Tom Hicks is putting the clamps on his wallet.

What was Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks thinking when he said he's not going to spend any more money to try to turn the team into a winner?

A. "I've got to learn to control myself ... until that damn Ichiro becomes a free agent."

B. He's worried that if he keeps driving down the franchise's value, A-Rod will buy the team from him.

C. "That John Hart's a genius. I'd never thought of building a 'farm system' before."

D. "If I'm going to follow Dubya's lead and use this as a launching pad into the political arena, I better show I can balance a budget."

E. "When $121 million couldn't convince Nolan Ryan to come out of retirement, I figured it was time to try a new approach."

F. "We finished last with a payroll of $88.5 million, so I'm betting we can finish last with a payroll of $33.5 million."