Texas Rangers Thread

[windward]

2 days after this post and the Rangers are in 1st place.

You have to be the most negative fan around. One poor pitching performance means a player is imploding despite the fact that all pitchers have ups and downs over the course of a season. A short rough patch for the team while 2 of their star players are out means the season is over despite the fact that the season is 162 games long and every team is going to have ups and downs over that time. The baseball seeaons is a marathon, not a sprint. It's as if you've never bothered to pay attention to how things work in baseball.

Look at his sig. His negativity is not just limited to baseball.

 

[DIAF]

I bit my tongue on that "end of season" post. Baseball is not a spot for those lacking patience.

Anyway, he did touch on a point; we absolutely must address our bullpen at some point.
If we do (and maybe even if we don't) I like our chances in the West once the team gets healthy.

Only Polyannas like Stautner are blind to the problems with the team. Either that or he's well aware of them, but is more interested in acting cool on the internet.

The team is in first with a record of 3 games over .500. The bullpen is an absolute disaster, and everyone is hurt. If everyone else in the West didn't suck too, the Rangers would be in a real world of pain.

Oh look, just as I'm typing this up Matt Harrison craps himself again. 4 walks and 3 runs blowing a late lead. Yay. ARRGGGHHHHH

HEY GUYS WE ARE TIED FOR FIRST PLACE EVERYTHING IS OK

 

[DIAF]

yay bullpen!

 

[YosemiteSam]

yay bullpen!

Harrison had control issues all night, but he was able to stay out of trouble for the most part. Well, until he walked two batters and then served up a HR to the SOX 9th hitter. :bang2:

That tied the game at 3-3.

 

[DIAF]

Harrison had control issues all night, but he was able to stay out of trouble for the most part. Well, until he walked two batters and then served up a HR to the SOX 9th hitter. :bang2:

That tied the game at 3-3.

I know. I was talking about Epley coughing one up. Hopefully when Cruz/Hambone are back we can just bludgeon teams to death with bats since this whole pitching thing isn't really working out so hot outside of 3 starters and our closer.

 

[Stautner]

Only Polyannas like Stautner are blind to the problems with the team. Either that or he's well aware of them, but is more interested in acting cool on the internet.

The team is in first with a record of 3 games over .500. The bullpen is an absolute disaster, and everyone is hurt. If everyone else in the West didn't suck too, the Rangers would be in a real world of pain.

Oh look, just as I'm typing this up Matt Harrison craps himself again. 4 walks and 3 runs blowing a late lead. Yay. ARRGGGHHHHH

HEY GUYS WE ARE TIED FOR FIRST PLACE EVERYTHING IS OK

This is a load of hogwash. There are too many like you on boards like this. You have nothing substantive to say, so you make up things about the other guy.

Of course there are problems with the team. The bullpen sucks, and Hamilton and Nellie are again spending too much time hurt.

The point is it's ridiculous to call it quits with 4 1/2 months left in the season. Anyone with half a mind and who has bothered to actually pay attention to baseball over the years knows things aren't decided in mid May, and that things very often end up very differently in the end than they look in May.

But you apparently aren't interested in the indisputable history of baseball. You are only interested in making long term predictions of doom based on early and limited data. There is no basis in history or in logic with that.

Your MO is that if a scout projects a guy in one role, he is destined to fail in any other role. If a guy has a bad outing, he is doomed to implode during the season. If a team starts slow and has problems to fix, they are dommed for the remainder of the season.

Again, no foundation in history or in logic.

 

[DIAF]

This is a load of hogwash. There are too many like you on boards like this. You have nothing substantive to say, so you make up things about the other guy.

Of course there are problems with the team. The bullpen sucks, and Hamilton and Nellie are again spending too much time hurt.

The point is it's ridiculous to call it quits with 4 1/2 months left in the season. Anyone with half a mind and who has bothered to actually pay attention to baseball over the years knows things aren't decided in mid May, and that things very often end up very differently in the end than they look in May.

But you apparently aren't interested in the indisputable history of baseball. You are only interested in making long term predictions of doom based on early and limited data. There is no basis in history or in logic with that.

