Nobody would have thought that I would be the one. Ryder, sports talk. Baseball. Baseball. Baseball. Baseball. Baseball. With a big mic. Oh, okay. Alright. Yeah. Okay. Now I get it. We had a lightning strike, boys. What happened over there, Grego? We had a little lightning strike right outside the window. Alright. Alright. Here's a tip for all these Americano League teams. Don't do it. Wait. You said tip. Yeah. Tip. Okay. With a p. Keep jamming. The the ticket, colon. Nothing but a big Gen X jerk off the set. Is this a cool night or what? Although somebody would hear that go bullshit. I'm back, bitches. Alright. You say yes. Yes, it is. You say yes, we go. So here we are, good day one and all. No matter where you may be, no matter when you may be receiving this podcast transmission, I just said good day, you may be receiving it in the dark depth of night, but nonetheless, enough of that here we are we're out today for the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation now this was something we did last year we came out here to the golf club the Rangers golf club is that what it's called the Texas Rangers golf club? Yep. Okay, I'm a little lax on details here. I'll provide some if I can. Okay, we were out here last year and found out all about how the Rangers foundation works and everything and we're out here once again this year because it is, I guess that time of year. This thing is kind of like a cycle, I guess. It cycles around, and when we hit this point, then it's time for activities such as this. So here we are. All the golf tournaments are right now, Mike. All of them. Because it's cool. It's supposed to be cool. Yes. Yes. All the golf tournaments are right now. And, yeah, they tell me it's cool too, but I don't play, so I don't really know. That but I think that just shows that I'm not a fool. One day one day, we'll get Mike to hit a golf ball. I've tried. I've tried to get into it, and it just does not like me, and I do not like it. I don't like getting mad for four hours. Well, I don't know where Karen Morris falls on golf, but she is the president of the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. And when we were out here, we spoke with her then. She's here with us now, so, we're here down the road. How are you? I'm good. I feel younger than last year. Do you? Maybe. That's good. I'm good. It's always a great day to have. If you could pull that off, that's a good thing to have happen for you. How are things going with the foundation? You know, it's been an excellent year for us. We have had, you know, record numbers both in revenue that we've been able to raise, which means we get to give out more money. And we had an incredible summer at our youth academy. Our teams had success on the field, and we had our largest signing class off the field. So kids going to play college baseball and softball. And then we've just had a really great season of bringing families and different different special things to the ballpark to make memories and hopefully make people's lives better. Where do you get these kids? How do they how do they wind up here with the Rangers Foundation and everything? So for the youth academy, we'll take anybody. Obviously, we're based in West Dallas, so our hope is that we're providing that service for the kids from West Dallas. But we have kids driving in from Shreveport. We have kids coming down from or up from DeSoto, Duncanville, Forney. It doesn't it doesn't matter where you come from as long as we've got enough coaches. We'll keep we'll we'll welcome you in the doors. I think our academy director says bring a sunny disposition and we'll make it happen. And then for for yeah. So I mean, we do really just we it's a word-of-mouth, but then obviously we promote it and tell our story and what we're doing specifically at the academy. For some of our other programs, we do a big grant program tied to baseball and softball. Back when we were the world series in 1011, we realized, oh, now that we're good at this thing, people are reaching out and asking for help. And we have a five state territory we help, so we have a formal grant application for that. And we get, you know, hundreds of grant applications in to help their baseball and softball programs. And we gave out 18 this year to places in some, you know, Atoka, Oklahoma, all these little small towns that you're giving funds to. And they're just excited the professional team recognized them, but so they come find us, and sometimes we come find them. Now if a kid wants to get in on this, does he just show up, or does he just get on the phone and call you? Or does how does the process work? The I mean, there must be a process. Yeah. The most normal way is either kids show up at the show up at the youth academy with their parents. They might see online on the academy's website the schedule of our programming and when we have things going on. And they can come and just register on-site, or they can call in and we'll get them all signed up so they can come to the programming if they want. We have flyers that we send out both on social media as well as just like to the community. We work really closely with Dallas ISD as well just to get those coaches the information to share that share out to their kids. So they come up and they register. There's no cost. We always say it's it's not free. There is a cost to it, but that's not the the the parents or the kids aren't paying it. And they can come up for programming. They can come up for league play. Right now, we're really starting to focus a lot on our off the field programs too. So college prep, you know, ACT prep, that type of thing so that Yeah. Those young people can get those those resources as well. Are these kids who are in a bad way or or or what kind of background are they? You know, all walks of life. I mean, we take kids from seven to 18. Some of these kids definitely have had some challenges in their lives, you know, coming from some challenging backgrounds. So the coaches that we bring in, we try to make sure that these coaches understand that these aren't kids necessarily that on the side are paying a $100 for a hitting lesson or, you know, and these are kids that this is their avenue in many cases to play. And because it's at no cost, then we can get, you know, maybe maybe all four kids in the family can come and play. They're not having to pick which kid gets a chance to play baseball or softball. And so, yeah, some of these kids are definitely from challenge backgrounds, but we do provide we have a partnership with Buckner, and they are on-site. So they do we have a caseworker on-site. So if we do see a kid that may need a little bit more off the field support than we can provide as coaches or as a baseball foundation, then we'll get them in touch with Buckner. But, you know, we we try to be their safe space. We try to give them the place that they can be safe. Where do you find the coaches for this? You know, our academy team does a great job of, like, of reaching out, but we have anywhere between 30 to 40 coaches on our roster that we use. In summertime, in the morning, we run camp from eight in the morning until about noon, and then we run league play at night. So the eight to noon group is a different group sometimes than those the coaches that are coaching at night just on their other jobs. But all of our coaches have either played at least collegiately, if not some aspect of professional baseball, and then they've all coached at some level. So some of them are coaches at other places. They might coach in high school, and then this is a second job, And they just wanna give back. And we even have some former rangers that come out and and coach and moonlight coaching. Jerry Brown's playing, I think, in the tournament today, and Jerry's come out and helped helped out a little bit too. Steve Buchel's helped out at the youth academy and coached a little bit down there too. So we really just try to find those folks so that are committed. And then, actually, we had about 15 former academy athletes come back this summer and coach with us. So they came back and coached especially the younger kids, which is really cool to see. They're they might be playing in college and had their summer off, so they came back and wanted to give back to a program that had given them so much. I must tell you, when we were coming out here today, I did not think I was going to be hearing the name of Jerry Brown. It wasn't top of your list. I I had I had no idea that he was still around. You know, these guys come here and play, and then they kind of drift off into the and you it's not real easy for us to keep track of who's here and who's not. But that is one that I totally lost track of. He's here. He's around. He still looks like he might be able to play a little bit. Alright. Do do do some of these kids really take to the game of baseball? Because, you know, for a lot of America's youth today, baseball can be a tough sell. You know? It's it's there's it doesn't seem to connect the way it did in my generation, you know, when it was the big game. Is it a what's it like for on on your end? You know, I think we've seen we've seen a growth in our numbers, so we know that kids are enjoying it. I think it's breaking the game down and giving kids a chance to understand that failure is okay. You know, baseball is the only game where you're really standing there by yourself and, you know, I always tell people, you know, and and if you're the mom of an offensive lineman, you might know that he missed a block, and the quarterback might know they missed a block, but, generally, the fans don't really know. So, you know, it's it's 11 people on the field. In baseball, you're in that batter's box, and it's just you. And if you strike out and so I think it is hard. But we've gotten to a place where I think we've given kids a chance to have success. And if you have a little bit of success and a little bit of fun, you'll keep coming back. I think one of the things we did is developed a development league. So kids who may not be ready to play in a league level or play games that, you know, maybe even their age group, they're able to play and get some hits and get on base, and that makes people feel good. And we've got I mean, we got these we've got we had some you know, upwards of a 175 kids from the academy since we opened ten years ago that have gone on to play college baseball or softball. So they must be learning a little bit. You know? And some of these kids are talented. Some of that's, you know, you know, division one high level baseball players, but softball players. But some of it's, they just wanted a chance to get out of the neighborhood and and go to college, and so our coaches have been able to find them a place to play, and that's equally as important. You know, giving them that chance to go to college is is a huge step. This is Karen Morris. She is the president of the Rangers Baseball Foundation. I wanted to stop down and reintroduce her because now I wanna talk about you. Okay. And just how it is that you wound up here. Is this a path that you set out on, or or was it a a quirk of fate that led you here? Or It was definitely little bit of both? A little bit of both. I grew up in Milwaukee, and I was a huge Brewers fan. I was lucky that my grandparents had access to tickets, so we would go quite a bit growing up. But then about my senior year of college, I said, there are places that people live where there is not snow every day. Mhmm. And so when I graduate There and I didn't wanna live there anywhere. So I interned for the Brewer's in college and really loved working Major League Baseball. My I'm an only child. My dad's a football coach. I was like the remember the titans girl, like, charting plays growing up. So I've always been around sports. But I also minored in Spanish. And so at the time, baseball was the sport that was the most dominated by Hispanic players. And so I focused on the PR angle first. And I first worked down here at Fox Sports Southwest when Fox Sports Southwest was a thing. Mhmm. But I always wanted to get back in professional baseball. I'm pine for those days. I gotta tell you. I do. Well, I love Rangers Sports Network, but, yeah, it was a good time. And so I always wanted to get back into professional baseball. So for about three years, I stalked the Rangers. I, like, sent them letters, told them what I could do for them, and I convinced them in 2003 that I could do their Spanish language marketing programs. And they trusted this Irish Catholic girl to lead that program. And so I haven't ever left. And so, you know, the foundation side of it became what I thought what I really had a heart for was that, you know, being able to use baseball to to impact our community and see people you know, take people to the game for the first time. And I get we always get the warm fuzzy stuff. We get the good stuff. I mean, I think playing is a great part. Obviously, playing would be cool. I'm not gonna play. But being able to give back to our community and use sports to do that's pretty incredible. And yeah. So they find they took a chance, and I haven't left. Alright. Let's go back to the Irish Catholic girl thing that you mentioned. Does that mean that you they got hired and they sent you out into the community? They did. So I when when I got to the team, we had Alex Rodriguez. We had Pudge. We had Rafael Palmeiro. And we were not doing really any advertising in the Hispanic community. It was kind of one of those things that, like, the Rangers kind of looked at us. Well, we have these huge fans. They'll come in. And I was like, we really need to invite them in. We need to do more in the community. So Elena Ornelas, who's our Spanish radio broadcaster still, he and I kinda did a whole grassroots approach where we were literally going into there's a huge population of Mexican adult baseball leagues in Dallas Fort Worth, where they play every Sunday. And we were going out to those games and bringing players. And we were doing, you know, dinners where players would send autographs, you know, in in Oak Cliff and different areas of Dallas, and really bringing the guys out there and trying to establish that relationship. And so a lot of what I was doing was was really charitable work in at if I was in the marketing department at the time. And then the rangers were kinda going through some hard times, and so I knew I needed to diversify what I was doing. And we needed someone to run fundraising events for the foundation, and so I raised my hand. So I can do both. I can do the Spanish language marketing and fundraising events. And luckily, I did that because we did go through some some tightening of the of the purse traps in the front office, and I was able to make it through that. And then when Nolan came on board, Nolan was like, well, we need a foundation executive director. And so no Nolan gave me the chance to take that on. How old did you know him when you were there? He really well, well enough that I know that I mean, he played a lot of tricks on me. Oh, really? Oh, yeah. I had to dance in the dugout during the Red Sox game because he heard he heard I danced. But he was awesome. It was he came in at the perfect time when the team organization really needed, like, his it kinda calm calmness effort, like, through all the bankruptcies and all those things, and he he was tremendous, and still talk to him when he comes in town and that type of thing. But, it was a lot of fun. It was fun to work for him. He obviously loved baseball, and was part of a time when the Rangers were going through a really successful baseball. Yeah. I mean, if nothing else, he got everybody's mind off of that for sure. Yeah. You know? I mean, and he and he we always said, you know, at that ballpark, was hot and it was it was what it was. But no one would sit out in the in the stands every single game, rain or shine, a 110 degrees. We're like, if he can do it, then the rest of us and our fans can do it. No. I enjoy the AC now, but, no. He was great. Was an excellent excellent boss. How do you think Globe Life Field has changed the rangers organization and changed the just the whole baseball situation and vibe here? You know, from a foundation perspective, it's helped tremendously because we you know, when we host Make A Wish kids or we host groups, you know, group like Hope Kids with kids with cancer, any kind of medical illness, we couldn't bring them to games but for April and September. Or we work with a lot of veterans groups, and a lot of those guys can't when they come back, can't regulate their body temperatures, and it was just miserable. We couldn't bring them to things. So we're able to do a lot more with our ballpark and do a lot of different events. I think, you know, from a free agency perspective, I can tell you, and we were joking one day. We were doing a food distribution at the youth academy, and I think at that time, the Seegers and Simians were there and a couple other guys. And I was like they're like, how did you do this at the outdoor ballpark? I'm like, I don't know. Did it. I guess we just put it out of our brains, but we did it. And they're like, well, wouldn't have been here. And so I mean, they were point blank. They're like, we wouldn't have signed here. And so I think it's it's May it's taken that away. I mean, I think, yeah, it was that golf Pop Ball Park was gorgeous, and it had, you know, so many wonderful memories. But the reality is, like, we play so many day games now. Like, it would be like, this summer has been, what, a 100 I don't know how many days. I mean, it would have been miserable. And you wanna be out there with your kids. I mean, I always thought about it like a poor parent spend the money and they come to the game, and three innings in, their kid's like, mom, this is miserable. You don't wanna go home or whatever it is. Or just so it had its beauty in its moments, but with the way broadcast has changed and made games be in the daytime, it really has made it been a game changer for us. You know, there are a lot of people out there that I don't think understand why the rangers did what they did with that thing. I mean, I love the old ballpark. I mean, for forever it will always be right here for me, but I came to the conclusion that you know the planet is getting warmer and the Ranger fandom was going to lose its appetite for going to a baseball game and being out there at 09:30 at night wherein they're they're in the top half of the fifth inning and the score is something like nine to seven or something like that and you look up on the scoreboard and it's 92 degrees out there, you know? Right. It it I mean, they're going a lot out of you. They were going to lose their appetite for that. They had to do something, and I, for one, I hear a lot of people say that they don't like it. I don't understand why, but I hear a lot of people say that. But I completely understand, like it or not, no matter what you may think of it, you've got to understand why they did what they did. Right? Absolutely. I mean, I think I I know we have we share a friend, Dave Clauson, and he's he's like, those people just didn't go to enough games. And he said, you know, it was one thing to go through to one game or two games a year, but when you're talking especially our our Lone Star members, our season ticket holders that are coming to thirty, forty, fifty, sixty games a year, that was a lot. I we had to do something, and I think it's beautiful. And all of the development that's around the ballpark then brought it used to just be parking lots. I mean, now there's, like, there's excitement around there all the time, which is really cool. Yeah. It is really cool. There's a lot of good things going on here. Amel, alright. Thank you for coming by here. Thank you for having me. I appreciate you coming out. Always appreciate you coming by here and and doing this every year as we seem to do. So good luck with the foundation. Thank you very much. As well. Thank you. If we can help, let us know. Always will do. Thank you. Appreciate it. Alright. That is Karen Morris, the president of the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. Alright let me tell you about Dudley's If we can stop down here just for a second for that. Wednesday, October 7 at 06:00, get to Dudley's for Rhinestone Cowgirls Ladies Night. Now, this is Dolly style for custom tanks and tees, permanent jewelry, a cowboy hat and trucker bar along with Dudley's Darling dinner special, and of course, pretty pink drinks because you've been killing that nine to five thing. Dudley's Dallas twenty seven twenty nine Henderson, Wednesday October 7 at 06:00 get your head right for that. Alright now. Oh, okay. Greetings, Jim. How are you, sir? Good. How are you? Always good. Old and ugly. It's a good way to be. I am too. Beats the alternative. It does. It does indeed. You excited about what's going on here today? I'm excited about everything. With the golf club and Yeah. The foundation and everything like that? Absolutely. Yeah. What are you looking forward to the most? Are you gonna get out there and play a little bit or what's your plan? Yeah. I have talked to Ray Davis. I think he's about to sign me as the new relief pitcher. Alright. And, just for the playoffs, I can't make a full season. Are you gonna play golf today? Or No. No. No. I gotta work today. Oh this is a work day for you I wish I had the luxury of being out here playing golf but I'm not a great golfer so I'm I'm better off working so you're out here for the foundation I'm out here for the foundation all right well tell us a little bit about the foundation where it is how you see it and how it fits into the Ranger the Ranger's bigger picture these days. Well, foundation is the rangers way of helping give back to the community. They do it in a number of ways, but the foundation specifically has been very involved in helping the young athletes, helping the youth out here in Arlington and all through North Texas. So I serve on the board of the Rangers Foundation and I'm happy to be out here supporting them. Is this like a year round thing that that happens with it and everything? Yeah. The Rangers Foundation doesn't have an off season. We we stay busy with them all year round and there's no real off season with taking care of our youth. Yeah. You've got reelection coming up here. I understand. Not me. Oh, you were really? Okay. I I've just won my third and final reelection. So Why will this be the final? Is that all they allow? Or It's all they allowed. I'm termed out after this. Termed out. Yep. What do you hope to see happen over the course of your final term of office? We have some cool things in the pipeline, some of which we can talk about, some of which we can't, but we're working on how to how to transition Choctaw Stadium into some really cool stuff. And we have some some cool things happening with that. We're bringing more developments here in North Arlington. We're talking to very interesting people regarding potential projects here in the Entertainment District. Know, I'm anxious to get the new police and fire training compound put together in Arlington. It's gonna be just a phenomenal state of the art training facility for both police and fire, and continue to build business here. Know, we've in the last five years, we've brought over 30,000 new jobs. We've increased the average wage by over 20%. We have 13 new North American or world headquarters that call Arlington home now. So we're doing okay. What's the process of getting corporations to move here or even take a look at Arlington like? I mean, are they enthusiastic to do it or do you have is it a hard sell or what's the process like? I think it used to be a harder sale for us, but we do one thing better than anybody and I mean anybody in the country and that's relationships. Know, that's why the Rangers have been here for fifty four years and Man, I cannot imagine the Rangers being anywhere else. No. No. I mean, they are an Arlington thing. They are an Arlington thing and and and don't misunderstand there have been other cities interested in trying to take them from us. I'm sure no doubt. But our relationship with the Rangers ball club has been second to none and now with the Cowboys as well. So we love the Rangers here, we're excited about their track to another World Series championship this year, know we are in first place right now and you know, it's those relationships that really make it attractive for business to come here. Have you guys ever pitched either of the wintertime sports about moving out this way? We have, You know, I've, I've had very direct, conversations with the stars, for instance. You know, they say they're going to Plano now, but that I think is gonna be a heavy lift up there. And but we're we're still entertaining them coming if they wanna come over here. I think, you know, a a reenvisioning of Choctaw Stadium to do a hockey arena is plug and play here. We can enclose that and do all kinds of other developments in there. And so we'll see what happens. What about basketball? You know, the basketball team over there, know, they sort of know where they're going before anybody else does. Know, now they're saying they're going to North Dallas. They have enough money to go wherever they wanna go. Yeah. And, know, I was surprised. I thought they were gonna go to Irving when they bought all that property over there where