Durrett on the Royals

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 17, 2009 11:42 AM CDT Comment 42 comments

Richard Durrett has a collection of comments and links on the Royals' situation, in advance of this weekend's series, with the main focus being the Royals' bullpen and their emphasis on getting relievers who can miss bats.

The Royals' pen is leading in the A.L. in K rate and K/BB ratio (the Ranger pen is 6th and 12th in those categories, respectively), and Durrett says the poster child for the Royals' missing bats movement is Juan Cruz.

Insert your own snarky can't afford Juan Cruz or compete with big budget teams like the Royals comment here.

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Over/Under on number of Ranger K's this week

Our lineup, which loves to strike out, against their staff?

I’ll set the O/U at 36

by JBImaknee on Apr 17, 2009 11:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

3 games... that's 12 per

I’ll cautiously take the under…

Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
ElectricOkra.com

by WhipSmart on Apr 17, 2009 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

under

we’re not that bad

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Apr 17, 2009 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Forget Juan Cruz, the guy I'm pissed about missing out on is Kyle Farnsworth.

He’d look so good here.

You can never go wrong signing middle relievers to multi-year multi-millionr dollar contracts, imo.

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 Apr 17, 2009 11:51 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

it's funny that he's the only guy that hasn't worked out for them so far

and probably the one signing that nobody wanted them to make

Ceterum censeo Cat esse delendam - Cahill the Elder

by ab03 on Apr 17, 2009 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I saw some sort of graphic on mlb network pointing that out

He’s sucked bad, is the only one who’s sucked at all let alone at the level he has sucked at, and is the big-money signing.

by Inkara1 on Apr 17, 2009 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm still baffled about that one and the Mike Jacobs deal.

I loved the Coco Crisp deal and the Juan Cruz deal for them, though.

Moore’s been rather hit or miss with them, imo.

For every deal he makes that works out wonderfully (Meche), he makes another absolute head scratcher (Jose Guillen).

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 Apr 17, 2009 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

BBTiA

Joey over at BBTiA has an interesting chart up on reilievers that was inspired by MJH’s look at how the top SPs were acquired by thier respective teams. In short… build from within.

http://www.bbtia.com/
http://rangersfarmreport.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/06/daddy_where_does_pitching_come.html

Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year

by RangerMad on Apr 17, 2009 11:58 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Speaking of Juan Cruz ...

T.R. Sullivan put up some notes yesterday afternoon. His last sentence … is that a swipe at the LSB-driven Juan-Cruz-shoulda-been-signed meme?

Rangers Farm Probables

by shroomer on Apr 17, 2009 12:05 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I doubt it

Seems more of an acknowledgement that Cruz would be a huge upgrade for the pen right now.

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 17, 2009 12:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ok

I couldn’t tell for sure.

Rangers Farm Probables

by shroomer on Apr 17, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

BTW

Due to the disastrous bullpen signings by Hart back in the day, I thought the CW for LSB was not to sign middle relievers to pricey long-term deals and to use cheap in-house talent instead. What is it about Cruz that allows you the comfort to stray from the rules?

Rangers Farm Probables

by shroomer on Apr 17, 2009 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think

its that our bullpen sucked last year and is going to suck this year.

The argument that you hear is that he was a very good bullpen arm.

We might should have done it, but its not something to get this twisted up over one way or another.

What do voluntary mean?

by JKolar on Apr 17, 2009 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Two things

He’s really good, he fills a glaring need, and his contract was really cheap.

Over the winter, when we thought we’d have Benoit and it appeared Cruz was going to get Justin Speier money, I’d have passed.

By February, when we knew that Benoit (the closest thing to a viable righty setup guy we had) was done for the year, and when it became obvious Cruz was going to be cheap, it made sense.

In fact…Cruz got the same guaranteed money on his deal, over 2 years, as a free agent, that Benoit got the previous offseason.

by Adam J. Morris on Apr 17, 2009 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

and would make the same money

as CJ and FranFran do this year or stated another way, the combined salary of Jennings and Guardado. And for only 2 years. Give me cruz over that other 30s combo. no brainer. Assuming of course he would want to sign here. Maybe he didn’t…

http://minormoosings.blogspot.com/

by Goyogringo on Apr 17, 2009 4:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Chance of tonight's game getting rained out?

40% ?

"...like some Russian priest fresh off a bottle of potato vodka and a box of cigars." -t ball

by rangerdanger on Apr 17, 2009 12:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

99% ?

"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 Apr 17, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm thinking more

which sucks cause I have tickets for tonight and had already blown off other plans to go.

What do voluntary mean?

by JKolar on Apr 17, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

90%

Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
ElectricOkra.com

by WhipSmart on Apr 17, 2009 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The radar -

Looks like the vertical column of weather has a horizontal drift that will take it out of our hair before too much longer. Plenty of time to dry the field. Seems like a decent chance to me.

Rangers Farm Probables

by shroomer on Apr 17, 2009 12:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's just the first wave.. there is supposed to be another flare-up around 6pm or so..

Grieve: The Yanks have struggled so far. - Lewin: Yeah, cry me a bag of money.
ElectricOkra.com

by WhipSmart on Apr 17, 2009 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ZERO

this is what i do...i guarantee.

by Longhorn on Apr 17, 2009 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

wow,

That’s quite a wide variety of estimates…from 99% to 0%…

I think my original 40% estimate may have been pretty good. I may start taking bets.

"...like some Russian priest fresh off a bottle of potato vodka and a box of cigars." -t ball

by rangerdanger on Apr 17, 2009 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm thinking probably in the 60-70% range

Supposed to be thunderstorms coming through and they won’t start the game if there’s one within what 5-10 miles of the stadium.

What do voluntary mean?

by JKolar on Apr 17, 2009 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The problem with your 40% estimate

is that in the end, either Longhorn or Kinslerhomer will be right. It either gets rained out or it doesn’t. So caution loses here.

Unless the game is canceled in the 4th inning, at which point you’d be hired by the weather channel.

by JBImaknee on Apr 17, 2009 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

shows you what I know about betting/gambling theory

…that’s why I stay away from it. So, would it be smarter to take bets on a rain delay?

"...like some Russian priest fresh off a bottle of potato vodka and a box of cigars." -t ball

by rangerdanger on Apr 17, 2009 1:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Via the guy at InsideCorner

WEATHER UPDATE: According to the Rangers Meteorological desk, forecast improves greatly for this evening. I’ve been relying on weather.com. And they’ve been know to be wrong before.

by tyd3311 on Apr 17, 2009 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here's hoping

I have been looking forward to this for a while now… hehehe

What do voluntary mean?

by JKolar on Apr 17, 2009 12:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

grounds crews and drainage systems at professional stadiums

Always surprise me though.

"...like some Russian priest fresh off a bottle of potato vodka and a box of cigars." -t ball

by rangerdanger on Apr 17, 2009 12:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

And we have a good one.

As long as it stops raining and they know it will stay stopped for a significant period, they’ll play.

My Music Blog

by FuturePants on Apr 17, 2009 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Its more about the lightening I suspect

What do voluntary mean?

by JKolar on Apr 17, 2009 12:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

OBTW, IKE on 1310 @ 1:15pm today.

It’s the debut of his new show.

"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008

by Rodney on Apr 17, 2009 12:27 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

WTF?

So he whats to get hurt again?

"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 Apr 17, 2009 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

KC outbid New York

crazy indeed.

this is what i do...i guarantee.

by Longhorn on Apr 17, 2009 12:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Rangers planning for on-time start (and no rain)

Just talked to a Rangers offiicial who said the tarp is currently off and crews are working on the field.

It is not raining at the ballpark and the weather, at this point, is to the east. The Rangers believe they will be fine tonight and are planning for an on-time start at 7:05 p.m. This is the Royals’ only visit to Arlington this season, so they’ll do everything to get this game in, I’m sure.

We’ll pass along any other updates that we get, but right now all systems are go. A reminder: You can join us here on the blog for a live in-game chat during the game. See you then.

Link

"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 Apr 17, 2009 2:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs