New T.R. Sullivan mailbag

by Adam J. Morris on Sep 16, 2008 12:25 PM CDT Comment 31 comments

T.R. Sullivan has a new mailbag column up, with various interesting tidbits -- including his statement that Nelson Cruz "is definitely in the Rangers' 2009 outfield picture," but the lead item is probably the thing that jumped out the most at me:

In my opinion, the two players who have not received nearly enough credit for what they've done this year are Young and Jamey Wright. Both post up every day without even a hint that there might be something physically wrong with them, but there's no doubt both have been pushed to their physical limits.

Young? Maybe. But Jamey Wright has been terrible since the beginning of June, and yet still gets put into the game in critical situations. If he's at his physical limits, then it may be that the Rangers should have put Kam Loe or Wes Littleton -- two guys that seem to have fallen way out of favor with Ron Washington -- in the bullpen at some point this summer, as I'm pretty sure they could have done better than Wright has the past three months.

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Yes, Jamey Wright is terrible. Ron Washington is more terribler for putting Wright in over and over and over and over.

by FuturePants on Sep 16, 2008 12:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

A Lonestar in California

Good k/bb ratios make the crotch zone of pitching pants very happy.
-thedirkatron

by lonestarJon on Sep 16, 2008 7:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

grit is more important than performance

everyone knows that

good to hear that they have an open mind about Cruz though

by tangiers on Sep 16, 2008 1:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The WTF Answer to me:

What would it take to get Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine from the Rays in the offseason?
— Drew T., Plano, Texas

Bet the moon that the minute those trade discussions begin, the first name brought up by the Rays will be David Murphy.
——————————-

Who cares? It is David Murphy, a nice 4th OFer. Is he such an integral part of the future you have to think twice about trading him? Now, I don’t know if I necessarily want to trade for Jackson or Sonnanstine but concerning oneself that it would cost Murphy seems ridiculous.

by jf55510 on Sep 16, 2008 1:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes I hope Murphy doesn't become some sort of dealbreaker...

…when we are trying to upgrade the rotation.

He’s a usable player but also quite replaceable.

Physician: Primum non nocere

Batter: First, make no out

by Chad Crudup on Sep 16, 2008 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Sep 16, 2008 2:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm a Muphy fan and see him as a starting OF

but seriously, for a top of the rotation talent, I’d deal him in a heartbeat.

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Sep 16, 2008 2:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Starting OFer?

If he is a starting OFer for Texas, we are in trouble.

by jf55510 on Sep 16, 2008 3:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Please

we had that steaming pile of shit, Frank Catalanotto, as an OF one year. Murphy is a very usable, cheap 3rd OF. Brings a good glove, can cover CF for a few games, and has been above 800 OPS in his 500 or so ABs. I see much, much worse 3rd OFs in the league.

I see Murphy get dogged out a lot, be he is very useable as a cheap 3rd OF. If he were our starting 3rd OF, he still wouldn’t make the top 5 list of problems on this team.

"Oh well, McCain is pretty communist anyway,... we can be 70% communist with McCain,"-Sharky

by DJCahill on Sep 16, 2008 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

Just because there are wrose starting 3rd OFers in the league, doesn’t mean that the Rangers should lower themselves and settle for Murphy. Murphy is a nice usable 4th OFer. He is perfectly suited for that roll.

by jf55510 on Sep 16, 2008 4:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think

there are 90 better OFs in the league. He’ll start somewhere for someone.

It would be nice if we could have All Stars at every position, but that’s not going to happen. Folks have to learn to appreciate the value of a league average player on a very cheap contract. You need them to offset the truly Godawful contracts, like FOTF. Now if we can trade him for a quality starter, we’d be stupid not too, but David Murphy can be a 3rd OF for me as long as he is cheap. We have 2 OFs better than him, and the OF is in pretty good shape.

"Oh well, McCain is pretty communist anyway,... we can be 70% communist with McCain,"-Sharky

by DJCahill on Sep 16, 2008 6:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sort of in between you and and Cahill here

I agree with him that there probably aren’t 90 better OFs, and I think that that and the fact that even if you do platoon him, he’s the long side of the platoon, makes him more of a three than a four. At any rate, I think that at this point in his career and given that you have guys like Cruz, Boggs, Mayberry and Byrd here, he’s perfectly suited to be a platoon player who gets 400 or so ABs.

Offense doesn't doubt me, but my first and primemost thing is defense and punt return and kickoff return

by Brett Perryman on Sep 16, 2008 7:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just think you cant count on

having an OF of Lofton, Belle, and Ramirez. Your third OF is real likely to be a guy like Murphy. How many OFs really have a significantly better 3rd OF? I’d be curious to see that list.

"Oh well, McCain is pretty communist anyway,... we can be 70% communist with McCain,"-Sharky

by DJCahill on Sep 16, 2008 9:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

thats laughable.

A good defensive corner OF who can hit a little would not be “trouble”. I seem to remember the rangers high watermark on the season being the inning before murphy was injured.

that said, id easily trade murphy in a deal for pitching and insert cruz into the starting lineup. instantly.

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

by DSheppard on Sep 16, 2008 3:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't mind trading Murphy.

It’s a nice story but shake a tree real hard and several players of like ability will fall out of it. If he can be had for pitching, be gone.

One of my biggest off-season questions personally is wondering what I should expect from Nelson Cruz in 2009 because I now have no idea.

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

by Josey Wales on Sep 16, 2008 3:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

on both points.

Thus far Cruz reminds me of a Robinson Tejeda. A player that will get your hopes up and then shatter them the next season…I hope that Nellie breaks that likeness.

What's the rumpus?

by Hypo-Luxa on Sep 16, 2008 4:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good comp on

Robinson Tejeda.

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

by Josey Wales on Sep 16, 2008 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The walks Cruz is drawing...

…are making me lean towards believing he will be a productive player for the ’09 Rangers.

Physician: Primum non nocere

Batter: First, make no out

by Chad Crudup on Sep 16, 2008 4:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

I almost get as excited by a walk he draws as when he crushes a homer or double. Patience at the plate was his biggest fault and he’s showing a lot more of it and that makes me edge ever closer to counting on him as a legitimate contributor for 2009 and possibly for years to come

What's the rumpus?

by Hypo-Luxa on Sep 16, 2008 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed...

…just because I would include Murphy in a deal for pitching doesn’t mean I think he’s worthless. I think he’s a great fit on a contender as a platoon COFer. And he might yet prove to be a great fit on a contender as a full-time COFer.

Physician: Primum non nocere

Batter: First, make no out

by Chad Crudup on Sep 16, 2008 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

David Murphy would fit in very well

with the NY Yankees.

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

by Josey Wales on Sep 16, 2008 4:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Classic, vintage ST flashback of TR

This Q&A has me laughing still.
Okay, I’m officially sick of this team and its approach to putting a winner on the field. Let’s say I’m the new owner of the team, and I’ve just made you the new general manager, what can you do to give me a winning team?
— Dirk K., Georgetown, Texas

Take your money and sign CC Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Ryan Dempster, Manny Ramirez and Francisco Rodriguez. Then give myself a hefty raise.

————- point made.

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

by Ed Coffin on Sep 16, 2008 1:34 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Is that from Dirk Katron?

by FuturePants on Sep 16, 2008 2:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL. Nice catch

Physician: Primum non nocere

Batter: First, make no out

by Chad Crudup on Sep 16, 2008 2:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

OT: Teagarden, crazy stat

In 246 at-bats in the minors this year he had 9 homers.
In 36 at-bats in the majors this year he has 6 homers.

"Tommy Hunter will be the best pitcher on the Rangers in 2009" Me- August 14th, 2008

by Seth. on Sep 16, 2008 3:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

by hightowersmith on Sep 17, 2008 8:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

wow he only had 22 rbis in the minors.

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

by DSheppard on Sep 16, 2008 3:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Compared to some...

I actually thought that was a fairly sane mailbag.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Sep 16, 2008 6:57 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Aside from the obligatory “Mike Young is underrated” bull, that wasn’t a bad mailbag (by TR standards anyway). More halfway decent questions to work with in September I guess.

A Lonestar in California

Good k/bb ratios make the crotch zone of pitching pants very happy.
-thedirkatron

by lonestarJon on Sep 16, 2008 7:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs