Sunday stuff

Okay, bad game yesterday...the offense went into hibernation, Kam Loe's sinker wasn't sinking, and the Rangers lost.

Still, the Rangers are two up on the A's, and can go up three games if they win today.

Good news on the DH front...Evan Grant says Jason Botts is getting the start today.  Not sure how this is going to end up playing out, but as I mentioned in my last post, Phil Nevin has been awful lately, and Botts should be getting the bulk of the ABs.

Grant also says that Antonio Alfonseca may be back on Tuesday, with John Rheinecker heading back to AAA, since the Rangers won't need a fifth starter again until June 10, when they have a doubleheader against Boston.

Kat O'Brien says that the other rained-out Red Sox game will be made up on July 20, with the team possibly flying into Boston that morning, going to the park, playing the game, and then getting on a plane and flying back out that night.

O'Brien also has this on Wilkerson sitting for the second time in three games:

Outfielder Brad Wilkerson said he was absolutely fine Saturday, and wanted to play. Rangers manager Buck Showalter said he could have played Wilkerson, but one regular needed to sit (with Ian Kinsler back), and it came down to Wilkerson, who has a sore right wrist, or Gary Matthews Jr., with lefty Barry Zito on the mound.

He will get a cortisone injection in the wrist after Wednesday's game. That should allow him to play Friday in Chicago.

O'Brien also reports that Adrian Brown cleared waivers and has accepted an assignment to Oklahoma.  He had the right to become a free agent, instead of going back to the minors...

Gil LeBreton has a column up on pitching in Texas...probably not anything you haven't read before, but worth taking a look at...

And Gerry Fraley continues his campaign of bitching about statheads:

The rise of St. Louis' multi-talented Albert Pujols should make every organization reconsider the value of scouts.

The Cardinals found Pujols because a scout, Dave Karaff, pictured a power hitter where others saw only a pudgy junior-college catcher. Karaff fought to have Pujols taken in the 13th round of the 1999 draft and given enough of a bonus ($60,000) to sign.

St. Louis ownership forgot about that. It is obsessed with drafting collegiate players based on their statistics. The Cardinals' first 26 picks in the 2004 draft were collegiate players. In moving to this philosophy, the Cardinals let Karaff go in a purge of scouts.

Oh, no!!!  The Cardinals are drafting collegiate players based on statistics, rather than high schoolers!!!

Brand them with the scarlet "S"!!!!