40 Acres Sports

[tag]Roger Clemens[/tag] picks up his National League Championship ring and then catches for fellow Longhorn legend Vince Young as he throws at the first pitch. As usual, he throws a perfect strike.

Nice overhand throwing motion from Vince, I bet NFL scouts would love that. With his size and athleticism, if he’d have grown up with a baseball in his hand he’d probably have been a remarkable centerfielder. Of course, the Longhorns already win plenty of championships in baseball so I think he picked the right sport.

Tom Hicks and the Texas Rangers honored the 2005 National Champion Texas Longhorn football team today at the season opener in Arlington. Coach [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] threw out the first pitch and Longhorn coaching legend [tag]Darrell Royal[/tag] was also recognized. Royal and Hicks were influential in bringing Brown to Texas from North Carolina almost nine years ago. Always coaching, Mack didn’t let next season or our quarterback situation slip his mind for even a minute:

“If I put one in the dirt, which I’m not planning on, it will not change my life any, except (the media) will have more fun with it,” Brown joked before the toss. “If one of our young quarterbacks puts one in the dirt, it changes my life. I’m a lot more focused on the throws next fall than the throw today.”

I can handle a few in the dirt Mack, it’s the ones that hit the defenders that worry me.

Roger Clemens was also at the game, which threw the national media and Rangers fans into a frenzy thinking he was interested in joining the Rangers if he decides to pitch this season. I’m still fairly certain that if Clemens pitches this year it’ll be for the Houston Astros.

Former Longhorn and current Oakland A’s closer Huston Street is on the cover of this week’s ESPN the Magazine Baseball Preview edition. The article focuses on the A’s and how thanks to Street, Rich Harden, and Bobby Crosby this year the team has the makeup to make a longer run into the playoffs. They pick them to win the AL West and trump the St. Louis Cardinals in five to win the World Series.

Thanks to tougher sterioid testing/penalties and no (less?) juiced up players, it should be an interesting year in Major League Baseball.

Trust me, Icy Hot should never go near that area.

In an exclusive interview earlier today on SportsRadio 1310 The Ticket, Texas Rangers’ owner Tom Hicks announced that on opening day the Texas Rangers will honor the 2005 National Champion Texas Longhorns, with [tag]Mack Brown[/tag] and [tag]Darrell Royal[/tag] throwing out the first pitches.

This comes on the heels of the Rangers going after Roger Clemens, a former Texas Longhorn himself. I wonder if this is just one more tactic in trying to lure the indecisive Roger Clemens to the Rangers?

“Right now, I don’t see myself playing.”

Would be nice if the Horns would step it up against teams other than the Owls.

Doesn’t sound like too much till you realize it’s 10% of total scholarships.

Good outing from Alaniz and good production from the top of the order.

I haven’t seen much, but I’d like to see Kyle Walker get some late game chances.