Tuesday a.m. Rangers things
by Adam J. Morris on Jul 21, 2009 10:34 AM CDT
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PrintSee, we need more games like last night's. Everyone would be happier.
Evan Grant says that the Rangers' approach with John Smoltz was to keep things simple -- Michael Young, in the pre-game meeting about how to approach Smoltz, simply said he was going to get a fastball and was going to hit it. And that worked out pretty well last night.
Jeff Wilson writes that the Hamilton to Kinsler to Salty relay to the plate to cut down Mike Lowell helped spark the team.
C.J. Wilson got the save yesterday, after pitching 2 innings the day before, because Frankie Francisco was put on the disabled list with pneumonia. Anthony Andro also notes that Ian Kinsler's walk-off homer, after having led off the bottom of the first with a homer, was a rare event...it was only the fifth time that's happened.
Jim Reeves invokes the Harold Baines trade in urging the Rangers to be patient and not give up top prospects for Roy Halladay.
Bob Sturm and Evan Grant talk about the Rangers' situation right now, with Sturm suggesting that Rudy Jaramillo should be more under fire for the Rangers' poor offensive approach (while also hammering the front office over chain-of-command issues), and Grant saying the two "untouchables" in the Ranger farm system are Justin Smoak and Martin Perez.
And Tim Cowlishaw talks about the Rangers' reliance on the long ball.
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BGL is approaching Beasticon status...
that pitch he threw to Ortiz was great. I laughed my ass off at Ortiz’s reaction.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
CJ over the past 2 days
3.1 IP – 10 batters faced – 0 hits – 0 walks – 6 strikeouts
These past couple of games, CJ has looked like absolutely amazing. He’s been great all season, but he’s taken it to a new level now and I’m loving it.
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
it's nice to see him do it from one inning to the next.
I noticed when he got himself into trouble in the past, he had a great 1/3 or 2/3 of the 8th and then got into trouble in his second inning out. It’s not happening like that lately.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions
It's as if he was recharged by the ASB. He's been worked pretty hard. I think the rest was well needed
we're from Texas
CJ says "Relax"
when healthy
(I didn’t say just PHYSICALLY) he’s untouchable.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 12:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Baines and Halladay....
Not a very good analogy. I also disagree with the idea that the trade shouldn’t be done because the Rangers need more than Halladay to compete. But, I do like the use of “pig in a poke”. The use of that phrase is just a nice way to summarize why reading Reeves is unberable to anyone under the age of 50.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
If you have a chance to get Halladay...
meaning he is willing to come here and we can take on the money for this year….you have to pull the trigger.
I don’t think that the Jays are going to get the huge lottery that they think they will….
my guess is that they get:
one blue chipper (Smoak)
one back of the rotation guy (Harrison, Hunter)
and 1 or 2 high-upside guys (Font, Beltre)
If the deal is Smoak, Harrison, Font, and beltre…I pull the trigger.
by death of the cool on Jul 21, 2009 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions
I would sub Feliz or Holland for Smoak
and then do it. I think they may want another piece though
by Michael Cave on Jul 21, 2009 10:56 AM CDT up reply actions
they may want another piece....
but the market will dictate if they get it.
by death of the cool on Jul 21, 2009 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions
JP will dictate whether they take.
I can’t remember which analyst said this, but someone said JP wants to deal but he wants his package. If JP doesn’t get what he wants, what’s the point of trading before the offseason?
Smoak + Holland is too much for the Rangers to lose. I agree with Cave, though, I’d lean toward trading Holland rather than Smoak. If JP would accept a pitching-only package, the Rangers should do it.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
JP knows he can get the most....
right now.
Sure he will say that he is going to keep him until the off-season so that he has leverage….just like JD said that we were willing to keep Tex until the off-season.
Halladay will be delt unless nobody offers that one bluechip prospect….as long as JP has a centerpiece coming back he will deal.
by death of the cool on Jul 21, 2009 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions
Its the same as with the Tex trade for JD
Having a player like Halladay for 2 playoff runs is a whole lot better than just one. Now if JP doesn’t get any reasonably good deals for Halladay, he should definitely wait until the offseason. But right now is Halladay’s peak value and JP should know that.
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 would do holland, font, beltre, harrison
thats not that different from what i posted in another thread
i just dont see them getting the “blue chip SS” they want, mainly because there isnt one out there
now can a holland, font, beltre, harrison deal compare with a drabek, michael taylor, jason donald, ja happ deal is the question
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.
-
"Call up Joaquin Arias? He had a legit spring training and seems to have cooled off a little bit in OKC but still a DH option. " -- kch tx
by knockoutking on Jul 21, 2009 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah. Me too.
The money, though, could be more than just Halladay’s salary.
The options for filling 1B and DH next year are
Internal options
DH: Smoak/Davis/Hamilton
1B: Smoak/Davis
If Smoak is traded away the internal (cheap) options are fewer, and the risk of needing to get someone like Nick Johnson (say Rangers’ folks aren’t comfortable with CD) enters the budget question, which makes the cost of the trade more like Halladay + FA 1B/DH salary.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
Yeah. That thought occurred to me long after I wrote this post.
If Smoak is traded away, the Rangers could hand the DH reigns to Max and 1B to CD. They don’t have to go into the FA if they trade Smoak, but they also would be at greater risk of having dead weight in the lineup.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
To all those Sox fans in our stadium last night....
suck on that.
I hope a few of you got DWI’s leaving the stadium.
and when your in someone elses park and you start chanting for your team….if someone whips your ass, it’s your fault. I hope a few of them got drenched with a nice cola bath.
by death of the cool on Jul 21, 2009 10:45 AM CDT reply actions
I was at a Sox - Rangers game a couple of years ago
and the Sox fans were the rudest drunkest bunch of morons I have ever been around. There was a rain delay and most of the Sox fans around us just drank like fish waiting for he game to restart. There was one guy who sat next to us from Boston who was a nice guy and interesting to talk to. The rest of them were drunks
I have to disagree. I grew up hating baseball from a childhood of miserable games in Arlington Stadium
it was not until I started watching games in Fenway during college that I caught the “fever”. I am a better and more devout Rangers fan today because of the energy of Red Sox fans. There are not better fans in the country. That being said, I want us to crush their tiny balls
we're from Texas
CJ says "Relax"
I find that hilarious given your screen name... but maybe that's just me.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
i notice after they won the WS
their “fans” went up by about 500%
equally, there was a huge # of their fans before they wont he WS that only pulled for them because they were not the yankees. they were the anti-yankees
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.
-
"Taking steroids is only gonna make him (Engel Beltre) whiff on those sliders in the dirt with more fury." -thedirkatron
by knockoutking on Jul 21, 2009 3:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Come on...
Smoak will be fine. If that’s the only thing that you are concerned about he should already be on your list.
For me he’s as close to untouchable as it gets.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Yeah...
…beyond that, how dare he OPS .930 in Frisco. What a bust.
"I love winning." - rockin_rangers, on May 16, 2009
never said he was a bust
he’s more likely on my don’t trade list because he’s the only capable hitter in the upper minors.
But when he has a split as bad as he has, I wonder at what point he should quit being a switch hitter.
by texasraider on Jul 21, 2009 11:46 AM CDT up reply actions
MITCHELL.
MORELAND.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions
You're dumb
I’m a white boy who doesn’t think a black man is good enough to manage my baseball team. - LSJ
"I really think that" - LSJ, on being asked by AirJordan
by FirebatM3 on Jul 21, 2009 1:20 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
jaramillo and hitting approach
I dont know what to think.
I look at a guy like Salty who off the top of my head was a real patient guy with a good amount of walks last year….and has pretty much sucked ass this year.
But then I look at Murphy who has done the opposite.
Seems to be more of a problem with the personnel than the hitting coach. You cant make guys like Young and Hamilton and Byrd take a lot of pitches.
And Andruw taking 6 walks in the last 2 games.
It’s confusing. Is it the coach, or the players? You can never blame it all on one or the other.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions
Hasn't Jones had a good eye his whole career?
I don’t think even the worst of hitting coaches would change that in a mere 4 months.
I think what we’re seeing is a philosophy that plays to the worst in some hitters. There isn’t a thing wrong with “seek your a pitch you can drive”, if you have a good eye to begin with. I suspect that might be why Rudy has such success with retreads from other orgs. If someone comes here with a good eye but a bad stroke, Rudy can work wonders. If they come here with a bad eye and a good stroke, Rudy’s philosophy can entrench a lot of bad habits over time.
Now, that being said, I haven’t gone back and looked at ANY stats to see if guys like DeRo, GMJ, etc showed good pitch recognition before they came here, so I may just be totally full of it. But I do think it explains how both sides of the debate can be both right AND wrong.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
Jones actually isn't a problem in regards to the team's inability to walk.
