Texas Rangers

Continue reading "Will this Ranger's team make the playoffs?"

My Feelings On The Texas Rangers Thus Far This Year:

Good, Bad, and "Meh"

     So people in Dallas are pretty proud of their Rangers now, as they should be.  A lead in the AL West, a respectable 14-6 home record…plus it takes the minds of Dallas sports fans off the Cowboys and Mavericks for a second, which, given Jerry Jones’ and Mark Cuban’s further descent into Al Davis-Hood and the Cowboys and Mavs further descent into irrelevance, is a welcome respite. I’d say the Rangers represent the Dallas area’s best chance for a championship in the next five years (not counting hockey  because not enough people care and not counting soccer because I’m only including real sports). 

Continue reading "Texas Rangers-Quarter Season Likes and Dislikes"

With Spring Training nearing and the competition getting fierce early on, here are my starting lineup projection in order of depth with a brief analysis:

1B:  Chris Davis--Showed he can play at the corner spots.  Offense is a plus for him.  

Continue reading "My Projected Lineup for the 2009 Season"

It's easy to blame the Rangers organization for Alex Rodriguez's use of PEDs in his years as a Ranger, but where does the blame lie?  Many argue that the Rangers are the ones to blame with their string of ball players who were accused of using steroids or other PEDs.  However, I have to argue that the one to blame is truly the player.  If you listen carefully, A-Rod said, "When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt the weight of the world on top of me, and I needed to perform and perform at a high level everyday."  His admittance of that fact puts the blame solely on his shoulders. When you sign a 10-year, $252 million contract, you should expect some amount of pressure.  As humans, we are given free will.  We have a choice to make whatever decisions we please.  Using PEDs was not forced on him; that was evident in his comment. 

Continue reading "Alex Rodriguez admission was the ..."

The Texas Rangers recently signed Andruw Jones to a minor league contract.  If he makes the squad, the Texas Rangers will pay him $500,000 and a up to $1 million in bonuses.  Why is this important?  Because Jones is still a viable player that can be traded for a smaller price if he doesn't make the Rangers roster this spring.  That and it doesn't break the Rangers bank.  Jones also provides a fail-safe if Josh Hamilton goes down with an injury.  Marlon Byrd, who recently re-signed with the Rangers, was a fill in player for Hamilton in Center field at times, but really found his niche in Left Field.  Already a logjam in the outfield, the Rangers can only hope that Andruw Jones can become the terror at the plate he used to be in Atlanta.  After leaving Atlanta for the Dodgers, Jones never regained his offensive form and after a series of injuries, faltered many aspects of his game.

Continue reading "What the Andruw Jones move does for ..."

The names Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo aren't names you're familiar with, but you may in a couple short seasons.  The Rangers and Tigers made the trade as expected would happen with a surplus of catchers to trade at will.  This move is a good move for both clubs.  Guillermo Moscoso and Carlos Melo have strong upside and their bodies were built to be pitchers.  Moscoso has the potential to be a young Pedro Martinez and he may be the first one of the two to make the 40-man roster. Melo, on the other hand, has good upside; his fastball can reach up to 100 MPH, but his control is an issue. 

Continue reading "Rangers make early move in the Winter ..."

Free Agency opened up on Friday, but has started off slowly fo the Rangers.  Milton Bradley and Jamey Wright will test the free agency waters, but it will be Milton Bradley iwho is commanding the most attention of all the Ranger free agents.  Bradley is looking for a multiyear contract, but will be hard pressed to get it with his history of injuries.  The Royals and the A's are looking for switch hitting designated hitters, but the A's would seem to be more in position to offer him a multiyear contract. 

Continue reading "With free agency underway, Rangers ..."

The obvious and ideal situation for the Rangers in the offseason is to find quality arms in the starting rotation.  While that seems easy, there are limitation to what can be done in developing this process.  The Rangers go into the Winter Meetings with leverage.  They have a surplus of catching prospects that showed their depth and mettle this past season.

Continue reading "Texas Rangers go into Winter Meetings ..."

10/25/08 9:20pm C.T. 

So I'm sitting here at home tonight watching Game 3 of the 2008 World Series between the Rays and Phillies. The game started an hour and a half later than slated because of a rain delay!! The fans on the East coast will be up late tonight! But you know what? These fans have waited over 20 years for this moment. I'm sure they would have all stayed at the ballpark even if the game didn't start until midnight. So would have I if I was in Arlington watching Texas witness its first World Series game ever. 

Continue reading "Oh when oh when will I be watching ..."

The Rangers finish out the 2008 season four games under .500, slightly off my prediction of finishing at .500.  The Rangers have already made changes going into next season, the first casualties being bench coach Art Howe, who was responsible for the defense, which finished last, and third base coach Matt Walbeck.  Both will not return to the organization next season, however, the Rangers will be looking for experience at bench coach.  Don Baylor's name has been brought up in the mix, but it is too early to tell. 

Continue reading "Rangers improved from 2007, but not ..."

With the MLB playoffs set to begin, there is a subtle difference in the air compared to start of any other postseason. In the NHL, fans can potentially look forward to a great Canadians/Bruins series that is not only exciting, but has a historical kick to it. Likewise basketball fans always have the chance to see if the Suns can finally get past the Spurs and football fans love seeing the rivalry of the Eagles Vs the City of Philadelphia when the Eagles so much as get tackled for a loss.

Continue reading "The Ups and Downs of the MLB Playoffs"

The Texas Rangers closed out their baseball season at home with a 14-4 victory over the Oakland A's.  The final game of the season saw Hank Blalock drive in four runs and smash a homerun.  Matt Harrison pitched six strong innings and he becomes the first rookie starting pitcher for the Rangers to win nine games.  He boosted his chances for a starting position going into next season.

Continue reading "Rangers close out their final homestand in style"

Anything short of a miracle, the Rangers won't be making the playoffs; however, they have pieces of the puzzle they're eager to put together.  Ron Washington's club looks to finish second in the AL West, something they haven't done since 1999, their last playoff appearance.  To boot, they seek to finish the season above .500.  The Rangers are 7-3 in their last ten games and it looks like they will accomplish the task.   

Continue reading "Putting Pieces of the Puzzle"

Continue reading "You Want Serious, Look Somewhere Else"

It's no surprise that each year the Rangers' main weakness is pitching.  Thus far, with one month to go, the Rangers are 14th out of 14 teams in the AL in ERA, and quality starts.  Traditionally, they have no problems with their offense.  Currently they are first in team average, first in runs scored, first in extra base hits, and second in homeruns.  So, why can't the Rangers manage to get quality pitchers?  The answer may not be as easy as fans think.

Continue reading "Making the Pitch"

One of the All-Star Break traditions: Reassessing our predictions from the first half of the season. Some of mine have changed, some have stayed the same—and some were just damn wrong. Living in the West, I will take the contrarian position and roll from west to east in my choices.

Continue reading "Second Half Predictions"

As I remarked in my blog when he was released, Sidney Ponson has brought his teams little but grief to go with his occasionally adequate pitching. When the Rangers released him, I’d hoped that would be the last of Sir Sidney.

Continue reading "Sidney "Poison" Ponson"

The Texas Rangers aren't known for making shrewd organizational moves. They were nicknamed The Strangers in the 1970s, in part because of their no-name team, but also for their proclivity towards hiring oddballs or also-rans. In the 1980s and 90s, striving for acceptance, they built a new ballfield (which has proved to be not only a sauna in the hot Texas summers, but also a launching pad for hitters) and enjoyed a brief window of respectability, appearing in their first postseason and winning their only playoff game in 1995. 

Continue reading "Texas Rangers Show Some Character"

For many baseball fans, last night wasn't a great night to watch baseball, as blowouts predominated early on. But, because of the beautiful game that is baseball, only three of them continued in their lopsided fashion, with the best of them highlighted by a homer from Micah Owings, the best-hitting pitcher in baseball, whom teammate Conor Jackson said had the "best pop" of anyone on the team. And all of them showed something about the winning and losing teams, proving that any baseball game is worth watching, even when it doesn't seem exciting.

Continue reading "The Night of the Blowouts"

Texas Rangers

How will the Rangers replace Mark Teixeira’s offense?

The answer to t

Continue reading "MLB 2008 Season Preview: American League West"