Crank up the Rangers bandwagon!!!

by Adam J. Morris on Sep 13, 2007 2:49 PM CDT in News

Dayn Perry is jumping on the Rangers bandwagon, in his latest Fox Sports Power Rankings:

Break up the Rangers. Despite pawning off productive vets at the deadline, the Rangers are 30-24 in the second half, and they've done it all despite playing one of the toughest schedules in baseball. Hank Blalock has been hitting since returning from the DL, and Kason Gabbard has been a nifty addition to the rotation. It's not out of the question that Ron Washington's club could challenge for a playoff berth next season.

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Uhhhh, ohhhh, oh god. I'm sorry

That was premature.

America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.

by WyoRanger on Sep 13, 2007 2:49 PM CDT reply actions

Is that your Sharky impression?

Media Matters: Proving that the media is considerably more conservative than liberal

by RangerMoto on Sep 13, 2007 2:51 PM CDT up reply actions

Sharky

I think his reaction would be something more like:

"Stop it. You guys don't want the Rangers to get good, because all of you hate anyone good who plays for the Rangers. Especially Adam.

That's the indisputable truth. I know, because anyone who disagrees with me is a liberal, and liberals suck.

Oh, and Hilary Duff rulz!"

"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 Sep 13, 2007 3:05 PM CDT up reply actions

heh

see below. You weren't far off!

But that river of tears has dried for all of us.

by trza on Sep 13, 2007 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions

LOL

I almost feel disappointed because he didn't mention politics and/or Hilary Duff, but I got one out of three, and in baseball, a .333 average is pretty good.

"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 Sep 13, 2007 3:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Right...

...like this year's club was a contender too?

I have zero confidence in Millwood or Padilla at the front of the rotation. McCarthy is obviously a mechanical question mark. Loe and Volquez plus Hurley and maybe Gabbard should be serviceable, middle-of-the-road backenders.

Then there's the outfield situation (mainly, what do you do with 4 4th outfielders vying for starting roles?).

Way too many question marks to think of this team as anything other than a .500 club, which by no means puts them in playoff contention in any division other than the NL Central.

If JD makes some deals in the offseason, then we can reanalyze then.

Media Matters: Proving that the media is considerably more conservative than liberal

by RangerMoto on Sep 13, 2007 2:50 PM CDT reply actions

Really?

I'll give you Padilla but Millwood? Are you serious? There isnt a GM in the league that wouldn't want him in their rotation. I doubt there is one out there that would call him a 3rd starter either.

by corbsclinton on Sep 13, 2007 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions

with his salary too?

No way. He hasn't even been much of an innings eater this season.

1.602 WHIP (career high)
88 ERA+ (career low)
5.44 innings per start (almost an inning below his career avg)

Maybe you're thinking of 1999 Kevin Millwood. Or even 2005 Kevin Millwood.

He's past his prime. Decent 3rd or 4th starter, nothing more.

Media Matters: Proving that the media is considerably more conservative than liberal

by RangerMoto on Sep 13, 2007 3:39 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree with

most of your posts, but I really thought you were kidding on this one. Millwood deserves a little more from the Ranger faithfull then to write him off after a bad season. I remember a guy coming off an 8-16 and 12-11 season and became the best player to ever put on a ranger uniform. He did it when he was 40. Just cause hes no spring chicken doesn't mean we cant count on him anymore. I think if he gets his ass into a gym this off-season he's better then 06. Each year he pitched less than 200 innings in a season he came back with 200+ the next year. He's 32.

by corbsclinton on Sep 13, 2007 3:53 PM CDT up reply actions

post-ASB Millwood:

4.30 ERA (not bad)
53 Ks in 67 innings (not bad)
1.50 WHIP (bad)
3 wins, 4 losses in 12 starts (average)

in his last 15 games (not counting the rain delay in which he tossed 1.1 innings and struck out 3, by all accounts a dominant short outing):
10 quality starts (VERY good) not including a near-quality start in which he gave up 4 in 8.2 near-complete game innings
142 ground balls to 82 flyballs, a pretty good ratio, and 69 strikeouts, so 211 non-flyball outs to 82 flyball outs while only giving up 5 HR in those 15 starts

if he was hurt in the first half, he certainly looks pretty good healthy - sure not a traditional # 1, but somebody you sure as shit can rely on

if he was simply out of shape, I blame him, and maybe he learned from it...either way, here's hoping he comes back next year ready to go, unlike this season. if nothing else, Millwood is a rock in our rotation that had a bad first half due to injury

"No, Donny, these men are nihilists, there's nothing to be afraid of."

by Walter Sobchak on Sep 13, 2007 5:09 PM CDT up reply actions

I hope...

...you and corbsclinton are right. But you don't usually see pitchers have fluke seasons at 32. It tends to mean they're trending south of mediocrity.

Media Matters: Proving that the media is considerably more conservative than liberal

by RangerMoto on Sep 13, 2007 5:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah

....I think the whole theme from the end of this season to the next season is who are we going to be able to count on? Who is going to make this team win maybe next year or in '09. Gawd, if we cant count on Milly and build a pitching staff with him, I gotta believe JD would have moved him or have plans to. Every contender usually has a young stud, maybe 2, in the rotation, but if we arent building around Millwood, we better think of something fast if 09 is realistic. He'll be there. And he'll get it done.

by corbsclinton on Sep 13, 2007 6:19 PM CDT up reply actions