Tuesday a.m. Rangers stuff
by Adam J. Morris on Jun 1, 2010 9:47 AM CDT
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PrintOkay, time to see this team snap out of its current funk...
Thad Levine says that, although Derek Holland is heading to the 15 day disabled list, the diagnosis on him was good news, as there is apparently no structural damage. Pedro Strop will be brought up to replace Holland for now, with Tommy Hunter expected to get called up on Saturday to replace Holland in the rotation.
Evan Grant says that the Rangers have been exposed when playing good teams, and in particular, have shown their lack of experience and reliance on young players who are still trying to establish themselves as major leaguers.
Jeff Wilson writes that a couple of minor mechanical changes since the May 14 embarrassment in Toronto have Rich Harden performing more like the Rich Harden of old.
Ben Rogers says that the Rangers should be sellers, not buyers, at the trade deadline, and in particular, should see what they can get for Vladimir Guerrero. However, with the team only a game out of first place in a weak division, I think it is way premature to start waving the white flag and looking towards 2011. If the Rangers a half-dozen games out come late July, sure, it makes sense to explore the trade market for Guerrero and Frank Francisco and Rich Harden. Right now, though, there's no reason for us to be worrying about that.
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can we please just
not take a rib out of Holland?
if the Rangers go 1-5 in Tampa and Chicago, is there any hope we are firing RW?
Bunting makes me spooge in my pants!
They would have lost 11 of 13 at that point and would have a 27-29 record...not enough.
They need at least 15 of 17 losses or another failed drug test.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
15 of 17 losses would make us 27-33
and upon further review, I’m not sure they’d fire him at that point either.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
That is a great question
You would think that it would be enough. But probably not with this team. My question is what game are they going to win? The way this team plays if someone actually pitches good they wont hit. If the team hits then the starter will give up 7 runs in the first 2 innings.
by Linedrive222 on Jun 1, 2010 1:26 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I think
the main problem with that is the division is so bad, we’d still be very much in the race.
by Butcher T. Washington on Jun 1, 2010 2:36 PM CDT up reply actions
With as drum tight as the 40 man roster is going to be....
….why do we need to look to picking up prospects for Vlad? It seems that what the Rangers need are close to MLB ready positional players, not some kind of huge haul of high upside people. Combine all this to the fact that we are right there at first place and the idea seems dumb.
I think the first place thing is the real ket here.
I don’t see how anyone could say this butt shit with a straight face.
The 40 trumps all!
Don’t throw a party for vengeance. It will turn on you. Like your wife, after your kid has fallen into a quarry.
I'd actually much rather have us trade or just fucking release Arias, and either promote Boggs or trade for a RHH'ing OF'er.
The 40 trumps all!
Don’t throw a party for vengeance. It will turn on you. Like your wife, after your kid has fallen into a quarry.
They organization must think Boggs sucks
they have had plenty of chances to call him up and they aren’t doing it. They are basically saying Gentry has more to offer.
Bunting makes me spooge in my pants!
Yep
it is inexplicably why they wouldn’t give Boggs an opportunity unless they have already written him off. With his platoon splits, he would seem to be exactly what this team needs.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Dogged desire to give Borbon all the rope in the world, most likely..
Calling up Gentry is clearly just a bench move. Calling up Boggs would signal that Borbon is on thin ice, whihc they seem WAY too reluctant to admit.
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
This organization (I put this on Cocaine Ron) can be really strange...they will absolutely
dick some young players (Botts, Boggs, Max) with sporadic playing time while give more rope to other players (Davis ’09, Borbon ’10) who are obviously drowning and just killing the team.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
They definitely seemed to be right
with Botts.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
And they were definitely wrong with Davis & Borbon.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
I think it's too early to say that
and I think you’re vastly underestimating the unpredictable nature of prospects. Progress is often not linear and if you’re going to build from within you have to have a strong stomach for the roller coaster ride.
The team seems to be erring on the side of patience with these guys to us, but it’s hardly an indefensible stance.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
I think the team seems
to be erring on the side of promoting quickly.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Having Chris Davis on the team last June
was indefensible on every level. It hurt the player and helped kill the season. I don’t want to see them do the same thing with Borbon.
Look at Borbon’s splits…forgetting about his ridiculous April (.464 OPS), when he showed massive improvement in May (.576 OPS) those numbers are still unacceptable.
Borbon has no business on this team right now especially with somebody like Brandon Boggs (.705 career OPS in 352 plate appearances in The Show) in the organization.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
I'm not disagreeing with you and we're talking about slightly different things.
I’m talking about the team deciding it was time to give Davis and Borbon shots in the majors. They stuck with Davis too long last year, and it seems Borbon could use some AAA time to reset himself as well.
I’m saying that the philosophy of being patient while guys like Davis, Borbon, Smoak, try to make adjustments is very defensible, and that the team has erred on the side of a bit too much patience.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
agree on Davis
why do you think Borbon was rushed? College player with 1100 PA in the minors (700+ in AA and above)… I don’t think he was, but I do think he needs to be sent down.
by elvis1isking on Jun 1, 2010 10:40 AM CDT up reply actions
Davis & Borbon were both wildly successful
their first swims thru but Borbon is doing exactly what Davis did last year – drown in front of our eyes.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
sure
but that doesn’t mean he was rushed.
I think most of us believe at this point he needs to be sent down, even if he has “improved” from earlier in the season.
I don’t think his struggles this season mean he was rushed though. I think he’s just struggling and is pretty out of sorts from the kind of player he needs to be to be successful — something inexperienced players tend to experience from time to time.
by elvis1isking on Jun 1, 2010 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions
I don't think Borbon was rushed to the majors
I just think they pushed him into everyday starter/leadoff hitter much too soon.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Both Borbon & Davis have the physical skill-set to
make it to The Show (what both of them did in their first swims was outstanding) but they might not have the mental make-up to stay.
Not sure if it’s intelligence, not maintaining confidence or just the plain failure to make adjustments.
What’s driving me a little crazy is that the FO didn’t learn their lesson from last year. I heard JD on XM yesterday and he was very upfront about saying that Borbon wasn’t going down any time soon…an OPS below .550 and two walks in 147 plate appearances doesn’t get you a ticket back to OKC?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Davis and Borbon are very different players with very different skillsets
so any “lessons” you think should have been learned can’t just be applied in blanket fashion.
You may be right about Borbon needing to be sent down, but it has very little, if anything, to do with Davis.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
I don't think it is lack of intelligence with CD.
I just going from my impression based on his interviews and very small samples, but I think it is more of an issue of not being able to muddle through when not succeeding or out of his comfort zone. Maybe that’s a matter of confidence, but I think it is mostly a life skill of making things work when you are not at your best or you run into new challenges. Maybe he can learn to do that at a major league level, but all sorts of little things make me doubt it.
Part of what makes it so bad
is that the whole bottom third of the lineup is automatic outs. Most teams can afford to have one young guy struggling trying to figure ut out. But when you have two & no production out of the catcher position it hurts the team so much more. If there was a catcher who could hit .250 & take walks & production out of wither 1st & CF then they could afford to be patient with the other position. But having nothing out all three spots is alot of what is killing the offense. If Cru7 is batting in the 6 hole & he dosent homer he isnt going to score most of the time.
by Linedrive222 on Jun 1, 2010 1:34 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
The bottom of this lineup
really reminds me of some of those Astros teams with Ausmus, Everett and the Pitcher. When Berkman and others were raking, you could sometimes forget how much those guys sucked, but if Berkman and gang cooled off, the offense went into the tank hard.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
yeah, contingency plans
for Borbon struggling are and were non-existent.
Maybe that’s related to budget constraints, maybe it’s just a straight error by the FO and RW.
Dunno, but it is worrisome for sure.
by elvis1isking on Jun 1, 2010 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions
And this is why Borbon is still up, imo.
JD said Chavez was a few weeks away recently, and I think he is the obvious replacement. Also, the scouts and coaches seem to not think of Boggs as a viable replacement, so I don’t know why we should think we know more than them.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
That's why you don't have blind
faith in your leaders. Scouts make mistakes all the time, if they didn’t Adrian Gonzales and John Danks would still be here.
Big Ed Coffin said something the other day about how some managers (not just baseball but managers in the workforce) like people who are similar to themselves and I wonder if that explains why Wash doesn’t like Boggs.
Boggs is college educated, disciplined, very smart, doesn’t have a coke problem because he never tried it and he doesn’t mangle the language.
I wonder how much this plays a part in Wash’s hatred of him as a player?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Really reaching there, JW
“Boggs is college educated, disciplined, very smart, doesn’t have a coke problem because he never tried it and he doesn’t mangle the language.
I wonder how much this plays a part in Wash’s hatred of him as a player?"
CJ, Harden, Kinsler, Young, Borbon, and probably a couple other guys on the team all fit those criteria as well. So why would Wash single out Boggs?
"We are no longer a ride at Six Flags, we are in contention to do some things that will make our lives complete."
-- Chuck Morgan
Come on
You know Ron doesn’t like these uppity college boys, with their raccoon coats and rumble seats and flagpole-sitting contests.
by Adam J. Morris on Jun 1, 2010 11:47 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Dunno why, RC.
It’s pretty clear Wash doesn’t want Boggs on his team. Maybe he sees a player that precludes him from playing managerial grab-ass.
Given his comments re his MIFs, I’m beginning to wonder how much input Wash has with the construction of this roster which might help explain some of the absurdness we’re watching.
While you’re here, RC. Explain JD’s construction of this roster.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
If he hates Boggs
for being college educated, why does he hate Max?
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions
No idea, ASL.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
JD & the roster
I have no more of an idea than you do, JW.
I’m with you that Max should be the starting catcher; there’s no sense in having two utility infielders that don’t play, and they badly need a lefty-mashing outfielder.
All of these problems are very fixable without increasing payroll or trading off any top prospects, and I’d agree 100% that JD needs to get on the ball here.
"We are no longer a ride at Six Flags, we are in contention to do some things that will make our lives complete."
-- Chuck Morgan
Okay
Boggs is college educated, disciplined, very smart, doesn’t have a coke problem because he never tried it and he doesn’t mangle the language.
I wonder how much this plays a part in Wash’s hatred of him as a player?
This is one of the dumbest things anyone has posted on LSB in a long time.
by Adam J. Morris on Jun 1, 2010 11:55 AM CDT up reply actions 10 recs
thought so too
but then I figured it was just Josey trying to bait people into some ridiculous argument.
by elvis1isking on Jun 1, 2010 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions
Let's see...
Boggs is college educated.
I’ve heard him speak and he doesn’t mangle the language.
Throughout his minor league career (when healthy), he always has high OBPs which means…as a player… he’s also disciplined.
He’s also a good defensive player with a cannon for an arm.
To our knowledge, Brandon Boggs, who is tested, has never flunked a drug test.
And we also know that Ron Washington doesn’t like to play Brandon Boggs.
You may not like the post, Adam but Big Ed Coffin had a post up over the weekend where he talked about some managers (in the workplace) wanting to surround themselves with people who are similar.
Brandon Boggs is not remotely similar to Ron Washington in any way other than the color of their skin.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
The incredulity was not with the premises.
Repeating them much more verbosely doesn’t change anything.
Wash doesn't like Boggs
and given how Boggs played in The Show, it doesn’t appear to be because of his ability.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Maybe
Boggs was an engineering major at Ga. Tech and Wash hates all engineers for not protecting New Orleans from Katrina so he refuses to play Boggs because of that…
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions
Brandon Boggs does not care about black people...
Wait.
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
Maybe
Boggs was about to get called up until he told RW he thinks the new HBO show Treme about New Orleans is stupid and that set Ron off and now he won’t let him on his team…
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions
Trying too hard, Teach.
Let the game come to you.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
The sad thing is
I was joking and you were serious…
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 12:35 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Surely he realizes you were mocking his ridiculous assertions
At least I hope he was…
"I’m gonna go on record here and say a great many things excuse throwing a chair at someone." – D.A. Tron
"He was" = "he does"
"I’m gonna go on record here and say a great many things excuse throwing a chair at someone." – D.A. Tron
Josey realizing something
nah
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
by RangersSD on Jun 1, 2010 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I was merely dovetailing off
what Big Ed Coffin said over the weekend.
It wasn’t a declaritive statement…just wondering why.
Brandon Boggs and Cocaine Ron Washington don’t seem to be similar in too many ways and there’s something in play not related to Boggs’ playing ability keeping off this team.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Don't drag
Bid Ed into your idiocracy. You got called on a dumb statement, live with it, just once…
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 1:16 PM CDT up reply actions
Why is it "dumb"?
Boggs as a person and player is nothing like Washington is/was both on an off the field.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Well
1. you never mentioned anything about on the field in your original dumb statement
2. most of the Rangers that do play aren’t like RW was as a player. To single out Boggs is dumb…
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 1:28 PM CDT up reply actions
I'd believe this,
but he wasn’t an engineering major. Oh well. But maybe Wash hated Tex and so now has a grudge against GT players, with Byrd getting a pass cause he transferred to a JC after his leg surgery.
And to rank among the dumbest on LSB is quite an accomplishment
"I’m gonna go on record here and say a great many things excuse throwing a chair at someone." – D.A. Tron
He is stepping in shit like a farmer would!
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
scouts & coaches
Once selected Arias over Cano. They aren’t infallible.
Hey Tom - It's over now, so do you know how - to pick up the pieces and go home?
True
But that situation hardly compares to a guy they have been seeing every day for 4 years.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
They saw AG for three years,
knew they were going to have a tough time giving Tex an offer that was market value and still traded him.
They saw John Danks every day for 4 years and still traded him to Chicago.
Try again.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
I know you won't answer
because you always avoid this, but look at AG’s stats.
2004, a .272 OBP and a .381 slg
2005: a 273 OBP and 407 slg
In the minors he had hit 69 HR’s in 2480 AB’s, walked 260 times, struck out 430 and had a career minor league OPS of .813
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 11:58 AM CDT up reply actions
Sorry
hit post too soon, what there made you honestly believe he would become a power hitting stud?
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 11:58 AM CDT up reply actions
Rodney talked about needing
to trust the internal opinions of our scouts…this is not a “What did Josey think about AG back in the day” issue.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Okay
the scouts looked at the numbers and decided he wasn’t going to make it. The Marlins, who are usually pretty good assessing young talent had already traded him also. Good sidestep though. One of your betters…
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions
And the scouts were wrong.
That’s why you don’t have blind faith in your leaders.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
So
they should have kept a light hitting 1B prospect who was OPS’ing .813 over a 4 year minor league career?
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 12:12 PM CDT up reply actions
Actually
most folks were talking about him becoming a Mark Grace or John Olerud type.
Personally, I still like Smoak more than Davis, because Power is likely to come with age, but I’m not sure strike zone judgement will.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
For those that don't know, that scout was 2007 east coast scout of the year
"I don’t know how these SN blog authors get their gigs, but I’m frankly surprised SN tolerates AJM’s lack of effort." Tex34
Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...
who was hurt
and still not playing other than in extended spring training (iirc).
Signing an injured veteran who wouldn’t be ready until June or July at the earliest is not a contingency plan.
Chavez should have been the contingency plan to the contingency plan.
by elvis1isking on Jun 1, 2010 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions
here's a question:
would you rather have Vlad and Oliver and Borbon with no real backup plan; or no Vlad and no Oliver and a pretty good backup plan to Borbon?
I think you hit the nail on the head with the budget constraints
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions
How about
we keep Vlad and Oliver, and don’t sign an injured Harden?
