New DMN newsletter up

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 11, 2008 9:58 PM CDT in News Comment 40 comments

Evan Grant has a new newsletter up, and there's a lot of good stuff in there...

What jumps out at me...it sounds like Jason Botts is a goner, and we have a dumb trade proposal trying to get Nomar Garciaparra here for Max Ramirez...

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Bottsy gone

I'd be disappointed and very upset. Moreover, Botts has a been doing a damn good job so far during ST. Hell, Bottsy has done better at the plate than Byrd, Cruz, and Mench. I just can't believe Botts is history. Doesn't make sence to me.

One decade, it's Rangers suck; the next you are looking for another team

National Anthem Texas Rangers Audition We should also try get the Cactus Cuties

by hurlerhurley on Mar 11, 2008 10:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

You honestly didn't know Botts was gone?

Thought that was a foregone conclusion.

I just hope he catches on with a team willing to give him a legit shot.

R.I.P., The Wire.

by thedirkatron on Mar 11, 2008 10:27 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

honestly, NO

And I'm really starting to get rather pissed off if this is going to happen

National Anthem Texas Rangers Audition We should also try get the Cactus Cuties

by hurlerhurley on Mar 11, 2008 10:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i'm sure Ed

will be happy that Cruz is here rather than Botts

National Anthem Texas Rangers Audition We should also try get the Cactus Cuties

by hurlerhurley on Mar 11, 2008 10:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

why not keep

Botts and Cruz

National Anthem Texas Rangers Audition We should also try get the Cactus Cuties

by hurlerhurley on Mar 11, 2008 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

conflicting reports on Davis

Sullivan sounded certain that he would be in OKC, Grant seems certain that he will be in Frisco.

Hambone, Hambone where you been? I been around these bases, and I'm going again.

by tricer on Mar 11, 2008 10:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Sullivan on the minors

last guy I'd pay attention to regarding the minors

70's era Swedish dansbands

by shroomer on Mar 11, 2008 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

huh??? you lost me on this

are you saying TR is saying that Davis is the last prospect he'd pay attention to?

National Anthem Texas Rangers Audition We should also try get the Cactus Cuties

by hurlerhurley on Mar 11, 2008 10:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

nevermind

duh... sometimes I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed

National Anthem Texas Rangers Audition We should also try get the Cactus Cuties

by hurlerhurley on Mar 11, 2008 10:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

"I would no sooner give Ponson a spot on the 40 than I would smash my balls with a sledgehammer" - slc ranger

by lonestarJon on Mar 11, 2008 10:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm with TR

Davis will be at Oklahoma. Evan might have had a few drinks

National Anthem Texas Rangers Audition We should also try get the Cactus Cuties

by hurlerhurley on Mar 11, 2008 10:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

I was surprised at his response since everyone else seems to think Chris will start in OKC.

PS: The person who asked the question seems pretty sharp if you ask me!! :-) LOL

http://www.mvn.com/milb-rangers

For old times sake...C'mon Kelly! :-)

by Beverly23 on Mar 12, 2008 6:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mendoza

Millwood quote, "I'd hate to be the guy waiting for him to mess up to get a spot in the rotation."

Does this mean that he has the inside track on the 5 spot?

LSB hates them some Mench.

by sprite on Mar 11, 2008 10:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Let's be honest

those 4-5 spots are in constant flux.

2/26/08 R.I.P. The BGL ... out.

by Chase Irwin on Mar 11, 2008 11:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+ 1

No this is not a 12 step program meeting, it's your Rangers clubhouse!

by LAMuscleFag on Mar 11, 2008 11:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

True

I just viewed Mendoza as a spare until the last year or so. So if he makes the rotation I would be kind of surprised. Although, with all the injuries he might get in on being healthy alone.

LSB hates them some Mench.

by sprite on Mar 11, 2008 11:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

OT - SNL skit - Clemens vs the statgeeks -

pretty funny - http://tinyurl.com/2bxqhv

70's era Swedish dansbands

by shroomer on Mar 11, 2008 10:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

very funny

he played a great "angry Clemens"

by Randy Richardson on Mar 11, 2008 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

what you think of

http://www.firegalloway.com/

National Anthem Texas Rangers Audition We should also try get the Cactus Cuties

by hurlerhurley on Mar 11, 2008 10:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually

I was listening to GAC today when they were running down that list on the air. Pretty funny for GAC.

70's era Swedish dansbands

by shroomer on Mar 11, 2008 10:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ha ha

yeah... I was listening too. Didn't have to work today and I'm off all week :)

National Anthem Texas Rangers Audition We should also try get the Cactus Cuties

by hurlerhurley on Mar 11, 2008 11:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I love that it was

the fact that his favorite ballplayer took two walks that killed the boy.

A working class hero is something to be.

by t ball on Mar 11, 2008 10:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

That's pretty darn funny.

"All your heroes are tiny and useless!" is a pretty good line. I think I'm gonna shout that at people the next time I get drunk in public and get the urge to yell inanities at random people.

R.I.P., The Wire.

by thedirkatron on Mar 11, 2008 10:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Strange that Evan focuses on one AB

when the rest of Botts' spring training has been very good. I hope management isn't focusing on a single AB.

