25 pitchers in July...A Rangers Odyssey

Brandon who?

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Lefties at AAA are hitting .205 off of Fukumori. He's not left handed, but he appears to be able to keep lefties in check. It would make more sense for him to be here than Madrigal. I guess he's not available til after the break now, though, because he had to make another spot start this afternoon.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Tejeda turn into a servicable reliever, but I'm still baffled by Galarraga. The guy had an ERA over 4 in the Texas League last year.

The sample size is relatively small, but Mendoza has a 0.79 ERA as a reliever and 7.24 as a starter. He seems like a 1 pitch guy so I don't really understand the push behind using him as a starter. Gabbard belongs in the pen too. Not only is his durability an issue, but he's very good the first time through a lineup (.577 OPS) and bad (.809) the second time through. He's kind of a one pitch guy too, with a big curveball and little else.

I hope they handle Feldman with kidgloves while he developes stamina because his future looks good as a starter. Last time out in Baltimore, he didn't have his best sinker, but he was able to mix his curve and fastball well enough to produce a quality start. Gabbard, Loe and Mendoza can't get results like that when their money pitch isn't working.

I don't care how they patch it together until the break, even if it means starting Wright or Nippert, but I'd like to see Harrison start again on Sunday and after the break go with Padilla, Millwood, Feldman, Hurley and Harrison.

McCarthy is an afterthought until he starts rehabbing. I hate that we traded Danks for him, but I'm not holding it against him personally.

1) I always thought Robinson Tejeda would blossom....with the Rangers. I hate it that we didn't employ the proper methods to getting the most out of his talent--chiefly, letting Fergie Jenkins teaching him the mental part of the game, the pace of the game, to bend but not break, and to not worry over baserunners--concentrate on the batter. I felt Fergie could get the best out of he and perhaps Padilla. I think it's a shame Tejeda is gone!

I might be wrong, but what little bit of success Brandon McCarthy had towards the end of last year was the true stuff he could employ---if healthy. Seems his health, not his pitching is the big bugaboo with Brandon. I still think Brandon will perform with the Rangers. Time will only tell, or if some of the "young bucks" will supplant him...permanantly.

Some of the people who claimed that we don't want to "rush" Eric Hurley, were obviously wrong. I'm all for pitching people who are either 1)pitching the best or 2)on a current hot streak. I'm not sure what value that keeping someone in the minors for their "development" is the best when they are outperforming the other exisiting pitchers. Whoever is the better pitcher should pitch.......(And whoever is hitting gets to hit. Whoever came up with the "entitlement" of playing just because they had a contract on the major league level, is off base. Only merit and performance should matter.) Botts was a total bust, in the same mold as Brad Wilkerson, but we kept playing those 2 duds, when others could play, hit and field much better--stupid!) Please folks, let's only be for playing or pitching those who are PERFORMING.

Lastly, just for the heckuvit, I wanted to bring back some memories from the past.....remember these?: Matt Perisho, Tommy Boggs, Brad Arnsberg, Jonathon Johnson, Scott Chaimparino, Paul Kilgus, John Henry Johnson, Len Barker, Dave Tobik, Hideki Irabu, Dock Ellis, Oil Can Boyd, Odell Jones, Antonio Alfonseca, Pedro Astacio, Victor Cruz, Jon Matlack........and the pitching list goes on. I thought I'd try to have some ongoing remembrances of various Ranger pitcher lore (and ineptitude, for the most part.)

Go Rangers! Be smart Liverpool Tom, hire Fergie to teach the mental part of pitching. No disrepsect to Mark Conner, but Fergie was the best at that aspect of the game.

First of all TR your comments are right on. I have very little to quibble with you on. I wouldn't bother with Jason Jennings for example. But here's the deal...the Rangers knew or should have known almost all this before the season started. Many of the pitchers who have been limited or even shut down were known to be sore armed.

With the absence of major trades to bring 1st class starters to this team Texas is doomed to start AA and AAA pitchers before they have a chance to fully develop. Then we get sick of their unproductive ways and send them on to teams where they succeed. Madrigal is one example. Hasn't shown me much so far...I'd be inclined to not waste time on him...and then you investigate and find out he's just been pitching 2 or 3 years. How in the h e double toothpicks does a guy get to the bigs with only 2 or 3 years at a position like pitcher?

If you ask me we have two big problems. Number 1 is to sign 1st class starters and number 2 is handling young talent.. Someone is to blame...and when it happens year after year it has to be Tom Hicks and Jon Daniels. Hicks puts together just enough team to fill the stadium to profitability and I'm beginning to think that Daniels just doesn't understand winning.

Just my opinion as a Ranger fan. Power to the people man!

JD inherited a truly awful situation when took over from Hart as GM.He compounded the problem with a couple of disasterous trades (Young ,Gonzales and Danks), which had all the hallmarks of a "win now" approach. His idea, or pushed into it by Hicks? I don't know and nor does anybody else who posts here. (TR may have a shrewd idea, but he's keeping quiet....). Nor do I care, because it's history. The past. Finished. Over. So forget it and move on. As JD has. Last July saw the Gagne, Tex and Lofton trades, and the off season the Hamilton trade. Brilliant. All four. Building for the future, while giving virtually nothing away.(All right, all right, Volquez.I'd rather have Hamilton, and when I asked before NOBODY here said they would reverse the trade.) Two months service time of Gagne and Lofton, and at the end of the year Tex will be gone from Atlanta.No more. Finished. An Alabama memory. Heck, we could resign him if we throw out enough megabucks, although I'd rather stick with Davis. Meanwhile we've still got all the goodies those other GM's gave for a few months service time. Cheap goodies at that. Well done JD. Last night saw one of JD's "mistakes" do rather well. Did anybody else notice that after Harrison's seventh inning not only Wash but several players gave him a hug? This team is developing some powerful chemistry. I agree with d'god (heaven help me...) that Bradley is a big part of that, and I think Wash is a big part of Bradley. And of the rest of the team. Personally, I'm looking forward to the rest of the seanon. The play-offs? I doubt it. The pitching just isn't there - yet. 2009? Maybe. 2010? Drool....

I feel that the connection beween baseball and chess is pretty tenuous. I played in the 1973 US Open chess championship in Chicago, and it sure as heck didn't do anything for my softball prowess.......

“How in the h e double toothpicks does a guy get to the bigs with only 2 or 3 years at a position like pitcher?” – Actually it’s only a year and a half and the answer to that is he throws in the high 90’s and has a nice slider. Also, by blowing through 3 levels of the minors and skipping one completely in that year and a half, putting up a total ERA of 2.56 with a 1.17 WHiP and striking out 131 hitters in 109 innings while maintaining a K/BB ratio of better than 3/1. Also, he was already on the 40 man roster.

Madrigal could probably use some more minor league seasoning, and I’m sure he’ll get more, but don’t’ be surprised if he’s an effective late inning reliever in the big leagues as soon as next year.

A rotation in transition. Jennings, Gabbard and Ponson out. Feldman, Hurley and Harrison in. The substitution of young for old will continue, I hope, with the trading of Millwood and Padilla. Have to remember that trades depend on someone else willing to give you something worth more to you than what you have.

Note to the Braves: You never, never ever trade young pitching......Boy does it feel good to say that. Chan Ho Park is 6-1 in LA. Boy did we mess that one up??? Dempster, Duchsherer, Park, Young, Gallaragga, Davis, Danks, Volquez, and Harang.... The list goes on and an on. But we forgive them? Hardly. Why? Because when you reportedly repent of your sins, you are supposed to stop sinning... Isn't that right Rhoden? No yey, they continue to do the same things over and over again, as a dog returns to its own vomit or something like that.

It seems curious that someone who always puts on the same cracked record should refer to a dog returning to it's vomit. Perhaps it's a d'dog. But wait! A new wrinkle in the rant. Chan Ho Park, no less. Ye gods and little fishes! I could understand a whinge that we signed him in the first place (Hart, not JD) but because we got rid of him???? D'god, you leave me totally conflumerated.

Another nice game by another young pitcher with an unusual name - P. committee. Probably never see him again, but still... Well done, Wash. Well done JD.

UNBELIEVEABLE ! Now d(GOD) wishes we had kept Chan o no Park. I don't think he watches any of the games because he sees something entirely different than I do or the people that are calling the game. He is like the parent at a little game screaming at his kid. Doing nothing. THE PAST IS PAST. GET OVER IT.

I was kidding people. Being SARCASTC! Get a grip. However part of it was a direct quote from the BIBLE. So talk to the man upstairs about that, hint i aint talking about NOLAN, JD or HICKS. The point is i was happy that they gave H a shot and he pitched well. How long has it been since we brought up a top pitching prospect and he has performed at that level? Well let me answer FOREVER. Usually we trade those guys. I ain't gonna mention VOLQUEZ again though after what HAM did tonight. That guy is a stud. But i still think that you don't trade pitching. Not with the luck or whatever you call it we have had. But at least we got something a little more than something in return for Volly. Which leads to this question what were the REDS thinking? I was extremely happy for HAM last night and the Rangers, well the Rangers are something to watch. Where are the CINCO, because i do believe that the YOUNG players are the ones who have turned this thing around. They have brought productivity and excitement to this team and organization. I hate to say it but the CINCO told you so.

Hefe...first of all let's say Madrigal did a heck of a job.... but my point was...why is a guy who has only 2 years or less experience a guy who the Rangers HAVE to rely on. A lot of praise for JD for some reason lately but I see it more like a glass half empty. We should have had a strong starting staff to begin with. Everyone knew we were in trouble with what we started out with.

On Madrigal...while he did great...even slightly fantastic...minor league experience would have if nothing else streached him out a bit...with one more inning we might not have had to bring in Francisco and the game changes entirely.

Anthony...I enjoy your posts. Conflumerated? The Oz influence is showing. To steal a line from Bill Murray in "Stripes" ... "We have to party some day!"

Hey Fred what do you want Daniels to do? Trade more of our young pitching prospects for someone like Adam Eaton? Give me a break. Hopefully while we are doing well right now, they are focusing on the future. I was out there Monday night when Mendoza got lit up. Hey it is going to have to happen, these young pitchers are going to get hit, hopefully they can maintain their confidence through the rough times and come out on the other side as good pitchers. Danks got tore up last year, it happens, he is pitching better this season after a years experience. I am glad that Mendoza is getting another start, hopefully he gets more, he will turn it around. I don't mind seeing that it will happen. Right now a staff of Hurley, Millwood, Padilla, Feldman and Harrison isn't to shabby. Besides if we go on a run like i said and actually make the playoffs, we won't need 5 starters. While i agree that Madrigal should have been starting down in the minors if you want to start him, i think they got caught with their pants down and it worked ok. I wanted Washington gone, i will say it, but this team has rallied around him and they are playing good ball. They are exciting to watch. If they keep doing what they did last night, it will be packed out there, $6.00 beer and all. I like to watch these young players who truly seem to be excited about playing major league baseball. This is Bradley, Kinsler and Hamiltons team, Young seems to be along for the ride. Go Rangers, the youth have spoken!!!!

There was a news story here in Melbourne a couple of days ago which said that a man had been arrested who was suspected of sending LSD laced cookies to a number of police stations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Er.. which station do you work out of, d'god? We can't tell when you're kidding, and I'm not at all sure that you can, either.

Hey Morgan, yes our police department received some of the cookies. However, our CID scarfed them up before we patrol officers were able to get to them. HA HA. I will start putting in ha, ha, for those who don't know when i am kidding or not. Park was a mistake here, no doubt. I was teasing about him, just adding another name to our protracted list. My point is there sure are alot of pitchers out there who are our former property. Sadly the only player we have from those pitchers is Hamilton. While he is a great player, that ain't nearly enough for what those pitchers have become. Patience is the virtue that we need with these young pitchers, don't let them get away for innocuous reasons. Stop making the same mistakes over and over, which so far i think Daniels has done, learn from his terrible trades involving, Soriano, Young and Gonzalez.

It could be said that a GM is only as good as his last trade. Well, JD's last four trades have been pretty good. Understatement. Brilliant. So why don't you get off his back and cheer what he has become, rather than whinging about what (you claim) he was. Even Doctor Who couldn't get you out of the time warp you're stuck in. Well done, JD.

Thank you,fred, I enjoy writing them. "Life is too serious to be taken seriously - Mike Leonard" is my motto. I know I shouldn't mock the afflicted, but... Heck! Why shouldn't I? Anyone who attacks any aspect of my beautiful Rangers is fair game. PS Well done, Wash. Well done, JD.