Wilkerson.....

by bdavison94 on Mar 20, 2007 10:00 AM CDT Comment 32 comments

Just got back from Spring Training. I haven't had a chance to read many of the diaries or comments to the blog but wanted to post my comments on what I saw from Wilkerson.

I went to two of the big club games (Friday and Sunday) and watched him work with Rudy for a good hour on Friday morning on the AAA field. 0'fer in the games I watched and put on the worst display in BP I've ever seen. Now maybe he was working on something specific in BP but it was completely unimpressive. Two bad games I would have dismissed as no big deal but the BP put me over the top. I'd be shocked if he were worth a 4th OF spot this year.

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how timely

"I want him focused on figuring out a way to beat that lefty's ass." - RW

by ab03 on Mar 20, 2007 10:00 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not surprising

A buddy of mine in AZ said the same thing.

I think he's another damned injured athelete that says he is healthy. It's nice to be tough and all, but when injured guys take 100+ ABs away from healthy guys, it kind of pisses me off.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 20, 2007 10:03 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

If he is released

prior to the season starting, will the Rangers have to pay his salary for the whole year or just 20% of it?

by Trosey on Mar 20, 2007 10:20 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It's guaranteed.

They owe the whole enchilada. Most likely they will keep him on the roster, he will suck for a few months, and then say, "you know, my shoulder was really hurting me".

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 20, 2007 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What's with the Wilk hate?

He rape your dog or something?

by Athos on Mar 20, 2007 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Probably because

last year, he sucked for a few months, finally got off the roster and said "you know, my shoulder was really hurting me".

Not sure why this year would be any different.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 20, 2007 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wilk's injury

I'd rather a player gets fixed up than play hurt as well.

But consider who the manager was last year, and the fact that he's tight with Bill Parcells, who seems to view a player getting hurt as a character flaw. I'm not necessarily saying Buck thinks the same way, but it sure wouldn't surprise me.

by RCCook on Mar 20, 2007 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

that is absurd

i think i've pointed out to you before that its not even a correct characterization of bill parcells.

but its also a giant leap to blame buck for wilkerson playing hurt. wilkerson wasn't a mench or a laird trying to garner favor with buck to get playing time. he was basically assured of a job. i'm guessing that he did it more so that the club would recognize him as a team player and offer him arbitration.

but also, i don't see any reason why wilkerson wouldn't just say he's hurt if he really is hurt. i'm pretty sure he told people he was playing hurt last year too - just that he could play through it and he'd deal with it at the end of the season.

"I want him focused on figuring out a way to beat that lefty's ass." - RW

by ab03 on Mar 20, 2007 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Buck/Wilk

As I said, it was just speculation, and may not be correct.

I think that characterization is entirely accurate when it comes to Parcells, however. There were several occasions- particularly Julius Jones- where players wound up in the doghouse for the simple crime of getting hurt.

by RCCook on Mar 20, 2007 2:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

julius jones and others

i'm pretty sure parcells' biggest beef was that he felt that they weren't rehabbing properly. to him, if you were injured, he wanted to see you in the rehab facilities working out or not at all - definitely not chatting it up with people.

i mean, i only read this somewhere and i don't have access to the cowboy lockerroom but I feel like thats more plausible - and its what parcells has said before. I think Parcells can understand why it wouldn't be a good idea to rush your franchise RB back from a shoulder injury in his rookie season.

"I want him focused on figuring out a way to beat that lefty's ass." - RW

by ab03 on Mar 20, 2007 2:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Negative ghostwriter.

JJ got hurt on one play during preseason, he wanted to go out, but BP made him go back out there, thus causing his injury to get worse.

RC is dead on when he characterizes BP like that.

Parcells was a joke.

by Longhorn on Mar 20, 2007 5:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not necessarily

Arbitration contracts aren't always guaranteed, that's a negotiated point. And info like that is almost never made public. Todd Walker's deal with SD is non-guaranteed based on reports I've read, but haven't seen anything on Wilkerson.

by AZranger on Mar 20, 2007 10:29 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

As far as I know, his money is guaranteed.

So they're on the hook for several million to him whether he plays a game for them or not.

by Athos on Mar 20, 2007 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No

If you release an arb-eligible player before Opening Day, you pay him just 20%.

The Rangers did that with Inky back in the day.

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 20, 2007 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Didn't know that.

But now I know ... and knowing is half the battle.

by Athos on Mar 20, 2007 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, I hope he gets it in gear

The Rangers need hitters that work the count, and Wilkerson used to be really good at that. I was really hoping he'd pull through this year but I guess it's not looking very good.

by Dustin on Mar 20, 2007 10:59 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

To his credit......

After working with Rudy for an hour he stuck around for pics with kids and autographs. Lofton was there but he just bolted. I'm sure the folks that got a picture or an autograph appreciated that greatly. I like to give a player credit for stuff like that since usually you only hear about that stuff when someone is a jerk.

by bdavison94 on Mar 20, 2007 11:34 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

assumptions

I'm not saying you're doing this, but I won't assume from your story that Lofton is a jerk. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and think that maybe he had an important appointment to get to or something. I've heard decent stories about him in the past. Good for Wilky to do that.

by t ball on Mar 20, 2007 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know that the Hardline

pretty much abandoned a Lofton interview early when he basicly seemed completely disinterested.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 20, 2007 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Disinterested

If anyone knows disinterested it's Greg Williams.

"Huh?"

Milk, milk, lemonade, around the corner fudge is made.

by Chris Martin on Mar 20, 2007 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

disinterested,

or just confused maybe.

by t ball on Mar 20, 2007 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, but Greggo's disinterest

is the result of performance enhancing drugs.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 20, 2007 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

For 13 years???

Milk, milk, lemonade, around the corner fudge is made.

by Chris Martin on Mar 20, 2007 2:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Whatever it takes

to bring home those emergency brake awards.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history" -- John McCain

by DJCahill on Mar 20, 2007 2:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That was hilarious when they...

basically hung up on him. Even though I really didn't think he was being as short w/ them as they led on.

by cgolden on Mar 20, 2007 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not....

commenting on Lofton one way or the other. Just giving the facts. I've never had any face to face experience with Kenny so I'm not going to assume anything.

by bdavison94 on Mar 20, 2007 2:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

hey

if your gonna be spare, you might as well be kind to the fans. lousy and crappy to fans is a bad combo. Everything i've heard is that Lofton still acts like he's a star bid headed superstar he was when it was 1995. Some1 needs to tell him he's a 4th OFer on a good team and that 4th OFers with egos dont get very far.

.500 or bust!

by Jayslick on Mar 20, 2007 1:38 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The funny thing

about all of this is that Wilkerson had a wonderful spring last year. I think it's way too early to decide how effective he'll be.

by FirebatM3 on Mar 20, 2007 3:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn't.....

have bothered to post this if it was just a bad spring. If his numbers were crap I wouldn't care. Spring means little to nothing from a statistical perspective. Watching that BP he took with Rudy is what has me more than a little worried. It was awful.

by bdavison94 on Mar 21, 2007 9:15 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs