just b/c it’s on the weekend, if the june date was the weekend id take that

although august 2nd would be just after the trade deadline, we can all question JD on why he did or didnt go after needs for our division leading team wink

We’re now ready to start taking reservations for Newberg Report Night at Rangers Ballpark, which will be on Sunday, August 2, against the Mariners. One of the potentially cool things about doing this the first few days of August will be the possibility that the team will have one or more new key players in uniform, in the wake of the July 31 trade deadline . . . and getting 90 pregame minutes with GM Jon Daniels to talk about it.

We had about 300-350 people attend each of the last few years and were at absolute capacity – so please make your reservations as soon as you know you’ll be attending. Once we reach auditorium capacity, we’ll have to close registration (though we can continue to sell spots for the game only, at half-price).

A ticket to the Sunday, August 2 event costs $30 per person (note: parking is not included).

Here’s what we tentatively have planned (the details historically get better as we get closer to the event):
 

3:00 Doors open

We’ll gather in the Legends of the Game Museum at Rangers Ballpark. You’ll get your game tickets once you enter the Museum – no need to go to Will Call or anywhere else.

You’ll have the opportunity in the front lobby of the Museum to make a donation to our designated charity, which has typically been in conjunction with the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. You may donate any amount; for every $10 you donate, you will get one ticket for a memorabilia raffle we’ll have during the event.

As usual, I would recommend getting there as early as you can in order to get a good spot in the auditorium. Some of you might have to stand – the 285-person capacity includes not only the auditorium’s permanent seating but also extra folding chairs and standing room.

4:00 Will Carroll Q&A

Baseball Prospectus writer Will Carroll, who writes the renowned "Under the Knife" column and has authored several books, including "Saving the Pitcher" and "The Juice: The Real Story of Baseball’s Drug Problems," has traveled to be with us at every Newberg Report Night., and this year he’ll continue his streak, joining us as always to conduct a Q&A session beginning at 4 p.m., as people arrive in the auditorium.

4:45 Raffle/Auction, charitable presentation

More details on this later. As we’ve always done, we’ll raise money for a charitable effort at the event, including through your purchase of raffle tickets that day.

Here’s the early raffle prize lineup, courtesy as always of the great Allen Cordrey:

1. An official MLB baseball signed by C.J. Wilson

2. A 2008 game-used baseball from a Matt Harrison start

3. A 2008 game-used baseball from Eric Hurley’s first MLB win (against the Phillies)

4. A 2008 Newberg Report Bound Edition signed by Chris Davis, Blake Beavan, German Duran & Johnny Whittleman

5. A game-used Eric Hurley Team USA jersey (only one of three in existence)

6. Three short-print Nolan Ryan game-used jersey cards (each has a print run of 50 or less) – these were Donruss cards that include an actual piece of a Nolan Ryan game-used jersey, and are encapsulated in plastic.

And there will be more. We’ll likely have a few special items to put up for a quick live auction.

For every $10 you donate, you will get one ticket for the raffle. Whoever makes the largest donation at the event will get his or her choice of any of the prizes. The remaining prizes will be raffled off.

After the auction we’ll make a quick charitable presentation.

5:00 Jon Daniels Q&A

While it’s not possible this far out to guarantee his availability, Rangers GM Jon Daniels is expected to join us, as he has the five previous Newberg Report Nights, for a lengthy Q&A session. The fact that the event is two days after the conventional trade deadline makes the possibilities even cooler. JD will arrive at 5:00 and take your questions in the auditorium for about 90 minutes.

6:30 Adjourn to the stadium

At about 6:30, we’ll conclude in the auditorium and head to our seats for the 7:05 first pitch. (Again, you’ll pick your game tickets up in the Museum when you arrive.) While we don’t yet know exactly where the seats will be, they will be Lexus Club Terrace or Lower Reserved (both $25 face value) at worst. The seats will be great.
 

Please sign up and pay as soon as you know you’ll be coming. We need to give the Rangers advance notice as to how many seats we’ll need. And as always, spots are first come, first served.
 
The cost, once again, is $30, and you can pay in one of two ways:
 
1. You can order by credit card through PayPal by going to www.paypal.com, selecting the "Send money" option, and typing in gjsneaker@sbcglobal.net where you are prompted for the e-mail account.
 
2. Or you can send a check or money order, payable to "Jamey Newberg," to:
 
Jamey Newberg
Vincent Lopez Serafino Jenevein, P.C.
2001 Bryan Street, Suite 2000
Dallas, TX 75201
 
Let me know what questions you have. I look forward to seeing lots of you there on the 2nd.
 
Jamey