What is unfortunate here is that when a player in Padilla's situation does well, it doesn't reflect well on the team that cut him, the Rangers. But it should be pointed out that within the Texas clubhouse, the clear consensus was that Padilla had to go, because of the repeated incidents that led to teammates' getting thrown at intentionally. So in this case, two teams made the right move: The Rangers made the right call in getting rid of him, and the Dodgers made the right call in picking up a guy with an electric arm.
4 months ago
Adam J. Morris
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The outcome of this "saga" along with the perception that the Rangers are chumps for letting him go
makes me wish the team just held on to him. The team ate the salary anyway. Tell him he doesn’t need to come into work (more to point, he isn’t welcome there), and just hold on to him until the buyout. I know it has no basis in reality, but I sure do hate having my team look like clowns. Talk about a no win situation. The Rangers couldn’t avoid looking like punks no matter what they decided.
Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador
by Parman on Oct 12, 2009 12:40 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I doubt
they could have gotten away with just sitting him without the Players association getting involved.
I knew it was only a matter of time before this came up though. Glad he is doing well but he had to go. Also, he’s probably on his best behavior right now. Maybe a move to the NL was the best thing for him – since he can’t randomly just decide a game isn’t going his way so he’s going to hit someone. Any retaliation would be against him personally.
"I think I'm going to name my new car Scooter, because it dominates on the road." - mikeyoungfuturehof, 9.10.09
"I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life and I can tell you there’s been plenty of fucking crying in baseball…" - WhipSmart, 6.3.08
by lisa w on Oct 12, 2009 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Someone posted his HBP totals on the Sunday morning thread
And he actually hit more batters in Philly than he did in Texas. So confusingly, the perceived NL/retaliation factor may not even exist.
"Feldman and Feliz and and pray for…infectious disease?"--TheJeezus on Sep 9, 2009 1:01 PM PDT
by WestTxAg06 on Oct 12, 2009 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree Lisa for a "sane" pitcher ...
that the retaliation concern may be an issue. But apparently that does not apply to Padilla since as was pointed out to me he hit a ton of batters while he was in Philadelphia. I’d like to think that if a pitcher had half a brain that he wouldn’t be so apt to make a name for hiimself hitting batters. They may not be the first on the retaliation list but if the other team gets a comfortable lead I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t be on the “hit list”. However like I said this applies to pitchers who are not certifiably crazy.
I do believe that it being a contract year is part of him cleaning his act up with an equal part of it is that the spotlight is on him for his getting kicked off a team for his behavior and realizes he’s a bit of a parriah at this point. He was also in a contract year in 2006 and that did not keep him from hitting 17 batters. L.A. is a good fit for him I expect him to wind up with a one year incentive laden contract for next year.
HH is that a sock in your puppet or are you happy to see me?
by BigGuns on Oct 12, 2009 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The only way to do that
was to keep him on the 25 man. He isn’t going to agree to an extended DL trip. The Rangers couldn’t afford to play 1 man down. Only way to get him off the 25 was to run him through waivers.
"I don't condone steroids or any other type of growth hormones or anything else, but I could care less, and, for the most part, I don't think the fans give a (bleep). The people that care about it are the people that probably don't like baseball," - Jim Leyland
by DJCahill on Oct 12, 2009 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t see how it would make sense to play shorthanded, with Padilla occupying a spot on the 25 man roster, plus using a 40 man roster spot on him, because you are afraid of looking like a chump.
by Adam J. Morris on Oct 12, 2009 1:18 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Why do you care about how 'we look'?
They did what they had to do.
The only team that’s going to come out looking bad, in the end of all of this, is the team that is fooled into signing Padilla to his next contract.
by tyd3311 on Oct 12, 2009 2:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kind of like an ex
might make a good wife for someone, but no longer welcome around here.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Oct 12, 2009 12:51 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Perfect analogy.
"I don't condone steroids or any other type of growth hormones or anything else, but I could care less, and, for the most part, I don't think the fans give a (bleep). The people that care about it are the people that probably don't like baseball," - Jim Leyland
by DJCahill on Oct 12, 2009 12:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
And for many
being thrown at is probably a more recent memory in marriage than baseball.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Oct 12, 2009 1:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
LOL
so true
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
by Rodney on Oct 12, 2009 1:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's some hard-hitting analysis right there Buster.
"BIg whoop, wanna fight about it?"
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
by lost in space on Oct 12, 2009 12:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Rangers were
2nd to last in the majors in batters getting plunked at 37. Mets had the fewest at 36.
by SteveP on Oct 12, 2009 1:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
That shoots a hole in the retaliation theory.
by twinkilling on Oct 12, 2009 1:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
kinda sorta
though in a clubhouse, i’m sure perception is reality.
by SteveP on Oct 12, 2009 1:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
But the Rangers were first
in teammates worrying about getting plunked in retaliation.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Oct 12, 2009 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
makes the complainers look like a bunch of crybabies
IMO
"You can probably stick a fork in the Rangers' playoff chances for 2009." - AJM on 7/26 with the team 4.5 games out
by tricer on Oct 12, 2009 1:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
really?
it seems like you could have a single pitcher who provokes a disproportionate number of HPBs without being a team that receives a lot of them. I dont think the correlation would be that strong. It’s like looking at team HR totals from the early 2000s and, upon seeing that the giants werent very high up in the pack, concluding that barry bonds didnt hit a lot of home runs.
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Oct 12, 2009 2:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
25 pitchers hit more batters this year than Padilla did
including Millwood and Feldman.
by twinkilling on Oct 12, 2009 2:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
But it's a matter of intent and timing
When Padilla would hit someone, it was at a time when it was obviously intentional. Millwood and Feldman, either it was an accident or they did a better job of making it look that way.
by Inkara1 on Oct 12, 2009 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
not only that...
but for almost a third of the season he was being good two shoes with the Dodgers and did not hit any in 9 or 10 games..whatever he’s pitched for them.
HH is that a sock in your puppet or are you happy to see me?
by BigGuns on Oct 12, 2009 2:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
goody* two shoes
HH is that a sock in your puppet or are you happy to see me?
by BigGuns on Oct 12, 2009 2:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Padilla hit 8 guys in 108 innings with the Rangers this year
which comes out to one every 13.5 innings. I don’t find that as extreme, nor do I see it as “obviously intentional”. I think Lackey’s attempts to hit Kinsler were more intentional than any of Padilla’s HBP’s.
by twinkilling on Oct 12, 2009 2:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's not an extreme number of plunkings, true
It’s the timing of the plunkings, as in, next guy after someone hits a HR off of him or something like that, that makes it obvious.
I think Lackey’s attempts are equally as intentional as Padilla’s HBPs, but that’s only because there’s a maximum of 100 percent intentional.
by Inkara1 on Oct 12, 2009 4:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree... you could almost predict when Padz was going to hit someone..
Invariably it was when he was pissed and he fooled no one as to his intent.. It’s not something that can be extrapolated from a stat sheet.
HH is that a sock in your puppet or are you happy to see me?
by BigGuns on Oct 12, 2009 3:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
1) The number of batsmen hit by feldman or milwood or any other rangers pitcher has nothing to do with the flawed inference that team HPB is a reflection of the headhunting tendencies of any individual pitcher on a staff.
2) Feldman logged 9 HPBs, or 1 every 21 innings. Milwood logged 11 for 1 every 18 innings. As already mentioned, Padilla had 1 every 13 innings as a Ranger. It’s misleading to imply either Milwood or Feldman were more prone to the hit batsmen than Padilla was.
3) As Inkara has pointed out, it’s not just the frequency of Padilla’s throwing at people, it’s the timing. Numerous instances make it pretty clear that this isnt just a flukey thing with him, it’s a pattern of conduct.
4) Even if the stats didnt support the reasoning that Padilla hits too many guys at the wrong times and puts our guys in danger, if they were murky and inconclusive, the team would still be justified in its actions. Clearly, there were players and those in the front office who were sick of Padilla’s antics. Im not a JD apologist by any stretch but I do have faith in him to have a pulse of the clubhouse and/or consult with those who do, and he obviously felt Padilla’s presence was too disruptive to keep him. Even if that meant paying the rest of his salary so he could take his league average ERA+ somewhere else.
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Oct 13, 2009 12:31 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
From what I understand...
…the “hitting batters” issue was a rather minor part of the overall Padilla problems.
by Adam J. Morris on Oct 12, 2009 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He's definitely no Kasey Kiker.
It is a great thing to know the season for speech and the season for silence.
--Seneca
by bioaggie on Oct 12, 2009 4:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's also possible the Ranger FO
just made a mistake. The team might have been better with Padilla the rest of the way than they were without him. Maybe it should be up to the “leaders” in the clubhouse to explain to young players that the way Padilla operated wasn’t the right way. It’s impossible to know with personality issues if it was the right thing to do, and it probably wasn’t a difference maker either way but looking at it now, it sure looks like a bad move.
by jcAustin on Oct 12, 2009 1:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Meh
he was not very good here. But when he went over to play AAAA baseball then he got good.
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Oct 12, 2009 1:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Really?
Yeah, that 92 ERA+ 1.500 WHIP 10.0 H/ 1.40 SO/BB was irreplaceable.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
by Rodney on Oct 12, 2009 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
10.0 H/9 dangit
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
by Rodney on Oct 12, 2009 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'd rather have that than what Holland was dialing up
by twinkilling on Oct 12, 2009 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
...
……
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"-Wayne Gretzky"-Michael Scott
by ReallyCreativeScreenName on Oct 12, 2009 2:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
What Holland was dialing up?
You mean getting valuable experience, excitement and potential? Glad you arent running a team…
"More than likely JW never played sports above the youth level. It amazes me that he seems to have no concept on the common reactions of an adult athlete or their normal interactions between each other." - laxonto
by Michael Cave on Oct 12, 2009 3:27 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think his 1-6 record
with a ERA north of 10.00 from August 26th to the end of the season definitely didn’t help our playoff chances any.
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 Oct 12, 2009 4:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You seem to have graduated from the TexasDawg school of baseball non-logic
Hank is 7 runs below a zombie replacement at first base. Do you realize how terrible that is? Zombie’s can’t think, they’re slow, and they’re often ejected from the game for eating opposing baserunners’ brains. - Ben quantifies Hank Blalock
by lonestarJon on Oct 12, 2009 6:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think there is something to be said
that our “leaders in the clubhouse” have no idea what it takes to win. Certainly our “leaders” seem to scoff at the notion of patience at the plate which seems to be one of the issues with the club.
"I don't condone steroids or any other type of growth hormones or anything else, but I could care less, and, for the most part, I don't think the fans give a (bleep). The people that care about it are the people that probably don't like baseball," - Jim Leyland
by DJCahill on Oct 12, 2009 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
"we don't need patience, just need more energy"
"You can probably stick a fork in the Rangers' playoff chances for 2009." - AJM on 7/26 with the team 4.5 games out
by tricer on Oct 12, 2009 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep,
That may be the most irritating comment I have ever heard from a Ranger. With that kind of leadership, its not surprising this franchise has the history it has.
"I don't condone steroids or any other type of growth hormones or anything else, but I could care less, and, for the most part, I don't think the fans give a (bleep). The people that care about it are the people that probably don't like baseball," - Jim Leyland
by DJCahill on Oct 12, 2009 3:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Who said it?
I’m guessing FOTF or Byrd.
by LiamP on Oct 12, 2009 3:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep.
Then Kinsler repeated a similar version of it within the week.
"I don't condone steroids or any other type of growth hormones or anything else, but I could care less, and, for the most part, I don't think the fans give a (bleep). The people that care about it are the people that probably don't like baseball," - Jim Leyland
by DJCahill on Oct 12, 2009 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He may have said it also
but I definitely heard it from FOTF and then Kinsler.
"I don't condone steroids or any other type of growth hormones or anything else, but I could care less, and, for the most part, I don't think the fans give a (bleep). The people that care about it are the people that probably don't like baseball," - Jim Leyland
by DJCahill on Oct 12, 2009 4:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Damn it. I meant to say...
What’s the difference anyway? Byrd & FOTF are both notorious for those kinds of statements.
by LiamP on Oct 12, 2009 4:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Didnt they give him several opportunities to correct his behavior?
Im all for constructive learning and second chances, but I think the straw that broke the camel’s back was when it became evident this was a chronic thing, and clubhouse opinion was beyond repair. You’re right that we cant be privy to the dynamics in the clubhouse and how the personalities shaped that dynamic, but my sense is that giving him the boot was a good way to demonstrate how much emphasis the team places on playing the right way and doing things as a cohesive unit.
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Oct 12, 2009 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
AKA "it played well in the room"
Also, I don’t think Padilla would have made the difference in getting the Rangers into the postseason. They weren’t just one or two wins away.
by Inkara1 on Oct 12, 2009 2:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Realistically...
…if Padilla isn’t cut loose, Tommy Hunter probably isn’t in the rotation, at least not for a while.
by Adam J. Morris on Oct 12, 2009 3:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Or Holland goes back to the BP
where he belonged
by twinkilling on Oct 12, 2009 3:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
In retrospect, you can say...
…that would have happened, but Holland had just thrown that incredible July 30 game when Padilla was cut loose.
Actually, looking back at it, replaced Padilla. He was mediocre for 5 starts, the Rangers were 3-2, and then McCarthy replaced Nippert.
So yeah, if you said, we immediately replaced Holland with Nippert (and then McCarthy) and kept Padilla, we might have won a couple more games, if Padilla pitched well and stayed healthy. But that wasn’t likely to have happened.
by Adam J. Morris on Oct 12, 2009 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Something that was mentioned
was that mgmt wanted Padilla and his ways separated for Feliz and the other young pitchers. Also, he wasn’t pitching all that well when we released him and Holland looked better at that point.
by mcgee48c on Oct 12, 2009 2:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I hadn't heard the Feliz bit.
Cutting Padilla made a fair amount of sense to me at the time since he just wasn’t good enough to be excused for repeated bad behavior, but of course the issue of instilling proper professionalism in the young players is key.
by other_shoe on Oct 12, 2009 3:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think it has to have been other stuff than the beanings
No player is that much of a p**** to care if they are intentionally hit once or twice in a season… Padilla performed this year as a starter…
It had to be the other stuff
by BuckyB on Oct 12, 2009 9:39 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I liked Padilla
But he didn’t live up to his potential, at least not consistently, and if there were issues that didn’t come out (and I’d guess not every player had issues with him), it’s best he’s gone. Anybody, even a star, is after all replaceable. If replaced with less talent yet with very high future potential, it’s not that hard to swallow.
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912) also -
"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance."
~Ambrose Bierce
by Ed Coffin on Oct 13, 2009 1:31 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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