Poor Toby's Almanac...Tuxedo Junction
Dog on the loose and yapping like mad:
22 years ago today: Was the last time I wore a tuxedo. Pepperdoc and I walked down the aisle together. Greatest day of my life, although the day that the Big Cheese arrived in 1989 was pretty special too. Don't ask me why I'm in Baltimore but left Toby in charge. Suspect Greek Isles for dinner on Monday. Think I'll have the blackened tilapia with orzo pasta.
Julio Franco vs. Ian Kinsler: Michael Young has made four straight All-Star Games and should make it five today. But all have been at shortstop. Kinsler will be the first Rangers second baseman to go since Julio Franco. Was thinking about how the two compare and...
Still think Franco may be the best pure hitter the Rangers have ever had. He handled the toughest pitchers in the league better than anybody: .361 off Dave Stewart, .352 off Bret Saberhagen, .393 off Dennis Martinez.... All right .202 off Roger Clemens but still.
Kinsler brings more energy to the team and has been huge as a leadoff hitter. That's one thing Franco could not do and make not mistake about it, the Rangers had a definite need for it at the time.
Still think the three best clutch hitters this team ever had are Young, Rusty Greer and Ruben Sierra..
Neftali Feliz promoted: Feliz, 20, has been promoted from Class A Clinton to Double A Frisco and the initial reaction was it's too soon. Feliz has 153 innings in the Minors. Edinson Volquez had 227 when he was promoted to Frisco for the first time and we all know that he was rushed through the system way too quickly.
General manager Jon Daniels made two points. One: Feliz is showing more signs of maturity than Volquez did. Secondly, this doesn't mean Feliz will vault to the Majors as quickly as Volquez.
Orioles manager Dave Trembley on the top of the Rangers lineup after Saturday's 5-3 loss:
"Right from the very get go, as soon as the game starts you're not even warm in your seat yet and they've got a run on the board. That's the other thing that's just been so darn perplexing for us. I think there were three pitches and they were ahead 1-0. Those three guys, they'll make you work to get them out.
"The guy in the second slot, Young, he's just a pro. He's going to take it, you pitch him away he slaps it over there, you pitch him in he pulls it, if anybody seems to know what's coming its Young. He looks like when he hits it he knows what's coming, he's that relaxed at the plate.
"And Hamilton, after the first two times he hit I told Juan to move Roberts out to short right field, I was afraid he was going to hit one so hard he was going to get hurt. He's just smoking the heck out of the ball. He's one strong young man, he doesn't miss em."
Bullpen: The Rangers bullpen needs two things. One is Joaquin Benoit being healthy. Second, they could use a veteran left-hander in the spot occupied by Warner Madrigal.
By the way, Eddie Guardado has more - how should we put this - intestinal fortitude than any pitcher extant. Don't underestimate the intangibles that this guy is getting by with.
Finally: C.J. Wilson agrees with this one: if you're from California - the greatest piece of real estate in the known universe - the thought of wildfires in Big Sur is sickening.
Every bullpen needs a Guardado (or two). Unless there's a problem we outsiders don't know about, I'll be very disapointed if we don't sign this guy for the next year or two. Couldn't he use a World Series ring....?(or two...)
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From a pre-season blog, when T.R. asked if we thought Ian was a 20-20 guy, HR's and SB's......I thought he was likely a near 30-30 guy. I now feel I wasn't being a homer or a Ranger apologist--I think this guy is the real deal. How lucky we were to have signed him when we did. SO FAR, he's been the consummate lead-off hitter, hits for average, power, to all fields, turns the double play, steals the base...what more could a fellow do?
What in the name of Bump Wills is going on that we could be so lucky?
On another front, Ruben was a great clutch hitter, but I'd put Michael Young there also. There is no one better I've seen in Ranger Blue or Red that was as clutch-especially with 2 outs or men on base.
Benoit is definitely needed, and don't know what his problem is....I believe it's in his head. From what I noticed after watching our historical pitching ineptitude all these years, is that Joaquin is reverting back to his bleak times of yesteryear, by taking an insufferable time between pitches, worrying about the baserunners-not the batter, and generally being affected by a bad fielding job or a walk or whatnot. I STILL SAY, after blogging this umpteen times, to hire Fergie Jenkins and let Padilla, Benoit, and a few other fellas who let the mental part of the game affect them. Fergie was unflappable, didn't walk folks, didn't worry about a baserunner-he concentrated on the batter, he was around the plate, had a terrific "out" pitch (a devastating slider), he bent but didn't break, as evidenced one game when the Rangers beat the KC Royals 4-3, as KC first basemen John Mayberry hit 3 solo homers, but that was it...Fergie was around the plate, but didn't worry about giving up a homer...he shook it off and went about his business. Anyway, Fergie was the consummate professional, and was a towering figure in the mental part of the game. I'd think some of the pitchers on this team would benefit from his expertise..and that's not taking away from Nolan Ryan, Mark Conner, etc....but, Fergie was the best. Padilla looks so lost so often, dilly-dallying about the mound, and Benoit needs a dose of Fergie, about now to rekindle the success he had last year. He looks lost to me, as Padilla did the last game. YUK!
That said, JD won't hire Fergie.....it makes way too much sense.
Go Rangers......and, I am on board for a return to Ranger Red next season...any others on board?
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Hey Bingo, you must have missed it, but TR said that Bobby Witts turnaround is to be credited to Mike Jeffcoat not JENKINS, besides (and now i am making a crack, ha ha), I don't think it would be a good idea to have a guy busted for drugs anywhere near Hamilton. HA ha, get it Morgan?????? I am not a professional, but i was a catcher in college and played baseball a lot. In my humble opinion, i believe the only thing hurt on Benoit is his pride. But one of the last games where he stunk it up he was relying and throwing too many changeups. Even Grieve said it on the television. If you have a fastball you use it. Everything else comes off the fastball. Benoit was throwing way too many changeups and the other team new it was coming. I used to tell my guys all the time to just throw strikes. Let the other team put the ball in play. Let your defense help you. Ultimately that is all you can do, throw strikes. That is the one thing i look at is strikes to walk ratio. I think if a pitcher can just throw strikes then they will be successful....It sounds simple, but way too often our pitchers just don't throw strikes. By the way i was at the game on Monday when Mendoza was pitching, Connor goes out and talks to him. Mendoza throws one pitch it is jacked for a home run. Mendoza throws another pitch it is jacked for a homer. I yelled out as Washington came out to get Mendoza, "hey Connor, what did you say to him?" Ha ha.
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