The Texas Rangers - A film by Clint Eastwood

The Texas Rangers story this season has unfolded like a movie... but not just any kind of movie.

Specifically it has been a Clint Eastwood film.
I'm not talking about the Spaghetti Westerns, the Dirty Harry films or even the Clyde the Orangutan movies.

I'm talking about the respected Clint Eastwood films of the 1990s and 2000s.
You know, the ones he churns out about once every 8 months. The ones where, even if you didn't like them, you'd think, "Well, at least it was well made."

Bear with me, but the story of the 2010 Texas Rangers would be an ideal film for Clint not only to produce and direct but also to star in.

It is a story like Unforgiven or Million Dollar Baby where Clint is the grizzled old timer brought in to do what he was born to do... and paired up with a partner his age and a young whipper snapper.

Think about it!
You have Nolan Ryan leaving his ranch to save the Rangers.
You have Ron Washington and Josh Hamilton overcoming their drug past.
You have a Rangers team that is filled with cast offs from other teams giving each other antler signs.

And they beat the Yankees! It seems that every baseball movie, with the exception of Pride of the Yankees and The Scout, has the Yankees as the bad guys. Even the Bad News Bears had the evil little league team called the Yankees.

It adds juice to seeing them win the pennant at the end.

Rent your tuxedo for the Oscars, Clint... the movie is tailor made. The script would practically be a Mad Lib.

And let this blog post be one of two things:

1) My pitch, in case anyone at Clint's Malpaso Productions reads my blog.

or

2) A way for people to see I predicted this movie before they even rolled cameras.


The film stars...

CLINT EASTWOOD as NOLAN RYAN

Yeah, he doesn't look like Ryan (as Ryan has clearly discovered the Rawlings All American Grill). But Clint has Ryan's imposing presence. He's the legendary cowboy whose background makes everyone stand at attention. He's the old school hero who wants nothing to do with these crazy new ideas. You can imagine him responding to the concept of pitch counts with a quiet, "Say what?"

MORGAN FREEMAN as RON WASHINGTON

Sure he's older than the real Washington, but this is Hollywood. Stockard Channing played a teenager in Grease for Christ's sake! Besides he can play the instant respect card when he arrives in the dugout. And he can play the troubled side when his cocaine use comes out. Plus let's face it, he could narrate the hell out of the film. Give it the ole Shawshank Redemption - Million Dollar Baby treatment.

MATT DAMON as JOSH HAMILTON

Clint has used Matt in his last few films, and why not? He's awesome. He doesn't really look like Josh Hamilton, but who cares? He can play the many layers of Hamilton. Ryan will inevitably get Hamilton pumped up, reminding him not to throw away his gifts and chance to be a great player. The Rangers are his third team and best shot at redemption. And Clint is big on redemption. Plus, when Washington has the cocaine problem, it can be Hamilton, the young player, who reaches out and helps him. When he stands by his manager, it will bring a lump to the throat like Jimmy standing by Coach Dale in Hoosiers.

HILARY SWANK as CLIFF LEE

Let's face it. Hilary is dying for a third Oscar... and Clint loves her. She's already won an Academy Award playing a woman pretending to be a man. Why not push it all the way? She'll just play a guy! And just treat it as if it is normal. By the end people will be saying, "I completely forgot it was a woman playing Cliff Lee" and BAM! She'll have a third golden guy for her collection.

And there are the supporting roles.

ADAM ARKIN as CHUCK GREENBERG

He's the investor who lures Ryan out of retirement to save the team. He has to visit Ryan at his cattle ranch and no doubt steps his expensive shoes in some cow pies. He has to deliver the inevitable "We need you to come back" speech and tell him he can run the team HIS way. Then later in the film they'll cut to him a lot clapping.

JESSICA LANGE as RUTH RYAN

It's a shame Sondra Locke can't play this role, which will inevitably be thankless. Ruth, Nolan's wife, initially is skeptical about Ryan's going back to the Rangers. She realizes how it will be his last bit of youth sparked again and agrees. Then later in the film they'll cut to her a lot clapping.

GIOVANNI RIBISI as JON DANIELS
Ribisi would be spot on as the super young GM who works well (and shows respect) to Nolan Ryan. And along the way teaches Ryan that the young kids may have a few good ideas in their head. He looks concerned during a lot of the ball game scenes and gives Nolan Ryan someone to growl to.

