Dan Gould Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 Buchholz will be okay in time, but in the now, I couldn't agree with you more. You do NOT change a guy's arm angle AT the major league level. Yet another reason I don't like this pitching coach (or Tito, for that matter). I like the idea of bringing up Zink (or Pauley, or Bowden, or Hansack, or frickin' anybody NOT named Clay Buchholz). I hadn't really thought that much about Zink and the added benefit of Cash catching an extra day. That makes a lot of sense (when will they realize that?). Tek brings a LOT to the team defensively, but even with that, I'd like to see him getting at LEAST two days off a week at this point in his career. He may have stunk it up offensively this year, but don't forget the way this team imploded when he went down with an injury. That part of the game is HIGHLY under appreciated. Now, if Papi's wrist knocks him out again, do you give Bailey/Casey, et al, a shot to get it done, or sign an unemployed, overweight, aged free agent? On your first point, they didn't change his arm angle at the major league level, they sent him to Pawtucket to do that. How it worked so well there and he hasn't had a single strong start since being recalled, I'll never understand. But is there any doubt that they'd probably have 3-4 more wins right now if Masterson had kept his spot in the rotation? You can point to maybe one game (the one in Seattle) where Masterson's work in relief was important, otherwise they've taken what, 30 or 45 innings from Masterson and given them to Buchholz, and got absolutely zip to show for it. As to Papi, I am not concerned at all about any re-injury, but if it happens, the season slips away with Bailey and Casey getting Papi's ABs. At this point there is no reason to think about Barroid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 We own the Rays Grrrrrr ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie87 Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 I've got a dirty old baseball that I got autographed by Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, and a bunch of other Astros (Alan Ashby, Bill Doran, Billy Hatcher, Craig Reynolds, etc) in about 1986 or so. They came up to College Station and played an exhibition game against the Aggies that year. A wheelchair-bound beer drinking buddy of min got special permission to go out on the field after the game and he invited me along with him to get the autographs. Since I wasn't expecting it, I didn't have a ball ready, and just grabbed a random beat up ball that was lying around. Your top 5 in person MLB automagraphs George Brett Ernie Banks Yogi Berra Rod Carew Tony Gwynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkeith Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 On your first point, they didn't change his arm angle at the major league level, they sent him to Pawtucket to do that. How it worked so well there and he hasn't had a single strong start since being recalled, I'll never understand. But is there any doubt that they'd probably have 3-4 more wins right now if Masterson had kept his spot in the rotation? You can point to maybe one game (the one in Seattle) where Masterson's work in relief was important, otherwise they've taken what, 30 or 45 innings from Masterson and given them to Buchholz, and got absolutely zip to show for it. Yeah, except that that's not enough time to correctly and/or effectively make such a change -- particularly if you're dealing with a young pitcher. The change is fairly extreme (noticeable with the naked eye), and no matter how well he did at AAA, we're talking about muscle memory. One more notch against the pitching coach, IMHO. I love Masterson. Watching him work last night, he seems to have altered his release point slightly (it's a bit higher) and it's paying off. He was filthy last night. His delivery reminds me of Smoltz when JS uses the drop-down delivery. Got the right attitude, too, unlike deer-in-the-headlights Buchholz. If Papi goes down, it might well be the demise of the season. On the other hand, they played well without him, and lest anyone suggest Manny had anything to do with that, remember that it was Drew who carried the team in June, Pedroia in July. Manny didn't do shit most of both months (trust me, he was on my fantasy squad). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted August 5, 2008 Report Share Posted August 5, 2008 My prediction We sweep the rays Royals sweep the bosox We stay in last place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Inserting Nike into big mouth Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Hey Dan, You're welcome. Again! Two in a row against the Yankees here in Texas. If anyone had told me at the beginning of the year that the Rangers would do this well against the Yanks this year, I would've passed out from laughing so hard. It's still being a fun ride, but I'm not ready to drink the Kool-Aid just yet. Folks around here are already talking about a run for the wild card. Yeah, that's a nice thought; but until they can get some solid, consistent starting pitching, that ain't gonna happen. Not this season, anyway. CJ Wilson going on the DL will help, but it sure would've been nice if he'd acknowledged this problem a couple weeks ago instead of just now, after he's already given up a couple of games and almost gave the game to the Yanks last night. Now if they can just find a replacement for Millwood, we'll be in decent shape. For the first time in a LOOOOOOOOONG time, I feel like the Rangers are headed in the right direction. For that, I credit Nolan Ryan. He put his reputation on the line coming to work for this "organization" (term used VERY loosely), and likely told Tom Hicks that he (Ryan) wasn't going to stand for any of Hicks' meddling. Proof of that lies in the decision to FINALLY get rid of the Rangers' long-time pitching coaches. Their firing should've been done YEARS ago; these guys have that rare ability to bring in good pitchers and coach all of the goodness out of them, so that all that's left is a confused shell with a decent arm who doesn't know what or where to throw. Good riddance, I say; it's been a LONG time coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Al, in one sense, beating the Yanks with Pettitte on the mound isn't terribly surprising - his career numbers at that ballpark are atrocious. But you're right that without a pitching staff, you can't get too excited. But they've got the proverbial puncher's chance, and even if they can't sweep the Yanks, if they play well and the Yanks stay in a tailspin, they could easily make up the two games that separate them in the wild card. I'm just tired of seeing the Rays keep winning, and us being incapable of getting any distance on the wild card lead. When is the last time a team had the best run differential but looked more like a marginal wild card contender instead of being division leader? It just annoys the hell out of me to see the Rays and Angels outperforming their run differential and the Sox underperforming. One positive going forward is that if they get through the end of the month in front or close, 19 of the final 28 are at home. So I still like our chances but this chase the Rays thing is getting annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 I feel the same way about the Angels right now; gettin' tired of them winning all the time as well. Here's another frustrating stat for ya, Dan: the Rangers had a winning record in July (a surprise in itself) with an ERA over 6.00! Eek! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldB3 Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 I'm just tired of seeing the Rays keep winning oh the poor suffering Red Sox fans and those evil Rays with their history of huge payrolls and domination. that giant sucking sound your hear coming from north of the border is Houston Street's career. Maybe the nicest guy in MLB but.. maybe that is his problem you need to be tough as nails and a bit nuts to be a closer. Zeigler or somebody else better have the job next year. Congrats to Mike Hampton winning his first game since Aug 05 last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 I feel the same way about the Angels right now; gettin' tired of them winning all the time as well. Here's another frustrating stat for ya, Dan: the Rangers had a winning record in July (a surprise in itself) with an ERA over 6.00! Eek! Yeah, so with your offense against a mediocre offense like the Yanks (who'da thunk it?), you got a shot. I don't know when the Sox play the Rangers, but I have to believe that our pitching (at least the starters) would be good enough to hold you down a bit, and the offense even with no Manny would score some runs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 We own the Rays Yeah fuckin' right. 7-4 lead in the ninth and it goes: double double home run pitching change single walk homer Not even a motherfucking out recorded. With fucking luck like that can you blame the Rays if they think they're fucking invincible? Motherfucking Christ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 We own the Rays Yeah fuckin' right. 7-4 lead in the ninth and it goes: double double home run pitching change single walk homer (The rest censored as this is a family board. ) Wow!, I thought maybe they brought back Borowski. Nope, he's been offered a BoSox minor league contract though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 SOB..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 We own the Rays Yeah fuckin' right. 7-4 lead in the ninth and it goes: double double home run pitching change single walk homer Not even a motherfucking out recorded. With fucking luck like that can you blame the Rays if they think they're fucking invincible? Wow, that looked kinda familiar! Anyway, we got three in Fenway next week and then the Red Sox come to town for three the following week. Assuming the Red Sox are not leading the AL East, that oughta be a couple of good series! The bad news, of course, is that the Rangers were swept by the Sox once this season. The upside is that was back in April when things were really in the shitter. So, SHOULD be a good series! Tonight's Yankees game.... er, the Rangers/Yankees game is on ESPN tonight. I would love nothing more than to embarrass the Yankee-loving media tonight! Not sure it will happen with the rookie Hunter on the mound tonight, after giving up six runs in his last start. Still, this team puts the Ranger in "stranger," and that's happened before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 Yeah, but the Rangers weren't trailing by three when they started the ninth - they just needed one run, and got four on a single swing. Rangers should be up tonight for this game - Ponson goes for the Yanks. They are once again into the bunker mentality - Joba goes on the D.L but nothing will be reported until Cashman gets back from Oklahoma where he attended Bobby Murcer's memorial. And Girardi claims to "not know" what the good doctor said. Yeah right! Its just like their approach to every other injury. Don't say anything, and if you do, pretend that its not significant at all. I think there's better than even odds that Joba is done for the year. So the Yanks might be shocked and ready to get beat again - or they may come out with the bats blazing. I will say this: the pressure is on with Tampa's win. They could be 7 1/2 back with 48 to play after tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted August 6, 2008 Report Share Posted August 6, 2008 National League looks kinda' interesting to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 National League looks kinda' interesting to me. Me too. Disclaimer: I'm a Brewers fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 National League looks kinda' interesting to me. Me too. Disclaimer: I'm a Brewers fan. That's fine with me. Just die! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 Go Cubs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkeith Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 I'm just tired of seeing the Rays keep winning, and us being incapable of getting any distance on the wild card lead. Now you know how everybody else feels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkeith Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 that giant sucking sound your hear coming from north of the border is Houston Street's career. Maybe the nicest guy in MLB but.. maybe that is his problem you need to be tough as nails and a bit nuts to be a closer. Au contraire, mon frere: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/080805 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkeith Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 So the Yanks might be shocked and ready to get beat again - or they may come out with the bats blazing. Yeah, but they're fucked! Livan was picked up by the Rox! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkeith Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 Go Cubs! Anti-semites! (Braun) Where's Allen Lowe when I need him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkeith Posted August 7, 2008 Report Share Posted August 7, 2008 Sonovabitch! My fantasy matchup: MY SQUAD -- Olive Smugglers * Olive Smugglers * (24 - 11 - 0) | .686pct Olive Smugglers Hitters Player Opp Status PA R RBI OBP SLG SB-CS HC DPT BB-K Brian McCann @SF Final 4 1 0 .750 1.000 0 0 1 -1 Ryan Howard FLA Bot 6th 3 1 1 .667 2.000 0 0 0 0 B.J. Upton CLE Final 0 0 0 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 Alex Rodriguez @TEX Top 3rd 1 0 0 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 Hanley Ramirez @PHI Bot 6th 3 0 0 .333 .333 0 0 0 -1 Torii Hunter BAL Final 4 1 1 .500 .500 0 0 0 0 Carlos Lee @CHC Final 4 1 3 .250 1.000 0 0 0 0 Nate McLouth @ARZ Final 0 0 0 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 Aubrey Huff @LAA Final 4 0 0 .250 .250 0 0 0 -2 Totals 23 4 5 .435 .810 0 0 1 -4 MY OPPONENT -- The Lost Boys Hitters Player Opp Status PA R RBI OBP SLG SB-CS HC DPT BB-K Kelly Shoppach @TB Final 1 0 0 .000 .000 0 0 0 -1 Albert Pujols LAD Bot 3rd 1 0 0 1.000 1.000 0 0 0 0 Rickie Weeks @CIN Final 5 1 2 .800 .800 0 0 0 0 Adrian Beltre MIN Final 4 0 2 .500 .500 0 0 0 0 Jose Reyes SD Top 7th 3 1 0 .333 .333 1 0 0 0 Manny Ramirez @STL Bot 3rd 2 1 2 1.000 2.500 0 0 0 0 Aaron Rowand ATL Final 4 1 3 .750 2.500 0 0 0 1 Kosuke Fukudome HOU Final 4 1 1 .500 .750 0 0 0 0 J.J. Hardy @CIN Final 0 0 0 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 Totals 24 5 10 .625 .955 1 0 0 0 My Manny trade [Reyes/Manny for Hanley] finally bites me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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