Also, Marlon Byrd costs less than Vlad and the same as Oliver this year. So why would he cost you both?
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
with regards to Harden
he’s the type of shot we had to take to get a bonafide ace here for this season. I make that move again, barring the 20/20 hindsight we have now.
With regards to Byrd, I was ready to let him walk – but yeah, would I rather have him here than not? sure. Just not for Vlad.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 2:19 PM CDT up reply actions
And if everything goes perfectly for Gentry with every break going his way,
isn’t he nothing more than a Podsednik Starter Kit?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
I'd personally rather see Gentry out there than Borbon right now.
Gentry has the better arm, is around equal in terms of pure speed, is supposed to have better “range” due to better routes, and supposedly has decent baserunning instincts (something Borbon has been lacking in this year).
How much worse could Gentry’s hitting be than Borbon? And then you could at the very least platoon them to maximize their offensive outputs.
As far as Boggs.. there has to be an underlying reason why he’s not up. Something with his arm being half of what it was, range being weak for CF, or something. If they’ve got Gentry up and ready to go instead of Boggs, it has to be because they think Gentry provides more value than Boggs in some fashion.
THIS ....Gentry's at least a stud in the field.
Wash for this scene your role is to act like a manager who know's what the F he is doing. I know it's a creative stretch 'cus.....he do what he do.
i love gentry
i hope he gets a chance to make an impression up here while cruz is down.
"Diving stab by Andrus, gets up, throws.... GOT HIM!!! An unbelievable play! From short left field!"
-Eric Nadel on 5/17/10
by Jason Brynsvold on Jun 1, 2010 12:05 PM CDT up reply actions
I think Gentry's hitting could be MUCH worse than Borbon's
Borbon showed he could be a VERY good hitter last year; did he follow up in the 2nd go round? Not yet. But has Gentry shown anything like that in the big league level?
And I’m not arguing against Gentry getting more PT in CF by the way, just saying I do think Gentry could come in here and hit a buck fifty
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:41 PM CDT up reply actions
It could be worse, absolutely.
But Gentry is probably atleast a .200/.250/.300 level of talent. That’s not far off from what Borbon is providing right now with his head up his ass.
That means that giving him some time while Borbon gets his head straight in AAA would not be a dramatic drop-off, and his defense could potentially make up for that drop-off.
Would I want Gentry up here if Borbon were right? No.
But I think Gentry gives us a slightly better chance to win now while letting Borbon get his head straight in AAA.
agreeable
at some point, Borbon’s gotta get it figured out; if we keep sliding as a team like we have been, the move will probably be made
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 3:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Do we have any OF prospects with a case of the "bunt yips"??
If so, that’s who I’d call up immediately..
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
JD is a Cornell grad, isn't he?
Not an Aggie.
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
Hey now
"I’m gonna go on record here and say a great many things excuse throwing a chair at someone." – D.A. Tron
You're an all-star!
Get paid.
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
I certainly did not expect a Smash Mouth reference today
But FWIW, though Cornell is an Ivy, it’s still a land-grant school like A&M. Lots of great ag programs at Cornell.
And out of curiosity, I just looked. JD’s degree comes from the Cornell’s College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. Sweet.
"I’m gonna go on record here and say a great many things excuse throwing a chair at someone." – D.A. Tron
Adjudging by the actions of some Harvard grads
That may be a very good thing.
"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 Jun 1, 2010 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Andy Bernard is frowning.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Andy Cornell called and said you suck, BOOM ROASTED
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
This latest bad streak (1-6) is more on the roster
construction than Washington.
He skull-fucked the Treanor / Max situations the last two games of the Cubs series but I didn’t he think he did anything especially stupid in KC or Minnesota.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
glad to see you withhold blanket blame on Ron
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah
weird scheduling. We are actually tied in the loss column with Oakland. They are 1 game up because they have played 2 extra games and won both. Anaheim has played 3 more games than us. At least we’ve had 3 off days in the last 8 days or whatever…
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 9:54 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, and we have those extra games in the hot months going for us...
thanks MLB.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
Well
You could deal Vlad Guerrero for some 18 year old Engel Beltre type who isn’t Rule 5 eligible for a while.
by Adam J. Morris on Jun 1, 2010 9:55 AM CDT up reply actions
Rule 5
When a player is Rule 5 eligible, are they also eligible in the minor league phase?
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
gross
I’m sorry, but if we don’t keep Vlad on this squad, we better get a bounty in return. And I don’t expect one, so…keep him.
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:44 PM CDT up reply actions
"we need to do the little things better"
Didn’t RW say his teams would do the little things to win? Or something like that.
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
The A's are doing things better like winning 3 of 4 in Detroit, watch out for the Angels too.
I don’t have a good feeling about this week for us. I am thinking we are going to be the 3rd place Mother F-ing Texas Rangers by Thursday.
Bunting makes me spooge in my pants!
up coming schedules
OAK 3 at Bos…. 3 vs MINN
TEX 3 at CHW…3 vs TBR
LAA 3 at KC…….3 at SEA (LAA just started a 2 week road trip)
SEA 3 vs MINN… 3 vs LAA
The AL West may get tighter. Will anyone be above .500 next Monday?
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
Could be like
the strike shortened year when the Rangers were leading the division winning about 42% of their games…
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 10:16 AM CDT up reply actions
32 out of 38
Rangers play next 32 out of 38 against teams with losing records.
They are 2-13 on the road agianst winning teams. 24-11 in all other games.
Sadly the Royals and M's aren't going to be in the playoffs, so
even if we win the division, we are looking at sweep city.
Bunting makes me spooge in my pants!
when that 24-11 regresses to the mean...
this ball club is a few games under .500 – more accurate of the product on the field. this is not a good team.
defeatist pussy lives here
by sam in so cal on Jun 1, 2010 11:42 AM CDT up reply actions
Why do you think the 24-11 is so much more likely to be an aberration than the 2-13?
Lots of close wins in it, but IIRC there have been a lot of close losses in that 2-13 as well…
you chose to focus on the 32 of next 38 games, not me
but fwiw the 2-13 against winning teams in their houses is probably pretty representative. a great rangers team couldn’t expect to be better than 7-8 against winning teams while playing on the road. maybe that 2-13 regresses to 4-9 or 5-10 over next equal sample size. also, the 24-11 currently includes 11 against the three worst Al teams (by record). the 2-13 includes only 6 games among the three best AL teams (by record). you can look at the numbers a million different ways – including some ways that might make an otherwise horrible team look all right.
defeatist pussy lives here
by sam in so cal on Jun 1, 2010 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes, there's a million different ways,
so I was asking why you went with one of the most negative ones.
(And FWIW, those 6 games against the three best AL teams is a bigger part of the 2-13 (6/15 = 0.4) than the 11 games against the worst AL teams is of the 24-11 (11/35 = 0.31). So maybe the hard part of the schedule has been harder than the easy part has been easy after all…)
bullshit
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:46 PM CDT up reply actions
Anaheim's scaring me with that schedule
I think they could go sweep/sweep if things break wrong for us, but then again, they’re on the road
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions
I'm predicting next Sunday night
OAK 30-28
LAA 29-28
TEX 28-28
SEA 22-34
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
Pretty much agree
Except you made Anaheim 29-28 somehow not playing two games (Seattle rainouts?) so I’ll say they go 29-30 and we’re still in 2nd by percentage points; plus I have Seattle at 21-35
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Is LAA not 26-27 right now?
I should have them at 30-28.
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
"we need to do the little things better"
No, we need to do the run producing things better. Yes play better defense and try to pitch deep into starts, etc. But forget run production if you are going to give away outs persistently via sac bunts and attempted steals. There is a “satisfaction” in executing well, but why toss nearly a third of your outs for the sake of single runs?
"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 Jun 1, 2010 11:22 AM CDT up reply actions
Here's a deep thought question
are the Rangers just being too aggressive with their prospects? It worked well with Andrus and Feliz, but they are really pushing guys up fast. Davis, Perez, Borbon, guys have been moving up really quickly.
It makes me wonder if they’re challenging some of the guys in the minors too much, and with all the promotions to the majors so quickly, it makes me think they’ve been trying to push the contention window open a bit too rapidly over the past couple years.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Perez and Borbon, maybe.
Davis has been given, what is it now, 2 or 3 chances to prove he can mash with the big boys and has failed. Patience with him is pencil thin and it should be.
That being said, you might be on to something….
"Biggest mistake in DFW history?" - Bigger mistake in LSB history.
by Samuel_L_Bronkowitz on Jun 1, 2010 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions
Huh?
Davis crushed in the minors at every level and then crushed upon coming to the majors. I don’t think giving him the starting gig last year was anything other than him earning that spot. He sucked and was sent down. Crushed again in the minors and came back up and did much better last year. He was given 2 weeks this year and showed he was struggling and was again sent down. I don’t see how he has been GIVEN anything. He earned his shots and yes hes failed but he hasn’t been handed anything IMO.
As for rushing our prospects I don’t agree necessarily. There haven’t been many if any guys who were promoted even though they struggled. Struggling at a new level isn’t uncommon and isn’t a sure sign of being rushed.
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.
Davis
struck out a ton in the minors and didn’t walk and his stats all relied on an insanely high BABIP.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Guys who K alot and hit alot of HRs will generally have a high BABIP
His walk rates were cause for concern but upon his arrival in the majors he continued crushing the ball when he would make contact. Hard to expect him to forget how to hit a baseball like what happened last year
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 didn't forget
he got scouted. the book is out on Davis, and so far he hasn’t adjusted.
by elvis1isking on Jun 1, 2010 11:28 AM CDT up reply actions
I think the attendance errosion in 2008
kind of made them push things. But yeah, I am not really sure they should have proclaimed “It’s time.”
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
well I still think it is
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Borbon
He was a 2007 college draftee, a first round pick who was considered a guy who should move quickly.
A 2007 college first rounder should be ready for the majors by 2010.
by Adam J. Morris on Jun 1, 2010 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions
Which is really frustrating
that his game is so fundamentally flawed (baserunning, throwing, defensive jumps, strike zone judgement).
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
All things that were discussed as flaws on that very odd draft day...
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
That is why players like playing for Wash, no accountability. Just go ape shit out there and have some fun!!!
Bunting makes me spooge in my pants!
I could play one legged you say?
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
Its not just a Wash problem
we hear from Gary Pettis that a lot of Borbon’s throwing issues are mechanical, rather than arm strength, yet it wasn’t addressed in the minors. It had to be glaringly obvious at every step in the minors that his throwing was pretty atrocious.
Are our minor league coaches and instructors just rolling out the balls and saying go play? Are those years in the minors basically a waste of time from a development standpoint?
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Maybe rushing him didn't allow time for mechanical changes to lock in..
He could simply be reverting to his natural instincts instead of what he was taught.
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
But h e wasnt really rushed
as AJM points out, this should be the timetable for when he should’ve been ready…
http://www.examiner.com/x-50872-Dallas-Stars-Examiner
^ Updated often. Check back often for articles :)
to expand that thought just a bit
I’m remembering how Seattle rushed their guys when Bavasi was in charge. They gave away Asdrubal Cabrera after rushing him and watching him flail in the upper minors. Then he became a decent starting player in Cleveland. Many teams have rushed their contention windows by either pushing young guys into prominent roles too quickly, or by trading valuable prospects for a veteran to try to get them over the hump. I don’t want to see TX sour on a guy they promoted too quickly, then watch him blossom somewhere else.
Obviously, there is no perfect way to do this. You MUST take risks and promote your own guys if you’re going to succeed. Balancing that risk is very difficult, even the best prospects are very unpredictable. But it just feels like the Rangers are leaning a tad too risky right now. Some of that is warranted, laudable even. Some if unavoidable with the budget contraints. Some of it is obviously their plan with guys they strongly believe in.
Meanwhile, guys who could conceivably play small but important roles even though not top prospects are sometimes being left to rot (think Boggs). It’s odd as hell to watch this org be so aggressive with some guys, act very aggressively in acquiring talent in trade, draft and international free agent signing, and then watch them be afraid of losing Arias — ARIAS — to waivers.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Attempting to wrap your mind around the madness that is the Jack Arias situation will leave drive you insane.
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
Grammar fail.
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
with the budget
though, I think the org has to play players it may not want to.
I’d like to see their philosophy regarding prospects with an ML payroll of about $80 – $90 million. If they’re still “rushing” guys then — I’ll consider that somewhat of a flaw.
Right now, though, really all bets are off and it’s very, very difficult to evaluate the moves.
Though, really, hanging on to Arias isn’t hard to evaluate. It’s dumbfucking dumb.
by elvis1isking on Jun 1, 2010 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions
I think you have a point
I’ve long thought that they rushed Holland and Davis. Borbon fits the mold – even though as AJM says he should have been up this year at some point, they were still likely a year early. Smoak has arguably been rushed a bit.
Feliz and Andrus – well, they were young but they’ve been professional ballplayers for far longer than Holland, Davis, Smoak and Borbon.
I think the problem is that they push guys to see where their level is, which is fine in the minors, but when they get to the majors they assume that they’re sufficient and don’t have adequate backup plans. The flaw isn’t bringing Davis up or Borbon up, but handing them the job and saying “you’d better be ready, because we don’t have anyone in the system who can play your position”
Go Rice Owls!
Let's not pretend, though
that it is even possible to have major league quality depth at every position. Or even all the positions in which you have young players if you’re building from within. Some of the problem here is that they are limited by their budget (can’t go get a average guy at 1B to give Davis/Smoak more time for example) and they are limiting themselves with some stupid roster decisions (Arias).
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
true
you are limited in what positions you can have a strong backup for. But going into this season, the positions that looked like the biggest question-marks were obviously catcher, CF, and 1b. 1b they had a backup plan in Smoak, which is itself risky but at least something. They had no CF backup plan, even though they were relying on essentially a rookie. They had no real backup plan at C, though admittedly they probably assumed one of Salty or Tea would be at least replacement level.
Instead, they went into the year with strong backup plans for 2b, SS, and corner OF, even though those are the most stable positions on the big league roster.
Go Rice Owls!
So, they had a backup for 2 of 3 positions
And Chavez as a midseason backup.
When they almost cannot make payroll, how can that be considered poor planning/performance? I just don’t see it.
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
well
I’m picking nits because I’m grumpy that the team has two middle infielders to backup Andrus and Kinsler, whereas there is no backup 1b, no backup CF, and an awful grab bag at catcher. So yeah, they had a “plan” for 2 of those 3 positions, but that plan sucked, in hindsight.
And not really just in hindsight. We all knew the team should have gotten a real option for backup catcher, we all knew that Davis was a crap shoot and Smoak really probably needed half a season in AAA. Of course, that is where the financial restrictions come into place. Matt Treanor and “hope Davis can hold his own long enough for Smoak to get developed” were probably the best they could do given their situation. But I’m still grumpy about it.
Go Rice Owls!
Obviously?
I think if you go back to thread before and during spring training it was not so black and white as that sentence in your post makes it seem. I’m not completely disagreeing with you, but I myself was more worried about Hamilton and Davis than I was about Borbon. I figured (and still do, to a certain extent) that Borbon’s contact abilities made him a little less susceptible to funks than Davis and Hamilton for their different reasons.
Borbon is still not striking out much, but he is swinging at a LOT more pitches this year, overall, and especially, out of the strike zone.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
I think quite a few folks here
were worried about the backup plan in CF, including Adam.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
I think I was more worried about the leadoff hitting part of that
than the CF part.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
I remember Adam bringing up
in a podcast the question of what was the backup plan in CF, and Jamey gave the Party Line of the injured Endy Chavez. It wasn’t a very satisfying answer then or now.
Personally, I’ve never liked our CF or C plan for the year.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
I thought AJM was high on Borbon before the season
specifically saying his offense would replace what Byrd gave the team.
I was seduced by what we saw from Borbon last year as well and he looked really good when I saw him the last week of Spring Training (HR went over the roof at Cincy).
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
I know I was hoping
we could re-sign Byrd. As far as AJM, I just recall that podcast during spring training. He was probably good with Borbon, just wanted a better backup plan.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
I was out on Byrd. Thought he'd be okay
this year but I didn’t want to deal with a 34-35 year old Byrd with what appeared to be a younger, better player.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
well, maybe CF was a distant third behind C and 1b.
I have always been on the Borbon bandwagon. I had a lot of confidence about him going into this season – much more than I had for Davis going into last year. But Borbon had to have been more of a question mark than Kinsler, Andrus, Young, Cruz, Hamilton (maybe), Murphy, and Vlad were. One hot half-season does not prove that a player is ready to be a major league regular – I thought we already learned this lesson.
Go Rice Owls!
hitting prospects MAAAAYBE
but when you have a college bat like Borbon that has had a good amount of experience in the minors; or a A, AA, AAA masher like Davis – and they have both had success in the majors – I doubt it. I think it’s just on their mental approach at the plate. Could Borbon use more time to field/throw better in the minors? Maybe…but he showed he could hit like a champ last year. Same with Davis the year before.
Our pitchers for the most part are brought along just fine to my taste – especially with getting a big league cup in the pen (with the exception of, once again, a college grad in Hunter)
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions
I leave to enjoy the river for the weekend and I come back to this?!
Thank god the only team we play with a winning record till the All-Star break is Tampa Bay and it’s at home.
God help us all….
"Biggest mistake in DFW history?" - Bigger mistake in LSB history.
by Samuel_L_Bronkowitz on Jun 1, 2010 9:58 AM CDT reply actions
I think the Rangers took vacation with us mentally
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:51 PM CDT up reply actions
OT - Did a quick read of some of the fine work in here last night...
props to whoever coined the nickname for our underperforming and offensively challenged CF “Judy Borbon.”
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
It is so gonna get used
during GDTs.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
LSB fans of Judy Borbon
NOT
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
well thank you sir, I do believe it's a good fit.
Wash for this scene your role is to act like a manager who know's what the F he is doing. I know it's a creative stretch 'cus.....he do what he do.
I'm thinking a Jetsons reference or pic would be appropriate....
"Biggest mistake in DFW history?" - Bigger mistake in LSB history.
by Samuel_L_Bronkowitz on Jun 1, 2010 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions
I just
don’t see how Borbon is still here. His defense is suspect in the fact that he is getting bad jumps on fly balls as well as being lackadaisical out there. He is getting bad jumps when tagging up and when stealing bases. He almost seems to think to himself “shit, I’m really fast. Ain’t now way they gonna throw me….ooh shit.” To me, it doesn’t look like he gives a shit out there and that pisses me off the most. Send him down and bring up Boggs, at least Boggs will play hard knowing that he can be sent down at any time. This love affair that Ron-tard has with Borbon is getting fucking old. Fuck Borbon, fuck his defense, fuck his bat, fuck his lack of speed, and fuck his sense of entitlement to a job he has no business performing in the bigs. Whew, that felt good.
Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules
by AndrusImpersonator on Jun 1, 2010 10:08 AM CDT reply actions
In our wildest dreams before this season (I was seduced by the lifted skirt/perfumed inner thigh of a .376 OBP)
the hope seemed to be that Judy Borbon could become Bravo Kenny Lofton circa ’96.
When Lofton was 25 years old, he drew 68 walks in 651 plate appearances. Borbon turned 24 this past February and has 2 walks in 147 plate appearances. Folks, I don’t think he’s going to turn into Kenny Lofton.
This is like dealing with a child. Borbon doesn’t take walks or change his approach at the plate because he doesn’t fear the consequences of being shipped down – absolutely asinine.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
x
His defense is suspect
Not sure what you mean by “suspect,” but I don’t think he’s viewed as any worse than average defensively.
by Adam J. Morris on Jun 1, 2010 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, I'd say he's about average
And the metrics have jumped to being in his favor over the last few weeks.
"I think it's funny because everybody wants Ozzie Smith range," Young said. "I want people to show me a guy that has turbo range like that."
Of course
the only way he gets to average is because he has plussety plus speed.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Which should tell you that having a guy with plus speed in CF can be pretty damned important.
The problem with Borbon is that he’s a liability right now in every other facet of his game.
"I think it's funny because everybody wants Ozzie Smith range," Young said. "I want people to show me a guy that has turbo range like that."
I think what it tells you
is that a guy with bad fundamentals and a lot of speed isn’t much better than a guy with good fundamentals and limited speed. Knowing how to play baseball is as important or more important than running fast.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Which is why
you can’t just go grab a world class sprinter and make him a quality OF.
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
can't coach speed
and the rest you can.
Using this season as a gauge for Borbon’s ability to roam CF is a bit premature. Give him a season or two to learn the parks and become more confident in taking charge over Hamilton and Cruz.
by elvis1isking on Jun 1, 2010 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions
Heh
The thought of colliding with either of those guys may simply frighten him.
"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 Jun 1, 2010 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions
Apparently
you can’t coach the rest to Borbon. He isn’t a 17 year old kid straight from High School.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
you're being overreactionary
Maybe Borbon can’t be coached, but there’s zero indication of that so far.
You don’t think any 24 year old going through his first full season at the ML level is capable of learning (through experience and coaching), or is it just Borbon that isn’t capable of it?
by elvis1isking on Jun 1, 2010 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions
Joey Gathright is on the phone
he wants to talk to you about learning to play baseball…
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 11:28 AM CDT up reply actions
I agree with that
But I don’t think Borbon is necessarily completely hopeless in that regard, either.
"I think it's funny because everybody wants Ozzie Smith range," Young said. "I want people to show me a guy that has turbo range like that."
He's a 24 year old
ex-College player. I don’t expect his game to fundamentally change across the board if it hasn’t happened by now. Some areas of his game might improve, but he is 4 years away from peak, and he still looks really raw.
I’ve seen a lot of great natural athletes try to get by on their natural athleticism. My guess is Borbon isn’t in early and staying late working on his fundamentals.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Borbon seems to get to a lot of balls and make up for mistakes with his speed
but his arm is one of the weakest OF arms in The Show.
He’s fair to spare in the OF – nothing special.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
True
but I believe he thinks his speed is untouchable. It seems like he feels he can just run around the bags without getting caught. Then when he gets thrown out, he has this “how did that happen” look on his face. I just think he has to learn how to steal bases a bit better and take better routes to fly balls.
On another note, they had a great piece on Carl Crawford (ESPN I think) and his training for base stealing. It’s amazing the work that guy puts in.
Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules
by AndrusImpersonator on Jun 1, 2010 10:25 AM CDT up reply actions
He seems to have good lateral range.
Seems to give up on balls near the wall. I am not sure about how he comes in on balls.
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
Yeah
Like that one against the wall during the Sunday night game. I think he had a shot at it but he let it bounce off and Murphy ended up fielding it.
Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules
by AndrusImpersonator on Jun 1, 2010 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions
I haven't watched much lately
but the games I’ve seen, I’ve never seen his arm make a mistake in a game
"Hang-Dai, Wu...Hang-Fu$&ing-Dai"
by Walter Sobchak on Jun 1, 2010 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions
Average
because of his tremendous god given speed, not because he is fundamentally sound.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Also
This love affair that Ron-tard has with Borbon is getting fucking old.
It is funny…last August and September, every was complaining about how the love affair that Ron-tard had with Marlon Byrd was getting old, and he obviously didn’t like Borbon and wasn’t using him right because he refused to put him in center field, and was DHing him.
by Adam J. Morris on Jun 1, 2010 10:20 AM CDT up reply actions
Adam
Don’t you think 2 walks in 147 plate appearances…by itself…are grounds to send him back to OKC?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
If he had 145 hits in the other PAs, would you still want to send him down?
2 walks is not, by itself, enough to send him down.
But his overall body of work definitely is.
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
Oh yeah, that could have happened.
Yet another example of the lengths some people in here will go so they can spend the rest of the day doing cartwheels because they proved Big Bad Josey Wales wrong.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
I'm agreeing with you about Borbon!
But the two walks is just not enough on its own to justify the decision.
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
Daily game threads
and hours spent commenting every day about every detail of the team make us even more impatient than we otherwise would be, I think. We examine every tree in the forest minutely, sometimes forgetting to take a step back.
Fans are impatient by nature. Blogs just exacerbate that trait.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Fans, easily.
A hitter has to make a decision on whether or not to swing that bat nearly instantly. Fans have all day to bitch about it. Fans kneejerk, that’s what we do.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Judging how quick they are to start calling for Davis again after Smoak had a rough couple weeks...
It’s most definitely the fans.
"I think it's funny because everybody wants Ozzie Smith range," Young said. "I want people to show me a guy that has turbo range like that."
Not everyone
Some folks like me thought Byrd was the better fielder than what I saw of Borbon in the corners.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
I thought
Byrd fielded his position a lot better than Borbon. Totally agree with ya there.
Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules
by AndrusImpersonator on Jun 1, 2010 10:31 AM CDT up reply actions
Not me.
Never been a Borbon believer.
"I don’t know how these SN blog authors get their gigs, but I’m frankly surprised SN tolerates AJM’s lack of effort." Tex34
Neftali Feliz says sit your 5 dollar ass down before he makes change...
Just imagine how much happiness there would be if,
Arias was cut, we got somebody worth a shit to replace Judy(internally), and/or Ron was fired.
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
That would be a celebration to rival the Greenberg-getting-the-team thread.
"I think it's funny because everybody wants Ozzie Smith range," Young said. "I want people to show me a guy that has turbo range like that."
Ya, I want Boggs he has pop Gentry will be a Borbon type hitter I think.
Is that still Jordana in your pic?
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
haha
If Gentry is gonna be a Borbon type hitter, then get him the fuck back to AAA
Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules
by AndrusImpersonator on Jun 1, 2010 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions
I meant in the form of power not the no walking,
striking out, terrible baserunning Borbon.
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
Yeah, it's still Jordana.
I figured I needed to change things up since the last one seems to have lost it’s mojo. I was considering going to a Kate Beckinsale avy this time ’round, but I found this pic of Jordana giving us a death stare and figured it fit with my reputation here on LSB.
"I think it's funny because everybody wants Ozzie Smith range," Young said. "I want people to show me a guy that has turbo range like that."
I'm glad you put so much thought into these things
"He will not coddle them. Nolan Ryan doesn’t coddle." - Jeff Passan
You realize that SBN is going down
when the sale is finalized.
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
Nah...
By the time it’s finalized, everyone is going to be so burnt out on the issue I think we’ll just all collectively sigh “well finally” and start planning for the draft and the trade deadline.
"I think it's funny because everybody wants Ozzie Smith range," Young said. "I want people to show me a guy that has turbo range like that."
start planning for the draft and the trade deadline
The 2011 draft and trade deadline? :)
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
Nah remember the creditor quote
The trade deadline…. in 2020
What do voluntary mean?
The dude abides.....
That has to be the nastiest thing
ever posted on LSB. :)
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
a celebration
that would only be bested by a WS title celebration.
Smokey, this is not 'Nam, this is bowling. There are rules
by AndrusImpersonator on Jun 1, 2010 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions
Might last until the next time the team is swept or loses 4 out of 5
Then there would be questions of why do they give up on players so quickly, is Borbon ready to be brought back, and for the firing of .
Supposed to be...
… “insert manager name here” with angle brackets at the end, but evidently swallowed those.
The angle brackets are used to identifity HTML code
Since it is supposed to be code, the brackets and anything inside of them are therefore hidden. square brackets will work however.
[insert manager here]
Godwin's Law Version 2.0 (Rangers Edition)
"As a Ranger discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Danks, Volquez, or Young approaches one."
Another Mock Draft...
Not sure if this has been posted before, I hadn’t seen it. But Rivals projects:
15) Brandon Workman RHP, Texas
22) Michael Choice OF, UTA
Not sure how I feel about Workman at 15, but Choice at 22 would seem to be pretty good value.
No way Choice makes it that far, imo.
Although there is a negative trend against him right now as people nitpick his performance.
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
Choice...
I tend to agree that he won’t last until #22, but the guy who did that mock called him a “bit of a reach” at 22
I like the Workman pick,
I’ve seen him a few times in person and TV and he looks like a solid pitcher.
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
What's the story on him, a Huston Street-esque prospect who could come very quickly?
"I’m gonna go on record here and say a great many things excuse throwing a chair at someone." – D.A. Tron
Workman
That sounds realistic at 15. A guy who’ll sign, no crazy holdout, decent upside. This is the first I read he was born in Arlington.
If they can get Karsten (projected in another mock) done at 15, that would be astonishing…I guess that’s why this is one of the most interesting Rangers drafts in years.
Getting Choice at 22 is not realistic, but even in the scenario he’s projecting I’d imagine the Rangers rank Vitek higher.
Go Strangers.
by hightowersmith on Jun 1, 2010 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions
Here is Workman's stats for this season
Workman, Brandon….
ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR AB B/Avg
3.77 11-1 15 13 3 1/0 0 90.2 88 41 38 20 90 18 4 7 349 .252
WP HBP BK SFA SHA
5 8 0 2 2
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
Solid but Unspectacular..
I haven’t seen him pitch, but the numbers alone certainly don’t scream top 15 pick to me.
If ownership isn't in place it won't be the place they are picked about,
it will signablitiy of the players
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
Not at all excited about Workman ahead of the 16-21 picks. I would take any of 16-21 over Workman.
Choice at 22 is horrible prognosticating.
Pro baseball has always been a dream, so this is pretty freakin’ cool out here. -- Tim Steggall, undrafted Rangers minor leaguer.
That's ridiculous.
Choice is about as signable as Workman. If Choice was there at 15 (he won’t be), they’d snap him up immediately.
NCAA Regionals
FanGraphs has Part 1 of their preview up this morning: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/ncaa-regional-preview-part-1/
For an Aggie and a Rangers fan, the Coral Gables Regional is wildly intriguing. The Aggies were once in danger of missing the conference tourney but have since rebounded and are one of the hottest teams in the nation. Playing The U at home is a tough assignment, but A&M is one of the most dangerous #2 seeds in the tournament.
Two likely first-rounders in Grandal and Loux will be making an appearance in that regional, both of which I’d love to have in the Rangers fold.
Plus, unsigned Rangers draft pick Harold Martinez will be there as well.
"I’m gonna go on record here and say a great many things excuse throwing a chair at someone." – D.A. Tron
Even if this team is at the bottom of the division at the deadline..
I’m not trading anybody for prospects if I’m JD.
Interesting
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
I'm tempted to listen
to cocaine and boob job Greggo.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
So it's Greggo and whom?
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
Richie Whitt, I think.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
That's a good look for Greggo
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Reminds me of Pizza The Hut
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
Remind me why this is a big deal?
Who is Greggo and what did he do that makes his return noteworthy?
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
He was part of the original Hardline
His infamous exit from The Ticket due to drug use/abuse was a huge story
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.
When he's sober...
I find him very, very listenable. He’s like the radio version of Roy Tarpley. He’ll get chances as long as he’s alive.
As long as he has a sidekick to handle formatics, he's a great listen..
But he cannot handle a show by himself.
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 Tuesday we've had almost 48 to wallow in This Things shittastic performance as of late,
what do we hope for this series?
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
Hope
We hope for two out of three, we hope to see Max at catcher twice, we hope for Arias to be DFA’d and Boggs called up, and we hope to hear good news about Cruz and Holland.
Everything else will take care of itself.
Max
Im fine with him playing 2 of three against CHW but lets tap the brakes on him a bit. 0-his last 12 with 1 walk and has started 4 of the last 7 games.
Anyone expecting him to be VMart-lite needs to get realistic expectations
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.
If he goes 5 for 7 and hits 2 HRs, can he
get more than one start in a week?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Sure
But then if he goes 0-12 playing 4 of 7 games then can he sit a couple games?
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.
And the replacement is a slumping Matt Treanor?
Not the garden variety piece of shit 34 year old Matt Treanor we’ve all come to know but a slumping Matt Treanor…on a team that’s struggling to score runs?
If it’s me, I’m giving Max 70% of the starts until he drowns.
If Scott Feldman gets hacked, tell him to piss up a rope. Starters with ERA’s of 5.84 don’t get personal catchers.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Since Max's 5-7 run
Hes 1-16 (that 1 hit came after coming in late in the game) and has started 5 of 13 games.
Treanor is 5-23 during the same span.
How do you justify Max playing 70% of the time again?
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.
Weren't 3 of those "hits" infield hits that combined to go maybe 150 feet?
I justify 70% because Max is a much better hitter and this team is scuffling for runs.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Why can't Max get a infield hit?
One of Treanors was also a HR and he had a double mixed in there.
Both our catching options suck right now. I am fully behind Max getting more time. But 70% is way too much based on how hes playing currently.
We’ve averaged 2.5 runs per game the last 4 games Max has started so I don’t know if he is the answer to our offensive woes
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.
Well Matt is
2 for his last 11 with a .400 obp. He is on fire.
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
Yeah
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
no, I meant
is he serious that going 0 – 12 means:
Anyone expecting him to be VMart-lite needs to get realistic expectationsSo when Max went 5 for 12 a couple of weeks ago — did someone who didn’t believe Max could be VMart needed to get realistic expectations?
The knee-jerk, snap judgments some are making around here are incredible…
by elvis1isking on Jun 1, 2010 12:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Agree 100% on your last line
"I support you, Wash; I’ve always supported you," Young said
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
Max's rest of season ZIPS
.235/.311/.346
Treanor’s ROS ZIPS: .224/.300/.318
Those assuming Max is going to put up an OPS in the .780-820 range this year if he plays 5 days a week are making a fool’s bet. He is likely to be better than Treanor, but people are really fooling themselves if they assume that it’s likely to be by a lot.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
a different option
what do you think the cost would be (salary and/or prospects) for an impact catcher?
At this point I’d roll with Max to see if he can right the ship until Salty proves the yips are gone.
I just think it is going to be practically impossible to get a catcher that can have an impact that would cost what the Rangers would be willing (or able) to spend.
A CF, however, I think we can find one of them… to me that’s the one move the Rangers can make that would fill one of the black holes in the lineup.
The cost would obviously be high, but "impact" might not really be what they need.
The smartest thing the team can do right now is give Salty another chance pretty soon. This will do nothing to satisfy fans, but is still the smartest thing they can do before trying to trade for someone. Providing Salty continues to have few troubles throwing back to the pitcher (as has been reported the last couple weeks) you have to give him another shot.
The trade market is not really even open right now unless you bowl someone over, and Salty is still the same guy he was in April, still a chance he can provide average offense at catcher with defense that by all accounts has improved over the last year or so.
If, after that, the team decides they can’t trust Salty, they don’t have to trade for a star at catcher. They just need someone they feel can provide about average offense for the position while being good behind the plate. Besides, almost no catcher is a guarantee to be a star with the bat anyway, even if he has been recently. Russell Martin is a good example there. He’d cost the moon, and you can’t really say he’s going to be what we think of when we hear that name.
A .700 OPS at catcher the rest of the year would be quite an improvement from what we’ve been getting, and wouldn’t have to cost the moon. There are quite a few catchers who could be available this summer, a decent market this year.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Next year offseason
I hope we look into a veteran starting catcher, and move Salty to backup, unless he just destroys it through the end of the year. Salty is definitely at the stage that he needs to earn the starting spot, rather than deserve having it given to him.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
I agree with that
I’m not high on Salty’s future, though I still think he can be about average at the plate. But catchers are pretty volatile, so chasing one in trade might not be easier.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
I think finding a .700 OPS catcher
is going to cost quite a bit and I think Russell Martin is the perfect example. He’d cost a pretty prospect and he’d cost approx $2 to $3 mil in salary for the rest of the season.
To me, it just isn’t worth the cost to get him or any player of his ilk.
I believe in Max’s bat. I think he can be a .700 OPS player, even this year. I think if Salty can get over the yips he can be a .700 OPS player; and, yeah, that’s a heck of an improvement over what we’ve gotten so far.
I don’t think the catcher’s market is going to be friendly if we have to venture there.
I think the market for catcher is better than most years
but it’s still going to be costly. And since catchers are so prone to swings in productivity it may not be worth the cost. That’s why I think the team is smart to give Salty a long look before they leap. If I do make a trade, though, I’m probably looking for a guy that I think is going to walk a good bit and be ok on defense, and not worry too much about avg. or power. Chris Snyder, John Jaso, might be good options available when the guys they’re replacing come back from injury.
I don’t think, though, that it’s unrealistic to expect Salty to be able to put up his 2008 numbers, or something approaching that. That would be a very nice upgrade from what we’ve had so far.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
If Max putting up a 800 OPS is a fool's bet
Why do so many here want him on the roster as a 1B/DH?
Hey Tom - It's over now, so do you know how - to pick up the pieces and go home?
Because I think a lot of people on here remember what they thought Max was
and not what he has become to date.
Godwin's Law Version 2.0 (Rangers Edition)
"As a Ranger discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Danks, Volquez, or Young approaches one."
One of the pleasant surprises to this season
has been Max’s defense.
Not nearly as bad as advertised.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Because
they wrongly assume that OPS is a very likely result. Because we hate Treanor’s bat soooo much we want very much to believe that if we just start Max he’ll hit like he did in Frisco, and damn, surely SOMEONE will hit in the catcher position if we just make another change there.
I’m sticking with my stance that it is FAR from a slam dunk decision to start Max the majority of the time at catcher. I’m very on board with Max starting over Arias when you want to spell Smoak. I’m very on board with Max pinch hitting for Treanor late in the game. I hate the idea of Treanor replacing Max for defensive reasons late in the game.
But I have trouble just going along with the idea that a guy with a long history of unsatisfactory scouting reports at catcher, and a guy who has DH-ed nearly as much as he’s caught over the last year and a half, should be a starting catcher right now. Just because we wish it to be so does not make it true. It might be true, but I don’t understand why so many here want to pretend that this is so simple if the Rangers could only just see it.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
When you see Max do something specific
that demonstrates he’s a poor defensive catcher and so poor that it means he sits for a slumping Matt Treanor, please advise.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
So, in other words
recent anecdotes of huge defensive blunders in small samples should trump years of scouting and assessment by an organization with a long history of excellent defense at catcher, and a former big league catcher heading their minor league development. Gotcha.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Let me know when you see one.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
No, I won't
because even if Max made a huge mistake, or several huge mistakes in the next week it wouldn’t change my mind one iota. It wouldn’t prove or disprove anything.
You really just don’t get how foolish it is to rely solely on eyeballing recent play and small samples.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
I don't rely solely on "eyeballing recent play
and small samples." I look at offensive stats, scoreboards and results.
I also look at AGonzales and John Danks and wonder which dumb MF in this organization thought it would be a good idea to trade them.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
You don't rely soley on eyeballing?
What are you relying on with Max’s defense then? And why are you asking me to inform you when he does something obviously bad on defense?
You mention:
- offensive stats – not relevant to evaluating Max’s defense.
- scoreborads – not relevant to evaluating Max’s defense.
- results – sounds a lot like “scoreboards”
You’ve said nothing to counter my argument. And then you threw in something completely unrelated about two other players, neither one a catcher, who have been gone for years.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Just let me know when
you see something specific that warrants Max sitting for a slumping Matt Treanor.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Lol
Just keep repeating that as if it makes you right. You obviously know more than Scott Servais and the rest of the organization about catching.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
The same Scott Servais
who no doubt had lots of input in the Teixeira Trade when it came to Salty and hot sports opinions on the value of Taylor Teagarden?
That Scott Servais?
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
He did fix Cruz up nicely..
(gasoline on the fire, go!)
Not only are we sssssssssstruggling, we're rolling with Big Dick Harden
and Feldmania.
If you gave me 1-2 in Chi, I’d bank it and then lick my wounds all the way back to Tejas.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Yeah
I am right here with you.
I am not optimistic about Tampa, either, even though it’s at home.
Maybe I am just burned out by the clown baseball.
"I think I'm going to name my new car Scooter, because it dominates on the road." - mikeyoungfuturehof, 9.10.09
"I’ve been a Rangers fan all my life and I can tell you there’s been plenty of fucking crying in baseball…" - WhipSmart, 6.3.08
I just hope the avalanche of bad news comes to an immediate halt.
1-6, Cruz goes to the DL, Holland hurts the rotator cuff.
That’s about as bad as it can get.
I hope.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
I hope for a sweep.
But I believe we’ll go 1-2.
"When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty."- General George S. Patton
If Ozzie pulls out the broom and our losing streak
goes to 7 games, this place will be Armageddon.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Maybe some shitcanning will happen then
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
Listening to JD on XM yesterday, he wasn't concerned in the least.
Kept talking about how the Ranger FO expected the AL West to be very bunched up throughout the year.
I call bullshit, JD.
We were 25-18, 4.5 games up with 7 games v the Cubs, Royals and Twins while the A’s had 9 games (7 on the road) with the Giants, Orioles and Tigers.
Somehow, some way, on June 1 we’re not the lead dog
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Giants
is a good matchup for the A’s because they might have a worse offense than Oakland.
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions
Maybe they did...
before Posey, but not now.
The Giants offense is weak, but Sandoval and Posey are much better than anything Oakland has to offer.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
How on earth
is saying the AL West is going to be bunched up bullshit? That was the projection of every person remotely interested in baseball preseason.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Do you know of anybody else (other than me) that thought the A's
would lead the AL West on June 1?
This Thing had the AL West by the short-hairs 10 days ago and pissed a great opportunity away.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
You called bullshit on the AL West being bunched up
I call bullshit on your bullshit. The AL West is very likely to be bunched up for quite a while, excepting Seattle it seems.
It’s legitimate to have a beef with the front office right now regarding roster construction. But I don’t see how you can disagree with that particular statement from Daniels, you’re just looking for things to pick at.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
The AL West wasn't bunched up 10 days ago. We had an opportunity to make a break from the pack but
This Thing shit the bed fantastic.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
How many days this season
has any team in the West had more than a two game lead? It’s been quite bunched up all year, and — more importantly — preseason EVERYONE was saying the division was going to be bunched up with no clear consensus about who would win out.
The Ranger front office — along with everyone else in baseball — expected the division to be bunched up all year. There is simply nothing, zip, nada, bullshit about that statement. A 4.5 game lead on a day you cherry pick doesn’t change the fact that everyone expected the division to be close all year.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Who thought Oakland was going to be in first place on June 1?
You never answered that queston.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Well
1. You didn’t. You picked them to win the division, I don’t remember a day by day prediction of who would be in first.
2. All your arguments are proving JD’s theory as opposed to disproving it. The Rangers had a 4.5 game lead but came back to the pack which shows a division that will most likely be bunched up all year.
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 2:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Nice sidestep there.
Oakland being in first on June 1 was not part of Daniels’ statement that you’re calling bullshit on.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
The only way the AL West is "bunched up"
the rest of the year is if the eventual winner finishes below .500.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
I suspect
The Angels, A’s and Rangers are all fairly close to 500 when all is said and done.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
I made my predictions on the AL West
before the season and said the Angels would win 84 games (and I’ll live with that) but I have a hard time believing they’re going to be above .500 this season.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
I don't see why
they can’t. Not like any of the other division teams are world beaters.
"No, I'm not a pessimist. At some point the world shits on everybody. Pretending it ain't shit makes you an idiot, not an optimist."-https://twitter.com/shitmydadsays
Cahill
They’re 24-29 with a -29 run differential.
If you go back 10-15 years and look at teams in similar situations, I bet you find most of those teams finished with 72-74 wins.
They have one of the worst offenses in the AL. They don’t play good defense and they’re not pitching as well as they used to.
They just lost their best player to a broken leg. Their other best players (Abreu, Matsui, Hunter) are all between 34-36 and not getting better.
They have Scioscia, a lot of hope and nothing else.
They may have a 10% chance (at most) of getting to 84 wins.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
What if the Angels were to add
Oswalt or Cliff Lee? And there have been reports that they’ll move soon to replace Morales as well. And again, nothing you’ve said refutes Daniels saying that the front office expected the AL West to be pretty close.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
You don't have XM so you didn't hear
what JD had to say.
JD was making excuses for This Thing STBF the last 10 days, because 10 days ago the AL West wasn’t bunched up.
JD is also high if he thinks the Angels are going to hang around when they sport a -29 run differential 53 games into the season.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Your original post
said the front office believed the AL West would be close. That’s what I was replying to. As I said earlier, the beef with the team leaving Arias on the roster among other things is very legitimate. Complaining about how the front office viewed the AL West race seems odd, though.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Saw that rumor
that would be a huge deal, wow. If that happens I hope the price is very steep.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
Written wrong...
The Angels are 53 games into their season with a -29 run differential.
I would imagine most of those teams finished with 72-74 wins.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
"The Influence continues." Josey Wales (1/18/10)
"Now run along, my question was for Jamey and not the diminutive, sawwed off little twerp from Arkansas who no longer sees the team up close."
Ok, whatever.
You can pretend you’re right if it makes you feel good.
Ceterum censeo, Ron Washington esse delendam
He has made a living of that on this blog...
I don’t see any reason why it would stop now.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
vs Buehrle, Garcia and Floyd
in Cellular Field may be trouble for the Rangers. Gentry should be starting tonight for either Borbon or Murphy.
Thank you Houston for drafting Jason Castro.
2-1
lose the middle game
"calmer than you are dude" Walter (Big Lebowski)
"Hello Win Column!!!"
by Arlington Stadium Legend on Jun 1, 2010 12:17 PM CDT up reply actions
Really?
I say 2-1, lose tonight.
AL West
Oakland 90-72
LAAA 88-74
Texas 83-79
Seattle 77-85
By: Josey Wales
TOGA TOGA TOGA
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
Upside
We are a better team then the ChiSox. The pitching matchups aren’t great, but they aren’t terrible either. The stadium is a good HR park.
Downside we are playing stupid baseball and our two worst pitchers are going this series.
What do voluntary mean?
The dude abides.....
In 16 minutes...
I’m ranting a little bit in it.
by ghostofErikThompson on Jun 1, 2010 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions
I love rants
"Josey drives to games??? I always assumed he rides in on his high horse" jam0152
"dirkatron has his own evaluation metric: rapes above replacement." AJM
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