Friday Happy Hour at the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill

TJ, would you happen to know what uniform numbers Tettleton and Greer are wearing? Is it 15 & 29? I know coaches don't have to respect players in uniform - but I'm curious what numbers the coaching staff are wearing, as that info isnt' easily publicized. Thanks.

Hey Daniels, whats unfortunate is that your league doesn't have a commishioner that will address its problems before they get to the public. The Federal Government is more than willing to step in and go for media glory. Another unfortunate thing. We now have two players for A-Rod, Soriano, Cordero, Young and Gonzales. Common denominator for all those guys ALL STAR CALIBER. What we received in return, spare exit players. I have heard of exit polls in politics, but never exit players in Baseball. Another unfortunate, Hillman Manages Royals. What a joke. Correct me if i am wrong, but the only 19 year olds that i ever remember playing in the Majors at that age in 40 years of my life are Dwight Gooden and Robin Yount. Both pretty good, but i must be fair, Gooden was and is a Coke Head. You just can depend on addicts people! How many years before Feliz plays in the majors if he does at all 4 to 6? We don't want to rush him. As a police officer and with his issues, does Padilla really need to drive a car that is going to draw attention to him? He already does things that draw attention to himself, like weaving, failing to maintain a single marked lane, appearing intoxicated. We don't see a lot of Lamborghinis on the road, if we do most of the time they are speeding, doing what they were built to do. Is the car red? Prediction, Padilla is going to get pulled over again and the question is will the media report it to us. When someone becomes a 3X loser, that is Felony stuff and newsworty. Get a driver, Padilla. Hey Botts, cherish that Mexican League Ring, you won't get one here anytime soon. In fact if you look at the roster, it doesn't look like they have a lot of faith in you or Cruz. Does anyone else feel this way. I don't see any roster spots for those two guys and we are REBUILDING? Here is what is going to happen. If the Rangers start out well, then "management" is going to say we are competing now. If they don't start out well then they are going to say they are "rebuilding." Nothing they have done other than getting Hamilton points out that they are rebuilding. When Botts and Cruz walk, traded or are sent to AAA that will support what i am saying. Neither of those guys will make this team and that my boy Daniels is indeed UNFORTUNATE!!!!!

Random thoughts and questions: Who is a better catcher now? Teagarden or Saltalamacchia. Is Teagarden not a top 3 position prospect? If he is then why move Davis to first base? Won't Salt need a position, probably first base if we are going to keep him. This is what drives me crazy. Teagarden will be the catcher here within less than 18 months, Salt will have to go to first base and Davis will have to go to the outfield. This is what is best for the team. So why not let Laird catch now, if you are going to keep him until the Tea has been brewed and is ready? Davis should go to outfield to get ready, Salt should be everday firstbaseman and Laird should catch. Please does anyone else see or feel this way? Another thing, if Murray makes starting rotation and Jennings is healthy then guess who isn't a starter and probably not a reliever and is probably AAA bound? MCCARTHY thats who. Now i raised h e l l last year when Danks and Massett were dealt, not because of McCarthy but because DANKS was our #1 overall freaking prospect, highly touted i do believe. DVD i do believe was how it was spun. Did they ever make any shirts? How about this T Shirt, and i am going to have it made, "DVD" WHERE ARE YOU? or "SOMEONE STOLE MY DVD." Is Diamond really the best of the three? Doubtful, rumor has it he is major league reliever at best. Danks and Volquez, Major League Starters, something MCCarthy evidently won't be on this team. Frustrated, can we at least get more than a 12 month return on the players we receive in a trade. It is COUNTERPRODUCTIVE that they only last 1 year. How many wins did MCCARTHY get last year? 20 bucks says the White Sox will keep Danks and Massett longer than we do McCARTHY. What a joke. Would Daniels be able to stand up to the scrutiny of the media in a major media market like NY? Firstoff, he would never get a job offer up there, but if he would have done this up in N.Y. or Boston, he would have been strung up. He gets a pass here? I guess Hicks is right we aren't a major media market, or at least the ones here are bought and paid for. Howard Cosell where are you when we need you. Daniels has done a horrible job here as GM, the only thing that he has learned and this was done out of self protection is to deal for prospects. This does one and only thing, buys him time in his job. That is negative, but it is the facts. Quotable quotes, 1994, "In this age of political correctness, i choose to stand for the truth, no matter what the cost. Political Correctness and the truth are not the same thing!" Margaret THATCHER, i do believe. Another one, "Don't follow the crowd, pick your own way, and get others to follow you, this is leadership." What a leader she was and is.

I am again left to realize that I don't know or understand the plan for this organization. Are we really going to hitch our wagon to guys like Bradley and Broussard? Skip the rest of my post if you don't want to read any pessimism about 2008.

Example 1:

Lonestar is dead-on with his post yesterday about the catching position. We need to find out now if Salty can catch in the majors. Not next year, now. Are we going to play Laird to build up his value for a trade, then shuffle Salty around? It's too late now - his value is gone. Meanwhile, Teagarden gets here in 2009 and we have two guys to look at, and we don't know if either can hold down the job full time. I say let's try something new, and plan for the future. Have we still not learned from our current roster squeeze?

Example 2:

Why is Cat still here? Need I say anything else?

Example 3:

Why is Milton Bradley our starting RF? I can only understand this move if it is a 1 year deal to fill a roster spot, then Chris Davis moves in for 2009. Bradley did sign a 1 year deal, after all. My only solace in his signing is that he will be on the DL more than the active roster this season. But, this ignores the fact that he is taking up a roster spot that could be used for Cruz. Maybe we're already convinced that he can't cut it. If so, fine - trade him for whatever you can get or release him and let's move on. I am trying to exercise some patience here, but why aren't we looking past 2008? We're wasting Chris Davis' arm at 1B (a veteran position anyway), when he is fully capable of playing a more demanding defensive position.

Example 4:

CJ Wilson was given the closer's job. While I can support giving the job to the young guy, why then did we sign Eddie Guardado? His contract was set up for him to close. The only possible reason for signing him was to let him close in the first half, then trade him for a prospect at the ASB. By giving the job to CJ, Wash will have to take it away from him to give it to Eddie (which is what will happen). There is plenty of documentation of CJs's propensity to have to throw too many pitches for a closer. Charge him with working on that in the first half as a set-up guy, then give him the job in the second half. How does giving him the job, then taking it away help CJ's development?

If Eddie doesn't get the closer job that he may have been promised, how does this help the Rangers sign FAs in the future? Never mind, our plan was and is to only sign premier FAs. Guess we forgot that part of the "plan" this winter.

Example 5:

AJ Murray being considered for the rotation in 2008. That's just silly. The guy was out all of 2006, and didn't throw many innings in 2007. Don't see how he can be counted on to throw 100-125 innings, much less what a starter should give the team. Maybe my standards for starters are too high - 125 innings would have put him second on the team last year. Please do not jerk this guy back and forth from the majors to the minors and back again (and again).

Stability. Stability. Stability.

We're preaching it, but we won't have it. We won't have stability on the roster this year because this team will experience too many injuries and never have a consistent lineup. The batting order will constantly be in flux. The pitchers won't make it through the season, and we'll keep the shuttle between Arlington and OKC busy.

At least it's not the shuttle between Arlington and Frisco.

Stop trying to win in 2009. It isn't happening. Start trying to win in 2012 when it is more reasonable.

Sorry to be negative as spring training just gets started. Somebody please help me understand just what we are trying to accomplish here.

I can't really help you Briant, i don't understand either. My frustration is right their with you. What you have said is the truth. What makes me even crazier and you hit the nail right on the head, is that we are making moves for the right now. It is RIDICULOUS! Cruz and Botts aren't making this team, they MATHEMATICALLY can't. The Rangers think they are going "sneak up on people this year." So what, say they win 51 % of their games. If you don't find long term solutions, players that can play, that will help us in the future, then it is a wasted season. It just puts us further behind. The "organization" has made the decision to field a competitive team, one that satisfies the corporate sponsors. Ridiculous. Salt should be at first, Tea as catcher, Davis in right field, Cruz somewhere and Botts somewhere. But it ain't happening. Bradley is right field, CF HAM, LF Murphy which i like, Broussard at 1B MENCH makes this team and is opening day Right Fielder. What is the plan????????? Win now, keep Daniels and Washington employed. Thats the ticket. This organization flys by the seat of its pants, is REACTIONARY and doesn't know what the phrase long term means. It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic!!!!!

I can get you a LIDAR, Laser Radar for $5,000. It is very accurate and stands up in court, it also isn't detectable from a radar detector, because it is laser.

Spring Training is finally here. After watching a football team that had high expectations fail miserably, I'm glad to know that the Rangers are back. A team that won't disappoint since nobody expects them to win. At least not this year.

Dwidregod, surely you didn't forget that Felix Hernandez made his major league debut three years ago when he was 19. He started twice against the Rangers that year. His second start was a 9 inning effort that went for naught after Esteban German's double scored the go-ahead run in the 11th. "Back then", Kam Loe was the starter, Cordero was the closer, Mench was the starting RF, and CJ Wilson was an unpopular middle reliever. But I guess they either have to be great players or drug addicts for you to remember players.

Bryant77,

1. Organizational depth at a key position is a good thing no matter how much you and dgod want to spin it into a negative. Can you really have too many talented, young catchers in your organization? Won’t they make good trade chips to fill holes at some point in the future?

2. I like Cat and his bat at the top of a line up against RHP, but I agree that giving a guy who is so limited a 3 year deal was a mistake.

3. Chris Davis isn’t mobile enough to play the OF in all likelihood. How did fist base become a “veteran position” in the league with the DH? There are plenty of guys who broke into the majors playing play first base.

4. How is Guardado’s contract being “set up for him to close” relevant to who actually gets the job? He’s making a 2 million dollar base salary. If he doesn’t close games he doesn’t get his bonus money. Who cares? Are you Eddie Guardado’s agent? As far as his trade value, set up guys get traded at the deadline every year. San Diego got a very nice return for Scott Linebrink last season and he as having an off year. With regard to giving CJ the closer role with the forethought and intention of snatching it away later because Eddie “may have been promised” the closer role, that just sounds like some weird conspiracy theory stuff. If CJ pitches well this spring and stays healthy, he’ll close.

5. Murray has 5 pitches, Conner sees him as a starter so he’ll most likely be in the rotation at Oklahoma redeveloping his arm strength and stamina. If they’re looking at him as a starter, for now I’m not sure how that equates to “counting on him” for a ton of innings. As far as your “Please do not jerk this guy back and forth from the majors to the minors and back again (and again)” comment: what organization doesn’t do that with young pitchers? Rosters aren’t meant to be static. It’s a long season.

“Stop trying to win in 2009.” - How is bringing in Ben Broussard, Milton Bradley, and Eddie Guardado all on one year deals to fill holes at a cost of 16 million dollars in base salary combined for all 3, trying to win in 2009? They’re affordable, serviceable stop gaps who may be flipped at the deadline. Over paying for Torii Hunter or getting serious about the Eric Bedard sweepstakes would have been “trying to win in 2009.”

Respectfully,

Matt

Apparently some people on here, particularly the cop who has a big mouth and is ever so ignorrant don't understand what the minors are for. Davis is not ready for the big league level yet, that is why Broussard is here. The Rangers don't want to rush their top prospects to the bigs and see them get burned and not recover. It has happened way to many times here and now they are finally playing smart. I agree with you hef, a bunch of one year deals for players that can be flipped at mid season is not trying to win in 2008, it's creating stop gaps while the youngins who will prob be up here by mid season or next season get some more developing time in AAA. To the people who constantly complain about past deals (actually it's just one guy) get over it. Nothing you say will change the past. And for the record, Cordero blew it here. I don't think JD really wanted to deal him untill it became apparent he need a change of scenery. Texas is a third place team in 2008 with a an upside going into 2009. It is what it is, if you don't like it, find another team to root for. I hear the Yankees are always welcoming new fans.

I seem to recall another 1B around here who had a pretty good arm... drafted as a natural 3B but blocked by Blalock so he moved. Tex can still throw, but 1B proved to be a very good road for him.

Plus, he can move - his feet don't take root when they stop shuffling and Davis is said to not be very mobile. You want your pitchers throwing their hearts out just to see balls dropping all over your outfield? I'd rather have someone who can move out there. Davis ain't that fella.

Cat - here's hoping we get a prospect or two for him... I don't think he has a place in our defense this year (I'd much prefer Murphy on the roster to Cat)...

And, all these 1-year deals? All are good clubhouse guys who can teach these toddling sTRangers how the game is played. Some will also bring pretty good returns at the trade deadline.

Not sure about summa ya'll's attitudes... it's a game. You don't lose anyting substantive if the sTRangers lose and you don't gain anything substantive if they win. Grow up.

PS - Blalock is still my favorite sTRanger... Lenny Randle (who punched out Frank Lucchesi, his manager) is my favorite of the old sTRangers (Jeff Burroughs is a close second along with Raffy "the Juice" Palmeiro...)

Dwidregod, I don't know what team you actually like. Obviously it's not the Rangers but, I know I speak for many people who post and read comments here, it's customary to follow the team you like. I would say you have a sick fascination with the Rangers, evidenced by your in-depth knowledge, and disdain for the team. Please show us real fans some respect and STOP HECKLING OUR TEAM! We are tired of your poison. You are free to post comments wherever you like but responsibity goes along with that right and that responsbility is respect for others.

