Yu Darvish Won Nolan Ryan Over With Steak

Read More: Cliff Lee (P - PHI), C.J. Wilson (P - ANA), Yu Darvish (P - TEX), Texas Rangers

Nolan Ryan is an important member of the Texas Rangers organization. The way Randy Galloway tells it, Ryan didn't want to give C.J. Wilson the money he wanted. He didn't want to give Cliff Lee the money he wanted. Too expensive. Too much risk. But the Rangers just invested a ton of money in Yu Darvish. Yu Darvish, who has never thrown a single pitch in the major leagues. Ryan's on board. Why?

Galloway:

In a get-to-know-you dinner at Del Frisco's, Ryan ordered his usual filet. And Yu Darvish?

"The kid had the onion rings, followed by lobster," said Ryan. "Then when his steak came out, that thing was so big Secretariat couldn't have jumped over it. Pretty dang impressive."

Nolan now feels "good" about committing six years and a total of $108 million to the unknown?

What happened?

The steak at Del Frisco's in downtown Fort Worth happened.

It sounds completely absurd, but there you are. It's not my idea. It's Randy Galloway's. Randy Galloway is a print journalist. Besides, Darvish wouldn't be the first player this offseason to influence a high-ranking executive by doing something completely unrelated to baseball.

Long on the fence, Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio finally caved and signed off on Aramis Ramirez when the veteran third baseman offered to pick up the check after a meeting at an area bistro.

It wasn't about the numbers. Ask Terry Ryan, and it's never about the numbers. "Oh, the numbers are there, obviously," said Ryan. "But numbers are outcomes. What's important is the process. The person. We want to know what's driving those numbers."

Ryan said one morning watching Josh Willingham attempt to complete a crossword puzzle told him everything he needed to know about Willingham's determination.

"It's funny," recalls Colletti. "We were just talking on the phone, shooting the shit, and then I forgot the name of that one guy from Liberty Valance. AK knew it off the top of his head. That Kennedy's a good guy."

Although initially in favor, Peter Angelos' opinion of Prince Fielder soured when he found out Fielder was born in Ontario. Assurances that it was not the Ontario in Canada proved futile.