Monday Morning Manager….Rocket Launch
Lot of grumbling among Rangers fans last week. The discontent was quite palatable at the Ballpark and in the mail. Since then, the Rangers have swept the Toronto Blue Jays, which has made everybody within the clubhouse feel a little bit better.
And outside the clubhouse? Five questions for your consideration but feel free to rant on your own. Monday Morning Manager is always open forum.
1. Should the Rangers sweep if the Blue Jays be taken as a sign that this team is ready to take off?
2. Has anybody on this team overachieved so far?
3. How much will the next seven games tell about the Rangers with a three-game trip to New York and a four-game series at home with the Angels? Just another week or a big week?
4. Rotation. Outfield. Bullpen. Infield Defense. What concerns you the most and how should it be fixed.
5. What’s your take on the Yankees signing Roger Clemens?
T.R. Sullivan
Toby
1. The sweep won’t matter in the least if they go out and lose both of the next series.
2. I think Tejeda has slightly overachieved so far, clearly Mike Wood and his 142 ERA+ has overachieved. The same goes for Kata and his 152 OPS+.
3. This week is huge. If the Rangers come out and lose the next two series, it may be time to start looking at trade possibilities and building for next year.
4. The defense is shaky in general. I think it’s an oversight to not mention the lack of defense in the outfield. Lofton has done an average job offensively (85 OPS+ is actually below average, but the SBs help him out), but there have been a few opposing runs that can be directly placed on his mediocre defense and horrible arm.
5. Statisticians can only make a case for Walter Johnson being better over his career. He’s one of, if not the most dominant pitchers ever, and still in the top ten pitchers in baseball. Oh yeah, and he sells tickets. Those things make him worth every penny the Yankees are paying him.
1)The sweep is huge. A result no doubt of the closed players conference. Washington handled that well,as a former player he’s good like that.
2)No over achievers yet, Kinsler is the example for the guys.
3)This next week is huge. I’ll be there thursday in the bronx. So we’ll see how durable the players meeting was. Then the Angels@the ballpark. We have a good shot to rake in the wins. Importants wins.
4) I don’t have too many concerns here. It is all coming together. Of course the arms are always at a premium. Rangers fans are just used to pressing the panic button. Get Gagne and Millwood healthy. We have yet to see our pitching system perform like the engine it truly is. We got to see McCarthy in form; he’ll remember how that feels. We’ll see more of that. Padilla as well. No worries.
5) It’s a tragedy that MLB can let a player pick and choose like this. Retire Rocket.
1. Teams that win a pennant stay hot for a month or more… not for a weekend. this team is still in last place.
2. Hopefully not. Hopefully this is the real Robinson Tejeda.
3. The next month is big for this team. They need to get going
4. This outfield is weak.
5. This guy is an incredible mercenary but the Yankees pay and he usually delivers
1. I think it’s a sign that things are clicking. I don’t know if that means they’ll take off or roll slowly out of the blocks. The Angels this weekend will be the true test.
2. I don’t think so. But a few months ago I never would have picked Robinson Tejeda to be the most reliable pitcher in the rotation. I just hope this Robinson is the one that sticks around the rest of the season.
3. Definitely a big week. If they can win at least four of the seven, it could be the momentum they need to finish out the month strong.
4. Infield defense. Kinsler has five errors already. I don’t know how it should be fixed though. That’s Ron Washington’s job and I’m sure he’s on top of it.
5. Roger who? I’m so tired of his “will I play, won’t I play” game.
http://diamondgirl.mlblogs.com
1. No, just a sign that this team wasn’t nearly as bad as their April record – which was mainly due to the key offensive players being in a bad slump at the same time.
2. Matt Kata
3. When you are crawling out of the kind of hole the Rangers dug themselves into – until they get back to .500 every series is a big series – doesn’t matter what opponent they are playing.
4. Outfield – let’s not discuss the below average defense – the offensive production from that bunch is just plain terrible – not one of the “regulars” is even hitting .250 – might be the worst OF in AL – maybe in all of MLB – and I have no idea, outside of a major trade, how to fix it.
5. Since he won’t be pitching against the Rangers during the season – I’ll just skip this question
2. Maybe nobody. And that’s the key for those of us holding onto the belief that this thing may not be over.
5. Nobody is worth $1 mil. a start Even if you could be sure that he would win every single game – is a single win worth $1 mil? Of course that doesn’t even include the rest of the guys on the payroll.
1. The Sweep can be nothing but a good sign. The Rangers have to use any kind of good momentum that they can find and try and take off from that.
2. Mike Wood is probably the only candidate of over- achieving. His ERA is a little misleading. Tejada is pitching like he is supposed to pitch and Kinsler and Sosa are playing like they are capable of playing. A lot of underachieving but no overachieving
3. The next two series are pretty huge as they can get in may. Really the Rangers can’t afford to lose both of the series and they defnitely need to put up a show against the Angels in a 4 game series. Big Series.
4. Our Outfield is a major concern. Washington obviously doesn’t feel comfortable with Cruz playing and Wilkerson has striked out way to much (the norm for him in a Rangers uniform) The Rangers don’t need to address that right now but come the july trading deadline and if the rangers are still in contention then they need to make a move and get a solid hitter in the lineup. If the twins aren’t playing well then look for the Rangers to try and trade for Hunter and lock him up.
5. Well I despise the Yankees and love Roger so my take isn’t very good. I now hope he goes in there and the yankees fail to make the postseason and waste 28 million… wait this could be good haha
1. They really got it together in that series. I’m cautiously optimisic that that can carry over into the next two.
2. No. Ian isn’t going to hit 45 home runs but he was predicted by alot of people to break out this season and he’s done that so far. Tejeda looks a lot like he did at the end of last season. Kata may be the only real overachiever and that’s been in a limited role. Who’s to say that he isn’t poised to break out DeRosa style?
3. It is a big week. While it’s still early, the team is 5 games under .500 and it’s time to start reversing that.
4. The infield defense will get better but it’s been pretty frightening so far. I’d say the outfield. It’s pretty sketchy, but we knew that coming in.
5. I don’t like it. I hate the Yankees and while I respect Clemens’ game I’m not a fan of him personally.
Let’s not forget the Astros of ’05, who were dead and burid with a tombstone that said rest in peace on June 1st, but came back to play in the World Series.
Roger needs to turn in his Texas Citizenship.. If he only plays half the season, and the Yankees go all the way, does he get only half a ring?
1. The Rangers have played well @ home … their trouble is on the road. If they can win a few series on the road & keep up what they have been doing @ home (minus the Yankees series) they will do well. 2 of 3 from the Yanks this week & 3 of 4 from LA this weekend will go a long way.
2. I don’t think anyone expected Kinsler to go off in April with those HR’s take his and Sosa’s away & that month would have been an ender.
3. BIG week see #1
4. Rotation. Tejada looks good. McCarthy, Loe, & Padillia are coming around. Now Millwood is hurt. Where did Mike Wood come from anyways?
5. Why weren’t the Rangers in on this? Last year it was NY, Boston, Houston, & the Rangers. Couldn’t they at least have been on his list this year? My dream is him as a Ranger. One magical season (I am a huge Longhorn fan).
1. No but it sure starts off May in a positive and to get that many runs off one of the best AL pitchers sets the tone for the next 2 series.
2. Kinsler picking up the offense. I knew he was good but this hot start is good things to come.
3. This is a big week. Great opportunity to find out how they really are against 2 great lineups.
4. Rotation. Need more positive consistency
5. Glad to see he can still pitch at his age. He will need the run support and the Yankees were the best option who would pay him that much. He should be the new closer for them.
1. Well, the sweep is a sign the Rangers have come out of hibernation… they definitely needed that momentum going into what will be a tough week.
2. Maybe Matt Kata… his bat has been hot, and his outfeild defense pretty spectacular. He was a little shaky on infeild D early in the year, though, but played well the other day when he subbed for Kinsler. We should play him more in the OF and Brad Wilkerson & Jerry Hairston less, and see if we have another Mark DeRosa on our hands. If we do, he could go a long way toward stabilizing the OF.
3. This isn’t just a big week, this is a Month Maker week. We have to win against the Yanks. Losing the series would be a blow, but getting swept would be a knockout punch, especally with the Angels up next. The Angels will be at our house, but they’re always a thorn in our side. In my opinion, they might be tougher than the Yanks.
4. With the temporary loss of Millwood, the rotation will be in trouble if anything comes of Tejeda’s sore hammy. What really concerns me, though is the infeild defense: seriously, what’s up with Ian Kinsler? He looks like he’s trying a bit too hard. Young concerns me too, but hopefully his defense will improve as he breaks out of his hitting slump.
5. I’m already tired of hearing about Clemens. If you want my take on all of that, then I refer you to my post yesterday in Poor Toby’s Almanac. In the meantime, can we please move on?
I am very disappointed in the Texas Rangers .
1 — It was encouraging. But the next week will be more telling if this team is coming around.
2 — Other than maybe Kinsler’s power numbers and Lofton’s stolen base total, I really don’t think anybody on this club has over-achieved. I don’t think Ian is going to hit 45 homers and I don’t think Lofton is going to steal 55 bases. Maybe 30 homers for Ian and 30 steals for Lofton. But there are plenty of underachievers on this team so far. But I really think things will get better.
3 — They need to go in and take at least one from the Yankees, don’t get swept, and they need to come home and show the Angels they can beat them by taking three out of four. If they can go 4-3 in these next seven, that will be nice. A 5-2 spurt would be wonderful.
4 — The outfield production. What a difference from the power we had in the division title years of the 90s. This team needs to win in a different way now, better pitching and defense. They can get it done, but they need to play better fundamental baseball. If they get a guy to third with less than two outs, they have to score him. This team isn’t used to winning like that, and it’s not going to happen overnight.
5 — The Yankess are just spitting into the wind if they think Clemens is going to lead to a World Series title. Georgey has more money than brains. What do the Yankees have now, a $230 million payroll? That is so laughable. Anything less than a World Series berth is unacceptable, and with that sorry pitching, they’ll come up short again.
1. Hold your horses Nellie, oh sorry Mavs fans, NELLIE is holding the horses, Mavs, get it? It is encouraging, but lets string together a few more victories before we get too excited!
2. No one has overachieved on this team. Maybe a few players on the other teams who seem to like our pitching.
3. This is a big week. If we go up to NY and California and get swept, then it is over. We will be 10 under if this happens. We have got to at least split all of these games to have any chance or hope.
4. The outfield. Lofton has had too many balls hit over his head in CF. Who knows who is playing where. I think we should move Teixiera to the outfield either left or right field and play Wilkerson at 1B if you want to keep this guy. I would like to see Kata play more out there until he proves he can’t play, which it looks like he can. Hairston must be Washington’s godson. It is a joke everytime he is out there. What happened to Cruz? All we heard was that they were going to be patient with him. Well play the guy, let him get comfortable and see what he can do. They ranted and raved about him and now he doesn’t play? Sosa is a DH and should not be in the outfield!
5. I think the Yankees, now have A-Fraud, G-Fraud (Giambi and his steriods), and now C-Fraud-(Clemens and his lies). “I want to be with my kids, I want to finish my career in my home state of Texas, I am retiring.” This guy has never retired. Why doesn’t this guy just admit that he craves attention and has to be in the spotlight? It is sickening. We are all tired of hearing it, shut up and play! What a soap opera that was last night with the annoucement, I will see yall real soon. Clemens bye the way was born in Dayton, Ohio. If he wants to pitch for his home or state team then that would be either the Cincinnati Reds or the Cleveland Indians, not the Houston Astros or Texas Rangers, which he will never do. Both of those teams have a better chance than Roger and the Yankees sorry starting rotation and even worse bullpen.
1. I certainly hope that it is a wake-up call for the offense. We saw a couple of guys go yard and a big outpouring of offense on saturday, hopefully this sparks the offense.
2. I don’t think anyone is overachieving. Kinsler’s hot start may have appeared that way, but I don’t think it’s going to be out of character for him to have a few streaks like that over the course of a season.
3. I think the next 7 days will tell a lot about us. Last season we never could get on a hot streak and that was a big problem. We need to have a few streaks this year to make up for our poor start.
4. Rotation should always be the biggest concern, no matter how good it is. Like TR said before the season started, as go Brandon McCarthy and Robinson Tejeda, so go the Rangers this year.
5. I think it’s getting a little old that Clemens can decide to join the team whenever he gets tired of golf. I think if you don’t have the heart to be with the team for 162 games while healthy, then stick to beer league softball.
1) Does sweeping the BlueJays mean the Rangers are on the verge of taking off? We can only hope and pray. It would be about time.
2) Has anyone on the team overachieved? I think Ian Kinsler is capable of most anything, so, no, I can’t think of anyone who has overachieved–not on THIS team, THIS year.
3) This week will tell the most about this team, in my estimation. The Yankees in the Bronx, and since they swept us in Arlington-if we don’t have a grudge or want to take it out on them at their home, we have no character. (I’d make the Roger Clemens announcement a rallying cry to dump not only all frustrations on the Yankees, but the lunk-known-as-Roger Clemens, too.) As to the Angels, if we can’t win 3 out of 4 at our home field against some team we’ve had “issues” playing against in the recent past, then if we can’t muster the will to prove to ourselves and the Angels that the Rangers belong, well, we simply don’t have the character to compete, commit to winning right here and now. I’m hoping that in both the Angels and Yankees examples, that the Rangers will “Choose to not Lose”, and win series after series, 2 of 3, 3 of 4, etc. Anything less in my opinion will mean probably another inglorious 4th place finish in a 4 team division….the Cellar. I pray not.
4) Rotation is the most troubled spot, in my opinion. Who would have thought that Padilla would have been 0-4? That Millwood would largely be ineffective, and now on the DL? That McCarthy would have been so ineffective, given trading him for a top prospect? The only way to remedy this is to: 1)play defense behind these guys, 2)score some runs once in a while to support them, 3)Hope past histories of Padilla and Millwood come out and they be productive. I don’t see ANY other way for this team to compete UNLESS the starters give good 6 innings consistently. The bullpen is good enough to bring home the victory IF the starters I mentioned can get with the program and produce. Tejeda has been and will be fine. I believe McCarthy will sort out his problems and succeed. It’s up to the top 2 starters to get going. The 5th starter is a joke. There should be 4 starters going 6-7 innings. The 5th starter position is a creation of the agents, who don’t think their precious babies can throw more than 5 innings, then be done. These guys are paid millions upon millions to perform. They don’t have Buck to blame anymore. What’s the excuse generally now that Buck is gone?
5) My take on the Yankees signing Roger Clemens? This is a family-oriented blog—you really don’t want to know what I think of the ego-centric, pampered, manipulative, two-timing, game-playing pitcher who hails from this great state. So I won’t comment.
One more thing I forgot: With the so many new faces on the team this year, I figured it would take some time to gel….however, on the other hand: I remember many Ranger teams of yore who had many unique characters on it–Gaylord Perry, Mickey Rivers, Bobby Bonds, Bert Blyleven, Willie Horton, etc…as different as these guys were, SOMEHOW they pulled together and played as a team. I can’t recall them looking lost, playing horrid defense, starting pitchers not going at least 7+ innings, and hitters who wouldn’t strike out with such regularity or get guys home from third with less than 2 outs. Why do our Heroes look so shabby, and look so ineffectual with a bat on our shoulders? Oh, well, Buck’s gone–we better find a better excuse for our lousy start. Do you suppose that the players can look directly at themselves in the mirror to find this source of ineptitude? Maybe….Maybe not.
1) The streak was just a sign that the guys are getting thier stuff straight.
2) Since when is overachieving a bad thing? Think of how GMJ and DeRosa were talked about last year, but they kept it going the entire season.
3) I ofr one am interested in the next 15-20 games. But the Next four are big.
4)OFFENSE!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t say it enough. If the guys go to the plate getting solid hits and quit trying to swing for the fence everytime, The W’s will start to rack-up. You can’t score if batters are not getting on base.
5) This is just one more of example of king George throwing money away, because he can. To quote Costner in “For Love of the Game”, I can’t think of a better reason not to be a Yankee.
And on another note, I am sick and tired of hearing this talk that it is time to trade Tex. He is undoubtedly one of the three captains on this team. Yes, he has struggled through April and early May. Who on the squad hasn’t. The last two seasons, I have watched this organization start out hot in April/May only to blow-up late in July, August and September. I for one am glad to see the slow start to season in the win column, if it helps this team work harder to learn how to win together. But throwing away good players for future possibilty, or for some renta-player, i.e. Carlos Lee, would be bad for the moral of the Coaching staff, Players, and in the long-run, the fans.