Ten Post-Deadline Goals

We're coming down to home stretch for baseball season and starting preparations for hockey season-- only 41 days until the Stars' Training Camp begins!  Maybe I'll try some football and basketball as well.  Though, if as reader Anthony has reported, the visiting football and basketball teams are as tough as hockey, I may have to forget it and just TTM the hell out of everyone.

But still, we have two months of baseball left before it stops and leaves us to face the fall alone, in the words of A. Bartlett Giamatti.  And so, let's set a few goals for this final stretch...

1. Nolan Ryan. Since he didn't sign at the Rangers' Alumni Weekend festivities, I still need him on one more card before I can be done with him. So I need to find a way, a time, and a spot to get him. Unfortunately, I'm not too optimistic about this one.

2. Dennis Martinez. I missed out on him when the Astros came through the first time.  Fortunately, they have two more trips in, so I have a few more chances to try for him.

3. Ryan Braun. Oh wait, never mind.

4. Yoon Betancourt. Just because. Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon.

5. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.  Pipe dream I'm certain, but still, I gotta try.

6. Andrew McCutcheon.  I've heard getting him to sign is like shooting fish in a barrel, so hopefully that holds true, and hopefully I'm able to get to one of the games. Unfortunately, I'm already planning on taking off the 13th (and maybe the 12th) for the Stars and the Weezer show in Oklahoma, so I could use all the OT I can get that week.  Pirates may lose out.

7.  Yoenis Cespedes.  Also unlikely, as I will probably miss the entire A's series since my wife's birthday is the 14th.  But if I make it out, he's my big target.  And everyone else's too.

8. Any visiting player, really. I try not to target any one specific player.  I'll take pretty much anyone I can get, but always go for more.  A day of 20 relievers and reserves is just as good as a day of a single big-namer.

9. Yu Darvish. Not gonna happen, since I rarely go for the Rangers inside.  But I need to fill in spots to get to 10 and I'm struggling.

10. Pat Neshek. I'd love to bring back Wednesday Friendsday and do an interview for it with him.  But with my likely inability to get to the A's series, it may have to wait until next year.

There are others for sure-- still haven't ever gotten Garza, Holland, Soria, Soto, Beltre, Kinsler, Profar, Cruz, Berkman, Feliz, or Harrison. But if it comes to going for the visitors or going for the Rangers, I'll take the visitors 99 times out of 100.  And since I've only (only?) been to 20 games this season, that 100th time is still way off in the distance.

And so, as hockey, football, and basketball inch closer, it's getting to be time to prepare for hotel trips for those sports-- if they're even worth trying.