Tuesday a.m. stuff

by Adam J. Morris on Dec 9, 2008 9:24 AM CST Comment 23 comments

Richard Durrett talks about how the trade of Gerald Laird opens up the starting catcher job, with Taylor Teagarden and Jarrod Saltalamacchia having the edge on Max Ramirez right now.

Durrett also says the Rangers met with Ben Sheets yesterday, but it doesn't sound like that is going anywhere.

Mike HIndman runs down his top 5 corner infield prospects.

Jeff Wilson has some notes that includes a mention of the Cubs having interest in Milton Bradley.

0 recs | Comment 23 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

And...

…spent, after reading the section on Smoak.

Dreaming of 2009

by RangerMoto on Dec 9, 2008 9:28 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

+1

MJH’s talent for the dramatic is so much more fun when you know that the dramatic could actually very well become reality.

"Somewhere out there, between 14-32 BBWAA NL MVP voters are trying to get cheaper winter heating by drilling a hole in the microwave." - Jeff at LoL

by lonestarJon on Dec 9, 2008 10:11 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pXfHLUlZf4

"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

by ghtd36 on Dec 9, 2008 10:19 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

BAHAHAHA

that shit was hilarious!

by Butters on Dec 9, 2008 10:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'll go with Weng Weng...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqh5O9LbjhY

"I know you're a bit dense but no, it doesn't. Obviously lying isn't a problem for me."

by benmor78 on Dec 9, 2008 10:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It's a gorgeous day ...

in San Francisco I see, Moto

http://adamsblock.com/ Lucky you!

"The Gerald Laird trade is a GREAT SUCCESS! Who'd we get for him again?"

Tom Hicks

by LAMuscleFag on Dec 9, 2008 2:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hindman's CIF rankings

I’m starting to think Whittleman is just too patient for his own good, odd as that sounds to say.

Moreland, surprising to hear how seriously Mike thinks he might be pitching and not hitting. I was not high at all on Moreland when he was drafted, but his plate discipline and power gave me hope they had a diamond in the rough.

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

by t ball on Dec 9, 2008 9:57 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Whittleman

This is the same argument I have had regarding Salty and his patience. Its great that young guys have plate discipline and can draw walks. but if it starts hurting their overall offensive game then to me that is a negative. Like I have said with Salty, I would much rather see him striking out and walking less if it means he is hitting more. For more power and better average. Walks are great but thats only one base. Unless you have great speed and are a force on the basepaths its gonna take some work to get you around to score. Singles can turn into doubles, doubles into triples, fly balls into homeruns, but a walk is a walk.

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.

by bigsteve on Dec 9, 2008 11:01 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Salty's problem

doesn’t appear to be that he is too patient. He struck out plenty last year on swinging strikes. I think its partially that he just couldn’t get into a groove .

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Dec 9, 2008 12:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, you can't teach plate disclipine.

I would far and away rather have Whittleman/Salty’s situation that the reverse.

IOW, you can teach a hitter to be more aggressive.

"...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 9, 2008 1:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I disagree

You can teach both. Its obviously easier to tell a guy to go up there and swing the bat more rather than tell him to lay off pitches he thinks he can hit. but you can teach both. But what I don’t like is what MJH mentioned in the blurb on Whittleman. That sometimes he won’t swing at a pitch simply due to the count. If its 1-0 and you get a good pitch to hit you gotta give it a rip. Just like I have never been a fan of the batter who goes up there and as soon as the pitcher goes into his windup on the first pitch the batter stands up and just watches it go by. never even a thought of swinging. I hate that. Its one thing to lay off pitches on the corners that get called strikes. but to simply watch pitches that are good ones to offer at for the sake of getting deep in counts or the count isn’t in your favor I don’t like. Whittlemans shown he can get on base at a decent clip which is good. Now I would like to see that he can have a decent batting average even if it costs him some OBP points. Just like i would like to see Salty perhaps drop his OBP and increase his power numbers.

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.

by bigsteve on Dec 9, 2008 2:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Q&A with Teagarden:

http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/12/brief-qa-with-taylor-teagarden.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.

by Kinslerhomer on Dec 9, 2008 10:55 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Nice pull!

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Dec 9, 2008 10:57 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

huh?

" 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 9, 2008 10:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

It just slipped by me. I feel like I do nothing but refresh the carousel of mlb content providers.

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Dec 9, 2008 1:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Three whole questions

And one was about football.

Well, I guess not everyone is Jason Parks.

"Somewhere out there, between 14-32 BBWAA NL MVP voters are trying to get cheaper winter heating by drilling a hole in the microwave." - Jeff at LoL

by lonestarJon on Dec 9, 2008 11:00 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

More MY rumors; Angels interested:

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/hot_stove/posts/30643-teams-asking-about-rangers-young

" 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 9, 2008 11:24 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

well i like that quote if accurate (emphasis mine)

The Rangers are not shopping Young , but they are willing to listen to overtures on just about anyone, and that includes the five-time All-Star who won a Gold Glove in 2008 and has spent his entire career with Texas. There are quite a few teams in need of a shortstop, so it’s not surprising that a number of them have asked about Young, a terrific all-around player who has $60 million and five years remaining on his contract.

Mandatory reading before suggesting a trade

by ab03 on Dec 9, 2008 11:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

also

they make it sound like the mets wouldn’t think of this as a salary dump on the rangers part at all. weird

Mandatory reading before suggesting a trade

by ab03 on Dec 9, 2008 11:45 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

We really have no CIF prospects

if Whittleman is number 2

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Dec 9, 2008 12:56 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

True,

but his Mom is still hot…:)

"...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 9, 2008 1:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

+ 1

"The Gerald Laird trade is a GREAT SUCCESS! Who'd we get for him again?"

Tom Hicks

by LAMuscleFag on Dec 9, 2008 1:39 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Nolan Ryan

Defying the chicken littles of LSB.

Ryan said that while the budget doesn’t seem to make room for a big-name free agent, he said the club could end up moving some things around to make it a possibility.

“When you look at our needs, we felt that Ben Sheets was a player we needed to visit with and get a feeling for what their expectations are,” Ryan said. “With him living in Dallas and family being important, we’re a fit in that area. If he’s healthy, he’s the type of guy you put in front of your rotation and there’s a lot of things we like about him. Is anything going to come of that? It’s too early to make any type of predictions.”

http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/12/ryan-talks-about-sheets.html

And some miscellaneous comments:

http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/12/nolan-ryan-speaks.html

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Dec 9, 2008 3:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs