SB Nation Blog: Lucas

Kiker's Clinton Debut

Lucas — Mon, 21 May 2007 23:46:04 -0000

Through three innings, 1 hit (to lead off the game), 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. All other outs on grounders.

To hit the character limit, the press release re the MWL pitcher of the week:

Midwest League
Michael Ballard, Clinton
2-0, 1.42 ERA, 2 G, 2 GS, 12.2 IP, 12 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO
Ballard was lights-out this week, as the Virginia native allowed two runs over 7 2/3 innings in Cedar Rapids on Monday before hurling five shutout frames against Dayton on Sunday. Perhaps most impressively, the 23-year-old did not issue a walk in either contest. In fact, Ballard has not walked a batter since April 17, his second start of the season.

Josh Hancock: RIP

Lucas — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:02:17 -0000

http://tinyurl.com/37egkg

Cards' reliever Josh Hancock died in an auto accident this morning. No details.

Update: Details -- "St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Josh Hancock was killed early Sunday in an accident on Highway 40 (Interstate 64), just west of Compton Avenue, authorities said. Hancock's Ford Explorer slammed into the rear of a tow truck that was parked in the far left westbound lane shortly after 12:30 a.m. The tow truck driver, who was seated in the vehicle at the time, was unhurt. He told police that his emergency lights were on, and that he honked his horn when he saw the Explorer approaching in his rear view mirror, but that the Exploer didn't slow down or swerve to avoid the collision."

BP loves them some Rangers

Lucas — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:06:17 -0000

Joe Sheehan posted his rankings of MLB teams up to #11, and Texas still isn't listed.

He's even got Seattle 15th.

11 - det
12 - chw
13 - chc
14 - phi
15 - sea
16 - sfo
17 - stl
18 - min
19 - laa
20 - bal

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Top 100 Prospects per BP's Kevin Goldstein

Lucas — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:51:16 -0000

Hurley is 38th, Volquez 61st. That is all.

To meet the character limit, here's Wikipedia on string theory: String theory is a model of fundamental physics whose building blocks are one-dimensional extended objects called strings, rather than the zero-dimensional point particles that form the basis for the Standard Model of particle physics. The phrase is often used as shorthand for Superstring theory. String theorists are attempting to adjust the Standard Model by removing the assumption in quantum mechanics that particles are point-like.

BP's Kahrl on Ranger offseason

Lucas — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:52:08 -0000

It's firewalled, so only a synopsis:

Gagne: sensible
Lofton over Matthews: also sensible
Padilla signing: solid
McCarthy trade: not fond of it (too homer-prone)
Sosa and Jamey Wright: ugh
Quiroz and Chen: sure, why not
Outfield production: maybe not so bad
Little Cat: not a high impact bat
Blalock: needs to step up or Texas will have weak offense

summary: "weird, disjoined sort of winter... It won't take too many gambles failing to put this club decisively in the basement."

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=5853

Ranger in hunt for... Clint Barmes?

Lucas — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:36:30 -0000

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_4822447

Well, he gets $3.8 million next year and hit .220/.264/.335 in Coors last season. What's not to like?

I'll fill the 300-character limit with my opinion of this possible acquisition:

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrggghh!"

Gabe Kapler retires

Lucas — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:33:13 -0000

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2006/12/kapler_to_retir.html

Is becoming Boston's Sally League manager. Only 31. Looked like he was going to be great when he first came to Texas, then he forget how to hit or walk. Man of a thousand different swings.

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Keltner Test on Juan Gonzalez

Lucas — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 19:03:36 -0000

If you're interested...

http://rangers.scottlucas.com/

And to hit the character limit, here's Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 --

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

What profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun?

One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

Koronka and Loe hammered...

Lucas — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 04:51:06 -0000

...and they didn't pitch well, either.

But seriously...

Koronka 6.2 IP, 10 H, 5 BB, 1 SO, 5 runs
Loe 0.2 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 SO, 5 runs

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300 characters!

Half a league half a league
Half a league onward
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred:
'Forward, the Light Brigade
Charge for the guns' he said
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Vernon Wells wants to come home

Lucas — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 22:39:44 -0000

Per ESPN's Keith Law:
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=law_keith#20060818

Vernon Wells has told Blue Jays' management that he has no intention of signing a contract extension to stay in Toronto; he and his family would like to move closer to his home in Texas, and he has become increasingly disenchanted in Toronto as he has faced public criticism from general manager J.P. Ricciardi. It hasn't helped matters that the Blue Jays' clubhouse has become one of the least diverse in baseball, with Wells currently the only African-American player on Toronto's 25-man roster.
Wells has one year remaining on the five-year deal he signed in spring training of 2003 and will earn just $5.6 million in 2006, after which he'll be eligible for free agency entering his age-29 season.

Sources around baseball indicate the Blue Jays will explore trading Wells this winter rather than allow a repeat of the Carlos Delgado situation in 2004, when the team was unable to trade the impending free agent due to Delgado's blanket no-trade clause and thus ended up with nothing after Delgado left. While the Blue Jays could play out 2007 and take two draft picks for Wells, they're looking at Wells as the one chip they might be able to play into some help for their beleaguered rotation.

There will be no shortage of teams interested in Wells, a middle-of-the-order bat and plus defensive center fielder who'll hit the market in the middle of his offensive peak. Texas and Houston are likely to have interest because they might be able to sign him to an extension before he hits free agency, and neither team has a solid incumbent in center fielder.

However, Wells' destination in 2007 is going to come down to which team is willing to give up the most major league-ready talent in exchange for Wells. The Blue Jays are built to win now (what with the balloon payment coming due on A.J. Burnett, B.J. Ryan, Troy Glaus and Roy Halladay starting in 2008) and aren't going to deal an MVP-caliber player like Wells for guys in Z-ball. It's a trade that can make or break the immediate future of the Blue Jays.