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The Houston Astros faced the Texas Rangers for a spring training game at Driller Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 2nd, 1978.
Houston was a perennial 500 team managed by Bill Verdon in his fourth year with the Astros.
Texas was looking to improve upon its surprising 1977 season when it finished with 94 wins despite churning through four managers.
They finally settled on Billy Hunter who led the Rangers to a 60-33 run to finish the 1977 season.
This audio recording is from the Rangers radio broadcast featuring announcers Bill Merrill and John Miller.
The Rangers with the Astros brainstorming their ways back to Texas playing Friday night in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with Texas winning that one 7-5.
Playing yesterday in Little Rock, Arkansas with Houston coming out on top 8-1.
Today in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tomorrow they'll be in San Antonio.
But for us, the final radio broadcast of the springtime will next see you on opening day next Saturday when the Rangers started off against the New York Yankees.
Right now let's pause for station identification. This is the Texas Rangers baseball network.
WBAP 820, Fort Worth, D.M. Monday and Tuesday are Ranger Pever Nights at the Sunset.
3608 South Cooper, Arlington. The Sunset.
Today we're going to get a look at a couple of rotation pictures for each of these ball clubs.
Doc Ellis will be going for the Texas Rangers, his final outing of the springtime as it looks like, well, he might get a little bit more work on Wednesday
against the University of Texas depending on when they use him over the weekend.
Otherwise this would be his final major tune-up. And he'll be opposed by Phil Necrow, the knuckleballer, the younger brother.
Well, I said Phil Necrow, didn't I? Joe Necrow, the younger brother of Phil, they both throw the knuckleball and they both have the same last name.
And in fact, last year they both threw the knuckleball with about equal effectiveness as Joe had the best year of his career.
And as I said, just all of a sudden he learned how to control the knuckleball and in the springtime of 1978, according to his manager Bill Verdon,
he's been getting hitters out more easily, more consistently than Verdon can recall in the recent past.
We'll be back to take a look at these starting lineups for the ballgames today when we continue in 60 seconds.
Boy, you feel proud when you got a truck you know is really built to stay tough. It's a riding high feeling all the way.
You'll see tough trucks from Chevrolet.
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Built with double steel walls in vital areas. Massive girder beam front suspension on two-wheel drive models.
Brake systems computer matched to the GVW of the truck you ordered.
And for the first time, diesel power is available in C10 Chevy Pickups.
Stuff 78 Chevy trucks. See them at your Chevy dealers right now.
Boy, you feel proud when you got a truck you know is really built to stay tough. It's a riding high feeling all the way.
You'll see tough trucks from Chevrolet.
The Texas Rangers come into the ballgame today with a springtime record of 13 wins and 8 defeats.
The Houston Astros come in 9 wins and 10 losses.
And they have split as we mentioned the two ballgames played against each other the last couple of nights.
The starting lineup for the Houston Astros which is being administered at the home plate area right now by manager Bill Verdon
who's there with Billy Hunter of the Rangers and the umpires for the ballgame for Houston.
Terry Poole will lead off in center field.
He'll probably begin the season though in left field. Today in center.
At third base batting second, Enos Cabell.
Hitting third and acting as the designated hitter, Cesar Cedeno.
Cesar has had chronic knee problems. He said that the knee has been hurting in the last three or four days.
And he has played this entire series as the designated hitter.
Hitting clean up in right field, Jose Cruz.
Batting fifth at first base, the man to be named later, Dave Bergman formerly in the Yankee organization.
Part of the deal that sent Cliff Johnson to New York.
Bergman batting fifth in left field.
Batting sixth, Dennis Walling acquired from the Oakland A's by Texas in spring training by Houston in spring training of last year.
At second base batting seventh, Art Howell.
He'll be the opening day second baseman for the Astros.
The catcher batting eighth, Ed Herman.
Former American Liger.
At a shortstop batting ninth, Jimmy Sexton.
He and Roger Metzger in a battle for that opening day assignment, although Metzger, the veteran, probably has the inside track.
Pitching for the Astros today will be Joe Necro. He was 13 and 8 last year.
Got fired down the stretch when 10 of his last 13 decisions.
For the Texas Rangers now, at first base leading off Mike Hargrove.
A few minutes after Bill taped the pregame interview with him, he was taking some infield grounders hit by Coach Pat Corrales.
And the infield is a bit rough here.
Ball took a high hop and hit him right in the face, just below the left eye.
And he immediately fell to the ground and everything stopped.
All of a sudden, as well you might guess, everybody ran to his side to see how he was.
He was just a little bit stunned and he will be playing the ball game.
And he says it smarts a little bit when you put your finger to it, just under the left eye, but there is no noticeable bruise there.
That is good news.
The infield, however, is a bit treacherous.
Toby Harra is at third base.
In left field, batting third, Al Oliver.
The designated hitter today is John Lowenstein.
As Richie's is, came up sick just a while before game time.
Hitting fifth in right field, Claudel Washington.
In center field, Juan Benekes, who was muscling up in batting practice.
He lost about eight or nine balls over the left field barrier today.
At second base, Bump Wills, batting seventh.
At shortstop, Bert Campi-Campanaris.
And the catcher, the team's most valuable player last year, is voted by the Dallas Fort Worth baseball writers, Jim Sundberg.
And on the mound, taking his warmups now, is Doc Ellis.
Doc, whom we had on the radio pregame show yesterday, making his sixth appearance, he's one-one, lost down to the 3.0 earned run average.
And right now, here's the playing of our national anthem.
The National Anthem.
We are in Willard Ballpark today in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
And despite the inclement weather and the forecasts for the same, the crowd today is pretty good.
Doc Ellis is taking his warmups now. Doc is at a very good springtime.
And he has been enjoying to be around all spring north for the Texas Rangers.
He has led the charge onto the field for all of the laps that the pitchers run every day during the springtime.
Although Doc told us yesterday, he says, I'm the first out there. I'll lead everybody out and take their laps, but I'm the last one to take it.
Doc Ellis out of bounds, Jim Sundberg is the catcher. Mike Hargrove at first base, Bump Wills at second base.
Kambi Kambineris at short, Toby Herra at third. The outfield is Al Oliver, Juan Beníquez, and Claudel Washington from left to right.
The umpiring alignment for the ballgame today from the National League, Joe West, back of home plate.
He's the man who gave Toby Herra the heave-ho yesterday in a very strange situation.
Al Clark at the American League at first base, National Leaguer Eric Gregg at second, and American Leaguer Derwood Merrill is at third base.
Terry Poole, left-handed swinger to start it off for the Astros. 278 hitter in the springtime. He swings at Ellis' first offering and foul tips it 0-1.
Driller Park measures 330 down each foul line, 370 to the power alleys in left and right center, and 390 to dead straightaway center.
One strike pitch, curve, swinging strike two. Outfield plays Poole around toward right.
It's a big fence with advertisements all over the wooden structures. Two strike pitch, curve, got him looking.
Doc put a curve ball over the outside corner at the knees and gets him on three pitches. One gun, and that'll bring up Enos Cabell.
Ellis has pitched in 15 innings. He's allowed 22 base hits, but only seven runs and five of those turns, five walks, and seven strikeouts.
His last outing was Wednesday at West Palm Beach, Florida against the Atlanta Braves.
Here's the pitch to the big right-handed swinger Cabell. A slider, swinging strike, it's on one. Sadak is throwing four pitches off his strikes.
Outfield is deep for Cabell. Fastball chopper, third base side, Toby Harrah charges, fields, throws, and has him at first.
So five pitches and two men gone, and Doc is throwing five strikes, and that brings up Cesar Cedeno.
Cedeno hitting 350 for the spring, and he's had a good couple of ball games against the Texas Rangers.
Had a couple of hits Friday night in Baton Rouge, and he had a couple of hits yesterday against Texas.
Left the ball game yesterday in the eighth inning. When sliding into third, he claimed that his knee was hurting him again.
He swings, lines one, third base line, fair ball, heading down into the left field corner.
Oliver over to cut it off, but Cesar Cedeno will lope easily into second base with a stand-up double.
Cedeno went after the first pitch and shot it right down the third base line and into the left field corner.
So with two outs, the Astros get their first base hit and a chance to get the game's first run as clean-up batter Jose Cruz will stand in.
Cruz has had a fine springtime, hitting 371 for the Astros. He hit 299 last year with 17 home runs so he can hit.
Left-handed swinger, curve in the dirt, Sundberg blocks it on the inside, ball one.
That's the first pitch. The doc is thrown out of the strike zone.
Texas players, or the Houston players, are really unhappy about the barnstorming aspect of the concluding portion of spring training.
Ellis throws low ball, too.
In fact, the Texas players aren't too wild about it, but it's especially difficult for Houston because the Astros, after spending all of this time on the road with one night, one day stands,
will then head off after an exhibition Wednesday to open up the season in Cincinnati on Thursday.
Ellis hits the outside corner with a strike, two and one.
Tomorrow the two teams will play in San Antonio. Tuesday they'll be in the Astrodome for a doubleheader.
Both clubs will face a college team in each end of the doubleheader.
Then Wednesday, Texas plays in Austin against the University of Texas while Houston goes up to College Station to meet Texas A&M.
Here's a swing and a drive down the right field line, but it's curving foul into the corner.
So the count decrues two balls, two strikes. Two outs, runner at second. We're in the top of the first, just underway from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
But the Texas Rangers, after playing in Austin on Wednesday, will then return to the Metroplex area and have two days off before they open the season on Saturday against the Yankees.
But the Astros, after playing Wednesday in College Station, will then take a plane to Cincinnati and open up the very next afternoon against the Reds.
Two-two pitch, fastball sprayed down the left field line, but it's also a hooking foul.
Two balls, two strikes.
On deck, Dave Bergman. He'd get a chance to swing here if Cruz can keep it alive.
Astros are missing two of their bigger hitters today. Both sent back to Houston yesterday for X-rays.
Catcher Joe Ferguson and Bob Watson. Fastball tails away from the left-handed swinger. The count goes full, three and two.
Ferguson injured himself Friday night in Baton Rouge, going after a wild pitch. He slid into the backstop.
Bob Watson was injured in the first inning of the ballgame Friday. Ellis delivers a fastball inside and high. He misses ball four.
First walk of the day by Doc, and so the Astros now have something going with two down, runners at first and second, and Dave Bergman.
Bergman, having a miserable time in the spring, 166 average.
Even though Terry Poole appeared the heir apparent for left field to start the season, after a very fine half a year last year,
they decided to give Bergman a shot at it, but Poole has won that job out and out. Curve misses outside, ball one.
As Poole has had a pretty good spring, and Dave Bergman is only six for 36. Does have two home runs out of those six hits.
Big, good-looking left-handed swinger. Fastball, it's fouled at the plate. Back to the screen, count one ball, one strike.
Bergman played in Syracuse last year, triple-A ball, the International League at the Yankees Farm Club.
He had a 3-12 batting average with 16 home runs and stole 29 bases.
Pretty good credentials for the International League. One-one pitch, high curve, misses wide, two balls and a strike.
No wonder they gave him a shot.
Astros have a lot of speed and they rely on that speed because they do not have a whole lot of power.
Ellis into the stretch, runners with their leads, two-one delivery. Curve on the outside corner for strike two.
Good pitch to a left-handed hitter as Doc put the ball outside as though it were going to miss outside and then the ball curled in over the outside corner at the last moment.
Two-and-two, Ellis at the belt, fastball outside, three-and-two. So two down here in the first, the runners will be moving with this one.
Sedeno at second, he got a double with two down. Jose Cruz at first, both of them can fly. Ellis at the belt, the runners go, the pitch, curve, whoa, he walked him.
So Sedeno lopes into third base, Cruz goes over to second and so now with two outs, the Astros have him loaded.
That will bring up Dennis Walling. Jim Sundberg is out to talk to Doc Ellis here.
Walling was acquired from the Oakland A's last June, actually, in exchange for Willie Crawford.
He had been the A's number one pick in the June 1975 free agent draft.
He played last year mostly in Charleston with a.348 batting average and in six games for the Astros at the end of the season at.286.
Left-handed swingers, bases are loaded. Runners lead, Ellis for the windup, misses outside with a curveball.
One ball, no strikes. He got Terry Poole on three pitches on a called third strike.
Cabell grounded out, but then Sedeno doubled and Cruz and Bergman have walked.
Here's the pitch, pouncer up the middle, fielded by Cabaneras at second.
He shovels it under and a bump will covering at second for the fours out on Bergman.
And the Rangers are out of trouble in hitting number one.
For the Astros, no runs, one hit and three men left on the base, fans.
They go to the last of the first. Houston, nothing, Texas coming up.
Boy, it's really exciting being here at the NB 500. What do they call this place?
The cafeteria. Really? You new here? How can you tell?
You're wearing your racing helmet. I'm practicing.
During lunch? Practice makes perfect. Would you pass the salt?
Sure. So what are you driving this year?
What do you think of that? You're driving a piece of paper?
That's my Champion Indy 500 Sweepstakes entry form. You can eat that roll.
Eventually. Oh. Well Champion has won at Indy 38 times, and this year they're giving me the chance to win with a winner.
To be eligible, all I do is pick a winner and fill out the entry form.
I noticed you filled it out in crayon. Mom won't let me have any sharp objects.
Put down that spoon of champ.
For the first time in the history of the Indy 500, you have a chance to share in the excitement of winning at Indy.
Champion's Indy 500 Sweepstakes.
Anyone who is 16 or older is eligible to win prizes totaling $250,000 with a first prize of $25,000.
No purchase necessary. Details and entry forms at participating Champion spark plug retailers.
Offer void were prohibited by law.
Joe Nicrow, right hander on the mound, a pitch for the Houston Astros, setting the Astros defensively.
Nicrow on the mound, Ed Herman the catcher at first base, Dave Bergman, Art Howe at second base, Jimmy Sexton at shortstop,
Enos Cabell at third, the outfield from left to right, Dennis Walling, Terry Poole, and Jose Cruz.
Nicrow, a veteran from Martins Ferry, Ohio, and he is now 33 years of age.
As we mentioned, the younger brother of Atlanta's Phil Nicrow, last year all of a sudden things started going right for him.
He won 13, he lost 8, and his earned run average was 3.03. That was ninth best in the National League.
Started the season last year as the long reliever, then was, in June, moved into the short release spot when Ken Horsch was injured.
He won two and saved two there in about two weeks.
And then in late July he became a starter and finished up nine wins and five losses as a starter.
44 games overall, and in his 14 games as a starter he had nine complete games.
In 181 innings he allowed only 155 hits, so all the way down the line his statistics were very impressive.
And he credits it to just being able to master the knuckleball.
Mike Hargrove steps in, there's the knuckler outside, ball one.
In the American League, outside of Wilbur Wood, you really don't have a guy who throws a knuckleball with regularity.
Outside, ball two, two and oh.
If Wilbur Wood is able to make a comeback this year, that's going to be good news for the White Sox.
Bad news for guys who have trouble with the knuckleball.
Here's the lineup and the two-oh pitch. Down the middle for a strike and it's two and one.
Ed Herman, the backup catcher, catching today with Ferguson back in Houston with an injury.
Herman probably thought he was all through with the knuckleball after leaving the White Sox, but here he is again.
Two-one pitch, dips over the inside corner for strike two, two and two.
Hargrove hitting 255 in spring training.
Two home runs, six runs batted in.
Two-two pitch, misses high, three and two.
Hargrove has walked 10 times this year.
Toby Harrah has walked 18 times.
The Astros are averaging more than four walks per game as a team.
The Rangers averaging more than four walks as a team.
Three-two pitch, swung on and high in the air down the right field line.
That's drifting off into foul ground and back out of play.
Dave Bergman with a long run for that one and right fielder Jose Cruz, but nobody could get to it.
So the count hangs on, three balls, two strikes.
Connie Ryan is coaching at third base.
Fred Koenig is coaching at first for the Rangers.
The grass here, there is grass, but it appears to be mostly dead.
As the cold weather here has not allowed it to blossom into its full rich green color.
Not by a long shot, three-two pitch, he threw the fastball and got him swinging.
So Necro after six straight knuckleballs goes to the fastball and blows it by him.
That will bring up Toby Harrah.
That's one thing Wilbur Wood really can't do to you is throw a hard fastball by you.
Necro has a pretty good fastball.
It looks even faster after you've seen a lot of knuckleballs.
Here's Toby Harrah, knuckleball for a strike, knee high on one.
Harrah got tossed out of the ball game yesterday at Little Rock.
This play you won't see very often.
One strike pitch, low for a ball.
In a three-two pitch he had a trick swing and the umpire said low ball forward.
He trotted down to first base.
One-one pitch, swung on, bounced to third base side.
Cabell cuts across to his left field.
It hurries, got him at first base.
Two-Gon and Al Oliver will bat here in the last of the first scoreless ball game from Tulsa.
But Harrah got all the way to first base and all of a sudden the Astros started throwing the ball around the infield.
Then we looked over to first base and Toby was arguing with the umpire Joe West.
And apparently the Astros had made a belated appeal play and Joe West said yes, he swung at it.
He's out.
Here's a fastball to Oliver for a strike, going on.
Harrah argued with a call, said something that Joe West took umbrage with and West tossed him out.
Here's a knuckler and Oliver fouls it back to the screen, 0-2.
That one broke in about two feet on him.
Looked like it was headed for the outside corner and almost hit him in the wrist.
0-2 the cat.
The reason it was so strange was because the appeal came so late.
Two strike pitch, shot down the right field line and it's curving foul into the corner.
Count remains, no balls, two strikes to Oliver.
Two outs, nobody on in the bottom of the first.
Generally you have that appeal play and they ask for it automatically.
They play umpire, points down to either the first or third base umpire depending on who's up and gets the call immediately.
Here's a two strike pitch to Oliver.
Knuckleball high, a ball and two strikes.
In fact the two American League umpires working this series have been traveling with the Rangers
and both of them thought it was sort of an odd thing to happen.
Here's a swing, bounce or foul just outside of first.
One ball, two strikes.
Of course they also said everybody knows that there are no good umpires in the National League anyway.
Here's a one-two pitch, swung out and lifted high in the air into short left field.
Sexton the shortstop goes out but now the left field are walling in to make the catch.
Then the Rangers go down one, two, three.
After one inning from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Texas nothing, Houston nothing.
The day is done, it's time to let it go, it's the moment to unwind.
So dance a bird and pour the king of beers and settle back and please yourself.
No matter what you do, no matter when or where, you know a glass of blood is like an easy chair.
When you say bird, wild bird.
Hey, let me tell you something.
Selling back with a long day behind you and a cold blood in front of you, my man that's living.
When you say bird, wild bird, you say it all and I the Bush St. Louis.
A reminder fans that the Dan Dipert Travel Company cooperating with the Texas Rangers Baseball Network wants to take you out to the ball game in Yankee Stadium.
May the 5th through the 7th, flight of New York C-3 Yankee Ranger games.
Stay in the Chariton Hotel and enjoy other extras provided for the whole per person cost of $319.
A limited number of reservations will go very fast so get to the details and sign up today.
Call 265-2236 in Arlington for a complete itinerary.
That's 265-2236 in Arlington to get the itinerary.
They will look for you at Yankee Stadium, that will be a lot of fun.
It will be a lot of fun this weekend at Arlington Stadium, the brand new Arlington Stadium.
I had a brief opportunity to view the stadium a couple of weeks ago.
And I tell you it's worth the trip out there just to take a look at the new ballpark.
It's a beauty.
We go to the second inning leading off for the Astros is Art Howe and he takes low and outside ball one.
Art Howe, Ed Herman, Jimmy Sexton.
The 7-8-9 spots in the Astros batting order.
Here's a swing, two hopper to third, Harrah to his right, fields a deep long throw, got him at first.
One out and let's pause now 10 seconds for station identification.
This is the Texas Rangers Baseball Network.
WBAPA-20, Fort Worth Dallas.
George Goebel says save now on Demco Posture Mattress and Box Spring sets at Miles Furniture, Corsicana, Texas.
Ed Herman.
Ed had a couple of base hits yesterday.
He's had a fine springtime hitting 421.
Takes low and inside ball one.
In fact, Herman got a big bases loaded single against Jim Umbarger.
Drove home a couple of runs in the eighth inning yesterday.
Curve ball, bounced foul outside of first, one ball, one strike.
They had walked a man ahead of Herman, a right-handed batter with first base open to get to Herman and he just swatted one right through the open hole on the right side of the infield.
Two runs as easy as could be.
They list Herman at 210. You think he's 210?
That one is 10 years old.
Here's a swing, high chopper, right side of the infield.
Ellis can't get it.
Will's charges, fields, throws, got him at first base.
Nice play by Bump Wills.
Nicely done by Bump Wills as Herman is not the swiftest man from home plate to first.
It's not that swift from first base back to the dugout, really.
Number 24, the Houston Joint Staff.
He does look a little better than he has in the past, trimmed down a little bit.
The press guy lists him at 210 and, well, you know, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
There's a curve for a strike to Jimmy Sexton.
Sexton hitting 222 in the springtime.
Right-handed swinger, a rookie, stole 52 bases in the Mino Legs last year.
Ellis misses with a slider.
One ball, one strike.
Sexton given a chance to win that shortstop job.
It was acquired from the Seattle Mariners for Leon Roberts back in December.
He swings, looper, center field.
It's going to fall in front of Benekes' base hit.
And it hits something out there, a rock or a weed or something,
and Benekes has to pull to his right a couple of steps to pick it up.
So with two outs, the Astros get another base hit.
And they swing back to the top of the batting order for Terry Poole.
He's struck out looking his first time.
Sexton is a threat to steal.
And as we mentioned, stole 52 bases for San Jose or the Coast League last year.
Seventy-five in Shreveporty at 48 stolen bases.
Played 14 games for Seattle last year.
It hit 216.
Here's Poole, fastball low and inside, ball one.
One ball and no strikes.
Mike Ellis, 10-6 for the Rangers last year.
Most Ranger fans certainly know how well he pitched when coming over from the Oakland A's.
He's into his stretch.
Hargrove holds against Sexton.
Sexton runs.
The pitch is low.
The throw to second is right there.
Out at second base.
Sunberg threw his strike shin high.
And Campanaro just put his love down and the runners went right into it.
So that's all in the second for the Astros.
No runs, one hit, and nobody left.
We're going to the last of the second.
Texas nothing, Houston nothing.
Our guest today is Judge J. Norbert Tierney.
How long have you been on the bench, sir?
Ever since you said sit down, we'll be right on the air.
I meant how long have you been a judge?
Oh, I see, 52 years.
Could you tell us your most memorable moment?
11.30 a.m. March 4th, 1924.
What happened at 11.20?
Well, we broke for recess, see, and I had a dandy spiced luncheon meat sandwich.
Spiced luncheon meat?
One of the many delicious lunch meats made by Becker Meats of Texas.
With a pickle loaf, the chopped ham's wonderful.
I am interested in your most difficult decision as a judge.
That's what I'm telling you.
See, I couldn't decide between the Becker cooked ham and the bologna,
so I decided on the spiced luncheon.
What about precedents and rulings?
Well, I could tell you one ruling.
Oh, good.
Every precedent should serve Becker beef frankfurters
because they're so juicy and tasty.
Sir, what about cases?
Oh, you can buy Becker by the case,
but the jumbo frank comes into the package, and that's all I have.
Well, folks are dedicated to Becker,
because Becker has been dedicated to quantity since 1899.
Becker meats are available in fine markets in your area.
Remember, Driller Park is for all of Texas,
and you can show your support for Chelsea and the Virginia baseball
and all of the internet play here in Driller Park.
It'll all get started this Saturday in Arlington Stadium, April the 8th.
The world champion Yankees and the Texas Rangers,
the United States Navy Band will be on hand to help us open the new stadium
and also to welcome NBC and a national television audience.
The 78th season, of course, could well be the most exciting in ranger history.
So be on hand Saturday, April the 8th.
There are still some general admission tickets remaining.
And don't forget, two more ballgames in that series, Sunday and Monday.
You won't want to miss any of them. Sunday afternoon and Monday night.
That Monday night ballgame will also be on national television,
ABC Monday and NBC on Saturday.
Number 34, designated hitter John Loewenstein.
Here's John Loewenstein to start the second inning off.
Knuckleball is high, ball one.
Loewenstein inserted at the last moment in place of Richie Zisk
in the designated hitter's role.
Loewenstein, left-handed swinger.
1-0 pitch, 2-high, 2-0.
Loewenstein lives in Las Vegas during the offseason.
Says it's the greatest place in the world to live.
Here's the 2-0 delivery.
Swung on, high drive to deep right field.
Back goes Cruz.
He turns around and it's gone!
Home run!
John Loewenstein hits one right down the right field line, a high drive.
And it clears the wall with plenty to spare.
And the Rangers have taken a 1-0 lead.
That's home run number two for Loewenstein.
And the 15th home run of the springtime for the Rangers as a team.
So Loewenstein quacks one here.
In fact, Josh has been just about the best hitter as anybody in spring training for Texas.
He came into the ball game hitting.367.
Here's Claudette Washington, a swinging strike, 0-1.
Montenegro signed back.
So it's 1-0, Texas, first base hit against Joe Negros.
One strike pitch, swung on, top foul to the plate, 0-2.
Richie Zisk.
This is according to Mike Hargrove and Kurt Bavacqua.
He was chewing some tobacco and he got sick.
I can understand that.
Big swing on the miss and Washington goes down.
Big breaking knuckleball that time.
One out and Juan Beníquez.
That's right, ball players never get sick from that stuff.
Did we just hear some thunder?
Never heard whatever.
Ah, it doesn't mean anything.
Here's Juan Beníquez.
Pitch to Juan.
Lays off a knuckleball high and inside, ball one.
Little bit of thunder off in the distance.
You think that means something?
Yes, it lightens.
Well, I know that.
Here's the 1-0 pitch.
Swung on, popped up right side of the infield, drifting into shallow right now.
Second baseman Art Howe, he's under it and makes the catch.
Two out on the second and Bump Wills will bat.
1-0 Texas, a leadoff home run by John Loewenstein.
Back in 1974, hot, humid day in Cincinnati, the Dodgers were there for a double header.
This year it was about 95 degrees, the humidity was 95 percent.
And one of the umpires working in the bases left the game after the second inning.
They thought maybe the heat had gotten to them.
Outside to Wills, ball one.
They found out later, no, it was not heat.
The umpire had swallowed his chew of tobacco.
Oh boy.
Loewen outside, two balls, no strikes.
Well, you know, generally you put something in your mouth, you chew it up and you swallow it.
He must have forgot.
2-0 pitch.
Look out.
That one, almost hitting Wills on the inside.
Did that chip off the bat?
Hit off the glove, Ed Herman.
Get no call, so it's now three balls, no strikes.
Pitch goes to the fastball and hits it on the outside corner.
Three and one.
Three balls, one strike.
Two out, nobody on.
Bottom of the second, Texas leading 1-0.
It's a curveball, but it's high, ball four.
First walk by Necro, and that brings up Campy Cabaneras.
Cabaneras hitting 2-50, he's really been bringing the average up the last few days.
Campy, the venerable shortstop.
This guy was a catcher.
Came out of Cuba in the early 1960s, came to the then Kansas City A's camp and was a catcher.
He weighed 130 pounds.
There's a loud throw to first, and Wills goes back.
They were going to cut him, but somebody said, you know, maybe if we put him in another position besides catcher.
Somebody had the foresight to put him in shortstop, and he's been one of the finest the league has ever had.
Necro at the belt, the pitch to Campy Cabaneras, low ball one.
Snap throw to first by Herman, but Wills is back.
And we had a loud clap of thunder there a moment ago.
We've got a, we're all set here, even though we're out in the open.
We've got plastic coverings and towels and everything else.
None of which will probably work.
Necro at the belt, now turns, throws to first, but again Wills is back, and they said he balked.
Played umpire Joe West, and also first base umpire Al Clark, both spotting it.
And it's starting to rain a little bit now.
Bump Wills goes down to second, but quick, let's get that plastic up. Come on now.
Let's go. None of us have umbrellas, of course.
So we get the plastic up over our heads as the rain starts to fall here.
Umbrellas pop up in front of us.
Here's the 1-0 pitch to Campanarros, low and inside for a ball, 2-0.
I can't believe this.
One of us is going to have to break down and buy an umbrella. You know it?
Two balls and no strikes to Campanarros.
Inside ball three, 3-0.
We've got umbrellas popping up in front of us.
And I can just barely see the home plate area right now.
In fact, home plate down the third base line left field I can see very clearly.
3-0 pitch, inside he walked him.
Necro has walked the last two batters now, runners at first and second, and Jim Sundberg, the number nine man of the batting order, will swing.
What we've got from the local phone company is a large piece of plastic and the three of us are sitting on it and then we bring it up over our backs and now we pull it up over our heads.
And we're all sitting here with our hands outstretched in front of us, holding it up so we can see the field.
Here's the pitch to Sundberg, swung on a high drive to deep center field.
Back goes Poole, he's at the wall and makes the catch.
Sundberg hit it well but got under it.
The Rangers get one run, one hit, and strain two and after two full from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Texas one, Houston nothing.
That sound of the ball smacking the mid and the crack of the bat should give you a clue that it won't be long till spring.
And spring is paint up fix up time around the house.
It's been a long, tough winter and you'll be money ahead if you do those fix up jobs pretty quickly before they get worse and cause you real trouble.
Your Cooke Paint Decorating Center has a store full of paint and decorating supplies and tools.
And quite an assortment of how to do it booklets that are free for the asking.
So if you're thinking paint, think Cooke.
Cooke Paint and your Cooke Paint Decorating Center.
In Arlington, for the good times in 1978, Six Flags over Texas is more exciting than ever.
The longest, tallest, fastest double loop roller coaster in the world.
The shockwave opens this spring.
The biggest thing ever to happen in your imagination.
Only minutes away is Traders Village, Disneyland to flea markets, and more.
Open weekends and just 10 minutes east is the Southwest's largest wax museum featuring the region's famous and infamous in wax.
As well as the largest antique gun collection in the United States.
For vacation fun, come to Arlington.
Music
We have a heavy one here.
Spring drizzle I guess.
Jim Birdsong set us up with this.
We've got a much better set up.
The Houston Astros radio crew is off to our left.
They also have a big sheet of plastic.
But what they did was wrap it around the front of the table and then they bring it up.
They can't see the ball game that way.
We can't either really.
But it's still a much better set up.
Here's Terry Poole to start the third for the Astros.
He's 0 for 1.
Fastball outside, ball 1.
Poole was at the plate when Jimmy Dixon was thrown out trying to steal to win the second inning.
1-0 Texas.
1-0 pitch.
Bouncing ball right side.
Bump Will's far to his left.
Bubbles the ball.
Picks it up and has no play.
First baseman Hargrove also ranged far to his right off the baseline.
Thinking he might have had a shot at it.
Will's going far to his left.
Bobbled the ball with Doc Ellis going over to cover first.
And by the time Bump got the handle on it, Poole was safe.
That'll go as an error.
First error of the ball game and Enos Cabell will bat.
So Poole at first base, the first time the Astros have had a leadoff man on.
Poole in 60 games at Houston last year stole 10 bases.
Curve is low to Cabell.
Cabell bounced to third in the first.
He's 0 for 1.
Cabell hitting 259 in the spring.
Former Baltimore Oriole.
Ellis at the belt, the runner goes.
The pitch is fouled at the plate.
Had the hit run on that time.
Poole took off and Cabell fouled it.
One ball, one strike.
Those Detroit Tigers continue to be the hottest team of the springtime.
16 wins and 8 losses.
And they'll be at Arlington Stadium right after the Yankees.
Tuesday and Wednesday, April 11th and 12th.
Might see Mark Federich in one of those games.
Big curveball outside.
He hits by Jim Sundberg back to the screen.
And Poole now goes to second.
Probably give him a wild pitch on that one.
Hit the dirt outside.
Sundberg couldn't block it.
So now Poole in scoring position to count two balls and a strike to Enos Cabell.
Cezanne Sedaniel on deck.
Cabell was experimented with at the start of the spring at shortstop.
But they felt that it was much too complex a position to have to learn in a short amount of time.
So the experiment is dead at least for this year.
Bic Littlechop at third base side.
Harrod charges.
Has to hurry.
Throws.
Got him by a step at first base.
Down to third goes Poole.
So Cabell bounces out but does move the runner along.
Now Cezanne Sedaniel.
Poole now could score with a fly ball.
Wild pitch.
Quite a number of things that he could not score from on second when he was at second.
Cezanne Sedaniel, he swatted a double down the left field line in the first.
Cezanne Sedaniel says he wants to be an astro for life and the Astros did all they could to accommodate him.
Swung on hard bounce at a shortstop.
It hits the chest of Cabaneras.
Sedaniel will be safe and coming in to score is Terry Poole.
Rangers had the infield back and Poole was going to score anyway.
But Cabaneras will get charged with an error for allowing Sedaniel to reach first base safely.
That one hit the pebble, took the high hop and Cabaneras to his credit.
He stayed right on it.
Hit off his chest.
So the score is tied 1-1.
Give Sedaniel an RBI there and charge the error to Cabaneras.
There's a swing and a drive to right field headed down the corner.
It's in base hit into the corner.
Washington over to cut it off and he holds Cruz at first base with a single.
Down to third base goes Sedaniel.
Claudel hustled over on that ball along the right field line.
Cut it off and he held Jose Cruz to a base hit.
That is the first hit of the inning for the Astros.
Poole was safe on Bump Will's error.
Then he went to second on a wild pitch.
He went to third on Cabel's infield out.
Scored on a bouncer to Cabaneras but Cabaneras bobbled it.
So now runners at first and third, one out, Dave Bergman the batter.
Bergman walked in the first.
Ellis delivers, Chopper foul first base side.
Deacon Jones, the first base coach for the Astros, grabs it.
Tony Pacheco coaching over at third.
Outfield deep against Bergman.
Play him to pole.
Bump Will's trying to plug up the hole on the right side.
Cabaneras cheating over towards second from his shortstop position.
There goes Cruz. The pitch is taken. The throw to second is there.
They got him at second base and Sedaniel held on at third.
Cabaneras applied the tag.
Sundberg's throw is right there again.
And now Cabaneras looks like he might have gotten spiked.
Time is taken and Cabaneras now is kneeling on one knee.
And he pulls the left leg up over the knee and has a look.
Bill Ziegler the trainer came out as did manager Billy Hunter.
But Cabaneras says he's fine.
The count to Bergman is one ball and one strike as Jim Sundberg is now throwing out both Astros who have tried to steal.
Beautiful throws both times. That one was a little bit low but Cabaneras is able to hang on to it.
One-one pitch low on outside. Two balls and a strike.
Cruz, not an easy man to throw out. He even stole 44 times last year for the Astros.
Two and one to Bergman. Two odd runner at third. The pitch is hit foul. Passed the first base back. Two balls, two strikes.
The Astros have tied it up here in the third inning on an unearned run.
The infield here is not the best.
John Loewenstein posted odds before the game. I said odds on once. There's a mortality rate in the infield.
Fastball down the middle, strike three call.
So Alos gets out of the fourth, third inning with a minimum of damage. One run, one hit, two errors, one left.
After two and a half, Houston won, Texas won.
We love baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet. Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet.
Wet your lips America, cause Chevy's serving up a fresh new slice of apple pie.
A tasty new mid-sized car called Malibu that's so right for so many people right now.
You'd be inclined to believe it was designed by John Hugh Public himself.
It's got a crisp good look, a nice trim body, and even more headroom, more legroom, and more trunk room than last year's Malibu.
It's a car that's going to get you grinning when you point it down the road.
Now I ask you America, isn't that what you had in mind?
New size, sweet size, mid-sized Malibu, a fresh new slice of apple pie from Chevrolet.
When it comes to value, America comes to Chevrolet.
Oh, Chevy Malibu.
Mmm, juicy.
A fresh new slice of apple pie from Chevrolet.
A fresh new slice of apple pie from Chevy Malibu.
It's still raining in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We've still got the plastic up over our heads.
I don't know how long we can hold out like this because we all have our hands extended out in front of us
to hold our heads, to hold the plastic up, and also give ourselves a view of the field.
One-one tie here from Tulsa.
Next Saturday, Sunday, Monday, the season begins for real.
And I know now that the Rangers are going to be a serious threat to win it all this year
because TV Guide picked them for first place in the Western Division.
When's the last time TV Guide was wrong?
Bottom of the...
Said something's going to be on at 10 o'clock, it's on at 10 o'clock.
Mike Hargrove leads it off the bottom of the third for the Rangers.
He struck out on the first. Toby Harrah, Al Oliver will follow in the rain of Tulsa.
A hard rain, but it's steady.
Nuckleball outside, ball one.
Necro worked him six straight knuckleballs, and on a 3-2 pitch, he threw a fastball and got him on the outside.
Blew it by him.
Wind up, the 1-0 delivery.
Knuckleball, bouncer ball, right side of the infield, fielding it on second is how, and he throws him out.
One out, Toby Harrah.
Talking to players about hitting against knuckleballer Wilbur Wood,
they said at least you always knew what he was going to throw.
You rarely knew where he was going to throw it, because he didn't know that.
At least he knew it was going to be a knuckleball.
Pitch to Harrah, high, ball one.
But Necro, he'll sneak in a fastball and a curveball, keep you off stride.
1-0 pitch to Harrah.
Swing and a miss.
Letter high knuckleball that time, and that one looked like it just slid along the tabletop, came into home plate.
One out, nobody on, outfield deep.
Low for a ball, two and one.
Last to the third, one-one ball game.
The Rangers, one run scoring on Loewenstein's home run in the second.
Knuckleballer Benz Harrah out of there on the inside, three and one.
One of the papers today said that there was tornado warnings up for some part of this. That wasn't this part, was it?
No, that was just last night.
Oh, last night we had tornado warnings.
Three-one pitch is low, ball four.
Harrah had a half swing at that one, and they looked at plate umpire Joe West.
West is the man who ejected him yesterday on the appeal play at first.
Harrah kind of stood at home plate and said, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me unequivocally that I am allowed first base.
Left fielder Al Oliver.
One out runner at first, Al Oliver the batter.
Oliver flying to left in the first, he's 0 for one.
He's had a good springtime.
They hold against Harrah at first, the pitch is swung on it deep to left center field.
Back goes Poole, he's at the wall, and it is gone, home run.
Coming in to score, Toby Harrah and Oliver rounds the base pass.
As he hit that one to deep left center field, and it cleared the, really the tallest part of the ballpark out there.
The fence is tall all the way around, but some places it's taller than others.
But he hit that one over a tall place here, home run number two for Oliver.
And he continues to lead the team and runs battered in in spring training, that's number 11 and also number 12 for him.
12 RBIs for Al Oliver.
Here's John Loewenstein who, Homer, his first time, he slings and misses, it's 0 and 1.
3 to 1, Texas leading as the Rangers play long ball here in Tulsa.
Low for a ball, one ball, one strike.
This ballpark is the home of the Rangers AA ball club which plays in the Texas league.
Low for ball two, two and one.
Steve Comer pitched here last year, for a while Danny Darwin pitched here.
Paul Mirabella, all whom we saw in spring training, shut foul down the right field line.
Had a photographer in the field down there, was sitting down and he hopped up, looked like a jumping bean down there.
Sitting flat on the ground, I don't know how he got any spring to jump up like that.
2-2 pitch, swung on, hard bouncer to second, two hops, played by Howe, lot of time, throws him out.
Two outs in the third.
That'll bring up Claudel Washington.
3 to 1 now, Texas leading, the Rangers with only two hits, but both of them round trippers.
Rangers with a team batting average of 246, but they have averaged five runs a game in the spring time.
And if you average five runs a game in the regular season, you're going to be at least one of the leading scoring teams in baseball, if not the top scoring team.
Claudel, a little chopper toward the mound, off the mound is Necrol, fields it, turns, throws him out at first base.
But for the Rangers in the third inning, two runs, one hit, nobody left, a third of the way through it, Texas 3, Houston 1.
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Thank you for joining us for this Texas Rangers baseball game on WBAP.
We'd like to remind you to stay tuned to WBAP for the best music around with a lot of people who enjoy what they do.
It starts every morning, Monday through Saturday with Don Harris saying good morning bright eyes and keeping you informed, entertained, and smiling.
WBAP 820, no matter where you are or where you're going, it's your luck for you to join us on WBAP, doing it all for WBAP people.
The Arlington Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Victory Ranger luncheon on Monday, April 10th at the end of the Six Flags.
It's the kickoff luncheon for the 1978 baseball season and the whole Ranger team will be there.
And when you purchase a table of 10, you can select your favorite Ranger player as your guest.
Tickets now on sale at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, 275-2613.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and on a first-come, first-serve basis.
That's the Rangers on to Victory Luncheon, Monday, April 10th.
Well, we're going to go to Bill Merrill now, but Bill has got this great pen, beauty.
It's got the fine line, beautiful-looking ink, but when it gets water on it, it doesn't stay there anymore. It becomes disappearing ink.
So here's Bill, and don't ask him about the first three because they're not there anymore.
Wow, Bill Merrill.
Thank you, John. Here's Ellis all set, and the first pitch comes down to Walling.
The left fielder sends a fly ball to deep left field. Al Oliver's back under it and grabs it. One up, one pitch, and one man is gone.
Now as far as 10 seconds for station identification, this is the Texas Rangers Baseball Network.
WBAPA-20, Fort Worth, Dallas.
If you can't be in the grandstand tonight, be at the newsstand in the morning and pick up a Dallas Times-Herald, Texas edition.
Hey, how about that? It's quit raining. We dropped the top.
Out from under it. Here's Art Howe. He grounded out his only trip this afternoon. Nothing out of one. Art came on batting at 263.
Hit 264 last year for the Astros. Looks like he's going to look at a pitch right over knee-high for strike one.
3-1, the Rangers leading it. They've been out hit 3-2, but John mentioned they've had a couple of home runs and one with a made-aboard.
Put the ball hit on the line. Wills short hops it, grabs it, and he's out right there. Flips it on over to first base.
The liner right off of the shoe tops, grabbed by second baseman Bup Wills, and there's two men gone.
So Ellis having it easy here at the fourth inning so far. We'll look at catcher Ed Herman.
Ed hitting 421 in the springtime left-hander batter. Worked 56 ball games for Houston last year and batted 291, so he had a pretty good ball game.
Here's Ellis first delivery. He's high and away with it. Missed one ball and nothing.
Ferguson, first string catcher for the Astros. John mentioned back in Houston being x-rayed. He received an injury a couple of nights ago.
Here's the next delivery. Curve ball. It's a little low, and the count moves out to two balls, no strikes.
Fly ball to left, the liner to second. Two men are gone in the top of the fourth.
Ellis peers in, and the right-hander's ready. Here's a breaking pitch low inside, a good slider, but he's missed the strike zone, and he falls behind.
Ed Herman, three balls, no strikes. On deck, Jimmy Sexton, the shortstop.
Ellis, a fast worker, comes right back, and he's low, and he walked him. So it's two down. The Astros got a runner.
He's surrendering his third walk of the afternoon, walked him in in the first inning, and then follows.
As a matter of fact, loaded the bases on a couple of walks, giving up his third walk, and that'll bring on Jimmy Sexton.
He only had eight hits at Seattle last year, and I believe he had all of them against the Rangers late in the season.
He got up, came over to Houston. Real battle between he and Metzger, but talking with Bill Burton, it looks like the perennial Go Glove winner at shortstop Metzger doesn't pack that much of a bat.
Will open the season for the Astros at shortstop.
Sexton, right-hander batter stands in, two down, one on. It looks like Ellis, the first to hear the pitch.
Fires it right down in there, but a little bit low for ball one.
Five hits in the ball game. Joe West working behind the plate. Al Clark up at first, Eric Gregg at second, and Derwood Merrill over at third.
Ellis ready, and here's the pitch. Pops that one through. Strike call, and it's one and one. One ball, one strike. Don't forget.
Next Saturday afternoon, 3.05 will be game time. The Yankees, the defending world champions in town, to do battle with the Rangers on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Here's the pitch. Another fastball drill to right. Coming out is Washington. He gets there, and makes the belt high catch.
A minor drill to right field caught by Claudel Washington. No runs, no hits, the man stranded.
And after three and a half, our score, the Rangers three and the Astros one.
We're done. It's time to let it go. It's the moment to align. So get ready for the addition. And for the King of Meals, come settle back and be yourself.
No matter what you do, no matter when or where, you know a glass of blood is like an easy chair.
When you think you've heard why you said it all, when you think you've heard why you said it all, when you think you've heard why you said it all.
And I'm the Bush St. Louis.
Broadcast of the Texas Ranger baseball games of the property of the Texas Ranger baseball network. Any reproduction without the prior written consent of the Rangers network is prohibited.
Radio and television broadcasting rights of the Texas Ranger baseball games are owned and operated by the Texas Ranger baseball network, a division of the city of Arlington.
General managers, sportscasters, engineers, and directors of these broadcasts are employed in compensated far services by the city of Arlington, Texas.
Joe Necro, 6190 pounder, coming through the first three innings, being tagged for only a couple of ace hits for three runs, walked a batter, and then Al Oliver took him to left center field for the go ahead runs.
And the third inning had given up a solo clap to John Loewenstein, leading off in the second inning.
Necro on July 24th of last year started his drive and wound up the year with a 13-8 record.
They were in Chicago and had only five available pitchers with a double hitter against the Cubs.
Necro came on and won the second ball game going the route and pitched a nine-hit shutout.
And from that time on, Bill Burden will tell you that he has been perhaps the best pitcher on their staff.
And he, as John mentioned earlier, picked up right where he left off here in the spring.
Here's Benica starting it off, swings on a breaking pitch, and it's strike one.
Benica's popped to the second baseman, Art Howe, on his only trip this afternoon.
Nothing out of one. Juan came on with a 2.27 batting average. He's popped one homer and driven across eight runs this year for the Rangers.
Spring training. Necro ready, and there's a drive to left field. That'll drop for a base hit.
Over the field is Dennis Walling, delivers it back to the infield, and Benica sticks up the Rangers' third hit.
Bottom of the fourth inning, Rangers getting their leadoff batter Benica's aboard, and Bump Wills, who had a walk, his only turn comes on.
Bump's hitting it even, 2.50. No homers in one run batted in.
Batting left against the right-hander Necro. Her cabin heiress is on deck.
Rains still falling just slightly.
Here at Driller Park in Tulsa. Last year we had a similar situation, but the rain was rather hard and a little hail mixed in with it.
But it only lasted a short time, and the game interrupted only briefly. Here's the pitch. Upside, ball one.
One ball, no strikes. Benica's a threat to run on at first base.
Down the line, 3.30 straightaway center. It's 390 feet. Takes a pretty good poke to get it out of here.
Here's the runner moving. The ball is taken ahead. Herman delivers a throw. It's going to be too high, and Benica swipes the base.
So on, Benica steals the base for Texas to get a man in scoring position, where nobody out.
The pitch was up, and the count is one and one. One ball, one strike. That's his second swipe of the year in springtime.
So Necro finds himself in a little bit of a hot box right now with a one-one count on the batter, and Wills runs up to Bunt, missed it, and takes the strike.
So it's one and two. One ball, two strikes. Bunt's going to try to push that one between third and the pitching now and beat it out for the base hit.
And at the same time, drawing the third baseman Cabell in would have allowed Benica to race on over to third base, but he did not make contact with it.
Here's the pitch. Swung on and missed. Strike three is out of there, and there's one man gone.
Third strikeout registered by the right-hander Necro this afternoon. One down, and here is Burt Cavanares, who had a walk his only turn.
Burt comes out, and now he may be called back, heading back to dug up, or simply may want something to rub the bat down a little bit.
And up he's going to get his batting helmet. He'd come up to the plate without that.
Don't forget, Yankees and Rangers open it up. It's coming weekend at Arlington Stadium.
Understand the trailer pickets are going rather briskly.
Here's Cavanares standing in. Burt hitting 250. Three runs batted in. No homers in the springtime. Benicus with a sizable lead at second.
Necro works him, and Cavanares drills at the center field. Should be able to get a run in. Here's the throw from center field.
A full cutoff, and Benicus slides in with a fourth Ranger run of the ballgame.
So, Cavanares steps up and hits that first pitch directly up the middle through the box on the line and dives in his fourth run of the year.
Rangers lead it now four to one, and that's the Rangers' fourth hit of the afternoon.
So, Necro being scuffed up here for another run in the fourth inning on a couple of base hits, plus a stolen base chopped in by Benicus.
A runner at first, still only one man out, and Jim Sundberg, who had a fly ball to deep center, his only trip this afternoon stands in.
Jim, bringing it 269, has a home run and driven across six runs. Top of the order, Mike Hargrove is on deck.
We play in the last of the fourth inning in a four-one Ranger lead. Texas won the first encounter between these two teams, and then were defeated yesterday in Little Rock.
There the ball, hit foul out of play to the right, and it's strike one.
Rangers winning seven to five in Baton Rouge and then losing yesterday eight to one in Little Rock.
And JR Richard, their starting pitcher, pits seven. Excellent endings, giving up only a couple of singles.
Runner moves, pitch out, gone, and moves. Sundberg flipped the bat at it and struck the catcher.
He stepped up in there and Ed Herman took that bat on the left hand, train her out immediately, and John's got the glasses on him, see if he can pick up anything there.
But I think Sundberg will be allowed first base on in appearance by the catcher, and that will be the call.
Cavanares was breaking. And moving on down. John, could you get anything with your glasses there?
Well, Herman's got his back to us, but it looks like he's looking down around the hand area, like it might have gotten him somewhere in the left hand or maybe the fingers.
Jim Sundberg is staying right there, the one catcher having some empathy for another.
Bill Verden has already made the decision to go with two catchers this year, which is always a bit risky.
And he lost his number one catcher, although we do not know for how long. It didn't appear to be too serious.
Joe Ferguson, who injured his leg Friday night, he was going after a wild pitch and he got back to the screen and he slid and he hurt himself.
So Ed Herman is the only regular catcher left, and now he's been hitting the hand, and I think they are going to take him out.
Now Bill Verden, even before the season begins, has run out of catchers.
And I think Wilbur Howard, generally an outfielder, is a man who has been working out a little bit at catcher, and he's probably the man they're going to bring into the ball game right now.
So Bill Verden, talking with plate umpire Joe West now about that play, he wants to know how Jim Sundberg could have stayed in the batter's box,
because he didn't throw the bat at the ball, he actually held onto it, but it looked to me like he did indeed stay in the batter's box,
and that what happened was that Herman shot forward into the box, or right near home plate, and he just got himself into a bad predicament there.
And Sundberg did what he's supposed to do.
That's true, he was protecting the runner, Cabanieros, who had broken.
It looked momentarily as though John they might have had a pitch out on, and the pitch by Necro was not that far outside, although it was outside,
but Sundberg, in an effort to protect him, got the bat out, and as you mentioned, the catcher, Herman, stepped up to grab the ball as quickly as he could to uncork that throw,
and when he did, he was struck with a bat on the left hand.
Well, no doubt about it, I think that if the pitch had been where it should have been, I think there's no question that it was supposed to be a pitch out,
Sundberg would have had to throw the bat, otherwise he would not have been able to even come close to the ball, staying in the batter's box.
But Herman is gone, and we're hoping that it will be nothing too serious, maybe some bruises, but that's always a dangerous thing,
to get a bat on the left hand, the exposed hand, like that, either the top of the hand or the fingertips somewhere in that area,
appeared to be what the trainer was looking at, so hopefully it's just not anything serious, they're just getting him out of there for precautionary reasons.
Cesar Cedeno now has come out to keep Joe Necro warm, as I would assume Wilbur Howard is getting the tools on now, and indeed he is.
Cesar Cedeno came out with the catcher's glove, and he knelt and accepted the first warm-up toss from Necro, and then stood up, turned to the crowd and said,
hey, how about that? They gave him a nice round of applause.
Well, the Astro of Hollywood is coming in, John, excuse me.
Astro is going with two catchers, and that is also something that the Rangers are going to do, with Bill Fahey having been placed on waivers,
they'll be going with Jim Sundberg and John Ellis, and I don't know, it's how we really have a third man who's even really worked out during the springtime at catcher.
Never forget a situation developing in California about three years ago.
Sundberg was hit on the hand, and either on the next pitch, after he was taken out of the ballgame, Bill Fahey came in, and the first pitch,
he also suffered a hand injury on a foul ball, and then they had to go to Lenny Randall, who was at that time playing second base for the Rangers.
He came on and caught the ballgame and did a fine job.
Well, I do just remember now that Campi Campaneras, as we mentioned earlier, did come up as a catcher, but I don't think they'd use Campaneras as a catcher.
When was it? Back in 66 or 67, when the A's were still in Kansas City, Campaneras one night played all nine positions in the ballgame.
Pitched a little. Oh, Jim's wanting a little cover.
Still raining here. Pass this down.
No, not in my cup.
Herman's probably fine. He just wants to get out of the rain.
Yeah.
Well, he could have split a fingernail pretty easily, John, on something like that, and Edward's called a little pain.
All right, we're ready to go, as Wilbur Howard has replaced Ed Herman behind the plate.
And Mike Hargrove will beat the batter. Mike has struck out and grounded out. Nothing out of two. A run is in on a home run by, rather on a couple of singles in the stolen base.
The run batted in by Burt Campaneras, who is now down on second base, and Sunberg is on, at first base, on the interference call for the plate umpire.
First delivery, missing low for a ball. One ball and nothing. Looks like it's getting a little lighter, but the rain is still coming down.
Michael F. and a batter came in today's ballgame, hitting a 2.55.
As runners on board, Campaneras and Sunberg, at second and first, the outfield's shading off to the right side.
Infield set up a double play depth with one out. Here's the pitch.
Knuckler outside, McAdams 2-0.
Harris on back.
Mike will walk about 100 times a year and hit 300 for you. So he's on the base pass about 45% of the time.
Sneak row, taking a little more time with a new catcher in there, Howard.
And here's the pitch. Swung on, lifted high into left field, drifting into left center as the left fielder, Walling, he has it, and the runners will have to hold.
Now two men are out, and that'll bring in Toby Harrah.
The Hargrove lifts a high fly ball to left field, and it's Walling. Left fielder grabs it.
Toby Harrah, who was grounded out and walked, comes on to be the next batter.
Still two men aboard.
Harrah has walked in each ballgame or average to walk in each game that he has appeared in this spring, 19.
Here's a look at the first pitch, Toby, in for a strike.
Oh, we've got that umbrella immediately in front of us again, John, and it's kind of guesswork as to what the pitches are.
Well, I'm glad you're doing it right now, not me. I'm listening to you to find out what's happening.
Bert Cavadaro starts his lead, Sundberg away from first base. Pitch comes in, and another strike is called, this time over the outside edge.
The ball's two strikes. The run is in on a couple of A-sets. Rangers on a four-to-one lead.
Game that is being spotted with Light Shower here in Geller Park in Tulsa.
One of the Ranger farm clubs, AA, here in Tulsa. They had some fine prospects come up out of that ball club last year.
Here's the pitch. Harrah looks at one just missing, and it's one ball, two strikes.
Joe Nicrow has been roughed up for four runs on only four base hits.
The Rangers have been making the most out of their base hits.
From the belt, a check, a look back to second, Camp and Ellison. Here's the pitch.
A drill to wrap, the base hit, Camp and Ellison in a hurry. The third, the ball is followed by Walling and Campy.
Will score easily. The throw goes to second, and into third, Moose Thunberg, and hustling into second base is Toby Harrah.
That'll be a hit and an error, and an RBI for Harrah. He picks up his sixth RBI of the year.
He advances to second on the error, and Camp and Ellison comes on in to score the fifth run of the ballgame for Texas over to third base from first Moose Thunberg.
And Al Oliver, give up a day for Joe Nicrow. He'd given up three runs total in 24 innings before today.
Five runs on five hits.
A couple of errors.
Now to help the Rangers at second and third, and here's Oliver, swings, and misses strike one.
Al hit a two-run homer over the left center field wall, deepest part of the park, as far as the height is concerned, and rammed it over there.
He's picking up his 11th or 12th RBI's of the year. Earlier he'd fly to left.
Nicrow ready, and in comes the pitch. Hard swing and a miss, strike two.
No balls, two strikes, two runs are in. Five to one the Rangers.
Harrah at second and Thunberg at third. On Beck is John Loewenstein.
Hard swing, and a miss. Strike three, striking out, and that'll do it.
But the Rangers come up with two more runs on three base hits, a couple of errors, and two men stranded.
That's the end of four, and the score, Texas five and Houston one.
Okay, we move into inning number five, and the top of the order, Terry Poole will open it up.
Poole struck out and has been a board on an error and scored Houston's lone tally this afternoon.
First down, I'm sure that the ball clubs with a fine turnout they have here this afternoon are determined to get in at least five innings to make it a complete ball game.
No doubt about it. Part of the proceeds today will go to help rebuild this ballpark.
A couple of city agencies have already agreed to bring up with 300,000, and they need another 300,000 to raise on their own.
So the Rangers and Astros both, by playing here, are helping them build their new ballpark.
Certainly true, and here we go as Doc Ellis starts his fifth inning and misses rather hits the inside corner at an ease for a strike.
Enos Cabell and Cesar Cedeno will follow here in the fifth inning.
Three hits have been doled out by Ellis.
Next to the race one on top, first base side, Hargrove gets it, funnels it over to Ellis, and he wins the race to first for the fourth out coming down on Poole.
So three to one to score long, Hargrove to Ellis covering on a close play at first base, and Cabell will be the batter.
He's twice grounded out third to first.
Number 23, third base men, Enos Cabell.
Houston has left six men stranded in the first four at bats.
Rangers committed a couple of errors, and Ellis has walked three batters, plus giving up the three hits.
Here's Enos, nothing out of one.
He takes a strike.
Doc Ellis, last year one of the ranger finer pitchers down the final half of the season.
Did a good job every time out.
Just over the corner and it's one and one. One ball, one strike.
Grass not quite showing that green that he will in another couple of weeks.
Cabell took a little off and he pops him up shallow left field, drifting back to shortstop, Cavaneras.
And he calls off Oliver and makes the grab for the second out.
So Cabell pops to shortstop, bird, Cavaneras, and shallow left field, and that'll bring to the plate Cesar Cedeno.
He's one for two this afternoon, a double to open the ball game in the first inning, and then was on on an arrow.
Grove in a run in the third.
John mentioned earlier he wanted to play his career out at Houston, and they gave him what is reported to be the biggest contract
any baseball player has ever signed from three and a half million dollars.
Give or take a few hundred thousand I guess.
So he's pretty well lined up for the next ten years.
Ellis works him way outside and low, ball one.
Cesar has hit one home and driven him five runs on the year.
He stole 61 bases with Houston last year.
He can run and do it all.
Here's the pitch. Took a little off, missed inside, ball two, two and up.
That's the pitch of Ellis got Cabell to pop up to the shallow left field.
For the second out in the inning, Cruz is on deck in case Cedeno gets the board.
Two ball delivery, breaking pitch, just off of the corner, and Sundberg thought he had it.
So it's three and nothing.
Cedeno takes a look down to Tony Pacheco, the coach at third base. He'll have the green light, no doubt.
Hey, there's the sun coming out.
You'll hear a murmur from the crowd.
He swings away on the three at oh and fouls it back. Strike one, three and one.
You want to try it? Drop the top.
I'm game.
Tell you what, I believe if you stayed under that plastic with that sun out, if it should stay out it would really get a little warm.
Doc Ellis all set and in rides a three one pitch. He's low with it, ball four, and that'll put a runner on.
That's the fourth walk given up by Ellis, a little while later than he has been.
He's walked five coming into today's action in 15 innings, one of those intentional.
You'll be looking at left-hander batter Jose Cruz who has walked in singles.
So Jose has been on both times, has appeared at the plate.
Cruz a good hitter. He hit 299 for Houston last year and drove in 87 runs.
Left-hander batter looks at a fastball low inside, ball one.
Five, five and two for the Rangers, one, three and two for Houston.
Rangers will work Steve Comer who worked here at Tulsa some last year.
Hard swing and a miss and the count is one ball, one strike.
Sadano, you can run, is on at first base.
He's had a sore knee.
Bill Burden, we mentioned yesterday, says that he's kind of a loose-jointed young man and he's going.
He got a big jump now, he holds up.
Well, he faked and the ball is fouled away.
One ball, two strikes on Cruz.
Here last year was a pretty good ball club.
I think they play a split schedule and they won the first half and then they eventually lost in the league championship playoffs to Arkansas.
But Danny Darwin had a fine year. Comer was pretty good here.
Sure did and this Darwin, of course, the Rangers have great hopes for him.
Here's the pitch, reach for and tap foul to the left side.
The count remains one ball, two strikes.
Darwin here was 13-4 last year and a 2.51 earned run average.
Every one of his statistics was glowing last year.
It certainly was and every ball club of the majors, anytime you mentioned trade, the first name they bring up of the young players was always Darwin.
The Rangers had no idea of letting him get away, however.
He was one young man that felt that another year in the minors would be much better for him.
The runner moves, the pitcher swung on, drill to right, base hit on the ground.
Today in your round second, he'll open to third base as Washington Field returns and with two outs, Houston has runners at the corners.
So Cruz gets his second hit. He's done it on all three times, two for two plus a lot.
And at the fourth, base hit given up by Ellis, he's only been scarred for one un-earned run.
And here's Dave Bergman, the first baseman, walked and struck out.
He was called out on strikes back in the third inning, left hander batter.
Matthew pulling him well off to the right side. Benekes in center and Oliver in left field. Oliver way over in left center.
Kerrball gets away from Sundberg, low in the dirt and coming on to score as the throw comes in and it's not in time.
The ball out of the glove of Ellis. He tried to apply the tag but not in time.
And Cedeno scores on a wild pitch by Ellis, allowing Cruz to move up to second base.
Now it's a five to two ball game. It was a breaking pitch, low in the dirt and skipped out of the net of Sundberg and rolled off to the right.
Sonny hustled the ball up quickly, fed it to Ellis who came in to cover at home plate but the tag was not quite in time and the ball got away from Ellis.
Count of a ball and here's the pitch in there, strike called one and one.
Dave Bergman, the left handed first baseman. Bob Watson will have that job when the season begins.
Bob also along with Bergeson in Houston undergoing x-ray treatment for a check on a bruise that he sustained in the game day before.
Oh a bad hop, gets Wills in the face and down he goes and coming on to score is Jose Cruz.
That ball bounding towards second and Wills right in front of it to play it and it took a high hard hop right up into his face.
And at first is Bergman, all the players darting quickly along with trainer Bill Ziegler and manager Bill Hunter out there.
And that was a smash right up into the face.
If you're listening to this on any YouTube channel other than Classic Baseball on the Radio, be sure to check out the YouTube channel Classic Baseball on the Radio.
This game was first posted.
Earlier in the practice Hargrove sustained a ball that stuck in near the cheekbone.
Apparently Wills is going to stay on the ball game. Right now we have a moment let's pause 10 seconds for station identification.
This is the Texas Rangers Baseball Network.
This is WBAP 820 Fort Worth. Monday is Oldies night at the Sunset.
3608 South Cooper, Arlington. The Sunset.
Wills staying in and the players returning to their positions along with Bill Hunter back to the dugout, Bill Ziegler also back over there.
And the batter right now is Dennis Walling the left fielder. He's nothing out of two.
One man on, a run was in on that play and infielder hit. Bad hop. There's a foul cut back to the screen. Strike one.
So Houston coming back.
They get a 5-3 ball game.
A walk, a base hit.
So while Pitch got a run and then bad hop single. There's a curve ball hit.
Deep to left center field and a hurry as Vanekas he's on the move. They're not going to get that.
Picks it up on the dead run off of the wall. Here's the throw to the infielder coming on trying to score and will do so standing.
As the throw is cut off in the infielder's Bergman. He scores from first base on a two base wallop drilled in the alley in left center field.
So a double makes it a 5-4 ball game.
Now let's check. Three runs here in the inning.
And a high ball game it is now. Or am I wrong, John?
Well the scoreboard has just put up a five spot but it is 5-4.
I was thinking that they did not have that other run.
See this infielder is really in miserable shape.
Well they have not had a chance with the weather being such to work it like it needs to be.
Here's a little tap heading toward Wills at second. Off of the bat of Howe.
Grabbed by Wills. Ditched on over to Hargrove.
Followed the outs. So a slow roller second base way off of the bat of Howe results in the outs.
Well the Astros get three runs on three base hits.
A strand of runner. We go to the bottom of the fifth inning with a score now.
Texas five and Houston four.
Boy it's really exciting being here at the MB500. What do they call this place?
The cafeteria.
Really? You new here? How can you tell?
You're wearing your racing helmet. I'm practicing. During lunch practice makes perfect. Would you pass the assault?
Sure. So what are you driving this year?
What do you think of that? You're driving a piece of paper?
That's my champion Indy 500 sweepstakes entry form. You can eat that roll.
Eventually.
Well champion has won at Indy 38 times and this year they're giving me the chance to win with a winner.
To be eligible all I do is pick a winner and fill out the entry form.
I noticed you filled it out in crayon.
Mom won't let me have any sharp arms.
Put down that spoon okay.
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Texas Ranger Ticket Agencies will begin operations on Monday, April 3rd for the convenience of Ranger fans in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Danger tickets will be available at all major Sears stores including the Metroplex, Temple, Tyler and Wichita Falls.
All major Montgomery Ward stores, Preston Ticket Agency in Dallas, Amusement Ticket Service in Dallas and Fort Worth, Central Ticket Office in Fort Worth, North Star Pharmacy in Garland, Sun Rexel Drug in Richardson, and Citizen Travel Agency in Denison.
Fans may also purchase tickets at Arlington Stadium from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and from noon until 5 on Sunday.
Additional information concerning Ranger tickets may be obtained by calling area code 817-273-5100 or by writing to ticket manager post office box 1111 Arlington, Texas.
Zip code is 76010.
Leading off the Texas fifth, number six, the designated hitter, John Lowenstein.
John Lowenstein will start it off for the Rangers in the bottom of the fifth inning.
John is homered in two trips. Takes a pitch up high at an ocean but laid off as the ball was up out of the strike zone for ball one.
Lowenstein, Washington, and Benique is slated to bat against right-hander Joe Nicrow.
Houston pulling up within one now. Rangers lead it by 5-4.
Pitch starts off the nip of Wilbur Howard. I can imagine Wilbur really relishes the thought of being forced into catching a knuckleballer as the game ends as Ed Herman, hit on the hand by a bat, had to be taken out of the ballgame.
Nicrow right here, the 2-0 delivery. Slips a fastball over but it's down low and the count is 3-0.
Lowenstein looks down third base way to see if Connie Ryan has anything for him.
And hometowner Fred Keeney is here in Tulsa working up at first base.
Three-o pitch, a fastball, he lost him inside. Ball four.
Lowenstein takes up station at first base.
Fourth walk, given up by the right-hander.
That'll bring to the plate Claudel Washington, not been able to solve the offerings of Nicrow so far this afternoon.
He's struck out and hit back to the mound.
Was tossed out, kept there with nobody down, had a runner on it first.
Claudel came in today, hitting it 180.
Of course, you baseball fans know he was injured in a basketball accident, twisting an ankle, spraining it.
Looks at a high knuckler for ball one and got underway a little late in sprain grinding, John.
He said he was going to try a super-duper 360-degree turn slam dunk.
He did it, held the rim and came down crooked and that's where he hurt himself.
Little tap back over the Mowoo. It's Spearman Nicrow goes to the shortstop one there.
Back to first, pulled him off and he's safe at first.
Sexton had to cover and the throw was a little bit high to Sexton covering
on the force of John Lowenstein coming down and then Sexton's throw up to first baseman Bergman.
Pulled him to the inside off of the bag and Washington, who can really run, was safe at first base on the fielder's choice.
One-sixth put out and there's one gone.
I asked Claudel as soon as his ankle got better if he was going to do that slam dunk again real soon.
He said no, probably not.
Well, he ought to tell him also it's illegal to hold onto the rim.
Technical foul, right?
Here we go, Benekis, that he scored a run.
Swings, bounces one slowly, third base way, whoop, off of the chest of Cabell, comes up and hits him in the nose.
And all hands will be saved.
Down to second moves Washington and Benekis is on at first base.
That's going to be scored as an error but Cabell immediately as he chased that ball down and foul ground
was reaching up and holding the nose but apparently no worse for wear.
And that is the third error committed by Houston this afternoon.
That's three balls now in this game.
Campanella said one hit him in the chest, Wills in the top of the center, now Cabell.
Saw him at Hargrove after he was hit in pregame practice.
He said you've got to be crazy to stay down in the ball in this kind of an infield.
And I think one by one they're all learning that now.
Here's Sandy Alomar coming on to play for Wills who has struck Sandy up for the first time.
Check swing and it kicks off foul.
Sandy came in the ball game late in the game yesterday and promptly had a base hit.
He's a good man to come off of the bench.
Well I hear some more of that thunder.
I hope the rain drops will stay away.
Nonetheless they have been able to get the ball game in.
Rangers leading at five to four with one out, have a couple of men aboard, walk and an error.
High and jumps out of the middle.
Howard stayed in the air and he reached out and plucked it to keep it from getting by
and holds the runners.
Both can run and run well.
Washington down at second and Benique is on at first base.
That last pitch when he got the home plate looked like a balloon that had the air starting to fly out of it.
Just took off.
Certainly did and then jumped right off of the top of the mitt.
But Howard grabbed in midair.
Here's the next pitch. Benique Brohard fastball and he swings as Alomar misses.
And the count is two balls, one strike.
One out and two men aboard for the Rangers.
Dixon may see some action this afternoon for Houston along with Zamora.
Rangers probably will pitch Comer.
As the ball reached far and popped foul, third base side, Howard comes off of the mass under it and he has it for the out.
So will the Howard staying with a foul ball off of the bat of Alomar and grabs it for out number two.
I'll leave it right now up to Burt Cabaneras.
Burt coming over having a couple of words with Howard.
Apparently pulling him on a little bit about chasing that foul ball down.
Cabaneras has walked and has singled driven in a run.
So he's one for one this afternoon.
Also has scored a run.
Burt hitting 250 with four runs batted in and the springtime.
Each ball club with five hits and there's been a total of five errors.
Some rocks in the infield, I noticed Hargrove after he was struck, he went over and picked up that rock and threw it out of the ballpark.
Over the right field wall.
Hard swing by Cabaneras, fails to pick up a breaking pitch from Necro, one of the priorities, but he will throw the fastball.
As John mentioned earlier, he's got a pretty good one.
Wilbur Wood does not throw as hard as Necro.
Actually I think Wilbur uses his more as a change up.
Here's the strike delivery.
Bouncing ball shortstop way.
Up with it Sexton goes over for the fourth out to Howell.
On the runner, Benica's coming down.
So nothing doing here in the fifth inning for the Rangers.
We go to the sixth with the score, Texas five and Houston four.
Cheechy check, cheechy check, cheechy check.
Checking that box.
We're really cooking now.
A jungle jack, a moldy jack, a bonus jack.
A superscope, a spryer, have a practice jack.
The onion, the natural thumb, the soup, the sauce, the silver ball.
The tacos, really suck away.
The food never stops at jacking the box.
Cheechy check, cheechy check, cheechy check.
Jacking that box.
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We're really cooking now.
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...the late-off batter, but up for the first time this afternoon, Wilbur Howard.
Wilbur Howard came on to replace starter Ed Herman.
Struck on the hem, will lead it off.
Howard, a left-handed batter.
Over-hitting it.
Wilbur Howard.
Well, he's having a good game as a period in 11 ball games now, and has seven hits and 18 trips to the plate.
Looks at one low for ball one.
Doc Allen in touch for five base hits and four runs.
Howard, a left-handed swinger, has him up and shading off to the right side.
Sends a fly ball high and fairly deep, and Al Oliver drifts over into left center, gets him 100th and grabs it in front of the 370 sign for the first out.
So a high and lazy fly off at the bat of Howard retires the first fan here in the sixth inning.
Jimmy Sexton, right-handed hitting shortstop, will bat.
He's hitting 222 in the spring.
Number 24, shortstop Jimmy Sexton.
Upfield playing him just about straight away.
They bunch a little bit towards center on him.
Enfield straight away, and Doc Ellis comes to him with a fast ball off the quarter ball one.
John, who's going to be the opening day pitcher for the Rangers?
Looks like John Matlack and Ron Gidry will battle it out on Saturday.
A couple of pretty fair left-handers.
Not bad.
Here's the one-and-oh delivery and a breaking pitch right in at the knees for a call strike, one-and-one.
Ellis keeps that ball down on most occasions.
He'll nibble around the edges and does a good job when he has that control, which he normally has.
There's the one-one pitch.
Breaking pitch stays in sight on him, and it's two-and-one.
And the right-handed hitter steps up, looks to check out to see what he might have in mind at third base.
Two-and-one to count.
One man gone.
Here's the pitch.
Ooh, has a sharp breaker, but way out of the strike zone.
Count moves along to three balls, one strike.
John Matlack has really had a good spring, and he's a classy ball player.
He's got a classic windup, and he got bumped around a little bit in the last inning he pitched in Baton Rouge,
but his first five innings and then last Sunday against Cincinnati, just dynamite.
He's always around to play, makes him hit it on the ground or pop it up.
He's a fine pitcher, a real technician.
Here's the three-one delivery.
Breaking ball is right in.
Full count, three-two, and Sexton was ready to start toward first base, but played on fire.
Joe West, that a strike it is, and it's a full count.
Speaking of Matlack, he also wants to prove something as a result of things that happened to him last year.
Missing inside with a fast ball is Ellis, and Sexton goes to first base on the walk.
The fifth given up by Ellis this afternoon.
So there's one on, the tie run with one out, and we head to the top of the order, and Terry Poole, center fielder.
He's nothing out of four years.
Center forward and score to run.
Result of an error on the third inning.
Left-handed batter hitting 278.
He appeared in 60 games for Houston last year.
From the bell to check by Ellis, and the pitch, fast ball is one and a miss.
Ran that one away from the left-handed batter.
Count of a strike.
Well, we got the ball game in.
Rangers leading it right now, five-four as we play on the top of the sixth inning.
There was some doubts as the throw goes over to first base.
Josh to keep Sexton fairly close.
Hardgrove holds against him.
Enfield with one out has set up and double-played that par on near the grass.
Third base, ball is swung on and trickles foul off to the right.
And Doc Ellis works in front.
Now the leadoff batter.
Center fielder Terry Poole batting one out, one on.
Storing came early for the Rangers today.
They got a run in the second inning, a couple in the third, and a couple in the fourth.
Here's the 0-2 delivery by Ellis.
Ooh, he almost hit him.
And the batter, Poole had to do an adagio.
Well, it did tip him. Yep, it did tag him just barely.
And Poole goes on down to first base being hit by the pitch.
That'll move the tying run over to second base from the person of Jimmy Sexton.
So Ellis has hit a man, and he has two runners aboard with only one out.
And he's going to be looking at the meat part of the batting order.
And what are we doing?
You know, Cabell.
He's having out of three. He's grounded out twice and popped the short.
Two on, one out.
Enfield looking for the double-play ball.
Harrah even with the bag at third.
Hitch in around second a little bit for the right-hander batter.
Ellis slows down the tempo.
The adagio will work extremely fast with nobody aboard,
but Sundberg will slow him down when he gets men aboard.
Here's a look.
The runners move, and the ball is taken right down the middle.
The throw goes to third.
He is safe at third.
A double, well, not a double steal.
The runner at first held on and Sexton swipes third.
That throw came in a little bit low, but it was scooped up by Harrah,
but the ball bounced up.
And as it bounced up, Harrah had to take it a little bit higher than he normally would like to have.
And the runner slid right beneath it for a stolen base.
That's something you won't see too often as anyone stealing third base on Sundberg,
but Sexton got a great jump on pitcher Doc Ellis.
The runners now at first and third, one strike count on Cabell.
Tyrone is over at third base, and Ellis works slow tap,
reaching for a low delivery and fouling it to strike two.
John?
Well, a lot of base runners will tell you sometimes it's easier to steal third base than second,
especially with a right-handed hitter up there.
The catcher doesn't have a real good look at third in the first place,
and a lot of times a pitcher really won't work that hard at keeping a man close at second base.
You can get a much bigger lead over there.
In fact, you never have a guy standing right on the bag to hold you over there.
That's certainly true.
He's still at him, I think.
The throw is there, but a little bit low, as you said, as you described it,
and Harrah had to come up a little bit with the glove, and just as he did, he slid under it.
All right, here's Ellis' next delivery, hit right off of the fist.
Slow tap's going to be trouble.
Harrah charged, and he'll have no play.
So an infield tap right down the third-base side.
Harrah charging from third, granted, looks no play anywhere,
and an infield hit has tied the ballgame at five.
Coming on to score a sexton from third, Poole goes over to second,
and Cabell gets his fifth RBI of the year on an infield tap.
So it's a 5-5 ballgame, seventh hit given up by Ellis this afternoon,
and that will bring on Cerdeno.
He has doubled, been out on an error, and walked.
Scored a run, driven in a run, had a double in the first inning.
Well, that was one of those deals you do or you don't,
and by the time Harrah could charge that ball, get in to pick up, he looked, but he had no play.
Goy had run it second.
Cerdeno sucks to go and checks and does so in time on a pitch that's inside, down a field, and it's a ball.
One ball and nothing.
Tie ballgame, and the Astros have been chopping away here in the middle innings.
After being down, they come back to tie it up at five.
Ellis still in trouble.
Breaking ball, kicked off of the shin guard of Thunberg,
rolls the right, but no advancement by Poole down at second,
and Cabell at first base.
Down of two balls and nothing, breaking pitch low outside in his,
hit off of the heel of the catcher's net and then struck the shin guard at Thunberg
and drifted off some 20 feet quickly to the right side,
but Jim Lerkley grabbed it and no advance for the base runners.
Cruz is on deck and Ellis comes to the plate.
High fly ball, way out there in right field.
Washington has this one under control and grabs it, no advance by the runners.
So Cerdeno and out on a high lift to right field.
Two men out.
Here's Cruz.
Jose Cruz walked in the first, singled in the third, again singled in the fifth inning.
Two for two and a score to run.
Ellis now working with two on and two out.
A run is in.
A hit batter.
An infield cap for a base hit has produced the tie run.
Here on the top of the sixth inning.
Cruz the left hander batter, two for two and he was hitting 371 coming in this afternoon.
Ellis checks the runners, delivers.
Fastball adjusts, misses on the inside, ball one.
John, you're going to line up your predictions as to who's going to win
and be ready to give us all that information the first day of the season.
Well, I was thinking maybe waiting a few months.
What like the first of October?
I've had such a good streak here the last month with predictions.
Yeah, you really came through well on that basketball.
There's a little change up. It looked like Doc threw a knuckler up there.
Missing inside the ball too.
Bergman is the on deck batter.
Should Cruz be able to keep it alive for the Astros?
Rangers five runs on five hits.
Astros five runs on seven base hits.
Five errors in the ball game. The Astros have three.
Here's the next delivery.
Low inside and Ellis falls behind three and oh so he's only a pitch away from loading the bases.
Tell you what, Birdsong and I enjoyed your agnostication of the basketball too much.
We just went the other way and every time you were right, you make a fortune.
Check swing inside, the bases loaded.
Ball four, Edgerton Poole over the third base.
Down to second goes Cabell and Cruz for the fourth time is on this afternoon.
Two walks and a couple of base hits.
That's walk number six given up to Ellis.
And Dave Bergman who has walked, struck out and singled, driven in a run and scored a run.
Will be the batter with the bases loaded.
So he's up there right now to do some real damage with two outs.
Ellis works from the stretch, delivers a pitch that's through for a strike at the knees.
Ellis sends that right now and looks like it might be clearing off a little bit back toward the west.
I don't think they're going to have any problems maybe getting the ball game in.
It's tied right now.
Bases loaded, Ellis in a lot of trouble.
Steve Comer is warming as the pitch strikes.
Oh, that's strike two so Doc comes in with two quick strikes at the knees.
Will be out there. Will be out there.
Ellis strike away from getting out of a lot of trouble.
From the belt here's the pitch.
Fastball reached far, tapped to left field.
Oliver in a hurry can't get it.
One run is in. Oliver will make the play to third.
Another run is coming on in to score and the Astros lead it seven to five.
But Bergman reached out and went with the pitch.
Simply tapped it on a line in the left field and drives in a couple of runs.
Who from third comes on to score.
Cabell from second base and down to second holding there is Cruz.
And Dave Bergman, a single, has driven in two runs his third of the afternoon.
And Houston vaults in front seven to five.
John?
Best Dave Bergman's had all spring.
He came in today after 16 games with only four runs batted in and only six base hits.
Two hits today and three runs batted in now.
He's got a total of seven overall now.
And he's had hits that have produced runs the last couple of times.
So the Astros keep it going.
And here's Dennis Welling, the left fielder.
Left hander batter.
He has doubled in three trips.
Hit one in the alley in left center.
Last trip up.
Well that's works him outside and low ball one.
Down at second.
Jose Cruz Bergman on at first base who had the big blow here at the inning.
And that moved Houston in front by a seven to five count.
Eight hits now given up by Ellis.
There's the ball wrapped on the ground.
Hargrove's way at first.
He'll grab it.
Feeds it over to Ellis.
End time to the out.
Three to one for the put out.
But the Astros have done the damage.
Three runs.
Not only a couple of base hits.
They strand a couple.
And we move to the bottom of the sixth inning with a score now.
Houston seven and Texas five.
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It's amazing what a fresh coat of ceiling paint will do to brighten a room.
And that's a good place to start your spring cleaning and painting.
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Then for the walls and trim, a fantastic color selection and your choice of paint.
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Would you like to win two free tickets to a ranger game of your choice?
If so, send a postcard to Ranger First Run Contest, First National Bank of Fort Worth.
Post Office Box 2260, Fort Worth.
And the zip code is 76101.
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Post Office Box 2260, Fort Worth, Texas, 76101.
Jim Sundberg will start it off with the Rangers here in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Rangers now find themselves trailing for the first time.
Sundberg has failed ahead in one official trip to the plate.
He's been aboard on an interference call.
He'll be followed by Hargrove and Herra.
And Joe Necro is slated to work here in inning number six.
We're getting a little activity down in Houston side in the bullpen.
Steve Comer working the bullpen, swung on the first pitch, high fly ball to shallow right.
And coming on his cruise, he's under it, and the right fielder grabs it for the first out.
Sundberg acted as though he would like to have recalled that swing, kind of a check swing,
and hit a high pop through shallow right field, far out.
Ellis going six innings this afternoon, eight hits, seven runs, six of which were earned.
Struck out one and walked six and also hit a batter and uncorked a wild pitch.
Here's Hargrove, Mike snagging out a three.
Struck out in the first, grounded out in the third, and hit a fly ball to left field in the fourth inning.
Left hander batter hitting 255, springtime.
Necro ready and delivers that knuckler through for a call strike.
Jumps out of the net, catcher Howard, and Wilbur chases it down off to the right side.
Steve Comer will be coming into the ranges and Tulsa fans here know him well.
Here's Necro ready with the next delivery, little high.
And kind of a ball to strike on Mike Hargrove.
One out as Sundberg opened with a fly to right field.
Bottom of the six, seven, five, Houston.
Ball wrapped on the ground, Hart Howe from second, darts over to his left, makes the grab,
feeds it on over to Berkman, and two minutes then retired.
Hargrove hitters one hopper to the second baseman Howe, and he tosses out Mike for the second out,
and that'll bring to the plate Toby Harrah.
Harrah has grabbed it out, walks, scored a run, single, driven in a run.
So he's one or two this afternoon.
Oh, he has not hit well this spring, hitting at 143 coming in.
However, he has six runs batted in.
First pitch is low for ball one.
Al Oliver is on deck.
Only one change so far in the ranger lineup, and that is Alomar in at second.
The heart swing is here, I tried to pick up his first homer of the spring,
and he missed it, count of one ball, one strike.
On deck is Oliver.
Right hander ready, and in comes the pitch.
Breaking ball, it gets right over.
One ball, two strikes.
So Necro changed him up a little bit, and hit him a breaking pitch over the outside edge.
Necro ready.
Fastball ripped to right center, a long run for the center fielder.
He's there in the corner, reaches up, pulls it down for the out.
So fly to center, retires the side at the end of six.
Still, Houston seven and Texas five.
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... being introduced as one of the changes, and to tell us about the rest of the game.
Again, here's John Miller.
John, thank you, Bill.
As Bill mentioned, a few changes here, about 14.
We've got a new pitcher, a new catcher, a new first baseman, a new shortstop,
a new third baseman, a new left fielder, and a new right fielder.
Now, in 10 seconds, tell me who they are.
...
All right, we'll work on them.
Here's Art Howell, leads it off for the Astros.
He swings, and it's a high pop-up foul ground, third base side.
That one is well out of play.
Steve Colbert on the mound, John Ellis, the new catcher,
Mike Jorgensen, the new first baseman, Sandy Alomar, still over at second.
Jim Mason, now at shortstop, Kurt Bavacka, now at third.
In left field is Dave May.
Juan Beníquez stays in center, and the new right fielder is Bobby Thompson,
and we have a time-out called here as Bobby Thompson comes running in from right field,
and he's going to get the sunglasses now, as it was overcast when he went out there,
and the sun all of a sudden burst forth again, and now they say,
well, we don't have any sunglasses. What do we need sunglasses for? It's overcast.
He says, yeah, but the sun just came out. It's too bad.
All right, one strike to count to Art Howell. He's 0-3 in the ball game.
The right-hander Comer delivers, swung out and fouled back out of play.
To the right side, count, no balls, two strikes.
Howell to be followed by Wilbur Howard, and then the shortstop, Jimmy Sexton.
Those are the first three to do up here in the seventh inning.
Seven to five, the Astros lead.
Comer rocks two-strike pitch.
Slider misses wide, a ball and two strikes.
Comer, born in Minneapolis, is 24 years of age, 6'3, 195.
You have to be about 6'3 to make this pitching staff this season.
There's a curve ball that doesn't take, misses high on inside, two and two.
Umbarger is the tallest at 6'6. Got a few guys, 6'5, 6'4, 6'3, two-two pitch.
Swung out and missed. He blew a fastball by him.
So Comer strikes out the first man he faces, and that will bring up catcher Wilbur Howard.
And now Jim Schaefer, one of the Rangers coaches, the bullpen coach, comes running out.
He found a pair of sunglasses, and he brings them out to Bobby Thompson at right field.
And now second baseman Sandy Atomar says, you know, that was a good idea.
He gets a pair, and I think Mike Jorgensen would like a pair.
So we have another break in the action while they bring the sunglasses out here.
Jim, where are our sunglasses?
We don't need sunglasses, it's overcast.
Wilbur Howard, 0-1, he came on when Ed Herman was injured.
Back in the fourth inning, it was a pitch out that was not out far enough,
and Jim Sundberg, protecting the runner who was running, swung at the ball,
and Ed Herman was too close to home plate, and he took the swing in his left hand.
Here's Wilbur Howard swinging left-handed. He lifts high a foul fly to the left side, back out of play, 0-1.
Ellison and Catcher, as we mentioned, Ellison really hit a bomb out of here in batting practice.
One strike pitch, swung on a high drive to deep right center field.
Thompson going over, but now the center fielder Benique is looking up into the sunshine, makes the catch.
He was shading the eyes with the glove and grabbed it in right center field.
Two gone. Ellison won a ton out of here, halfway to Oklahoma City,
and Billy Hunter, in jest, was out of left field, and he said,
Who hit that ball? Who hit that ball?
Number 24, shortstop Jenny Sexton.
Here's the pitch to Sexton, low for a ball.
So Ellis jumped out of the batting cage and said, It's me, coach. Your favorite.
There's a fastball that misses a bit high, two balls, no strikes.
Looks good to me.
Well, Ellis hit a few balls like he hit in batting practice. He will be a favorite.
There's a swing and a pop-up. Third base side, Bavaqua drifting into foul ground, waits for it, and makes the catch.
So an impressive seventh inning by Steve Comer, three up, three down.
We go to the bottom of the seventh. It's Houston 7 and Texas 5.
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Well, next Sunday, one week from today, April 9th is Poster Day at Arlington Stadium.
All fans entering the park with a painted mission receive a giant poster
with an artist's drawing of five of your favorite Ranger players.
These posters also feature the entire 1978 Ranger schedule.
These posters are a courtesy of the friendly folks at Red Carpet Realty.
So make your plans now to be on hand next Sunday, April 9th, on Red Carpet Poster Day.
We'll also have the New York Yankees that day, which is an extra added attraction besides that.
The Yankees in next Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon, and Monday night.
Remember the night ball games at Arlington Stadium, 7.35 starting time.
Now the Saturday ball game will have a late start because it is on NBC
and is part of a double header on the network.
It'll start at 3.05. The next Sunday's game, the Poster Day game, will be at 2.05.
And then the last three games of the home stand, one with the Yankees on Monday
and then two with the Detroit Tigers Tuesday and Wednesday, will all be at 7.35 starts.
We're in the bottom of the seventh inning now, and Dave May leads it off for the Texas Rangers
on the left field in the top of this inning in place of Al Oliver.
May, stocky left-handed swinger to face the new pitcher,
Tom Dixon, curveball number, second base side, takes the high hop to Art Howe,
and he throws him out, one gone.
That'll bring up designated hitter John Loewenstein.
Thomas Earl Dixon, 6 foot, 183, purchased by the Astros from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1975.
Last year was 13-4 at Charleston, 2.25 earned run average.
And then in nine games of the Astros, four starts, he won one, lost none with a 3.3 earned run average.
Throws a fastball to Loewenstein, wide ball one, Bobby Thompson is on deck.
Dixon from Orlando, Florida, 1-0 pitch, curve over the outside for a strike, 1-1.
Loewenstein, homered in the second, bounced out in the third and walked in the fifth.
He's won for two.
Seven runs, nine hits, three errors for Houston, five runs, five hits and two errors for Texas.
Dixon's 1-1 offering, swung on a miss, hits one and two.
Got him with a breaking ball.
Texas at one point led this game 5-1, but the Astros got three runs each in the fifth and sixth inning.
One-two pitch, fastball caught the outside corner, strike three call.
Loewenstein turns around and glares at plate umpire Joe West.
About to walk back to the dugout, one for three.
That brings up Bobby Thompson, voted the rookie of the spring training camp.
Down in Florida, well he might have then.
Now hitting 3-26, one homerun, nine runs batted in, seven stolen bases.
Number 48, the new right fielder, Bobby Thompson.
Thompson, swing left handed, very fast runner, takes the slider inside, ball one.
Third baseman Cabell plays him right on the edge of the infield grass.
Outfield pretty much straight away, shading him a bit toward right field.
First baseman Bergman is hugging the line and playing deep.
One-oh pitch, he's in the dirt, two balls, no strikes.
The Astros, who are given a shot for the Cinderella role in the National League West.
They'll have plenty of opportunity to prove if they're going to be a contender or not if they play the Dodgers and Reds for about the first month of the season.
There's a strike to Thompson.
They open up next Thursday at Cincinnati, play four there.
Then they come back to the Dome to meet the Dodgers three times and then Cincinnati three times.
So their first ten games are against the Dodgers in Cincinnati.
Strike two called to Thompson, two and two.
Then they head out to the West Coast, they play San Diego twice and then they play the Dodgers four more times.
So 14 of their first 16 games are against the Reds and the Dodgers.
Two balls, two strikes to Thompson, two outs, nobody on the curve, misses outside, three and two.
Thursday afternoon, in fact, at Riverfront Stadium, J.R. Richard, Tom Siever will duel.
Three-two pitch is swung on and pops down the left field line, coming in in a hurry, is walling, he's there and in shallow left he puts it away.
So for the second consecutive inning, it's three up, three down, we go to the eighth, Houston 7, Texas 5.
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When you're looking for a way to lighten your day, to brighten your day, think of fries.
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Number 21, center fielder Terry Poole.
Getting number 8, Terry Poole has started off with the Astros and the top of the batting water will face Steve Comer.
There's a slider swung on and missed, 0-1.
Steve Comer lives in Excelsior, Minnesota, was 6-4 at Tucson last year after being 7-6.
The game continues at the beginning of side 4 after a 60-second delay.
Here in Tulsa, 13-10 overall, Mrs. Lowell, one ball, one strike.
This is really only his third year in Major League, well, in professional ball.
Swung on and fouled at the plate, that comes down and hits Puehl in the foot.
One ball, two strikes.
Got it only nine games in 1976 at Sarasota, went 7-2 with a 0.90 earned run average.
He is 24 years of age and he graduated from the University of Minnesota.
Non-roster player, he's on the roster now.
Fastball, low and away, two balls, two strikes.
Inos Cabal and Cesar Sereno, the next two Astro headers, slated to bat in the eighth.
2-2 pitch, way outside.
Tried to turn that one over, but it never did take.
3-2, Puehl is 0-3 today, but a fairly productive 0-3.
He scored two runs.
Pitch, he lost him.
Ball four, fastball low.
So Puehl, who hasn't had a hit, is now on the bases for the third time today.
That is the seventh Houston player to draw a free pass, and an eighth player was hit by a pitch.
And the Rangers have allowed two more base runners by committing errors,
although it was hardly the fault of the fielders with the tough fielding conditions on the infield.
Here's the pitch to Cabal, fastball, that one really took off in the inside corner, strike one.
Cabal is 1-4 today, got an RBI single back in the sixth.
That brought home the tying run of the ball game.
Runner at first is Puehl, he's got speed.
Jorgensen holds against him.
Comer comes to the plate, curve inside, one ball, one strike.
So he threw the fastball inside, then comes back with a curve inside.
Len Barker throwing down the left field line, we'll probably see the big right-hander, the fireballer in the ninth inning.
Comer with a lob through the first and Puehl is back.
Well, the Rangers hoping that a few of their batters who are in pretty good slumps all through the springtime
will catch fire here, the final leak of the spring going into the regular season.
Stretching the pitch, swung on and lined to left field, it's in front of Dave May, base hit.
Cabal got a fastball out over the plate that time and he rode it hard to left field.
Puehl goes to second, hangs on.
And that is hit number nine for the Astros.
And they have now had in this ball game 19 baserunners.
They've stranded eight and Jim Sundberg wiped out two who tried to steal against him.
Here's St. John Cedeno.
Cedeno is one for three in the game, a double, but he's been safe on an error.
And he's walked, he's scored one and he's driven home one.
Runners at first and second, nobody out.
There's a curve ball, gets by John Ellis back to the screen and both runners will move up the base.
Comer put that curve ball in the dirt.
And I imagine he'll go with a wild pitch call.
So now Comer's really worked himself into a jam.
Runners at second and third, nobody out and the Astros best hit her up.
Cesar Cedeno, he hit about 340 after the All-Star break last year.
When you look at the size of the contract they gave him, I think they figured he might hit 340 one day for 162 games.
There's a curve, a big swing and a miss.
See, he didn't get it. One ball, one strike.
Comer threw a wicked looking curve ball that time.
Changed speeds with it and Cedeno tried to send that one back to the Astrodome.
One ball and one strike.
With runners at second and third, the Rangers have brought the infield halfway in.
Not completely into the edge of the infield grass.
One pitch, breaking ball, shot foul, third base side and into the Rangers dugout.
One ball, two strikes.
Jose Cruz on deck.
Cedeno's had years where he's hit as high as 320.
Better than 20 home runs, he's always around 50, 60 stolen bases.
Fine center fielder.
When he finally puts it all together in one season, it's going to be quite a year.
Comer at the belt, one-two pitch, got him fishing at a slider on the outside.
He struck him out.
Boy, that pitch was about a foot and a half outside.
Good, heartbreaking slider that time by Comer and Cedeno went after it.
So one is out, runners still at second and third.
And here's Jose Cruz and I think they're going to, they might put Cruz on here.
Yes, they are. Ball one outside.
This is a guy you've got to put on, left-handed swinger, who's killed the Rangers for three consecutive days.
Today he's two for two with two walks. Scored a run.
Yesterday he was three for five.
Here's ball two.
Dave Bergman is the man on deck actually walking a left-handed batter to get to a left-handed batter.
But Cruz came into the game hitting 371.
He's probably up over 400 by now and Bergman came into the game hitting 166.
And yet the man they have walked here to get to Bergman.
Well, Bergman, the man they apparently want to pitch to, has two base hits and three RBIs today.
That's right, he drove in the two runs and put Houston over the top.
Bases loaded. From the stretch, there's a swing of the best.
A good low fastball on the outside. Comer put it right there.
A one-one. Bergman two for three, scored one and driven home three runs.
And his base hit in the sixth inning, bringing home Terry Poole and Enos Cabell.
And that's the difference right now. Seven to five Houston.
An Astro at every base. The one-strike pitch wide. One ball, one strike.
Talking earlier about Cedeno, almost a perennial gold glove winner.
Last year he made only one error and didn't.
Here's the one-one pitch. Swung on, shot to right field, base hit.
One run scores. Here comes Cabell around third. Bobby Thompson will throw to third.
It's cut off. Cabell scores two runs in for the Astros.
And Bergman has five RBIs for the day and it's nine to five Houston.
He still wants to play. Now I started to say about Cedeno last year,
he only made one error and did not receive the gold glove.
Well who got it last year? Well, they had a pretty good season.
Apparently didn't make any errors. Well when was it? Seventy-four.
Don money, the Brewers I think set a record for fewest errors in a season by a third baseman.
Certainly did. Brooks Robinson made three or four times as many errors and he still won it.
Well Spencer, the number of years has been the best fielder, error-wise.
Here's Walling, swung on, there's a drive to left center field, that's going to fall in.
Base hit, Cruz comes in to score. Heading to third is Bergman, Benique's throw is cut off and it's ten to five.
Walling just reaches out and swats one into left center.
So the Astros now scored three runs in the eighth inning and it's a ten to five ball game.
Bergman to third, Walling with his second hit and his second RBI of the day.
So a ten to five Astro lead and there's still only one out here in the eighth inning.
And that brings up Art Howe. Start to mention about Jim Spencer, we used to get him,
but he'd make fewer errors and never selected blaster. He made more errors than he ever has and got the gold glove.
Ball one to Howe, one ball no strikes. Well, besides being a good fielder,
you have to have that reputation as being a good fielder I think.
Here's the one-oh pitch, swung on, popped foul off to the right, that'll go back out of play.
One ball, one strike.
Of course, John, it's not all based on how many errors they make. Some players don't make that many
because they don't make that many outstanding plays where they really have to go hard after a ball.
Here's the lead at first from the stretchers, Comer, one-one pitch, slider low, two balls and a strike.
Poole let off with a walk, Cabell singled after Sedano struck out,
in a while Pitchett put runners at second and third.
Cruz has walked intentionally. Bergman singled for two runs, Walling singled for one run.
Two-one pitch, breaking ball low, three and one. So now Comer's going to have to come in with one.
Howe has a look at third base coach Tony Pacheco.
Big pitch for Comer to make here.
Bergman at third, Walling at first, one out, ten to five Houston.
In field, double play deep. Jorgensen holds the runner at first.
Three-one pitch, swung on, a high fly ball to a fairly deep center field.
Vanekas waits for it, makes the catch. Bergman tags at third and he'll score easily.
And it's an eleven to five game, so Howe picks up the RBI.
Four runs in the inning for the Astros.
Boy Houston's bats, which have been quiet most of the spring,
have gotten well the last couple of days. They beat Texas yesterday eight to one.
Had ten or twelve bases in that one and now they put a big eleven up on the board today.
Here's Wilbur Howard, he's 0 for 2 since coming on for Ed Herman, left-handed swinger.
Johnson, Walling at first. Pitch, fast ball low, ball one.
Paul Lindblad on the disabled list.
As of, well let's see, he last pitched Wednesday and he hurt himself over at West Palm Beach pitching against the Braves.
One out pitch, swung on, fouled on the ground. First base side, one ball, one strike.
And Tom Busky released.
Tom Stan Busky caught on with the Toronto Blue Jays and is on his way to Dunedin, Florida.
That's right and Tom did not pitch that badly in the spring so he might be able to help Toronto.
One-one pitch, fast ball, tails away for the left-handed swinger, two balls and a strike.
Well, Billy Hunter, who's been a coach low these many years,
said that yesterday was the first time in his career he'd ever had to tell a player that he was being released.
There's a swing by Howard and foul tips it. Two balls, two strikes. And he said it was one of the toughest things he's ever had to do.
You know, Bill mentioned that he would love for some of the front office people to have made it in in time to do that.
Sure, that's something nobody likes to do.
Runner at first, two outs, two balls, two strikes to Howard. Four runs in, the eighth inning for the Astros.
Curve is hit off the fifth. Foul and look out Bill.
Thought we were going to have a shot at a souvenir there.
They're putting right under the screen here. They've got more like netting coming back from the backstop.
And that one looked like it was going to pop right off the top of the netting and right down on us.
Two and two. Runner leads, Comer at the belt, the pitch. Swung on and bounced foul, first base side.
Astros have a right-hander working down the right field line.
Should be Samora, probably.
Looks like Bo McGloughlin, a big right-hander.
Barker is still down in the left field bullpen, working for Texas. We'll probably see him in the ninth inning.
Again, Comer at the belt. Two-two pitch, fastball outside. Three and two.
And now Walling will take off with this pitch.
Eleven to five. The Astros who trailed once in this game, five to one.
With three in the sixth. And after three in the fifth and four here in the eighth.
There goes the runner. The pitch is swung on, foul tipped and held on to by Ellis.
Howard has retired on strikes and finally the inning is over.
But four runs on three hits, one left after seven and a half.
Houston 11, Texas 5.
The day is done. Coming home.
It's time to let it go. It's the moment to unwind. Welcome home.
The day is done.
And for the king of meals can settle back and please yourself.
No matter what you do.
No matter when or where.
You know a glass of blood is like an easy chair.
When you say Budweiser.
Yeah Budweiser. Absolutely the best way to call it a day.
Any day. You know what I mean.
When you say Budweiser.
And I's a Bush St. Louis.
Before we go to the bottom half of inning number eight, let's pause ten seconds for station identification.
This is the Texas Rangers baseball network.
This is WBAPA 24 with Dallas.
When it comes to Ranger baseball coverage, the Dallas Times Herald covers all the bases and brings it home every time.
John Miller along with Bill Merrill from Tulsa, Oklahoma today where the Houston Astros are sticking it to the Texas Rangers for the second day in a row.
Leading now 11 to 5 as we go to the last of the eighth inning.
A reminder again, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Victory Ranger luncheon on Monday, April 10th, one week from tomorrow.
At the end of the six flags, it's the kickoff luncheon for the 1978 baseball season.
The whole Ranger team will be there and when you purchase a table of ten, you can select your favorite Ranger player as your guest.
Tickets are on sale now at Arlington Chamber of Commerce. The phone number is 275-2613.
All tickets must be purchased in advance and are on a first come, first serve basis.
That's the Rangers on to Victory Luncheon Monday, April 10th, 275-2613, the number to call.
Juan Beníquez, left in the ball game to get another few cuts at the plate against right-hander Tom Dixon.
Dixon retired the Rangers in order in the seventh.
Throws a high curve ball, one ball, no strikes.
Joe Necro's final inning was a three-up, three-down inning in the sixth and Dixon's only inning was three-up, three-down.
The Rangers haven't had a base runner since the fifth.
One-oh pitch, too high with the fastball, two-and-oh.
Sandy Alomar will follow and then probably Jim Mason.
We'll take a look at how they put the batting order, probably straight up.
That's been the way they've been doing it.
Swing the high fastball and foul back out of play.
Look out, Bill, that's right behind us here.
Boy.
Thought that one was back out in the parking lot somewhere, looked up and there's this thing coming right from my nose.
Bill, I thought you were going to protect me from those.
When you jumped under the table there, you were just telling me that's what I should do, right?
Right.
Okay.
Two balls and a strike, Jim Beníquez.
Why does anybody try to catch a foul ball on the stands?
Two-and-one, the Catawani steps out now on Dixon.
Roger Morett is loosening up down the left field line for the Rangers now, getting some work in.
Two-one delivery.
Slider got him swinging, two-and-two.
Good hard slider that broke sharply at the end there.
Two-and-two, Beníquez has had trouble with the breaking ball.
J.R. Richard had a slider yesterday that wouldn't quit, gave the Rangers fits, two-two pitch.
Little ground ball, third base side foul.
Connie Ryan fields it flawlessly in the third base coach's box.
Fred Koenig over at first.
This is hometown country for Fred Koenig.
Two-and-two to Beníquez, and the pitch.
Swung on, little number, foul again at the plate.
Another breaking ball.
Take a look at the Rangers starters and the batting average is not too good.
Beníquez, 227.
Cabaneras, 250.
Hargrove, 255.
Harrow, 143.
Oliver, 284.
Sunbird, 269.
Washington, 190.
Zisk, 148.
There's a comeback at two hops.
Dixon fields it off the mound and throws him out at first.
Beníquez retired for out number one, and now the Rangers have had nine consecutive batters retired in this one.
That'll bring up Sandy Alomar.
He fouled out to the catcher, his first at bat and the fifth.
I saw on the paper today where Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan were having their miseries for the Cincinnati Reds.
One of them was hitting 086, and the other one was hitting 062.
I think Morgan was at 062.
Alomar, switch hitter, swinging left-handed, hits one off the fifth, foul, back at a play, 0-1-1.
Well, you know that Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench are going to be there when the bell rings, and you know that Richie Zisk and these Ranger batters are going to be there.
A lot of fellows who hit 400 in the springtime don't hit half that once the bell rings.
One strike to Alomar, down it comes.
Fastball high, fly ball to left field, almost in his tracks as Waldo, looking up, and he makes the catch.
Ten consecutive Ranger batters have been retired now.
And Jim Mason will bat for the first time in a ball game.
Mason from Mobile, Alabama, 171 springtime average.
He's the best Ranger shortstop off the bench.
Stronger throwing arm.
Alomar played every infield position at some time last year and even played the outfield on occasion.
There's a ground ball to first.
Field it over there by Bergman, he takes it himself, and just like that the Rangers are gone.
Three up and three down, and we'll go to the night from Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the score Houston 11, Texas 5.
Gas yourself, gas yourself, all the media has gas yourself.
Some people think you gotta have muscle to get gas, yourself, just gotta be cool, that's all.
There's nothing slicker, nothing quicker than gas, yourself, and Vickers.
And I got regular, unleaded, and P. Remian.
My cousin Lance Goble can do it, and he thinks cool is no choosing then.
So you know the only muscle he's got is between his ears.
The boy and he, the Vickers, find catch them.
Thank you for joining us for this Texas Rangers baseball game on WBAP.
We'd like to remind you to stay tuned to WBAP for the best music around, with a lot of people who enjoy what they do.
It starts every morning, Monday through Saturday, with Don Harris saying good morning, bright eyes, and keeping you informed, entertained, and smiling.
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Hitting number nine, and Len Barker will come on for the Texas Rangers.
Steve Comer, in relief of Doc Ellis, went two innings today, allowed four runs on three hits.
Walked two, struck out three, threw one wild pitch.
In fact, all of the offensive damage by the Astros was done against Comer in the eighth inning.
11 to 5, Len Barker, he's the man.
Billy Hunter said, we're going with Len Barker, and it wouldn't surprise me, said Billy.
He became the fireman of the year in the American League this year.
Barker certainly has the tools.
Last year, you'll recall, 15 games, a lot of them, in fact, 12 of them, in relief in the final month and a half of the season.
He finished up with four wins, one loss, and a 2.66 earned run average.
But perhaps more significantly, in those 12 games in relief, he went 32 innings, allowed 19 hits,
and his earned run average was 1.15.
One night at Arlington Stadium last year, they put the radar gun on Nolan Ryan and clocked him at 97 miles per hour,
and Barker was clocked at 96 miles per hour.
He can bring a big guy, six feet, four inches, 235 pounds.
Throws ball one to Jimmy Sexton, who's leading off the ninth inning for the Astros.
Sexton is one for three with a walk today, stole a base.
Fast ball is high, 2-0.
Barker had been impressive all spring, and then the last couple of times out, he's been knocked around a little bit,
all told in nine innings, he's allowed nine hits.
His walk six, six strikeouts, one win, and a 4.00 earned run average.
He's high, 3-0.
Sexton is not the biggest target in the world up there.
5-10. Right-handed swinger Terry Poole and Enos Cabell will follow.
I would guess the big question about Barker is the control.
He was very sharp in his stint with the Rangers last year.
There's a fast ball down the middle, three and one.
Ellis the catcher, Jorgensen at first, Alomar at second, Mason at short,
Bavaqua at third, the outfield, May Benekis Thompson from left to right.
Here's the 3-1 pitch. Where'd that one miss?
Right down the middle, and Ellis and Barker can't believe it. They called it ball four.
So Sexton draws the walk. That one didn't miss by too much.
So we go to the top of the batting order, and Terry Poole,
Poole without the benefit of a hit has scored three runs today.
0-2. Walked once, been safe at 0-3. Walked once, been safe at an error,
has been hit by a pitch. Swings, hits a double play, bounce at a short.
Mason shovels to Alomar for one. The return to first is not in time.
Poole really got down the line there in a hurry.
Looked like a made-to-order double play ball, but it apparently not hit sharply enough
for the Rangers to turn it over.
Plus, Jimmy Sexton came in hard on Alomar at second base.
So Poole legs it out at first, and he's on the base pass for the fourth time today.
And every other time he's been on there, he's scored.
So one out runner at first. Here's Enos Cabal. He's two for five.
He's singled each of his last two trips to the plate.
Fastball swung out and foul-tipped into the glove of Ellis. It's 0-1-1.
The Rangers going with a couple of young right-handers in the bullpen
as the season begins, Comer and Barker.
Jorgensen holds it first. One strike pitch is shot foul on the right field line.
0-2. Seza Sardegna on deck.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Rangers' last shot would have Ellis, Jorgensen,
and Bavacqua do up, possibly against a new Houston pitcher.
Two strike pitch. Curve, strike, free call.
It was the overhand curveball that time, and that one was a beauty.
Came in about neck high and then dipped right over the plate.
And Cabal goes out looking.
Barker's first strikeout. Two outs, runner at first, and Seza Sardegna.
Number 28, the designated hitter, Seza Sardegna.
Over at first, he might be running with two outs.
He's stolen three times this spring.
Here's the pitch. Fastball takes off at a plate too high. Ball one.
Hard, rising fastball that time.
Cedeno today, one for four, but has been on the bases three times,
has driven home a run, and scored a run. His only hit was a double on the first.
Barker down at the bell. One-oh pitch. Fastball. Knee high for a strike.
One and one, and Cedeno questions the call.
We've got a real good view of the pitches here today.
We're very low, maybe eight feet off the ground, about eight rows back from the backstop.
Barker on top. One-one pitch. Look out, that one taking off on the inside.
Cedeno bending back out of there. Two balls and a strike.
Saturday afternoon at three o'clock, three-oh-five. It'll be Ron Gidrey of the Yankees, 16-7 last year.
John Matlack for the Rangers.
World champion Yankees and the Texas Rangers.
Pool the lead at first. Two-one pitch. Fastball popped up right side of the infield.
Jorgensen in on the infield grass, reaches out and one-hands it.
And a good performance by Barker in the night. No runs, no hits.
And one man is left on. Will go to the last half of the night.
Houston leading Texas 11-5.
It's nearly over.
For Dr. Pepper, here's El Chicano.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Astros will bring in their third pitcher of the day,
Oscar Zamora. Zamora, 33 years of age, was born in Cuba, now lives in Miami.
He was signed as a free agent last November.
Zamora's really been around quite a while and had a very good year for the Chicago Cubs back in 1974 out of the bullpen.
He was in 56 games for the Cubs that year and a 3.11 earned run average.
Although his one loss record was 3-9, but he fell apart in 1975 with 5-2 but with a 5.07 ERA.
Last year started out in Wichita and his ERA there was 7.36.
Last year in Wichita he was 7-2 with a 4.37 earned run average.
And the Cubs released him and the Astros obtained him.
Leading off for Texas, John Ellis, the coach's favorite.
Ellis takes a strike, it's 0-1, he's batting for the first time today.
Fastball, does it deep to left field, going back is Walling, he's at the wall, reaches up and can't get it, it's off his well then off the wall.
And Ellis, steaming into second base with a stand-up double.
Well I assume they'll give him a double, yes they do.
Ellis hit that one deep, Walling kept going back, going back and then tried to reach up and backhand it, but it hit off the glove and off the wall and Ellis has a double.
That is the first Rangers hit since HERA got an RBI single in the fourth inning.
And the first base runner since the fifth inning.
The last 11 Ranger batters in succession had been retired until that double.
And here's Mike Jorgensen batting for the first time today.
Jorgensen's had a fine spring hitting 3-10.
Left-handed batter, pitch to him, bounce at a short stop.
Fielded by Sexton, the long throw, just in time, he almost took too long and just got Jorgensen by half a step said Al Clark.
That one hit in front of him and Ellis had to hang on at second base.
So why not, runner still at second and Kurt Bavacka will bat.
Bavacka extolled the plight of the utility player.
When Hargrove was hit by the ground ball in infield practice earlier today, everybody, everything in the field stopped and everybody ran over to see how he was.
Meanwhile Bavacka standing over near third turned to Bump Will and said, you know if I got hit with a line drive, you think everybody would stop and keep running over to take a look at me?
Bump Will's turner says, well I know I wouldn't. Pitch to him his low ball run.
Well that's not exactly true though. Bavacka a very valuable member of this club.
At 333 last year, 96 at Batsy at five home runs for the Rangers and he can play just about everywhere.
One old pitch, slider in the dirt. Two balls, no strikes. Dave May on deck.
Texas got a run in the second. Houston tied it in the third. Texas came back with two in the third. Two more in the fourth and had a five to one lead.
But Houston got three in the fifth, three more in the sixth to lead seven to five and four in the eighth.
And that's where we are now, 11 to five. Here's a swing, pop up, left field line. Shortstop Sexton straddles the foul line in short left field then makes the catch.
Bavacka becomes out number two in the ninth and now it's all up to Dave May.
May has batted once in the ball game, grounded out to second in the seventh.
Davey hitting 231 coming into the ball game.
Number 16, the left fielder, Dave May.
John Ellis who's got a lead off double is still at second base.
John Loewenstein would be next. Fastball misses inside. One ball, no strikes.
Two clubs will catch flights out of here later tonight and will play in San Antonio tomorrow.
Joaquin Andujar for the Astros, Doc Medich for the Rangers. There's a curve outside, 2-0.
Then on Tuesday they'll go to the Astrodome.
The Rangers will play the University of Texas. They'll play the University of Houston at five o'clock.
There's a check swing, slow roller left side of the infield. Cabell cuts across fields it throws it, not in time.
Dave May beats it out.
Check swing roller on the left side of the infield. Cabell ranged 40 feet off the third base line,
fielded it on the grass, threw across the body the first side arm but was not in time to get May.
And now the Astros will have to get one more man and that would be John Loewenstein
as the Rangers have run it at first and third. Now with seven hits in the ball game.
Ellis at third, May is at first. And Loewenstein, one for three with a walk today,
but his one hit was a home run in the second. Fetch to him. Low ball one.
But on Tuesday at the Astrodome the Rangers will play the University of Houston.
And then after that it will be the Astros and the University of Texas.
And on Wednesday it'll all be over after the Rangers meet Texas at Austin.
And here's a swing and a miss. One ball, one strike.
The Rangers will have Thursday and Friday off and then the Yankees at Arlington Stadium on Saturday.
And we're off and running. The Astros will play Texas A&M on Wednesday and then Thursday they have to play at Cincinnati.
Here's a swing and a hard drive to center, sinking fast and it's in front of full base head.
Coming in to score is Ellis. May goes to second base and the Rangers stay alive here in the ninth inning.
And make it an 11 to 6 ball game. Loewenstein, second RBI today.
Big John's got eight RBIs now for the spring, not too bad.
He was hitting 367 coming into the ball game. He's part of the deal for Willie Horton.
He's got good glove in the outfield. He can run. Looks like he can hit a little bit.
Here's Bobby Thompson. Check swing foul ball off the bat. 0-1 Thompson. Fly to left in his only trip to the plate.
There's another guy. He can fly, Bobby Thompson.
Played a strong, hustling outfield as well. Can cover a lot of ground out there. Runners at first and second, two outs.
The pitch. Curve, cut the inside corner, strike two.
On the start of the game show, we'll have a conversation with veteran shortstop Kampi Kampanaris.
Stay tuned for that. Immediately following the broadcast.
May at second, Loewenstein at first. Two outs, bottom of the ninth. Two strike pitch.
Hit right back through the middle. Goes under the glove of Zamora and all hands are safe.
Thompson hit a roller right back through the middle. It went right under the glove of Zamora.
Second baseman Art Howe fielded it near second base but had no play.
Dave May goes to third. Loewenstein goes to second. Thompson at first with the infield single.
The fourth hit of the inning for the Rangers. And now Juan Beníquez will stand in.
Beníquez, one for four today.
Don't go anywhere. It's 11 to 6 and the Rangers are still batting. There's the breaking ball outside, ball one.
Outfield deep and straight away. 11 to 6 but the bases are loaded with two outs and the last of the ninth.
Now Beníquez says Zamora is taking too much time.
Zamora is one of four Astro pitches fighting for the lone pitching spot still remaining in the Astro roster.
Now the windup, the 1-0 pitch.
Swung on a long drive to deep left field. Way back and it's off the wall.
One run scores. Loewenstein scores. Here comes Thompson. Here comes the throw. Safe at home.
A three run double for Juan Beníquez.
Major League has said it's an 11 to 9 ball game.
And now Sandy Anemar represents the potential tying run of this ball game.
Well we finally had one of those springtime slugfests.
Most of the time all spring we've had tightly played Major League ball games.
Five-three, three-two type games. Very few errors. Good pitching. Heads up play.
Haven't had any of those 15 to 13 ties. Well we've got an 11 to 9 ball game going today.
And so the Texas Rangers who were dormant since the fourth inning have sprung for four here in the night.
Well he's still alive and Sandy Anemar who doesn't hit them often but if he hits one now we're all tied up.
Jim Mason on deck. Zamora at the belt. Check second. Curve is very high. Ball one.
Juan Beníquez really stroked that one off the left center field wall.
That brought home May, Lowenstein, and Bobby Thompson who scored all the way from first.
Boy he really got around the bases. One old pitch. Fast ball. They said it was a strike. Let her high. One and one.
Anemar didn't particularly like the call. Neither did the fans here in Tulsa.
One ball and one strike. Two outs. Beníquez at second. It's 11 to 9. Houston.
Anemar with a base hit trying to deliver that tenth run. Probably would with a base hit.
The stretch of the pitch. High fly ball. The shallow right field. Art Howell on the edge of the grass. Makes the catch and it's all over.
In the ninth inning. Four of the Rangers. Four runs. Four hits. Five hits. Correct that.
No errors. One man left on. The final score. The Texas Rangers beaten by the Houston Astros 11 to 9.
We'll be back with the final totals in 60 seconds.