Friday Happy Hour at the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill
Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, a must-stop for any prospective free agent pitcher and where the patrons don’t need incentive clauses in their contracts.
* Rangers trainer Jamie Reed looked in on outfielder Brad Wilkerson last week in Florida. Wilson, recovering from shoulder surgery on Aug. 22, has hired a personal trainer, lost weight and is ahead of his rehabilitation program. He’s scheduled to start swinging the bat again this week.
* Of course you know Barry Zito is 17-5 with a 3.76 ERA against the Rangers. His ERA is still lower against the other two division teams. He is 12-2 with a 3.62 ERA in 23 career starts against the Seattle Mariners and 12-9 with a 3.55 ERA in 28 career starts against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
* Mike Hargrove has 1,143 wins as a manager. So? That’s the most for someone born in Texas. His 2,285 games managed is also the most. Frank Robinson managed 2,242 games and won 1,065 games. Hargrove was from Perryton, Robinson was born in Beaumont but really grew up in Oakland.
* Neither won a World Series. Three from Texas won World Series as a manager. Cito Gaston, who is from San Antonio, won two for Toronto in 1992-92. The other two were in the Roaring 20′s. Tris Speaker won with Cleveland in 1920 and Rogers Hornsby won with the Cardinals in 1926.
* The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have never had a Cy Young Award winner but Jao Seo, who was 3-12 with a 5.33 ERA last year, has a $100,000 bonus clause in his contract if he wins it next year.
* The Rangers have never had a Cy Young winner. But obviously you can name the four pitchers who won it before they played for the Rangers. Gaylord Perry, Ferguson Jenkins, Sparky Lyle and Mike Marshall.
* Perry won the Cy Young with the Indians in 1972 and the Padres in 1978. He pitched for Texas in 1975-77. That’s right. He’s the only Rangers pitcher to win the award after he left Arlington.
* If you have been reading Mike Hindman’s daily winter ball updates, you know that Nick Masset has a 1.96 ERA and a league-leading 14 saves for Matzalan in the Mexican Pacific League.
* Just for the heck of it: Butch Davis
* By the way, Masset’s mom writes the foreword in Jamey Newberg’s latest Bound Edition, the end-of-year roundup of the entire Rangers organization, what happened in 2006 and what to look for in 2007. Included in this year’s tome is 50 features on Rangers Minor League players. This stocking stuffer can be had at http://www.newbergreport.com/buythebook.htm
* Former Rangers pitching coach **** Bosman was just promoted by the Devil Rays as their Minor League pitching coordinator. He spent the last three seasons at Hudson Valley, their short-season Class A team.
* You know the Mexican Baseball Academy serves that country’s 100 best players from June to December at a facility just outside Monterrey. But did you know that the whole program was originally put in place by Rangers scout Mel Didier almost 30 years ago. The owner of the Mexico City Tigers financed the whole thing and asked Didier to get it set up.
* Lou Piniella is of Spanish descent. That’s why his original nickname was Sweet Lou from Peru. Now it’s only Sweet Lou. Of course he was never from Peru either.
* The Angels once posted some personal items on the scoreboard about their players. For reliever Bryan Harvey, it went like this: WISH – To end all the killing in the World. HOBBIES: Hunting and Fishing.
* Waxahachie’s Paul Richards once observed: "The most valuable sign a club can steal is the hit-and-run. Most managers admit that’s the only one they try to steal."
* If you want more Mike Hargrove trivia, then you can file away the fact that his .399 on-base percentage while with the Rangers is the highest in club history. That is, for players with at least 1,000 plate appearances.
* So what club record does Cesar Tovar hold, using the same 1,000 plate appearance criterion? He struck out just once for every 18.83 at-bats while with the Rangers in 1974-75. That’s the best ratio for a Ranger.
* Yes of course Pete Incaviglia is at the other end. He struck out once every 3.45 at-bats.
* St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa is still Mark McGwire’s biggest supporter for the Hall of Fame, telling MLB.Com’s Matthew Leach: "For me, there isn’t anything that’s changed about, No. 1, how much I believe in him, and No. 2, what that means as far as his career and his production and some of the historic things he did. I’m hoping that he gets that honor sooner rather than later."
* More Rangers trivial career records? Ruben Sierra holds a 66-65 edge on Rafael Palmeiro in one category. Yes, Sierra has the most sacrifice flies in club history after all these years.
* The winter meetings start Sunday in Disney World. Next year they are in Las Vegas. Bellagio’s is the host hotel.
* Kip Wells, according to his new $4 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, gets $50,000 if he is the Most Valuable Player of a Division Series playoff. Surely the Cardinals at least know there is no MVP named for a division series.
* Carlos Lee had seven stolen bases while he was with the Rangers. He also didn’t get caught once. Only one guy did better while he was with the team. Remember Ruben Mateo? He was 10-for-10 before being dealt to the Cincinnati Reds.
* Mike Stanley, a catcher who wasn’t exactly fast, had 13 steals in 17 attempts over 15 years and 1,467 games. But he never got caught with the Rangers either. He was 6-for-6 with them.
T.R. Sullivan
Toby
Maybe I missed something last year. In a recent article, T. R. Sullivan writes that during the GM Winter Meeting last year, J.D. made it “particular memorable” by trading A. Soriano to Washington for B. Wilkerson, T. Sledge and A. Galarraja. Memorable to Who?
Had Wilkerson not been injuried, he probably would have led the majors in strike outs. Seldge was traded to San Diego and Galarraja has no major league record.
So far the Rangers have picked up four extra draft choices and only signed one OF. If they are going to shoot at a 70M team salary, as the “guesses” guess, it will be slim pickings. They were 18 out of 30 last year with a 68.2M team salary. Of course paying for A-Rod takes away a good player each year.
Danks, Diamond, Hurley and Volquez seem to be not ready for the majors, at least by Rangers standards. Volquez has proven that the past two years. I suspect one or more of them will be traded before coming up and another team will reap the benefits.
I’d guess if the team does not sign Young and Teixeria to a long term contract before they become free agents in 2009, and if they test the market, and they will be GONE! And Mr. Hicks wants to know why attendance is down? Come On…..
Over the last month I stated that I don’t trust what comes out of Daniels mouth. If you have read his recent comments you have to know what I am talking about. I believe he is two faced. Hicks has another problem. When it comes to the business of baseball he simply does not get it. He won’t put his money where his desires are. He says he wants to be in the playoffs, but lets key players get away. He says he is trying to bring in quality pitching, but Padilla and Zito are still not signed, and Eaton is gone. I would bet that most of us would agree that putting a winner on the field and keeping key players would fill more seats in the stadium. And if you have not heard the Rangers have raised ticket prices on selected seating for ’07. The prices on good ballplayers are what they are. Hicks can’t wish them down. So, he HAS to reach deeper and HAS to make better offers. But he won’t. This reads worse than a soap opera. Think I will root for and follow the Cardinals again for ’07.
Whoa!!! These comments are ridiculous. I don’t blame John Daniels for not throwing money at our free agents. Would you seriously give matthews $50 million for one good season? Are you ready to spend the amount that Eaton got for a pitcher who suffers through injuries every year? Out of the free agents that have signed none of them make sense for the Rangers to throw money at. There is no way that Zito would sign with anyone yet until Boras gets his japaneese phenom signed and sets the market for free agent pitchers. I think Rangers fans should be encouraged that we placed a bid of $27 million for Matzsuka and have already met with Zito. I mean heck Zito and Boras came to Arlington to meet with Daniels and Hicks. Have you heard about Zito and Boras making any other trips yet? I applaud Daniels for not making any rash impulse moves. Something will get done during the winter meetings. As for the guy who is going to root for the Cardinals… go for it. If you aren’t loyal enough to stick with your team through rough offseasons then you aren’t a real fan anyway.
1. Memorable means you remember it. You remembered it so it was memorable.
2. So was the Titanic, Mount St. Helens, Alex Rodriguez and Buck Showalter.
3. I think Hicks will make a serious attempt at Zito… He has to be getting a lot of heat from fans.
4. He should (get heat).
I remember Mark McGwire his first year on Oakland, and he was a red-headed, narrow-sloped-shoulder first baseman playing in the shadow of Canseco, Dave Henderson, Geronimo Berroa, Carney Lansford and I believe Jason Giambi at that time. I had never heard of him at the time, but noticed how slightly he was built for a FIRST baseman, when thinking about Willie Stargell, Lee May, Boog Powell, etc…and really didn’t think much about him to tell you the truth until the steroid issue arose after him breaking the homerun record one year. He had become a BEHEMOTH, with telephone pole arms and upper body. I don’t believe it was Wheaties or Spinach or even sprinkled wheat germ on his oatmeal that caused his burst of muscle definition. Come to think of it, I witnessed Sammy Sosa his first year on the Rangers, and Ruben Sierra also, and I’m willing to bet it wasn’t Wheaties either that caused their arm mass explosion. McGwire to me should be blacklisted from any Hall-of-Fame recognition, regardless of his penitence or denial. Rafael Palmeiro also forfeited his spot in any Hall-of-Fame voting, but of course, I’m not voting. T.R…if you have a vote on McGwire or Palmeiro, please say “NO!”
Yep, I remember it quite well and your comparison to the Titanic and Mount St. Helens, is very close. Hopefully, this season will not bring another similar disaster. The only thing for sure at the moment is that the Rangers’ season begins on April 2nd, and I remain a Rangers fan, no matter who fills the roster.
Well said, Skyranch. I couldn’t agree more. The contracts signed by Matthews and Eaton were ridiculous. Kip Wells for $4 million? I mean, when was the last time he pitched an injury-free season?
Let’s at least give Daniels until Jan. 1 to see what he pulls out of his hat. Last time I looked, the Rangers don’t report for spring training until mid-February.
Interesting. Not all ballplayers start their careers at the All Star level. Many of them really work hard to develop skills, and do attain a fairly high level of play. So why not pay Mathews $50 over 5 years to keep him? Does everyone think that he will walk onto the field next year and suddenly forget how to play? I guess we won’t know until the end of the 2007 season. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that a lot of you Mathews nay sayers will be scratching your heads and saying “Ohhh” at the end of next season. All the comments about Cruz and Wilkerson really confuse me. And I have to wonder why if Eaton is so injury prone, why did Daniels pick him up last year? Wouldn’t that be considered buying damaged goods? And Daniels deserves credit for that? Interesting. It does seem that Hicks is unwilling to pay to keep some key players. Yet he does say he wants his team to make the playoffs. His new manager thinks that they will be there. I don’t see the right chemical makeup for that to happen yet. Also seems that everyone thinks that Boras is a god. I think not. Personally, I am a fan of competitive baseball. I like watching a team that is a consistent winner. And I dislike watching a game where the starting pitcher rarely gets past the 5th inning. I go to the games to enjoy them. When the home team can’t score runs, and can’t stop the other team from scoring, it isn’t very enjoyable time after time. That’s when I stop going to the ballpark. Interesting, though. I still consider myself a baseball fan. Interesting. Hmmm. Go Cardinals? Not ridiculous, interesting.
I’m going to miss Matthews. I’ve been a Rangers fan since their inception, and he had the best year of any CF the team has ever had. Still, you have to be fiscally responsible. You just don’t give a guy $50 million for five years when he’s had one good year. He could very well have five solid seasons with the Angels and make it money well spent. But it’s a big gamble, and one I would not be willing to take when you consider:
(1) His life BA of .249 going into the 2006 season.
(2) The fact his OBP was way higher at home than on the road.