After yesterday's embarrassing loss, Evan Grant's game recap features the most damning quotes yet on a team that's lost faith in management.
Apparently, though, Showalter spent the first ten minutes after the game screaming at the players for their sloppy play last night. Afterwards, Grant got these quotes from the players:
"I have no expectations about this off-season," said Teixeira, with whom the Rangers are expected to have discussions about a long-term contract. "The last few years we've shown that we are only going to build from within."
Asked if that gave him optimism about the 2006 season, Teixeira responded:
"Not without making some huge changes."
Said Young: "I have no reason to expect anything different from what I've seen the last 18 months. We're continually told how important the minor league system is. I think we'll continue to rely on players from the system rather than free agency."
* * *
"It's been unclear what the direction and what the goals for the future are," Dellucci said. "You have an offense that is ready, ready to compete for a world championship. It seems that we are developing pitchers, and the timetables are different."
Said Blalock: "I would hope management shows the same frustration and disappointment that we feel. I hope they'll make a few moves to put us over the top."
The future wasn't the only thing that concerned Blalock on Tuesday. He found himself hitting seventh for the first time this year because the Rangers were facing a lefty, C.C. Sabathia.
Blalock had been batting cleanup until Phil Nevin arrived in a trade. Against lefties, Nevin had been hitting cleanup with Blalock sixth. Tuesday, the Rangers hit Alfonso Soriano fourth, Nevin sixth and Blalock seventh. Blalock and Showalter have discussed the third baseman's desire to remain in the four spot on several occasions recently.
"I would have thought that [moving lineup spots depending on whether the starter was a right-hander or lefty] would have been done a long time ago," Blalock said. "I think I've done more than enough in the last three years to warrant not being moved around."
Those are pretty damning comments. And seeing as how they are coming from the guys who are considered the future of this team, and the leaders of this team, guys who "play the game the right way"...Hicks, Hart and Buck need to be concerned.
T.R. Sullivan had more troubling quotes from Young and Teixeira this morning, as well...
"My three years here, this is the worst that it's ever been," Teixeira said. "Everything. My rookie year, we lost something like 20 of 23 in June.
"This is worse than that."
* * *
"I had hoped we were ready to take it to the next level this season instead of taking a step backward," Young said. "This is my fifth year with this team, and we've never finished higher than third place. It's hard when every season you start concentrating on next year.
"I don't want to think of myself as a losing player. I know how to stay locked in for a game, and I'll do that. Unfortunately, I've had that practice."
This scene is getting ugly...and it will be interesting to see how management chooses to handle this...