Friday a.m. stuff
by Adam J. Morris on Apr 4, 2008 9:24 AM CDT
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PrintRelatively quiet day, the day after an off day this early in the season...
Evan Grant talks about the problems with the team's defense so far this season, with the emphasis on the struggles of the middle infield. Michael Young isn't a good defensive shortstop, but his problem is poor range, not being error prone, so I imagine those glaring issues will go away. Ian Kinsler has had spurts where he's made bushels of errors, and then periods where he's been clean out there, so it is hard to know for sure what we are going to see from him this year...
With the Rangers heading into a series with the Angels, Jeff Wilson discusses Torii Hunter, and how Hunter's decision to go to Anaheim rather than sign with Texas may have been a blessing in disguise, since it resulted in the Rangers going and getting Josh Hamilton from the Reds.
And T.R. Sullivan has his Friday Happy Hour up, including some comments from John McLaren on Vicente Padilla's velocity, and from Mike Scioscia on the Ranger lineup.
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Kinsler on Orlando Cabrera
"He doesn't make very many mistakes, defensively, offensively or on the basepaths. He had seventy-something straight games last year where he got on base. That's impressive with the guys hitting behind him. That's something I admire, knowing the guys behind me. That's something I'd like to do or get close to doing."
Cabrera's OBP in '07 was .345. Kinsler's was .355.
lepricon
by jparks77 on Apr 4, 2008 9:37 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
I'll probably give
MY and Kinsler about a week's worth of slack due to the flu. However, I have no idea why we aren't seeing Vazquez out there instead of folks with 103 fevers. It would seem to be the obvious move.
"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck
Hope the flu doesn't pass around
from them being in the locker room.
by SarasotaRanger on Apr 4, 2008 9:58 AM CDT up reply actions
Early
It would look bad to newer teammates and to the team as a whole if the FOTF, after all of the off- and pre-season pep talks and team meatings, took the first series off. If Mike's out there with a flu, Kinsler must follow the lead and be out there, too. With all the talk about baseball being a marathon and not a sprint, I appreciate a couple of guys who will suck it up and play through it. Hopefully it encourages others to play through other types of adversity that may arise throughout the season.
by Jack Nicholson 1974 on Apr 4, 2008 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions
Losing a game, because you are sucking it up
and playing like crap, (Ian Kinsler .231/.286/.308 and MY .231/.286/.462, both playing craptastic defense ) is not playing through adversity, its taking your team down with you.
"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck
Yeah
I'm pretty sure that Hamilton and Bradley will forgive MY and Kinsler for sitting out one game each when they have to have IV fluids to even have the energy to take the field.
For as sick as those two are, I'm surprised that we've gotten the little bit of productivity out of those guys that we have (Young's shot in the opener, Kinsler's key walk against Putz).
Yeah, I don't blame MY or Kinsler for trying to play
but I do blame Washington for playing them. A management call should have made it to sit them.
"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck
Hard to tell...
2 of your teams stars that they can't play on opening day or the first series of a season though. Besides I'd rather have a 60% MY/Ian over a 100% Vasquez.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
1 of many
Losing 1 (or 2) game(s), very early in the season, is not a big deal. Setting a tone for the rest of the season is. If we have a bunch of bitches all pussing out in week 1, how are they going to act when we're 15 games out of first in September when all the young kids come up? It is not a good tone, and it would not be a good example.
When MY one-hopped the ball to first, I bet more of his team were thinking "that dude's a hardass for being out here" and not "why is he out here, he's sick." On the other hand, if he sits out, you would hear people questioning his toughness b/c "it's just the flu." If you don't believe me, look at the comments to the post about Kinsler being scratched.
by Jack Nicholson 1974 on Apr 4, 2008 1:47 PM CDT up reply actions
i don't think
you are correct. I bet a lot more people were thinkin, "why the hell is he playing this late into the game sick. wash should have made a defensive substitution."
of course, this is all moot. Cahill was calling for management to sit them but there was only one backup IF and he was already subbed in for Blalock.
kinsler got a hit
nitpicky, but it was an incredible at bat and his first (only?) really solid contact of the year
My guess
After last year's awful start, Washington is bending over backwards to have his starters play a bunch at the beginning of the year.
by Adam J. Morris on Apr 4, 2008 11:39 AM CDT up reply actions
well
all things being equal, the starters should play as much as possible early in the year. Everyone is rested, there are ample off days to keep people from getting too banged up.
