Saturday morning Rangers stuff
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 10:23 AM CDT
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PrintAfter today, there will only be 40 games left. This season has flown by.
Anthony Andro notes that this was the fifth straight game the Rangers starter has failed to go six innings, putting a lot of strain on the bullpen. This would have been par for the course last season, but this season, it is a noteworthy event.
Evan Grant writes that Ron Washington had put up the "stop" sign in the eighth inning last night, but pinch-runner Julio Borbon missed it when he took off with two outs and Josh Hamilton at the plate, getting thrown out.
There are a lot of folks who were bent out of shape when Julio Borbon sat yesterday and Andruw Jones played, with the basic argument being that Borbon is hot, has energized the offense, and makes things happen on the bases with his speed, while Andruw Jones is old, slow, and sucks.
I think starting Jones was reasonable, though. Jones, while not crushing lefties, had put an OPS against them this year that is over 100 points higher than Borbon's OPS against lefties in AAA this year. And I suspect that part of the team's thinking is that they want to put Borbon in situations where he's most likely to succeed, in order to keep him playing well and keep his confidence up in his first real taste of the majors, and the (not unreasonable) feeling is that having him sit against lefties, particularly guys like Scott Kazmir, is the best way to maximize his skills and keep him from being overwhelmed.
I don't know that I would have started Jones instead of Borbon, but I think it is a very defensible move.
And Anthony Andro has some notes on Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz, Julio Borbon, and Jason Grilli today.
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It is amazing...
how fast a winning season flies by!!!
GO RANGERS!!!
"Thats all we got? One goddamned hit?" - Harry Doyle
"You cant say god damn on the radio."- Colorman Monte
"Ehhh, who cares...nobody's listening!"- Harry Doyle
by awillis111 on Aug 22, 2009 10:32 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Jones
Angel game aside, he’s caught the epic suck bug that’s hit Blalock and is a liaiblity right now, even against lefties.
Way to not lurk and instead shit all over yourself during your first fanshot.
-FirebatM3 to Ryan2907. 6/3/09.
by SarasotaRanger on Aug 22, 2009 10:32 AM CDT reply actions
and he definitely should not be in the cleanup spot
that really irks me
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
So Kazmir's numbers against lefties this yr dont matter at all?
08/03/2009 A day that will live in infamy for the rest of the AL West.
Kazmir's numbers against lefties
Historically, he’s killed lefties.
This year, he hasn’t had a big split.
The question is whether something happened this year to make him suddenly unable to get lefties out, or whether it is simple small sample size fluctuations.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 11:22 AM CDT up reply actions
Kazmir clearly hasn't been the same pitcher this year
As he has been in years past. Kinda like Andruw Jones of 2009 isn’t the same as Andruw Jones of 2000-2007. While I understand the larger sample size argument, seems like the more recent stats should outweigh that, unless of course it’s like 10 innings.
I disagree on Jones
I’ve been defending him all year, but he is in the midst of a frigid streak, and Borbon is white hot, and that counterbalances the platoon splits, IMO. I just don’t see any reason to bench a player when they are seeing the ball, and plenty of reason to bench them when they aren’t.
"I don't condone steroids or any other type of growth hormones or anything else, but I could care less, and, for the most part, I don't think the fans give a (bleep). The people that care about it are the people that probably don't like baseball," - Jim Leyland
Hopefully
when the rosters expand our bullpen will get some much needed rest to be sharp for playoffs.
I'm excited to see our bullpen post-expansion
Frank, CJ, Feliz, ODay, Grilli, Mathis, Moscoso, Guardado, Madrigal, Jennings… a ton of options to go from, there
Nippert
Not a stellar outing for him, but I still think he is a better pitching talent than McCarthy (seems obvious now, but it wasn’t a popular opinion when I first voiced it last year) and I still think he has a place on this team next year and going forward. Other than Feliz, it seems Nippert has the best swing and miss FB on the staff.
"You can probably stick a fork in the Rangers' playoff chances for 2009." - AJM on 7/26 with the team 4.5 games out
His change is becoming an above average pitch.
Mixes well with that fastball of his.
Guess I"ve never noticed, but does he have atleast a DECENT slider/curveball?
Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100. - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
It's a joke
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishsticks_%28South_Park%29
Officially gay for Neftali Feliz
curveball is above average IMO
"You can probably stick a fork in the Rangers' playoff chances for 2009." - AJM on 7/26 with the team 4.5 games out
Nippert last night
He got squeezed early, threw a ton of pitches in the first two innings because of it and because of defensive lapses by both Tea and himself, and then settled down for the next (almost) three innings. I really thought he was going to come out of the game down 2-0 and we would have a shot at this game.
When he grooved that fastball down the middle for the two-run shot, though, ouch. I think at that point Maddux should have come out to calm him down and maybe he could have avoided the back-to-back after that.
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
He is too inconsistent
and will never be more than a #5 SP.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
That's my gut feeling too
But he is still relatively young and very inexperienced, so who knows. It wouldn’t shock me if he turned into a decent # 3.
I agree
it is nice to see him have some good days, but he will be way to inconsistent to be anything more than a 5, and his ERA will most likely be upper 4’s or in the 5’s
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
I don't want to hear about AJ's year stats.
Here is is BA by month:
April: 344
May: 245
June: 170
July: 209
Aug: 159
He has done what old people do “get tired”. What he did in april has no bearing now.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
and Nash Bridges.
Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100. - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
Perry Mason
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
Poirot
"When he came up with that ball, hop or not, he looked exactly like a homeless guy who had found a long cigarette butt – only to discover it was soaked with gasoline. He could not have thrown out anyone there, even though Cust moves at about the speed of soil erosion." - Ed C.
by inactive lsb user on Aug 22, 2009 3:12 PM CDT up reply actions
Mama's Family
Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100. - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
Dorf on Golf
Sometimes you just want to sit back and watch somebody throw 100. - Jeff Passan on Neftali Feliz
I don't care what his batting average is
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions
That's so weird....
While I understand Batting Average is far from everything……surely it accounts for something.
I think batting avg
does matter for your #4 hitter. Kind of hard to drive in a runner from 2B with a BB.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Agreed.
I know that last night with runners and 2nd and 3rd and 2outs (after Byrd k’d), it would’ve been nice to have a hit.
lol
"When he came up with that ball, hop or not, he looked exactly like a homeless guy who had found a long cigarette butt – only to discover it was soaked with gasoline. He could not have thrown out anyone there, even though Cust moves at about the speed of soil erosion." - Ed C.
by inactive lsb user on Aug 22, 2009 3:13 PM CDT up reply actions
No, it really doesn't
I’ll take a .200/.400/.500 #4 hitter over Ichiro as my #4 hitter any day.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 11:26 AM CDT up reply actions
I suppose you have #s to back up your position?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
I'm making a point
Citing batting average to show who is a capable offensive player and who isn’t is silly.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions
Not totally silly, but I get your point.
I mean, if one guy is hitting .360 and another guy is hitting .210, then that definitely means something. Obviously there’s a lot of other numbers worth looking at, but you can’t completely disregard as “silly” that kind of a gap.
Adam, you missed my point!
I could have cited any stat (wOBA OBP etc), the point was his performance is declining. It is the exact opposite for Holland, his performance is improving and citing stats like ERA for the year tell you nothing about his current performance level.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 11:48 AM CDT up reply actions
While a high OBP is nice
When your batting cleanup in the lineup you need to have the ability to put the ball in play and get a hit on a semi-regular basis in order to drive in runners. In such a situation I think batting average is definitely relevant.
It also doesn't help
that when he get’s on base he’s still a liability because of his inability to run well anymore…
Dusty Baker would like his dinosauresque opinion back
I have no objection to man walking on the moon.
by Chad Crudup on Aug 22, 2009 1:24 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I think worrying about who does what in the lineup misses the point
If you have guys who get on base and hit for some power, you’ll score runs.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions
AJ is doing neither of those things at this point.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions
Over the month of August
Jones has 2 doubles, no homers, and 4RBI’s primarily out of the cleanup spot. Not exactly hitting for power or driving in runs…
I agree
He’s hit poorly in August. I didn’t think that was in dispute.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 12:21 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't give a shit what he did in April or even before the ASB.
It has no, zero bearing now. My theory of it is perhaps he has gotten tired, like old peple do. To make it more plausible in the period right after ASB he began hitting again for about 10 days (.259) but since then zero HR’s.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 12:26 PM CDT up reply actions
Really?
Does pre-ASB performance have no bearing on anything anyone has done, or is it just Andruw?
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions
Just Andruw!
Seriously, though what I’m saying is I think there is a reason he sucks. He is tired! It is just a theory but it would explain it. Injured somehow would also explain it. Or it could be that him hitting earlier in year was anomaly and he has returned to his 2008 level. But he sucks now and I don’t believe it is coming back, give him a week or two rest and ride Borbon streak while it is going. Maybe some rest would help.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions
when you get old being out in the heat is energy sapping
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 1:34 PM CDT up reply actions
Bull
take a look at his BABIP then reconsider.
"When he came up with that ball, hop or not, he looked exactly like a homeless guy who had found a long cigarette butt – only to discover it was soaked with gasoline. He could not have thrown out anyone there, even though Cust moves at about the speed of soil erosion." - Ed C.
by inactive lsb user on Aug 22, 2009 3:16 PM CDT up reply actions
I think he
misses the greenies.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Seems like there has been a HUGE emphasis in LSB
on what Hank F has done post ASB.
Love his approach this week and looking forward to a big night tonight and a day enough tomorrow v DPrice is much needed before heading to NYC.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
3 walks, 4 hits, 5 Ks
He’s on fire! And numerically clever!
by brettgardner on Aug 22, 2009 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I did notice something in my exhaustive research
of all things Hank F.
He leads the team in a category called Go Ahead Hits (defined as all hits where the team went from tied or behind to ahead, may have benefitted from errors) with 16 although he only has 422 plate appearances.
Number two on the team is MYoung with 15.
Interesting.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
Over at Fangraphs
Blalock leads the team in the “clutch” catagory. Hamilton is second and Davis is third. A single stat by itself has little value.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
that is ridiculous
so you’re saying that with a man on 2B and 2 outs, you’d rather have Andruw Jones up than Ichiro. That is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard (or read)
A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.
sigh
I’ve wasted too many hours of my life over the years with this argument. I’m not going to do it again today.
Maybe Req or philkid will show up and want to take it up. I’m not going to, though.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 1:30 PM CDT up reply actions
You're getting old and ... "tired"
you should have just saved the template somewhere so you could fart it out as needed.
Tisk tisk.
"When he came up with that ball, hop or not, he looked exactly like a homeless guy who had found a long cigarette butt – only to discover it was soaked with gasoline. He could not have thrown out anyone there, even though Cust moves at about the speed of soil erosion." - Ed C.
by inactive lsb user on Aug 22, 2009 3:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Adam,
I did some number crunching using probability theory because I was curious and: Using the situation of runner on 2nd and 2 outs:
With Ichiro up and in the 4-hole, Nellie Cruz in the 5-hole, and Byrd in the 6-hole: There is a 27.8% the runner scores (not considering the pitching matchup or chance of an error)
With a .200/.400/.500 hitter in the 4-hole and Nellie and Byrd up next: There is a 22.23% chance the runner scores.
So my question is whether you are dismissing his hypothetical bc you believe the odds-on outcome to be different as I described above, or because he misstated your point (which was simply which batter you’d rather have in the 4-hole)?
You can't change the batter every time that situation comes up.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
I had no problem with Borbon Stealing
it was only bad luck and slide that he started too early that got him cought, that is the only flaw i have seen in his running game, the early slide. and i would have had him start that game as well, at least he can bunt for a him, AJ sucks so hard he is useless
Larry Parrish Was Da Man!
He came in from the dugout and they signaled to him what they wanted him to do?
Just tell him before he goes out there, he might miss the signal.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions
Pettis should have told him
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
If you have to start AJ
Why bat him 4th?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Now that is something we can all agree on.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions
OT: Justin Duchscherer
He’s out the rest of the year with clinical depression.
"You can probably stick a fork in the Rangers' playoff chances for 2009." - AJM on 7/26 with the team 4.5 games out
That's going to cost him quite a bit next year
Arm problems plus a case of depression? Ouch.
Look at the comments under Jeff Wilson's blog post on dallasnews.com. What a bunch of rocket scientists.- Keith Law
Yup, it will drive his price down
might be a great candidate for a discounted one year deal, and he has has connections here (played here, and raised in Lubbock). He might be a pretty good fit for what we can do in FA this offseason….high upside, low cost.
"You can probably stick a fork in the Rangers' playoff chances for 2009." - AJM on 7/26 with the team 4.5 games out
Yeah, I was thinking along those lines
Big question, though- what are the odds of him earning and maintaining a spot in the roto all year?
