SB Nation User Blog: Agreen07

Rangers watching 17-year old high-schooler Yusei Kikuchi

Agreen07 — Sun, 24 May 2009 23:39:54 -0000

I love that JD and the Rangers aren't simply resigned to the fact that they can't outspend other teams for free agent Starting Pitching (not to mention that pitchers most likely don't want to come to Texas..or at least that was the mentality of old). Instead, we've seen the Rangers wisely allocate their money toward pitchers in the draft or foreign players (even studs such as Iona, even though we didn't get him). It appears we might see this again with Yusei Kikuchi.

You can find video of the kid here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3CjpwaP2E8

Per NPB Tracker:

According to Nikkan Sports, the Rangers had two scouts watching high school lefthander Yusei Kikuchi on May 21st. Kikuchi didn’t appear in his team’s game, the first of an Iwate Prefectural tournament, but the Rangers watched him work out with a long toss exercise. Kikuchi was quoted as saying, “I’m happy to get this attention but I can’t consider how to proceed until the end of summer”. The Dodgers had assistant GM Logan White watch Kikuchi in a practice game in March, and he appears on the draft lists of all 12 NPB teams.

Per MLB Trade Rumors:

Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a Nikkan Sports article indicating the Rangers sent two scouts to watch high school lefty Yusei Kikuchi. Newman notes that the Dodgers had Logan White watch Kikuchi practice back in March.

Kikuchi is highly regarded, but how does he compare to Junichi Tazawa? Newman told me:

The way I look at it is, Kikuchi is younger, taller, and lefthanded, whereas Tazawa was a older, more polished and had faced better competition. Kikuchi appears to have similar velocity to Tazawa. Tazawa was definitely closer to the big leagues; you wouldn't sign Kikuchi and have him start the season opener in AA. But Kikuchi is a better prospect than Tazawa was when he was 18. So Kikuchi may have a little more upside, but I don't think he would command the same kind of offers Tazawa got. A key difference is that Tazawa had basically made up his mind to come to America by the time I started writing about him. We don't know what Kikuchi's plans are.

OT: Mavs Trade Talk

Agreen07 — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:02:57 -0000

Trade Deadline a few days from now, there hasn't been much discussion about it on here lately...so lets get to it.

Personally, I'd like to trade Jerry Stackhouse for Mike Miller. Not sure if that move is big enough to make the Mavs a contender (could be like Korver in Utah last year) but I think it makes the team better. Stackhouse's contract expires so it makes sense for Minnesota, and Miller's contract expires before 2010 season so we will still have plenty of room to try to sign Bosh or Wade. John Salmons is also another option but I'd prefer Miller. If you make this move you could then consider dealing Howard for another piece that would make sense.

Sure it would be interesting to bring Shaq in here but I don't think that's realistic because if we trade for him, Cuban would have to pay $40 million for him next year (because of the luxury tax).

It's possible there might be another Pau Gasol-type trade this year, especially because of the economy. If so, I'm sure Cuban would capitalize on it.

What do you think the Mavs should do?

OT: The Perfect Push-up

Agreen07 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:38:40 -0000

via img241.imageshack.us

Does anyone own these? If so, do they actually work? Is it that much better than a regular pushup?

Please correct the following items:

Your FanPost must be at least 75 words long. Right now it's only 23 words long. If you just have a quote, link, video or photo you'd like to share with the community, try creating a FanShot instead.

Please correct the following items:

Your FanPost must be at least 75 words long. Right now it's only 23 words long. If you just have a quote, link, video or photo you'd like to share with the community, try creating a FanShot instead.

A-Rod used steroids only in Texas according to A-Rod

Agreen07 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:37:08 -0000

via his interview I just saw on ESPN. Here's a link to an article about the interview.

He didn't use in Seattle and when he got to NY (with McNamee, Clemens and Pettitte there) he stopped using. I call shananigans on that though.

Our locker room is gaining quite the notorious reputation from back then.

Here are quotes:

"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day," Rodriguez told ESPN's Peter Gammons in an interview in Miami Beach, Fla. "Back then, [baseball] was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve. I wanted to prove to everyone I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time.

"I did take a banned substance. For that, I'm very sorry and deeply regretful."

"Overall, I felt a tremendous pressure to play, and play really well" in Texas, the New York Yankees third baseman said. "I had just signed this enormous contract I felt like I needed something, a push, without over-investigating what I was taking, to get me to the next level.

"I am sorry for my Texas years. I apologize to the fans of Texas."

Rodriguez said he stopped taking substances after injuring himself at spring training in 2003 with the Rangers.

"It wasn't a real dramatic day. I started experimenting with things that, today, are not legal," he said, "that today are not accepted ... ever since that incident happened, I realized that I don't need any of it."

He said the culture earlier this decade of taking performance-enhancing substances was "prevalent." "There were a lot of people doing a lot of different things," Rodriguez said, noting that he wasn't specifically pointing out the Rangers.

Rodriguez said he was told by Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the MLB Players' Association, that he might, or might not, have tested positive in the 2003 survey. A source told ESPN on Saturday that Rodriguez knew he had failed the test.

"I had never heard anything since," he said. "Whatever I was experimenting with in Texas might have been OK."

Rodriguez also said of his 2007 interview with Katie Couric on "60 Minutes," when he denied ever using steroids, that "at the time, I wasn't being truthful with myself. How could I be truthful with Katie Couric or CBS?"

On a related note, This is an unbelievable article in which Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll sits down with one of the biggest steroid dealers in the game today. This article has provided me with amazing perspective on just how sophisticated PEDs and the market for them has become. Always one step ahead of the tests, I doubt they will ever be able to be eliminated from the game.

Christian Bale is a douche

Agreen07 — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:10:36 -0000

Christian Bale is a douche

Enough said.

OT: Springsteen Sucked

Agreen07 — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 06:05:48 -0000

Pretty embarrassing...a 60 year-old dude sliding all over the stage at the Super Bowl like he's at Woodstock. That halftime show sucked big time. He mumbled the whole time. I'm sick of watching old performers who put on lame shows. Get some youth in there please.

James Harrison should be castrated for being such a douche. I’m also disappointed that Jesus let down Kurt Warner in the Super Bowl.

Agreen07’s favorite commercial:

http://www.hulu.com/superbowl/55646/super-bowl-xliii-ads-doritos-crystal-ball#s-p12-sr-i0

Seriously? TO Reality Show on VH1

Agreen07 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:25:51 -0000

Per ESPN

DALLAS -- Terrell Owens hopes to score with a new cable reality show.

The Dallas Cowboys' controversial wide receiver will star in his own show on VH1 this summer, giving fans a look into his life off the field.

VH1 announced Monday that the series takes place in the offseason, and T.O.'s best friends and publicists -- Monique Jackson and Kita Williams -- will help him re-examine his personal life. The two will work as "matchmakers and therapists" for Owens.

Owens, who caught 69 passes for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, was prominently featured on HBO's "Hard Knocks" that tracked the Cowboys in training camp last year.

I'd love to see the Cowboys cut him and he finds out while on camera.

Kirk Radomski's first TV Interview - ESPN

Agreen07 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:11:05 -0000

Kirk Radomski's first TV Interview - ESPN

Radomski's first tv interview, on Outside the Lines on ESPN with Jeremy Schaap. A ton of interesting stuff in the video.

105.3 FM

Agreen07 — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:52:33 -0000

Maybe this should be a fanshot but I honestly don't care because I think everbody needs to read this and fanshots often get ignored.

105.3 FM was/is broadcasting live from Fan Fest all day today, interviewing players (Kinsler, Feldman and more) and others (including Jamey). After listening to Ben & Skin talk Rangers so much over the past few weeks, I don't want it to end. The Cowboys and the Mavs get this kind of attention from the local media and it's finally nice to see the Rangers get talked about...and 105.3 even seems to know what they're talking about.

What's my point exactly? For those that haven't checked it out, please try to listen. For those that do listen, keep listening. It's a new station and I just don't want to see it go under due to poor ratings because I'm loving this Rangers talk way too much. Good day gentleman.

Wow she's an idiot.

Agreen07 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:46:24 -0000

Wow she's an idiot.