Game Report: OKC vs RR

RANGERS PROSPECTS:

• Jose Vallejo -- I have always thought of Jose as a speed/defense kind of guy. Not so much anymore, here's why. I brought my stopwatch to the game last night and timed a few players going from home to first. Borbon and Boggs were easily faster ( by about 0.2 of a second ). Even Duran and Arias were faster to first and they both swing righty. I would not have believed it if someone else had said it. I am going to tonight's game also, so I'll double check the numbers. The main reason this would downgrade his prospect status is due to the decreased range factor. I'm totally bummed by this. I have heard it mentioned that Vallejo has put on about 10 or 15 lbs in the offseason. Has he? I don't know. He now wears a very baggy uniform so I honestly can't tell.
  
• Julio Borbon -- High fly clanked off his glove in the first inning for a 3 base error. Eh, don't sweat the small stuff, at least he got to the warning track and had time to camp underneath it before butchering the play. The main concern with him has always been his plate discipline. It's not gotten any better, if at all. Which brings me to this point. Players like Julio, who don't strike out much, aren't really penalized by taking a few strikes. It bugs me that he doesn't make the pitcher work a bit more since he's really good at putting the bat on the ball. I can envision him roaming center field for a few years in Arlington, but I don't see him helping much on the offensive side. He tried to bunt twice last night. Not on his own, but from the 3rd base coach's signals. That would be a good development if he could augment his OBP a bit with a few small ball hits. The 2nd time he bunted the home plate umpire called him out for being out of the batters box when he made contact, and it appeared to be the right call. He didn't argue. He has some work to do on the bunts.
• Boggs -- Looked great. I have always been partial to players who show great patience at the plate. He got his walk last night to help his OBP. He also hit a rope single and a huge wind aided homerun, batting against a lefty pitcher. I spent more than a few minutes trying to determine if I could detect any residual shoulder soreness/injury. Couldn't do it. He never cut loose with a big throw. So I would venture a wild guess that he could play right now in Arlington if they wanted him.
  
• Maximiliano -- His stroke is coming back. He didn't start behind the dish though. We all know he can hit and that's why I wanted to see his defense. Poor Kevin Richardson couldn't hit his way out of a glass phone booth.
• Neftali Feliz -- He throws tonight and I will be there to see it.  Right behind home plate as a matter of fact. I want to see how his control/command is for myself. If there's any questions you want answered about him, let me know before 5:00 today. Please no requests for photos or videos. Sorry, photography is not a hobby of mine.
• Arias -- I tried to check on his arm too. He never had to make a difficult long throw so it's still a question mark in my head. He hit a mammoth blow to the upper deck in left field though. For such a thin guy he can really bomb them every once in a while.
• Doug Mathis -- Control, OK. Velocity, OK. Pace of game, OK. Holding runners, OK. But that's the problem with him. He does nothing better than OK. Can't strike guys out, that's a big minus.
• Other things -- Nate Gold is back at 1st base. He still Nate... Will Duran ever hit for a decent avg again?... Dell Diamond (roughly the equivalent of Frisco's park) has added some billboards on top of the press box and above the homerun porch. Not a fan of that. I wouldn't have even mentioned it, except for the fact that Nolan Ryan owns the team, and there have been a few whispers that when the OKC contract runs out ... Who is this left fielder we have named Royce Huffman and why were so many Round Rock fans cheering him?... Don't expect this OKC team to make a huge push to move into 1st place in the division, I don't see it happening...  If you're going to the game tonight, find me in section 119, row 20, seat 7, mention you're from LSB and I'll buy you a beer...
  
• Astros Prospects -- who cares?