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New Season, New Post

2011-04-03T14:35:00Z

These first two games have been great...mainly because we won, of course.

Neither CJ nor Colby had their best stuff, but bothbattled. Fielding has been decent; the Julio Borbon error was a mess, and I don't understand why the kid is regressing, but let's hope it doesn't last. David Murphy continues to rock the house.

Great way to start the year! ...

April Update

2010-05-02T17:32:00Z

This is the good, and the bad, of the Rangers. We've had far too many errors. We had to send David, Salty, and Teagarden down to the minors. We have two closers, neither of whom are effective. Our bullpen is like swiss cheese. Many of our hitters are not hitting. Kinsler missed almost the entire month. We have no catcher.

...and yet, we finish close to .5000, win the first two games of May, and find ourselves 1/2 a game out of first place after making it through our longest road trip of the season (which included Boston and New York).

Always teasingly close to having a chance to contend. But the lack of a sale will kill us in the hopes to sign anyone by the trade deadline. So what you see is what you get. We have more starting pitching than we can use - some stuck down in the minors - but who can we put in the bullpen? CJ is doing far too well as a starter.

Washington continues to make odd, or outright BAD, management decisions, especially with bullpen use. And then you get 9 shutout innings from Colby Lewis, watch Frankie somehow make it through 2 innings during which we should have given up 3 runs, and we win. That Friday night was the craziest game I've ever seen. How does a batter PULL BACK his bunt on a SQUEEZE PLAY? I can't blame Washington for arguing that it should have been a strike...it seems impossible that it wasn't. But later, after seeing the replay, even he admitted the ump made the right call.

It makes you wonder, do we have luck on our side now? Or, is this just the baseball God's way of teasing the Ranger fans again? Of keeping us involved until the August collapse?

Oh, and by the way, have you noticed that Blalock and Benoit couldn't even make Tampa's major league rosters? They're in AAA. Then again, Tampa Bay is about the best the American League has right now. Galarraga is in the minors, Vasquez is hurt AND tested positive for a banned substance, but we still have fans going "look at Danks, wish we had him." Give it up....

Frankie Francisco SUCKS!!!

2010-04-10T22:10:00Z

Kill me now...in 5 games for the Rangers, Frankie Francisco has cost us three wins (one of which we came back to win anyway).

There is no way we can allow this to continue. It isn't even close...he shows NO command, and NO confidence.

Do we have to push Feliz into the role? Call up someone from AAA and shuffle the bullpen around? Discover a "mysterious" illness and put FF on the DL?

Or, is there an available closer out there we can pick up ...

RISP Hitting

2009-06-20T13:28:00Z

I simply cannot figure out why we are SO terrible with Runners in Scoring Position. Why are we incapable of putting the ball in play? Man on third, one out, and we can't even hit the ball out of the infield? I know having Hamilton out means we don't see pitches which are quite as good, but come ON.

Still, it pays to remember that this is a "free" year. We weren't supposed to be this good, and if we can remain in contention for the division and give our younger players at least a taste of playoff experience, that's saying a lot!

Second Place

2008-09-27T15:18:00Z

So the Rangers will finish in second place in the division, and Ron Wahsington says they have accomplished something.

Actually, in my mind, they have.

You have to keep this team in perspective. Injuries decimated them. The bullpen was half worn-out and half deplorable. We saw a revolving door of starters come trough because of the injury situation. Fielding, at times, was miserable.

And in many ways, 50% or more of the team we put out there was a AAA team in disguise.

But the Rangers were not terrible. They were just not especially good either. I hoped for .500 this season and while that goal will not be met, it is close enough.

What do we know that we didn't know at the start of the season?

Taylor Teagarden, Chris Davis, David Murphy, Joaquin Arias, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler...this looks to be a POWERFUL group of young, hungry, highly-skilled players, with plenty of room for improvement. MArlon Byrd and others might be added to the list; I was calling for Byrd to be traded before the season started, and his early performance made my head explode, but he did battle back and wound up with a decent year. I am glad to say I was wrong about his ability to do that.

Scott Feldman and Matt Harrison have promise as starters.

This team has GOT to do a better job fielding.

What do we NOT know?

Is Benoit done? What the hell do we do with Blalock, who has been ripping the cover off the ball? Can Milton Bradley ever be really healthy again? Where do we fill our bullpen and rotation holes?

If I had to make my guess now, I'd say next year we finish in second again, with a winning record, but miss the playoffs. And the following year, as the Angels start to fade, we win the division. But that's a long way away, and Rangers fans were once again shown enough flashes of brilliance for many to find a 2nd place, nearly .500 finish a disappointment. Given this team's history, I can't blame them.

We need to STICK TO THE PLAN! Bring up the young players, stockpile prospects, and maybe somehow get a free-agent ace starting pitcher in here. If we can't find the right one this year, wait one more...but by then it MUST be done.

I'll be here now and then during the off-season, discussing trades, signings, and what-not. I am sorry my enthusiasm faded, but as August hit the team simply oculd no longer hold my day-to-day interest.

Internal Bleeding

2008-09-02T11:27:00Z

This bullpen is causing me to lose a pint of blood an hour. Thank goodness these games mean nothing...at least the more we lose, the better draft pick we get. And the starting pitching is picking up, which gives me hope for next year. ...

Just Wondering...

2008-08-10T17:59:00Z

...does anybody know what the record is for most balks in a season by a team in the modern baseball era?
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Now THAT'S the Way to Start!

2008-08-10T17:49:00Z

4 runs in the first, and we could have gotten more, but Ellison is still looking for his first hit. Waters was a marvel in his first start, but his AAA numbers don't support that. So jump all over him, drive him out of the game quick, and make the O's go to their bullpen.

Meanwhile, this gives Harrison the extra confidence me needs (or can use, anyway) to go right at the Orioles hitters. He doesn't need to fear that giving up two runs in 6 innings will be too much. When the pitching believes in the offense, everything starts to click. And vice-versa. Harrison has been much better than we had a right to expect so far this year. Keep it up!

Pitching Doesn't Much Matter...

2008-08-10T01:36:00Z

...when you can't get a hit.

Padilla clearly didn't have his good stuff tonight, but 4 hits in 7 innings simply will not cut it. I don't blame Washington for putting Benoit out there down 7-0...and we see Benoit still has his big bag of 2008 nothing (what HAPPENED to this guy, where is the 2007 Benoit?) - 2 walks and a homer in one inning. Sweet.

A 4-game losing streak is not what we needed. But that's what we have. Still, I think we made the right move by not making any trades. We can deal a catcher in the off-season. Nobody wanted to give us anything worthwhile for Bradley because of his injury status. Blalock being injured killed that trade idea. Byrd wasn't hitting. Any free agents who leave at the end of the year will give us draft picks to conpensate us. Better than nothing.

Tomorrow is another day.

Here We Go Again

2008-08-09T23:52:00Z

This is what happens when your potent lineup loses Murphy and Bradley...you get bases loaded with one out, and can't even hit the ball out of the infield. Welcome to April. ...

We Have No Shot at the Wild Card

2008-08-09T22:36:00Z

That's not a bad thing. At the beginning of the year I would have been VERY happy with .500 ball. And that's what we can probably expect from this team. Why? Aside from the clock ticking, there is the impossibility of catching the Yanks, Red Sox, AND Minnesota (maybe one, but not all three). To do that, the team needs to put together a 7 or 8 game win streak, and we simply can't manage that this year. The reasons?

1. Injuries. They have killed us. Murphy's absence has completely killed this lineup. The chemistry and energy is gone. Bradley hasn't played in two weeks. Blalock must owe some voodoo priest money the way he keeps getting ailments and injuries. Milwook is going to be using a walker soon. Boggs is slightly hurt, Hamilton looks like SOMETHING is wrong (maybe he's just worn out - Ive seen him get struck out a couple of times without ever lifting the bat from his shoulder). Young has eleven broken fingers. We can't even complain about the McCarthy/Danks trade because McCarthy isn't playing yet. Benoit just got back, and who knows if he is ready. CJ is going to opt for the surgery and be out for the year. I'm surprised we have 10 players each night to fill the lineup and the mound. By next week our pitchers will have to start batting; we won't have anyone left for DH. Even Nelson Cruz is hurt, just when he would have been called up.

2. Walks. The walks this club gives up are the offense's worst nightmare, and very demoralizing. Plus they lead to...

3. Sloppy Fielding. The longer the fielders have to watch guys rounding the bases without hitting the ball, the harder it is for them to be focused. Even Michael Young has missed a couple of times covering second on steal attempts because he lost his focus. Walks, wild pitches, HBP...even the stupid balks that have been called on Padilla. A lot of this is a function of youth, as our pitchers are learning on the job.

4. Situational Hitting. Our early-season habit of stranding runners over and over again has returned, and that is making it VERY hard for me to enjoy games. The Mussina game was a perfect example. We had runners in scoring position something like 5 innings in a row and none of them made it home.

5. Baserunning. Like early in the year, our baserunning is AWFUL all of a sudden. The other day we had Byrd on 2nd with nobody out, and a grounder to the picher later we had two outs. Awful; Byrd got caught off second, then Boggs tried to MAKE it to second while they tagged Byrd out. Way to kill a rally, guys.

I don't mind losing. I just can't stand losing because we aren't playing good baseball. Pitcher gets shelled? Okay. Batters have bad luck, or are in slumps? Fine. But advance runners, get your bunts down, field the routine plays, pay attention, watch the base coaches, don't get picked off..and go down trying, not just standing there.

Look, in many ways half of this team is AAA, and that's fine. We're getting a lot more out of the Rangers this year as we had a right to expect, DESPITE everything I've listed. But tighten up guys...stop messing around. This is your JOB. Go out there and do your best, and win or lose, I'll be happy.

Now...PLAY BALL!

Quick Hits

2008-08-02T12:12:00Z

That was some sweet comback. David Murphy blows it twice with the bases loaded the night before, but Washington (and the team) have got the right attitude for the younger players. You'll always have bad nights. Believe in yourself, learn from your mistakes, and you'll do well. So what happens? Murphy is the hero tonight. I still can't believe that after the first intentional walk to get to Murphy blew up in ther faces, they tried it a second time with the game on the line. Oh well, live and learn!

Boggs played like he was playing for his life. What a great kid, this guy is here to stay. And for the first time - be it Nolan, or JD getting experience, or maybe just my wishful thinking - I believe that this team recognizes talent on the field. Remember Craig Monroe? We tossed him away and he STILL is a decent player all these years later. He was the vicitm of the zig-zag management method. But now we're here to stick with the plan.

Hamilton getting lightheaded is a bit of a concern, because we all know how hot it gets in Texas. But I have to believe he just needs to learn the best way to prepare and deal with it. Takes some time and direction.

I think the best play of the night, though, was the firings of the pitching and bullpen coach. Look, we've had terrible injury problems all year, but the point is: if we are going to build this team with young pitching, we need a PC up here that specializes in those young pitchers. So now we have one. Let's give it a shot until the end of the year. Then we can always send him back to OKC where he has done so well for us.

Do you know what is most exciting about this team right now? That Nolan Ryan says he is serious about wanting this team to be in the Wild Card slot. Not this team PLUS a rent-a-player we lose valuable prospects for...not this team IF ONLY we had less guys hurt. No, THIS team. NOW. As is stands. Go for it! Why the heck not? We can't lose anything in the process, because we didn't waste anything believing we have a good chance. We stick to the plan AND say "hey, we can win this thing!" If nothing else, some playoff games would be great experience for the youngsters, and might help people believe in this team too. This isn't the Cowboys "Super Bowl or Bust" attitude; the Rangers int he playoffs, even losing the first series, would be a GOOD thing. Because this team is only getting better next year.

Finally, I think the problem with Vasquez in the field is his morale. He played his ass off for this team, hit over .300, and felt totally let down when he was pushed aside for Hank. I don't know what else the team could have done, but it sounds to me like he went in and talked to management about it, and was given the impression that they are not interested in inclouding him in their plans. So he knows he's gone after this year...and I think he feels the electricity and knows he has been a part of it, and convinced himself that he had played his way into this team's future. But he hasn't, I guess, and his comment early in the week that he'll need to find a new team for 2009 shows he's lost his drive...or had it taken from him. Instead, he sounds like a guy knowing the plant is going to be shut down, and now he's just waiting for the morning when the doors are closed and the lights are off.

No Excuses

2008-07-29T21:11:00Z

No excuses from me...I'm sorry I haven't posted during the last two games. Just too busy, and my wife has the flu. I'll try to do better.

Also no excuses for the Rangers last night. They had FAR too many chances with runners in scoring position. Yes, it sucks that Hand and Michael were out. Yes, Vasquez probably beat the tag on that pick-off. But there is NO EXCUSE for leaving so many runners on base, and NO EXCUSE for getting picked off in that situation. Whether he made it back or not, he shouldn't have been that far out there.

I'm hoping we can move Bradley, Blalock, and Salty before the deadline. Then we can bring up Cruz and give him ONE LAST CHANCE in center field. Either that, or trade him instead of Bradley. I prefer to keep Laird, but if we get a really good arm for him I'd let him go.

No TV?

2008-07-26T22:05:00Z

Why is a Saturday game not on TV? This sucks!

I'm a bit confused about why Washington didn't let Harrison come out for the sixth inning. He hadn't reached 90 pitches yet. Anybody have a specific idea?

Chris Davis is something else (well). He is now batting over .300, and hit his 10th home run. Josh gets his 24th today, bringing his RBI total to 103. Watching the game on Yahoo via the box score isn't as fun as seeing it on TV, but it's better than nothing! Plus we're blessed with a great radio team.

...

Trades We Were NOT a Part Of

2008-07-26T21:47:00Z

Sad to see that two deals happened today, both of which could have potentially involved the Rangers.

The Dodgers got the 3rd baseman and bat they needed by acquiring Casey Blake from the Indians. Well, they WANTED a shortstop (and then they would have moved Nomar to 3rd Base) but this is what they chose to do instead. Supposedly there was a minor bidding war for Blake, but I don't see how that is possible, as the Indians not only gave them Blake but also the remaining $2 million dollars he's due in salary this year (Blake is a free agent at the end of the year). The Indians got two decent prospects in return, but not high-level. Blake is sort of a low-cost choice for the Dogers. I think there may not be as much interest in Blalock right now as many of us hoped.

Speaking of bats, the Yankees sent four prospects to Pittsburg for outfielder Xavier Nady (batting .330) and relief pitcher Damaso Marte (who hasn't impressed much this season, but has an ERA of under 3.50). Both players will be under the Yankees control through the end of next season. I don't know if this means the Yankees are not interested in renting Milton Bradley for a few months, but from what I've read Brian Cashman is thinking a bit more long-term than usual. After all, they want a big year next year to go along with their new stadium.

As much as I am enjoying watching this team, I hope we can move one or two players. Padilla should be kept until next year unless somebody blows us away with an offer. If we want to content in 2009 (whcih we MIGHT be able to do) we'll need him. If that doesn't work out, we can move him along then. Milwood is on the DL, so nobody wants him. We may move Blalock and a ctahcer (Laird or Salty), plus there's the chance that Milton Bradley or perhaps Byrd get traded. Frank Cat is a good bat for a team who needs one more player.

We'll just have to wait and see. I hear a lot of "the Rangers are just going to stand pat" talk, but that's not a disaster either. If we resign Bradley that's fine, and if we don't we get a draft pick as compensation.

State of the Closer

2008-07-25T15:39:00Z

There has been a lof of complaining about CJ Wilson and whether he can handle the role of a closer. If you look at his statistics, his ERA with runners on base is atrocious. Basically, when the bases are empty he is great, but as soon as there's somebody on base he struggled terribly. For a closer to have an ERA like his is a rarity...unless they are about to lose their job.

But in this case, I don't fault Washington for bringin in CJ on Wednesday when Eddie couldn't find the strike zone. Trying to have your closer give you a 4-out save is not stupid. That's what a closer SHOULD be able to do.

Put simply, this is a rebuildign year. It's a miracle that we're above .500 with the pichting we have. When your next 5 games include two "to be determined" starters, you're trying to win with smoke, mirrors, and duct tape.

Let CJ keep on closing for the rest of the year. Maybe he pulls it together. Maybe not. Either way, you'll know for sure. Find out what you have. If he can't close, go get one in the off-season (unless a good one somehow becomes available in a deadline trade; and in that case, it needs to be one you can lock up for a few years). Win some, lose some...try to enjoy the rest of the season, but remember, I'd rather lose one now to help us win one later.

Classic "April Rangers"

2008-07-23T00:35:00Z

...like a blast from the past. Runner on third, nobody out, and we get grounder up the third base line (which Boggs didn't even run out properly), grounder to the pitcher, and pop-up. For those first two batters the infield was playing *in*...there is no excuse for that. Especially when you've got Mendoza on the mound. It is imperative that a young pitcher like that has confidence in his line-up, or else he'll try to paint the corners and finesse the ball, afraid that any additional scoring by the White Sox will go uncontested.
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That Isn't Going to Get It Done

2008-07-23T00:31:00Z

26 piches in an inning is simply not going to suffice tonight. Mendoza needs to calm down and gain some command. Two walks and two strikeouts? Just get some ground balls!

Blalock leads the 2nd off with a triple...can we bring him home and tie the game? I'm predicting no...

Still, at least Buehrle can't no-hit us this time!
...

Feldman Does the Job, Rangers Win 6-1

2008-07-22T02:57:00Z

Feldman does a nice job tonight. 6 innings, only one earned run...3 walks, but those double plays saved him. Good pitching, good fielding, some timely homers, and the bullpen does the job.

Blalock shows he still has a nice bat. Vasquez should smile every time Hank gets a hit, as that increases the likelihood he's dealt. Salty came up lame in the 8th...I hope he's okay, because the Yankees are going to be in te market for another catcher with Posada hurt. In fact, the table could be aset for a larger deal with the evil Yankees...they might like a few players. The questions is, how badly are they willing to empty out their farm system in exchange?

Wright comes in and strikes out the side in the 9th. That's a nice recovery from his last outing.

Hello win column!

The Padilla Quandry

2008-07-21T11:19:00Z

So what do we do with Padilla?

Vicente is a pitcher with a history of pitching his best in contract years. Except this ISN'T his contract year! The Rangers control him for 2009 as well. Clearly his efficient work last night shows that he is over his neck strain. And Padilla has basically been our staff Ace most of this season.

The real question is how aggressive the Rangers (i.e. JD and Nolan) want to be about trades. There is no need to trade Padilla; if we're not contending next year, he can be traded then. Or he can be moved this off-season.

The way I see it, the only way I trade him before the deadline is if someone blows me away with a very generous offer. Otherwise I keep him until next year and figure it out then.

What would YOU want to get in return if we were to trade him before the deadline?