Wednesday a.m. stuff
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 17, 2008 8:16 AM CST
Email
PrintSo, yeah, another morning without much in the way of Rangers news.
There's stories out there on the stadium improvements in the S-T and in the DMN.
That's about it.
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Adam, you're killing us.
I know it’s not your fault, though.
"Was this really necsarry?" - cowpoke/hurler hurley
What a great day
for a top 50 Rangers of all time update!!!
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
We did a podcast last night
A lot of mullet talk.
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 17, 2008 8:24 AM CST up reply actions
The Mark Teixeira domino needs to go ahead and fall.
"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
Still quiet out there, eh?
I like that. That’s how it always gets before JD makes his big Christmas trade. We all get lulled to sleep and then BAM – merry Christmas, you’ve got a trade to discuss.
"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."
Xmas trades
problem is the first 2 xmas trades just made you want to drink , just ask hurlerhurley aka cowpoke
"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg
Well, at the time
I liked the McCarthy trade. Not to rehash this issue for the millionth time, but I in fact would still term it as a good/fair trade that just went freakishly wrong due to a shitty coaching staff and freak injuries beyond our control. I’m in the camp that blames Mark Connor for much of the downfall of Brandon McCarthy, and as such, I’m pretty certain that if Danks had been coached by Connor as well he’d still be the two-pitch gopherball lefty he was in 2007 at best.
"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."
New site to check out
Trip Somers (NoNameOnCard) finally launched his pitching website Texas Leaguers.
I urge you to check it out!
Ha we were mislead
http://www.lonestarball.com/2008/11/20/666705/four-added-two-dropped#10166186
or at least I was
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
by Dirk Diggler on Dec 17, 2008 9:44 AM CST up reply actions
Misled?
I assumed he was being facetious.
Neftali Feliz is not a swimmer.
by NoNameOnCard on Dec 17, 2008 11:50 AM CST up reply actions
Ha
I guess it’s my fault..no worries
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
by Dirk Diggler on Dec 17, 2008 12:10 PM CST up reply actions
I'm surprised with the new seats...
I haven’t heard anyone complain about the loss of foul territory and the possible loss of outs defensively? Surely, someone around here is complaining – maybe I haven’t noticed.
by aggierangerfan00 on Dec 17, 2008 8:38 AM CST reply actions
Go read the DMN blog
I saw complaints in the comments over there.
Of course, on the DMN blog, pretty much every post results in about 75% of the comments being either JD sucks or Hicks sucks or the Rangers suck.
And, from the sound of it, the commenters there aren’t fans of LSB, either.
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 17, 2008 8:40 AM CST up reply actions
We should thank god they all hate LSB, too
We don’t need those morons over here.
"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."
Why?
What do they say about LSB?
"I know you're a bit dense but no, it doesn't. Obviously lying isn't a problem for me."
From what I've seen in the past
(and I haven’t read the DMN comments section in a long time) They think we’re snots because we’re smarter than they are, and/or think we’re morons because we don’t hate JD.
When it comes to the DMN blog, just think of a bunch of “cluelesses” all commenting in one place, and you’ll have a fairly accurate picture.
"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."
That's a good visual.
Yeah, we’re apparently Public Enemy No. 1, what with our “facts” and “logic,” not to mention our “critical thinking.”
How dare we!
"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
If we're going to take
credit for our great intellect in some of our posts, we’re also going to have to take credit for the 100 entry posts where various posters quote verbatim lines from ’80’s B movie scripts or discuss, in detail, the activities of three posters’ night out drinking. Nothing all that wrong with those posts (other than boring the crap out of the rest of us), but we should maybe cut the superiority schtick down a notch.
haha damn right
How dare they :)
I could careless about any Texas Rangers sites. Well, I care about a few. But LSB is the premier greatness of all Texas Rangers stuff and more. LSB will only get bigger and better.
The irony of this post is so thick you could build a skyscraper with it.
"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."
One would hope.
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 18, 2008 1:56 PM CST up reply actions
But we are smarter.
At least, we use things like facts and reason, which certainly indicates more baseball intelligence, at least. I used to read the DMN Blog exclusively, but got so so so fed up with the commenters with their endless and wholly useless stream of “JD sucks” comments that I now refuse to even read the comments.
by FuturePants on Dec 17, 2008 10:00 AM CST up reply actions
Future Pants
How would you rate JD’s job performance for the last three years?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Dec 17, 2008 10:08 AM CST up reply actions
Vastly Better than Your Rating
And trust me, I do not need you to re-hash your tired worn out argument. I know where you stand.
by FuturePants on Dec 17, 2008 10:15 AM CST up reply actions
FP -
Yeah it’s tough to argue with simple facts and reason like the standings & attendance since JD took over, the hiring (and extension) of Ron Washington, the pitching staff he built that gave up 967 runs, strangling a small market payroll with a 5 year / $ 80 million deal to a player in decline and that’s before I get to all the bad trades and roster bungling.
For a website that prides itself on it’s intellectualism, there are a bunch of people in here being duped.
Don’t let me rain on the parade…wave those JD #1 pennants proudly.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Dec 17, 2008 10:25 AM CST up reply actions
JW-
Part of your problem is that you read way too much into everything, you make inappropriate assumptions, and you have rather large leaps in logic. Me saying my opinion of JD is vastly better than yours is not the same as saying I like him. I like him a lot more than you is all that you know, which makes the majority of your response completely irrelevant.
Go argue with someone who wants to argue about the “small market payroll” (even though we are a large market team) or the “pitching staff [JD] built” (sort of) or people being “duped.” My suggestion is if you want like minded people, go to the DMN Blog and post about how cheap Hicks is or how dumb JD is or how Ryan is really in charge, to infinity.
by FuturePants on Dec 17, 2008 10:51 AM CST up reply actions
So to get along better
with some of the LSBers I need to ignore the White Elephant (referenced above and supported with facts and reason) in the room and concentrate on the fact that Baseball Prospectus says we have the best prospects in MLB?
Oh, and also ignore everything that the evil Randy Galloway & BAD Radio say about Boy Blunder…what do they really know?
Got it….I feel more “intellectual” as I type this.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Dec 17, 2008 10:57 AM CST up reply actions
Sigh...
most of us want your opinion on JD about as much as we want to hear dstar’s opinion on religion.
We know where you stand, just leave it at that.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
slc ranger, it strikes as just
a tad hilarious that this place would collectively view itself as some kind of beacon of baseball intellectualism and looks down it’s very condescending nose (do you have any grey poupon?) at anybody or any website who would dare question the performance of the Little Prince to this date because after all, the Texas Rangers are rated number one by Baseball Prospectus and nothing else should really matter.
Vomit blood.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Dec 17, 2008 11:35 AM CST up reply actions
lol
Good job with the hyperbole.
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
by Dirk Diggler on Dec 17, 2008 11:38 AM CST up reply actions
That's the thing...
…every website already spews opinions that JD sucks. I think most of us here would take a little pride in the fact of rather than look at the W-L record of the team and jumping to the conclusion that “the team loses, ergo JD sucks,” we attempt to objectively look at actually how good of a GM JD actually is. and I sincerely doubt that there is one person on this board that says that JD is without some huge errors in his tenure, but that is only part of the story.
Every website already questions the performance of “the Little Prince.” LSB tries to use data to decide whether or not every other website is accurate or just rehashing the generally uniformed fan’s rhetoric.
by FuturePants on Dec 17, 2008 11:40 AM CST up reply actions
It seems as though people in here
and other websites get their mindset issued to them from the top and to disagree with those in charge, puts one at great risk in not belonging to the rest of the herd.
Those less confident or knowledgable in their opinions follow the herd because they perceive that path and those surroundings to be safer.
I am not an uninformed baseball fan by any means. In fact, I’ve watched and followed MLB about as close as you can (without actually being employed by them) for a lot of years and that experience tells me that JD has probably been the single biggest wrecking ball to the future of an organization that I can ever remember…at least of any professional team that I’ve ever followed closely.
The oxygen that JD now uses for survival is the minor league system and his shield are the naive fans that profilerate message boards. An ingenius plan really because it bought somebody who was obviously incompetent and not ready for this job more time. The fact that he has a largely unsophisticated fan base helped greatly. Above all else, JD plays the corporate game well and is a survivalist.
We’ll all find out soon enough about the Little Prince because these prospects aren’t like Peter Pan and will have to eventually progress to the major league level.
Should be fun but I like my chances.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Dec 17, 2008 12:14 PM CST up reply actions
Just do a Google search
For lsb site:rangersblog.dallasnews.com
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 17, 2008 10:04 AM CST up reply actions
what's funny
are the grouchy posts about LSB by a certain blogger…
my favorite: http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/04/al-west-favorite-mariners.html
at the bottom of that thread
Posted by Sharky @ 3:43 PM Thu, Apr 03, 2008
Tim do you like Hilary Duff ? I do
BAAAAAAAHAHAHHA
that guy cracks me up
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Dec 17, 2008 12:50 PM CST up reply actions
thats because he's so brilliant
and knows saber stuff like OBP.
-random answer from LSB-EG bootlickers.
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
Being a big fan of LSB
and believing that JD is incompetent / Tom Hicks is the biggest problem facing this frranchise are not mutually exclusive beliefs.
Lone Star Ball is a very valuable tool for Texas Ranger fans.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
I'm not saying that
I’m saying that there are some rather specific criticisms directed at the “LSBers”.
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 17, 2008 9:36 AM CST up reply actions
I have a lot of things said about me...
and unless it’s somebody in my family, somebody buying something from me or signing my check …the great majority of the time I could give a rat’s ass.
There are a lot of things to worry about in life…worrying about what the DMN bloggers are saying about the baseball takes of LSBers seems to be a colossal waste of energy.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
I'm not worried about it
It is kind of amusing, actually.
by Adam J. Morris on Dec 17, 2008 9:57 AM CST up reply actions
No one here has a problem
with you not liking Daniels. It’s your flat refusal to admit that anything he’s done has been good for the organization that is annoying to read. You viewpoint has no nuance whatsoever, no depth. If everyone seems to be defending Daniels to you, it’s because in replying to your posts that is the only possible thing to do.
If we put you on an x axis of Daniels opinion, you’re at negative inifinity, so of course everyone here seems more positive than you.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
tball, the bad so outweighs whatever good
that JD has done for this team.
Yes, there have been good moves by JD but as far as I know, the Hindenburg had a great take-off on it’s fateful day as well.
Fans here and in other places sooooo desperately want him to succeed but given what we’ve seen so far from him, that notion is laughable not to mention completely baseless.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Dec 17, 2008 12:24 PM CST up reply actions
I think it's ironic...
…that in your above post you call JD the “the single biggest wrecking ball to the future of an organization that I can ever remember,” then you go on to admit that the farm system and the prospects – read: the future - is the only thing that JD has to cling to.
So which is it?
by FuturePants on Dec 17, 2008 12:28 PM CST up reply actions
A lot of people in here are very
forgiving of JD and like to blame those early blunders on his “learning curve.”
When you make the dumbass trades he made and then hire/ then extend somebody as blatantly stupid as Ron Washington, that’s not a learning curve problem. That’s a problem in competence and those problems usually don’t go away.
I am sure that several of these magic beans in our system will be productive major leaguers but given what I have seen thus far from JD, I have every reason to believe that Boy Blunder will F up when it comes time to actually building a team that has to compete in the Major Leagues.
Is that easier to understand?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Dec 17, 2008 12:40 PM CST up reply actions
Everyone understands what you are saying.
Mostly because you have said the same exact thing about 389 different times. That, however, does not make your musings any less self-contradictory.
by FuturePants on Dec 17, 2008 12:51 PM CST up reply actions
It's so clear that you hate JD
Fans here and in other places sooooo desperately want him to succeed but given what we’ve seen so far from him, that notion is laughable not to mention completely baseless.
Well, maybe I can’t speak for everyone — but I soooooooooo desperately want the TEAM to succeed, not necessarily any given exec running the team. I don’t watch the games and scream “YES, GO JD!”
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
by Dirk Diggler on Dec 17, 2008 12:53 PM CST up reply actions
The best part for Josey is
that if the Rangers do have a run of nice success with all these prospects, he will just credit Ryan and still claim Daniels can’t do anything right.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
We'll see how it all
plays out eventually but it has been duly noted that very boneheaded moves i.e. signing Broussard & Jennings for $ 8 million and then DFAing Galarraga have been engineered by Boy Blunder since Nolan came aboard.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
Not wanting to side with JW
but just because your manager demands something stupid doesn’t mean you have to follow through with it.
Yep
I think Daniels tried too hard to get a dealable player there as a stopgap, thinking they could get something for Broussard at the deadline.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
JD couldn't trade Milton Bradley
at the trade deadline even though his deal was dirt cheap and this was his most healthy/productive season in his career.
I wonder what the hell he thought he was going to get for Broussard?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
That didn't have anything to do with Miltons health did it?
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.
Not to mention
At the time we thought there was a pretty good chance of him being type A.
"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
thats not exactly true
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
You didn't think that?
I thought that.
"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
whats not true about it
It wasn’t Bradleys numbers that kept him from being a type A it was the amount of time he missed that wasn’t on the DL. Had he gone on the DL instead of trying to play and playing once in a 10 day span then he would have been a type A
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.
And if your manager is demanding stupid things
Don’t you have to ask yourself if he is even fit to be your manager?
Don't believe the hype about sloppy seconds. They ain't bad.
Just because he has bad judgment
when it comes to who to sign doesn’t mean he’s a bad manager. His job isn’t to evaluate and recruit talent, it is to manage games and maintain a decent clubhouse.
(there is some joke in here about women, demanding stupid things, and keeping them around, but I’m not going to take the bait…)
by JBImaknee on Dec 17, 2008 4:50 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Meh. I'm not a big believer in managers being difference makers.
The only place they really influence shit is how they operate on a personal level with the players, which is something I think R-Was does very well.
All the other stuff, the hit-and-runs and the bullpen shenanigans… if JD or Nolan really wanted him to change the way he does shit like that, they could just tell him to stop it and to handle those situations differently and you’d have to think he’d do it.
Managers’ influence on the game is vastly overrated, imo.
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 17, 2008 5:04 PM CST up reply actions
Thank you!
Sheesh, that guy gets run-down too much. And for the hataz, they just did hire a new bench coach.
"...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
New bench coach
As a “hata”, I see that as just another reason that he needs to go. If he can’t manage a game by himself then he doesn’t need to be a manager.
LoneStarBall....You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
by LSBUser on Dec 17, 2008 7:36 PM CST up reply actions
+1,000,000
"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."
hmm
every team has a bench coach. I guess there are no qualified managers out there.
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
by Dirk Diggler on Dec 17, 2008 8:16 PM CST up reply actions
yeah but
most teams dont swap bench coaches annually with expectations of anything being any different.
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
I think
it happens alot. Bench coaches move around plenty. I think acting like getting a new bench coach means Wash can’t be a manager. We have plenty of other reasons to think that — but that one is a stretch IMO.
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
by Dirk Diggler on Dec 18, 2008 7:22 AM CST up reply actions
still tired this morning
I think acting like getting a new bench coach means Wash can’t be a manager is ridiculous.
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
by Dirk Diggler on Dec 18, 2008 7:23 AM CST up reply actions
I dare someone to please go back to prior to 2008 and tell me that Broussard wasn't a good fillin candidate until Davis was ready
His price may have been a little high and he absolutely didn’t live up to his salary but as a one year stopgap he seemed like a good choice. The fact the manager was comfortable with him as that one year stopgap. Hindsight is always 20/20 but at the time he was a capable fillin
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 would be curious to know who was excited about Broussard...
…because I know I was not one of them.
You don't necessarily have to be excited about him
He was coming in here as a one year stopgap thats all. There wasn’t any thought that if he caught fire we would trade Davis and run with Broussard for the future. All he was supposed to do was bridge the gap until 2009 when Davis was supposed to be ready. Just like this year nobodys excited about Travis Metcalf or German Duran or Joe Crede at 3B but they are fine stopgaps until 2010 when MY should move over. People don’t and shouldn’t get excited about stopgaps.
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.
he cost too much and showed jack shit.
it costs less to renovate the scoreboards than Ben Blewhard. ill take the scoreboards.
thanx.
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
OK
But like Chuck has said those are from two seperate pools of money. Did he perform up to his salary…no. Was he a terrible choice for a one year stopgap…no.
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.
Wait wait wait.
He wasn’t a terrible choice for a one year stopgap? That’s honestly your position?
He was DFA’d after reaching new levels of suck. Ben Broussard was one of the worst choices for a one year stopgap. And by “one year stopgap” I’m sure you meant “six week stopgap.”
hindsight big guy
Yes at the end of the season it is very easy to say he was a horrible horrible choice for a one year stopgap.
But going into the 2008 season he was a decent choice to man that position for one year. Yes thats my stance. Just like some people look at the Danks trade and use what has happened since the trade as evidence it was a bad trade i look at the circumstances at the time of the trade and say it was a fine trade that just turned out bad.
Prior to 2008 Broussard he had OPS+ of 96, 109, 105, 127, and 100 the previous 5 years. He was an average player. Fits the bill of a stopgap to the T. Id like for you to show me where in his career history it pointed to him having the kind of year he had 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.
No.
Going into the season, coming out of the season, at any time in between, Ben Broussard, for that money, was an absolutely awful, awful choice.
by FuturePants on Dec 18, 2008 10:23 AM CST up reply actions
For that money
Thats the key phrase right there. You base everything on his contract. If he had come in and put up a .275/.330/.450 year there would be no bitching at all. But he didn’t. He sucked. he sucked hard. But again please show me where in his career you could point to and say see that shows you that in 2008 he would be so horrible. He was paid based on previous performance and expected performance. What he did could never have been expected.
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.
Sigh
You base everything on his contract.
Obviously. That’s how you look at free agent signings when they are made. Are you suggesting that, when looking forward a year ago at the time he signed, that saying Ben Broussard was a bad FA deal because he didn’t deserve that amount of money was somehow the wrong way to look at it?
He sucked. he sucked hard.
Right. It really doesn’t matter how little the guy made; looking back he wasn’t worth league minimum.
Point is, looking forward a year ago: Bad Idea. Looking back today: Worse Idea. Ben Broussard was a disaster and there is absolutely zero justification for you to say it was anything but.
by FuturePants on Dec 18, 2008 12:12 PM CST up reply actions
Was he a bad FA signing...yes
Theres no disputing how he turned out. But at the time he was signed he was a fine guy to sign for the purpose you were signing him. He was brought in here to be a one year stopgap at 1B. His career indicated he would be a fine guy to have here for that one year. Not someone you wanted to build your organization around but for one year he would be fine. How did it turn out? It turned out shitty. Had he signed for the league minimum there wouldn’t be nearly the hostility toward him because he didn’t cost alot. Same reason people hate Cat and MY around here. they don’t hate them because of how they play, for the most part. They hate them because of how much money they make. But you wouldn’t be able to get a guy with Broussards career prior to 2008 for the league minimum.
If we brought in Joe Crede to play 3B for one year he would make X amount of dollars based on his career. People would be fine with the signing because he is brought in here to be a stopgap and has had a decent career thus far. Now if he went out and did what Broussard did people would say it was a horrible signing. It wasn’t a horrible signing it was horrible performance.
Its nice that you have a crystal ball and can tell whats going to happen in the future and thus be pissed about it. With that power you should be doing much more than bitching about 4 million dollars to Ben fucking Broussard.
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.
Who gives a flyin' fuck?
Damn, it wasn’t your money. And if BB wouldn’t have gotten cut, then we never would have found out that CD was ready for the Bigs.
Can’t see the forest for the trees…lawdy!
"...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 18, 2008 1:10 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Broussard
He had absolutely no impact on Davis whatsoever. As soon as Davis was ready he was getting called up. Thats why Broussard was a fine stopgap. If he is doing anything worthwhile he could have been traded away and if he stunk like he did he could be released. My argument isn’t that Broussard is a good player. Its merely that he wasn’t a bad acquisition at the time he only turned out to be a bad player. In the end he didn’t hold anyone back and didn’t tie us down to long term financial obligations
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 think you can see quite a few folks
posting pre-2008 that would disagree that the pick was only bad in hindsight. Crappy 1B, no glove, weak bat for a 1B.
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
Totally.
Pre 2008 I, and many many others thought it was a terrible decision.
Had he signed for the league minimum there wouldn’t be nearly the hostility toward him because he didn’t cost alot.
I think you’re catching on! Hence, he is evaluated with respect to his production/abilty vs. his contract. And it’s “a lot.”
It was first base
there is really no reason to pay that much money to a stopgap, especially when you have Botts, Catalanotto, Saltalamacchia, and an endless number of AAAA guys out there who can’t do anything but play first.
Oh god
Botts and Salty….no. I guess you could have put Cat there but then people would have been bitching about Cat playing 1B. Broussard was a decent 1B up until last year who had played pretty good defense prior to last season and the manager was in favor of bringing him in.
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 guess you could put Cat?
you gave up a god damned 1st round pick for the guy, 1 damn season prior. if he cant fill in, your a god damned idiot.
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
Yeah because hes played so much 1B before
Here why don’t we just go hook up the Xbox and play the games that way. That way you can put anyone anywhere and they will make all the plays. How about MY at catcher. You know because his range wouldn’t be a factor 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.
Heh
You know, I’ve played Cat at first base on my PS2, and he’s really shitty. Slowest reaction times on the team, I think.
"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 posted this last but here's the photo gallery:
http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/tex/photogallery/year_2008/month_12/day_16/cf3719465.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.
last night*
" 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 17, 2008 8:59 AM CST up reply actions
For want of Rangers related news...
here’s an awesome blog I found…
http://fuckyoupenguin.blogspot.com/
"I know you're a bit dense but no, it doesn't. Obviously lying isn't a problem for me."
I'm imagining
putting similar captions under LSB posters’ photos… heh.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
I'm fascinated with Lions...
anything lion-related, send my way
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Dec 17, 2008 12:55 PM CST up reply actions
Winter League action
Max DH again last night, 1-3 with BB in a 9-2 loss = .265BA
Borbon 2-5 with 3B, BB in an 8-2 loss = .352BA
Cruz. 0-3 with BB, K in a 3-2 win= .362
Elvis 0-5 with K in a 3-1 win= .250
Salty 1-3 with HR,3 BB, K, SB in a 86 win=.356
Yeah I know
I had to do a double take when I saw that. LOL. Go figure. By the way the HR was against a lefty.
Sweet on the HR.
Thanks for the updates. Got any other inside news? I’m sure Salty’s elbow is 100% now, right?
"...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 think the Rangers
really need to jump on Sheets in a hurry before other teams jump into the action. Teams are waiting on players like Pettitte and Lowe and might go after Sheets if they miss out on the other 2.
The Rangers should be aggressive. Offer Sheets 3/36M with a team option on a 4th year (12M and a 2M buyout).
I think that’s an aggressive offer and we should put it on the table for 48 hours.
We have to remember that Sheets is only 30 and a 3 year offer with a 4th being a team option is still a great offer. We don’t have to worry about him declining due to age but the risk is in the injury possibility.
I'd also like to point out that Millwood
last 3 years in IP is
2006: 215
2007: 172
2008: 168
Sheets
2006: 106
2007: 141
2008: 198
Another fact is that Sheets pitched under 141 IP only ONCE in his entire 8 year career and that was in 2006.
Another fact is that Sheets #P/GS in 2004 was 105, 2005 was 104, and in 2006 and 2007 he had injuries. Could the arm problems in 2006 come from the high pitch counts the previous two years?
Sheets #P/GS in 2006 was 92, 2007 was 93, and 2008 was 98. Could it be that his limited pitch count has kept him from injury in 2008?
I think we could keep him healthy if we kept his #P/GS was around 95. I know that’s against Ryan’s wishes but this should be a special case.
200
IF the Rangers sign Sheets
and he gives them #1 performances for only 150IP, I would be happy.
Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year
I wouldn't
That would mean he is missing at least 8-10 starts. That would be unacceptable for a guy making as much as he will be.
LoneStarBall....You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
by LSBUser on Dec 17, 2008 11:01 AM CST up reply actions
I'd have to disagree
First of all because I think he should give us more than 150 innings, but mainly because those 150 innings are going to be the best 150 innings this team has seen out of a starter since… well, before I can remember.
I’m not usually one to subscribe to the “intangibles” line of thought, but Ben Sheets is a caliber of pitcher this team hasn’t had in a long, long time. I think simply having a pitcher of his caliber, even if it’s “only” for 20-some games could be a serious booster to this team, and to it’s young pitching staff. I think that’s worth $15 million a year to us, especially considering we’re already paying Kevin Millwood 11 Million to be mediocre.
"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'm sorry but that is ridiculous
How can having a guy miss 1/4 of his game boost anything? How can not knowing if a guy is going to make his next start boost anything? How can having to rely on guys who aren’t very good to start 10 games a year boost anything? How can having an iffy bullpen work that many more innings because lesser starters are getting pulled after 4 innings boost anything?
I am not saying that Sheets would only give the Rangers 150 innings but if he did then that would be an epic fail.
LoneStarBall....You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
by LSBUser on Dec 17, 2008 11:29 AM CST up reply actions
"How can having to rely on guys who aren’t very good to start 10 games a year boost anything?"
Because we are used to guys who aren’t very good starting nearly all of our games. Every game that we have a solid SP on the mound is a drastic improvement.
Don't believe the hype about sloppy seconds. They ain't bad.
But at what cost?
And what is the cutoff? What if he only pitches 75 innings? That’s 10 or 11 games of solid pitching the Rangers wouldn’t otherwise have. Is it ok to spend 15+ million for that?
Also, if he is missing 10 starts a year then how many others will be affected by him coming off the DL or just being rusty from not pitching?
LoneStarBall....You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
by LSBUser on Dec 17, 2008 11:40 AM CST up reply actions
Now you're being stupid
Sheets is labeled as injury-prone but yet he only had 1 year where he pitched under 140 innings in 8 years (106 in 2006) and now you want to use a hypothetical at 75 innings?
Thanks
But I am not the one who brought up the innings thing. This is what I said
I am not saying that Sheets would only give the Rangers 150 innings but if he did then that would be an epic fail.
And yes, 75 innings is hypothetical but I am just trying to figure out how many innings would be acceptable to these folks.
LoneStarBall....You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
by LSBUser on Dec 17, 2008 11:50 AM CST up reply actions
So you bring up a total
that he has NEVER reached? Look at the facts.
If we’re not burning Sheets out by high pitch counts (if you go look up at my analysis). I think it’s almost certain that he’ll give you 150+ innings each year.
I think Sheets
production is best compared to Bradley. Them two might miss 1/4 of a season but the 3/4 that they play, they’re one of the best.
So you’re telling me that you wouldn’t have wanted Bradley last year because he was going to miss 40 or so games?
No
I am telling you that I wouldn’t want Bradley THIS year or in the future given the money he is going to command. Missing 40 games is a lot easier to take at 5 million then it is at 10+ million. The same goes for Sheets. And again, I am not the one who brought up how many innings he will pitch. I just said that if he does only pitch 150 then it would be a failed signing.
LoneStarBall....You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
by LSBUser on Dec 17, 2008 12:01 PM CST up reply actions
id have to say
that there will be some discount already baked into the cake with sheets’ contract because of his injury history. so if he does miss a month and a half of starts, i think you could call it a mild disappointment but not an utter failure. i think that risk (as well as the very slim risk that he misses all or most of the season) is worth taking for the possibility that he makes 30 + starts a year and we not only get the elite starter this team is desperate for, but we get it at a discount.
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Dec 17, 2008 1:38 PM CST up reply actions
Sheets
How is it almost certain he will give you 150 innings in a year. His last 4 years IP totals are 156, 106, 141, and 198. Hes barely averaged 150 innings over those 4 years and had he not pitched almost 200 last year he wouldn’t have averaged 150 over the last 4 years.
The only thing certain with Sheets is that when he is out there he is going to be good. How much hes out there is such a wildcard you can’t start to say hes certain for anything. You analysis goes back the last 3 years. All injury plagued. You think that didn’t have an impact on that analysis. Perhaps his first 3 years when he averaged 225 innings per year caused those injuries which skewed your analysis.
Im all for signing Sheets but don’t ry and say hes guaranteed anything other than being good when hes on the mound. 75 innings could very easily happen just as 200 could.
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.
150+ innings
The reason why I think he’ll go over that is if we watch his pitch count and not let him pitch more than 95 pitches a game.
For a pitcher to average 105 and 104 pitches each game back-to-back seasons is going to cause problems. I think that’s the reason due to his injuries.
Nolan Ryan dude
Remember he says screw pitch counts
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.
All I'm saying is I don't think 150 innings is an epic fail
Because it’s not actually going to hurt us that much. Even if that’s all we get out of Sheets, those other 10-11 starts should be going to be going to guys like Eric Hurley or Tommy Hunter, maybe even Derek Holland, who should benefit from the experience, not some automatically worthless scrub.
It’s not like we’re planning on making a world series run, and have zero pitching depth in the minors. We’re heading into another year where we’re looking to simply feel the sweet side of .500 at best, while grooming the kids in preparation for 2010 and beyond. And to a team like that, I think 150 innings of a pitcher like Ben Sheets, while not optimal, can still be acceptable – especially considering Sheets should be fairly flippable (a la Rich Harden) if we feel we need to flip him either at the trade deadline or next offseason.
"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."
epic fail is a little strong
Chan Ho Park might be considered an epic failure. If Sheets is on the DL for a month or so but his ~25 starts are #1 type of quality starts, that would not be an epic fail.
Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year
+1
yeah i get freaked out when these posters totally ignore injury history or time left on a contract when discussing signings and trades.
-see sheets and greinke
makes me wonder about ppls long term vision for this club.
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
Epic Fail
is Napolean invading Russia. Chan Ho doesn’t quite qualify as epic.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
or Hitler invading Russia
In reference to how good the Steelers have been in their history: "No one is even close to them."- Steal Home
Speaking of Hitler
Some people should not be allowed to procreate.
LoneStarBall....You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
by LSBUser on Dec 17, 2008 1:43 PM CST up reply actions
That's an epic fail at captioning by AP
Deborah and her husband Heath attempted to by a birthday cake for their son
"...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
Here's the thing
Why don’t those two nutjob parents change their own name into something wildly offensive instead of saddling their kids with that?
Nothing pithy here. Please move long.
I agree 100%
poor kids.
"...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
Yeah
I’m sure a person who names their child Adolf Hitler and Aryan Nation isn’t racist in the least bit. Those people should be shot. Not killled, just shot in the foot or something.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
And then "fixed".
And then shot again…
"...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
and then fixed again
and shot again
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
Duh.
Heath Campbell said he named his son after Adolf Hitler because he liked the name and because “no one else in the world would have that name.” He sounded surprised by all the controversy the dispute had generated.
It's baseball. You don't always get what you want, and you don't always want what you get. --Ed Coffin
can you imagine being another dude named adolph
cerca 1948 or so.
talk about an unpopular dude.
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
The real story there is that the person identified as the husband in that photo is very obviously an old lesbian and not a "man".
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 17, 2008 5:06 PM CST up reply actions
Glad
I’m not the only one who couldn’t without reading the caption.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
pass
The Twins like Ty Wigginton but believe he’s looking for a bigger contract than the three-year, $17.5 million deal the Los Angeles Dodgers gave Casey Blake. So the Twins have had little to no dialogue with Wigginton’s agent, Dan Lozano.
Stability is key, and JD is a Beast.
Jindal - 2012
yuck....
If anyone wants to give him that they can have him.
by death of the cool on Dec 17, 2008 11:11 AM CST up reply actions
Need... more... discussion...
Adam, could you make up some kind of fake news-story for us to banter about? This news shortage thing is killing me.
If the Twins can’t afford Wigginton, they can’t afford MY.
Signature! I don't need no stinking signature!!
by DerekSTheRed on Dec 17, 2008 12:02 PM CST up reply actions
They can if the
Rangers pick up 9/10 of his contract. :)
Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year
Hawaii Winter League discontinued
Now the good news – a similar league will be set up to shadow the AFL using the various MLB AZ Spring Training homes as ballparks. Maybe The Two Jasons should just move to AZ. heh
that is good
its gotta be tough to concetrate when your in a league thats on that island and youve never been there.
random A baller:
hi! im 19 and never been to hawaii in my life.
director of minor leagues:
concentrate on the league and your game.
thats a f’n great concept.
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
director of minor leagues:
And stay away from all the Asian nookie, too!
"...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
might as well...
with the Fiesta Bowl, it’ll be the fifth time I’ve been to the Phoenix/Surprise area within the last year.
I like the idea of a shadowing league. I figured HWB wasn’t going to last much longer when teams had decided to quit sending their players there.
in more important news
its been almost 3 days and baseballreference hasnt shown my sponsorship =\
the preceding post was a great success.
Sucks, huh?
I’ver refreshed that page 50 times….
Come On! (/Doogie)
"...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
BA Chat for Today Rangers related.....
Danny (Monmouth): Which pitcher will have the most impact in the majors in 2009 Neftali Feliz, Brett Anderson or Madison Bumgerdner? Are any #1 starter material?
SportsNation Aaron Fitt: Hi everyone, happy to pinch-hit for Jim Callis today as he works feverishly to get our Prospect Handbook out the door by the end of the week. For me, it’s Anderson. I life Feliz’s stuff better, but he’s still got to refine his secondary stuff somewhat. Anderson is more polished and I suspect he’ll be in Oakland’s rotation by the All-Star break. Feliz could get big league hitters out right now with just his fastball, but the Rangers have no reason to rush him — they can leave him in the minors to develop his breaking ball. I do think Feliz gets called up sometime in the second half, however.
Ben in Dallas: Any idea on where Smoak is going to open the MILB season at? There have rumors for both High A Bakersfield and AA Frisco?
SportsNation Aaron Fitt: It won’t be lower than Bakersfield. The Rangers people I’ve spoken with expect him to start there, but I suppose he could blow people away in spring training and wind up at Frisco. He’s another one that won’t be in the minors long.
Phil (Grand Rapids, MI): Smoak or Alvarez…who is the better purely offensive player?
SportsNation Aaron Fitt: Take your pick, really. But I’ll take Alvarez by a nose, because I think he’ll hit for a bit more average and have the same kind of power.
Dave in Colorado Springs: I know he will probably kill us, but I am really looking forward to Beckett drilling Manny in the ass once he dons the pinstripes :) Do you see the Sox being forced to include Buchholz to get one of the Texas Catchers or ultimatly will a package of Bard or Bowden get it done?
SportsNation Aaron Fitt: I see no reason for the Rangers to settle for less than what they really want, and that’s Buchholz. The Rangers are in a position of power here — they can easily wait it out and take all their catchers into the season. Eventually the Sox might have to bite the bullet and include Buchholz, because this is a good chance to secure a talented, young catcher for the foreseeable future. Of course, Theo is stubborn too…
Dan (Chicago): Better comparison long term for Gordon Beckham: Michael Young or Mark Grudz.
SportsNation Aaron Fitt: Michael Young.
Russell (McKinney, TX): Does Blake Beavan’s velocity jump back to where it was in high school? Are you worried about the dip in velocity?
SportsNation Aaron Fitt: I’m not worried, and I do think it comes back up. Great year for him learning how to pitch with less than his best stuff.
jsm (dallas): Tell me about the guys the Rangers got for Gerald Laird.
SportsNation Aaron Fitt: Don’t believe in Moscoso — mostly a one-pitch guy (and it’s a fastball that, while lively, tops out at 91-92) with a checkered injury history. Carlos Melo is a very, very intriguing young arm — been up to the mid-90s. Keep an eye on him.
Enjoy….
Moscoso
I’m getting the feeling that he’s this trade’s Kason Gabbard, while Melo is the Engel Beltre.
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 17, 2008 2:23 PM CST up reply actions
Not a bad thing at all
Trade two relief pitchers that aren’t that good, one definitely being worse, and get a couple of good role player pitchers and some top LA talent (with a beast of a man thrown in)
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
IMO, the 2008 AZRL/SPO talent didn’t wow me. Melo coming on strong would help alleviate some of my fears that a gaping talent hole is looming behind the NeRa/Boscan/West/Perez wave.
I'm thinking
that’s how they saw Melo, as a bonus “signing” at that level.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Heh, I'm also thinking
that pretty soon every team is going to try enticing Daniels with their youngest Latin pitcher as the “Beltre” of the deal.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Latin pitchers
It’s like the saying goes, “How do you find two major-league pitchers? Start out with 10 pitching prospects.”
Not all of these players will make it, obviously, but buy enough lottery tickets, and you increase your chances of hitting the jackpot. And with the Rangers’ eye for Latin talent, I’m betting there’s going to be several that make it.
"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky
Hole
Just wondering, why do you think there’s a hole coming behind those guys? Wieland/Font/C. Murphy/Miggy/O(’)campo are arguably the step behind those guys.
By definition
you can’t really have a hole in rookie levels as they are replenished by draft picks every year…
In addition, next year you will have the Dsl1 wave and 2nd yr players populating the lower levels and that group seems pretty impressive:
AZL: telis, pimentel, polanco, garcia, thompson, mendoza, de leon, Ahn, Rijo, Munoz, Peralta, L. Garcia, Selen, Melo, Rosendo
SS: Wieland, Grullon Brothers, Ross, Henry, Font, Macumba, Cmurph,
Pimentel in AZL?
Anyway … yeah, right, that whole list … CMurph and Wieland being the exceptions … that group didn’t wow me.
I welcome their future wowwing of me as you claim should happen.
sucks for you
that you have to do the calendar for those sub-par teams
I can see what he's saying
We don’t have the high-end talent at those levels coming up if you don’t include whoever we draft next year. In the last few years, we’ve had the huge 2005 and 2006 international signing classes come through. The two most recent classes are solid, but with less high-end talent. Martin Perez is the big talent, and he won’t be on either of those rosters next year. And I’d reasonably expect Font to be promoted out of Spokane rather quickly if he handles it well. So unless we draft someone on the level of a Neil Ramirez, then our short-season teams might dip a little.
Did that make you feel good?
FWIW, I was pretty much done with the calendar until Meno made this post.
Now, I’m resigned once more to finding my annual baseball entertainment in the minors.
just joshin' man
we all appreciate the calendar and the video/broadcast links that you round up.
Do what now?
That group of pitchers were AZRL/SPO. Do you mean that the AZL specifically had a hole or more about the position players?
by Brett Perryman on Dec 17, 2008 9:07 PM CST up reply actions
thank god sum1 made sense of this...
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
On which end?
Or on both?
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 17, 2008 10:59 PM CST up reply actions
I think that the two pitchers
are probably pretty close in terms of relative value.
by Brett Perryman on Dec 18, 2008 12:39 AM CST up reply actions
Fitts is off-base
Moscoso’s #s are off the charts. He wouldn’t have them without a decent curveball; his change is what needs work. His FB is 91-93 with good movement and plus deception in his delivery.
Command
A lot of Moscoso’s success is based on command. His curveball seems to be exactly what you said. “Decent.” But from everything I’ve read and heard on the radio during his outings, it’s his extreme fastball movement and command that makes him so successful and gets him his strikeouts.
some people's info on him
is based from 07 not last year i suspect
BA article (free) on CS rates of top MiLb catchers
with TG and Max mentions, though in wholly different ways:
And yet,
some other publications had Max as the #2 or #3 (of 4 Ranger) rated catcher last season.
Catcher evals are all over the place, it seems to 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
Will Ohman
I was looking at his career stats since he is available and found something really interesting about him. His career home/away splits look like this:
IP H ER HR BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
Home: 105.1 109 70 13 62 108 .261 .360 .434 .794
Away: 113.1 85 31 7 44 111 .203 .289 .286 .575
I don’t know if Daniels or Levine look into statistics, but they really should. This is clearly an indication that Ohman is much better than what his overall numbers indicate. He has pitched horribly at Wrigley Field (a hitters park) throughout his career. Subtract that career 6.60 ERA in 75 IP at Wrigley Field and you have an above average left-handed middle reliever. He is 31 (7 years younger than Eddie Guardado) and is looking for a two-year deal. If you are not convinced take a look at this:
Ohman’s ERA splits:
Home Away
2005 4.43 1.57
2006 7.14 1.73
2007 8.66 1.45
2008 4.40 2.89
By looking at those numbers, I think it is fair to say that he is capable of having a sub-3.00 ERA next year pitching for us if we sign him. Our ballpark is suited for left-handed strikeout pitchers.
Oh and I forgot to put his career ERA and WHIP splits
Home: 5.98 1.62
Away: 2.46 1.14
by coolrangersfan on Dec 17, 2008 8:50 PM CST up reply actions
To play devil's advocate
What makes you think he wouldn’t have those same ugly home-road splits pitching for the Rangers?
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Good question
But if I had a choice, I would rather take my chance on a pitcher with favorable splits like Ohman than a pitcher who has identical home/away splits and similar overall numbers to Ohman. You may be right, Ohman might struggle at our ballpark, but it is an unknown that could also go right. Based on the fact that Ohman is extremely tough on left-handed hitters (he has held them to a .197/.285/.318/.603 line in his career and that is including at home, imagine on the road alone), I think that Rangers Ballpark (with its dimensions and the direction of the jet stream) is favorable to him. Also, notice that our ballpark is a hitters park mostly because it boosts left-handed hitters stats significantly (but it only helps right-handed batters a little bit). In other words, Ohman dominates left-handed hitters so how can he struggle at our ballpark?
by coolrangersfan on Dec 17, 2008 9:57 PM CST up reply actions
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