Monday Morning Manager…AT&T calling
Did you realize that American Telephone & Telegraph was incorporated on this date in 1885? Certainly that has to be of great signficance to Giants fans since their team plays in American Telephone & Telegraph Park. Think that’s what it’s called these days.
They’ve been through several name changes out there, beginning with the lordly Pac-Bell Park and then to SBC Park and now AT&T Park.
Alabama was formed today as well. They did that in 1817. Cut it out of the Mississippi territory. Then in 1818 Alabama clobbered Mississippi in football. Well, sometime soon after.
Idaho was formed on this date in 1863 and speaking of college football, how horrible is that blue turf at Boise State’s football field. Speaking of AT&T, anybody ever wonder what happened to Westinghouse? RCA? General Electric?
United States Steel?
Guess James Earl Jones was right about baseball being the one constant through the years.
1. What’s been the best news that has come out of Rangers camp to this point.
2. Who has excited you the most so far?
3. What has concerned you so far?
4. If you were a young player, what’s the one question that you would ask Rusty Greer or Mark McLemore?
5. Jon Daniels told Randy Galloway that he would still do the Brandon McCarthy trade. Would you?
T.R. Sullivan
Toby
1. No major injuries, Jason Jennings looks healthy.
2. Josh Hamilton. He’s raking.
3. Millwood and McCarthy, but they’re both throwing again already.
4. Maybe some tips for dealing with the oppressive heat in Texas or if we’re talking about an outfielder I’d ask Greer about playing the sort of quirky outfield in RBPiA.
5. Yeah, I probably would. A healthy McCarthy is a good middle of the rotation starter. He had one more year of service time that John Danks so that was a concern, but at the time I was nonplussed about the inclusion of Nick Masset in the deal and he was just awful last year.
1. The Ian Kinsler contract extension.
2. Josh Hamilton. Although Julio Borbon got my heart going a bit the other day too. Ha ha.
3. Millwood and McCarthy. Their health is integral to a successful season.
4. I’m not sure.
5. Absolutely. I still think Brandon has much to contribute, if he can only stay healthy.
http://diamondgirl.mlblogs.com
1. Jason Jennings start yesterday was a good sign. Kinsler’s contract extention was the right thing to do. And we are playing baseball games again
2. Josh Hamilton has been great. And the younger guys and Mench belting homeruns give me hope for the future.
3. Millwood and McCarthy’s injuries have been the only downside that I have heard about and everything else is just the start of spring training Soreness.
4. Rusty and Mac are two great people for the young guys coming up in the organization to talk to and listen to about winning and life. They were both huge reasons why the late 90′s Rangers were so good. Both lead by example and played to their abilities to help the team win a lot of games. So my adivce to the young guys would be listen and pay attention to Rusty and Mac and follow there current lead by example guy Michael Young.
5. So far the trade has been equal for both I would say. So I would probably do the trade again knowing that the Rangers have better pitchers than Danks coming in the minors as we speak. I think the Rangers felt that McCarthy has a higher ceiling than Danks and if he can get healthy and put it all together I think he will be a better pitcher than John Danks.
1,2) Josh Hamilton.
3) Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s inability to play catcher.
4) What do you do to attempt to stay relevant?
5) No. Thus far, McCarthy is simply taking up a spot in the rotation without accomplishing much. I am really more interested in the young arms the Rangers have in their minor league system, especially Matt Harrison, and would have preferred the Rangers concentrate on their development.
1. Michael, Hank and Ian making Josh Hamilton feel wanted. Hamilton is a stud and those 3 know it.
2. Josh Hamilton (there is not another answer!)
3. Joaquin Benoit. You can say what you want about the starters, but we all know health in the bullpen is huge. Wash & Connor do not seem concerned yet, but how big is Benoit for us.
4. Work ethic questions. Those two worked their butts off.
5. Don’t know if I would of then and I still don’t know. Even trade so far.
And for a bit of symmetry: today is also Alexander Graham Bell’s birthday (he’d be 161 years old) as well Mr. Jamey Newberg’s too (he’s 122 years younger than Mr. Bell).
1. A re-energized Gerald Laird as well as no major injuries to position players (pitchers are another story).
2. Josh Hamilton
3. Way too much Ben Broussard and Kevin Mench not enough Nelson Cruz and Jason Botts. According the radio broadcast yesterday Ron Washington is fully committed to Ben Broussard calling him his “secret weapon” – and is talking about working Mench out at first as well as in the OF.
First of all, I’m disappointed that the Rangers are once again looking outside their own ranks to fill spots on the roster. There was a reason Kevin Mench was traded from this organization and then let go by the Brewers – what miraculous change has occurred to make him a different player since February 13th ? Same with Ben Broussard – he’s never hit lefthanded pitching, ever,ever, in his career and the Mariners only asked for a fringe minor league IF in return. But RW has already said he’s going to play Ben until he proves he can’t it lefthanders (which should be about August).
It’s obvious that it is the same old story from RW and JD – they don’t trust their own development process – otherwise why would Mench and Broussard even be here? My guess is they’ll try the “shell game” of trying to slip Cruz and Botts through waivers at the end of the spring training – hoping no one will claim them. I hope Nelson and Jason do wind up with new teams that will give them a fair chance and that they both have nice careers and come back to haunt Ranger management.
4. How great was it playing in those red uniforms and tell me what it was like playing for Johnny Oates?
5. I didn’t like the trade in the first place. Another case of Ranger management thinking that their own player (John Danks) wasn’t as good (or as ready) as someone else from another organization. How was that John’s fault? Maybe it’s time for JD to look at his development/scouting if he can’t trust his own players. The fact that Brandon McCarthy has turned out to be injury prone, or maybe just a hypochondriac – makes it look even worse.
By the way TR – did I read this correctly – you are doing the guest commentary this week during one the spring training game webcast’s with Victor?
http://emc.mlblogs.com
1) According to the news, it seems to me that Josh Hamilton is THE story. I pray he continues his keeping clean, for both him and for the mighty Texas Rangers.
2) Excited me the most….hmmm…probably Josh Hamilton’s massive BP clouts. Seems everyone is raving about him, and especially Rudy saying he has more power than Juan or Sammy. Josh MUST be impressive, or what?
3) The thing of most concern….starting pitchers health, specifically Brandon McCarthy, and less so, Millwood. I sure wish we’d give Robinson Tejeda more of a chance to make the starting five–he’s proven he can pitch. He just needs a Fergie Jenkins to teach him the mental part of the game. He 2-hit the World Champion Red Sox last year on a cold night in Arlington. Enough said.
4) I’d ask Rusty (though I wish that Will Clark was too here), was how to congeal as a team, and to pull together, give your all at ALL times, etc. Will Clark should have been invited, as he, more than anyone, was the glue who LED this team, although of course the Juans, Rustys, McClemores, Tettletons, Dean Palmers, etc…all had roles. But to me, Will Clark wasn’t afraid to kick someone in the butt WHEN IT WAS NECESSARY…and his method proved to be correct. Notice once he was let go and we resigned Rafael Palmeiro, the leadership was vanished. Will to me was the glue and rudder.
5) Yes, why not? Danks, though he pitched at the Major League level last year, was mildly disapointing, and McCarthy had flashes of brilliance–WHEN HE WAS HEALTHY, which unfortunately wasn’t too often. I think Danks might have a higher ceiling, but McCarthy is probably more valuable (IF he can stay healthy). So, it’s probably a 60-40 proposition, not a clear margin for either pitcher AT THIS POINT in their career. McCarthy had previous big-league experience, and had done okay, and Danks was a rookie who hadn’t tasted the Major Leagues. I don’t disagree with JD on this one.
1. Ian Kinsler’s extension, and and the return of Vicente Padilla the baseball player.
2. Josh Hamilton. As long as he is healthy, he will provide a reason to watch the Rangers all year long.
3. The fact that the Rangers refuse to commit to Jarrod Saltalamacchia behind the plate, and have given in to Gerald Laird’s whining about how he should have a job. For a “team going young”, the path they are taking with the catching situation doesn’t make any sense.
4. I’m not a baseball player, so I really have no idea. I know there’s a lot those two can pass onto the young players, about work ethic and how to stay comptetitive though.
5. **** yes. John Danks was third in the AL in HR given up with 28 last year – and he allowed all those dingers in just 139 IP. Can you imagine how bad he would be if he had to pitch in the RBiA? I’ll take McCarthy over Danks every time.
1. Signing Kinsler to a deal that keeps him under Rangers control for 5 more years, and that he called a halt to negotiations so that an agreement could be made that was good for everybody, including the fans, and that finally showed something that has been missing in the MLB for a long times. TEAM LOYALTY!!
2. The young prospects coming out and giving the regulars a run, KInsler, Murphy, Hamilton, and Mench…it’s too hard to choose.
3.Ghosts of last season, Millwood, McCarthy, And Blaylock.
4. If I had the chance to ask Rusty just 1 question it would be that considering all the injuries, and a relatively short (although quite excellent) career, would he go out and play with less gusto and heart than he did?…Of course we already know the answer to that.
5. I think we saw some of what JD saw in McCarthy as it got later into the season and McCarthy gained more health. In the long run I believe that JD will be proven right on this trade and the Texiera trade.
EMC, have to take exception to your assessment of Cruz and Botts. They are tearing it up at OKC, but everytime they were brought upto the big club they can’t get the job done. Having Mench on a minor league contract keeps a proven player at close call and gives Botts or Cruz one last chance to show they are worth it. Just hope it doesn’t put us out of the running.
1: The question marks (Hamilton, Jennings, Padilla Guardado) have started strong.
2: Obviously Hamilton, but just to be different, German Duncan has me excited. And the new outfield is exciting.
3: Injuries to Millwoon and McCarthy, and two more things. The small possibility of CJ not closing and the possibility of Salty not starting.
4: To Mark..What team was the most fun to play with. The O’s with Cal and co. or the Rangers with Juan, Pudge and co
To Rusty: When you got the jump on the catch that saved Kenny’s perfect game, did you know you had it or did you just think you were going to give it your best shot?
5: It’s a toss up, the common conception is we’re still a couple years away from really contending, though I think we’ll do better tis year than people think. Brandon and John are both capable young pitchers with brights futures, but in all honety looking back I’d probobly have kept Danks.
1. The best news so far is the Kinsler extension and the message it sends – commitment to youth.
2. Hamilton looks great so far. I’m telling you all, the guy needs a nickname. TR – can we start up a page to come up with nicknames for JH, or does he already have one I’m not aware of?
3. It is still too early in the spring for me to get concerned about much.
4. I’d ask each about their approach and how they made adjustments to their respective games which led to their success.
5. I supported the trade when it was made and see no evidence to change the stance now. (JD would have really been tossing McCarthy under the bus if he didn’t stand by the trade)
1. Josh Hamilton is here.
2. Josh Hamilton is here.
3. If he falls off the wagon or gets injured again, Josh Hamilton won’t be here.
4. How do leaders lead? And what is it that they do that somehow makes everyone around them better? Because, particularly in McLemore’s case, that’s what he is — a leader. It’s a rare quality.
5. Regardless of how it looks in hindsight in a few years, I never would have made that trade at the time. In my mind it was the most demoralizing of all of the bad trades (and I’m a JD fan).
Briant77:
Re: Josh Hamilton’s nickname:
I just call him “Hammy”. I don’t know why that’s just why my brain has spit out when it comes to shortening his name. If you want to continue along those lines, I supposed “Hambone” might also be a good one. Also, you could always take the obvious course, and just call him Captain Amazing.
If I’m not mistaken, one of Hamilton’s many tattoos says “Hambone” because that was his nickname in high school.
It seems like I’ve heard him called ‘hammer’ a couple of times, but that’s already being used. I am admittedly bad at coming up with nicknames, so I should probably pass on throwing out ideas (I did get a laugh out of the ‘obvious course’ for a name).
I’ve also been reading that the Tigers look to be buyers for relievers. Since the Rangers have so many arms and few open spots, could it be that we see a deal with Detroit in a couple of weeks? How about some more A or AA-level SPs JD? Or OF prospects…
To the folks who “need” to have a nickname for our players….my question is, “Why?” I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to throw up when Alex Rodriguez was called “A-Rod”, and later, after Ivan Rodriguez was “let go” and he ended up with the Tigers, you’d hear “I-Rod.” Now you hear “K-Rod” throwing a baseball very fastly, for the Angels……To me, this is lazy speech, to think we’ve devolved into being so lazy that we can’t just say “Josh” or “Alex”, etc…
I NEVER, and I reiterate NEVER watch “Entertainment Tonight,” “MTV,” etc., because it pains me to see how low people go, to call someone, say, “Snoop Doggy-Dog” or “J-Lo” (Jennifer Lopez), or “K-Fed” (Kevin Federer)…etc… My point is, we are LAZY and LAX. I’d like to hear a person’s actual name to be used.
If I seem to be wanting to pour cold water on the wildfire known as finding nicknames, just call me a purist. I don’t go for “special names” for people too much, because it’s about the T-E-A-M, not the individual. I cannot endure easily the individualized rock songs that Chuck Morgan spins before each individual player comes to the plate. Where is the T-E-A-M, in that? Sure wish we could get a top-flight organist instead to pump-up the crowd…playing “Three Blind Mice”, for example, when an ump makes a rotten call, etc…that’s all fun and IN fun.
Please, let’s forego “Hambone,” “A-Rod,” and call the players their actual name. THAT would be much more refreshing than hearing “The Hammer”, “Kam,” or “Shrek”, when Hank Blalock, Kameron Loe, and Kevin Mench is actually their name. Josh Lewin couldn’t go more than 35 seconds without throwing nicknames or movie titles out there. To me, it isn’t entertaining or edifying to hear “Hammy” or “Hambone” when “Josh Hamilton” will suffice, and sound just fine.
Call me old school, but I think we are very lax and lazy as a society, and getting more and more shallow every day. Dumbing down, perhaps? Yes. And the sense of T-E-A-M is minimized-not a good thing, methinks.
Signed, a “reformed fan” who used to say “Pudge.”
It looks like as long as you’ve been a baseball fan, Bingo, you’d be used to ballplayers having nicknames.
Hefe,
I just get tired of hearing A-Rod, I-Rod, K-Rod, J-Lo, K-Fed…..just thinking, can’t we just call them by their given names? I have no problem calling Phil Rizutto-”Scooter”, Babe Ruth as “Sultan of Swat,” Ted Williams as “Splendid Splinter” or Joe DiMaggio as “The Yankee Clipper.” These guys were classics, in a classic age, largely free of steroid-type controversies, and didn’t have sports agents which pump up their clients WAY OVER their abilities, to make the big bucks. With the day we have of Corporate naming rights, big sports agents, big-flopping hair-do’s and awful baggy pants (Manny Rodriguez), it’s just no wonder we have the current day’s “Heroes” that we do.
Besides, “The Yankee Clipper” and “The Say Hey Kid” are rather good, inventive. “K-Rod, A-Rod, and I-Rod” are lousy attempts, which really aren’t “nicknames”–they are representations of lax, sloppiness in our speech and culture, not to mention not too creative. Bill “Spaceman” Lee had nothing to do with baseball, but it was creative.
If Josh Hamilton wants to be called “Hambone”, that’s fine….I’m just saying it doesn’t give a baseball identity, such as “The Sultan of Swat.” If Josh turns out to be the player we all think he can be, I’ll probably still call him “Josh.”
Steve Buechele’s moniker was “Boo.” Not too creative. Pat Putnam’s nickname was “Putt.” Jeff Zimmerman’s nickname was “Zim.” Again,not terribly creative. I’d just rather use their correct names. So, Hefe, I do like nicknames, if creative or imaginative. Trouble is, the A-Rods, K-Rods and
I-Rods are just lazy identifiers. It might be saying that we Americans are losing our ability to speak the language, or to focus, or that our attention span is diminishing. Or it might be all three.
Go Josh Hamilton! We believe in you, support you, and pray for you. You are going to be a stud.
“The Yankee Clipper” is no more… Tyler Clippard got traded to the Nationals this offseason for some releiver with a long name.
Just thought you might want to know…
1. Josh Hamilton & the support shown by MY, Ian, and Hank.
2. Locking up Kinsler.
3. Too many guys with a sore this or that. Still early but these guys should come in ready.
4. I’d ask them both if “playing the game right” means the same today as then.
5. I think that trade is still a wash. Maybe Nolan’s coaching will make it look better. Most SP’s don’t really come into it until they are 30 so this will still take some time.
On the subject of nicknames, I think those have to come from the players and or their teammates. The guys mentioned here took those nicknames and folded them into their persona. It was part of what made them what they are in the histroy of baseball. Pudge will never be “I-Rod”. “I-Rods” do not share Nachos with front row fans after catching a foul ball. Guys known as Pudge did.
The game today really could use more Pudges, Inkys, Sherrifs, Shreks, Hammers, Hambones, Gamblers, Expresses…
Point taken, Bingo. We definitely agree about Hamilton. He’s going to be a lot of fun to watch. Hopefully he can stay healthy.
Is Bingo your real name?
gtrost,
No. It’s a name given by the bloggers, and part of the email address.
(No, some farmer with a dog had the name first–an old nursery school rhyme. Actually Bingo is a salute to my favorite singer and performer of all time, Bing Crosby….Sinatra is number two, to me. So, that’s my pecking order.)
I know this is way too much information, but hey, this is a blog.