That's it????

- Eric Gagne gets traded out east to Boston. I'm very biased on this topic, so anything I say will be ridiculously slanted.

Basically you get a pitcher who has been pretty good since his call-up, but by all accounts from baseball people, is very average and is going through beginner's luck. The outfielder is a 25 year old Triple A player, which raises questions for me of why he's still in the minors. And the 17 year old OF prospect has the highest ceiling, with many saying he could develop into a 5-tool player with power, but that's so speculative I can't even take it seriously.

That's it? For a guy who could shut the 9th inning down for you for the next 3-4 years? So if this thing gets good in 2009, he won't be here, and you would have shipped him off for a marginal starter, a 25 year old Triple A OF, and a 17 year old who we won't see for 5 years? Screw me.


My rationale for not trading Gagne -

It has been my belief that no matter what stage you are at in the building of a team, rebuilding or contending, you need a good bullpen. If you're in rebuilding mode, a good bullpen allows you to not push your young starters too far. And since being a set-up guy or a closer requires a certain mentality and certain amount of education and learning, you need above average relievers (Otsuka and Gagne) to mentor younger players so that when these older vets are gone, guys like CJ Wilson and Frankie Francisco have learned from and watched the best, and are ready to take off. Also, in the slim chance that you contend on accident (see the 2004 Rangers), you can hide marginal starting pitching and an inconsistent offense by stealing some games with your ability to shut down the opposition late. A good bullpen is always needed.

And of course, if you're contending, you absolutely MUST have a great, not just good, bullpen in order to win the Series. Teams that can shut you down from innings 6-9 are deadly.

I looked at Gagne as a fan favorite, a personal favorite, someone who gets you out of your seat when he comes in the game, who keeps you tuned in at home even when it's 11 pm and you have work the next morning. I lived for his appearances, it was one of the few things in the past 7-8 years of watching the Rangers that actually got me excited.

And I think if you ask around, he was a #1 favorite among 80% of the fan base, and that was only after watching him for a little over the half the season! Imagine the legend this guy would have become if he was here another 3-4 years. The glasses, the bad ass larger than life image of being a top closer, the shaggy hair, the untucked jersey, the fraying ballcap. He had it all to be a Ranger legend.

And now I have to watch him pitch for Boston, near the top of the list of teams I hate, with the east coast crap and the frat boy fan base being the main reasons for my contempt.

Watching the game last night, I just had a weird, empty feeling. The Rangers were playing great, it was a close, well pitched game on the road against a good team, and I wasn't excited. It just wasn't the same feeling I've had for the past 2 months, the air was let out of the balloon. There's definitely something missing without Gagne closing down games. Screw me once again.

But whatever, maybe it's a part of a master plan to sign him this winter. But I doubt that happens, knowing this management.


Rangers close moves with Gagne deal


02:39 AM CDT on Wednesday, August 1, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

CLEVELAND – For a change, an actual identifiable trend begins to emerge from a slew of Rangers moves.

It appears they are building, rather than eternally rebuilding.

In the furious final hours before Tuesday's trade deadline, the Rangers completed trades with Atlanta and Boston that netted them eight players for Mark Teixeira, Ron Mahay and Eric Gagne. That followed Friday's deal that brought the Rangers 22-year-old hitter Max Ramirez from Cleveland for Kenny Lofton.

And it all came on the heels of the largest June draft class in club history, during which the Rangers had six of the first 80 picks.

"I think only time will tell what exactly we've done," general manager Jon Daniels said by phone from Arlington on Tuesday. "We've added quite a bit of talent. Now, the challenge is to develop them. We've focused on talent, upside and guys with makeup. Hopefully, that will pay dividends."

Or perhaps like savings bonds, they will mature over time. Daniels' three deals netted the Rangers only two players – catcher-first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 22, and left-hander Kason Gabbard, 25 – who will immediately go on the big league roster.

Saltalamacchia, who arrived during Tuesday's 3-1 win over Cleveland, will split time between the two positions this year, and the Rangers will make a decision on where to ultimately play him after that. Gabbard, 4-0 for Boston this season, will immediately join the starting rotation. He could pitch Thursday against Cleveland.

Two others – outfielder David Murphy, 25, and left-hander Matt Harrison, 21 – will go to the higher levels of the Rangers' farm system. Then there are the kids: Ramirez, 20-year-old left-hander Beau Jones (from Atlanta), 19-year-old right-hander Neftali Feliz (from Atlanta), 18-year-old shortstop Elvis Andrus (from Atlanta) and 17-year-old outfielder Engel Beltre (from Boston).

For an organization whose talent level was ranked 28th out of 30 teams by industry analyst Baseball America prior to the season, the Rangers got better fast.

Three of the players the Rangers acquired from Atlanta were ranked among the top 100 in minor league baseball at the start of the season. The Rangers had only one player (Eric Hurley) on the list.

Feliz and Beltre were big-money signings in the Dominican Republic last year. The Rangers also are expected to announce several significant signings of Latin American players within the week.

"People talked about our system and where it ranked, and I told our folks that is just a snapshot," Daniels said.

"We can change perception quickly. I don't think we could have done more than we did given the time and the circumstances we had. And we're going to keep taking the same approach every time we have a draft or a chance to improve: We're going to take smart risks."

The next step for Daniels: getting what remains of his current club to buy into the idea of building. Several of the team's veteran leaders have said they are not in favor of rebuilding. Several others said they were "curious" to see how Daniels approaches the team's more immediate future, namely 2008.

"I definitely didn't want to come here and be in a rebuilding process," starter Kevin Millwood said. "I hope the guys we got are going to come in and do well for us and make us a better team. We needed more. We definitely weren't where we needed to be. Hopefully, we can get there sooner rather than later."

Daniels will meet the club in Cleveland today and is expected to meet with the team to discuss the future. The immediate changes to the club started with the recall of Nelson Cruz on Friday to replace Lofton. Cruz, who homered for the third time in three games Tuesday, will get an audition for the remainder of the season in right field. He probably will soon be joined by designated hitter Jason Botts.

It's all part of a message Daniels hopes is very clear.

"I hope it sends a message to everybody that we are not satisfied with where we are, with mediocrity or with losing," Daniels said.

"We could have easily stood pat. But I don't want to put us in a year-to-year mode. These moves don't preclude us from signing free agents or taking any steps to make ourselves better. We will be better in 2008 and 2009 for answering the questions that we are going to answer now."

And, if all the talent acquired Tuesday matures, the Rangers hope they'll be enjoying the fruits of their baby boom well past 2009.





- Jayson Stark from ESPN.com weighs in -

Analyzing the deadline deals

By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com

We'll take a look at all these earth-rattling issues and more, as we assess The Five Ways the 2007 Deadline Rocked Baseball:


1. The Braves' new world

If you needed the events of the last few days to figure out that John Schuerholz might be the greatest general manager who ever lived, you've been watching way too much Arena League football.
But sometimes we all need to be reminded of what genius looks like. And watching Schuerholz work this week was like watching Einstein scrawl e=mc² all over again.

"I love making deals with John Schuerholz," said one GM on Tuesday. "When you're making a deal with John, he gets right to the point: 'Would you do this -- yes or no? And no hard feelings if you say no.' He's a breath of fresh air in our business. I wish more guys were like him."

By the time Schuerholz was through, he had given up a future superstar in Jarrod Saltalamacchia -- plus the players Baseball America had rated as his No. 2 (Elvis Andrus), No. 3 (Matt Harrison), No. 14 (Beau Jones) and No. 18 (Neftali Feliz) prospects. Not to mention a starting pitcher (Kyle Davies) quite a few people in his organization didn't want to give up.

So to make deals for the pieces he needed, he didn't rob anybody or hoodwink anybody. He paid retail.

But what did he get? A player whom one GM called "the Carlos Beltran of this market" -- Mark Teixeira. A late-inning strike-you-out reliever -- Octavio Dotel. And two left-handed relievers (Ron Mahay and Royce Ring) for a bullpen that had no left-handers before Tuesday.

"I guess John didn't like that empty spot out there where they didn't get to fly that championship banner from last year," laughed one NL executive. "Are they the best team in the East now? That, I don't know. They never did get that starting pitcher they needed. But did they make the best deals of anybody to get better? They sure did that."


2. Was Gagne the deal of the year?
It's still a little hard to believe that when this year's deadline Cuisinart had stopped spinning, slicing and dicing, it was the Red Sox that wound up with Eric Gagne.
How'd that happen?

Of the four teams duking it out for Gagne in the pre-deadline hours, Boston was the only team on Gagne's no-trade list. (He'd have had no choice but to go become an unhappy set-up man for the Yankees, Mets or Brewers.)

