Wednesday morning items

by Brett Perryman on Aug 8, 2007 12:09 PM CDT in News

Not sure how many people agree with this, but this team is a lot more fun for me to watch these days. Good signs last night, with Kason Gabbard making a solid start, CJ Wilson with another impressive save, Jarrod Saltalamacchia with a big hit and Marlon Byrd with a HR.

DMN has lots of good stuff today, starting with Evan Grant telling us about Wilson's third save.

Grant also runs down what I did yesterday, how the Rangers and their farm system are stacking up with all of the new players, according to Baseball America.

And if you haven't, check out Grant's newsletter from last night.

Dave Sessions has more on Wilson and Gabbard. I don't know how good Gabbard is going to be, but it is refreshing to see young left handed pitchers having success in Arlington.

Kevin Millwood squares off against Lenny Dinardo tonight as the Rangers try to win their second straight series against Oakland.

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Comments

Yup

Well Mr. Burns had done it. The power plant had won it. With Roger Clemens clucking all the while.

by WyoRanger on Aug 8, 2007 12:06 PM CDT reply actions

haha

a comment with no substance is as bad as a "first" comment, no?

exploding highfive

by sarnold on Aug 8, 2007 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions

Is it?

"Fear is never a factor Joe Rogan!!" -Tyrone Biggums

by hillcrest on Aug 8, 2007 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions

No

I stand corrected

by rkh on Aug 8, 2007 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions

it had substance

Z was basically asking if anybody agreed if the team was more fun to watch. W answered that

Forget Johnny Bench, we got Gerry "the Jet" Laird

by ab03 on Aug 8, 2007 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions

good point

didn't think about that

exploding highfive

by sarnold on Aug 8, 2007 1:17 PM CDT up reply actions

Millwood

so has Millwood lost weight and gotten in pitching shape since his last start? If not, I don't reckon he will be out there too long tonight. Kinda glad the Sopranos are on A&E tonight.

yo soy Horsedooty!

by horsedooty on Aug 8, 2007 12:11 PM CDT reply actions

what a let down hes been

I stand corrected

by rkh on Aug 8, 2007 12:13 PM CDT up reply actions

I used to be......

a Millwood fan, but after last nights telecast revealed that he is the worlds biggest Toby Keith fan.........well........that just makes me wanna stick a boot in his ass.

I actually like country music, even some of the newer stuff....

but there is no excuse that I can think of for someone enjoying Toby Keith.

I stand corrected

by rkh on Aug 8, 2007 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions

It's

the American way.

"Fear is never a factor Joe Rogan!!" -Tyrone Biggums

by hillcrest on Aug 8, 2007 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions

He'll

put a boot in your ass.

by DJCahill on Aug 8, 2007 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions

Toby Keith = colossal tool

I will not get my comeuppance!

by Brian Thomas on Aug 8, 2007 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions

Bascik on the Ticket now.

Woohoo!

by isaacbrock on Aug 8, 2007 12:39 PM CDT reply actions

Said Skip Bayless

accussed Bascik of throwing a meat pitch.

Does anybody ever like Bayless anymore? He's a big bag of nothing. A complete idiot. I guess it's fitting he's on ESPN.

by isaacbrock on Aug 8, 2007 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions

What do you mean ...

... "like him anymore?" I never liked him to begin with.

by Melmart1 on Aug 8, 2007 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions

What a doofus

They guy gets Bonds to a full count and then just decides to throw a meatball? If Bascik could have just "decided" that he was going to get Bonds out but just "decided" that he'd give Bonds the HR record, then he's the best pitcher in baseball.

Well Mr. Burns had done it. The power plant had won it. With Roger Clemens clucking all the while.

by WyoRanger on Aug 8, 2007 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Speaking of waivers

Wile E Mo Pena cleared. Granted, the Rangers have enough players that can hit the straight ball very far, but it's a name that's come up. His contract is reasonable, so I find it odd no one claimed him.

Well Mr. Burns had done it. The power plant had won it. With Roger Clemens clucking all the while.

by WyoRanger on Aug 8, 2007 1:15 PM CDT reply actions

Pirates

You would think that the Pirates would take chance on a talented, inexpensive OF'er. Oh wait, Littlefield is running the show.

by Excel Hearts Choi on Aug 8, 2007 1:28 PM CDT up reply actions

Wily Mo Pena

I doubt the Red Sox were just going to let him go to any team that claimed him. They would have pulled him back.

At least now some team like the Pirates can possibly make a trade for him, if they're interested.

by Brian Hayes on Aug 8, 2007 2:39 PM CDT up reply actions

Bobby Keilty

The Red Sox signed Bobby Keilty to a minor league contract which stipulates that if he is not put on the 25 man roster in about a week, then he is a free agent. I can't see Boston doing this unless they plan on getting rid of Pena.

by Excel Hearts Choi on Aug 8, 2007 2:58 PM CDT up reply actions

He's very strange case

I wonder if he has a bad behavior label among the baseball community - otherwise the guy has a ton of promise.

Forget Johnny Bench, we got Gerry "the Jet" Laird

by ab03 on Aug 8, 2007 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions

Colby Lewis vs Edinson Volquez

1:35 start for OKC

Rangers Farm Probables

by shroomer on Aug 8, 2007 1:34 PM CDT reply actions

Hey hey

Love to hear any updates you would provide... I'm still bullish on Edinson.

Aaaaand Tommy Hunter is freed.

by hightowersmith on Aug 8, 2007 1:36 PM CDT up reply actions

14 pitch 1st

Flyout
Ks
Grounder

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 1:52 PM CDT up reply actions

11 pitch 2nd

single
Double Play
K looking

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 2:03 PM CDT up reply actions

12 pitch 3rd

groundout
K
flyout

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 2:16 PM CDT up reply actions

17 pitch 4th

K swinging
Lineout
Walk
Flyout

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 2:34 PM CDT up reply actions

21 pitch 5th

Walk
Kswing
Kswing
Kswing

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 2:51 PM CDT up reply actions

BEEEAST

I'm liking it...Sept call-up or sooner than that???

by HypoLuxa on Aug 8, 2007 3:11 PM CDT up reply actions

13 pitch 6th

single
Sac Bunt
K-look
K-swing

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 3:09 PM CDT up reply actions

8 pitch 7th

Flyout
Groundout
Flyout

Most likely done

7IP, 2 H, 0R, 2BB, 9K

Winning 1-0

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions

gold

Thanks for that. Best AAA start so far, totally dominant.

Aaaaand Tommy Hunter is freed.

by hightowersmith on Aug 8, 2007 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions

The walks

were to Jeremy Brown and Daric Barton, two guys who draws a lot of them. It was a very well-pitched game.

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 3:29 PM CDT up reply actions

man

that's pretty impressive

McLovin...What a great name, sounds like a sexy hamburger

by Lonerangers on Aug 8, 2007 3:31 PM CDT up reply actions

Got to admit

I hadn't noticed Brennan Garr one way or the other since he arrived. Jamey mentioned him today, and rightfully...

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Brennan%20Garr&pos=P&sid=t423& t=p_pbp&pid=502430

The combination of extreme groundball ratio, low hit rate and strikeout numbers with control is pretty amazing. Not a huge sample, but not a small sample either.

In case he keeps it up, what would a comp be?

Aaaaand Tommy Hunter is freed.

by hightowersmith on Aug 8, 2007 1:45 PM CDT reply actions

Those numbers

are unreal.

Chad Gaudin? Maybe?

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions

Garr

I didn't see it in Jamey's report, but Garr has only been a full-time pitcher for a little over a year. He was a two-way player at Northern Colorado and only started pitching full-time once the Rangers drafted him last year. He has a shot to be really good once he gets some experience.

by uthornfan on Aug 8, 2007 2:45 PM CDT up reply actions

If that's true

we might have to readjust his comparables. The word on him coming out of college was that he was not polished on the mound, but he seems pretty polished now.

Maybe Scott Shields is a better comp now?

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions

two way

Wow, I'd forgotten all about that. That makes his numbers even more impressive. Is he a lock for relief or are they planning to stretch him out later?

mmmmmm...64 slices of American cheese...

by t ball on Aug 8, 2007 3:53 PM CDT up reply actions

Yah

I don't know.

If he stretches out and keeps those numbers up, he'll look an awful lot like Hudson. And pretty much nobody else.

by hightowersmith on Aug 8, 2007 3:59 PM CDT up reply actions

Thank you, Z

by mattrpav on Aug 8, 2007 1:58 PM CDT reply actions

Colby Lewis

man, he's 7-1 with a 2.00 ERA in AAA right now. Struck out 6 in 2.1 innings so far.

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 2:06 PM CDT reply actions

Yet when he was in the majors

he had 19 games, with one of them being a start, and he was 0-2 with a 8.06 ERA.

Same old Colby.

AAAA pitcher.

by DJCahill on Aug 8, 2007 2:19 PM CDT up reply actions

That's a shame

if you can't do well in Oakland as a pitcher, there's probably very little hope for you.

by FirebatM3 on Aug 8, 2007 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions

Hey

It's hard to step up and take a shit on a player, dude, Ranger or otherwise. We're grateful you're consistently doing it this year, just wanted to say.

Aaaaand Tommy Hunter is freed.

by hightowersmith on Aug 8, 2007 2:42 PM CDT up reply actions

yea but

i saw him pitch in oakland against the rangers and he looked like the olf colby lewis, still thats pretty impressive

by weslyenkid01 on Aug 8, 2007 2:18 PM CDT reply actions

It's more fun to watch

Because it's a bunch of scrubs.

Is what Zytwica is saying.

Marlon Byrd is the type of player no LSBers would hate. Total mediocrity.

Benoit> Johan Santana as a starter. Fact.

by Sharky on Aug 8, 2007 3:46 PM CDT reply actions

so says

Shartky.

mmmmmm...64 slices of American cheese...

by t ball on Aug 8, 2007 3:51 PM CDT up reply actions

Hey Shark, how good are these guys:

Kinsler
Saltalamacchia
Cruz
Botts (I guess you've already said that you didn't like him)
Wilson
Gabbard
McCarthy

by Brett Perryman on Aug 8, 2007 4:48 PM CDT up reply actions

I am really hoping...

that things work out with C.J. Wilson as a closer. I really like this kid.

Does Ron Washington have to choke a bitch???

by xxthetoddxx on Aug 8, 2007 4:51 PM CDT reply actions

Evan Grant on Tex

I loved the last two paragraphs of his answer to the last question:

" can tell you this: My last meeting with Teixeira left me a very disappointed writer. I called him and texted him to try and get some thoughts about leaving Texas. I got no response. Others on our staff also got no response. I waited in a hotel lobby for four hours to catch a glimpse of him and when I did, he refused to even say that he was sorry his relationship with Texas ended the way it did. He refused to acknowledge the contract offer (though a day later, after his agent confirmed it, Teixeira did acknowledge it). In my gut, as I watched Teixeira get into a cab last Tuesday, I thought: "Well, here's a guy who really, for some reason or another, wanted Texas to be in his rearview mirror, and he got it."

So, if Hicks' announcement of his contract offer was somewhat disingenuous, my last exchange with Teixeira left me thinking that his comments about "wanting to dogpile on Michael Young and Hank Blalock," were somewhat disingenuous, too."

Grant has no hidden agendas, nothing to gain, nothing to lose. I think this says alot about the make-up of Tex.

Proud Supporter of the Texas Rangers since 1973

by T Coleman on Aug 8, 2007 4:58 PM CDT reply actions

Sure it does

but it is nothing less than what a large part of athletes in all sports say. It's a business and some of them are only in it for the money. Teixeira decided he can't win in Texas. He was traded and that's that. Maybe he'll find the winner he's looking for.

Does Ron Washington have to choke a bitch???

by xxthetoddxx on Aug 8, 2007 5:00 PM CDT up reply actions

Grant

I thought his newsletter was especially good today, particularly that part and the part analyzing the big picture of the players added in the Cordero deal, Lee signing with Houston, the Gagne and Teixeira trades, and this year's draft.

The Rangers seem to have a definite "let's build from within and via trades for young players" philosophy now under Daniels, and Grant is one of the few media people who seems to understand that.

And this was from Jamey's report today, but I thought it was a nice rebuttal to those who said JD either didn't try hard enough, or made the wrong trades for Tex and Gagne:

"For those of you who didn't see it in the handful of local and national stories the past week, it has come out that the Angels apparently never offered first baseman Casey Kotchman and lefthander Joe Saunders to Texas for Mark Teixeira, despite widespread reports that they had. The Angels reportedly offered Kotchman and righthander Ervin Santana, who had pitched his way back to AAA. Big, big difference.

According to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, when shopping Gagné, Texas asked the Yankees for outfielder Melky Cabrera and righthander Ian Kennedy and asked the Mets for outfielder Lastings Milledge and pitching prospects."

So Saunders was never on the table, and Daniels likely got the best deal he could for Gagne. The Yankees and Mets just weren't serious enough about getting a deal done.

"Then I met some friends for a beer, went to a BoDeans's concert, and son of a vondruke, if I didn't leave him at the concert hall."

by RCCook on Aug 8, 2007 5:09 PM CDT up reply actions

hmm

i wonder if there wasn't middle ground in the gagne talks with the yankees and the mets.

Forget Johnny Bench, we got Gerry "the Jet" Laird

by ab03 on Aug 8, 2007 6:45 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah me too

Though, I'm pretty sure that the Yankees wouldn't give Kennedy in any circumstance and if our target was a SP, I can't say that the next notch down, someone like Horne or Clippard, would have done much for me.

With the Mets, I could see a few levels of compromise possibly. Would be curious how high they went.

by Brett Perryman on Aug 8, 2007 6:58 PM CDT up reply actions