Rangers take first baseman Justin Smoak

I've watched him play some college ball and this guy is outstanding. He has the complete package and hits the ball extremely hard. Pretty good pick. I was expecting Shooter to be chosen, but it looks like the Rangers took the player they saw as being the best player available.

See...this is just what I was worried about...where is his nickname??? I imagine he's called "smokey" ...I guess that was good enough for Smokey Burgess (sorry kids he was before your time) but it's just not a catchy name. Ranger mucky mucks should have followed my first draft criteria.

Sorry for te continued levity.... Do you get the picture that I'm worried about starting pitching now and not the draft? All we needed to be a winner at the beginning of the year was major league pitching and that's pretty much just what we need now? Draft is for three or four years from now if and I say IF we haven't traded them, they haven't had Tommy John surgery, decided not to play ball, lost their work visas or just plain been a flash in the pan. Major league pitching Now. Draft ho hum.

Where do you think starting pitchers come from? Do they just materialize at AA?

On a totally related note Matt Harrison (Teix trade) has been promoted to Oklahoma after posting a 3.33 ERA at Frisco. He won't be 23 until August. Tommy Hunter from last year's draft is already at AA with a 2-1 record.

This is a great pick. Nobody expected Smoak to fall all the way to #11, this is HUGE steal for Texas. I was all for drafting Eric Hosmer, and since Smoak is better than Hosmer, I am about as stoked as a guy can get.

In one way, I would have like to have seen the Rangers get Ethan Martin, but he went as a 3B, not a pitcher, which was interesting - so no regrets for me on that one.

Here's my breakdown of the Rangers picking Smoak, if anyone's interested:

http://lonestarincalifornia.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/okay-nobody-saw-that-coming/

"Where do you think starting pitching comes from?" For the other teams or for us? Well for the other teams it comes from the Rangers, Davis-DBacks, Volquez-Reds, Danks-White Sox, Dempster-Cubs, Harang-Reds, Gallaraga-Tigers, Duscherer-A's. On an on must i go? What is the point of us selecting pitchers, developing top prospect pitchers and then trading them away? IT IT COUNTER PRODUCTIVE! Wow, SMOAK is being compared to none other than MARK TEXIERA who would look really good right now as our First Baseman. The point is we can't keep putting in time with these young players, watch them pay their dues, develop and then get rid of them. Texiera is still in his 20's and should have been the first baseman here for the next 10 years. I know, i know, he was going to free agency. He might not have wanted that free agency if this "organization" had of developed a winning environment. By the way, glad to see that this team is hitting the ball and being competitive, but it sure looks like a lot of home runs are being hit, looks familiar, like Earl Weaver Baseball and over reliance on the 3-Run Home Run which puts butts in the seats and sells a lot of $6.50 beer. For those who want or need to know, i dropped $140.00 out there on Wednesday night, and had to purchase 4 t-shirts for $64. Hamilton, Hamilton, Hamilton and 1 Saltalamacchia. Wow!

Awesome that Ryan Dempster is now on your repetitive rant list. He's having a nice year. Too bad we didn't stick with him for the 11 years where he was 16 games under .500. Trust me, the Rangers have made enough mistakes without having to pad the list with mediocre journeymen.

As far as Teix not wanting free agency? Well that's just silly. Nobody aligns themselves with Scott Boras if they're not planning on being a free agent and that has nothing to do with a winning/losing environment. The Braves win a lot. When are they and Teix going to agree to an extension preventing him from filing free agency? Why don't you hold your breath and see how long it takes? Meanwhile Salty is putting up an .888 OPS vs. an .829 for "perennial all-star" Mark Teixeira.