New T.R. Sullivan mailbag up

by Adam J. Morris on Jul 3, 2009 9:44 AM CDT Comment 28 comments

T.R. Sullivan has a new mailbag column up...

Lots of questions, lots of answers...check it out...

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I still don't know why these things get their own posts, instead of just being included in the morning things.

Get on base or die, Salty.

"I don’t think we ever envisioned that anyone could shut this offense down to one hit" - Ron Washington

Hello Win Column

by lonestarJon on Jul 3, 2009 9:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Please, no Hamilton in the OF.

Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY

by RangerMad on Jul 3, 2009 9:57 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Also, questions like this one make me want to cry

As a team, where do the Rangers rank in strikeouts? It looks like they should be leading the league.
— Larry A., Texarkana, Texas

Apparently Larry has never noticed that MLB.com has a link to sortable stat tables where you can find this sort of information right on the taskbar of the very fucking site he’s submitted this dimwitted question to, much less heard of Baseball Reference, Google or the mythical beast of information known as the internet.

Too bad snarky TR didn’t show up and clue him in on that, instead of simply answering the poor bastard…

Get on base or die, Salty.

"I don’t think we ever envisioned that anyone could shut this offense down to one hit" - Ron Washington

Hello Win Column

by lonestarJon on Jul 3, 2009 10:02 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Lol

Have you never met anyone who isn’t computer-savvy? Most elderlies I know are in that group, I doubt this is rare.

by BuckyB on Jul 3, 2009 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

True

Some of us in out 70’s have 30-40 years of IT and network experience. Not all that many. I have cousins age 50-80+ who are “on line”, but if AOL doesn’t have a named function to see what they want to see, they don’t see it. Part of my life is dedicated to weaning family members off of fixed finction portals. So far, it isn’t working.

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912) also -

"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance."
~Ambrose Bierce

by Ed Coffin on Jul 3, 2009 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

After my experience with my mom and trying to teach her how to check her e-mail, I’d say give up. These people are not stupid at all, but for some reason are totally intimidated by the internet, DVD players, and other such things. My mom has asked me twice if a DVD needed to be rewound. This is a woman who graduated from Rice University and has too many post graduate degrees to count, and works at a very, very difficult gig that requires a bunch of smarts. It’s so weird to me.

613photo

by Black Francis on Jul 3, 2009 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Parents and the Internet

My dad’s only gotten into e-mailing and surfing the web since he retired five years ago, when he was 60. My mom is a bit more computer-savvy, but only because she’s in education, and she had to learn how to use computers in the classroom.

My middle brother rarely spends any time online, and he’s 34. OTOH, I’ve had an e-mail account and have been using the web regularly for the past 15 years.

"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky

by RCCook on Jul 3, 2009 2:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

My dad keeps forwarding suspect stories

we keep sending him the snopes pages that prove them false, and he keeps sending more.

G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....

by t ball on Jul 3, 2009 4:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

I know there’s people who aren’t exactly computer savvy, but if you can make it to MLB.com to email TR, I would think you should be able to make it to the “sortable team stats” and click on the little “SO” row.

Get on base or die, Salty.

"I don’t think we ever envisioned that anyone could shut this offense down to one hit" - Ron Washington

Hello Win Column

by lonestarJon on Jul 3, 2009 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

lol, so true

Unless those guys sent TR an actual letter, they have no excuse on why they are able to email TR but can’t figure out what team leads the league in Ks

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

by Gdawg on Jul 3, 2009 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Depends on what you consider "elderly".

I’m 56 but learned Fortran and Cobal using key punch back in the 70’s and started using home computers with Radio Shack TRS 80’s, the old TI computers, and into Apple 2C’s.

My dad is 89 and works on computers for fun.

by Redcaps on Jul 3, 2009 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Jon, you're hilarious

You bitch about these mailbags twice as much as everyone else combined, yet you always read it and make the most comments.

G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....

by t ball on Jul 3, 2009 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs

Yeah, I know

It’s the trainwreck factor. I can’t resist.

Get on base or die, Salty.

"I don’t think we ever envisioned that anyone could shut this offense down to one hit" - Ron Washington

Hello Win Column

by lonestarJon on Jul 3, 2009 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

TR doesnt seem

as snarky as usual today. I did like the answer to the last question though

by BEW on Jul 3, 2009 10:08 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The Rangers simply aren’t going to take on any additional payroll — significant or otherwise — in any trade over the next month. That’s the reality of it.

So any trade we make would have to be completely budget neutral? Or be paired with a corresponding unloading of a vet to offset the new acquisition’s salary, even if he is just a reliever owed half a million the rest of the way? yikes

by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Jul 3, 2009 11:56 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I hope he's just talking about significant additions to the payroll

and not things like a half million salary.

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

by Gdawg on Jul 3, 2009 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

me too

but he went out of his way to specify that even insignificant additions wouldn’t be coming. then again, TR can be kind of daffy sometimes so who knows where he’s coming from.

by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Jul 3, 2009 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

$$$

It seems pretty clear the Rangers don’t have any money. At this point trades are the least of my concerns. I am worried that Purke and Scheppers won’t be signed due to lack of funds. I am worried that Millwood’s option for 2010 won’t be picked up because there is no money in the budget and I am a little worried that the Rangers will be taken over by MLB while they search for an owner after Hicks defaults on the whole thing. So, yeah, I would say trade acquisitions are near the bottom of my concerns at this point.

by pblack on Jul 3, 2009 1:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

milwood's option vest at 180 IP

so it’s probably not going to be a matter of whether we can afford him or not.

the big picture financial troubles could really harm us over the next 2-3 years as all our prospects ascend if we dont have the flexibility to surround them with the right free agent pieces and extend them where appropriate. I’m definitely not dismissing that concern. I just think it’s just a startling revelation of how dire the situation is if even a less than 1% increase in payroll is prohibitively expensive, even if it means adding a crucial piece for the stretch run.

by Smoakin in the Boys Room on Jul 3, 2009 1:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Millwood's option...

automatically vests for next year if he goes over a certain number of innings pitched. He’ll easily make it if he continues like he has. In other words, Millwood will be back.

by Redcaps on Jul 3, 2009 1:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

True, but that does not mean he will be wearing a Rangers' uniform.

If it vests, they could trade him for next to nothing to get rid of his contract. I fear Hicks will order Daniels to sell off everybody he can, regardless of what he gets for them.

Definiton of insanity-doing the same thing and expecting different results
"Introducing your 2009 Texas Rangers-Built for Insanity!"

by randyd on Jul 3, 2009 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oops

I totally forgot that it vests, but I am still pretty worried in general.

by pblack on Jul 3, 2009 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Terrible Mailbag

That was a weak set of questions and even weaker set of answers. I’m not a fan of TR, but am I alone thinking that was even worse than usual?

by Tex34 on Jul 3, 2009 1:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

yeah it sucked

Some of the answers seemed to ignore the questions. Others seemed quite terse. If you hate them that much, TR, make an intern do it.

613photo

by Black Francis on Jul 3, 2009 1:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Reading this makes me facepalm:

Why haven’t the Rangers given A.J. Murray a look this year out of the bullpen? He is putting up some very nice numbers in the Minors.
— Bill R., Dallas

Right now, he is being blocked by Eddie Guardado, but he has a 1.27 ERA and may be worthy of consideration at some point.

"Look out, Itchy! He’s Irish!"
Rock Flag & Eagle Radio: Monday 10 PM - 1 AM and Tuesday-Thursday 9 PM - 1 AM on FM 88.7 The Choice, or online @ ktcu.net!

by Maximilian on Jul 3, 2009 3:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs