Failure is life's greatest teacher, and as my mother always said " what doesn't kill you, will make you stronger". Yes, the Rangers blew a golden chance and blame can be spread in many different directions. As fans we tend to overreact to a loss, truth is yesterdays outcome will have no effect on todays. After the embarrassing loss in game three, people wrote this team off as dead. Once again, the world has left the Rangers for dead, and that should free them up to go out and play Ranger baseball. Nothing to lose, everything to gain. According to every major media outlet and most casual Ranger fans, the World Series ended last night. Win or lose tonight, this has been an amazing World Series. Game 6 will go down as one of the greatest games / collapses in World Series history, but the Rangers still control their own destiny, so write your own history tonight boys.
Go Rangers!!!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Texas Rangers and the birth of a new fan
Garrett, my oldest son, has turned into a true little baseball fan. We took him to his first World Series game Saturday vs. the Cardinals, and I couldn't help but think, he has no idea how big a deal this really is. It hit me that the Rangers I grew up watching at his age don't compare to the Rangers he knows. A life-long Rangers fan, I grew up watching season after season of bad baseball, and yet I still loved this team. He is growing up in a world where the Rangers have made it to back to back World Series and not to mention the Dallas Mavericks are current World Champs. Growing up in Longview, going to Ranger games was our annual summer vacation, and Buddy Bell was my hero on the Rangers. Now, as season ticket holders, going to Ranger games for my son is something we do regularly. One thing is the same, every afternoon in the backyard, we take ourselves into the shoes of our favorite players. We grab a glove and pretend to be Buddy Bell, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, or whoever else we've ever dreamed of being. The ride of the last two seasons for me has been a blast!! To him, it's just the way it should be, Rangers are one of the best teams in baseball. No matter how this series ends, this has been a special season for me, my son has fallen in love with the game of baseball and one more bond that brings us closer has formed.
Let's go Rangers!!!
Let's go Rangers!!!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
OUCH!!
Hamilton suffers broken arm in head-first dive at home, out 6-8 weeks. First of all, I liked the aggressive call by the 3rd base coach, and as far as the result, well injuries seem to find Josh. I've been all for Murphy getting more AB's, but I didn't really want it to come at the expense of Hamilton being out for 2 months. Josh will be missed, but this team has plenty of fire power to keep putting up runs. The next 10 games are a good early season test for this club, today will be a bullpen start, and then they head to the Bronz for 3, followed by 3 at home against division foe Angels, and 3 against the fast starting Royals.
Harrison, Holland, and Ogando through 2 starts have been better than anyone could have anticipated, but the next week or two they'll have to be just as solid for the Rangers to win. I look for the boys to go 6-4 over these next 10, and I look for the offense to become more of a factor in the weeks ahead.
go rangers!
Harrison, Holland, and Ogando through 2 starts have been better than anyone could have anticipated, but the next week or two they'll have to be just as solid for the Rangers to win. I look for the boys to go 6-4 over these next 10, and I look for the offense to become more of a factor in the weeks ahead.
go rangers!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Beware of Flying Objects!!!
Rangers start the season with a bang, hitting 11 homeruns in the 3 game sweep of Boston. Kinsler and Cruz become the first teammates to homer in the first three games of a season, and Kinsler also became the first player to ever lead off the first two games of the season with HR's. The brightest spot for me in the series was Matt Harrison's 7 innings, allowing only 1 run.
Sure, it's only 3 games in a 162 game season, but playing in a market like DFW getting off to a great start is important. All of a sudden everyone is a Rangers fan, but that bandwagon probably isn't as strong as the blue and silver one just down the street. Someone told me " you just keep collecting AL West Champ t-shirts, and call me win they win the World Series", and well, as a lifelong Ranger fan I replied, " You're damn right I'm happy with an AL WEST Champ shirt ". Does that mean I don't want a World Series, absolutely not, but for a franchise that's only been to the postseason 4 times in it's 40 seasons in Texas, ( and 0 times in Washington ) winning the West is the road towards someday winning a World Series. Expectations are higher for the Rangers now than ever, but if they don't get back to the World Series it won't be a bad season. However, if they don't win the West and get back to the postseason it will be a big let down.
Enough playoff talk, we did just finish the first series of the season, and now the Mariners come calling. I would think most pitchers would like the chance to pitch for this team now, knowing that if they go out throw strikes, the bats in this line-up more times than not are going to provide run support. On the other hand, opposing pitchers probably won't like the fact that 1-9 in this line-up can hurt you, just ask Lester, Lackey, and Bucholtz, who combined for an ERA north of 10. Bedard vs. Holland tonight @ 7:05 to begin a 3 game series in Arlington, and I expect the Rangers to take 2 0f 3 and get off to a 5-1 start. Hey, you can't win them all!!
GO RANGERS!!
Sure, it's only 3 games in a 162 game season, but playing in a market like DFW getting off to a great start is important. All of a sudden everyone is a Rangers fan, but that bandwagon probably isn't as strong as the blue and silver one just down the street. Someone told me " you just keep collecting AL West Champ t-shirts, and call me win they win the World Series", and well, as a lifelong Ranger fan I replied, " You're damn right I'm happy with an AL WEST Champ shirt ". Does that mean I don't want a World Series, absolutely not, but for a franchise that's only been to the postseason 4 times in it's 40 seasons in Texas, ( and 0 times in Washington ) winning the West is the road towards someday winning a World Series. Expectations are higher for the Rangers now than ever, but if they don't get back to the World Series it won't be a bad season. However, if they don't win the West and get back to the postseason it will be a big let down.
Enough playoff talk, we did just finish the first series of the season, and now the Mariners come calling. I would think most pitchers would like the chance to pitch for this team now, knowing that if they go out throw strikes, the bats in this line-up more times than not are going to provide run support. On the other hand, opposing pitchers probably won't like the fact that 1-9 in this line-up can hurt you, just ask Lester, Lackey, and Bucholtz, who combined for an ERA north of 10. Bedard vs. Holland tonight @ 7:05 to begin a 3 game series in Arlington, and I expect the Rangers to take 2 0f 3 and get off to a 5-1 start. Hey, you can't win them all!!
GO RANGERS!!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Opening Day !!
A beautiful 90 degree day in Arlington for baseball. For my two oldest sons it was their first opening day, and while they may not have thought much of it, ( although Gman did think it was cool to skip school )I will always have that memory to hold on to. The baseball season is a marathon, but opening day is always one of the most anticipated sports days of the year. It signals Spring is here, and our national pastime is back in the spotlight. For the Rangers, it marks the beginning of possibly the most anticipated season in franchise history. The offseason was dominated by is Cliff signing or not and are the Rangers trading Michael Young, and as it turned out neither happened and to me that's a good thing.
As usual, The Ballpark was in peak shape for her debut and the fans still seem to be riding high from the World Series showing. Two things seemed obvious as the introductions were taking place: the fans and Chuck Morgan showed their love for Michael Young ( his intro. was preceeded by "the all-time Ranger hit leader" ), and secondly, in the eyes of fans, David Murphy deserves more respect than he gets here from management. I've said it once, I still believe it to be true now, even the Yankees realize you don't trade or get rid of your leader. Michael Young is the foundation this team was built around, and while Beltre is a great player, his signing was not necessarily needed.
Now, for the game itself. Julio Bourbon didn't do himself any favors by knocking the ball away from Cruz as he is camped out under a routine fly ball to start the game, and at some point, putting your best team on the field will override protecting Hamilton. If Wash and management are hell-bent on keeping Josh out of CF they should have gone after a proven CF player in the offseason, otherwise Murphy, Hamilton, and Cruz in the OF gives this team the best chance at success. This line-up 1-9 is top 5 in baseball and will keep this team in the chase. The bullpen, although they did cost CJ a win, managed to get the ball to Feliz with a lead, but it was interesting to see that Wash did not go to O'day in the 7th in a tight game. A great start to the season for the Rangers, but I'm really interested in games 3-5, when we get into the unknown part of the pitching staff and when the bullpen might have to be leaned on hard.
GO RANGERS!!
As usual, The Ballpark was in peak shape for her debut and the fans still seem to be riding high from the World Series showing. Two things seemed obvious as the introductions were taking place: the fans and Chuck Morgan showed their love for Michael Young ( his intro. was preceeded by "the all-time Ranger hit leader" ), and secondly, in the eyes of fans, David Murphy deserves more respect than he gets here from management. I've said it once, I still believe it to be true now, even the Yankees realize you don't trade or get rid of your leader. Michael Young is the foundation this team was built around, and while Beltre is a great player, his signing was not necessarily needed.
Now, for the game itself. Julio Bourbon didn't do himself any favors by knocking the ball away from Cruz as he is camped out under a routine fly ball to start the game, and at some point, putting your best team on the field will override protecting Hamilton. If Wash and management are hell-bent on keeping Josh out of CF they should have gone after a proven CF player in the offseason, otherwise Murphy, Hamilton, and Cruz in the OF gives this team the best chance at success. This line-up 1-9 is top 5 in baseball and will keep this team in the chase. The bullpen, although they did cost CJ a win, managed to get the ball to Feliz with a lead, but it was interesting to see that Wash did not go to O'day in the 7th in a tight game. A great start to the season for the Rangers, but I'm really interested in games 3-5, when we get into the unknown part of the pitching staff and when the bullpen might have to be leaned on hard.
GO RANGERS!!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Spring thoughts and A.L. predictions
Following a World Series appearance, the Rangers are now under greater pressure to perform. Baseball, for the first time in DFW, has dominated the sports talk world, even in the offseason. Interest in the Rangers is at an all-time high, this years spring training has been covered more in depth by more people than I can ever recall. Some things never change though, and with that said, pitching is, as always, the number one thing on people's mind heading into this season. Unfortunately, spring training has provided more questions than answers on the pitching forefront. The bullpen looks like a piece of Swiss cheese, mostly holes, with a couple of thin, solid pieces. Lowe, Rhodes, and O'day all have ERA's north of 10, and Feliz could be moving into the rotation. Darren Oliver has the best ERA of the pen crew, but can we really rely on a 40 something to anchor the bullpen? I tend to think. that by mid-May we could be looking at a bullpen of young unproven kids from the minors to carry the bulk of the load, and at this point that seems like a better option.
Now, for my AL predictions. Let's start in the East, I think Baltimore may be the most improved team this year in the AL, but it won't be enough to break through in this division. Boston, if Youk and crew can stay healthy, is my pick to take the East. Tampa Bay is heading back to the basement after pulling a Florida Marlins type unloading in the offseason, and Toronto will probably have another decent year that will land them 4th in the race. The Yankees dominating days I believe are over, this team is getting older, and pitching could be a problem. So, here is what I think:
1. Boston
2. Baltimore
3. NYY
4. Toronto
5. TB
AL Central: Minnesota appears to once again be the class of the central, and KC will probably continue to be the anchor that will remain planted at the bottom. Detroit, will be slightly better than .500, and Ozzie's days in Chicago will come to an end this season. Cleveland has nowhere to go but up, but I don't see them going up very far.
1. Minnesota
2. Detroit
3. Cleveland
4. CWS
5. KC
AL WEST: The Rangers have the support of the metroplex for the first time, but i'm expecting the worst here. They have the best offensive line-up in the West, but as we saw in October, good pitching beats good offense most of the time. Oakland is the SF Giants of the AL West, if this team can find a way to score 4 - 5 runs they will tough to beat. Angels coming off a quiet offseason, will be in the mix and their pitching is much deeper than the Rangers as well. Mariners have two great pieces, Ichiro and King Felix, outside of that I think they will once again struggle to be competitive.
1. Oakland
2. LAA
3. Texas ( unless pitching is added )
4. Mariners
expecting the worst, hoping for the best
Now, for my AL predictions. Let's start in the East, I think Baltimore may be the most improved team this year in the AL, but it won't be enough to break through in this division. Boston, if Youk and crew can stay healthy, is my pick to take the East. Tampa Bay is heading back to the basement after pulling a Florida Marlins type unloading in the offseason, and Toronto will probably have another decent year that will land them 4th in the race. The Yankees dominating days I believe are over, this team is getting older, and pitching could be a problem. So, here is what I think:
1. Boston
2. Baltimore
3. NYY
4. Toronto
5. TB
AL Central: Minnesota appears to once again be the class of the central, and KC will probably continue to be the anchor that will remain planted at the bottom. Detroit, will be slightly better than .500, and Ozzie's days in Chicago will come to an end this season. Cleveland has nowhere to go but up, but I don't see them going up very far.
1. Minnesota
2. Detroit
3. Cleveland
4. CWS
5. KC
AL WEST: The Rangers have the support of the metroplex for the first time, but i'm expecting the worst here. They have the best offensive line-up in the West, but as we saw in October, good pitching beats good offense most of the time. Oakland is the SF Giants of the AL West, if this team can find a way to score 4 - 5 runs they will tough to beat. Angels coming off a quiet offseason, will be in the mix and their pitching is much deeper than the Rangers as well. Mariners have two great pieces, Ichiro and King Felix, outside of that I think they will once again struggle to be competitive.
1. Oakland
2. LAA
3. Texas ( unless pitching is added )
4. Mariners
expecting the worst, hoping for the best
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Good news from AZ
1. Neftali Feliz says he would like to stay in the bullpen, that is great news.
2. Ogando throws 3 scoreless innings last night with 4 k's.
3. Webb is scheduled to face live hitters on Wednesday in bp.
4. Chris Davis, not sure if this is good news, but he is hitting .435 so far this spring.
Davis is getting plenty of AB's this spring with Beltre being out, and so far is making the most of his plate attempts. Chris has proven he can handle AAA and AA pitching, but has not been able to bring that success to the big club. First base is Morelands to lose, and with the addition of Napali and Young, being positionless, don't see a spot for the Chris Davis experiment to continue.
Ogando's success last night is nice to see, and going into the spring I expected him to have the best shot of a reliever moving in to a rotation spot. Three weeks away from opening day and the Rangers still don't have any real answers for the rotation. C.J., Colby, and then what? Hunter has one big problem, he throws too many pitches. Holland also has similar issues to Hunter, along with the fact that he is very inconsistant. Webb continues to get stronger and if all goes well tomorrow I suspect he will get his first spring training opportunity early next week.
Spring training is right up there with pre-season football, you see lots of young guys getting a shot to play, but have very little realistic chances to make the big club. What we do seem to know is Ian Kinsler will most likely hit lead-off and C.j. Wilson will most likely be the opening day starter. I admit I fell off the Kinsler band wagon a couple of seasons ago when he decided to become a "power" hitter, maybe hitting lead-off will make him more selective at the plate and get him back to hitting the ball to all fields. Wilson, on the other hand, was the biggest surprise last season, and I hope he doesn't pull a Feldman and fall off the map by the all-star break.
2. Ogando throws 3 scoreless innings last night with 4 k's.
3. Webb is scheduled to face live hitters on Wednesday in bp.
4. Chris Davis, not sure if this is good news, but he is hitting .435 so far this spring.
Davis is getting plenty of AB's this spring with Beltre being out, and so far is making the most of his plate attempts. Chris has proven he can handle AAA and AA pitching, but has not been able to bring that success to the big club. First base is Morelands to lose, and with the addition of Napali and Young, being positionless, don't see a spot for the Chris Davis experiment to continue.
Ogando's success last night is nice to see, and going into the spring I expected him to have the best shot of a reliever moving in to a rotation spot. Three weeks away from opening day and the Rangers still don't have any real answers for the rotation. C.J., Colby, and then what? Hunter has one big problem, he throws too many pitches. Holland also has similar issues to Hunter, along with the fact that he is very inconsistant. Webb continues to get stronger and if all goes well tomorrow I suspect he will get his first spring training opportunity early next week.
Spring training is right up there with pre-season football, you see lots of young guys getting a shot to play, but have very little realistic chances to make the big club. What we do seem to know is Ian Kinsler will most likely hit lead-off and C.j. Wilson will most likely be the opening day starter. I admit I fell off the Kinsler band wagon a couple of seasons ago when he decided to become a "power" hitter, maybe hitting lead-off will make him more selective at the plate and get him back to hitting the ball to all fields. Wilson, on the other hand, was the biggest surprise last season, and I hope he doesn't pull a Feldman and fall off the map by the all-star break.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Calling all pitchers and catchers!!
Before we dive in to pitchers and catchers, let's discuss Michael Young. I admit, I am a Young fan, and I would like to see him remain a Ranger. He has been the face of this franchise for the last decade. Young has always been under appreciated by the national media, but the lack of respect, shown by Ranger's management, is a joke. Young is no more a liability at 3rd than Beltre, both had 19 errors last season, and both are comparable at the plate. I believe the Beltre signing was a last ditch effort by management to grab a "big" name since the offseason was fairly lack-luster. Trading Young should not be an option, at $16 mil./year the Rangers will still end up paying the bulk of his salary. The better option to me is to trade Ian Kinsler and move Young back to his natural position. This would probably be of greater benefit to the Rangers as well, I feel Kinsler probably would draw more interest trade wise, and I think Young is way more superior at the plate than Kinsler. Even the NY Yankees understand that sometimes you pay and keep your team leader in place, even if his skills are somewhat on the decline.
