Wednesday morning stuff

by Adam J. Morris on Mar 12, 2008 8:53 AM CDT in News

Evan Grant talks about the health issues with the rotation this spring, although he also indicates that the rotation looks like it is pretty well set at this point. Grant says that, with Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla both looking like they should be ready to go to start the season despite some minor injury issues this spring, the only switch from the expected rotation to start the season is Luis Mendoza stepping in for Brandon McCarthy.

Grant has a couple of quotes from folks praising Mendoza's performance this spring:

"He doesn't pitch scared, and he knows what he's doing," Millwood said of Mendoza. "It's nice to see a young guy step in there and look like he belongs. I wouldn't want to be the guy waiting on him to mess up because I don't think he will."

Said McCarthy, ostensibly the guy who would be waiting on Mendoza: "I'm fully expecting when he gets to the big leagues that he's not going back. I hope he makes it tougher than hell for me to get my spot back."

Grant also says that Sidney Ponson appears headed to AAA as "catastrophe insurance," and that Scott Feldman may be joining him in the Oklahoma rotation, with the team planning on Feldman pitching as a starter in the minors if he doesn't make the major league bullpen out of camp.

Ponson says he thinks the chances of him making the rotation are 50/50, but unless someone else gets hurt, I'd put it at less than that.

Jeff Wilson has a write-up in the S-T on 5 Rangers top prospects, along with some quotes from the prospects and some players about each of the prospects.

And the S-T's notes from today include Gerald Laird's top 5 Ranger golfers...

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Comments

Oh what

It is ironic that 2 of the biggest dis appointments on this team are endorsing this kid.
Lets hope Mendoza has more guts than these 2 jokers.

by Choclate ll on Mar 12, 2008 9:01 AM CDT reply actions

How is that ironic?

by brettgardner on Mar 12, 2008 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions

Good point

Maybe Lablover is Alanis Morissette.

"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 10:39 AM CDT up reply actions

No

I am your real dad, you dopy dumb f.

by Choclate ll on Mar 12, 2008 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions

Heh

You have no idea what I'm saying, do you?

"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 11:02 AM CDT up reply actions

hmm

good news: feldman will not be in the majors
bad news: feldman will be in the rotation?

---

interesting (in a good way) quote from teagarden:

"I want to get to know these pitchers as well as I can and get to know them because I do plan on playing with the guys at some point. When that time comes, I'll be ready to fill in."

by knockoutking24 on Mar 12, 2008 9:32 AM CDT reply actions

Failedman as a SP

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall during that discussion among the Ranger brass.

"He's never been a starter before and the league figured out that funky delivery last season"
"He has below average stuff and lefties tune him up to the tune of an .851 OPS"
"He had more walks than strikeouts for crying out loud"
"He was so bad last season we had to rework his delivery in fall ball"
"He hasn't looked good this spring"

"Ok gentlemen, thanks for your input, I think we have all the information we need to make a sound decision. Let's make him a starter."

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

by tricer on Mar 12, 2008 10:44 AM CDT reply actions

Pretty much

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

by inactive lsb user on Mar 12, 2008 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions

Sounds right

Why do I love this team?

Yessurr!!!

by Jukebox Joe on Mar 12, 2008 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions

Interesting

Ichiro is 0-21 so far in ST. .000/.083/.000.

http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?c_id=sea&baseballScope=SEA&s ubScope=pos&teamPosCode=all&statType=Overview&timeSubFrame=23&sitSplit=&venueID= &Submit=Submit&timeFrame=1

"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 11:00 AM CDT reply actions

Ichiro = overrated

Not saying he's not an amazing player... but he's not the amazing superstar anymore these days.

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

by LSJ on Mar 12, 2008 5:40 PM CDT up reply actions

There you go again

with the ST-based proclamations ...

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

by inactive lsb user on Mar 12, 2008 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions

It has nothing to do with ST stats

Ichrio makes a great leadoff man, and his speed makes him a great CF, but that's about it. He doesn't hit for any power, and he doesn't hit many doubles - since his rookie season in 2001, he has not hit over 29 doubles since - and since 2003, he has not hit over 24 doubles.

He's also gonna be 34 this year - I think we'll start to see the decline of the great Ichiro either this year or the next. Which is why I think it was really stupid of Seattle to trade Adam Jones.

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

by LSJ on Mar 12, 2008 7:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Laird's evaluation of the golfers

Not a bad critique. The only thing is, John Hart was mentioned and pictured. I think I'll take a half day away from the keyboard. I keep thinking that his advisory salary could go to a useful player.

'At Georgia Southern, we don't cheat. That costs money and we don't have any.' Erk Russell / Georgia Southern

by Ed Coffin on Mar 12, 2008 11:25 AM CDT reply actions