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.

Good Riddance

- It was finally done yesterday. Mark Teixeira got his wish and will now be on his beloved east coast, playing for a contender, etc.

He was one of the most un-inspiring guys to ever come through Arlington. Like Bob Sturm said yesterday, and maybe this is naive for me and him to think this, but he never made you feel like he cared one bit about you the fan or the team. The name on the front of the jersey meant nothing to him. And maybe I'm dumb for thinking there are actually players like this out there, but at least some of them trick me into thinking it. Jason Terry, Tony Romo, Mike Irvin, Dirk, CJ Wilson, Brett Hull, Rusty Greer, Will Clark, and Steve Nash are local athletes that come to mind when accumulating a quick list of these types of players.

He never developed any kind of emotional connection with you. He was a robot, albeit a robot who was a bad ass. He could hit, field, and play at a level that was near the top of the league. I'll go ahead and call him the white Juan Gonzalez. Great numbers, an a-hole off the field, plays for the agent and the next check, and never even tricks you into believing he gives one rip about the fans or the team.

And he was always one of those guys who just thought it was his God-given right to play baseball, and because of this, his thought was you will pay for me just to be in your presence. You need me, I don't need you. His quote about how the Rangers should be thanking him every day for signing out of Georgia Tech put the nail in the coffin for me.

To me, I'm into local athletes being loyal to the cause and making me feel like they'd give their left nut to bring a title to my hometown. Mark Teixeira made me feel like he hated it here, always had one eye down the road, and was always formulating a plan to get the hell out of town. Good riddance. If you're not with us, you're against us, and you always were against us.







- Interesting blog entry from CJ Wilson.

mark teixeira and ron mahay are now atlanta braves...


jarrod saltalaphabet-super prospect C/1b
elvis andrus - super prospect SS (jose reyes jr?)
and some other super pitching prospects are coming our way...


good job JD- you just saved us 12 million dollars that we can spend next year on a stud pitcher, or a centerfielder. I like the move a lot.


i'm sorry to all the fans that loved mark- but he always wanted to play for atlanta anyway- he loves living there, and went to school there, and his wife's family is from there...and he's going to be too expensive for us to keep and still sign guys that we need to sign.

part of the business!


- You know what strikes me about that blog entry? Notice how he wasn't at all heartbroken, not at all bitter, immediately praising a TEAMMATE leaving.

I think that's the prevailing thought inside that locker room. It makes me think he was liked by a few, despised by many more, and the rest were just apathetic to him. They look at it like the spoiled rich kid is gone, they freed up money, and maybe the room just got a little looser.

I mean, seriously, who says he "loves the move" and immediately has plans of what they can do with the excess money. Like the team just won the lottery. That's coming from a teammate, not a fan. Just crazy to me. Who acts excited after they lost a .300/35/140 guy? I think this speaks volumes to what the whole team thought about Tex.





- Now, on to the package they received. I think this has the potential to be an absolute home run. Yes, it's prospect laden, and that's always a dicey proposition, because odds are great that only 1 or 2, not all 3, of these guys will actually pan out. But the Rangers basically got the Braves' top positional prospect, a SS who is projected to be a Jose Reyes, Jr. type, and 2 pitchers who are by all accounts 2 of the top pitching prospects in their system.

How were the Rangers able to get all of this? Age and injury concerns. That's the only reason. Elvis Andrus, the stud SS, is only 18 and still raw. Matt Harrison, a lefty starter, just recently had his shoulder MRI'ed, but it is expected not to be serious. And Feliz, the other pitcher, is also very young.

I'll tell you what I know about each player, mainly heard from my source on the east coast who avidly follows the Braves.

1) Salty Dog - A major league 1B to replace Tex who is 22 and just breaking into the majors. He's a switch hitter with power and above average catching skills. Potential solution at catcher when the team gets tired of Gerald Laird's act. Every baseball guy I've read says he can absolutely rake the ball.

2) Matt Harrison - He is a 6'5'' lefty starter that can reach 96 mph; plus he is only 21. Depending on how he develops as a "pitcher" not a "thrower" will tell if he will be up shortly. He was at the Braves' spring training this year. I know John Smoltz is on record as saying he's the real deal. He did recently have shoulder issues, but those aren't expected to be serious. Here is an old article on him...

Harrison impresses: As Matt Harrison prepared for his first big-league workout on Friday morning, he was seemingly nervous. But those nerves obviously didn't prove detrimental while he threw his first bullpen session in front of Braves manager Bobby Cox.

"He's going to be the real deal some day," Cox said shortly after Friday's workout.

While combining for 158 2/3 innings with Class A Myrtle Beach and Double-A Mississippi last year, Harrison surrendered 160 hits, registered 114 strikeouts and issued 33 walks. The 21-year-old left-hander, who is listed at 6-foot-4, has seen his fastball clocked anywhere from 89-95 mph.

Because Harrison has made just 12 starts above the Class A level, he comes to this camp as a long shot to win the fifth starter's spot. But that won't stop this non-roster invitee from attempting to make a positive first impression.

"You always want to be competitive and I'd definitely like to break camp with them," Harrison said. "But I haven't put as much time in as some of these guys have, so I don't expect to jump right in."

3) Elvis Andrus - 18 and raw, but has very high ceiling. Unbelievable speed and athleticism, to go along with an excellent glove. Hitting probably needs to be further developed.

4) Neftali Feliz - Hard throwing starter, good minor league stats, very young, still a few years away at the least. Him and Andrus probably on same timetable.


- Like I said, I know depending on 3 prospects, even though they are highly rated, is always dicey. But I see this as a trade that has the potential to rival any other fire-sale type trade. Cleveland's trade of Colon that landed them Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and another contributor. Florida's deal of Beckett and Lowell that netted them a couple starting pitchers and a stud SS, Hanley Ramirez.

It's about time the Rangers stole a trade, and I think this has the chance to be that type of trade. John Daniel's job depends on it.






- Ranger players react, with Michael Young leading the charge again. -

Trade leaves some Rangers curious


01:30 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 31, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

CLEVELAND – Michael Young is curious once again. He is starting to hate that feeling.

With the Mark Teixeira trade all but completed, Young realizes the focus is now on 2008. Unless it's on 2009 or 2010.

And with two trades in the last four days that returned the Rangers lots of potential, but only one major leaguer, Young is left once again to wonder where the franchise is headed this winter.

"Yes, I'm curious, but I'm starting to get tired of being curious," said Young, who has never played on a major league team that has finished higher than third place in his six seasons. "Every off-season I'm curious. I'd like to think that every move we make is geared towards making us better for 2008. I'd like to think at the end of a year that with very few tweaks, we could bring the same team back for the next year."

Young and some other Rangers who either have time invested with the club or who have their long-term futures tied to Texas welcomed the addition of 22-year-old catcher-first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the headliner in the Atlanta deal.

But they also noticed that the Rangers got 18-year-old Elvis Andrus and 19-year-old Neftali Feliz in the deal. Neither is expected to play in the majors anytime soon.

In addition, the Rangers received Class A catcher Max Ramirez, 22, from Cleveland last week in a deal for Kenny Lofton.

"When you look at the trade on paper, it definitely seems like this is about [the long-term future]," said second baseman Ian Kinsler. "I don't think we are going to be a very experienced team next year unless we do some serious damage on the free agent market."

DH-outfielder Frank Catalanotto, who signed a three-year contract with the Rangers this season, was just as curious. It's entirely possible that his contract will expire before Andrus or Feliz ever appear in the majors.

"I don't think our approach is determined yet," he said. "We don't know what Jon Daniels is going to do in the off-season. The bottom line is we were going to most likely lose [Teixeira]. From what I've been reading and from what I've been hearing, it sounds like this is a good deal for us.

"I'm getting older and I want to win right now. Would it be nice to get four players who are ready for the majors? Yes, it would be nice, but that's not going to happen. Hopefully, during the off-season, we'll make the right decisions and be a better team for 2008."

Young has played with Teixeira since 2003 and had the strongest attachment to Teixeira as a teammate. Kinsler made his major league debut last year, and though Catalanotto played for the Rangers from 2000 through 2002, he never played with Teixeira until this season.

Young had campaigned for the club not to trade Teixeira. On Monday, Kinsler and Catalanotto said they hated to see a player of Teixeira's talent leave the organization, but also recognized the Rangers were in a difficult spot.

"It's tough to see a superstar leave your team," Kinsler said. "But if our organization has a plan and we have to move him to fill some holes, it was kind of time to move forward. If we are going to try to win here in the next year or two, it's time to make some moves.

"I'm not sure what all of [Daniels'] plans are, but I think it's pretty obvious he's planning something."

Kinsler will be curious to find out. After all, he's just had one off-season to experience curiosity. It's only after five or six years that it starts to wear on a guy. Just ask Young.



- An ESPN insider grades the trade -

Texas-size barrel of upsideposted: Monday, July 30, 2007

Atlanta catches this week's biggest fish, but Texas gets a big barrel of upside in return.
Mark Teixeira was easily the best player available in the trade market, and Rangers general manager Jon Daniels had made clear his intention to consummate a deal, so inquiring GMs knew they weren't just wasting their breath. Teixeira provides a pretty complete offensive package: He's a switch-hitter with an easy swing who hits for average and power from both sides, although his power as a left-handed batter is less than it is as a right-handed batter; his plate discipline is good and improving; and he's been very durable up until this year, playing in 162 games in each of the last two seasons. First base was a festering wound for Atlanta until the Braves started playing Jarrod Saltalamacchia there a few weeks ago, and Teixeira is a definite short-term upgrade over him.

On the downside, this is almost certainly a 15-month rental. Teixeira is a Scott Boras client, which makes him very unlikely to re-sign with Atlanta before reaching free agency, especially since Atlanta would expect him to take a discount. Although the Braves managed to pull this off with Boras client Andruw Jones six years ago, Jones had been in the Atlanta organization since he was 16 and wanted to stay, whereas Teixeira has been in the Atlanta organization for about 20 minutes and his only tie to the Atlanta area is the three years he spent at Georgia Tech.

Ron Mahay is probably best known as one of the few late hitter-to-pitcher conversions that has worked out, as he played for the Red Sox as an outfielder at age 24 and was converted to pitching in the following season. He's a fastball-changeup lefty with a below-average curveball who's been more effective against right-handed hitters over the last several years. Atlanta hasn't had an effective lefty in its 'pen this year, but Mahay doesn't fill that role, providing overall depth without matchup potential.

If there's a surprise here for me on Atlanta's end, it's that the Braves targeted a hitter as their main acquisition rather than a pitcher. Atlanta ranks fifth in the NL in runs scored, and if you consider the teams' home parks they'd rank fourth. The Braves' pitching is more of a weakness, as they've been about league average, slightly below in the bullpen. But with so little pitching available and the prices demanded for pitching so high, this may have been their only avenue to improve.

The Rangers arguably got three of Atlanta's top five prospects, with only outfielders Brandon Jones and Jordan Schafer staying in the Atlanta system. The prize is Saltalamacchia, who recovered from a lost 2006 season to re-establish himself as one of the best prospects in baseball. In a perfect world, he's an offensive catcher, a switch-hitter with power and a great batting eye. He has a similar description at the plate to Teixeira, and although Saltalamacchia doesn't have Teixeira's raw power, Saltalamacchia has a much better swing from the left side, making him a good fit for that Texas ballpark. As a catcher, he's a potential All-Star.

The main question on Saltalamacchia is his ultimate position. He's listed at 6-foot-4, which is unusually tall for a catcher; taller catchers have tended to either move off the position or to get hurt, often with knee trouble because the strain placed on a catcher's knees increases with his height. Making matters worse, he's still unpolished behind the plate, with a plus arm but sloppy actions and footwork issues. If he does stay behind the plate, Saltalamacchia now gives Texas a surfeit of catching, making Gerald Laird and possibly either Taylor Teagarden (arguably the best catching prospect in the minors right now) or Max Ramirez expendable. When you have bigger needs, like pitching, extra catching is a luxury.

Elvis Andrus is one of the youngest players in any full-season league, and he was the youngest regular in any full-season league last year. That's important when considering his track record, which isn't impressive; he's been advanced so quickly that he's never played at a level appropriate to his skill set, and has spent 2007 facing pitchers three or four years his senior. While his performance isn't impressive, his tools are. He has good bat speed, and despite a general lack of control in his swing, he squares up and the ball really flies off his bat. In the field he shows a natural flair for the shortstop spot, with soft hands, a plus arm and good range in both directions. What he lacks in instincts at the plate he makes up for with his instincts on defense. This is a great upside play for Texas, as long as the Rangers slow him down instead of promoting him without regard to his results the way that Atlanta did.

The Rangers also get Neftali Feliz, the classic "live arm" who's pitching in the Appalachian League this year; he sits at 94 mph and will touch 98, but his offspeed stuff is all a work in progress (development-speak for "not very good"). He's an ideal third guy in a large trade, because power arms are always coveted in trades, and he's young enough to develop into something more than an arm-strength guy. Texas also will receive a player to be named; this could be lefty Matt Harrison, who was in earlier iterations of this deal but was pulled off the table when it was revealed that he has a sore shoulder.






- It's official - KG to the Celtics. KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen and a bunch of spares immediately just shot up to the top of the list in the East. Expect them to be the favorites to represent the East in the finals.

Garnett will be traded to Celtics


10:07 PM CDT on Monday, July 30, 2007
Associated Press

BOSTON – Kevin Garnett is leaving Minnesota after the Boston Celtics agreed to acquire the All-Star forward in a multiplayer trade with the Timberwolves, a Celtics official told The Associated Press on Monday.

Among the players who could be headed to Minnesota are forward Al Jefferson, guard Sebastian Telfair, swingman Gerald Green and center Theo Ratliff, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been completed. The official also said the Timberwolves would get at least one draft choice.

The teams still had some things to clarify with the players' contracts, but the official said that would not keep the Celtics from acquiring Garnett, although there could be a change in the players ticketed for the Timberwolves.

Garnett, 31, has spent all of his 12 NBA seasons with Minnesota. He would get an extension of his contract, which has one year plus an option year remaining, the official said.

The Celtics had tried to get Garnett late last month, but his agent said he didn't want to go to Boston.

Since then, Boston acquired seven-time All-Star guard Ray Allen from Seattle in a draft day deal. Already with Paul Pierce, the Celtics would become instant contenders in the mediocre Atlantic Division with Garnett, even without promising forward Jefferson.

The Celtics obtained Allen and the 35th pick of the draft for guards Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak, and forward Jeff Green of Georgetown, whom they drafted with the fifth pick.

The Celtics have won just three playoff series during Pierce's nine years with them. They still have an NBA-record 16 championships, but none since 1986.

"They have no excuses, this team out there," Danny Ainge, the executive director of basketball operations, said after Allen was acquired.

Pierce, 29, led the Celtics in scoring last season but played only 47 games because of injury.

Allen, who turns 32 next month, averaged a career-high 26.4 points last season, his 11th, but underwent surgery to remove bone spurs on both ankles that required him to wear protective boots. He is expected to be ready for training camp.

A long, lean 6-foot-11 forward who's actually at least 2 inches taller than his listed height, Garnett's athleticism has allowed him to play all over the court – banging against bodies in the post, swatting away shots in the lane, running the fast break, shooting top-of-the-key jumpers and even playing point guard every once in a while.

A preps-to-the-pros pioneer, Garnett's immediate impact after being selected fifth overall in 1995 by the Timberwolves paved a path for dozens and dozens of other teenagers to skip college and declare for the draft – most of whom enjoyed far less success.

Then in October 1997, Garnett's contract changed the game – a six-year, $126 million extension that led to significant alterations to the league's collective bargaining agreement emerging from a 1999 lockout.

Garnett forever changed the franchise in Minnesota, too. The year before he was drafted, the Wolves set an NBA mark for futility with their fourth straight 60-loss season. In just his second season, he helped lead Minnesota to its first playoff appearance – the first of eight straight.

The last of those was the best, when the "Big Ticket" was at his peak. He won the league's MVP award and led the Wolves within two wins of the NBA finals in 2004. Garnett averaged 24.2 points and a league-high 13.9 rebounds that season, joining Larry Bird as the only players to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for five consecutive years.

But those idyllic days quickly ended for the Wolves, who have fired two coaches and not made the playoffs since then. Part of their problem has been Garnett's huge salary, but vice president Kevin McHale has also missed on several moves. Though he never requested a trade or said he was unhappy in Minnesota, Garnett expressed frustration with some of McHale's decisions and challenged McHale to upgrade the roster.

Teammate Mark Madsen was surprised by the news.

"I never thought it would happen this offseason. I never thought it would happen, ever," Madsen said, adding: "Even before I entered the NBA, when I thought of Kevin Garnett I always thought of Minnesota. But at the same time in this business, we all know that anything can happen."


- Bill Simmons weighs in -

McHale adds another notch to his Celtics legacy
By Bill Simmons
Page 2

Updated: July 30, 2007, 9:48 PM ET
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Editor's Note: Although the trade of Kevin Garnett to the Celtics hasn't been officially announced, numerous parties (including ESPN.com) were reporting a deal was in place Monday. Here's The Sports Guy's reaction to the news of KG's impending arrival.

During Kevin McHale's 13-year career in Boston, he helped the Celtics capture three championships, redefined the lost art of low-post play, defended everyone from Bernard King to Andrew Toney to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and peaked as the best power forward alive in 1986 and '87. I loved watching him, I loved rooting for him and, most of all, I loved him for risking his career in the '87 playoffs by playing on a broken foot. Boston ended up losing the NBA Finals in six and his career was never quite the same. To this day, he walks with a slight limp. To this day, he says he'd do it again.

When we raised McHale's No. 32 to the rafters, naturally, we assumed his last great Boston moment happened in a '93 playoff series against Charlotte, when McHale reached back in time and tortured the Hornets down low for 35 unfathomable points in Game 2. The Garden was rocking, McHale was moving like the old McHale and everything seemed right with the world again. It was one of those ESPN Classic games that you knew you'd always remember even as it was happening. And if that had been his last great act for the Celtics, I would have been fine with it.

Fast-forward to 2007. The Celtics haven't mattered in 15 years. We've won three playoff series since McHale retired. We've had three above-.500 seasons. We've had terrible front-office executives and terrible coaches, people who were so horrendous at their jobs it almost defied belief. We've had a whopping two All-Stars, neither of whom was a top-10 player (although they were paid like it). Quite simply, we've sucked. Even worse, the people running the team were panicking like a teenage couple waiting for the results of a pregnancy test, culminating in last month's bizarre decision to trade the No. 5 pick for Ray Allen. We were stuck in no man's land, just good enough to make the playoffs, just young enough that we weren't making noise, and by the time our young guys matured, Allen would have been finished. For the past four weeks, I've probably been the angriest I've ever been at my favorite team.

But here's what I wasn't counting on …

Our old friend Kevin McHale.

My NBA guide claims that McHale retired from the Celtics in 1993, but apparently that's a misprint. How else could you explain his decision to trade Kevin Garnett to Boston for the Al Jefferson pu pu platter deluxe? Just five weeks ago, McHale and Minnesota couldn't close a potential deal in which they received Jefferson and Boston's No. 5 pick. Now? They're settling for Jefferson (a potential franchise player), Ryan Gomes (an intangibles guy who's useless on a bad team), Bassy Telfair (a year away from signing in Italy), Gerald Green (a homeless man's J.R. Smith), Theo Ratliff's expiring deal, a 2009 lottery-protected No. 1 pick (congrats on picking in the mid-20s) and the return of Minny's future No. 1 that was stupidly included in the Ricky Davis/Mark Blount-Wally Szczerbiak trade.

Basically, McHale traded one of the best 25 players ever -- at the tail end of his prime!!! -- for Jefferson (a free agent in two years), one year of Gomes (a free agent in '08, when he'll be leaving treadmarks on his way out of Minnesota), a harmless pick and a do-over for a pick he never should have traded. Last month, McHale walked away from the No. 5 pick in the deal. This month, he couldn't even get Boston to throw in Rajon Rondo.

And honestly? I'm flabbergasted. I was vehemently against trading Jefferson and the No. 5 for KG, only because losing Jefferson wouldn't have been worth competing with two top-25 guys and a roster too young to do anything around them (as well as Doc Rivers coaching that very same team). Now? They have three All-Stars -- KG, Allen and Paul Pierce -- who rank in the top-six at their respective positions. Assuming KG and Allen have 2-3 quality seasons in them, that gives the Celts pole position in the atrocious Eastern Conference for 2008 and 2009, especially if they luck out with one more free-agent signing and an in-season veteran pickup.

Now here's where it gets really good: Pierce, Allen and Garnett happen to be wired the exact same way -- three ultracompetitive guys nearing the end of their primes who would sacrifice anything to play on a winner. All of them were stuck in miserable situations last season (combined record: 87-159), all of them are good guys, all of them understand that you only have so many chances to contend. For all three guys, it will be their best team ever, regardless of who's playing with them. Allen hasn't played with a top-20 player his entire career; neither has Pierce; and Garnett hasn't played with one elite scorer, much less two. For Garnett, his major weakness (crunch-time scoring) gets solved with two proven crunch-time scorers helping him. For Pierce, his major weakness (leadership) gets obscured because he has two intense veterans who know how to deal with the media and lead by example. For Allen, his weakness (a tendency to break down) gets negated because he won't have to carry his team offensively every night.

Just think of these three guys thrown together. All three carried playoff teams further than they should have gone: Pierce in 2002, Garnett in 2004, Allen in 2005. All three were on suicide watch as recently as six weeks ago, wondering how they could extract themselves from untenable (and unwinnable) situations. All three are about to become relevant again in April, May and June. Would you bet against them having monster seasons? Would you bet against them embarking on a 100-game mission to make the Finals? Hell, have three star teammates ever had more to prove in one season?

There's one precedent: In August 1996, when the Rockets mortgaged their future by trading Sam Cassell and Robert Horry to the Suns for Charles Barkley, teamed the Chuckster with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler and crossed their fingers that a paltry supporting cast (basically, Eddie Johnson, Mario Elie and a gigantic hole at point guard) wouldn't sink them. Although Dream and Glide already had won titles, their careers were at a similar point as the KG-Pierce-Allen trio -- each (including Barkley) had peaked as impact players, but each had something left in his tank. Dream averaged a 23 points and 9 rebounds, Barkley recorded 19-13.5, Drexler chipped in with an 18-6-6, and the Rockets won 57 games and came within two victories of the '97 Finals, losing to the Jazz for one reason: Rookie point guard Matt Maloney was absolutely eviscerated by John Stockton. This was like watching Frankie Williams get destroyed by Roddy Piper on Piper's Pit, only if it happened for six straight games over the course of two weeks. That's why they lost.

One year later, Glide and Dream were just about done, Barkley was headed that way and the Rockets finished .500. They haven't won a playoff series since.

The question remains: If you're a Rockets fan, would you make that trade again? You had that Utah series tied 2-2 before blowing a nailbiter in Utah and losing Game 6 on a Stockton buzzer-beater. You were right there. Was it worth it? In my opinion, absolutely. The whole point of fielding an NBA team is to win a title -- if you have the chance, you have to try. Even if it means crossing your fingers with the likes of Matt Maloney.

Eleven years later, the Celtics find themselves in a similar spot: Three All-Stars coupled with a talented but woefully inexperienced point guard (Rondo), a promising defensive stopper coming off major knee surgery (Tony Allen), a decent backup center who plays hard (Kendrick Perkins), a new Mark Madsen for KG (Brian Scalabrine, who's already working on his high-fives and fist-pumps), two undersized power forwards (Big Baby Glen Davis, Leon Powe), two athletic rookies (Brandon Wallace, Gabe Pruitt) and that's it. There isn't an Eddie Johnson or Mario Elie to be seen. Then again, since they're likely to add one or two more ring-hungry veterans, and since the '08 Eastern Conference is between three and 200 times worse than the '97 Western Conference, who knows? In the words of Chris Shiherlis, the bank is worth the risk.

Could the 2008 version of Maloney screw up Boston's first true title contender in 16 years? It's much more likely that Doc will screw it up -- he should have been fired two years ago. Then again, his three biggest problems as a coach have been:

A. Coming up with a rotation and sticking to it -- not a problem now since the Celts barely have enough NBA guys on the roster.

B. Killing the confidence of his point guards by yelling at them too much and yanking their minutes around -- not a problem now since Rondo is the only point guard on the roster.

C. Refusing to come up with any semblance of a strategy to defend high screens -- not as much of a problem now because KG is one of the greatest pick-and-roll defenders of all-time.

So maybe Doc won't be as much of an albatross this season. Besides, any team with KG, Pierce and Allen will coach itself. We can only hope.

Regardless, at least the Celtics matter again. From the beginning, Danny Ainge's stated game plan was to blow up a decent 2004 team, stockpile as many assets as possible, then eventually trade those assets for one or two impact guys. In a roundabout way, that's exactly what he did -- even if the Allen trade was a complete I-need-to-save-my-job panic deal, and even if they gambled that a third All-Star miraculously would fall from the sky this summer (which is exactly what happened). Looking back, it was like watching the World Series of Poker and seeing someone say "screw it!" by going all-in with a jack-nine of spades after a flop yielded two more spades. Is it smart to risk everything on the 25-percent chance that you'll get the flush? Well, it depends on how many chips you have left. If you're desperate, and you're running out of money, and you need a momentum swing, maybe you do it. If you get the flush, it doesn't mean you were a good poker player, it just means you were losing chips and had to take an enormous risk because you didn't have any other choice.

For Ainge, the Allen trade was going all-in for the flush and the KG trade was getting that fifth spade on the river. Of course, he's also the reason we were low on chips in the first place, but that's the thing about poker -- even during the most dire times, you're always one lucky hand away from turning things around. For one of the few times since Larry Bird retired, the Celtics lucked out. Now it looks like they can contend in the East. Now the Celtics are on TNT and ESPN for more than two appearances. Now Barkley and Kenny aren't making jokes about us, and free agents actually might want to play for us, and my dad isn't bemoaning the fact that he just threw away money for season tickets again. The Boston Celtics are back. Repeat: The Celtics are back. Even if we had to give up two top-seven picks and the best young low-post player in the league to get there.

"I hate giving up Jefferson," my Dad said, "but we had to do it."

We were on the phone going through the trade, piece by piece. Dad loved watching Jefferson. He thinks Jefferson is going to be special. At the same time, he's getting old and wanted to see them contend again. At the very least, we're contenders. That much is clear. You actually can look forward to Celtics home games again.

"It's amazing this worked out," Dad said. "I always liked McHale -- maybe he had better offers, but he just wanted to help the Celtics out."

"That wouldn't surprise me," I said. "He was a great Celtic."

"Yeah, remember when he played on the broken foot that year? He was a great Celtic."

Maybe he still is.

THREE NOTES
Three notes I couldn't fit into the column:

1. One sad part of the trade -- poor Al Jefferson getting exiled to Minnesota to play for an awful team in a tough conference loaded with good power forwards, and if that's not bad enough, he has to play with Ricky Davis and Mark Blount again and replace the most popular player in T-Wolves history. Yikes. With that said, I still think he's a potential franchise player.

2. Word on the street is that Pierce lobbied KG relentlessly over the past four weeks to change his mind about coming to Boston. And it worked. Two other things helped: The Allen trade increasing Boston's playoff chances, and Phoenix/Chicago refusing to blow their teams up for KG. So if you're scoring at home, black guys do want to play in Boston -- as long as it's for a playoff contender and they have no other options.

3. Chicago fans, you should be bummed -- KG would have ended up in Chicago if John Paxson had simply rolled over P.J. Brown's expiring deal last February for a 2008 expiring deal to preserve that cap number (like Phoenix wouldn't have been interested???).

THREE MORE NOTES
Three more notes I couldn't fit into the column:

1. Minny is rebuilding around Jefferson, Corey Brewer, Randy Foye, Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes ... ironically, the same core (along with Paul Pierce) that Boston could have had if it kept its last two first-round picks. So we get to see how it would have worked out if Boston hadn't done anything. It's like watching the Bizarro Celtics.

2. At a post-ESPYS party earlier this month, the sight of KG gliding through the Mondrian's pool bar at 2 a.m. caused even the drunkest people there to do a double-take. Along with Shaq, he's one of the two NBA stars who literally stops any room. I actually remember watching him walk by and thinking, "Wow, we've never had somebody that cool on the Celtics."

3. Celtics radio guy Sean Grande announced Minny games during KG's initial ascent and argued KG's merits as an underrated superduperstar ever since. I asked him for a one-sentence description of KG and here's what he e-mailed back: "All out, every night, heart and soul -- Game 13 in Atlanta, Game 61 on a Monday night aganst Charlotte, Game 6 of the Conference finals, doesn't matter."



- Ran across this recently. What a feeling it must be when you suck the life force out of an 85,000 seat stadium by blocking a FG and then driving down the field to win the game at the last second. One of the better games in the Callahan era.




- Picks O'the day

Yesterday - 0-2
YTD -

KG to Boston?

- We'll know soon apparently. Talks have re-ignited and a deal looks imminent. I would hope there would be draft picks for Minnesota as well. An expiring contract, a marginal young point guard, and an up and coming low post guy seems a bit low for a superstar.

Sources: Celtics, T-Wolves discussing Garnett trade again
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Updated: July 30, 2007, 7:27 AM ET

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics, who nearly completed a blockbuster Kevin Garnett trade before the June draft, have resurrected those trade talks and are again locked in serious discussions, according to NBA front-office sources.

Multiple sources told ESPN.com on Sunday night that former teammates Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge have revived discussions of a deal that would end Garnett's 12-season association with Minnesota by sending him to Ainge's Celtics, with the Wolves getting back two of the assets McHale coveted most last month: Al Jefferson and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract.

The deal depends on Garnett backing off his well-chronicled unwillingness to play in Boston. Yet sources indicated late Sunday that Garnett was warming to the idea, raising hopes on both sides that the deal will finally go through.

Garnett effectively blocked the Celtics' first attempt at trading for him by making it clear, through agent Andy Miller, that he would opt out of the final year of his contract (worth $23 million) and leave the Celtics in the summer of 2008. Had it gone through with that trade anyway, Boston would have potentially been parting with the blossoming Jefferson for a one-year Garnett rental.

But Garnett could now be amenable to the move, after the fiercely loyal 31-year-old learned how far along the Wolves were in negotiations with Boston in June and with the Celtics responding to the breakdown of its initial pursuit by trading the fifth overall pick in the draft to Seattle for All-Star shooting guard Ray Allen.

Expensive as it would be to employ a trio of All-Stars -- especially since Garnett is expected to demand a lucrative, luxury tax-triggering extension from his new team -- Celtics management is understandably optimistic about selling Garnett on the prospect of teaming with Allen and franchise mainstay Paul Pierce in an Eastern Conference for the taking. The Celtics would be expected to contend for an NBA Finals berth right away if the trade goes through, no matter what they put around that trio, after Cleveland advanced to the Finals in June with not even a clear-cut second star next to LeBron James.

Yet it remains to be seen, assuming that the Celtics secure Garnett's sign-off, what kind of package Boston can provide Minnesota now that the Celtics' No. 5 pick has been used by the SuperSonics to draft Georgetown's Jeff Green. The Wolves badly wanted that pick as part of their rebuilding plans.

It's believed that the latest incarnation of the deal would have Boston adding Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair and multiple future draft picks to Jefferson and Ratliff in exchange for Garnett. It's also likely that other players would have to be added to the deal, since the salary-cap math involved would require both teams to account for Garnett's $6.75 million trade kicker.

Miller could not be reached Sunday night to provide Garnett's up-to-date stance on Boston. When the first round of Wolves-Celtics talks were made public, Miller told ESPN.com: "If a trade [from Minnesota] were to happen, that's not a destination that we're interested in pursuing."

Garnett has said for years that he doesn't want to leave his beloved "Sota," as he calls it, and has consistently refused to push for a trade, even with the Wolves missing the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. But Boston's cause might be helped by the possibility that becoming a Celtic or returning to Minnesota after he was so vigorously shopped are Garnett's only options.

ESPN.com reported in June that Garnett would be hoping for a trade to the Phoenix Suns if he did have to leave the only team he has ever played for. His reasons, according to sources: Garnett would prefer to play in a warm-weather city on a team with championship potential if he's forced to relocate. Another big factor: Garnett and Steve Nash have become good friends over the past few years, starting in 2005 when Garnett was one of the first players in the league to call Nash and congratulate him on his first MVP trophy.

Phoenix, Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers all joined Boston in making hard trade pushes for Garnett before the June 28 draft. Dallas also expressed serious interest despite its inability to realistically join the chase until after July 1, when the Mavericks could again manufacture at least one cap-friendly contract to offer the Wolves.

The Suns, though, have apparently dropped out of the bidding, unable to make a deal work financially and unwilling to part with Amare Stoudemire. Golden State's chances, meanwhile, took a hit when a potential three-team Garnett trade involving Charlotte collapsed on draft night, with the Warriors deciding they couldn't wait on a maybe and proceeding instead with the trade of Jason Richardson to the Bobcats.

Sources nonetheless insist that McHale has had the Celtics at the top of his list from the start, mainly because of his fondness for Jefferson and Minnesota's natural desire to move Garnett out of its conference. But some teams also believe that McHale's comfort level negotiating with Ainge was another key factor. The former Celtics colleagues remain close and frequently watched games together during the recent NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

The Wolves made the determination near the end of the playoffs that they would seriously entertain the prospect of trading Garnett for the first time, according to team sources, with Garnett being informed of that change in philosophy directly by owner Glen Taylor.

Taylor announced in mid-July that the organization was no longer looking to move the NBA's 2004 MVP, telling the St. Paul Pioneer-Press that Garnett's "preference was that we not trade him." Yet just days earlier, one rival executive insisted to ESPN.com that he knew "for a fact" that Minnesota remained intent on trading Garnett before the 2007-08 season starts.

Garnett rejected the initial move to Boston even though it would have put him in the easier-to-conquer East and even though he is friendly with Pierce. But he was undeniably stung by the near-trade, sources said, which only increased his growing frustration with McHale and Taylor and left him bracing for a trade ever since.

"This would be a major trade that would affect a franchise and those in the organization, so you better be sure [he wants to be there long term]," Miller said last month after squashing the original trade.






- Rangers once again can't be competitive against one of the worst franchises in baseball. This seems to be a common theme every year against the Royals. And Kam Loe struggles, again. Rangers get swept.

Reeling and dealing: Rangers fall, 10-0


01:55 AM CDT on Monday, July 30, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – About an hour before Sunday's game, Michael Young double-checked the math: The Rangers are off Monday and don't play again until 6:05 p.m. Tuesday. The trading deadline arrives at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

If he had all his figures correct, Sunday possibly would be the last game he played with Mark Teixeira as a teammate. Could be the last one with Eric Gagne as a Ranger, too. And maybe you can throw in some complementary players as well, such as Ron Mahay or Joaquin Benoit.

A few hours later, after a 10-0 loss to Kansas City completed the Royals' three-game sweep, Young admitted the thought really doesn't sit well with him.

"Those two guys [Teixeira and Gagne] that could be traded from here are two great players," Young said. "There is no way I can be thrilled about that. I hoped to play my whole career with Mark Teixeira. All I can say is I hope that on Tuesday, Tex goes deep and Gagne closes it out for us."

If the Rangers had planned to make an 11th-hour pitch to management to tone down the number of deals that could be made, they did a poor job. They followed a four-game sweep of contending Seattle by losing three in a row to Kansas City, which entered the weekend as one of three AL teams with a worse winning percentage than themselves.

And it wasn't just that the Rangers lost three in a row. It was how they lost that could impact management's thinking. After six weeks of playing very strong baseball, the Rangers reacted to the trade of veteran leadoff man Kenny Lofton on Friday by reverting to the brand of non-competitive baseball that got the team into this mess in the first place.

The lineup was unresponsive. The Rangers scored six runs over the weekend. Five came off the bat of Nelson Cruz, who had spent the last two months in the minors.

Starting pitchers allowed 17 runs in 14 2/3 innings and pushed the rotation ERA back to the cusp of six. After Kameron Loe allowed four runs in the second and six in 5 2/3 innings, the ERA now teeters at 5.99.

The Rangers fell behind by five runs or more in all three games, a symptom that was commonplace when the team fell 19 games under .500 earlier this season.

To top it off, Sunday marked the first shutout loss to pitching-poor Kansas City since 2003. It was only the second time since 1996 the Rangers managed as few as four hits against the Royals. And the 10-run deficit was the Rangers' worst shellacking against them since a 12-0 loss in 1995.

"They outplayed us in every facet of the game," said Teixeira, who had a ninth-inning single in four at-bats.

Teixeira, however, would not address the possibility of his Rangers career ending. After the game, he flipped his hat into the crowd. But when asked about the trade situation later, he repeated his common refrain:

"I'm not going to talk about it," he said, managing a weak smile. "I'm not going to talk about the trade deadline or anything like that."

Teixeira's impact hasn't been enough to dissuade the Rangers from pushing forward with one of the four possible deals on which they're working (Arizona, Atlanta and both Los Angeles clubs). The bizarre, unexplainable fact is, the Rangers have been a better team without Teixeira than with him.

Though he is hitting .281 since his return from the DL – .471 with runners in scoring position – Sunday's loss dropped the Rangers to 8-9 since his return. They are 30-48 when he has played this year, 16-11 when he hasn't. With Teixeira in the lineup, the Rangers have averaged 4.78 runs per game, without him 5.11.

"I don't think the trade deadline or anything along those lines has anything to do with how we played this weekend," Young said. "They just played better baseball than us."







- Arizona interested in Teixeira now? And a Gagne update.


Arizona shows interest in Teixeira


11:34 PM CDT on Sunday, July 29, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Arizona Diamondbacks, perhaps buoyed by an eight-game winning streak that came to a halt Sunday, have become late entrants into the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, three major league sources said Sunday.

What is not as clear is if the Rangers are too far along with other possibilities to spend much time talking to Arizona.

With less than 48 hours until Tuesday's 3 p.m. deadline, the club continued to talk seriously with three trade partners it has engaged for more than week: the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.

Rangers GM Jon Daniels maintained his stance of declining to talk about trade scenarios.

While the Braves made an offer earlier in the week that focused on catcher-first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and the Angels had tweaked their initial offer to include first baseman Casey Kotchman and left-hander Joe Saunders, Arizona's interest could serve as a spark to the more dormant talks with the Dodgers.

The Diamondbacks have moved within one percentage point of the first-place Dodgers in the NL West. San Diego is only a half-game behind the two.

The Rangers have been trying to pry Highland Park lefty Clayton Kershaw out of Los Angeles with little success. The Dodgers are believed to be willing to part with first baseman James Loney and outfielder Andre Ethier in a deal that potentially could send Teixeira and a reliever to Los Angeles.

Arizona is laden with prospects, but it's uncertain how well the teams match up. In a deal for Teixeira, 25-year-old first baseman Conor Jackson, hitting .274 with seven homers, probably would come to the Rangers. The Diamondbacks also have center-field prospects, but the Rangers also would like to land a young, major-league ready pitcher in a deal.

Gagne uncertain: Reliever Eric Gagne, whose name also has been discussed in various trade scenarios, said he was uncertain if his Rangers career is over.

"I hope my chances of being here are pretty good," Gagne said after the 10-0 loss to Kansas City. "But I have no idea. I've thought about it a lot. It's been on my mind a lot. Even when I try not to think about it, I end up thinking about it."

Gagne has a no-trade clause that allows him to veto deals to 18 teams. He declined to say Sunday if he'd been presented with any trade options. He can veto a deal to Detroit, which is one team that has expressed interest in him. But he can't block a deal to the New York Yankees, another club that reportedly has interest. The Yankees, however, would want him to pitch the eighth. Gagne, the all-time leader in save percentage, has said he'd prefer to pitch the ninth.





- Big 12 News/Notes



- A player's poll conducted by the Tulsa paper.

Q: If you were drafting a team of Big 12 players, who would you pick first?

A: 1st: Adarius Bowman, OSU
2nd: Chase Daniel, UM, and Mike Goodson , ATM
Several tied for 3rd, including Terrence Nunn.

PLAYER QUOTE: "Can I choose myself? Then I'd pick me." - Josh Freeman, KSU


Q: Where is the nastiest place to play in a Big 12 road game?

1st: Colorado

PLAYER QUOTE: "At Colorado two years ago, I got hit with a Nerf football before one of the plays. I wasn't so much angry as I was impressed by the shot. I don't know how he threw it, but I was like, 'Sign him up for our team.'" - J.B. Phillips, NU

2nd: Iowa State
PLAYER QUOTE: "Their fans aren't really cocky, but they're out there in the parking lot getting blasted before the game. When you get off the bus, they let you have it." Jason Smith, Baylor

3- OSU
4- KSU
5- KU
6- ATM
7- Tech
8- OSU
9- Mizzou
10- Nebraska
no votes: Baylor, UT


Q: Who is the classiest opponent in the Big 12?

A: 1st: Nebraska
2nd: Texas

PLAYER QUOTE: "I love playing at Nebraska. It's the ideal football atmosphere. The players are clean and the fans are really courteous." Brandon McAnderson, KU


Q: What Big 12 team has the loudest mouths?
1st: Texas
2nd: Tech, OSU, KSU, KU
6th: NU & OU
PLAYER QUOTE: "Nebraska - they always have something to say and are always cocky. Their fans are, too." Hugh Charles, CU


Q: What's the one team you'd like to add to your schedule?
1st: USC
2nd: Notre Dame, Florida, Michigan


Q: What is your favorite football movie?
1st: Any Given Sunday and Remember The Titans

** BEST PLAYER QUOTE OF ALL: "Rudy - I've always loved Notre Dame, ever since I was a kid. To tell you the truth, I'd like to go to Notre Dame." Alex Trlica, Texas Tech kicker.



- Trouble for the top recruit of Texas' 2006 class.

Texas' Kindle arrested on DWI charge


By JOSEPH DUARTE
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

University of Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle was arrested in the Austin area Saturday morning on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Kindle, 19, a sophomore from Dallas, was expected to compete for a starting job this season. He was regarded as one of the top recruits in the state before signing with the Longhorns in 2006.

"We're aware of Sergio's situation and are disappointed any time one of our players is accused of wrongdoing," Texas coach Mack Brown said in a statement. "We take a strong stance against drinking and driving and will thoroughly investigate this situation.

"One thing we have really prided ourselves on in our program is our family atmosphere and this will be handled within our family."

According to a police report, Kindle was arrested at 2:35 a.m. Saturday during a routine traffic stop for failing to stay in a single-marked lane. Kindle failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for DWI, the report said.

Defensive end Henry Melton was arrested for driving while intoxicated in early June.






- Dirk Update

- Some quotes re basketball in Germany and some recent drunk photos.

Doesn't Count For Much
Jul 30 - Dirk Nowitzki would love to think his NBA Most Valuable Player award could inspire a new generation of basketball players in Germany, but the Dallas Mavericks star admits the game faces an uphill battle in his homeland.
"My MVP title surely helped to make basketball more popular in Germany, and the same thing goes for the good results of our national team," he told Swiss newspaper Neue Luzerner Zeitung. "But the fact remains -- Germany is and always will be a soccer nation."

Nowitzki is in Switzerland where he attended the Swiss All-Star Basketball Camp in Zofingen this week. However, his attentions are mostly focused on the EuroBasket in September. --


- Picks O'the day

Weekend record - 17-10
YTD - 99-82

1) LA Angels -130 - Escobar one of hottest pitchers going. 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA in his last 3. Angels hot after sweeping DET at home.
2) OAK -120 - I'm loading up against DET the rest of the year. This team irritates me with their hit or miss offense, decision to make Todd Jones their closer, and how many errors their pitchers make. Plus they're starting a rookie today.