Monday morning things
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 15, 2008 9:35 AM CST
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PrintNothing out there of note this morning on the Rangers front.
Talk amongst yourselves.
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Talk amongst ourselves
My Christmas dinner is not complete without creamed peas.
Fire Ron Washington
That's what she said.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
There are two kinds of men in this world: Men who make jump throws, and men who wish that they were Derek Jeter so that they could make jump throws.
by thedirkatron on Dec 15, 2008 1:11 PM CST up reply actions
Took a rainwalk this morning
It’s raining pretty good out here this morning.
Anyway… uh… yeah. Seeing the gutters overflowing is kinda cool.
"I´d like to apologize in advance for anything that I may say or do that could be construed as offensive as I slowly go NUTS."
Um, yeah.
It’s 29 degrees here this morning…no walk for me.
"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
yeh what's up with that Jonny?
It’s been raining all damn day .. I feel like I’m in Seattle all of a sudden.
"You shouldn't fuck around with windfalls"
LoneStarJon
New mailbag:
" He throws it where he wants it, his breaking ball kept getting better and better and of course God gave him that special arm. He's great." ~ Neftali Feliz on Derek Holland.
That was almost a decent mailbag
Till he got to the trade proposal involving Garret Atkins. Does TR have him confused with Matt Holliday or something? That’s the second time he’s said the Rox would demand Feliz or Holland in a deal involving Atkins which is just… poppycock.
"I´d like to apologize in advance for anything that I may say or do that could be construed as offensive as I slowly go NUTS."
I think someone needs to remind TR of this stat
Atkins: lifetime at Coors .337-.394-.527-.921, away from Coors .260-.328-.424-.752
I would definitely not trade Feliz or Holland for a .752 OPS thirdbaseman with below average speed and defense.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 15, 2008 3:06 PM CST up reply actions
Not much there.
I don’t like the idea of giving the catcher’s job to Saltalamacchia before spring training, though. I think the time has come for both of those catchers to be ML regulars. It looks to me that the Rangers are planning to carry two young catchers, unless a trade opportunity emerges by the end of ST.
Go Rangers!
I agree
Teagarden should get his chance to play everyday. He has earned it in with that brief September stint where he just knocked the cover of the ball (with an amazing 1.205 OPS). Also, the Rangers (especially Ron Washington) are always saying that defense is what matters the most at the catcher position. They should keep their word.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 15, 2008 3:10 PM CST up reply actions
Blalock's a great guy and all
but this is going to suck if we have to see Davis his 7th or lower in the lineup again.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Davis
7th in this lineup isn’t a slap in the face. I could see an argument to hit him 6th with Hank and he going back to back but I think Washington will want to break up the lefties with Marlon Byrd and thus Davis will hit 7th. If we weren’t so potent it would bother me but with all the firepower we have someones gona be hitting lower than they should
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.
Davis
Its just seems pointless to put a guy who hit like he did last season against both righties and lefties so low in the lineup. Davis should be hitting 5th, right behind Cruz, if you are still that worried about the back-back lefties. Blalock, even when he has been healthy, just isn’t as dangerous of a hitter as Davis.
And with all that said, I know this doesn’t have that big of an impact on the game (to have Blalock 5th instead of Davis), but its still something that bugs me.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Completely understandable
Really nothing to argue with there. I guess for me its more of a gut feeling that Wash will prefer the veteran Blalock in the 5th spot over the 2nd year guy in Davis. You really can’t go wrong no matter who you choose but knowing what Wash has said about liking to have power at the 6/7 spot in the lineup also I think we will see Davis there alot.
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.
The way I see it...
Blalock will be traded before the season starts or by the ASB anyway (unless he gets hurt again of course) so Davis will be in the 5 hole by the second half of the sesaon and for the next few seasons hopefully.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Sounds like a plan to me
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.
Barring any trades, Davis will initially start up at 7th and settle at 5th by the middle of the season
Washington says that he wants to take pressure off Davis for now. However, the 2009 lineup is hard to predict given that Salty, Byrd, Blalock, and Ramirez are all trade bait. If we do end up trading the first three for young pitching and sign either Crede or Wigginton for 3B (it seems like the Rangers do not trust Metcalf’s offense), this is what it will look like at the beginning of the year (in this case I prefer Davis at 5th but I am only putting up what Ron Washington is capable of putting not what I wish for)
2B R Ian Kinsler
SS R Michael Young
CF L Josh Hamilton
3B R Joe Crede or Ty Wigginton
LF L David Murphy
RF R Nelson Cruz
1B L Chris Davis
DH R Max Ramirez
C R Taylor Teagarden
We would probably go after an experienced DH in this case, but the money would probably be spent on Ben Sheets instead.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 16, 2008 12:36 AM CST up reply actions
Latest on Sheets is that it is reported the Yankees prefer Pettitte to Sheets.
Per Kat O’Brien and Ken Davidoff via mlbtraderumors.com:
The Yankees, who had hoped to sign Pettitte or Sheets to round out their starting rotation, have decided that Pettitte would be a better fit. Sheets did make 31 starts in 2008, going 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA for the Brewers, but injuries kept him from topping 160 innings between 2005 and 2007.
Another advantage of signing Pettitte instead of Sheets is that Pettitte will require just a one-year contract. General manager Brian Cashman flew to meet with him at his Houston-area home Thursday in hopes of convincing him to accept the Yankees’ one-year, $10-million offer. Pettitte has resisted a pay cut from the $16 million he made in 2008. A club official said: "They just had a good meeting and [Pettitte’s] thinking about things."
Also, the Rockies think they could get Jonathon Sanchez for Atkins.
It’s -1 here in central IA. With the wind, it actually hurts to be outside.
Go Rangers!
You probably can't judge Laynce Nix
without 1000 major league at bats.
Nolan Ryan is the Greatest Pitcher ever, because Google says so.
"BTW I’m officially welching ab03. Yeah I planned too all along, but I figured I’d try to get off the hook with double or nothing first."- Sharky
I can
I say he’ll be better with the Reds. They are going to have to play him, me thinks. They don’t have much else in the OF.
Even if he does well with the Reds, I won’t miss him. But then again, Laynce Nix never did much for me while he was here. I guess he had a lot of “potential”, but suckiness in the Majors trumps “potential” in the Minors.
I miss 1989. I miss 1996. Please make me miss another season in 2008.
Jay Bruce might have something to say about that
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.
the scouting report
from Arod is that he’ll be a 40 HR guy someday
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Dec 15, 2008 10:06 AM CST up reply actions
more impressive physique
laynce nix or gabe the babe?
visit my blog: http://dirtfromd.blogspot.com
now whoring my blog on 5 different sites!
by studcrackers on Dec 15, 2008 10:11 AM CST up reply actions
x
"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
by Rodney on Dec 15, 2008 2:21 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Not only not unnecessary but irrelevant.
I’m trying to figure out how Smoakin in the Boys Room got to Lance Bass from a comparison of two formerly-local baseball athletes who were renoun for their exercise routines.
I suppose it’s because one of them is named ‘Laynce’.
by oc on Dec 15, 2008 3:04 PM CST up reply actions
Argh. Unnecessary and irrelevant...Yes, your post was.
"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
What post?
The one that counters you reaching into your bag of nothing for a magazine cover?
by oc on Dec 15, 2008 4:30 PM CST up reply actions
are we that PC sensitive around here.
get a thick skin. quit bitchin
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
Lance Bass has absolutely nothing to do with Laynce Nix or Gabe Kapler, you ding-dongs.
by oc on Dec 15, 2008 6:13 PM CST up reply actions
Same first name
You can’t be more relevant than that.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Haha !
This is an exciting time in my life.
The LSB CPP's are in full bloom.
by inactive lsb user on Dec 16, 2008 11:00 AM CST up reply actions
wut happend to
bucharoo coming to town for salty and a prospect (as per MJH)?
There is still a lot going on in Boston.
They have the Teixeira thing to work out for the next couple of weeks without getting into a bidding war that could push his contract above 10/200. They have to figure out whether they need to go after another vet. pitcher or beef up their offense or both, if they can afford to do it. Alot depends on Teixeira.
My bet is that Teixeira will go to the Red Sox. The Yankees probably need him more, and whatever offer the Red Sox put on the table, the Yankees have the money to beat. The pitch from the Red Sox will be, of course, about money — 2nd highest salary in the majors — but also about being The Man now that Papi is on the other side of what is expected to be his peak years.
Baltimore and Washington… please. No sense in being The Man on a losing team. They just served the purpose of defining the ante. It will be interesting to see if the Red Sox come in with fewer guaranteed years. They certainly will offer a higher annual salary. The Yankees could’ve blown all other bidders out of the water, but they appear to be more interested in just beating whatever the Red Sox will throw down. So, if the Red Sox come in with 6 years at $25M per year, the Yankees could decide to match both the length of the Orioles and annual salary of the Red Sox offers. “Tough” decision for Teixeira.
It doesn’t sound like the bidding will last much past Christmas. Now that some of the pitchers have signed Teixeira is next on the list for both the Yankees and Red Sox. If he goes to the Red Sox, they might be inclined to keep their young pitchers for payroll reasons, and they probably wouldn’t feel that they had to improve the offense from the cather’s position. However, the gamble is that they would have enough hitting to overcome potential ineffectiveness of the young guys. If they don’t land Teixeira, they may need to bring in a more sure thing for the back end of their rotation.
Go Rangers!
I just have a hard time believing Tex goes to the Sox after they screwed him so bad his 1st time through the draft
maybe 200M forgives all but i have a hard time given the same contract that he chooses them.
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
200 million dollars can make you forget a lot of things.
