Kason Gabbard

If healthy, Kason is one of our best starters and competitors. Each of the other starters could learn a few things from him on how to pitch. I am sure the only reason we were able to get his was because of the Red Sox concerns about his durability. The guy can pitch, not so sure how durable he is going to be. But hey what other starting pitcher on this team is? Millwood, Padilla, McCarthy, Jennings??? This is the main problem here, hear? We never address our starting pitching over the winter? Why? Because it costs money. We have never developed our own, that is kept any that developed later? If i were GM, could i do any worse, i would draft nothing but pitchers until he hit on some, then i would draft some more of it, and then more and more. Kevin Brown is the only starting pitcher during the time of the Rangers that has we ever hit on that spent some time with this team. There have been many that matured on other teams but that doesn't do us a damned bit of good, yet we continue to trade pitching. Next up on the list is Jon Danks, he took his lumps last year and probably will take a huge step with the White Sox this year. Watch and see. And to think we gave them Danks and Massett.

Spring training is to prepare for the regular season, not for stats, Gabbard will be 0-0 come opening day and that is a good thing. I would be more worried about Ponson, Padilla and Millwoods ERA over Gabbards. If he has a 12 ERA in the regular season then he is probably hurt. Maybe he should try that kickboxing regimen that Millwood does. It seemed to really help him. He would have been better off doing Yoga. I make millions of dollars a year and i can't exercise to prolong my career or give me a competitive advantage? Go back to the basics, Run, Swim, Ride your bicycle, it is called cross-training. Even the DWIDREGOD knows this, why don't they? Lose some weight you will feel better and pitch better when you are in shape. I was in a bar the other day and told the waitress to bring me a large pitcher of beer, when it arrived, i saw that it was Sydney Ponson!!! Ha Ha, get it a large pitcher of beer. Maybe he could call out "beer here, in between pitches or when he is pulled. The Rangers have been coveting this guy for years, attempted to trade for him when he was in Baltimore. Be careful what you wish for. Is he really going to redeem himself, pitch better in the shooting gallery. Jon Thomson and Aaron SELE are the only two pitchers that have had huge success here, moreso Sele, who was stolen from Boston.

Remember those days, when the GM actually made trades with other clubs and the players we got in return actually helped the major league team. Seems like such a long time ago. For those who are keeping track Soriano, Cordero, Lee, Texiera, Gonzales, Young, all all-star caliber players. All we have left as of this date, Mench and Cruz. Wow! Is it any wonder that we are a struggling franchise? Think of all the money Hicks has saved. Why hasn't Nolan fired everyone? Is he waiting for us to start out slow? Get ready for a slow start, we don't have the starting pitching.

“We never address our starting pitching over the winter? Why? Because it costs money.” – Name one top of the rotation starter who was a free agent this off season.

“If i were GM, could i do any worse, i would draft nothing but pitchers until he hit on some, then i would draft some more of it, and then more and more” – Who are these pitchers going to throw to? I hope they can strike a lot of people out because the lack of and defenders is going to be a noticeable handicap. For what it’s worth, 4 of the Rangers first 5 draft picks last summer were pitchers and their first pick in ’06 was a Left handed starter who should reach AA by the end of this year.

“I was in a bar the other day and told the waitress to bring me a large pitcher of beer, when it arrived, i saw that it was Sydney Ponson!!! Ha Ha, get it a large pitcher of beer.” – Even less funny the second time around.

“Kevin Brown is the only starting pitcher during the time of the Rangers that has we ever hit on that spent some time with this team.” Rick Helling, Kenny Rogers and Jose Guzman.

“Jon Thomson and Aaron SELE are the only two pitchers that have had huge success here” – John Thomson had an ERA well over 5 in Arlington. Kenny Rogers knows how to pitch here. His career ERA in this park is 3.99.

“All we have left as of this date, Mench and Cruz.” - Convenient that you refuse to acknowledge Saltalamacchia and Harrison, both of whom will see big league action this season and be even bigger contributors in ’09 when Teixeira is in pin stripes. I guess it doesn’t fit your rhetoric.

”Why hasn't Nolan fired everyone?” – Maybe he’s not too short-sighted to see that the organization is trending upwards.

“There have been many that matured on other teams but that doesn't do us a damned bit of good, yet we continue to trade pitching.” – Name a team who doesn’t have multiple impact players that came out of their minor league system to go on to have success elsewhere.

“For those who are keeping track Soriano, Cordero, Lee, Texiera, Gonzales, Young, all all-star caliber players. All we have left as of this date, Mench and Cruz. Wow!” – Still harping on the ol’ Cordero trade? Really? Ok, let’s keep track of that one. The Brewers will get 2 draft picks for Cordero. The Rangers got 2 draft picks for Lee. The Brewers have Laynce Nix who is mediocre at AAA but has yet to make an impact at the big league level. The Rangers have Nelson Cruz who is great at AAA but has yet to make and impact at the big league level. That’s about as even as a trade can get, not quite the fleecing you try to make it out to be.

The Soriano trade? The Nationals have 2 draft picks from last year and the Rangers have a AA outfielder. It’s a wonder the league doesn’t just dissolve this franchise since we’re constantly getting fleeced so badly.

Ok what do we have for Gonzales and Young to San Diego? Was that a fleecing? Zero, zilch, nada. Kenny Rogers please. Do you and Kenny have the same anger management specialist? The Rangers traded Alex Rodriguez, the unabated best player in the game, got Soriano for 2 years and Arias **** prospect who was reportedly a stud, sound familiar. I believe we had our choice of either Robinson Cano or Arias. We took Arias, so much for Harts scouting department. Now we have a AA outfielder and Arias for the best player in the game at least the highest paid at 27.5 million per year. Wow! That is a fleecing in my book. You better have more than that. But hey, Daniels has learned. He now trades our best players for prospects. Texiera for Saltalamacchia who is probably going to AAA, to learn a position that he will never play for us. Teagarden is the future catcher here. Tea has caught in college in games that matter. Salt just wants to catch. His future is firstbase or DH evidently so why interfere with Teagardens development? If and when all of these prospects become major league all-stars, then will we be able to evaluate these trades. In other words when these prospects start producing in the major leagues is when we will be able to tell. So far, their will be none at the major league level while Tex hits 35 to 40 HR's, bats over .300 and drives in over 100 Runs. Who is going to do that on this team? Maybe eightball, that is it!

“Ok what do we have for Gonzales and Young to San Diego?” – Ah, yes your favorite topic. It was a horrible trade that set the organization back. No argument here, but when you lump it in with other, innocuous deals it’s obvious that you’re just looking for reasons to bash the front office and having trouble finding them. Oh, Francisco Cordero, why did we ever trade you and your 6.56 home ERA away? Whoa as me. The fact that Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez were under club control for so long is what makes that one such a killer. The Teixeira, Cordero, Juan Gonzalez and Soriano trades didn't have that element.

”Kenny Rogers please.” – I guess the fact that John Thomson never assaulted a camera man somehow makes his 5+ ERA a “huge success” as you put it.

“Do you and Kenny have the same anger management specialist?” – No anger here. Picking apart your weak ramblings is better than therapy.

A-rod opted out of his contract. If he hadn’t been dealt, he’d still be gone.

“In other words when these prospects start producing in the major leagues is when we will be able to tell.” – That’s odd. One would assume that their failure was already a foregone conclusion by the way you reference this trade multiple times every thread.

“So far, their will be none at the major league level while Tex hits 35 to 40 HR's, bats over .300 and drives in over 100 Runs.” – The next time he does all those things in the same season will be the second time. Have you backed off his “future hall of famer” status already?