Ballzy

After stumbling all year over how to explain the Rangers' stumbles, John and Evan stumble over how to explain an illogical hot streak and tales of travel woes. The former Rangers ace Cole Hamels joins the guys to recall his unexpected trade to the Rangers, the run to 2015 AL West title and if there is anything these Rangers can take from that. And he reminisces about the day of two Coles, when the Rangers asked him to chaperone first-round draft pick Cole Ragans around spring training. Finally, when John cranks open the Archives in Arlington, out tumbles the tale of the Ranger who played all nine positions - in five innings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Calvin Watkins discuss [00:10] the fallout from the Micah Parsons trade and how that impacts the Cowboys for Thursday’s opener in Philadelphia, which, according to our panel, will not be good. [20:52] Kirk Bohls, who covers Texas for the Houston Chronicle, joins Kevin and Evan to talk about Texas’ 14-7 loss to Ohio State at the Horseshoe. Evan and Kevin wonder [41:38] if the kids have given the Rangers a spark in a late climb in the wild card standings. And SportsDay Insider bids farewell [50:50] to the all-time great Cowboys linebacker, Lee Roy Jordan.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Rangers President of Baseball Operations joins the guys to break down the remainder of the season and to share thoughts on what has gone right and what's gone wrong. The guys wonder if the 5-1 homestand is a harbinger of a run and theorize on why the offense might have a different dynamic. Also, Evan gets emotional over the Rangers' great smiles and a little wistful when John mentions Yu Darvish in the Archives in Arlington. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Joe Hoyt take a look [00:12] at the Cowboys’ final roster decisions and how it impacts several positions, running backs in particular. For the second year in a row, no one’s impressed. Kevin notes that Derrick Henry, who wanted to sign with the Cowboys last year, was ranked this year among ESPN’s top 100 players. The guys also try to figure out why Jerry Jones refuses to negotiate with Micah Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, and give their best guess when something gets done. [25:32] Kevin and Evan were both surprised at Bruce Bochy’s enthusiasm about his job, putting the ball in Chris Young’s court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington and Evan Grant are joined [1:00] by Calvin Watkins in an effort to figure out exactly what the Cowboys have done leading up to the final preseason game to make us think they'll be better than what got Mike McCarthy fired. Holes at backup quarterback, defensive line, cornerback and possibly in the offensive line. [27:45] Meanwhile, the Rangers, in the midst of their most important week of the season, decided to do it without Josh Jung, who, not so long ago, showcased the advancement of their player development system. Not a good time for faint of heart fans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John and Evan break down the season's most critical week (though it feels like the Rangers have had lots of critical weeks) with a series at Kansas City and one vs. Cleveland, the two teams directly ahead of them in the playoff race. Then Hall of Famer Adrián Beltré joins to discuss the statue of him that will be unveiled this week outside Globe Life Field. What will the pose be? Will fans be able to touch the statue's head without getting tased? And finally, the great countdown to the Rangers most iconic regular-season moment has come to a close. Which won the fan vote: Kenny Rogers' perfect game or the first playoff berth in team history? And does John, the ultimate authority on Rangers' history, agree? Lots of mysteries to unravel this week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Joe Hoyt discuss Dallas’ most perplexing sports franchises, each for different reasons. [1:58] The Rangers continue to challenge anyone to write them into the playoffs or write them off. Evan says they don’t have an identity. Kevin says the fact that you don’t know what to expect tells you that’s exactly who they are: unpredictable. [20:17] Joe, who’s relatively new to the Cowboys beat, has discovered what we’ve all come to know: A documentary about a team that hasn’t won anything of consequence in 30 years is proof that the appeal of the Cowboys isn’t about football.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John and Evan once again find themselves breaking down the lack of offense in key moments before turning to the more pleasant topic of Nathan Eovaldi's Cy Young candidacy. The guys go over his case, the obstacles he faces, the historic nature of his ERA and a little insight into how voting works. Then Ian Kinsler becomes the first live in-studio guest when he sits down for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with how the 2010-13 Rangers went into games knowing they were going to beat opponents and his role in that. And then it goes off in all kinds of directions. John and Evan review the finalists for the Rangers Best Regular Season Moment in club history. And how you can win a nice prize package for voting in the finals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Kevin on a lavish excursion, Evan steps in to host and sets a SportsDay Insider record with two — TWO — staff guests. [1:00] First, Calvin Watkins joins to walk us through the Jerry-Micah mess and to try to explain what the sticking point is. Will the Cowboys actually trade Micah? Will Jerry ever learn that agents negotiate contracts? When will the contract get done? [22:53] Then, Shawn McFarland and Evan break down the trade deadline and the aftermath for the Rangers and what the deadline says about the farm system. We end with everybody’s favorite topic: The Joc Pederson Experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Red-eye weary Evan details the weirdness that is the 2025 Rangers season and why the club ended up strengthening its strongest areas at the trade deadline rather than its weaknesses. Then John Burkett, the first Ranger to ever win a postseason game, joins the guys from the bowling alley in his home to discuss his post-baseball bowling career, how his Rangers debut helped rescue the season and what it was like pitching in Yankee Stadium in the playoffs. The guys then reveal the Final Four moments in the Rangers' Greatest Regular Season Moment bracket. And how John had to choose between being there for Nolan Ryan's 5,000th strikeout or bringing home his newborn first child. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Joe Hoyt discuss [1:07] the lack of progress in Micah Parsons' contract negotiations as well as Joe's pleasant surprises and concerns. Hint: Tyler Guyton's injury wasn't a good development for the offensive line, and you can probably guess in which category Mazi Smith falls. [25:43] Evan and Kevin analyze the upsurge in the Rangers' offense lately and how that might affect Chris Young's trade deadline plans. Evan says a power arm for the bullpen remains the primary goal. Plus, is Jacob deGrom tipping his pitches to the Angels? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Rangers finish an 8-1 homestand and zoom back into playoff contention, the guys discuss what's gone suddenly right with the offense. Think: Less chase and more Sam Haggerty and how it may impact the looming trade conversation. Then former Rangers GM Jon Daniels, who led the team to five different playoff trips, joins to recount the stories of deadlines past. Which trade did he hate? Which was his favorite? And what was the toughest to make. Also: How John aggravated JD every deadline. Finally, the guys review the winners from the round of 16 of Rangers Madness, including how neither of them were there for Adrían Beltré's 3,000th hit. And remember, you can earn Rangers memorabilia by voting in the Rangers Madness tournament. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Calvin Watkins discuss [1:55] the furor over Jerry Jones’ perceived slights of Micah Parsons and Dak Prescott. Bottom line: Just Jerry being Jerry. Calvin gives us his three big storylines going into camp, and Evan says the rankings mean there must be a lot of questions about the team. [38:40] Kevin asks Evan if the Rangers still have a playoff pulse, and Evan says it’s hard to tell. [54:00] But they can still make a move for a reliever before the deadline. The guys note Scottie Scheffler’s win in the British Open and the comparisons to Tiger Woods, which makes Evan crazy. [1:05:50] And the guys are down with WNBA players asking to get paid.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Evan and John try to sort through what winning 2 of 3 from Detroit means for this club's immediate future. Then Rick Helling, the most recent - and perhaps last ever - 20-game winner in Rangers history, joins the guys to talk about being traded from and to the Rangers twice in a two-year period, pitching through the Steroid Era and being one of the first voices to speak out against PEDs. He also takes us inside his current work at the MLBPA. In the archives, John revisits Kenny Rogers' perfect game and Rogers' weird reaction to it. And before we sign off, the fellas unveil the bracket for Rangers Regular Season Madness, an opportunity for fans to vote on the top 16 moments in Rangers regular season history over the course of the summer and be rewarded with cool memorabilia for participating. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Shawn McFarland discuss [00:40] the Rangers’ position at the All-Star break and what Chris Young should do. Do Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, plus the imminent return of Jon Gray, change the narrative of a roller-coaster offense? What’s Adolis Garcia’s future with the Rangers? [26:46] As a dyed-in-the-wool New Englander, Shawn gives his take on new Cowboys’ backup QB Joe Milton, a former Patriot, as the guys speculate on whether he’s a legitimate backup to Dak Prescott. [36:16] They also discuss Cooper Flagg’s summer season and Paige Bueckers’ viral moment at a news conference.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The guys [2:50] break down the Rangers and a potentially encouraging sign as the All-Star break arrived. But let's not bury the lede. [13:10] Josh Hamilton, maybe the greatest single talent to ever put on a Rangers uniform, joins the fellas to reminisce on his 2008 Home Run Derby performance and to catch the guys up on where he is 10 years after his last MLB at-bat. [44:58] In the Archives in Arlington segment, John looks at some notable Rangers All-Star Game performances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington and Evan Grant are joined by Joe Hoyt, covering the Cowboys in his return to the staff. [1:10] Kevin and Evan can’t argue with the fact that Jacob deGrom was the only Ranger on the preliminary list for Tuesday’s All-Star Game. Do they also fail to make any ripples at the trade deadline? Evan says he wouldn’t have a problem if Chris Young played the cards in his hand. Kevin says he’d dangle Adolis Garcia in a deal. [22:10] Joe renders his two biggest questions for the Cowboys’ season. The first: How will the offense assimilate George Pickens, who, despite massive talent, had problems in Pittsburgh. So far, so good. The other point? Tune in to find out.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nope, it's not a repeat, just sounds like one. The fellas once again discuss a muddling offense that leaves the Rangers on the fringes of the playoff race. They break down the selection of Jacob deGrom to his first All-Star Game since 2021, and Evan muses on Kevin Pillar's take on the Rangers' clubhouse/chemistry. Then Will "The Thrill" Clark joins the guys to discuss joining the Rangers back when it didn't seem like a destination spot, what made the 1996 and 1998 Rangers teams special and what he thinks of hitting these days. Will might have some opinions. Finally, John cracks open the archives back to that 1996 season, which produced the Rangers' first playoff team, though there were some hairy moments late, and the clincher came in the middle of an extra-inning game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington and Evan Grant are joined by Stars/SMU beat writer Lia Assimakopoulos to talk [1:00] about the Stars’ new/old coach, Glen Gulutzan. Lia tells us what led Jim Nill to turn to a coach who’s never won a playoff game after firing one who led them to three straight conference finals. [18:08] Lia also discusses the ratification of the House settlement in college sports, meaning schools can officially pay athletes. How will it work? How can they police it? Those are questions still to be answered. [28:15] And Evan despairs over the state of the Rangers, almost surely sellers at this point. Do they cash in Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The guys rehash the highlights of the weekend, which means mostly Rangers Hall of Fame. With Elvis Andrus now in, Evan gives John his list of the next five guys who should be inducted. John squirms. Then we get down to the Mariners series and that means revisiting more offensive woes. In particular, concerns about Josh Jung. Then the old knuckleballer Charlie Hough, himself a member of the Rangers Hall of Fame, joins to explain how he learned the knuckleball, Tommy Lasorda's reaction to it and what it was like pitching alongside another 40-something in Arlington in Nolan Ryan. Finally, when John cracks open the Archives in Arlington, we look at a couple of weird games in which Charlie was the starter including his disastrous luck with a near no-hitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices