Friday Happy Hour at the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill
Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, where we toast the Rangers top draft pick from Thursday: Charley Pride.
* Michael Young has a 21-game hitting streak but Ian Kinsler's came to an end at 19 on Thursday night. If Kinsler had been able to get a hit, it would have been only the third time since World War II that two teammates both had a hitting streak of at least 20 games going at the same time.
* The last time? Mickey Rivers had a 23-game streak for the Rangers in 1980 and Al Oliver had a 20-game streak. Oliver also had a 21-game streak for the Pirates in 1974 while Richie Zisk had a 20-game streak. Both, of course, ended up being Rangers.
* Kinsler was one behind Young during his streak and said, "That made it more fun. We didn't talk about it much but we both knew what was going on. I told him I was going to get him and he wasn't too happy to hear that."
* Jamey Wright, despite his heavy workload, said his recent problems were mechanical rather than physical: "I feel good. Am I healthy? Yeah. I feel great. Ask me in August or September and it might be a different answer but right now I feel good. The more I throw the better I feel. I've had mechanical problems all my career. Just because I'm throwing the ball well and throwing strikes, I can't take things for granted. I've got to take care of the little things to keep it up."
* Joaquin Benoit on his work load: "I'm not worried about my pitch count, I'm worried about the number of hitters I face. I'd like to face the minimum. Three. Three an inning. It doesn't matter how I get them out."
* Chess is the new game in the Rangers clubhouse and apparently reliever Frank Francisco is pretty good at it. Said Francisco, "I've been playing for a few years but I'm not that good. I make too many mistakes. I need to play alone so I can focus. I can't have too many people watching me."
* Robbie Ross, the Rangers second round pick, is supposedly looking for $1.5 million even though a second round pick should normally get somewhere around $800,000.
* Ross, a high school left-handed pitcher from Kentucky, told the Lexington Herald-Leader, "I was sort of shocked because I thought what I was asking for was something of an issue. I thought that might scare off a lot of teams, and I was worried I might not go until the later rounds. But then out of the blue, Texas took me. They kind of popped out of nowhere. I hadn't been talking to them at all. So it was really surprising."
* Added Ross: "I really don't know if they can work things out or not. I hope so. I guess time will tell. But I'm excited either way. If I get the money and sign or if I go play at Kentucky, I've got a great opportunity either way."
* Said his father Churck: "I was hoping the Yankees or Boston would take Robbie. Now we're hoping the Rangers want to pay what we're asking. We've got a lot to work out to make a final agreement."
* Just for the heck of it: Drew Meyer
* Today is the official birthday of Little League, founded in 1939 thanks to a $35 donation for uniforms.
* Justin Smoak had 62 home runs at South Carolina. That's fifth all-time in the SEC. Rafael Palmeiro is fourth with 67. Both hit their home runs in a three-year span. The three players in front of them all did it in four years: LSU's Eddie Furniss (80) and Brad Cresse (78) and Florida's Matt LaPorta (74).
* ESPN wanted Smoak to go to Orlando for the draft and be interviewed on television after being selected. Smoak told them no. Said he's rather watch the draft with his family in Goose Creek, South Carolina.
* Smoak started playing organized baseball at four. Played "Angel Ball." Apparently in Goose Creek that comes before T-Ball.
* Smoak said he has never been to Texas. But he hears Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is hitter-friendly. "But you still have to hit it," he said.
* Cardinals outfielder and former Ranger Ryan Ludwick: I've had a broken hip, two knee surgeries, a wrist surgery and a stomach ulcer from all the stress. That illness is something I consider a surgery, as they had to put me under for it. You miss a lot of time from the game when you have five surgeries in four years."
Hey Ludwick, Stress is a part of life. Ross wants $1.5 million and he should get $800,000. That is a $700,000 difference if the Rangers knew this why draft him? They won't pay. $700,000 over 7 years $100,000 @ year is that really worth arguing over if you think this guy is going to be a player, and they evidently do because he is their second round pick. Hey Ross, go to college! Question: Why do we continually draft high school pitchers when a college one is probably more ready to step into our rotation and more of a known commodity? Isn't Gabe Kapler the one with the longest hitting streak ever? Where is he? Milwaukee? Meyer what a Fuson mistake, trade him to San Diego for a pitcher. It is all about the pitching. Take pitching. If Smoak is the next Texiera does that mean he will play somewhere else? Why would we want someone that was similar to him? Didn't the Rangers bad mouth him as he exited? Sure seems to be a large hole over at first base without him. What would this team look like if we had waited to trade him at this years all-star break? Would it have been competitive have more wins. Would he have then re-signed? I prefer the original to any compairisons.
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"Question: Why do we continually draft high school pitchers when a college one is probably more ready to step into our rotation and more of a known commodity?" - Who was there at the 11th pick that fit that description? I think you would've seen them take a college pitcher in the fist round this year if Crow or Matusz had still been on the board at 11, but they took the best available player instead of a college arm with question marks like Hunt (control), Cashner (Control, poor secondary pitches) or Friedrich (velocity). They took a college lefty in the third round this year. With the 54th overall pick last year, they took Tommy Hunter, a college pitcher, and he's already at Frisco, having made 3 excellent starts in his first 4 outings at that level.
"Isn't Gabe Kapler the one with the longest hitting streak ever? Where is he? Milwaukee?" - Yes, he's in Milwaukee, having his first good season since 2001. It's a shame we didn't hang onto him this whole time. What this team really needs is another 4th outfielder.
"That is a $700,000 difference if the Rangers knew this why draft him?" - Probably becuase the think he's worth it. I bet he signs for less than what the father is asking. Baseball America didn't seem think he'd be that tough to sign. I hope they and JD are right.
"What would this team look like if we had waited to trade him at this years all-star break?" - Offense isn't what's costing this team games, also you don't get nearly the return for a half season of Teix as you do for the 1.3 years they traded away last year.
"If Smoak is the next Texiera does that mean he will play somewhere else?" - If he has a decent career, then yes. How many good players stay with one team their whole career these days? Hardly any.
"Why would we want someone that was similar to him?" - I guess you'd prefer they draft players who they feel like will fail to become productive big leaguers? Dumbest question ever.
"Didn't the Rangers bad mouth him as he exited?" - I don't recall anyone questioning his ability or production. Smoak is drawing comparisons to Teixiera and Jones because he's a switch hitter with the ability to hit for power and average while getting on base at a high rate, not because of the make-up of his character.
"Would he have then re-signed?" - No. What's with this mental block you have regarding Scott Boras clients? Has he signed an extension with the Braves that I've missed? The Braves have a good chance of resigning him, but he's going to field other offers and once that Yankees get involved he's going to get a top 5-10 type of contract and he's simply not worth that.
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You have to pay the piper to keep the talent. We are keeping Kinsler, Young, i want us to reup Ham and Murphy. You can't make players stay with you if they don't want to. I said this last year before Tex started squaking, and i doth quote, "It looks like if the Rangers want to keep Tex and Young they better start winning." The lack of promise or any hope of winning is what is killing this franchise. We are doing better now, it appears that we are on the right track, if we stay patient, play our young players and don't start dealing our young talent because we are close to competing this year. If we had been competing for division titles and going to the playoffs, i believe it would have been a lot easier for Tex or anyone else to sign here. With or without Boras as your Attorney. Last year was when we should have drafted the college pitchers. I am just too tired of Rangers management refusal to draft someone just based on the fact that they want money. The draftees are no different than the owner who likes to gouge the public every chance he gets while putting an inferior product on the field. This area and these fans deserve a championship. I really don't care that the Stars won a Stanley Cup 10 years ago. I want a World Series Title in Arlington, Texas.
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"Last year was when we should have drafted the college pitchers." - Tommy Hunter, college pitcher drafted last year, already at AA. Andrew Laughter, college pitcher drafted last year, already at AA. Evan Reed, college pitcher drafted last year, with a 3.78 ERA at 3 different levels including one start at AA.
"I am just too tired of Rangers management refusal to draft someone just based on the fact that they want money." - They took Ross this year. They went over slot to sign Beavan and Main last year. What specific players are you talking about? What impact college arm was out there that Texas could've had with the 17th pick in '07 that was ready to step into a big league rotation? I'll be eagerly awaiting all the examples of these pitchers we were too cheap to pay for. I'm betting they don't exist outside of your own mind.
The only time I can think of what you're describing in the last 5 years is when we passed on Jered Weaver and the Angels took him at 12 in 2004. The Rangers were one of 11 teams that passed on him because of his contract demands. He's currently sporting a 4.79 ERA.
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