Alyssa Milano says Luis Gonzalez throws like a girl. Hilarious. That's just funny... and true. That is ,if the girl is almost 40 and has over 17 years of experience in the league. Luis, you have to take that remark as a challenge. Throw somebody out this year. Or maybe show up in the outfield wearing some of Milano's new gear for the female fans of the game. It's all in good fun. I hear Gonzalez got a good laugh out of it. Hey, she's a fan and can say whatever she wants. I've seen her at the park. She's legit. Stays the entire time and is really into the game. Who knew? Not me. That's a photo of Nomar Garciaparra visiting with family before a game earlier this month. It seems like a million years ago when he was one of the Big Three Shortstops -- Nomar, Derek Jeter, and A-Rod. Miguel Tejada was not even mentioned among those guys back then. Crazy. For my money, Rodriguez is still the best shortstop in the game despite the fact that he is playing third base. It does not really matter much anymore. Nomar has a different life in Los Angeles and he looks like he is having a blast. His buddy who throws like a girl also seems to be having fun on the West Coast.

The Rangers (led by PR director Gregg Elkin) surprised manager Ron Washington during a touching pre-game presentation with Oakland third baseman Eric Chavez on Saturday night. Here's the background: After winning the Gold Glove following the 2004 season, Chavez handed the award over to Washington (then Oakland's third base/infield coach) as a form of gratitude for all of his hard work. The trophy was lost along with many other of Washington's valuables when Hurricane Katrina hit the manager's Louisiana home.

Around two weeks ago, the Rangers came up with the idea of replacing the lost Gold Glove and having Chavez hand the replacement to Washington while Oakland was in town. It happened Saturday and take it from me, the first person to talk to Washington after he received the trophy, Washington was touched. He kept repeating "There's no crying in baseball." You are right Mr. Washington. No crying in baseball. Watery-eyes? I think that's ok sometimes.

Olympic Gold Medalists Misty May-Treanor (left) and Kerri Walsh threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Friday's game between the Rangers and the A's. The pair are in town as part of the AVP volleyball tour stop in Arlington. If the name of the writer on the link looks familiar to folks who follow the AL West and MLB.com, it should. That's Mike Scarr, formerly of Angels.com, and now the new senior writer for AVP.com. Good luck on your new gig amigo.

Friday was Misty's fifth time to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before a big league game. Wow. That's kind of a big deal. By the way, if you are in town, Misty and Kerri play tomorrow at 2 p.m (CST). Yep, they are considered the favorites.

Jackie Robinson Day in Los Angeles is a day that  that will stay with me for a while. It was yet another reminder of what one man (or woman) can do in a lifetime.  Makes me think about the things that important in life, like making an impact and trying to make the world a better place. Mr. Robinson we all owe you a debt of gratitude. Because of your courage, example and fearless demeanor, you made the world a better place.  Thank you.

Why? Because JangHwan Bae and his brother SungHwan Bae say so, that's why. The two brothers (in blue) were in Arlington recently as part of the 2014 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee. As you can tell by the photo, the Bae brothers are pretty shy and afraid of cameras. I don't know much about PyeongChang but according to their pamphlet it is located in the Gangwon Province, the only divided region in the world, and its citizens aspire to remove the barbed wire separating the two Koreas. 

The Bae brothers spent this afternoon interviewing Tampa Bay pitchers Jae Kuk Ryu and Jae Seo (from Korea), and laughing the entire time. I have no idea what they were saying, but it looked like they were having a blast. 2014? Wow. Good to see some people plan/look ahead. Me? Who knows where I'll be in 2014. Maybe Korea. My Korean friends tell me there was a time when Texas sports writers were a pretty big deal over there because the Rangers were a popular team once upon a time. Thanks Chan Ho.

What a difference a day makes. Yes, I'm using that cliche today. Boston yesterday, Tampa Bay today. The press box is pretty empty and I'm guessing the stands might be the same. Shame. The Devil Rays could be one of the best young teams in the game. There is a lot of talent on that club. They are missing a few pieces though and they have way too many right-handed pitchers on the staff. But ... I talked to Rays manager Joe Madden for a while today and he said he's proud of his club, but that they just can't seem to finish games off. They can't hit that three-pointer, they can't hold on to the football in the red zone ...etc. etc. ...In other words, the bullpen needs work and those little things they are not doing add up. He has reason to be optimistic. Remember the Tigers lost 118 games and then a couple of things happened to their pitching staff -- namely, Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya. They went out and got Kenny Rogers, the young guys develop ... the next thing you know they are in the World Series. Can the Devil Rays do the same thing, even being in the same division as the Red Sox and Yankees? Maybe. A few pieces here and there and this club can have a real impact.

On a completely different note, I received this email about XM Radio's new Call Stars deal. It's cute. You fill out a form and you get a call or email (automated, of course) from David Ortiz, Cal Ripken or Derek Jeter talking about the season and XM Radio.  I think fans might dig it. Then again, I sent a few "calls" to my friends (hardcore Yankees and Red Sox fans) and the reception was modest at best. I got a few calls telling me how big of a dork I am, this and that. Others mostly making fun of me. It was funny. I get mocked by my friends/baseball fans who would faint if Ortiz or Jeter sneezed on them. One dude waited two hours for an autograph of Dustin Pedroia and he calls me the corny one? C'mon ... OK. Maybe they are right. My bad.

Talk about looking ahead but ... if as many Dominicans play in next year's Caribbean Series as I think, it's going to be one to remember. The 2008 version will be held in the Dominican Republic city of Santiago, a spot just as well known as Santo Domingo. Miguel Tejada will be there, but I won't be surprised to see a few other superstars show up. Manny Ramirez? Nah, never. David Ortiz? Who knows? Part of the reason the big stars do not play in the Caribbean Series is the fact that the round-robin runs about a week or so before the start of Spring Training. Most guys would rather spend the time at home than go to another country before the start of the long season. But when the tourney is in your country? That's a different ballgame and when most of the big leaguers show up.  Either way, it's going to be pretty good baseball and that D.R. team is going to be strong -- again. The atmosphere? I'll get into that later.

Oh yeah, Easter cookouts before a night game are pretty cool. Nice shirt, Chris.

Is the home opener the most important game of the year? I don't think so, but it's definitely something special. A few observations from the first day of big league baseball in Arlington this year:

Dice-K seems like a good dude. He signed tons of autographs before Friday's game and went out of his way to greet fans near left field.

Sammy Sosa does something this year, anything, and he's gonna be a fan favorite quickly. Perhaps he already is. The crowd roared when Sosa was announced during the pregame ceremonies.

The flyover by the two B-1 bombers after the National Anthem was worth the price of admission.

Do you think you could hit a Tim Wakefield knuckle?

Tons of media from Japan here following Dice-K. I think it's great. I hope to see the same number of Spanish-speaking media in the pressbox one day....

Is this David Ortiz's year to win the AL MVP?

I wonder how people will remember Manny Ramirez?

Can you really be a Red Sox fan if you were not born in that region, never visited Fenway Park and have no real ties to the organization? Maybe ...

  The hours before each game during the season are spent working -- typing, interviewing, waiting, transcribing, etc. But there are usually a few minutes for reporters to chat a little bit -- either before or after the manager speaks or during batting practice.  It's the time reporters catch up on what's been going on lately. Who has done what, who has gone where, who is about to get fired, who is about to get hired, who is looking for a job, who is hiring, etc. Wanna get the dirt on what's going on or supposed to be going on in baseball ? -- watch reporters chat before a game with a lip-reader. I guess the gossip/praise/bad-mouthing/complimentary talk between co-workers is part of any job or business (water coolers?) so I'm not surprised it happens in this business as well. It's kind of funny and mostly all in good fun. Today, I heard some news that really hit home with me. Astros Spanish broadcaster Francisco "Paco" Ruiz had a stroke during the winter and is no longer working games because he is not up to the task physically. I am told he is having trouble walking and his speech is not what it used to be yet. That's too bad. Paco is a great guy and one of the real treasures in baseball as are all of his colleagues who call MLB games in Spanish. In the meantime, Paco's partner Alex Trevino is calling Astros games with the help of the Spanish broadcasters for the Houston Texans and Houston Rockets. I'm not sure how that's going to work out. I don't think anybody does. But here's to you Paco: I hope you feel better and can return to whatever makes you happy soon -- whether that's calling games at Minute Maid Park or being at home with your family.

The press box at Minute Maid Park is one of my favorites in all of baseball. It's open, it's close to home plate, plenty of seating and ...ahhh who does not love air conditioning all around? Yep, with the air running and the roof closed, it's in the mid 70s around here and feels very comfortable. I know the fans have to love it. They have to. Without a doubt, I know there are some days in Arlington when Rangers fans wish their park was covered/air-conditioned. If my memory serves me correctly, there are usually two or three fans a season who have to be treated because of the heat/sun in Arlington. Heck, my mom would go to more than two games a year and stay more than three innings each time if The Ballpark in Arlington was covered and climate-controlled. It's hot. It's Texas. That should not be a surprise. Then again, I would not change a thing about that park in Arlington. Like Minute Maid Park, it's special in it's own way. Besides, I'm in an air-conditioned press box everywhere I go so what am I worried about?