About Myself

My name is Rachel. I’ve been a huge sports fan for a while now and with college just around the corner I needed to decide what I was going to do.  Journalism? Yep, that’s what I decided. When college is finally over I may have other plans for my journalism but as of right now I plan on being a sport journalist. Helping Christian athletes share their faith as well as the game.  Hope you enjoy.  As of right now I haven’t had the chance to talk to any Christian athletes so I am just focusing on sports journalism.

Every blog post is Copyright Rachel_Rae5  2012.

Rangers – First Half Review

With the All-Star break coming up, I’m going to take this time to review not just some of our players but all of them.  In my book pitching is a teams great weakness or greatest asset.  In the Ranger’s case their pitching has been phenomenal.
I would like to start with Matt Harrison.  At the beginning of the year if you had told me that Harry would have the best ERA on this team at the All-Star break and that he would be one of only two of our starters not on the DL I would have laughed.  Harrison has pitched in 16 games so far this season with a win/loss of 11 to 3 sporting a 3.16 ERA (Best on our team). Harrison has the best record of all our starting pitchers as well as leading the AL in wins with David Price of the Rays. I was very excited when I saw that Matt Harrison was selected to his very first All-Star game this year. No doubt at all about this decision! Harrison was also named the AL pitcher of the month of June and the Ranger player of the month.
With Holland, Lewis, and Feliz on the DL I will have the jump right to Yu Darvish. At the beginning of the season I was looking forward to this day and writing about Holland and Feliz but a lass that is not the case. Darvish has been probably the biggest excitement for Ranger fans in the last 10 or so years.  With a 3.69 ERA in 16 games with a win/loss record at 10 and 5, Darvish has been actually an ace type player other than his first start.  I have not had the privilege to watch Yu pitch at all this season, in person or on TV but from the highlight reals he has some great stuff.  I don’t think I have ever been so into a pitching performance then when I watch Darvish. I was quite surprised to see that he was not selected for the All-Star game. He is also in second place with the most amount of wins behind only Matt Harrison and David Price of the Rays. In 16 games, Darvish has pitched 102.2 innings in 16 games allowing 87 hits, 45 runs, 41 earned runs, 9 homers, 53 walks, and 117 strike outs.
Robbie Rose. Other than Darvish, Robbie has been my biggest excitement this season even over Joe Nathan. Ross has appeared in the third highest amount of games behind Nathan and Adams. In 31 games Ross has 1.06 ERA and won 6 of them as a reliever losing none. Ross has allowed 33 hits in 31 appearances and 43.2 innings, 10 runs, 2 home runs, 8 walks, 26 strike outs, and only 5 earned runs.
With Feliz moving to the starting rotation at the beginning of the season the Rangers signed closer Joe Nathan. Nathan has appeared in 34 games (most on the team), saved 18, lost two, and has a 1.87 ERA.  When Joe was signed I did not have great hopes for him but I had faith that the Rangers knew what they were doing. After his first few appearances I was sure they had made the right decision, others however didn’t. He didn’t have a good first two starts but his stuff was good. Nathan has allowed 26 hits in 33.2 innings, 8 runs, 7 earned runs, 2 homers, 4 walks, and 42 strike outs.
The Rangers signed Roy Oswalt on May 29, 2012 and made his first major League start for the club on June 22. In his first 6 2/3 innings as a Ranger, Oswalt struck out 6, allowing 9 hits, and one earned run on 110 pitches. I was lucky enough to go to Oswalt’s debut and was very happy with what I saw. When the Rangers signed him in May I was not happy. I thought they needed to find someone else who has actually been pitching. I thought that Oswalt hadn’t signed with anyone this season because no one wanted him. I have been proven wrong however when I found out that Oswalt wouldn’t sign with anyone else because he wanted to be in a Ranger uniform.
