SB Nation User Blog: Oddibee

Royals sign Jason Kendall

Oddibee — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:15:46 -0000

The only reason this matters to any Rangers fan is that 1. The Rangers won't waste millions on Kendall, and 2. SI says the Royals have cut John Buck, who I think will end up as the Rangers backup catcher this year.

Of course, if I was a Royals fan I'd be all over firedaytonmoore.com. Amazingly, I can't link to that site because it doesn't actually exist. Which amazes me.

Mariner's Johjima to Japan

Oddibee — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:34:27 -0000

Mariner's Johjima to Japan

Seattle catcher Johjima opts out of last two years of deal, will return to Japan. Saves Seattle 16 million...

USA Today Feature on Rangers' Young Pitching

Oddibee — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:20:16 -0000

That's right -- a national news outlet making a big deal out of Texas' pitchers. In related news, a pig flew across my backyard an hour ago.

USA Today

My favorite part:

Feliz says his greatest thrill was striking out Boston Red Sox DH David Ortiz, one of his heroes. Yet, when he called to tell his parents, his mother had a request: Strike out New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, too.

"So when I did that," Feliz says, "I told my mom, 'There you go. There's your present. Don't ask me to strike anyone else out, OK?' "

Microcosm. And how the 2009 season will end.

Oddibee — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:58:56 -0000

Measured against anyone's Spring Training expectations -- the 2009 season has already been successful. And yet the last two games have been a perfect microcosm of this season.

There is talent on this team. This team has heart. This team has a couple of veteran leaders (Millwood, Young) who set a good example. This team has young pitching. These guys all own gloves, and know how to use them. But they are just not quite there yet.

And yet I can't stop watching. I made my seven year old son turn off the TV yesterday in the fourth inning. He looked at me and asked "but Dad... what if the Rangers score 11 runs?" My reply: "Not tonight, son." By the time the rally started in the bottom of the fifth, he was in bed. At 11-10, I almost woke him up -- I was sure the comeback would get two more runs. I almost woke him up anyway yelling when Davis hit the near home run to center. At 18-10 I needed a walk around the neighborhood. At 3:30 this morning I finally fell asleep.

So can we now stick a fork in them? Are they done?

____________

I have this suspicion the rest of the season will go just like the last two games. The Rangers will get hot and run off a modest win streak. They will go 5-2 against the Angels. On the morning of Sunday, October 4, we find the Rangers, Angels and Red Sox all tied at 92-69.

Boston plays Cleveland three hours before the Texas\Seattle and LAAAAAAAAofAAAA\Oakland games. The Sox win 13-12.

The Rangers send out Millwood. He goes eight innings, one run, 146 pitches. In the ninth, the Rangers are holding a 2-1 lead. The bullpen is spent from two straight weeks of must win games. Frankie has saved the last three in a row. The only guy out there who can lift his arm above his head is CJ - despite having pitched five of the last six nights. Ron brings him in.

CJ strikes out Ichiro in a 12 pitch battle. One out. Jack Wilson strikes out on a nasty slider down and in... but the ball tips off Teagarden's glove and back to the backstop. Wilson is safe at first. Mike Sweeney comes up next, and grounds the first pitch to third. Young goes to his right, and just as he reaches for the ball it clips the front corner of the base, pops up and hits Young in the forehead, and bounces away. Men on second and third.

Junior Griffey, in his last ever game, swings through two fastballs. The third one, at 96 mph on the inside corner, shatters his bat. But he gets just enough of it to loop it over first base. Davis leaps... 2 inches short. Ballgame.

Moments later, In Oakland, Vlad Guerrero swings at a pitch six inches above his head and hits the game winning three run homer.

The DMN blog goes wild. Blame is divided between CJ for being CJ and Ron Washington for being Ron Washington. A certain LSB poster blames JD. A newborn baby dents the bottom of the screen in the nearby football stadium.

And we begin counting the days until the 2010 Championship season starts.

Salty to DL, Richardson up

Oddibee — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:04:41 -0000

According to Andro \ F W S T:

Linky thingy

Verified by Sullivan, who says Rangers are scouring waiver wire.

You're the GM

Oddibee — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:49:51 -0000

Some introductory information first:

1. I believe the hardest part of JD's job right now is balancing the present and the future.

2. I believe the Rangers would have won the 96 World Series if they had a halfway decent closer.

3. I believe the Rangers thought they would win the 97 Series after signing Wetteland. Yeah, not so much.

4. I believe when you have a chance, you should take it... but not mortgage the future. And I can't reconcile those two things.

So, you're JD. It's 11:55 PM on July 31. The Rangers are exactly what they are today... 1/2 game ahead of the Angels. The offense is still struggling, the pitching and defense are carrying the team.

The Cardinals GM calls. He makes you the "Reverse Teixiera" offer. He'll send you Albert Pujols in exchange for your top prospects: Justin Smoak, Neftali Feliz, Max Ramirez, Martin Perez and Michael Main.

Do you pull the trigger?

Pujols is signed through 2010 with a club option for 2011. According to COTS: 2009: $16M, 2010:$16M, 2011:$16M club option ($5M buyout).

I think I close my eyes and pull the trigger. And you?

I have a few more of these that I'll post every few days if you like this... if not, they will never see the light of day.

Poll

Do you trade five top prospects for Pujols?

Yes. Go for it.

46 votes

No. Build for the future.

93 votes

139 votes | Poll has closed

Rupe Clears Waivers

Oddibee — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:57:44 -0000

DMN Blog

The Rangers plan to send him to extended spring training in Surprise, Ariz., to get his arm stretched out so that he can become a starter for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Rupe has been a starter before, and returning to a starting role has been his goal.

I like this... I don't think we've heard the last of Mr Rupe in a Rangers uniform.

And I need like seven more words. And that was only six.

ARod on Roids -- CNNSI

Oddibee — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:30:35 -0000

CNNSI.com lead story -- exclusive:

In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated.

Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's '03 survey testing, SI's sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004.