Lone Star Ball: Front Page Posts

Wash chat at the S-T

Adam J. Morris — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:07 -0000

The Star-Telegram is hosting a chat session with Ron Washington at 2 p.m. Central on 9/16...

You can send in questions now by clicking here and submitting your question...

And I know, from the comments, there are lots of questions you guys would like to ask Wash, so send them in...

9/7/08 game day thread

Adam J. Morris — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:00:08 -0000

The rubber game.

Sunday a.m. things

Adam J. Morris — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:15:59 -0000

Texas is 4 1/2 games up on Oakland now, with 19 to go (20 to go for the A's). They need to go 10-9 to hit the 80-82 record I predicted before the season, and 11-8 to finish at .500. As I think everyone knows since finishing first in the West in 1999, they've yet to finish higher than 3rd, and have finished above .500 just once.

That long streak of losing is, I think, the biggest reason the Rangers are looking at their worst season of attendance since TBIA opened in 1994. Fans want to see a team that wins. For most of this decade, the Rangers have been a losing team.

Evan Grant says that the Rangers are looking for answers about what they can expect going forward from, among others, Josh Hamilton, Matt Harrison, and Nelson Cruz, and both showed the Rangers something yesterday -- Hamilton that is isn't worn down yet, Harrison that he can bounce back from a bad inning and give the Rangers innings, Cruz that some of that power he showed in AAA (and in batting practice) can translate to the majors.

There was some discussion in the game day thread last night about why the Rangers waited until September to call up Cruz, and put themselves in a position where, regardless of what he does this month, there are still going to be questions about him.

My guess is that the team doesn't see Cruz in its future plans in any case -- it sees Josh Hamilton as its right fielder of the future, possibly as soon as 2009, and Cruz as trade bait. My guess is that the Rangers felt he wasn't going to help his trade value any by coming up to the majors before he did, and thus they chose to leave him in AAA and see what they could get for him. I'll be very surprised if they don't end up moving him before December.

Jeff Wilson says Harrison battled and made adjustments after giving up the Youkilis home run, which is what allowed Harrison to give the Rangers six innings.

Although Ron Washington says Warner Madrigal is getting a look as the 8th inning guy, Jamey Wright says he likes the 8th inning role and wants a shot at it going forward.

9/6/08 game day thread

Adam J. Morris — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:00:06 -0000

Bleah.

Saturday a.m. things

Adam J. Morris — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:00:03 -0000

I think the best thing about the end of the season coming soon is that I won't have to watch the Rangers play the Red Sox any more. That's not been pleasant in 2008.

Evan Grant notes that the Rangers are now 0-8 against Boston this season, and thinks most of the 30K+ fans at the game last night went home happy, since most of the fans appeared to be cheering for the BoSox.

Grant also says that Ron Washington is going to audition Warner Madrigal for the 8th inning role the rest of the way, and that Vicente Padilla is coming off the d.l. on Tuesday.

Dustin Nippert is going to be in the rotation for the rest of the way, getting four starts, with Scott Feldman getting just one, as the Rangers look to keep Feldman's workload manageable. A strong finish by Nippert could create some tough decisions for the Rangers next year, as Nippert is out of options, and may, with a strong finish, put himself on the inside track for the 5th starter job for 2009.

9/5/08 game day thread

Adam J. Morris — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 23:00:05 -0000

Go Rangers...

New podcast up

Adam J. Morris — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:19:50 -0000

There is a new podcast now up...

Really good stuff, I think, including some discussion about Ron Washington's future here and Brandon McCarthy's return...

Click here to download, or click here for the iTunes version.

Stat of the year

Adam J. Morris — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:30:05 -0000

Neftali Feliz, so far this season, has thrown 134 1/3 innings.

He has allowed 3 home runs.

3 home runs. In 134 innings. That's a rate of .20 HRs per 9 innings.

To put that in perspective, in the majors this year, among qualifying pitchers, Cliff Lee has the lowest HR/9 rate, at .37. Tim Lincecum and Mike Pelfrey are the only other pitchers to be below .5 HR/9.

Charting the organization - Third Base

zywica — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:00:06 -0000

Previous positions:
First Base
Second Base
Shortstop

Third base might be the Rangers' most uncertain position, and its future is more unclear than at any point since the start of the decade. One of as many as six current Rangers could conceivably be the primary third baseman next season, as could someone from the outside.

Depth Chart:
Texas (MLB) - Chris Davis, Ramon Vazquez
Oklahoma (AAA) - Travis Metcalf
Frisco (AA) - Johnny Whittleman
Bakersfield (A+) - Erik Morrison
Clinton (A) - Jonathan Greene
Spokane (A-) - Matthew West
AZL (RK) - Johan Yan
DSL (RK) - Emmanuel Solis, Miguel Moreno

Top 3B prospects:
1. Johnny Whittleman - disappointing season overall but doesn't look out of place in AA
2. Matthew West - 2007 second round pick has held his own but has not shown power
3. Jonathan Greene - basically a default choice, not having a bad year
4, 5. Johan Yan/Emmanuel Solis/Miguel Moreno - three bonus babies who haven't really made inroads as legitimate prospects...Moreno has hit a little, while Yan and Solis could have futures on the mound

Top 3B prospects in baseball (loosely ordered):
Pedro Alvarez (status uncertain) PIT, Mike Moustakas KC, Matt Gamel (DH?) MIL, Josh Vitters CHC, Matt Dominguez FLA, Todd Frazier (SS) CIN, Neftali Soto CIN, Brett Lawrie (Utility?) MIL, Allen Craig STL, Kevin Ahrens TOR

Top 3B organizations:
1. NY Mets - David Wright, Dan Murphy
2. Tampa Bay - Evan Longoria
3. Chicago Cubs - Aramis Ramirez, Josh Vitters
4. NY Yankees - Alex Rodriguez
5. Kansas City - Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas

Where the Rangers fit:
That all depends. If Davis stays here and can handle it defensively, he figures to be one of the more productive third basemen in baseball. If Michael Young moves here, it probably continues to be average to a little below average. If we see a stop-gap, this spot figures to bat last in the lineup and be among the weaker in the league.

2009 outlook:
Hank Blalock appears to be done with the position, at least in this organization. Davis has drawn better reviews in the majors than he did last year in the minors. Ron Washington seems to have some faith in him defensively here, though it is unclear whether that's against the backdrop of a short term or long term solution. My money is on his stay being short, however, as Davis moving to Michael Young's most natural destination leaves the one guy with a a big contract without a position. I have never seen Young play this spot, but I have to think that the best bet is that he spends the bulk of his remaining time in Texas at the hot corner.

German Duran and Metcalf will be default options, though neither looks at all likely to hit enough to handle the position full time. Whittleman should open back at Frisco and is the one viable prospect in the system. West will likely get his first taste of full season ball in Clinton.

Friday a.m. things

Adam J. Morris — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:51:48 -0000

There are only 21 games to go in the season. That seems bizarre...I'm sort of ready for the season to be over, and yet, I can't believe that there's that few games to go.

The Rangers are 69-72 right now. To finish at .500, they need to go 12-9 over their final 21 games.

The Rangers are also 5 1/2 games up on Oakland, which has 22 games to go. If the Rangers just go 10-11 over their final 21 games, the A's would have to go 17-5 to finish a game ahead of the Rangers. If the Rangers cratered and went 6-15 the rest of the way, the A's would still have to go 13-9 to pass them.

You know how we've been complaining about Milton Bradley not staying healthy this season? Well, Evan Grant points out Bradley has played in 113 games this year, which isn't a ton, but is the second most of his career, and he's stayed off the d.l. for just the second time since 2001. That speaks volumes about Bradley's health history. In Grant's article, Jon Daniels said the organization will wait until after the season to talk contract with Bradley.

T.R. Sullivan has some bloggy notes up, which includes this amusing quote from Ron Washington:

Washington on Gerald Laird's desire to play every day: "That's okay with me. He expects to catch every day? That's fine. It's just not going to happen."

I have my doubts about whether Washington is the answer as a manager -- something that we discuss at length in the latest podcast, which should be up later today -- but quotes like that make it hard for me to beat up on him too much.

Season-ending surgery for Kinsler

Adam J. Morris — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:59:52 -0000

Ian Kinsler is going to undergo season-ending surgery for his hernia.

Nothing more for me to say.

John Hart going to Seattle?

WyoRanger — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:30:59 -0000

John Hart going to Seattle?

Will John Hart go to Seattle?

Ed. Note -- AJM is laughing evilly right now, while sticking out his blue tongue and wearing his bead necklace

This picture still makes me laugh

Adam J. Morris — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:30:05 -0000

Charting the organization - Shortstop

zywica — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:00:08 -0000

Previous positions:
First Base
Second Base

Shortstop in this organization is all about two guys, Michael Young and Elvis Andrus, and when Andrus will bump Young to another position.