If I owned a lightsaber, the blade color would be black light, so that I could use it to fight evil and to liven-up parties.

by rooster on Mar 11, 2008 11:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I gave up up on trying to think

what management is thinking. This ST has been so crazy it's hard to even think wht the hell is going on

National Anthem Texas Rangers Audition We should also try get the Cactus Cuties

by hurlerhurley on Mar 11, 2008 11:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well

If the management is focusing on one AB, Nelson Cruz would be a shoe in!

"I would no sooner give Ponson a spot on the 40 than I would smash my balls with a sledgehammer" - slc ranger

by lonestarJon on Mar 12, 2008 1:32 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

+1

Wait 'til the year after next

by NothinG on Mar 12, 2008 7:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Odd

Last week, I asked Grant about what Botts and Cruz had to do to win a spot. He said they needed to produce with runners in scoring position, and he used the same example with Botts. If this is the case, I wonder what their respective avg with runners in scoring position is? The official Rangers site has pretty good stats for Spring Training, but not the aforementioned stat. Anybody know of another site with this info?

by Excel Hearts Choi on Mar 12, 2008 8:19 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Holy Small Sample Sizes!

I can't believe that the team would make a roster decision based on how a player does with men in scoring position during spring training games!

It might be that he's talking about that one at bat because that's the only at bat he's had with runners in scoring position! If they are going to do that, why even bother? just flip a coin or play rock-paper-scissors for the roster slot.

by iblum on Mar 12, 2008 9:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

That's the second time Grant brought the same AB regarding Botts and he talked about it the exact same way (less than two outs, chance to drive in a run, should have been a DP). Seems that Grant is just dwelling on that.

Grant seems to think that hitting in the majors is the easiest thing in the world and Botts just decided he wasn't in the mood to get a hit. I've seen TFOTF hit into his share of DPs with runners on.

BOTTS: You promised a kid in the hospital that I would hit two home runs?
GRANT: Yeah, well, no good?
BOTTS: Yeah. That's no good. It's terrible. You don't hit home runs like that. It's hard to hit home runs. And where the heck did you get two from?
GRANT: Two is better than one.
BOTTS: That, that's ridiculous. I'm not a home run hitter.
GRANT: Well, Babe Ruth did it.
BOTTS: He did not.
GRANT: Oh, you saying that Babe Ruth is a liar?
BOTTS: I'm not calling him a liar but he wasn't stupid enough to promise two.
GRANT: Well, maybe I did overextend myself.
BOTTS: How the heck did you get in here anyway?

"If I was being paid $30,000 a year, the very least I could do was hit .400." Ted Williams

by WyoRanger on Mar 12, 2008 9:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

EG should know better

There is still over 2 weeks of ST left. Minor leaguers just got sent out. The regulars will start to get consistent playing time. Alot can change in the next couple weeks.

"This has been a team effort. No one or two guys could have done all this." - Casey Stengel, after the Mets lost 120 games in 1962

by RangerMad on Mar 12, 2008 9:14 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

RangerMad is right

There is a lot of time left and I am not writing Jason Botts off with the comment about his stat. There is plenty of time left for guys to impress. And I certainly hope that Jason Botts' career with the Rangers doesn't come down to one spring training at-bat. I just know that to this point, that's the one at-bat that sticks out for me. That may not be analytical enough given that his OPS was .977 going into yesterday. All I was saying was that at this point, I'm not sure that .977 for two weeks of spring games projects to a season of productivity in the majors. And then, after I wrote it, Nelson Cruz crushed a game-winning walk off homer. Granted it was against Matt Anderson (who may have the worst delivery of all time), but it was an opportunity and he delivered.

Because there are some difficult pieces to fit together on this roster, somebody is going to lose out. When it's all said and done, the presence a guy had in a key at-bat this spring may end up being a tie-breaker, that's all. But there are a lot of spring at-bats left for both these guys. I'm rambling. Anyway, just a follow-up. I don't think Botts is a goner, but I also don't know that he's come out this spring and just bowled people over yet.

by EvanGrant on Mar 12, 2008 9:54 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Out of curiosity

Do you have any data on BA's with runners in scoring position?

by Excel Hearts Choi on Mar 12, 2008 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

you asked...

Bottsy with RISP in OKC 2007:
.374 / .484 / .626

Bottsy with RISP for Obregon this winter:
.376 / .463 / .505

Bottsy with RISP in OKC 2006:
.316 / .435 / .614

Clearly, he chokes with ducks on the pond.....

by mjh on Mar 12, 2008 1:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ST

Thanks for the info. Anything for ST this year?

by Excel Hearts Choi on Mar 12, 2008 1:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

you conveniently left out his ML numbers

Bottsy with RISP ML career
.232/.282/.319

"This has been a team effort. No one or two guys could have done all this." - Casey Stengel, after the Mets lost 120 games in 1962

by RangerMad on Mar 12, 2008 6:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No, but he chokes against.....

Major Leaguers!

by tklawless on Mar 12, 2008 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

ok

if you say he sucks, he sucks

i'm just putting out some stats that would suggest that, historically, he's not a shrinking violet in crucial situations.... Botts has always delivered in the past

of course, that must mean that he won't in the future since in roughly 20 similar MLB at-bats, he hasn't

once again, I have a big bias here: Jason has been a friend for a long time and I want him to succeed

pardon me for pointing out something that makes him look good...I know we should only focus on the negative here

by mjh on Mar 13, 2008 7:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs