Ringolsby: Postseason Insider, Oct. 20

Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published October 20, 2006 at midnight

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NEW YORK – Texas owner Thomas Hicks might be advised to take a step back from operation of the team. Without his tinkering, one can only wonder what might have been for the franchise.

He was the guy who orchestrated the major overpayment to lure Alex Rodriguez. He not only hired manager Buck Showalter, but then gave him the contract extension which is why the Rangers are now paying him $5 million to not manage the team for the next three years.

And this postseason was another reminder for Hicks in his poor judgment in baseball matters.

Back when he was hiring a general manager, he refused to even interview a former Rangers scout named Omar Minaya and told Dave Drombrowski thanks, but no thanks, opting to bring in John Hart.

Hart was forced out in Texas a year ago. Minaya and Dombrowski? Minaya is now the general manager of the NL East runner up New York Mets, and Dombrowski will be busy this weekend watching his team, Detroit, host Games 1 and 2 of the World Series.

First pitch pitchers

Something strange in Detroit, where Al Kaline and Willie Horton will join owner Mike Ilitch to throw out the first pitch prior to Game 1 of the World Series, and former manager Sparky Anderson will throw out the first pitch prior to Game 2.

Word was that the Tigers had convinced former All-Star shortstop Alan Trammell, fired last fall after three years as the manager, to throw out a first pitch, too, but he isn't listed in the release issued by Major League Baseball.

"That Olde D means everything to him,"’ said a friend of Trammell.

Turn down the sound

Does somebody actually feel that having blaring public address systems makes the ballpark a more enjoyable place to be? Not only is Shea Stadium filthy, but now they have the speakers turned up so loud that they actually drown out the sound of planes landing at nearby LaGuardia.

Word is the operations people think having the loud music and announcements rattles the visiting teams.

Suppan on the cheap

Best bargain in baseball could well be Cardinals right-hander Jeff Suppan, who has made at least 32 starts each of the last eight big-league seasons, and is 95-88 in that stretch. He has earned $10 million combined the last three years in St. Louis. That figures to change this offseason when Suppan will be a free agent once again in a free agent class that is weak on starting pitching once teams get past Jason Schmidt and Barry Zito.

Red Sox taking a chance

Intriguing part of Boston hiring John Farrell as its pitching coach is that Farrell hasn’t coached before. He is a former big-league pitcher, and has a great baseball mind, but his more recent assignment with Cleveland was running the Indians minor-league system.

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