"Please. What the hell do you know about starting a sports-related website and then deciding to leave it to work on other things and then? How dare you, sir." -- Michael Schur, aka FireJoeMorgan's Ken Tremendous, to Will Leitch
Teixeira recalled, “[The Red Sox] treated us very poorly. It’s something I tell high school kids who are going to be drafted that you’ve got to be ready for the business. Unfortunately, that’s the way we were treated after I got drafted, and that’s the reason I didn’t sign with the Red Sox. We never sought or asked for an apology, but like I said, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Also there’s rumors flying about that Teixeira was at the Ravens game yesterday with Peter Angelos.
meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...
I'm actually pulling for Balt in the Tex sweepstakes.
meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...
by oc on Dec 15, 2008 2:07 PM CST up reply actions
if tex signs with balt
i could see them becoming dangerous within a couple years with a 3-4-5 of nicky markakis, tex and matt weiters. just scary to think about
they just need one or 2 decent pitchers behind guthrie
visit my blog: http://dirtfromd.blogspot.com
now whoring my blog on 5 different sites!
by studcrackers on Dec 15, 2008 3:48 PM CST up reply actions
Yup. And Brian Roberts and Adam Jones, too.
With solid roll players like the glovey Mr. Izturis as well.
Tex would be huge for them.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
There are two kinds of men in this world: Men who make jump throws, and men who wish that they were Derek Jeter so that they could make jump throws.
by thedirkatron on Dec 15, 2008 11:57 PM CST up reply actions
Guthrie is going to be 30 this upcoming season
In a couple of years, Guthrie is going to be well on his decline. Roberts is also 31. All in all, I’m not too worried even if they get Tex.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Wasn't that a different ownership group?
Or at least a different front office right?
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.
To finish my thought...
I don’t think it really matters whether Boston signs another FA pitcher. If Boston believes they need to get a FA guy who is likely to be steadier though potentially less spectacular than Bulchholz, it makes most sense for them to put Bulchholz in the pen. I don’t see a pressing reason for Boston to trade him, even if they are enamored with Salty. Being enamored with a particular player is the error the Braves made with Teixeira, right? I don’t see Theo making a decision like that.
JD has to wait to see what Boston does before deciding what to do with Max/Salts/Tea. The result of Teixeira and other FA pitchers might not net the Rangers Clay, but it will do something to the availability of the other ML-ready pitchers. The more I think about Ryan Tucker the less I like the idea of moving MaxRam for him. Tucker has a much higher flameout potential. This is one of those cases, IMO, that a bird in hand is better than two in the bush.
Go Rangers!
some winter ball updates
Nelson Cruz simply continues to mash the ball. The K tendencies are still there, as with many mashers, but they have greatly improved, and with his power and plus defense, I am starting to think the Rangers may have found a long term answer in RF. Meanwhile, the team’s potential long term answer in CF, Julio Borbon, continues to do his thing. His numbers in 2008, in BAK, FRI, the AFL, and now in the DWL, have been remarkably consistent, with a slight upward slope. I like it.
Some team’s long term answer at C continues to flash that patience/power combo that team’s salivate over at any position, let alone C. Meanwhile, some team’s potential answer at C or DH, Mad Max, has slumped a bit of late. I still like Max’s bat and I am in the minority who think he can be a passable big league C, and you can’t argue with the .300/.400/.500 line he has put up throughout his career in the minors, but his K rate is alarming. Like Victor Diaz alarming.
that said
the impact on the big league team is something to be considered. As has been pointed out before on this site, Hamilton sported an other-wordly .372/.416/.664 line in 137 ABs as a RF last year, as compared to his still solid .282/.351/.479 line in 426 ABs as a CF. The quicker Borbon progresses, the quicker we can realize an OF of Cruz/Borbon/Hamilton that has a chance to optimize our assets both offensively and defensively. In an ideal world, Marlon Byrd becomes a saught after trade chip this July, just as Borbon is finishing his fourth month in OKC and forcing the team to consider his final promotion.
Cruz
Has he been playing any LF in the DWL? Like you said with Hammy likely spending alot of time in RF I think Cruz’s ultimate place on this team may have to be LF.
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.
LF is the easiest of the three OF positions
so I would think a transition should not be too difficult, even if his experience is almost exclusively in RF. His arm in LF would almost be a waste, though.
And I agree, I mistyped in my first post and should have said LF of the future. I think we already have our RF of the future identified.
Not in the Ballpark
Generally yes LF is the easiest to learn but our LF has quirks in it that make it more dificult. Im mainly worried about his speed and range out there
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.
Cruz does have a cannon of an arm suited for RF.
I know Hamilton does as well but I think Cruz’s arm is more accurate. LF is important in our ballpark given that it is more spacious than the average ballpark. I know Hamilton covers a lot of ground so I wouldnt mind having him in LF when Borbon is ready.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 15, 2008 8:40 PM CST up reply actions
Putting a tremendous deal of stock in winter ball numbers (AFL, VWL, DWL or otherwise) is rather dangerous, I would think
The guy is hitting? Great. If he’s struggling a bit (performance-wise, strikeout-wise or otherwise), it’s not worth getting worked up over — the players are very tired and are working on very specific things.
by Joey Matschulat on Dec 15, 2008 10:47 AM CST up reply actions
i agree to a greater extent when it comes to pitchers
if a pitcher is working on using a specific pitch in certain situations, or has been pitching continuously since spring, then yes, those are certainly factors to consider when looking solely at statistics in the Winter Leagues.
don’t get me wrong, I am not going to write Max Ramirez off because of a ten game slump in the winter leagues, but his K rate has been bothering me since his promotion from AA, and it has been an issue ever since (in the ML, AAA, and DWL).
I hope we keep Max Ramirez
He is very useful as a DH. Even at that position (DH) a .300/.400/.500 line is great. Trade Salty instead because Salty, in my opinion, has less offensive potential than Ramirez. We can trade Blalock and others to SF for Sanchez and let Ramirez DH and catch occasionally. Trading Salty and Byrd to BOS for Buchholz would make sense as well. I keep hearing rumors about Ramirez for Tucker or Thompson, but to me thats not enough for him.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 15, 2008 8:37 PM CST up reply actions
Giants...
have already said they wouln’t do a Blalock+/Sanchez deal. Blalock needs to go to a team that can win next year. The Giants don’t want a guy for 6 mil only under contract for a year.
And Buchholz isn’t going anywhere either.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Would the Red Sox be willing to trade both Masterson and Bowden
for Salty and Byrd? If we can get them to also throw in either Bard or Hagadone even better.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 16, 2008 12:04 AM CST up reply actions
And the Chan Ho signed with the Phillies:
Park, 35, will have a base salary of $2.5 million with incentives that could push the total package to $5 million.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillies/Phillies_finish_deal_for_Park.html
" He throws it where he wants it, his breaking ball kept getting better and better and of course God gave him that special arm. He's great." ~ Neftali Feliz on Derek Holland.
And Chan Ho*
" He throws it where he wants it, his breaking ball kept getting better and better and of course God gave him that special arm. He's great." ~ Neftali Feliz on Derek Holland.
by Kinslerhomer on Dec 15, 2008 10:28 AM CST up reply actions
LOL, WUT
First Ibanez, now the Ho – are the Phils trying to make sure theyt don’t win another title for nearly 30 years again?
"I´d like to apologize in advance for anything that I may say or do that could be construed as offensive as I slowly go NUTS."
Pat Gillick knows when to leave
Blue Jays haven’t made the playoffs since he left, Orioles haven’t, Mariners haven’t, Philies __________. Take a guess.
by Andy Seiler on Dec 15, 2008 10:33 AM CST up reply actions
Additional Question
Do you hire Pat Gillick, knowing that he’ll get you a good shot or two at a world series, despite knowing your organization will be in disarray when he leaves?
by Andy Seiler on Dec 15, 2008 10:39 AM CST up reply actions
get this
never made an official offer to burrell either evidently
burrell > ibanez
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Dec 15, 2008 12:15 PM CST up reply actions
I'd say you pull the trigger on a deal with Atlanta...
…but we already raided their farm system for all its worth.
"Please. What the hell do you know about starting a sports-related website and then deciding to leave it to work on other things and then? How dare you, sir." -- Michael Schur, aka FireJoeMorgan's Ken Tremendous, to Will Leitch
Nope...
the Braves still have some nice pieces left in their system.
Far more than enough to get Millwood.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
i think the Braves
will count Vazquez and one of the Asian pitchers as their big offseason pitching hauls. the market for millwood will be weak until a few more FA pitchers find new homes, but i have a feeling even then the market will remain pretty saturated. There are just so many FA pitchers out there, and quite a few teams have Millwood’s (or Marquises, or Arroyos) of their own they are trying to deal.
If we eat salary
it becomes very enticing.
This is an exciting time in my life.
The LSB CPP's are in full bloom.
by inactive lsb user on Dec 15, 2008 12:03 PM CST up reply actions
If Atlanta took Millwood and Catalanatto
I don’t care what they give us in return. Assuming their contracts is all that I need.
fa shizzle
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
Millwood
Am I the only one who wants the Rangers to keep Millwood and Padilla even if they sign Sheets? Then they could trade M or P at the trade deadline if they are out of it. I just don’t have the confidence that the rotation is going to be strong and healthy enough to justify trading either of those two even if they sign Sheets. There will still be some big injury concerns with the staff, including Sheets himself and McCarthy. I guess it’s a payroll thing, but I’d still prefer to see a rotation with all three of them, McCarthy, and Harrison, Hunter, Hurley and whoever else fighting it out for the #5 spot.
"You’re the only here who contributes schtick only." - brettgardner
You're not the only one
But I think if you do that you are essentially back to the “win now” mode that got us mired in mediocrity the last several years. Is Sheets enough to win now? No. Would we do enough along with Sheets to actually win now? No. Sheets may get you from a 80 win team wo a 85 win team but that won’t get you in the playoffs. And so all along you have again pushed back a potential year of ML developing from the young guys. Now in the past it wasn’t as big a deal because we never had that many young guys ready at the same time. But with us having 4-5 legit ML ready young pitchers right now (Feldman, McCarthy, Hurley, Harrison, and you could lump Hunter in that group as well) in my opinion it would be detrimental to the future of this organization to hold them back for a year of 3 veterans in the rotation. I just don’t see the need for all three of them. If the plan is truly to be in the mix in 2010 then delaying young guys this year could push that further and further away.
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.
No
I agree with you. I do not agree that we are holding the youngsters back. All listed seem “ok”, but I don’t believe they are going to be better than that. I think we’ll be lucky if down the road Hurley, Harrison, and whomever are as good as a trio of Millwood, Padilla and Sheets.
I understand the view of letting them get their reps in the Majors, but I would rather see them half way through the season, where we will be moving Millwood and/or Padilla for value, IF they pitch worth a darn in their contract years. Sheets has “ace” written all over him, even if the fine print says “when he’s not hurt”.
“The kids” need to earn their way into the rotation. I am not for watching them “figure it out” while in the majors, unless we are out of it.
Does it occur to anybody else that some of our everyday players can get demoralized by all of this, and not being competitive for another season? Although they could see the silver lining, they are playing the seasons away. “Waiting for the waves of potential pitching talent” is not the most desirous thing when you are wasting years of your career, waiting to have a legit chance of being competitive. It doesn’t bring out the best in everybody, and eventually, they think about playing with a competitive team…..just so it feels like there is something to play for.
I miss 1989. I miss 1996. Please make me miss another season in 2008.
yeah
Hunter, Harrison and Feldman seem like back of the rotation fodder to me. Great guys to have around, I hope they prove me wrong, etc., but the one I’m mainly concerned about in 2009 with respect to big league development are McCarthy and Hurley. Those two can still be accommodated in a rotation with Padilla, Millwood, and Sheets. Add to that the likelihood of injury and I think development of the younger pitchers isn’t much of an issue. In fact, I’d be more concerned that if Millwood is traded and both Sheets and Padilla end up on the DL you would be faced with a situation in which they have to rush and/or overwork some of the younger pitchers, which would be even worse than the opposite situation that bigsteve describes above.
"You’re the only here who contributes schtick only." - brettgardner
I'm with you 100%...
I don’t think Feldman is any type of long-term answer in the rotation, and I just don’t see why it should be a priority to keep him there…
Put him in the long-man role outta the pen…
I think Harrison is going to be fine… I like him better than Hurley going forward, anyway…
The only guy I’m ultimately concerned about having a spot in the rotation open for right now is McCarthy, because it’s too early to give up on him and he pitched fairly well last year after coming back from injury…
Feldman
You realize that last year as his first year as a starter as a pro he was a sub 4 ERA pitcher thru the first 5 innings of his starts right? Hes only 25 years old so he could be a long term solution even if its only as a back of rotation guy. Find a team that wouldn’t want a guy who could pitch 30+ times a year and 160+ innings easy with a mid 4s ERA as their #5 starter.
And what happens if we bring in Sheets and have the 3 vets in the rotation and in July we are 2 games out of the division and tied for the WC lead? Do we still trade away the vets to get the young guys time? No we would probably be bringing in veterans to try and make the playoffs. Then its another year down the drain towards the future and now instead of 2010 being the year we are viable contenders then it gets pushed back to 2011. All our young guys will be another year older by then. We have spent the last 18 months building the farm to a point where we should be able to field not only a competitive team but a young one that we have together for many years together. Each year you go with veterans not only pushes our target further away but lessens that window to be perennial contenders. Not to mention that to sign those veterans FAs who you try and win with it generally will cost you draft picks and your farm system starts declining and in 4 years or so we are right back to where we were last year. Having to make a decision to focus on rebuilding. Im tired of that. Id rather go with the young guys this year and have hope for the future rather than try and win in 2009 and hurt our future.
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.
i see some value
in retaining him. but i question if signing sheets is contigent on us being able to unload milwood’s salary. if so, then i would want us to make that trade, even if we didnt get any good prospects.
if we cant find a good deal for him now then im fine with keeping him. a good first three months, which he is certainly capable of delivering would make his demand big during the trade deadline. right now the market is saturated with pitchers but in three months 3/4 of the teams will think theyre still in it and want to acquire an established veteran like kevin. i am sensitive to the idea that we need to find innings for all our young guys and it seems like the team is committed to that. i think if push comes to shove we can trade our vets at the deadline and get our youngsters plenty of innings
so, id like to see us trade milwood now, but im not exactly going to be throwing a fit if it doesnt get done
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Dec 15, 2008 12:36 PM CST up reply actions
OK
But what if those veterans keep us in the race until July and we were in a position like we were in this year. Still in it enough that you couldn’t tear everything down because it would be a PR nightmare.
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.
If we can get both Sheets and Johnson
by trading both Millwood and Padilla, then why not trade them to free up some cash and then significantly upgrade that rotation? Millwood and Padilla have proven to us they are not 1-2 starters. They belong at the back of a rotation instead (but not of ours at that expensive price). We are paying them and treating them like they are 3.00-4.00 ERA starters when in three years with us, neither of them has gotten their ERA lower than 4.50 in any one season (and don’t blame the ballpark, their road ERAs are high too). Also, there is one stat that really bothers me about Millwood, he has given up 433 hits in 341.1 IP over the last two seasons. That is just awful and we could do better than that just by letting our youngsters pitch in his spot. Also, Padilla has a huge problem with left-handed batters. Left-handed batters have had an OPS of .890, .877, and .944 over the last three years against him. There is no way you can be a really successful starter with splits like that. He is better suited for a relief role but I know thats not happening with him because he will refuse to do it. Another thing I want people to understand is that signing Sheets and Johnson (while getting rid of Millwood and Padilla) does not destroy our plans of letting youngsters pitch at the big league level. We used 15 starters in 2007 and 15 again in 2008, so what makes you think that we wont need another 12-15 starters in 2009? Lets get all the depth we can. Young pitchers will be not be blocked trust me.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 15, 2008 3:34 PM CST up reply actions
Pitchers
How many of those pitchers we have used is because they were either veterans who got hurt or young guys we didn’t allow to take lumps. Guys like Mendoza and Mathis who were brought up and once they got shelled we sent them right back down for another guy. I think that barring injury we will allow Hurley, Harrison, Hunter, McCarthy, and Feldman to take those lumps and it should cut down on the amount of pitchers we use.
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.
Three spots in the rotation for the youngsters
and two spots for veteran pitchers is all I ask for. It’s just that I want my veterans to be legitimate front-of-the-rotation starters and Millwood and Padilla obviously are not of those kind. Like I stated before, I hope we can somehow replace those two for Sheets and Johnson and make a trade for Buchholz (Would Salty and Byrd be enough?). A rotation of Sheets, Johnson, McCarthy, Buchholz, and Harrison would at least make us competitive. Let’s not throw in the towel for 2009 even I though I agree with the plan. Remember TB went to the WS this year and I am pretty sure they did not expect them to be this competitive so quick. Who knows maybe we can do what they did only if we add some real pitchers to next season’s staff.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 15, 2008 9:02 PM CST up reply actions
Hickory online video
There’s a team in the SAL that shows all their home games online thru MiLB.com video. This means that we should get to watch the late August 2009 series Hickory plays @ Lexington. So, NeRa, Perez, Wieland, Ross, Font, Pimentel, some DSL phenom, maybe a 2009 draftee – we might get to see some of these guys pitch.
It’s a long ways off but, hey, something to look forward to. I put a reminder on the magic calendar so we don’t forget.
BTW – I tried to find 2008 archived video of Moscoso pitching for Erie – no joy.
Couldn’t find anything for Strop w/Tulsa either.
Video
Yeah, I looked for some video, too. I settled to listening to a couple Moscoso starts on the radio from the Erie announcer. He just kept saying “outside corner” and “high,” so I didn’t know what to think. If he hits the outside corner a lot, but misses high a lot, that means he’s going to let up some runs in our ballpark, but the strikeouts will still show up. Struck out Golson twice in his AA debut by the way. Let me rephrase that actually. He owned Golson in his AA debut.
by Andy Seiler on Dec 15, 2008 12:58 PM CST up reply actions
Anyone planning on going out to Surprise this spring?
I’m already looking at booking my flights.
"Please. What the hell do you know about starting a sports-related website and then deciding to leave it to work on other things and then? How dare you, sir." -- Michael Schur, aka FireJoeMorgan's Ken Tremendous, to Will Leitch
And JD was at the game last night:
http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/12/daniels-attends-cowboys-game.html
" He throws it where he wants it, his breaking ball kept getting better and better and of course God gave him that special arm. He's great." ~ Neftali Feliz on Derek Holland.
well, he was waiting to see if we'd win or lose
and if we did lose, he was going to pull off another trade…just like last week so we’d have something else to talk about.
heh.
Stability is key, and JD is a Beast.
Jindal - 2012
Zach Thomas
1st ballot HOF?
I’m just curious because it still looks like he can play the run quite well at 35.
This is an exciting time in my life.
The LSB CPP's are in full bloom.
by inactive lsb user on Dec 15, 2008 12:13 PM CST reply actions
First ballot might be a stretch.
But he should get in, for sure. Then again, Drew Pearson isn’t in, so nothing’s a given.
"Please. What the hell do you know about starting a sports-related website and then deciding to leave it to work on other things and then? How dare you, sir." -- Michael Schur, aka FireJoeMorgan's Ken Tremendous, to Will Leitch
I dont think he gets in
He was never the best at his position at any time.
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
Well
He probably would have to play a little longer, but
Zach Thomas has more tackles than any linebacker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
This is an exciting time in my life.
The LSB CPP's are in full bloom.
by inactive lsb user on Dec 15, 2008 2:31 PM CST up reply actions
Wow
That is pretty amazing.
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
A Super Bowl ring this year would go a long way in helping his cause.
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
Definitely
that’s what is missing.
This is an exciting time in my life.
The LSB CPP's are in full bloom.
by inactive lsb user on Dec 15, 2008 2:37 PM CST up reply actions
Looking at
Gill versus Chizik, he could leave out skin color and still challenge Auburn’s decision with some good justification. That is a pretty strange hire.
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
by Ed Coffin on Dec 15, 2008 12:35 PM CST up reply actions
recruiting?
chizik has more experience down south as opposed to coming in from buffalo.
thats the only factor that i see as hands down chizik has on him.
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
Butch Davis
needs a promotion
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
i think so
I think I realized it when Sean Taylor died and they were going around the league. So many of his teammates ended up on NFL teams.
But look at the RB’s on that team. Stunning.
Mandatory reading before suggesting a trade
Crazy
The 2000 team at WR.. Andre Johnson, Santana Moss, and Reggie Wayne.
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
so...
You’re saying that Chizik is the most deserving of that job?
"You’re the only here who contributes schtick only." - brettgardner
Chizik
He has history at Auburn. He was the DC before going to Texas and then to ISU
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.
yeah
And he has been one of the worst coaches in College Football for the past couple of seasons. I don’t understand why people freak out over supposed “affirmative action” hires but good-old-boy network legacy hires are fine and dandy.
"You’re the only here who contributes schtick only." - brettgardner
Chizik
I don’t know if I would call him one of the worst. He hasn’t really had a chance to get his team fully together and now is moving on. ISU didn’t have alot of talent when he took over so it should have taken more time. And Iowa isn’t exactly a recruiting hotbed and doesn’t have a huge legacy so ther are plenty of things working against him. Auburn has the tradition, support, and geography to help him succeed
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.
hey
don’t question him, 2 years is always enough!
Stability is key, and JD is a Beast.
Jindal - 2012
i really don't want to start this again
but I’m watching ESPN last night and they run an Ed Werder “day in the life” segment (I assume it’s a day in the life of the cowboys). The segment just recaps the game and has what I think was a cheap shot (“Cowboys have postponed their demise for one more week”).
Then it even goes so far as to show clips from Romo’s and TO’s press conferences – but fairly innocuous ones. I think TO says something like “I love my teammates” and Romo says “What tension – you in the media make it out to be what it is.” That’s it.
Now, isn’t it the least bit disingenuous that throughout the game recap and the Werder segment, they didn’t once mention the fact that TO actually called out Werder multiple times? You don’t have to focus on it or anything or even make it a story by itself. But clearly, for anybody objectively covering the game, one pretty big story that came out of the questions and press conferences was that they blamed the incident on ESPN and Werder.
Forget every other conspiracy theory or implication that ESPN is creating the news – is it not going against journalistic integrity for them as a news organization to completely ignore that aspect of the story?
Mandatory reading before suggesting a trade
by ab03 on Dec 15, 2008 12:38 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Well
They did show those clips after the game, and we got lots of Dilfer douchechill moments while he and the rest of the clowns on the show tried to protect Werder.
by brettgardner on Dec 15, 2008 12:46 PM CST up reply actions
showed what clips?
where owens said the stuff about ed werder?
good. even if they try to defend their own afterward, they should at least acknowledge that it happened
Mandatory reading before suggesting a trade
FWIW
On ESPN just now, Sportscenter’s Chris McKendry (whatever the hell her name is) said that “ESPN stands by its reporting on the Owens incident.” She left it at that after they finished doing a game recap.
Like Jerry Jones said, the more they talk about the Cowboys, the more thankful he is. I have little doubt in my mind that ESPN is happy with the stir that’s been created. Regardless of right / wrong, this is a win / win for both Dallas and ESPN, imo. The very fact that we (along with tons of others) are having this conversation is good for them.
This is an exciting time in my life.
The LSB CPP's are in full bloom.
by inactive lsb user on Dec 15, 2008 12:47 PM CST up reply actions
Jerry hated all the Plexiglass and Giants talk.
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
eh
that’s not exactly enough. If I didn’t watch the game and didn’t watch the press conferences and you were putting together a summary of what happened last night, would you not mention specifically what TO said about Werder?
ESPN’s comment doesn’t exactly tell you that TO specifically called out Werder and bad reporting. They can defend themselves for sure but you can’t be so subtle about it. If this was real news (not sports news), this would require a statement from an editor acknowledging the allegations and dismissing them. Werder isn’t just a Galloway type on ESPN, he’s more like a beat reporter. The implication by TO is serious enough that I would think they would want to confront the issue more directly. (They might have done it in the Dilfer segment that brett referred to that I didn’t see).
Mandatory reading before suggesting a trade
also
It’s a win for Jerry but I don’t know how much of a win it is for the cowboys when they have to deal with this. I said this in the other thread but I don’t think Owens deals well with scrutiny, even if he likely the limelight. I think the Cowboys won despite what happened. Thank God they got the lead first…
Mandatory reading before suggesting a trade
That's why you'll see changes.
This is an exciting time in my life.
The LSB CPP's are in full bloom.
by inactive lsb user on Dec 15, 2008 2:33 PM CST up reply actions
from john jack taylor
Taylor says he likes Tony Romo and Owens, but neither of them takes any blame when the ’Boys lose.
yeah, whatever you say JJT.
Stability is key, and JD is a Beast.
Jindal - 2012
Pretty sure witten said the int fault was his fault too
they both took blame… maybe the media doesnt give it to them (though they did last week) often, but you cant blame that on the players.
the preceding post was a great success.
Romo has taken the blame many times
and has said many times after a victory about it being a team effort. You really can’t ask for more than from a guy,
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
A's going after Furcal
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3770877
Having quite an interesting offseason
Mandatory reading before suggesting a trade
They said their last offer was a "take-it-or-leave-it."
meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...
by oc on Dec 15, 2008 1:34 PM CST up reply actions
something puzzling
why did the dodgers not offer furcal arbitration even though they are reportedly still in talks with furcal?
Isn’t that really bad foresight on their part in terms of estimating how much furcal would get on the open market?
Mandatory reading before suggesting a trade
The Dodgers
are rumored to be having major money issues.
"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
I hope they get him
He is not worth all that money and that way they wont be able to steal Randy Johnson away from us.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 15, 2008 3:00 PM CST up reply actions
and young is worth double...
in total money??
its apparent RJ prefers the nl…so i dont think he’ll be leaving the nl west
by Asfan4ever723 on Dec 15, 2008 3:55 PM CST up reply actions
Young is not worth his salary either
I hope Nolan Ryan can convince RJ to switch leagues. I read that RJ is friends with Mark Conner. The only problem is that Conner is no longer the pitching coach so it is irrelevant now.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 15, 2008 8:04 PM CST up reply actions
Randy Johnson...
if he doesn’t end up with the A’s my guess is he goes across the Bay to SF.
Just can’t see him coming to Texas.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
I agree
My guess would be SF but its good to have hope as a fan right? The Rangers do have a chance given the connections between Nolan and Randy.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 15, 2008 8:06 PM CST up reply actions
Andy Pettitte
Pettitte’s people apparently are telling folks he has a $36-million, three-year offer from another, unnamed team.
http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/hot_stove/posts/32601
I don’t know if this is true or not but I can see the Rangers being the “unnamed team.”
"Obama is a Christian - He's always been a Christian...But.........what if he is[a Muslim]? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is no, that's not America." Colin Powell on Obama/Muslim assertions.
Detroit
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
Atlanta?
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
Dear God I hope not
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.
There is no way...
that team is the Rangers.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
I hope not
That would not make any sense at all to me. I would rather have Randy Johnson for one year than him. Also, I keep hearing how we don’t have much money to spend and that we need to trade Millwood and/or Padilla in order to make an offer. This would be hypocritical to say the least.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 15, 2008 8:43 PM CST up reply actions
BTW, Bill James' projections on Pettitte and the other Yankees pitchers.
CC: 240 IP, 3.48 ERA
AJ: 224 IP, 3.62 ERA
Wang: 200 IP, 3.70 ERA
Pettitte: 192 IP, 3.90 ERA
Hughes: 125 IP, 3.35 ERA
Go Rangers!
Pettitte
I don’t think his ERA is going to be that low in 2009. His ERA for the last three seasons are 4.20, 4.05, and 4.54 and he is turning 37 next June. A mid-4.00’s ERA would be more reasonable as a prediction.
by coolrangersfan on Dec 16, 2008 1:06 AM CST up reply actions
Bill James cookin' the books?
Not that Cashman would consider James’ predictions as key pieces of information when he targets FA pitchers, but it would be funny if James, being a consultant to the Red Sox, had a Yankee factor in his equation that artificially lowered the ERA of expensive FA pitchers he would otherwise project to be mediocre.
Go Rangers!
All of those
seem a bit optimistic, except maybe the CC one.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
oh yeah
Burnett’s a great bet to pitch 224 innings.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Heh
he’s done it before, right? ;)
"A ~.650 OPS from a COF should get you deported, not traded for."
- The Huntressatron
by inactive lsb user on Dec 16, 2008 8:15 PM CST up reply actions
Oh My!!!!
Roflmao!!!
This site would need to increase its band-width if that ever happened. It would be the longest 6 threads this site has ever seen.
It would definitely unite this entire community. LOL
I miss 1989. I miss 1996. Please make me miss another season in 2008.
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