uh i guess being here in Dallas are you familiar with the Rangers
uh somewhat they're not my favorite team i am uh somewhat familiar with them
okay
i see what team do you follow
i follow the Milwaukee Brewers mostly
i see
basically because because that's where i came from and uh grew up following them as a kid
okay okay that's interesting
i guess really though i'm a native Texan so that really the about the only team i've ever uh followed has been the Rangers
okay
and uh uh what do you think Milwaukee's going to do this year
well uh
i don't think they're going to challenge for the lead in the east
is that right
uh they they've got a lot of uh rebuilding to do
they traded for a lot of new players uh in the off season and it looks like it might help them but uh i think this is going to be a year for pulling together and looking for the future
sort of a building season season yeah
yeah uh-huh
shoot the Rangers i don't know what the there's no telling what they'll do they'll probably
uh they won't do anything until the all star break and then uh then they'll pick up a little bit and that seems to be their uh their average pace but
well there's been some talk that they're going to trade Pete Incaviglia
yeah uh i heard that but i heard on uh uh the radio this morning that that uh
you know old Bobby Valentine said that there was no no uh truth to that but you never can tell
okay
they might just be fishing to see what they can get for him
that's right and i don't know personally i'd like to get rid of him i think he's sort of a showboat and really hadn't produced you know a whole lot but uh
yeah
yeah i agree they're paying him too much money and uh for for the kind of money they're paying him right now i think it's one point six million dollars they can get a pretty good quality outfielder
right
yeah then they're going to have to spend some money and i think build up their pitching staff uh
yeah i'm looking forward to seeing Nolan Ryan pitch
yeah it would be interesting to see how he does this year
but uh
i think the rest of the staff is uh a little weak
yeah i heard uh just i guess last night they got beat uh and Bobby Witt was the pitcher and he's supposed to be uh you know their their hot guy
right
and uh sounded like he got pounded pretty hard
he's hot and cold
yeah
he'll have an outstanding outing and the next time he'll get shelled
right and and that's really what the Rangers need some some consistency you know outer starter
so
and uh uh i don't know it's going to be interesting
yeah
uh my at work my boss got season tickets this year
so uh hopefully if i'm real nice to him he's going throw a couple of those my way every now and then so it will be fun to go out there and watch them
i see
i guess Ruben Sierra's got an entirely new attitude this season
that's what they said that uh he really worked out you know hard in off season and uh maybe he can catch a fly ball or two this year
he claims to be out there to play ball
yeah they say he's really been hustling
right God he need to i mean he's got all the talent in the world when it comes around to to hitting the baseball
never
yeah
but uh i mean you got to be a total player when you're in the pros
well i felt a little guilty but not much when uh Robin Yount won the MVP instead of Sierra
yeah
the other year
yeah but i don't know
but uh Yount has been a he's a player uh year in year out and always uh is leading the team in uh most of most of their offensive categories
is that right
he really is a team player
well that's what it takes to uh because uh
yeah
Sierra hasn't shown that kind of maturity yet
right to to actually be a leader uh a team leader
and uh you know the Rangers really don't have any star players besides Ryan that uh i think the other players look up to
because Incaviglia i don't think you know uh he stands out to be a a real leader
yeah and he hasn't really shown the the talent uh or the promise that they saw when he was at Oklahoma State
right right sounds like they have a young guy that they're putting a lot of weight into uh that Juan Gonzalez yeah
Juan Gonzalez
yeah he looks to be a a up and coming uh performer
yeah so it will be interesting to see you know i think and make him progress and uh get him on board
well given the Rangers' history they'll probably trade him
and then he'll become an all star
and then he'll
right somewhere else
that that seems to be the way the Rangers operate
that's right
that's exactly right
but uh
well i'll tell you what it will be interesting to to get the baseball season going and see how everything turns out
how do you think Oakland's going to do
i don't know i tell you what they've uh they've got a big enough payroll they need to uh uh
for what they're paying they ought to get they ought to get the performance out of those guys uh
go back
that's exactly right
Canseco's making five million a year
yeah and i i just don't see uh you know a baseball player being worth that
or any really any pro pro athlete because we look at that compared to what uh normal people make i mean it's just totally outrageous
yeah
yeah i i agree
and uh
i think it is and when when the players themselves are turning down contracts that are three or four years in duration for three or four million dollars a year looking for more money yet
yeah that that's what ticks me off about old uh Henderson you know wanting to renegotiate renegotiate his contract because uh uh he's not the highest paid player anymore
sure
well man that's that's just ridiculous
well it's it's a bidding war between teams and it's also popularity contest between sports to see who can get the biggest uh paycheck
right
exactly and you know ultimately the the consumer and the uh fan are the people that have to pay for it through the
because baseball
that's true they keep raising the ticket prices every year
right and through advertisements you know on TV uh because a TV contract is really where they rake in the money and
yeah and with what those guys get paid then they go out uh besides baseball and and advertise products or they they charge ten or fifteen dollars for a autograph
right that's right
they've got all this supplemental income coming in as if they aren't ma king enough already as uh stars of the sport
exactly and uh
you know so i i don't know personally uh you know i'll pay keep paying whatever the ticket prices are but
and uh it really does irk me to see those guys out there uh you know making that much money
yeah
and uh and then the the public you know just continues to you know help support and funnel the funds into uh to make it happen whatever it costs
sure yeah i might get to maybe one game out of the year uh in person uh but uh having cable TV and HSE
right
well that's right you can get your your fill just about
yeah i'll watch quite a few games on TV
right
especially to somebody like Nolan pitch
right right
so uh
Brewers always have such hard luck Teddy Higuera is hurt again
oh really
he was supposed to pitch an exhibition in Mexico against Fernando Valenzuela
oh yeah
and uh he had a torn rotator cup
oh jeez
so he's out for at least uh oh i don't know how many weeks or months they said
golly
but he may not pitch this season again
oh man that's ridiculous
but he's the star of that uh team their pitching staff and when he sits out they fizzle
that seems typical because most of their other stars uh Paul Molitor's usually out half the season with injuries himself
oh man that makes it tough on the the whole club the management all the way down the rest of the players
yeah they end up juggling the lineup and trying to fit uh more inexperienced players into those roles and they just don't have the leadership don't have the skills to carry a team
yeah
right right
well it will be interesting
well i think it will be fun i'm ready for baseball season to start
i sort of am too uh i enjoy going out to a couple of the games and and uh
i really don't get that involved until the play-offs though uh
yeah i agree with that
you know the season's just so long
right well the preseason really doesn't mean anything either
right
because the players the teams uh usually play in split squads and they're either playing their rookies or their uh
that's right depending on what night it is and where they're at uh on whose playing
uh
yeah
and uh
so once the season gets underway you know they're out there to be serious about what they're doing trying to win games and uh
right
i take it from there
right right
well i tell you what i appreciate the conversation and uh we'll just have to watch and see how it goes comes about
okay well good luck to the Rangers this season see if they can pull one out
all righty we'll
we'll talk to you later bye-bye
all right sure thanks bye
