Rangers Better in 2012? Nolan Ryan Thinks So

He is truly EF Hutton.  When the Rangers president and CEO talks, we all listen.  At least that was the case when he met the spring training media throng in a tiny, hot tent Wednesday afternoon.

"I think we’re a better ball club," Ryan responded when asked to compare the 2012 Rangers to the 2011 unit that went to the World Series for the second straight year.

Ryan didn't need to be prodded to explain his reasoning.

"If you ask me why I think we’re a better ball club going into spring training in 2012?  We’re a stronger club than we’ve ever been because  of our young pitching and the number of innings they’ve logged and the success they’ve had getting a feel for what their durability is."

It's not just the young guys that give him such optimism. 

"We have a nucleus of guys, position players, that play every day and play hard," he continued.  "We have what I call established veterans on the ball club that aren’t at the end of their careers.  Their in the peak of their careers. "

"You can kind of go around the ball club and you look at Josh (Hamilton) and you look at Adrian (Beltre) and you look at Ian (Kinsler) and you look at Michael (Young), Nellie (Cruz).  That’s a nucleus of a ballclub that’s not yet growing old."

"The biggest thing you say, 'what would you like to see?'  Less time on DL.  When you look at what happened with our club last year and we did it key people spending time on the DL.  If we can narrow the amount of time those folks spend on the DL, it increases the opportunity for us to be an even better ball club."

I don't need to remind you how last season ended.  The only way to improve on 2011?  Go to the World Series and win in 2012.  Easier said than done.

Vinsanity 5.0 Working Well in Dallas

Vince Carter has won slam dunk titles, Olympic gold medals and had deep postseason runs but the Larry O'Brien trophy has eluded him.  The Mavericks are the fifth team the veteran guard has played for and Carter is hoping the fifth time is the charm in Dallas. 

The Mavs signed Carter as free agent in December.  He's started in 15 games this year and played in 25 of 30.  He's averaging 11 points, a far cry from the 22 points a game he's posted over the course of his 13 previous nba seasons and the career high 27.6 he averaged with the Raptors during the 2000-2001 season.

At this point in his career, Carter says personal numbers aren't his primary concern. 

"I mean, I'm asked that all the time.  I dont really know how to answer that," he said earlier this week.  "I'm about winning.  It's not about points, not about stats.  At the end of the day, if the team I'm on is winning, that's all care about.  That's what I came here for."

Interestingly, Dallas is 6-0 when he scores 15 or more points.  But Carter is clear, he wants a ring and feels that with the Mavericks his chances are good of getting one. 
　
"It is what it is, I'm trying to win. I'm here to contribute to a very good basketball team and hopefully it's enough to get us over the hump to win another one."

The Blake Show's Dallas Connection

The Mavericks cancelled their morning shootaround prior to their game against the Clippers Monday.  That gave us plenty of time to spend with the Los Angeles team that is stealing some star power from that other team in the City of Angels. 

It goes without saying that Blake Griffin is one the league's best young stars.  He's also one of the most likeable.  He's an uber-talented, marketable, smart young man who is also a thoughtful, humble interview. 

The Oklahoma graduate's parents are staying north of the Red River tonight but he will still have a long list of fans inside the American Airlines Center tonight.  Griffin has family and ton of friends who live in Dallas.

"I'll have a nice little ticket list tonight," he lamented with a smile.

I asked him which team those family members cheer for.

"They root for the Mavs when we're not playing," he said. "But, you know, they've started to watch a lot of west coast games."

Understandably.

Connecting You With All Things Yu

Now that Yu Darvish is officially a member of the Rangers, you can get acquainted with all things Yu.  The team will introduce him to DFW Friday at 7pm.  TV PLUG: I'll be live from the Ballpark with all sorts of Yu-related coverage.  But how can you really learn more about the 6-5 two-time Pacific League MVP?   Many ways.

Yu's Twitter Avatar

Yu is on Twitter and is pretty prolific, posting more than 3800 tweets as of 5:30pm CST Thursday.  He's posted a fair amount of pictures, as well.  The Google translate tool doesn't quite convey the message of his tweets but on January 15, he apparently tweeted something about the weather and then tweeted something about an Iphone to a follower on the 17th.  Riveting, isn't it?

Black Heart Charm

Yu has an official website that is simple but visually quite appealing.  If you're surfing via Google, you can use the Google translate tool to convert the Japanese characters to English.  He has links to a product page where you could purchase "a Black Heart" charm that features "the same uniform number "11" strap featuring an upscale luxurious Swarovski grains" (translate mixup, I think).  "The center is equipped with a metal plate logo was designed Darvish."  The charm is sold out.

You can purchase Darvish-endorsed cologne but his keychains, tote bags and "strap" are also sold out.

Yu also has a page promoting the various charitable causes he supports through the "Darvish-Yu Fund".   It appears he donated $1,000 to both the Japan Water Forum and the Children's Welfare Fund for each regular season win.  The Water Forum's mission is to solve "water problems in the world".

The website links to Yu's blog, which the site calls "Thoughts of Yu".  His recent entries include confirmation of his agreement with the Rangers as well the announcement that his divorce is final with Japanese actress, Saeko.   I find it interesting that his blog profile shares his blood type.   "A", in case you were wondering.

Green Tea + Pepper = Weight Loss Boost?

This is interesting.

You've probably read about consuming certain foods together to boost that food's health-providing properties.  Think broccoli with broccoli sprouts to up the anti-cancer effects or spinach eaten with eggs  combines protein and iron and, in turn, increases your metabolism.

According to a recent Rutgers University study cited in Whole Living magazine (LOVE that mag!) green tea and pepper is the new power combo to help you lose weight.  Sipping the green stuff, along with the spice improves the absorption of the tea's EGCG by as much as 130 percent.  EGCG which is the catechin found in tea that has a laundry list of good stuff that can rock your body.

So how do you get green tea and pepper together?  You're not going to sprinkle it in your tea.  Trust me, it's not so hot.

How about eating a salad with a liberal helping of pepper with some iced green tea (add mint to the tea for a delicious treat).  Try any dish whether it be chicken, fish, even meat followed by a cup of green tea after you finish the meal.  The tea acts as a nice digestif.  If you're in the cooking mode, you could ladle a cup of steeped tea over a mixture of brown rice and root vegetables.  Ok, maybe that's a stretch.

The point is, you can get creative with the green tea/pepper combo.  It's not that hard to work it in your diet if you do the salad with pepper or sprinkle liberal amounts of pepper on your food while consuming green tea.  This is an easy tip that might just do you a weight loss favor without trying too hard at all.

A 15-Year Old's Mission to End Cancer, One Autograph at a Time

Ten-year old Rudy Ramirez was a vibrant, friendly boy.  Brain cancer couldn't stop that.

Ramirez made fast friends with Houston native Jake Faust at a retreat for young cancer patients from Houston's Texas Children's Hospital at his grandparents' ranch, Squirrel Creek.

"He was really talkative, just like me," 15-year old Jake recalls. "I made a connection with him and stayed in touch.  He ended up dying this summer.  It just made me realize how fragile life is."

The Faust family has hosted week-long retreats for cancer patients for about 20 years.  Jake has seen firsthand what a devastating disease cancer is and in 2010 he decided to do what he could to end it.

Jake & Anahi Delacruz at Squirrel Creek Ranch Retreat

Jake started Autographs for Cancer, a non-profit organization that collects and sells autographed memorabilia online.  All of the profits help fund cancer research at Texas Children's Hospital.

"I was collecting autographs and I thought that just one autograph from an athlete or celebrity could turn into 300, 400 dollars to help (end) childhood cancer," Jake said.

Jake is a one-man autograph army, using a combination of boyhood charm and dogged persistence to get signatures. 

Jake and Colt McCoy

"I've been trying to step up my drive at Astros games and at Texans practices," says Jake. 

He was lucky enough to attend a Yankees game against the Rays this past August in the Bronx and made an impression on Tampa Bay outfielder Sam Fuld.  The leftfielder recruited his teammates to sign a bat for Jake.  Fuld then helped spread the teenager's message, tweeting @SamFuld5
"AutographsforCancer.com  Jake Faust is raising $ for cancer by auctioning off memorabilia.  Had the pleasure of meeting him at Yankee Stadium." 

This young Texans and UT fan doesn't discriminate when it comes to getting autographs to sell on his site.  His current inventory of autographed gear includes a jersey from Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware, an autographed bat from Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler, a signed ball from Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz and an autographed football from Alabama coach Nick Saban.

"I just want to help these kids," Jake says.  "Over a thousand kids in Texas each year are diagnosed with cancer.  I'd like to know that just from my charity alone, even if just 10 kids are saved, that would mean the world to me." 

Nelson Cruz Baseball

"These kids are just trying to live their lives and they get diagnosed with this horrible disease.  Everything, from their family life to their school, everything changes because they just got diagnosed with cancer, which they can't help," he adds.

But Jake is trying to help so that he doesn't lose another friend, like Rudy Ramirez.

You can learn more about Autographs for Cancer and purchase memorabilia by going to Jake's website or Facebook.  You can also follow him on Twitter @JakeFaust.

The Best Snack Bars To Beat That 3pm Snack Attack

Click on any item to learn more about it.

I am one of those snack bar freaks, a connoisseur even.  If you find the right one, it can be a perfect midafternoon snack or a quality breakfast or lunch replacement in a pinch.

For a snack, look for something that is between 100-200 calories.  For a meal replacement, based on your personal caloric intake, try not to go above 350 calories.  Try to avoid bars that contain a ton of sugar or sugar alcohols, hydrogenated oils or saturated fats.  It's a good idea to find a bar that has a good mix of protein, carbohydrates and fats.

Here are a few of my personal favorites:

Thunderbird Energetica - every flavor is delicious but I am particularly fond of the Cashew Fig variety.

thinkThin Lean Protein & Fiber - a great afternoon snack that delivers 10 grams of protein and only 150 calories and five grams of sugar. Also like their Divine bars.

Luna Bar Protein - a lower glycemic bar, with 12 grams of protein that's under 200 calories.  More of candy bar consistency.

Luna Bar  - in general, these provide around eight grams of protein, five grams of fiber with around 13 grams of sugar. They're a better alternative than a cookie that my former fat self would eat. I especially love the Blueberry Bliss, Chocolate Peppermint Stick or Iced Oatmeal Raisin flavors. They also come in 100-calorie mini form, which I love.

LARABAR - sort of a girlie bar but is 100% natural and made with real food like nuts, dates, apples, carrots and other products you recognize. The Carrot Cake flavor is great. Be careful, though. I have almost broken a tooth from a rogue pecan shell in LARABARS. These also come in 100-calorie minis. I also love their Coconut Macaroon Sweet & Salty Über bars. YUM!

Fiber One Protein Caramel Nut Chewy Bars - don't judge. These aren't 100% all natural but if I am craving chocolate or a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, these hit the spot. They have 130 calories, seven grams of protein, seven grams of sugar and five grams of fiber. They're insanely good.

Make Your Own Snack Bar

You can also make your own bar. Nigella Lawson has a great snack bar recipe she calls a "breakfast bar" but you can adjust it to your own personal preference.  I alter it by using nonfat milk, almonds or walnuts instead of peanuts and nix the coconut. I always add flaxseeds for the omega 3 benefit.

I've made a goji berry walnut version and oatmeal raisin (tip: use liberal amounts of cinnamon)  These truly are "clean out the pantry" bars which are cheaper than anything you can buy in the store.

What am I missing? I'm always on the lookout for relatively good-for-you snack bars. Please share your favorites in the comments section.

Shop This Story