodwin struggles? It’s something that Oates and Melvin will have to go over carefully in the next couple of weeks. My guess is that Mateo goes to AAA and if Goodwin struggles at all, then Goodwin will be benched or traded.

This game wasn’t slated to be on KRLD, but it was available via a Real Audio Link to the Red Sox broadcast feed. At least I got to hear it. I missed most of the end of the game, as I listened at work, and got called away to do something else. Thanks to Fathacker for the Real Audio Link.
Red Sox announcers aren’t that exciting. Boy, do I miss Eric & Vince. At least I did get to hear the game, though. I hate this “no radio for most spring training games”. The two Red Sox announcers did spooge a lot over Ruben Mateo, mostly over his arm.
Nice 5 run inning early on. Pitching wasn’t that bad, only gave up three runs for awhile. I know it’s still Spring training, but I don’t like to see more than 3 runs given up in a game. There were no errors by the Rangers, which is always good. Mark Clark looks like he’ll be a good pickup for us. Hope it carries over into the regular season even better! This win makes it five in a row now. We’re two over .500 for spring training so far.
Speaking of that, what’s with the KC Royals? 11-1, I think? Yeesh! If they manage to carry that through the entire 99 season, it will throw a major monkey-wrench into the arugment the “have-not’s” are pushing now for a restructuring of the revenue sharing system in baseball.
Commentary by Jim Meeks:
Tom Goodwin and Lee Stevens led the Rangers to their 5th straight win in exhibition play Wednesday by defeating the Red Sox 7-5.
Goodwin was 3 for 5, doubled, walked once and scored twice. Stevens was 3 for 3, doubled and drove in 2 runs.
Stevens followed up a string of 5 straight singles with a 2-run scoring double in the second to put the game away.
Gregg Zahn continued his hold on the backup catcher slot going 2 for 4, while John Marzano got hit in the wrist in his only plate appearance.
On the mound Mark Clark started and was fairly impressive depsite giving up 3 runs in 4 innings. Most of the hits didn’t seemed to be that hard (on the radio). Jeff Zimmerman Tony Fossas, Eric Gunderson and Al Levine all had scoreless innings in relief. Rookie Corey Lee struggled in his only inning, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits.
The Boston radio announcers were impressed by the Rangers defense. In the 3rd, left fielder Rusty Greer made an “sensational diving catch” to rob Darren Lewis.
In the 4th, the Sox announcers were thoroughly suprised at rookie Ruben Mateo’s arm, as he made a very strong throw to 2nd on “what would normally be an easy double”. Mateo, who played most of the game in right field because Goodwin played center, also grabbed a ball in the deep right-center gap in the 4th. In the 6th the announcers also raved about his speed and his base-running and called him a “very good-looking, toolsy player” and “an impressive young man”.
The Rangers now are winners of 7 of their last 9 spring games.

Another game that isn’t on the radio. Didn’t get a chance to post this game the day it was played, so I don’t have anything to say about it. Was nice to see a win though. Three straight games with runs over 10. That’s nice, but I’d like to see the runs given up go down.

Another game that isn’t on the radio. In fact, there’s no more Rangers to be heard until Saturday! Arrrrrrrrrrrgh Wow – a slugfest! Would have been nice to have seen this as I’m from Philadelphia, and I was 15 when the Phillies won the World Series in 1980. I would love to see some other teams down here at the Ballpark!
Anyways, it was nice to see the Rangers come back like this, but not nice to see them give up so many runs. Again, without being able to hear the game, there’s not much I can comment on. Was nice to get a win, though.