Tuesday a.m. Rangers stuff
by Adam J. Morris on Oct 13, 2009 9:39 AM CDT
212 comments
Evan Grant has grades for the infielders...he seems to be erring on the positive side for Hank Blalock and Chris Davis, but overall, his grades seem reasonable.
Richard Durrett looks at right field for the Rangers, saying that Nelson Cruz has to improve defensively, and suggesting Cruz could end up at DH next year.
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Really
a D is just an F said nicely. I don’t mind seeing a nice fail offered to Davis, who represents hope, and Blalock, who represents hope lost. Good luck, and good bye…
Go Rice Owls!
by JBImaknee on Oct 13, 2009 9:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Good grief
It’s like we’re living in some sort of bizarro world where Warsh and all the journalists got together and decided that Nelson Cruz sucks at baseball, even though the numbers say otherwise. I don’t give a damn about the “crazy angles” he takes when you watch him, the numbers say he gets to more than enough balls out there.
On another note, what happened to the LSB top 25 poll threads? I tried to click on them this morning, got an error message, and then checked back and they were gone.
"Feldman and Feliz and and pray for…infectious disease?"--TheJeezus on Sep 9, 2009 1:01 PM PDT
by WestTxAg06 on Oct 13, 2009 9:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
cmkelly29
probably realized it wasn’t worth his time to do 25 (or 40) of those…
Go Rice Owls!
by JBImaknee on Oct 13, 2009 9:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I couldn't take all of the fucking whiny-ass cumstains
“I’m not on the list waaaaahh”
“This is stupid waaaaah”
“You forgot so and so waaaaah”
“I like slc rangers better waaaah”
Seriously, it’s like a group of spoiled little 10 year old children around here.
by cmkelly29 on Oct 13, 2009 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
What did you expect?
“cmkelly29, this is a perfect list. I have nothing to add to it but just wanted to take a second to let you know how great you are.” Is that what you expected?
It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.
by WyoRanger on Oct 13, 2009 11:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No
Where do you get the idea that I was looking for praise?
It was just a fun idea, and all the fucking whining wasn’t worth it.
by cmkelly29 on Oct 13, 2009 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Whining is what people do here
It’s to be expected. As far as you looking for praise, I don’t think that was your intent but it is the complete opposite of whining.
It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.
by WyoRanger on Oct 13, 2009 11:35 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
However
It is ironic that you entitled it the “democratic list” yet when you got suggestions from the majority, instead of taking them into account, you simply deleted the thread.
by FuturePants on Oct 13, 2009 11:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think we have had enough
of this kind of thread for a while. They’re fun, banter-wise, but we had already had a couple.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Oct 13, 2009 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
“yet when you got suggestions from the majority, instead of taking them into account, you simply deleted the thread.”
No, I took the suggestions.. I added the people they wanted added. Then you know what? I get Black Francis saying “Fuck You”, I get bigsteve “WTF?” me for removing him..
You think I looked at this as some commitment I wasn’t going to walk away from? No. I said “Hey this could be fun, let’s give it a rip.”
The majority didn’t seem to like the idea, so instead of wasting space I got rid of them.
by cmkelly29 on Oct 13, 2009 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm laughing hysterically at grown men
all acting like little bitches trying to figure out a lunch bill.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Listen
Your reasons are your own, I’m not criticizing them. I’m just saying it amused me that the democratic approached failed so hard because of said “democracy.”
by FuturePants on Oct 13, 2009 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
people do often get in the way of democracy
"I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the [MLB] for guys to fall in love with [the Rangers’s] sloppy seconds." (thanks cstorm)
by ab03 on Oct 13, 2009 1:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
what does an internet whine sound like?
"I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the [MLB] for guys to fall in love with [the Rangers’s] sloppy seconds." (thanks cstorm)
by ab03 on Oct 13, 2009 1:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I applaud
the appropriate use of the word cumstains, and am reccing.
"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 13, 2009 3:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It was kind of a stupid idea to begin with, IMO
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 13, 2009 6:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for that...
any reason you felt like sharing?
by cmkelly29 on Oct 13, 2009 7:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nothing against you
It’s just that variations of the idea had already been done twice (just not in a voting fashion) and it was bound to promote a lot of bickering, a la Dr. Pepper’s troll rankings. Plus, I didn’t think “influential” was the best criteria to be voting on myself.
Bottom line, I thought it was just kinda run into the ground before you even took it to the democratic level.
Personally, if we’re gonna have big community threads like that, I think we’d be better off with something all-encompassing, along the lines of the “off-topic post of the day” fanposts that DRaysBay and Lookout Landing do.
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 13, 2009 7:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kinsler should have received a B+
The season was uneven but he still had 30 bombs, 30 steals, 30 doubles with outstanding defense. German gets a higher grade than Kinsler? WTF??!!?
MYoung & Tiny E should have both received A’s.
CDavis – Staying within the subject being discussed and AJM’s request not to get in a pissing contest (this will be my only take on CD in this thread)…are we really going to have to listen to this bullshit all winter that CD was better because of his .338 obp / .838 ops when he came back?
CD had a .219 battting average / .264 obp on September 24 and that “improvement” in his numbers was due in large part to the number of infield hits he put up. Does anybody really see CD getting 50 infield hits / 600 at bats?
Get off the Ranger payroll, EG.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 9:58 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Davis was better on the season, Jay.
We have been through this. His average, OBP and SLG were all higher than Blalock for the second half and for the season. Get over it.
by FuturePants on Oct 13, 2009 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
For an outlaw
you sure are a serious rules follower…Like a puppet, dance when the strings are pulled…
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
Hello Win Column!!!
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Oct 13, 2009 10:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
So I'm not rebellious enough for you?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm pretty sure that.....
Kinsler and German were taking different tests……so there grades shouldn’t be compared to each other…..know what I mean??
Kinsler took the SAT, while German did a connect the dots.
Wash is an idiot!!
by bspate on Oct 13, 2009 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
There isn't much doubt
both Blalock and Davis should have had Failing grades. The complete lack of production from 1B, typically one of the highest offensive production spots on the field, help kill the offense, and playoff chances.
I certainly hope we have a good alternate plan next year so if Davis has a bad month, we can send him to the minors before May is out, rather than have him take down the better part of the season.
"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 13, 2009 10:06 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Blalock and Davis
There couldn’t be two better examples of an F than those two.
We definitely need another option for 1B next year, preferably a righthanded bat that we don’t have a long-term commitment to.
We should have played Murphy at 1B the last couple months of this season.
by Darrell McKown on Oct 13, 2009 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah,
I really haven’t gone through the lists to see if any decent (somewhere between replacement level and league average) 1B are available on 1 year deals.
It would be nice if we are getting below replacement level production from 1B.
"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 13, 2009 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Go with Nick Johnson.
LH hitter who gets on base v everybody.
Play him at DH and give him something close to 2 years / $ 14 million.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep
and he also plays about 90 games a year.
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Oct 13, 2009 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
While I like the Nick Johnson idea in theory
I’m not sure a team with payroll limitations should be allocating $7 mill per on a guy who is notoriously injury-prone.
"Feldman and Feliz and and pray for…infectious disease?"--TheJeezus on Sep 9, 2009 1:01 PM PDT
by WestTxAg06 on Oct 13, 2009 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
131 games in 2005
147 games in 2006.
133 games in 2009.
You’re asking him DH which should save some of the injury concerns.
He’s also a helluva lot better option than “hope.”
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 11:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
haha
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Oct 13, 2009 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That is priceless!!
Typical Josey Donuts fashion. Leave in the stats that he likes and disregard those he doesnt!!!
Elvis has "shook up" Arlington!!
by thad728 on Oct 13, 2009 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
What's your solution? More hope?
That seemed to work so well this year…did you enjoy watching other teams in the playoffs?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 11:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
So you want to spend money
and hope Nick Johnson stays healthy is what I’m reading. Your just substituting one type of hope for another type.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
NJohnson is a lock to have a good obp
if healthy.
Hank F stayed healthy while mostly DHing and NJ can do the same.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
if healthy
thats the problem with Johnson. Healthy is something he has never been. Yes DH is less taxing, but hes also aging.
I think your likely looking at around 130 games max.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
When is the last time we had one player DH
130 games for us in a season?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
So because we have set the bar low
thats a reason to leave the bar low, and pay a good sum for that low bar?
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
NJohnson's lifetime obp is .402
In those three years he was healthy his obp was .408, .426, .428.
That’s not setting the bar low at all.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
130 games for DH is setting the bar pretty damned low.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
You'd be upset if NJohnson came
here and played 130 games while putting up a .425 obp?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
For 7 million
considering your basically pulling what I would call best case numbers for him.
You do realize his career average games is below 100, and thats while he was a young player. Hes now becoming an old player and you expect him to play in more games. And to go at rates that are near his top levels of production. I wouldn’t take that bet with what is going to be the majority of our FA dollars this year.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Given JD's reaction at the past two
trade deadlines and inability to fix the current major league product with current major league players, my money is on him shivering, pissing his pants and then making a phone call to next year’s version of Andruw Jones.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Then why hasn't Nolan fired him??
Feel free to ignore this question, as it hurts your point
by BuckyB on Oct 13, 2009 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice idiot argument there
I’m sorry, but we aren’t talking about what JD should or shouldn’t do here.
We are talking about if we think Nick Johnson is a good bet to be a player worth 7 million dollars for the next 2 years.
You ignore all the downsides to him and point to what is his one major advantage. I agree we could use a high OBP bat. But we need a consistent high OBP bat, which is what Johnson isn’t. He is maxing out at 130 games a year, and I bet thats going to go down here pretty fast.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 12:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If was ignoring the downsides to Johnson,
he’d be getting a helluva lot more than 2 years/$ 14 million.
NJohnson is also a much better option than hope.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nick Johnson is 7 million of hope
Hope he can play 130. Hope he doesn’t miss another year.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
NJohnson is a worse option
than hope + $7M
by BuckyB on Oct 13, 2009 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Seems pretty hopeful
to ignore those two years you so conveniently left out of your post above.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Oct 13, 2009 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The problem with that
is 38 games in 2008 and no games in 2007. And hes into his 30s, when most players start having more problems with niggling injuries.
I know its a small difference but I just don’t think a mostly powerless 1b is a 7 million dollar player, nor is a nearly powerless DH. Hes not a bad option, just see him as more of a fall back type of option then someone you have to go out and make your major acquisition of the year.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Uncomfotable Word of the Day
Niggling
by Anonymous New Guy on Oct 13, 2009 11:28 AM CDT up reply actions 5 recs
Power is always good to have
(did we lead MLB in HR’s?) but we didn’t have enough baserunners last year.
When you get an extremely patient hitter like Johnson (or Bradley, or Abreu) quite often you will see the rest of the line-up become much more patient.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 11:35 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
DH and 1b are power positions
Considering 3b is also one, can we really afford to have 2 of the primary power positions covered by people who are a below average power bat?
I think Jonhson isn’t a bad bat, but hes not someone that should be a the major team investment this year, which is basically what your advocating. Unless you think that we are going to sign someone for a larger contract then the one you proposed for Johnson, which I don’t think he would get anyway.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
While I don't agree with N Johnson as the answer
Using the “1B is a power position” is a really poor argument. Good offense does not equal home runs; otherwise the Rangers would be ranked as the #2 offense from last year.
1B is an offensive position, so we need a good offensive player. Johnson is a good offensive player, I just don’t think he will put up as gaudy a line in the AL, and I don’t trust that he’ll hold up injury-wise.
by Trickman on Oct 13, 2009 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'd have Johnson as my DH and a fall-back
if Davis bolts the gate with another .194 average dotted with untimely 3 for 44’s and 7 for 60’s.
That buys you time with Smoak.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think Johnson gets 3/24 or better
He’s very similar to Milton Bradley in the frequently injured but good bat when healthy department, except for the fact that he’s not a head-case.
I don’t think he’ll fall to 2/14 and would think a small discount on Bradley’s 3/30 would be the closest comp.
3 years is too long, and 8MM/year is out of range for the Rangers.
by Trickman on Oct 13, 2009 1:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That contract
would definitely be a nonstarter for me. I’m sorry Johnson to me seems like a good DH option for a team who can drop a 7 million dollar contract and back it up with another 5 million dollar contract.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm so glad you're not the GM.
Then again, 2/14 for Johnson is a bargain compared to 3/30 for Blalock…
by cstorm15 on Oct 13, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If I was the GM we'd still have AG playing 1B
and John Danks in the rotation.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 11:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
if you were the GM you would've resigned Tex
you wouldn’t have anywhere for AG to play nor would you have Tiny E at SS.
MY would still be a bag o’ pooh at SS on your squad.
Fail.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
by Ryin A on Oct 13, 2009 11:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Don't think so.
If I know I’m not going to be able to sign Tex (which that stupid sonofabitch knew), I don’t trade AG for three bags of dog shit.
That way I don’t have to give Ben Broussard $ 4 million or Chris Shelton playing time in 2008.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Excuse me
those were different years. How in the world could the FO know? Spies? Miss Cleo?
Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador
by Parman on Oct 13, 2009 11:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Josey is a genius, HE would have known
"Feldman and Feliz and and pray for…infectious disease?"--TheJeezus on Sep 9, 2009 1:01 PM PDT
by WestTxAg06 on Oct 13, 2009 1:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nick Johnson
I’m torn on Johnson.
He’s exactly the kind of player this offense needs, but if we commit to him for 2 years, then you do run the risk of a logjam at 1B/DH. However, if Davis continues to suck, then you just plug Smoak in at 1B in June and let Davis try to sort it out again in AAA.
I would much rather spend $14 million on 2 years of Nick Johnson (even for 130 games) than $20 on three years of Marlon Byrd.
by Darrell McKown on Oct 13, 2009 1:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Everytime I look at it
Milton Bradley starts looking better and better, especially if the Cubs eat the vast majority of his salary.
"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 13, 2009 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
How many games did Milt play this year?
And you want that for two years? I’m down on Bradley.
by FuturePants on Oct 13, 2009 1:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am too
but more importantaly so are the Cubs. Bradley for 1-2 million a year works cause you can always kick him to the curb.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 1:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep
If you get to the point that he is cheap enough, releasing him is fairly painless.
"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 13, 2009 1:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly
If he gets to the point of being a 2-3 million dollar player you can afford to cut him the second he starts acting up. And I think thats the top end of what the Cubs are going to be able to get away with ditching him.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 2:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Room doesn't need a cancer
and I don’t wanna see Wash kiss his ass to the degree he did in 2007.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
if cancer gets our old offense back
give me cancer.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Oct 13, 2009 5:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bradley
He would be a perfect fit — especially playing for Washington — but I just don’t see them going that direction.
by Darrell McKown on Oct 13, 2009 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Its not an either or proposition.
nothing is saying we have to do one or the other. We can not spend 7 million on Nick Johnson and also not spend 5-6 million on Byrd.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
F Byrd.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
In your eloquent wording
F both of them.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Byrd is very replaceable and turns 33 next year...no thank you.
We don’t have anybody internally that can DH and be depended upon to get a .400+ obp.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
And Nick Johnson isn't guranteed to get over 100 games either.
I understand you’ve found your next pet cat. But damn man can’t you admit that you have to ignore over half his career to get him up to the minimum levels of games played to be considered a full time player?
Johnson I suspect is likely to be someone who isn’t worth the contract he gets. The problem is hes either going to boom or bust. There is no real in between with him. Hes either going to play 130 games and be an advantage or hes going to play under 100 games and be a waste of money.
With you the champion of the idea we are a small market payroll we can’t afford to gamble 10% of the payroll on someone like Johnson. If we were a 100 million dollar pay roll I’d say go for it, because then you can just write it off if it fails and likely have someone half way decent there to back him up, or make a move for someone to. But we aren’t and therefore hes likely a misuse of our limited resources.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I want this team to fix their obp problem
which is something that nobody, including GM’s with Ivy League degrees or donut shop owners should have been shocked to see.
Pissing your pants and hoping the problem will be fixed internally (even though nobody is ready) or by firing Rudy J is not a strategy.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 1:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Neither is picking up a player for 2/14
who earned 5.5 a year in his last contract and averaged 57 games played a season during it. Nick Johnson is a massive gamble. I could get on board with a one year deal in the 4 million dollar range, but just can’t agree with multiple years at a higher dollar value.
Nick Johnson is another type of hope. Hope he reverses his career trend of being injured and playing a very low number of games.
He just isn’t a good bet over 2 years to play over 240 games. Just picked a number of games which would be considered the very lowest end of a full time player, 120 games a year. He has done that once in his career. 1 time in 9 years in baseball.
Hes a bad gamble for 7 million because then we won’t have any backup plan available other than hope. At 4 million at least we might be able to pick up some mediocre 4th OF type that could also work at DH in a pinch when Nick Johnson gets hurt.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, like Jerrah!
Meow, meow, meow.
"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 13, 2009 2:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Budget
I don’t see any way they sign both Byrd and Johnson.
by Darrell McKown on Oct 13, 2009 2:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't see any way they sign either
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Oct 13, 2009 5:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
So Big Dick Durrett
says the Cruz Zone Rating was last for all RFs who played at least 110 games?
I thought he was off the charts near the top in Zone Rating, no?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 10:07 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Its the dfference between ZR and UZR
ZR has him ranked at the bottom. RF and UZR have him ranked at the top.
From my understanding Cruz’s high range factor hurts him in ZR. In essence since he can get to a ton of balls they penalize him for not getting to them even though hes getting to the balls in his zone.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 10:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Which is why I think defensive stats
are still a work in progress.
Nelson Cruz probably does get to a lot of balls but he also f’s up a lot of balls that he gets to and is not opposed to taking a silly route. To deny that is sticking your head in the sand.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Does is route matter if he gets to the ball?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
if he gets to it at such a bad angle or too late
and F’s it up, yes, yes it does.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Oct 13, 2009 5:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bad routes
are something to worry about. But when someone still has a well above average range then the routing issues basically are making the difference between a great fielder and a very good fielder.
I think the fact that every defensive stat other than ZR shows Cruz as the best fielder tends to lead credence to the idea that ZR is flawed in some fundamental way.
To deny the weight of statistical evidence to believe your eyes is more akin to sticking your head in the sand.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think Cruz has a sturdy physical foundation of skills to draw
from to be a good OF but this is not the second coming of Roberto Clemente that some people in here act like he is.
He does a lot of really stupid shit in the OF that needs to be cleaned up before you can call him a good OF.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not saying that he is that
just saying that pretty much all evidence says that Cruz doesn’t need to work on his outfield defense to become average. He needs to work on it to become exceptional.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Concurrage
Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador
by Parman on Oct 13, 2009 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
so is Gary Pettis not the man to clean that up?
cause we’ve got two VERY important outfielders – Cruz and Borbon – that could use some tutelage apparently. If Pettis isn’t the guy, let’s bring in the “Mike Maddux of outfield defense”
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Oct 13, 2009 5:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
this isn't quite right
ZR attempts to judge whether the average RF would have gotten to the ball and penalizes a player who doesn’t get to a ball that is in their “zone” that is why you also see plays listed as OOZ or Out Of Zone which are plays that the player shouldn’t have gotten to but did. It has nothing to do with what their actual zone is. You can draw an arbitrary circle in right field and say “any ball in this circle should be caught”. So then you add up all the balls in the circle that were caught and divide by all the balls in the circle and get the zone rating. Then you count all the plays out of the zone and get the OOZ plays number. Range Factor is just a raw count of how many plays they made.
In summary Cruz looks bad if you just look at ZR because he doesn’t make all the plays he is supposed to make (the balls dropping in front of him). However if you combo in the OOZ plays he looks much better since he makes lots of plays that an average player won’t make (taking away doubles). Zone Rating isn’t all that bad but it is a two part tool.
by bushe on Oct 13, 2009 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
good explanation
He does have trouble with balls hit in front of him. It would be interesting to see if UZR and +/- agree.
|Space for Rent|
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 4:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice cherry picking of
stats by Richard. All he says is “zone rating” without saying where he got the data from. Maybe is was Ron’s zone rating.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No
His Zone Rating was bad. The problem is ZR seems to penalize you for Range as opposed to giving you a bonus for it. The fact that Cruz got to extra balls hurt him with his ZR. At least that is how the math on it seems to be. Considering the highest ZR fielders seem to have the lowest RF. After seeing that it makes one pretty sure that either RF or ZR can be right, but not both.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Where do you find ZR?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 10:30 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
ESPN has both RF and ZR, though only one year of ZR
Fangraphs has UZR. I don’t remember which site has +/- at the moment.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Feilding Bible
Cruz was a +12 for 7th out of all eligible RF in 2009.
JD’s like, "you want some fucking pitching? Here’s all the pitching you can stand. Now choke on it, bitches!"- RCCook
by laxtonto on Oct 13, 2009 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Your comment would seem to support why defensive stats
aren’t really worth all that much.
by twinkilling on Oct 13, 2009 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think it more defines why ZR isn't a valuable stat.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Defensive stats are too heavily dependent on subjective assumptions
to be of much real value.
by twinkilling on Oct 13, 2009 11:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah. Shin-Soo Choo has the second lowest ZR for pretty much the same reason.
Both Choo and Cruz get to a lot of balls outside of the zone. In fact, they rate 1 and 2 in that category.
Hamilton may be a better RF, but other than Hamilton no one else on the team is better than Cruz and Cruz rates above most of his peers.
This is a case where a few instances of idiocy is being weighted far too much in the player evaluation. I would be interested to hear more about what the Rangers scouts think of Cruz than what Wash thinks of him.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
by rooster on Oct 13, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I posted J Kolars' first comment on this to Richard's comments today
With attribution to Kolar and LSB
"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 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Zone Rating is dumb
use UZR or +/-
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Oct 13, 2009 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think there is any doubt that Cruz could take better routes to the ball
Maybe all this talk is an attempt to get Cruz to work hard and realize his full potential as a ridiculously rangy COF. Bill Parcells-esque of RW
by BuckyB on Oct 13, 2009 10:23 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I think its just a sports writer trying to use advanced stats
and picking the one that shows what he wasn’t to show despite its problems.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 10:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm just saying that there are several times that you watch on TV/live
and you realize that Cruz took a bad route to the ball. Whether his long legs got him their sooner or not, he probably would have caught the ball if he’d taken the correct route
by BuckyB on Oct 13, 2009 10:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
2nd worst in the last 20 years, ouch
the preceding post was a great success.
by DSheppard on Oct 13, 2009 10:36 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Kinsler
Sure a 30/30 is nice. But wouldn’t a 20/40 have been better?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 10:42 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Why?
He just needs get his AVG and OBP up.
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Oct 13, 2009 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am implying that a 20/40 season
means a different approach at the plate. That would result in less pop ups, better BABIP, higher OBP, etc. Essentially a more productive hitter.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That would likely be the case
And probably more the type of hitter that Kinsler should be.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 11:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No matter how you slice it
10 HRs is gonna be worth more than 10 steals, so there is obviously something wrong with your approach.
"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 13, 2009 11:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with that on the basic math
but if it accompanied Kinsler dropping that massive uppercut in his swing and saw his LD% go back up, the over all effect could be a more productive player while having the lesser HR total, but not because he picked up steals instead of HR.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
But its not really guaranteed
that his ld% would go up if his steals went up. Steals don’t correlate with much of anything. Its pretty easy to find guys like Upton, Andrus and Rollins who are up there in steals, and have about the same or lower OBP than Kinsler has now.
"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 13, 2009 11:24 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Okay. I think we were basically agreed
Possibly picking up steals and losing HR would be a side effect an increased OBP due to a better swing plane for him.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 11:29 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Its not the steals he cares about anyway
the preceding post was a great success.
by DSheppard on Oct 13, 2009 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think he wanted to join Soriano in the record books
so, in that context, i think the SB’s were important to him. Let’s hope he doesn’t set 40/40 as a goal for 2010.
by twinkilling on Oct 13, 2009 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I know
but he makes a ridiculous leap of logic saying that OBP and BABIP would go up, and there is no basis for that leap.
"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 13, 2009 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No basis?
Go read this and substitute FB for strikeout.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 11:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
...
That would invalidate the study.
If you substituted all mentions of “President”, “Congress”, “Senate” and “House of Representatives” in the Constitution to “Cheesecake”, you’ll find that the founding fathers were strangely fascinated with cheesecake.
by LiamP on Oct 13, 2009 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions 4 recs
lol
rec
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Oct 13, 2009 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The premise is still the same
In Kinsler’s case you would be swapping LD and GB for FB instead of contacct for Ks. Afterall LD>GB>FB>K.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 12:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dude, come on.
The study looks at the effect of reducing strikeouts (guaranteed outs) and, therefore, putting more balls in play. You cannot substitute random pieces of data and still have it be applicable. Substituting FB’s for K’s is fundamentally wrong for many reasons, not the least of which is because a FB is…a ball in play.
by LiamP on Oct 13, 2009 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
right
More balls in play equals a more productive hitter. More LD and GB instead of FB equals a more productive hitter.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes.
A higher LD rate will result in a better hitter, but that’s just common sense. You don’t need to plug anything into a tango article about strikeouts to come to that conclusion.
by LiamP on Oct 13, 2009 12:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well Cahill has a little trouble understanding
why I think a 20/40 season due to a change of approach at the plate by Ian would have been better than a 30/30 season. I probably should have found a better example.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, because citing a change in HR/SB numbers doesn't indicate a change in approach
You can’t infer that he’s not swinging for the fences like an asshole just from a dip in HR numbers. He could just be, you know, hitting fewer home runs.
by LiamP on Oct 13, 2009 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I can find
guys with more HRs who have higher LD rates than Ian, and guys with less HRs who have lower LD rates. I can find (and have found) guys with more steals who have lower OBP.
There is just so little correlation to make your premise absolutely worthless.
"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 13, 2009 12:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Did you go to the
same school of stats as bigsteve?
"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 13, 2009 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
I laughed.
Still laughing. Just something funny about the idea of a bunch of old white dudes sitting around in hose and wigs arguing about cheesecake.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Oct 13, 2009 12:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
20 steals and 40 homers?
Yeah.
by Adam J. Morris on Oct 13, 2009 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Ha!
This
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Oct 13, 2009 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, I'd take the 10 extra bombs over the 10 extra SB's.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Evan Grant will rate the team the same as RW does because he is a RW lover.
He will rank the players about the same as RW. He probably thinks Marlon Byrd is a gold glover and that Pudge is the second coming.
by txmemaw17 on Oct 13, 2009 10:54 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Wasn't it around Labor Day
that EG was opining that Washington should be a top candidate for Manager of the Year?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He probably should be a top candidate
by twinkilling on Oct 13, 2009 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wakamatsu, Scioscia, Leyland
were all much better Manager of the Year candidates than Wash.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 11:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Leyland couldn't even win a weak division with the highest payroll in the division
and that’s not even counting that his team blew a 3 game lead with 4 games to play. If that makes him a candidate for manager of the year, I’d like to see what the criteria is for arriving at that conclusion.
by twinkilling on Oct 13, 2009 11:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
So if Wash is so good how did this
team lose 8 of 11 to Oakland after August 1?
How does this team go 5 games with one run at the most important time of year?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 11:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm with you
but
How does this team go 5 games with one run at the most important time of year?The fact that September was the most important time of the year for this team should account for something.
by Anonymous New Guy on Oct 13, 2009 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'd say Wash did one of the top 5 jobs in the AL
last year but he’s not Manager of the Year.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No arguement here
He doesn’t desreve it, but his name should be in the mix.
by Anonymous New Guy on Oct 13, 2009 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's fair
but then why are you ridiculing Grant for suggesting he’s a candidate? I don’t see how Leyland did a better job, though, and did any other AL team so outperform it’s preseason consensus win projections? What 4 managers were better?
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Oct 13, 2009 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Leyland went from 74 to 86 wins this year.
Yes, his team shit the bed and gacked but so did the Rangers.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
So the Rangers got
more wins, with just over half the payroll and a much less astute manager. Kudos to Jon Daniels for the talent that allowed that to happen.
You failed to show how Leyland did a better job, other than his team not completely tanking like it did in 2008.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Oct 13, 2009 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Leyland's team improved by 12 games this year
while Washington’s team improved by 8 games.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 1:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Leyland's team
was a HUGE disappointment in 2008.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Oct 13, 2009 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
So were the Rangers.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 1:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
So why does Leyland contend for Manager of the Year
and Washington doesn’t?
by twinkilling on Oct 13, 2009 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I said Washington was in the top 5 but Leyland was
better this year.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 2:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Since your theme has long been tied to the size of the payroll
how can you maintain that Leyland was better than Washington this year considering that Leyland had a considerably higher payroll to work with?
by twinkilling on Oct 13, 2009 2:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, please
those two teams had vastly different expectations for 2008. The Tigers have been a disappointment since their WS appearance in 2006. Daniels has out-GM’ed Dombrowski in that span of time.
Dombrowski has completely squandered his financial advantage over his division rivals.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Oct 13, 2009 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
After the season the Tigers put up in 2008, they should have won 20 more games this year.
With the payroll they had, their season in 2009 is still a disappointment.
by twinkilling on Oct 13, 2009 1:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
How did this team
Win 10-15 more games than most experts predicted?
How did they win more games than the Tigers or Twins despite being in a tougher division?
"I cannot believe how fucking off base I was about Tiny E before this season. The Kid is great and is going to become a star."
- Wails
by RCCook on Oct 13, 2009 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good pitching and great defense?
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
ELVIS!
I keed because I know where you are going RCCook, but yeah Elvis. I’m not in Wash’s camp at all which does put me in an uncomfortable situation of agreeing with he that will not be named. However, I just can’t get behind all his poor in-game decisions, lousy line-ups, his OVER dependence on veterans and his hate on Cruz.
Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador
by Parman on Oct 13, 2009 11:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wash
I’d agree that he’s a poor in-game tactician, submits questionable lineups, and I’d even agree on the Cruz issue.
As for over-dependence on veterans, he did play a ton of rookies this past year, and even if he did favor vets, he’s hardly unusual in that regard. It’s not necessarily a positive, just something that most managers tend to do, even a lot of the good ones.
Wash is pretty much the anti-Showalter: great with people, lousy with strategy. Overall, I think he’s an average manager. Could the Rangers do better? Almost certainly. But it’s interesting that of the candidates JD and Hicks interviewed when they hired Wash, every one of them went on to get a manager’s job, and only Wakamatsu has had near the same level of success.
"I cannot believe how fucking off base I was about Tiny E before this season. The Kid is great and is going to become a star."
- Wails
by RCCook on Oct 13, 2009 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good point.
Also, I think Wash provides a (good) counterbalance to the front office. They are building for the long term, want to develop young players, want to use cheaper players (which is not vet-friendly), etc. Wash knows that he has to win now to stick around, so he balances that by playing vets more, being more aggressive with his bullpen use (sometimes to the detriment a la Frank), and forming relationships that people in the front office can’t/shouldn’t make so that they can stay impartial.
One of the big things I’m hoping for is that he can lead the teaching of defense to the younger guys coming up and especially to Michael Young. Eric Chavez gave Ron one of his gold gloves because of all the training Ron gave him, and it would be nice to see some of that training going to Young.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Oct 13, 2009 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
When Wash was hired
JD, to be kind, was still on the doorstep of his learning curve and in the midst of still doing a lot of stupid shit.
Hiring Ron Washington to manage that team qualifies as “stupid shit.”
Playing hard for somebody can only take you so far. Without the good in-game tactician you are going to hit walls when the dumbass in charge of pitching changes and making out the line-up doesn’t know what the hell to do.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm curious, then
Why the Rangers extended Wash’s contract through 2010 earlier this summer.
You’ve said before that Nolan has to approve all major decisions, so why did he let JD extend Wash’s contract?
Between that, keeping an “incompetent” GM on, and then his role in the Purke situation, I’m beginning to believe (at least following from your previous statements) that Nolan is a bit of a dumbass himself. Maybe Nolan needs to get out of the baseball business and go back to cooking steaks. Hell, he and JD could open a restaurant together- burgers & donuts!
"I cannot believe how fucking off base I was about Tiny E before this season. The Kid is great and is going to become a star."
- Wails
by RCCook on Oct 13, 2009 1:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why did the Rangers extend Wash?
First of all, it was Ryan’s call to do this and not the stupid sonofabitch GM who traded AGonzales & JDanks for 5 bags of shit.
It happened in early June when the club was playing well and they didn’t want it to become a distraction.
Howard Bryant took a pretty shot at the Rangers (mostly Ryan) for Washington not having an extension with not so thinly veiled references to race.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wash
So hiring Wash was stupid, but no opinion on Nolan’s decision to extend him, other than “they didn’t want it to become a distraction?”
If Wash was a bad hire, then extending him has to be equally stupid, right?
Why is Nolan such a dumbass?
"I cannot believe how fucking off base I was about Tiny E before this season. The Kid is great and is going to become a star."
- Wails
by RCCook on Oct 13, 2009 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I disagreed with the decision but I understand why
it was made given how well the team was playing at the time.
Do you think Nolan was a dumbass to bring back both JD & Wash?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 3:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, I don't think Nolan is a dumbass.
He implemented massive change and turned this franchisee around,
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 3:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yet, he continues to surround himself and keep dumb asses at the cornerstones of our franchise?
Why is this?
The answer is clearly that he respects the job done by JD, and respectively trusts in his man, Wash.
What I don’t understand is how you can suck the man’s dick everyday while simultaneously criticizing his most crucial decisions he is in charge of (GM/Manager) (without acknowledging that Nolan is behind it).
Explanations:
a) You’re a douche or
b) You don’t think manager and/or GM are important to a franchise
by BuckyB on Oct 13, 2009 3:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ryan's influence with This Thing
was apparent, immediate and obvious.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 3:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nolan
No, Josey, I don’t think he was a dumbass, but I also think JD’s a good GM, and Wash isn’t the worst manager in the world, despite his tactical limitations.
My point was, as BuckyB stated, that you think JD was a dumbass for hiring Wash, but you “disagree” with Nolan’s decision to extend his contract.
There’s a definite difference there. But you knew that.
"I cannot believe how fucking off base I was about Tiny E before this season. The Kid is great and is going to become a star."
- Wails
by RCCook on Oct 13, 2009 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Of course you think
JD is a good GM even though we had to deal with his infamous learning curve plus he hasn’t shown the ability to look at a team on the fringe of a pennant race (like we were in 2008) or in the middle of one (like we were in 2009) and make a move that impacts the team positively at the major league level.
When you view where this organization presently sits, there is nothing in his tenure that suggests JD is the GM to get us to the next level.
He’s the person who took over a very young team 13 months removed from winning 89 games and was given a 21% bump in payroll yet four years later hasn’t been able to match those 89 wins.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 3:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
We were not on the fringe of the playoff hunt in 2008
And any move that would have needed to be made to bump us from fringe to serious contender would have cost too much in the ling term and still not put us in the playoffs. I don’t mind an 80 win season if we continue to build for the future.
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 13, 2009 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well
It’s pretty clear that you have an agenda against JD, and look to spin everything to show him in the worst possible light.
So forgive me if I’m not exactly convinced by your counter-arguments.
"I cannot believe how fucking off base I was about Tiny E before this season. The Kid is great and is going to become a star."
- Wails
by RCCook on Oct 13, 2009 5:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
critical thinking is not your forte, I've realized
by BuckyB on Oct 13, 2009 3:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Better Forte
Will or Matt?
"I cannot believe how fucking off base I was about Tiny E before this season. The Kid is great and is going to become a star."
- Wails
by RCCook on Oct 13, 2009 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't know of anybody who thought the Tigers were going to
contend seriously for the AL Central this year.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
by Josey Wales on Oct 13, 2009 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Probably about as many
As thought that the Rangers would be a playoff contender.
"I cannot believe how fucking off base I was about Tiny E before this season. The Kid is great and is going to become a star."
- Wails
by RCCook on Oct 13, 2009 1:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Probably less.
Remember most of the national media had us pegged at a low 70 win team, just like some poster who shall remain nameless.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
So, Leyland gets a pass for his team melting down
but Washington doesn’t? And didn’t Leyland have a much more expensive payroll to work with?
by twinkilling on Oct 13, 2009 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Final game of the year with the playoffs on the line
Leyland brings Rodney in a tie game and then leaves him in for 3 innings. I kept yelling at Leyland, but he couldn’t hear me. Dumb SOB.
Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador
by Parman on Oct 13, 2009 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Shosha said he should win it, so did Geren.
We know you don’t like RW, but you’re some clown who posts on a blog.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
by Ryin A on Oct 13, 2009 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
2010 OF
LF Hamilton or Cruz
CF: Bourbon
RF Hamilton or Cruz.
4th OF Murphy
5th OF Gentry
Go with it and good things will happen.
by Bigfan16 on Oct 13, 2009 11:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I don't know if Gentry ready for a MLB roster spot
I also am hesitant to go with Borbon unless we have someone better than Gentry to back him up.
What do voluntary mean?
by JKolar on Oct 13, 2009 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I understand your position
From my POV the OF is cheap, productive, young, athletic. It will have a few warts through the season but this is their natural positions.
We have bigger problems than OF to address this off season and this alignment gives the team flexibility going forward.
by Bigfan16 on Oct 13, 2009 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
how about
Cruz RF
Borbon CF
Murphy/??? LF
Hamilton DH
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am ok with that as well
but when healthy Hamilton is a defensive asset iun the field, especially in a COF spot.
by Bigfan16 on Oct 13, 2009 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I want him to remain healthy.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
by RangerMad on Oct 13, 2009 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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