NATHAN FILLION as C. J. WILSON

The left hander has a great season pitching the Nolan Ryan way... and let's face it. He looks like the star of Castle. And why would Fillion turn down a role in a Clint Eastwood film?

MICHAEL PENA as BENGIE MOLINA

The actor from Crash worked with Clint in Million Dollar Baby. He comes over to the team in mid season and gives the pitching staff a boost... plus when he hits for the cycle and later steals a base in the playoffs, it can be a comical moment.

RYAN KWANTEN as MICHAEL YOUNG

The Aussie does a nice job with an American accent on True Blood, and he's in shape enough to play the versatile Young in the film. Plus he's a nice looking man.

JAIMZ WOOLVETT as MIKE MADDUX

OK, he looks NOTHING like Mike Maddux. But damn it, Woolvett was GREAT as the Schofield Kid in Unforgiven and proved he could handle himself in a scene with the likes of Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman. He should be in the cast, damn it!

TIMOTHY BOTTOMS as GEORGE W. BUSH

The former owner of the Rangers who dabbled in politics will show up from time to time. No, you can't put Will Farrell in this movie. Besides, Bottoms played serious Bush in a 9/11 TV movie and silly Bush in "That's My Bush." He can handle the cameo.

So, come on! You can picture it! Even the poster can say

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER CLINT EASTWOOD

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER MATT DAMON

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER MORGAN FREEMAN

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER HILARY SWANK

ACADEMY AWARD WINNER JESSICA LANGE

IN A FILM BY CLINT EASTWOOD

(WHO HAS 3 MORE OSCARS NOT COUNTING THE FIRST ONE WE MENTIONED WHEN WE LISTED CLINT IN THE CAST!)

It smells like Oscar bait.

I demand a producer credit.

I COMPLETELY understand why Ron Washington let Harrison pitch to A-Rod

I was listening to Sterling and Waldman call the Yankees-Rangers game tonight and they were perplexed why Ron Washington let lefty reliever Matt Harrison (not the Lower East Side filmmaker) pitch to A-Rod with the bases loaded, 1 out and a 2 run lead.

A-Rod hit a bases clearing double that gave the Yankees the lead and Washington lifted him for the next batter.

In practice and theory it seemed odd. Texas has something like 783 September call ups, and evidently every single one of them is a reliever that they can match up hitter to hitter in the late innings.

And Washington certainly wasn't shy to go to the hook tonight, a game that included an hour long rain delay.

But there are two factors that made me realize that this wasn't such a crazy idea.

THEY WERE WEARING DOWN THE PITCHING STAFF

They had played an extra inning game the night before where they had used 11 pitchers.
Plus with the hour rain delay, Harrison was already the 5th pitcher used last night. Maybe Washington was thinking "Man, if this goes extras, I may need a few arms. Might as well take a chance now.


MAYBE WASHINGTON WANTED TO SEE HOW HARRISON WOULD DO IN THIS SITUATION

Think about it. The whole lefty/righty match ups can be overrated. Some lefties can do well against right handed hitters and vice versa. Maybe Washington wanted to see how Harrison would do in a late inning pressure situation against a big right handed hitter.

Well, he got it. Bases loaded, 2 run lead with A-Rod up.
Only the pressure was only in the game.

The Rangers are up by about a week in the standings with 3 weeks to play. The A's and the Angels aren't going to catch them without a big losing streak. So why not use this unique moment to see what Harrison has got.

What's the worst that can happen?

Well a bases clearing double is pretty damn close to the worst thing that could happen, but how do you know what you have until you give a pitcher a shot?

I totally get it.
And Rivera's melt down took Washington off the hook.
He got to experiment AND beat the Yankees in dramatic fashion.

Not a bad night. Now in the future when Harrison is up against a big right handed batter... lift him.

A heart Hardens

I understand the logic of taking Rich Harden out of the game today.
He threw 111 pitches today and it was his first day off the disabled list... maybe EVER.

In his career he has the durability of a sand castle at high tide.

So yeah, I understand why Ron Washington took him out. He needs his arm in the 1 in 382,112 chance that he can last 2 months without getting hurt again.

But man, I'm not sure I'd have the heart to take him out of his no hitter. If he had let up a little dribbler single in the third, this would be a no brainer.

6 2/3 shutout innings from Harden?
A Godsend.

But now he had to be the mean old man to ruin Rich's birthday party.

Let's see if O'Day can make it a combined no hitter.

(2 outs in the 8th... he could do it)