Michael Main talks about his Illness

Goyogringo

is not impressed, I’m sure.

G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....

by t ball on Oct 13, 2009 8:54 PM CDT reply actions 2 recs

He sucks ass

We just can’t bring our homer selfs to face that fact :)

The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...

by Kinslerhomer on Oct 13, 2009 9:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

"He sucks ass"

That type of comment is bound to get Goyogringo excited.

by BrentTaylor21 on Oct 13, 2009 10:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oops

I forgot :)

The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...

by Kinslerhomer on Oct 13, 2009 10:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm sure glad he is healthy. Hopefully he stays that way.

"Fuck those guys. They got lucky. I’m going to whip their ass the next time I take the mound."

by coltron34 on Oct 13, 2009 8:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I’d like to see what he can actually do over a full season. And the other thing is, another injury that makes him miss a chunk of a season could put him on the Thomas Diamond stunted development path.

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 9:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Apples to Oranges

Maine=High School
Diamond=College

Not to mention Diamond had no real signs of injury until after he had spent a year + in Double-A.

This is the Texas Rangers, professional destroyers of hope, we're talking about. - BAC

by nikpin on Oct 13, 2009 9:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Still very optimistic about him going forward

What we’ve seen from healthy Main has been scintillating.

I like steak.

by Conjunction on Oct 13, 2009 9:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Filed under "Never a good thing":

“Then we had a drug test and, when I peed, my urine was an iced tea color. It was brown. It was pretty gross. So I knew right then that we needed to see the doctor. I wasn’t feeling well at all that day. I saw a doctor and he was like, ‘Yeah, we need to check this out.’”

If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.

by GhettoBear04 on Oct 13, 2009 9:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

While it's not completely out of left field...

…I think it’s weird that they’re calling it a liver infection when his urine was that color. I think we heard some stuff about a metabolic issue earlier in the year, and that’s one of the main things I can think of that would have both liver issues and urine color changes. I’m more than a little concerned that it’s a genetic issue instead of a viral issue, but that a) they said it was viral, b) it showed up out of the blue relatively later on in his life, and c) he’s felling fine now all suggest that they’ve got it worked out well.

Still…unidentified infection of the liver isn’t the most satisfying of answers.

If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.

by GhettoBear04 on Oct 13, 2009 9:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ive done that,

of course I had gallstones blocking my bile duct at the time, which kind of backed up all my plumbing.

"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 14, 2009 6:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Different but similar.

Liver obviously isn’t connected to your kidneys. But if your liver is backed up, bilirubin levels raise in the blood, which then get filtered into your urine by your kidneys.

There are other metabolic disorders that could do the same thing, with bilirubin or other metabolites, and the fatigue would factor in there, too. But again, outside of maybe a bad case of Gilbert’s, there isn’t a metabolic disease that comes to mind that presents so late and is ‘treated’ how this one was.

If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.

by GhettoBear04 on Oct 14, 2009 8:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I was mostly comparing the color.

Nothing more disturbing than brown piss and yellowish eyes.

As far as Main, my experience with Doctors with family and friends tells me that there is still more we don’t know about the human body than we do know, and as good as our diagnostics are, they still aren’t close to good enough.

"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 14, 2009 8:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah. Mostly they just want to rule out deadly or debilitating things.

The cost to find out exactly what something is would be astronomical considering the mutations that viruses and bacteria undertake.

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 14, 2009 8:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ok

yea… I kinda figured. Between Him and Max we can hopefully expect one of them to re-emerge next year

Feliz says his greatest thrill was striking out Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz, one of his heroes. Yet, when he called to tell his parents, his mother had a request: Strike out New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, too.
"So when I did that," Feliz says, "I told my mom, 'There you go. There's your present. Don't ask me to strike anyone else out, OK?'

by blalock84 on Oct 13, 2009 9:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

good stuff

by blueballlefty on Oct 13, 2009 9:48 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

So with his late season stuff in Bakersfield

And a good winter is there a chance he gets the bump to Frisco or is he destined to go back to Bakersfield to start next year?

Either way is fine with me. I haven’t looked at the minors rosters lately so I don’t know who would be in possible rotations right now. I imagine if he does start in BAK he won’t be there long. June 1st probably is when he’d get the bump to Frisco.

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 10:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Main is a bonus right now in the system

I don’t count on him due to his injury history (Of course, this year’s injury was a fluke virus.), and with the additions of Gutierrez and Scheppers and our other arms, we can take our time with Main. There is no need to rush him or push him too hard. We always get glowing reports from Instructs, but we will need to start seeing his Instructs performance translate to performance during the season.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

by NothinG on Oct 13, 2009 10:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

So Main has a history of injury?

But you are ok counting on Scheppers?

The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love. ~Bryant Gumbel, 1981

by TxStCa on Oct 15, 2009 5:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

thanks for the link

to the jason cole interview with michael main.

2010? 2011? 2012? 2013? 2014? 2015?

by hurlerhurley on Oct 13, 2009 10:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think...

there are going to be a lot of people wondering why they dropped Main out of their top 10 Rangers prospects list.

The kid has a ton of talent and I think he’s going to break out in a big way next season.

Good stuff Jason.

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

by slc ranger on Oct 13, 2009 11:57 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I saw an article the other day...

that was talking about a possible viral cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. I wonder if this was something like that.

"Blalock in the cleanup spot makes gives me agita." - Dustin

by benmor78 on Oct 14, 2009 12:09 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not sure if I'm going out on a limb

but if he ever does get completely healthy, is it conceivable that this team could have 4 TORPs – Feliz, Holland, Perez, Main – with alot of other pitchers with good talent mixed in as well??

After Fuentes blows a save and an Angels loss to the Indians:
"Angels still in first place" - UCI Halo
"Hey you know who would have gotten those 3 outs in the 9th?
Darren O’Day." - FirebatM3
LOL

by hinduplaya on Oct 14, 2009 1:33 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I dunno if Holland is gonna be a true TORP

But yeah, it’s conceivable.

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 14, 2009 2:21 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Holland doesn't seem to have much deception in his delivery

and I disagree how he attacks ALL righties pretty much the same way—with too many inside pitches mostly fastballs and sliders. He couldn’t control his changeup to save his life which is also key against RHers. The cutter would be a nice pitch if Holland could develop that. Either way, Holland may top out at a 2 or 3, but he has potential.

Main — maybe he reaches that potential, but let’s take some baby steps with him. he has yet to pitch a full season in the minors.

What is so unique about the Rangers system is that any number of pitchers can step up and have break out years that we don’t have in our top ten. Remember just a couple years ago where Derek Holland ranked among the community prospect list — link

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

by NothinG on Oct 14, 2009 4:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed.

Depends on how you define it, but I’d be happy with a very solid No. 2 and I think he has that potential. Assuming he learns to pitch instead of throw, but I have to think the Rangers have the system in place to get him there.

If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.

by GhettoBear04 on Oct 14, 2009 8:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

See Hunter, T

"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 14, 2009 5:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And Schep

Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...

Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?

by Brian Thomas on Oct 14, 2009 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

From what I've read about Main, the keys for him are

whether his curveball has a sharp downward break and whether his changeup has continued to improve.

I’m really excited about Main again. Most folks can relate to how a dull feeling from a cold can make you feel insulated from everything around you for a couple of days. I can imagine how dealing with that for months can make it difficult for a professional athlete to be sharp physically. My excitement about Main has largely been tied to his athleticism that I’m guessing would lead to better ability than most to incorporate and be more consistent with mechanical adjustments. Hopefully, this year we find out about this ability with a full year of 120-150 innings.

Main, Scheppers, and Max are the three prospects that make the winter seem really, really long this year. I can’t wait to see how they do out of the gate next year.

Bakersfield and Frisco could have really nasty rotations:
Bakersfield: Main, Font, Wieland, Brigham, Boscan, (Pimentel, NeRa)
Frisco: Scheppers, Perez, Beavan, Kirkman, Bleier, (Gomez, Roark)

Bakersfield in particular could really bring the heat. They might not have a fastball below 91.

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 14, 2009 7:34 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

you're forgetting Daniel Gutierrez

in Frisco. I think people are overlooking him because he came from another organization, but I would definitely put him above Beavan, Kirkman, and Bleier.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

by NothinG on Oct 14, 2009 7:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

I’d put him above Kirkman and Bleier myself, maybe above The Beav as well.

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 14, 2009 7:57 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't mean to overlook him. I was on his bandwagon his breakout year in KC, and I'm just shocked

the Rangers were able to pluck him from KC. He’s right there with Scheppers as someone who might get a ML look late in 2010, if all goes just right for him.

Right, so Bleier probably has to wait his turn, and maybe he starts out in Bakersfield again for a bit and maybe Font or Weiland or both stays in extended to control innings. Quite a log jam.

Redhawks SP aren’t all that bad either. one or two of Feliz, Hunter, Harrison possibly, Mendoza, Kiker, Poveda, Mathis.

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 14, 2009 8:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Moscoso is probably a Redhawk as well.

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 14, 2009 8:27 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

it's pretty cool now

that our AAA rotation will be filled with prospects and young ML players. AA, A+ and A-, are stacked as well with some high upside arms.

It gives me goose bumps that we’re so close now. Even before this year started most impact pitchers other than Feliz and Holland were starting in A ball. (Kiker and Poveda are exceptions as well). You’ve got to think that if we can’t sign someone for a reasonable price that we would be able to trade for someone with our system as stacked as it is.

We could easily make a trade and it wouldn’t hurt. That’s why trades like the Danks and others like it got ripped so much. We were banking on that one prospect and if the player we got in return didn’t pan out, we were screwed. That’s not the case now.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

by NothinG on Oct 14, 2009 8:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So you think Kiker graduates?

Or did he already and I just missed it ?

If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.

by GhettoBear04 on Oct 14, 2009 8:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think he does

I also think he will make his Ranger debut sometime next year from the bullpen.

|Space for Rent|

by RangerMad on Oct 14, 2009 8:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have the AAA/ML SP depth (not a ranking, just current position in the org) as this:

Feldman
Millwood
Hunter
Holland
BMac
Harrison
Feliz
Nippert (swing man, so also a RP guy)
Mendoza
Mathis (also a possible ML RP guy)
Moscoso
Kiker
Poveda

Depth in AA on down is

Scheppers
Perez
Gutierrez
Beavan
Kirkman
Bleier
Gomez
Roark
Main
Font
Boscan
Weiland
Brigham
Pimentel
NeRa
Ross
Tullis

There are a couple of international free agents that could jump into that mix. And, I don’t know what to do with Ballard, Murphy, or Tatusko. I’m guessing they’ll be bullpen guy s to start the year and might move into a rotation after an injury or promotion.

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 14, 2009 8:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, but...

..when are the Rangers ever going to develop some homegrown pitching?

Scheppers, Perez, Gutierrez seems ridiculous for AA in a system that just brought up Holland and Feliz (and Hunter and Moscoso).

If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.

by GhettoBear04 on Oct 14, 2009 8:57 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

One more

I know you can’t really count on him for anything after the injury, but Hurley is still around, as well.

You figure Millwood and Feldman, and probably Hunter and Holland, are locks to start in the ML rotation. That leaves you one from Harrison/Feliz/McCarthy/Nippert/etc to fill out the rotation, with others going to the bullpen/AAA. Assuming Feliz breaks in the ML rotation, you’ve got McCarthy and Nippert to do something with (long relief? part of a trade for a RH bat?) with Harrison potentially in AAA as he returns from TOS surgery.

The AAA rotation? Pick 5 of Harrison/Hurley/Moscoso/Kiker/Mendoza/Poveda/anyone else I’m overlooking. Weird that there’s no AAAA/NRI-types there, and there’s really no room for them.

Then, as rooster mentioned, you’ve got all that depth at AA and down. Wow.

by Outworlder47 on Oct 14, 2009 9:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Doh. I can't believe I forgot Hurley. I've been asking Jason Cole and others about him.

Anyway, if Feliz/Harrison/Holland was the first wave, the next one might be a tsunami. Or, it might not if injuries and stagnant growth hit.

I was thinking the same thing about NRI. I think the bullpen might be the only place the Rangers make any NRI signings, barring a trade of 2-4 of the AAA-AA crowd.

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 14, 2009 9:13 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have no idea

why Holland would be a lock in the rotation.

"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 14, 2009 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Because he's possibly

Our most promising ML pitcher. A lefty with plus velocity, a plus breaking ball, plus command… a K/BB ratio better than 2, and more GBs than FBs.
After starting 2008 in low-A.

I like steak.

by Conjunction on Oct 14, 2009 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I guess I have the mistaken assumption

that this team is actually going to try to win something next year, rather than dick around coddling prospects. Yes, its clear Holland has talent, what isn’t clear after his year is if that needs to be developed in AAA or at the majors. In September he was 1-4 with a 8.20 ERA.

I have no problem with him competing for a spot, but he damn sure did nothing to become a lock in the rotation. Right now, if he can’t locate his fastball exactly, he is fucked because he has zero confidence in his secondary pitches, and there is a reasonable case for him to develop them in AAA.

"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 14, 2009 9:57 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The encouraging thing about Holland

The BB rate is 3.2/9.

If you want to compare with the ML staff, his 7.1/9 K rate led all Rangers starters (121.1 innings).

"[Font} doesn't turn 19 until the end of May and his heater can already hit 99 on the gun. That's baseball porn." - Jason Parks

by hightowersmith on Oct 14, 2009 10:02 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I assume, and hope

the team is worried much more about actual game results then K or BB rates, because the team is actually trying to win games, rather than be a farm club to the league like KC or Pittsburgh.

For all his K and BB rates, Holland folded if his fastball wasn’t working. Thats why he had so many 3 and 4 inning starts. If Holland’s secondary stuff isn’t looking dramatically better, I’d definitely have him star the year in AAA.

"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 14, 2009 10:06 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well...

I mean, if his fastball wasn’t working – and he folded – how did he keep striking out so many people?

And the low walk rate actually suggests he wasn’t hurting himself.

If the countables are solid it sounds like a problem of pitch selection or just commanding his mix on bad days. Control issues with young pitchers seem much dicier, especially the big fastball guys, so I’ll take it.

"[Font} doesn't turn 19 until the end of May and his heater can already hit 99 on the gun. That's baseball porn." - Jason Parks

by hightowersmith on Oct 14, 2009 11:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Player-hater

Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...

Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?

by Brian Thomas on Oct 14, 2009 9:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Because at 22...

…he made his big-league debut for the Rangers as a lefty who throws an average fastball of 92.5 mph. His ERA of 6.12 seems sure to regress closer to his FIP of 5.10 (though his tRA was 5.93), but consider that he had a BABIP of .321 and a LOB% of 64.7%. Even if he were an established starter, you would expect better things of him the next year. That he is a 22 year old in the major striking out almost 7 per 9 innings (which is actually significantly lower than the double-digit K/9 he put up at almost every level in the minors) suggests not only regression to a better ERA, but also genuine improvement as a player.

If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.

by GhettoBear04 on Oct 14, 2009 9:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Personally, I think the rotation spots after Feldman and Millwood are up for grabs among

Holland, BMac, Hunter, and Harrison with Feliz having an outside chance.

One thought I’ve had and haven’t completely thought through at this time is that either Harrison or Holland could move into the lefty specialist role (with the added benefit that either one could get out more than just the tough lefty). I’ll have to think this through some more and consider whether that makes sense as an option given the FA and trade markets. So, this would mean one of Holland/Harrison would be moved into the bullpen to fill Guardardo’s role (and more) with that person also being the first out of the pen to fill in when an injury happens.

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 14, 2009 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Holland as lefty specialist?

UGH.

Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...

Hi, Keith. Is this the year Edinson Volquez finally wins RoY?

by Brian Thomas on Oct 14, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

that just isn’t going to happen. Look, the kid is 22 and was in his first year in the bigs. He was going to struggle. For those who thought he was going to just come up and win the Cy Young this season was a reality check.

I’m still very high on Derek and think he could be a TORP.

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

by slc ranger on Oct 14, 2009 5:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't disagree, and I'm not advocating it. I just think it will be an open competition for 3-5.

One of the options they could consider is to move one of Harrison or Holland to the pen. Falling back on an in-house option

I think what is more likely is one of Hunter or Harrison is in a deal this offseason in which case 3-5 would go to Holland, BMac and the one of Hunter/Harrison not dealt with Feliz having an outside shot. But, if the trade brought back another SP, there is still the possibility they go with the guys out of ST that look sharpest, and Holland might still be a bullpen guy in that situation.

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 14, 2009 5:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think

the fact that I don’t think he has locked up a starting spot for next year means that he may not be a TORP down the road.

I just think, overall, he gave little reason to think he’d be an effective rotation pitcher for a team that is in competition for the playoffs. If he has a good offseason, or if he looks better than the competition, sure, but he was a below Replacement level starter according to VORP last year, and that damn well shouldn’t guarantee him a rotation slot.

"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 14, 2009 5:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs