Let's see...........

August 2nd, JohnBoy fires his pitching coaches.  The team ERA is 5.27.  Almost 2 months later with Andy Hawkins the team ERA is around 5.43.  Hmmmmm.....Junior is running out of scapegoates for this pathetic franchise.

He fired the only manager to put  a competitive team on the field in the last 9 years (Buck Showalter).

After 3 years he will show a team this year that has the WORST ERA in all of baseball.  Is the WORST fielding team in all of baseball.  His crack pitching staff will lead the league in walks and have the least amount of strikeouts.

There are 3 elements to the game - Pitching, Defense, and Offense.  Offense is the easiest.  Fantasy players can put an offense together.  Teams like Tampa, LAA Angels, Minnesota, win with pithcing and defense.  Something this team does not have.

Galloway wrote an article the other day suggesting that Nolan can Daniels.  I'll go one further than Galloway..........

I predict Nolan's first order of business in the off-season is to send this boy back to the basement.  How do I know this?

At the break, Junior made no moves, to either sell off or improve the team.  I figure that Nolan put a muzzle on the boy, due to his track record of trades.  He simply does not have a clue.

Let's look at 2 groups of pitchers:

Group A

Eaton, Otsuka, Padilla, Tejeda, Millwood, McCarthy, Gabbard, Harrison, Wright, Jennings, Mendoza, Ponson, Gagne, Fukimori

Group B

CYoung, Danks, Volquez, Galarraga

Cripes..........I'd trade ALL of group A for group B right now.

John Daniels is in WAY OVER his head as a Big League GM.  Not saying the boy doesn't have talent......but let's limit him to his so-called specialty - prospects.

Rangers offense is the best in the League - whoopee!!!!!!

They're scoring 5.5 runs per game..........unfortunately, they're giving up 6.0 runs per game.

Pitching and Defense........isn't that what Ron Washington said when he came here?  I'm sure he was right in line with Junior Daniels.  Too bad our pitching is 29th in all of baseball when it comes to ERA, WHIP, walks, and runs given up.

Not to mention that our Defense is the worst in MLB.

We've played 98 games.  We've scored 540 runs - we've given up 579 runs.

Think about this:

Our 2 main guys are Millwood and Padilla - that leaves our 3, 4, and 5 guys.  Those guys have been Feldman,Gabbrad, Ponson, Mendoza, Jennings, Harrison, Hurley, Murray, and Mathis.

Those 3, 4, and 5 guys guys have given up 232 runs.

Now, think about this:

John Danks, Endison Volquez, and Armando Galarraga have combined to give up 111 runs.

Wait a minute........we got Josh Hamilton for Volquez.......yeah, the guy that is one Budweiser away from re-hab.  He's got 96 rbis.

Let's look at it this way:

Say, we take Hamilton's offensive production and cut it in half - IOW - 48 rbis.

Then we throw out the 9 starters we have had this year and substitude with Danks, Volquez, and Galarraga.

We would then have an offense that averages 5.0 runs per game and a pitching staff gives up 4.7 runs per game.

Which would you rather have?

It's stuff like this that shows how totally INCOMPETENT John Daniels is a GM.

9 prospects

40 million

Santana
Bedard
Millwood
McCarthy
Padilla

With the money the franchise is capable of spending and with a loaded farm system full of prospects I don't understand why we couldn't have done something like this.  

Oh.....wait a minute.....that's right.....this is the Rangers.

Weigh in on your opinion.

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Looking at our starting rotation going into 2008 based on what they did in 2007:

W-L = 25/43
IP = 539
Runs = 319
ERA = 5.33

Boy, I'm so excited......pump me up sheep!

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Vote on who you think is the worst franchise in sports between these 3 organizations.

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Liverpool Fans Seek $995 Million to Buy Soccer Club (Update2)

By Steven Downes

Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Liverpool fans want to raise 500 million pounds ($995 million) to buy England's most successful soccer club from U.S. owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

Share Liverpool FC is asking 100,000 supporters to each contribute at least 5,000 pounds to the fund, which will be used to pay for the club and a 300 million-pound stadium.

``Thousands of Liverpool fans have already demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs,'' Liverpool University lecturer Rogan Taylor, one of three men heading the group, said in a statement.

The plan is based on the business model of Barcelona and Real Madrid, which are owned by club members. By using a Web site to generate membership fees, the group is seeking to tap into Liverpool's global fan base and the growing interest in English soccer in Asia.

Liverpool fans have protested against Hicks and Gillett's ownership at recent games, expressing concern at their clashes with coach Rafael Benitez.

``Reiterating what we said last week, Liverpool FC is not for sale,'' Jonathan Brill, spokesman for Kop Football Ltd., the Hicks and Gillett company that owns Liverpool, said in a telephone interview tonight.