Pitchers and catchers report tomorrow, and there appear to be a lot more questions than answers concerning this staff. Brandon Webb's health and velocity could be the single most important aspect of spring training. A revamped Webb gives the rotation depth and leaves Feliz out of the running for a starting position. Nefty, in my opinion, needs to stay in the bullpen. Truth is, he is a one pitch pitcher, and until he can develop a couple of more pitches I think his talent will be wasted as a starter. Ogando, on the other hand, has multiple pitches and should be able to move into the rotation if needed. Tommy Hunter and Derek Holland both need to show that they can pitch deep into games on a regular basis. Holland has shown flashes of brilliance, but often times it has been followed by big failure. Another wild card will be Scott Feldman, he is coming off a knee injury, and he needs to find his 2009 form. If Feldman and Webb can both revert back to their best form, this could be one of the deepest staffs in the A.L. I realize the chances of that happening are about as likely as the Rangers playing in a World Series, but hey, it did happen once!
Pitchers and catchers report tomorrow, and there appear to be a lot more questions than answers concerning this staff. Brandon Webb's health and velocity could be the single most important aspect of spring training. A revamped Webb gives the rotation depth and leaves Feliz out of the running for a starting position. Nefty, in my opinion, needs to stay in the bullpen. Truth is, he is a one pitch pitcher, and until he can develop a couple of more pitches I think his talent will be wasted as a starter. Ogando, on the other hand, has multiple pitches and should be able to move into the rotation if needed. Tommy Hunter and Derek Holland both need to show that they can pitch deep into games on a regular basis. Holland has shown flashes of brilliance, but often times it has been followed by big failure. Another wild card will be Scott Feldman, he is coming off a knee injury, and he needs to find his 2009 form. If Feldman and Webb can both revert back to their best form, this could be one of the deepest staffs in the A.L. I realize the chances of that happening are about as likely as the Rangers playing in a World Series, but hey, it did happen once!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Any more moves coming?
Rangers sign Beltre to a six year deal, making Michael Young the DH. I like both aspects of this move, although I don't necessarily believe Beltre is as far supperior at third as the media makes him out to be. I do however like adding another steady .300 + average to the line-up. Heading into next season the Rangers line-up appears to be stronger than last years, but like I said, that's on paper.
The big question in my mind, and most other baseball nuts, is what is the starting rotation going to look like. The rest of the A.L. West has had a pretty quiet off-season which is a good thing for the Rangers. There is no reason the Rangers shouldn't at a minimum repeat as A.L. West champs, but the question that time will answer is will this team have the pitching to make another World Series push or are we going back to gorilla ball of the 90's teams. I still believe that Daniels will make another big pitching move mid-season to try and tighten up the rotation, but we will have no idea who might be available until around the all-star break.
The big question in my mind, and most other baseball nuts, is what is the starting rotation going to look like. The rest of the A.L. West has had a pretty quiet off-season which is a good thing for the Rangers. There is no reason the Rangers shouldn't at a minimum repeat as A.L. West champs, but the question that time will answer is will this team have the pitching to make another World Series push or are we going back to gorilla ball of the 90's teams. I still believe that Daniels will make another big pitching move mid-season to try and tighten up the rotation, but we will have no idea who might be available until around the all-star break.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Father Ranger
December 30, 2010: Tom Vandergriff, father of the Texas Rangers, passed away. Mayor of Arlington for almost three decades, Tom Vandergriff spent the better part of a decade lobbying for Arlington and DFW to be home to a MLB team. Finally, in 1972, baseball approved the proposal by Robert Short, owner of the expansion Washington Senators, to move the team to Arlington. Vandergriff also served as a tv broadcaster for the Rangers, without pay, from 1975 - 1977.
Vandergriff not only brought us major league baseball, he was also very instrumental in getting Six Flags, General Motors, and numerous other big businesses to call Arlington home. Only two statues reside in the Ballpark in Arlington, one is Nolan Ryan, and the other is behind centerfield in the area of the park known as "Vandergriff Plaza".
It's only fitting that Mr. Vandergriff got to see the Rangers play in the World Series before his time was up. I would assume the Rangers will honor Mr. Vandergriff and the legacy he leaves behind next season. As a Ranger fan, I would just like to say, " thank you " for your passion and persistence in bringing us the Rangers.
RIP Father Ranger!
Vandergriff not only brought us major league baseball, he was also very instrumental in getting Six Flags, General Motors, and numerous other big businesses to call Arlington home. Only two statues reside in the Ballpark in Arlington, one is Nolan Ryan, and the other is behind centerfield in the area of the park known as "Vandergriff Plaza".
It's only fitting that Mr. Vandergriff got to see the Rangers play in the World Series before his time was up. I would assume the Rangers will honor Mr. Vandergriff and the legacy he leaves behind next season. As a Ranger fan, I would just like to say, " thank you " for your passion and persistence in bringing us the Rangers.
RIP Father Ranger!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Roll with it!!
With Greinke being traded to the Brewers, the Rangers are only left with one real quality pitcher to pursue. Matt Garza is the last quality pitcher on the market, and in my opinion, if they are unable to make that trade work, the Rangers should do nothing in terms of adding pitching. The Rangers will be in the hunt this season, and by the all-star break there are always teams out there trying to unload salaries. I believe they can pick up another quality pitcher, and have the luxury of seeing how that pitcher has been for the first half of the season if they just stand firm with what's in place now.
It looks as though Vlad will be back, it's just a matter of finalizing the details. Considering the other options out there at DH, I can't really complain about bring Vlad back. The Cliff Lee fall-out has Ranger fans around here leaving this team for dead. REALLY? I think this team will win more games this season than last, and if they can pick up another pitcher around the trade deadline, they could be in a position to make another World Series run. I'd like nothing more than to see Cliff Lee pitch in the ballpark this year!! April, could you please come faster!!!
It looks as though Vlad will be back, it's just a matter of finalizing the details. Considering the other options out there at DH, I can't really complain about bring Vlad back. The Cliff Lee fall-out has Ranger fans around here leaving this team for dead. REALLY? I think this team will win more games this season than last, and if they can pick up another pitcher around the trade deadline, they could be in a position to make another World Series run. I'd like nothing more than to see Cliff Lee pitch in the ballpark this year!! April, could you please come faster!!!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
At least that's finished!!
Now that we know Lee won't be sporting a Rangers jersey next season, the task for the Rangers to add quality starting pitching has may get desperate. My hopes are the Rangers don't go out and make another Chan Ho mistake, just paying big money for a name. Matt Garza seems to be the best of the rest available via trade, since Greinke is sounding more like a long-shot trade. I heard Brandon Webb's name mentioned by someone other than me for the first time, but I was only willing to take a shot on Webb if the Rangers would have landed two injury free quality starters first.
The buzz is Feliz and/or Ogando will move into the rotation if the Rangers are unable to secure more starting pitching. While I will agree finding a closer is easier than finding a quality starter, Feliz is a one pitch pitcher, and in my opinion not anywhere near ready to be a starter. Ogando, of the two, I would say is closer to being ready for the rotation. My guess is Frankie would move back in to the closer roll if this is the direction they go.
Now that the Lee saga is over I would expect any moves that are going to be made, will be done rather quickly. Listening to talk radio over the last couple of months, most of "Ranger Nation" are probably declaring the Rangers dead without Lee. Sadly, what the Lee decision may do is send Michael Young elsewhere, and that would be a mistake in my opinion. I may be alone in this thinking, but I think if the Rangers make a serious push for Greinke they may throw in Young just to secure the deal, if that's what it takes. As I said previously, the Rangers will be in the middle of it again next season with or without Lee, and my thoughts on that haven't changed now that we know Lee won't be back.
The buzz is Feliz and/or Ogando will move into the rotation if the Rangers are unable to secure more starting pitching. While I will agree finding a closer is easier than finding a quality starter, Feliz is a one pitch pitcher, and in my opinion not anywhere near ready to be a starter. Ogando, of the two, I would say is closer to being ready for the rotation. My guess is Frankie would move back in to the closer roll if this is the direction they go.
Now that the Lee saga is over I would expect any moves that are going to be made, will be done rather quickly. Listening to talk radio over the last couple of months, most of "Ranger Nation" are probably declaring the Rangers dead without Lee. Sadly, what the Lee decision may do is send Michael Young elsewhere, and that would be a mistake in my opinion. I may be alone in this thinking, but I think if the Rangers make a serious push for Greinke they may throw in Young just to secure the deal, if that's what it takes. As I said previously, the Rangers will be in the middle of it again next season with or without Lee, and my thoughts on that haven't changed now that we know Lee won't be back.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Cliff: Thanks for your time!!
The Rangers need to pull the plug and walk away from Cliff Lee. Six years $150,000,000 + is crazy talk, and here is why. Sure, we all remember how great he was in the ALCS taking down the Yankees, but do we realize, that as a Ranger, Lee was 4 - 6 with a 3.98 era prior to the postseason. A 3.98 ERA 4 wins 6 losses, just as reference that is the 4th best e.r.a. on the staff. Cliff Lee is only three years removed from being sent to the minors and not even earning a spot on the Indians playoff roster, and he is 32 years old and six or seven years at that price just doesn't make any sense to me.
As brilliant as Daniels was last season getting the pieces in place for the world series run, he has been just as bad this off-season. I will give him some props for at least upgrading at C, Yorvit should be a nice addition. I'm no GM, but I would have absolutely taken a different approach this winter. For starters, I would have made a serious push for Jon Garland and maybe another starting pitcher or two. Lee says he likes it here, well thats great, but I would have showed him the Rangers are serious about being contenders by being more aggressive. I absolutely would have made offers to Brandon Webb and Chris Young, i realize they are both coming off injuries, but they can be had cheap for the potential they bring. As it is, I guess we will be looking at a starting rotation of C.J. , Colby, Hunter, Holland, and probably a revolving door in the five spot.
Scott Feldman: where have you gone? I haven't heard his name mentioned in any of the possible rotation spots for next season. Did we just give him a big contract, and give up on him. My guess is Feldman will bounce back in 2011, maybe not to his 09 form, but at least good enough to find himself back in the rotation.
Hopefully by the end of next week, we will at least get an idea of what to look forward to next season. Don't get me wrong, Cliff would be a great addition, but this team should be in the hunt again next season with or without him!!
As brilliant as Daniels was last season getting the pieces in place for the world series run, he has been just as bad this off-season. I will give him some props for at least upgrading at C, Yorvit should be a nice addition. I'm no GM, but I would have absolutely taken a different approach this winter. For starters, I would have made a serious push for Jon Garland and maybe another starting pitcher or two. Lee says he likes it here, well thats great, but I would have showed him the Rangers are serious about being contenders by being more aggressive. I absolutely would have made offers to Brandon Webb and Chris Young, i realize they are both coming off injuries, but they can be had cheap for the potential they bring. As it is, I guess we will be looking at a starting rotation of C.J. , Colby, Hunter, Holland, and probably a revolving door in the five spot.
Scott Feldman: where have you gone? I haven't heard his name mentioned in any of the possible rotation spots for next season. Did we just give him a big contract, and give up on him. My guess is Feldman will bounce back in 2011, maybe not to his 09 form, but at least good enough to find himself back in the rotation.
Hopefully by the end of next week, we will at least get an idea of what to look forward to next season. Don't get me wrong, Cliff would be a great addition, but this team should be in the hunt again next season with or without him!!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
More than just a game
James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams: "The one constant through all the years... has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steam rollers, it's been erased like a blackboard. Rebuilt and then erased again, but baseball has marked the time... This game is a part of our past... it reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again."
Baseball has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Many of my childhood memories involve the game in one way or another. Front yard baseball with friends consumed most of summer's days, and although I played organized ball it was our daily "sandlot" games in the old neighborhood that I seem to miss the most. Baseball introduced me to my best friend when I was 9. Two shy kids who lived in the same neighborhood, rode the same bus, but never said two words to one another until landing on the all-star team together in the summer of '85.
Baseball was currency to me, and it's value was priceless. My father coached little league baseball for decades, and many of those years he coached without having a child on the field. Although the last 10 - 15 years he was alive we became the best of friends, growing up, baseball was the bond that united us. There aren't many memories of my childhood, playing with my father, that baseball wasn't involved. I can count on one hand how many times I saw my father with tears in his eyes, and two of those times involved baseball. The first baseball tear I saw was in 1990, when we defeated Hallsville 1-0 for the first time on our way to the state tournament. The second time was the only time I saw him look at me with disappointment in his eyes. It was the loss of a baseball dream that brought the tear this time. I injured both shoulders playing football when I was 15, and I could not swing a bat without the left shoulder dislocating. My father knew that my competitive days of baseball were gone, along with his baseball dreams for me. He was right, and I never played a single inning of baseball in high school.
Passion - a strong feeling or emotion
Although I haven't played in years, baseball is still my one true passion outside of my family. I can get lost in the history of it like nothing else I know. The ballpark is my temple, the smells, the crowd, and the crack of the bat. Even though I've seen "THE ROOKIE" countless times, I still get a tear in my eye when Jim Morris ( Dennis Quaid ) makes the phone call to his wife, letting her know he has been called up. Last week I started compiling and recording stats, dates, and other historical facts through the history of baseball. My plan is to make two scrap books, one of Texas Rangers History, and one for all of Major League Baseball. Once completed, I will have them sitting out in our house in hopes that one day my passion for baseball will be shared by my boys. If nothing else, they can read through it and learn some baseball history. Passion, much like dreams, makes life much more interesting, and to me, baseball will always be more than just a game.
Baseball has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Many of my childhood memories involve the game in one way or another. Front yard baseball with friends consumed most of summer's days, and although I played organized ball it was our daily "sandlot" games in the old neighborhood that I seem to miss the most. Baseball introduced me to my best friend when I was 9. Two shy kids who lived in the same neighborhood, rode the same bus, but never said two words to one another until landing on the all-star team together in the summer of '85.
Baseball was currency to me, and it's value was priceless. My father coached little league baseball for decades, and many of those years he coached without having a child on the field. Although the last 10 - 15 years he was alive we became the best of friends, growing up, baseball was the bond that united us. There aren't many memories of my childhood, playing with my father, that baseball wasn't involved. I can count on one hand how many times I saw my father with tears in his eyes, and two of those times involved baseball. The first baseball tear I saw was in 1990, when we defeated Hallsville 1-0 for the first time on our way to the state tournament. The second time was the only time I saw him look at me with disappointment in his eyes. It was the loss of a baseball dream that brought the tear this time. I injured both shoulders playing football when I was 15, and I could not swing a bat without the left shoulder dislocating. My father knew that my competitive days of baseball were gone, along with his baseball dreams for me. He was right, and I never played a single inning of baseball in high school.
Passion - a strong feeling or emotion
Although I haven't played in years, baseball is still my one true passion outside of my family. I can get lost in the history of it like nothing else I know. The ballpark is my temple, the smells, the crowd, and the crack of the bat. Even though I've seen "THE ROOKIE" countless times, I still get a tear in my eye when Jim Morris ( Dennis Quaid ) makes the phone call to his wife, letting her know he has been called up. Last week I started compiling and recording stats, dates, and other historical facts through the history of baseball. My plan is to make two scrap books, one of Texas Rangers History, and one for all of Major League Baseball. Once completed, I will have them sitting out in our house in hopes that one day my passion for baseball will be shared by my boys. If nothing else, they can read through it and learn some baseball history. Passion, much like dreams, makes life much more interesting, and to me, baseball will always be more than just a game.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Let the Bidding Begin!
Free agency is now open, and the Yanks appear to be wasting no time in going after Lee. Everything I'm about to write is pure speculation and opinion, so here we go. Truth is the Rangers could be a better overall team without Cliff Lee. With Hamilton, Cruz, C.J., Murphy, and a couple of others, arbitration is going to take a chunk of the money the Rangers can spend this offseason. Paying Lee the huge contract will limit what other moves the Rangers can make this winter.
The biggest need this off-season is going to be starting pitching. C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis are the only sure things coming back. Hunter will probably stay somewhere in the rotation, but this team needs an ace. Feldman is coming of a horrible year and is having surgery. Rumors are flying around that Neftali Feliz will get a shot in the rotation, and I'm not real sure how that's going to work. Cliff Lee is without a doubt the number 1 target for the Rangers, but they also will have there eye on Jon Garland, Hisashi Iwakuma ( from Japan ), and I expect them to take a chance on a recovering Brandon Webb. Former Ranger Chris Young could also be on the radar, but suffered from lingering arm issues last season with the Padres.
The biggest hole in the everyday area would be the catching position, if Lee signs I'm assuming that this spot will remain Teagarden and Treanor, unless they trade for someone. Without Lee the Rangers would most likely be going after Victor Martinez or John Buck. John Buck is coming off the best season of his career which would make me a little nervous about if he can duplicate it. Victor is a career .300 hitter and average defensively, but run production from the catching position would make this line-up very tough from top to bottom.
Mitch Moreland has earned the chance to be the everyday first baseman next season, and I would expect the Rangers to look for an older back-up who could also serve as a DH. Another rumor flying around is the chance that Michael Young will move to DH, and the Rangers would look to sign Beltre on the open market.
Bullpen- outside of Feliz ( if he stays in the pen ) and Ogando, I'm not sure what the relievers will look like next year. Okay, I realize O'day will be there, i'm just not that impressed or thrilled with him. Kerry Wood is the biggest and best option for relievers in free agency, along with Soriano from the Rays. Problem is Wood will probably not be happy unless he is going to be the closer, but I would like to have a whole pen full of closers personally.
As you can see, the Rangers have a few holes, and getting quality on the cheap if Lee signs is going to be tough. Without Lee, the Rangers could possibly fill all the spots that need to be addressed with real quality.
I know it sounds like I'm saying the Rangers are in trouble, but I'm not, the bulk of this team will be back. The players coming back are enough to put them back in position to win the A.L. West next season, but a few quality additions could put them square in the middle of chasing another pennant and potentially World Series.
The biggest need this off-season is going to be starting pitching. C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis are the only sure things coming back. Hunter will probably stay somewhere in the rotation, but this team needs an ace. Feldman is coming of a horrible year and is having surgery. Rumors are flying around that Neftali Feliz will get a shot in the rotation, and I'm not real sure how that's going to work. Cliff Lee is without a doubt the number 1 target for the Rangers, but they also will have there eye on Jon Garland, Hisashi Iwakuma ( from Japan ), and I expect them to take a chance on a recovering Brandon Webb. Former Ranger Chris Young could also be on the radar, but suffered from lingering arm issues last season with the Padres.
The biggest hole in the everyday area would be the catching position, if Lee signs I'm assuming that this spot will remain Teagarden and Treanor, unless they trade for someone. Without Lee the Rangers would most likely be going after Victor Martinez or John Buck. John Buck is coming off the best season of his career which would make me a little nervous about if he can duplicate it. Victor is a career .300 hitter and average defensively, but run production from the catching position would make this line-up very tough from top to bottom.
Mitch Moreland has earned the chance to be the everyday first baseman next season, and I would expect the Rangers to look for an older back-up who could also serve as a DH. Another rumor flying around is the chance that Michael Young will move to DH, and the Rangers would look to sign Beltre on the open market.
Bullpen- outside of Feliz ( if he stays in the pen ) and Ogando, I'm not sure what the relievers will look like next year. Okay, I realize O'day will be there, i'm just not that impressed or thrilled with him. Kerry Wood is the biggest and best option for relievers in free agency, along with Soriano from the Rays. Problem is Wood will probably not be happy unless he is going to be the closer, but I would like to have a whole pen full of closers personally.
As you can see, the Rangers have a few holes, and getting quality on the cheap if Lee signs is going to be tough. Without Lee, the Rangers could possibly fill all the spots that need to be addressed with real quality.
I know it sounds like I'm saying the Rangers are in trouble, but I'm not, the bulk of this team will be back. The players coming back are enough to put them back in position to win the A.L. West next season, but a few quality additions could put them square in the middle of chasing another pennant and potentially World Series.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Thank You!
Thank you Rangers for the greatest season in the clubs history! Two items can now be removed from my bucket list 1. Go to a World Series game ( check x 2 ) 2. See the Rangers make it to the world series. CHECK. I'm a fan of all sports, but baseball has always been #1 for me. Nothing could compare to seeing the Rangers play live in Arlington in the World Series, not even being at a World Cup soccer game meant as much to me as being there for 2 of the 3 home games.
I believe the future is bright for this organization with or without Cliff Lee coming back. Nolan, Chuck, and Daniels seem to have this train pointing in the right direction, and hopefully this momentum will carry into next season. Leaving the park last night I couldn't help but think what it would be like for DFW to become a true baseball area. Rival the likes of Boston and New York, where every game is a tough ticket and every crowd is rowdy. History was made this season, and I am thrilled to have been a witness to it. I won't get in to the offseason moves that need to be made, today is a time to reflect on amazing run they had.
GOODBYE WORLD SERIES it was a beautiful ride!!!
I believe the future is bright for this organization with or without Cliff Lee coming back. Nolan, Chuck, and Daniels seem to have this train pointing in the right direction, and hopefully this momentum will carry into next season. Leaving the park last night I couldn't help but think what it would be like for DFW to become a true baseball area. Rival the likes of Boston and New York, where every game is a tough ticket and every crowd is rowdy. History was made this season, and I am thrilled to have been a witness to it. I won't get in to the offseason moves that need to be made, today is a time to reflect on amazing run they had.
GOODBYE WORLD SERIES it was a beautiful ride!!!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
IT WAS TIME!!
In front of the largest crowd in Rangers history, my wife and I stood along and took home with us a little piece of history. Not only was this the first ever World Series game in Arlington, but also the first ever World Series win for the state of Texas. As we pulled into the parking lot and made our way to the stadium, something was clearly different. The fans were in a frenzy, the parking lots were full of tailgaters and a buzz unlike any I've felt entering the ballpark was obvious. As the game neared you could feel the nervous energy and almost desperation of we really need this win. From the first pitch from Nolan to Pudge, to Kelly Clarkson singing the national anthem the place was electric.
As for the game itself, Cliff Lee may be getting all the national attention, but Colby Lewis has been nothing short of brilliant. Two early walks in the first two innings brought plenty of grumblings, and I couldn't help but find myself watching his pitch count. After the first couple of innings Colby found his mark and threw a gem. Offensively Mitch Moreland ( the rookie most hadn't heard of until his call-up ) may have saved any hope the Rangers had with his 3 run blast in the 2nd. This kid has shown plate awareness Ranger fans have been longing for from the 1st base position for what seems like forever.
The eighth inning brought on that sinking feeling for me, as I have lost hope in the bullpen, especially O'day. The only comfort I had in O'day entering the game was that Nefti was ready as long as Darren could keep the ball in the yard. The ground ball to Andrus and the weight of the world seemed to be lifted. Feliz came in did his job and well as they say "THE REST IS HISTORY".
As for the game itself, Cliff Lee may be getting all the national attention, but Colby Lewis has been nothing short of brilliant. Two early walks in the first two innings brought plenty of grumblings, and I couldn't help but find myself watching his pitch count. After the first couple of innings Colby found his mark and threw a gem. Offensively Mitch Moreland ( the rookie most hadn't heard of until his call-up ) may have saved any hope the Rangers had with his 3 run blast in the 2nd. This kid has shown plate awareness Ranger fans have been longing for from the 1st base position for what seems like forever.
The eighth inning brought on that sinking feeling for me, as I have lost hope in the bullpen, especially O'day. The only comfort I had in O'day entering the game was that Nefti was ready as long as Darren could keep the ball in the yard. The ground ball to Andrus and the weight of the world seemed to be lifted. Feliz came in did his job and well as they say "THE REST IS HISTORY".
Friday, October 29, 2010
World Series Blues?
Okay, so I realize I haven't been blogging this season. Main reason is no one seemed to follow along last season, but with the success the Rangers have had perhaps there are a few more Ranger fans on the wagon. Now, let's get to business.
I was more than excited listening to Eric Nadel call the final out in Game 6 against the Yankees, and it was a nice change for seemingly everyone to be a Rangers fan all of a sudden. Now here we are 2 games into the World Series and the Rangers chatter has fallen flat and the wagon seems to be missing a couple of wheels. To long time true Ranger fans I can understand the disappointment in how the first two games have gone, but for anyone to bash this team at this point is beyond me. Seriously people, the TEXAS RANGERS are in the WORLD SERIES!! Think about that next time before you start the bashing, and if you're like me you will probably laugh for a moment and remember what you said when A-Rod struck out looking in Game 6 ( i never thought i'd see the day the Rangers would be in a World Series)
I'll be the first to admit that I've questioned Ron's managing in the World Series, but that's nothing new. If you read my blog in the past I'm often critical of his decisions. This team has it's back to the wall now, and honestly I just want to see a good fight. I can live with losing the World Series, but watching this team throw it away is painful to watch. As fans it's easy to get caught up in the moment of the game, I'm as guilty as anyone but I will also admit that this has been a great season, especially the last two weeks. The excitement and buzz around the metroplex has been awesome, and I'm hoping that this is a sign of things to come around here. The Cowboys need some competition, and I couldn't be happier that here it is almost November and we're still talking baseball.
I was more than excited listening to Eric Nadel call the final out in Game 6 against the Yankees, and it was a nice change for seemingly everyone to be a Rangers fan all of a sudden. Now here we are 2 games into the World Series and the Rangers chatter has fallen flat and the wagon seems to be missing a couple of wheels. To long time true Ranger fans I can understand the disappointment in how the first two games have gone, but for anyone to bash this team at this point is beyond me. Seriously people, the TEXAS RANGERS are in the WORLD SERIES!! Think about that next time before you start the bashing, and if you're like me you will probably laugh for a moment and remember what you said when A-Rod struck out looking in Game 6 ( i never thought i'd see the day the Rangers would be in a World Series)
I'll be the first to admit that I've questioned Ron's managing in the World Series, but that's nothing new. If you read my blog in the past I'm often critical of his decisions. This team has it's back to the wall now, and honestly I just want to see a good fight. I can live with losing the World Series, but watching this team throw it away is painful to watch. As fans it's easy to get caught up in the moment of the game, I'm as guilty as anyone but I will also admit that this has been a great season, especially the last two weeks. The excitement and buzz around the metroplex has been awesome, and I'm hoping that this is a sign of things to come around here. The Cowboys need some competition, and I couldn't be happier that here it is almost November and we're still talking baseball.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Well done boys
Twenty games remain in what has been an exciting season in Arlington. The reality is this team far exceeded all expectations this year, and have given us reason to look forward to next season. Ranger are 6 back of the Angels and 4 back of the Red Sox, there is an outside shot of catching one of them, but I don't anticipate it happening.
This offseason should be interesting around here, as the Rangers will more than likely have to let go of at least one outfielder. The question is which one goes? My guess is they will find a way to get Borbon in the lead off spot next season and make him an everyday player, leaving Byrd, Murphy, and Cruz platooning for the other spot. I would prefer to see Cruz gone and let Murphy and Byrd split the time as Byrd will also give Hamilton a day off from time to time in CF. I would like to see this line-up the rest of this season to give us a peak at what's to come next season.
1. Borbon LF
2. Andrus SS
3. Young 3B
4. Hamilton CF
5. Byrd RF
6. Kinsler 2B
7. Davis 1B
8. Murphy DH
9. Saltalamacchia C
This offseason should be interesting around here, as the Rangers will more than likely have to let go of at least one outfielder. The question is which one goes? My guess is they will find a way to get Borbon in the lead off spot next season and make him an everyday player, leaving Byrd, Murphy, and Cruz platooning for the other spot. I would prefer to see Cruz gone and let Murphy and Byrd split the time as Byrd will also give Hamilton a day off from time to time in CF. I would like to see this line-up the rest of this season to give us a peak at what's to come next season.
1. Borbon LF
2. Andrus SS
3. Young 3B
4. Hamilton CF
5. Byrd RF
6. Kinsler 2B
7. Davis 1B
8. Murphy DH
9. Saltalamacchia C
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Rangers survive the Zoo
The Rangers take 2 of 3 in the Bronx Zoo to keep the pressure on the Red Sox. Jennings has been cut by the Rangers, and the way the bullpen has been throwing of late i'd say add C.J., Eddie, and Frankie to that list. Two games back heading to the Twin cities, this team continues to keep the interest of its fans. 36 games to play and the boys are in the hunt, I'd call that success no matter what the playoffs do or don't hold in store for this team. The youth of this team has truely been a story to this point, Borbon, Andrus, Holland, Feliz and Hunter have been nothing short of extraordinary to now. Borbon appears to be the future lead off hitter for seasons to come, Andrus is as good as advertised, Holland, Hunter, and Feliz are all showing they belong in the big show. My only question is will Feliz be a starter next season or does he become the everyday closer, time will tell but this COULD be a fun group to watch the next few seasons.
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