Friday a.m. things
by Adam J. Morris on Apr 25, 2008 7:34 AM CDT
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PrintIn case you missed it, the Rangers lost last night, their 7th in a row. Not much more to say about how the team has played of late.
The real news this morning, though, is that there are meetings occurring this weekend, and Evan Grant says they could impact the fate of Ron Washington.
Washington and Ryan are both supposedly meeting with Jon Daniels today, and Ryan is quoted in Grant's story as saying that he doesn't want to erode the fan base any further, and he thinks the fans are waiting to see how the organization handles this godawful start.
Earlier this week, I said I wouldn't be shocked if Matt Walbeck is managing this team by Memorial Day. Right now, given what is in the press this morning, I'll be mildly surprised if he isn't managing this team by Monday.
In other things, T.R. Sullivan has some bloggy notes, including the info that 25 percent of the players in the A.L. hitting less than .190 with RISP are Rangers -- Hank Blalock, Michael Young, Milton Bradley, and Ben Broussard.
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An idle thought
Wouldn’t veteran coaches who have been here longer such as Jaramillo/Chiti/Connor/B. Jones/Howe feel at least somewhat slighted if Walbeck were to be handed the job? Many would likely contend “Who cares?,” and they’d probably be right (because, heck, I’ve thought of Walbeck as the next Rangers manager since the day he was hired), but this strikes me as a rather major point of contention.
The lone thing that holds me back from calling outright for Ron’s head is the uncertainty factor – what we have right now may not be very good, but what we get if he’s axed may not be any better.
Other coaches
considering that the Rangers are, for some reason, unable to hit (Jaramillo), not really able to pitch (Connor, Chiti), or show much chemistry (Howe), I think I can live with none of them being the manager.
an idle thought
“The lone thing that holds me back from calling outright for Ron’s head is the uncertainty factor – what we have right now may not be very good, but what we get if he’s axed may not be any better.” by jamcadbury
that is always the case when a decision is made like this. That said, Nolan stated that something has to be done to quell the further erosion of the fan base. One of the ways to kill a snake is chop its head off.
yo soy Horsedooty!
I soloed in the mile high club.
I just hope
That if Walbeck is the permanent manager, he gets control over his personnel. It always seemed to me like they never took the training wheels off for Wash, and just gave him a little reward in Howe.
acceleration
If Walbeck gets the job, I expect JD to accelerate the influx of some younger players. Maybe it is already starting with Saltalamacchia. Boggs, Ramirez and Davis could be in Arlington before 7/1. Looking at Walbeck;s record, I think it shows that he can get the younger players to play for him. He has done it over multiple seasons. I also think Conner should get his walking papers. Bring up Hawkins from OKC.
I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. ~Rogers Hornsby
At this point
why the hell not… +1.
There is no such thing as global warming. David Murphy was cold, so he turned the sun up.
by SarasotaRanger on Apr 25, 2008 8:38 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah
I’d like to hope that a change right now would mean a change all the way around, and a real commitment to playing guys who have futures here next year (when they’re ready) e.g. Hurley, Boggs, Davis, Harrison and to a lesser extent Botts. Just no more BB, and I wouldn’t mind seeing Jennings get his papers (granted there aren’t many other options and he’s still hurt).
by brettgardner on Apr 25, 2008 8:41 AM CDT up reply actions
Dammit
I had a nice reply all typed up, but then I forgot to hit post and now it’s gone.
Oh well.
Suffice it to say I agree with you with everyone except Jennings, who I still think has a chance to show enough by the deadline to bring in a nice haul. Heck, if Kenny Lofton can bring back Max Ramirez…
"Sabean did a good job on selling high on Liriano." -Excel Hearts Choi
by thedirkatron on Apr 25, 2008 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions
ditto
People underestimate the value of Jennings if he shows even modest success between now and the trade deadline. Millwood may have the most value if he keeps this up. I can think of several teams that would love to have someone pitching that well right now (Detroit, Mets, Yanks, Cinci,)
...and curse Sir Walter Raleigh, he was such a stupid git.
"One of the ways to kill a snake is chop its head off."..Sr Horsedooty
For such a goofy handle, you make a very profound statement.
If Washington goes, the Boy Blunder should be on the next train out.
Wharter
"one of the ways to kill a snake yada yada yada"
Thanks
yo soy Horsedooty!
I soloed in the mile high club.
by Sr Horsedooty on Apr 25, 2008 8:49 AM CDT up reply actions
lol
Note: “At”, not “With”.
"Sabean did a good job on selling high on Liriano." -Excel Hearts Choi
by thedirkatron on Apr 25, 2008 9:18 AM CDT up reply actions
Josey Wales or Billy Costigan Jr at NMLR
has been using that for a good year now. It’s like his pride and joy.
by Dirk Diggler on Apr 25, 2008 10:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Having never read it elsewhere
I’ve used it, on various message boards, since the Chris Young trade.
I guess it’s the whole “great minds….” thing.
The funny thing
I’m pretty sure the compliment was sarcasm.
Go Strangers.
by hightowersmith on Apr 25, 2008 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions
you are correct sir!
I thought the Ed McMahon “hey-ooo” would give it away.
What happened to my old signature?
lol
Yeah, that’s it…
"For the record, I did not and do not like the Volquez trade, even though Hamilton is awesome and our best player and I think he’s going to be one of the best players in baseball." philikid3
by Brian Thomas on Apr 25, 2008 11:38 AM CDT up reply actions
Cool signature
"For the record, I did not and do not like the Volquez trade, even though Hamilton is awesome and our best player and I think he’s going to be one of the best players in baseball." philikid3
by Brian Thomas on Apr 25, 2008 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
Here is what I think will really happen
Wash stays. Conner goes. JD agrees to accelerate the influx of Boggs, Ramirez, Davis and maybe Hurley. Salty is getting called up today. RW agrees to play them.
RW continues to show that he can’t manage a ML team. The veterans continue their lackadasical play. The Rangers get the #1 draft pick in 2009.
ps. This may change if Ryan is truly in charge. He may have the guts to tell JD to completely blow it up and then tell HIcks that it is the right thing to do.
I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. ~Rogers Hornsby
no way
If Ryan’s primary concern is further erosion of the fan base, then he will not blow it up any further. I expect the team to essentially abandon the rebuilding effort if Washington is fired, as I think Daniels will probably be gone as well within a year.
I could be wrong, of course. No one knows what’s going to happen right now. But I think if you are worried about further erosion of the fan base, trading off your few recognizable stars the way to do it, at least in the short term.
But that river of tears has dried for all of us.
I'll pay to go see...
a properly rebuilding team that is learning on the fly, plays well, even if they’re outmanned and lose a lot.
I will not pay to go see a bunch of spares and one-year flip-projects/placeholders play clownball, lower the bar, and demoralize the entire organization and fanbase.
Well Said
My sentiments exactly. I think we are the minority though when it comes to the entire Ranger fanbase.
by corbsclinton on Apr 25, 2008 9:54 AM CDT up reply actions
Wow
very well said, sir. I concur.
There is no such thing as global warming. David Murphy was cold, so he turned the sun up.
by SarasotaRanger on Apr 25, 2008 10:10 AM CDT up reply actions
yeah
So will I, but you and I and most people on this blog are the exception among Rangers fans. If Blalock and Millwood are traded and the Rangers win 70 games this season and next, the fan base will shrink. This is why Daniels has tried to thread the “stay competitive now but build for the future” needle. He’s been more successful with the latter than the former, and it’s very difficult to do both unless you have a payroll twice the size of the current Rangers payroll.
I haven’t seen any evidence that Ryan is committed to the rebuilding effort, and so if something has to give, I expect it to be that part of Daniels’ philosophy.
But that river of tears has dried for all of us.
stay competitive now
Are you sure that didn’t come from above?
I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. ~Rogers Hornsby
daniels
I read a quote from him describing that as his philosophy, hence the Danks/McCarthy trade. I think this was his plan up until the beginning of last season when the team struggled so much. Don’t know if it came from Hicks or not, but I always had the idea that it was Daniels’ strategy in the first two years of his tenure. I think he is still probably basically committed to that strategy, although leaning more toward the full rebuild than he had been say two years ago. If Wash is fired and Ryan begins to exert more control, I expect things to tilt more in the other direction. Just my read on the situation.
But that river of tears has dried for all of us.
If the Rangers trade
Blalock and Millwood (and others, I assume, in a teardown of that magnitude), then proceed to win a phenomenal 70 games on the season… that means they went about 63-76 from here on out… I’d take it.
Because at that point, there are no more teardowns. We’ll be once and for all committed to our future. I can get behind that. If simple fans can’t, then they’re retarded. The Rangers honestly shouldn’t be catering to them. When the team is good the simple fans will come back. The Rangers are just lengthening the process by trying to be competitive now.
I like it
A whole marketing campaign:
Your 2008 Texas Rangers—if you don’t like, then you’re retarded.
But that river of tears has dried for all of us.
May be it is a good slogan for
the all-youth 2009 edition Rangers.
But won’t work for this year. This year’s slogan should be “Your 2008 Retarded Texas Rangers, We Could Use Some Baseball (lessons)”. With the disclaimer that no mental handicapped persons were harmed in the construction of this team, of course.
what will happen?
I have to think that Nolan is really in charge. Of the top three, he is the ONLY one with any major league experience PERIOD. He has been the owner of that team in Round Rock for several years. While not the major leagues, it is a professional baseball club. He has met payroll and fan expectations and has hired and I am guessing fired people in the past. I am thinking that he is the only one with any integrity left in the front office. I may be wrong, but I hope not. Someone here the other day said that they think Nolan would resign if he thought his authority was being undermined by Hicks. Least that is what I want to remember.
yo soy Horsedooty!
I soloed in the mile high club.
Yes, I agree
It’s all about having your baseball people be major league experienced.
Fire Theo Epstein!!!
"Sabean did a good job on selling high on Liriano." -Excel Hearts Choi
by thedirkatron on Apr 25, 2008 9:23 AM CDT up reply actions
theo and Cashman
maybe they are exceptions to the rule? I don’t know. My point was not that Nolan has major league experience but is a true BASEBALL MAN. Hicks and JD are certainly not in any way shape or fashion.
I soloed in the mile high club.
by Sr Horsedooty on Apr 25, 2008 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions
I can agree on Hicks.
JD is the first GM the Rangers have had that has taken legitimate interest in this team’s long-term success. His success in restocking our minor league system has been nothing short of amazing. If you have a strong farm system, that eventually works its way into the big club—if you’re patient. JD gets a ton of criticism which is almost entirely based upon the critics’ cherry-picking some of his trades that went sour and using the advantage of hindsight to claim he made a bad deal.
Baseball Man
true BASEBALL MAN
Buck, is that you?
by Excel Hearts Choi on Apr 25, 2008 9:46 AM CDT up reply actions
Theo and Brian
get mentioned A LOT to substatiate the idea that experience is not necessary.
It must be nice to be able to buy your way out of your mistakes. Lets not pretend that having 100 million+ more to spend than everyone else isnt a factor, and maybe the #1 factor.
Are you saying that all other things being equal you wouldnt hire a guy who has experience, or “has done it before?
by red shoe ranger on Apr 25, 2008 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions
experience
The way i see it is you can’t rule someone out and say they can’t be a good gm just because they lack baseball experience. Just like you cant expect someone with baseball experience to automatically be a good gm.
"When we're mad we'll use our words. Then the rest of the world will play nice with us. And the only boom-booms will be in our pants." - Ralph Wiggum
Not just money
I don’t think you can look at what Boston has done and say it’s just because they have so much money. Yes, they have more leeway for mistakes, but they haven’t made very many since Theo took over. They are loaded with talent at the major league level with a well balanced team and several solid young guys ready to step in.
I would say they have done a much better job managing their contention window than Detroit at this point, and the Tigers have certainly spent money as well. Detroit has a higher payroll than Boston right now, but has serious holes in pitching and a somewhat depleted system. I like Dombrowski, but things haven’t turned out quite as well for him as we all imagined they would in the fall of 2006.
...and curse Sir Walter Raleigh, he was such a stupid git.
Question
If Theo or Cashman quit tomorrow, are they or are they not at the top of any team with a GM opening’s wish list?
"For the record, I did not and do not like the Volquez trade, even though Hamilton is awesome and our best player and I think he’s going to be one of the best players in baseball." philikid3
by Brian Thomas on Apr 25, 2008 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions
can't prove a negative
So I’m not really sure what your point is.
But that river of tears has dried for all of us.
I don't think anyone is arguing that experience isn't necessary.
I think they differ with what they would consider relevant experience.
Going to school doesn’t make you qualified to teach a class. Flying in planes doesn’t make you qualified to fly them. Playing baseball doesn’t make you qualified to run a $100 million a year organization. Being GM is the equivalent of running a business. It has nothing to do with knowing how to throw or hit a baseball
Not what I was saying at all
He was saying that Nolan was the best qualified because he was the only one of our top 3 decision makers who had played major league baseball.
First of all that’s not even true, cause Wash played major league baseball.
Second, I don’t believe a guy who’s played major league baseball is inherently any more qualified to be a GM than a guy who never played major league baseball. A guy can lack the physical gifts necessary to make it in the big leagues and still have an astute baseball mind capable of putting together a winning ballclub.
"Sabean did a good job on selling high on Liriano." -Excel Hearts Choi
by thedirkatron on Apr 25, 2008 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Nolan doesn't met payroll expectation in the minors
if you’re talking about the players. They’re paid by the major league club. If you’re talking about salespeople, well then, I don’t see how that’s relevant to his qualifications for running a major league team.
Yes, he pitched forever, struck out a ton of people, and beat the shit out of Robin Ventura….but he’s spent his retirement from playing selling beef and running a minor league team, which is essentially just marketing.
Just beceaue the guy’s name is Nolan Ryan, doesn’t mean he’s suddenly going to usurp JD’s control.
by Dirk Diggler on Apr 25, 2008 10:10 AM CDT up reply actions
Start naming GMs who have major league experience, please?
Other than Billy Beane, who was a BAD baseball player and an overrated GM, who else on this list played major league baseball? I’ve clicked on about 10 names at random, and fail to see one other who played in the big leagues. Everyone has business degrees, or came up through scouting or other front office gigs.
Most of the best GMs in the game – Dombrowski, Epstein, Cashman, (as mentioned above), Jocketty – have nothing resembling ML experience…
+1
"I hope it's a special dumb person hell so that I don’t have to meet up with you after I die."
- The D-tron
by inactive lsb user on Apr 25, 2008 3:16 PM CDT up reply actions
Beane
is a very good GM, I’ll grant you that. I just am skeptical that he is as good as everyone else thinks he is.
1. Beane’s drafts haven’t been great since Fuson left. Of the Moneyball 2002 draft, only Swisher (who was a no-brainer pick even Beane’s scouts agreed on), Blanton, and Teahen have turned into solid major leaguers. Huston Street was a pretty sharp pick, but his drafts have not been very impressive considering the number of early picks they tended to have every year.
2. The A’s system has been rebuilt several times using old Fuson pieces (Mulder trade for Haren and Barton, Haren trade for Arizona’s farm system). This takes a very good GM to do this well, and Beane has.
3. That said, Beane’s record on trades is not as rock-solid as people would imagine. Bonderman and Pena for Ted Lilly is one example. Mark Teahen for Octavio Dotel is another. His bounty for Tim Hudson looks quite bad today. He gave up on Aaron Harang for a few months of Jose Guillen
4. As we were all told in Moneyball, Beane is great at finding arbitrage situations to take advantage of. But the dirty secret of arbitrage is that once you act on it, it goes away. So it isn’t a long-term way of rebuilding a team unless you can rebuild entirely in one year. Also, it isn’t obvious that seeking the 10% advantage that OBP-maximizing or fielding-maximizing gives you is sufficient to push a team to the top 2 or 3 in the league. Is it the best possible approach given a team financially strapped like the A’s? Probably. But did it win them any World Series? No.
5. His micro-managing of managers is pathetic.
Anyway, I think Beane is good, especially for his unique situation in Oakland, but I don’t think he’s one of the best.
Things that should be done immediately:
1) Fire Wash-obvious
2) DFA Broussard. Call up Shelton and make him the full time first baseman if, for no other reason, then I think he can at least kind of field his position.
3) Make Botts the full time DH
4) bench Cat and make him a pinch hitter/spare player
5) Roll with Murphy/Hamilton/Bradley in the OF as often as possible so there is at least some defense out there.
Do those things and I think there is a start. Then, later in the season when Botts fails, as I expect he will, call up Davis or MaxRam and let them learn ML pitching.
Just some thoughts.
Fire Ron Washington
You forgot...
6) Play Saltalamacchia fulltime at C. Laird is a backup.
I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. ~Rogers Hornsby
A few thoughts
I’m still not 100% that washington is getting the axe this early. My guess is they have a meeting with him to discuss the direction of the team and what is expected, yadda yadda and keep him on a short leash.
then again, i never expected salty to get called up this early so what do i know
"When we're mad we'll use our words. Then the rest of the world will play nice with us. And the only boom-booms will be in our pants." - Ralph Wiggum
rentz
you are probably closer to what is really gonna happen. This meeting today with RW is probably gonna be a “Come to Jesus” kinda meeting. We live in exciting times.
yo soy Horsedooty!
I soloed in the mile high club.
by Sr Horsedooty on Apr 25, 2008 9:15 AM CDT up reply actions
Exciting Times
Shows you where we are as a team when a front office meeting constitutes “exciting times” – not the games on the field!
Salty
I think more than anything calling up Salty now is a result of not having another catcher on the 40.
Unless you count Max Ram, and if they called up Max over Salty, Salty’d have the right to feel very fucking slighted.
"Sabean did a good job on selling high on Liriano." -Excel Hearts Choi
by thedirkatron on Apr 25, 2008 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions
If Chris Stewart was still around
do you think that they’d call him up instead?
"I hope it's a special dumb person hell so that I don’t have to meet up with you after I die."
- The D-tron
by inactive lsb user on Apr 25, 2008 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions
Nobody really knows
What plans for Salty’s playing time are… not the way this organization has operated with him.
I just hope they’re not jacking with him some more. I’ve had enough of the Salty shuffle (RBiA, OKC, DH, 1B, C, FT or BU?). I hope he’s here to be the primary catcher. Then I’ll start to feel better about how the season might play out.
Making Progress
I seem to remember an article or two stating that Saltalamacchia has been making some progress in the minors. If they are going to call him up for a couple of games, might as well see the progress firsthand. He needs to play as much as possible, so having him sit on the bench would be plain stupid.
by Excel Hearts Choi on Apr 25, 2008 9:51 AM CDT up reply actions
comments today
everyones comments today seem to me to be well thought out and articulated with the exception of that clown with the goofy handle Sr Horsedooty. :)
yo soy Horsedooty!
I soloed in the mile high club.
JD is the architect of this mess! I doubt that his demise would any typ of impact on the team.
Wharter
What is
with this idiot infestation. If you remove the first guy who seems to give a damn about the minor league system in more than 2 decades, this team would truly be lost. I can’t believe people actually think Nolan ryan would have any sort of positive impact on this team if he’s made the GM.
Seriously, where is there ANY sort of evidence to support this? Where is there any sort of precedence? I, for one, am tired of constantly changing directions. Daniels has learned in the last 2 years, I don’t want to go through another learning curve with another new GM.
whos for Ryan as GM?
Some, including myself, simply want to know that JD is feeling some heat for his role in this disaster.
I’ve argued that Nolan is as inexperienced as the rest of managent and by NO means do I want him to be GM. I’d take JD over him for sure.
by red shoe ranger on Apr 25, 2008 3:45 PM CDT up reply actions
I’m not so sure, I’d love to see the youngsters but that would likely lead to more losing and I don’t know that more losing is what Ryan wants to see to save the gate this year
I doubt
that there’s really much of a gate left to save this year. With the prior losing seasons and the corresponding decrease in attendance followed by another bad start, this team would have to pull off an immediate and spectacular reversal (win 7 in a row, 10 out of 12, something like that) to have any chance of “saving the gate” this year.
Tickets already sold, fans of visiting teams, people looking for an outing to a MLB game, etc. will put a floor under the attendance figures somewhere (2 million? maybe less?), no matter what kind of team the Rangers run out there. I don’t know that you’d see much of a decrease, if any, in attendance this season if you went with the “youngsters” (whatever that may translate to in reality).
I think a levelheaded Nolan will give Wash an indication of when
he needs to feel nervous about his job should the team not right itself. Maybe that deadline is Memorial Day, since that would give the Rangers some time to either beat the July trade deadline or begin marketing their players for that deadline, and so they can get some things settled before making a push to be competitive in 2009 and 2010. I think Wash might be just as bewildered as anyone, given that his stated goal for the team was 84 wins this season.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Broussard released, but I think it is a bit early to make big changes. Then again, I never understood the timing on Buck’s demise either. Maybe “competitive” in Nolan language means the team is not playing with the fire, hustle, and attitude he expects to see, which could be all the reason he needs to dump Wash.
But, before freaking out about the manager, check out Hillman’s Royals, who have only 2 more wins than the Rangers. I’m not sure that the talent level of the two teams is all that different. Rangers probably have a better lineup, but the Royals probably have a better rotation, at least while McCarthy is hurt.
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