Just as last season, Ron Washington has had Mike Napoli and Yorrvit Torrealba split the catching duties. Napoli has caught more games than Torrealba though. In 69 games and 226 at bats, Napoli has 36 runs, 53 hits, 12 home runs, 30 RBIs, 29 walks, and 82 strike outs. He hasn’t had a great season so far at least not as good as he was doing last year. Napoli’s batting average is at .235. Torrealba is started 38 games and in 128 at bats he is hitting .234 with 14 runs, 30 hits, 2 homers, 11 RBIs, 12 walks, and 26 strike outs. Torrealba has thrown out 7 would be base stealers while Napoli has thrown out 5. Torrealba has allowed more stolen bases though. Looking at how many less games Torrealba has played then Napoli, Nap is still doing better. He, however, could do a lot better. Hopefully this next half of the year we will see the Napoli from last year. Maybe Emily Jones needs to win another bet…
First base had been played the most by Mitch Moreland will he went on the DL in June with a pulled hamstring. Moreland had played in 55 games with 158 at bats before going down and had really started looking great. Mitch has 25 runs, 43 hits, 10 home runs, 12 walks, and only 31 strike outs and a batting average at .272.  There has been no news as of yet as to when Moreland will be back on the roster but his bat has been missed. Michael Young, Mike Napoli, and Brandon Snyder are the combination of players who Washington has had fill in for Moreland but lets face it, none of them are as good on the field as Mitch is. In 55 games and 331.1 innings Mitch Moreland has committed one error!
As most of you know, Kinsler has been our primary second base man with Young and Gonzalez filling in on off days here and there. In 632 innings and 71 games, Ian has committed 11 errors and has a .276 batting average. As most of the Rangers at the end of May and beginning of June, Kinsler had a bad stretch of playing time. Hittings lead off, Kinsler has a league leading 61 runs and has the third most hits on the team with 93, behind only Josh Hamilton and Elvis Andrus (Josh, 95: Elvis, 94). He also has 9 home runs, 40 RBIs (forth most on the team behind Josh, Beltre, and Cruz), 27 walks, and 46 strike outs. It was actually quite a surprise that Kinsler was not chosen for the All-Star game this year. His numbers compared to Cano aren’t that much different at all. Kinsler and Cano have played in the same amount of games, Kinsler however has more runs, one less hit, more doubles, more triples, less homers, 6 less RBIs, 2 less walks, more stolen bases, and his batting average is only 34 points lower than Cano’s. When talking to other Ranger fans and hearing that they voted for Cano rather than Kinsler because Cano is better I about passed out. Cano has a few areas where his numbers are higher than Kinsler’s but not enough that you think you should vote for someone not on your team in my opinion. Ian was not picked as a starter for the 2012 All-Star game but he was chosen as a reserve.
Hitting .323, Adrian Beltre is one of the best third baseman out there. Beltre has been with the Rangers for one and a half seasons now and really shows fans what they are all about.  In 76 games, 523 innings, and 294 at bast, Beltre has 45 runs, 95 hits, 14 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 17 walks. Beltre has only committed 5 errors in 138 total chances with 51 put outs, 82 assists, and 10 double plays. Adrian was selected at the third base starter for the 2012 MLB All-Star game, making his third All-Star appearance.
Being selected for his second All-Star game in three years, Elvis is hitting .307 in 77 games, 668 innings, and 306 at bats with 51 runs, 94 hits, 1 home run, 32 RBIs, 36 walks, and a team leading 16 stolen bases. A lot of people think Washington should move Ian down in the line up and put Elvis in lead off. However, if you don’t realize it, Elvis could be hitting great and then be moved up in the line up and go down hill from there. It’s all about presence and perspective. If you have never been in that position you may never really understand it. I trust Ron Washington’s decision in this case.

