Friday morning stuff
by Adam J. Morris on Nov 20, 2009 9:13 AM CST
237 comments
So, today, we have the story out that Michael Young has been named Rangers player of the year by the local BBWAA chapter. No surprise there.
Jayson Stark says that talk between the Marlins and Rangers in regards to Dan Uggla got pretty "hot and heavy" at the GM meetings. The only thing that is more surprising to me than the Rangers having serious interest in Uggla is the number of Ranger fans who seem to be on board with the idea of bringing Uggla here to be the DH.
Let's be realistic...if the Rangers add Uggla, who will be making $7-8 million in 2010, that's it as far as significant offseason moves go. They've got no more money of note to spend once Uggla is added. So unless you are planning on moving C.J. Wilson or Frankie Francisco or Ian Kinsler -- and really, adding Uggla only makes sense to me if you are planning on trading Kinsler -- then Uggla is your big offseason addition.
And Uggla isn't that great an option as a DH. He's a .281 career EQA guy who had a .280 EQA last season and turns 30 this offseason. He's valuable as a second baseman, but as a DH, he's just decent. And he's certainly not worth $7-8 million.
And forget about the idea that the Marlins will just give him away to you for the equivalent of Michael Hernandez or Steve Shoemaker...teams that need a second base are going to value Uggla, and will be willing to give up prospects to get him. So the price to land Uggla is going to involve names like Kasey Kiker or Robbie Ross or Engel Beltre.
Adding Uggla as a DH doesn't make sense.
Moving on...Randy Galloway has a column about Tom Hicks' efforts to retain ownership of the Rangers. Honestly, I can't imagine how any Ranger fan can feel anything but sickened about the idea that Hicks would stay on board as teh owner of the team. Galloway mentions that Roger Staubach being part of Hicks' group is obviously a p.r. coup, but I don't care if Hicks gets Staubach, or Rupert Murdoch, or if Jesus Christ himself came down from heaven and joined Hicks' group...
Tom Hicks has to go, and after the embarrassment that the last year has been, in terms of ownership, Hicks somehow figuring out a way to keep the team would be a gut punch.
Some quotes from Galloway's column:
Then came the official, yet convoluted, word from Hicks on Wednesday. He wants to remain as majority owner.
At the ballpark, you would have thought a large sewer line just erupted.
Talking to several different employees Thursday, there was heavy depression noted.
"I work for Tom, I wanted Tom to be successful at this, but, frankly, we can’t sell Tom," said one. "Our fans, for the most part, will not buy Tom. And our former season-ticket holders, and we’d lost a lot of those because of Mr. Hicks, will not come back if Tom is still the owner."
That’s not news. Anyone in the media with an e-mail address can tell you that. We’ve heard enough of it over the years.
Hicks, as far as I can tell, is certainly not a hated boss by the baseball people who work for him. He’s just considered hopeless as an owner. Fans normally respond to the product on the field, and attendance did grow last season, but ...
"No one says it publicly, but there was disappointment that we didn’t draw better, based on how well the team played into September," said an employee. "Yes, attendance was up, but it was up from one of our worst years ever at the gate. The perception of the team, unfortunately, still has a lot to do with the perception of Mr. Hicks, including, of late, all the financial difficulty."
After the embarrassment Hicks has been to MLB the past year, and after everything that has gone on during his stewardship the past decade, I can't imagine MLB is going to let Hicks keep the team if there is another viable group out there.
The very idea of him staying on, when his problems have ended up hamstringing this club during the 2009 season and in 2010, when the Rangers should be prepared to make a significant financial commitment to the major league team to get them over the hump, and instead are back to "bottom fishing," as John Hart put it after the 2004 season, nauseates me.
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I'm not sure that's the choice, exactly
I understand the devil you know/devil you don’t argument, but at this point I’d go with the latter.
Not mediocre. Right about average
JD
Why would he be leaving? I figure any prospect ownership group is doing their due diligence with regards to the situation surrounding the Rangers. While asking around knowledgeable baseball people, there must be plenty of praise for the job JD has done (queue Josey in 3, 2, 1…). I just don’t see why new ownership would necessitate a new front office.
by Excel Hearts Choi on Nov 20, 2009 9:23 AM CST up reply actions
Oops
Should read “prospective ownership group…”. Sorry.
by Excel Hearts Choi on Nov 20, 2009 9:24 AM CST up reply actions
I'm focused on Hicks right now and my standard line regarding
our present GM is as follows ….
“Regarding everybody worrying about Little Boy Donuts. If he’s as good as most of you think, he’ll find a way to survive.”
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
Not bad
Backhanded or straight applause, the fact remains that some of the appeal of owning the Rangers (thus a Ranger asset) is JD’s work in building the system that is in place. Of course he didn’t do it alone. But like good symphony orchestras, where the conductor contributes to audience appeal, a baseball GM does orchestrate what the players produce.
"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 Nov 20, 2009 10:00 AM CST up reply actions
just a hypothetical
but it’s also a possibility with new ownership, and seeing how Hicks keeps talking about ‘continuity’ within the organization. Maybe he knows something we don’t…
usa
Simply
because a lot of the time, new management means new managers under them. That’s not to say that’s definitely the case here, but it sure could be.
No matter, Hicks has to go.
Any of the current buyers over Hicks....
it has been said over and over…Hicks has to go…the franchise would probably be fine financially either way but the entire organization needs a mental cleansing which begins and ends with the removal of Hicks as the owner
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
by GhostofSteveFoucault on Nov 20, 2009 9:25 AM CST up reply actions
I am ready for new ownership
I would hope they’d keep the current group in place, but the possibility that they wouldn’t isn’t enough to make me root for Hicks to stay.
by Adam J. Morris on Nov 20, 2009 9:35 AM CST up reply actions
Can you imagine the possibilities of a team with this much
talent in The Show and in the pipeline also having the flexibility to rock a $ 100 million payroll?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
Dont jinx it man ha
"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 Nov 20, 2009 9:43 AM CST up reply actions
Cave
The Texas Rangers are THE sleeping giant in MLB.
We could be a regional juggernaut if put into the right hands and do exactly what Philadelphia and LAAA did earlier in the decade.
They’ll need to win but if you have an owner that demonstrates he truly gives a shit about the product, this team will easily average 35,000+ per night.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
you're about to bone me out Josey...
stop teasing me.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
I wonder who it was...
that assembled all that talent the Rangers are going to have in The Show?
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Nolan traded for Feliz, Nolan drafted Smoak, Nolan drafted Derek Holland
and Nolan will take this team off Hicks’s hands
Never thought about it this way
The constant through the years has been Hicks. And now, even when it looks like things could be going to right way he’s managed to screw it up again – this time by having no money to add a piece here and a piece there. Granted, I’m sure it wasn’t his “choice” that HSG be a financial blackhole but it’s still his fault. If a new owner also means losing JD I guess I’m OK with that. There’s a chance the new owner might be even worse than Hicks but it’s hard to imagine how that could happen.
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.
Well, if JDs response is to sign Dan Uggla
I’ll go with new owner, and take chances with new management.
"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 Nov 20, 2009 9:44 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
If JD does make a trade,
I don’t think we will know about the teams/players involved until it happens. The Tex trade being the exception, I can’t remember the last time we traded for someone and knew about the rumor ahead of time.
I love me some JD...
but I don’t know about that.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Hicks makes himself look worse than he really is
What he’s done this past year also doesn’t help, but he really hasn’t done nearly as much as some other owners have to be hated that much. The problem is that he sucks at PR and constantly says the wrong things at the wrong times.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Hicks
Well stated. His world is really collapsing around him with the Rangers situation and the burgeoning disaster that is Liverpool.
Not mediocre. Right about average
You mean the involvement of Roger Staubach doesn't "excite" you?
Great take, Adam.
I would think our greatest hope is that MLB won’t approve HSG selling the team to Tom Hicks & Co. for some of the reasons you stated but it’s never wise to depend on the kindness of strangers.
The comments from the anonymous Ranger employee are quite telling and apparently fans will stay away from a team because of the owner. Uh, told ya’ so.
Regarding everybody worrying about Little Boy Donuts. If he’s as good as most of you think, he’ll find a way to survive.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
Actually
Haven’t you been telling us that JD was the reason fans were staying away?
I seem to remember a lot more of you pushing that line than putting the blame on Hicks, where I’d agree it belongs.
"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
RCCook
We have all off-season to critique JD and quite honestly there is a tremendous amount of ammunition on my side of the fence.
That’s not the issue right now and whether or not JD has the moxie to survive is up to him.
If JD getting run is a part of the collateral damage with an ownership change, that’s something that still has to happen because the present ownership is intolerable.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
Josey
Did I say anything about JD getting run, whether he survives an ownership change, or evaluating his tenure as GM?
I was responding to your back-slapping comment that you were right about Hicks being the reason that the fans weren’t coming to the park, by pointing out how many times you’ve blamed Daniels for the same thing.
Josey-bot 5000 really needs to work on his reading comprehension skills if he’s going to pass for human. Spouting memes non-stop is the first sign that you’re one of the metal ones…
"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
RC
You’re looking for a JD War and although I would absolutely kick your ass in it because I’m me and you’re you plus I have an unlimited amount of ammunition but I’m not going to give it to you here.
So many people in LSB piss & moan about me ripping on Little Boy Donuts but the truth of the matter is that they can’t get enough of it.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 10:19 AM CST up reply actions
No, I'm not
But whatever makes you feel better about yourself, Internet Tough Guy.
"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
don't feed the troll
the more I read JW’s posts, the more I’m convinced it’s performance art designed solely to get a response.
Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
Dykstra has all the money!
ElectricOkra.com
No
I’m just educating the masses that if JD is a part of the collateral damage in an ownership change it’s not the end of the world.
There are other very talented GMss available and personally, I think JD would be safe in his first year but he better not shit the bed like he did in 2007 or all bets are off.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 10:29 AM CST up reply actions
I like ice cream.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
by slc ranger on Nov 20, 2009 10:30 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
You're also an atheist.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 10:33 AM CST up reply actions
I love lamp
"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 Nov 20, 2009 10:43 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain
The gig is up, Josey. Take your organ grinder and go home.
Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
Dykstra has all the money!
ElectricOkra.com
I love you.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
I don’t see how being a talented GM can prevent a capricious firing. Whether or not he stays will depend not on how good he is, but how good he is perceived to be by those with the power to make that decision as well as the ‘direction’ they want to go.
This isn’t a reality show where you can finagle your way to the final week with disingenuous wheelings and dealings.
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Nov 20, 2009 9:36 AM CST up reply actions
The deadline is today, correct?
Is there a certain time of day attached to this deadline?
I need to get my cyanide capsules ready. I got extras for anyone else.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
What happens to our ownership
is THE singular most important thing going on with This Thing.
If you don’t think so, take a good honest look at the last 10 years.
This is bigger than any GM hire, free agent signing, trade or draft pick.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
I agree.
I will lose I don’t know what if Hicks holds onto the team.
Are they going to announce the “winner” today? That’s what I want to know. I’m getting sick to my stomach.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
I put in an offer...
I bought the silverdome for $500k, so I’m feeling lucky.
Nope, but Josey's onboard...
…so i’m sure Jamey’s just as excited about my group.
by rclarkjd10 on Nov 20, 2009 10:16 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Today's the deadline to submit proposals
Then Hicks has to review them (f’n weird to think about). After that I’m not sure what happens. Does Hicks take the one offer he likes to MLB andd NHL for their blessing? Or does he submit them all with his personal take on which one he supports?
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.
I have a man crush on Rich Harden...
Spend that 7-8 million on him. Huge strikeout numbers and a TORP when he’s healthy, which I know is almost never.
ugh
i like him too but i dont think a team with our budgetary limitations can afford to take on health-risk pitchers, unless they are NRI types.
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Nov 20, 2009 9:39 AM CST up reply actions
I think this is exactly what we need...
risky, but potential huge reward. We can’t afford Lackey or Halladay (even if he’d come here), so why not try to get our ace on the cheap. If it doesn’t work, we’re right where we started. He’s the only pitcher i’m interested in among the FAs.
Because you’d be putting virtually all of your FA acquisition money into one guy, one who might very possibly start only 10 games. It’d be one thing if we were looking at a base salary of 1 mil plus incentives or something. But acquiring harden will basically cost more than we likely even have to spend for this offseason. And he seems like a virtual lock to miss significant time.
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Nov 20, 2009 9:52 AM CST up reply actions
I'd rather...
the Rangers put than money into Harden than into Uggla on top of giving up a couple good prospects.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Financially it is a risk,
but I agree with you. Harden would fill a need and Uggla doesn’t.
and when Harden goes down
that’s when you plug Feliz into the rotation after stretching him out in the minors.
well its not like
we have to spend it on either of those guys. given the choice, id prefer harden too, but i dont think either of those acquisitions would be very prudent for our situations.
by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Nov 20, 2009 12:09 PM CST up reply actions
but Harden is almost the pitching equivalent to Milton Bradley
you know beyond almost a shadow of a doubt that he will not be healthy the whole year. You are merely crossing your fingers that he’s healthy 80% of the time instead of 20%. This team cannot afford to spend such a huge chunk of their disposable money on a single high risk guy.
What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.
I'd rather have than a 80% chance of winning 25 starts...
than a much lower chance of winning 35. After Harden/Lackey, most of the available pitchers aren’t upgrades on what we already have. I guess at that point we should just look at hitters.
I still think kick the tires on Sheets
What do voluntary mean?
sucks to be poor
With money, we’d be talking about Lackey and Bay, but poor teams like us have to settle for damaged goods like Harden and Bradley
I'd also take Harden
regardless of our financial situation
I'd rather have Harden over Lackey
sure he is injury prone, but it’s not like Lackey has had a clean bill of health the last couple years. Also, Lackey will get more money, over WAY more years. Lackey is a stupid investment.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Agree with all of this
Harden is injury prone but is a beasticon when healthy. 15-20 starts of Harden are more valuable than 30 starts out of some of the other options
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
I don't know if I would say 15 Harden starts are more valuable than 30 Lackey starts
Depends on who fills in during those 15 starts that Harden doesn’t make. If its a rookie Feliz or 2nd year Holland then its probably a toss-up or its probably even more valuable to have Lackey in that case.
The reason i’d rather have Harden over Lackey is Lackey is going to demand a 4+ year deal. Harden is at most a 2 year deal.
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.
Well, I wasn't necessarily comparing Harden to Lackey
That was more to the point that Harden is extremely good, and a partial season out of him is more valuable than a full season out of most of the guys who fill the 30 rotations in MLB.
15 Harden starts are probably not more valuable than 30 Lackey starts, but once you take into account the contracts the two are likely to receive and factor in that both are injury risks, I think I’d take Harden over Lackey.
"Dying ain't hard. It’s living in the wake of a thorough public humiliation that’s hard.--JDT217
Internet greatness http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/11/10/1125340/will-carroll-calls-out-josey-wales
Anyone think it's possible that JD was talking to the Marlins
about Nolasco/Johnson and the name Uggla came up. I think it is generally accepted around here that JD is a smart cookie. Uggla alone makes little sense. I’m purely speculating, but from past experience, the actual execution of trades can be different from the rumor. I’m still kicking around ideas in my head what would be the best trade scenario for each team. Nolasco/Uggla for Davis or Cruz, anyone not named Feliz, Holland, Perez or Scheppers, Kiker. I personally don’t want to give up on Davis or Cruz, but what else can we trade, Kinsler?
Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador
Would you guys take Uggla
if the Marlins said you had to in order to get Nolasco/Johnson?
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Nov 20, 2009 9:46 AM CST up reply actions
I don't know
The Marlins are damn good at maximizing return on trades. They do this about every 3-4 years. I can see them using Nolasco as the big asset and sliding Uggla in as the salary dump. Nolasco brings back the most talent and Uggla steals you maybe 1 more prospect based on name recognition.
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Nov 20, 2009 9:51 AM CST up reply actions
Last time they threw in someone as salary dump they got back Hanley
So thats the type of guy we would have to let go to get Nolasco/Uggla
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.
OK
Well imagine if they target a guy like beltre and he exceeds everyones expectations
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.
I'd be cool with that
But Hanley was in AA or AAA at the time of that trade. And was a more highly touted prospect.
But if I could get Uggla and Johnson/Nolasco for Beltre, Kiker/Ross + another mid-level prospect, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
To get both
You are probably talking Feliz/Perez, Beltre, Ross, +possibly another prospect
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.
I meant to
compare it to the package they received for Beckett and Lowell.
Remember the package the Rangers were floating around?
Danks/Volquez, Blalock +.
The Sox sent back Hanely (their no. 3 prospect according to BA), Anibal Sanchez + low A pitcher
OK
Which means a package of Perez (anywhere from 1-3 on most peoples lists and in AA like Hanley was), Beltre, and Ross would be pretty close to what they got in the Beckett deal.
Beckett was better than Nolasco is but Uggla is way better than Lowell was so its pretty comparable
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.
I don't think
Nolasco is the equivalent of Beckett at that time though.
Well Uggla is alot better than what Lowell was though
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.
I imagine Uggla has more value than as a salary dump
for the Marlins. I think there were several other teams actually targeting just him for his bat, so I don’t see him being a lumped in piece for a trade.
Uggla doesn't have negative value
the only guys who are tacked on to trades the way you described are guys with negative value.
What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.
But
you are dealing with an exception to the rule when you discuss a Marlins team that rolls with a payroll less than A-Rod’s annual salary. Perhaps the offers they have gotten for Uggla straight up aren’t what they expected. Therefore, package those 2 together and try to get one big haul back. Just a theory based solely on the Marlins miniscule payroll
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Nov 20, 2009 9:59 AM CST up reply actions
Uggla
You would never have to “take him in order to Nolasco/Johnson”.
Uggla has value to a team that needs a 2B. We just aren’t that team.
by Darrell McKown on Nov 20, 2009 10:00 AM CST up reply actions
That would make a lot of sense
for the Marlins.
Kinda like when they traded Beckett along with Mike Lowell.
The return was Hanley Ramirez (whom nobody expected to be this good) but it turned out nicely for the Red Sox, too.
no,
because in that trade Willis had extreme negative value. none of these marlin players are analogous to Willis.
What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.
Not to that extreme.
But Uggla is going to get expensive and isn’t a very good 2b. I’d put it closer to marginal value than negative value.
his future value is as a corner man
which I think the Giants were actually targeting him as in a trade. Nobody wants his defense at 2nd.
Uggla
I don’t get why the Rangers would be after Uggla either. He does take a lot of walks (good) but isn’t a great average hitter and strikes out a ton (bad). I don’t see how that fits into the new offensive approach.
"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
I'm saying they are going after Nolasco/Johnson
and the Marlins say before we have that little convo, Uggla is a must in the deal. The article said they got “hot and heavy.” IMO, Nolasco/Johnson would have to be in the conversation for JD to get involved in “hot and heavy” negotiations. I don’t want to trade any of the starters on this team, but I can’t see JD pulling off the trade otherwise. I assume the phenoms are off the table.
Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador
Gotcha, Parman
I also wonder if maybe if the Rangers did take Uggla in that scenario, if they wouldn’t look to flip him to another team for a player that fits their needs better.
"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
I like that idea
I’m not sure I like the trade, but it is defensible. Nolasco or Johnson = super sexy potential.
Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador
in that scenario
it might as well be a 3-team trade. perhaps the Giants could be the third team.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
I like this idea
It makes more sense. Uggla to Texas just isn’t feasible. Giants get Uggla. We get Nolasco and the Marlins get a solid prospect from each club. I could live with that.
that's just pure speculation on your part though
not even a rumor to support it.
If they’re targeting Uggla, they seem him as bat to fill in the lineup.
His ability to hit doesn't concern me all that much
This guy puts up good power numbers and draws a healthy number of walks. Even with his lower batting average he’ll provide some of that protection that this line-up needs. He actually has been a pretty consistent hitter the past four years. You know what you are going to get with him. .250 BA, 30 homers, 80-90 walks, 150 strikeouts. If the price tag weren’t that high I’d definitely insert that into our questionable line-up. If he could play a decent LF and spell at 2B I would be happy to have him.
The problem that is correctly noted is that he simply doesn’t fit our budget. This team doesn’t need a one piece fix and he most certainly wouldn’t be that anyways. He’s just a good piece that can provide good offensive production and protection in the line-up. Unless Millwood is unloaded, which would be a bad thing, I don’t see this happening.
I don't pay enough attention to the Senior Circuit...
but didn’t Uggla’s game go dramatically downhill after that 3 error performance in the ASG a couple of years ago. I thought his D became horrible… but that may just be my perception.
We had already worked up something to move him onward would be my guess
Someone else liked him but didn’t have what the Marlins are asking for. I don’t like it because it would be us taking a risk on getting stuck with Uggla, but I could see it happen.
What do voluntary mean?
Jesus
I personally would support Hicks’ bid if he could get Jesus on board since, being fully divine, he should know the future and would therefore be a big advantage in player acquisition. Also, many players, especially from Latin America, are Christian and would likely jump at the chance to play for the Messiah. Nice write up Adam but you missed on this point!
"When you play happy, good things will happen"-Elvis Andrus
by pblack on Nov 20, 2009 9:52 AM CST reply actions 2 recs
Ah, Jesus
I like him very much, but he no help with curveball.
"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 Nov 20, 2009 9:54 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Are you saying jesus cant hit a curveball??
"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg
christ, let's not start a holy war here, rentz
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
If it stops all this malarky
About Angels in the Outfield, might be worth a venture.
"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 Nov 20, 2009 10:08 AM CST up reply actions
You should see Major League sometime.
It’s a great movie.
tried to keep it in context
saying Harris would have been weird to me :)
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Hey...
The Rangers should stay relatively healthy all year if Jesus was involved with the team too.
Feliz : “Damn Jesus, my shoulder hurts, I think I may need TJ surgery.”
Jesus : " You’re healed my child, now go out and finish winning your Cy Young award."
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
I'm going to hell for laughing at that, aren't I?
Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
Dykstra has all the money!
ElectricOkra.com
TJ surgery for his shoulder?
that would be new
by kevinkinsler on Nov 20, 2009 10:28 AM CST up reply actions
He's Jesus...
anyone can do TJ surgery on an elbow now days.
I wondered if someone would catch that.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
who says Jesus' goal would be winning?
He’s always been one for spreading the wealth, so maybe he trades away some of our best prospects to losing teams…
But...
Jesus said only the Father knew the times and dates of the end, so maybe his predictive skills aren’t what you hope. And if it’s Latin America you’re worried about, I say we recruit Mary.
True about the end
But Jesus did know that Peter would deny him, that he would be crucified and he nailed Nathanael before he even met him. His short term precognitive abilities may be just enough to give us a leg up in player evaluation and advanced scouting.
"When you play happy, good things will happen"-Elvis Andrus
What I want to see...
Jesus negotiating with Scott Boras. That would be fun to watch.
by smalls on Nov 20, 2009 10:05 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Didn't that already happen once?
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
by GhettoBear04 on Nov 20, 2009 10:54 AM CST up reply actions
Boston/Indy
Does Simmons’ column today change your stance on 4th-and-2 at all, Adam?
"[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 Nov 20, 2009 10:16 AM CST reply actions
No
I don’t agree with him that the chances of succeeding on that play are the same as the changes of a generic team succeeding on a 2 point conversion.
by Adam J. Morris on Nov 20, 2009 10:20 AM CST up reply actions
The comparison to a two-point conversion situation is a sidetrack to the main point, which is about punting there.
But you’re saying a two-point conversion has more of a running dimension for the offense?
"[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 Nov 20, 2009 10:26 AM CST up reply actions
i think you'd be more apt to run from your own 29 than on a two point conversion
the depth of the endzone requires that defenders line up close to the ball.
I think if Belicheck would have kept at least one running back in, instead of going five-wide, then the spread out defense would have been easier to pick up two yards on the ground…I’m thinking fake the slant and draw. I think that would be ballsy, but then again, you’re going for it on 4th & 2 inside your own 30…
by kevinkinsler on Nov 20, 2009 10:32 AM CST up reply actions
x
1. Kevin Durant made the 2008-09 Zombie Sonics worse.
Sounds laughable to Bill, but I agree with the Mavs stat guy. Well, up to a point, at least.
The new Simmons book
made me go to Youtube to watch some old NBA games plus Maravich highlights as well.
Game 7 ’69 Finals
Game 5 ’72 Finals
Game 6 ’74 Finals
I still have a man crush on Jerry West and despise the Boston Celtics with every fiber in my being.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 10:36 AM CST up reply actions
Payroll
I think that the Phillies are a great comparison for what I would like the Rangers to be like. They are the fifth largest metro area in the US and close to Dallas at fourth (5.8 million to 6.3 million respectively). Chicago is third with 9.5 million.
They are 8th this year in payroll at $113 million. But this probably represents a high-point for their salary in terms of them adding payroll with them adding to their normal max with playoff/World Series revenues. Here are their salaries for the three previous years:
2008: $98.2 million
2007: $89.4 million
2006: $88.2 million
I’m not saying I expect this to happen to the Rangers. I am just saying that’s what I would consider to be a reasonable goal, to push the team salary steadily up to 5th-15th range, and maybe higher if they can have some success in (getting to) the playoffs.
If Brad Pitt is playing Beane who do you want playing you?
JD: Eddie Guardado.
Look what also happened to Philly's attendance
from around 2002 to now.
That is the organization the Rangers need to be modeling themselves after, not the freaking Tampa Bay Rays.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 10:31 AM CST up reply actions
Thats where I expect us to be starting next year
Right now to get to that payroll we would have to make trades for guys with contracts like Uggla. Even signing a few FAs most likely only gets you to 85 million.
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.
does all that mean we're going to be seeing Jamie Moyer
in a Rangers’ uniform in the not too distant future?
They also got a shiny, new stadium in 2004
That’s always good for a bump in attendance.
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.
And revenue which always helps to increase payroll
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.
rumors out of Chicago
that the Mets, Cubs and Rangers are talking about a three team deal involving Castillo, Millwood and Bradley, with money coming to the Rangers.
Nothing new here, but the rumors won’t die.
What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.
the link
http://twitter.com/ChiTribRogers/status/5892977403
What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.
If we get rid of Millwood
We better have a veteran targetted to replace him. I don’t feel comfortable with a rotation where Feldman and McCarthy are our most senior guys next year
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.
yeah
i’m not all the pumped about a deal like this going through. Bradley is owed so much that the money coming back would have to be significant, and even if we can have him for only $5M per for the next two years, there is no guarantee that he’ll be worth that.
I would rather keep Millwood and try to sign Vlad for something around $5 on a one year deal, perhaps two if that’s what it takes.
What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.
Chicago and NY sports writers appeasing their crowds
Millwood has positive value, neither of the other two do. Why would we include Millwood in a deal just for money. If we are going to contend next year I have to imagine Millwood is going to be a decent part of it.
What do voluntary mean?
Uggla; Hicks
If the Rangers are talking to Florida about Nolasco, Kinsler may be part of the price and Uggla’s name might come up as a way of widening the deal.
Maybe I’m being too optimistic, but I’m just not that worried that Hicks will keep the team. I just don’t see the other owners wanting him around after the last year or so of embarrassment. They’ll want new blood, and will likely see the PR value of having Nolan Ryan as part of a group that in no way includes Hicks.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Kinsler
If he’s part of the price, then they should just end the talks
"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg
Yeah, I wouldn't
want to give up Kinsler, even for Nolasco.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Nolasco vs Kinsler straight up is not a fair deal
we need to add pieces, not get rid of them
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
I also wouldn't want to be replacing Kinsler
with Uggla at 2nd in that deal.
No shit
Dan Uggla is not a fucking second baseman.
"It's kind of a new stat that's in vogue" - Joe Buck on OPS
"...he wasn’t a good hitter, just a good middle of the order bat that hit a lot of homers." - NYTXFAN on Mark McGwire
Fuck Omar
@Ken_Rosenthal White Sox close on Vizquel. One year deal to be backup
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
Yeah really
He’s going to second team in the town
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 10:41 AM CST up reply actions
Definitively
more high profile than the Texas 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"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 10:41 AM CST up reply actions
Less chance at a ring
The Chi Sox blow.
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 10:43 AM CST up reply actions
They probably have a better shot at making the playoffs next year than the Rangers do.
by LiamP on Nov 20, 2009 10:55 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Won't win anything
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 10:56 AM CST up reply actions
don't forget
that they have Jake Peavy now. That substantially improves their chances.
To bad he has to leave Petco and the NL West....
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 11:20 AM CST up reply actions
But really
their offense and defense isn’t that good.
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 11:21 AM CST up reply actions
probably more opportunity for playing time
as a backup there than as one here.
Behind Beckham and that Cuban dude
God im drawing a blank on his name
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.
Dayan Viciedo
But his not that good
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 11:22 AM CST up reply actions
Duh, my bad
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 11:32 AM CST up reply actions
Alexis Ramirez
Ramirez is injury prone, and Beckham may be playing 3rd I think…
I thought they moved him to second
Didn’t they just trade for a 3B?
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.
Yep
Beckham to 2B, Teahen to 3B
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 11:32 AM CST up reply actions
maybe
but my point was with all the moving pieces and uncertainty about who’s going to be where, I expect there’s more opportunity for Omar to get on the field. With Texas he’s basically waiting for someone to get injured because Kinsler, MY, and probably Elvis will be out there nearly everyday.
But theres little to no uncertainty
When they made the trade for Teahan they stated that he would be the 3B and they said toward the end of last year Beckham is the 2B along with Ramirez at SS. Its essentially the same as it is here in Texas. 3 guys who are the everyday players no questions asked so unless injury strikes you are talking about very very little playing time.
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.
RT @VictorRojas29: RT @ChiTribRogers: Cubs, Mets and Rangers have talked abt Millwood to NY, Castillo to Chi & Bradley/money to Tx.
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
Yeah
Maybe then we have some money for Ben Sheets?
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 10:42 AM CST up reply actions
Or by money
They just mean the Cubs are eating a portion of his salary
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.
Bradley @ DH + A healthy Sheets
would make me feel better than Uggla/Millwood.
"you stupid motherfucker?!?!!?" - Josey Wales
the existence of a healthy Sheets
is pure agent talk right now. The guy still hasn’t started more than throwing off flat ground more than a year after his surgery. I really think he may be close to done but his agent just doesn’t want to admit it, and is trying to squeeze one final contract out of someone.
From MLBTR
We talked to a source familiar with the situation who said that this deal is not being discussed.
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 11:02 AM CST up reply actions
How can you be "familiar with the situation"
if there is no discussion? If there’s no discussion, then there’s no situation right?
"you stupid motherfucker?!?!!?" - Josey Wales
by cmkelly29 on Nov 20, 2009 11:05 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
maybe there are talks between the clubs or about Bradley
but not about that deal
do you choose
to ignore my posts out of principle?
What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.
Naw
Just missed it somehow
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
by Kinslerhomer on Nov 20, 2009 11:31 AM CST up reply actions
I do have to admit being shocked by the candidness
of the person quoted in the RG column.
He wasn’t talking to some old woman in a ticket booth and I get a feeling I know who he did speak with…kudos for your courage, sir.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
I do too...
and it’s the “We can’t sell Tom” part that kinda gives it away.. no?
"you stupid motherfucker?!?!!?" - Josey Wales
now that you mention it....
Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
Dykstra has all the money!
ElectricOkra.com
I'm thinking you're confused here...
or I am? I don’t know.
"you stupid motherfucker?!?!!?" - Josey Wales
We're thinking of different people, methinks...
Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
Dykstra has all the money!
ElectricOkra.com
I don't think it was Nolan.
He’s playing his cards very close to the vest right now.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 10:52 AM CST up reply actions
You're playing
without a full deck.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Nov 20, 2009 11:11 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Yep.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 10:47 AM CST up reply actions
Just to confirm...
we’re assuming it’s the first 2 letters in my username right? I feel guilty coming right out and saying his name.
"you stupid motherfucker?!?!!?" - Josey Wales
shhhhhhh
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 10:53 AM CST up reply actions
Don't feel too guilty. I haven't broke your code, even after looking at
Not that it really matters that I know who it is. I’m more interested in who the quote was really directed toward. Was he just answering RG’s question OR was it a public signal to MLB OR something else?
Pro baseball has always been a dream, so this is pretty freakin’ cool out here. -- Tim Steggall, undrafted Rangers minor leaguer.
STRICTLY Speculation here...
but I get the feeling it was Chuck Morgan. I could be COMPLETELY wrong about that, but it’s just the vibe I got.
"you stupid motherfucker?!?!!?" - Josey Wales
Then I too was thinking of someone else
the initials JB, possibly.
Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
Dykstra has all the money!
ElectricOkra.com
You know...
I didn’t even think of him. You’re probably right.
"you stupid motherfucker?!?!!?" - Josey Wales
Sorry to make you spell it out. I remembered Chuck after I posted.
I was confused at first because I didn’t see his name on the front office list in the link above.
Nothing like a mutiny to let the Captain know he is no longer in charge.
Pro baseball has always been a dream, so this is pretty freakin’ cool out here. -- Tim Steggall, undrafted Rangers minor leaguer.
In the RG story
. Ryan is still considered the Great Credibility Hope by most all who work at the ballpark, although there’s one small pocket of resistance to Nolan, which is another story.
What is he referring to?
Who would have any motivation whatsoever to
resist what Nolan Ryan brings to the table?
Hmmmmm.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 10:54 AM CST up reply actions
I would imagine with the emergence of Tiny E and an 87 win season there's some
“See-I-know-what-I’m-doing” resentment from JD and that he believes he should be able to make trades without getting approval from on high.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 11:15 AM CST up reply actions
Nobody else could have a problem with Nolan
and it only stands to reason that JD would harbor resentment at being publilcy castrated by Tom Hicks given the success of the team this year.
I just can’t think of anybody else who would be resentful of Nolan Ryan in the Ranger organization because he’s been nothing but a positive.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
"Business as usual." - Tom Hicks on the Ranger off-season 11/19/09
by Josey Wales on Nov 20, 2009 11:22 AM CST up reply actions
The only resentment is when people like you
give him all the credit for the success we have and are having when he has essentially piggybacked onto JD. The core moves that have put us where we are today were done by JD. Nolan had nothing to do with Elvis, Feliz, Holland, Hamilton, Cruz, or Kinsler being here yet is getting all the credit from blowhards like you. And whats even more amazing is how he escapes blame on anything that goes wrong.
it would be different for me at least if you ever laid blame at his feet but you don’t. In fact you make it a point to make sure you exclude him whenever blame is being doled out
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.
Lots of people could have a problem with Nolan, especially on the business side.
Pro baseball has always been a dream, so this is pretty freakin’ cool out here. -- Tim Steggall, undrafted Rangers minor leaguer.
Correction:
I just can’t think of anybody else who would be resentful of Nolan Ryan in the Ranger organization because he’s been nothing but a positive.
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.
Keep digging, Watson.
"Nothing we do here has a point" - Czar Morris
by inactive lsb user on Nov 20, 2009 4:06 PM CST up reply actions
I'm really sick of seeing images of Hicks
may he be stricken from the pages of Rangers history, starting today!
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Spend it all on Cameron!
Pro baseball has always been a dream, so this is pretty freakin’ cool out here. -- Tim Steggall, undrafted Rangers minor leaguer.
Uggla
Right now, I don’t know what the Marlins would want for Uggla and that could be a deal breaker. But I don’t see why we wouldn’t have interest in bringing him here. First, the one thing we need this offseason is a good DH that can be relied on and not another Hank Blalock or Andruw Jones. Who are the options out there that don’t cost you more than 7 million dollars? You’re already starting with a small field to work from and if you don’t want guys like Bradley and Johnson (very injury prone, potential clubhouse issues), then the list gets smaller. So who is on this list of players we can get that will cost less than 7-8 million dollars and still provide the Rangers with solid offensive production.
And Uggla is better than his 2009. Even though he is 30 years old now, I would expect that he doesn’t have a 40 point drop in ISO between his age 28 and 29 seasons and his lowest ISO since his rookie season. He might not be as good as his 2008 again, but I wouldn’t expect him to fall off completely just years later. Its not like he’s 35 or something. Patient bat with good power, that’s exactly what this offense needs. I could care less about the low BA or the strikeouts.
I can understand not dealing for him based on what the Marlins ask for him in return, but there is a good reason to be interested in him.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Uggla?
I thought the whole idea was to get away from the bad plate discipline and more to players who can make every atbat a productive one? I too don’t agree with this rumor.
Uggla has bad plate discipline?
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.
Uggla's walk rate last season
would have led all Rangers last season (except for Matt Harrison and his awesome 50% walk rate as a batter). His BB/K ratio would have been third behind Jones and Kinsler. Uggla doesn’t have a problem with plate discipline.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
wow how dumb of me
He only struck out 150 times and would have led the team in that category too. Oh wait he and Chris Davis would have been tied. So what was I thinking this guy is totally disciplined at the plate ( sarcastically speaking ofcourse).
The biggest concern the team had going into this season was getting more plate discipline. Besides Davis , Murphy was the closest at 118 SO. So if a guy with 150 SO is plate discplined then why in gods earth are the coaches (the experts) saying that our team needs to work hard this offseason on that part of their game? I will stick with my previous statement of Uggla not having good plate discipline :)
Maybe he just doesn't make alot of contact
His walk arte shows he has patience and discipline. You don’t draw that many walks without it
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.
Strikeouts are a really poor indicator to look at for plate discipline
Because players with good plate discipline actually tend to strike out a lot since they’re working deeper into counts. That’s when being a high-strikeout hitter can be excused, is when you’re making up for it by getting on base via the walk and working pitchers. Being a high-K hitter is really only a serious problem when you don’t make up for it in the OBP category like Davis.
If you wanna get an accurate picture of a players plate discipline you need to be looking at BB% and P/PA in conjunction with strikeouts. Uggla’s 14.0% walk rate and 4.15 P/PA this year are both pretty good.
"It's kind of a new stat that's in vogue" - Joe Buck on OPS
"...he wasn’t a good hitter, just a good middle of the order bat that hit a lot of homers." - NYTXFAN on Mark McGwire
by lonestarJon on Nov 20, 2009 10:48 PM CST up reply actions
And even with his drop in ISO
He still hit 30+ home runs which as much as everyone hates those “dumb” stats are what matters.
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.
and not even in the outfield at all...behind AJ in center
but I would tend to trust this better
http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/team/depth_chart/index.jsp?c_id=tex
by kevinkinsler on Nov 20, 2009 1:00 PM CST up reply actions
yay!
@SI_JonHeyman todays the day #rangers buyers submit bids. odd sidelight: outgoing owner tom hicks is trying to keep team (no shot, i hear)
"I was going to say, 'You’re gay for Elvis.' But then I realized that I, too, am gay for Elvis." ~Adam J. Morris.
I would rec this but I fear the jinx.
"Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100." - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
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