Not really flabbergasting. I've been a Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers fan too long to be surprised by anything that happens before or during the season. Actually, I'm not a fan of pro football at all anymore.

The baseball season is long enough to give a team that starts out slow catch up and overtake a team that starts out "hot".

Just saw the pitchers for tonight's game. Matt Harrison starts. With Yoshi Tateyama, Mike Kirkman and Koji Uehara in relief. Oh my.... Get the Alka Seltzer ready.

Is this going to be the "swan song" for those latter 3?

and it begins, Tateyama gives up the tying run before getting anybody out lol...

I don't know what Ron and Mike are looking for, but I'd send him down to Round Rock tomorrow. Maybe they could get lucky and package him to another team. lol I'm not expecting much in the final two innings from Kirkman and Uehara either.

from the Star-Telegram:

Mark Lowe struggled in a minor league relief outing. He gave up three runs on three hits with one walk and no strikeouts in a 22-pitch inning.

You have three bullpen spots open to Robby Ross, Mike Kirkman, Neal Cotts, Mark Lowe, Yoshi Tateyama and Koji Uehara. Who are you taking?

Well? What are you doing? Trying to find some way to sue me over a simple question?

My opinion, worth 2 cents:

Kirkman, Koji, and ......... umm......myself, lol. I have mastered the art of throwing a slider with a softball.

If I was on the mound everything I threw would look like a softball to MLB hitters.

I already knew you can't answer any question.

I wanted to respond to this post earlier. Yes, I have major concerns about Nathan. But before I get blasted like he did in the 9th I will acknowledge that yes, it happens to the best of them. I am NOONE to question Ryan and ESPECIALLY Jon Daniels, but yes, I am concerned BIG TIME about our closing situation and it certainly precedes tonights loss. I just hope we address it sooner than later. I am not suggesting we fire Nathan tonight but I think Maddox needs to sit down with Daniels and Ryan and be candid about his feelings on Nathan. Could Oswalt be a closer?

From MLBTradeRumors:

Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino called a National League GM about Roy Oswalt but was dissuaded from signing him, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB.com.

Thoefani, somehow your prescient comment seems to have been ignored lately. I, for one, still agree with you totally, particularly after last night’s melt down.

Like I said, you're taking a chance signing a 37 year old closer coming back from TJ surgery. Not sure why the Rangers management thought he could do the job. I think maybe he could be effective in the bullpen but they need to limit his innings and not pitch him on successive games. I fear that's when he'll be most ineffective. I would've used Mike Adams yesterday. He seems to be in good early-season shape and is throwing the ball well. Relievers go through slumps just like every other ballplayer. You've got to go with the hot hand.

Losing these types of games are damaging to a team's psyche. It would've been sweet starting off the season on a roll at 5-1. Especially after that painful World Series. Nathan's a great guy but we all know where nice guys finish. Nolan and John Boy need to keep an eye on this situation and not wait to take action.

If this continues with Nathan, I just hope management has guts enough to admit their mistake and make a change. Either Adams or Ogando have the stuff to close. I remember back in the 90s, the Rangers signed Mike Henneman, who was over-the-hill. They overused him in May (15 saves) and his arm was spent for the rest of the year. Oates continued to throw him out there and Henneman blew an incredible amount of saves. Ranger management refused to make a change and fix the problem. I hope they don't make the same mistake with Nathan.