the old Cowboy Stadium was, but they surprised me and they say they're going up to North Dallas now. It's gonna be tough on, you know, downtown losing two of their major sports over there in in the downtown area. I don't even wanna think about it. I I lived in downtown for about ten years and I'm in Dallas native and I've always lived in the city and and you know, Downtown Dallas is kind of right here for me but. Yeah. Man, don't know where it's going, you know. Well, here's here's what I tell you, you know, Dallas is resilient and they'll get through it. Every city has a cycle that they go through. Arlington had our cycle that we went through where we were that sleepy little bedroom community and we're not the sleepy little bedroom community now. We're between two of the top 10 cities in the country. Yeah. We are a shining beacon right between the two of them. We have the largest entertainment district in the Southwest United States. I intend on getting us up to be knocking on Orlando's door to be the largest in the country. And we got fun stuff happening here. Like f one? Like like the IndyCar, the Grand Prix of Arlington. Yeah. They're coming back again this spring and, you know, I'd never been to a professional race car experience before. And holy cow, I fully understand now what people find so exciting about that. You know, I was sitting there talking to Ray Davis and Roger Penske at the Grand Prix of Arlington, and these are sports legends. You know, these guys know their respective sports. And, I was like a kid in a candy shop, man. I was just having the time of my life. It was actually kinda cool on, like, seeing social media for that stuff because y'all were pulling people from all over the world. Like like, Stray Kids had their whole their whole group here from Korea, and then you had people from Canada and Mexico and all that kind of stuff just coming to to coming a little old Arlington. You know, Roger Penske told me there. He says, Mayor, this is the most successful inaugural weekend in IndyCar history worldwide. And I was stoked to hear that, know, for Roger Penske to say this is the best inaugural weekend ever in the world for IndyCar, that's saying something. So next year plan on it being bigger and better, know. We've had this little thing going on this summer as well in addition to IndyCar, we had the World Cup here. Yeah. We we had all kinds of stuff going on here and it was super cool. It's just amazing to me because, you know, I'm I'm a native of this place and I remember what Arlington used to be. Yeah. And I remember how out of the way it was and it just kind of sat there and did its thing, and you had to go through actual countryside to get to it from Dallas or Fort Worth. Yeah. And look at it now. Yeah. I mean, it's it's just incredible what you got what what you and those who came before you have done. We're not the pass through community. No, you are not. We're the destination. Yes. And what's cool about North Texas is Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth all have those unique things about them that attract people. You only Dallas has uptown and everything going on in the downtown area over there. Mhmm. Only Fort Worth, if you want the true cowboy experience, you gotta go to Fort Worth. Yeah. That's what it is. But if you want entertainment, if you want concerts, if you want ball games, if you want monster truck or WrestleMania or Lord, we had this crazy thing the other day called BTS. I had never heard of that band or whatever they were. I'm, you know, I'm an old man. But you're into it now, Oh my God. BTS set the one night record for hotels and revenue in Arlington. Mike, that's K pop. Thank you. You're welcome. Mike, I I didn't know. You didn't know either. You you and I are in the same boat, brother. Yes. We are. They asked me if I wanted to go to a BTS concert, and I said, what is a BTS concert? I'm thinking BTS, Bachman Turner Overdrive. No. That wasn't I'd be thinking you don't have the the letters aligned for that. No. You know? So I was like, oh my god. But they set the the one day record for revenue here in Arlington. Beat the World Cup, beat the Mike Tyson fights, beat cowboy games, ranger games, beat the World Series Parade. It beat everything. One night record in hotel and revenue here in Arlington. Wow. How many were at the thing? Eighty, ninety thousand people and people activating all the stuff all around there from Texas Live to the hotels to restaurants to you name it. They they had tons and tons of kids. Apparently, this is the the global sensation right now. They beat Taylor Swift. Wow. Film and Stray Kids and Black PINK and all of those, like, k pop groups are huge. I've never heard of the other ones either, just for the record. No. Neither have I. I'm not big into that. Neither have I'm really glad she's helping me out, my little. She's helping us both out. Excuse me. This is Jim Ross, the mayor of Arlington. And when you were the mayor of Arlington, you got a big job on your hands these days. Like you said, it's not what what it used to be and being mayor is not what it used to be. I I mean, I imagine you've got at any given time numerous balls in the air. Every day. It's a seven day a week job, but let me tell you, you know, you have to be wired for that. You have to be wired for it and I love it. It is so cool to see this stuff going on in Arlington. We're doing things nobody has done. I'll give you an example. We're the most diverse city in all of North all of Texas. We're the third most diverse city in the country. And I've had others around the country say, that diversity is going to be a lot of crime problems, people aren't going to be able to get along. We're now the second safest city to live in the state of Texas, and the seventh safest city to live in the country, and my belief is that when you take advantage of the different perspectives, when you listen to people who may look like not look like you or may worship different than you or have different political beliefs than you, if you actually listen to each other and work together, you make good things happen. And you guys are making good things happen out here man. Constantly. It's been like I say, I grew up here I've seen it all I remember going out to Turnpike Stadium over there and everything and and I couldn't believe that they're taking baseball away from where it had always been in Dallas and moving it out here but nevertheless that's when you look at it that's really kind of the thing that got the ball rolling isn't it? Yeah you know God bless Mayor Tom Vandergriffe he was the best mayor present company included the best mayor this city has ever seen. That man brought us Six Flags. He brought us the Rangers. He brought us General Motors. He brought us the Southwest Industrial District. He brought it all and just the best thing since sliced bread. Do you hear a lot of stories from people who, you know, know him or knew him and everything about how he operated and stuff? Yeah. Yeah. Well, I've I've had the opportunity before he passed passed to get to know him a little bit. I know his son. I know his grandson really well. The whole Vandergriff family just salt of the earth, wonderful people, but mayor Tom Vandergriff, if you go in my office now, there's one mayor sign and it's not Jim Ross's that's up there. His grandson gifted me that when I first ran for mayor, an original 1952, I think it was Tom Vander Riff yard sign that I had matted and framed and put up in there because he set he set the standard so high that, nobody can ever reach it, but we're very, very grateful. And this is our hundred and fiftieth anniversary this year in Arlington by the way. So it's it's a exceptional place to be. So one more question here. Alright. Where do you see it going? I mean, where's it gonna go? I mean, what do you have your eye on? As the guy who is leading the charge here, where do you what are you looking at? We're discussing a new concert venue with I'm not gonna say exactly who, but it's a very attractive concert venue out of Vegas and we're discuss Oh. Exactly. And Mike, you have been there. I believe I have. We're discussing a similar type of location here in Arlington. And so nothing's in the works finalized yet, but we are actively having those discussions. I'm doing everything in my power to make that happen. I think it would complement what we have in Globe Life Field and AT And T Stadium and all of that. It's gonna be a smaller concert venue but super super cool. Yeah. I wanna make sure that we get a transformation of Choctaw and to whatever it is. We have a number of potential projects to do in Choctaw. We're trying to finalize which one we're gonna look at, so we're looking at how to do that. We have a massive we we just had Trammell Crow come to Arlington. They're building a downtown development, big mixed use development in Downtown Arlington. That's just gonna be really cool. We're working with Hines and some other people to come to a big project in North Arlington. You know, I can't say who it is, but it's a really robust grocery store that everybody wants here. Oh. He's giving us all the good little snippets. You know, it's it's it's pretty cool stuff. Know? We we have some incredibly cool things going on. Wonderful things for veterans, transition housing for veterans. I chair the veteran affairs task force for the US conference of mayor. I'm a marine corps veteran. We've created the Arlington Valor Alliance. You know, I believe that taking care of our veterans is one of the most important things the city can do. Taking care of those who took care such great care of us. Well, you're doing Can I ask another question, Mike? Go ahead. So with how dense Arlington already is structure wise, where do you find places or how do you find places where things like a new concert venue or all of these places can fit? Are you having to take down stuff? But how or even to, like, take down stuff, or is there more property that we just don't really know of in Arlington? Well, we're we're about 96% built out, but we still have 4% of nearly a 100 square miles of property here that we can build out on. So we do have stretches of property that remains undeveloped, but most of us is built out, most of Arlington is built out, so our density is going to increase population wise because we don't have any land space to develop beyond that, But we still have plenty of room to have the right types of development coming in here. So and we get real creative on how to do that redevelopment. Well, then with something like that concert venue, would you be guys be building out more towards Six Flags, making that a whole entertainment district? Or Trying to sneak out the airbags. He's gonna tell us that. I'm just trying here. I'm just so curious. This is a master politician. I mean He he didn't get that way by throwing stuff out there to everybody. You just You have to have a You have to have a question about that, though. You're kind of curious. Have to office buildings right there. You have to ask, and he has to tell us no. That's fine. You know, I would say that, you know, a venue like that, you'd wanna be able to see it from I-thirty as you're coming into Arlington. So you can use your imagination on what's available in that area. Okay. Fair enough. He is the mayor, the great Jim Ross. Always good to see you. Always good to talk to you, man. Good to see you, my friend. You keep doing what you're doing. We're doing our You guys are killing it. Thanks, brother. Alright. Appreciate you. There he is. The great Jim Ross with us here on little YDC for today. Yeah. I'm just trying to get the scoop for you because at YDC here, everything's better. That's right. It is. He didn't laugh at that one. Thought he might. I didn't laugh either. I mean, he was alluding to potentially a hear everything's better grocery store. Yeah. I caught that. I love an HUB. I caught that. Let's see. Do we have anything? Well No. We we're waiting for the the cool people to come, Mike. So it's just you and me right now. Bye, miss bye, Mayor Ross. Thank you. So I guess, Mike, you wanna talk about some rangers? What's going on in the rangers' fears in the last seven games? Ryan, actually, we need to talk about three wide at scout. Oh, yes. We do. That first show went very well. I thought so. And tomorrow, we're gonna be doing it again every Tuesday from 05:30 to seven. Join the Sunset Land Lounge at Scout in the Stadler Hotel. Be one of the first five people to give the bartender the password the password is football because three wide is a football only show say the password get a free drink or free valet service your call there stick around after for ziggy with beer thirty sports o'clock he'll be doing his presentation from out there Half Price Valet is available for everyone every Tuesday, 05:30 at Scout. Let the adventure begin. Mike, that first show went so well. I thought so. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Yeah. I thought you and Victor and and Norm did fantastic. Well, you've got three old hands there or at least two old hands. Victor Victor is not that old. I I know. That's what I'm saying. You got two, and then and then there's Victor. And then there's Victor. But, when Norman and I get together and start chopping it up Yeah. That's what happens, and Victor was a welcome addition to it. He was just a fantastic add on. I enjoyed it quite a bit. And, am I on this week's show? Who do we have tomorrow? It's Ziggy It's Ziggy Mike Mike and Greg. And Grego. Alright. Tomorrow, it's gonna be Ziggy, me, and Grego. I cannot wait to get Grego and Ziggy going at each other. It's one of my it's it's so interesting to me to watch them argue sports. He's already gonna go back. Oh, Mike's already Mike's already Mike's already I'm already what? You're already you're already thinking the worst. Those two just don't even let the other get a word in. Okay. Well, we'll see what happens. So what's It'll be worth listening tomorrow. What's going on with the rangers right now? We're coming out to see. What's going on? Yeah. Or coming out to see. Come see us. Yeah. Come tomorrow. It's Statler in Downtown Dallas get there at five five use that password yes use that password and you can get half off or you can get free valet no go drink or free drink or free valet there you go if you just use the password and the password is football oh I thought the password was secret No. The password is football. They need to know that. And everyone gets half half off no matter what if they show up to watch three wide and even beer thirty sports o'clock. Yes. Because Ziggy comes on after. Come for three wide. Stick around for Ziggy. Yeah. You will not be disappointed. Well, until our until our cool guests get here, you wanna talk to me about the rangers? Because I don't know what's going on, Mike. Do they suck, or are they good? I don't know. I've never been able to tell all year. I don't think they're good, but I don't think they totally suck. And because of the division is in such disarray where nobody in it is any good then I think that that you know they've put themselves in a position to have a chance and we're going right down to the wire they could fall forward and fall down but still get in the in the tournament. Yeah. Somebody said if they win the wildcard, they play at like 11AM. Is that what they said? Yeah. Well. What a what a weird morning. That's that would be weird, but they have they have a lot of games that day. And it would be a week from tomorrow. Yeah. They have a lot of games on that day, and they gotta get them all in. They don't want them going up against each other. Hey, Mike. Wasn't it just like yesterday and this season was starting? Didn't we do something when the season was starting? I don't know. Did we? I think so. We did something up there, and now it's it's the end of September. What do we do? I don't remember. This stuff goes We did something with the with the City Connect jerseys. Oh, yeah. Yeah. We did. Yeah. But, yes, that was then. This is now the season's almost over. And will the Rangers get in? I don't know. I can't say they will, but I also will not say that they won't. Yeah. So have they just is it the same is it the same song second verse where they're just don't have they've got the decent pitching, they got the good pitching, but they just don't have the bats. You know, I haven't not watched any sports. The it's all kind of been a problem this year one time or another. There have been times when the pitching has not been very good, and there's been other times when it's been otherworldly, but the offense has had its ups and downs all year long. They just don't have a lot of really good offensive players on this team right now. Yeah. And that's weird for the rangers because they're a franchise that's always been built around offense. It's always been offense first, but that's not the way it is right now. So it's pretty much a repeat of 2025. Looks like one. But different players. Different players. But they still could get in. They still have a chance. So do you think the problem's the players, the coaching? What do you what would you drum up the issue to be? If you wanna get to the real heart of it. Oh, yeah. Always. They were informed at the start of the year that the owner was not going to spend any money to fortify the thing or really build it out to start the season, so they had to make do with what they've had to work with. They've whatever's been there, they've had to make do with it. And a lot of the time, it hasn't been that good. I think it's extraordinary that they've gotten this far. And now it does also kind of speak to the weakness of the american league west overall which kind of came as a surprise to everybody because there is one team in the West where at the start of the season we were all thinking could just punch their ticket right into the tournament and that team has fallen on its ass worse than just about anybody Seattle? Yeah and the others well nobody expected much out of them than they have delivered on that promise I'm surprised but I'm surprised the Astros have had the problems that they've had now these are not the same Astros of a few years ago when they were just rolling over everybody but they still have a lot of the same guys and they had Jordana Alvarez who looked like he was a surefire MVP for the first two thirds or so of the season and now since then is in a spiral that he just can't get out of and they still had pretty good pitching and they got Hunter Brown anybody will take Hunter Brown on their team anytime day or night and they still have enough to be a force to be reckoned with and I I thought that they had enough to win the division to, like, you know, get in first place about midway through and just take it from there, but that has not been the case. Yeah. So they've had their problems like everybody else. Have there been any positives on this team so far? On the rangers? Yeah. Besides that really nice game from Jacob DeGrom not that long ago? I don't know. It's all been so up and down that there are hard to say that there have been any real positives like guys that they look at and know that they're going to be players for them for the next few years or anything like that. Yeah. But there have been a lot of guys who have not had the kind of year that they've had previously, not the kind of year that they thought they were going to have, and it's it's been one of those years where once one guy gets going, another guy turns around. Yeah. So they just can't all get hot together. They can't all get hot together, and that's been a real big problem. Well, that's what kinda happened in 2023, though. They weren't that great, and then all of a sudden they just all got hot at the same time. That's true. That's true. They weren't that great, but somehow they stumbled into the playoffs and then magic happened. Mhmm. And I wound up with the greatest night of my sports life. So, Mike, since we're here at the Rangers Foundation at the Rangers Golf Club, gonna be talking to some Rangers greats. Who are some of your favorite Rangers greats? I know we've kinda talked about this, but I would love to go more in-depth about some of your all time favorite Rangers players. Well, you gotta love Pudge. Pudge is the best dog named Pudge Rodriguez. That's how much we like Pudge in our house. He is the best I've ever seen at his position. And his position, I think, is the hardest position to play in any of the four American team sports. Mhmm. And he is the best I've ever seen at it. He's just, you know, class by himself, and he's an awesome guy too. Yeah. So he would rank in that conversation for sure. Mhmm. I thought I think he's one of the best ever. So is there any rangers that you thought should have been in the been in the hall of fame that didn't make it into the hall of fame? You talk about the baseball hall of fame? Yeah. No. I think the rain I think those who are in there should be in there and there are probably some who might still have a chance to get in there and I think that that any Ranger player who is in that conversation probably would belong in there because I mean, for the Rangers, it's hard to get them in the conversation to begin with. Why is that? Just because of how bad they were? Just because they're the rangers. They're the rangers and the and the the overall scope of baseball America, they don't quite register like everybody else. That's so interesting, though, because I feel like we are a baseball town even though Josh Hamilton didn't think we were. Well, I mean, that's another one. Yeah. I think we're a baseball town too. I mean, not all baseball, but I I think we're a good town for any of the sports that we have. I think we're a good basketball town. I think we're a good hockey town, especially for a southern market that that, you know, I mean, really, the city woke up one morning to go to the front porch and bring in the morning paper, and had found that somebody had left a hockey team on the front porch overnight, you know, and I mean, there was no real outcry for hockey here or anything like that, but we wound up with it here, and it's built its fan base, and now there is as much of a part of the sports scene around here as anybody. Yeah. And I'm as big a fan of them as I am any of the rest of them. It is Rangers golf tournament day on Your Dark Companion and we are out here for it all today. And now people are starting to trickle in you heard our visit with the mayor of Arlington the esteemed Jim Ross perhaps if you didn't you should check that out because he's always great to talk to here's another guy who's great to talk to and he's been out there playing actual golf today you know him he is a former ranger great Steve Bouchel Mike, it is so good to see you. And I I know I've said this now that we're on air. Last three times I've seen you, it's been on the golf course. And I know you're not the golfer, but it's always good to see you. It's always good to see you, and it's crazy how that works. I know it. I know. Our paths cross when golf is involved. That's right. You playing me not, but still we run into each other there. Yep. And get to talk a little baseball and enjoy the outdoors. How you been? Good. How about you? You look great. Well, I'm trying to hang in there for an old guy. You know? I know. Aren't we all? Yeah. That's it. That's all you can do. So you've been following, the club this year? You know, to be honest with you, to start the year off, yes. And then I kinda became disenchanted with this team for a while. Did you? Yeah. I did. I don't know why. I mean, I I wasn't they weren't fun to watch. They managed to keep their heads above water for most of the time, but they're always close to going under. And now here we are with a week left, and this is a team that I think is gonna be in the playoffs. And I think that is remarkable. I'm starting to think that too. I'm starting to think that this team is starting to find of of find some chemistry, find a vibe. However, How I mean, you can How many times have you said that this year, though? Like, man, this team's starting to find it. They're starting to get it together. I know. Next thing that you know, you they they just turn around and kick you in the tail. A lot. And did, you know, now with six games to go, I mean, I think I think they're gonna pull this thing off. And if I'm on if I'm another team, I don't wanna play the rangers, to be honest with you. That's a team that you just don't wanna play. You know, they know how to do this or some of them do. Those who were around in 02/2023 sure do because that season was nothing extraordinary yet they wound up in the playoffs and we all know what happened next. See, I'd look at that '23 season and I was still doing the TV at that time, the pre and post with Bally's and early on in the year, they were doing some great stuff offensively for the first couple months. They were unbelievable. And then, yeah, kinda sputtered, but found their way to get in the playoffs and how they did it going from I think they were in Seattle, then they had to go wild card in Tampa Bay. Right? And then from Tampa Bay to Baltimore, I mean, was almost the worst situation they could be in, but it was the best thing for that team. And and, lo and behold, they end up winning the World Series. And I think this year too, think this is a team that's actually built for the playoffs way more than they are built for a hundred and sixty two games. That they they must that's kinda what Ranger fans have to hang their hat on. Right. You know? Exactly. That once this team gets into the tournament, something will kick in. Some chemical thing or something will kick in and and Something. Yeah. Right. I mean, I don't know. I'm not I've never been close enough to it to understand how that all works. Although, I do understand what happens when you got really good chemistry. Well, I know as an opposing team, you don't wanna face Degrom, and you probably don't really wanna face Ivaldi. And this is the playoffs. And He's right for sure. He's right. Exactly. I mean, and that's what you need. You need two two guys on that mound that can start for you and keep you in games so you can win them. And I don't know. If they do get in, and I think they will, I think they're kind of a scary team. They're the dark horse. Yeah. They could be dangerous. Exactly. Now they they won't get credit for that. I mean, nobody's gonna be talking about em before the the tournament starts but you're, I think you're absolutely right. There's something about this team that could, I'm not saying it will but it could rear itself up once they get in there, and they could be dangerous. They could be somebody you don't wanna run into. I know. We say that after the season that we've been through where they haven't given us a whole lot to hang our hats on. No. They haven't. They've not one bit. And, you know, now looking at what could be and where they are, I mean, it's kind of exciting to to think, but, I mean, there's still six games. My god. I mean, they're gonna someone getting in the playoffs or winning the division with a 500 record is so insane to me. But they got shot. So, we'll see what happens. And the crazy thing is, they're not the only ones like this. Right. Because over the course of the season, there have been some teams that went on pretty good, pretty lengthy runs and made it look like they were going to be contending all the way down and going to playing that level of baseball all the way down and then something happened and they just kind of turned into, okay, you know, and and you know what? That's kinda what I mean by I think this team is built more for the playoffs than they are for a 162 games because this Ranger team hasn't gone on any big runs this season at all. Not even close. If anything, they've gone on some runs, you know, where they lose six of seven or seven or eight. I can't tell you how many times I've said, man, this thing has had it. You know? Yes. That it was just not gonna happen for it this year. I know. But it's kinda nice now this last week. It's it's interesting. Michelle, you're a liar, man. Come on, Elvis. Hop in. Come on. Jump. Hop in. Over here. Here we go. Alright. We're about to be joined by the great Elvis Andrews here. He knows a thing or two about this. He does. He's been around it. But I mean, I think that that's something for me that you can hang your head on right now. With six games to go, this is a team that is can be scary. And just because they got they got two guys on the mound that can do things for you and if the guys get hot, who knows what can happen? Yeah. And I mean, I've seen World Series one by teams that had two good pitchers. For sure. No doubt. No? No doubt. That's all you need. Two two good starters. That can happen. Yep. How you doing, man? I'm doing good. Thank you for having me. Well, thank you for doing this. Looks like you can still play a little bit. No. No. Maybe a couple innings. Yeah. You're doing great broadcasting, man. Really enjoying your work. I'm following the steps of, you know, boo and Michael Moore. Trying to, you know, keep it nice, keep it simple. But, yeah, it's been fun. It's been a lot of fun. I used to watch them and the, you know, the fun they had, like, how you can communicate and connect with the fans and then talk a little bit about baseball. I think that that was, like, what makes me say yes to this one. Speaking of having fun, the thing I've always loved about you, in addition to being a great player, nobody had more fun out there than you did. That means I mean, your attitude seemed to be okay. We're gonna go out there. We're gonna do everything we can to win this game. But while we're at it, let's have a little fun. Well, I always say that, whenever I start feeling whenever I felt the baseball becoming a work, a job, that's when I knew that was my time was over, and that's what I did. That's when I retired 35 because the game was not fun anymore. It was start to getting more like, I'm working. I'm doing a job. But, yeah, Joe, like like, have fun for me was everything. Like, of course, you wanna go three for three, four for four, win awards and and and so on. But for me was as long as I can play this game, like like, when I was nine years old, 10 years old, that's for me, you know, that's the reason I play the game. You know, when I think of you, I can't go very long without thinking of belts too because because you and him were I I mean, I'm I've never had seen any two guys carry on on the diamond in a game the way you guys did. I mean, you really made it fun to watch. Yeah. And I hear that right now, actually, way more than when we play. Right now that I'm able to you know, I'm coaching my oldest son, Elvis Junior. And, like, you know, I get to interact and talk to, like, you know, other other people and and they always mention that. But, yeah, it was just, natural. Like, people think that we kinda, like, make that happen. I think it was just organic. Right? Like, I'm very Bushel knows this. I'm very annoying person. And Adrian is very easy to get annoyed. So that's a perfect marriage. But, you know, doing it in the field was the biggest thing because AB always, at the beginning when we started playing together, he kinda like admired that part. He said, how can you concentrate, but also have so much fun? And I was like, well, you know, I do my homework, I anticipate, but I still gotta play. Like, when I when I have fun, I feel free. Like, every time I I was not having fun, that's when I got trouble. Right? Because I get too tight. Yeah. So, like, playing, like, jerking around and and talking, you know, Ian and and Josh and the guys and the dog out, like, mess like, that was for me a a way to be free. And also for the for the clubhouse, like, you know, 162 day in, day out, especially in the old ballpark in July, you know, it's not fun. So can you be fun, like, when things are not going right? So I think that was the biggest thing for me. But Adrian was huge because, you know, he he get annoying so easily, especially touching his head. I just have to make making sure that I can get out of the way before I get smacking the head. If you do that, and then you can touch his head. Alright. Steve and I were just talking a little bit about this team this year. You're in the game, you're down there and you're doing TV and everything. You see, you've seen a whole lot of this thing. What is this team? It's a great question. I think they are finding their DNA very late. I think Yeah. Throughout the whole year. See, I think they are too. Yeah. I think through the whole year is I mean, and and kinda carry on from last year. Because last year was like, okay. Finally, they're gonna get off and go back. And then it was a very up and down season. This year, pretty much the same thing. But the past week, two weeks and a half, I think the team is finally you know, they they as an offense, especially. Like, DNA, like, they they finding ways to score runs. And I mean, the pitching has been amazing since last year, pretty much. So I think the offense right now, having Sieger healthy and Berger giving you great at bats and and Ezekiel just having tremendous year. He's a player of the year. My man. He's amazing. You know what I mean? I mean, he's the rangers player of the year. Yes. He is. And Nemo and all the guys, rest of the cast, I think they're now they're finally figuring out a DNA as an offense. You know? So I think that's why one of the reason why if they continue to play this way, I think they will get to the postseason. How does a guy like Ezekiel Duran do that? I'm asking both of you this. So I'll start. So go back to '23. Seger was hurt in April or May. I'm not sure which month it was. And then they were gonna platoon Zeke and Josh Smith. And you remember that playing short? Right. So Zeke finally gets his chance in there, plays great defense, gets a couple hits. He ends up taking over shortstop for a month. And I'm telling you, he played like an all star. He he to me was kept that team together that year. For one month, Manning shortstop taking Seger's spot until Seger came back. He was unbelievable. And to see what he's done this year, you know, it's just nice to see him play. I think to Elvis's point, now the guys are finally playing. Not many times sure you've had Josh Young, Langford, everybody in the lineup together. Mhmm. Someone's always out or two of those guys have always been hurt or not able to play. And I think guys are starting to find their way back on the field right now, and and, I mean, just in time too. Yeah. It's it's tough when you don't have your guys. You know that. It's hard. It's really like, you know, when I play and Aiden was not there. But when I and when we play and Josh, you take you remove one piece. It's like the whole, like, the whole lineup is like, because, you know, like, I do my job because I got the guy behind me, and he does his job because the guy behind. So when you remove pieces, it's tough. But, like, going back to Ezekiel, I mean, we all knew. I mean, I I was I was still playing '23 with White Sox and knowing and in that year, Sigurd was from another world. But, like, when he went down, Ezekiel pretty much you did not miss too much of Sigurd because how good Ezekiel was. You know? So I think we all knew. In that year, we knew the player that he is and who could beat. And for him, he was just playing. I mean, since since last year, I've been saying this, they need to find a way to get Ezekiel to play every day. You know? And he played multiple position because he's a guy that can do it all. He can hit for power. He's still base. But like he's he's full of energy. Now he remind me of myself a lot because he's so full of energy. And when you get those guy playing every day, something is gonna So I need those guys playing every day. You need it. This team needs that guy. Yeah. I mean, this is a team that I mean, the what's the personality of this team? This season I mean, there's not much there. Right? I mean, there's not that grinder. There's not that fire. There's not that someone that, you know, plays with his butt on fire, but Zeke does. Yeah. Not that Elvis. Need yes. They need that person to be on the field. Yeah. He's important. Every every team has one. Every successful team has one, and, you know, he's not only the the the energy. He's actually putting the numbers. You know? So He does. He's just a complete package right there. Man, it's been so much fun to watch him, though. Like, out in Ranger fandom, Ranger Gen Pop. I don't think anybody gave that guy much of a thought of a, know, one way or the other. So, going into this year, like I said, I think Zeke is the player of the year for for this team. Yeah. I don't know who else it could be. I think it's Zeke. Oh, no doubt. He is not in your top five going into the season. No. Right? Of Someone who you might say would be and it it's just been it's been really fun to see. I'm so happy for him. I mean, the kid, like Elvis said, he just plays with that freedom now. He's got he's he's been around long enough to where he's starting to have fun. And he's good too. He's a good player. Also, thing that I wanna mention is, like, he earned it because I talked to him last year. Right? Like, he was, like, he was not in shape. Like, he was a little you know, the belly got a little big, and he did not take care of himself in the off season. Right? And I went I talked to him before the season was over. I said, you better go and get in shape and go play in Dominican and get ready for next year. You're gonna have an opportunity. And, I mean, you know, tapping the cap to him, he did. He got in shape. He had an amazing winter ball in Dominican Republic. And as soon as I saw that, because I follow him a lot. And I talked to him, and I was like, as soon as he got his spring training, I knew. I love I love Josh, but I was like, he just he it's hard to find players like him. Yeah. That much passion and energy, and he can play. I mean, he can be your best center field, the best shortstop, the best second base. Defensively Yes. He's amaze he was even catching. He