Sunday hops.
A weekly compendium emptying the bench, with Rangers developments, rumors, and takes — and yes, a little TROT COFFEY.
So, what’s this?
I’m planning to use this space each Sunday to gather, in digest form, some Rangers notes that don’t merit a whole story. Or that don’t merit a whole story yet.
For those of you who have been with me since the days of Michael, Cliff, and Wash, yes, we’ll finish this bases-clearing effort each time with a dose of TROT COFFEY.
Off we go.
Founding Member perks.
Thanks to those of you who have chosen to subscribe to what we’re building here, whether at monthly rate, the discounted annual rate, or the exclusive Founding Member rate. In the chart that spells out what you get at each subscription level, for Founding Members I said: “Get access to online Newberg Report get-togethers a few times a year -- and more will be sure to develop here.”
More has developed.
For most if not all of those online gatherings, we will have a Rangers guest. Maybe a club official. Maybe a coach. Maybe a scout. Maybe a former player or a future hopeful. Founding Members will get invites to those Zooms — I can’t swear that we won’t look into doing at least one of those in-person — and now it won’t just be me you’ll get at those hangouts. We’ll do better than that.
If that’s of interest, you are certainly welcome to consider upgrading your subscription to the Founding Member option.
The opener.
On Friday, 114 days after playing the most meaningful game possible, the Rangers played the most meaningless game possible, 30 miles away.
There’s absolutely no defensible reason that I should have cared about the spring training opener, but the way I’m wired, there was also absolutely no way that I wasn’t going to (1) tune into Eric Nadel & Matt Hicks, (2) have the MLB Gameday play-by-play pulled up, and (3) care. Texas 5, Kansas City 4 felt irrationally good.
It felt good because Jesus Tinoco (three strikeouts), Jack Leiter (three flyouts), Antoine Kelly, Marc Church, and Zak Kent combined, over the final five innings, to allow only two unearned runs (unearned, though, due to Kelly’s throwing error on what should have been an inning-ending 1-6-3) on two soft singles and two walks, fanning six.
It felt good because Wyatt Langford appeared (F-9, 4-3, walk).
It felt good mostly because of Eric Nadel’s voice.