Your MO is that if a scout projects a guy in one role, he is destined to fail in any other role. If a guy has a bad outing, he is doomed to implode during the season. If a team starts slow and has problems to fix, they are dommed for the remainder of the season.

Again, no foundation in history or in logic.

Funny hearing this from a guy that's spent an entire thread constantly on the attack and trying to put words in someone else's mouth. How's this for logic? A bullpen full of old, terrible, tired pitchers doesn't just magically fix itself. Keep on believin' everything is a-ok!

Step 1 - getting back a healthy Tommy Hunter and putting Harrison in a bullpen role where he can be semi-successful, like last year.

 

[tko112204]

Funny hearing this from a guy that's spent an entire thread constantly on the attack and trying to put words in someone else's mouth. How's this for logic? A bullpen full of old, terrible, tired pitchers doesn't just magically fix itself. Keep on believin' everything is a-ok!

Step 1 - getting back a healthy Tommy Hunter and putting Harrison in a bullpen role where he can be semi-successful, like last year.

What is with your obsession with Tommy Hunter? If Tommy Hunter is your answer, you need to ask a new question.

 

[Dawgs0916]

Funny hearing this from a guy that's spent an entire thread constantly on the attack and trying to put words in someone else's mouth. How's this for logic? A bullpen full of old, terrible, tired pitchers doesn't just magically fix itself. Keep on believin' everything is a-ok!

Step 1 - getting back a healthy Tommy Hunter and putting Harrison in a bullpen role where he can be semi-successful, like last year.

Seriously. What in the world is everyone's obsession with Derek Holland?!

If anyone should be removed from the rotation it's HIM. Get over the baby face and old "top prospect" label. Harrison throws harder, with better offspeed stuff, with better command (although thats not saying much).

Although we would be ok with a high 4, low 5 ERA FIFTH starter, if we didnt have the worst bullpen in baseball. It's laughable how old, and pathetic we are in the bullpen. The day we can get rid of Rhodes and Oliver, and those soft tossing side armers, can't come fast enough.

 

[DIAF]

Seriously. What in the world is everyone's obsession with Derek Holland?!

If anyone should be removed from the rotation it's HIM. Get over the baby face and old "top prospect" label. Harrison throws harder, with better offspeed stuff, with better command (although thats not saying much).

Although we would be ok with a high 4, low 5 ERA FIFTH starter, if we didnt have the worst bullpen in baseball. It's laughable how old, and pathetic we are in the bullpen. The day we can get rid of Rhodes and Oliver, and those soft tossing side armers, can't come fast enough.

Derek Holland isn't pitching well either, but he's going to have a longer leash. Both Harrison and Holland had success in the pen last year. Removing either of them from the rotation would be a plus at this point.

What is with your obsession with Tommy Hunter? If Tommy Hunter is your answer, you need to ask a new question.

Because he's the only help the Rangers have on the horizon, that's why. Also because he's a decent pitcher. Much better right now than either Holland or Harrison.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I think Hunters future will be as a reliever. I don't think he is going to be long term starter material.

That said, Feliz' pitching was crap last night, but it was freakishly cool watching him walk two hitters, then each get pitch run for and both get picked off by Feliz. :laugh2:

The diving stop by Kinsler was kick *** too!

 

[Stautner]

Funny hearing this from a guy that's spent an entire thread constantly on the attack and trying to put words in someone else's mouth. How's this for logic? A bullpen full of old, terrible, tired pitchers doesn't just magically fix itself. Keep on believin' everything is a-ok!

Step 1 - getting back a healthy Tommy Hunter and putting Harrison in a bullpen role where he can be semi-successful, like last year.

There you go again. I specifically said the bullpen sucks, and in a direct response to the very post in which I made that comment you claim I think the bullpen is "a-ok"

Talk about a serious lack of ... well, I don't kniow if it's a lack of comprehension or a lack of rationality or if you just believe that you can claim whatever you want whenever you want and it will slip by unnoticed.

Now, let's look at other facts. We went out and got O'Day a couple of years ago and he gave the bullpen a big boost. Last year we Ogandu was brought up in June and gave us a boost.

This year the Rangers have had some tough times with injuries to O'Day, Hunter, Feldman, Beltre, Hurley, Tobin ..... but does that mean they will stand pat forever and just let the bullpen sink them into the abyss. The Hunter will be back soon, Scheppers may be ready anytime, Manny Corpas is on the DL and could get back to major league form, and we have others in AAA that are doing well and developing. In addition, we could acquire another pitccher in a trade.

The history of baseball tells us any number of things can happen to help the situation, but again you always ignore the history of baseball (or are ignorant of it), and assume that an early indication of a problem equates to an unchangeble omen of certain doom. It's ridiculous, and it ignores the time proven lessons of history.

One other point - you apparently are unaware that every team has issues to work through to get better and be competative as the season goes on

 

[DIAF]

I think Hunters future will be as a reliever. I don't think he is going to be long term starter material.

Maybe not, but in his last two years of starting (240 IP) he's sported a 3.90 ERA with a WHIP of 1.27 and a BAA of somewhere between .255-.260. Sure he's no world-beater, but that's the kind of performance that helps teams win games.

 

[DIAF]

hah, looks like Good Holland showed up tonight. I wish Good Holland would stick around.

 

[cowboyeric8]

Feliz with back to back blown saves. Needs to step it up. Did anybody wonder why Elvis didn't try to throw the runner out, I was confused.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Feliz with back to back blown saves. Needs to step it up. Did anybody wonder why Elvis didn't try to throw the runner out, I was confused.

Yeah. He was twisting the wrong way to go to first, and I think nobody was covering at 3rd.

With all the bad, it's good to see Chris Davis actually hitting.

 

[WDN]

Yeah. He was twisting the wrong way to go to first, and I think nobody was covering at 3rd.

With all the bad, it's good to see Chris Davis actually hitting.

He made that play to 1st base just last week. I was confused and angry at the same time.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

The pitching certainly has to step it up as the season progresses but I'm feeling pretty good that the team will hit a good stride as the summer goes along and will get things going pretty good.

Getting our injured guys back will help a lot as well. I've enjoyed the season, regardless, so I'm not unhappy at this point.

 

[Stautner]

Maybe not, but in his last two years of starting (240 IP) he's sported a 3.90 ERA with a WHIP of 1.27 and a BAA of somewhere between .255-.260. Sure he's no world-beater, but that's the kind of performance that helps teams win games.

I still view Hunter as a starter, but his direction isn't really set yet. I agree with your analysis of him - at least at this stage in his career he looks like he can be a quality middle to bottom of the rotation guy.

hah, looks like Good Holland showed up tonight. I wish Good Holland would stick around.

He's still a kid in his first year as a full time major leaguer, so hopefully he will develop more consistency. I still like his potential though.

Feliz with back to back blown saves. Needs to step it up. Did anybody wonder why Elvis didn't try to throw the runner out, I was confused.

Feliz has to be able to throw a breaking ball or change up into the mix. Even throwing as hard as he was last night, if the batter doesn't even have to worry about a pitch other than the fastball he will eventually get the timing down.

As for Elvis, the ball was hit very slowly which gave the runner a lot of extra time to get down the line before he fielded the ball. Elvis obviously felt that because of that, and with how deep he had to field the ball, and the direction his momentum was taking him that he didn't have a play at first and a throw would be an unecessary risk. Since he felt he couldn't get the out he had to turn his attention to the runner going into 3rd - preventing him from going home was the biggest priority.

 

[Stautner]

The pitching certainly has to step it up as the season progresses but I'm feeling pretty good that the team will hit a good stride as the summer goes along and will get things going pretty good.

Getting our injured guys back will help a lot as well. I've enjoyed the season, regardless, so I'm not unhappy at this point.

They have to find a way to shore up the bullpen. The offense should pick up some when Hamilton and Cruz get back, but the pen doesn't have an obvious solution. We need somebody from the minors to step up or make a mid-season acquisition like we did with O'Day 2 years ago.