Well, as you’ve seen, I’ve implemented a new site look. I’ve taken away the frames look that has been here forever, and replaced it with a frameless version. I did this for a couple of reasons. As I have moved so much of the site into MovableType blogging software, the need for a framed menu became less important. The old menu on the left side is now on the right side. It will be there on every page (once everything is properly coded, which it isn’t yet). Furthermore, some sections of the site haven’t been updated yet, and navigation might look odd. These include the seat selector, and old schedule archives. As the old schedule archive comprise roughly 1,400 pages (that’s 7 seasons at roughly 200 updates per season), I might just leave them alone and go forward – need to think about that, as updating all those pages will be a boatload of work, and the old schedule archives aren’t looked at very much at all anyway.
Another reason for this is that I’ve been having some serious problems getting Google to crawl my site since I went to rangerfans.com from rangers.siegler.net, and according to docs at Google, this should help.
Finally, now that I’ve removed the black menu on the left, I find tha an all white background is somewhat harsh on my eyes. It’s like the black that was there before was a nice contrast, keeping all the white in check. I’ll probably need to play further and pick a new background colour instead of all white.
Do you have any thoughts on this? Anyone even reading this site anymore? :)

Yes, I’m still here. I have been paying attention to the transactions and news since my last update. I’ve just been taking a break until Spring Training actually starts.
I’ll start up with regular updates again at that point.
You might also see some odd posts in the next few days, as I’m trying to work out the formatting for the 2006 season, as I want to move my game updates into the software that I’m doing the rest of the site in.

When the “This one Counts” stuff started for the All-Star Game, it was officially labelled a two year “experiment”. This was for the 2003 & 2004 seasons. After that it was going to be re-examined by the Player’s Union.
Well, it happened in 2005, and I looked for info; I never saw any kind of announcement from the end of the 04 season through the All-Star game in 05 that it was renewed. What is the status of that? Was it just renwed for one year, two more, or is it an indefinite renewal like the DH is?
Isn’t that still technically an “experiment”, too – running since 1972? Anyone heard anything on this? If you have, please let me know.

As we close 2005, we have a lot to be excited about for 2006. I think we might finish higher than third for the first time in SIX SEASONS now. Ugh. Anyway, I just watned to say Happy New Year. I’ve been quiet lately as I’ve been working on a bunch of behind the scenes things for next season. I’m still working on revamping my daily game recaps for 2006. They’ve remained the same since I first started the site in December of 1998, so they might be in need of an overhaul. I’m probably going to be quiet for a little while longer, as I want to make sure I get everything done and ready. Should there be big news, I’ll have the headlines, but I probably won’t write a ton for the next couple of weeks.
Also, I just saw where Yahoo will be running their fantasy baseball again for free in 2006, so I’ll have my league from this site as usual. They say registration starts in early February, so I’ll post when it’s open.

4 years, $52 Mil. I’m sure the Yankees and their fans will make a big deal out of this, and he’ll probably be good for them in 2006. But I’d be stunned if he doesn’t turn into Bernie Williams at the back end of this. He’s already partially there with the same relatively weak arm.

There’s an intersting article by Ken Rosenthal over at Foxsports’ site about this trade. Definitely a good read, he talks about whether this move almost shows that we’ll go get Milwood in a “win now” mentality. Most of the article is questioning bits of the trade, but he did point out that we did all this without giving up any of our biggest prospects (DVD, for instance). Tim Cowlishaw of the DMN also says that he’s skeptical about the deal. It’s the first three words of his article! There doesn’t seem to be much positive about him, although he seems to think we’re going to go overpay for Milwood. Evan Grant also chimes in on the deal here.
Speaking of Milwood, he was in town today, but there doesn’t appear to be any word as to what happened that I can find right now. I wouldn’t mind two years on Milwood at the dollars he wants. Maybe three tops, but I wouldn’t be happy with four, and no way should we do five. Still, I know Milwood from following the Phillies, and I don’t think it would be a horrible move. We certainly could use him. He did seem to falter in Philly when he was supposed to be the #1 guy in that rotation.
Chris Young seems to be unfazed by the trade, according to this story on the DMN site. I still think it’s an odd move, but it does tie in to Rosenthal’s “win now” article, if you believe most of the Internet based knee-jerk fan reactions. :) While it’s an eyebrow raiser for sure, it’s not somehting I’m going to freak out and demand Jon Daniels’ head over like I’ve seen online already.
If anything, all these moves show that Daniels isn’t the same GM that we were very eager as fans to run out of town (or at least upstairs where he can’t be seen, or onto the golf course officially). Daniels has made a bunch of moves. How it plays out remains to be seen.
Could be worse. We could be baseball fans in Montreal, and see our team taken from us. As bad as some fans are about bashing management, hey – at least we have a team! :)

There’s been some talk that Roger Clemens might pitch in Texas in 2006, if he pitches at all. I’m here to say there’s no way he’ll pitch here, even if he’s “considering” us. Why? This quote from an article on Friday..

“It’s Houston, Texas, New York and Boston,” Clemens told a banquet in Fort Worth, Texas. “I love all those places, they have great players that I respect very much.”

When has Texas ever won out over another team like that, especially Boston/New York unless we throw a quarter billion at them? He won’t be here.

Something I’ve always wanted to do is to visit all 30 MLB Ballparks. Part of the problem is that is stupid expensive. That would have to be a “win the lottery” thing I’d do. Especially now that I have a daughter, so I’d have to pay for three. :)
Until I win the lottery, I’ve had to settle for the next best thing. I’ve gone and done a fly-by tour of all 30 Major League Baseball parks with the software “Google Earth“. It’s free software that gives you satellite views of pretty much everywhere. It has the ability to do “tours” of lists of coordinates. One night a week ago when I was bored, I went and created one for all 30 Major League Baseball teams. If you don’t have Google Earth, it’s free, so click on the link above to grab it, install it. And then click on this link, and it will show you the tour.
https://www.rangerfans.com/stuff/MLBBallparks2005.kmz
If you check this out, and enjoy it, please come back and let me know. Always curious when people use things I create. Thanks.

I don’t know how many of you read Jim Evans’ Baseball Daily blog, but he had a good piece on Sunday about how players seem to be running the show. He talks about Manny Ramirez, Miguel Tejada, Jeff Kent, & Milton Bradley. Soriano & Roger Clemens get a mention, too.
It’s a really good piece, and you should check it out. Good read.

Miguel Tejada wants out of Baltimore.
Should we go get him? Oh hell yes. What would it take? Probably Joaquin Arias, one of Danks/Diamond, and probably Hank Blalock. I wonder if the Orioles would try and tack on Javy Lopez to that. It probably won’t happen, but oh man would that be cool.
Mike Young has already said he’d go back to second base if the right situation presented itself. I think Miguel Tejada would be the right situation. :)
Busy day for me. I just realized this was my eighth entry of the day here. 9th in the last 24 hrs if you count the Soriano trade story from last night. I’m not sure I’ve been that prolific before, but then again today’s been a busy day in Rangerland. :)
Feel free to use the comments system here to respond to anything I’ve said.