I've got to post this, and may not be around long to do so.  This is an old guy, old jock, old baseball fans view (Adam if you don't want this here, I understand e.g all posts can be deleted)

So an old fan of the game, following it for over 60 years, takes a fairly active part in baseball blogs and helps with a fansite forum.  The first thing that jumps out at any uniformed reader is the concatenation of schisms.  Between mainstream media and bloggers.  Between people who played the game and (well, everybody else including) men and women from other sports, people who love the game but have never been athletic enought to participate at organized levels, people who follow the game analytically to enjoy the ongoing performance evaluation and discussion/debates about players, teams, management, and other fans.  And I guess robust discussion is a good part of life in general - you can agree to agree, agree to disagree, and occasionally disagree that there is disagreement.  

Here are a couple of old guy observations.  These might calm some of the waters, yet might irritate those who really have disdain for contrary points of view.  

First, I've learned more about the analysis of baseball performance in the past 10 years than in the collective 50+ years before this decade.  And I've learned it from not only Adam and the contingent here on LSB, but from following links to really intelligent analytical formulations, suppositions, calculations, and their graphical representation.  This from a three sport jock of half a century ago who never let go of his love for the game, and the play on the field.  I also have to credit my daughter, degreed in excercise physiology with advanced work in metrics, helping me understand how the body works in achieving high levels of performance.  So anyone with a competitive sports background ought to give thanks for those who have explored, expanded, and expounded sabrmetrics.  What Verne McMillan started in 1954 was not universally notable - but he was a minor league owner who decided to get input from an Indianapolis saber society group, both to better analyze his Class B team's league performance, and to understand his own role in keeping, selling, or shutting down his franchise.  That counts as an important step.  We all take important steps, sometimes when we don't realize how important they are.  

Second, and more personally, there is no reason for a jock or past jock to deride people who didn't achieve or take part in the play of the game.  Actions on the field and transactions off the field are facts.  Those facts are represented by data.  The accumulation of data, and intelligent analysis of the data, can lead to conclusions the eyeball and the muscle memory might miss.  It is unfair and poor treatment of others to demean them because they have never run the high hurdles in under 15 seconds, made college varsity or AAU or traveling military teams, much less professional teams.  People, it's largely a matter of physiology and training.  Lots of people have been born with genetic characteristics short of those of the elite athlete.  They did not choose this outcome, in fact had nothing to do with it.  I would hope, and I suspect, the sabermetric attuned baseball fan who never played the game (and even the few who may have at one time lived in a female relative's basement) is probably more forgiving of differences of opinion than the experience only current or former athlete.  I don't know, that's merely an assumption from tens of thousands of posts read.      

So if I drop away for personal and family reasons in the next couple of months, what I'd wish for LSB (and NMLR and anyplace else we patronize) is a little more acceptance of where a poster is coming from, a little more appreciation of the posters' humor, a little more awareness of background and generational differences, and a LOT of support and respect for the Rangers' organization and team, and what they are trying to get done.

/30.

I'm going to get ripped for this comment, and yes it's a feeling and not based on anyone's report.  Also posted this on NMLR for opinions, rebuttal, and comments.  This is not a rip on Josh, but is a worry if remotely true.

The only person who can help Josh is Josh. Not Rudy, not Scott Coolbaugh, not the Narron's, not Wash. It's looking like an inner thing (I almost said demon). The thing inside that mocks the players' moments of greatness, echoing "you really aren't that good, and you'll never recover those 15 months of fame". If he's out there trying to prove a demon wrong, you fans get the erratic swinging, low .200's hitting punchless Josh in the 3 hole. This demon is a cousin of the one who confused him and sent him spiraling years ago, which Josh attributed to time on his hands and reckless diversion in that time.

Now he's more mature, more stable, has pinnacled, and I'm scared. Scared that the trepidation has set in, that he is fighting the inner detractor, and that damages his baseball prowess.

Let me modestly propose to add to the lexicon of distant blasts hit by the Rangers.  We already are the beneficiary of some great HR labels, coined by regular posters.  Yet, this year and in the next few seasons, the Rangers have composed a lineup capable of a large number of round trippers.  Now HR's won't win the AL West or the World Series (unless hit situationally), but they are a thrill to see and sometimes a memorable part of Ranger seasons.  Please feel free to modify or extend this list:

H-bombs, Cruz missiles, Davis detonations, Salty slams, Kinsler klouts, Tea baggers, Blalock bombs, Young goes yonder, Byrd blasts, Murphy mashed taters, Max monsters.  Even these, if they are playing:  Metcalf moonshots, Vizquel V-2's, Duran dingers, hot Arias baloons, etc.  

Of course the three or four prominent sluggers will lead the pack.  But don't doubt anyone in the lineup, too much.  In Young's case, homers are scarce but he's a skilled situational hitter.  At a past game, I sat with Tricer at a game.  The Rangers were behind, and situational hitting came up in conversation.  With the Rangers being pretty much shut down, I told Todd to watch Young, we need runs pronto.  MY proceeded to hit not one but two shots out to left center, one in the stands and one into the visitors bullpen.  Depending on the pitch he gets, he can jack as well as push singles to right.  

Now off to the TV, hoping for a great season and a lot of games that are fun to watch.

That's tongue in cheek, abetted by spiked koolaid, written in the style embellished by Halos Heaven.  Now Rev can't write this, so let's say it's by ...uhh...Deacon.

Here we go.  The American League West in 2009 will feature three contenders, two on the rise, and one incumbent Division champion.  There is another team in the mix, but their strongest assets are a pair of bloggers, so write 'em off, and write 'em often.  The Angels of Los Angeles playing out of Anaheim in the U.S. of North America are the defenders.  They'd better build their walls high and heat up lots of kegs of creosote to dump on invaders, because the barbarians are at the gate.  One group, the Athletics of Oakland and Fremont, California, will travel up and down to coast wreaking havoc on otherwise innocent citizenry.  And they will win about as many games as they lose.  It's the other tribe, the Rangers out of Arlington, Texas, who should evoke fear and loathing (OK, the loathing is already going on) in the West.

The Rangers have had, and will continue to have, the most potent lineup in baseball.  At the top of their lineup will be Ian Kinsler, an American League AllStar, whose power numbers belie his leadoff assignment,  Kinsler should actually increase his isolated power stats in 2009, while near the best in the majors at stealing to caught stealing ratio.  Also up front is Micheal Young, a multiple AllStar who managed to land a Gold Glove while suffering some at the plate in 2008, from playing with a broken finger on each hand.  Back and healthy in 2009, Young will contend for a League batting championship and play a steady if limited shortstop.  Pundits around the league suggest Young is in decliine, but about all he'll decline in 2009 will be stolen bases and triples. These two table setters are followed by Josh Hamilton, a feel-good, be-good, is-good story for the decades.  See Bill James projection for this otherworldly talented outfielder who is a threat to go deep in any ballpark, and can make a bat sound different from any other player out there.  Also in  the outfield is Nelson Cruz, the late blooming blaster from the Dominican.  Cruz is another reason that officialdom in Arlington should close Ballpark Way and Randoll Mill Road during games, lest baseballs damage all sorts of unsuspecting vehicles going by.  And Cruz has a good enough arm that runners just don't try to advance on balls hit his direction. 

Then there is Chris "Crush" Davis, who has an emerging talent for hitting baseballs off the property.  And he isn't terrible as a contact hitter either, and can go deep the opposite direction with the best of them.  Coming back in 2009 is Hank Blalock, another lefty blaster, whose injuries limited his play over the past three seasons, but who returned with a  vengeance in the latter part of the 2008 season.  Hank has also been chosen an AL AllStar, complementing players in that category who fill the Rangers' lineup.  As if power were lacking, which of course it isn't, the Arlington squad also features Max Ramirez, who Bill James projects to produce a .900+ OPS. The rest of the outfield squad includes David Murphy, another lefty bat and decent defender, who can play all three positions.  Then there is Marlon Byrd, who after a slow start in 2008 just generally raked, and has sporadic power as well.  Add to this embarassment of riches one Brandon Boggs, a switch hitter with exceptional plate patience, and is another with what opponents consider a suicide arm, specializing in outs at the plate from left field. 

All of baseball is aware that the Rangers hold a surplus of catchers.  In order of service seniority, they have Jarrod Saltalamacchia, the aforementioned Max Ramirez, and the talented Taylor Teagarden.  They can all go deep.   Saltalamacchia is a high ceiling switch hitter with lots of promise.  And Teagarden is said to have the best receiving game skills of the bunch.   It's expected that one of those three will be in this year's trade mix.  In any case, therer is no lack of talent or depth at the position. 

The Rangers were major league worst in pitching ranking stats in 2008.  Don't count on that being the case going forward.  A new pitching coach, with flexible philosophy to match player attributes, is on board in Mike Maddux.  And team president Nolan Ryan is prescribing a mix of conditioning and game mindset to the team's hurlers.  The Rangers may add one or two arms to their 2009 roster, with a goal of improving the rotation and increasing the effectiveness of the bullpen.  Early workouts include a dozen pitchers, mainly starters, from within the system.  High profile minor leaguers who project top of the rotation ability are among them.

Among the returning starters is a fit and trim Kevin Millwood, who has been a league ERA leader and an AllStar in the past, and is dedicated and focused on more innings, more strikes, and less damage allowed in 2009, and has contractual incentives to do just that.  Also coming back, from the back country of Nicaragua, is Vicente Padilla.  Padilla also has an AllStar selection in his resume, and is going into a contract year.  More importantly, he is figuratively and literally "the enforcer", a tough minded, no nonsense serial killer of hitting streaks, when he is on.  He will be on in 2009, for the myriad reasons outlined.  The rest of the staff, and overall team success, lies in finding game competence and consistency from Matt Harrison, Brandon McCarthy, Eric Hurley, Dustin Nippert, or new arrivals to the staff. 

The bullpen had a rough road in 2008, mainly due to overwork and limited capability to withstand middle inning and second trip to the mound issues.  Getting more good innings from starters will alleviate this drawback, as will being in better condition in 2009 health wise than experienced in 2008.  Among the relievers who have shown shutdown capability are Frank Francisco, C.J. Wilson, Joaquin Benoit, and Warner Madrigal.  The Rangers may add a solid bullpen arm, to replace departed or ineffective relievers.  The club does not have a "name" closer, but both Francisco and Wilson seem able to end games, or to handle setup duty.  Madrigal has also evidenced shutdown capability, and will be in the mid to late innings mix.

One probable loss from the Rangers arsenal may be Milton Bradley, the DH and sometime outfielder who led the majors in OPS and OBP during parts of 2008.  Bradley's plate patience and strike zone judgment cannot be directly replaced, but the Arlington power and lumber company has sufficient pop and sizzle that if Bradley finds a new home in free agency, he will be personally missed by teammates, but the team's offensive output  shouldn't be badly affected. 

So, those in the American League west should take the following precautions.  Pregnant women should not attend Ranger games, their children might be born with seams around their head and birthmarks that look like Louisville Slugger logos.  People with slow reflexes should not sit in nor near the front rows of left and right field, since some batted balls will have frightening trajectory and velocity.  The fountains in the rock garden at Anaheim should be turned off and the spill pond drained when the Rangers visit, else long flies landing in that area could douse spectators in the left center field bleachers.  The trains Burlington Northern runs past the park in Seattle should be held on sidings during games, so shots from Hamilton or Davis don't cause derailment.  And most of all, fans in the California and Washington parks should practice being calm with the umpires, since there will be a lot more strikes called, fewer walks, and many runners thrown out in games against Texas.

The Rangers may not win the West in 2009.  But they are going to be fun, even exhilarating to watch.  They will also be the team nobody really wants to play when they produce bursts of runs.  The trend that showed up in 2008 and will continue for the forseeable future is that no lead will be safe, and no game is over until it is over.

- - yr ob't svt - - Deacon