All-Star Game Morning Rangers Update

There won't be a Rangers game today but the All-Star Game tonight will be heavily Rangers-tinged so we can pretend the National League is the Angels and maybe get a couple of Yankees or Red Sox players to do the claw for us. I know it's "in" to not like the All-Star Game these days but I still like the All-Star Game. Let's like the All-Star Game again. Let's watch the All-Star Game tonight.

T.R. Sullivan writes that Ron Washington wants the American League to play aggressive baseball, essentially, play like Rangers.

Gerry Fraley writes behind the DMN paywall about Washington pranking the American League team. I'm sure it was a good one.

Sullivan has a piece about the Texas Rangers potential impact on the game from two pitchers, two starting position players, another guy off the bench, to the coaches, the manager, and even the bullpen catcher. He also mentions that the Rangers players are anticipating Washington's speech to the AL team. With this making me jealous that I can't be in the room to hear it:

"It will be funny, and it will have a lot of bleeps in it," third baseman Adrian Beltre added.

Richard Durrett takes a look at the All-Star Game lineups over at ESPN Dallas. Here's the American League's lineup as set by Washington:

CF Curtis Granderson
SS Asdrubal Cabrera
1B Adrian Gonzalez
RF Jose Bautista
LF Josh Hamilton
3B Adrian Beltre
DH David Ortiz
2B Robinson Cano
C Alex Avila

Apparently shortstops hit second in lineups. That is now a rule.

Other than the obvious with Hamilton and Beltre, who will be starting the game, Fraley looks at how Washington plans to use the other three Rangers on the roster with Michael Young being tabbed to be the AL's designated utility player.

The Josh Garoonily named Master Tesfatsion writes about Nolan Ryan reminiscing of his days as an All-Star.

Behind the DMN paywall Tim Cowlishaw thinks, since this one won't be played like it counts, it shouldn't count.

Jeff Wilson writes more on the ever-expanding legendary Alexi Ogando story which is adding the new chapter of All-Star to the table of content today.

While the Rangers are looking to shine on Midsummer Classic stage tonight, yesterday there was continued mourning back home. The Memorial Service for Shannon Stone was held yesterday with Nolan Ryan and Jim Sundberg in attendance, as Alex Branch writes.

Durrett writes about how Josh Hamilton is coping with the grief in the renewed national media spotlight.

Finally, like eight months too late, JFE writes a piece about the Rangers not signing Cliff Lee. I honestly checked the date on this like four times.