Effective immediately, there’s a new look for my site. I’ve been looking for an easier way to do news, and it finally occurred to me. “Blogify it!” :) I’ve been running a personal blog for some time now, but until recently, it never occurred to me to update my various sites with blog software for news. So here I am. It took me a few days to get this all down, setting up the css and the templates so it mostly looked like the old site was hard, and then I had a display problem with Internet explorer. I finally got that fixed, so here it is! It was designed to work best with your screen resolution to be 1024×768 or higher. It mostly works with 800×600, but there’s a small display issue with some browsers there. And 640×480? Uh, get a video card, please. But if you’re 1024×768 or higher, you should not see any problems.
This new news system will allow people to search the news that I post, which wasn’t a real option before. However, it’s only going forward. I went backwards with my old news only till the end of this past season. I didn’t see the point in entering all my old news into the system (I first started this site in December of 1998), especially since I’d have to do it by hand (if I can get old news imported automatically, I might revisit this decision).
Additionally, this new system will allow you to comment on my news stories and whatnot without having to visit my forums (which are still very much open and alive). This is just another way of communicating. Plus, being blog software I get to be connected to other blogs of relevant content, when it’s appropriate.
But the bottom line is that it will make things easier for me, and I’m also trying to insert a little more of “myself” into things. In the past, I’ve made comments here and there, but on the whole, I haven’t said much about individual news stories. I hope to change that. I don’t think I’ll ever be anywhere NEAR as verbose as Jamey Newberg is, but I hope I can say something once in awhile that people might like.
Finally, I’ve removed a few options from the menu on the left. One is “News”. Given that the news page on the site comes up when you first hit the site, I’ve removed that option. If you want to get “Home” on here, click the baseball in the upper left hand corner. I’ve also removed the “From Joe’s Mind” option. Mostly because I’ve incorporated all the old entries from that location into this news system. I have categories here (if you look to the options to your right), so you can see all those that way if you want to. I’ll just be putting all the Joe’s Mind comments (which weren’t many anyway) into this new news layout, since it will also have commentary from me.
Let me know what you think of the new system by leaving a comment – you can do that right below this text by clicking on the Comments link – it’s between the time and the word “Trackback” (trackback is something used to connect blog entries to another blog’s entries).

Here are a few random comments from me about behaviour of some people at games..

• Anyone who does the wave at the Ballpark should be removed from the park. You’re here to watch a ballgame, not dance around like an idiot. I hate the wave!
• Players and umpires who throw foul balls into the stands should have them sent to the upper deck. The people who can afford to sit in the first few rows can afford to buy their own baseballs. Give them to the kid sitting in the $5 seat – he’d appreciate it more.
• When you’re sitting in a row that doesn’t have all the seats taken, spread the hell out – there’s no need for four people to sit right next to each other when the entire row is open!

Well, sort of. I’m having a problem with “Happy New Year” this year because of the Tsunami issue. Didn’t much feel like watching a bunch of ninnies in Times Square with that kind of problem out there.

In early June, I was interviewed on the telephone for an article to appear in the July issue of the in stadium Rangers program. On July 16th, this article appeared, and is in the program. Due to my being an unofficial website, the Rangers were not allowed to give me a pdf of the article as it appears in the magazine, but did permit me to reproduce the entire article text on my website.

In addition to the text, there was a picture of myself, as well as four screen captures of my website & forums. In addition to this, they also interviewed Jamey Newberg of the Rangers fan site “The Newberg Report“. His picture also appears in the article as well as a few captures of his site as well.

[Read more…]

• Spring training has started.  I actually feel
  good about Arod not being here anymore.  Sure, I’d love to have him – who
  wouldn’t want the greatest player in the game?  But I’ve come to believe
  the contract was more of an albatross than I believed when he was here. 
  I’ve always hoped we would go with kids, and it looks like we’re finally
  committed to that.  I know the Rangers get a lot of crap in the press
  (hell, watch any of the local TV news coverage), and a lot of internet fans
  are quick to rag on them.   I, however, like some of the moves we’ve
  made (Jordan, Fullmer, Nelson), and think we’ll be better than most people
  think.  I’m no fool, I don’t think we’re going to be great, in fact, I
  think we’ll be in last place again, but I don’t think we’ll be as bad as
  everyone thinks.  Heck, I even have my fingers crossed for Chan Ho Park. 
  If he pitches decently, we might be able to give away some more of his
  bobbleheads.  :)
• The rest of the position players report to camp
  tomorrow.   It was really nice to see Rusty Greer in spring training
  again.  He won’t play this year, although it might be nice to give him a
  token appearance at the end of the year in September.   I hope the
  plan to have him come back in 2005 at the minimum salary and DH comes to
  fruition.

• In preparation for the start of
  the season, I’ve been working on various parts of the website.  Over the
  weekend, I worked on my uniform
  number history section, as the 2004 Spring Training roster number
  assignments are out.  I’m going to clean up a few more projects I’ve been
  meaning to do for awhile now.  If there’s anything you’d like to do in
  helping me out with the site,
  drop me a line.   Thanks.

Here’s one that really irritates me. Will the fans at the Ballpark please learn your ballpark? I really hate when anyone hits a ball into the outfield, everyone goes oooh and aaah, like it’s a home run, when it’s nothing more than a popup to shallow centerfield or something. It really bugs me that people don’t know the difference between a home run hit ball, or a popout. :( Grrrr…

Short and sweet. YANKEES SUCK!

Someone please tell me why the Rangers have a 30th anniversary logo this year when this is their THIRTY FIRST season in Texas? Do the math. 1972 was their first year in Texas, which means the 2002 season their 31st.

It’s been awhile since I wrote here. As I was at the ballgame last night, I really really REALLY missed Chuck Morgan. The new guy is still botching many player names, has called the player at bat out of order on several occasions, and the new music selections really SUCK! Most of the music played is bad cover songs of songs that I’d wager most no one wants to hear. It made it worse hearing all the “stuff” Chuck Morgan used to do in Kansas City. Not to mention the fact that the few times the ballpark entertainment staff tries to get the crowd into a game they either come in too late, or don’t even bother – like last night starting the bottom of the ninth. Nothing. Also, as another side note – the sound is really BAD anymore in the ballpark. Used to be loud and clear, but video effects either have no sound at all, or if they do have sound, it sounds like you’re hearing it as you would standing outside the ballpark. Or worse, it sometimes changes volume in the middle of the sound effect. The ballpark entertainment crew of three that replaced Chuck Morgan definitely gets a D-.