listening to hitzges gives me an ulcer...
by jrams33 on Jan 16, 2009 11:56 AM CST
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PrintNorm Hitzges of 1310 The Ticket just finished giving an "expert" opinion on young moving to third base. He says its a dumb decision for the Rangers and young should instead go to second. He then lists some statistics comparing him to other third basemen in the league, offensively. (He would have been in the bottom third by the way)
I think it is ridiculous to suggest that the reason Young should move to third instead of Second is because at second he compares better offensively to others in the league than at third. Judging in a vacuum like that without considering the obvious question of who of Young or Kinsler would be the better third baseman completely discredits Hitzges much like Reeves saying, those defending Daniels exist only on the fringe, discredits him.
Another slightly less obvious but more pertinent question than whether or not Young will be below average offensively at third, is why would you disrupt the infield even more by having three infielders go through adjustments next season with the other (Davis) not having had a full season to become acclimated.
Hitzges goes onto say that Young prevents Davis from playing third base for the Rangers in the future and will make things difficult once Smoak challenges for the First base job. (Yeah, that is going to be soooo rough. I would hate to be the manager forced to ask the question, which of the perennial .900+ OPS first basemen will I play today? )
The final straw is Hitzges saying he rejects the idea of a player under the age of 25 playing DH "out of hand," or absolutely. But then, not a minute later, Hitzges includes Max Ramirez as his DH for the Rangers this season. Ramirez age on opening day? 24.
Help us Ben & Skin, you're our only hope.
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influence
whats sad is that so many people get ALL of their sports knowledge and information from folks like him and galloway, which obviously influences them into thinking that the FO is incompetent, nolan exluded for some reason, which possibly drives ticket sales down. if the talking heads were championing the organization, its possible that it might indirectly make the team better, since ticket sales would go up and they might have more money to spend
by Fireal20 on Jan 16, 2009 12:00 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
I know...
if you listen to just the tickers, the Rangers vitriole, esp. directed at the FO.
“This is Sean bass. MY finally came around to the idea of moving to third base giving SS to an unheralded 20 year old with no Major league experience who committed 30 errors last season in Triple-A. This is Sean Douche reminding you to bla bla bla..”
I mean give it a rest.
no joke
every1 wants to mention the high error totals.
Jeter had 26 errors in 94
and 29 errors in 95 in the minors before he was called up.
And, I think Andrus is going to be much better than Jeter defensively. Jeter avgs about 15 errors per yr. He did make 22 errors in his full season in 96, so lets say for arguments sake that Andrus makes 22 errors next year. Twice the total of MY this past year. 11 extra errors. Do we think Andrus has the range to make more than 11 plays because of his range that MY couldn’t? Most Definitely.
Wait 'til the year after next
by NothinG on Jan 16, 2009 12:23 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Undoubtedly
I heard Durrett on with B&S the other day talking about Andrus and using Jeter as an example of a good reason why error totals are not a good indicator of the quality of a shortstop. Now you said it best with the proviso that Andrus will be better than Jeter defensively, but I was tracking with Durrett so well until he used Jeter as an example of a quality defensive player.
The range will make up for it, and the error totals will only decrease as he becomes more experienced. Also, I can’t remember who said it but the point was made about scoring in the minors versus the majors and how Andrus may have had an augmented total because his range allowed him to get to more balls but he could not complete the chance.
Come to think of it. that may have been durretty who said that. Whew, that was close.
Richard, just when I thought you couldn’t get any dumber. you go and do something like this…and completely redeem yourself
+Juan
"...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
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
I listen to him
because he will at least talk about the rangers.
Rhynes is ok, but I get fed up wading through the other schtick to get to his analysis. And I end up being disappointed by it anyway
Norm did at least mention Newberg
and the fact that Newberg disagrees about Young being at second base. But, he didn’t mention why, because of Young’s range. Young is going to be a below avg 3B in regards to offense, but he’ll be a decent defender because he won’t have to go as far to get to the ball. He will have to dive however.
B&S right now, are the only ones we can listen to when in comes to serious Rangers talk.
Wait 'til the year after next
I know they don't do it often but...
…Rhynes and Corby agreed with the move to 3B. Granted, they didn’t dive into it completely and discuss the pros/cons of the move from a defensive/offensive/developmental aspect but indicated that they both agree with Daniels on this and think Young should move over.
"I'm not being condescending, I'm too busy thinking about far more important things you wouldn't understand." - Jimmy Carr
by Suicide Prince on Jan 16, 2009 12:19 PM CST up reply actions
didn't catch their segment
by that point in the day, I was most likely sick of the ticket.
Wait 'til the year after next
Washington...
Wash said he has complete faith in Young and thinks MYs reactions and arm will work perfectly at third.
This is the crux for me. What does Young have? Soft hands and a good arm. No range but he is going to devour the ball hit at him. Kinsler? Great range. Unproven arm? Not heard much about it either way. Also, he boots the ones that are supposed to be routine. Which of these is more suited for third and which for second? The logic of this seems basic.
jrams....
Were you eavesdropping on Norm’s and my 20-minute debate on this last night?
It was maddening. In a good fun way, kinda, but maddening.
would have loved to
I am more than likely just channeling two years worth of Newberg Reports in my response. It is encouraging that Dallas sports media types are talking to you, Jamey. When I hear you are coming on with one of them, I make a point to listen, and I know you are probably more pleased than any of us that MY will be in a Rangers uni next year.
Bump in the road, man. Keep up the good work.
I could almost guess the conversation.
At least you had a chance to express your POV, and a mention on the radio is never a bad thing, right?
"...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
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
Basics
Norm wants to move MY to 2B, Ian to LF, CD to 3B, Max to 1B til Smoak is ready.
I think that worsens half the defensive spots on the field.
He’s all worked up about Michael being a subpar 3B offensively, which I absolutely don’t understand. The lineup is the lineup, no matter who plays where defensively. And even giving him the benefit of the doubt, if we slip from the #1 offense to the #3 offense, and our pitching improves because our defense improves, what’s the issue?
It was a good sports debate. But he’s never going to back off MY-to-2B, which just makes no sense to me — for all of MY’s pluses and minuses defensively, 3B suits him going forward better than 2B does, to my way of thinking. Don’t understand why some think he’d be better at 2B than at SS — it takes away his best defensive tool and doesn’t address the issues he had at SS that have been discussed ad infinitum.
by Jamey Newberg on Jan 16, 2009 1:04 PM CST up reply actions
I was prepared to call in
Until he mentioned he discussed this with you last night. Thanks for saving my breath
I had a paper route when I was a kid. I was supposed to go to 2,000 houses. Or two dumpsters.
Fantasy Norm
I think his fantasy league years has him drooling over a way to get all those bats in the lineup. I wonder what his plan for Max was after Smoak gets called up. Ramirez may turn out to have the best bat of all.
gosh
if smoak becomes enough to push Max and Davis off of first, then have Ramirez DH, Smoak, play first, and Davis play Left. With three sluggers like that adding to what we already have, Davis can go out there with a chair catch some rays and it won’t matter at all, because that will be a murderers row for the Rangers
It is very difficult for me
to say that Kinsler might not eventually need a position switch of 2B. I think you’d be hardpressed to argue his defensive prowess at the position.
Hopefully we see Kinsler improve this year and becomes at least average, but if we don’t, I don’t think its out of the question to see a position move. He’s about as bad defensively at 2B as anyone in the league, and getting rid of the defensive boat anchors we have in the infield may be necessary if we ever want to get our pitching improved.
Get off my lawn.
I think that solidarity is a big deal..
With the Catching battle and the whole left side of the infield in flux, you want the other positions to be set. I mean, it makes great debate if you have a lot of turmoil, but the first few months are pretty important, because you think the Daniels/Wash detractors are going nuts now, just watch what they say when the team is 9-20.
As far as this fantasy perspective on lineups, I despise this offense first perspective, because defense helps pitching and it can change momentum. Huge plays in the field get a team and a fan base going better than almost anything else. And we get some momentum going, its awesome to think what this team is capable.
Bob and Dan getting their jabs in...
…on newspaper columnists becoming radio hosts and then sucking royally.
Defending Big D: A Dallas Stars blog: easy to use, free to join.
by Brandon Worley on Jan 16, 2009 12:33 PM CST reply actions
Norm forgets
one of the most important things when you talk about moving Young to second and Kinsler to left. What, then, do you do with the 2 guys who lose out on the RF job? You have Byrd, Murphy, and Cruz fighting for right field. All three of those guys are decent enough that you can’t just bench them. No one is going to trade for them in this watered down market. Norm is normally pretty down the middle on Rangers coverage and he normally thinks through all his points but he has missed the boat on this one.
"We live, we die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round." - Tony Romo
Norm's answer to that
was that Murphy is a 4th OF, Byrd can be traded, and Cruz may be DFA’d by May.
Short-sighted.
by Jamey Newberg on Jan 16, 2009 1:14 PM CST up reply actions
I'm really glad he's on the radio and not the GM or team President
"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg
Man he has all the answers apparently
Like you said above, the lineup is the lineup — if it’s the same people that are going to be hitting — you play them in their best defensive positions.
He’s probably too hung up on errors and thinks Kinsler isn’t any good at 2B (or that he won’t improve at all).
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jan 16, 2009 1:18 PM CST up reply actions
Actually,..
… what I think handicaps him here (and I told him this) is that he’s viewing it as a fantasy league GM, not an MLB GM. No defense in most fantasy leagues (including that monolithic GTFBA he’s in, and which I used to be in) — so you want your best hitters at every position, and if your 3B doesn’t hit the ball out of the park 30 times, you’re constantly looking to upgrade there.
by Jamey Newberg on Jan 16, 2009 1:20 PM CST up reply actions
Good point
It’s really frustrating that someone as intelligent as he is can’t do better analysis than that.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jan 16, 2009 1:28 PM CST up reply actions
True dat
I mentioned this in another post, and you make the point here. Young doesn’t have to hit 30 homers to be effective in this lineup. Just as Boggs, Lansford and Molitor (at times) didn’t have to hit for power when they were important bats in their respective lineups. There is enough power in the Ranger lineup and good contact hitters can be just as important. Though MY does have more power than Boggs or Lansford ever thought of having.
I miss 1989. I miss 1996. Please make me miss another season in 2008.
Haven't we tried
to trade Byrd many times before. The problem is that there are better options than Byrd on the market right now that are going to be a bargain for teams that might want to trade for Byrd. Abreu, Dunn, and others like this.
And, Murphy is not a 4th outfielder. I think we saw that last year. He needs to be on the field as much as possible because he’s a good, usable part. I know what you think about this, Newberg.
"We live, we die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round." - Tony Romo
3B
Moving MY to 2B and Kinsler to LF does nothing to solve the 3B opening. Will he be happy with Hamilton’s bat at 3B?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
So do I but...
…I also know that there isn’t much chance that he will be an adequate defensive 3B. We are stuck with MY on this roster and this is the least harmful place for him to take up.
We couldn't have known it at the time but we definitely killed the wrong Belushi brother.
However,
it does nominally fix the big hole currently at 2B. Probably not the way I would go, but its real tough to talk about fixing the defense, and leaving Kinsler there, unless he improves pretty massively. Defensively, our biggest problems last year were pretty much 3B, 2B, and SS in that order.
Get off my lawn.
OT
chad, do you play with natural disaster?
Yes...
…but we have a new name for ’09
We couldn't have known it at the time but we definitely killed the wrong Belushi brother.
played against you at bld last weekend
also played with escobar d last year.
OK I have to admit...
…I don’t know the names of about half the guys who played with Danny and John last year. What is your name and what position did you normally play? Who are you playing with this year?
We couldn't have known it at the time but we definitely killed the wrong Belushi brother.
by Chad Crudup on Jan 16, 2009 11:23 PM CST up reply actions
When I was listening to Norm today...
I just kept yelling at the radio…
“What is MY’s weakness, his arm or his range??”
It seems like a no-brainer to me why MY needs to play 3B instead of 2B…….geez!!
Norm is losing it!!
t ball on MY - "hate the contract, don't hate the player"
No Norm lost it years ago
But hey he is still entertaining when he goes off on callers.
Miami bound...
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