Tuesday a.m. Rangers things
by Adam J. Morris on May 26, 2009 9:20 AM CDT
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Matt Harrison has allowed 12 runs in his last 10 innings, allowing 3 homers, walking 3 batters, and striking out just 5, with his ERA jumping from 4.23 to 5.43 over his last two starts. Not good.
Jeff Miller's game story has some quotes from Harrison saying that he left pitches up over the plate, and the Yankees hit the ball hard. Not much else to say there.
And it really didn't matter if Harrison had pitched great, anyway, because the bats went silent again. Strange as this may seem, I'm a little more worried about the offense on this team than the run prevention right now.
Anthony Andro's game story talks about the "free-swinging" approach the Rangers took against Yankee starter Philip Hughes, which resulted in them doing nothing against him.
Richard Durrett has some "random Rangers thoughts."
Jim Reeves says that you shouldn't boo Mark Teixeira, because his not wanting to be here (leading to the Atlanta Braves trade) has made the Rangers a lot better off than they'd be if they'd kept him. I agree.
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LAA got annihilated last night, so it’s still a 3 game lead.
"You got a guy coming up there who can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat." - Tom Grieve on Richie Sexson, 5.8.2008
"I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life and I can tell you there’s been plenty of fucking crying in baseball…" - WhipSmart, 6.3.08
"When it comes to Jeff Mathis, the story ends with us putting one in his earhole." - AJM, 7.7.08
Oh, did they.
17-3 pasting by the ChiSox, Santana gives up 7 runs on 9 hits and is pulled after 1 inning.
Haha!
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
And the Angels wnd up
using 4 relievers for multiple innings each. Good. Come on ChiSox.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
The ChiSox have been quite helpful all year long
First we dominate them, now they’re pwning the Angels. I hope Ozzie & Co. keep it up all season long.
"Elvis Andrus has just performed a miracle." -Eric Nadel
especially since we're done with them
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
yeah it'd be nice if they overtook the Tigers
so we don’t have to play them in Detroit during the playoffs…
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on May 26, 2009 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions
yeh I felt a lit'l better after seeing that..
not much … at least came out of the fetal position for a few minutes.
Rodney if I had known you were going to get a mohawk, start wearing gold chains, call everyone fool, and re-name yourself Mr. R I may not have been so generous with the work-out tips. I'd re-think all that big guy.
I don't think that
because trading Mark Teixeira made us a better team that means he should not be booed. He showed no loyalty to the team and basically acted as if he were too good to be on the team. Jon Daniels should be cheered for turning a negative into such a positive, and I’m glad we traded Mark, but I think his behavior torwards the team earned him the boos.
Agree
That’s why I boo him and A-Roid. I don’t generally like Yankee players, but I don’t boo them.
"You got a guy coming up there who can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat." - Tom Grieve on Richie Sexson, 5.8.2008
"I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life and I can tell you there’s been plenty of fucking crying in baseball…" - WhipSmart, 6.3.08
"When it comes to Jeff Mathis, the story ends with us putting one in his earhole." - AJM, 7.7.08
I boo every Yankee no matter who they are
Or if they have played here. I just hate the Yankees.
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
I'm with you on that
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on May 26, 2009 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions
Tex gets booed for the same reason A Rod does in Texas.
They were both total assholes upon leaving the team, plain and simple. You don’t see Pudge getting booed…
i kind of agree with this
its one thing to leave with class or to leave quietly (see catt, pudge) — its another thing to leave bitching and moaning/being jackasses when you leave (arod, teix, mench)
if catt comes back this year or plays at TBIA i will all but guarantee you he doesnt get boo’ed — and i promise you pudge doesnt get booed later on this year but arod will aalways get boo’ed and teix probably will
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
did he leave badly though?
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions
No
Just sayin’. He had a chance to be a jackass like the others but chose not to.
by Anonymous New Guy on May 26, 2009 10:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah
It would not kill those guys to just not say anything. I never expect players to say how awesome the Rangers are upon leaving the team, but to blast the team in the media for no good reason? Classless. Those two will be booed forever here, and I’m ok with it, even if I am extremely happy Tex didn’t re-sign with us.
by FuturePants on May 26, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions
true...DeRo is still our Hero
Chan Ho on the other hand
Rodney if I had known you were going to get a mohawk, start wearing gold chains, call everyone fool, and re-name yourself Mr. R I may not have been so generous with the work-out tips. I'd re-think all that big guy.
What did Tex specifically say when he left that makes
him such a bad guy?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on May 26, 2009 11:02 AM CDT up reply actions
I don't think so.
There should be a legitimate reason if fans are going to boo him.
Tex played very hard when he was a Ranger and never got in trouble off the field. The club made a silly below market value offer to extend him. This was not like Manny Ramirez and the Red Sox.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on May 26, 2009 11:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Well
He made it clear that he didn’t want to be here, so I don’t think he should feel welcome here.
by Anonymous New Guy on May 26, 2009 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions
Tex made it abundantly clear that he really enjoyed playing
with Young, Blalock & Kinsler is my recollection.
His problems came with an owner who didn’t prioritize winning and then he didn’t dig the new manager so much either.
I don’t blame him for wanting out at the time because those were tough years to be a player and fan of the team.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on May 26, 2009 11:18 AM CDT up reply actions
he made it so clear he had no interest in making a counter offer
to the rangers offer
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 11:27 AM CDT up reply actions
No dude.
Saying “I would like to dogpile with Young and Blalock” when they win the division is not saying that he liked those guys or that he liked playing with them. It’s saying he would have liked to win the division. That is the only comment I remember about other players on the team upon being traded to the Braves, or just before being traded.
by FuturePants on May 26, 2009 11:31 AM CDT up reply actions
Different perspectives
to look at it but I’d say that he liked them and wanted to share a moment like that after all the crap this thing has been thru.
Tex watched the owner trade ARod for fifty cents on the dollar all in the name of “financial flexibility” that was stuffed back into the owner’s pockets instead of into the ball club. Then he watched the not ready to be a GM trade that fifty cents for the crap in somebody else’s front yard and then watched that same GM hire the dumbest manager in MLB.
Yeah, I can see why Tex didn’t want to stay because in 2007 Nolan wasn’t here yet and there were no silver linings with this thing.
It now appears to be a win-win and the best revenge anybody can have is to live well.
Booing Tex makes no sense and is the weapon for the unsophisticated Ranger fan.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on May 26, 2009 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, I can see why Tex didn’t want to stay because in 2007 Nolan wasn’t here yet and there were no silver linings with this thing.
this is kind of giving nolan a LOT of credit
whats the arguement for why teix didnt even have a counter offer?
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I think he didn't counteroffer
because he knew he was going to FA unless the Rangers grossly overpaid the market.
The Rangers absolutely did the right thing by trading him, and it appears they may have raped Atlanta.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
oh yea
im 100% with you but was wondering if ther ewas any other reason i had maybe missed as to why no counter was ever even suggested
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Boras doesn't seem to counteroffer much
and why should he when he really wanted to test the market.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
The Boras Client
rarely re-signs with the home club. It was inevitable that he was going to test free agency and get the big bucks, it’s all about money, everything else is hype and BS. I suppose if the Washtington or Balitmore offer was not much greater then the New York offer, he chooses to be with the one he knows may win.
by SanDiegoKev on May 26, 2009 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't have a problem with that.
It sucks sometimes, but it’s expected.
What I do have a problem with is the mouthing off in the media all over the place afterwards. I’m not gonna boo other former Rangers when they come by – because they went elsewhere and didn’t trash the team when they left.
"You got a guy coming up there who can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat." - Tom Grieve on Richie Sexson, 5.8.2008
"I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life and I can tell you there’s been plenty of fucking crying in baseball…" - WhipSmart, 6.3.08
"When it comes to Jeff Mathis, the story ends with us putting one in his earhole." - AJM, 7.7.08
"mouthing off"
What did Tex specifically say that should make Ranger fans want to boo him?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on May 26, 2009 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions
yeah
Really he should have just shut up and taken the money, he didn’t need to burn bridges etc. He didn’t need to hint that management was trying to win, when really, it was all about a bigger pay check.
by SanDiegoKev on May 26, 2009 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't agree with The Outlaw much
but I see his point here. What was his biggest sin? Being here during a time when the organization was spinning it’s wheels. I wonder how much of the “Tex is a whiny douchebag” was a function of the Ranger Anti-PR Department sullying a guy’s name who they knew would not be around (in doing so, they get the fans to turn on the player, making it less painful from a PR perspective to get rid of the “infected” piece).
"Does this effectively hide my thunder?"
look
I only see what I see. But what I saw was a divided clubhouse when A-Rod and Tex were here. And not too happy of a clubhouse. The last two years have been total 180s. And maybe that’s a tribute to Ron Washington, and shows his true value…or maybe it’s a slight against Buck and co. Or maybe Byrd, Kinsler, Milton Bradley for a year (who’d have thought?) and a few of the other guys deserve credit.
Either way, the clubhouse was not a fun place and did not win while they were here. And they’re gone. And I don’t boo them for being gone, because I’m happy they’re gone. And I’m happy with the bounty we hauled from the Tex trade.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on May 26, 2009 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions
Supposedly
the clubhouse was a fun place to be when they were winning in 2004.
I think winning makes clubhouses fun, not vice versa.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
that, I can agree with
still, nothing like the rainy day Mets game last year; the multiple handshakes and celebrations after games (wins, of course); the pink backpack; etc. I don’t remember anything like that
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on May 26, 2009 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions
That article reminds me of the douchiness that is Tex
He was always indirectly trashing his teammates. Like when he talks about how the team had no pitching for years when he has been teammates with some of those pitchers for years. Or when he talked about Kinsler as the only young player to come up and do something. Real vote of confidence for your teammates.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
no shit
and it’s like some of the dumbass Mavs fans booing Finley – there’s no reason to, even though he signed with the Spurs. He was great here – classy – and still remains classy.
On the other hand, Sam Cassell…BOO HIS ASS!!!
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on May 26, 2009 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions
Concur
I boo Teixeira because he’s a mercenary punk. That Harrison, Salty and Andrus are all on the 40 and that Feliz is hopefully on his way for a cup of coffee later this year doesn’t change my opinion of Teixeira’s conduct. He bitched out on us, then bitched out on the Braves. I don’t care that he also did it to the Angels because they’re the Angels.
I’ll always boo Teixeira no matter what uniform he wears.
At the end of the day, however, there’s only one thing that will shut up all the bandwagoning locals and annoying carpetbaggers that infest the Ballpark whenever the Yankees come to town: Beating them.
by Mister Naxal on May 26, 2009 9:46 AM CDT up reply actions
Was coming in to say the same thing...
Just because trading him made the team better doesn’t mean I should be OK with the fact he didn’t want to be here and was kind of a douche about it… Getting the guys we got for him doesn’t change that.
Pudge doesn’t get booed. Hank Blalock won’t get booed. Chris Young, Edinson Volquez, etc. probably wouldn’t get booed.
Mark and Arod
behaved no worse to the team than MY has.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 11:28 AM CDT up reply actions
guy
we all know the reason Tex gets booed is the same reason he got traded. You don’t piss off the Ticket guys and stay around the metroplex. Tex pissed off BaD Radio and was traded, Lofton pissed off Rhyner, traded.
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"you're fuckin out" (Kenny Powers)
by Arlington Stadium Legend on May 26, 2009 11:48 AM CDT up reply actions
LOL
Tex pissed off BaD radio, what, 5 years before he was traded?
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
Devin Harris
pissed off The Ticket.
Gone.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on May 26, 2009 11:52 AM CDT up reply actions
we will probably sign
Alex Gordon as a FA just so we can trade him
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"you're fuckin out" (Kenny Powers)
by Arlington Stadium Legend on May 26, 2009 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions
Or WBoggs as a hitting coach.
Still my favorite Davidson bit.
"I saw your act, just didn't make it for me. Just a lot of fluff."
And had he been traded in the off season
I would boo his ass too.
by Anonymous New Guy on May 26, 2009 12:53 PM CDT up reply actions
I think you should expect
boom and bust out of the bats.
1st in SLG (in the AL) means we have the firepower to score big in games.
11th in OBP (in the AL) means you shouldn’t expect consistency.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
And the problem with that
from a media/fan standpoint is that people look at the overall runs scored and remember the big games and think the offense is just fine.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
The offense may be fine enough
to get to the playoffs as it is, but I think we will just be driven mad by the number of times the bats get shut down completely.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
I agree it may be enough
especially since the Angels pen looks like it’s having a disastrous year.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
i dont think our offense is good enough to get us to the playoffs
we need a patient bat at #4 or 5 and if we dont get it, i dont see us keeping up with a constantly getting healthier Angels team.
mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.
I think I fear
the Angels less than you do. They have quite a few breaks the last few years, it doesn’t surprise me to see them getting some bad luck for a change.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
our plate discipline is downright awful
it goes beyond OBP. Our contact % and swing % stats are terrible. We are last or near the bottom of every category. Fangraphs Link
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
Rudy
Rudy is far from the best batting coach in the majors! His PA approach is poor, at best.
Next to Tom Hicks, no one has benefitted more from tBPiA than Rudy.
>>>Anthony Andro’s game story talks about the “free-swinging” approach the Rangers took against Yankee starter Philip Hughes, which resulted in them doing nothing against him.<<<
Which is what was more or less said about the Detorit series. Perhpas we’re an average team, or a little better, who look good against Houston and Seattle, but struggle against the upper echelon teams. Which at this point I’ll take. We can still compete in this division (just not likely the playoffs) and we’re on pace (or ahead) to become a real competitior.
Rudy is far from the worst coach
when it comes to OBP. His teams have been near the top of the league as well as near the bottom of the league. Overall, he’s middle of the pack.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
This always cracks me up
Im not going to anoint Rudy the greatest hitting coach ever, but this outlook is flat out ignorant
do you guys really think Rudy is out there telling these guys to swing at bad pitches?…i mean really, are some of you that dumb?
yes, he teaches hitters to be aggressive but it is the hitters that choose which pitches to be aggressive with, not the hitting coach.
the fact is we have hitters who love to chase pitches and that isnt going to change
Many have
I didn’t state he was the worst. It sure seems far more annoint him than recognize he’s not the best or probably not even top 10.
Yeah, of course I think he tells his players to swing at bad pitches. Sheesh.
I’d rather he teach them to be highly selective than agressive, whatever agressive means to you.
>>>the fact is we have hitters who love to chase pitches and that isnt going to change<<<
We’ve had those kinds of hitters for one and a half decades, at least. But it can change. If the hitters can’t change their approach our hitters certainly themselves can change. We can change the culture of our team, our development, our drafting, etc. to get rid of that type of hitter. The number one face (maybe #2, next to GM) of that culture is the organizations top hitting coach.
It’s not a coincidence that our OBP is not good even with extremely talented hitters and a great ballpark.
that isnt going to change
Can you explain to me why the 2007 Rangers were 2nd in the AL in OBP? They have virtually the same cast of characters this year.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Walk rate in 2009: 7.5%
Walk rate in 2008: 9.4%
The Rangers went from middle of the league in taking walks to bottom of the league. Losing Bradley was a huge hit to that. Vazquez also hurt. Also, Byrd and Salty’s patience at the plate this season is nothing compared to last year’s. Hamilton is only now starting to rebound and get back to the production we would expect from him. The best we could probably hope for from this group is to be about average in walks and be above average in making contact to get that OBP up.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
from BR
BB%____rank_____SO%_____rank
2009……..7.4………..13…………..20.6……………1
2008……..9.2…………4……………18.6……………4
2007……..8.1…………10…………..19.7…………..2
I think Bradley lead by example nad now that he is gone they are back to their hacktastic (Rudy) ways.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
I disagree
I think what you are witnessing is that Bradley had an amazing year and that this season, we don’t have that walk machine in the lineup as well as guys struggling. Davis, Blalock, and Hamilton aren’t particularly patient guys and won’t walk as much as Bradley did last year, but have all shown more patience in the past.. Our catchers aren’t showing much patience either.
Like I said above, Hamilton has gotten things going recently and looks to be back to the Hamilton we have come to expect. Blalock and Davis need to get out of their funks and probably will in the near future. Salty’s BB rate is also half of what it was last season. I would expect that to go up.
This team will always strike out a lot and not take enough walks, but its not going to remain this horrible.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
w/o Bradley and Vazquez in 2008
they would have had an 8.5% walk rate which would have been right at lg avg. Offensively, this team is closer to the 2007 version (5th in runs/gm) than the 2008 version
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
There is no denying that some of our guys are underperforming
but it also doesn’t mean that they won’t perform better from here on out. An 8.5% walk rate is very possible for this team to finish around. Add in the power and speed this team has to that walk rate, and you have a great offense.
Also, why does is matter if they are closer to being 5th in the league in runs/game vs. 1st. With the pitching/defense playing like they are, they don’t need to be 1st in runs scored anymore.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Meh on Salty
He is still seeing a lot of pitches so i disagree on the patience portion
he just seems to be getting to 3-2 a lot and then striking out…
>>>This team will always strike out a lot and not take enough walks, but its not going to remain this horrible.<<<
Really? You’re probably right, but it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve ranked this poorly in the AL in OBP. I know one thing that hasn’t changed from 2000-2009.
2009 11
2008 2
2007 11
2006 9
2005 6
2004 11
2003 9
2002 6
2001 4
2000 7
That also happens
when you have a few great hitters mixed with a lot of crap. Just remember the OFs that this team has run out there over the past 7-8 years prior to 2008.
Also, as far as patience at the plate is concerned, looking at OBP as a whole doesn’t do much. Walk rates is what you want which I’m sure the Rangers also don’t rank too high in since 2000.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Im slightly busy now
However id be curious to know the difference between BA and OBP…the fact is weve typically had more guys closer to .300 w/BA. The difference may simply be seen today more in the crappy BAs we are currently sporting than the crappy OBPs
the only hitters exceeding expectations right now with their BAs are likely MY and Andrus (AJs too but limited abs)
so as i said, if someone could present the difference between OBP and BA, i feel that would be far more relevant than simply presenting the OBP with no indication as to what factored into the OBP
Did you guys see the Rays Vs Indians highlights?
Forget the comeback, did you see the rays not swing at 20 strait pitches, and the indians did something like not swing at 14 or so strait?
That was some sexual patience. I hope our team saw those highlights, if not it should just be run on a loop in the clubhouse.
Carmona
He had that one amazing debut year in the rotation where he threw just over 3,000 pitches in 215 innings. Ever since he’s been absolute dog crap.
That highlight of the Rays taking 20 pitches was an amazing thing to see.
I’d like to know why taking pitches and swinging for the fences are cast as mutually exclusive approaches. Seems to me that taking pitches makes swinging for the fences more effective.
by Mister Naxal on May 26, 2009 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions
he had a turbo sinker lol
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
RISP
To defend Byrd yesterday, that was a ball..3inches off the plate. But, you just knew Davis and Teagarden werent gonna do anything.
Right now, what we need that will help solve the RISP, is for JHam to get hot. When he is on, the opposing pitcher will be forced to pitch carefully from Kins to Cruz (everyone else after that..it won’t matter). When pitchers are forced to pitch carefully, they usually choose the fastball….and we all know that this is a fastball team.
3"
is still pretty damn close…….
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
especially with 2 strikes
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
im sorry
but yes, 3" from the black is damn close
its not liek it was 6" or 8" outside — nnot anywhere near being a strike
3" is close unless your someone like longoria (read stories about him), ted williams, etc
and byrd is nowhere near those players
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Link for Longoria?
What is he the next Milton Bradley in terms of seeing the ball well?
¡Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!
I came here to split hairs. And you?
by inactive lsb user on May 26, 2009 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions
link
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=4168545
And then there is the Rays’ Evan Longoria. He is the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, and began this season with 44 RBIs in his first 32 games — the fifth-most RBIs in the first 32 games by anyone in history, behind only Babe Ruth (1927), Cy Williams (1923), Jimmy Foxx (1938) and Roy Campanella (1953). At 23, Longoria is one of the best players in the league, “as good a defensive third baseman as I’ve ever seen,” said Rays veteran coach Don Zimmer. Longoria is so gifted at the plate, he takes batting practice against a machine that fires tennis balls — some of them marked with a black spot, some with a red spot — up to 150 mph. At 100 mph, he can identify the color of the ball that’s coming, then will hit the black ball to the opposite field, and pull the red ball.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on May 26, 2009 11:19 AM CDT up reply actions
damn, that's pretty amazing.
I’m not entirely sure I’d be able to see the the ball, let alone any dots.
Um ... Wow?
¡Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!
I came here to split hairs. And you?
by inactive lsb user on May 26, 2009 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions
thanks
glad to see i wasnt the only one that read it!
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 11:28 AM CDT up reply actions
I was at the game yesterday
Even though we lost it was a great atmosphere. I proudly served and I got chill bumps when the 4 Helo’s flew over… to baseball… The score was not suprising to me… the Yankees are one of the hottest teams in baseball… and Harrison throws meatballs to the talent on that line up… we have to start beating the good teams…
one more thing....
I was born and raised in Dallas and couldn’t imagine rooting for another team thats not in the DFW area (GO Cats!), even when I was stationed in Chicago, Seattle, and San Diego… I was randomly asking these ‘Yankee’ fans where they were from…. some were from Louisiana, Dallas, Arkansas, and blah blah… I asked them if they knew they were in Texas with a lil beer drinking sarcasm… I also asked them a Wild Card question… What is your favorite football team? Everyone said the Cowboys…. LOL! I think Jerry Jones has Yankee stock! If he doesn’t he should! I do believe if the Rangers could win something for once, that half the so called Yankee fans at the game yesterday would have been wearing Ranger blue and red.
+10
Don’t forget to the throw the Red Sox in there. Since their recent success, its definitely had an impact on Red Sox fans showing up at the ballpark, and out-hollering all the Rangers fans.
Though, I think the worst part is the frequency of fans at the ballpark wearing apparel that is neither Rangers, nor the visiting team. I hate seeing Cal Ripken jerseys, or an Expos hat just because it matches your outfit. Seriously, take a look around next time……you’ll see tons.
This made me LOL
because I always complain about this – it’s like some people only own one piece of sports-related apparel, and when they decide to go to the game, they wear it – whether it has anything to do with the Rangers (or even BASEBALL).
Yesterday I saw a kid wearing a Yankees T-shirt and a Red Sox hat. I wanted to tell him, “You’re doing it wrong” – I mean, I see people ALL THE TIME wearing hat and shirt from two different teams, but that was another kind of wrong altogether.
"You got a guy coming up there who can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat." - Tom Grieve on Richie Sexson, 5.8.2008
"I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life and I can tell you there’s been plenty of fucking crying in baseball…" - WhipSmart, 6.3.08
"When it comes to Jeff Mathis, the story ends with us putting one in his earhole." - AJM, 7.7.08
exactly.
Lets see…I have a Baltimore hat that my grandma gave me as a present…and what else..oh, I have that Brett Saberhagen jersey…wonder if it still fits.
Though, I think the worst part is the frequency of fans at the ballpark wearing apparel that is neither Rangers, nor the visiting team
but thats styleish, dontchaknow
/sarcasm
its annoying as hell
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions
Random team apparral drives me crazy as well
and it’s not nearly as prevalent in most of the other ball parks I’ve visted.
by Anonymous New Guy on May 26, 2009 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions
What about a Ryan Drese jersey?
Saw a guy yesterday in a Rangers Drese jersey.
Maybe it was him?
by Evil Monkey on May 26, 2009 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions
I saw this guy too.
"You got a guy coming up there who can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat." - Tom Grieve on Richie Sexson, 5.8.2008
"I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life and I can tell you there’s been plenty of fucking crying in baseball…" - WhipSmart, 6.3.08
"When it comes to Jeff Mathis, the story ends with us putting one in his earhole." - AJM, 7.7.08
It's gotta be a bit
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on May 26, 2009 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions
Who wouldn't want to rep a Ryan Drese jersey?
That says nothing but hardcore.
¡Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!
I came here to split hairs. And you?
by inactive lsb user on May 26, 2009 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions
What does wearing a Richard Hidalgo jersey say?
Cause I think it says that fan is probably a retard. And I have seen people wearing Hidalgo crap.
by FuturePants on May 26, 2009 11:20 AM CDT up reply actions
It says
“I found this on the game-used clearance rack, and game-used is TEH AWESOME”
"You got a guy coming up there who can’t hit water if he fell out of a boat." - Tom Grieve on Richie Sexson, 5.8.2008
"I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life and I can tell you there’s been plenty of fucking crying in baseball…" - WhipSmart, 6.3.08
"When it comes to Jeff Mathis, the story ends with us putting one in his earhole." - AJM, 7.7.08
Would you like to rock a powder blue
1978 Doyle Alexander jersey?
Those powder blues the boys used to wear were a bad look.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on May 26, 2009 11:22 AM CDT up reply actions
Was that an Al Oliver (hence the nickname)?
What number was Oddibe?
I’d also dig a 1980 Bill Stein.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on May 26, 2009 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions
Yep, got it relatively cheap in the late 80's from a dealer.
Oddibe was #0 too.
They should retire it just for those two.
"I saw your act, just didn't make it for me. Just a lot of fluff."
Yeah
I’d buy something like that, from you, ebay, wherever.
If Greg Fullmer or Chad Curtis are available, I’d appreciate an email.
¡Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!
I came here to split hairs. And you?
by inactive lsb user on May 26, 2009 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions
Brad**
How dare I misspell his name in vain.
¡Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!
I came here to split hairs. And you?
by inactive lsb user on May 26, 2009 11:31 AM CDT up reply actions
had a friend who used to go to the mavs games
back when bradley was still there with a bradley green jersey + a big sign that said bradley for MVP and would go nuts
made it on TNT one time i believe
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions
I have a custom Mavs jersey
- — name says “Mantis”
It’s the greatest thing I own.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on May 26, 2009 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions
eh?
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions
wtf
That’s supposed to say pound sign 44 meaning Number 44.
Bradley’s nickname (by the Ticket I think) was the Praying Mantis.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on May 26, 2009 1:18 PM CDT up reply actions
ok that makes more sense
lol i was like who is number 1 mantis lol
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 2:53 PM CDT up reply actions
My favorite...
When people wear the t-shirt of the band their currently watching live.
I refer to them as “that guy”.
He's correcting himself above you.
"I saw your act, just didn't make it for me. Just a lot of fluff."
what sucks is that it happened at home
we haven’t been drubbed like that at home all year. Losing like that at NY is somewhat expected. I hope we buck that trend today…
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on May 26, 2009 12:35 PM CDT up reply actions
I Boo Tex and A-Rod because they are Yankees
not really for any other reason than the fact that i hate that team so much, when they were rangers i cheered for them.
Larry Parrish Was Da Man!
I was happy to see both go.
After a while it became hard for me to root for either, even as Rangers.
"I saw your act, just didn't make it for me. Just a lot of fluff."
Reeves is suggesting the mock cheer.....
The “yea Tex, thanks for leaving” cheer…. i don’t know, that seems a little complicated.
That would be very awkward.
¡Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!
I came here to split hairs. And you?
by inactive lsb user on May 26, 2009 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions
a little help
Can someone smarter than me come up with some kind of projection for the innings that our starting pitchers are going to hit this season? I’m assuming that Millwood, McCarthy, Feldman and Harrison are on pace for career high in innings and in most cases they’re on pace to blow away previous career highs.
Could we see these guys start to wear down later in the summer?
well if it looks like a douche, talks like a douche, and acts like a douche...
it probably is, indeed, a douche
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on May 26, 2009 12:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Adam
So what you’re saying is that I shouldn’t boo Mark Teixeira because he had a piss-poor attitude while playing for my favorite team, had no desire to play here, and was a jerk in the clubhouse?
Not booing a guy because of what someone else did with his spot on the team seems ridiculous to me. That’s like saying I should like a raw egg simply because someone else discovered that if you heat it up and scramble it, it tastes better.
What Jon Daniels turned Teixeira into was awesome, yes, but that doesn’t mean I have to like Tex because of it. He was a douche when he was here (and has been since then for that matter), plain and simple, and for that, I don’t like him.
"Either we need to re-calibrate our rectangle, or Alfonzo Marquez is not having a good night." - Josh Lewin
I'd like to see you support this statement.
he had a piss-poor attitude while playing for my favorite team, had no desire to play here, and was a jerk in the clubhouse?
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
On the offense
I agree AJM
the problem appears to be systemic and you wonder if it will be at all fixed
we essentially have 2 players who go up there and consistently work the count (murphy, salty) and 1 isnt playing everyday since we apparently prefer the guy who likes only 1 pitch
right now, we’re not hitting for average and we’re not being patient, that is just a horrible combination. In the past, it seems weve still had this same approach but we didnt have only 1 player hitting above .300….the lineup just simply sucks at this time
hopefully some guys can wake up and start hitting better but i just dont see it unless the patience comes in small doses since a good deal of the problem is the fact that these guys swing at shitty pitches that they will simply never hit.
new game today and hopefully we win
am i the only one who feels really scared about Millwoods pitch to contact approach against the yanks?…i see a lot of hard hit balls tonight and Joba shutting us down….
systemic
Why was the team last year able to work the count, draw BBs and have a high OBP? Do the players require someone to lead by example and just tune out the wishes of their manager? Or has the manager just succumbed to what the players are doing (and what the hitting coach is preaching)?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Preemptive
and no one should bother saying it was Bradley. He was not solely responsible for the team having a high OBP last year.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
he helped a lot though
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 1:08 PM CDT up reply actions
True
but I’ve seen way too many simplistic comments about him and the team OBP.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
i couldnt find the stat adam posted
about the teams OPS with bradley and the teams OPS without bradley caluclated in
search fail :(
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 1:10 PM CDT up reply actions
I think Jamey
included a tidbit in a recent email that basicall said Bradley was a big part, but only a part of it and the team’s OBP without Bradley last year was still way above this year’s team.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
You forgot
Andruw Jones. I don’t think anyone has better ABs on the club. He’ll take a pitcher to 6 or 7 pitches relatively frequently. I think there was one point in Friday nights game he was responsible for a quarter of the Astros Pitches thrown.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
Jones needs to be DH'ing every day
I’ve been a huge Blalock fan from day 1, but he’s not helping this team at all. Jones has looked outstanding up to this point and has definitely earned the lion’s share of AB’s at DH.
Also, Davis, as patient as I want to be with him, needs a long break and he needs it fast. Dude’s a black hole right now.
im with you on the blalock vs AJ
but i dont know what you do with davis — sending him to AAA may or may not accomplish anything, and may/may not even further destroy his confidence
kid just needs a couple of big hits and he will be ok…no one expected him to strike out THIS much but come one, he had a high K every year, and if you figured he would strike out less than 150×...
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions
couple of big hits?
dude had a walk-off homer! if that doesn’t get your confidence up, i don’t know what else will.
When do we make the decision that it is about this year
and we try to win it ?
That might mean that Blalock goes to 1B, Crush goes to OKC and AJones becomes the full-time DH.
I’m all about playing the young kids over the olds but this is the first time we’ve seriously sniffed the division in a while and there’s nobody else in the AL that’s an obvious juggernaut.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
JW
do you think blalock at 1b (overall) is >> davis at 1b + defense?
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 1:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Davis is a far superior 1B defensively.
Blalock is not a butcher but he’s not in Davis’ class. I also think Blalock is going to get his obp back up around the .330 mark unless his previous 2500 ab’s (or whatever it is) were some kind of fluke.
I don’t know about Davis and his obp. He went up the ladder pretty quick last year and maybe we’re seeing the afterbirth of that move.
Right now, we’re not only seeing big league club (which is in a pennant race) negatively impacted but the young player as well. Maybe this is too much for him at this point and given his age and potential, that’s ok because he’ll be back.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
Fair enough
but Blalock and Davis are both not hitting right now. Blalock might be hitting a bit better than Davis thanks to the occasional big hit, but I’d rather keep Davis’ outstanding defense out there each day and risk a bit less offense than sacrifice a lot of defense and maybe get a bit more offense.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
Blalock has a proven major league pedigree to have at least a .330 obp and
is in no danger of drowning or hurting his development. There is no reason to believe that Blalock (with good health & 550 pa’s) won’t have at least a .330 obp by the end of the season.
Crush may be here too soon, is drowning and is possibly hurting his development.
Plus, this year appears to be about winning.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
All good points
but lets say you decide something needs to be done on June 1st (or whatever date you want to set). Both players are still hitting as they’re hitting now. You have a choice to make. Do you put your trust in what Blalock has done in the past but has failed to do up to this point or do you put your trust in Davis, who has shown some amazing potential but obviously has less of an offensive pedigree. Either way, you’re still hoping that the player you choose will rebound and hit to their potential. The difference is that with Davis, you are getting amazing 1B defense while with Blalock, you are probably expecting league average defense. If the goal is to win this year as you said above, you aren’t as worried about development as you are about winning.
Also, if Rudy says he wants to work with him in the Majors and doesn’t think a demotion is necessary, I’m trusting him to make the right call there. I am done doubting the greatness that is Rudy Jaramillo.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
-The Outlaw
There is one reason
he could be on his decline, and players in their decline have progressively worse numbers.
Maybe his peak was just shorter than other players…
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on May 26, 2009 2:49 PM CDT up reply actions
x
There is no reason to believe that Blalock (with good health & 550 pa’s) won’t have at least a .330 obp by the end of the season.
Given that we are a quarter of the way through the season, he’d need to have an OBP of about .350 the rest of the way to get to .330 by the end of the season, so you are expecting him to improve significantly from what he’s doing now over the past four months, and improve from his career average.
Which is even dicier given that Blalock’s history is that he falls apart in the second half.
by Adam J. Morris on May 26, 2009 4:45 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes, I expect (with good health) that Hank
will come close to his established obp by the end of the season.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on May 26, 2009 10:45 PM CDT up reply actions
I give Davis about a month more at the majors
before I’d decide he needs some change of scenery.
If he still is fighting the mendoza line at the ASB, I’d probably just send him down to get his head right with ball.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
give him a solid month of ABs
and if hes STILL sucking send him down
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.
-
Scout to KG: On Sandoval: "Man, that fat [expletive]-er can hit."
by knockoutking on May 26, 2009 1:10 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah
that would be a full season of around a .200 average. I just don’t think the big club can afford to give him much more than that.
I don’t even care if they sit him 2 days a week in the interim. Hopefully they can get him going again in the majors, but if they can’t, it may be time to work it out in the minors. At some point you have to say whatever we are currently doing isn’t working.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
I'm thinking more like two weeks. You can't sustain
a .252 obp in your line-up on a daily basis, especially if Blalock & others are struggling to get on base as well.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
yeah.
did anybody see this coming? I mean, even though I didn’t expect a resurgence or a complete fail, I didn’t even HOPE that he’d be our most patient hitter. I expected him to out strikeout every hitter on this team
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on May 26, 2009 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions
I figured
he’d hit better than Cat, and could be a defensive sub.
I was half right. His defense is much more limited in the outfield than I was expecting.
"I'd praised catcher Max Ramirez two weeks ago, but after his continued struggles I'm increasingly convinced he's not going to pan out." - crops.mlblogs.com
but pretty decent actually at 1B
not that we need it with Davis’ defense but it’s a plus
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on May 26, 2009 3:16 PM CDT up reply actions
I like it.
it makes me smile.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on May 26, 2009 3:51 PM CDT up reply actions
Holland on BaDD Radio @ 2:10
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
Booing Teixeira
Jim Reeves says that you shouldn’t boo Mark Teixeira, because his not wanting to be here (leading to the Atlanta Braves trade) has made the Rangers a lot better off than they’d be if they’d kept him.
I’m not sure I follow that reasoning. Yes, a result of him not wanting to be here is that we got some sweet toys, but I can still harbor ill feelings toward an athlete for not wanting to be in the city that gave him his start. I no less appreciate what he gave to the team, or what his departure gave to the team, by disliking his attitude while he was on the team.
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