Monday morning Rangers things
by Adam J. Morris on Jun 15, 2009 9:04 AM CDT
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PrintThat was a 6-3 loss that felt a lot more like a 10-1 loss.
Jeff Wilson says Derek Holland was angry with himself after yesterday's game, for not doing enough to help the team win lately.
Chris Davis was disappointed he didn't start yesterday, saying he felt he's swinging the bat well right now. In the same notes items, Wilson reports that Willie Eyre and Dustin Nippert threw yesterday, and are getting closer to being able to head out on a rehab stint.
Gil LeBreton says that the Rangers are clearly frustrated right now, but it is not time to panic.
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The Z with perspective...
http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/06/the-skies-are-cloudy-but-the-rangers-mus.html
"[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
Good stuff.
It can’t be emphasized enough that the Rangers had their winning spurt against no-BB, slappy teams. The fact that they rode through this 12-game part of their schedule with a 5-7 record is a clear signal this is a competitive team.
The actual performance of the team turned out quite similar to one of the scenarios I thought through about a month ago:
So, HR/9 of 1.17, BB/9 of 4.0, and K/9 of 4.59 produces a FIP of 5.36 and with the same numbers but K/9 of 5.5 results in a FIP of 5.16.
. . .
If the pitcher’s don’t blink and continue to rely on defense, a FIP of 5.0 seems a reasonable expectation, and with the improved defense, an ERA less than that also seems reasonable, say 4.7-4.9. That is quite a bit less than the Rangers’ R/9 of 5.7 and produces a pythagorean record of 7-6.
Ah, the power of the Pythagorean record. The actual numbers for the past 14 days are K/9 of 5.23, BB/9 of 4.29, FIP of 5.19, and ERA of 4.63. The BB/9 are inflated by Holland’s struggles to some extent (4.91 BB/9) and Padilla’s Jekyll-and-Hyde approach (6.32 BB/9). Overall, I’m really happy with how the Rangers’ SP performed against these teams. It appears to me that Feldman (2.6 BB/9), Millwood (2.45 BB/9), and the relievers continued to practice what Maddux is preaching. I think that’s a sign they’ve totally bought into this approach and have the mental toughness to stick to it against tough teams.
The hard part is where to place your bets for the rest of the season. Are you willing to bet McCarthy comes back as effective? What about Hamilton? What about frankfrank?
I’d place my money on Hamilton having a good second half, and I’ll also take the risk the frankfrank will as well.
So, an extra SP or an extra bat is the decision at the trade deadline, IMO, because I don’t think the offense is going to be all that awesome even with Hamilton swinging well. A Carlos Lee type deal would be a good step in upgrading the DH by adding a high-OPS from a high-OBP slugger. A Josh Johnson deal would be the dream.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
We also need to remember
that while their May was against weaker teams than the ones they’ve faced lately, they were still facing top pitchers often. They were facing middling teams but drawing those teams’ best pitchers and succeeding.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Yeah. Good point.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
Are you willing to bet...
…McCarthy comes back as effective?
Hell no.
What about Hamilton?
Yes, I’d bet on it.
What about frankfrank?
He’s the real wildcard in my opinion – I’d probably say that’s about 50-50, and wouldn’t bet on him either way. I think this season’s fortunes largely depend on how this question is answered.
"He's old school in that he give up his groin like that. It hurt me when he do that" -- Worsh on Chris Davis' stretch at first base to end the game vs. the Angels on 5/16
His positive session
that they put him on the DL after?
"He (Padilla) shouldve gone back to Venezuela and watched on his Direct TV waiting to find out who his new team would be!!. ." - crops.mlblogs.com
Would 50-50 on frankfrank push you in the direction of a trade for, say, Street or Jenks?
Just curious.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
I have a bad feeling about the Frank injury
Shoulder, forearm and elbow injuries are all scary.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Jun 15, 2009 10:23 AM CDT up reply actions
sure
I’m for acquiring a late inning reliever.
"He's old school in that he give up his groin like that. It hurt me when he do that" -- Worsh on Chris Davis' stretch at first base to end the game vs. the Angels on 5/16
Whether or not Frank is healthy
they need a bullpen arm. And I think that’s a good idea even if you think Feliz can come up and be a late season spark out there.
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I'm not for it.
I think the price is gonne be high, even on a non-closer.
Too many contenders out there looking for bullpen arms (Pretty much everyone but Boston) is gonna drive up the price.
Would you be willing to trade Borbon and Kiker for Heath Bell?
Or Vallejo, Font and Manny Pina for 3 months of Jose Valverde?
I dunno.
I think it’d be best to stand pat on the bullpen front if Franky is healthy, and maybe even if he’s not. There are other areas of need where I feel like we’ll likely be able to improve the team while giving up less in terms of trade, ie, a high OBP hitter like Willingham or Nick Johnson or someone not on our radar right now.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. This was the largest auto I could afford. Should I therefore be made the subject of fun?
by thedirkatron on Jun 15, 2009 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions
You may be right
All of our trade talks are completely dependent on the going rate. The Rangers may have to hope for the best with inhouse options. Luckily those are somewhat enticing with guys like Feliz and Murray down there.
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I'm just thinking that Detroit, NYY, TB and LAAofAintheSofC are all gonna be looking for bullpen help this summer.
Detroit and TB especially seem to be in pretty desperate need of some power arms to lock down the back end of their bullpen.
The Yanks and LAAofAintheSofC are a lot like us in that they lack good setup guys in front of their closers right now.
I’m much more well versed on the AL side of things, fwiw, but it does seem like the NL contenders are a bit more set than the AL contenders, but that’s still quite a sellers market.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. This was the largest auto I could afford. Should I therefore be made the subject of fun?
by thedirkatron on Jun 15, 2009 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions
what about Mike Gonzalez from ATL?
What would it take to get him, or will the ATL GM not even take calls from JD anymore?
Atlanta's a contender right now.
Their pitching is superb (Lowe, Vasquez, Kawakami, Jurgens, Hanson) and they just made a big deal to add a nice bat to their OF, which is the only place they were sucky.
Maybe if we wanted to deal them Cruz they’d bite on a Gonzalez + Filler package, but that’d be a step down for us overall, imo.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. This was the largest auto I could afford. Should I therefore be made the subject of fun?
by thedirkatron on Jun 15, 2009 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions
nah
¡Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!
"Anyone who hangs themself during autoerotic asphyxiation is free game." - Curmudgeon
Colloquially, a person engaging in the activity is sometimes called a gasper.
by inactive lsb user on Jun 15, 2009 11:29 AM CDT up reply actions
Awesome read, Zebra Cakes!
Hopefully it’s tenet gets out to the masses.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
Wash seems to have an uncanny ability
To sit a guy just as he’s beginning to get his swing back.
If you can't watch Holland and see that he's going to be awesome, you probably shouldn’t be watching baseball. - Section 339
I wanted yesterday to say Hank was in at 1B as a showcase.
But, it also was a get-away game of sorts, and Wash likes to through weird lineups out there on those days. I couldn’t bring myself to believe some other team would be interested in what Hank can do as a 1B.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
I call BS
“He’s played 11 days in a row,” Washington said. “The last five days here the heat has been tremendous and the kid’s worked his butt off. I just thought he needed a day to get him energized again.”
Ron, it has been hot for everyone not just CD. Why don’t you give Ian a day off? He definitely needs some re-energization.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
I wanna call BS, but I haven't heard any beat writers or national media say there are scouts
watching the Rangers.
I really, really wanna say that Hank was out there to show to someone specific that he can still play 1B.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
can still play 1B.
Has he ever proven he can play 1B?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
So it took all
of 40 games to prove that he a a below avg firstbaseman.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
Scot Shields out for the year for the Angels
We’re not the only ones with injury issues.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
Nice
Not that he was pitching all that great anyway.
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
Good stuff from David (spurdynasty) at BBTiA this morning
http://www.bbtia.com/home/2009/6/15/rangers-minor-league-review-the-60-game-mark.html
If you can't watch Holland and see that he's going to be awesome, you probably shouldn’t be watching baseball. - Section 339
That is a very interesting analysis
makes a lot of guys seem like more of a success than I thought they were. Why arent the rangers pushing the stud relievers? Seems like this success from Minor league relievers could really be a breakthrough.
by Michael Cave on Jun 15, 2009 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions
Yesterday was the first time in a while that I was completely disgusted with Wash
instead of just slightly
"Gil LeBreton says that the Rangers are clearly frustrated right now, but it is not time to panic."
i disagree.
however, it’s not so much panic since the rangers had been playing above their heads as it is a realization that things would eventually work their way back to where the talent actually is for this ball club.
5-7 june is more indicative than the unsustainable 30-20 start. i was as happy as anyone when things started off so well, but the team is right on track for where i predicted on june 1st (14-13) http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/06/how-will-the-rangers-do-in-june.html
30-20 is not sustainable (that's a 97-65 record) but
I think the Rangers can right the ship. They just can’t keep doing the same things that they’re doing in regards to the line-up. If they keep doing the same thing without making adjustments, we’ll continue to see stretches like this.
This is not a mystery, they simply aren’t getting enough hitters on base. Running the same line-up out there night after night with the Black Hole that has become our 7 & 8 spots is inexcusable. I understand sticking with players during hard times but we’re now in mid-June. Options need to be explored..
Right now, when the team is struggling to score runs, I wonder how much input or “help” that Donuts gives his manager. Given the past (watching Sosa get all those ab’s v RH pitching in 2007 on a shitty team), I don’t think Donuts says anything to him.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
Well
Maybe Nolan should say something, seeing as he’s the one who really runs the team, right?
"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky
RCCook
Why would a team prez tell his manager how to make his line-up?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Jun 15, 2009 10:04 AM CDT up reply actions
Why would a GM?
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jun 15, 2009 10:09 AM CDT up reply actions
Billy Beane
has been known to be very influential when it comes to how his manager makes out a line-up.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Jun 15, 2009 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions
Oh of course how could I be so stupid.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jun 15, 2009 10:30 AM CDT up reply actions
and that A's offense is
the better for it right….lol
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
They've done okay
when they’ve had the right players.
Beane had quite a run from 1999-2006.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Jun 15, 2009 10:44 AM CDT up reply actions
Sure
Everyone does great when they have the right players. Isnt that kind of Billy Beane’s job – to – you – know – like – get the right players in there. Maybe they ought to hire Nolan to help Billy out
r u dumb?
OAK payroll?
TEX?
TEX now overspending OAK by 10%, and keep in mind that there’s no state income tax here in TEX, so players are effectively getting paid 15%+ more on average.
billy’s in a no-win spot.
but good that you ignore this in making your point about how he sucks and how his team can’t hit.
by sam in so cal on Jun 15, 2009 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions
lol state income tax
That’s not a reason why their payroll is lower.
Their payroll is lower b/c they are playing a ton of rookies basically the league minimum.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jun 15, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions
what???????
did you fail reading comprehension?
their payroll is lower.
IN ADDITION TO THAT – the lower pay is even lower in OAK than it is in TEX b/c of the state income tax lol
example – a player that gets $1M in TEX takes home $700,000 (just an example). a player that gets $1M in OAK might take home $650,000. would you play in OAK for $650k or TEX for $700K? therefore it’s harder for OAK to get players at same amount and even harder to get good athletes when the team pays them less in terms of gross salary. OAK might give them $900k instead of $1M, and then they get ($575k). FWIW – CA state income tax is closer to 9%, but it’s not a direct value since it gets lowered based on tax situation of states where of out-of-state games are played.
to your point (which makes my point more valid) billy can’t do much w a bunch of rookies out there. the assertion that OAK’s offensive production is lower than TEX b/c BB sucks is just stupid.
it’s apples and oranges.
OAK’s effective payroll is 15%+ lower than the effective of TEX.
by sam in so cal on Jun 15, 2009 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Including state income tax in any discussion about comparative payrolls makes no sense
I really doubt that any current players are on Texas’ roster instead of Oakland’s roster because of state income tax.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jun 15, 2009 2:50 PM CDT up reply actions
i think that's very shortsighted
a good agent tells his player: “here’s your total compensation at A and at B.”
anyway… OAK pay players less w/o factoring in state income tax. it’ harder to get good players if your payroll is smaller. this was my point. saying that BB sucks b/c his players aren’t very good fails to address that he has two arms tied behind his back.
by sam in so cal on Jun 16, 2009 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions
Which players have chosen Texas over Oakland?
I think that might be on the list of why a player might choose a destination team, but it’s not very high up on the list…meaning it’s not going to be a deciding factor.
If you start giving BB credit for things like Cali state income tax, then there’s really nothing he can do wrong. It’s never his fault.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jun 16, 2009 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions
I love you guys that worship at the feet of BB
I always picture you with your well worn copy of Moneyball with semen stains on every page. It always makes me laugh.
Disclaimer: Billy Beane did not write Moneyball. Your mileage may vary. Illegal in some states. Consult your doctor first. In case of an erection lasting more than four hours, take photos
There is a mistake in your analysis
Players don’t only pay the income tax of the state their team is from. Their taxes are paid based on where they play per game. So for a Texas Ranger, its about half their salary with the Texas income tax, then maybe 10-15 games worth from LAA, another 6 for NY, etc.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
actually there's not a mistake dip shit
FWIW – CA state income tax is closer to 9%, but it’s not a direct value since it gets lowered based on tax situation of states where of out-of-state games are played.
did you completely miss this part?
and what exactly is a “Texas income tax”?
is dip shit one word or two?
by sam in so cal on Jun 16, 2009 9:14 AM CDT up reply actions
this offense goes as Ian Kinsler goes
I don’t blame the bottom of the order for not scoring runs when the entire lineup doesn’t hit. Ian Kinsler is the guy I’m worried about when you analyze his stretch right now. This offense goes as Ian goes. He sets the tone for everything. We saw what happened when he went down last year, and this slump is almost the equivalent if it extends any longer.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
The way the Rangers are set up
you pretty much have to blame everyone playing, not just Ian. The only player chosen for his glove instead of his bat is Elvis, and he is about the only one you can excuse.
"He (Padilla) shouldve gone back to Venezuela and watched on his Direct TV waiting to find out who his new team would be!!. ." - crops.mlblogs.com
I don't solely blame Ian
I only stated that the offense goes as Ian goes, and his slump has been long and painful for this offense. He needs to better his .176 he has hit over the last month.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
OPS for Junes
NAME BA/OBP/SLG OPS
David Murphy 0.316/0.350/0.421 0.771
Nelson Cruz 0.205/0.271/0.477 0.748
Chris Davis 0.270/0.325/0.405 0.730
Hank Blalock 0.214/0.290/0.357 0.647
Michael Young 0.245/0.288/0.347 0.635
Andruw Jones 0.167/0.192/0.417 0.609
Ian Kinsler 0.184/0.245/0.327 0.572
Marlon Byrd 0.225/0.250/0.300 0.550
T. Teagarden 0.182/0.182/0.364 0.545
Omar Vizquel 0.250/0.250/0.250 0.500
Brandon Boggs 0.167/0.167/0.333 0.500
J. Saltalamacchia 0.233/0.258/0.233 0.491
Elvis Andrus 0.148/0.303/0.148 0.451
Even if Ian was on fire, the offense would blow with that hitting around him. Thats just a lot of suck.
"He (Padilla) shouldve gone back to Venezuela and watched on his Direct TV waiting to find out who his new team would be!!. ." - crops.mlblogs.com
Yep.
You know you’re hurting when Chris Davis and David Murphy are the team leaders in OBP for the month. It’s hard to understand how the bats could all go so flat at the same time.
This.
There’s a lot of singular blame being thrown around, but when your team isn’t able to score more than 3 runs in a game over the past couple of weeks despite the top offensive talent they have, everyone is to blame.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Davis is swinging the bat better
but I don’t have a problem with him occasionally sitting. He probably should have sat Saturday instead of Sunday, but whatever.
I think we’ve all gotten our hopes pretty high after the team’s first couple of months. This team is not as good as May, and not as bad as the last few games. They need to get healthy. Hamilton and Francisco are key to this club’s playoff hopes. But the future is still pretty bright and it’s damned exciting to be talking about a first place club in mid-June.
Holland will grow, and hopefully he’ll pitch some games against teams that aren’t the best in the league and great at killing lefties soon. NYY, TOR, BOS, and LAD are all in the top 7 in baseball against lefties by team OPS. The Giants are 28th against lefties, with an OPS of .669. Go Dike Plugger!
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Joe Wieland
Does anyone know what the upside is on this guy? Looks like he is having a break out year. Does he project as a starter or rp?
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
BA said he has a no.2 ceiling.
I think JD’s doing this to spite all the "when we gon’ get sum pitchin’ in here" idiots.
JD’s like, "you want some fucking pitching? Here’s all the pitching you can stand. Now choke on it, bitches!"~ RCCook.
by Kinslerhomer on Jun 15, 2009 10:03 AM CDT up reply actions
Breakout?
Sample size, mang.
But the control is tremendous. Love a good control pitcher.
"[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 Jun 15, 2009 10:23 AM CDT up reply actions
2010 draft
Looks like Washington might get two potential studs in consecutive years. Bryce Harper plans to be eligible for the draft next June. He’s registered at the College of Southern Nevada and will play baseball there. Genius, in my opinion. He can stay at home while preparing to be a multi-millionaire. Nats fans rejoice.
http://www.lvrj.com/sports/48018907.html
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By the way
I think the Nats are nuts of the fire Acta. He’s going through a learning curve with a terrible team. Giving him the time to become a better manager of men as well as already being pretty stat-friendly, and he might be an excellent manager by the time the team gets better talent on the field for him to work with.
Frankly, I think this is working to some extent with Washington, who has different strengths and weaknesses than Acta, but is getting better at using the bullpen and has waves of talent to look forward to.
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"Getting better at using his bullpen"
Really?
Think that was smart to use Frankie three days in a row or to bring back CJ in NYC 15 hours after he had 27 pitches in a game?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Jun 15, 2009 10:06 AM CDT up reply actions
What does that have to do with anything?
Do you not understand what “getting better” is? He didn’t say he has now gotten perfect at it.
mike e
I don’t think Washington does a very good job of managing his bullpen.
Baseball Prospectus said it was one of his biggest problems last year. This year the bully has been better but I think that’s more a function of them being more rested than they have been in the past.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Jun 15, 2009 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
I said better
not great. The improvement is incremental, not awe-inspiring, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good thing.
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And on using Frank, CJ
Give him better options. Daniels has said already that a bullpen arm is on the shopping list, but right now no one is trading. We’re going to have to wait a few weeks for that most likely.
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O'Day was available the day
Wash went to CJ in NYC.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Jun 15, 2009 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions
And CJ was available when
Wash went to Frank three times in a row (including with a 7-2 lead(.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Jun 15, 2009 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions
i don't think there is anything wrong
with pitching a bullpen guy on back-to-back days. They should be able to handle that. CJ, although, likes to suck in the second day of back-toback days pitched.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
So then I guess there IS something wrong...
