Geoausch

I don’t hide the fact that I’m a huge Texas Rangers fan, but the it’s been almost three years since I last attended a Rangers home game. I’m not the only one staying away. The Rangers have long struggled with attendance. This season, attendance has been up, but as the Rangers continue to slump, attendance numbers will come back to Rangers’ norms.

Take last night for example. The Rangers started a three game series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, only a 1.5 games out of first. However, attendance for the game was announced at 16, 985.

Why do Rangers fans stay away from the Ballpark? I stay away for three reasons.

1.) Drive – Last season, the Rangers launched a marketing campaign aimed at residents of Dallas (and the northern ‘burbs), trying to lure more Dallas County/Collin County fans out to the Ballpark.  However, the marketing campaign did nothing to address the real issue Dallas/Collin County fans stay away from the Ballpark. Distance.

I live and work in Dallas proper. In order to make first pitch, for a 7:05 start, I would have to leave work early and fight horrific traffic.  The drive is even worse for residents in Dallas’ northern suburbs. If a baseball park were somewhere in Dallas proper, accessible by mass transit, like the Victory Park area, it would be much easier to attend games on a regular basis and much easier to get in and out of the Ballpark. The Rangers can barely afford to pay their light bill right now, so I don’t expect them to build a new, downtown, ballpark anytime soon, but there are some things they could do. How about having a shuttle that runs from various locations in Dallas and Collin County out to the Ballpark?

2. Atmosphere – A few weeks ago, the New York Yankees came to Arlington for their only visit this season. The Yankees are a team that everyone loves to hate. I remember reading a story on the Dallas Morning News website about a lady who was forced, by Rangers’ staff, to change her shirt because it read, “Yankees Suck”.

Recently, I heard a story about a couple of Rangers’ fans who, in the heat of a close game, rose to their feet in the 9th inning to cheer on their favorite team. Some other fans in that same section were too lazy to stand up and decided to complain about the other fans’ spirit. Ushers at the Ballpark came over and forced the standing fans to sit down to accommodate the lazy fans. If I had been the fans who were asked to sit down I would have turned around and said, “Dude, this isn’t the ballet. Either stand up or shut up and leave.”

These are just a couple examples of how the Rangers stifle excitement and and fan enthusiasm at the Ballpark. On top of that, you have to deal with the annoying element of things such The Wave being started during key moments of the game and fans screaming everytime a ball is popped up in the air.  In short, you can go to a minor league game and find a better baseball experience. The Rangers could take some lessons from the Mavericks on how to create a great sports atmosphere.

3. Heat – The Rangers play outdoors, in Texas, during June, July, August and September. Need I say more?

I wanted to take the opportunity to stop down and share my thoughts and memories of Michael Jackson.  Say what you want about the various allegations that surrounded his life the past two decades, the fact remains that Michael was a true musical legend. Jackson’s influence on music went far beyond pop music.  Listen closely and you can hear his influence in the world of rock, R&B, hip-hop and beyond.

Jackson’s music posses a special power. The second I hear a note from any song off of Thriller or Off the Wall, I’m momentarily transported back to my childhood, a time when things were easier, a time of innocence . While a music icon may have passed, I’ll still have the memories.

RIP Michael Jackson

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Now playing: Michael Jackson – Human Nature
via FoxyTunes

As a Rangers’ fan, I should be accustomed to being frustrated. This team did a great job of teasing us all earlier this season, but now reality is beginning to set in.  We might hold on to first place for another night, but it won’t be long.  The weaknesses of this team have been exposed and until they are addressed, the team will continue to struggle and slide down the standings.

I spent a majority of the day listening to local talk radio dissect this Rangers team. The general consensus among the talking heads was that this team woes begin and end with the offense, especially one particular player.

Let’s be realistic, this Rangers team is a mess right now. No one person is to blame.  The main problem with this team is much bigger than the offense; it’s the philosophy that if they continue to play the game the same way, they will get different results. This is foolish, and dangerous, thinking.

Their “balls to the walls,” “swing for the fences” offensive mentality has a place in the baseball world. When your pitching staff has an ERA in the 5′s, you have no choice but to play big offensively. If you have hot sticks in your line-up, by all means, ramp up your offensive attack. However, this is a ball club that’s getting decent production out of their starting pitching and bullpen. By Arlington standards, this pitching staff is phenomenal.

On the flip side, this is a team that is struggling at the plate and its’ not all Chris Davis. From Ian Kinsler in the lead-off position, right down through the heart of the order, and down to the batting cellar with Salty and Davis, with the exception of Michael Young, there is no offensive consistency on this ball club. Potential ? Yes. Production? Hell no!

Some out there seem to think that by sending Davis down to the minors, the Rangers’ offensive woes will magically disappear. They seem to believe that Davis possesses some freakish power that not only drains his athletic prowess, but also that of his teammates.  I’ll be the first to admit that sending Davis down is a great idea. I’m a native East Texan and I love to see East Texans succeed, but keeping Davis in the majors is bad news for both the Rangers and Davis. However, that move alone will not resurrect this team.

What this team needs more than anything is a return to the basics of baseball, especially offensively.  It sounds so cliche, but be patient at the plate, take the first pitch, work the count, make the opposing pitcher throw strikes. There’s nothing wrong with a walk, but if you see a pitch you like on a 2-1 count swing, make contact and “hit it where they ain’t.”

The home run is not the only scoring option in this great game, especially if you know how to play “small ball.” Personally, I don’t know how you can make it to the majors and not know how to bunt, but from what I understand there are several players in the Rangers’ line-up who cannot bunt effectively. University of Texas head baseball coach Augie Garrido, a master of small ball, has said that he would bunt Babe Ruth in certain situations. The Rangers would be well served to adopt this philosopy, especially with their current struggles. Work a walk to lead off an inning, lay down a bunt, move the runner to second, instruct the next hitter to not swing until the pitcher has thrown a strike and then to make contact.

Of course offensive fundamentals mean absolutely nothing if you play with such poor defensive fundamentals that your catcher can’t even return the ball to the pitcher without an overthrow.

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Now playing: Public Enemy – By The Time I Get To Arizona
via FoxyTunes

I’ve had a great time watching the College World Series over the past week. As I write, Texas and LSU, two of the most tradition rich college baseball programs, are tied up in the top of the 10th, with LSU threatening.  This is Game 1 of the Best-of-3 championship series and it has been everything you could want out of a championship game. Yet the top sports stories of the day involve a no-name wining the U.S. Open and the Yankees being sore losers.

I’ve always wondered why the College World Series plays such a minor role in the sports world.  To me, it’s a better sporting event-more exciting sporting event (if you don’t believe that, look at what Texas has done this post-season)–than the Final Four, yet the national media flocks to the Final Four and you’re lucky to find a box score from the College World Series in your daily newspaper.

Why is that?

ESPN, the evil sport Svengali, controls the world of sports media or at least they think they do. They  believe that the interests of the I-95 corridor represent the interests of the entire nation. College baseball is not very big in the I-95 corridor, so ESPN doesn’t think it will play well nationally. College baseball is big in the South, out West and in Middle America, places like Omaha, Nebraska–places that ESPN just does not understand.

What have you missed if you haven’t caught any of this year’s College World Series?

You’ve missed a college sport that, relatively speaking, is scandal free. When was the last time you saw a college baseball program involved in a dirty scandal like the Memphis basketball program or Florida State’s football program?

You’ve missed a bran of baseball where fundamentals are stressed. Yes, even clean-up hitters can, and do, bunt at this level.

You’ve missed a championship sporting event where the game remains the center of attention. While corporate sponsors control every aspect of the BCS and the Final Four, the College World Series has few commercial gimmicks and focuses on the game instead.

There’s still time to enjoy the excitement. Game 1 is now tied in the Top 11th and it looks like this one could last a while. Tomorrow night we have Game 2 and Game 3, if necessary, will be Wednesday night.  If you’re like me and complain about the lack of summer sports excitement, this is your last chance before training camp starts later next month.
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Now playing: Counting Crows – Omaha
via FoxyTunes

I’ve never been one for boycotts.  I fundamentally disagree with many of the artists on the proper role of the Federal government and on the issue of American exceptionalism. However, I continue to consume their art. Indeed, a quick glance at my movie, music and book library and you’d be hard pressed to find any work by an artist I consider a political ally.

Every so often, an artist harbors such an abhorrent political ideology or personal beliefs that one must question whether or not it’s proper to contribute money to their art.  To this day, I refuse to watch Passion of the Christ or any other Mel Gibson film because of his anti-Semitic tirades.

I’m having similar hesitations when it comes to the new Pixar flick, Up, which currently sits a top the box office and has received great reviews. However, the movie features the voice of Ed Asner.  Regardless of the adjective you choose to describe Asner’s political views, it’s  clear that he is well to the left of center of the average American, as evidenced by his support of the Marxist rebels of the FMLN who fought against our soldiers in El Salvador in the 1980′s. I can tolerate a socialist; I can’t support a traitor.

With that said, I don’t want to act like the religious nuts that boycott everything that runs counter to Puritan values or Levitical law.  What do I do?

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Now playing: Dixie Chicks – Not Ready to Make Nice
via FoxyTunes