Not sure how many are gonna watch this...or be around LSB...or be doing both at the same time.  But I figured why not.

Former farmhand John Danks is going against Nick Blackburn in the Twins/White Sox 1-game playoff.  It's being broadcast on TBS and just started.

I, for one, am cheering for John and against Ozzie.  I am also cheering against Morneau getting any RBI, so Hammy can win that battle outright...it may not mean much, but it means something.

First, let me say that I am a proud alumni of Abilene Christian University.  Second, I am not relaying this news in any attempt to spark any kind of religious or political discussion, because I know how out of hand those can get.  I do understand some will immediately form opinions on the school and perhaps it's religious affiliations based on this story.  My reason for posting this is simply that it is weighing on me and I feel like their are several people involved with this particular public forum who will be struck one way or another by this incident.

The story pretty much boils down to this;  ACU's student body president for this school year is a young man by the name of Daniel Paul Watkins.  Mr. Watkins is an African American student and a vital member of ACU's student body.  From all accounts, and in talking to some acquaintances still on the ACU campus, he is a wonderful young man with strong religious convictions and a heart for others.  That is all the info I can provide on Mr. Watkins as I do not know him at all. 

On Wednesday, a noose was discovered in Mr. Watkins chair in his SA (Student's Association) Office on ACU's campus.  The office has no surveillance and no one saw anyone go into his office.  The incident has gotten wide coverage in the Abilene area and I would assume at some point that it will get some level of state and/or national coverage. 

I'm not sure what to really say about this, other than it is a sad statement in terms of the racial hurdles that we as a society still have to clear.  ACU specifically has an unfortunate past, racially speaking, as the school denied entrance to African American students early in its existence.  The school has been working over the past decade to heal some of the wounds left from its early history and to bring together a campus that has experienced racial division over the years.  Clearly, there is work left to be done.  And this incident would seem to be a microcosm of the work left to be done on a much larger scale.  My thoughts go out to Mr. Watkins, his family, friends, and the number of students who have been hurt by this incident.  I hope that somehow, something positive can come from this and large steps can be taken toward a less divisive society.

Links:

ABC News Coverage

Abilene Reporter News Coverage

University Probes SA Noose Incident

Students Condemn act as hateful

Racial Symbol Exhibits Unacceptable Prejudices

An Outrageous Act

Video Interview with Daniel Paul Watkins

ACU President Dr. Royce Money addresses Incident

BP has a rundown up that is viewable as part of its free preview.  John Perrotto touches on the "rumors and rumblings" for both the AL and the NL.  Of particular interest is this:

The Rangers are expected to be among the top bidders for Brewers left-hander CC Sabathia when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

It's thrown in there and not exactly a shock, but the fact that it is already making the rounds among writers is somewhat encouraging.

Here is the link to the story

Well, tyd whined like a little girl, so here is another minors thread.

Diamond is the headliner tonight and he hasn't disappointed thus far, going 3 innings of one hit shutout ball with 4 Ks and no BB.

Ballard goes for OKC against a Salt Lake lineup that went deep 5 times last night.  My prediction....Nelson Cruz one ups the whole Salt Lake team and hits 6 home runs tonight.

Tatusko has been roughed up early for 4 runs in 4 innings and Clinton trails Great Lakes 4-1 in the 5th inning.

Richard Bleier goes for Spokane tonight at 9:00 PM.

And we have a Glenn Swanson sighting in Bakersfield.  Swanson, 25, will make the start for the Blaze.

No Shroomer=No Probables

you happy now tyd?

How the hell do you spell Loosey?  Loosie?  Looseiyey?

No big club tonight and lots of chatter in the last two so let's do it again.

Gordon is through 2 innings for OKC with 3 Ks and 1 run allowed.  OKC leads 3-2 with triples from Arias (no surprise) and Shelton????

Super prospect Jared Hyatt has gotten through 7 innings against Midland yielding only 2 runs and sitting 6 down on strikes.  Frisco leads 3-2.

The AZL Rangers defeated the AZL Mariners 8-4.  De Los Santos struck out 5 in 4 innings, giving up 2 runs.

Fabio Castillo has come in to relieve Kirkman (6 IP, 2 runs) and thrown 2 shutout innings with 3 Ks.  Mitch Moreland has gone deep and Clinton leads 4-2 in the 9th.

And the lefties are headed to the hill for Bakersfield and Spokane.

Martin Perez has already struck out two in his one inning of scoreless ball.

Derek "Dutch" Holland is set to go for the Blaze as they are about to get under way.

Shroomer as usual with the probables...

Looseee?

Kyle O'Campo struck out 4 in 4 innings of work, allowing 2 runs for the AZL Rangers who beat the AZL Cubs 10-4. 

Evan Reed will go for the Blaze at 9:00 and Lizard goes for OKC at 8:00.

Spokane will get under way at 8:30.  Not sure who is pitching that one.

The big guns are out for both Clinton and Frisco.

C-Wun and Clinton are just about to get under way.

Neftali goes at 7:00 for Frisco against Midland.

Edit: Here is the HUH? part.  Feliz was scheduled to start, but Parker is in the box score to start the game.  There is no audio on MILB from either side that I can get to work.  And Shroomer can't make it all better.

Not a bad night for minor league action considering two one of the Rangers top prospects are set to pitch.  I need something to get the taste of today's game out of my mouth.

Thanks to Shroomer as usual for the probables.

Let's look at some stats:

K/9 IP: 27

ERA: 0.00

WHIP: 1.00

How can a guy with numbers like that possibly be overlooked?  The answer; he is a right fielder, not a pitcher.  With Clinton getting blown away 13-3 by Dayton, they called upon Moreland to do some mop up work in the 9th inning.  He promptly struck out the side and yielded just a single to the second batter of the inning.  For good measure, Moreland also went 3-4 with a double at the plate.

Moreland has a background in pitching, but the Rangers drafted him as a power hitting OF/1B and that is exactly what he is becoming.  In fact, Josh Hamilton is not the only member of the Rangers organization to hit 20+ home runs in a derby.  Moreland sent 25 balls out of Red Wilson Field in 2006 as part of the Cape Cod League's Home Run Derby.  Moreland, unlike Hamilton, won the derby he dominated.

The Rangers drafted Moreland out of Mississippi State in the 17th Round of the 2007 amateur draft.  After signing him, they assigned him to the short season Spokane roster.  He put together very modest numbers in 118 plate appearances:

.259/.305/.398, 8 walks, 25 K, 2 HR, 15 RBI

It wasn't the kind of debut that makes heads turn, in either direction, but it was a debut he got out of the way in 2007.  And that is what allowed the Rangers to send him straight to full season ball to start 2008.

Moreland has responded by being the best offensive player for the Clinton Lumberkings.  In a lineup that features more heralded prospects Engel Beltre and Cristian Santana, Moreland has been the star.  His 2008 line has far exceeded what he put together in 2007:

.322/.396/.529, 38 walks, 40 K, 29 2B, 10 HR, 66 RBI

Moreland has put together an almost 1-to-1 walk to strikeout rate while flashing gap power and showing some home run pop.  All of his home runs have come in May and July, and those have been his two big power months all around.  He slugged .559 in May, and has absolutely crushed the ball thus far in July:

.329/.412/.630

That staggering line has come in spite of July being his lowest month in terms of his BABIP.  Another thing that July has seen is Mitch Moreland, the 1st Baseman.  One question about Moreland coming out of MSU was his defensive ability in the OF.  He profiled more as a 1B/DH defensively with his defensive upside being that of an average corner outfielder.  Since Ian Gac's promotion to Bakersfield, Moreland has played virtually all of his innings as a first baseman or DH.  And that is a spot that it is easy to be overshadowed at in this organization.

Chris Davis has already earned a nod as Beasticon, Jr.  Justin Smoak (when he signs) will immediately be one of the Rangers' top prospects.  Max Ramirez was one of the top minor league hitters of '08 before his call up.  JMJ has put together his best minor league season to date.  All 4 of these guys profile as 1B/DH types, with JMJ being a candidate for a corner OF spot as well.  That's a tough list to crack if you're Mitch Moreland.

One positive for Moreland is that there isn't likely to be a lot of playing time at 1B at the stops he figures to make in 2009.  Ian Gac is a level ahead of him now and could be in Bakersfield and/or Frisco next year.  Justin Smoak figures to be a fast riser as well and could be a teammate of Moreland's in Bakersfield to start the season.  The reason this is a plus is it forces Moreland to log lots of innings in RF.  And if, by chance, Moreland can figure out what it takes to be an adequate defensive corner outfielder then he won't be overshadowed for long.

One of the thinner spots in the system is at the corner outfield positions.  Along with 3rd base, right and left field are two spots that a prospect could make big gains at in 2009.  Moreland is in a great spot to do just that.  At 6'2" and 230 pounds, the left handed slugger could instantly become the organization's top corner outfield prospect the second JMJ is out of the picture.

Moreland has made a big stride in 2008 to becoming the offensive player the Rangers hoped they were getting.  His defensive growth will determine exactly where he fits into the Rangers' future.  As a 1st baseman, he is more likely to be traded than to see Arlington for an extended period of time.  But as a right fielder, his future with the Rangers could be much brighter.

If things go well for Moreland and the Rangers, he may be making a cut off throw from the RF corner in Arlington trying to nail a runner at 3rd base in a couple of years.  And you can bet Moreland will have familiarized himself with the guy who would be the potential cut off man.  You see, the Rangers have a recent history with a 17th round pick out of a school the begins with "Miss____."  And, with any luck, Ian Kinsler will cut the throw form his fellow 17th rounder and fire a strike to 3rd to nail the runner.  And as they both get high fives from a former #1 overall pick on the way into the dugout, they will serve as reminders that every pick counts.  Even the overshadowed ones.

Moreland's MILB Page

Moreland's First Inning Page

Recap from Moreland's 2 home run game

Nellie Cruz has gone deep twice (28,29) for OKC

Elvis is 2-2 with 2 RBI and got stolen base #38 for Frisco

Ryan Tatusko went 7 shutout innings for Clinton and K'd 5

Miguel De Los Santos went 3 scoreless for the AZL Rangers and K'd 4

Martin Perez is about to take the hill for Spokane

Dutch goes for Bakersfield in about 30 minutes

I drank too much last night so I'm staying in tonight and the Rangers (thank God) are already done.  So, feel free to talk minors, Erin Andrews, Dark Knight, whatever...I'm posted up for the evening.

Pitching, pitching, pitching.

Whenever you bring up the Texas Rangers, the conversation inevitably leads you to pitching.  And not in the same way a conversation about the Oakland A's or the Atlanta Braves of the past decade does.  While those teams have been rich in pitching, the Rangers have been devoid of it. 

Cue the 2008 minor league system.  Neftali Feliz now headlines a group of youngsters that includes Blake Beavan, Michael Main, Kasey Kiker, Neil Ramirez, Wilmer Font, and Derek Holland...just to name a few.  Jon Daniels and his cohorts have the Rangers busting at the seam with young pitching prospects.  They also have guys like Eric Hurley and Matt Harrison breaking into the big leagues.  And a guy in Tommy Hunter that is attempting to conquer three levels of the minors and make his major league debut all in the same season.

Two things about all this pitching though:

1.) There is no guarantee with any of these young arms.  We all know that, but sometimes have to be reminded of it.

2.) There are two parts to a pitching staff.  You have to have a bullpen.  Rangers fans have been constantly reminded what a poor bullpen can do in 2008.

JD and company know these two things.  It's why they continue to try and load up on pitching.  It's why they will look for more arms should they go into sell mode before the deadline.  It's why they wasted no time getting Warner Madrigal.  It's why they are committed to finding out exactly what CJ Wilson is or isn't.  It's why Andrew Cashner's name was flying around Arlington before Justin Smoak slid to the Rangers.  It's also why they tabbed Andrew Laughter in the 10th round of the 2007 draft.

Laughter was a reliever in college at Louisiana-Lafayette and has become a fast riser in the Rangers' system.  He made 26 appearances (31 IP) for Spokane in 2007 after being drafted.  He had a 2.03 ERA, struck out 32, walked only 4, and didn't get taken deep at all.  The Rangers decided to let him skip Clinton ad he debuted at Bakersfield in 2008.

He quickly proved that Bakersfield was not the place for him.  He appeared in 10 games spanning 16.1 innings.  His ERA??  0.00!  He struck out 9 and walked just 2, and kept everything in the yard yet again.  The Rangers quickly promoted him to Frisco to attempt to challenge the 23 year old right hander.

Laughter has appeared in 17 games for Frisco, working 26 innings.  He is currently sporting a 3.46 ERA with a K/BB ratio of 22/11.  He was finally taken deep, and has yielded 2 long balls since his promotion.  He has improved his K rate over his time in Bakersfield, but has allowed more free passes than in his previous two stops.  And then, there is the date June 13. 

On that day, Laughter worked two-thirds of an inning in a game the Riders eventually won 8-7.  That day, Laughter allowed 5 earned runs.  That is exactly half of the earned runs he has allowed for all of 2008.  If you take the liberty (which I did) of removing this abnormal day from Laughter's Frisco stat line, you come up with this:

25.1 IP, 5 ER, 1.78 ERA

That (still not counting his June 13 outing) gives him a combined (Bakersfield and Frisco) season line of:

41.2 IP, 5 ER, 1.10 ERA

For what it's worth, he still sports a season ERA of 2.13 even with the awful June 13 outing.  The simple fact is the guy is making it awfully hard to score when he is on the mound.  That is exactly what the Rangers will need out of their pen should they ever hope to truly contend.  They need guys who can come into a game and make it difficult to score.  Laughter is probably too young to pigeon hole him as a setup guy, short relief arm, or middle innings guy.  He has, however, shown the ability to work multiple innings and be successful doing so.

Laughter was the subject of one of Jamey's "In Their Footsteps" pieces.  Jamey compared Laughter to former Ranger great (and current DFW Airport Officer, I believe) Tim Crabtree.  He noted that Andrew works with a nice sinker/slider combo with solid control and great groundball rates.  Jamey also said Laughter is a guy who could see Arlington as early as 2009.

The 2007 draft class was headlined by three high ceiling high school arms.  Blake Beavan, Michael Main, and Neil Ramirez could one day form a formidable top three in the Rangers' rotation.  They are the young pups, though.  Laughter joins Jared Hyatt and Tommy Hunter (both at AAA) as fellow 2007 draftees who have already left class A ball in the rear view mirror.  If Laughter can continue his success out of the pen, he could be a key piece of a contending Rangers team in the near future.  The Rangers are dealing with the problems that a struggling bullpen present for a team.  With any luck, Andrew Laughter will be part of the solution.

Andrew Laughter's MILB Page

Andrew Laughter's First Inning Page

Jamey's "In Their Footsteps" Piece on Andrew Laughter