Texas Rangers Thread

[Mike_45]

Thank God for John Lackey!

Queue the Texas bullpen to start an implosion. Daniels better fix this bullpen in the offseason. After resigning CJ.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Eh...they're just trying to hold off on using the big guns in the bullpen today. With a 9-0 lead, you can afford to put in the scrubs. Wouldn't want to use Mike Adams or Mark Lowe in a game that isn't close.

 

[Mike_45]

Eh...they're just trying to hold off on using the big guns in the bullpen today. With a 9-0 lead, you can afford to put in the scrubs. Wouldn't want to use Mike Adams or Mark Lowe in a game that isn't close.

Very true. I would have just loved a shut out of them though.

Alas, we have prevailed and our magic number has been reduced to 19.

 

[Ranzo]

Game begins in 30 minutes with Marty on the mound again...let's see if he can follow up strong vs a gritty TB team. Rangers always struggle here but are playing well overall, so I look for them to take 2. Beltre is DH and Mike Young at 3rd. Speculation about Young possibly winning the batting title: Wouldn't it be something if he DID after all the falderal in the off-season?

Oh, and the Angels keep winning, refusing to go away.

 

[Ranzo]

Haven't been able to watch the game much today but just noticed Rangers down 4-0 with Marty gone but only giving up 4 hits; 2 Ranger errors. He couldn't have been horrible. Where's the offense?

 

[YosemiteSam]

Haven't been able to watch the game much today but just noticed Rangers down 4-0 with Marty gone but only giving up 4 hits; 2 Ranger errors. He couldn't have been horrible. Where's the offense?

Four hits and four walks. All four runs were earned. Yeah, he was bad.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Hmm. At least they didn't get shutout again.

 

[Ranzo]

Hmm. At least they didn't get shutout again.

Well, CJ tomorrow night. Problem is that he is currently the only pitcher you can feel real good about going into any game. That's a problem. They were discussing on the radio this am that all pitchers are tired, with Lewis actually admitting it. All except maybe Wilson who looks like he's still strong.

 

[cowboyeric8]

Well, CJ tomorrow night. Problem is that he is currently the only pitcher you can feel real good about going into any game. That's a problem. They were discussing on the radio this am that all pitchers are tired, with Lewis actually admitting it. All except maybe Wilson who looks like he's still strong.

Yeah, it has been very noticeable for a few weeks now. They all act tired, and you can tell because a lot of their usual pitches aren't working.

 

[DIAF]

Feliz HAS to go into the rotation next year. There's no other way to fix this. I don't see Nolan and JD spending a lot of money on what are, quite frankly, terribly mediocre FA starters. And they sure as hell aren't going to make a play for CC once they resign (hopefully) CJ

I know this team isn't going anywhere this year, and I'm worried sick about next year's team. All that goodwill/warm fuzzies from last year's WS run has been negated and it's really tough for me to enjoy baseball now.

 

[cowboyeric8]

Feliz HAS to go into the rotation next year. There's no other way to fix this. I don't see Nolan and JD spending a lot of money on what are, quite frankly, terribly mediocre FA starters. And they sure as hell aren't going to make a play for CC once they resign (hopefully) CJ

I know this team isn't going anywhere this year, and I'm worried sick about next year's team. All that goodwill/warm fuzzies from last year's WS run has been negated and it's really tough for me to enjoy baseball now.

Just think back to how it was before this run and that will get you through. And who knows what might happen if we make the playoffs. (Not saying that I expect greatness, but the Rangers won't roll over either)

 

[Stautner]

Queue the Texas bullpen to start an implosion. Daniels better fix this bullpen in the offseason. After resigning CJ.

Caan't blame Daniels. He's worked very hard to fix it in the last month, bringing in some very successful and reliable relievers through trades. It's a shame they haven't all been as successful with the Rangers so far as they were with their previous teams, but Daniels has made some moves that should have made very postive impacts on the bullpen. Hopefully these guys will all settle in.

 

[Stautner]

Feliz HAS to go into the rotation next year. There's no other way to fix this. I don't see Nolan and JD spending a lot of money on what are, quite frankly, terribly mediocre FA starters. And they sure as hell aren't going to make a play for CC once they resign (hopefully) CJ

I know this team isn't going anywhere this year, and I'm worried sick about next year's team. All that goodwill/warm fuzzies from last year's WS run has been negated and it's really tough for me to enjoy baseball now.

Yeah, its sad being a 1st place team. Wonder how you handled the 10 years before 2010? It must suck to live with a constant gloom and doom outlook.

You never seem to get the marathon aspect of a Major League baseball season. It's a roller coaster - that's just the nature of the beast.

That said, I will agree that there is reason for concern at the moment because it's been a long season for several pitchers that are pitching a lot more innings than they have in the past, but the team did manage 2 out of 3 against Boston and are still in 1st place. If they can manage to hold on and make the playoffs anything can happen. The only thing missing from last year is Cliff Lee - a big loss, no doubt, but the offense is better (if everyone can get healthy) and there is no reason the new stable of relief pitchers the Rangers have brought in the last month or so can't settle down and pitch like the players they typically been. There is still a month left and teams get hot at the right time every year.

 

[TheCoolFan]

Giving up already? The best of the Rangers is still yet to come. They're still probably 1-2 years away but the talent on the team could potentially end up being much better than the 2010 team.

 

[DIAF]

Yeah, its sad being a 1st place team. Wonder how you handled the 10 years before 2010? It must suck to live with a constant gloom and doom outlook.

You never seem to get the marathon aspect of a Major League baseball season. It's a roller coaster - that's just the nature of the beast.

That said, I will agree that there is reason for concern at the moment because it's been a long season for several pitchers that are pitching a lot more innings than they have in the past, but the team did manage 2 out of 3 against Boston and are still in 1st place. If they can manage to hold on and make the playoffs anything can happen. The only thing missing from last year is Cliff Lee - a big loss, no doubt, but the offense is better (if everyone can get healthy) and there is no reason the new stable of relief pitchers the Rangers have brought in the last month or so can't settle down and pitch like the players they typically been. There is still a month left and teams get hot at the right time every year.

No, I'm sure that this team will win the West, but I'm equally sure they will have a quick exit from the playoffs. Just because the team is in 1st place doesn't mean the outlook is all that rosy.

I've been following the Rangers since the mid-80's. It's been miserable for the most part.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Feliz HAS to go into the rotation next year. There's no other way to fix this. I don't see Nolan and JD spending a lot of money on what are, quite frankly, terribly mediocre FA starters. And they sure as hell aren't going to make a play for CC once they resign (hopefully) CJ

I know this team isn't going anywhere this year, and I'm worried sick about next year's team. All that goodwill/warm fuzzies from last year's WS run has been negated and it's really tough for me to enjoy baseball now.

I wouldn't give up so quickly. This season isn't over yet and the Rangers have a great offense and the pitching isn't half bad either. All teams going into down swings. The Rangers have over three full weeks to straighten it out. All the MUST do is finish first in the AL West over that time. If they get the issue straightened out, they should still be in first.

As for Feliz. He hasn't shown me he can depend on more than just his fastball yet. He may get a shot at starting, but I don't think he is ready to be a starter.

 

[Stautner]

No, I'm sure that this team will win the West, but I'm equally sure they will have a quick exit from the playoffs. Just because the team is in 1st place doesn't mean the outlook is all that rosy.

I've been following the Rangers since the mid-80's. It's been miserable for the most part.

No, being in first place doesn't mean the outlook is all that rosy, but it certainly means that for 5 months they have done enough right to still be in first place, and that's not something to sneeze at.

I have to wonder if you ever were an athelete or a competitor in anything, because it seems you have zero understanding that teams can gel, teams can get hot or cold, and that sometimes teams can just plug and plod away and have success beyond what might be readily apparent. You seem to have zero faith taht the competative spirit can be a factor. You find certain doom in every cool spell or aberration, often even if very small. several times over the season you have declared that Ogando or Harrison had started an irreversible skid whent they had an off game, only to find that it was just an off game in the same way as is common with most pitchers.

I have concern just like you that the increased workload Harrison and Ogando have had this year is catching up with them, but there is no certain doom.

And even so, what if the Rangers do end up getting to the playoffs and losing in the first round - so what? How ridiculous is it to dwell on that possibility with a month to go instead of enjoying the remainder of the season and holding out the hope that things will click at the right time and we will find ourselves back in the Series?

For you, if we win it's a fluke and something we can't continue enough to have success, and if we lose it's a sign of sure doom. If EVERYTHING is negative, why bother watching?

 

[YosemiteSam]

The last two years have been far better than the nine prior seasons!

Thank you Nolan, Jon Daniels, Jim Sundberg, and Ron Washington!

 

[DIAF]

No, being in first place doesn't mean the outlook is all that rosy, but it certainly means that for 5 months they have done enough right to still be in first place, and that's not something to sneeze at.

I have to wonder if you ever were an athelete or a competitor in anything, because it seems you have zero understanding that teams can gel, teams can get hot or cold, and that sometimes teams can just plug and plod away and have success beyond what might be readily apparent. You seem to have zero faith taht the competative spirit can be a factor. You find certain doom in every cool spell or aberration, often even if very small. several times over the season you have declared that Ogando or Harrison had started an irreversible skid whent they had an off game, only to find that it was just an off game in the same way as is common with most pitchers.

I have concern just like you that the increased workload Harrison and Ogando have had this year is catching up with them, but there is no certain doom.

And even so, what if the Rangers do end up getting to the playoffs and losing in the first round - so what? How ridiculous is it to dwell on that possibility with a month to go instead of enjoying the remainder of the season and holding out the hope that things will click at the right time and we will find ourselves back in the Series?

For you, if we win it's a fluke and something we can't continue enough to have success, and if we lose it's a sign of sure doom. If EVERYTHING is negative, why bother watching?

I am sick and tired of the "I wonder if you were ever a...." or the "you have zero understanding/knowledge/etc" argument used to belittle anyone with a negative opinion of something, as if the party that uses it has got some sort of insight into the world of professional athletics.

I am well aware that teams run hot and cold, can gel, thanks. Thanks for the patronization. I am also aware of what I see on the field - a team with faults that weren't there a year ago and a few guys who were obviously running "hot" and playing above their ability and now the luck's run out.

I was 100% correct about Ogando and Harrison. All you have to do is look back at the last what, 10-15 starts for each to realize that. Since the break, those two have turned into pumpkins and I expect that trend to continue.

What alarms me is that this team should have a 5-8 game lead on the division. What alarms me is that even though this is a 1st place team, I don't genuinely feel like I am watching a 1st place team. Only the most Polyanna of fans geniunely feels good about Rangers baseball at the moment. And the outlook is gloomier when you think about next year.

This team has some real problems now and potentially even more coming up after the season.

CJ is pitching at the same level as last year. Colby nowhere close. Harrison and Ogando are gassed and are used up. Holland you have no idea what you are going to get when he takes the mound. The defense, which was a strength last year, has been nowhere near as good. The Rangers are currently next to last in the AL and have already comitted MORE errors this year with 20 games to go than they did all of last season. Even the much-vaunted relief acquisitions haven't performed as well as expected. The only thing you can really feel good about is that the Rangers will score runs. But then that makes them exactly like every other Rangers team of the last 20 years.

You can go on about how I don't know anything about sports, it must be miserable to be me, or any other trite argument from the Debating on Sports Messageboard 101 textbook, but it doesn't change the fact that this is nowhere near what last year's team was, and that this team will likely only make the postseason because of the ineptness of its competition, rather than the team actually being championship caliber.

I wouldn't give up so quickly. This season isn't over yet and the Rangers have a great offense and the pitching isn't half bad either. All teams going into down swings. The Rangers have over three full weeks to straighten it out. All the MUST do is finish first in the AL West over that time. If they get the issue straightened out, they should still be in first.

As for Feliz. He hasn't shown me he can depend on more than just his fastball yet. He may get a shot at starting, but I don't think he is ready to be a starter.

I am not "giving up", but I do recognize this team for what it is. I just hope JD and Nolan fix it somehow in the offseason. But they've got even less room for error than they did last offseason.

Feliz is in a position now where he doesn't really HAVE to do anything but depend on his fastball.

Closers are a dime a dozen. Starting pitchers with his talent are far more rare. He needs to be in the rotation to maximize his value...and also because we are going to need starting pitching FAR more than we need back-of-the-pen arms next season.

 

[Stautner]

I am sick and tired of the "I wonder if you were ever a...." or the "you have zero understanding/knowledge/etc" argument used to belittle anyone with a negative opinion of something, as if the party that uses it has got some sort of insight into the world of professional athletics.

I am well aware that teams run hot and cold, can gel, thanks. Thanks for insult. I am also aware of what I see on the field - a team with faults that weren't there a year ago and a few guys who were obviously running "hot" and playing above their ability and now the luck's run out.

I was 100% correct about Ogando and Harrison. All you have to do is look back at the last what, 10-15 starts for each to realize that. Since the break, those two have turned into pumpkins and I expect that trend to continue.

What alarms me is that this team should have a 5-8 game lead on the division. What alarms me is that even though this is a 1st place team, I don't genuinely feel like I am watching a 1st place team. Only the most Polyanna of fans geniunely feels good about Rangers baseball at the moment. And the outlook is gloomier when you think about next year.

This team has some real problems now and potentially even more coming up after the season.

CJ is pitching at the same level as last year. Colby nowhere close. Harrison and Ogando are gassed and are used up. Holland you have no idea what you are going to get when he takes the mound. The defense, which was a strength last year, has been nowhere near as good. The Rangers are currently next to last in the AL and have already comitted MORE errors this year with 20 games to go than they did all of last season. Even the much-vaunted relief acquisitions haven't performed as well as expected. The only thing you can really feel good about is that the Rangers will score runs. But then that makes them exactly like every other Rangers team of the last 20 years.

You can go on about how I don't know anything about sports, it must be miserable to be me, or any other trite argument from the Debating on Sports Messageboard 101 textbook, but it doesn't change the fact that this is nowhere near what last year's team was, and that this team will likely only make the postseason because of the ineptness of its competition, rather than the team actually being championship caliber.



I am not "giving up", but I do recognize this team for what it is. I just hope JD and Nolan fix it somehow in the offseason. But they've got even less room for error than they did last offseason.

Feliz is in a position now where he doesn't really HAVE to do anything but depend on his fastball.

Closers are a dime a dozen. Starting pitchers with his talent are far more rare. He needs to be in the rotation to maximize his value...and also because we are going to need starting pitching FAR more than we need back-of-the-pen arms next season.

You were 100% right about HArrison and Ogando? Really? Well, if there is no time limit to when things go bad, then you were guaranteed to be right eventually, whether this year or next or at whatever point in the future you decide. But the fact is you claimed they had hit the skids 2-3 months ago, and you were plain wrong, and the fact that Harrison came out and threw an outstanding game against Boston a couple of days ago suggests you may still be wrong.

And as for the team, you claimed certain doom 2-3 months ago, yet they are still n 1st place. There apparently is something wrong with what you see as proving you were absolutely right.

As for being aware teams run hot and cold, I guess you are aware of it with other teams, but apparently have no concept of it with the Rangers.

Again, the ONLY thing missing from last years team is Lee - and again, that is admittedly a loss - but what else is missing from last year? Vlad? He sucked the second half of the season, and having Napoli and Young playing DH is a big upgrade. Young at 3B? Beltre is a big upgrade. 1B? Moreland is a very nice improvement over last seasons merry-go-round. Feliz hasn't been as consistent, but even though he hasn't been elite, his still a well above average closer. And we went out and traded for some outstanding bullpen help, and while all haven't been what we hoped for as yet, their individual histories tell us they should end up being very effective once they settle in.

All that said, of course the Rangers aren't the favorite to win it all - they weren't last year either. But there is no doom until things play out. MLB history is full of examples of teams pulling out late in the season, and also full of teams winning in the playoffs despite not being favored.

Why in the world is that possible with every other team, but not the Rangers? Why completely turn your back on that - why condemn yourself to misery all the time instead of enjoying the hope of the season? It's a ridiculous way to watch games, always expecting the worse and looking for signs of doom in every pitch or batted ball.

Recognizing the team for what it is would amount to recognizing there are flaws to overcome, not that there are flaws that are impossible to overcome. The lessons of history tell us that a team that has remained in 1st place for 5 months and is relatively healthy is in the hunt, and has a chance to overcome flaws - they have been doing it all year.