| Rangers' Rodriguez Willing To Restructure Deal to Add Players By Jack Magruder, Arizona Daily Star Taking a cue from a group of Diamondbacks veterans, Texas shortstop Alex Rodriguez has offered to defer more of his salary to help his team in an off-season talent search. Rodriguez signed a 10-year, $252 million free agent contract in the off-season - it made all of the papers. Along with the additions of other free agents such as Ken Caminiti and Andres Galarraga, the Rangers opened the season with a payroll of about $82 million. According to figures used by Major League Baseball to figure the luxury tax, the Rangers' outlay this season is $98 million, fifth-highest in the league. Like most players, Rodriguez does not want to play on a loser with financial constraints. "If it is going to help the ball club and help us build something special here, I'm all for it," said Rodriguez, who already has deferred some in his record contract. "I don't want to be the reason why we don't win. The last thing I want to do is handicap (owner Tom Hicks) from getting an extra pitcher or player." Matt Williams, Jay Bell and Randy Johnson were among the dozen Diamondbacks veterans who agreed to restructure their contracts to take more deferred money. The D'backs' luxury tax payroll is about $90 million this year. And to those who questioned Rodriguez's contract, he is the front-runner for the AL MVP, with seven weeks remaining in the season. "I'm here for a long time and want to be part of a winner," Rodriguez said. Although the Rangers fell out of the AL West race in April, and have not even sniffed the wild card race, the addition of Rodriguez has meant something to the gate.The Rangers are likely to draw somewhere between 2.7 million and 2.8 million fans this season, far more than might be expected for a season-long non-contender. The team will fall short of the 3 million needed to break even, according to team president Jim Lites. The Rangers have averaged 36,575, fifth-highest in the AL. They broke the 2 million mark Wednesday, a game that Detroit will always remember. The Tigers scored 13 runs in the ninth inning at Texas, turning a 6-6 tie after eight into a 19-6 rout. Texas fans had ample opportunities to leave - after Randy Simon's bases-loaded triple made it 9-6, or Shane Halter's grand slam made it 19-6. Or after the second of Damion Easley's two ninth-inning singles, which gave him six hits. The last Tiger to go 6 for 6 in a nine-inning game was Ty Cobb - in 1925. The week before, the Tigers tied a major-league record by scoring only one run in five straight games. Easley had been 0 for 18 before his outburst. "I've never seen anything like it," Tigers manager Phil Garner said. "But I sure did enjoy it." |