18 Titles

Liverpool, which won the last of its record 18 English league titles in 1990, is winless in five Premier League games and is seventh in the top flight, 17 points behind leaders Manchester United and Arsenal. Last night, it lost 1-0 at West Ham.

Hicks, owner of hockey's Dallas Stars and baseball's Texas Rangers, and Gillett, owner of hockey's Montreal Canadiens, bought Liverpool a year ago for 174 million pounds, after competition from Dubai International Capital LLC. On Jan. 25 the pair secured a 350 million-pound debt refinancing that will allow the five-time European champion to build a 71,000-seat arena about half a mile (0.8 kilometer) from its Anfield stadium.

While adding an extra 11,000 seats, the revised stadium plans will cost an estimated 50 million pounds less than a design which was abandoned last year.

``Large amounts of debt often devolves on to newly purchased clubs, but the fans know that, in the end, it will be they themselves who will have to pay it off through increased ticket prices,'' Taylor said. ``In such a case, why not simply buy the club yourselves?''

Share-Purchase Plan

In addition to Taylor, Share Liverpool FC includes Phil French, the chief executive officer of Supporters Direct, a government-funded soccer unit, and lawyer Kevin Jaquiss.

A similar share-purchase plan by Manchester United fans failed to prevent the 790 million-pound takeover of the club by U.S. billionaire Malcolm Glazer in 2005, even after Nomura Holdings Inc., Japan's largest securities firm, offered Shareholders United a 100 million-pound loan.

Calls to Taylor and Sameer al-Ansari, the CEO of Dubai International, weren't immediately returned.

To contact the reporter on this story: Steven Downes in London sdownes1@bloomberg.net .

Last Updated: January 31, 2008 14:33 EST

I really wish Rangers fans would take the hint from the Brits and get the Rangers away from this asshole.

Just looking over this potent Ranger offense for the 2008 season.

And, what do I see?

We've only had 2 guys that have played over 130 games in the last 2 years:

Michael Young and Hank Blalock.

Then, I look at our great rotation that apparently is so good we don't need to look at pursuing trades for guys like Santana and Bedard.

In the last 2 years our 2 aces, Millwood and Padilla, are a combined 47-46 with an ERA of around 5.00 at the Ballpark.  Geesh, that gets me pretty pumped up.

Then we have a guy was 2-9 last year with injury porblems and a 6+ ERA.

Then we have another guy who wasn't that good last year that spent time on the DL.

Round that off with Gabbard, and he's about the only thing I can get somewhat excited about.

But, I'm sure the 2 relievers we signed this off-season (Guardado, who hasn't pitched in a year and Fuku) will bring us some more nice prospects at the break.

JD seems like is doing a great job at building a AAAA, or should I say, a AAA team.

Hire Nolan quick Tommy Boy!

I just listened to Michael Young on the Galloway show.

Randy asked him several questions about the team, and every response Michael gave had to do with himself and how he was preparing for the season and what his goals were.

He also indicated that he was unclear on what direction this afterbirth of a franchise was going.

I heard today that he is making a comeback.  Was throwing out at Tempe, AZ and several ML teams were watching.

Sounds like a Junior special to me.

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Since I doubt Whiffy will be on the 2008 Rangers team, I'll go ahead and make the comparison's between him and Sori.  This is for all the sheep who said what a great trade this was and how Whiffy would be better than Sori.

Whiffy

214 games, 110 runs, 35 hrs, 106 rbi, 7 sb, 223 k's, 80 bb

Sori

311 games, 179 runs, 64 hrs, 195 rbi, 48 sb, 246 k's, 66 bb

Let's look at last year:

Rangers offense declined once again - 816 runs scored.

But, you know what?  The Angels only scored 6 more runs than the Rangers - 822.

Well, what was the difference?

Rangers team era was around 4.75.  Angles team era was around 4.25.

Angels won 94 games - Rangers won 75 games.

So, can we say that 1/2 run on era counts for about 20 wins?

Our 2 horses - Millwood and Padilla - last 2 years:

Millwood 26-26 ---- era 4.80
Padilla  21-20 ---- era 4.98

Thats 47-46 with an era around 4.85.

With these 2 guys as our main horses (based on a 2 yr. history with the team) how in the world is this team going to better in 2008?

What's up with this guy?

I don't hear anyone talking about him.  I thought we stole him from Philadelphia for Dellucci.

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^ This is about the dumbest rule I've ever seen on a forum.

Been racking my brain trying to figure out the Jon Daniels strategy to building a contender.

With his latest move, I gotta think it's put together "The Cheapest Ragtag Platoon Team" available.

Bradley - on his 6th team.  Headcase - injury prone.  Hasn't played in over 100 games in 3 years.

Broussard - on his 4th team. 31 yrs. old.  Played 99 games last year.

Fukumori - never played in the Majors.  Injuries are a concern.

Alfonzo - Over the hill spare who didn't even play in the majors in 2007.

Hamilton - 3rd team he's been on.  Played 99 games last year.  Between injuries and dope, most likely never to see a full season.

Well , so much for that 2005 Future cry of the DVD's coming to save the day.

This team is most likely the worst that the Rangers have aseembled since 2000.

This young man does not have a clue to what he is doing.  Ron Washington has no chance.

All players that have been under Jon Daniels possession:

c - Laird
1b - Tex
2b - Kinsler
ss - Young
3b - Blalock
LF - Soriano
CF - GMJ
RF - AGon
DH - Mench
bench - Teagarden
Bench - DeRosa
bench - Byrd
bench - Dellucci

SP - Milwood
SP - Padilla
SP - C Young
SP - Danks
SP - Volquez

RP - Hurley
RP - Diamond
RP - Loe
RP - Frankie
RP - Wilson
RP - Benoit
RP - Coco

I think the payroll would come in under 100 million and I think the team would be extremely competitive.

What going on with this guy?

Is he going to be able to pitch in 2008?

Why so litte info on him and his health?

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Frustrating exercise in hindsight.  2008 team I'd would have liked to go into the season with:

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Laird
Tex
Kinsler
MYoung
Lowell
GMJ
Hunter
AGon
Mench

Beckett
Millwood
CYoung
Padilla
Volquez
Hurley

CJWilson
Benoit
Coco

All based on deals made or not made.

Interesting listening to ESPN today and how they have ripped Scott Boras about the Arod deal with the Yanks.  Saying the guy should be embarrassed and knocked down a few notches.

Personally, I don't see it that way.  In fact, I think he'll be laughing all the way to the bank with his 16 million dollar commission on a contract and deal that he didn't even have to get involved with.

The guy set it up perfectly with the 350/10 yr. demand, the WS announcement, and then letting Captain A take over.  

These 2 guys are as good as Newman and Redford in the Sting.

Just think.....7 years older and getting a contract that is more than his previous contract.  I'd say that is pretty good.

.....to be a Rangers fan with Tom Hicks owning this team.

You never know what the guy is going to do.  He goes from one extreme to the other.

Yankees are the antithesis to the Rangers.  They sign Posada for 4 yr/52 mil and Rivera for 3 yr/45 mil.  2 hoemgrown studs that have been contributors to 4 WS championships.  They get rewarded.

We had 2 similar guys.  Juan Gonzalez and Pudge Rodriguez.  What does Hicks do with them?  Says they want too much money.  Both are jettisoned off after being major contributors to this team making the playoffs 3 out of 4 years.

Now we hear that the Rangers are talking to Kenny Rogers.  What's up with that?  I thought this guy was personna non gratis.  What has changed?

Anyone who knows about a business knows it starts at the top and filters down.

I find it hard to comprehend how Tom Hicks can be successful in his businness interests but yet be a total failure in his sports endeavors.

I'm sorry, it's so depressing following this team with this guy as the owner.

Just listened  to Tom Hicks on the Randy Galloway show.

He said Arod was not a real person when he was here.  He was immature - as opposed to Pudge Rodriguez, who, he said was real.  Gee, I wonder why he let Pudge go.......anyways.

Galloway also asked Tommy if he thought someone would give Arod 30 mil for 10 years.  Hicks said they'd have to be an idiot to do that.  Galloway immediately shot back with that was what most people thought  when Tommy Boy gave him 252 mil for 10 yrs.  hahaha

Anyways, Tommy said that he and Alex still have conversations over the phone.  But, they are not baseball related - they are business related.  This was the most intriguing comment made during the interview.

Galloway asked about the 21 mil gained from Arod opting out, and if Tommy would put it back into to the team.  Hicks said he would, but it was up to Junior and that pitching was the key.

This is where I depart from this idea:

This team needs offense, not pitching.

We need to stoke up the offense.  Junior has depleted it in his first 2 years.

When it comes to the pitching, he has accumulated enough arms where we are not in the position to add to the pitching, but, maybe to replace some of the pitching.

Conclusion:  I would not be surprised to see Arod in a Rangers uniform in 2008.

Torii Hunter?  No
Andrew Jones?  No
Pitcher?  No.

I got one name to go after this off-season that makes this team a contender.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ.

We're already paying the guy anyway.  Yanks are looking to reduce payroll.  If we could sign him up, I'd be for re-signing Whiffy.

As for the pitching - As many bodies that JD has stockpiled, surely we can cull a decent rotation out of them.

A-Rod's offense would be like adding 2 OF'ers.