So that meant the Red Sox were the only team in that group that had to navigate through difficult negotiations with both the Rangers, over players, and with Scott Boras, over the dollars it would take to get Gagne to approve the deal.

But Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer, Larry Lucchino and the ever-creative men who run the Red Sox managed to pull off both of those tricks. And they made this trade while protecting all of their half-dozen best prospects. So it's hard not to salute what they did -- especially when the Yankees were one of the teams they outmaneuvered.

Does that mean the race is over, though -- and they can start planning their next big offseason Take the World Series Trophy on Tour itinerary? Hey, hold on.

Listen to one scout's assessment of Gagne, and see if he's everything you remember him as being:

"His stuff isn't nearly what people think it is. He's got the experience, and he's got the aura, but the quality of his pitches right now is very ordinary. His changeup is elevated. The mistake velocity he used to have on his fastball, he no longer has. So he has to rely on that changeup, and it just doesn't have the stop and dive it used to have. For me, he's not a difference-maker. Mark Teixeira is a difference-maker. This guy -- not anymore."

Oh, don't get us wrong. The Red Sox will feel better watching Gagne stomp out there in the eighth than they would have if they'd traded for almost any of the other available bullpen dregs. But if Josh Beckett or Dice-K grabs his shoulder three days from now, how secure would Red Sox Nation feel about the season then -- Gagne or no Gagne?


3. Rescue Rangers
There was a time not so long ago when we wondered -- heck, when even the teams dealing with the Rangers wondered -- if Texas GM Jon Daniels was going to be able to get either Teixeira or Gagne traded, let alone both of them.
But give him credit. Daniels did indeed deal them both -- plus Kenny Lofton -- and came away with nine prospects, just about all of whom project to play in the big leagues. Here are some reviews of the most notable prospects he obtained on Deadline Day:

Jarrod Saltalamacchia: "I don't know about the defense, but he's a man-child with that bat," said a scout who has watched him since high school. "He's going to put up big, big numbers. I'm not sure how good he's ever going to be behind the plate. But I think his bat is so good, they won't mind suffering with his defense."

Elvis Andrus: "He's a damn good player," said one AL executive. "For me, he's like an Orlando Cabrera. He won't be a superstar, but he'll be a real good, competitive, every-day player in the big leagues."

Neftali Feliz: "I think this guy is a potential closer," said one scout. "We're talking big-time power stuff, mid-to-upper 90s."

Matt Harrison: "Probably a No. 4 starter type, but with more upside," said a scout who has raved about Harrison for a couple of years. "He's 21 years old with a good feel for pitching and an out pitch. I'll take that every time."

David Murphy: "I know not everybody loves him, but I'm a David Murphy fan," said one NL executive. "At worst, he'll be a hell of a fourth outfielder. But I love the way he plays. I bet, if they put him out there every day, they might really like the results."

Kason Gabbard: Mixed reviews on him. One AL general manager said, "I think they might have sold that stock high. He came up, pitched well and they moved him. And it enabled them to keep a bunch of arms who are going to be even better than Kason Gabbard." But a scout we surveyed had a different view, saying: "He's just a No. 5 starter. But he turns the ball over and sinks it. He's the kind of guy you've got to have pitching in that ballpark."

Not all of these guys are going to play in an All-Star Game like Teixeira did. In fact, it's possible only Saltalamacchia -- or none of them -- will. But on balance, given the position he was in, we'd give Daniels a solid "A" on his trade report card.




- More analysis from ESPN.com

Gagne gives Red Sox a big boostposted: Tuesday, July 31, 2007

By acquiring Eric Gagne, the Red Sox fortified their bullpen, which wasn't a weakness for them but was top-heavy. Adding another good reliever to the late-inning mix helps them redistribute the workload of leveraged innings across more quality arms, and can help them avoid using Jonathan Papelbon -- he of the shoulder that allegedly wouldn't let him be a closer -- too many days in a row. They also kept Gagne away from the three other American League contenders looking for relief help, particularly the Yankees, who traded away Scott Proctor but didn't add any arms from outside the organization.
In exchange, the Rangers got ... stuff. David Murphy and Kason Gabbard are both big-league ready, but neither is an above-average player, and Murphy is more of a fourth outfielder or a fringe regular in center field than a solid everyday player. He does have decent plate discipline, but despite his size doesn't get a lot of loft on the ball, hitting singles and doubles to the gaps but not enough of them to be a regular in a corner spot. The Red Sox sold high on Gabbard, a pitchability lefty who has succeeded in seven big-league starts by relying on his defense, which has helped keep his hit rate ridiculously low. He has good sink on his fastball, which is otherwise below-average, and hides the ball extremely well.

The wild card here for Texas is center fielder Engel Beltre, a 17-year-old signed for about $600,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2006. Beltre is an exciting player with a lot of ability. He has a clean swing with some loft in it, a plus arm, and he might be able to stay in center. If not, his bat will play in an outfield corner. He's playing in the Gulf Coast League at an age when most Dominican prospects are still playing in the Dominican Summer League, and he's holding his own, with five homers (tied for eighth in the league) and a .198 isolated power (10th in the league). I like the Rangers' willingness to take a short-season prospect in each of their two deals this week (pitcher Neftali Feliz was involved in the Mark Teixeira trade), knowing that contenders are nearly always willing to part with those guys to get a deal done. If this trade is going to turn out to be a win for the Rangers, it will almost certainly be because Beltre developed into the star he's capable of becoming.



- And yet more analysis courtesy of Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com

Trade deadline winners and losers

Still, the non-waiver deadline was far from the colossal bore that many predicted, thanks mainly to the Rangers, who traded first baseman Mark Teixeira, closer Eric Gagne and center fielder Kenny Lofton.

Winners
1. Braves

Wow.

They couldn't address their need for a No. 3 starter after the White Sox balked at shortstop Edgar Renteria and Class AA lefty Matt Harrison for right-hander Jon Garland. So, GM John Schuerholz did the next-best thing, upgrading other parts of his club.

Not only did Schuerholz acquire Teixeira, who was by far the best hitter on the market, but he also supplemented his bullpen by adding left-hander Ron Mahay in the Teixeria blockbuster and righty Octavio Dotel in a separate trade.

The Braves entered Tuesday's play with the eighth-best record in the National League. No longer are they the eighth-best team. Schuerholz probably will be retired by the time some of the prospects he dealt reach the majors, but so what? He usually trades the right guys.

2. Red Sox

GM Theo Epstein is always relentless, always creative. His acquisition of Gagne — and adept navigation through Gagne's no-trade clause to Boston — could make the Red Sox a World Series favorite. After losing Bobby Abreu to the Yankees last season, the Sox again operated more like — ahem — an uber-team.

Gagne will get the save opportunities that Jonathan Papelbon doesn't and maybe a few more, helping Papelbon stay fresh for the post-season. Epstein failed to find a better right-handed hitting outfielder than outfielder Wily Mo Pena, but that's nitpicking. His proposed acquisition of White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye seemed excessive from the start.

3. Rangers

First off, owner Tom Hicks needs to shut up.

Hicks can spout off about offering Teixeira about $140 million for eight years, but it was an offer Teixeira was certain to refuse. Everyone in baseball knows that Teixeira's agent, Scott Boras, prefers his clients to determine their values on the open market. Heck, Hicks should know it better than anyone, having signed many a Boras client, including a certain $252-million bauble way back when.

As for the Rangers, their exact plan is unclear, but that's how it always looks when a team begins to reconstruct. GM Jon Daniels collected nine young players for Teixeira, Mahay, Gagne and Lofton. Some are so young, Daniels, 29, might be in his mid-30s by the time they reach the majors.

Stilll, if three or four of the prospects prove to be keepers — and Jarrod Saltalamacchia is pretty close to a sure thing — the trades will be considered a success.

4. Yankees

Yes, the Yankees. If you're going to rip them when they act like rich bullies, then at least give them credit when they show restraint. GM Brian Cashman is wisely hoarding his young pitching, and rookie right-handers Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain could be the Yankees' biggest second-half additions.

Chamberlain, who was drafted only a year ago, is desperately needed to fill a setup role, but the task might not be as daunting as it sounds. The Angels' Francisco Rodriguez, White Sox's Bobby Jenks and Cardinals' Adam Wainwright are recent examples of young relievers who thrived for World Series champions.

5. Dodgers

Like the Yankees, they get points for not doing anything stupid. They made a bold push for A's right-hander Joe Blanton, offering three highly regarded prospects, but in the end settled for right-handed reliever Scott Proctor from the Yankees.

It's difficult to embrace that move after Proctor was Torre-ized (i.e., worn down by excessive use), but it's not as if any of the other NL West contenders made significant improvements.





- A look at the players involved in the Boston trade, and the 2 additional players received from Atlanta.

FROM BOSTON

LHP Kason Gabbard
Age: 25

Drafted: 29th round, 2000

This season: 4-0, 3.73 ERA in seven games for Red Sox; 7-2, 3.24 ERA in 14 games for Triple-A Pawtucket.

Scouting report: His brief major league career offers some basic similarities to Kenny Rogers. Like Rogers, Gabbard is a Florida-bred left-hander (Gabbard and Jarrod Saltalamacchia were teammates for a year at Royal Palm High School in West Palm Beach), who was drafted relatively late and who gets lots of ground balls. In parts of two seasons, he has a 2-to-1 ground ball-to-fly ball ratio.


OF David Murphy
Age: 25

Drafted: 1st round (17th overall pick), 2003

This season: Batting .280, nine HRs, 47 RBIs in 100 games at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Scouting report: The left-handed hitter from Baylor was ranked by Baseball America as Boston's 15th-best prospect entering the season. He has center field potential, but was surpassed in the Red Sox plans by Jacoby Ellsbury. Murphy has good power potential but has never really displayed it for a season. He has never hit more than 14 homers in a season.


OF Engel Beltre
Age: 17

Drafted: Signed out of Dominican Republic, 2006

This season: Batting .215, 5 HRs, 13 RBIs in 33 games for rookie-level Gulf Coast Red Sox.

Scouting report: Beltre received a $600,000 signing bonus as a highly regarded 16-year-old. He is listed at 6-1, 169 pounds, and the thought is that he'll develop into a fearsome power hitter once his body fills out. According to Baseball America, he has the ability to develop into a five-tool player. One scout, cited in the BA Prospect Handbook, likens him to Barry Bonds; another to Darryl Strawberry.


FROM ATLANTA

LHP Matt Harrison
Age: 21 (turns 22, Aug. 16)

Drafted: 3rd round, 2003

This season: 5-7, 3.39 ERA in 20 games for Double-A Mississippi.

Scouting report: Several published sources make references comparing Harrison to Tom Glavine, but Glavine has been the standard most lefties hope to reach, anyway. Harrison has an 89- to 92-mph fastball and keeps the ball down in the zone. According to Baseball America, Harrison also possesses an above-average changeup (ala Glavine).


LHP Beau Jones
Age: 20 (turns 21, Aug. 26)

Drafted: 1st round supplemental (41st overall), 2005

This season: 5-0, 2.96 ERA in 21 games for Class A Rome; 0-0, 15.26 ERA in five games for Class A Myrtle Beach.

Scouting report: His fastball reportedly tops out at 95 mph and he has good speed variance from his curveball. The problem is throwing strikes. He's allowed 125 walks in 202 1/3 professional innings.







- So word comes out after the fact that Tom Hicks offered Teixeira an 8 year, $140 million extension right before the trade.


Initial reaction -

Both sides come out looking the same for me. Much like the Dice-K and Zito offerings, Hicks knew exactly what offer would be just a bit less than what the player was looking for or in Dice-K's case, what offer would be just below the big boys' offers. He knew it would get rejected or it wouldn't be good enough, but he thought in each case that he can save face with the fans by saying, "Hey at least I tried."

In Teixeira's case, it's been rumored he would be seeking $20+ million a year and you know how his agent doesn't agree to in-season extensions. So Hicks thinks, why not make an offer that's slightly less, know Teixeira will reject it, make him out to be the bad guy, and make yourself look better in the eyes of the fans. It's the same song and dance that played out last winter with Dice K and Barry Zito. "Hey we tried, but the player is the money-grubbing bad guy."

At the same time, that offer is pretty stout from Hicks. Teixeira rejected $18 million a year for 8 years. His refusal to stay with his buddies Michael Young and Hank Blalock, to stay with the team that drafted him and paid him handsomely out of college, and with the team who is now offering him the chance to be a franchise cornerstone says all I need to know about him. If you need expansion on my thoughts on this prick, check yesterday's blog, I'm out of breath and he's not worth it.

Like I said, he was never with us. So get the hell out.


Hicks: Teixeira rejected $140 million offer

Owner says deal would have kept star player with Rangers for eight more years

11:48 PM CDT on Tuesday, July 31, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

CLEVELAND – The Rangers didn't let Mark Teixeira go to Atlanta without a fight, owner Tom Hicks said Tuesday, as the seven-player deal with the Braves was completed.

Hicks said the Rangers made Teixeira an official long-term contract proposal about two weeks ago in last-ditch effort to keep him. The proposal would have kept Teixeira in Texas for eight more seasons at a total of approximately $140 million. The deal would have included a mutually agreed figure for Teixeira's last year of salary arbitration in 2008 and another seven years worth $18 million per season.

Teixeira was making $9 million this year, in the second year of a two-year deal. He is eligible for arbitration next season and is expected to receive between $12 million and 14 million.

"I've always loved Tex as a player," Hicks said from California. "I was personally involved in signing him, and I wanted him to be a face of this organization, along with Michael Young, for the long term. I thought we made enough of an offer to keep him a Ranger for life.

"I'm disappointed he turned it down, but I think we did everything we could to keep him. Now, we've got some very good young players coming here, and I feel, with some good moves and free-agent signings, we can be a championship team."

Hicks said he met with Teixeira's agent, Scott Boras, two weeks ago when the club was in Anaheim and extended a formal offer within 48 hours of the meeting. The reply: Teixeira wasn't prepared to make a long-term commitment.

Only a week before the meeting, Teixeira said the Rangers had never approached him about an extension. He reiterated that stance after the club left Anaheim and traveled to Oakland. A Rangers source, however, said the club had made "overtures" to Teixeira on at least three occasions.

As Teixeira hastily checked out of the Rangers' Cleveland hotel to catch a flight to Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon, he declined to comment on anything Rangers related. Asked if an extension proposal had ever been brought up to him, Teixeira said, "I'm not talking about any of that. I'm an Atlanta Brave. That's done. I'm very happy. That's it."

In exchange for Teixeira and left-handed reliever Ron Mahay, the Rangers got catcher-first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia and four minor leaguers. Rangers medical officials had no issues with an MRI on left-hander Matt Harrison's shoulder, and Harrison was included along with 19-year-old right-hander Neftali Feliz and 18-year-old shortstop Elvis Andrus.

On Tuesday, the Rangers announced they'll also receive 20-year-old left-hander Beau Jones. He has split the season between low Class A Rome and high Class A Myrtle Beach.

Saltalamacchia, Andrus and Harrison were ranked as the Braves' top three prospects by Baseball America before the season. They were also among the top 100 overall prospects in the minors. The Rangers had only one prospect listed in the top 100, pitcher Eric Hurley.




- From the Atlanta paper.

Johnson homers lead Braves romp over Astros
Teixeira activated in uniform but doesn't play

By CARROLL ROGERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/31/07

The Mark Teixeira era began Tuesday night, and the Braves belted four home runs to greet him.

The new slugger was activated before the game but didn't play in the Braves' 12-4 win over Houston. He didn't arrive at Turner Field until 9:10 p.m., but his presence had already been felt.
Kelly Johnson, Brian McCann and Jeff Francoeur all homered -- Johnson hit two of them -- in anticipation of having another switch-hitting slugger in their lineup. They introduced themselves to him with handshakes in the dugout to celebrate a four-run seventh inning.

"There was a buzz in here," Johnson said in the clubhouse after the game. "And you could feel it out there, too. It's just exciting."

When Teixeira and Ron Mahay, who also was acquired in the trade with the Texas Rangers, got to the clubhouse, the Braves were leading 5-4. By the time "Tex" had worked up a sweat in the indoor batting cage, watched Francoeur hit a homer and been introduced on the video board to boisterous applause, the Braves had taken a 10-4 lead in the seventh.

Teixeira was on his feet to congratulate Johnson for his three-run homer off Matt Albers in the seventh, his second. Johnson drove in five runs with his second two-homer game of the year. His last was against the Mets on April 22.

The Braves went 55-51 this season without Teixeira. They're 1-0 with him in the building.

As for how it felt walking out of the tunnel for his first time in the building as a Braves player?

"Once I found out how to get down there, it was nice," Teixeira said. "It was great just walking out there. I came out, the bases were loaded, and we scored some more runs. It was just nice being out there, and when the fans realized I was here and gave me a nice ovation, it felt great."

The Braves have gone 9-9 since the All-Star break in what is supposedly a fortuitous portion of their schedule, but things are looking up. After losing four in a row on their West Coast trip, the Braves have scored 26 runs in their past two games.

"You put Tex in the lineup, it'll be tough to pitch to," McCann said. "It was awesome to get a player of his caliber."

No press-box fire awaited Teixeira like Fred McGriff, the last July acquisition of this caliber. There was a sea of bright yellow caps fans wore on a DHL giveaway night, though, a fitting backdrop for the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets star.

