It may be a mere coincidence, but former President George W. Bush has moved into a sprawling, oak-shaded, brick-veneer mansion in the same Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex neighborhood as multi-millionaire Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks.
Bush, of course, formerly was principal owner of the team before he became governor of Texas, and went on to the White House.
Bush's stately 50-year old dwelling -- reportedly with a greatroom fireplace as big as a travel trailer -- is located in the Preston Hollow plat and has been said by some to be valued at several million dollars or more. It is also is near the home of speculator/developer/investor T. Boone Pickens.
The former president continues to maintain his ranch near the central Texas hamlet of Crawfordsville. Though the former chief executive is described as being not much of a television fan -- devoting much of his spare time to reading some 80 books a year -- his favorite program is ESPN's "Baseball Tonight."
Showing posts with label Tom Hicks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Hicks. Show all posts
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, June 09, 2008
Eric Hurley Callup Underscores Rangers Problem
The Rangers callup of Triple A starter Eric Hurley to replace discarded retread Sidney Ponson underscores the team's continuing failure to find, sign and keep effective pitching.
With a 2-5 record and 5.30 ERA for the Oklahoma City Red Hawks, Hurley can hardly be expected to make much of a difference on a parent club with a team ERA exceeding 5.00 while giving up 656 hits, 29th worst in major league baseball.
The good news is that Hurley has a 3.46 ERA over his last six starts, but he will not find much help from a rotation and bullpen that has blown 22 leads on the season -- second worst in the majors after San Diego.
The rotation is in such shambles that Jason Jennings, Brandon McCarthy and Kason Gabbard are no longer on the roster after being asked to hold down the bottom of the rotation out of spring camp.
How one team decade after decade can make such poor evaluations regarding pitching -- and continually fail to address the problem -- remains something of a puzzle. Hurley -- 6-foot-4, 200-pound righty -- has shown an ability to reach the mid-90s with his fastball, but generally throws 4-5 mph slower to try to stave off flagging endurance that suggests he might be better suited as a middle reliever.
The Rangers acquired him in the first round of the 2004 draft, reaching for him ahead of Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo -- projected as a future ace -- and Huston Street -- who immediately went on to be Rookie of the Year in Oakland. About the only good thing that can be said for Hurley at this point is that he is only 22, so the jury is still out. The worst thing that can be said about him is that he was drafted by Texas.
Fairly or unfairly, some have lain blame at the doorstep of Tom Hicks, the hands-on owner whose presence provides the single continuous thread through a succession of general managers and their numerous bad decisions from the disastrous signing of Chan Ho Park, Adam Eaton and others, and the loss of Chris Young, John Danks and Edison Volquez, to name a few.
Hicks hopefully has finally done something to reverse the trend by hiring Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan as team president. If Ryan cannot not fix it, it is time to begin investigating just exactly what is in that Trinity River water.
With a 2-5 record and 5.30 ERA for the Oklahoma City Red Hawks, Hurley can hardly be expected to make much of a difference on a parent club with a team ERA exceeding 5.00 while giving up 656 hits, 29th worst in major league baseball.
The good news is that Hurley has a 3.46 ERA over his last six starts, but he will not find much help from a rotation and bullpen that has blown 22 leads on the season -- second worst in the majors after San Diego.
The rotation is in such shambles that Jason Jennings, Brandon McCarthy and Kason Gabbard are no longer on the roster after being asked to hold down the bottom of the rotation out of spring camp.
How one team decade after decade can make such poor evaluations regarding pitching -- and continually fail to address the problem -- remains something of a puzzle. Hurley -- 6-foot-4, 200-pound righty -- has shown an ability to reach the mid-90s with his fastball, but generally throws 4-5 mph slower to try to stave off flagging endurance that suggests he might be better suited as a middle reliever.
The Rangers acquired him in the first round of the 2004 draft, reaching for him ahead of Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo -- projected as a future ace -- and Huston Street -- who immediately went on to be Rookie of the Year in Oakland. About the only good thing that can be said for Hurley at this point is that he is only 22, so the jury is still out. The worst thing that can be said about him is that he was drafted by Texas.
Fairly or unfairly, some have lain blame at the doorstep of Tom Hicks, the hands-on owner whose presence provides the single continuous thread through a succession of general managers and their numerous bad decisions from the disastrous signing of Chan Ho Park, Adam Eaton and others, and the loss of Chris Young, John Danks and Edison Volquez, to name a few.
Hicks hopefully has finally done something to reverse the trend by hiring Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan as team president. If Ryan cannot not fix it, it is time to begin investigating just exactly what is in that Trinity River water.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Nolan Ryan Blocked from Signing Barry Bonds
Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks has repeatedly defended his hiring of Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan as team president, insisting the former superstar pitcher will be much more than a figurehead, as he has been empowered to make all his own baseball decisions -- except one.
What if Ryan decides to sign embattled free agent Barry Bonds? "I might have to overrule him on that one," Hicks said to reporters trailing him as he walked from the field area last week at Rangers camp in Surprise, Ariz.
Though surveys indicate a narrow majority of Rangers fans would be agreeable to signing Bonds as designated hitter -- Hicks said flatly that Bonds would not be a welcome addition to the team and that no contract talks were under way. Asked about Ryan choosing to sign Bonds, the 6-foot-6 Texan said Ryan "would never do it."
Ryan, 61, has agreed to serve as team president through 2011, but remained at the Rangers executive offices in Arlington, Texas, last week until joining Hicks and General Manager Jon Daniels when the three watched games from Hicks' box next to the Rangers dugout.
Hicks' statement effectively closes one more door for Bonds, who has been rumored to be seeking playing opportunities not only in Texas but in Oakland, Baltimore and Japan. Not all observers agree, but many believe the former Giants slugger will be unable to find work.
What if Ryan decides to sign embattled free agent Barry Bonds? "I might have to overrule him on that one," Hicks said to reporters trailing him as he walked from the field area last week at Rangers camp in Surprise, Ariz.
Though surveys indicate a narrow majority of Rangers fans would be agreeable to signing Bonds as designated hitter -- Hicks said flatly that Bonds would not be a welcome addition to the team and that no contract talks were under way. Asked about Ryan choosing to sign Bonds, the 6-foot-6 Texan said Ryan "would never do it."
Ryan, 61, has agreed to serve as team president through 2011, but remained at the Rangers executive offices in Arlington, Texas, last week until joining Hicks and General Manager Jon Daniels when the three watched games from Hicks' box next to the Rangers dugout.
Hicks' statement effectively closes one more door for Bonds, who has been rumored to be seeking playing opportunities not only in Texas but in Oakland, Baltimore and Japan. Not all observers agree, but many believe the former Giants slugger will be unable to find work.
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Doctor X -- the 'Baseball Medic' -- is an anonymous U.S. government trauma specialist with a Duke University sports medicine background and more than 20 years experience in emergency medicine. From time to time he considers MLB rumors, events and news reports as they pertain to baseball players' injuries, illnesses and various other disabilities, both on the field and off.
MLB Rumors editor Greg Fieg is a former sports news editor and award-winning writer whose bylines have appeared on the wires of the Associated Press and in numerous publications, including San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio Light, Houston Chronicle and Philadelphia Bulletin. He formerly was posted in various positions on the U.S.-Mexican border with Freedom Newspapers, and was a regular, independent contributor to United Press International.