Millwood, Feldy, Hunter, and Holland are there as long they aren’t hurt or in epic suck mode, with Feliz possibly being ready to start around July or so (if he needs to stretch out in AAA), Sheets being a possibility, and Nips/McCarthy hanging around.
I guess my point is, could he/would he take up Jennings’ role? Is that too much of a regression, career-wise, for him? Or would that fit him well if he had to take a one year show me deal, to raise his value for 2011?
Look at the comments under Jeff Wilson's blog post on dallasnews.com. What a bunch of rocket scientists.- Keith Law
I wouldn't think there's any way he agrees to that.
Not after he showed what he’s capable of last year
I can see that.
What I can’t see, though, is someone guaranteeing him a starting slot, in front of a plus defense, with a well-thought of pitching coach.
He’s also maxed out his ML career at 141 IP- given that he missed this year, I think expecting anything more than 100 IP is pretty foolish. So, there’s a chance that coming here, pitching out of the pen as a long man, getting the odd emergency start, and ending the season with 90 or so IP’ed (in front of a strong defense, with a good pitching coach) positions him a lot better for 2011 than he could be anywhere else.
Good thing I don’t have to make these decisions for a living. I can see where the dude’s anxiety came from.
Look at the comments under Jeff Wilson's blog post on dallasnews.com. What a bunch of rocket scientists.- Keith Law
He doesn't need to agree to a middle relief role
You sign him and let him know that if he is healthy and effective, he’s in the rotation. Because if he is healthy and effective, he’s definitely one of our top 5 starters. If things shake out that he isn’t effective, or we have too many good starters to fit in the rotation, then he can be moved to a bullpen role. But the point in signing him would be to have him in the rotation, there is no need in trying to get him to agree to a bullpen role in the winter.
"You can probably stick a fork in the Rangers' playoff chances for 2009." - AJM on 7/26 with the team 4.5 games out
I assume that we are passing on Sheets?
Because if we sign Sheets, I don’t see the need for Duchscherer.
You end up rolling with Sheets, Millwood, Holland, Feldman, and either Harrison, Hunter, Nippert, Feliz, or McCarthy in that scenario.
And really, unless you trade Feldman this offseason, even if you don’t sign Sheets, I don’t see that signing Duchscherer is all that good an idea.
He’ll be 32, he’ll be coming off a season he missed because of injury, and he’ll only have one partial season as a solid starter under his belt.
Duchscherer only has 27 starts in his major league career. I don’t see that he’s really that much better an option for our rotation next season than, say, Hunter or Feliz.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 1:55 PM CDT up reply actions
If we target a injured pitcher I would hope we target Sheets
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.
Can we DL Blalock
with Depression?
I get bummed out whenever I see him hit.
"I don't condone steroids or any other type of growth hormones or anything else, but I could care less, and, for the most part, I don't think the fans give a (bleep). The people that care about it are the people that probably don't like baseball," - Jim Leyland
by DJCahill on Aug 22, 2009 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
did you see Ben's caption for the pic on the post game thread last night?
"You can probably stick a fork in the Rangers' playoff chances for 2009." - AJM on 7/26 with the team 4.5 games out
What happened?
Did he hear that the Rangers weren’t going to trade for him?
I propose a 5-year moratorium on trading any young Ranger pitchers who throw over 90 mph.
I don't like the OPS stat because it is misleading kind of like ERA.
The problem with OPS itself is that it weighs SLG too heavily. OBP is much more valuable (three times more valuable, according to a run production model of Paul DePodesta). OBP is even more valuable for a leadoff hitter, and more valuable still for a leadoff hitter who projects to have eighty stolen bases on the year. But a high OBP is very difficult for a speedy leadoff hitter to achieve because he is seldom walked because the opposing team doesn’t want him on the basepaths. Another problem with OPS is that it does not factor in Stolen Bases. Plus someone who steals lots of bases is worth much more than the sum of his SB’s linear weight values, anyway. For example, you will often see #2 hitters having a batting average much higher than when batting 3’rd if they follow a speedy lead-off hitter because of the way they are pitched to with speedy lead-off on base. People like Borbon create problems for opposing teams that go beyond a flawed stat like OPS.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 11:38 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Well, yeah
I prefer EQA if we are going to quantify all offensive production.
But I don’t know where you can get that in terms of splits. I can’t find what someone’s EQA since the ASB, or against lefties, is.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 12:09 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't want to hear about DePo's run production model
You can put numbers in a computer and make it say whatever you want it to. That’s how we got Enron.
"You dont know much do you, Big Steve?"
--Finnerty.Fan on Aug 13, 2009 5:13 PM PDT
by WestTxAg06 on Aug 22, 2009 11:52 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
I don't give a shit about his model, either. Just making a point that OPS isn't all that.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions
lol
"When he came up with that ball, hop or not, he looked exactly like a homeless guy who had found a long cigarette butt – only to discover it was soaked with gasoline. He could not have thrown out anyone there, even though Cust moves at about the speed of soil erosion." - Ed C.
by inactive lsb user on Aug 22, 2009 3:29 PM CDT up reply actions
You can put numbers anywhere and make it say whatever you want, for that matter
like the time when you called the number you got from some hot chick, only to find out it’s the rejection hotline
if the rangers go 13-28 the rest of the way
they will be .500
how many of us predicted 81 wins?
" This is the inning that propels us to the playoffs. Mark it down."
- Rohn Warshington on Jul 27, 2009 9:19 PM EDT
5th inning against the Tigers
What does it say about a team's minor league system
when they can afford to have 3 spots open on thier 40 man roster at this time of year?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
I read somewhere that they have broken in no rookies this year - that seems impossible.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions
I remember reading that also.
Gotta love their GM and manager!
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
I cant remember any good ones last year either
Carlos Rosa?
Hochevar debuted in 07 but was a rookie last year.
So really not much debuted last year either.
I have a feeling that they will be adding at least a Ranger or two
considering that we share a complex with them, the Royals probably more than any other team, should have a good feel for guys that might get left off our 40 this winter.
"You can probably stick a fork in the Rangers' playoff chances for 2009." - AJM on 7/26 with the team 4.5 games out
Well
They claimed Bannister. I guess they could conceivably claim Arias when he ends up on the waiver wire (since I can’t imagine the Rangers are going to keep him on the 40 man all offseason, given he’s out of options).
But as far as potential Rule 5 picks, I don’t know that there’s anyone Rule 5 eligible who is likely to get left off that I’d lose sleep over losing. If the Royals want to keep Manny Pina or Michael Schlact on their 25 man roster all of 2010, more power to them.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Gentry
I wouldn’t lose sleep over losing him but I wish he had gotten some AAA ABs this year.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
How good is our pitching? Very VORP-y good?
I’m trying to get a handle on these new-fangled Baseball Prospectus metrics from, what, the 1990s? BP team stats through 8/21 show the Rangers team pitching VORP at 203.6, more than 15 points over the nearest team (Red Sox) and almost the best in the majors (the Giants are tops). Is this stat credible? Has our pitching been that good?
The problem with VORP
It doesn’t really separate out defense from the pitching. So a mediocre pitcher with great defense behind him will register a very good VORP, even though the majority of the credit goes to the fielders, not the pitcher.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 1:31 PM CDT up reply actions
very true - but our pitching has improved by how much - marby.5 runs agame?
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 1:37 PM CDT up reply actions
So that would mean...?
Either our team defense is better than it’s been assumed to be, or if the team defense is average or below average, then our pitchers have been the best staff in the league according to VORP, by a significant margin. (Or would individual pitchers skew the aggregate numbers to make our staff appear better than it was—say, if Feldman is getting usually high defensive support?).
x
Either our team defense is better than it’s been assumed to be, or if the team defense is average or below average, then our pitchers have been the best staff in the league according to VORP, by a significant margin.
This confuses me.
Our team defense is assumed to be one of the best in the majors this year.
by Adam J. Morris on Aug 22, 2009 1:46 PM CDT up reply actions
That was vague--by "assumed," I was referring to some of the criticism on LSB
For example, recent discussion of MY’s positioning, our catchers, Hank at 1B, the list goes on. But according to BP, Rangers are second in DefEff.
Kinda worried about the rotation not going deeper into games.
That’s the only reason they’re winning this year, by pitching decently deep into the games and keeping the pen from being over exposed. Some will say they’re winning due to defense, and that’s a big part of it, but the staff hasn’t been utterly hammered game after game as they have been in years past. They’ve been doing a better job too.
Lineup:
DH Julio Borbon, 3B Michael Young, LF David Murphy, CF Marlon Byrd, RF Josh Hamilton, 2B Ian Kinsler, 1B Hank Blalock, C Taylor Teagarden, SS Elvis Andrus
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
Don't get it with the above line-up.
Murphy has been a giant bag of suck lately (hitting him 3rd?!?!?!) and Cruz hits much better v RH pitching.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
Sitting Cruz is inexcusable
unless it is due to an injury. Or if Murphy vs Garza .417/ .429 .750 in 14 ABs and Byrd has a .829 OPS vs him.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland -Tom Grieve Rangers Minor League Player of the Year
Martin Perez - Nolan Ryan Rangers Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Good grief.
"When he came up with that ball, hop or not, he looked exactly like a homeless guy who had found a long cigarette butt – only to discover it was soaked with gasoline. He could not have thrown out anyone there, even though Cust moves at about the speed of soil erosion." - Ed C.
by inactive lsb user on Aug 22, 2009 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Duly note that Borbon (while smacking the cover off the ball or hitting in extremely good luck)
has screwed the pooch several times on the bases and it caught up to him last night.
I’m detecting a little bit of a pattern. Epic fail v. LAA, made the first out at 3B the other night v Minnesota, missed 3B on his way home v. Minnesota and then missed a sign last night when the team was on the verge of a rally.
I like some of the things he’s doing but he’s either not very smart or needs a helluva lot more polish.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"Ranger players, especially veterans, weren’t surprised that Daniels couldn’t find a deal"
Hold up
Epic fail vs LAA? I do believe he did score the next batter.
1st out vs Minn? He was on 2nd and Young hit a ball to the 2B. It took a perfect play from Minn to get him. Are you seriously bitching about a guy going from 2nd to third on a ball to the 2B?
When was this missing 3rd base? I don’t remember that happening in any of the games
And with his success so far I really can’t be too mad at him even if he did miss a sign.
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.
He’s already one game shy of the longest hitting streak for an AL rookie this year at eight games.
His .485 average is also the third highest by a rookie who has played 10 career games and had 30 at-bats in the last 75 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Only Craig Wilson (White Sox, 1988) and Luis Salazar (Padres, 1980) had better starts.
The numbers are especially good considering Borbon’s big-league career started with an 0-for-3 night.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
It didn't, showed multiple replays of and he clearly touched everyone agreed except Josey.
I'm tired of hearing about team chemistry. You are telling me these fuckers wouldn’t like to have a teammate that could actually help the team win, instead of being down 2-4 spots.
by diamond_dave on Aug 22, 2009 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions
STAT OF THE DAY
Chris Davis has reached base safely in 16 straight games. Hitting .365 with a .507 OBP.
No, that is not a typo .507 OBP!
Grillcheese activated
Eyre optioned.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"When you have a weapon on your shoulder like he has, you can be cool." RW on Perez
And the little bastard threw it for a swinging strike three in a 3-2 count. He’s blessed. And ballsy.
Nice one.
"When he came up with that ball, hop or not, he looked exactly like a homeless guy who had found a long cigarette butt – only to discover it was soaked with gasoline. He could not have thrown out anyone there, even though Cust moves at about the speed of soil erosion." - Ed C.
by inactive lsb user on Aug 22, 2009 4:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Still would have rather seen JJ go down.
I feel better with Eyre out there than JJ.
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
Red Sox pounding Burnett early
4-0 in the second. Angels already won today, which means we have to as well.
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
Burnett, the big game enigma,
continues to suck when needed. HR to Alex Gonzalez? Really?
Way to not lurk and instead shit all over yourself during your first fanshot.
-FirebatM3 to Ryan2907. 6/3/09.
by SarasotaRanger on Aug 22, 2009 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions
7-0 now.
3-run bomb to Youkilis in that ridiculous stadium.
Gracchus (about Obama): I think he knows what America is. America is the mob. Conjure money for them and they'll be distracted. Take away their freedom and still they'll roar. The beating heart of America is not the paper of the Constitution, it's the power of the media. He'll bring them debt - and they will love him for it.
Well, that sucks
but we just need to take care of business tonight, regardless of what the FatsoX do today.
Way to not lurk and instead shit all over yourself during your first fanshot.
-FirebatM3 to Ryan2907. 6/3/09.
by SarasotaRanger on Aug 22, 2009 4:03 PM CDT up reply actions
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