Texas Rangers Thread

[YosemiteSam]

He wouldn't throw anything but fastballs and the guy caught up with it. I'm really starting to think Feliz is just flat-out baseball ignorant.

I think Wash needs to demote him from closer. He isn't baseball mature enough to handle that position. I say give it to Mike Adams.

 

[Ranzo]

He wouldn't throw anything but fastballs and the guy caught up with it. I'm really starting to think Feliz is just flat-out baseball ignorant.

I think Wash needs to demote him from closer. He isn't baseball mature enough to handle that position. I say give it to Mike Adams.

I think he overestimates his stuff, and also he may not actually HAVE anything else. His fastball is good but not unhittable. He may be the only person unaware of it. Sort of like Kinsler and his golf wing at the plate; he's not the slugger he imagines, but he's never adequately worked on his compete hitting game because he thinks he's Ruth. He has the ability to become a high percentage batter if he worked on it, and since he's lead-off man he owes hit to the team to become that guy.

Some of these efficiencies has to point to a coaching problem, too.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Time to make Mike Adams or Koji the closer. Last year we didn't have the bullpen so obviously Feliz was the best out of the bullpen and by default, was the closer.

Feliz is no longer the best pitcher from the bullpen this year. It's just too much of a burden to put on a young pitcher. Very few pitchers become full-time closers that early in their career when they are still raw.

 

[cowboyeric8]

Michael gets 2000. We come from 3 down in the 8th. Colby was average, kept us in it. And Adams closed nicely. Adams should be the new closer.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Mike Adams has arrived! Great job with another comeback tonight

 

[DIAF]

Michael gets 2000. We come from 3 down in the 8th. Colby was average, kept us in it. And Adams closed nicely. Adams should be the new closer.

Adams was only closing because Feliz pitched 3 days in a row. Feliz will stay the closer barring a complete and total meltdown.

 

[DIAF]

Good article on lonestarball about what could be behind Feliz's struggles.

http://www.lonestarball.com/2011/7/27/2296907/feliz-and-fastball-movement

Basically, the data nerds over on fangraphs have been keeping track of pitch location, and it seems feliz has lost a couple of inches of movement on his fastball - could be delivery problems. But you think the coaches would have noticed and tried to correct that by now.

 

[Stautner]

Feliz is not a closer. He never was. Been saying this for two years now. Get him back in the rotation next year and let's start grooming him to the be elite starter he was projected to be.

Feliz did a pretty darn good job closing last year, so you can't blame the Rangers for giving him that role again and assuming he would keep maturing in that role. He's been shakey this year though. Tom Greive kept saying the same thing I have - too predictable. Even throwing in the upper 90's if major league hitters only have one pitch to worry about they will gear up and hit it. His location isn't always the best either. It appears he is just going up anjd throwing hard, but falls short on knowing how to pitch.

 

[dback]

Just heard on the pre-game today that Arthur Rhodes has been released by the Rangers.

 

[DIAF]

yeah, Rhodes was DFA'd a few days ago.

 

[gmoney112]

Wth is with our first base coach? That's two times in two games that he's waived a player on and they got tagged out 3 feet in front of the bag. Waiving Hamilton and Napoli on shallow hits to the outfield is pretty dumb.

As I typed this it happened again. hahah

 

[TheCoolFan]

Another good game by Harrison. He's very consistent.

 

[Stautner]

Another good game by Harrison. He's very consistent.

Heck of a year. They said last night this is the 1st time in Rangers history that every member of the starting rotation reached double digit wins.

 

[DIAF]

Ogando sucks tonight. Thankfully, so does Pineda.

Edit: nevermind, Ogando just gave up a 2-run triple.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Ogando got rocked! Bullpen and the offense saves the day again. We can't afford to lose one game to the Mariners

 

[Alweezy]

yeah we really can't afford to lose to Seattle.. tonight would have been devastating. It's kinda funny how LA does everything they can just to make up this one game difference and can't get any help, and when they lose we lose so we can't put a gap on them..


Meanwhile out in LA, my heart continues to ache as I watch Cliff Lee destroy the Dodgers on the mound and at the plate hitting a HR. I just keep thinking sigh what could have been lol..

 

[cowboyeric8]

Anybody watch the game? 7th inning foul ball by Josh, I have two hands on it, a guy jumps from two rows onto me and takes it, while spilling his own beer all over my sister. Stay classy. I didn't need that ball that bad, but it would have been nice to give to the kid seated behind me.

But Rangers win, so all is well.

 

[Sifillest]

yea, ogando seems to get smashed once every 4 starts. thankfully the offense is pretty potent....beltre cant get back soon enough tho

 

[Stautner]

Nice win, even with Ogando struggling. One of the things I noticed about last years team was all the 9th inning and extra inning heroics, and this team seems to have some of the same persistence in them.

Last night was my first chance to see Adams - I was very impressed. The guy never throws anything straight.

 

[DIAF]

So.....anyone getting a little tired of Derek Holland?