Thursday a.m. things

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 3, 2008 9:59 AM CDT Comment 50 comments

Bah. Annoying game last night. Jennings looked okay, for the most part, but that meatball he served up to Jose Lopez was a killer.

Evan Grant says this year's start is similar to last year's, when the Rangers didn't field well or hit with RISP. I think the bigger problem is that they just didn't hit this series, period...they have a team line of .206/.310/.351 right now. They are 3 for 23 with RISP, which is awful, but they are 17 for 74 without RISP, which isn't much better.

Kevin Sherrington looks at the first series, and seems impressed with Josh Hamilton, Kevin Millwood, and Vicente Padilla, but not a lot else.

Eddie Guardado is also impressed with Hamilton, who made a tremendous running catch on a ball Raul Ibanez rocketed into right-center off of Guardado on Tuesday...that was a ball that looked like a sure double, had Hamilton not been out there.

In the same piece, Grant says that Luis Mendoza threw 65 pitches in a simulated game yesterday and is good to go, and Brandon McCarthy is going to start throwing on Friday.

Grant also runs down the minor league starters for today -- Eric Hurley, Matt Harrison, Tommy Hunter, and Derek Holland.

Richard Durrett has a rundown of the top prospects in Frisco this season, although you guys probably know who all they are already.

And Jim Reeves luvs him some David Murphy...

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Premature

Isn't it a bit early to be making comparisons to last season's start? In '07, the team had a line of .235/.303/.401 for March/April, and .256/.324/.440 for May. Last season's bad beginning quickly became a bad third of the season. 3 games is exactly that, 3 games. I'd be surprised if the offensive struggles continue when everybody is no longer sick.

by Excel Hearts Choi on Apr 3, 2008 10:19 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I agree and....

I doubt our starters went 16-17 innings in the opening series last year either.

by corbsclinton on Apr 3, 2008 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here are the starters stats from the opener with the Angels last year.

Millwood went 5 and gave up 3ER 5 hits
Padilla went 4.2 and gave up 6ER 9 hits
McCarthy went 6 and gave up 3ER and a total of 5R. 10 hits

So they went 15.2 innings and in their next start, Tejeda went 7 strong giving up three hits on route to a shut out of Boston.

So be wary of small sample sizes.

Why do I follow the Rangers again?

by LBBRangerFan on Apr 3, 2008 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

by RingoRanger on Apr 3, 2008 11:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It may be a little premature

But I have to admit, it's in the back of my mind right now that we're playing just as bad, if not worse than we where at the start of last year.

We're pitching better, and a lot of the infield's problems can probably be blamed on the flu - but the offense had better crank it up, and not fall into a funk like they did last April.

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

by lonestarJon on Apr 3, 2008 7:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tell your boys

Laird and Cat to stop sucking sooner, rather than later.

Thank you.

"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck

by DJCahill on Apr 3, 2008 10:28 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

no hope on Cat

But Laird is the best catcher we got and he is pretty good. Not sure why other players can go 0-4 and not suck, but every thing Laird does is terrible.

by Ranger Capt on Apr 3, 2008 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Probably because

he hasn't shown to be better than Popup, and we kept hearing how much Popup sucked.

Maybe if Laird wasn't .224/.278/.349 last season, you wouldn't hear about how much of a steamer he is.

"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck

by DJCahill on Apr 3, 2008 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The irony with Popup

is that now we can tell that Buck played that platoon perfectly. Barajas played most days, and Laird just went in there in ideal-Laird situations. The result, decent catcher numbers from Barajas, amazing numbers from Laird. By doing his job, Buck made himself look like a backwards moron.

Laird was just a bad hitter last year. Bad meaning one of the worst in baseball. His OPS+ was 64. Far, far worse than Cat (OPS+ 104), Sammy Sosa (OPS+ 102), and Brad Wilkerson (OPS+ 104) were.

In hindsight, Buck's mistake with Laird and Barajas was not keeping Laird's bat out of the lineup. It was not playing Laird enough to make him look smart for preferring Barajas.

by JBImaknee on Apr 3, 2008 11:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Laird

I know his lifetime numbers are fair but when you have guys on base and the team needs a ball that even has a chance to be put in play he never comes up big. Yeah he goes 1/5 when no one is on base and we are up by 4 but if we need a big hit forget it. He does throw out alot of runners but in the 9th throwing out a runner doesnt win the game for us.

by phanhandlecholo on Apr 3, 2008 11:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

BINGO!

I keep saying Gerry just this one time get a clutch hit and help us win this thing.
"Just this one time" never seems to come. He is pretty much guaranteed failure
in clutch situations. Sorry the arm does not make up for all the weaknesses. I
cannot wait for Salty to get here. And those pass balls the other 2 nights. BOY do we have oureselves a winner here!

That boy Whiffy's swing has more holes in it than Amy Winehouse's arm.

by LAMuscleFag on Apr 3, 2008 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

and another thing..

He has the audacity to whine about not being given the job on a silver platter this spring and then he has a good spring and we get snookered into falling for it.
I don't know who told him he was Johnny Bench it must of been his mother but he reminds me much more of Einar Diaz than Johnny Bench. He's got to get off his fat ass and stop some of those errant pitches. I guaran damn tee you that if you tried to throw a few chocolate bars by him not a one would get by him.

That boy Whiffy's swing has more holes in it than Amy Winehouse's arm.

by LAMuscleFag on Apr 3, 2008 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Audacity of Nope

by Gerald Laird

Rangers Farm Probables

by shroomer on Apr 3, 2008 12:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

haha or the Audacity of Hopelessness

that's our Gerry!

That boy Whiffy's swing has more holes in it than Amy Winehouse's arm.

by LAMuscleFag on Apr 3, 2008 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

kind words for buck and barajas?

are you trying to get yourself lynched?

But that river of tears has dried for all of us.

by trza on Apr 3, 2008 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I fell asleep

during the game last night, I hate west coast road trips.

A working class hero is something to be.

by t ball on Apr 3, 2008 10:34 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I looked at the schedule

there are only 9 late west coast games all year that are not on the weekends. We already played 2 of them, and 4 more are the 1st week of may in Seattle again.

For all the people that complain about the late night games, that's really not that big a deal.

by Dirk Diggler on Apr 3, 2008 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey

don't ruin my whining. I work on weekends, too so those aren't any better for me.

A working class hero is something to be.

by t ball on Apr 3, 2008 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Heh

whine away

by Dirk Diggler on Apr 3, 2008 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i'll do it then

Ben Broussard is solid. He's going to have a good year here. Laird, i wish he didn't have to bat. I wish there was something like the bizzaro DH where all you did was all-time defense.

the truth.

by Longhorn on Apr 3, 2008 11:11 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

or even

let him hit off a tee or toss it up in the air to himself. I doubt he gets a hit that way either.

by phanhandlecholo on Apr 3, 2008 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bizzaro DH

I suppose we could DH for Laird and take our chances with the pitchers taking some cuts.

by Jack Nicholson 1974 on Apr 3, 2008 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not sure

pitchers taking their cuts is a big downgrade.

"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck

by DJCahill on Apr 3, 2008 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually

We should have DH'd for Gerald last night. If Jason Jennings had been at the plate when we had those two runners on in the 6th or 7th, whatever is was, we might have gotten back in the game.

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

by lonestarJon on Apr 3, 2008 7:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If we get swept by the Angels

That for me is offically when the season jumps the shark.

I just wanted one sweet sweet day above .500 we missed our chance.

by SaltyGoesYard on Apr 3, 2008 11:19 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

"I can only hope that you continue to monitor me, and help me out as I slowly work to take the training wheels off." - BG

by Chase Irwin on Apr 3, 2008 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Looks like a .500 team.

by rooster on Apr 3, 2008 11:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

This division

looks like 4 .500 teams. Well, really 3 .500 team and a really, really bad A's team that will only win when Harden pitches

by JBImaknee on Apr 3, 2008 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jennings

Was anyone else perpetually surprised that batters fell all over themselves tomahawking his jank into the ground? I may be judging him unfairly but last night it seemed like he had nothing, couldn't locate, and only lasted 5 because Seattle's lineup hits like 8 Lairds and a supercharged Juan Pierre?

Heck Jennings stuff was so bad it made Jamey Wright look like Pedro!

by bushe on Apr 3, 2008 12:00 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Same game

I thought he had pretty good stuff. It had a lot of downward movement and guys were weakly hitting it. He made two bad pitches which both ended up in the seats but otherwise pitched pretty well.

by bigsteve on Apr 3, 2008 12:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jennings

He looks serviceable. But when he leaves the ball up in the zone, that thing is going to be hit a very long way.

But that river of tears has dried for all of us.

by trza on Apr 3, 2008 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That also applies

to Gabbard and Mendoza.

I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. ~Rogers Hornsby

by RangerMad on Apr 3, 2008 3:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

OT: Danks

i know i harp on people letting it go, but danks is having a pretty nice outing today vs the indians.

gotta love mlb extra innings freeview week

"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

by rentz on Apr 3, 2008 12:47 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yep,

I was watching Cueto pitch verse the D-Backs. He was pretty impressive in the three innings I watched.

by BHill on Apr 3, 2008 1:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey

In the spirit of looking at the sunny side of things, at least we're not as bad as Detroit ;)

What?

by camartin44 on Apr 3, 2008 2:48 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

They scored five runs

in three games. Against KC. wow.

I am sure that their lineup will get hits, but that is not the start they were expecting.

Why do I follow the Rangers again?

by LBBRangerFan on Apr 3, 2008 3:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Detroit's lineup

One thing about them, they have some really old players, Pudge, Mags, Sheff, Guillen, even Renteria have all been around for quite a while and do have some wear and tear. It is possible, although very unlikely, that they could all begin to deteriorate in the same season.

Fire Ron Washington

by pblack on Apr 3, 2008 4:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cabrera

And now Cabrera may be out for some time with a quad strain.

by bigsteve on Apr 3, 2008 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I guess

what I was trying to say would be "Give our boy's a chance to get warmed up and then we'll know". With all the power in Detroit they haven't gotten off to the start they were hoping for either

What?

by camartin44 on Apr 3, 2008 4:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is there a way to get rid of "Recommended Fanposts"?

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Apr 3, 2008 5:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

They seem to roll off

with time. I know the Chinese baseball experience is no longer there, and it had more recs than anything else.

"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck

by DJCahill on Apr 3, 2008 5:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, but it takes a looonng time for them to roll off

I know I'm tired of seeing the MLB.tv diary, the Callis and Zach Phillips diaries up there already. And Miles' opening day predictions don't need to be there either.

Maybe we should stop reccomending diaries, and make that a rule here on LSB?

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

by lonestarJon on Apr 3, 2008 7:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It is funny

Recommended diaries was something that people requested for a long time.

Now that they are here, people want to get rid of them, or make rules not to recommend diaries.

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 3, 2008 7:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe the real solution

Would be to have a feature that collapses the reccomended diaries if people get tired of looking at them.

I think perhaps that's something that should be looked into.

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

by lonestarJon on Apr 3, 2008 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why?

Is it really that big of a deal?

lepricon

by jparks77 on Apr 3, 2008 9:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't you have

anything better to do?

A working class hero is something to be.

by t ball on Apr 3, 2008 10:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Geez, what's everyone's problem?

I think that's a damn good idea. I do get tired of looking at the same diaries up there for days after the threads are long-dead. Being able to collapse them if you wanted to would be a nice feature.

Just trying to provide some input to maybe help improve the site - sorry, didn't know that was a crime around here.

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

by lonestarJon on Apr 4, 2008 4:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just meant

that I come to the blog for the first time in a few hours and you have posted about 5,000 comments. You have a strong opinion on every other comment on here. You are this month's NYTXFAN.

A working class hero is something to be.

by t ball on Apr 4, 2008 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs