Cold Water for a First Post

by Plano Fan on Jul 14, 2008 8:41 AM CDT

I have lurked on this site for a long time. Now I may have something to say:

1. I have followed baseball since 1959, when Bobby Allison, Camilo Pascual and Pedro Ramos played for the Senators. Oh yeah, some guy named Killebrew.

2. In all of those years I have never expereienced the lows and highs this team has given. Those first 27 games were as painful as anything I have ever watched. These last 69 games have been as exciting as any team I have seen. We are never out of any game, no matter how bad a deficit we find ourselves.

3. That said, I don't know if one starter and one reliever do anything for us this year.

4. If we win at a 66% level, we go 94-68. If California goes at their present pace, 60%, they go 97-65. That assumes we win every series from here on out 2-1. Hey, it could happen.

5. What about the wild card? Yeah, I guess it's possible given the Rays demise but will 94 games replace them or the Yankees? I hope so.

Notwithstanding my concerns, I love watching this team.

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division

I think projecting win loss records that way is very inaccurate with today’s unbalanced schedule. The Rangers have 10 games left vs the Angels and 9 vs the A’s. The last 3 series of the year are home vs Angels, home vs. A’s, and at the Angels. There’s a lot of opportunity to make up ground during those series.

Having said that it is still unlikely. We’ll most likely be playing spoiler those last 9 games. However, if the team keeps playing well and finishes the season strong, I would call this season a success. The Rangers really need some buzz going into the off season to have a legit shot at attracting free agents.

Derek

Signature! I don't need no stinking signature!!

by DerekSTheRed on Jul 14, 2008 8:56 AM CDT reply actions

ditto

my hope is that we can avoid the extended slump we are long overdue for and remain contenders down to the last two weeks or so, for the benefit of giving our young players the experience of being in an MLB race. if we can get to about 88 wins, id be happy. 90 would be great.

by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Jul 14, 2008 9:00 AM CDT up reply actions

i think the only realistic way we pass the angels

is if they collapse. we arnt going to win X ammount of games it would take if the angels maintain a pretty good pace.

but good teams have had bad 2/5ths of a season before.

its not likely, but its more likely than our pitching staff being able to have a good 2nd half AND our offense duplicating the first half .

the preceding post is not nearly as negative or insulting as you think it is

by DShep on Jul 14, 2008 9:02 AM CDT up reply actions

agreed with plano fan

i just think we should play it easy and go the way things are going… the ends have to justify to means.. and i dont think they do.. i love this team, we need pitching.. but at what price.. I would be willing to give up cat, laird or salty (no matter cause MAXRAM is the real deal) and either Mill or Pad, preferably Mill for whatever.. but if we rent a player for 3 months and do nothing, that would be rough

"Water covers 2/3 of the world, T-New's got the rest"

by TheJman on Jul 14, 2008 9:01 AM CDT reply actions

we just need 5 competent starters and an average bullpen

and this could be a very exciting summer.

Unfortunately, for us to have 5 competent starters and an average bullpen is going to require some kind of miracle. It sure would be nice to see Millwood rebound to an average starter, Padilla stay healthy, Hurley continue to contribute 6 solid innings each time out, then have some wildcard come out of nowhere and get hot for an extended stretch. At this point, it wouldn’t really shock me if Tommy Hunter could possibly be that guy.

Rupe, Madrigal, and Nippert all could be key pieces to the second half pen.

It really sucks that Ponson is such a d-bag, because he could have made some valuable contributions.

Warner Madrigal makes Ezequiel Astacio look downright handsome.

by tricer on Jul 14, 2008 9:40 AM CDT reply actions

You hope for them to win now

but don’t do anything foolish in a vain attempt to make it happen. I think at this point even adding both an ace pitcher (not likely) and a late innings reliever would not be enough.

The bullpen will be better when the rotation is better. They’re exhausted and too much is being asked of them. They have certainly not helped their own cause many nights, but the more innings you run them out there the more things can go wrong.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Jul 14, 2008 9:44 AM CDT reply actions

Good stuff

glad you finally posted…please continue to do so!

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Jul 14, 2008 10:29 AM CDT reply actions

wow you must be old

Good first post though gramps

Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.

by bigsteve on Jul 14, 2008 10:45 AM CDT reply actions

http://youtube.com/watch?v=S0pnWg4UJQY

A Lonestar in California

"My keyboard is a Yankees fan" - Whipsmart

by LSJ on Jul 14, 2008 11:24 AM CDT up reply actions

Who you callin' old ???

I remember the days of Frank Howard, Del Unser, Ken McMullen, Ron Hansen, Ed Brinkman, Mike Epstein, Paul Casanova, Dick Bosman, Joe Coleman, Darold Knowles, Camilo Pascual and Casey Cox. Not a great team, but what a bunch of characters.

Yea, though we play in the valley of the shadow of defeat, we shall fear no team ... 'cause Nolan says so !!

by FloridaRangerFan on Jul 14, 2008 12:28 PM CDT reply actions

Yep

Old would be, let’s see – - older than me, and I don’t think that’s happening.

:-P

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

by Ed Coffin on Jul 14, 2008 1:53 PM CDT up reply actions

Oh yeah?

I had to walk uphill both ways to play baseball, in the snow. And we didn’t have gloves, balls, or bats. We just hit rocks with sticks. After the game we’d all settle down for a nice mug of mead and some mastadon jerky.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Jul 14, 2008 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions

have a good one. i really do think that these blogs, LSB and NMLR help build the rangers community and fanbase, even if the front office totally ignores that fact.

"Do they know who I am? Do they know my status? Thats what I thought."
-Miles 6/21/08

.501 or bust!

by Jayslick on Jul 14, 2008 4:53 PM CDT reply actions