This season the Rangers have a much bigger platoon of outfields who are actually reliable players. With Josh and Murphy in left, Martin and Gentry (with the occasional help from Hamilton) in center, and Cruz in right what better out field could the Rangers ask for. There has been talk among the fans about trading Gentry because Martin is now in the picture. However, if you really look at it how can the Rangers get rid of Gentry when he is a great back up player like Murphy. What if Josh was to get another bad injury? How will take his place if you don’t have Murphy and Gentry. Last season Josh and Cruz both went on the DL at the same time. If it wasn’t for Gentry and Murphy there to back them up things would have really gone down hill.
Josh Hamilton has played in left field almost ever game of the season playing center just a few times. Hitting .316 in 74 games and 282 at bats, Josh has 51 runs, 89 hits, 25 homers (first player ever to reach 25 homers so fast in a season), 73 RBIs, 32 walks, and 6 stolen bases. I think it is safe to say that he is the best player on the team right now and maybe in the Majors. As of late though, he has been striking out a lot. After hitting almost every ball thrown to him at the beginning of the season, Josh knew that this point would come. He just didn’t know when. From what he said I think he thought it would have come sooner. Aren’t we glad it didn’t!
As usual Cruz has played right field all season. At the beginning of the year his average wasn’t that great but over the last month or so he has worked it up to .259 with 11 home runs, 49 RBIs (third most on the team), 46 runs, and 77 hits. There isn’t much to say about Cruz other than the fact that his defense has been almost spotless. Committing only one error.
The Murph-dog has played mainly in left field with an occasional play in right. This season so far has been really great for Murphy. He also recorded two home runs in one game, collecting 5 RBIs back in early June. In 193 at bats, Murphy has 28 runs, 56 hits, 9 home runs, 32 RBIs, and 28 walks. When asked how he felt about Gentry and Martin getting a lot of playing time, Murphy said, “what ever helps the team out is good with me. And those guys are good.” Another thing to look at is Murphy’s average is .290 while Cruz’ is at .259. Cruz has only played in nine more games then Murphy. David is really showing us what he can do for this team!
After the game on June 22nd, I thought we wouldn’t be seeing much of Gentry for a while, I was right. But thankfully it wasn’t as long as I thought. I am actually way more comfortable with Gentry in center then Martin. They may just be because Gentry has already proven himself to me though. In 64 games, Gentry is hitting .354 with one home run, 16 runs, 45 hits, 18 RBIs, 10 walks, and 9 stolen bases.
When the Rangers signed Martin last season I was so excited! It was awesome watching clips from his playing time before coming to the big leagues. Now that he is with the Rangers everyday it has been even more fun. As I said before I like having Gentry out there better but Martin is almost just as good and will be a great player in the coming years. Definitely a must keep for the Rangers. With an average at .231, Martin has 3 runs, 6 hits, 5 RBIs, 3 walks, and 2 stolen bases. I am looking forward to seeing what more Martin has to offer us!
Michael Young was thought to be our every day DH other than the days when Washington wanted to give a guy a day off. But with Moreland on the DL Michael Young has had a lot of first base duties over the last few weeks. He has been good. He has not committed a ton of errors either. Moreland is sorely missed however. Michael is hitting .266 with 84 hits, 37 runs, 31 RBIs, and 16 walks. The “Face of the Rangers” hasn’t been that great this season but he isn’t doing bad either. The Rangers are still winning right?

There is a topic that I would like to discuss now at the time. There has been a lot of talk from fans about players on the team who “scare” them at this point in the season. Things like “Young, Napoli, and mister swing for the fences Kinsler are scaring me in the batting order” and “Our pitching is scaring me”. First of all I would like to point out that if you want to be “scared” about how Napoli and Young are hitting that is fine with me, but if you are “scared” about how Kinsler is hitting then you should also be “scared” of how Josh and Elvis are hitting. Josh and Elvis are leading the Rangers in hits with 94 and 93, no question there but Ian has 92 hits and more runs on this team then anyone else. Please explain to me why that “scares” you. Thank you!

 

Copyright Rachel_Rae5 2012

Mission Trip 2012

Working with the kids during Sunday morning services.

Waiting to help the guys down in the hole.

Rachel, Suzi, Emmy, and I had to clean out the living room, kitchen, and hallways of a house before removing all the tile. Here Rach and Suzi are removing everything off the top of a 6 foot tall cabinet in the living room.

Micah and Trinity (Our pastor’s youngest daughter)

Micah and Stephen helping with Sunday School.

Olivia Polson, Tianna, Toby, and Tisha Black (their dad is our pastor)

Tianna and Tisha Black with their future sister in law 🙂

Trenton and Trinity Black

Staring contest! -Micah Scott and Tianna-

Suzi, Tianna, and Tisha with Aunt KK Benally (Missionary’s wife)

We were met with a huge hole on arrival which we were to turn into the floor of the Benally’s basement of their new house.

Micah helped Mr. Benally with a lot of the pluming.

Starting to pour the concrete boarders.

Pouring the concrete slab.

Tim  and Tyler Black leveling out the part of the concrete slab that had been poured so far.

Tim leveling out the latest 1/3 of the concrete slab.

Rachel Polson and Brittney Benally making dinner.

Putting on the last few touches of the basement floor Thursday morning before we leave!

Four wheeler rides with Toby(:

Mr. and Mrs. Scott. They don’t go to our church but have been coming on our mission trips for about 4 years now.

Helping Suzi tape and bed four shower stalls! A lot of work but so much fun if you have good music to listen to 🙂

On our way home. We look happy but we were sad to leave.

All-Star Vote Standings

Hamilton is the leading vote-getter in both leagues, with 2,587,991 votes in the first ballot update in the All-Star voting as he bids to start in the American League outfield for the fifth straight season.

He is not alone among his teammates. Second baseman Ian Kinsler, catcher Mike Napoli and third baseman Adrian Beltre lead the voting at their positions. Nelson Cruz is third among outfielders. Five starters would be a first for the Rangers.

Cruz was selected to the 2009 AL All-Star team as a reserve but did not get to play in the game. He did participate in the Home Run Derby. He was shocked to hear that he was third in the outfield voting behind Hamilton and Curtis Granderson of the Yankees.

“I’m glad people like me and they’re really into Nellie,” Cruz said. “There are a lot of good outfielders, so I’m glad to hear I have a lot of support from the fans.”

Of those five, Napoli is the only one who has never been to an All-Star Game.

“Awesome … thanks to our fans,” Napoli said. “It would mean a lot to me. It would mean a lot to every player to make the All-Star Game. I want my numbers to prove I deserve to be an All-Star. I love the fans giving me such great sport.”

The Rangers went into Tuesday’s games leading the AL in attendance, which may have something to do with having five players in position to be starters. The Rangers are also two-time defending AL champions.

“If we keep getting 40,000 people in the ballpark, this thing could work,” said manager Ron Washington, who will manage the AL team for the second straight year.

“There’s no doubt our fans are very supportive and we’ve played well enough for them to continue to support us,” Beltre said.

“The coolest thing is Wash making it two years in a row as manager,” Kinsler said. “We’d like for him to be the manager again next year.”

Michael Young is second behind the Red Sox’s David Ortiz among designated hitters, and Elvis Andrus is second among shortstops behind the Yankees’ Derek Jeter. Young has been to seven All-Star Games.

Kinsler has been to two All-Star Games but has never started. Beltre started at third base for the AL last year.

(Taken from Texas Ranger’s News)

Pursuing Purity

So far this is how I have lived my life in the last year. I plan to keep it that way!

The late high school years are characterized by (among other things) a changing dynamic in guy-girl relationships.  How we perceive and are perceived by the opposite gender begins to influence our choices and expose us to temptations.  We need to think biblically about this complex area of guy-girl relationships.
God designed males and females – each equally bearing His image, complementary yet very different.  Most people (but not all – thing of Amy Carmichael the single missionary) will eventually enter into a sacrificial, lifelong marriage commitment.  “Whoa!” you say, “that’s in the way distant future.”  And you’re probably right.  But it’s not too early to set patterns of kindness, honor and respect in the way you form friendships with the opposite gender.
If your family’s convictions allow you to date, take you time.  There is no need to kindle the flames of romance until the time is right.  To avoid things getting serious, don’t take just one girl to the school’s basketball game or concert; go with a few girls and guys.  Limit private texting and long periods of one-on-one time.  Enjoy getting to know others without the added pressure of consuming nature of an exclusive relationship.
And include your parents once in a while.  They probably know you better than anyone else does and will be able to lend valuable insights about friendships that show potential… and about those that should be avoided.
Honor God’s wisdom over your own physical passion.  Ours is a “live in the moment” culture – as if to deny ourselves anything is somehow immoral or unhealthy.  That implies that our feelings are more authoritative than what God says.  But our Maker knows how we best function.  When we pursue physical pleasure apart from God’s intention to our own detriment.  Don’t cheat your future mate – or yourself- by giving yourself away physically to another person outside of marriage.  Period.
Protect your emotions.  The Greek philosopher Plato believed that humans are preexisting souls encapsulated in physical bodies upon birth.  He believed that our bodies are not a part of our essence: the mind completely separate from the body.
Christians with a high view of purity before marriage (and that’s a good thing) often err in thinking that they can develop deep friendships with members of the opposite gender because doing so doesn’t violate any moral “rules”.  So Mike’s soul/mind could be “best friends” with Jessica’s soul/mind with no problems.
But Plato was wrong – God made our minds inseparable from who we are.  Emotional intimacy tends to promote a sense of possessiveness; we think of a person as “ours” when he or she is not.  Whatever else happens, there will be intense emotional pain if either Mike or Jessica eventually moves on (as is likely).
So enjoy a wide range of friendships with young men and women who reinforce your values but protect your emotional purity before marriage as much as you protect your physical chastity.

A Friend to Cherish

One of the biggest challenges for teens in this society is finding good friendships, friendships that are good for you and build you up. The characteristics of you friends help to shape you into the person you will one day become. As Proverbs 13:20 says, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” Furthermore, because many young people deal with peer pressure from others they eventually disregard their authority. However, friendships built around God will help keep one’s eyes focused on God and not on the opinions of others. When you realize that you may have a friendship with someone out of the desire for attention, that is the time to find security in Jesus Christ because His grace and love for you will free you to love others more than self. One way to find a true friendship is to first determine the qualities you value and then look for those in the friends around you. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend”. Find a friend who shares the same biblical world view as you do. Having an accountability to God protects us from leading double lives with our friendships. When you find a friend as loyal as Jonathan was to David, you know you have received a gift from God. A friend who speaks the truth and is honest no matter what the circumstances is a friend to cherish for the rest of your life.

“We Die Gladly”

I was reading through a devotional I got a few Christmases ago that shares stories of believes in other countries that are persecuted for their faith in God and I came across this story of two young girls that I would like to share with you.

“‘Shoot them, and we will let you live!’”

“The pastor had stuck a deal with the Communists in the Chinese prison where they were being held. But the two Christian girls standing before him were resolved not to renounce their faith.  A fellow prisoner who watched the terrible scene described their faces as pale but beautiful beyond belief – infinitely sad, but sweet. They were determined to face death rather then turn their backs on Christ.
The pastor reasoned, ‘Why should we all three die? If I kill you and they let me live, then I can continue to work among the churches’.
The girls spoke to him softly, ‘Before you shoot us, we want to thank you for all you have meant to us. You led us to Christ, baptized us, and gave us Holy Communion. May God reward you for all the good you have done. You also taught us that Christians are sometimes weak and commit terrible sins, but they can be forgiven again.  When you regret what you are about to do to us, don’t despair like Judas but relent like Peter. And remember that our last thoughts of you are not of hatred and anger, but of love and forgiveness. We all pass through times of darkness. We die gladly.’
But the pastor’s heart was already hardened, and he shot them. Immediately afterward, the Communists shot him.”

Some of you wonder why I share this particular story with you. The reason is, how many of us would have loved that pastor even as he was about to kill us? Wouldn’t we have acted in anger and said hatred words to him? How were those girls able to stand there with the man they thought was their friend about to kill them? In Matthew 5:44 “… I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray or them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”  Those girls went to prison expecting to have that pastor at their side standing up for the Lord and even dying for him, however he turned out to be the persecutor. The only way those girls kept from letting their minds go to hatred was with God’s race and strength. Are we so connected with God that we could go and be persecuted for him and not renounce our faith?

Memorial Day

As we all had an amazing Memorial Day today, soldiers over seas and here at home remember the ones left behind on those battle fields and ocean. Sadly, we spend our Memorial Days more with fun and only a little bit of remembering then the cost some have paid for us to have that fun. I am blessed to live in such a country and am blessed to know that some men and women give their lives up for me to have the freedom I have.  I have no family in the military and have never really dealt very closely with anyone who has been in. However, when I was much younger I had an old friend, he was probably 9 to 11 years older than me. He was like a big brother to our family over the years though. Always taking care of us and moving the difficult things to his shoulders then to leave them on ours. As I remember the fun times we had together I remember one time where the love he had for us really shown through. We were at a friend’s house. They had about 49 acres of land and an amazing horse that we all use to ride all the time.  Being girls and quite short, it was hard to get up on the horse and there was no bucket to stand on or stool. Josh solved that problem for us though. He put his hands in a stirrup hold and let us stand on them, lifting us up. What none of us thought about though, was the fact that there were stickers all over the yard and we all had a couple hundred of them in the bottom of our shoes all put together. No one realized this fact though, but as I stood watching Natalie start her tour around the field, I happened to look over at Josh. Blood dripping from his hands as he dug the stickers out. You may not think that an act of love and caring, but what he did next was one of the biggest surprises I have ever encountered. When Natalie finished her ride and the next person was ready to get on, Josh knelt, again putting his hands in a stirrup hold, and helped the next person up.

Josh died in July of 2006 in a freak accident while in the Marines on his way home on leave before being shipped off over seas. I will never forget his love for us, his love for his parents, and his love for his God. Josh was an only child.

Houston Astros Officially Going to AL

The 2012 season will be the Houston Astros’ 51st season as a National League team however that will be the most as of right now that they will have. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced that the Astros are officially moving to the American League before the 2013 season. The club also have a new owner, Jim Crane. On the sale of the Astros, Crane will receive a break of about $70 million from his $680 million purchase price. Half of the $70 million will be coming from MLB and the other half from Astros previous owner Drayton McLane.
In 2013, when the Astros move over, they will be just the second team to move from one league to the other, as the Milwaukee Brewers moved from the American League to the National league in 1998. Also, for the first time there will be the same number of teams in each league, at fifteen, which will require interleague play through out the whole season. On this move there will also be five teams in each division.
Onlike Milwaukee, Houston has no history as an American League city therefore there is likely to be quite a bit of opposition from the fans. The Astros are now going to have to look for a DH during this next season which can cause some problems since DH roles are hard to fill.

One thing to really look at is who fans in Texas will treat one another. In states like California there are a lot of fan rivalries.  Texas, having no experience in having two teams in the same league, could soon encounter some of those same rivalries.

God Has a Plan

This is old but I thought someone of you would like to read it.

Josh Hamilton’s life as been an up and down process these last few years and last month was not an exception. While the Texas Rangers played against the Oakland Athletics at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Shannon Stone, a Brownwood firefighter, tragically lost his life. Shannon had come to the ballpark looking to show his son the beauty of baseball, but while reaching for a ball tossed into the stands by Josh Hamilton, he fell twenty feet and suffered serious head injuries and died at the hospital less than an hour later. Yes, this is a very sad tragedy but because of Josh’s faith in Christ he found grace and peace through this sad experience. Josh who had been a drug addict and alcoholic not long ago and would not have know what to say in this situation, now states, “I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now. I can’t imagine. All I can think about is praying for them and knowing that God has a plan. You don’t always know what that plan is when these things happen, but one day you will understand why God put those trials in your life. And you go on.” Things have been up and down for Josh for quite sometime now but he has learned to lean on God and let Him plan his life even if it means losing something or someone he loves.