Ballzy

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

John is back from his big, fat Greek vacation and has lots of questions for Evan about the offense (who doesn't?). The guys wonder if the narrative about Rangers struggling with draft-and-development needs to change, and Evan questions if there is a conspiracy afoot with the baseballs. And either way, Evan says, the trade deadline may still be more than a month away, but the Rangers' deadline may be much sooner. Then, new Rangers Hall of Famer Elvis Andrus joins the guys to discuss the impact Ron Washington and Adrian Beltré had on his early career, how Wash's clubhouse admission in spring of 2010 changed the team and why he once donned a clown mask to torment another Rangers Hall of Famer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington and Evan Grant are joined by Mike Curtis, who covers the Mavs for The Dallas Morning News, to talk [00:52] about Wednesday’s NBA draft and the dawn of the Cooper Flagg era. Mike provides updates on the signing of Daniel Gafford to an extension and what Kyrie Irving’s next move might be, and the guys discuss how Jason Kidd might employ Flagg to accommodate not only Irving’s absence but the overflow of big men on the roster. [28:56] Kevin and Evan hash out the Rangers’ inability to score, now reaching record levels, and what that means as the team moves toward the trade deadline. Could Corey Seager be available? Not at the deadline. But after the season? Lots of hard decisions coming for Chris Young.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Shawn McFarland discuss the Rangers’ season approaching the midway point in a special all baseball, all the time podcast. Who had Jacob deGrom being so good they’d have to hold him back? [14:50] Who had the offense in another funk? Josh Jung could be the latest to sit a few days after an extended slump, Evan says. The guys share their opinions on the biggest need when the trade deadline comes as well as what to do with Jon Gray once he comes back. [35:40] They also tell us if the Rangers make the playoffs and how far they go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The guys dispel with current Rangers talk and the archives because when Mr. Ranger is available, you give him the floor. Tom Grieve sits down for a conversation about his 55-year career with the Rangers, which, of course, includes Ted Williams talk, but also his transition to GM and the single biggest innovation of his tenure, which brought the Rangers waves of talent from Latin America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington and Evan Grant discuss [2:30] the brilliance of Jacob deGrom and how the Rangers’ pitching in general keeps them in the conversation in the AL West. Evan also gets to the heart of Marcus Semien’s rebound and tells us whether he thinks the Rangers need more hitting at the deadline or a high-leverage reliever. [24:00] The guys also talk about the rumors about Jason Kidd’s interest in the Knicks job. Is he really interested, or is he just using them for leverage for more money? And if he’s really interested, why would the Knicks be a better job than the Mavs? Kevin also [33:00] goes over the House settlement approved by a federal judge, allowing NCAA schools the ability to pay athletes directly for the first time in college sports history. Officially, that is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Evan breaks down the plan for Kumar Rocker and the re-emergence of Marcus Semien before the guys sit down with former Rangers pitcher Darren Oliver, who is now a special assistant in the front office. Darren discusses playing or working for the last five Rangers GMs, dating back to Tom Grieve, being traded for the first time and winding up smack in the middle of the Great Home Run Chase, his transition to a new career as a reliever and what Rangers minor league pitcher he's most fascinated with at the moment. From the Archives Vault, John takes us back to the first interleague game in MLB history and how he spun a timing quirk into a major event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices