Lone Star Ball: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:



Sports blogs for fans, by fans.
New Blog: Backing the Pack for NC State Fans!


Huh???

From Richard Durrett:

Mark Connor, the former Rangers' pitching coach, has been hired back by the organization as a consultant. Connor will be involved with the minor league pitching side of things helping out there. Daniels said he respected Connor and was glad to get him back.

So...Mark Connor wasn't the problem, after all?

Or he was a problem, but only on the major league level?

I'm confused.

0 recs | Comment 89 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

More from Lone Star Ball

Mark Connor speaks

Aug 2008 by Adam J. Morris - 47 comments

Saturday a.m. stuff

Aug 2008 by Adam J. Morris - 125 comments

Comments

Display:

Wow

I’m guessing this has as lot to do with Adair leaving.

by Andy Seiler on Dec 9, 2008 8:13 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stars in a Texas Night Sky, a Dallas Stars blog from a fan's perspective.

by rangers85 on Dec 9, 2008 8:14 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Who thought Connor would be last standing...

out of that picture?

Stars in a Texas Night Sky, a Dallas Stars blog from a fan's perspective.

by rangers85 on Dec 9, 2008 8:14 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Kaz

What ended up happening to him?

Is he still in the system?

Gerald Laird: One Man, 5 Scoops.

by Maximilian on Dec 9, 2008 9:27 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

A bear ate him...

Stars in a Texas Night Sky, a Dallas Stars blog from a fan's perspective.

by rangers85 on Dec 9, 2008 10:57 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Will he ever

return from that freaking abyss he fell in?

by jonthefon on Dec 10, 2008 4:12 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I just don't get this move...

if he didn’t work out in the majors why would he work out any better in the minors?

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Dec 9, 2008 8:14 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

So I'm confussed

Who fired Connors this summer? Why did they(he) hire him back? My brain hurts.

Miami bound...

by boomer1 on Dec 9, 2008 8:15 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

The Sooner is confussed

who’d thunk it?

mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.

by Jayslick on Dec 9, 2008 9:37 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

consultant

well, if he does as much as consultant Hart, no biggie…

by Longhorn on Dec 9, 2008 8:17 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

They said all along

since the day after he got let go that they were interested in bringing him back in a diff. role for the next season.

It is depressing that they went ahead with it though. =/

by Mike E on Dec 9, 2008 8:18 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

If that is the case then

Why fire the man just reassign him.

Miami bound...

by boomer1 on Dec 9, 2008 8:19 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

salary?

mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.

by Jayslick on Dec 9, 2008 9:38 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

UGH

this is almost as bad as hart still being around.
havent the rangers ever heard the police song if you love someone set them free? free free set them free

seriously, do they want the person who didnt get major league results having anything to do with the young players?

"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg

by rentz on Dec 9, 2008 8:21 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Hart being around

hasn’t seemed to do any harm, and the guy has had success in baseball despite his ugly Rangers tenure. I just fail to see the problem with having these guys around as consultants. They’ve had long careers in baseball for a reason.

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

by t ball on Dec 10, 2008 7:59 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

i guess the problem i have is

what did hart really do in his tenure that was worth paying him to sit around and be a consultant, the same goes for connor.
What value to they bring that is so great they can’t risk letting them work for other teams?

"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg

by rentz on Dec 10, 2008 8:19 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

If he trys to change Neftali's arm angle,

I swear I’ll hunt that m***** f***** down and….

" 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 8:23 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

And what?

meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...

by oc on Dec 9, 2008 8:50 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

let me finish that thought for the guy

…. cut his F’n nuts off and hang them from JD’s desk lamp

mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.

by Jayslick on Dec 9, 2008 9:39 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

That's it?

meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...

by oc on Dec 9, 2008 9:53 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

rec

mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.

by Jayslick on Dec 9, 2008 9:40 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Nolan pitched in four decades....

…for four different organizations, and this is best person he can find for the job?!?!

by lildrummerboy on Dec 9, 2008 8:29 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Huh?

“Daniels said he respected Connor and was glad to get him back.”
Looks like this was L’il Jinny’s doings. He respects him…in the morning.

Smile when you call me Beat Weed!

by Clueless on Dec 10, 2008 1:39 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I think we can relax a little

I don’t know that we can assume that he’s going to be hands on with anyone, much less key prospects. Consultants do lots of things, but most of them don’t involve being on the front line. Hopefully he won’t be, I guess. I’m still not sure what to make of all of the Rangers’ pitching problems.

by Brett Perryman on Dec 9, 2008 8:34 PM CST reply reply actions actions   1 recs

Connor

To be fair, I don’t think anyone in the organization ever suggested that Connor was the problem.

by Randy Richardson on Dec 9, 2008 8:34 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

no one said he wasnt the problem either

mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.

by Jayslick on Dec 9, 2008 9:41 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I think

when you fire someone, you are saying they are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

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

by DJCahill on Dec 10, 2008 6:29 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I would just like to add...

It is colder than a witch’s tit outside.

meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...

by oc on Dec 9, 2008 8:52 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Uh ...

are they saying they want to get the career derailing injuries out of the way at a lower level now? Otherwise, I just don’t get this move at all.

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

they think that

Sheets + Connor = healthy pitcher.

If Connor’s coaching fucks up otherwise healthy pitchers perhaps he can straighten out oft-injured pitchers……

its like reverse psychology, or two wrongs making a right, or something…….

"You’re the worst poster here I think."--- brettgardner

by red shoe ranger on Dec 9, 2008 9:10 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

well

it worked for Jennings…

by bushe on Dec 10, 2008 8:04 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

JD is that guy that likes to keep all his ex girlfriends around

Hes too nice to throw them to the curb and go bag the next chick. He has to hold onto them just incase this new chick blows him off. Then he has the safety net to crawl back in bed with later. Except, instead of chicks, he does it with old men. So IOW, I guess Conor and Hart were both good snugglers.

by Chow Time on Dec 9, 2008 9:22 PM CST reply reply actions actions   1 recs

This is useful.

meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...

by oc on Dec 9, 2008 9:37 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I confused...

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Dec 9, 2008 9:25 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

per Jamey's email

Ron Washington said Nelson Cruz will be batting fourth next year. THis is coming from the same person who said that Hamilton will bat second in 2008.

Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year

by RangerMad on Dec 9, 2008 9:30 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Cruz is the perfect 'add-on' trade specimen.

meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...

by oc on Dec 9, 2008 9:39 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

you mean as a throw in?

i know you hate cruz, but he has some actual value after last season…

the preceding post was a great success.

by DSheppard on Dec 9, 2008 9:44 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

You're right.

Sell high.

meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...

by oc on Dec 9, 2008 9:48 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Actual value?

In a non contending September? That’s not actual value. That’s Robinson Tejeda. I hate this news about Cruz almost more than Connor returning. I can’t decide which makes me angrier, though.

by FuturePants on Dec 10, 2008 9:07 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

looked it up

Top 15 OPS with 100 or more at bats from August 25th. 75 at bats looks about the same.

Manny Ramirez – Hall of Famer
Ryan Howard – really good player
Shin-Soo Choo – stands out, but the evidence so far is that he is in fact a good player
Andre Ethier – Good player
Albert Pujols – Hall of Famer
Christain Guzman – ? ok, thats out there.
Joey Votto – Good player
Carlos Delgado – Good player
Carlos Beltran – really good player
Nelson Cruz – woo
Hanley Ramirez – really good player
Mark Teixeira – really good player
Felipe Lopez – ? ok, another standout.
Brian Giles – had a nice season
Paul Konerko – bad season but still, hes hit 40 HRs X times.

not a bad list of players, not a ton of flukes.

now obviously players have had good 5 week runs and sucked the rest of their careers. but cruz has the natural talent and minor league numbers to back it up, and the walk rate stats I quoted above lend some credibility to why he was so much better. An approach that can be maintained. And its not like he actually has to have a 1.00 ops to be useful, good defense and a .840 ops is a very very solid player… maybe not cleanup, but if he sucks then obviously he wont stay in the cleanup spot (if he even actually does have it when the season stats).

the preceding post was a great success.

by DSheppard on Dec 10, 2008 11:34 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

x
if he sucks then obviously he wont stay in the cleanup spot

Perhaps you aren’t familiar with our manager, Ron Washington. See also: Jamey Wright, Sammy Sosa.

by FuturePants on Dec 10, 2008 1:23 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Although,

in this case, I’d prefer they leave him there even if he starts slow instead of knee-jerking him out of there. Let him settle into it for a couple months before reactively making changes.

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

by t ball on Dec 10, 2008 1:55 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Cruz is beyond a knee jerk reaction.

How many MLB at bats does he have? If he sucks for another 50, I’d give him away for a spare first baseman’s mitt. Actually, I’d do that today.

by FuturePants on Dec 10, 2008 2:40 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Ron Washington, please...

STFU.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Dec 9, 2008 11:30 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

LOL

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

Tom Hicks

by LAMuscleFag on Dec 9, 2008 11:55 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

OT: Damion James

Beast. He’s going to be a solid pro.

by Longhorn on Dec 9, 2008 9:34 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

welcome to the club

your a year late at least but welcome none the less.

mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.

by Jayslick on Dec 9, 2008 9:43 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

i liked him last year too

didn’t know there was much Longhorns bball talk around here…

by Longhorn on Dec 9, 2008 9:43 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

2001 alumni

mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.

by Jayslick on Dec 9, 2008 9:50 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Popovich looks like Donald Sutherland.

meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...

by oc on Dec 9, 2008 9:59 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

nice kick bowen

the preceding post was a great success.

by DSheppard on Dec 9, 2008 10:01 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Damn

Ice in the veins of Kidd there

Miami bound...

by boomer1 on Dec 9, 2008 10:04 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Well

atleast they showed some heart. good game, this team looks good…Kidd is been rather beastly this year as well.

by Longhorn on Dec 9, 2008 10:28 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I was at the game last night

man it was great — but what a beating losing to those bastards.

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 10, 2008 8:13 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Why do we treat him differently than previous pitching coaches?

I’m not excited about him being brought back, but he clearly wasn’t dramatically worse than the 4 previous pitching coaches… The talent level and injuries provided for arguably worse conditions, too

by BuckyB on Dec 9, 2008 10:34 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I think everyone hates him...

only because pitchers would always seem to give up a homer or big hit after he made a mound visit. More so than other coaches we’ve had.

Stars in a Texas Night Sky, a Dallas Stars blog from a fan's perspective.

by rangers85 on Dec 9, 2008 11:00 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

So...

We lose Adair to the Mariners, and gain Mark Connor back. Why couldn’t that have happened the other way around?

"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 10:38 PM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Nolan

If he really wants to get Buchholz from Boston, I say he sends a few snow monkeys to Theo’s room to do some “negotiating.”

"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky

by RCCook on Dec 9, 2008 11:52 PM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

sham...

the firing was apparently a PR move at the height of the team’s pitching problems. they “sacked” connor, actually just having him throw himself on a grenade temporarily.

committed to losing since 1961…

by sam in so cal on Dec 10, 2008 3:30 AM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Shhhhhhhhhhhh, sam

You’ll ruin the fantasy.

Smile when you call me Beat Weed!

by Clueless on Dec 11, 2008 4:04 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

It's entirely possible

that he was scapegoated, which is why I don’t get the angst over the consultant thing, but this netted the team Mike Maddux, who I like a lot more than Connor.

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

by t ball on Dec 11, 2008 9:55 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Salty for Bucholz is a done deal

Why lese would they bring back Conner? He has the perfect solution for Bucholz’s problems.

Mitch Moreland - Rangers 2009 Minor League Player of the Year

by RangerMad on Dec 10, 2008 9:26 AM CST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

I think you mean...

Why [else] would they bring back Conner? He has the perfect solution for Bucholz’s problems success.

by FuturePants on Dec 10, 2008 10:04 AM CST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the SB Nation blog about Texas Rangers.
Start posting about the Rangers »

Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recommended FanPosts

477845_small
July 1st, 2009: A Texas Rangers Memory
Wmplayer_2009-05-18_23-29-11-64_small
David Brown/Spurdynasty on Fastball Velocity and Pitching Performance
Martin_perez__8_small
July 2 Thread
Small
Julio Borbon called up
Small
Going Bill James on Josey’s Great Game

Recent FanPosts

Small
Minors - 7/5
Small
Help with video feed.
Small
Minors 7/4
340x_small
Baserunning: Why have we lost runs due to this?
Small
What moves need to be made.............
Small
Ranger's Snag Sardinas
Small
Frank Francisco's Entrance Song
Martin_perez__8_small
Minors 7/3
Ea_small
Redhawk Notes
Joshhamiltonfunnypic_small
2009 Texas League All-Star Game Photos

Post_icon New FanPost All FanPosts Carrot-mini

SPONSORS


Managers

Th_buckykatt_small Adam J. Morris

Official Partner of Yahoo! Sports