Texas

Texas Rangers closer Kirby Yates has All-Star case, even without lighting up the radar gun

Published

2 days ago

June 29, 2024

Texas Rangers closer Kirby Yates has All-Star case, even without lighting up the radar gun

BALTIMORE — A philosophical question: If a closer doesn’t hit 100 mph, can he still get noticed? You know, kind of like a tree falling in the woods. If nobody sees it, did it actually happen?

We may get an answer to that question in the next week when All-Star rosters are revealed. Rangers closer Kirby Yates has seemingly done everything necessary to make the AL All-Star team, other than light up a radar gun.

As players wrap up their voting for the All-Star pitching staffs this weekend, choosing three relievers, it’s hard to make a convincing case against Yates reaching the medal stand. Unless, of course, you factor in his fastball. It doesn’t light up Statcast metrics. It’s only good for getting him ahead in counts and setting up his devastating forkball. Among qualified relievers, Yates’ 93.1 mph average fastball ranks only 60th in the AL. The guys getting all the national buzz are Oakland’s Mason Miller and his 100.8 mph fastball and AL saves leader Emmanuel Clase with his 99.8 mph heater.

“I know I don’t have a fastball that lights up the radar guns,” Yates said. “But the league is filled with stuff and guys who are throwers. Guys who pitch are the outliers. But if you pitch and execute your pitches, you can be successful. I don’t think that will ever go away.”

He has pitched exceptionally well. There is not a performance-based stat in which he is weak. He began Saturday perfect in his 11 save chances this year, the only AL reliever with at least 10 opportunities and no blown saves. His ERA (0.99) was second. His batting average allowed (.134) was second. He had a WHIP below 1.00 (0.95).

Put this another way. He is the only pitcher in baseball — regardless of league — to begin the statistical second-half of the season perfect on at least 10 save chances, with a WHIP and ERA both below 1.00. There is more. He’s averaging 12.07 strikeouts per nine innings thanks to a filthy splitter and hasn’t allowed a homer.

The closest comp to Yates from a year ago was Minnesota’s Jhoan Duran, who ended June with 11 saves in 13 chances, a 1.91 ERA and a 0.94 ERA. Perhaps, it’s not best to bring this up. Duran still didn’t make the All-Star team. There were six relievers either selected or named as replacements. It included each of the top five in saves and Baltimore’s Yennier Cano, who had a 1.14 ERA and 0.86 WHIP entering July. Moral of the story: Yates’ relatively low number of saves may work against him.

If other players rely on a singular number such as saves or WAR, Yates may get overlooked. He is tied for 11th in the AL in saves and is eighth in WAR among AL relievers at 1.0, though only three-tenths of a win separates him from the No. 2 spot, which belongs to Clase.

On the other hand, if AL manager Bruce Bochy has any input, Yates will get a firm endorsement. That doesn’t carry the weight it once did. Once upon a time, the manager had a big hand in selecting the pitching staff. Now, it’s almost entirely reliant on peer votes. Bochy said this week that he would heartily endorse Yates as a reliever.

So, too, will David Robertson, the AL’s senior reliever at age 39. Robertson was an All-Star in 2010 as a setup man with the New York Yankees.

“His case is great,” said Robertson, who has a pretty solid case of his own. “His WHIP is good. His strikeouts are high. If you aren’t giving up walks and hits and you are striking out guys, what else are you supposed to do? I hope he goes.”

Yates admits it, he’d like to. He’s been an All-Star before and was even named the NL’s closer in 2019. Only problem: NL didn’t have a lead. He didn’t pitch. Since then: He missed most of three seasons with elbow issues and eventually surgery.

“I think making the team would validate a lot of things,” Yates said. “I’d love a chance to pitch, but the fact that I was named the closer that year was a real sign of respect and I appreciated that. In a perfect world, you’d get a chance to do both.”

And if everybody sees it, well, then it definitely happened.

Twitter: @Evan_P_Grant

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Texas man dies while hiking to Phantom Ranch on Grand Canyon River Trail

Published

6 hours ago

July 1, 2024

Press Room

Texas man dies while hiking to Phantom Ranch on Grand Canyon River Trail

A Texas man died while hiking the Grand Canyon’s River Trail on Saturday, National Park Service officials said.

Park officials received a report of a semiconscious hiker on the River Trail halfway between Silver Bridge and Black Bridge near Phantom Ranch around 7 p.m. Saturday. The hiker, identified as 69-year-old Scott Sims from Austin, Texas, became unresponsive shortly after.

Bystanders attempted CPR before three park service paramedics from Phantom Ranch responded to the scene and took over. CPR attempts were unsuccessful.

Sims was hiking to Phantom Ranch for an overnight stay, park officials said.

The Coconino County Medical Examiner and the National Park Service were investigating the incident.

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A Letter to Texas and Oklahoma: Goodbye and Good Luck

Published

13 hours ago

July 1, 2024

Press Room

A Letter to Texas and Oklahoma: Goodbye and Good Luck

Monday, July 1, 2024, is going to end up being a day to remember in Big 12 history. It is the day that Texas and Oklahoma are officially out of the Big 12 and into the SEC. Is it the biggest day in Big 12 history? Only time will tell.

While Monday is a huge day for everyone involved, I can’t help but go back to Big 12 media days three years ago. Former Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby cracked a joke about being glad he didn’t have to answer realignment questions and said that everything was fine within the conference.

Less than two weeks after that statement, the news heard around the world broke. Texas and Oklahoma were heading to the SEC after the 2024 season. Of course, we all knew that they would get out earlier, and they did. Instead of having to wait another four years, they got out in three after forking up millions of dollars.

I may not be a true Big 12 historian, but I am not stupid enough to realize what these two schools have done for the conference. Like it or not, Oklahoma and Texas have combined for 18 Big 12 titles in the last 25 years. Fourteen of those titles have come from the Sooners, while the Longhorns have had four. They have brought name recognition to the conference along with a pair of national titles and countless title game appearances.

The success they have had here (especially Oklahoma) has been off the charts. The Sooners had a run of six Big 12 titles in a row before the streak ended in 2021. And as someone who has covered the conference since 2016, I have seen plenty of championships won by Oklahoma. In fact, I have covered just two conference championship games that haven’t featured either Oklahoma or Texas since the game was brought back in 2017.

Both schools have had their fair share of superstars over the years. Jason White, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray all won Heisman trophies while playing in the Big 12, while Texas has had a few close calls between Vince Young and Colt McCoy. I could go on and on about all the greats that have suited up for these two since the conference came together in 1996, but that would take up too much time here.

Whether or not you will be shedding a tear or jumping for joy is up to you, but there is no doubt in my mind that the conference will not be the same without these two schools. The SEC is saying that it’s a new era, and you know what? It’s also a new era in the Big 12, too.

We are bringing in four new schools and have brought in a total of eight new schools in the last couple of years. Without Texas or Oklahoma leaving, I am not sure if that would have happened, but I am glad it did. Am I going to miss that first Saturday in October at the Cotton Bowl? Sure, but I am also excited to see what the future holds in the Big 12 because it is going to be the most exciting football conference in America from top to bottom. So goodbye, Texas and Oklahoma.

Maybe we will meet again, but until then, enjoy the SEC. Sometimes, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

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North Texas SC Defeats Real Monarchs 2-1 | North Texas SC

Published

20 hours ago

July 1, 2024

Press Room

North Texas SC Defeats Real Monarchs 2-1 | North Texas SC

Herriman, Utah (June 30, 2024) – North Texas SC (8-1-5, 33 points) obtained its fifth road win of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season after defeating Real Monarchs (4-9-1, 14 points) 2-1 from Zions Bank Stadium. Second half goals from Enes Sali and Isaiah Parker sealed the comeback win for North Texas.

FIRST WIN IN THE GARBINI ERA
Interim head coach Michel Garbini earned his first win since being appointed interim head coach on June 11. Garbini made his North Texas SC interim head coach debut on June 22 in North Texas’ 3-3 draw versus Austin FC II.

NORTH TEXAS HEAT
With tonight’s 2-1 win over Real Monarchs on the road, North Texas SC is on a six-game unbeaten streak (5-0-1). The team has scored 16 goals and conceded only six in the last six matches since starting the unbeaten run.

THREE IN A ROW
Forward Enes Sali scored his fifth goal of the season in the 63rd minute of the match via a penalty kick. Sali is the first North Texas SC player to score in three consecutive matches this season. Two of the three goals scored were away from home.

PARKER FLYING DOWN THE WING
FC Dallas 2022 SuperDraft Pick Isaiah Parker netted his first goal of the 2024 season. Parker’s last goal for North Texas was on September 3, 2022, against MNUFC2 in a 2-1 win. He became the eighth different goal scorer for North Texas SC this season.

JUNE RECORD
North Texas SC finished the month of June unbeaten with a 3-0-1 record. The three wins came on the road and the draw at home. North Texas holds an all-time record of 11-5-4 when playing in June since 2019.

UP NEXT: KICKING JULY OFF BY HOSTING THE TWOSIES
North Texas SC hosts MNUFC2 on Wednesday, July 3, at Choctaw Stadium. The match kicks off at 7:45PM CT and will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

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