Fair questions, hefe. And it's all good. We're all on the same side here from my perspective, we just have differeing ideas on the best way to accomplish the goal of seeing a long-term winner in Arlington. That's what makes seeing everyone's posts interesting - because I do learn from others here. I do not in any way mind someone disagreeing with me - it's another chance to learn something.

Depth IS good, and something maybe I'm just not used to having here. I guess I'd just like to see the Rangers make the right choice, should Salty or Teagarden have to be moved. Seems the best way to do that would be to give Salty the time behind the plate before Teagarden gets here - that's all I'm trying to say.

Eddie's contract shouldn't have any bearing on who closes, but history says it likely will. His bonuses are based on games finished, so if he's not given the chance to close, he can't make as much. I don't think there is any conspiracy or any of that. I am just suprised that the guy signed here with the incentives that have been reported, if all he was promised was a chance to close. There would be less reason to have those incentives if he's coming in as a set up man. I actually hope he was promised nothing, because that is what we should be promising our '1 year contract' veterans.

I would very much like to see the team keep pitchers in one place as much as possible. Teams with strong rotations don't have to bring guys up from AAA frequently. Strong would, unfortunately, not be an adjective we could use for our rotation. My point, which probably could have been more clearly made, is that the Rangers had 15 different pitchers start games last year - this is way too many. With our brittle rotation we may see more of the same again this year. The team we are chasing, Anaheim, used 8 different starters. So did the Red Sox. I hope to see us keep our young pitchers in AAA until they are ready to come to the majors and stay. Sure, all teams need inury replacements from time to time, but we still have much work to do in this area. This is also the area where we can make the most progress toward building a winner - more stability in the rotation. Pitching is still a big question mark for this team.

I'll agree that signing Hunter or Bedard would have been going 'all in' for 2009. I would not have supported either move. My fear is that Wash will get a little taste of a winning, and we will fall back into old habits of making trades for today. I hope that all the '1 year contract' vets are flipped. I'm just getting less sure that this is the plan. If they're all traded at the ASB I'll be fine. Guess I need more reassurance.

I know it's early, and many of my concerns will shake out before the end of spring training. I just have some strong opinions about a team that should commit to rebuilding, and felt the need to voice my concern at what I perceive to be backsliding.

Hey racly, if you are going to call people names like ignorrant, at least try to spell the word correctly, IGNORANT, i do believe is how it is spelled. I guess that makes you an IGNORAMUS. The next time you run across a police officer i am sure you will be more than willing to express your feelings toward them. Ha ha, i am sure you will be the coward that you are and keep your mouth shut as most do. Ha Ha. Just because i am critical of the team, doesn't mean i don't care, in fact it proves that i DO CARE. Don't follow something blindly people, stand up for what you believe in. It is because of people like you that things never change. You are all sheep, become a wolf and Hicks will put a better product out on the field. As long as people continue to follow and support then it will not change. I want a plan, and don't want this constant flip flopping. I was a previous season ticket holder, not anymore. I have probably spent more money, been to more games than half of you people on this blog. It is ok to be positive, but be realistic in your support. Don't be a sheep, baa, baa.

Just wondering: With a great-throwing catcher, one who can bunt, move runners over, steal bases and take the extra base, and has been proven to hit (last year's average was stifled by the illustrious Manager)---so WHY on God's green earth must there be any competition for the job with Salty? Salty should be the First Basemen. PERIOD! He is young, switch-hits, has pop, and can learn to play the position, a la Mark Texiera. Salty should be our future at First for a long, long time--until miser Tom Hicks refuses to pay him once Salty blossoms in the next couple of years.

Let's see, we're going to a youth movement, officially. So, we sign Jason Jennings, Eddie Guadardo, Milton Bradley, etc. Making NO effort to sign or trade for a Scott Kazmir, Erik Bedard or Johan Santana, to me, is LAME, LAME, LAME. Unlike comments above, I am not "afraid" of having a little success, or even great success by signing or trading for a top-notch pitcher such as the three listed above. Is it a baseball sin to sign or trade for a top-flight hurler, who might well turn around the whole attitude, skill-level and competence of the team? I think not. We should be trying to amass the best ballplayers on the Texas Rangers team that are EARTHLY possible. So, unlike bloggers above, this blogger is not afraid to have a little or alot of success by signing or trading for TOP-FLIGHT pitchers (or players), AND simultaneously infusing some of our vaunted minor league system into the lineup. I want quality players, the best, and my question is: How can this be a bad thing? Would signing Mike Sweeney, an accomplished hitter and great person, block the path for the unproven 27-year old "rookie" Jason Botts? So what. We'd have a better hitter on our hands, and improve the team more than having untested warm bodies filling roles. Filling spots with mediocre, warm-bodies only serves Tom Hicks's goal of going on the cheap in this major market of FW/Arlington/Dallas. Our payroll is a travesty. Getting good players REGARDLESS of their veteran status should be a priortity.

Going back to our "youth movement", which I thought was a stated goal--NOT rebuilding, (Heaven forbid we use that term), if JD feels like the Rangers are better served in signing mediocre warm bodies, instead of top-notch pitchers and players, then he is sadly uniformed or mistaken, or both.

Otherwise, shall we now get on the bandwagon? Very difficult, but it is do-able. In spite of the owner.

Again political correctness and the truth are not the same thing. If i am not right in my criticism then i am to blame. But everything that i have written is how i feel and what i believe. Am i supposed to forget that DANIELS made those horrible deals? Give me a break! The only thing that DANIELS has changed is he now gets infants in return for our all-star caliber players. You and others call them prospects. DANIELS won't be around once they mature if they do so. It doesn't mean that i don't care about the Rangers. IT IS JUST FREAKING NUTS what they do. I am tired of watching it, don't know what their motivation is other than to make money and have financial flexibility. Newsflash, we aren't going to win in this decade if we don't change our approach and REBUILD. STOPGAPS aren't stopping anything and are merely delaying the process. My question is what is this organization afraid of? Doug MELVIN said it and i doth quote, the Rangers will never win with Tom HICKS as owner because HICKS refuses to totally scrap the team and REBUILD. I want a plan, i want a true rebuild. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Hicks doesn't want to pay players anyway so that is a better fit for him. Don't be afraidy cat Hicks. Pull the plug we aren't that far from the drain anyway. TIGERPLAN it word for them it will work for us. WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Oh this is the best team ever, the best owner, GM, Manager and President. We have the best players, the best pitching staff and a long history of developing players in the minors that go on to long careers with the team that drafted and nurtured them. We have built the Rangerway of doing things. We have such a long history of winning. Doing what it takes to get that World Series victory. I support my local teams and i want them to win in my lifetime! But, i look at things realisitically. Fan doesn't mean to be blindly loyal when the facts don't support you being supportive. What just is it that you people want? I will be critical of this team every freaking day, if it gets them to wake up and change their approach. "Fans want MENCH." 3/4ths of the bloggers on here didn't want this guy. So just who is it that wanted him? I like the guy, but the stats here show that no one else did. So why did they sign him?

ok mr. man let me tell you something. i live in a small town where the cops harass anyone under the age of 30, so i have a disdain for cops, especially cocky ones like you. i have the right to free speech and if someone like you pulls me over and talks smack i will without cussing and name calling tell you how i feel. go ahead and throw more bull out there. i'm tired of arguing with you and upsetting all the fellow bloggers who want to peacefully talk rangers baseball. and for the record, it's m r acly and you sir can have a nice day and when you turn into an adult, lets talk baseball.

fellow ranger bloggers, i will for here on out ignore dwigod. it's upsetting a lot of you when i or others do it and i will respectfully stop. sorry for clogging this blog up with garbage. go rangers!

"TIGERPLAN it word for them it will work for us." - I'll assume this is some sort of reference to the Detroit Tigers. Never mind that the Tigers, having been to the playoffs exactly once in the last 20 years and are hardly a model for consistency.

Look at the Tigers roster from ’04, a mere 2 year before they went to the World Series and tell me they had a radically better team than the Rangers have today. They didn’t. But, you know what they did have? A boatload of talent in the minor leagues and some players who were beginning to emerge at the major league level. That talent was integral to their success in 2006.

The Rangers currently have a boat load of talent in the minors. Talent that’s going to start being realized in ’08 and ’09 and then maturing as a second wave of talent comes in ’10-12 when the flood of young pitching currently in the low minors are ready to yield results. Are all of them going to make it? Of course not, but that’s why depth is so important.

Stocking the minor league system and keeping is stocked to provide a constant supply of talent coming up from the minor leagues is the plan the team is currently on. It’s clearly in the early stages and if you’re short-sighted then you’re going to miss it, but when it begins to work it’s going to lead to long term contention and that should have been the plan all along, not the years of quick fixes this organization has so lazily taken.

As for the intricacies of “TIGERPLAN” as you so eloquently put it, I’d love to hear them.

""Fans want MENCH." 3/4ths of the bloggers on here didn't want this guy. So just who is it that wanted him? I like the guy, but the stats here show that no one else did. So why did they sign him?"

He agreed to a minor league deal. It's a potentially cheap reward vs. zero risk. Even though he can mash lefties and would be an ideal compliment to Frank Catalanotto at DH, I’d rather see Nelson Cruz or Jason Botts make the team, but if they both struggle in the spring then Mench or Shelton will be there to take up the slack and available to go back to the minors if they are not needed in Arlington.

Even if Botts and Cruz struggle in the spring, my opinion is they still need to be on the team. We need to see what they can do in the majors, one last time, before we cut bait with them - Mench is a spare, who hit .212 vs. righties with no homers last year, and whose fielding may be deteriorating toward Jason Botts-ville. Bottom line, he doesn't hit enough to DH, and he doesn't field enough to be a decent OF anymore - he's well-nigh useless, and does nothing for the rebuilding effort.

But Ron Washington is already in love with him - just read TR's article over on the Rangers site where Wash sees him in batting practice, and raves about his line drives. It's clear, Ron has found his replacement for Sammy Sosa this year - when Mench finds his way onto the team, and it's a a fair bet he will, be it out of ST, or come the end of May, he's going to get plenty of playing time from Wash. And likely, he will wind up stealing it from not only Botts and Cruz, but David Murphy as well. Trust me folks, Mench is more than just AAA insurance - he's Ron's new pet.

m r acly, if the cops are harassing you then you should complain if you aren't doing anything wrong. Cry to the police department or city hall as you do on this website and you are sure to get some results. We harass people in my city, they are called criminals and everyone likes the fact we do so. It keeps them from attacking people, burglarizing their houses and our their cars. We enjoy a lot of support for harassing criminals. I am sure the criminal dopers don't enjoy it, but oh well most of them are unemployed don't pay taxes and can't afford to live here much less attend a Rangers game or blog about it. Bottom line is you attacked me first and i won't stand by just because you don't like what i say. It is easy to write things on here when you are hiding behind your lap top computer, different when you are face to face with people i am sure. Mench is the OPENING DAY RIGHT FIELDER for this team, BELIEVE IT. I like Mench, told everyone he was coming no one believed it. Let tell you this and you can believe it or not. Botts and Mench have been mathematically eliminated from making this team unless someone gets hurt. Wasnt' Cruz the earpiece that we had to have less than 18 months ago, the guy, the can't miss prospect? I could care less about Botts, but has Cruz really been given enough of a chance to say that he can't play? I don't think so and he has shown some flashes, i just think he needs consistent playing time. This is where having a plan and not trying to win in 08 would help us. IF we weren't trying to win this year, Cruz would play everyday this year. He won't Bradley and Mench will and Cruz probably goes to AAA if he isn't claimed, if he is claimed off waivers he will be traded. This is why i continue to bring up DANIELS deals. What we get in return lasts less than 2 years? Is that a positive? When they cut the chord on Cruz we will have exactly Kevin "Shrek" Mench as the sole survivor on this team. This is why Washington loves him and why Mench is starting Right Fielder on opening day. I think Cruz would be a better long term solution, but what do i know, i an "idiot". Ha Ha, Cellar Dwellars rock! I am beginning to like it down here with my team the Texas Drainers, i mean Texas Rangers. Hey TR, have you got a new suit with all that money you are stealing on book sales?

I too, come here in hopes of being educated by the wise wisdom of our posters but to know where one is going one must know where they've been.

Talking about the past is again, very important in baseball. Okay lets not talk about bad past trades but what is it that attracts teams to a top notch FA? His stats of the past!

Why do we all jump on Laird? Because of his past but as Bingo points out, RW specifically told Laird coming out of ST last year to concentrate on working the pitchers and not to worry about his offense. Remember? So he goes out and ***** it up early offensively and all of the sudden he's toast?

Having great depth in the minors doesn't mean management make the right choices with that depth. And once again I base that comment on the past.

I know the pieces are coming together and all signs point to success in the upcoming years but that doesn't mean it will happen with this management group based on THE PAST.

If comments made here are based in fact, how can you debate them? We debate them based on our conviction and our passion.

I want to win! I want to contend every year like large market teams should. I want to attend another play-off series and be there when this team makes it past the first round of the post season. Who knows when that may be,

based on our past. I'm out!

While reading Washington's bio, i became interested in why was it that he spent 11 years with the Oakland A's organization, they had a managerial opening and he didn't get interviewed. Why is it? Which team has been better ran over the last 20 years, A's or Rangers? A's of course. Maybe next time we should follow their lead and hire a manager that someone else would like to have. Washington is the 9th manager in Texas history to get his first job in Texas. This has to stop. Mike Hargrove is the next manager that we will have. Bet on it. Go Hargrove!

As Nicholson said in "A Few Good Men." "You can't handle the truth!" I agree keibarr, once this "organization" proves that they can develop a starting pitching prospect then i will believe what has transpired and continues to transpire. The bottom line is we refuse to pay players, we are a training ground for managers and players. No player lasts on this team more than 5 years. Now that is consistency. Now that is the facts.

“While reading Washington's bio, i became interested in why was it that he spent 11 years with the Oakland A's organization, they had a managerial opening and he didn't get interviewed. Why is it?”

False:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061024&content_id=1722256&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

“Which team has been better ran over the last 20 years, A's or Rangers? A's of course.”

So, you’re a fan of the A’s organization now? What happened to “TIGERPLAN?” (I’m still waiting to hear the brilliant details of “TIGERPLAN”, by the way.)

“The bottom line is we refuse to pay players, we are a training ground for managers and players. No player lasts on this team more than 5 years.”

How many current Oakland A’s have been the club for more than 5 full years? Eric Chavez is one and Mark Ellis also counts if you go by his 5+ years of ML service time so we’ll say 2 for the A’s.

How many current Tigers have been with that club more than 5 full years? 1. Brandon Inge, and they’re actively trying to trade him.

How many current Rangers have been here more than 5 full years? 3. Michael Young, Hank Blalock, and Joaquin Benoit.

Tigerplan is to hire a GM named Dombrowski, totally scrap the team, i.e. REBUILD, pitch your young pitchers and then when you get close add veterans to put you over the top specifically Ordonez, Rodriguez and Rogers. Now they have added a veteran shortstop, Cabrera and Willis. Wow, the Rangers could only dream of such things. Tiger plan put them in the World Series, something we don't even think about. Don't be so hostile Hefe@hotmail.com. The Rangers actions or lack of actions speak for themselves. They don't need me or you. I call it history, it is the way we do things. Love the article in the FWST where Daniels openly admits that he made a huge mistake dealing Gonzales and Young and wished he had a do over. Ha Ha. You think? The only thing he does now is trade our all-star caliber players for prospects which necessarily isn't a bad thing, but will take 5 years to find out. Now they are saying if Salt doesn't win the catchers job he goes to AAA. Salt should be first baseman, others believe this also. I will wait it out and in 5 years we will see who is a major league player. Andrus will take 5 years, Salt may take 2, if they develop at all. Our history of acquiring players of minor league stature that turn into players for us? Michael Young, i can think of no other in our HISTORY. So the odds are against us. Wait and see, 20 bucks says Daniels doesn't see his minor leaguers in the major leagues as GM of this team. Afterall he has earned an exit. Go back to your Rotierrsie League Daniels. The only thing you have done is buy yourself more time by trading for prospects. We do it at the police department all the time, want blind loyalty and production, hire some 21 year old snot-nosed kid who is just happy being a cop. Once they find out what is going on things change. Same thing here.

“Tigerplan is to hire a GM named Dombrowski” – Dombroski is a great GM. Too bad he’s not likely to leave his current job in the immediate future.

“totally scrap the team, i.e. REBUILD” Dean Palmer, Bobby HIgginson, Rondell White, Ugeth Urbina, Danny Patterson, Steve Avery, Jose Lima, Steve Sparks, Jason Johnson, and Dmitri Young. All veteran players who played for the Tigers during the “scrap” years. These are guys Dambrowski inherited but didn’t move or players that he brought in and paid millions to as a stop gap at the major league level because there was no one in the minor league system ready to take over those jobs. Not quite the total scrap job you described.

“…pitch your young pitchers and then when you get close add veterans to put you over the top…” Young Tigers pitchers during the so-called total scrap years: Nate Cornejo was rushed to the big leagues, flamed out and hasn’t thrown a major league pitch since ’04. Jeremy Bonderman was rushed to the big leagues, got his brains beat in and rebounded to become a mediocre #3 or #4 type starter. Wilfredo Ladezma was rushed to the big leagues and has a career ERA well over 5. Not exactly a resounding testimonial for rushing pitchers to the big leagues.

“I call it history, it is the way we do things. Love the article in the FWST where Daniels openly admits that he made a huge mistake dealing Gonzales and Young and wished he had a do over. Ha Ha. You think?” You’d rather he didn’t take responsibility for it? This was a bad trade that set the organization back. It was a prime example of the “compete now” mentality that has kept this team bogged down in mediocrity for years. I feel like Daniels has shifted away from that philosophy after learning a hard lesson and is now trying to build long term with the young players currently in the minors instead of the counter productive culture of expensive mediocrity.

“Andrus will take 5 years” Your analysis of player development baffles me. Chris Davis and Taylor Teagarden who have a combined 212 at bats above A ball should be in the big leagues now but Andrus who is about to play a full season at AA is 5 years away? I’ll give you 3 to 1 odds that he’s a major leaguer in 3 years or less barring significant injury.

Does anyone notice when some one finds out that a statement that dwad makes he never comes back to refute it.Note Washington quote about managers job. I hope all the REAL Ranger fans are remembering how he has bad mouthed every trade that has been made. When some of these guys fail then I hope he doesn't mind us pointing it out. I notice dwad could't care less about Botts. I remember when dwad said he was the second coming of Babe Ruth.

Rick you need to understand that dwad must be a cop because he is always baiting everyone here. That is the way they do things. Nothing he says is ever postive. If he has as much connection as he says I'm sure he can get into see JD & Wash and get them straight. Don't hide behind the keyboard get out there and inform the owner.

How can we convince dwad to become a Yankee fan? He would fit in so well!

fbatts.....please, please, please do not judge all police by dwi.....there are alot more positive cops, and he does not represent any that I know. It has been pointed out to him before about the negative way he represents the brotherhood in blue. I actually think he IS a yankees fan, and comes just to harass us true Ranger fans. After all, we all know that you can't believe a yankee or redsox fan.

So negative comments make you a non fan? WOW. And I thought I was a Ranger fan since my dad took me to that first game in 1972.

Debating baseball has 2 elements, debating fact and speculation. Dwid comments on past trades are dead on. Can anyone give me an example of a post A-Rod trade that has worked out for the Rangers? Before you all go off and bring up the Tex trade that would be speculation until 1 or 2 of the return players have an impact at the major leagues.

Debating when a prospect makes it to the majors is speculation. Kinda like DVD a few years back. How has that worked out for us?

The only common thread we all have here is passion for the Texas Rangers and negativity has been bred over years of losing. Over years of players not wanting to come to this laughing stock. Over years of not paying our developing players and losing them elsewhere. Over years of poor trades and player development.

So if I indeed listen to others, I should go be a yankee fan?

I think TR intended Elysian Fields to have a fence around it. Not jail bars.

Amen Kei, these people just don't get it. Just because someone is critical of the team doesn't mean that they aren't a fan. What irks me is we continue the same things over and over. Someone said up above that we are not trying to compete now, that we are rebuilding. You don't rebuild with 30 year old players. IT IS A JOKE. I don't get upset when people point out when i am wrong. Hey i am not perfect. What i don't like is some people on here who just seem to like to bash cops. Newsflash since you hate them so much, why are they the first people that you call when someone steals your precious property. Don't call, if you hate them keep it to yourself, ha ha. Now taking personal responsibility for a bad trade is honorable. He is just doing that to DEFLECT the criticism. He is now trading our all star caliber players for INFANTS, that will take 3 to 5 years to see if they will play in the big leagues. This buys Daniels time in his job. If he had made another bad deal like Soriano or Gonzales then he would be gone. Hicks couldn't take the pressure. I think he made a bad deal, it is just going to take time to play out. See you in 3 years when i say, we traded a 27 year old perennial all-star switch hitting future hall of famer for that ****? Wait and see, i have been wrong before, but i also have been right. Remember MENCH???

"What irks me is we continue the same things over and over." - Interesting, coming from the guy who sites the Gonzelez/Young and Soriano trades multiple times every thread.

"You don't rebuild with 30 year old players. IT IS A JOKE." - Dombroski and the Tigers did. Have you abandoned the principals of TIGERPLAN so quickly?

"See you in 3 years when i say, we traded a 27 year old perennial all-star switch hitting future hall of famer for that ****?" Teixeira made his lone all-star appearence in 2005. Perennial indeed.

I think Salty, Andrus, and Harrison will likely be solid major leaguers. If 2 of those 5 players we aquired from Altanta turn out to be everyday player then that seems like a win in exchange for 1.3 years of a guy who didn't want to be here. If 3 of them do the it was a steal. Is me thinking that 3 of them will be impact players speculation? Sure, but so is calling a guy who has appeared in 1 All-Star game a future Hall of Famer.