McCann and Johnson each connected for long home runs off Astros rookie pitcher Chris Sampson. The Braves scored twice more after advancing from first to third on singles to make that five runs in four innings off Sampson.

For McCann, the homer was his second since the All-Star break and 12th of the year. He drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the seventh and two more on a double in the eighth to give him four RBIs on the night. Francoeur went 3-for-5 to raise his average to .300.

"We joked around tonight that the 6, 7, 8 spots did all right tonight," said Johnson, expecting that Teixeira will force him, McCann, and Francoeur to drop a spot.

Chuck James, who had allowed only five runs in his past five starts, gave up four runs in five innings and still got the win. Lance Berkman homered off him in the first inning, and he didn't give up another run until the fifth. But then James gave up a leadoff walk followed by three consecutive hits. Craig Biggio brought the Astros within 5-4 with a two-run double to the right-center gap.

"That's the worst game he's pitched in his last six," Bobby Cox said. "It's funny. He's pitched unbelievable baseball in the last five, and in the last three he didn't get the win. He went out twice winning and we blew it, and the last game we got beat 2-1. But our bullpen was really good and held 'em."






- McCarthy shines for first time in a long time. CJ Wilson makes his case for closer. And Nellie Cruz homers again.

Rangers get a welcomed win, 3-1


02:39 AM CDT on Wednesday, August 1, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

CLEVELAND – The final few innings of Tuesday's 3-1 Rangers win at Jacobs Field was a meet-and-greet session.

Catcher-first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia arrived around the fifth inning from Atlanta, just in time to see right-hander Brandon McCarthy finish his longest start of the season. McCarthy allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings – the deepest he's pitched in a game since going eight Sept. 22, 2005.

Saltalamacchia watched from the dugout railing as he made his introductions. He'll get a chance to view the action from first base tonight in his first start for Texas.

"The Braves are a great organization and I had fun and they gave me an opportunity to get called up and now Texas is giving me an opportunity to play," Saltalamacchia said. "I'm excited to be here and ready to play."

Manager Ron Washington said Gerald Laird will catch around five games a week and Saltalamacchia the other two. Saltalamacchia will also get time at first base. Washington said backup catcher Adam Melhuse will play at first and third base and be an extra bat off the bench. Laird isn't worried about sharing time with Saltalamacchia.

"I'm going to play hard when I'm in there and do the best I can," Laird said. "It is what it is. He's a good talent, but I'll do what I can do. If the trades help the club, then that's good."

Saltalamacchia said the first player he saw in a Rangers uniform was Sammy Sosa.

"He was as polite as could be and treated me like I've been on the team the whole time," Saltalamacchia said.

McCarthy pitches deep: A high number of pitches have kept McCarthy from throwing deep into games. That was not a problem Tuesday, as he pitched more than six innings for the first time this season. He came into the game averaging 18.5 pitches per inning, third most among AL starters (Rangers occupied four of the top six spots before Tuesday).

Against the Indians on Tuesday, McCarthy averaged five fewer pitches per inning than his average.

Closer by committee: Washington said he hasn't designated a closer to take the place of Eric Gagne since Akinori Otsuka is out with right forearm inflammation.

"We're going to try to match up with those last three outs and see what happens," Washington said.

On Tuesday, C.J. Wilson got the final five batters of the game – the first five in the Cleveland lineup – to record his first save since late last season. Washington was ready to go to Joaquin Benoit if Wilson allowed a runner in the ninth.

"It was great to close it out," Wilson said. "It was cool to do it in front of a hostile home crowd."

Sosa stays put: Sosa was still at his locker and smiling after the deadline passed Tuesday.

"Sometimes you're disappointed when you don't go, but in my case I'm happy to stay here," Sosa said.

But the Rangers would like to get Jason Botts some at-bats. The situation will be discussed when general manager Jon Daniels arrives in Cleveland today.

Kinsler returns: Second baseman Ian Kinsler was 1-for-4 in his return after missing 26 games. He has a metal plate inside his spikes to protect his fractured left foot.




- Tuesday's Cowboys Camp Report

Tuesday's training camp report

11:37 PM CDT on Tuesday, July 31, 2007
From Staff Reports


Two-minute drill: NT Jason Ferguson
The big fella vows not to go sackless for a second consecutive season.

Last time I chatted with you, we talked about your plans of getting some sacks this season and busting out a dance when you did. Where are you with the dance plans?

See, I got the Two-step going on. I'm trying to mix it up with the Worm, which is going to be a little difficult. It's going to be a little difficult, but I hope I can get it [done] in about two seconds, because you know they fine you if you go over three seconds. I've got something planned, but I can't show y'all yet.

You told me you wouldn't do the Worm unless I came up with the cash to pay your fine.

No, I told you that I found a way I can do it. You get your sack, you get one in and you get up real fast.

Does it really count as a Worm if you only go, like, 2 yards?

Ummm ... let's say maybe a snake. No, maybe a snail. Or a tapeworm. It's not going to be much, but people will see a little and say, "OK, we know what he's trying to do." Then you get up real fast and get to the sideline.

What's the best dance sack you've ever seen?

I'd say Warren Sapp doing the Beyonce. That's probably the funniest I've ever seen.

What's the best sack dance you've ever done?

It's a little thing back home we called the Gangster Walk. It's a little bit like the Ickey Shuffle, where you do it both ways. [Demonstrates.] I can't give you too much, because I've got to keep it stashed.

Tim MacMahon


Observation deck
• There were several false-start penalties during Tuesday's practice, when the offense worked with a play clock for the first time in training camp. "Let's go!" quarterback Tony Romo hollered after one false start.

• Receiver Sam Hurd, who worked with the starting offense with Terry Glenn and Terrell Owens sidelined, made a spectacular, leaping catch over Terence Newman on a deep ball during one-on-one drills. But Hurd also dropped two passes, including one on a fade route in the end zone.

• Members of the church Inspiring Body of Christ filled one section in the lower bowl of the Alamodome. Safeties Roy Williams and Keith Davis are members and wear church T-shirts under their shoulder pads during camp.

• Jackie Battle, an undrafted rookie who is competing with Tyson Thompson for the third tailback job, did not look good in blitz pickup drills. First-round pick Anthony Spencer easily beat Battle with a spin move.

• The crowd oohed when inside linebacker Akin Ayodele put a big hit on Julius Jones, dropping him for a 1-yard loss on the first play of inside run drills. Ayodele got off a block by fullback Oliver Hoyte to make the play.

• Joey Thomas had two interceptions during one-on-one drills, but it wasn't a good session for the young cornerbacks. Receiver Jerheme Urban got wide open for a long touchdown with a double-move on Quincy Butler. Receiver Mike Jefferson made a similar play against Nate Jones.

• On a play that should conjure bad memories, the starting defense allowed a 10-yard touchdown on a pass in the flat to fullback Lousaka Polite.

• Backup tight end Anthony Fasano had another good practice, catching two touchdown passes in red-zone drills. His second touchdown came on a nice catch of a high, hard pass from Romo. Davis tried to deliver a big hit, but Fasano dove under him to the pylon in the end zone.


Position battle: Fullbacks
None of the three fullbacks on the roster have established themselves in training camp. Oliver Hoyte started seven games at fullback last season and is the incumbent. Lousaka Polite was the backup. But the Cowboys drafted Deon Anderson in the sixth round. The team likes his toughness and his ability to block.

As of right now, Hoyte is starting with the first team but there's still time for movement.

"I'd like to see [Anderson] in a game," Wade Phillips said. "But I am pleased overall with our fullback position which going in I think was a little iffy. But all three of them have performed pretty well in practice."


Injury report

Pos. Player Injury Comment
LB Kevin Burnett Head Has concussion; day-to-day
RB Alonzo Coleman Ankle Did some jogging; day-to-day
RT Marc Colombo Knee Did rehab; could return later this week
LB Greg Ellis Achilles Has some bursitis and pain; day-to-day
CB Aaron Glenn Knee Swelling missed practice; day-to-day
WR Terry Glenn Knee Knee surgery today; out two weeks
DE Jason Hatcher Hamstring Missed practice; day-to-day
RT Jim Moliniaro Knee Missed practice; day-to-day
WR Isaiah Stanback Shin splints Running well; day-to-day



- Picks O'the Day

Yesterday - 2-1
YTD - 101-85

1) Cleveland -180 - Cleveland lights out at home, Rheinecker is bound to get rocked sooner or later, and Byrd is 2-0 vs. Texas this year.
2) Boston -185 - Another good home team, just a hunch
3) Atlanta -155 - Just have a feeling Atlanta is about to go on a streak, and their starter is 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA in his last 3.