Tuesday morning things
by Adam J. Morris on Mar 24, 2009 8:48 AM CDT
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PrintRelatively quiet day today.
Anthony Andro has a story up on Willie Eyre's battling back from Tommy John surgery, and battling for a spot in the Ranger bullpen this year.
Jim Reeves, meanwhile, has a confusing column up on the Rangers. He says that Tom Hicks wants to cut payroll by $20 million next year, getting payroll below $50 million for the 2010 season, but then suggests that this will be accomplished by dropping Vicente Padilla, Hank Blalock, and Frank Catalanotto after the season.
The thing is that Josh Hamilton is probably going to make $6-8 million next season, up from $500K or so this year. Ian Kinsler will make $4 million. A bevy of guys will be arb-eligible, and you'll probably have to non-tender either C.J. Wilson or Frankie Francisco -- or maybe both -- to stay below $50 million.
Hopefully, Reeves is wrong. Because if Tom Hicks really is planning on slashing payroll to below the $50 million mark, then I don't know that it really makes that much difference how strong the farm system is...the idea that the Rangers are going to be a solid contender for a number of years is a fantasy. Our best hope would be to have a nice one-year run before Hamilton, Kinsler, et al are traded as they become more expensive.
It had been hoped that the presence of Nolan Ryan in the organization would make it more likely Tom Hicks would spend money. It is depressing to think that maybe the real purpose is to give Hicks cover to slash payroll even more.
In other news, Evan Grant runs down his choices to stick in the pen.
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this announcement makes the Elvis decision look even worse
If the budget is that tight, it sure is stupid to trade away one season of his prime for a season when it is pretty clear that he’s not fully ready.
Doctor please. Some more of these.
What a fucking joke.
under $50 million for a DFW market team? Hicks is such a fucking joke.
"It doesn't look like he's trying. It kinda pisses me off," "He could throw 110 if he tried. The way it explodes out of his hand is really something special." ~ B-Mac on Feliz.
Anybody really and truly shocked by this?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
No.
"It doesn't look like he's trying. It kinda pisses me off," "He could throw 110 if he tried. The way it explodes out of his hand is really something special." ~ B-Mac on Feliz.
by Kinslerhomer on Mar 24, 2009 8:56 AM CDT up reply actions
No
Hicks is the worst owner in sports right now or atleast bottom 3.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
As bad as Hicks is
I don’t think you can actually make a legitimate argument for bottom 3 in all of sports.
Considering I’d probably say the two worst owners are in football right now, the Fords and Al Davis. After there theres some arguments to be made.
Well he is close
And getting closer every day.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Al Davis has a long history of winning
and Tom Hicks, does not.
A $ 50 million payroll in this market, are you fucking kidding me?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
Oh dear lord
I’m going to agree with the Outlaw.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
A 50 million dollar payroll in this market is probably too low
But a 50 million dollar payroll with this club set up the way it is is about right. Young players come with low price tags.
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.
"Probably too low" ?!?!?
What would happen in a city like Boston, Philly, Chicago if the owner decided to roll with a $ 50 million payroll?
Im an Oakland Raiders fan and the last few years haven’t been easy but I’ve never questioned his desire to win.
Tom Hicks does not give a shit about winning.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
Im sure the economy has alot to do with that
But also the roster makeup dictates a lower than normal payroll. Looking at next years FA class there isn’t alot to get excited about. We won’t be in the market for any infielders, outfielders are spare, and there are a couple starting pitchers but they both figure to get extensions before becoming FAs.
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 love
How you don’t post for weeks, only to magically show up when the topic of Tom Hicks and his money is brought up.
It’s like Beetlejuice or something.
by brettgardner on Mar 24, 2009 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions
Will Salty and Davis be Traded at ASB?
"They say brevity is the key to wit, so shut the f*ck up." Dad
by RangerFloppy on Mar 24, 2009 11:46 AM CDT up reply actions
This?
"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
Oops, pic didn't show for me
the first post…
"...my balls are really like a veiny flesh color" blueballlefty on Jun 4, 2008 7:44 PM EDT
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
Yes...
That…
Will Salty and Davis be Traded at ASB?
"They say brevity is the key to wit, so shut the f*ck up." Dad
by RangerFloppy on Mar 24, 2009 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Until Hicks actually slashes payroll
as opposed to being rumored about by a guy people don’t normally listen to, I don’t think you can hammer him.
All Hicks has done to justify this paranoia is not dole out millions to sign Juan Cruz. Yawn.
by JBImaknee on Mar 24, 2009 9:39 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Payroll is gonna drop
How far no one knows. If both Millwood and Padilla drop from it it could be down around 40 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.
so what?
What is wrong with having a lean payroll if you have good players?
I don’t want the team paying for guys like Millwood and Padilla if they don’t have to.
Nothing wrong with it at all
But some people simply look at the payroll figure and don’t take into account how the club is made up which affects that number.
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.
There is nothing wrong with that except
Don’t get me wrong I’m drinking the Kool Aid also but come on we all know not all of these kids are going to pan out. So you just can’t say “What is wrong with having a lean payroll if you have good players?” Because you just don’t know at this point in time.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Huh?
Even if some of those young players don’t pan out we have more young players coming up behind them. Catcher, 1B, and the outfield all have depth of young players so if one fails we have more right behind them. Even SS has some depth. We have tons of young starting pitching depth.
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.
+1
Could some people on this board get their panties in a tighter wad over a non-story story? I’m not defending Hicks, but seriously, lets see how this year plays out before we start freaking out about next year’s payroll plans.
by capcity ranger on Mar 24, 2009 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions
I do wonder
Who is actually going to be on the FA market next year. I haven’t looked enough into that, though at this point I definitely wouldn’t mind taking a run at Lackey. I’ll still bet that the Halos figure out some way to get him resigned though.
But after that, if I’m remembering correctly, its a weak FA class. If thats the case I can support not adding anyone in this coming off season. I don’t want us to give out a contract to someone for the sake of adding payroll that might come to bite us in the future. Don’t give the Kevin Millwood’s of the league 5 years of guaranteed money.
Its very weak
For one we are set in the IF for years and at C. The OF FAs are nothing to get excited about. And the couple starters who you would target both figure to get extensions before becoming FAs.
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.
Sorta what I figured
Which is one of the multitude of reasons the Yankees spiked bidding on the players they wanted this year.
I do think we need to get the payroll up in the long run, mostly because we should keep a lot of our better players coming up long term, if we can. But adding this coming season if it doesn’t make sense is folly.
Yeah
Its one thing to have a 50 million dollar payroll after letting good young players walk. But part of the business of baseball is that players in their first 3 years are very very cheap and when you have alot of them like the Rangers do your team payroll isn’t going to be very high. Add in hardly any enticing FAs and there is really no need to have a high payroll. Now it could go up if we traded a package of players for a veteran with a big contract but thats about the only way.
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 hope
that Lackey makes it to the FA market. I think he would easily be worth the AJ Burnett contract.
i would also think he is worth more to the rangers (or another AL west team)
than he is worth to another team – wins subtracted from the angels + wins added to your team FROM the angels = a win-win scanario
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Mar 24, 2009 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
Reevo's column
Does he present one single solitary fact or quote in that entire mess which supports his rant?
The speculative leaps he makes are laughable. Seems to me anyway.
You maybe right shroom but...
Hicks does have a track record of stupid shit like this since he has owned the team. Remember the time he said it was the fans fault for him not spending money on the team?
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Stupid quotes are one thing
Slashing payroll to under 50 million is terrible even for Hicks
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Again
Its a product of his clubs makeup. Alot of young pre arbitration players means low payroll. No true FA targets likely means a low payroll. Unless you want to start handing out multi million dollar deals to first year players theres really nothing you can do about 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.
The question long term
Is if hicks will pay the money to keep the young players after their controlled cost arbitration years, assuming that many of them turn out the way that we hope they do.
Feliz/Holland/Smoak if they finish out the way they are profiling now will be hellaciously expensive in about 8 years.
I think theres a very good chance of that
Hes shown to lock up Kinsler, Young, offered a big contract to Tex, working on an extension with Hammy, Hank was signed pre arbitration. Really the only guy who we gave away was Soriano which was largely due to us having Kinsler waiting in the wings.
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.
You are correct
But if they all turnout to be really good do you really think he will pay all of them?
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Sure
If they are all good and can help win pennants and titles that would increase revenue to help pay them. Sure you may see one or two of them traded (Davis maybe with Smoak right behind him and maybe a pitcher with all the depth we have) but I doubt we are going to see our good young players allowed to walk for nothing.
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.
Do you think Hicks is a good owner?
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
He could be better
Hes not the worst in sports. And in the last several years I think hes gotten a hell of a lot better. He may run an odd business model by raising ticket prices even when his team is not winning but you know what he’s made a hell of a lot more money than myself or probably anyone on this board so if thats how he wants to run his business so be 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.
That is fine
But like I have said sooner or later he will lose money because people just won’t come out.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
If hes putting a winning team out there people will
And the payroll has nothing to do with that. We can win with a 50 million dollar payroll just as easily as with a 100 million dollar payroll if we build a good farm system and develop good young players.
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 don't get why people get hung up on the numbers so much
I just want them to win — if they win by developing players — great. If they win by throwing money at the situation — great. I can just see certain fans at the AL West clinching game in 2011 bitching because the Rangers could’ve won 105 games instead of 99 games if they had just had a $80M payroll instead of a $65M payroll.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:13 AM CDT up reply actions
Look I just want them to win also
If they can do it with the lowest payroll in baseball fine. I just don’t think that will happen here. I have seen this story play out before not with just Hicks.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
But we have also seen $100M payrolls here
that won jack shit. Who cares about the NUMBER? It’s the results that matter. We need to quit bitching about something that hasn’t even happened.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:16 AM CDT up reply actions
Exactly
When Hicks spends money he spends it in the wrong places. That is my whole point right there.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
that's not his fault
he relies on his GM’s to tell him where to spend the money.
Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam - Cahill the Elder
Yep
And I would say he has been pretty smart with his money the last few years, aside from the Young extension.
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
Last few years yes I will agree with that
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
It took a little bit to figure it out
But it’s hard to complain right now, especially knowing that he was prepared to sign Sheets.
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
Not with Hicks all the time
We have seen it time and again when he wants a player he goes and gets them.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Obviously not
Because all those were just “PR ploys”
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
When Hicks spends money he spends it in the wrong places. That is my whole point right there.
But how is theoretically cutting payroll a bad thing if that is what you are worried about? Maybe he’s done overpaying for mediocre players (hence the quote about it “depending on the player”)?
All this bitching and moaning about a freaking payroll number is really ridiculous.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions
When was the last time the Rangers won?
2004 ok yay us. Since Hicks took over they went to the playoffs once in 1999 and haven’t even sniffed the playoffs since. I want them to win but that doesn’t mean they will.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
When was the last time they had the type of farm system they have now?
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.
94,95
Yes I understand that. Still doesn’t make Hicks a good owner.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
So if this crop of talent in the farm system does what the 94 and 95 crop did would that make him a good owner?
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.
No not in my mind
because of all the other bullshit he has done. I will give him credit for putting JD in place to get this thing done though.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
yeah, he says stupid stuff
all the time.
But show me any evidence that Hicks is cheap from his years in Texas. He signed ARod, Chan Ho, and Milly. He tried to sign Zito. Apparently allowed a deal to be struck with Sheets
I will give you
ARod, Sheets and Milly. The thing that pisses me off about hicks is he spends money on CHoP and that scares him from spending again.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
He signed Milly after CHP
He offered Zito after CHP
He offered Dice-K after CHP
He signed Young after CHP
He offered Tex after CHP
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 Sheets
and Smoak, and Inoa if the A’s hadn’t sneaked in there.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Not saying he won't pay money
to the Draft or LA signings. That is not $30-50MM.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Quite a bit smarter than spending $30-50M
Who will be out there next winter that you want? Any pitcher worth signing will be extended or re-signed, and anyone left will be the benficiary of a much smaller market than this offseason. If Lackey is the only real catch out there it will take far more than he’s worth to get him. No thanks. I’d rather see them trade for Halladay or something. And I don’t see Hicks balking at paying that contract if they do it.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
That is what I'm saying
I don’t doubt Hicks will spend money on draft picks its years past when he could have went out and signed a pitcher and didn’t do it. That is the other thing even if they trade for a Halladay type pitcher do you think Hicks will pony up to extend him or just take the draft picks?
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Not sure I'd extend him
might cost more than I’d want to pay for a 32 year old, but the cost vs. the picks is something they’d have to evaluate. To me his value is in leading a young staff while they get going. After 2010 maybe you roll with the young guys or someone else is available for less to lead them.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Milllys deal was a good deal and still is
Zito-Hicks knew there was no way he was coming here.
Dice-K-I will give you that one.
Young-Hicks didn’t want to go through a PR disaster with that. Again bad contract.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
No matter if he knew Zito wouldn't come here or not
The fact he was willing to offer 100 million means he wasn’t scared of spending. PR nightmare or not giving Young an 80 million dollar contract means hes not scared of spending.
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.
No Young's signing means
He is afraid to lose even more money. Sooner or later Fans are going to quit coming out to the ballpark. Wether it be the economy or ticket prices or whatever.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
So he would have lost more than 80 million in attendance had he not signed Young?
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.
Very well could have
Combine that with other things such as ticket prices, parking prices up to $12 now and other things over the long run. The common fan still wants to see FFace.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Im sure the common fan could have embraced Kinsler or Hamilton or whoever
It would have been a PR nightmare but not one that would have caused him to go belly up.
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.
Hicks is not a good owner
Wether he spends money or not. IMO
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
You've made that very clear
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 what else do you want me to say Steve?
We will agree to disagree how about that…You win Hicks is the greatest owner of all time. He want’s to win so bad he let’s this team fall below the poverty line.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Where did I say he was great
In fact I said he could be better. You are looking at an arbitrary number and saying because our payroll is X amount of dollars Hicks is a bad owner. You aren’t taking into account the fact we have a ton of young pre arbitration talent who are not going to make much money. And the FA class of next year is very weak so the likelihood of us going out and dropping huge money on a FA is slim to none.
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.
Hicks job is
To put butts in seats and produce a winning team he has failed to do either one.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
+ 1
he has failed miserably at both of those.
Josh Hamilton puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you.But once he gets his pants on he hits baseballs 420 feet.
Its his GMs job to field a winning team
And the Presidents job to put butts in the seats. Hicks writes the checks. The GM has done a good job building the farm which should net us winning teams on the field. And the Pres should advise the owner to change his business model and lower ticket prices.
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.
As a business owner
If a model isn’t working I step in and change it. At the end of the day it is Hicks job.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
But he has changed it...right?
3rd highest payroll in 2002 or whatever and he didn’t win.
He has allowed the club to change direction and go with in-house talented players.
Yet we bitch about no longer overpaying overpriced FA’s who aren’t worth it.
It seems like some people are wanting it both ways…
And for the record, I think he’s been an awful owner in terms of public perception and on-field results. I just don’t get hung up on specific payroll numbers and junk like that. Just win some damn games.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Pick a direction and stick with it.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Isn't that what he's doing?
Wouldn’t cutting payroll and going with young players be the consistent move since the “plan” was put in place?
The inconsistent thing would be to go drop hundreds of millions of dollars on FA’s.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions
Sure...
…Just spend the money when a good FA comes along that will put you over the top and into the playoffs that is all I’m asking. I’m not saying spend $120MM.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
If that's all you're saying
You’ve gotten fairly riled up over nothing.
Did you not see his quote?
“If we have a chance to get a great Ben Sheets type player at the right price, we’d do it,” Hicks said. “All of this is different than saying, ’I want you to cut the payroll.’ ”
Sounds like Hicks is saying exactly what you want?
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions
Hicks has said before
He sees no reason in spending money. Usually it follows a team catching lighting in a bottle wether it be in baseball or hockey.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Where is he saying
he doesn’t see a point in spending money? You’re reaching for reasons to spin this stupid article.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions
No Revo is a dumbass
I can’t remember where but I think it was after Detroit, Colorado, or the Marlins I can’t remember. But he has come out before I think he came out on BaD radio about this. I’m not trying to spin anything.
Do you think Hicks is a good owner?
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
In terms have team success?
No — but I don’t think it’s worth getting all worked up over some recent statements where he says they are going to follow the EXACT plan you want him to follow. I do not care about a stupid payroll number — I care about wins. Hicks has had both a high payroll and a low payroll and hasn’t won — so he isn’t a good owner. But to bitch and moan about the payroll as the reason is asinine.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm really tired of
seeing the likes of TB, AZ, Colorado, Florida, houston and the likes get to the WS and here we are the Rangers still looking up at the ass’ of every team in our division at some point in time over the last 9 years.
Just win damn it.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
And what were the payrolls of TB, FLA, and COL when they went to the WS?
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 I could pull just
As many teams that have a huge payroll in the WS in recent years. Tit for tat. I was pulling out teams that have never been before that are a whole hell of a lot newer than the Rangers.
You know what Hicks can do whatever the fuck he wants to do because it seems no one really gives a damn any way.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
There are a helluva lot more
playoff teams with high payrolls than there are playoff teams with low payrolls.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 11:16 AM CDT up reply actions
And where are
the payrolls now with FLA and COL? Way to keepin going. Both had a chance to spend a little money not a lot and keep a good team.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
+ 1
It’s always better to have the option. We are not talking about spending 120 million here we know that is not possible since Big Daddy ran off half the fans already throwing some of them out of their season ticket seats.
Josh Hamilton puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you.But once he gets his pants on he hits baseballs 420 feet.
OK
Well I fully believe that when the time comes we will spend to keep the young players we have developed. Sure some will walk or be traded but only if we have more good young players coming up to replace them i.e; Kinsler and Soriano
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'm glad you believe Steve
Because I don’t not with Hicks in charge. I have been asked to believe many times before with Hicks and have been burned. So I will take the stance of wait and see. If he does well good for him and the Rangers.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Another take
If Sheets is healthy and if Reeves is right (I know, big IF), then, essentially you’re talking about not signing a #1 in Sheets for when we EXPECT to contend in 2010.
BTW, I agree with not overpaying for mediocre FAs. OTOH, I think you NEED to overpay for top tier talent (A-Rod, Sabathia, a healthy Sheets).
This is why I liked what they were doing with Sheets. It’s also why I was like the only proponent of signing Sabathia….
I’ll reserve judgment on whether Hicks is really slashing payroll for next year.
R
Hes made a lot of money
He obviously knows a thing or two about business. If he wants to run a bad business model thats his perogative
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.
Big Steve..
Hicks is the man in charge.The team has been a disgrace. End of story.
Josh Hamilton puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you.But once he gets his pants on he hits baseballs 420 feet.
The offers to Zito, Hunter, Sheets
and also Mark Teixeira were all pr ploys to give the illusion that owner was “trying” but just couldn’t close the deal.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 10:22 AM CDT up reply actions
Are you glad the Sheets deal was voided?
You do realize it was a done deal contingent on a physical which Sheets failed, right?
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:23 AM CDT up reply actions
Stop mentioning Sheets
The deal was done pending a physical. Sheets failed the physical and that’s why no deal was done. There was no PR ploy there.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
The crazy thing about that sentence
is that you call them PR ploys, yet there is no way in hell I would want any of those players for the contracts they got. We actually agreed with Sheets which was the only quality player that we had a legitamite shot at signing this year and he ended up being injured. Are you seriously wishing Hicks had ponied up enough money to match or even top the offers that Zito and Hunter got and even offer enough money so that Tex has to accept and we don’t get that haul from Atlanta?
That doesn't matter
Its all about the payroll figure
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.
bullshit
If Hicks can predict the future (somehow knowing Zito wouldn’t come here) he’d have zero money problems.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Come on t
Did anyone really think he was coming here or just using the Rangers to try to drive up the bidding?
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
ding ding ding
we have a winner… that happens a lot to the Rangers and he knows it.
Make a veiled attempt. oh we lost out again…shucks!
Josh Hamilton puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you.But once he gets his pants on he hits baseballs 420 feet.
That reasoning
can’t be used for every single player that doesn’t come here.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
You are correct
Only Boras’ clients it seems like.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
With Zito
we got A-Rod’d. We offered a contract pretty much the same as everyone else with an option year that could have made it the best, but then a team came out and offered 50 million more than the next bidder. We weren’t used to drive up the price, Boras just fooled a different team to give him the big payday.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
HELLO
Just because someone isn’t cheap years ago DOES NOT mean they are not cheap now…he’s changed obviously. Sometimes that happens when people get long in the tooth, they get frugal/cheap.
Josh Hamilton puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you.But once he gets his pants on he hits baseballs 420 feet.
Years ago?
Did they sign Smoak “years ago”? Did they build a new DR academy “years ago”? Did they offer Torii Hunter big money “years ago”? Sheets? Numerous other draft choices they went over slot for, willing to break the bank of Inoa.
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Well he's got to spend some money
to not look like a complete bufoon. If he had not signed Smoak there would of been a public lynching. Somehow these people who he makes these supposed offers to never make it to the Rangers. Come on a 50 million payroll? You know what there are teams out there who spend on BOTH payroll and minor leagues. That goes with the territory.
Josh Hamilton puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you.But once he gets his pants on he hits baseballs 420 feet.
So who do you want to go sign next winter?
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.
Sheets
and I was probably the only proponent of signing Sabathia, the only true young #1 to reach the FA market in a LONG time.
R
Sheets isn't going to command a huge salary next year
So signing him isn’t going to take our payroll that far above 50 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.
Possibly
OTOH, YOU’RE the one who keeps saying who do you want to sign?
We’re showing there are options that could significantly improve the Rangers for the 2010 season. (And BTW, the lack of potential quality FA pitching is why I was a supporter of signing Sabathia.)
Heck, you yourself even brought up Lackey and Harden. Even though there’s a significant possibility that they get re-signed, that DOES show that there are valuable free agents to get out there IF our payroll is kept below $50 million.
Though to be honest, I’m not really sure why I’m engaging you in this.
To me you never seem interested in a discussion, but rather interested in trying to make your arguments all the way until you can’t defend them any longer and then dropping out of the discussion without any acknowledgment of any counter points.
Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment. Either that or an idiot…..
R
Im asking who do you want to sign
Because there is nobody out there who we would need to sign who could possibly push our payroll much higher than 50 million.
Sabathia wasn’t a realistic option this past winter for us. Sheets was and we actually made it happen before he failed his physical. I am all for signing him next winter to help us out in 2010. But next winter as a 32 year old coming off a serious arm injury that kept him out a full year he will not get a high salary. We are talking probably a couple milion with some incentives most likely. So even if you keep who is under contract for next year Sheets isn’t pushing your payroll over 55 million.
Now as for Lackey or Harden for one I don’t think they will make it to FA. But if they did the only way we would be interested is if BOTH Millwood and Padilla were gone. Because if one of them is here and you add Lackey or Harden then you are pushing either McCarthy, Harrison, Hurley, Holland, or Feliz out of the rotation. We aren’t going to want to do that next year. So if BOTH Millwood and Padilla are gone to start with our payroll is in the upper 30s lower 40 million dollar range. They would get probably 15-17 mil per in this economy which would make our payroll still only around 55 mil or so.
The only other position I could see spending big money on a FA is an OF but the crop of FA OFs is very thin.
I have no problem ackowledging a relative point of an argument but in this case there is no player out there after this year that is going to increase our payroll above 55 mil or so. The only way would be thru trade where we give up a bunch of those good young cheap players and I don’t see anyone out there that would put us over the top.
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.
Acknowledging a relative point
Could you please point me to one which is counter to your argument?
Thank you,
R
My argument is that no matter what we do
aside from trading every young player for a few high dollar players, will we have a payroll much higher than 50 million next year. Thats what everyone is getting up in arms about. Hicks simply points out that the payroll next year will be around 50 million and people start calling for him to be hung asking how we could have such a low payroll. Its simple. Good young players are cheap. They are for us and they are for everyone else. Thats how the Florida Marlins won two WS titles with small payrolls.
Signing Sheets or Harden or Lackey isn’t going to magically make our payroll close to 100 million where apparently it has to be for us to be successful.
And by the way I was asking bigguns who he wanted to sign because he was one of the ones bitching about this 50 million dollar payroll being too low.
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.
It doesn't matter who I want to sign..
because with a 50 million dollar payroll it would not be possible. Did you read what Adam said above? As it stands now the Rangers would have to non-tender either CJ or FF or both. There is no point in bloviatating about something that will not be possible. I’d like to sign a quality pitcher if the opportunity and need presented itself and the money was there but we know the money won’t be there if this is all true. There’s no point in me pissing downdraft of the wind and pipedreaming simultaneously.
Paranthetically we shouldn’t even be having this argument. We should be discussing whether or not the Rangers should be spending 100 million or 110 million but since we have a schmuck of the first order running the show who’s run this team into the ground that’s what we are handed with….the shit end of the stick.
Josh Hamilton puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you but once he gets his pants on he hits baseballs 420 feet.
Adam was wrong
We can keep one of Millwood or Padilla and have Josh making 7 million next year and keep both CJ and Frankie and still be right around 50 million. And if we signed a top starting pitcher FA it would first mean both Millwood and Padilla are gone which means the payroll isn’t going above 55 million or so even with that shiny new FA pitcher.
It has nothing to do whether or not money is there basically. The way this team is currently constructed with good young players in place at alot of spots the payroll simply will not be very high. Unless you want to start throwing multi million dollar deals at all these pre arbitration players its simply not gonna be very high.
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 understand
what you’re argument is, and that there might not be a relative point to this argument.
I’m talking about acknowledging a relative point which is counter to ANY of your arguments.
Not this one specifically.
Thanks,
R
Hey I have no problem ackowledging being wrong
If someone proves me wrong I have no problem admitting it and owning up to it. But just because some of my beliefs about baseball are weird and don’t follow alot of the sabermetrics that most of you believe in doesn’t mean they are wrong. For instance my belief that a guy like Adam Dunns value isn’t in his OBP, or that until I see Nellie Cruz play LF in a spring game I don’t consider it an option for the regular season.
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 guess I'm skeptical
because the times I can remember I see you saying someone else is wrong or implying that they’re wrong, and yet I don’t recall one instance when you admit you’re wrong.
Which is why I’m asking for an example.
I’m wondering if my impression is wrong or not.
R
For those of us who sell things for a living
how much do your employers appreciate you when you “try” to sell something instead of actually closing the deal?
The flirtations with Delgado, Zito, Hunter and Sheets were all complete pr bullshit designed to let fans know the Rangers really were “trying” to sign free agents.
Go close the deal with an actual free agent worth a damn instead of whining about how you tried.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions
wrong
Hicks knew about the injury when he approved the deal
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
But I would have to imagine
That he didn’t know the full severity of the injury or the contract would never have been offered.
You're right
I so wish we would have signed all those guys
Then we would have been a mediocre team but hey we would have had a monster payroll. Because thats all that matters is your payroll figure. No need to play the games just go look at payroll numbers and give the championship away based on that.
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.
Finally we learn what you do for a living
I had always wondered and now I know that you are a salesman I cant help but wonder if you a car salesman. If you are the guy that sold me a that 72 Ford Pinto right after I got out of college, shame on you
Once again, it's probably just "Hicks foot in mouth disease"...
I suspect what he’s basically saying is that the 2010 team will be full of young pre-arb players, which most of us will agree is probably true. Sprinkle in an FA or two (he DID say player-specific again, right?) and you are probably looking at roughly the same payroll in 2010 whether he “slashes” it or whether it organically shrinks.
The basic problem is that the man thinks out loud and speaks like he’s never had a PR lesson in his life.
It's part "foot in mouth disease"
but the sonofabitch does not care about winning, bking.
Long ago and far away, I told everybody this was the plan.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
Trouble handling the truth, bk?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 10:20 AM CDT up reply actions
We'll find out when I actually HEAR it from you.
Opinions don’t become fact just because you say them 1,000(,000,000) times.
Let's not over react to an article by..
.. Reevo.. he’s known to put out garbage. Kinda disappointed in AJM using a Reevo article to further his Hicks rants.
Why?
That sonofabitch Hicks wants us to have a payroll like the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
But, but, but...Nolan...he is the savior right?
Hicks hired Nolan to save himself from himself right?
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Nolan is the buffer between Hicks
and the fans.
If Hicks is serious about this crap, Nolan needs to resign.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
No Hicks needs to resign
Maybe Nolan could buy the team with a few investors?
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Hicks has made it very clear
that he’s never selling and plans on having his children take over the team – OH HAPPY DAY!!!
We have lots of Ranger websites with tons of bloggers out there now….are you going to do the usual?
You know, sit there, piss your pants and ignore what Hicks is going to do (keeping yourself in good standing with the organization) or are you going to point out how f’ing ridiculous it is for the number 5 media market to have a payroll below $ 50 million?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
Okay
Who should we sign this off season and for how much. I agree the payroll should be higher, but we shouldn’t sign people just to raise the payroll. It still has to be a valid baseball decision.
It seems like the only pitcher hitting the market of note could well be Lackey. I’d love to get him here, but I bet there will be a major bidding war for him.
Lackey and Harden
Those are the two pitchers who I would target but both look to be extended before becoming FAs. Nobody else excites me especially with the talent we have coming in the pipeline thats gonna be ready by 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.
Don't count Lackey out just yet
There seems to be discord in LALA land.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Lackey's problem seems to be...
…that they haven’t already extended him. If they gave him an offer during the season, would he take it? Still a ways to go in spring training, too…
Harden
I wouldn’t touch him. I would never be surprised to see news on him that says his arm just separated from his shoulder.
Now Lackey is someone that I would love to see here. Though a 4-5 year deal to a pitcher who’s going to be 31 scares me.
I've had that happen very painful
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
For starters
If Sheets comes back healthy sign his ass. It goes deeper than the FA signings what if 2010 is the target date? The Rangers could trade for a high profile ace with a big contract but will they?
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Sheets
With his injury this year he likely won’t command a big salary though. So adding him won’t bump our payroll very high anyway.
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 guess
That Sheets is going to be something like Jennings was last year. Possibly cheaper. 1 year / 2 Million with an option. Or two years at something like 3 total with some major incentives.
Yep
Do a one year deal and hope he stays healthy and pitches good and can get a 3 or 4 year deal the next offseason. His chance at a huge payday passed him by this past winter with his injury.
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.
?
If Sheets signs a one year deal next year and kills it like Sheets of 2008, he will make some good money on a 3 or 4 year deal.
good money
But not great like he could have. He’ll be 32 with a huge history of arm injuries. I would think a 3-4 year deal at 7-9 mil with incentives would be about as good as he would get.
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 if you must know Josey
I cancelled my season tickets this year. I have been on the front row on the first base side for 8 years. Told my rep why and he said that is a reacuring theme this year.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
Good for you.
Hicks must really believe he can play chicken with the fans and is daring us not to support the team at the gate.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
Let's wait and see..
I think Hicks is frustrated that he hasn’t received fair value on his investment (let alone any multiple on top of it). There have been several bad contracts, and this article is coming off the heals of a meeting where Hicks was most likely asked to eat another $6M so they can release Cat. Hicks is being asked to trust his GM and talent evaluators, but they’ve been wrong several times, and it costs him money. I think he has a right to be frustrated by that.
However, at the same time Hicks did pony up for a contract that Ben Sheets ACCEPTED, and has continued to preach the “player specific” approach to spending, which makes total sense.
Hicks made a killing from 2004-2007
but his strategy caught up with him last year and it’s one of the reasons why attendance is down 600,000 in the last three years.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
Man, I agree – everybody seems to have been caught squarely on Reevo’s fishing hook.
I don’t think Hicks is gonna go nuts with the payroll anytime soon, but I also think he’d buy a piece or two if the youth movement makes us a perennial contender.
This is how I feel
We’re all overreacting to this bit of non-news spit out by Reeves.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Yup
1. It’s Reeves;
2. Who cares if the Rangers spend X amount. I just want them to spend enough based on the players they have. If good players are arb eligible, you pay that. If you need to bring in a FA to fill a hole, you pay that.
I’ll start worrying when they non tender arb eligible people. Until that happens, I’m not too worried.
I agree
Read the article. It seem to be about a lot more than slashing payroll. In fact one comment implies he’d expand payroll for the right player. I’m not a Hicks fan, but some of the views expressed herein are overreacting a bit.
Hicks
He does make it easy to slam him around. His foot is constantly in his mouth. Sometimes he would be much better if he just shut the hell up.
Believe this or not but I'm friends
with somebody who is good friends with a veteran major leaguer.
A couple of years ago (post AS Game 2007), we watched him play in a game at a TBiA and it was yet another sparsely crowded evening and the atmosphere was akin to a museum sans air conditioning.
We went out to dinner with him afterwards and he (a veteran player) told us that he and some of his teammates could not believe what has happened to this franchise and how far it had fallen because TBiA used to rock.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
It will rock again
when the team wins more, no real mystery there.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Just like after the 2004 season
when the team was young and ready to win, Hicks will try to get by on the cheap (Hidalgo & Astacio ring bells?) instead of doing what it takes to put the club over the top.
Remember what fun that was? Attendance jumped 6000 per game and the response from Hicks was to raise ticket and parking prices and slash player expenses.
Attendance stayed the same so the owner made a killing. Hicks bragged on The Ticket that the organization was “very, very profitable” however the team was racked with dissension (the owner didn’t give a shit about winning) and after the gm resigned, the strategy was to go after a young business mind (who worked cheap) instead of a baseball mind.
Anybody really wonder why attendance is down 600,000 since then?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 10:07 AM CDT up reply actions
x
And I’m friends with a good highschool friend of John Lackey and Lackey sez: “The Rangers are the suck.” Seriously, he thinks the Rangers are just total suck.
by FuturePants on Mar 24, 2009 10:08 AM CDT up reply actions
The mystery baller
Did you remember to mix in a few references to “The Show?”
You know, establishing your baseball “street cred” and whatnot…
I'm Matt mutha-effing Bush, bitches, and mutha-eff East County.
"I'm as passionate and knowlegeable as any fan out there." Josey Wales
by Brian Thomas on Mar 24, 2009 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions
BT - Congrats on making a post
without letting the world know you spent 9 years in the military!!!
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions
That mystery baller
I bet his eyes just lit all up into beam city.
Did he just say “The Show?”
I think he did.
There’s more than meets the eye to this funny-looking little fella with the scabbed knees.
He’s like…a regular…baseball hipster…
I wonder what that sack of quarters is for…?
I'm Matt mutha-effing Bush, bitches, and mutha-eff East County.
"I'm as passionate and knowlegeable as any fan out there." Josey Wales
by Brian Thomas on Mar 24, 2009 12:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Isn't there some barrack that needs some
more toilet paper this afternoon, Pyle?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 12:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Oh Josey
You DO know how to bring it.
I bet the mystery baller was utterly bowled over by your baseball acumen:
Did he just call it the Great Game? I’ve never heard an "outsider’ use that term before.
Wow.
[takes deep breath]
Man, this baseball hipster is as knowledgeable and passionate as any fan out there…
But why on earth is he carrying that sack of quarters around?
I'm Matt mutha-effing Bush, bitches, and mutha-eff East County.
"I'm as passionate and knowlegeable as any fan out there." Josey Wales
by Brian Thomas on Mar 24, 2009 12:50 PM CDT up reply actions
TV Contracts
I seem to remember a time about 10-12 years ago when there was a good handful of games that weren’t televised. Any chance we get back to that, especially with the economy in the shitter for the next little while?
Fun Tuesday morning hypothetical… ESPN or MLB Network break a story towards the end of May (after the Rangers stumble slightly out of the gate… tune of 23-32) that Hicks has posted the Rangers for sale. Who would you realistically like to see purchase the team?
"But the major difference is where Showalter tried to overthink everything Washington at times seems like he isn't thinking at all. " - rentz
Surely you jest
JJ or Cubes would be an absolute circus. Seen either of those win much lately except games when they dont count. I will probably be voted off LSB for this but I would rather go back to Bush owning the team than chuckles 1 or chuckles 2
First off take Reevos column with a grain of salt
But then if you look at it under 50 million is very easily doable.
Millwood: 12 mil
Young: 11 mil
Kinsler: 4 mil
CJ: 2.5-3 mil in arb
FX2: 2.5-3 mil in arb
BMac: 1.5-2 mil in arb
Hamilton: 7 mil (est)
Feldman: 1-1.5 mil in arb
And the rest are pre arbs. So you are looking at 43.5 mil before the pre arbitrations. It would be very easy to keep it right around 50 million if we didn’t sign any free agents
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.
Welcome to life
amongst the welfare mothers of the league. Reduce payroll, get handouts from MLB, and be profitable without trying to win! It has worked for the Jeffrey Loria.
Get off my lawn.
by DJCahill on Mar 24, 2009 9:16 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
And the current Marlins ownership
had nothing to do with the first one and very little to do with the 2nd.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
And if you listen to Hicks
It’s the fans fault for not spending money.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
If you read the whole article it's not nearly as bad as you'd think after reading AJM's Chiken Little-esque summary.
And, like others have said, on top of everything else, this is Jim Reeves we’re talking about here.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
I love you, Marcus Lemon.
"I don’t have any respect for anybody on here. Everyone on here is a fucking asshole who thinks they’re god compared to everyone else." -iorange555.
by thedirkatron on Mar 24, 2009 9:20 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
yah I agree
It seems like a shocking number but when you think about how they’d go about doing it, it’s not all that shocking.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 9:23 AM CDT up reply actions
Yes, we all need to calm down
Some expensive players are likely to be gone and Hicks is NOT going to have the team do something as stupid as non-tender players just to reach some arbitrary dollar figure.
The Rangers will have a lower payroll in 2010 by default, and there won’t be many players on the market worth shelling out big bucks for anyway.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Random
Random thought, are the Rangers holding on to Andruw Jones hoping they deal Blalock before the end of Spring Training?
When I see a solar eclipse I think "oh no, is the moon eating the sun"
Blalock
Hes not likely to get moved before midseason, if then. The only way that changes is if we eat pretty much the whole salary and take back an organizational guy in return. I guess if his arm is not going to fall off in the next two months you might be able to move his salary to the yankees for next to nothing.
Are you really
saying that we would barely be able to give Blalock away?
Yes
Right now I am. Hes got a bad contract and an uncertain health and no position. So yeah unfortunately I doubt we could give Blalock away.
Agree to Disagree
When he has been healthy, he has hit, kind of like taking on Milton Bradley last year.
Its just
That he hasn’t been healthy in years and is making 6+ million this year. We would basically have to give him away, unfortunately.
I agree he can still hit but his value based on contracts in this off season is way less than 6 million.
I honestly don’t think this is the right time to trade him because if he can put up a healthy 1st half we might actually get a decent B prospect nearing the dead line. Right now I think we would have to settle for a bucket of balls, unless someone like the Yankees decide that 2 months of Blalock is worth something to them at 3b.
Except
Bradley has been the picture of health compared to Blalock.
I’d be shocked if we could get much of anything for Blalock.
Get off my lawn.
Blalock has suffered from some pretty bad injury problems these past 2 years
but seriously, think about what you just said. Bradley is 20 times the injury risk that Blalock is.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
I think they are looking to deal Blalock
which would explain why he was playing 3B (to see if he could still do it) in spring training.
So we’re going to roll with a $ 50 million payroll and MYoung’s contract is going to account for 32% of our payroll?
Outstanding move Boy Blunder!!
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
Payroll under $50 million?
Adam April Fools isn’t until next Wednesday….you’ve got to be kidding.
This clown needs to be brought out in a field, shot and pis*ed on ..what an ASS
Josh Hamilton puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you.But once he gets his pants on he hits baseballs 420 feet.
I've never seen so many people try to draw conclusions from a shitty Reeves article
I hate Hicks, but It’s like most of you forgot what columnists at the ST do. This article screams “I have fuck all to write about so let’s incite the masses.”
And it worked perfectly
For being such a slow news day, we’ve got tons of comments in this thread.
by NorCalRangersFan on Mar 24, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions
After reading the article
It really isn’t that bad. Hicks isn’t saying that he is going to slash payroll. He’s just saying that it may end up that way which we all knew anyways. Its not like he will be non-tendering arb eligible players like Adam was suggesting.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Good grief.
Sad where columns are headed in these times, where newspaper job security is iffy at best and the best of the baseball blogs out there are providing decent analysis. Hate to see the shock jock quotient ticking up.
Read the column again. Pay attention to the quotes.
Jamey,
Are you on board with the Ranger payroll strategy since 2004?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions
Ugh.
Forgive me for answering Josey (has that moratorium been lifted)?
I’m in favor of spiking expenditures in scouting and player development (going above slot for Smoak, Holland, Teagarden, Wieland, Borbon, Lemon, Ross, Clark Murphy, Whittleman, Ocampo, Matt Thompson, etc. . . . and killing in Latin America) rather than spending cash on Jay Powell.
I appreciate that nobody offered Ynoa or Tazawa more than we did.
I was also in favor of signing Ben Sheets. I like that we made that commitment until the diagnostics turned out the way they did.
I don’t know what the payroll strategy has been, or will be. But there’s evidence that we’re spending more (and spending wisely) internationally, and that whatever budget gets set for the big league roster, it’s always subject to exception for the right player.
But yeah, damn — I wish we’d signed GMJ a couple winters ago. Maybe the Angels would consider taking Michael Main and Neil Ramirez for him.
by Jamey Newberg on Mar 24, 2009 10:44 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah GMJ
would certainly help that all important payroll number.
That’s my biggest beef with all these complaints. If you want to bitch about the results on the field — fine, it’s justified.
But, to point to some arbitrary number instead of looking at WHO they passed up, signed, or ignored is ridiculous.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions
Hicks was on Dale Hansen Sunday (I think)
And he re-emphasized exactly what we have been hearing: pay top dollar to land your draft picks and international FAs; spending a ton of money on FA pitchers is usually an unwise gamble. Combine that with the fact that Hicks was in fact ready to sign Sheets, and I think things are not quite as dire as some columnists would say.
by FuturePants on Mar 24, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Jamey, Did you really think Sheets' arm was sound
when nobody in MLB (including Milwaukee who desperately needed pitching) made him an offer?
I know what the payroll strategy has been….keep it as low as possible (see Tom Hicks bragging on The Ticket that the team was “very, very profitable” in 2005) and hope that the team could hang around the .500 mark.
That’s the payroll strategy and while the owner made a killing from 2004-2007, the team is absolutely dying at the gate (attendance down 600,000 since 2005) and other major league players are taking note as well.
I didn’t want GMJ but I would have loved to have had Ted Lilly or Gil Meche here. That way we would could have still had a payroll equal to the Oakland A’s and our gm wouldn’t have felt like he had to deal Danks for McCarthy.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions
Lilly/Meche
1. You should be a big league GM. Beautiful foresight on those two.
2. Lilly/Meche had nothing to do with Danks/McCarthy.
by Jamey Newberg on Mar 24, 2009 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions
And....
…please keep us posted on that all-important payroll race between TX and OAK this season.
by Jamey Newberg on Mar 24, 2009 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions
I was all over the NMLR
BEFORE that season that the Rangers should have gone after either one of them. To be honest, I also liked Suppan (who has become Millwood South) as well.
JD has said in the past that he traded for McCarthy because he or his scouts felt like McCarthy was closer to being ready than Danks. Was that pr spin for a disastrous trade?
Was Danks ready for The Show in 2007? He got his feet wet on a bad team and splashed around but he was a damn good pitcher in 2008.
I also liked Derek Lowe, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran when they were available as well. I thought those were the type of players who we were going to spend money on because we had all this new “financial flexibility” plus attendance jumped in 2004.
The failure to go after Delgado was one of the sparks of clubhouse dissension in 2005 and probably the genesis of poison spreading throughout the room.
I dunno what Oakland’s payroll is this year but I do know they have a much better gm than the Texas Rangers.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 11:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Was Danks ready for "The Show" in 07
NO
The White Sox have said so. How he improved between 07 and 08 was unbelievable.
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.
"The failure to go after Delgado."
Convenient revisionist history.
As for The Much Better GM, there’s probably a couple Josey Wales scurrying around the A’s boards right now crying about Tim Hudson for Dan Meyer, Juan Cruz, and Charles Thomas.
I don’t defend Danks for McCarthy, but it’s not relevant to this rant you and Revo are on.
by Jamey Newberg on Mar 24, 2009 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions
Jamey, You may remember or you may not
but I was all over this team to sign Delgado when he hit free agency (and it would have been a great signing).
I can’t prove it but the failure to do so (and get outbid by the Florida bleeping Marlins) was the spark for all the dissension and disillusionment a lot of the players had towards the organization (namely the owner). I also believe the failure to do so was what sparked the resignation of John Hart and hiring of JD. Can’t prove it but a conversation I had with a Ranger wife let me know how everybody in the organization supposedly felt towards the owner and his resignation that October was hardly a surprise. Hart came here because he thought Hicks would spend money on payroll.
The Revo Rant is somewhat relevant because Ted Lilly or Gil Meche would have been additions to the payroll. Those players aren’t here and we will very conveniently have a payroll below $ 50 million next year.
If Lilly or Meche were here in 2007 it’s quite possible JD (given his weakness in evaluating pitching) would have still been stupid enough to make that deal but nobody can say for sure.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions
"a conversation I had with a Ranger wife"
You should just rest your case right there.
Many of the players’ wives are great, great people, but I’d suggest (1) they probably don’t really know how “everybody in the organization” felt about anything, and (2) I assume you can understand there might be some bias on the part of a player’s wife, depending on who the player is and who the wife is. Understandably so.
by Jamey Newberg on Mar 24, 2009 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions
Plus
Considering the player that Josey cites that the players don’t respect Daniels is Kevin Mench. If there is a player who probably is pissed at Daniels for what he perceives to be halting his career it’s Mench. Anything Mench says about the Rangers and especially the front office must be liberally coated with many grains of salt, yet Josey uses it as some kind of irrefutable proof.
by FuturePants on Mar 24, 2009 11:39 AM CDT up reply actions
She told me how much dissension there was on the team
and magically, two days later, Dom Chiti had a big siddown with the leaders of the team in Cle.
It’s possible she was full of it but she gained immediate credibility with me when that meeting happened.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions
This was when the Rangers were leaving NYC
and in the midst of their season killing streak that killed them in 2005.
This was the trip where all the families were included and she said dissension was so deep that nobody wanted to go to the games or also go on some kind of team organized shopping trip.
Maybe she was full of it but like I said, I wasn’t surprised about the Chiti siddown or Hart resigning.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions
And I wonder
…what happened to her husband as part of whatever fallout there was since then.
by Jamey Newberg on Mar 24, 2009 11:46 AM CDT up reply actions
What happened to her husband
really wasn’t material to what she had to say. I was standing in line at an airport and striking up a conversation so who knows what kind of person she was but given how everything played out, I don’t think it was her imagination.
Is her husband with the Rangers or another team today? Doesn’t really matter either way.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions
Disagree.
But whatever. I don’t really care.
by Jamey Newberg on Mar 24, 2009 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions
Her husband seems to be
doing quite well these days if that matters to you.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 12:33 PM CDT up reply actions
Doing quite well with the Rangers or another team?
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
heh
In other words, instead of Blalock at DH, Hicks wants to see Max Ramirez. Instead of Catalanotto on the bench, give him Brandon Boggs. Instead of Padilla in the rotation, he wants to see Neftali Feliz or Derek Holland.
yeah, I’m cool with that.
Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam - Cahill the Elder
No no no
But the payroll won’t be high enough. We should go ahead and give 10 million dollar a year extensions to each of those guys so our payroll can be more than 50 million /sarcasm
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.
Oh god won't anyone think of the payroll number?
I cannot be a fan of a team with a payroll number so low — no matter the talent on the field. For me, it’s all about pride in that payroll ranking. I don’t care about wins — I care about that bottom line number. If Hicks doesn’t give Feliz/Holland muil-million $ extensions this thing will be bombed back to the stone ages.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
This thing is bombed back to the stone ages.
Attendance down by a million in the last ten years in one of the best sports markets in the country where population is booming and the economy is better than most?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah my company has gone through 3 rounds of layoffs in the last 4 months
everything is just fine and dandy. Write the check Tommy Boy, write the check.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
losing almost half of your fans over a ten year period ..
is a pretty good indicator that something is terribly awry here.
Splain that Lucy!
Josh Hamilton puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you.But once he gets his pants on he hits baseballs 420 feet.
Contrast the Ranger attendance since 1999
with what the Mavericks have done in the last ten years.
The difference is that one owner doesn’t take his fans for granted and cares about winning while the other owner does not.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm cool with that also
I just want Hicks to spend money when the time is right.
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
I might be confused
In the third paragraph isn’t Reeves saying Hicks confirmed he’d “like to” cut payroll in 2010?
I agree the other quotes are less alarming, and nothing reads as firm plans.
"[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 Mar 24, 2009 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions
Hicks
He overspends for players, he’s willing to spend for the right players, yet, he’s cheap…i don’t get it.
The only thing I can fault Hicks with is that he says some stupid things sometimes…but, as for spending money? He’s done that, and is willing to for the right player…
i would like to know which players that were interested in coming to Texas (or maybe even weren’t), and we didn’t sign because Hicks didn’t want to moneywhip them like he did Arod and Park and Juan…
He went after Zito, Delgado, Hunter, Tex, etc…And, IIRC, he was okay with JD going after Johan because he was willing to sign Johan to a massive extension…
I think Hicks is going to be smart, listen to his baseball people, and make a reasonable decision about which FAs to go after from now onwards…
As for the set payroll number, I’m sure there is a little politicking going on there…Wouldn’t Hicks look good if it comes next year, reports of 50MM payroll are out there, and he goes out and signs someone like Lackey or Webb for big money??
Stability is key, and JD is a Beast.
Jindal - 2012
"AMMIITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABHH!!!"
John Lackey is not coming here
and anybody that infers that he is coming here is full of shat.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
you're a jackass
Stability is key, and JD is a Beast.
Jindal - 2012
"AMMIITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABHH!!!"
Any proof of that
Or just another opinion stated as preordained fact?
ok
so who do you want to sign next year when we have lots of cheap young players coming up and lots of players coming off the books to up the payroll? Assuming that Lackey isn’t coming here.
[crickets]
J dub doesn’t do the future.
He just tells you how he felt all along a year or two after the fact.
I'm Matt mutha-effing Bush, bitches, and mutha-eff East County.
"I'm as passionate and knowlegeable as any fan out there." Josey Wales
by Brian Thomas on Mar 24, 2009 4:53 PM CDT up reply actions
the only thing i will say
is that hicks doesn’t give full carte blanche to his GM on payroll issues, as it seems that he puts his foot down on what he considers luxuries – like the Juan Cruz’s of the world. It’s not like he hasn’t gone after a higher priced reliever the last few years. However, it seems like he sets a budget, which usually seems low to us, and he is not willing to break it for parts.
Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam - Cahill the Elder
It does seem like that
and I think that is actually a pretty good way to run a team. Maybe not popular, but Jay Powell and Van Poppel sure made us a lot better team for the what 3 years and 20 million they got from us.
Any time
the comments section for a post has 18 from Josey, you have a pretty good idea of the two possible ways the discussion is going.
Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam
by Brett Perryman on Mar 24, 2009 10:41 AM CDT reply actions
We've been wrong all along
It’s not the 40 that trumps all — it’s the MFing payroll number.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Mar 24, 2009 10:42 AM CDT up reply actions
So should we just ignore the fact that the owner
wants the number 5 media market to have a payroll the size of the Pittsburgh Pirates?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions
Nope
Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam
by Brett Perryman on Mar 24, 2009 10:44 AM CDT up reply actions
Not one person here
loves Tom Hicks, but this article is a bit overwrought and the reaction to it here is also premature and overwrought. You are screaming out your usual talking points as if no one here has any idea that Hicks is an idiot or that the team has had several losing seasons. Stop trying to “educate” us, you self-righteous jackass.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Damn.
I took too long typing that.
Here was my response to Josey’s challenge:
=========
Forgive me for answering Josey (has that moratorium been lifted)?
I’m in favor of spiking expenditures in scouting and player development (going above slot for Smoak, Holland, Teagarden, Wieland, Borbon, Lemon, Ross, Clark Murphy, Whittleman, Ocampo, Matt Thompson, etc. . . . and killing in Latin America) rather than spending cash on Jay Powell.
I appreciate that nobody offered Ynoa or Tazawa more than we did.
I was also in favor of signing Ben Sheets. I like that we made that commitment until the diagnostics turned out the way they did.
I don’t know what the payroll strategy has been, or will be. But there’s evidence that we’re spending more (and spending wisely) internationally, and that whatever budget gets set for the big league roster, it’s always subject to exception for the right player.
But yeah, damn — I wish we’d signed GMJ a couple winters ago. Maybe the Angels would consider taking Michael Main and Neil Ramirez for him.
by Jamey Newberg on Mar 24, 2009 10:45 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
the moratorium hasn't been lifted
and you’ll find out soon enough why when you get your non responsive reply.
but, good point anyway. I’ll acknowledge it so it doesn’t go to waste.
Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam - Cahill the Elder
so you're saying
you don’t agree with the title of this blog/??
heh.
Stability is key, and JD is a Beast.
Jindal - 2012
"AMMIITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABHH!!!"
When the budget is <$50 million
I wonder if we will get columns from all those who said that we couldn’t win with ARod getting more than 1/4 of the payroll on how we can’t win with MY getting ~1/3 of the payroll.
Get off my lawn.
For some reason, everytime I see Days of Thunder
I think of Tom Hicks
"My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is,
‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all.
So I’m not going to say anything at all.
Is my mother the greatest or what?"
- Mariners GM Bill Bavasi, after signing Ichiro to a $90 million contract
Same old Hicks
I have told friends for years, as long as this hair bag is owner the team will go no where, he cares nothing about winning, say what you will about Jerry Jones and Mark Cuban, at least they want to win so bad it hurts, the rangers with dick head hicks as owner are going down the drain, it is a real shame and like someone else here has said, it is hard to be a fan of this team with Hicks as the owner
When Jamey is commenting on our site
You know the collumnists are chirping…
Listen, all stop complaining. We will not be the Boston Red Sox’s or New York Yankees/Mets or LA Dodgers/Angels while Hicks is owner. He has a lot of money, but spreads it out to a bunch of big time sports investments. If the day ever comes that he sells the stars, gets out of Liverpool relatively debt free, then maybe we will see an owner who will spend big time in multiple areas of this ball club.
But for now, this is where we are…
*The organization will spend a lot in scouting, and international signings
*The organization will spend a lot in development
*The organization is willing to spend on its own home grown tallent.
*The organization will not spend a lot in free agency.
*The Rangers are losing revenue in multiple areas right now, and are not in a position to be spending.
And, more than anything else, I think that this column was more of a “We wont be spending big for a couple of years, but rather will be bringing our own guys up, and letting them carry us to glory. Then, after glory be achieved and revenue is up, we shall open the gates and spend.”
Lastly, this is a pipe dream of mine. I do think that Hicks plans on getting out of Liverpool soon, and getting rid of that debt and investing big time in the Rangers. When that happens, I could see a “Rangers, Stars, Mavs” TV network soon.
This is our year.
http://www.lonestarball.com/2009/1/29/739765/the-socket-joint-rotator-c
by FormerLSBUser on Mar 24, 2009 11:38 AM CDT reply actions
MLB is all about the haves and have-nots...
Until there is a salary cap, we will always be one of the have-nots.
Oh dear sweet lord baby Jesus…………….please force MLB to adopt a salary cap!!
I hate it when I have to keep telling myself to stay strong, be positive, and hold my head up and be a proud Ranger fan………….. but it’s so hard sometimes.
POW!! ..........................POW!! POW!!
if Hicks can't sustain an "average" payroll for a above-average market team...
maybe he should not have stretched himself so thin with 3 sports teams…he should sell one (preferably the Rangers)
"Dear dumb ass folowers of FSMism,
There have been a lot of weird things that i have seen in my life before, but this tops them all. Do you really believe that there is/was such a thing as a flying spaghetti monster? Seriously, how fucking old are you? I know there’s such a thing as freedom of speech and expression, but this kinda shit should be banned. Theres is only one God and one Holy Word. Why dont you people get that? How much sense does it make to say that decreasing numbers of pirates lead to an increase in average global temperature? Is that science or some fifth grader trying to sound smart?"
–Sincerly,
ANONYMOUS
The Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster (http://www.venganza.org/)
I doubt it would be the Rangers
Honestly, they likely make him a decent amount of money.
Yeah,
Baseball is a socialist sport, and you can guarantee profits if you don’t spend money, and collect your welfare from the league.
Get off my lawn.
yuuuup
this is true
Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.
by knockoutking on Mar 24, 2009 1:41 PM CDT up reply actions
finally...
i’ve been waiting for this day.
the idea that the Rangers are going to be a solid contender for a number of years is a fantasy – AJM
It's as though the LSB Nation
just found out Santa Claus doesn’t exist.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Mar 24, 2009 1:10 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Way to take a phrase out of context
Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam
by Brett Perryman on Mar 24, 2009 1:35 PM CDT up reply actions
I hate Tom Hicks.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Mar 24, 2009 12:59 PM CDT reply actions
Validation
In addition to the Latin America investments, and the draft selective signings, and capital improvements spent for ballpark upgrades, plus the Sheets commit (which could return if his rehab looks good), money has been spent the last couple of years. I think there is a difference between taking 20 million out of an anticipated budget and chopping MLB salaries on the team by 20 million. Wait and see – and FWIW I’ve rejected “Hicks the owner” on several counts since the day he bought the team. He is not a foundation guy like Buffet or Gates or (pick ‘em). He is a speculator, laddering on the ups and downs of his investments. Feast and famine type. A down economy points him toward famine. The opportunity for upticks start him back toward feasting. I’ll wait and see how the financial wind blows for his ventures.
"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 Mar 24, 2009 2:11 PM CDT reply actions
As much
as I think this is absurd that even Hicks would be this dumb. Is it possible that he is trying to model the team after the Marlins who have already won two world series.
So then if the Rangers win the WS
He is going to tear them down?
Keith Law on Greg Golson, "He's similiar to Cameron and Hunter in that all three are black."
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