Don't Mess with Texas

Ah, the Texas Rangers.

 Yee-haw.

Just the name makes me think of this guy:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/WalkerTitle.jpg

Didn't really care for the show, but then again, Chuck Norris doesn't really do it for me.

I actually have a few things to say about the Texas Rangers. Their story is interesting -- the original Washington Senators became the Twins, then MLB gave Washington a NEW Senators ballclub in 1961 and then after the 1971, THOSE Senators moved to Arlington to become the Rangers.

George W. Bush and a group of investors bought the team for $89 million in 1989. He was named Managing General Partner of the group, and apparently increased his investment over the first year. So, it seems like he didn't do too bad a job there.

Good for him. See, even though I'm a flaming liberal, I can give credit where credit is due! Although there was apparently some financial shadiness and murky allegations of insider trading and oil money and personal profit from the expenditure of public funds...but you can read about that here. Wikipedia did note:

As President, Bush has refused to authorize the SEC to release its full report on the Harken investigation.When the Rangers franchise was sold for $250 million in 1998, at a total profit of $170 million, Bush personally received $14.9 million for his $600,000 investment.

Wait, the Bush Administration wasn't forthcoming with documents that are relevant to the public and would perhaps expose unsavory dealings by him or his political cronies? Oh hush, that's just crazy talk. 

Oops -- this is a BASEBALL post, stay on point.

After his time with the Rangers, like the proverbial butterfly-wing-flap that sets off a hurricane on the other side of the globe, he was elected Governor of Texas...and the entire course of world history was inexorably altered. 

I'll just put it this way - I wish Dubya would have stuck with baseball. Go Rangers!