I find that while the gameday threads serve their purpose (and I enjoyed them at one time), they’re not for me anymore.

I’m now convinced that he should be pulled from the closer’s role. Not necessarily for his performance, but for his development. He looks defeated from pitch one now. Give him 8-10 semi-low-leverage pitching situations to get his confidence back up. Maybe having that label stripped away is what he needs right now to refocus himself.

hes 27 so its not like hes a prospect and we are only 5.5 out of the wild card

Maybe I’m just noticing it a little more but seems there have been more players on this team publicly complain about a lack of playing time or splitting time or losing their playing time this season. It does seem a little odd since I think that this team at least in the public’s view seem to be coming together more as a team than in recent years. We’ve had Laird and Salty have their say. Ramon has stated that he thought he should be playing even when Blalock came back and IIRC even Hurley has stated that he thought he had done enough to stay up in the majors when there was talk he might go back to the minors after he first got the call.

because I am usually watching the game on an hour delay. When the game is over I always want to discuss some things that happened, but the ‘gameday threads’ are usually vacated by that time.

and a year-long slump?

one of the (so called) 32 that respond to his blog.

Not a closer, not sure what he is at this point.

It is time for Frankie.

Bring CJ up in the 7th and see if that sticks

he’s got the ‘stuff’ to be a closer but I don’t think he’s got the head. He’s overthinks on the mound and can’t handle to pressure when the game is on the line.

Also I agree with everyone else that a year long slump trumps two good series. A blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.

a nice little meeting place after the game.

Who actually sees CJ come out of the bullpen and doesn’t immediately start getting nervous?

I feel like the Rangers are playing Russian Roulette every time CJ is on the mound, but instead of one bullet in the chamber, there are five.

WAS apparently wants to give former uber-Dodgers prospect Joel Hanrahan a shot at closing next year which is why they traded Rauch and will DFA Chad Cordero after the season. Cordero could come cheap since he’ll be coming off shoulder surgery. Could be another Gagne-type pickup.

para 2 …. Wilson tops out at 96 mph and has no problem with 95.

para3 …. I think I do not agree.

With Eddie and FX2 around I see no reason to spend assets on a reliever right now. Either of those guys could close and I’d be okay with it.

Plus we have a ton of pitchers on the horizon, and many of them are going to end as relievers when/if they fail as starters. Madrigal, Diamond and Kiker have all been called future closer material at one point or another.

If we happen to get offered a high-ceiling bullpen arm in a deal I certainly wouldn’t thumb my nose at such an acquisition, but it’s not something I’d be targeting when I’m asking other GM’s for guys, you know what I mean?

ESPN doesn’t air Wednesday night games here, but they have the rights to the games so DirecTV can’t air them.

And generally a Yankees or Red Sox series is the kind of series where DTV will air 2/3 or so.

the Rangers are on tv that night?

Even he would have to admit his defense was atrocious. He earned every bit of the boos he received…

Making “only” $810K and giving everything he has on the field doesn’t give him the right to say what he did.

Thanks for inferring that Kinsler and Hamilton are better players than Ramon…. i didn’t realize that. It probably was a mistake for Ramon to say BooYa to the fans, all i’m saying is, it doesn’t bother me, he deserves a break….but if you wanna boo him, knock yourself out.