Monday a.m. stuff
by Adam J. Morris on May 26, 2008 10:05 AM CDT
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PrintThis is now 9 series in a row that have been either won or split. The Rangers are back at .500, and are 4 back of the hated Angles.
Evan Grant notes that the Rangers surge has coincided with the team going with a roughly 50/50 playing time split between Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Gerald Laird. Grant says no one is thrilled with the arrangement, but it is working and the team is winning, so it isn't likely to change anytime soon.
Hank Blalock is still dealing with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and won't be activated until Friday, at the earliest.
Jeff Wilson says Doug Mathis will be heading back down to make room for Kevin Millwood, and overcame a rough start to allow just three hits over the last four innings.
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I hate the Angles
It's baseball. You don't always get what you want, and you don't always want what you get. --Ed Coffin
Hamilton's ejection
On Evan’s blog, some dolt rails against Tom Grieve for being a homer for his tirade after Hamilton’s ejection.
I was driving during this part of the game, so I was listening to it on the XM radio (1080 isn’t very clear where I live). At any rate… XM uses home announcers, so I was listening to the Cleveland call.
And THEIR announcers went off on the umpire as well (for ejecting Hamilton). Now I obviously didn’t hear Grieve’s comments, but if the Cleveland announcers thought the homeplate umpire was out of line… well, there’s your answer.
by Wemedge on May 26, 2008 10:49 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Daily Oklahoman stuff
Hawkins on Tejeda, sounds like he’s going to continue to start …
“I think he’s doing pretty well," RedHawks pitching coach Andy Hawkins said. “He’s got some mechanical things he has to work on.The rap on him is that he doesn’t throw enough strikes. We’re trying to get him mechanically where he can throw strikes. I expect him to do better and better."
Jones on playing Mayberry at 1B …
“That came from the top, they wanted to see him at first base," Hawks manager Bobby Jones said.
.
“They said get him over there once a week, or whenever you can. We’re going to see how he does over there from time to time."
So, let’s see – adding Mayberry gives us 4 first basemen at OKC now.
I would guess...
...that Gold or Botts will be let go at some point in the near future…
by Adam J. Morris on May 26, 2008 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions
Or both maybe
With Davis and Mayberry and maybe Max Ram coming soon.
"My death certificate will probably say: 'Cause of Death: World Series.'" Jamey Newberg
yeah I see...
I see Gold getting released….
I am really not sure why they would want to see Mayberry at 1B….considering Davis is the 1B of the future and MaxRam is probably a DH/1B.
How is Mayberry’s OF defense? If he is an above average corner OF…I would just leave him.
Mayberry
The only reason I see him being put at 1B is for this year only. He is one of the many that will have to be put on the 40 man after this season so there is a pretty good chance he will get brought up in September at the latest. With our 1B situation the way it is I could see a scenario where Blalock either gets traded or moves back to 3B and Mayberry is brought up in say August to play 1B. With our roster situation the way it is I am getting more and more in the camp of we won’t see Davis this year at all. I hope I am wrong but I think putting Mayberry back there just gives us more options
I'm sure it's just coincidence
but I found it odd that in Davis’ first start we had Gold and Roberts in DH/LF and Botts on the bench. Here’s what I think they should do:
swap Boggs for Cruz, give Cruz some of Byrd’s PT
play Boggs in CF in AAA and use Ellison as a sub rather than an every day guy
Botts and Harrison are LF/DH with Mayberry in RF most of the time
That leaves Ramirez in AA still, so you just have to cut or trade someone from AAA/MLB (in addition to Shelton) once you feel like you can afford to share catching duties between Teagarden and him and DH the other.
But this is a weird situation because practically every good corner player or catcher in the organization is too good for AA but not quite ready for MLB. Weird deal.
by Brett Perryman on May 26, 2008 3:11 PM CDT up reply actions
On the 25, Boggs obviously
On the 40, Shelton, since Blalock is taking his job and there is no room at the inn in AAA.
by Brett Perryman on May 26, 2008 3:15 PM CDT up reply actions
Boggs swapping with Cruz
Is that because Boggs needs more everyday reps, and Cruz looks like a part-timer on the ML level at best?
It would be quite a resurrection for Cruz if he sticks as a 4th outfielder, but his defensive reputation is obviously strong.
Go Strangers.
by hightowersmith on May 26, 2008 4:29 PM CDT up reply actions
It's because
I think it makes perfect sense for all parties involved. Compare what Boggs and Cruz have done in AAA. Cruz should be more ready to help the team. Add that to the fact that Cruz, not Boggs, is the one about whom you have to make a decision this year. They just have things backwards. Remember, Cruz was always more highly regarded than Boggs has ever been. Boggs has the same issues that Cruz has had in the past (question marks over whether he can make enough contact and a question about how well his natural power translates in the maojrs). Now that Boggs has had an opportunity and is pretty clearly not ready to consistently hit major league pitching, send him down and let him work. Bring Cruz up and let him show whether he can make the jump or is only a great AAA player – and therefore whether you need to spend any more time on him (especially since you have plenty of options now for AAA corner players).
To take it a step further, a lot of the issue that many of us have had over the past three years with Botts getting very small chances isn’t as much that we’re completely sold on him. It’s that this has not been a competitive team since he’s been ready, outside of a few months in 2006, and it made sense to use the time available to find out about him. Instead they delayed and delayed and still weren’t sure coming into this year. Cruz has improved his approach and plate control to the point that if he can’t get it done now – in an extended look – you can feel comfortable that he probably won’t ever be able to recognize and hit (or lay off of) major league stuff. But you can’t give him 1/3 playing time in half of August and all of September and be very confident either way.
by Brett Perryman on May 26, 2008 4:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Ellison
I like that plan, Ellison can sit, and they need to challenge Harrison and see if he’s for real. If Cruz doesn’t cut it in his umpteenth chance, you dump whenever you want to add someone else to the 40.
...and curse Sir Walter Raleigh, he was such a stupid git.
Weird as it sounds to say
If Max’s role is DH/backup C, Botts needs to go.
Let Ellison and not Botts spell Harrison in LF. All your other suggestions work for me.
The longer Max sticks in a full-time C role, the more apparent the org’s belief in his skills there. There are other ways to play the guy at AAA or even ML.
Meantime Gold and Botts hang by the slimmest of threads to the definition of prospect, certainly in this org.
Go Strangers.
by hightowersmith on May 26, 2008 5:20 PM CDT up reply actions
I agree
that a) whether Ramirez needs to be in AAA depends on how the organization views him positionally, and b) that if they don’t view him as a legitimate starting catcher prospect, someone needs to be moved out to clear room for him in AAA. In fact, I think I said that.
Whether it’s Botts who needs to go probably depends on a few things, whether it makes sense to clear an additional MLB spot for another one of these AAA players, whether they do view Harrison in higher regard than him now, stuff like that.
by Brett Perryman on May 26, 2008 6:28 PM CDT up reply actions
rangers official site article on blalock not coming back yet
certainly indicate its still shelton thats gone.
meh. especially since at this point even when blalock comes back Im not going to be incredibly confident that hes going to be in the lineup every day for the rest of the year.
Gerald Laird is my hero.
Blalock...
should go back to 3B. Duran need to go down and play everyday at OKC. Vazquez can go back to being the utility guy.
I’m with you Shep, my fellow Ute is playing much better lately. Leave him at 1B with Cat.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Why should
Vasquez be a utility guy when he has been one of our best hitters on this team?
"We will look back in 20 years, and say that Clayton Kershaw was one of the best pitchers of all time" - me
Because...
he will come back down to earth soon.
A Cat/Shelton bat > Vazquez bat
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Just like
Dellucci, GMJ and DeRosa came back to earth soon?
Sharky said it, I believe it, that settles it
So you believe...
that Vazquez will hit better than Cat over the course of the year?
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Celtics
"We will look back in 20 years, and say that Clayton Kershaw was one of the best pitchers of all time" - me
Yeah...
shitty sports night for me. Just didn’t look good tonight. I keep waiting for Ray Allen to show up but I don’t think it’s gonna happen.
I’m still a believer that they can get it done though. It’s down to a best of 3 and the Celtics will get 2 of those at home. If they take care of buisness at home they will be ok. Like I said before it started though Detroit is going to be tough.
Oh, and I can say now that I hate Rip Hamilton. The guy plays like a cheap-shot asshole. I did get a laugh at the pussification of the Pistons tonight complaing about every foul called on them. The first few games they were playing very aggressive defense and getting away with a lot, but tonight the refs called them on it and they didn’t like it at all.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Yeah, I think
its possible. We’ve seen wierder things in sports, and Cat isn’t exactly Barry Bonds in his prime or anything. Hopefully the Rangers can get something for Cat, as an aging Platoon DH with a mediocre bat isn’t the best use of a roster spot on a rebuilding club.
Sharky said it, I believe it, that settles it
I'm a little concerned
About Blalock being effective after his league leading syndrome incidents. And about his future in general, with the agent change to Boras a factor. Maybe I’m overly apprehensive, I don’t know.
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
by Ed Coffin on May 26, 2008 3:39 PM CDT up reply actions
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