Another Disappointing Start

by slc ranger on Apr 30, 2008 6:20 PM CDT Comment 18 comments

Well another bad start to the season for the second straight year. This time it's 9-18. Ugh. While we have seen one Dallas area coach/manager already get canned today, many here would like Wash to suffer the same fate as Avery. Let me just say this though. No matter who takes over the team if Wash is fired, whether it's Howe, Walbeck, or someone else, they will still have the same team. To me a team is 95% players and 5% manager (if that). I don't want this fanpost to be about Wash though. We have had enough of those already.

Instead, I'm trying to see what positives can still come form this season. For me it all starts with developing the young players and getting some of them significant playing time this year to see what they have. This is what I would like the Rangers roster to look like come August 1st, after the trade deadline.

*Lineup*

1- Kinsler - 2B

2- MY - SS

3- Hamilton - CF

4- Bradley - RF (deal him if a team overwhelms you at the deadline though)

5- Blalock - 3B (deal him if a team overwhelms you at the deadline though)

6- Salty - CA

7- Davis - 1B (play everyday in AAA until July 31st)

8- MaxRam - DH (play everyday in AAA until July 31st, can also be the backup CA)

9- Murphy - LF

*Bench*

Duran (play everyday in AAA until July 31st)

Boggs (play everyday in AAA until July 31st)

Shelton (emergency catcher)

Vasquez, Laird, Byrd, and Cat should all be dealt for whatever we can get for them.

Broussard should be DFA'd by then.

*Rotation*

Millwood

Padilla (deal him if a team overwhelms you at the deadline though)

Gabbard (please stay healthy)

Hurley (pitch every 5th day in AAA until July 31st)

Mendoza/ Mathis/Harrison/Feldman/Pirate/Ponson (deal him if possible as well)

I don't think we see B-Mac this year. :(

*Pen*

BGL

Jack (deal him if he has good value)

Wright (deal him if he has good value)

Guardado (deal him)

Wes

Fx2

Rupe

Madrigal

Rheino

Nippert

German, Fuku, and Jennings should be DFA'd or dealt if possible.

Most of this teams young talent is still a little ways away. But some guys like Salty, Davis, MaxRam, Hurley, Duran, Boggs, Mathis, Harrison, Gabbard, Mendoza, etc. need to get a lot of playing time the last 2/3 months of the season. Plus if we are able to deal some guys we should get at least a couple young players back that we could take a look at as well. Let's face it, when the Rangers get crushed what do we all do? Go to the minor league sites to see what some of the kids did to try and lift our spirits. So what do you guys think? Would you be happy with that lineup come August 1st? Are there any other young players that may be able to contribute this year, for example if Mayberry tears up AAA do you bring him up? Thoughts?

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I like your overview

It would be neat to see Madrigal up, and I’d like to see Nippert get some regular playing time (unlike most people around here, I have noticed)

I’m wary of Hurley, just because of his start so far. I’d opt to keep him in AAA until he shows he can dominate there. I don’t want a repeat of the Volquez disaster.

As for Davis and MaxRam, given that both are on the 40 already and seem to hit wherever they are, maybe you have a point about giving them regular at bats towards the end of the year. I’d rather see them playing than Vazquez, Cat and Broussard.

by JBImaknee on Apr 30, 2008 6:30 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Hurley's struggles

Two years ago he was struggling in bakersfield, but the rangers decided to promote him anyway and he started to dominate in Frisco. It would be a little farfetched to say he’d dominate major league hitting after struggling in AAA, but it is an option, and there is precedent.

baseBALLIN!

by kevzta on Apr 30, 2008 6:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

eh

I see no reason to promote a guy to the majors and start his service time clock (and screw up his psyche) until you know they can dominate the lower levels. The jump from AAA to MLB is much, much greater than any jump Hurley has made so far. If he is having trouble getting AAA hitters out, he’s going to get slaughtered by the Alex Rodriguez’s and Manny Ramirez’s out there, much less the rest of the league, who are all better than the best AAA hitters.

I just don’t see what the rush is.

by JBImaknee on Apr 30, 2008 7:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

also

if this is a pressure thing, I don’t like the idea of calling him up now simply because it would be the most anticipated ranger game of the year. maybe the every day fan wouldn’t show up but it would by hyped and he would certainly feel the pressure

Rare Gnats Sex

by ab03 on Apr 30, 2008 7:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well...

