Damn, I had so many doubts coming in.

-I called CJ a dipshit for his first day of spring training comments and said bring it.  Well, he did. and I can't wait to see him pitch again. I'll eat my crow now, thanks.

-If you told me we'd start the season with Vlad and Cruz as our hottest hitters and everyone else average, I might have thought back to the old days and asked if we are a .500 team.  2 games over with that?  I'll take it.

- Staff ERA leaders?  I'm still laughing.

-Homerun leader- Maybe.  But still.

-Wash not giving us anything to bitch about? Priceless.

-Colby F'in Lewis.  Really? I'm a believer.

I carry a ticket in the wallet betting on you everyday.

I'm gonna win.

Helluva week.  Thank you. 

ITS A PRIVILEGE TO BE A RANGER FAN...

...Feel I didn't skip a beat:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090512&content_id=4691222&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=tex

ARLINGTON -- A 9-4 record while Josh Hamilton was on the disabled list might have suggested the Rangers didn't miss him that much.

That's hardly the case, even though pitching has been carrying the Rangers for much of the past three weeks. The pitching was terrific again on Tuesday night, but the Rangers also received a thunderous reminder of what Hamilton's bat can do for the lineup.

Hamilton, fresh off the disabled list, snapped a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run home run, and the Rangers were able to pull away to a 7-1 victory over the Mariners at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers, opening up a key six-game homestand against the Mariners and Angels, have now won 12 of 17 games to keep hold of first place in the American League West.

Michael Young, who was 3-for-3 with two walks after missing two games with a stiff back, started the Rangers' six-run sixth with a single to right off Mariners reliever Mark Lowe.

That brought up Hamilton, who was hitless in his first three-at bats -- he hit into a double play then left four baserunners on in his next two at-bats. This time, he swung and missed weakly at a changeup, then choked up on the bat and drove a fastball over the left-field wall.

"That's the first time in my career I've choked up on the bat and just tried to put the barrel of the bat on the ball," Hamilton said. "Obviously, my other at-bats weren't great, but that at-bat felt good. Anytime you can make a play or hit a home run like that, it gets your confidence up. You breathe a sigh of relief. Everybody in the dugout was hugging me, and I was hugging them."

Hamilton was playing for the first time since April 26, but he was struggling even before going on the disabled list, hitting .242 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in his first 18 games on the season.

"I'm just so happy for him to come back and get a big hit like that," Andruw Jones said. "He was trying to get it done too badly. Right now, he's a little too anxious, but once he gets patient and start getting his pitches to hit, he's going to be the same player he was for us last season."

Hamilton's home run set off a six-run rally against the Mariners' bullpen and broke the game open for the Rangers. They needed a lift after struggling for five innings against Mariners starter Jason Vargas and then not scoring after having the bases loaded with one out in the sixth.

"We were all just glad to have Josh back in the lineup for us," said first baseman Chris Davis, who hit his ninth home run of the year and his fourth in the past eight games. "When he hit that ball, we were all like a bunch of little kids jumping up and down in the dugout. To have him do that was big for him and a big pickup for us."

Rangers rookie reliever Derek Holland, pitching in relief of starter Scott Feldman, retired all five batters he faced to earn his first Major League victory. He lowered his ERA to 1.74 in six relief appearances since coming to the big leagues. Four of those have come in relief of Feldman, a deliberate tag-team arrangement on the Rangers' part.

"My first victory," Holland said. "I don't know what to say, especially against the Mariners -- a good ballclub -- and Ken Griffey Jr., who I grew up watching. I'm speechless. I can't believe it. I'm still stunned."

Feldman allowed one run on four hits over 6 1/3 innings and now has a 2.74 ERA in four starts. He threw 109 pitches, his highest total in 29 Major League starts. He took a 1-0 lead into the seventh but came out after giving up a one-out single to Franklin Gutierrez, a stolen base and a game-tying double to Kenji Johjima.

"Stuff-wise, I didn't have as good of stuff as I've had," Feldman said. "I would have liked to have gotten through seven. I'd like to go deeper in the game. I'm working on that, working on my stamina and working to keep my pitch counts down."

Maybe, but since the night Feldman stepped into the rotation for Kris Benson on April 24 against the Orioles, the Rangers' pitching staff has a 3.52 ERA in 17 games. Their starters are 9-3 with a 3.42 ERA in that stretch.

"It's great to have Josh back in there, but the story tonight was pitching," Young said. "First Feldman and then Derek. Right now, pitching is leading the way, and we couldn't be happier."

 

Thanks TR...

Continue reading this post »

Went to the Missions/Hooks game last night.  Free tickets from little sis.  Not much to report about the game but after the game we grabbed a beer and some wings with one of the Hooks.  I was giving him crap about giving Frisco a hard time and he said the oddest thing.  He said no way Elvis is as young as he says he is.  I said "how's that?"

He said after one of the games this past weekend a few of the guys from both teams went out for beers.  Elvis was there, bellied up to the bar, showed an ID, and got a beer.  They started giving him crap about it, asking whether he used his passport or a fake and he said," No I am really 21" and something to the extent of you know how we do it down there.

I didn't press the subject or talk about it any further with him.  I just find it odd that I mentioned I follow Frisco and that was the first thing he chose to mention. 

Anyway, thought ya'll would want to know.

I know, I know be wary of small sample sizes.  I get it.  But sometimes you can
pick up consistencies before patterns and I've seen 2 things enough to think it won't
change with a larger sample size.

Plate discipline.
I have never seen a Ranger team work pitchers like they have the first 6 games. I
found a preconceived notion that kept coming up every time top of the inning.  I assumed
I could walk away from the TV if they reached an 0-2 count.  The only person I watched
passed a 0-2 count regularly before was Michael Young.  After 3 games, I started staying
in my seat even if I needed to throw a leak.  By FAR FAR FAR the best I've ever seen a Ranger
team collectively work pitchers.  They seem committed as an entire team to this as much as I've
seen any major league team.  I believe this will be worth 10-15 games this year as they
continue past the small sample size through the entire season.  I think most of these wins
will come against 4th or 5th starters.

Quality Pitching
I watched Gabbard pound strikes with junk low in the zone.  I watched Milwood's opposition
at the plate give the look like they just got bested by somebody.  Padilla throw heat and
not melt down after a few misfortunes.  Jennings go after hitters down a few runs and most likely to
get the  L a few innings later.  Benoit/Blue Glove doing what they do. The Electician mopping up
like the janitor at school we all loved that always had a story. 

Guys, this is baseball at its best and the bar just got raised for my expectations this season.
Thanks.

http://www3.earthhourus.org/

I'm headed to the Austin Wrangler game but will be unplugging before I leave.

Here's another link for home owners that want to be green and save a buck at the same time:

http://greenswitch.tv/

Remember when the Mav's were the laughing stock of the NBA?  When free agents spurned them and the only use in them negotiating with the Mav's was to up the deal somewhere else?  The ranger's franchise has always had a hard time getting good starting pitchers to come because of the heat and the park.  Milwood was an exception.  

But now hitters????

With the evolution of the $10M+/yr contract,
multi-year deals, and more teams willing to give these type contracts, we can only assume its going to get worse.  The value of prospects have risen to the point where if you want to go out and grab an impact bat via trade you are going to give up 3-5 of them.  The off season is not over but we are no closer to being competitive in 2009 then we were when we started, so in my mind, we took a step back.  

Unfortunately, I joined many of you in thinking 2010 at the earliest.  That realization sucked.  I'd really like to hear an interview with JD that revisits managements "its looking more like 2009" take on current situation and explain to us how we are going to pull that off.  I didn't expect much, just a glimpse that we are headed in the right direction.  

Not signing someone to a bad contract was not what I was looking for.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3104347

Randy Chrystal is aurguably the best white hat in college football.  He has been chosen to do the BCS championship multiple times.  According to Leach, he was partial to UT because he lives in Austin.  I know Randy personally and there is no way in hell he doesn't call the games by the book.  If Leach needs something to blame that loss on he needs to look in the mirror, his defenses have been some of the worst in college football during his tenure.

Adam is going to love this one:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/10/29/bp.alwest/1.html

What position does Sammy play?  I cant remember the last time I've seen a slap in the face to a current player like that one.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So his option wasn't picked up.  Any thoughts on him as possible LF or RF solution?  I agree with the brewers, $9M for .255/21 HR production is steep but does anyone think he will get $9M somewhere else?  What's a good deal for this guy?

2 yr / $12?

Food for thought:

Marlon Byrd
AVG .307 | HR 10 | RBI 70 | OBP .355 | SLG .459

Torii Hunter
AVG .287 | HR 28 | RBI 107 | OBP .334 | SLG .505

Geoff Jenkins
AVG .255 | HR 21 | RBI 64 | OBP .319 | SLG .471

I really have a feeling that after this off-season we are going to have some upset LSB posters.  I just dont think we have a solid solution in house to solve our outfield problem by 2009.  We are all in agreement that the free agent market is crap this year and the playoffs have illustrated payroll doesn't buy post-season wins.  

What I'm suggesting is this:  I don't think JD sits on his hands because the market sucks.  I think one of the outfield holes gets filled with a young stud (like a Salty)that many think we give up to much for.  

Benoit and Laird are the obvious candidates on the major league roster but won't be the additions that make another team pull the trigger on trading away good young talent.  I'm looking at dirk's prospect list and I'm seeing a lot of RHP's and LHP's being mentioned.  I'm betting 1, possibly 2 of those are gone by the time spring training rolls around.  Maybe one of the catchers too.

My reasoning is this: If the front office wasn't blowing sunshine up our butts when they threw out the year 2009, they cant possibly think that our internal candidates and 08 free agents are going to help us put a team out there that can contend .  We have to have better production in the outfield and I see this as our biggest issue if our pitching prospects mature like I think they will.  I have no problem with Cat platooning but he should be the 4th best OFer on the team, not tied with everyone for last.  

Its not hard seeing the infield being a strength in 09.  Hopefully, $, we will be able to keep in tact the bullpen.  The starters, well, they are their own discussion but I do think 09 might treat us well.

I'm interested in ya'lls thoughts on what plans need to be made to contend in 09 and what reasons you think that date is or isn't a possibility?

have been pretty week lately.  Thought I'd throw a couple discussion topics out there and see if anyone had anthing:

Grant wrote that Oates was a percentage guy, Wash is a feel guy.  Do you think Ranger fans will accept a "feel" guy if we are winning/not winning?  Especially if it comes down to missing the playoffs or a series because Wash had the wrong gut feeling?  Or do you think he adapts?

With this latest stretch run or wins do you think its because we are starting to put it all together or do you think the sun shines on a dog's ass every once and awhile and we are catching the beems?

What guys do you think have the best shot at being the big suprise out of spring training and making the team?

Who would be mad if we made little or no roster changes after the season and brought all the young guys back?  Who should we dump?

Was last night not the silliest crap you have every seen?  What % of the viewership did they think wanted to see Josh running around being a dumbass?  

I really think having Tom Grieve there is a neccesity and I like his insight when Josh allows him to talk.  But I challenge the network or the powers that be change the format.

I really like what they are doing tonight and hope its a success.  We live in an internet world and having interaction with a fanbase during the game is the future.  I swear I've noticed topics on the gameday threads come up an hour later on-air.  

I propose putting on a guy like adam to bring the internet interaction into the broadcast booth.  I also think the booth needs a stat/video guy that can show me the pitcher against and how he pitches against us.  Tell me what we did to get Thome out when he's going on a tear.  Same with Vlad.  I'm sick of hearing how this guy is unstoppable against us because thats easier information to provide.  I'd rather have information like Padilla got him out twice by getting 2 strikes then pitching him low and away.

I know this is the format that worked for Harry Carry and WGN.  But after last night, I think its really past time to change to something new.  Getting JD on with an online chat is a good start.

I will not be getting my sports information from ESPN nor espn.com any longer.  They aren't interested in delivering sports content anymore.  But they sure are ready to apologize for Vick by telling about what supporters he does have.  Common theme:  Innocent until proven guilty.

Guess what?  Everybody is in agreement that he deserves a fair trial, but that doesn't mean we have to be idiots.  It is 2007.  We have the ability to access the same information judge and jury has.
I read the indictment.  I read the sworn summary of facts.  (also includes a reference to a 3rd witness that had a dog fight vick's while vick was present).  
There is so much in there you would have to be an idiot to think he didn't know, like he said,  He was taken advantage of.  
That makes him a liar as well. Learn "no comment" don't lie.

That doesn't mean I dont want a fair trial for him.  That doesn't mean I dont want a fair trial for him.  HE DESERVES A FAIR TRIAL.

But I'm not going to apologize for having more access to be able to make a better informed decision than those who grew up in the 50's and 60's.  
I believe racism dies when the people that lived it are gone.  

My daughter is 8 and I already see it shrinking to almost nothing compared to what I experienced.  Why? IMHO I believe its because of what shes exposed to.  If she is exposed to racism less, how is she supposed to learn it?

Does it ever completely end?  no.  But I am sick of it and it being shoved down my throat.  Thanks ESPN.  I'll miss you Bill Simmons.

Sorry for my bitchfest.  Foxsports here I come.

Adam Eaton could become the first Phillies pitcher to finish with the league's worst ERA since Mark Leiter (5.67) in 1997. -- Philadelphia Inquirer

I remember seeing articles out of spring training saying the phillies were having thoughts of moving him to the pen.

Does anyone remember how much they signed him for? 3/24M??

Anyone who thinks John Daniels is going to be working for anyone other than the Rangers must have heard it from him.  As an owner, Tom Hicks has never made a better personnel decision than his hiring of JD.  As the Ranger's sit 12 games under .500, I couldn't be happier with the last few month's events and what I think it's going to mean for the future of this team.

    I've always been a fan of the Rangers and their hitter-heavy teams.  Nolan Ryan and Gonzo got me watching regularly as a kid and I've followed them closely ever sense.  Before the start of the Reds series, as a fan, I hit rock bottom.  My team and worst record in baseball were being mentioned in the same sentence.  How was that possible?  What was being done to fix that?  That's when I started to dig a little further; you can't begin to understand how to fix something until you know where you are currently at.  I assumed, like many, coming into this season we had a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.  With all the talk before the draft about the Rangers having no prospects/bottom 3rd rating of the farm system, that's where I started.

    All the "they" s out there were right.  There wasn't much to get that excited about but there was a ton more information out there then I knew existed.  I didn't know there were so many of you out there that followed the system so closely.  JD was in the papers before the season, speaking about how they had a new commitment to the farm system.  The articles laid out damn near the entire organizational chart and how it was going to work.  At the time I remember thinking that all sounds good.  But was it working?  This just happened to be the time when some players started to put up #'s.  Botts started hitting after a slow start.  Volquez started pitching.  Hurley, a guy that impressed in ST, didn't start the downward spiral that Ranger pitching prospects always seem to do.  I was beginning to enjoy being a fan again.  Then even more of the prospects began to pop up on my radar.  Maybe the re-org and player development deserved a little more credit than it got, but needless to say, I carried this momentum into the draft.

    6 picks in the first 2 rounds, Hell yeah.  I couldn't be happier with the way it went.  I think it took a lot to hold off on Bourbon with that first pick.  We stocked up on pitchers.  I had a list of best pitchers still available and they kept picking 1 of the top 3 on my list!  I am still asking myself why we didn't take Mr. Porcello, even with his BL contact demand, but hey you cant win them all. (Or can you?)  I know we have some not-signed and yes, Beaven is dumbass for holding out and missing out on jump starting his development, but I think even Ramirez gets signed before the deadline.  The reason being is this:  The landscape of baseball is changing.  The reports of teams holding off until the deadline to sign above slot makes sense to me.  Make the agents scramble at the end.  This is the best way to improve your organization.  Not the quickest, but the best.  I think the tigers have proven this.  Would you rather overpay a Porcello a few million or GMJ 8-12 million?  You can have a lot more mistakes with the Porcello's.  I think Rangers management is warming up to this.  That's why I doubt we pick up a "big time" FA CFer.  You lose picks and, I am in agreement with many of you, I don't think there is one out there.

    Kenny Lofton.  Mark Texiera.  Eric Gagne.  This is where I'm grinning as I type.  I cant remember one trade since I've been a fan where someone from the national or local media didn't blast us for how short-sighted we were.  IT ALWAYS HAPPENS.  Instead I read posts on how Ramirez was the best power C prospect, how the brave's GM was selling out for one more run at a ring, that Beltre was an 18-yr old baseball Jesus.  I added all the prospects into my personal prospect charts.  I couldn't help but smile.  Yes, I'll miss that B-E-A-utiful swing, but damn if I don't think we haven't improved our organization's health.  That is what I was looking for when I started this quest.

    So whom do I have to thank?  Ya'll answer that one...

Is the cupboard still bare?

AAA

SP Hurley
SP Volquez
SP Gabbard
SS Arias

AA

C  Teagarden
3B Davis
2B Duran
OF Mayberry Jr
OF Boggs
SP Mathis
SP Gallaraga
SP Harrison *
SP Mendoza

A clubs

C  Ramirez *
3B Whittleman
SS Andrus *
OF Beltre *
SP Poveda
SP Kiker
SP Phillips
SP Swanson
SP Castillo
SP Feliz *
P  Jones *
SP Main
SP Beaven*
SP Ramirez*
CF Bourbon*

AAA might be looking good in a year or two.

Seeing the guy give the kid the foul ball in the 8th was one of the coolest things I've seen all year.  Him sticking his hand out to shake the kids hand when offering to give the ball back.  For a moment I completely forgot about all the trade scenerios and remembered how much I love this game.

Cheers to that dude.  The ball giver-away guy.  I salute you.

Is it more important to win or to develope players individually?

I'm interested in all of your thoughts on this:

  If you could field an "all-star" team of all your RC,A,AA,and AAA teams, wouldn't you want them (the MLB teams future)to all get used to playing together?  Doesn't winning breed winning?

Triple-A used to be this but now seems with all the jockeying, roster changes, and injuries to be a place for sub's and spares.  Botts is not a spare, rather, an exception to the rule.  Cruz is not playing like a spare currently.

I know the main issue is they are different levels/ages/maturity but to some degree,  isn't this the same on the MLB 25-man roster?

Is the AAA pitching that much better than AA?  I have only been to 10 RR Express games, about 5 AA and 5 AAA, and I havent been able to tell much of a difference.

I'd by season tickets if I could have watched Volquez,Hurley,Kiker,Poveda, Botts, Cruz, Whittleman, Duran, Mayberry, Davis, and Teagarden all on a AA team.  I'm not saying all these specific guys, but just trying to make a point that I think all these guys playing together might have some positive on them in their developement and the organizaton as a whole.

When a college team fields a team (the UT's, Floridas.oreogon st.'s), don't talented freshman get some of the work load even though they might be the 3rd or 4th best at the position?  If they aren't ready to contribute aren't they red-shirted (equivalent of A-ball)?

OK, I'm ready to get blasted.  Fire away!