New T.R. Sullivan mailbag up
by Adam J. Morris on Oct 28, 2008 9:30 AM CDT
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PrintT.R. Sullivan has a new mailbag column up...
He slots the current pecking order for the rotation slots among the guys currently here,
says the Rangers will likely ask Michael Young to move to third base but not until 2010 at the earliest, and fields a multitude of other questions, including swatting down a suggestion that the Rangers bring Blake Beavan up for a start in 2009...
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No.
The NBA is rigged as hell.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
by thedirkatron on Oct 28, 2008 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions
x
Absolutely rigged. David Stern writes a script for each season see: 2006 Mavs-Heat and how disportionate the fouls were, and how Wade sets an NBA Finals record for foul shots.
by FuturePants on Oct 28, 2008 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions
I agree
Boils down to Dirk wouldnt have been as good of a face for the NBA as Wade would have been….at least to Stern who oversees the worst officiating in any sport.
2010 Rangers = 2008 Rays?
by booyahcaveman on Oct 28, 2008 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions
It could be as simple as the Mavs didn’t have anybody to stop you from coming in the paint, and still don’t, and the Mavs didnt have anybody who could go into the paint and score consistently, and still dont.
a dominant power forward is a good thing...
a la Tim Duncan. Dirk is a dominant power forward, but not in the same regards as Timmy is. with that said, a dominant SG that can get his shot any time and drive to the hoop is VERY strong in this league right now, and we don’t have one on this team unless Howard takes a leap forward, stops settling for 3’s and/or Gerald Green takes a big step forward.
I think there is somewhat of a conspiracy, you just don’t go from 2-0 and blowing the opposition out in game 3 to losing 4 straight and having such HORRID calls made against you without that thought…but we just didn’t have the dominant SG necessary in today’s NBA to win. Hell, Duncan even has Manu, who’s pretty freakin’ good at getting his shot any time and driving to the lane
"Calmer than you are... "
by Walter Sobchak on Oct 28, 2008 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions
further to that point, look at the last few champs:
2008: Celtics had Pierce matched with Garnett
2007: Spurs had Manu matched with Duncan
2006: Heat had Wade matched with Shaq
2005: Spurs had Manu and Duncan
2004: Pistons had Chauncey and the two headed Wallace monster
2003: Spurs had Manu/Stephen Jackson and the two headed Duncan/Robinson monster
2002: Lakers had Kobe and Shaq
2001: Lakers had Kobe and Shaq
2000: Lakers had Kobe and Shaq
The Mavs had Dirk. No other dominant player, and he’s not even a conventional power forward.
"Calmer than you are... "
by Walter Sobchak on Oct 28, 2008 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions
i have to say
I have rarely been this excited about the start of the NBA season. Two reasons, I think…
The first being that the Mavericks are finally realizing that the infusion of young talent is integral to the long term success of this team, and I am anxious to see if Wright, Green or Shawne Williams can step up like Bass did last year (Wright and Green, to some extent, already have).
The second being that I have decided to play fantasy basketball for the first time, and I really didn’t know how much I didn’t know about the NBA. I had not heard of half the players I drafted until about a day before the draft.
I still hate that the refs are so heavy handed, and I will never get over the ’06 finals, but I have to admit i am excited to see the season start.
Who did you end up with?
2010 Rangers = 2008 Rays?
by booyahcaveman on Oct 28, 2008 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions
Well,
I had the fourth pick. At guard, I have Mo Williams, Kevin Martin, and Tony Parker starting. At forward, I have Antawn Jamison, Michael Beasley, and Jeff Green, and at center, I have Stoudemire and Al Jefferson. My utility guys are John Salmons and Mike Conley, and I have Kevin Love, Chris Duhon and Amir Johnson on my bench. I thought I got decent value throughout the draft.
It is a rotisserie league, so I am hoping my twin towers stay healthy and Amir Johnson performs well enough to start for the Pistons so I can make a run at blocks and rebounds. I am hoping Conley and Duhon both emerge as solid starting point guards (Duhon should thrive in D’Antoni’s system) to help me with assists, and Salmons should help with steals. But again, I have never played before, so chances are I struggle this year.
I'm excited
To see Batum start. I think he’s going to be very good.
by brettgardner on Oct 28, 2008 1:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Well
Webster is injured. That’s the reason Batum is starting right now, but it’s still impressive.
by brettgardner on Oct 28, 2008 4:04 PM CDT up reply actions
heh
JD’s worst trade is the Galarraga deal. Good one, TR, good one.
I'm undefeated in fights. Have I been in any? No. Thats because people know my f'ing status. Don't mess with the elite. - Miles
Hey, I'll give TR a little credit
At least he didn’t succumb to Ranger beatwriter “Danksjerk” syndrome.
But yah, while the the Galarraga deal wasn’t his worst trade – hell, it wasn’t even really a trade. We DFA’d him, and he didn’t make it through waivers, as I recall it, so we “traded” him to the Tigers before our 10 days or whatever was up.
"[Tim McCarver and Joe Buck] are the Gabe Gross and Ben Broussard of the broadcasting booth." - dirkatron
Woah woah woah.
In response to a rotation if the season started today question:
Right now the rotation is Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Matt Harrison, Scott Feldman and Brandon McCarthy. That’s where you start.
Then comes a group of contenders that includes (in this order) Dustin Nippert, Eric Hurley, Luis Mendoza, Kason Gabbard and Doug Mathis. Then come the prospects, including Thomas Diamond, Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz and Tommy Hunter.
I know Nippert had a good September, but is he above a healthy Hurley? How many good September, bad April flameouts do the Rangers need to see? Also, Mendoza took about 38 steps backwards this year, is he really still ahead of Gabbard? And is Hunter that far down? Below Diamond Holland and Feliz? Not so sure about Mr. Sullivan’s answer to this one.
options
Hurley has options. Nippert doesn’t.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
also
I think Gabbards health dropped him below Mendoza.
as for Hunter I think those other guys potential puts them ahead of him. I don’t see Tommy coming up to Arlington this year unless a bunch of injuries happen like last year. I think the Rangers want him to get a full season in the minors under his belt and they felt they rushed him last year.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Potential vs. Being Ready Today
I don’t see that list as a prospect rank; I see it as who is the most ready to take the ball if the season started today. I would put Diamond under Holland as well. I don’t get that list.
by FuturePants on Oct 28, 2008 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions
Lots of things
Like I said I think the Rangers feel they rushed Hunter last year. It was mainly due to necessity because of all the injuries but i feel they want him to spend a full year in the minors. Diamond is above Holland and feliz mainly due to the 40 man. hes on it and the other two aren’t and won’t have to be until after 2010 so to put them on it this early would mean they are fully ready.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Diamond
If Diamond wasn’t a 1st round pick of ours, he wouldn’t even be in consideration for anything at this point.
I don't think Mendoza
is a candidate to start, but I do think he is a candidate for a bullpen position.
options
That makes sense, but Hunter also has options, so do Diamond, Holland and Feliz. It’s a little strange for TR to say that Hunter is not more major league ready than those three…
by FuturePants on Oct 28, 2008 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
if I were a betting man
I would still put a little money on Holland winning a job out of spring training. i think the odds are long, and he could certainly benefit from more time, but i have a feeling he will come in next february and make it difficult for this team to justify putting some of those pitchers in the rotation ahead of him.
best deal
I would have pegged the Tex trade as the best deal
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
Probably
the only reason Sullivan didnt was because while the Rangers got a haul Tex did perform well in Atl and they at least got something for him in a trade (not as much as they gave away though). Gagne was TERRIBLE for the Sox. I mean monumentally bad. So basically the rangers gave up nothing and got something whereas with Tex he was an AS.
2010 Rangers = 2008 Rays?
by booyahcaveman on Oct 28, 2008 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions
Yup
Although Teix brought back a nice haul, any competent GM should have been able to get some decent talent (although JD might have outdone them) and Teix was still another year from FA. The Gagne trade was a bit better since 1) he was just a couple month rental and 2) he was breaking down.
Nothing pithy here. Please move long.
Depends...
It depends on how you judge “best trade”. In a vacuum, the Gagne trade may have been better for JD from a pure negotiations standpoint, but the Tex deal clearly was better for the development of the team/organization as far as infusion of talent goes.
Yup...
The Gagne deal was good, but how could he not think the Tex deal was better.
Gagne Deal: Murphy has been solid, Gabbard non-exixtent and Beltre years away.
Tex Deal: Salty is here and is a valuable asset, Harrison had 10 W’s, Feliz is our top prospect, and Andrus is rising fast.
Talent for talent it’s a slam dunk. I guess T.R. considers what we gave up, but the Tex deal had to be made, it’s not like we could have chosen to keep him long term.
i disagree
with both is best and worst trades. Teixeira was by far his best trade to date, and the Padres deal was by far his worst.
Feldman before Hurley?
I have to go with Hurley over Feldman. I can see Hurley in the rotation in 4 years. Not Feldman. Hurley needs ML innings now.
Nolan Ryan should be the Rangers president, GM, manager and pitching coach.
Feldman
I think he’s in the bullpen next year. I can’t imagine the team deferring to him over Hurley.
Go Strangers.
by hightowersmith on Oct 28, 2008 11:10 AM CDT up reply actions
+1
I know there’s a loyal Feldman following that will find this slightly offensive, but Scooter is just a filler. Don’t get me wrong, that can be a very valuable thing to have when members of your starting rotation start to drop like flies (as they have the last three plus seasons) but I don’t think he’ll spend the entire 2009 season in the rotation unless things go very, very wrong again. He might start there, but he’ll be in the ’pen by midsummer is my guess.
"[Tim McCarver and Joe Buck] are the Gabe Gross and Ben Broussard of the broadcasting booth." - dirkatron
With Feldman
I think it really depends on if he can make any strides from last year to next. I think he held his own in his first year starting, and aside from an August drought, probably caused by fatigue, he was really our most consistent starter. It his performance last season is his ceiling, then yes, he is just temporary filler, but I have a hard time writing him off just yet.
Agree
Feldman has made great improvement in just a year. I’d put him in the rotation over Hurley any day. Hurley has to prove he can really handle AAA before he deserves a full-time rotation slot.
Feldman
Just like with Nippert he is out of options. That comes into consideration when making these decisions. Heaven forbid we make another Armando Gallarraga type mistake.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
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