GhostOfRubenSierra
- 8 comments
- 0 likes given
- 6 likes received
Bio not provided
Had not even realized that M. Young had fallen below the .270 level. He's a professional hitter for sure, but maybe it's time to see Cruz or Napoli in the 5 hole and see how they respond. Sometimes players step up when challenged.
Agree in a round about way. Feldman's role is probably the easiest role to replace, being a long man/spot starter. I don't see any reason to sign someone. There ain't no glory in it, but a starter from AAA or Robbie Ross could definitely fill it. Oswalt is no slam dunk, so signing him seems like a knee jerk reaction.
It's undeniable that the kid's got talent, but I think there is much to question of Feliz's mental makeup and even his conditioning. He's still a thrower, not a pitcher, and when his FB is down in the 92 - 95 range he seems to have nothing else to go to. He's young so anything can happen, and I think he can be a great #2 or #3, but I think the day will come soon when people quit talking about him being a #1.
I think Oswalt is a really bad decision. It might take a month to get him ready, and if you give Feldman a month of regular starts (instead of spot starting which has to be the hardest thing to do in the majors) we will all be pleasantly surprised. Scotty's 17 wins were no fluke when he was healthy and the cutter/2 seamer combo was breaking bats left and right. Settled back into an every 5th day role, I think he could be really good.
Hope to see Napoli and Cruz get it together soon, that would be the ultimate remedy for this club. A little noise from the 6 - 8 spots (Mr. Moreland seems to have gotten it together) would do wonders.
Darvish has really impressed me with both his ability and his demeanor. He never lacks for focus yet has an uncanny way of staying loose. He seems extremely confident yet never breaks from a show of humility. He has the desitre and nuture to fit in, yet also the initiative to lead. These things are the qualities of an ace, yes, but I hesitate to designate him as such until he passes a few more trials and tribulations.
Let him win a game on the road, when it really matters. Let him get beaten, as all pitchers do, and then come back and command the mound the next game. Let him compete on the biggest stage, in the playoffs against the Yankees. While arguments will be made for "who is our ace?", the answer comes not from statistics or rotation order. Cliff Lee and CJ Wilson and even Yu Darvish now may make the highlights with the 10 strikeout games and 16 win seasons, but my ace is the pitcher who battles every 5th day all season long. Who fights through tough innings, and goes a little deeper to save a bullpen, and who more often then not picks this team up and leads them. Yu may have his time as the Ranger's ace, but not yet.
My ace is Colby Lewis.
Perhaps Elvis read my comment that he is, in fact, the perfect 2 hitter, and is embracing the role? My newest, and perhaps only real issue with Mr. Andrus... "run to first base dammit!" Quite possibly the die hard attitude of the Rusty Greer type ballplayer is dead, as I routinely see Andrus, Kinsler, and most of the lineup dog it to first on a ground ball. Only the "something to prove" Craig Gentry busts his butt on every ground out. Andrus has the speed to beat out more infield hits then he does, but alas, I supposed that is just nit-picking.
Hamilton is indeed in "Hulk-Mode" (A full 3 levels higher than the proverbial 'beast mode') and it is a treat to see him play this well. Allways the skeptic, it would have been nice for him to produce any kind of decent at bat in the first 7 innings of Thursday's double header game. As the most "feared" player in the game right now, a 150 game pace of 65 walks is pretty dismal. A hit or a walk in 3 useless at bats could have meant that he batted as the tying run in the bottom of the 9th of a 6 - 5 loss. Monster Homeruns are fantastic, but the little things add up too.
In response to the CJ comments, he is the ultimate "boo-able" player. Did he pitch relatively well for the Rangers? Sure. But he also refused to every embrace the what makes this team great. Wilson pitched for himself, and not the team. He wanted wins and glory, evidence by the fact that he never took accountability for his struggles. "Bad hops" or "bad luck" were always to blame when he lost. He showed no heart, completely not showing up in the playoffs. And in the most pivotal offseason of his career, he was unburdened by the recent World Series loss, as he had far too many breakdancing and yoga classes to attend. For the grand finale, he signs with the Ranger's biggest inner division rival, not unprescedented but definitely an eye roller.
"BOO CJ WILSON!" Oh, and thanks for the 1/3 inning gem last night. Amazing that Darvish had the heart and conviction to stay focused and ready and return to that game, and you didn't. Seems like we made the right choice after all.
I think yesterday's 7 - 3 win was a great example of Wash using this lineup efficiently. Twice Andrus selflessly sacrificed runners into scoring position only to have the meat of this lineup knock runs in. That's great baseball. People seem to forget, when Andrus leads off he's expected to get on base, and who else on this team is going to do the dirty work that he accomplishes in the 2 hole? I still say Young is too valuable as a run producer to waste at his at bats moving runners.
I believe the idea has some merit, however I think a great comparison can be made to another Ranger great. Pudge Rodriguez hit second for a long time because of his contact potential putting the ball in play nearly every at bat. But when moved to the 3 or 5 hole he was able to have more of a run producer mentality and really showed what a hitter he was. I think Young is much better as a run producer, considering his stellar batting average with RISP and I would hate to see him losing at bats moving runners over and sac bunting. This seems like the perfect role for Elvis, and he has the speed to turn sac bunts into hits. Plus, it's hard to argue with 12 - 2!
The Rangers will benefit if the "business" of baseball prevails over the fan's hopes and dreams. Josh Hamilton is a scouts dream in terms of tools and talent, but the reasons for letting him walk are numerous. I believe he will never live up to a long term contract. The fans of the Texas Rangers have been more than supportive to him and I will wish him well if he signs elsewhere.