Depth Chart:
Texas (MLB) - Michael Young, Ramon Vazquez
Oklahoma (AAA) - Casey Benjamin
Frisco (AA) - Elvis Andrus
Bakersfield (A+) - Marcus Lemon
Clinton (A) - Andres James, David Davis Stoneburner
Spokane (A-) - Edward Koncel
AZL (RK) - Leury Garcia
DSL1 (RK) - Edwin Garcia

Top SS prospects:
1. Elvis Andrus - ETA is becoming a key question for organization
2. Marcus Lemon - have to double-rank him to avoid angering dirkatron
3. Joaquin Arias - health of his arm, viability as a stop-gap starter still in question
4, 5. - I really don't know. James didn't hit at all this year and I know very little about the Garcias

Top SS prospects in baseball (loosely ordered):
Reid Brignac TB, Elvis Andrus TEX, Alcides Escobar MIL, Tim Beckham TB, Wilmer Flores NYM, Hector Gomez COL, Brandon Hicks ATL, Oscar Tejeda BOS, Cale Iorg DET, Carlos Rivero CLE

Top SS organizations:
1. Colorado - Troy Tulowitzki, Hector Gomez, Chris Nelson
2. Florida - Hanley Ramirez
3. NY Mets - Jose Reyes, Wilmer Flores, Ruben Tejada
4. Milwaukee - JJ Hardy, Alcides Escobar, Brent Brewer
5. Tampa Bay - Jason Bartlett, Ben Zobrist, Reid Brignac, Tim Beckham

Where the Rangers fit:
Despite the fact that many Rangers fans would like to see him do something other than play shortstop, Young keeps making all-star teams. Andrus is one of a very small group of legitimate two-way shortstop prospects and gives the Rangers one of the best veteran/prospect combos in baseball.

2009 outlook:
Most observers expect Young to open the season at shortstop (though some think that he could be moved as soon as next spring), but how much longer he stays there could be determined by how quickly Andrus masters AAA and cuts down on his defensive mistakes. Arias figures in the equation as well, though not as a long term solution.

Lemon will be Frisco's shortstop next season. Below him it is hard to identify anyone as a viable prospect.

Thursday a.m. things

Adam J. Morris — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:18:22 -0000

So I'm sitting here, trying to decide if the 7 innings of shutout ball Dustin Nippert threw yesterday against the hapless M's should make me feel better about Nippert, or worse about what Brandon McCarthy did against the Mariners the day before.

Evan Grant has a lot of praise for Taylor Teagarden's handling of the pitchers yesterday, with Ron Washington giving him credit for calling a great game and making adjustments. Washington, of course, puts a huge emphasis on a catcher's defense and ability to run a game, and Teagarden, with back-to-back 1-0 shutout victories to his credit behind the plate, is certainly making an impression in that regard.

Jason Jennings is going to start throwing on September 19, and says he'd like to come back to Texas next year. I wouldn't be surprised if the Rangers signed him on a minor league deal.

Wednesday night linkaliciousness

Adam J. Morris — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:03:35 -0000

Next time the DHL commercial on the golf course is on, could someone tell me if I'm insane for thinking that Big Love from "House" is the employee?

Some linkys for you...

Kevin Goldstein's Future Shock today has some Taylor Teagarden talk:

Taylor Teagarden, C: This is really a showcase. That, or Jarrod Saltalammachia is being showcased. Or maybe it's Gerald Laird... and oh yeah, what about Max Ramirez, who hit .347/.439/.628 in the minors this year? The point is that the Rangers have a a quartet of big-league-ready catchers, and something or someone is going to have to give. A third-round pick in 2005, Teagarden is probably the best defender of the quartet, but he also has the most questionable bat. He'll never hit for much of an average, but hopes to make up for it with plenty of walks and home runs. With a .211/.319/.374 line this year in a season that had its fair share of hiccups due to injuries and the Olympics, there is still work to be done, and the Rangers may be hoping that someone else steps forward that has the time to do that work.

Ken Rosenthal also talks about the Ranger catching:

Rangers catcher Gerald Laird remains a strong candidate to be traded this winter. The Rangers, forever trying to improve their pitching, are enamored with Taylor Teagarden's receiving and game-calling. Teagarden, a right-handed hitter, intially could platoon with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, a switch-hitter who is better from the left side. Max Ramirez, another catching prospect, could end up as a designated hitter and first baseman next season if the Rangers lose outfielder Milton Bradley as a free agent . . .

Keith Law has a chat session up...some excerpts...

Keith Law: Aaron Rowand in his last 400 PA: .258 /.328/.398. $11 million is a lot of money for a fourth outfielder ... but at least he only has four years left on his deal!

Everyone who wanted Aaron Rowand, raise your hand. Everyone who wanted Rowand and Torii Hunter, because Rowand could be our RF and Hunter our CF, go stand in the corner.

Mike (Rutland, VT): Hi Keith, Any thoughts on the performance of the Pirates' front office as it relates to the trade deadline and Alvarez contract mess? Thanks for your time.

Keith Law: I'll answer the broader question and hopefully I'll answer yours in here somewhere. The part that bothers me is that MLB unilaterally bent the rules on the signing deadline. One, they can't do that without talking to the union. Two, they never even admitted they were doing this until Boras called them out on it. And three, I'm pretty sure that these waivers were abused in at least one instance to allow for continued negotiations, not just dotting i's and crossing t's. Should the Pirates' front office be charged as co-conspirators? I don't know. If I was Huntington and the Commissioner's Office said, "Just finish the deal, don't worry about the clock," I'd finish the damn deal. By the same token, if I'm Scott Boras and my client gets a $6 million offer that I think is sketchy, I take the deal first and challenge it later so that at least my client has it in his back pocket if he decides he just wants to take the money and run.

Emphasis mine, because I wonder if he's talking about the 2008 draft or 2007. If he's talking about the 2007 draft, there immediately comes to mind a certain draftee whose announcement came real, real late, where there was a cone of silence until the next day and a major league deal involved.

Allyson, Dallas: Keith, thanks for chatting! Julio Borbon has been playing very good this year so will the Rangers look at him in CF to start the season next year?

Keith Law: Yes, my understanding is that he'll get a shot to win that job.

Wow. Borbon as the possible 2009 Opening Day CF'er would cause a lot of other dominos to fall.

Allyson, Dallas: Rangers top 10 prospects - 1. Feliz 2. Holland 3. Andrus 4. Smoak 5. Main 6. Ramirez 7. Beavan 8. Borbon 9. Engle Beltre 10. Kasey Kiker. Agree?

Keith Law: I'd probably go Feliz, Smoak, Main, Andrus, Holland, Ramirez, Borbon, Beavan, Ross, Beltre. But I reserve the right to change my mind.

Borbon 7 and Ross 9...very interesting picks there...

Kevin Goldstein also has a chat up, that is very Pedro Alvarez-centric, with a quick Ranger question at the top.

Columnist Bob Lutz, in a piece questioning the direction Dayton Moore is taking the Royals, questions whether Trey Hillman is all that:

As for Hillman -- is this working?

He was brought in after managing in Japan for a few years. He has been called out by Guillen (ignore) and, most recently, backup catcher Miguel Olivo (more credible).

Losing can bring out the worst in people, which is why the Royals' clubhouse in September has been a devil's playground.

Asked about whether Hillman was the right choice, Moore recently told the Star: "No question. I can't think of a better person who would have been, and remains, as committed to what we're trying to do here. He has sold out on what we're trying to do here."

OK.
* * *
What does it say about the Royals that one of the most productive hitters in the minor leagues -- first baseman Kila Kaaihue (36 homers, 97 RBIs in 380 at-bats) languished at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha before receiving a September call-up?

Meanwhile, Hillman spent much of the season penciling in the soft-swatting Gload, who has all of three homers, at first base.

Jim Callis also did a chat...lots of Alvarez, no Rangers.

Shysterball rakes Rick Reilly over the coals for making a stupid, populist anti-steroids/lawsuit argument.

Stephen A. Smith says black people have better things to do than nerd out playing fantasy sports...

John Barten has his latest edition of the THT Awards up...

Jacoby Ellsbury since June 1: .259/.295/.336. Ouch.

Minors 9/3: The Playoffs

bigsteve — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:29:51 -0000

Didn't see anything posted yet. Maybe most people are actually at the games. Anyway looks like Holland got the start in game 1 for Frisco instead of Feliz. Maybe someone knows the reason. I would assume Feliz pitches game 2 but I don't know.

OKC vs Iowa

Lizard 3 IP/ 1ER/ 1K so far. Down 1-0 top 4

Frisco vs San Antonio

Holland 1.2 IP/ 0 ER/ 1K so far. Tied at 0

Clinton vs Cedar Rapids

Beavan 2 IP/ 0 ER/ 1K so far. Tied at 0

Spokane goes at 8:30 vs Boise

Shroomers site has Nam going.

9/3/08 game day thread

Adam J. Morris — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:00:07 -0000

The "I forgot it was a day game" game day thread...

Go Rangers...

Charting the organization - Second Base

zywica — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:00:08 -0000

Previous positions:
First Base

I believe that second base is right with catcher as the strongest position in the organization, and when you take into account the fact that an all-star resides there at the major league level, I think you can argue that it is the strongest, at least at the upper levels. Though the surplus talent doesn't provide quite the caliber of trade bait that the backstops do, the Rangers could easily have three major league caliber second basemen waiting around behind Kinsler within a year.

Depth Chart:
Texas (MLB) - Ian Kinsler, Joaquin Arias
Oklahoma (AAA) - German Duran, Ryan Roberts, Drew Meyer
Frisco (AA) - Jose Vallejo
Bakersfield (A+) - Renny Osuna
Clinton (A) - Matt Lawson
Spokane (A-) - Kyle Higgins
AZL (RK) - Alejandro Selen

Top 2B prospects:
1. Jose Vallejo - much more powerful than some (I) realized going into the year
2. Marcus Lemon - reportedly figures to slide over, doesn't possess on-base issues that the other middle infield prospects do
3. German Duran - still right with Vallejo and Lemon but not an inspiring year, could still potentially lose prospect status with 29 September ABs
4. Renny Osuna - out of nowhere guy in the tradition of Kinsler and Duran
5. Drew Meyer?

Top 2B prospects in baseball (loosely ordered):
This is an extremely difficult position to project, because so many second basemen come from other positions. Just a best guess: Gordon Beckham (SS) CWS, Adrian Cardenas (SS) OAK, Carlos Triunfel (SS) SEA, Sean Rodriguez (SS) LAA, Jason Donald (SS) PHI, Chris Coghlan FLA, Jemile Weeks OAK, Ivan DeJesus (SS) LAD, Nick Noonan SF, Luke Hughes (3B) MIN

Top 2B organizations:
1. Philadelphia - Chase Utley, Jason Donald
2. Texas - Ian Kinsler, German Duran, Joaquin Arias, Jose Vallejo, Marcus Lemon
3. Boston - Dustin Pedroia, Jed Lowrie
4. LA Angels - Howie Kendrick, Sean Rodriguez, Macier Izturis
5. Oakland - Mark Ellis, Adrian Cardenas, Eric Patterson, Jemile Weeks

Where the Rangers fit:
Right at the top. Kinsler is one of the elite second basemen in the game, and the Rangers have minor league quality possibly only surpassed by Oakland. Some of these guys will go into the trade bait bin, but middle of the diamond depth is a great thing to have if you can maintain it. For one thing, it's a nice way to save a few million dollars in salary.

2009 outlook:
At the major league level, the only intrigue involves how the team decides to back up Kinsler. Assuming that he isn't the starting shortstop, Arias looks like a prime candidate to back up the middle infield, as he will need to be kept on the major league roster and appears very capable of making contact offensively. If Arias is on the roster, German Duran will have to continue to show defensive versatility and more offensive readiness to win a spot.

If Duran cannot win a major league spot, we may see everyone return to the level at which they finished the (minor league) year. A decision on Lemon's ultimate position might be delayed indefinitely, considering the nature of the opening on the big league club. If he can develop enough as a shortstop, he could be an ideal third middle infielder, with a skill set that features an ability to get on base.

As strong as the organization is at the upper levels, there is currently little high profile talent to speak of below Osuna. It should be noted that Duran and Vallejo were not much more than afterthoughts until they reached Bakersfield, but a position switch from someone like Matthew West might be the most viable way to add another talent to the position.

New DMN newsletter up

Adam J. Morris — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:00:07 -0000

Evan Grant has a new Rangers newsletter up...

He lists 5 Rangers to keep a close eye on in September, talks about the rotation possibilities for 2009, and lists possible candidates to replace Ron Washington if a move to switch managers was made (and the two guys he lists make me want to see Washington stick around another season)...