Jeff Wilson has a piece up today about Chris Davis, and there are some interesting quotes from Davis on his second year:
The key to Davis’ success this season is adjusting to big league pitchers who have made their adjustments to him.
"When I got up here, pitchers were trying to get a feel for me," said Davis, the Rangers’ Rookie of the Year. "Once they started making their adjustments, it took me a little bit of time — probably longer than it should have.
"I started to make adjustments at the end of the season. But I have to make adjustments quicker, remember what I was thrown, and be more of a student of the game."
One of the things that has jumped out at me about Davis -- and one of the things that makes me a little more confident about him than I probably otherwise would be going forward -- is that he has consistently acknowledged the need to work on aspects of his game, to learn and improve, as he's moved up through the system.
Kris Benson wants to win a job in the rotation out of spring training. That seems unlikely, I'd say.
Anthony Andro also mentions in his notes that Elvis Andrus was sidelined for the third straight day. This injury issue may give the Rangers the opening they need to send Elvis down for the start of the season...they can say that him being limited this spring has him not quite ready to go, and he can spend 4-6 weeks in Oklahoma with Omar Vizquel playing shortstop at the beginning of the year, before Elvis gets called up.
Jean-Jacques Taylor says Mike Maddux is well-regarded, but that it is whether or not the Rangers give him talent to work with that will determine whether or not he succeeds.
Jim Reeves has some notes in his column today on Brandon McCarthy, Josh Hamilton and Josh Rupe, among others.