Michael Young and Leadership

In the last couple of years, Rangers fans have had a lot of cool moments.  Alex Rodriguez staring at strike 3 in Game 6 of the 2010 ALCS is at the top for me.  Derek Holland's Game 4 of the 2011 World Series is close behind.  What Michael Young did yesterday may not have been on that level, but it was still perhaps the coolest moment of 2012 so far.

In the 9th inning, after Nelson Cruz was drilled in the back and the benches emptied, Young deposited the very next pitch into the seats in left-center.  He sprinted around the bases, almost took Dave Anderson's hand off at 3rd base, slapped Nellie on the head at homeplate, and muttered some choice words about the Royals' pitcher on the way back to the dugout.  Cool.

Young is having a terrible season at the plate.  He continues to be in the lineup because his manager respects his veteran leadership.  All season I have hated that excuse, because eventually grounding into predictable double plays outweighs all the leadership in the world. 

But as Young reached the dugout, and the entire Rangers bench seemed to be on the top step screaming at the Royals, I realized that Young's leadership really means something.  Leadership didn't hit the homerun.  The homerun came more from the fact that even an aging veteran mired in a bad season can hit fat pitches out of the park.  But what if David Murphy or Mike Napoli had hit the homerun?  It still would have been cool, but not as cool as Michael Young hitting the homerun.  Despite all that has been said about Young this year-and I've said plenty-this is still his team.  He takes care of his boys.

The other day my 4-year-old son acted like a 4-year-old.  The result was me talking to him about why I, a very mild mannered person, get so angry when he disrespects his mom.  I told him that because I love and care so much for her, him, and his sister, that I will go after anyone who hits, yells, or disrespects any of them.  I get the feeling that's what the Rangers see in Michael Young, and especially what they saw yesterday.  The family was disrespected.  It was up to the father of the team to get the revenge.  And that's why he's in the lineup and why Wash doesn't even consider taking him out or dropping him in the order.

If Wash insists on playing him, I certainly think they are a better team with him hitting at the bottom of the lineup.  But after yesterday, I'll stop complaining as much because I saw what leadership can bring.  The Rangers seem to have played the entire season waiting for the playoffs.  Now is the time to begin to peak.  Maybe Michael Young's homerun will get them on their way.

Cheap Seats NFL Predictions 2012

We're back!  After taking a little bit of a break for the past few months, it's time to get this thing up and running again.  JDaddy has been checking in with thoughts on Junior Seau and Josh Hamilton, but I have been a no show.  I'm going to try to break that trend and get back in the Cheap Seats blogging groove.

And what better way to start than presenting our 2012 NFL Predictions.  And you'll be happy to know that this season we will once again be making weekly picks against a kid.  Regular readers know how that ended last year.  This year, there will be no mercy on the now-5-year-old.

The predictions do not include the kid (he's at school and I wanted to get this out), but rest assured he would make better picks than we have here.

Losing Josh Hamilton

"The Rangers have done a lot for me, but I've got a question for y'all: Have I done a lot for the Rangers? I think I've given them everything I've had," Hamilton said. "I don't think anybody can say I haven't. When it comes down to it, people don't understand, fans don't understand, this is a business, this is an entertainment business."........ Josh Hamilton , Feb 24th/2012


"Things will have to play out. I truly think he would like to stay in Arlington, the Metroplex and be a member of the Texas Rangers. I think he's very comfortable and his family is very comfortable. We are certainly in hopes that we'll able to work a deal out with him. But I think [Hamilton and his agent] had the mindset they'll go through the season and see what happens and see what the market is for Josh Hamilton. It's hard to make any kind of prediction where that will go. I think it's probably pretty much where we are."....... Nolan Ryan, May 18th, 2012


"I've got faith in God and I trust God and I want to do his will more than mine. I don't necessarily want to do what's more comfortable for me or my family. If he asks us to leave and go somewhere else, it might not be comfortable. But you know what? That's going to bring me closer to him and make me have a better relationship with him"....... Josh Hamilton, when asked about Ryan's comments.

He may be the best baseball player I have ever seen. Mantle and Mays were on the back side of Hall of Fame careers when I was young. Barry Bonds has previously held that spot of honor in mind, but even pre-steroids, Hamilton has him beat as an all around player. Not since Nolan Ryan have the Rangers had a singular player that fans come specifically to see.

The Good Life

"I'm going to miss the lights." These were the words uttered by the Don Billingsley character at the end of the movie "Friday Night Lights". Three friends who had known nothing but the glory of being star high school football players in Texas were now facing a harsh reality. Their season was over. And as the credits rolled, their coach removed their names from a magnetic depth chart board.

Great athletes today seem to have it all. Fame, fortune, adoring fans and "their posse" around them to reinforce just how great they are. But just because people tell them they are fantastic is not how they got that way. Top tier professional athletes today don't get there by luck. They work hard, prepare, sacrifice and especially when it comes to football, have a burning, near addiction for the game. In return they are put on a pedestal for the rest of us to see.

Unfortunately, what many of them don't have or won't accept is a support system when it all comes to an end. At a time when most of us are coming into our prime, these young people are now "washed up." The day they thought would never happen comes and the world moves on to the next superstar.

JDaddy Hates RG III

Maybe "hate" is too strong a word but let's be honest about the current Heisman Trophy winner and former Baylor Bear.......... There are a lot of things not to like:

 1. Both Mom and Dad are US Veterans ....... (OMG!!!)

 2. Was a high school star in football,track,and basketball...... (Showoff!!!)

 3. Got his B.A. in only three years and working on his Masters... (Ruined curve for the rest of the kids!)

 4. As of April 24th he has a "Subway" sub statue made of chicken in his honor...( I like the Meatball Sub!)

 And of course;

Number 5.. The biggest reason to dislike Robert Griffin is that within hours he will be the next Quarterback of the WASHINGTON REDSKINS !!!!!!!!!!

Of all teams for RG III to end up with, the hated 'skins are a Dallas Cowboy fan's worst nightmare. I can even see some of our fair weathered  fans switching over to the dark side of the NFL.

But not JDaddy. Jerry makes me mad, Tony drives me crazy and our defense leaks more than a cheap rowboat. But it is my rowboat and will always be my rowboat. And I can't wait for Thursday, November 22nd when the Redskins come to town and the Cowboys send one of the classiest young quarterbacks to ever come out of the great state of Texas back home with a Thanksgiving Day loss.

So maybe we don't hate RG III, but I am sure not looking forward to the Cowboys facing him twice a year for years down the road................. JDaddy

TJ Kool on MLB's New Playoff Structure

After the announcement by Major League Baseball that there would be a second Wild Card team from each league beginning this season, I was curious how they would fit it in.

There are a lot of changes in MLB right now. Salaries are going up, hitting power numbers have mellowed, the Houston Astros are headed to the American League West, and teams like my Rangers, the Tigers and Brewers are contenders, after decades of obscurity.

Changes keep the sport fresh and relevant. Baseball is the most exclusive of the big 4 sports when it comes to the playoffs. Of the 32 teams in the bigs, only 8 got in last year, and 10 beginning this year. In the NFL, 12 of 30 get in, followed by the NBA and NHL which both allow 16 of 30. That exclusivity in the MLB is what makes consecutive playoff year streaks so special.

With MLB's new system, less than a third of the teams will get in, I know that is still exclusive when compared with the NFL, NBA and NHL. My biggest concern is the new 1st round.