told me he got his apparel. I'm like, man, I would like to see that back. I mean, in '23 when he did for that month at shortstop, he he played all star baseball. Yeah. He was absolutely outstanding. He's amazing. He's amazing. We cannot talk too much. We gotta keep it humble. Yeah. Gotta keep it humble. I know. So so let's keep it humble. Uh-huh. I'm I'm trying to anyway. I don't know how successful He makes it he makes it hard. He makes it hard. He does make it hard. He makes it really hard. We every preop of this game, we're talking about him. So he's he just makes it really, really hard. But now he he well deserve it. And and, I mean, right now right now, the team is is is rolling. I mean, I love what I'm seeing. Unfortunately, Cointre went down. That's a guy that you don't want. But Who would who thought who would have thought we'd be saying that? Yeah. Like, a lot of people ask me and you tell me, boo. Always tell me, like, what's going on with him? Like, why he's so good this year? And people talk about, like, well, the spin, and I'm like, no. No. No. No. No. For me, my eyes, because I face him. Yeah. There's one thing he makes him so good this year, velocity. He used to throw 90 to 92 with the same stuff. Now he's throwing 94, 96. And you know how if you Yep. If you gain five miles per hour in your fastball, the breaking ball now becomes super hard Yeah. Because you have to catch up to speed. So, like, when I see him, he's the same guy. Like, if you watch his video, you know, last year, two, three years ago, he's the same pitcher. Now he just throw 96 every time, like, consistently. You know? That will take you to the next level it's really a crazy thing about baseball because when the rangers picked him up I and probably everybody else thought okay well it's just an afterthought you know this guy is not going to amount to much of anything and now I shudder to think where this thing is if they don't have him. For sure. Yeah. I mean, I don't know what they do. I mean, especially for the last two, three especially last year and this year, I don't know what they do, especially in the bullpen. Like, we're getting some guys that are like, you might hear their name, but, like, they have, like, career years fucking bullpen with us. I was telling Mike, so I did this I started the year watching a lot, and then just wasn't having fun watching them. Right? Like, they weren't fun to watch. Kinda laid away, and then I start checking the box scores. I'm like and I look who comes in out of the bullpen. I'm like, okay. Who's this guy? Yeah. Who's this guy? Who is this guy? Check it two weeks later. Three new names pop up. I mean, the what Seawise had to do with that bullpen. That is how ranger baseball used to be before either of you guys got here. It's Yeah. The the guys that have filled in and plugged in roles, to get this thing done. I mean, you know what? Over in a 162 games, you don't know what's gonna happen. And you just have to be ready. And if you get your opportunity, you know, you gotta make the best of it. And right now, like I was saying, they're in a good place. I mean, they're in a good place as a team. So six games to go. You do never know. Yeah. I mean, considering the way it's gone, the way it's played out, somebody would have told you back in May that this is gonna how it was gonna be with six games to go. You'd take that. Oh, shoot. You could have told me that in August. Yeah. Yeah. That if this was a situation, you would have taken it too. You probably would have taken it at the first part of September, you know, to be in this position with a week with six games to go. And not also not also the range because we talk about the range, but, like, the whole division has been like that. Yeah. It's it's like, okay. Now this guy gonna take it and then no, and then the other guy, no. And I remember, like, think, like, a month ago, I I say one of the I don't remember if was a pre and the post. I say, okay. You guys gotta figure out who wants to win. Because he looks like no one wants to win the division. Like, he's just like, okay. We're gonna take off and go down. And I'm like, that frustrate me because I you know, as a team, you go like, come on. This is not a easier year to win defense. I'm I'm watching the hell of it. I was watching the pregame show, and you guys are talking about the remaining schedule of the Astros and and Seattle. And Seattle by far had the easiest schedule going into the month of September. The next thing you know, they're they're losing, like, eight out of 10 games to bad teams, and they're six games out. Yeah. I mean, they just shot themselves in the foot, and they're out. It's just unbelievable how this last couple weeks has played out. And before the season started, it seemed like everybody just gave them the west. You know? Everybody thought it's gonna be Seattle, and that's it. Nobody else has a shot here. No. Their pitching staff is top three in the whole league. They haven't pitched like that. Thank god. But if you look at the whole bullpen starter, that's that's one of the best rotation that you can find. Yeah. Underperforming this year. Oh, sure. Yeah. And then the catcher is not Yeah. Riley, thank God too. Yeah. No kidding. He's not hitting half of what he did last year, but well, good. Good for the rangers, you know. But, no, it's been it's been a fun it's been a fun year. But I think I said it couple days ago, everything is literally clicking for the rangers, like, and and, like, I saw Langford getting a huge double a couple games ago. If Langford get going, I mean, in in three, four days, this division is won already. Alright let me do a quick reset here this is Steve Bouchel this is Elvis Andrews we're out here at the Rangers golf tournament and we're talking a little baseball here if you don't mind that today. Let me tell you about what's going on at three wide at Scout. We've got that coming up again tomorrow as in our new football show that we're doing. Every Tuesday, 05:30 to seven, join the Sunset Lounge at Scout in the Statler Hotel or the Statler. I don't know if it's a hotel anymore, but it's the Statler. It's downtown. Be one of the first five people to give the bartender the password. The password is football. It is definitely a hotel, Michael. It is a hotel. It is a hotel. Alright. Well, screw me. We're just you know just here to help. Hell. That's why you keep me around. Alright the password is football. Say that to the bartender and get a free drink or free valet service as you may wish. Stick around afterward for Ziggy with beer thirty sports o'clock. Half priced valet available for everybody. Every Tuesday, 05:30 at Scout. Let the adventure begin. Come see us at three wide at Scout tomorrow. We're going to be talking football and football only there but right now, we're talking baseball with the great Steve Bouchel, the great Elvis Andrews. Everybody's a couple of their favorite Rangers of everybody just about. You feel like you're pretty fondly remembered by Ranger fandom? Well, I mean, I don't know how you know. I hope so. I hope so. Mean, the TV every single day, so You both should. Yeah. I still get booed in the grocery store, and that's pretty cool. Yeah. You know? I mean but I mean, Elvis is is, I think, maybe one of the fan the all time fan favorites out here. Just the way he played, the way he's always treated the fans, the public. If you ask who I think what is one of the fan favorites of all time, I'm gonna say Elvis without a doubt. And I don't take it for granted on my personal end too. I mean, I still feel the love from people when I go out. It's it's really nice. Yeah. Boo is the best. It's a very cool Best VP too. Not only amazing player. We know that. Everybody knows that. Best VP I ever hit in my career. So, yes. Boo is the best. The best VP you ever hit? Yeah. Like throwing BP. How do practice? Oh, you've oh. Practice. You threw BP back in the day? Yes. Let me let me tell you this. Yes. So I had I had group one Yes. Which would be Elvis, Adrian, Chu, Sintu Chu. Yeah. Chu. And maybe the catcher would hop in there, but I I had group one. I had the the boys. And so my first year coaching, I always threw good BP. But then when you get stuck throwing it to these guys, like the big boys, you you get the tight ass a little bit. It it it took it took me it took me a couple it took me a few times to get through it to where I got very comfortable throwing to these guys. And then once you get comfortable throwing BP, I mean, I took pride in my batting practice because I was doing it every single day. I mean, I took pride in throwing a good batting practice. And when I got comfortable with these guys, man, there was there's nothing better than throwing batting practice to Elvis, Adrian, since you too, every single day. It makes going to the ballpark so much fun. Yeah. I don't think in all of those batting practice, I ever took a pitch. That's how good. You know, usually, we give a lot of talk. Right? When you pick them up, you usually say, wow. It's raining here. When you see a lot of balls, that means that's actually as fun as it as it sound. It's not good for the pitcher. Like, we're making fun like, man, throw in the middle. Right? I don't think we ever pick any balls. Like, everything he throws, even if we and sometimes we were very pretty Madonnas. We were like, come on, boo. Inside, outside. Yes. You know, give me a top of the of the play. He literally throw every it was just beautiful. The way he release it. I mean, the same way he threw the first base, but the best. I always when people ask me, I say, Boucher is the best. You know, you guys mentioned Chew, and that is a guy that number one, I always loved him as a player before he even got here, but watching him on a day to day basis was I found it to be pretty extraordinary. Yeah. Because I I mean, the guy was just it seemed like he was in his own little world and he he probably was. A good way to put it. Yeah. I mean, as far as his approach of the play for sure. Yeah. I mean He was a he was a like, call, like, guys like Shu and, like, Cole Hamels. I call him true big leaguers because every team is, like like you just mentioned it. Like, their bubble is like They're programmed. Yeah. Like like, shoe like, if you see shoe lockers locker? Oh, you want him mad? Remove something. Put him in the floor. He will get so pissed. But, like, that guy, like, the same way you see his locker, he went to BP, and he was like like, if you throw it here, I'm gonna eat it there. In the game, if he throws it here, I'm gonna take a walk. And if you hit it here, I'm gonna like, it was just crazy. Like, he was like, wow. Like, for me, that that make me feel like a minor league guy because I'm the opposite. Right? I'm like, all my stuff in the floor and, like, I just wanna barrel a ball and get a blue blood ride. Those guys took it to the next level. So, like, whenever, you know, I talk about Chew, I always say, that's a good way of describing Chew. Like, he lives in his his own world, but he was, you know, completely professional. Like, when I say people, you wanna know how been how he's been in the big league? Talk like look at Chu or, like, Cole Hamels. Those are two big leavers. Chu, he his goal was to get on base. Yeah. Yeah. That's it. Whether it was a walk, base hit, that was his goal, to get on base and to score a run. And I remember asking him one day, I said, Chew, would you rather go one for four every game with a home run, or would you rather go one for three with a single and walk twice and score two runs? And he had to think about it. Like, for me, I'm going one for four with a homer. That's it. You do that every single game. And when you threw that in to choose, when you threw the little wrench in there, like, you're getting on base three times and scoring a couple runs, it was a hard he had he had to think about that. That's he was consumed every at bat to get on base and score a run. That's what he was designed to do. Yeah. And he had he had power, but he had power that in BP, every now and then, he would let it loose. Yeah. And I'm telling you, he could hit it as far as anybody. It was impressive. Yeah. Because he hit everything the other way. Yeah. He his BP was so disciplined. He will he will hit home runs, left field farther than I mean, I didn't have too much power for sure, but, like, he will hit it way farther than a lot of right handers in the opposite side, which he was for me the most surprising thing. Yeah. He's one of my favorite rangers of all time, and that's exactly why because, you know, you heard and you could tell that he was all about getting on base. That's it. That's what he wanted more than anything else. What do you want? He hates to lose too. He was very similar than Adrian in that regard. Like, when if we were winning, oh, that'd be the nicest dude. When we were losing, good luck. Especially if you're a rookie, good luck with you. Like, they will let you know. Yeah. There's no way they're smiling. There's no reason to be happy in the plane until we start winning. And I love that. Like, Yeah. Michelle knows. I'm I'm usually for me, when we lose a game, take me twenty minutes to, like, let go, turn the page, next game. No. Adrian and Chu will be in the airplane. We'll be in the airplane, and I'll play some music. Turn it down. Turn it off. I'm like, come on, man. I got a new series. Come on. No. Turn it off. We start winning, you play music. I was like, hi, guys. You know what we need to do to start playing some music. Are you guys surprised that this thing is where it's at? Like, we're going into the last few games of the season, and the division is right there for it. Elvis might look at it differently because he's been around it more. For me, yes. I am surprised. I mean, they've nothing this season has given me anything to hang on to where you're saying, man, okay. This team's gonna be good. They're a playoff team. There's nothing they've done up until September that has convinced me they're gonna be a playoff team. And now, you know, they're in a division where they're fortunate to be in right now with how everyone's playing. But to answer your question, am I surprised? Yes. The way the season's gone, I am surprised, but I'm happy. I'm glad I'm glad that they're there. But, yes, I am surprised. Because I got a question. When was the last time the Central Division had a better record than the West Division? Well, I don't know. I mean That's like like I always tell people on that, like, usually the central division is like a lower amount of wind unless, you know, one year Right. Thing goes crazy. But usually, it's the central, like the West and the East are the one that, like, always elevate. But yeah. No. I'm I'm with Boo. I mean, I'm there pretty much every day. He's like that. It's it it get frustrated. Not I mean, even more when you don't play because you see they have it all to be winning by 10 games. You know? They have it all. Yeah. And I like seeing like this, like, that nail biting every game, and he's like, we're looking at the scoreboard. Yeah. Houston is losing. Come on. Like, I'm like, we shouldn't be here. But it is it is surprising the division has been awful. Awful. No. No. Not only the rangers, like Seattle and everybody's been awful, but I think, you know, that it is clicking at the right time, and we know what happened. Right? Like, winning the most amount of game during the season doesn't guarantee a championship. And it happened with the rangers in 2023. You know? They got in in the wild card. They win it all. Right. So I always tell people, get it. Get in. Yeah. Just get in. Get in after that and then And take your chances. Get on the dance floor somehow. Yes. Yes. Alright. Here's another weird thing for you guys to break down for me because this is is just crazy. It seemed like in the early part of the year that out there in baseball America, the idea of a Dodgers Yankees World Series was all but inevitable. You know, thought the Dodgers would dominate the National League. The Yankees would dominate in the American League and for a while, that proved to be the case but since then, both of those teams have gone up and down. They're just that they they've seemed when I watched them play they they haven't had the focus it seemed to me that they did earlier in the year and what I'm wondering is is that something you can get back once it starts to drift away from you a little bit? Well, I think it's a pain of the team, of course. You know, when you're talking about, like, the dodgers, you know, as soon as they get in the postseason, you you never know what can happen. I mean, they have the the guys. I mean, Otani is down, and that's a big big miss in there. But, I mean, the whole team is amazing. So once you get in the postseason, they know how to how to play, and that's that's the best thing. They know how to get together, they know what they need to do to move forward. With the Yankees, I mean, it's a little bit different because they pretty much I mean, they've been having a great season, but they they they play off Aaron Judge. Yep. And he's not been in the lineup. So, okay, it's one thing this season. But when you go to the postseason, you're gonna face the best of the best pitching. And when, like, your superstar is not in the lineup, same for the Dodgers, they go to the postseason without Tani. Like, it's they're completely different team. You know? You know? You're not so much afraid because and then, well, I I I can pitch much better to Mookie Betts and to Freeman because Otani is not there. Yeah. You know, we have to deal with three guys, not with the best, the MVP of both leagues. So I think in that regard, yeah, if they go to the postseason without those guys, they will be in trouble. But, I mean, they they do have great teams to to win it all for sure. Alright. Let's take a quick look at those who have had great years. And let's talk about the brewers. Let's talk about the devil rays. I was gonna say what? That's why they have the events record. Are these guys to be are are these teams to be taken seriously? Yeah. Don't get me wrong because I do. But out there in baseball America, I'm not sure that they do. Tampa Bay, for whatever reason, has had the formula for the last ten years. Right? They don't have a big payroll, but they'll find guys in trades. They'll find the twenty sixth player of another team's roster. Yeah. Get him in a trade. He becomes an everyday player and performs well. What they've done better than most organizations, though, is they have acquired pitchers, same style, whether it's a rule five draft or in trades. They pick up these guys and mostly to fill their bullpen. Like, Tampa's bullpen, it's one thing to knock a starter out. You wanna do that. With Tampa, sometimes you knock the starter out, and you're like, damn. Maybe we should've left you. We could've let them go in for another inning or two because now the Tampa Bay just bringing out arm after arm in that bullpen. And if they have the lead, chances are those last three, four innings when they turn it over to bullpen, it's game over because they're that good. But Tampa has found the formula of getting everyday players other teams that come in there, play every day for them, and produce. But what they've done well, they've identified pitchers that come in and they they're good. They're damn good. Do they have a way that they play like, you know, you always hear about the Yankees. When the Yankees go out and get a guy, they know he's gonna come in there and fit in because he play he they think he can play the game their way. Probably the same thing with the dodgers. Do the rays have that? Is their culture that strong, do you think? I let me ask you real quick. I believe so just because who's the manager is. Like, Cash is I was able to play with him. I think it's been training. And and, you know, just by seeing him, the way he see the game, you can understand right away. You know, he sees baseball in a completely different sense than a lot of people. And when you see, like, the Tampa Bay, they're like you say, they always find a way to get, like, this youngster. Right? Like, it was Franco and then Caminero. Out of nowhere, this kid hitting 40 homers Yeah. Knocking a 100 runs. And they get Aranda, the the first baseman, which I think he's so underrated. He's an amazing player. And, you know, they have so many like, for me, I think Tampa, it will probably go farther because they have thunder. Like, one, two, three, and four. Those four guys can literally carry the team. Mhmm. Where Milwaukee for me, they're more like on the base seat double type of team. Tampa Bay can hit like, all those four guys can hit a home run back to back to back. Every they don't strike out. So, you know, I was able to watch him a couple weeks ago when they came, and that was a light enough that I'm like, you gotta be careful. Because they got good pitching, amazing movement. They had thunder. They're especially the first four, five guys, they're good. They don't strike out. They hit for average. And in the postseason, you need that. I think, like, a lot of team that have a bunch of home run guys strike out in the postseason. That's what the Yankees, like, they don't win because they just strike out, strike out, strike out. But when you see the team of Tampa, they don't really strike out that much, and they get a lot of extra bases. Be careful with that. Brewers, the pitching. I I don't know if Without a doubt. Starting pitching for the Brewers. Kid, you gotta face them two, three times in a series. How's the game over? Like I keep waiting for both of these teams to fall apart and for natural form to take over with the Dodgers and the Yankees, and that has not happened. No. Not only has it not happened, it hasn't really come close to happening. I mean, those two teams have had the best record in their leagues for the better part of the year. Yeah. The structure of the team is amazing. I mean, look at the Yankees, like, without judge, then you get Rice hitting thirty, forty home runs. Yeah. And, like, the pitching, they get this kid Schittler. Schittler. Schittler. Schittler. Schittler. Like, I never know how to say it. Gotta be careful with it. Yeah. That's a tough one. Like, this kid out of nowhere, he came and pitched an amazing postseason now. He's like, for the Cy Young. So, like, it's it's it's crazy how, like, they are able to not only purchase like the Yankees do and the Dodgers, but they also can develop guys and and just add on to their, you know, to to to their team. So, I mean, they're they're doing a great job, you know, and and I believe the rangers are in that path, right, where, like, there's a lot of guys coming up. You know, I love Willcott. I think that kid's gonna be electric. I don't know where he's gonna play yet, but I know I've seen it, and, like, the potential is huge. And when you can add him with, like, Lamphor and and and Sigurd and Ezekiel and this guy in Berger, that's an amazing lineup for me also. You know? You think Walcott's a true shortstop? I don't know, man. He's too big. I I I every time when people say like, Otseger is not too good. And I'm like, that dude is like six four. Like, have you seen his back? Like, I'm amazed that he's still playing short. Like, if I'm at his age, if I'm him, I'll be like in third base, first base, DH. He still want to play shortstop. Like, he's never been, you know, the guy who's gonna super range. Yeah. But he make the routine plays, and he gets you 30 home runs every season. I'll take that. But he's just amazing, like, with big guys and and Wilcox is also, like, six three, six four. It's just harder because you have to go down and up, down and up, and you want him to be healthy. Yeah. Right? So I don't know if he's gonna I mean, he could play center field too. He could be like, you know, what they did with O'Neil Cruz. He could play he got a great arms. So that's always easy. Just get him to the outfielder. But, I mean, he's an he's an athlete. So whenever he play, you know, he'll he'll be able do it. Yeah. I haven't seen him play, but I've heard great things about him. Oh, he's I mean, there there's been big short stops. Cal Ripken was a big guy. You gotta be a little bit smarter. Yeah. Playing play in that position, you know, every day. I don't know what Sebastian's you know, what his mentality is like, but, I mean, I I've heard there's not he's just super athletic. Oh, I mean, yeah. He's electric. Like, when you he remind me so I was able to play during a rehab against Tatis junior when he was in the minor leagues in double a here in Frisco. And I saw him play. I'm like, wow. You know, when you see a kid and he's like above their age, above everything. Like, when you see Wilcox, he's the same way. I'm like, wow. He's a kid. Well, he actually looked like he's, like, 25 years old in the field. And, like, he knows that all the attention is in him. And I believe he he could be whatever he wants to do. Defensively, yes. He still have to work on it. But, I mean, he's, like, six four. I don't even know. I don't even think he knows how to use Yeah. Right. His body. Yeah. As soon as you find out, he'll he'll be amazing for the rangers. How much of all this weird stuff that we've seen go on in this season this year like what's happened with the yankees and the dodgers that we just talked about the way the american league west has played out There's just been a lot of really unusual, not ordinary stuff that's going on in the game, and I can't help but wonder how much how much of that can be attributed to the thoughts of what lies ahead running around in everybody's mind, you know, with what's coming down once the season's over. Talking about in regards to the locking. Yeah. Yeah. Like that. No. No. No. They don't they don't think about it. Maybe the veteran guys don't think about it. The young guys aren't thinking about no CVA, but I think has more to do They will. Yeah. In the yeah. In a couple of months. Maybe, like, in February Yes. If they don't find a a, you know, an agreement. I think it's more have to do with the way, you know, with the analytic. I don't think there's a lot of team that haven't adjust. I think everybody wants to use it, but a lot of team hasn't been able to adjust to the whole analytic and the numbers and that's how they play now. Right? Like, through, like, if you guys everybody, all the fans know, like, we now he's like a quarterback. Right? Like, everybody has a thing in here where you get, like, a little car, and they, you know, they tell you it's like Nintendo. Like, they tell you how to play. I think players, they haven't adjust to that. Yeah. The game is not adjusted to that. That's what I see some disparity, you know, in different teams. So I think, you know, maybe in a couple more years or maybe it just make it easier again for the players, we will be able to see more competition because that's what I see. When I see the game, it's like, it's so much information. And, like, I see a lot of guys, especially the young guys, not free, not playing free baseball. It's like a lot of people wanna play like a little robots. And, you know, the talent never comes out when you're tight. You know? It's the opposite. You always wanna, like as a coach, you always wanna help you guys be free. Let the talent go. Let let the talent dictate the game. Right now, for the past five years, it's the opposite. It's all if you see every guy, as soon as you strike out, you miss a ball. What the first thing they do? Go to the dog out iPad. IPad. Right? Instead of instead of be like, oh, well, now I was just late. You know, like, keep it simple. Like, keep it easy. So, like, when you put so much information, it's just hard. Like, that's you know, guys not even trying to hit 250 average now. Like, if they hit two third, like, the league average is, two twenty. I know. But if you hit some homers and knocking some runs, you're considered Yes. That's the other, yeah, that's the other problem. I mean I think, man, I almost felt like there was a moment maybe two, three years ago where you felt that it was going back to more old school. You kinda got that feeling. And then lo and behold, I almost feel like it's taken a trend back towards the analytic part again. But it's the teams that combine both. Find a way to use the analytics and let your players go out there and play and have a good time. I mean, do their thing. It's not the easiest thing to do. Like, I remember I was in charge of positioning when I was a coach. Every single pitch or every hitter, I'm moving Elvis or I'm moving Ruggie or in my mind, these guys know these hitters just as well as I do. They know their tendencies where they should play. I mean, let these guys use their instincts and what they see. They can see the pitcher throwing. I can't. They can see where the catcher's setting up. I can't. Yet, I'm trying to put them into a spot that's been given to me on a sheet of paper where they are supposed to play a player. To me, that's that's crazy. Now I get it. They can play on that spot, but, man, it depends on what's being thrown to them, where that pitch is being thrown, what the count is. It makes a big difference. Let these guys see the game and play the game. I think it's a much better game when you have guys that can do that. Instead of every single hitter, you're you're seeing the outfielders. They're taking off their hat. They're looking where to go. You're seeing infielders doing the same thing, checking their wrist of what to do. I mean, it makes it hard, and I'm not knocking the numbers. Numbers are what the numbers are. They can help you. Use those numbers to your advantage, but it's the teams that can use that information, take those numbers, and have players take those numbers, but use some instincts along the way too and play the game the way you should. How much of that was in the game when you guys played? We always have the information. It just it was not it was not the that the information did not dictate your game. But we did like scouting reports or just a lot of They always have it. We knew that yeah. We knew like, when I play, we knew, like, what the guy like, percentage two o or one o. Like, what am I you know, what what pitches are throwing me two two? Like, I always have we have that information. You know? But at the same time, the coach will coach you to, like, you know, have confidence. Like, you know, go do your job, not like where your angle is down. You're not hitting the ball perfect. And, like like, do you know how hard it is to hit the baseball? Oh, yeah. And also think about my angle and here, my bat, and the elbowing. I'm like, come on, dude. Like, this is too hard already. I freely admit, I don't see how you guys do what you do. Exactly. So the point is, like, when you take the phone, like, I talk to a lot of fans. Right? They say the same thing. Like, I don't want the bed. The game is boring. And I'm like, of course, I watch I have to watch the game when I work. And it's boring. Why? Because everybody wants to hit a home run. So what happened? Yeah. You might hit it. 99% of the time, you won. Only a few guys can literally go and are gonna hit a home run and do it. You know? The rest are gonna strike out, pop up. And you if you see a full game, it's literally all pop up, strike out, or, like, maybe one or two home runs. That's not fun. And I always tell the guys that play it, not everybody's secret. Not everybody's burger. Not everybody's judge. No. I wish I I mean, I think I have the body. I'm a six foot, two twenty. I think I can hit 40 in a year. But let's guess what? That that was not my game. You know? So, like, understanding who you are, is so important because that's what makes a team a balance. Right? Yeah. I think that's where, like and and book call it right. Like, everybody's being, you know, evaluated by you hit homers, you get RBIs, OPS. Yeah. Well, if I hit 300, I see how many guys that hit 300, OPS gonna be 700 because I got seven home runs, maybe twenty, twenty five double. But if you get on base a lot of times, you do your job, and they're not paying that. So a lot of guys, of course, gonna go Yeah. Where the money is. So I thought it was funny earlier this year, the rangers were having trouble scoring runs. You know, they they they they have a man on third base with nobody out. Couldn't get them in. Man on second, nobody out. Couldn't get him in. And this was going on for a couple weeks and I I heard an interview with Skip. And Skip said, you know what? We just need to get back to playing baseball. He didn't say we need to go back to play small ball or go back. We just need to go back and do those things that a baseball player should do. If you heard this interview too and it got my attention. It got my attention because basically, he's saying, look. I know we've we're we're relying on the homer. We're relying on that three run double. We can't do it. Right now, we can't do it. We gotta find a way. They're losing three to two in all these games. If they can produce one or two more runs, they flip those games, and they can win them. They gotta find ways. You don't see guys moving runners over from second base anymore. You don't see with a man on third base in the infield back. All you gotta do is hit a grounder. Mhmm. Hit a ground ball up the middle. Yeah. You're gonna be out, but you're gonna score a run. You don't see that. But when Skip was saying that, you know what? We gotta start going back to just producing runs, find a way to get runs over the play. They started playing a little bit better, but the numbers tell you to do Yeah. Other things. And during the middle of the season, that's good you mentioned it because I every time I continue to say the same thing, because you can see it was boring. It's everybody wants to hit a home run. Nobody was hitting it. And then it gets to the middle of the game, like, middle of the season, and I started saying that, was a you know, one thing that I learned when you play with guys like Adrian and Josh and this, you know, Prince, Vladimir Guerrero, and so on, they're they were not trying to hit a homer the whole season. Yeah. There were months where they were hot and, like, every ball they hit was out. What I learned that that months they were not hitting homers, they will still get their hits. They will get their RVI. And I always ask them. I say, why don't you just keep trying to hit homer? He say, well, because I need to play the game. The game is always not it's not always gonna tell me or be, you know, smiling at me, like, go and hit homers. Yeah. And it's okay. You know, we're human. It's six, seven hundred at bat. But when that happened, I still can be productive. I still can help my team. And I think that after that interview, and I hammer on that too. I say they need to eat. One thing that and you know that back in the days when you were not hitting, like, you know, extra faces, you get your hit. You get your blooper. You always run like a jam. And after that blooper, after that base hit, usually you get a line drive or you even go deep. And that's what I tell the team. I said, they need to get back on just getting hits. And they start doing it. They're like, burgers are going the other way. Base and then out of nowhere out of nowhere, they start hitting homers, RBIs, straw bases. And that's what they're playing now. Like, I've seen Carter bonding with men on base, getting that run. And I'm like, thank you. Exact you can go you're gonna go a 162 games now. The season's gonna end this weekend. The playoffs are gonna start. You're gonna see more bunts. Yeah. More getting guys over. You're gonna see teams do the little things that they didn't do for a 162 games. Man, in other words, the whole game's gonna change. I'm telling you, the mindset in the playoffs, if there's a man on second base with nobody out, I promise you, if you have your number seven hitter up there, he is gonna make an effort to hit the ball the other way. He might even lay down a bunt. You're gonna see more bunts, more execution during the playoffs than you ever see during a 162 games. It's kind of funny to watch that. Yeah. But you see these teams and the teams that are really good that go far are the teams that can manufacture those runs. Yeah. Well, this has been a very exciting episode of three old guys talking ball. At two and a half. Two and a half. Two old guys. Well, younger guys. Alright. Two old guys. There's some white hair. Two old guys. You Two old guys and the kid. That is Elvis Andrews. That is Steve Bouchel. And we thank you for watching. Thank you, Ashley. Thanks to folks out here for having us out for the golf thing today and everybody enjoy golf. Everybody enjoy baseball. Watch this great game. It's about to get really, really good. Steve, Elvis, thank you guys. Ryan, it's great seeing you, man. Alright. I'm Mike Reiner. Thank you, Ashley. Thank you, Becca. Thank you, Ashley. Yes. Thanks to all the rest of you. Thank you for being by the channel out there. If you like us, tell your friends about us. Share us with your friends. Get this thing going, man. We can't do it all ourselves. We need you. Till next time. Bye. Alright. I'm gonna go take your pants off. You're Dark Companion is a stolen water media presentation.
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Mike Rhyner heads to the Texas Rangers Golf Club for the annual Rangers Baseball Foundation event, sitting down with foundation president Karen Morris, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, and Rangers legends Elvis Andrus and Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez-era teammate Steve Buechele. The conversation ranges from the foundation's youth academy and grants to Arlington's explosive growth, Globe Life Field's impact, and a deep dive into the Rangers' surprising late-season playoff push, plus candid takes on analytics versus old-school baseball. Packed with insider stories about Rangers culture, city development, and the unpredictable 2025 AL West race, this episode is a must-listen for Texas Rangers fans and Arlington locals alike.
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