The difference between his avg (.225) and obp (.335) is 0.110. That’s a massive difference, and much above the team’s difference of 0.061. Jones just can’t seem to make contact. He’s always been marginal at making contact. Between age 24 and 29 (the traditional peak years) his avg ranged .251 to .277, and most years he was in the .260s..
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
Jones
He is a career .260/.340 hitter and this year he is a .230/.340 hitter. We are getting pretty much what we expected or should have expected with a little extra slugging than his norm.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
the big thing i can say about trading for Halladay
is while it may not put us over the top for this year, Id have some serious confidence that we could wn the division next year with our top three SP being Halladay, Milly, and Feldman… Of course, there are so many other factors that would effect the race next season, but a healthy Halladay at the top of the rotation would add several wins to an already improving team.
If i were JD, I would look at it almost as more of a deal for next season than this one. If the price is too high at the deadline and no other team is going to pay for Halladay, try to wait and see if you can get him in the off season for less.
"The House That Ruth Built, 85 years old, goes out as The House That Hamilton Knocked Down"
I think the Jays do trade Halladay by the deadline...
because this is the most that they will get…..the deals start going down by the off-season.
and your right. Halladay may not put us over-the-top this season, but starting next season with a true ace would be nice.
If I am JD I tell the Jays to call us before the sign off on any deal
by death of the cool on Jul 21, 2009 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions
Im sure they will
I agree with most of the media in thinking that Halladay will be a Phillie. Im sure they will demand (and probably get) something to the tune of Drabek, Donald, Taylor,or Brown and another pretty good piece. Could we beat that? Would we?
by Michael Cave on Jul 21, 2009 11:13 AM CDT up reply actions
thats really a damn good offer
drabek, donald, taylor and brown/happ
vs
holland, lemon/vallejo, beltre/font and hunter/harrison
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.
-
"Call up Joaquin Arias? He had a legit spring training and seems to have cooled off a little bit in OKC but still a DH option. " -- kch tx
by knockoutking on Jul 21, 2009 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions
I just have
the feeling that the Phillies are going to nab him and it will take a package like that to get him. I really think the Jays would be smart to trade him before July 31st to maximize value
by Michael Cave on Jul 21, 2009 11:58 AM CDT up reply actions
If power pays, how is it that Rudy would be able to convince hitters to sacrifice power for contact or walks?
Sturm hits the nail on the head, but he’s asking Rudy to do something that is impossible. What’s Rudy gonna say: You know, you might wanna take a pay cut by reducing your HR?
Basically, the Rangers have to start with hitters who value not getting out and adjusting their hitting mechanics to be more powerful if they want to rebuild the offenses’ MO. The Rangers’ spread between OBP and AVG is comparable to last year (0.061 this year and 0.071 last year), and if they want that to improve to the level of a team like the Red Sox or Rockies (0.08 difference last year and this), they will need to find different players.
If the Rangers want to rebuild their offense’s MO from within… I think Smoak is a big step in that direction; Saltalamacchia is still so young, I would not think that his approach at the plate has solidified yet. Borbon made strides at working walks this year. Boggs as a platoon player in LF may also provide some OBP. There’s not a lot of reworking the lineup that can be done outside of the players listed above, unless one or more of CD, Kinsler, or Cruz is traded away and someone more like Milton Bradley is brought back.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
If Hicks is willing to spend money
I rather see a rotation of Halladay, Sheets, Millwood, Feldman, Holland. This rotation doesn’t even leave room for BMac and Harrison.
Hunter has pitched well and maybe his value is higher than it should be. Would Toronto be interested in Feliz, Hunter, and Beltre?
This years rotation can be Halladay, Millwood, Padilla, Feldman, Holland/Harrison
im not so sure sheets is a good signing anymore
because the replacement value + likelihood of injury does not make him very useable ahead of Hunter/Feliz/Harrison… We have so many secondary options, I dont know if taking on a risky guy like Sheets is worth it
"The House That Ruth Built, 85 years old, goes out as The House That Hamilton Knocked Down"
when sheets is healthy
he is very, very good.
big IF 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.
-
"Call up Joaquin Arias? He had a legit spring training and seems to have cooled off a little bit in OKC but still a DH option. " -- kch tx
by knockoutking on Jul 21, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions
very agreeable
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 12:54 PM CDT up reply actions
for me, it's a question of
do we think he’s going to sign an extension? and if so, is he the type of pitcher that will be just as good at age 37 as he is at age 32? if the answer to both of those questions is yes, I make a trade happen, no matter what, unless another team is stupid enough to top what should be the best offer around.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 12:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Sox Fans
Me and this dude with a beard and like two other guys were the only two Rangers fans in our section. Hell, I even went to the game with my buddy from Boston who is a Red Sox fan. We spent most of the off time guessing which of those idiots were actually from, or lived in, Boston at some point in their lives. We counted about 5 people, out of like 200.
He refers to the bandwagoner fans as the “Pink Hats” because it seems to be a bunch of girls, and they all get the pink Boston hats.
haha, i find Boston Fans not from or w/o connections to Boston as the most despicable people in the realm of sport
ugh… They are so cool to have there different toned hats with the clover leaf on the back… shoot me
"The House That Ruth Built, 85 years old, goes out as The House That Hamilton Knocked Down"
If Evan's take on Rudy is correct
then who is responsible for talking to the players about thier approach at the plate? Who is responsible for going over the scouting reports on the other team? Do we have a hitting coach that is only doing half of his job?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
Blame
That is THE question isnt it? Who is to blame?!?! I think a good deal is on Rudy however the organization deserves some blame as well. Do we need to start drafting a different type of hitter? Should we start from the bottom up and change the hitting philosophy of the organization?
by Michael Cave on Jul 21, 2009 11:08 AM CDT up reply actions
I am not sure there is
a “organizational” hitting philosophy.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
I disagree
I think many organizations have certain hitting philosophies. The way they teach young hitters to load, hand positions, most desirable weight distributioins, timing mechanisms etc. Along with those mechanical philosophies i am sure there is a way they teach hitters to approach at bats. For the Rangers the approach that seems to permeate is attack the first strike you see. Be agressive in the strike zone so to speak. With teams like the Red Sox and A’s it seems to be more of a patient mentality. It is okay to let a strike by because there will be another one.
by Michael Cave on Jul 21, 2009 12:12 PM CDT up reply actions
"attack the first strike you see"
Whittleman, Moreland, Smoak and others didn’t get the memo. I think Blalock’s OBP in the minors was >.400. Hank even had a good OBP during his first two years with the Rangers.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
Hasn't
Rudy said as much? You would think that what they are teaching on the major lg level would be want they would want to be taught all the way down. You may be right, there may not be an organizational hitting philosophy (doubtful) but perhaps that is the problem.
So looking at Blalock as a case study then, what happened? Did Rudy ruin him?
by Michael Cave on Jul 21, 2009 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't think Rudy ruined him
I think he realized he was about to hit arbitration and opposite field singles and doubles don’t pay as much as home runs do.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
276 .355 .500
with 32 HR and 110 RBI will make you alot of coin in arbitration
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
Yep
Are those his numbers his 3rd year in the league?
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
I think they are his second full year.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
I believe they try to teach
Rudy’s swing mechanics in the minors. As for approach at the plate, I think it may be left up to the individual.
Blalock and Rudy? Hank certainly has deviated from what made him a top prospect and got him to the MLs. I think both share some blame in his regression.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
Gagree... see my post above...
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
supposedly he works differently with each hitter to tune their approach
but has a few general guidelines to follow
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 12:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Sturm taking on Rudy makes me giggle.
I cant help it. It just does
I like it
The last time I remember him doing it the Rangers scored 30 runs in a game.
LoneStarBall....You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
by LSBUser on Jul 21, 2009 6:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Perez
I had thought of him as being a long ways from the majors but between Nolan’s comment in the chat yesterday that Perez could come fast and Grant’s labeling him as an untouchable alongside only Smoak, I am beginning to think he will impact the major league team by 2011 if not sooner.
I don't see Perez as a better prospect than Feliz or Holland right now.
He might be by the end of next year. I think folks are little infatuated with the next great thing.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
It appears I'm alone on this, but I see him as more valuable than Smoak
Right now.
I'm Matt mutha-effing Bush, bitches, and mutha-eff East County.
"I'm as passionate and knowlegeable as any fan out there." Josey Wales
by Brian Thomas on Jul 21, 2009 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions
Me too
I'm Matt mutha-effing Bush, bitches, and mutha-eff East County.
"I'm as passionate and knowlegeable as any fan out there." Josey Wales
by Brian Thomas on Jul 21, 2009 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Not me.
Smoak needs to prove more in OKC but he is exactly what this team needs…a Frank Thomas type hitter who is a good to great fielding 1B.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
" I don’t feel like arguing with laxtonto about it for the same reason I wouldn’t argue with him if he said the earth was flat. He’s a person who is happy with his head up his ass so why should I make him sad?"
by Josey Wales on Jul 21, 2009 11:40 AM CDT up reply actions
I think you have a valid argument.
The idea that a pitcher with Perez’s combination of skill/talent is harder to replace than Smoak’s makes sense.
But, the likelihood of Perez not making it is quite a bit higher. A farm system doesn’t need to pin its hopes on a single pitcher, it really needs multiple high-ceiling pitchers if they hope to someday win the lottery.
It’s a good management debate to think through which perspective gives the Rangers a better chance to succeed. In Toronto’s case, I think Smoak is more valuable, since Perez hasn’t shown similar dominance at AA. Toronto wants player who will be in the majors next year. I think Smoak is more valuable to the Rangers also because of the lottery concept. The Rangers may move a really high-end pitching prospect, but they have at least two more coming into the organization through the draft this year.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
I think
we should also hope that Crush goes crazy in the next week at OKC with the idea that we might be able to trade him this year for something of substance that can help the major league team win games this year.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
" I don’t feel like arguing with laxtonto about it for the same reason I wouldn’t argue with him if he said the earth was flat. He’s a person who is happy with his head up his ass so why should I make him sad?"
by Josey Wales on Jul 21, 2009 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions
Not gonna happen..
You can’t convince me that anything CD does in the next week or so at AAA will entice other teams to overlook the first 3 months.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
yeah I guess
just throw out 2008’s second half…cause that doesn’t mean shit.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions
So, you're saying we can get "something of substance"..
for a guy with a few months of amazing numbers, followed by a few months of horrendously bad numbers, and a few weeks of good AAA numbers?
I think most prudent GMs would say “massive hot streak last year, but look what happened once the league got a book on him”, when evaluating what they would give up for him.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
The only time he has struggled in his pro career was this year
All throughout the minors he was successful and even now on his demotion hes been successful so im sure there is some GM who would look at him and say he was just in a slump for a couple months and he’ll kick out of it.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
fair enough. I think the smart GMs would make a play for him
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 1:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Perhaps someone savvy enough to buy low...
But what will we get back that we need more than a productive bat? I’d rather keep him unless we expect him to fail.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
I'm not insinuating that we should trade him. I'd rather not.
nor am I saying that he’s going to be an All Star. I’m simply saying that just because he was pretty bad this year (still showed power when he did hit the ball and was an EXCELLENT defender), he hasn’t lost most of his value.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions
Maybe so..
I’m just thinking that last year and this year net out to zero at best, and that means we are discussing the trade value of a guy doing well in a fairly small (< 200 PAs) AAA sample.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
Perez
I hope they unleash him next year and he can get 140 or so innings under his belt. With the way he’s developing, it looks like he could be a great bet to fight for a rotation spot in ST of 2011. Right now, I have Feliz and Smoak just above Perez due to how close they are to the Majors, but I can easily see Perez a year from now being a better prospect than those two are now.
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
This would suck
The Mariners are one of many teams interested in Josh Willingham.
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
not to worry
he will probably get hurt the instant he gets to SEA
hes like the hitting version of mccarthy
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.
-
"Call up Joaquin Arias? He had a legit spring training and seems to have cooled off a little bit in OKC but still a DH option. " -- kch tx
by knockoutking on Jul 21, 2009 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Thats Nick Johnson.
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Jul 21, 2009 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions
Nick Johnson
is who I want.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
" I don’t feel like arguing with laxtonto about it for the same reason I wouldn’t argue with him if he said the earth was flat. He’s a person who is happy with his head up his ass so why should I make him sad?"
by Josey Wales on Jul 21, 2009 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions
if i could be promised that Nick Johnson would take away playing time from Byrd and Jones first and foremost
id be all for it… However, Im quite certain, Nellie Cruz would recieve the biggest loss of PT.
"The House That Ruth Built, 85 years old, goes out as The House That Hamilton Knocked Down"
heh good point
we could let ’em duke it out and see who gets hurt stepping into the ring
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.
-
"Call up Joaquin Arias? He had a legit spring training and seems to have cooled off a little bit in OKC but still a DH option. " -- kch tx
by knockoutking on Jul 21, 2009 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions
I would guess that Nick Johnson (5-6 years older than McCarthy?)
is in The Show longer than Ichabod.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
" I don’t feel like arguing with laxtonto about it for the same reason I wouldn’t argue with him if he said the earth was flat. He’s a person who is happy with his head up his ass so why should I make him sad?"
by Josey Wales on Jul 21, 2009 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions
i meant willingham v johnson btw
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.
-
"Call up Joaquin Arias? He had a legit spring training and seems to have cooled off a little bit in OKC but still a DH option. " -- kch tx
by knockoutking on Jul 21, 2009 12:16 PM CDT up reply actions
OT -- for iPhone/MLB.TV users
If you have both the At Bat app for the iPhone and a MLB.TV subscription, you can watch live games anywhere on your phone (blackout restrictions still in place of course).
Don’t have a link, but if you have the app, check the app store for an update…..
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
Yeah...
…ever since they started streaming 1-2 games a day, I’ve realized that the At Bat app is the best $9.99 I’ve spent in a long while.
"I love winning." - rockin_rangers, on May 16, 2009
Is that a one time fee, or yearly?
I'm Matt mutha-effing Bush, bitches, and mutha-eff East County.
"I'm as passionate and knowlegeable as any fan out there." Josey Wales
by Brian Thomas on Jul 21, 2009 11:34 AM CDT up reply actions
It's yearly
but it’s a sweet deal considering it gives you home and away audio for every game, plus now video to every game on your phone (if you already have a mlb.tv subscription).
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jul 21, 2009 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions
Really?!
I have both and At Bat just downloaded an update yesterday, so I probably have it. Cool! I almost never want to watch the two free games.
"What is that — five out of six? The numbers say what they say. They own us." -- Torii Hunter, 07/01/09
by NorCalRangersFan on Jul 21, 2009 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions
So
This lets iPhone work like a computer with mlb.tv subscription?
"[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 Jul 21, 2009 12:05 PM CDT up reply actions
yeah, as far as I can tell
I don’t have the mlb.tv subscrip so I can’t say for sure though. The update description of the app said you’d have DVR capabilities and all that on the phone.
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jul 21, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions
DVR capabilities
…wow.
Big difference from just getting the games they’re offering, too. If you can pick the teams you want to watch, that makes this thing legit.
"[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 Jul 21, 2009 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions
No thats not right
The part of the update where its talking about dvr capabilities is advertising the pc version of mlb.tv, I looked at it a minute ago after seeing this.
No game is live until 4 pm so I havnt tried it yet, but I’m fairly certain it will be the same as the free games were, though that does include going back 30 seconds and pausing but not as much as the pc has. And no archives or anything. But given that its on a phone its certainly plenty.. great addition.
I thought it was worth 10 dollars from the start, now that it has 10 minute condensed games for everyone, 2 streaming games a day for everyone and every game for mlb.tv subscribers.. nice. I hope they don’t try to jack up the price next year.
the preceding post was a great success.
hmm yeah I misread that part
still worth it though
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
by Dirk Diggler on Jul 21, 2009 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions
And...
And Tim Cowlishaw talks about…
this is about where I stopped reading.
Purgatory's kind of like the in-betweeny one. You weren't really shit, but you weren't all that great either. Like Tottenham.
Really?
comparing Harold Baines to Halladay?
At best, Baines was just going to be a decent DH, and nothing really special.
"I saw a soldier try to dig a foxhole with his bare hands. He didn't notice that he'd torn off all his fingernails. I got him out of there quickly; not for his sake, but for ours. Fear is poison in combat...destructive, contagious." - Band of Brothers
Depends.... If you don't wanna think while reading a columnist's opinion, it's a great comparison.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
Why does everyone make the same logical mistake when reading these things??
(No offense to you; I’m just adding my $.02 at the end of the comment chain.)
The comparison is CLEARLY not about the players. His point is that trading prospects for “that one last piece” can be a killer if you’re wrong about either side of the equation.
To me, the whole article hinged on this one paragraph:
“It was too soon,” Grieve said Monday as he leaned against the Rangers’ batting cage before the Rangers and Red Sox opened a three-game series. “We were almost exactly where this organization is right now.”
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
It's too soon to acquire a perennial Cy Young candidate?
When is the appropriate time to acquire one of those?
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
When acquiring him will put you over the top seemed to be his point.
I’m not saying it IS too soon, but that seemed to be the crux of Reevo’s point. I was just pointing out that people getting hung up on comparing Baines and Halladay were missing that point.
Even later in the piece, he quoted Wash as saying that even if Halladay had pitched every day during this latest string of poor offense, he wouldn’t have made much difference.
The mistake the Rangers made in the Baines deal, and which Reeves seems to suggest may be the case here, is that misjudging how close you are and how much help that trade target can be, is the biggest problem.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
I think a Cy Young guy is a build-around guy, not an over-the-top guy.
Getting Halladay does improve the Ranger’s chances this year and next and it gives them the possibility of building around him beyond that.
Thanks for clarifying, but the players in this case really do matter since they are of very different caliber.
I understand his point. Don’t gut the farm. I don’t see why he has to go through the whole Baines story just to say don’t gut the farm. It seems to me that he’s trying to resonate with the consequences of that trade and what might be consequences of a Halladay trade. So, again, I think the players matter.
FWIW, gutting the farm from my perspective in this situation would be something like Smoak + Holland rather than just one of those two as the headline deal.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
I don't think anyone I knew
thought Baines would push the Rangers over the top by being that one last piece at the time.
I can understand how some might think Halladay is that piece, because Halladay is actually a special player, unlike Baines.
"I saw a soldier try to dig a foxhole with his bare hands. He didn't notice that he'd torn off all his fingernails. I got him out of there quickly; not for his sake, but for ours. Fear is poison in combat...destructive, contagious." - Band of Brothers
Yeah, they DID think Baines was the missing link.
That’s my vivid recollection at least.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
Baines that year
.321/.423/.505. He hadn’t been that good previously, but that’s a pretty nice piece to add. The problem was more with the team than the piece, and that is the one valid link that Reeves is making.
by Brett Perryman on Jul 21, 2009 1:16 PM CDT up reply actions
I remember being pretty excited
but hell I was 17. I got excited if the wind blew.
well, its the same premise that matters... is Halladay's wins above what we would have at the spot he's taking enough to push us over the top
?
"The House That Ruth Built, 85 years old, goes out as The House That Hamilton Knocked Down"
Depends on your definition of giving up the farm, of course.
But, there’s a big difference in that the Rangers’ would be getting a perennial Cy Young candidate. If getting that type of player doesn’t help the Rangers’ chances, what would? The development of Holland? The develop of Smoak? Really? Waiting the next two years for those two to put it together would be a better bet?
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
Good read on David Murphy...
"[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
great read
aside from one 0-23 stretch, David Murphy has been enormously productive as a Texas Ranger. Glad to see what a great guy he is, as well. Also cool to find out that him and Pedroia stay in touch.
Wait--what?
Starting about 60 percent of the time this season, he’s leading the club in OPS (.386)
by brettgardner on Jul 21, 2009 2:35 PM CDT up reply actions
Duh.
Doesn’t mean I can’t point it out.
by brettgardner on Jul 21, 2009 2:57 PM CDT up reply actions
You don't have to sell me on the Murph.
I’ve already bought low.
by brettgardner on Jul 21, 2009 3:06 PM CDT up reply actions
didn't we buy low on the trade?
wasn’t Kason the biggest reason we made that move initially, until it came out that Beltre was the real gold?
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 3:14 PM CDT up reply actions
I've given up on trying to decide who was the key piece of any prospect trade..
It seems like the story changes monthly. Look at the “Salty for Tex” trade – I think Salty was viewed as the key since he was (a) already ML-ready (cough….) and (b) a plug-in replacement for Tex. (cough…. cough….)
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
yeah it was Salty for sure
then the key was Harrison for a second there…then it became evident that Feliz was the gold…and now it’s become Elvis.
When’s Beau Jones’ turn is all I’m sayin?
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jul 21, 2009 3:42 PM CDT up reply actions
None of us
have any idea what the team focused on in those trade talks. All we have is a lot of rumors and speculation.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
We eat rumors and speculation for lunch...
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
i thought that what was said
is that murphy/gabbard were throw ins and that the real guy we wanted was beltre
that they also turned down a couple of deals w/ bowden in them cuz they wanted beltre badley
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.
-
"Taking steroids is only gonna make him (Engel Beltre) whiff on those sliders in the dirt with more fury." -thedirkatron
by knockoutking on Jul 21, 2009 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions
Omar starting tonight
AJ and his experineced bat still batting 4th.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
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