August 1st is 3 months away. Obviously I’m hoping that he does better there in the next few months than he has done so far. If he continues to have a ERA of 5 or 6 then yes you leave him in AAA.

I do think he has a chance to be ready for a shot by August 1st though.

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

by slc ranger on Apr 30, 2008 7:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hurley

I`m not worried about Hurley. The K/BB ratio is very good along with the high strikeout totals.
Now if the strikeout totals go down with an increase in walks and hits, then I would worry.
You simply cannot have the ratios that he has without having good command. I think it has more to do with pitch selection and sequence of pitches than anything.

by Wi on Apr 30, 2008 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Davis

Hes not on the 40 man and doesn’t have to be put there until after the 09 season although its almost a certainty he will be added much sooner

by bigsteve on Apr 30, 2008 9:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ranger

Before the season began, what do you think the Rangers’ record would have been on April 30?

Max Ramirez 2008 Texas Rangers ROY

by RangerMad on Apr 30, 2008 6:51 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Probably about 12-16...

or maybe 13-15.

They have played some tough teams so far but I was hoping they could stay close to .500.

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

by slc ranger on Apr 30, 2008 6:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

10-18

would have been my guess…but I said their season record would be 72-90.

I'd love for part of the "new look" to be a return to the red uniforms of the 1990s. - Ian Kinsler

by ortonius on Apr 30, 2008 8:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Interesting overview

I agree with most of it, although I don’t think the Rangers should go dealing a bunch of guys from the bullpen. We’ve got to have a strong ‘pen to pick up the slack of a weak rotation right now, and we’ll still need it to back up the young guys once their ready. I agree with dealing Guardado, but Benoit and Wright are nice commodities to have around.

Besides, you’re not gonna get too much for Jamey Wright anyway – nobody wanted him on the free agent market this winter, and he came here on a minor league contract, remember?

A Lonestar in California - 2.0

by lonestarJon on Apr 30, 2008 6:59 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not that slow of a start

Realistically we are right about where most people expected us to be. If we hold on tonight (leading 9-5 right now in the 7th) we will be 10-18. Think about the road trip to Boston and Detroit. At the beginning of the season most thought 3-6 on that trip would be about right. Well we went 2-7 so not too far off. Not many had us pegged at 5-4 after 9 games.

Its not the record that has so many people upset its HOW we are losing the games we lose. The top 6 in our lineup have been great. Millwood and Padilla have been great for the most part. But the horrific defense and the bad situational hitting along with some uncharacteristic meltdowns from usually dependable guys (Benoit and CJ) have made the losses we do have even worse.

Realistically this team has played well enough to be 14-14. Last year we were losing because normally dependable guys were awful to start. Now most everybody is doing about what we expected and even a little more but we are making bad mistakes causing us to lose. Hopefully going on this season we can incorporate some young guys WHEN THEY ARE READY and make the last few months of this season exciting even if we aren’t in a playoff race.

by bigsteve on Apr 30, 2008 9:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Safe prediction

That’s pretty much what’s happened each of the last several years.
I was hoping for something different.

I'd rather be Blind, Crippled, & Crazy

by Clueless on Apr 30, 2008 9:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The funny thing

is that I would pay to go see those young guys play.

by Agreen07 on Apr 30, 2008 11:27 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I want Boggs

starting damnit!

I love Miley Cyrus.

by miles on Apr 30, 2008 11:42 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

+ 1

The "Electrician" was born 7/16/07 11:53 PM EDT

http://www.lonestarball.com/2007/7/16/213154/893

by LAMuscleFag on May 1, 2008 12:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

where?

you play him over murphy? hamilton? bradley (presuming we dont trade him)

now if we trade bradley i think he SHOULD be starting the majority of the games but right no? now way.

Every loss is one step closer to the top of the draft in 2009!

by knockoutking on May 1, 2008 1:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

LF

I think while he is up and continues to swing a hot bat I would go with Boggs in left, Murphy and hamilton playing center and right. Bradley can stay at DH and give Josh the occasional night off. Im glad Boggs is seizing his opportunity. Only wish another player who will not be named would have done the same thing sometime over the last 4 years

by bigsteve on May 1, 2008 8:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs