Attention, Mr. Hicks...

...you should think a little more before you speak to the media again.

I wasn't too happy to read this article in today's paper, where Rangers owner Tom Hicks blasted his team for lacking leadership and mental toughness. Yes, the season's gone south on the team during the past month or so, but questioning their toughness and leadership? Of people like Michael Young? Gary Matthews Jr.? Get real...

Sure, you own the team and can do what you want, but you've done a pretty good job thus far of staying out of baseball-related stuff and letting your baseball guys do their jobs. This little outburst shows that a resumption of such un-meddling would be in good order.

UPDATE: Other readers agree with me, and columnist Gerry Fraley concurs:

Whether Hicks intended it or not, he insulted his best players: Michael Young and Mark Teixeira. They play hard every day. "Vocal leaders'' are usually frauds. Players who tell you they are leaders are not leaders. The best leaders the Rangers had in their title seasons were quiet types such as Mark McLemore, Mickey Tettleton and Rusty Greer. Will Clark would tell everyone he was a leader, but that his conceit. Hicks wants to win, and he deserves credit for that. His statements on Tuesday only undermined his baseball people. He should leave the team to them.

Another columnist, Kevin Sherrington, has more; he's in the same camp as the rest of us.