But if you are sick, you're sick. The only argument for playing all of them is that they are less likely to get the whole team sick when they are out on the field standing by themselves than when they are sitting in the dugout.
it would be awesome
if management made someone come to a game that they were too sick to play in. just huddle in a blanket in the corner of a dugout drinking theraflu and a bunch of used kleenex's around them.
Drrrrrrrr
Hamilton maybe being a better deal than Torii? No offense to Jeff Sullivan, but giving up Edinson is way better than having Torii when he craps the bed towards the end of this contract. Plus, I think a healthy Hamilton is a better player than Torii is or ever was.
What happened to my old signature?
He's right
That link took me to a 5:46 clip of an interview 19 y/o John Tyler Hammons, who is running for mayor of Muscogee.
Ain't not Saltalamacchia on the other end of that link that I can find.
by LSJ on Apr 4, 2008 5:50 PM CDT up reply actions
worked for me
end of the video was a nice slide at home by saltalamacchia
"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
All of the
infield were fighting the flu. Who would admit to his teammate that he was too sick to play? Could Ron have chosen someone to sit and sent out Vasquez? Well, yes. But I don't think ill of Ron for not doing so.
"think ill"
Intentional pun?
I think it was obvious that Michael Young, particularly during the second game, was in no real position to play. When it starts to hurt the team, you have to take a stand, even if it's against "the face of the franchise".
by vfn on Apr 4, 2008 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Move Kinsler to SS for the night
and see if Cat can play 2B again.
I mean, he can't, but when the offensive depth is this thin, you might have to get creative.
by vfn on Apr 4, 2008 1:58 PM CDT up reply actions
right
besides being the worst middle ever, I'm all for it!
and kinsler, who was also probably sick and hasn't made that throw to first since AA ,is expected not to one hop the ball or sail it over BB's head? really?
Didn't say it was the best solution...
But then this is why I'd be in favor of, if we're only carrying 13 position players, having someone like Jerry Hairston Jr. or.. theoretically, Ryan Freel, as that 1eth person instead of Jason Botts. Nothing against Botts, but as a bench player, he limits what we can do, because he's not very versatile or good defensively.
by vfn on Apr 4, 2008 2:14 PM CDT up reply actions
Yep.
Having Botts on the bench is a huge problem in roster versatility. If he can't hit well enough to start, it is just painful to carry him.
"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck
Botts fan.
but after what is saw in Seattle I have to agree. But the boy's probably won't get sick more than one at a time too often (fingers crossed, wich makes it suprisingly hard to type by the way)
What?
Bring back
Jerry Hairston
I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. ~Rogers Hornsby
Can't argue with that.
Botts and Cat together really limit your flexibility. Unless there bat forces them into the lineup, your forced to carry 2 pure PHs.
"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck
well to be fair
2 PH's that can play crappy LF and crappy 1B. but there really is no need for both.
This is something JD needs to recognize. but, as it is now, he's a little stuck. I'm not too sure the market is great for Cat (after his 2007) or an unproven Botts (and you have to think JD really wants to see what Botts can do)
I agree with you.
I think there is zero market for Cat, as mediocre platoon DHs don't have a lot of value. They would almost need to bring back the earlier, versatile, Cat who could also play IF (poorly), to get any value from him.
"Before I leave, I once again condemn the despicable buffoonery of D.J. Cahill." - Huck
yes!
100 times yes. I can't tell if people are making a point about how bad they were but they weren't so bad that you play one guy at a position he hasn't played since 2002 and another guy who hasn't played that position in the majors ever, has had no reps there in ST, and who also is sick.
your SS situation would be worse for sure (which is also where the most crucial error came) and your 2B situation at best has the potential to be the same and at worst has the potential to be knoblauch
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