New Rangers newsletter

by Adam J. Morris on Nov 5, 2008 10:00 AM CST Comment 13 comments

Evan Grant has his November Rangers newsletter up...

Some discussion about the role and impact of Mike Maddux, along with who is untouchable among minor leaguers and the Milton Bradley situation...

Check it out...

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GMs are telling me the Rangers have brought up Elvis Andrus in trade talks in this manner: “We don’t want to talk about Elvis Andrus.”

I like it. Maybe not so much from teh ‘Elvis shouldn’t be discussed’ angle as much as the ‘Face Man might be moving to 3rd next year if they like Elvis this much’ angle.

by Keynes on Nov 5, 2008 11:39 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Very encouraging

words from Maddux regarding treating each pitcher as an individual.

“It’s kind of hard to say because I haven’t met the pitchers yet and everybody is different. You can’t just take a cookie cutter approach. You have to know that every guy is an individual and how they respond may be different from guy to guy. It’s my job to get to know them and to get that message across to all those different personalities.”

Wise approach.

The concerns about Washington’s guys not getting the coaching assignments seem overblown to me. Grant’s assertion that this is simply an organization trying to hire the best guys instead of the manager’s cronys seems closer to the mark.

G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....

by t ball on Nov 5, 2008 11:42 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

IIRC

Ed was a big critic of Connors due to his approach. Sounds like this guy might be different.

"He’s basically told himself unconsciously that he can’t be any good unless he catches 130 games a year. If he played with the baseball smarts of a guy like a David Eckstein, he’d maximize his talent and be an incredible player." - Andy Seiler, Texas Rangers Analyst

by Chase Irwin on Nov 5, 2008 12:06 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

I was, and maybe it wasn’t truly that Connor had a ‘cookie cutter’ approach, but more like he used what had worked for him in the past. Even with years of experience, we may all tend to do that when pressured. Connor just didn’t seem to have the imagination necessary to make minor tweaks without repercussions on the mound, or the tolerance for a wide variety of individuals whose physiology made them seem “different” from prototype pitchers.

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

by Ed Coffin on Nov 5, 2008 12:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs