All cylinders

Going, gone

The Texas Rangers followed their 6-0 win last night with an 8-5 win tonight over the Oakland Athletics, a team getting buried quickly in the American League West.

The Rangers have suddenly won five straight and are playing the the best baseball since their 90 start to the season. Rangers are 6-2 in July and 11-6 in this home-heavy stretch before the break.

A review in six chapters:

Defense
The Rangers aren't merely playing good defense or improved defense. Frankly, for the last week, it's been phenomenal. The bullshit errors are gone, the outfielders are in the right spot and if they're not they're running balls down, and the infield's been at times spectacular. The coincidence of the Rangers running off wins and the defense -- night in, night out -- getting the job done is not serendipitious.

Derek Holland
Holland was great Thursday night tossing a complete game shutout. Allowing four hits, striking out seven. However, naysayers quick to point out that Holland shutout the offensively-flaccid Oakland A's. That's crap. You have to consider that most teams aren't good. Also, if you want Holland to pitch against only good teams, you'll need a different scheduling procedure in the MLB. Also, no one second guesses C.J. Wilson, Cliff Lee, Roy Halliday, Felix Hernandez or Justin Verlander when they face the A's, Royals, Dodgers or Astros. If Holland can beat the bad teams, we're set. Of his 19 starts, 12 have come against .500 teams or worse. He's 6-6 in those game.

The Night After
I attended tonight's game, a day after the tragedy. It was an odd feeling. I think everyone paid extra attention to every foul ball. It was not as well-attended as I thought it would be. There were 37K announced. I thought Friday night, fireworks, C.J. Wilson v. Gio Gonzalez and the game after would pull in 45K+. Not so much. Still, a nice crowd. They picked up Josh Hamilton with some nice ovations. It felt ... ordinary.

Hitting
The Rangers are doing a lot of it. Up and down the line-up card. Right now, you do not want to face them. Period.

Base Paths
I don't know this for a fact or anything, but I'm willing to put a sawbuck on the line to state that the Rangers are the best baserunning in Major League Baseball. They rarely make mistakes. They're healthily aggressive. They regularly go first-to-third and second-to-home on any hit. They're mostly quick and even the slowpokes are smart. For my money, baserunning's become this team's biggest weapon. It's the piano wire they wrap around the opponent's neck and pull.

Unis
Again, absolutely love the red caps with the bright whites with red/blue piping. Love it.

The fall

I don't know about everyone else, but I can't get the image of Shannon Stone, a Brownwood firefighter, leaning over and tumbling from the leftfield stands last night at the Ballpark.

He died, as we learned, later. By most accounts, he was conscious and talking as he was being taken to the hospital. He was with his son.

I don't know exactly what he died from. It wasn't immediate. The story notes that his head was bleeding badly and it was relatively obvious that he had fallen headfirst. I'm sure that's all concrete behind that scoreboard.

I don't know why this is getting to me. I have to admit, I'm not the most sensative of guys. Although personally mesmerized and terrified of death and all that, I have almost zero problem reading newspaper after newspaper of murders, riots, insurrections in foreign countries and wars. I see it as just one of those things that happen in life, that being death.

I go to a lot of Rangers games and my tickets are right next to a railing. If I take my daughter, the ushers always tell you to stay away from the railing and do not lean on it. I always imagine a foul ball being hit my way and how I would react. I know that if a ball came towards me and was in a downward trajectory I would reach over and attempt to get the ball.

No longer. It's sickening to think that a death of a man going to a cruddy ballgame with his kid has to remind us that there are so many more important things in this little life of ours. You can go to Academy or Dick's Sporting Goods and buy all the fucking baseballs you want. Nothing can replace what happened last night.

In my usual macabre fashion, I did think about all the variables that went into Stone and his son attending that game. The rain storm that washed out the game in order to make yesterday's make-up day happen. I think of possibly those pitchers working faster in order to get past the fifth inning and making that an official game and making last night fiction.

I think about that guy and his kid opting for different seats. I think of Conor Jackson fouling the ball off into the stands or to the ball girl in left field. Or maybe Jackson never making contact. Or hitting a home run.

I think of Josh Hamilton tossing the ball into the stands in foul territory.

I know it's ridiculous to think about all this shit. It certainly does nothing for that firefighter's son and the rest of the family. It doesn't help Hamilton or the Texas Rangers get over this. But I think that despite all of our outward manifestations and rhetoric, we are overwhelmingly terrified of death. We agonize over the small things that accumulate over a day, a week, a year or a lifetime without the ability to change them, and that, moreso, is the most terrifying thing of all.

Just don't feel like talking baseball

Shit. My stomach just sunk. I watched the TV report noting the death of the guy that fell from the left-field seats at the Ballpark in Arlington going for a baseball tonight.

It was the second inning. The Oakland Athletics' Conor Jackson hits a foul ball down the left-field line and it winds up close to Josh Hamilton, who tosses the ball to the front row of the stands. The mans just leans too far over and falls awkwardly. You can tell that he landed on his head.

His kid was right there next to him.

Several things:

1. The Rangers will need to address the foul ball thing. Handing the ball to fan is one thing. Tossing it -- something that's relatively common -- seems real uncomfortable. What if the fan misses and it bonks them on the nose? Clearly, death is something they never think about.

2. This is two straight years of some guy falling over the partition. Expect those to go higher.

3. Can the fan's family sue? If the fan buys a ticket, do they accept all responsibility for their actions and any accident? Is there a difference between a foul ball conking you on the head and a player being a part of the accident?

4. Not to bring it back to the sports page, but this is some fucking bad mojo. Needless to say, the Rangers would never want someone dying in their ballpark. However, this has got the stench of bad vibes all around it for the remainder of the season. Not unlike the brawl with Frank Francisco in Oakland in 2004. That incident killed the Rangers' momentum that year.

Raking

Good to see Tiny E awake on defense

I feel bad for the Baltimore Orioles. Much like the Rangers a few weeks ago against the New York Mets, I think they ran into a team that just couldn't be stopped.

The Texas Rangers did it again. They ran the Orioles out of the Ballpark 13-5 last night putting on a hitting clinic.

For the series:

30 runs - 46 hits - 15 doubles.

I think the most extraordinary thing were the home runs. There were three. The Rangers scored 10 runs per game in a three-game set and they hit a meager three home runs. All of this reinforces my ascertion that the double is the most lethal hit in the game. Doubles turn ordinary innings into huge innings. Doubles strung together with a walk, a couple of singles and an error make it 0-0 to 4-0 in a hurry.

For instance, last night. The Rangers' first inning featured two doubles, two walks, a single and sac fly to put Alexi Ogando up 4-0 before the Orioles could catch their breath. It had to be ripping Orioles' fans apart inside. There was nothing they could do.

Thirty runs. Three home runs. That is remarkable.

Also astounding is how everyone was locked in this series. Nine different Rangers hit doubles. Six guys last night had multi-hit games (Michael Young, Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler, Mitch Moreland, Endy Chavez). Pinch hitters went 2-3 last night.

Again, nothing Baltimore could do other than try to get those 27 outs at some point.

The Rangers are 4-2 in July and 9-6 in this home-heavy stretch before the All-Star break.

Notes:
1. Until I'm blue in the face, I'll apologize for all the mean things I said about Adrian Beltre. He now has 24 doubles and a jaw-dropping 67 RBI. No one's changed my opinion of them faster than Beltre.

2. Alexi Ogando put together his second straight fine start. Of course, now the spotlight is on Derek Holland. Before allowing two dingers last night, Ogando had allowed three home runs in his last 10 starts. He's officially at 104.2 innings pitched.

3. Ogando with Napoli catching: 37 IP - 21 hits - 8 ERs - 3 HRs - 9 BBs - 28 K.

4. Elvis Andrus got on base five times last night. A pair of doubles. If he's right at the plate, watch out.

5. Mike Young has three straight three-hit games. You can not convince me that moving him to designated hitter wasn't the best move.

6. Welcome back, Mike Napoli.

7. Loved what Darren O'Day was bringing in relief. Just think, right now he's not in the eighth inning save-situation picture.

8. Ian Kinsler has five multi-hit games in last 10. Included are seven extra-base hits.

9. It's fun to win.

Roy Williams is dumber than we think

Hot, but crazy

Roy Williams is in a lawsuit because he proposed marriage to Brooke Daniels and she turned him down. She is not returning the ring.

Here is how Williams is dumber than most other people:

1. He mailed the ring and proposal via mail. Like, the post office.

2. Along with the proposal and ring, he sent cash for Daniels' dental bills. As if he were her uncle. Her black uncle.

3. Williams paid $75,000 on an engagement ring. To someone he mailed a proposal to.

4. Daniels, honestly, looks fucking crazy. She has the look.

Congrats on going for the white prize. But she was crazy from the start. You deserve this.

Spiegel on Dirk

I thought it was a cool gift, Dirk

On playing for the German national team, Muhammad Ali and the interviewer's general disinterest in what gift he received.

Rangers lose rather inpercise art of gambling

A fine mess

Brandon Webb is out for the season and will likely require rotator cuff surgery. Sad news for a guy who was probably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball for a couple of years and who had certain unrefined expectations when the Rangers threw $3 million and incentives at him in the off-season.

This was a solid gamble and one I take over and over. Webb's time cost $3 million. That's chump change to the Rangers who just gave a 16-year-old Dominican outfielder $5 million. There was zero risk and high reward for the Rangers. Even if Webb would have met all of his incentives, it still would have been a bargain.

GM Jon Daniels likes investing. Relatively speaking, Webb was low cost and he was here for the immediate future. Giving Eric Gagne or Kenny Lofton $5 million -- considering where the Rangers were as an organization -- were rentals. If they succeeded they were going to be traded. If they flopped, it was still worth the risk.

Those gambles paid off. This one didn't. The only thing you can do is keep playing the game.

Better late than never

Endy rock: Doing those small things

Around the seventh inning, I was fuming. The night after absolutely clobbering the Baltmore Orioles, the Texas Rangers could barely tough some starting pitcher named "Mitch."

You should never get beat buy a guy named "Mitch." Ever. Even if it's Williams.

The Rangers offense came around. Scored four runs in the seventh inning, the Rangers bullpen held up and won the thing 4-2 to at least get the series win and a shot at sweep tomorrow.

By the numbers:

0
Walks by Matt Harrison, who went six innings allowing the two runs. He's not allowed a zero-walk game all season.

2
Home runs allowed by Harrison. His first multi-home run game of the year. And, yes, it's July.

1
Scoreless inning each for Tommy Hunter, Mark Lowe and Neftali Feliz. Will we look upon this trio differently in September? Do the Rangers have their bullpen situation figured out?

1
Extra-base hit by the Rangers, an Adrian Beltre double. The day after hitting 10 extra-base hits against the same Baltimore squad.

6
Base hits in two games from Michael Young, making him 42 hits short of 2,000.

7
Hits from Nelson Cruz in last three games. Nine RBI in last four games.

5
Runners left on base by Mark Reynolds. He went 0-4 with two strikeouts tonight.

The Texas Rangers own Latin America

Ronald Guzman: Mo' money, mo' problems

July 2 started the international signing period for Major League Baseball. Meaning, those studs in Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Far East can be signed by clubs.

The Rangers have absolutely knocked their international signings out of the park. From Guillermo Pimentel, David Perez, Jurickson Profar to Luis Salinas, Jorge Alfaro, Rougned Odor and Martin Perez, the restructuring of the Rangers as a first-class organization stemmed from this team's ability to go into Latin America and come out with some world-class athletes.

July 2, 2011 was no different.

The Rangers threw $5 million at 16-year-old Dominican outfielder Nomar Mazara, which eclipses the $4.25 million the Oakland Athletics gave Michael Ynoa several years ago. At the time, it seemed like an astronomical amount.

The Rangers also nabbed 16-year-old left fielder Ronald Guzman. He's from the Dominican Republic too. In the last three months alone, the Rangers have completely remade their minor league outfield situation. Adding Leonys Martin in addition to taking 11 outfielders in the 2011 Draft and, now, Guzman and Mazara changes everything. Once a point of weakness is now a strength.

Scouts and pundits are raving. Although the money is high, most see little difference in drafting above-slot guys who have just as much chances of making the bigs as these Latin American kids. Instead, the Rangers make reaches in the draft, take solid guys in the middle rounds and blow their load on the international market.

These kids could potentially be stateside in the next year or two playing professional baseball, whilst high school kids could very well opt for college. Already in Low-A Spokane, Alfaro, Odor, Pimentel and D. Perez are making a difference. M. Perez is barely in his 20s in Double A and Elvis Andrus made his MLB debut at 19.

The ceilings are just as high -- as are the price tags -- but there's a possibility of a quicker rise due to the way the Rangers push their prospects.

Happy trails, Brad Richards

Ryder, I hardly know her!

It's like your ex-wife getting married.

Last week, Brad Richards signed a nine-year, $60 million with the New York Rangers. With salary and a signing bonus, he'll make $12 million in 2011-12.

Richards' departure is more than a little bittersweet.

For one, we knew he was in his final year of his deal and we knew that the Dallas Stars were not going to be able to re-sign due to ownership chaos and a total lack of funds to sign any big free agent.

Richards was leaving. By December, the Stars were in the playoff hunt. They'd led the Pacific Division. The decision was whether or not to go for it all in the Stanley Cup playoffs or get what you can from Richards in a trade and most assuredly miss the playoffs.

By March, they'd kept Richards and the Stars ran out of gas and missed the playoffs anyway. It was a calculated move and I don't question Joe Nieuwendyk's decision.

Richards was the Stars' best player. Imagine the Rangers losing Josh Hamilton. The Cowboys, Tony Romo. The Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki. Just think about them walking away and going somewhere else.

This is the state of things for the Stars. By all accounts, he would have had no problem staying. However, the Stars could not promise Richards a chance to win, and that's being honest. The ownership thing was rumored to be settled last season. It wasn't. It doesn't look very close to being handled.

The Stars are multiple players away from competing -- not only for a championship -- but for their own division. The Stars could have all the money in the world, but if they can't win Richards was going to walk. Simple as that.

Still, the Stars have money to spend. I believe it was $10 million they needed to spend to hit the cap floor.

They signed six players -- very low key, very inexpensive -- and have addressed some real issues. Those signings:

Michael Ryder
31 - Right Wing - two years, $7 million
A very salty character. Just won a Stanley Cup with Boston and he's just 31 years old. He notched 27 goals in 2008-09 and has two 30-goal seasons. Last year he had 41 points as he's becoming much more of a facilitator. I think he's most valuable because he's very sturdy. He's never played less than 70 games in his career (seven seasons). He's played 79 or more games five times. For a team wrought with injuries most season, having Ryder is a huge boon.

Vern Fiddler
31 - Left Wing - three years, $5.4 million
Statistically, he doesn't look like much. Hockey, however, is a sport that goes far beyond stats. For one, Fiddler was named alternate captain with Phoenix a year ago. He wins 53 percent of his faceoffs and he's the lead turd on Phoenix's penalty-kill squad. Does all the stuff the Stars couldn't do last season. Love it.

Radek Dvorak
34 - Right Wing - one year, $1.5 million
A veteran. A past-his-prime penalty killer. One note, he's cheap and very little commitment, and he's the biggest (literally) free agent signee at 6-2 and 200 pounds.

Adam Pardy
27 - Defenseman - two years, $4 million
Dvorak was with Florida when Nieuwendyk was an assistant GM there. Pardy was with new head coach Glen Gulutzan in the minors. He's going into his fourth season in the NHL and spent most of last season out with a bad shoulder. This has to be a Gulutzan signing.

Jake Dowell
26 - Center - one year, $800,000
Played a total of four NHL games before getting into 79 games for Chicago in 2010-11. Second time Nieuwendyk's raided the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks on the cheap after Adam Burish a year ago.

Sheldon Souray
35 - Defenseman - one year, $1.65 million
Interesting. Huge guy (6-4, 233). A two-time All-Star, who had 53 points in 2009-10, 23 of them on the power play. He was demoted to the minors a season ago. Maybe on the downward slope of his career, or just needs some tender love and care. We'll see.

Voted least deserving

The Murph

The Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles last night, 13-4. They tallied the 13 runs on 18 hits. They'll be fucking lucky to get 13 runs and 18 hits between the next two games. The Rangers certainly know how to blow their load earlier.

Anyway, it's a win. (By the way, thumbs up on the red hat/white jersey look. Maybe they've done it before, but I've never noticed. Let's bring that back.)

The Rangers got good news yesterday as it was announced that they received four All-Star representatives in Arizona in another week: Mike Young, Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre and C.J. Wilson.

For my money, only Beltre was truly deserving. For American League, Beltre's numbers stack up to anyone and he's the better defensive third baseman.

It sorta bugs me that Mike Young was taken as a designated hitter because he's eligible and guys like Paul Konerko and Mark Teixeira are considered "first basemen." The DH should be your best hitter that has a quantifiable amount of times at that position. Young's having a fine year. But not as good as some other guys, who would easily go in before Young.

Josh Hamilton's inclusion is further proof that its a popularity contest. Honestly, I wish he'd not play and rest.

Wilson was picked by Ron Washington and is the only Rangers pitcher and, arguably, the only Rangers pitcher worth the trip.

Wilson's having a fine year. He's in or around the top 10 in most categories. Still, it's a homer pick. If the manager of the AL were from another team, a pitcher from that skipper's squad would have made the trip. There are probably a handful of other much-worthier picks, but I doubt anyone's going to nitpick on Wilson or Washington.

Error of their ways

Give 'em hell, Wash

The Texas Rangers lost yesterday 6-4 to complete an unbelievable series loss to the Florida Marlins at the Ballpark.

It's all pretty ridiculous. Mainly because after Friday night's 15-5 win as the offense went completely nuts against the Florida pitching, you got the feeling it'd be a good weekend, if not a great weekend.

Instead, the offense peaked Friday night. They lost 9-5 Saturday after Derek Holland allowed a first inning to forget and then Sunday.

Errors ain't helping. I get that the Rangers are a good defensive team and that they get to balls that other teams dream about getting to. I totally get it and if you watch enough Rangers baseball, it's pretty clear that they are solid defensively. In theory.

However, if you get to it, you've got to make a play on it. You've GOT to get the ordinary plays done and you've got to finish off those toughies that come around.

Yesterday in the eighth inning, C.J. Wilson left the game with a runner on third base, one out and a one-run game. Mark Lowe comes in and induces a groundout to Omar Infante. Another out and it goes to the ninth. He walks Gaby Sanchez (who'd killed the Rangers all game) and gets to Hanley Ramirez.

He grounds toward Elvis Andrus, a bounding try that spends way more time in the air than the ground. Andrus charges and can't get the glove on it. Inning continues. Runners at first and second and a tied game.

That was your game. Not Darren Oliver's two-run double he'd allow or the fourth run that would cross off Neftali Feliz. Three unnecessary runs scored because Andrus couldn't make -- mind you, a difficult -- play.

Remember last season when Andrus and others were making difficult play after difficult play? The Rangers lead the world in unearned runs. It's not just the difficult plays that are seeping through the cracks. There are little league plays getting missed. It's an epidemic and if anything needs to improve, it's that. Now.

Notes:
1. C.J. Wilson was brilliant and deserved a much better fate. One earned run and a walk next to nine strikeouts. Just beat the shit out of the strike zone all night.

2. Josh Hamilton and Mike Young, yesterday: 1-8. Six runners left on base. Young, the king of the worthless 1-4 day.

3. Adrian Beltre loves the Marlins: 7-11 - 2 doubles - 1 home run - 5 RBI.

4. Nelson Cruz: 5-12 - 1 double - 1 triple - 2 home runs - 7 RBI.

5. Symbolic of the Rangers offense, Ian Kinsler got on base four times in three games (not including his home run) and stole three bases and scored one run.

Wipeout

Ogando, in action

The Texas Rangers are slowly getting deeper and deeper into some problems that will need to be figured out sooner or later. Probably sooner.

Alexi Ogando had his best outing in a long time taking a perfect game into the fifth inning and winding up going 6.2 innings, allowing five hits, two hits and striking out a career-high of eight Florida Marlins in the 15-5 win last night.

It's July 2 and the trade deadline is a mere 29 days away. The Rangers need help. It's anyone's guess where they actually need it.

If Ogando is your No. 4 starter the rest of the way, you target bullpen help. If Ogando isn't in the rotation, you might eye a starter. Ogando's the lynchpin. His insertion into the bullpen -- in addition to Tommy Hunter's, Scott Feldman's and Darren O'Day's -- gives you a relatively safe feeling about your seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

It also gives you a glut of pitching. I don't know where it all fits. Particularly, within the next year and a half, the Rangers will need to make some more decisions regarding the pitching staff. There are guys knocking on the door in Frisco and Oklahoma City. They can't stay there forever as you try to figure out where Ogando and Neftali Feliz go.

As for the offense, well, if Taylor Teagarden's knocking RBI doubles into the gap, all is well at least for one day.

Notes:
1. For my money, Mike Kirkman is a starter. And I don't think he's very good.

2. Adrian Beltre went opposite field on all three hits, including a huge RBI double down the first-base line after the Marlins walked Josh Hamilton to load the bases. The guy's on pace for 120+ RBI.

3. Josh Hamilton got on base all four times.

4. Andres Blanco's eighth-inning bomb was absolutely cracked. The guy contributes whenever, wherever.

5. Happy birthday, Nelson Cruz. Six RBI including a base-clearing triple and a three-run bomb. I think he has been given the perpetual green light at every at-bat. He's a base hit or an out at this point.

Does the NBA lockout help or hurt the Dallas Mavericks?

"It'll be OK, lil' buddy"

Short-term, yes. Long-term, no.

Friends, we are in dire straits. We are a mere months away from becoming really huge hockey fans.

As of 11 p.m. Central Standard Time last night, the NBA owners locked out its players. Of course, the NFL is also in a lockout situation. Come October, the only sports we may have are college football, NHL and MLB playoffs.

Locally, the question is where this puts the Dallas Mavericks. I've heard that Mark Cuban is part of a contigent of owners wanting to really hold out and stick it to the players. The general complaint is that owners are losing money (a reported $300 million last season) and its due to player contracts (mostly).

I don't know how Cuban feels. He seems like a "player's owner," someone who has faithfully (sometimes, by fault) stuck by his players and tried to treat them as well as possible.

He's also a businessman, who talks constantly in the cold language of business and making money.

As for the team, this is how I think this lockout could affect them:

Short-Term Effects
This is one of the oldest teams in the league coming off playing 103 NBA games and winning an NBA championship. The reason winning back to back championships is so tough isn't because you're no longer any good. You're tired. And you might not be as hungry. Right now, who's thinking more about the 2011-12 Finals: Kobe Bryant or Dirk Nowitzki? I'm not doubting Nowitzki's desire to win. I'm doubting that as he's hanging with old friends and family in Germany, drinking and partying that he's got all his focus on another championship. Same with all those guys. Some -- Tyson Chander, Joe John Barea, DeShawn Stevenson -- are all thinking about free agency. Others might be thinking about playing overseas and settling their financial status if the lockout goes through.

Let's assume the lockout ends, either in September, October or November and there's an abbreviated season, of sorts. Teams play, say, 52 games. That's 30 less games going on the tires of Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion. It's also another several months for Roddy Beaubois to get sufficiently healthy for his return in 2030.

Right now, a shortened season is maybe the most ideal situation for the Dallas Mavericks. It's time to get rested, healthy and, maybe most importantly, focused.

Long-Term Effects
Let's assume some more. Let's say the 2011-12 NBA season does not happen (clutch the motherfucking pearls!). The next NBA tip-off will be in October 2012. Nowitzki will be 34. Jason Kidd, 39. Jason Terry, 35. Shawn Marion 34.

You're not talking about young guys here, and this is a fact we already were aware of. Historically, those are the ages were players begin to drop off. Kidd's an amazing athlete. Still, he is not nearly the player at 38 than he was at 28. Still good, yes. They're not getting younger and, for the most part, they're not getting better. Those four guys have peaked. That "peak" was as high as you can go as a professional basketball player, but it's still a peak and the only way off a mountain is down. Missing another season will not be a good thing and I don't think it plays out well for Cuban's apparent disregard for the "rebuilding process," which is noble, but requires the subtle exchange for quality youth over fading experience.

Also, consider whether an extended lockout affects the status of guys. Kidd, for example, will be almost 40 and he's already hinted that retirement has crept into the back of his mind. What if missing an entire year -- all that time on the couch -- convinces him it's time. How does an extended lockout affect free agents like Chandler or even Caron Butler, if the idea is to bring them back? Lot of idle time for these guys to think.

If you are a Mavericks fan, you hope the lockout lingers a little, but that it comes back at a point where they can play at least a half-season in 2011-12. We might not like the looks of things in 2012.