…with pitching a bullpen guy on bac-to-back days, if the guy in question is traditionally horrible on the second half of that back-to-back… like CJ.
I have no objection to man walking on the moon.
by Chad Crudup on Jun 15, 2009 11:39 AM CDT up reply actions
No
if you can’t pitch back-to-back days, you can’t be a set-up man or closer. The problem then lies with CJ, not Wash.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
That may be the case but you said...
…“there’s nothing wrong with pitching a bullpen guy on back-to-back days” and then in the next sentence you proved that statement incorrect.
There IS something wrong with having absolute rules regarding bullpen usage rather than actually making decisions based on past occurences and expected future results.
I have no objection to man walking on the moon.
by Chad Crudup on Jun 15, 2009 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm not going to focus
on one game, I’m looking at the bigger picture. They’re at risk of overexposing O’Day, too.
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And, of course, it was already written about in many places,
that FX2 was already warmed up two or three times that night, might as well use him then as he would be unavailable the next day anyway. And please, don’t gloss over the 3 runs scored in the 8th & 9th.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
Am I the only one still bothered by the approach in the 9th inning yesterday?
The team trailed by 3 going to the bottom of the 9th. Here’s how the 4 batters of the inning went about trying to tie the game:
FOTF- swung at 1st pitch, base hit on that swing
Blalock- swung at 1st pitch, struck out in the AB
Andruw- took a called strike, ended up striking out in the AB
Cruz- swung at a 2-0 pitch, hit a foul ball on that pitch, ended up striking out
Not that I am surprised, by any means. But Andruw was the only batter of the inning who went about things the right way, in my opinion. Until the tying run gets to the plate, you shouldn’t swing until you see a called strike. Even though Young got a single, that doesn’t make it right. Am I wrong? Blalock and Cruz say I am. Those two were trying to hit 3-run homers with one man on base. That sums up this offense pretty well, I’d say.
I was at the game yesterday
and haven’t seen a replay but I trust that Salty was thrown out at 2B in the 8th because it was a blown hit & run play by Elvis.
Seriously, who thought that was a good idea? It was 6-3 and we needed more baserunners. A h&r play is not automatic and like the blown suicide squeeze attempt v. Toronto, there are consequences when it’s not executed.
If there really was an h&r play, that was unconscionable strategy.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Jun 15, 2009 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions
from LeBreton link
There was no hit-and-run called. Salty apparently thought he saw a sign that wasn’t there.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
Jeeez
If that’s true with Salty, he needs to spend a couple of days riding pine. That’s inexcusable.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
by Josey Wales on Jun 15, 2009 10:32 AM CDT up reply actions
I agree
it was bad strategy to do the hit and run. Elvis was definitely going to swing at the pitch, then he held up. Bad decision
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
there was no hit&run
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
where is your source
the pitch that was thrown was a breaking ball that was never in the strikezone, and ended up well up and in, yet Andrus was starting to swing at the pitch. No one is going to start to swing at a pitch that is headed for their head unless it is a hit and run.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
go read Lebreton's article
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
Yes, to hit and run down 3 runs in the 8th was a stupid call
on the managers part, but we have seen plenty of those with this manager.
Larry Parrish Was Da Man!
Swing looked like it started late.
Andrus could have seen Salty go and was trying to see if he could protect him?
Blalocks AB
he wasn’t thrown a strike in that AB, yet struck out. he has to know the situation and at least try to take a pitch to get on.
I don’t fault AJ or Cruz.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Seriously?
You blame Cruz for swinging at a 2-0 pitch?
How did he get to a 2-0 count?
by Telegraph on Jun 15, 2009 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Glad to see some articles
preaching patience. I would have accepted a 5-7 record before this stretch of games. Best team in Natl League and the top three in AL East. A brutal stretch survived without 2/5 of the rotation and without our RBI leader of last year. We may not win the west this year, but it is way to soon to get down on this bunch.
Lets look at the bright side.....
5-7 against the best teams in the majors.
Now we get 12 straight games against Hou, SF, Arz, and SD….who’s combined winning percentage is around .470.
We need to take advantage regardless of our injuries. there are no excuses now.
We need to go at least 8-4 in this stretch
by death of the cool on Jun 15, 2009 10:42 AM CDT reply actions
and the Angels get
SF, LAD, Col, Ari.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
and as bad as we've been
we had a shot to win in every game except 2 in the 5-7 stretch.
and, yes, we need to win more than we lose in the upcoming stretch.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
Buchholz wants out of Boston if...
He can’t get into the rotation soon. I wonder what it would take to get him and Lowell out of Boston. Oh link www.mlbtraderumors.com
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
Yeah he's just loaded with leverage...
…in this situation.
I have no objection to man walking on the moon.
by Chad Crudup on Jun 15, 2009 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions
why would Boston trade Buccholz
i just don’t see it happening.
I would definitely trade Vizquel and TT and Phillips to them, but like I said before, Boston isn’t trading Bucch unless they get a top player/pitcher in return.
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
This reminds me of what Bossman Junior was saying when he was frustrated with the Rays for not bringing him up for a while.
They’ll call him up before long and all will be forgiven.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. This was the largest auto I could afford. Should I therefore be made the subject of fun?
by thedirkatron on Jun 15, 2009 11:46 AM CDT up reply actions
Didn't see this linked anywhere
SI article about Kinsler being a jewish MLB player
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
I had no idea that he was Jewish
The things you learn on LSB
He's technically not
It goes by the mother and his is Catholic.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
Historically you are correct.
However, Israel now accepts children of Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers. They changed the law 10+ years ago.
Your 2009 Snow Monkey Ambassador
What was their reasoning behind it going by the mother?
Just curious…
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jun 15, 2009 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions
It may just be practicality
Jewish birth rates and marriages to non-Jews are threatening their population viability long term. Demographics are not in their favor right now.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
I guess what I don't get is
Half-Jewish is Half-Jewish right? Doesn’t matter if you’re half from your father or half from your mother.
I dunno, not a big deal, just confused me.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jun 15, 2009 1:22 PM CDT up reply actions
Legally, sure
The state can’t change the religion’s laws though
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
I'm not nearly as surprised by this as I was to read that Grady Sizemore thinks of himself as a role model for the black community.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. This was the largest auto I could afford. Should I therefore be made the subject of fun?
by thedirkatron on Jun 15, 2009 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions
Granted
It took me like 10 years to figure out what the fuck Johnny Damon was.
"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky
What was he?
Cause he is something else..
¡Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!
"Anyone who hangs themself during autoerotic asphyxiation is free game." - Curmudgeon
Colloquially, a person engaging in the activity is sometimes called a gasper.
by inactive lsb user on Jun 15, 2009 1:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Damon
His mother’s from Thailand, dad was an American serviceman of Irish and Croatian descent, per Wikipedia.
I suspect the real truth, though, is that his father is really this guy:
"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky
It's just Keyrock RCCook, thank you
I’m just a caveman. I fell in some ice and later got thawed out by your scientists. Your world frightens and confuses me. I’m more at home hunting the woolly mammoth than I am hunting Thai prostitutes. When I’m sitting in my suite at Yankees games I sometimes think, oh no, is the moon going fall out of the sky and kill us all? I don’t know. Because I’m a caveman, that’s how I think. But there is one thing I do know. You don’t need a good arm to play left field at Yankees Stadium if you can keep your on-base percentage over .350.
Arlington, TX: home of The Blue Blur
by Brett Perryman on Jun 16, 2009 2:21 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
If he had stayed in Boston
he could have made a fortune in those GEICO commercials.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
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