Posts Tagged ‘Cary Lowry’
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A View From The RavineAugust 26th, 2008
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Finally the curtain has come crashing down on the Rangers 2008 season. And while it was fascinating and gruesome, like a terrible highway accident that you couldn’t take your eyes off of, everyone did just that. They were all watching the Olympics, specifically Fishboy, Michael Phelps. I don’t want to go all Cary Lowry-Big Brown here, but if you will, indulge three quick points:
First, I get that he won a lot of medals, but they were all for the same thing. He swam really fast. Shouldn’t that be the point? I mean, Carl Lewis never had the chance to win 8 medals for running fast. He didn’t get a chance to go for the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, high jump, 400-meter relay, 100-meter backwards dash, 200-meter left footed hop, 100-meter dash w/book on head, and 400-meter handstand relay.
B, for BORING! Fast in a straight line is okay, protected from the vicious French and the nasty Belgians by plastic lane dividers. But why don’t we smear him in steak sauce and let a couple of sharks loose in the pool. Now, that’s how you decide who’s fast and who’s not.
Third, I love that idea. Americans are watching “So You Think You Can Dance?” and “I’d Eat That For A Buck” in record numbers. Wouldn’t you tune in to a reality show called “Is Michael Phelps Faster Than A Shark?” I’d watch, every single week….
But back to the point, the Ranger’s bus finally teetered over the edge after driving Speed Racer style on the rail for the majority of the season. And April’s bullies, the Tigers and the Red Sox, helped finish it. So now the club is left to play spoilers, messing with the various pennant races while finding out which young prospects can play. The only problem is that Texas has been doing that all season long.
If you are keeping track, (and seriously, you shouldn’t be. Seriously.) the Rangers will be employing player number 52 sometime this weekend. That’s more than two full rosters worth of baseball. We’ve seen Red Hawks and Rough Riders and even a few LumberKings. Really, if you didn’t get called up at some point, you might want to start rethinking career options.
Still, there are a number of questions that need to be examined and addressed over the next five weeks. Among them: Is Chris Davis a 3rd baseman or a 1st baseman? And vice versa on Hank Blalock. And where do you put Ramon Vazquez to keep him in the lineup? The middle of the infield is a little easier with two All-Star, thundering bats in Young and Kinsler, but what about the defense? Is there any way to improve that without sitting someone?
The outfield looks to be settled with Byrd breaking out of his early slump, Bradley proving to be a valuable threat, Boggs and the injured David Murphy maturing nicely. The only question is the Rangers’ ability to sign MVP-Worthy Josh Hamilton to a nice, fat, long-term deal. They simply can’t let him get away.
Behind the plate? Laird is Laird, Salty is less, and Max and Taylor are waiting in the wings. But what about next year? Does anyone feel like one of those folks is the answer at catcher right now?
Luckily we’ve seen about every pitcher in the organization. Unluckily whoever the club hires to be a pitching coach won’t have. He’ll have to waste valuable time judging their strengths and weaknesses for himself. (I’ll help. Strengths: Ability to swivel head 180 degrees repeatedly. Weaknesses: Pitching.) And then he’ll have to figure out if the hurt ones are always going to be hurt. And rebuild the bullpen. And find a reliable long-term solution at closer.
It’s going to be a dangerous looking off-season for Ron Washington and company. Honestly, I’d rather be the guy forging birth certificates for Chinese gymnasts than trying to sort this mess out. Or so I hear. I can’t really say, because I was off watching baseball.
ADDED NOTE: There still may be time to vote for the greatest Rangers player of all time on Baseball Tonight’s online poll. It closes August 24th at 1 a.m. You can vote for Nolan, Ruben, Young, Pudge, Bell, Juan, Raffy, A-Rod, Frank Howard or Mr. Knuckler, Charlie Hough. I tried to write in Curtis Wilkerson and Will Clark, but it wouldn’t let me. If its not too late, go to http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/story?page=bbtnfranchisegreats and cast your vote.
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Rangers Statistical Month in Review - MayJune 4th, 2008
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My 3-year old can count to 28 in Spanish……I can only count to 10. Nevertheless, it’s time to crank out the Texas Instruments Calculator and break down a superb May for the Texas Rangers.
The Record: 19-10 in May, 2nd best in Major Leagues to Toronto. As of today, overall record is 30-30, sitting 6 games out of 1st, 3rd place in the AL West. And while some may think it silly to mention so early in the season, the Rangers sit 5 1/2 out of the Wildcard leading Boston Red Sox. (It is NEVER too early to “scoreboard watch”)
The Offense: I consider the composite value for offense to be OPS (On Base Pct + Slugging Pct). The Rangers were #1 in OPS in May among the 30 major league teams. NUMBER ONE. Did it translate into Runs Scored? YES. Texas was 2nd only to the Phillies in runs scored….and #1 in the American League. In one month, the Rangers hitting with Runners in Scoring Position has improved from 26th to 4th. This ranks as the biggest turnaround since Kobe Bryant went from “Trade Me” to “MVP” in less than a year. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Rangers offense in May was led by Josh Hamilton, with 29 RBI in 29 games. You know what they call that?…….American League Player of the Month. Honorable mention goes to Milton Bradley who actually led the team in OPS for the month. Also, keep in mind that this is a team game….and people have to be on base for Hamilton to get RBIs……Ian Kinsler fit the bill there, scoring 27 times in May, tops in the American League.
STAT OF THE MONTH: Ian Kinsler led the AL with 27 runs scored in May…..tied for 2nd in the AL in Runs Scored were Josh Hamilton and Michael Young with 22 each. That’s right, the Rangers had the Top 3 scorers in the American League for the month of May. I dare you to find that happen for another team anywhere, anytime.
The Defense: 26th of 30 teams in Defensive Efficiency this season. They were 30th through April, so small improvement. The Rangers still rank 3rd in errors, led by Kinsler with 9. Still an area that needs major improvement.
The Pitching Staff: The Rangers ranked 11th in ERA for all the Majors in May. In April, they were 30th…..so major improvement! Season to date, the Rangers Starting Rotation is 21st in ERA….problem is that the Bullpen is DEAD LAST. The Rangers pitching stars have been Padilla and Ponson….with 7 and 4 wins respectively and both with sub 4.00 ERAs on the season. Keep in mind they did NOT have Kevin Millwood, but they will for the month of June. Watch for Millwood to be your pitching MVP for next month.
Summary: Hard to complain about a 19-10 record for May and a top-ranked offense led by Triple Crown Candidate Josh Hamilton (no, not Big Brown)……but leave it to me to always find the Spam at Ruth’s Criss steakhouse. Fact is, the Offense is completely carrying the Defense and Pitching. It’s a delicate baseball balance when you do it that way…..and generally an unhealthy one. Can the Rangers stay at this blistering offensive pace? Will Millwood’s return allow Texas to rely less on the Gasoline Goofs in the bullpen? A combination of the two will have the Rangers closing in on a real pennant race…..hide and watch!
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So I got my mom Grand Theft Auto 4 for Mother’s Day, and…..May 22nd, 2008
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Sounds crazy, right? Grand Theft Auto 4 for my little gray-headed Jewish mother? Well, it sounds no crazier than “The Texas Rangers have the most wins in May of any team in the American League.” And I’d bet that on April 30th, if I’d have given you a choice of which was more likely, I think you’d have voted for my mother bustin’ a cap in somebody’s virtual head on her 21-inch tube television.
Well, crazy has come to roost in Arlington and the Rangers 13 wins DO lead the way in the American League for the month of May. How did they do it? They’ve followed the 101 win blueprint very well. (see previous posting “The Easy Way to Win 101 Games”) They have not swept a single series, but they have won or split 7 straight series, and with a win Thursday afternoon, they will have done it 8 straight times.
Can’t go without a few stats……How about a team ERA of 3.44 in May (5th best in the majors), second most runs scored in baseball (behind Boston), OPS of .812, ranking 3th in the majors in May (behind Boston/Atlanta). That’s a formula for success and one that may have saved Ron Washington’s job.
The lineup and pitching staff is MacGyver’d up a little bit…..Elmer’s Glue, a Jim Sundberg stickpin, and an Oddibe McDowell game worn wristband…..but they have been successful. Ace Kevin Millwood has been out, Sidney Ponson has been resurrected, and Josh Hamilton is doing his best impression of Hack Wilson (all-time RBI record holder….190 in a single season) with Josh on pace for 180 RBI.
So as the Rangers sit still two games under .500 and 5 games out of 1st…..things are looking good! A team you can get behind for a little while lives in Arlington, Texas. Kind of a nice feeling.
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Just another manic 25-run MondayMay 14th, 2008
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After the Gabbard-Sexton slap-and-tickle match last week, Monday’s game in Arlington had a special buzz to it. Vincinte Padilla, who spends the off-season thowing pitches at small children and old women to stay sharp, going against the Mariners in the first get-even opportunity. According to the Dallas Morning News, the teams weren’t even warned before the game about bean balls. (The umpire was going to, but then Sexton threw a batting helmet at him…)(By the way, I think Sexton’s five game suspension was far too severe. My three-year-old would only get a 15-minute time out for throwing things. But he’s almost four now, so he’s outgrown that kind of behavior.) All in all, it was set-up for an exciting game.
Then the Evil Padilla Twin comes out and gives up five runs in the first inning, before being tasered and replaced by the Good Padilla Twin in the 2nd. Maybe he tried to hit a batter, but his control was still sitting at ‘Will Call” and the ball was all over the place, mainly the plate and then the outfield.
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The Easy way to Win 101 GamesMay 11th, 2008
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The Texas Rangers have won 4 “series” in a row….and are up 1-0 in their current weekend series against the Athletics. You could say they are “Takin’ it one series at a time”. It sounds cliché’. Yes, it’s “manager speak”…..but is it a valid goal? Taking it One Series at a Time?
Well, we are dealing with the sport that has the most important regular season of all. Of the four major professional sports, Major League Baseball is the most difficult in which to qualify for Post Season. Only 8 of 30 teams get in….26.7%. Compare that to the two sports that are currently in the midst of their playoffs, the NBA and NHL. In the NBA, 16 of 30 teams get into the championship tournament…..which is 53.3%. In Hockey, the numbers are identical at 53.3%, and that’s vastly more difficult than the fighting ice boys used to have it. Believe it or not, back in the 1980’s when Hockey went to the 16-team playoff format, there were only 21 teams in the league. That’s a virtual gimme at 76.1%…..bested only by the marital rate at an FLDS Polygamy Ranch.
NFL Football is a 12 out of 32 chance (37.5%) to come in a close second to Baseball. Even if you want to include College Football and Basketball, you can’t get tougher than Baseball. While not all have championship potential, NCAA football lets about half of it’s Division 1-A teams into a bowl game. And NCAA Basketball’s two post season spectaculars employ 97 of 341 teams (28.4%). Bottom line is that no sport has a more important regular season than Major League Baseball.