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Tuesday a.m. things

Letter_z_tiny by zywica on

Pretty decisive win yesterday and a nice fill-in start from Scott Feldman. While the Rangers are back on the .500 yo-yo with two wins and two losses since the break, they have also passed Oakland and are now in second place. I don't know about you, but I would be pretty pleased with, say, 86-87 wins and a second place finish this season.

Hank Blalock made an impact last night, with a home run and a nice pick that started an important double-play. If, as some think, the Rangers would like to deal Blalock this summer, he has maybe eight more chances to show what he did last night.

Nolan seems satisfied with how things are going, and I'd love to see him continue in this capacity:

"I think I've had very little impact on baseball operations," he said by phone from his home in Georgetown, Texas. "I think we needed to give the game plan some time to work. I think my biggest priority was in improving employee morale, the fan's experience and their attitude about where we are going. I think you are seeing that."

Eric Hurley says that his problem is a stiff shoulder and "general soreness" in his right arm. He says it's feeling better, but I guess this is a wait and see for his next scheduled start this weekend. On the other hand, Brandon McCarthy is starting tonight for Oklahoma. It would be really nice to see these two in the same Rangers rotation.

Taylor Teagarden talks about heading for the Olympics in a few weeks, rather than staying with the Rangers. I think that you have to be happy for Teagarden, and it may be for the best, with Jarrod Saltalamacchia possibly getting one more stretch of consistent playing time - and one more chance to get himself on solid footing - before Gerald Laird returns.

And Jim Reeves shares with us the revelation that the Angels are good because they have good pitching. Star Telegram columnists have really outdone themselves this summer.

 

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Goldstein's doing a chat today

Sic ‘em!
(I’ll be at work ><)

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Stuff-You-Need-Brett-Favre-action-figure-bench?urn=nfl,93739

by BudLight on Jul 22, 2008 10:44 AM CDT   0 recs

Nice sarcasm

about the ST columnists. But must say i prefer Reeves to Galloway and JJT at the DMN.

"I am not a never-nude" - Tobias Fünke

by jcAustin on Jul 22, 2008 10:48 AM CDT   0 recs

Lebraton is the only one I’ve found worth reading among their editorials for a while now. Galloway still puts together an amusing piece now and then, but rarely when it comes to the Rangers.

by zywica on Jul 22, 2008 10:50 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Unintentionally?

Quite.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Stuff-You-Need-Brett-Favre-action-figure-bench?urn=nfl,93739

by BudLight on Jul 22, 2008 10:54 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Jim Reeves: The Ric Romero of Sports Coverage

Telling you what you already know since 1982!

Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
ElectricOkra.com

by WhipSmart on Jul 22, 2008 10:48 AM CDT   0 recs

According to the DMN

Laird is coming back this weekend in Oakland, so I think Salty’s chance at getting any consistent playing time is kinda done in.

Which is too bad, he was beginning to heat up when the whole groin thing/flu bug happened – he’s hitting .282 his last 11 games.

A Lonestar in California

by lonestarJon on Jul 22, 2008 10:50 AM CDT   0 recs

Nolan

Where are all the people who were convinced he was coming in to take over and drive JD out?

I still contend that Nolan’s contribution is not to tell JD what to do, but to minimize Hicks’ direct influence on the club. Which is a positive thing.

by JBImaknee on Jul 22, 2008 10:52 AM CDT   0 recs

I found a different Ryan quote more telling
On the baseball side, Ryan said he’s learned some patience. The recovery after the early-season crisis that almost led to the firing of manager Ron Washington and much of the staff has reinforced that need. At general manager Jon Daniels’ behest, Ryan and Hicks gave the club some time to recover. Since April 25, the Rangers rank fourth in the majors in winning percentage.

“There aren’t any quick fixes; what happened after April reaffirmed that,” Ryan said. “I’m happy with the way the club is playing.

This is confirmation that it was at Daniels’ request that convinced Ryan and Hicks to stay Washington’s execution. Whether or not you believe that Wash is the right man for the job, it’s a very good sign that Ryan buys into the plan and is willing to wait for it to develop.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Jul 22, 2008 10:53 AM CDT   0 recs

It has never

been Nolan’s style to claim credit for anything.

If you want to figure out Nolan’s effect on the team…How many dumb ass moves, i.e. signing Broussard & Jennings while cutting loose Galarraga has this team made since Nolan came aboard? Boy Blunder wasted close to $ 10 million on those moves this off-season.

Going forward, I’m most interested in seeing what happens in regard to Ron Washington and a possible extension to 2010.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 11:31 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Heh...

if Nolan says he didn’t do something, then he did it. Unless it was something bad. Then it was JD.

"I know you're a bit dense but no, it doesn't. Obviously lying isn't a problem for me."

by benmor78 on Jul 22, 2008 11:43 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

You are retarded.

Even if Nolan admits he has nothing to do with turning this team around, he still gets credit because “he’s just being modest.” JD is running this ship (on the baseball side) and he’s doing a pretty good job. He’s got a plan in place and it’s working.

by Jack Nicholson 1974 on Jul 22, 2008 11:44 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Nobody knows exactly

who is doing what behind the curtains.

What is known is that left alone, JD made an incredible number of brain-dead moves right up until the moment Nolan came aboard and that those number of brain-dead moves have dropped significantly since Nolan became his immediate supervisor.

Which makes whatever happens to Ron Washington very interesting.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 11:48 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

terrible logic

and not even true. you got mad at JD for switching blalock from 3rd to 1st to 3rd. But, I guess that was JD and not Nolan.

I blame Nolan – trying for the quick fixes in sending Blalock to 1st. What a joke. It’s a good thing JD was there to regulate, finally put Nolan in his place, and send Blalock back to third. I heard that JD sat Nolan down and told him to back off before he screwed up the baseball team and Nolan had to admit that he didn’t know what he was doing. Ever since JD started getting in between Old Man Nolan and baseball decisions, this team has been the 4th best team in baseball.

""If they'd have told me you can make the team but you've got to shine the shoes, I'd have been there shining shoes." -Bradley

by ab03 on Jul 22, 2008 12:08 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Moving Blalock

to 1B sounded very much like Blalock’s agent’s idea with Washington & JD’s approval.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 12:11 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

nope

it was Nolan’s quick fixes. Nolan controlled the front office early in the year – and then JD stepped in and regulated.

""If they'd have told me you can make the team but you've got to shine the shoes, I'd have been there shining shoes." -Bradley

by ab03 on Jul 22, 2008 12:12 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Quick fixes?

Why did this team trade John Danks for McCarthy?

Who was it that traded Chris Young & AGon for Eaton?

Who was it that signed Sammy Sosa?

Who thought that making a 40 year old Kenny Lofton your every day CF would make your team a playoff contender?

As mentioned previously, the number of dumb ass moves JD made quickly ended when Nolan became his boss.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 12:39 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

you are an idiot.

Josh Hamilton is better than you.

by Longhorn on Jul 22, 2008 12:43 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

So simple

Yet so to the point

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 22, 2008 12:44 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

As yesssssss

Thank you for proving my signature.

Godwin's Law Version 2.0 (Rangers Edition)
"As a Ranger discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Danks, Volquez, or Young approaches one."

by LBBRangerFan on Jul 22, 2008 12:47 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Question

Are you quoting me, or is that from somewhere else? Because I’ve thought about doing a post about the Rangers’ version of Godwin’s Law, and that’s almost word for word what I cited it as.

(I’m thinking I never did post that, but just want to make sure).

by Adam J. Morris on Jul 22, 2008 2:00 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I don't know

But I’ve commented on the fact that such a discussion will remain true until either Danks, Volquez and Young suck or the Rangers become a playoff team and we can forget about them. For the first scenario see Travis Hafner.

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

by Agreen07 on Jul 22, 2008 2:03 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

discussion = law

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

by Agreen07 on Jul 22, 2008 2:04 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I made it up yesterday in a bit of frustration

but, if I read it here first, I will be more than happy to provide attribution.

Godwin's Law Version 2.0 (Rangers Edition)
"As a Ranger discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Danks, Volquez, or Young approaches one."

by LBBRangerFan on Jul 22, 2008 2:04 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I don't think I did

I just did a search, and it doesn’t show up. But you are exactly on point with that. I think I decided not to post about it because I didn’t want the ensuing McCarthy/Danks/Volquez/Young flamewar.

by Adam J. Morris on Jul 22, 2008 2:06 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Cool

And thanks.

Godwin's Law Version 2.0 (Rangers Edition)
"As a Ranger discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Danks, Volquez, or Young approaches one."

by LBBRangerFan on Jul 22, 2008 2:08 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Sosa

He put butts in seats for the 600 HR chase, hit lefties well and by all accounts was a great teammate. The only one he was blocking is Botts, who is now in Japan. All Sosa cost was a few hundred thousand dollars. I’m having a hard time seeing why that was a “dumbass move.”

Lofton… 40, yes, but still a better defensive CF than the team’s other options at the time. Signed to a one-year deal as a stop-gap until the team could get Torii Hunter (or, as it turns out, Hamilton, which has worked out better anyway). Flipped at the deadline for MaxRam.

Young/Gonzalez/Eaton… how does your woman like it when, during an argument, you bring up shit from years ago that has already been beaten into the ground, and then beat the dead horse some more?

by Inkara1 on Jul 22, 2008 12:47 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Sosa did not put

butts in seats.

Attendance from 2006 to 2007 was stagnant but nice try.

Lofton was awful on defense the entire time he was in Texas sans one catch in Seattle (JD said one of the top off-season priorities was to upgrade their OF defense) and good on offense for the 6 weeks before he was traded to Cleveland. No big surprise that nobody signed him this past off-season.

Per CYoung, AGon, Danks…The subject was quick fixes and nobody was more guilty than Boy Blunder when it came to properly evaluating where his team was and what they needed to contend for the division.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 1:03 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Funny, I was at a game while sosa had 599

the day before he actually got to 600, and it was packed.

there are too many factors going into attendance (like the teams horrible record…....) to say sosa didnt contribute on that front. i think common sense would tell you that all the media attention sosa got, hit name value and his 600th HR contributed positively to attendance.

Sosa had a .780 ops, and had really good numbers with RISP, that while purely a factor of luck, allowed his run production to be better than the ops shows. He blocked botts for half a year.

It wasnt the move of the century, but I dont see what harm it did.

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

by DSheppard on Jul 22, 2008 1:13 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I was at the game where he hit 600

and there were a little more than 37,000 fans there and 1/3 of them were wearing Cubs gear and would have been there anyways.

Sosa did not put butts in seats last year.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 4:21 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

That was June 20, 2007

How often do you see attendance of 37,000 on a Wednesday night?

Let’s take a look at attendance after he hit HR No. 600…

Thursday, June 21: 38,406 (third game against the Cubs)
Friday, June 22: 37,847 (Opening game of the Silver Boot series vs. Houston)
Saturday, June 23: 42,315 (Houston series, Saturday night)
Sunday, June 24: 31,560 (final game of Houston series)
Away for next seven games
Tuesday, July 3: 24,871 (vs. first-place Angels)
Wednesday, July 4: 46,105 (Fourth of July game)
Thursday, July 5: 22,062 (vs. Angels)
Friday, July 6: 24,035 (vs. Baltimore)
Saturday, July 7: 32,849 (vs. Baltimore)
Sunday, July 8: 22,843 (vs. Baltimore)
All-Star Break, first six games on the road
Check here for attendance figures the rest of the season…

by Inkara1 on Jul 22, 2008 5:27 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Sosa hit 599 in Cincy...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/event_hr.cgi?n1=sosasa01&type=b

and hit 598 in Texas when there were only 27,000+ fans in the park even though some kid named Johan Santana was pitching.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TEX/TEX200705220.shtml

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 4:25 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I went to 598 and 600

with the specific intent on witnessing baseball history. Therefore, Sosa did provide 4 butts (myself and my wife for 2 games) in the seats. You lose.

You can fry JD on the AGon-Young deal, because he got owned. Although time will ultimately tell on the McCarthy deal, it’s still fairly reasonable to say that was not a good deal (unless BMac goes bat-shit crazy on the mound). But for every bad JD move, there’s been 3 good/great ones…if you can’t recognize that, then you’re not being reasonable.

"Does this effectively hide my thunder?"

by Bob Loblaw on Jul 22, 2008 4:54 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Is he going to reach a historical, round number the next game when he has 597 heading into the game?

Not bloody likely.

But since he hit 599 on the road, he only needed one more to reach 600. There was a chance any game he would hit it once he got to 599. That’s the baseball history I speak of.

by Inkara1 on Jul 22, 2008 5:29 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

LOL You're still harping on signing Lofton?

He was traded for MaxRam… Signing him, regardless of what you thought about it at the time, paid dividends for this franchise going forward…

I don’t see the gripe at all with signing the stop-gap types like Sosa, Gagne, Lofton, Bradley, Guardado, etc. to one-year deals and hoping for results… If they pan out, you’re likely to get a solid piece or two towards the future. If they don’t, you’re out a few million of Tom Hicks’ dollars… Why does that matter, especially if there’s not a young guy this team feels is capable of filling that hole long-term?

The Danks for McCarthy deal is complete and total hindsight… McCarthy was about as highly regarded at the time of the trade, and he was ready to pitch in the Bigs from day one with no history of injuries… Like has been said on here a million times, JD couldn’t have expected McCarthy’s arm to fall off…

by N41D on Jul 22, 2008 1:15 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I'll stick to my puerile rote, DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!

Hmm, or is it senile? I can’t remember right now…and I don’t care to expend any effort.

Look, morons, I’ve already told you a zillion times how stupid it was to sign a 40 year old cripple to man CF. Forget the fact that the trade return is now a top 100 prospect…that doesn’t fit my argument, Jon Boy Blunder Jr Genius Lap Dogs.

Pardon me, I must leave now, as I’ve got a purdy goat to fuck.

P.S. Ryan Rools, Boy Blunder Drools!!!

/Fake Eastwood

"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
"If you ain't got no money, ain't nobody calls you honey," Bo Diddley

by Rodney on Jul 22, 2008 1:52 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Lofton

A year after the fact, and Josey’s not only still harping on Lofton, but he’s the only person who still thinks that was a bad signing.

Josey, I’m curious- do you have some sort of rare disease where giving JD credit, or admitting you were wrong about something, causes you to hemorrhage internally? Because that’s the only reason I can think of for you to continually stand by positions that make you look so wrong-headed and stubborn.

Yes, JD’s made some boneheaded moves- I hated the Young deal, and the Danks trade doesn’t look very good right now either. Jennings and Broussard weren’t very good signings in retrospect.

But he’s also the same GM who picked up our best starting pitcher for nothing, turned our outfield from a massive weakness to a massive strength in just one season (at the cost of Volquez, two months of a crappy Gagne, and a few million of Tom Hicks’ money), turned four months of Lofton into a solid young catching prospect, and has rebuilt a barren farm system into one of the top five in the game in just a couple seasons. And we’re seeing some of those “magic beans” contributing to the big club this year, not just winning accolades from Baseball America.

That you continue to ignore the good JD’s done, while being so focused on the negative, is beyond my ability to understand, and I pity you for being so caught up in proving that you’re right 100% of the time that it interferes with your capability to enjoy the progress that this organization is making.

"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky

by RCCook on Jul 22, 2008 2:00 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

spot on

It’s a shame that Josey suffers from this disease, because he makes some solid points at times, but everybody ignores him because he is incapable of giving JD the slightest bit of credit, or admitting that he himself has ever been wrong.

Warner Madrigal makes Ezequiel Astacio look downright handsome.

by tricer on Jul 22, 2008 2:05 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I am a lot of things

but ignored is not one of them.

I’ll offer this thread as Exhibit 1A.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 3:46 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

right

You are certainly not ignored, but the sometimes solid points that you make are ignored because people see you say assinine things and never take you seriously. They just make fun of you, and I think you enjoy it.

My point was that if you would lay off the schtick, your opinions might be taken more seriously.

...now cue up the ‘everyone is too stupid to understand my genius takes’ response.

Warner Madrigal makes Ezequiel Astacio look downright handsome.

by tricer on Jul 22, 2008 3:55 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Do you really think I care

what anybody in here thinks about me?

Honestly?

The links of info in here are very good and you can find the occasional nugget with a little digging but with a few exceptions, this place is nothing but a giant circle jerk of unsophisticated baseball idiots waving red n’ blue pom poms….oh no, does saying that mean I won’t be elected mayor now?

I’ll acknowledge when JD has a good year but it hasn’t happened yet.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 4:10 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I just love it when conflicts get to the ...

“do you really think I care what anybody in here thinks about me?” stage.

If you don’t care, then why even express your opinions? And certainly don’t waste your time debating those opinions.

by robert_d_wilfong on Jul 22, 2008 4:15 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I'd much rather be right

than popular.

It was said that Rob Wilfong may have been one of the best bunters in the history of the Great Game.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 4:27 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Thought I'd give you your props

because I know most of Mensas in this room were not armed with that knowledge / minutae.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 4:35 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Everybody has

an excuse and that’s not a good one for somebody who plied their craft in the Great Game thru the ‘87 season.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 4:44 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

So

If we’re all a bunch of unsophisticated idiots waving pom-poms, why exactly do you waste your oh-so-precious time with the likes of us?

Full of yourself much?

"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky

by RCCook on Jul 22, 2008 6:52 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

better question:

why do you guys waste your time with him?

by oc on Jul 23, 2008 2:40 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

So attendance was stagnant from 2006 to 2007

2006 was a year in which the team was in a “playoff chase” until well after the trade deadline and traded for pieces (such as Carlos Lee) to gear up for the stretch run.

2007 was a year in which the team got off to an awful start and was totally buried by the time school let out for the summer.

The DFW market has a reputation of ditching the Rangers as soon as they fall out of contention for Cowboys preseason action.

Yet somehow, attendance didn’t drop.

So with a crappy team on the field, would I pay to potentially see a piece of baseball history as it happens? Or would I pay to see if the green dot will win the race?

Think about it.

by Inkara1 on Jul 22, 2008 2:21 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Knock it

off with the logic, would ‘ya? Sheesh…

"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
"If you ain't got no money, ain't nobody calls you honey," Bo Diddley

by Rodney on Jul 22, 2008 2:32 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Right...

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

by Agreen07 on Jul 22, 2008 2:59 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

How do you know that?

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

by Agreen07 on Jul 22, 2008 2:59 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Why do you guys even care who gets credit?

You got an ego problem? Gotta be right?
Hey, the combo is freakin’ working…isn’t that what’s important?
The TEAM is doing good…who cares why?
Grow up.

I Stole The Red Finger !

by Clueless on Jul 22, 2008 2:38 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

We'll see if the combo works

after the trade deadline and when moves are made this offseason.

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

by Agreen07 on Jul 22, 2008 3:00 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Hmm

As far as Broussard, the team didn’t have a clear 1B option, and I’m guessing that was more Wash than JD, but it still wasn’t a terrible move. With Jennings, that was just a gamble that a guy would bounce back. You do remember Gagne don’t you? He was an injured pitcher that paid off nicely. Same with Lofton. If you want to remember the bad, you should remember the good.

Nothing pithy here. Please move long.

by WyoRanger on Jul 22, 2008 11:55 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

A team with a small market payroll

throwing around $ 4 million plus on a piece of shit like Broussard was indeed, a terrible move.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 12:10 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

not when the money wasn't going to anybody else

""If they'd have told me you can make the team but you've got to shine the shoes, I'd have been there shining shoes." -Bradley

by ab03 on Jul 22, 2008 12:12 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Did you miss the part

where Broussard hit .159 and had a .225 OBP?

Did I mention he made Jason Giambi look like a Gold Glove 1B in comparison?

Did I also mention the team broke the gate 7-16 with Broussard as the primary 1B?

It was a dumb, dumb move.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 12:17 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Hello Mr Hindsight

Tell me how we should have known he was going to do those things when we traded for him. Please show us where in his past he had been a terrible defensive 1B.

Oh thats right you can’t. The guy had never had more than 7 errors in an entire season. And since all he was was a stopgap until davis was ready which we figured would be at the end of this season I have no problem signing the guy to a one year deal. he wasn’t blocking anyone and frankly there wasn’t anybody else out there who would have come on a one year deal I would have felt better about.

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 22, 2008 12:27 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I've read your posts in here

and it’s not shocking to me at all that you would defend the signing of Broussard.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Jul 22, 2008 12:33 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

OK

So please tell me who would you have signed to play 1B for one season and one season only?

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 22, 2008 12:37 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Ok ill bite

instead of throwing out Ben Blewhard every day, i woulda thrown out Botts and let him sink or swim and spent the 4M on the draft….

of course both BB and JB sucked so its not much of a better option for today, but down the road is really all i was worried about at the start of the season anyway.

"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 22, 2008 1:09 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Jason Botts was seen as a possibly decent bat with no position to play.

Broussard was seen as a league-average guy who could keep first base warm until Davis was ready. He had a track record of average offense and average defense, compared to Botts, who was a butcher at any defensive position he tried throughout the minors and wasn’t hitting his weight in the admittedly small sample size in the majors. Broussard falling

Letting Davis loose at 1B would make sense because even if it took his bat time to adjust to MLB pitching, at least he could play defense at the position capably. Letting Botts loose at 1B wouldn’t make sense because he can’t play the position that well and his bat wasn’t making up for it.

by Inkara1 on Jul 22, 2008 2:30 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

BB was a butcher at defense as well and cost 4M

we had just traded for shelton and Botts needed to sink or swim. so then they spent 4+M on BB, and most here cringed when they did. i dont recall a bunch of people saying, “sweet this fills our void at 1b this year and is a sensible expenditure to help us win a pennant”

maybe im wrong about that, but i dont recall a huge list of supporters of that signing.

"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 22, 2008 2:41 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

BB wasn't a butcher before this year

He had never made more than 9 errors in a season. He was awful this year yeah but you couldn’t have predicted that going into the season.

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 22, 2008 2:43 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

the question was
who would you have signed to play 1B for one season and one season only?

my answer. no1. we had just traded for shelton and we had botts who we needed to find out if he sucked for sure. signing a 4+M guy to “fill the hole for one season” didnt make any sense to me. it still doesnt. we werent realisitically in a place to win a playoff series so at that point your just spending money to try to be clever.

"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 22, 2008 2:49 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Thats fine

I can understand that argument. But when you start saying I wouldn’t have gotten BB because he was a butcher at 1B thats incorrect. Was he this year. Yeah he was. But when we brought him here he wasn’t viewed that way at all. Hell he was probably considered a gold glover when compared to Botts. And since Wash has tried to emphasize defense and infield defense especially I see no problem bringing in a guy who has been a pretty good defensive 1B to play stopgap for a year.

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 22, 2008 2:54 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Blame Wash

Don't knock masturbation, it's sex with someone I love .

by Brian Thomas on Jul 22, 2008 3:58 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

P