Friday Happy Hour at the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill
Welcome to the Elysian Fields Bar & Grill, home of video-mania.
* Kevin Millwood on the extra long Spring Training this season: "It puts you a little closer to suicide. Other than that, it gives you more time to get ready. Halfway through Spring Training, everybody is ready to go. Halfway through spring this year, everybody will be ready to kill each other."
* Last year Josh Hamilton hit .323 during night games and .248 during the day. Said Hamilton, who hit a home run in his third at-bat on Thursday afternoon, "In my first two at-bats, I was thinking about how I was having trouble seeing instead of focusing and concentrating like I did in my last at-bat. That's the kind of adjustment I need to make."
* Hamilton came to Spring Training talking about stealing more bases but manager Ron Washington isn't interested. Said Washington, "I told him to get that out of his head. Steal them when you have to but I don't want him banging up his body sliding into bags."
* Washington said he makes it a point of checking out the Mariners, Athletics and Angels websites every night. Wants to see what the other managers are saying.
* Washington on Elvis Andrus' offense: "I can tell you right now he won't hit around the Mendoza line (.200). He'll hold his own. I figure he'll hit .240 or .250. Maybe some pitchers he'll be overmatched but most of the time he won't be."
* Brandon McCarthy on what pitching coach Mike Maddux has brought to camp: "Just a positive attitude. I think he does a lot of work with guys mentally and I think that helps a lot of guys. Especially we've been down the past couple years, he's brought a lot of positivity in. He's drilled us in a lot of work ethic things. Everything he's done has been positive for us.
* Just for the heck of it: Esteban Loaiza.
* Kris Benson on trying to win a job with the Rangers, "It's definitely a challenge. I don't look at it as a done deal. I have to perform every time out. It's not that I have to be perfect but I have to show I can compete every five days."
* Frank Catalanotto is eligible for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic because his great-grandfather was born in Italy. Admitted Catalanotto, "It's a reach."
* Rangers pitcher John Bannister was a teammate of J.J. Hardy in high school. Casey Daigle went to the same high school in Louisiana as former Rangers pitcher John Thomson.
* Marlon Byrd's favorite TV show is the Cosby Show. Kason Gabbard prefers the Three Stooges and Kevin Millwood likes CSI.
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* Michael Young on Spring Training: "The biggest thing is making sure always get ready for Opening Day. That's my thing. You always want to play well in spring training games. And once you get out there, instincts and competitiveness kind of take over. But the biggest thing is recognizing the finish line is still that first game against Cleveland. Get my work in, get my work in the weight room in and just get prepared for that long hot summer in Texas."
* Most players have endorsement contracts. Tigers outfielder Curtis Granderson is no exception. But instead of getting payment from Nike, Rawlings and others, he is requesting they donate equipment to inner-city schools in Michigan.
I hope everyone's been checking out the Video Corner on the front page of the Rangers website with TR - http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?c_id=tex
Barbara Walters better watch out - there's a new kid in town!
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I don't know who got the message to good ole wash, but his approach this year appears to have changed. It is only two games, but he has trotted out the same positional lineup and rotated the players. I believe this will help his team be more prepared for the regular season. In the past it just seemed that he was having fun in spring training. This year he seems to be well training and the focus seems to be on the pitching, which i like. Now on to this. I get crucified on here for saying "wild things", and told to watch what i say. Then the writer gets on here and quotes the "ace of the staff" talking of suicide and murder? Millwood loves CSI. Hey Millwood you work in the Metroplex, go ride out with the Arlington, Dallas or Ft. Worth Police Departments and you might see a few of those things and it might just change your perspective. Just for the heck of it: Tim Crabtree a student of the oledwidregod. You guessed it ole Crabby is now a police officer.
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The long hot summer in Texas? Hey Mike we have had three of the mildest summers in the last three years and it hasn't helped us. 2007 maybe had about 3 days of 100 degrees. It ain't the heat, it is the humidity. Besides maybe it will be cooler over at third. I love Mike, but is he really long for this world in Texas? Smoak is gonna come fast and will play first base, which will make us move Davis to third , because we have too many outfielders already. So what to do with your highest paid positional player? Surely someone, maybe Boston will want him? Does anyone else see this coming? I trade him by the all star break. These are nice problems to have people, i want this team to get younger. I believe Hicks may say publicly this year, i should have went with my young players years ago. I am saving a ton of money and it is exciting to watch. Did any other team last year call up as many young players from the minors and have them succeed as we did? I want you people to realize that there were 5 people, we called ourselves "the cinco" that were jumping up and down and advocating a youth movement. It isn't about being right or wrong it was just the only path. If we can dump Young's salary then we can start to sign one or two pitchers to put us over the hump. Surely one day the Rangers will hit on one of these injured pitchers maybe this year with Jennings or Benson.
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Curtis Granderson seems like a stand-up guy to me. I used to enjoy reading his blog but i don't think it's up anymore, correct me if I'm wrong. I'd like to see more athletes do this kind of thing. Given that they make multi-million dollar contracts, do they really need the multi-million dollar endorsement deals? I mean A-Rod has enough money to set up himself, his kids, his grandkids, and maybe his great grandkids for life. Sure he gives to charities and stuff too, but come on, how much money does one guy really need, even if he does have an expensive divorce to pay for?
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Hey A-Rod contributes mightly to the Boys Club of America, yet plays for the Dominican Republic. Who is advising A-Rod, he was seen with that trainer yesterday. A-Rod has so much money that he thinks that he is untouchable. This guy is going to be investigated by the feds and he doesn't even know it.
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Hey tettleton, i voted for Obama, but i don't think the government or anyone else should tell me how much i should make or what i should do with what i do make. It is called Capitalism and Free Market Economy. The free market adjusted itself recently with the free agent deals that were signed for considerably less this year. I personally would like to see a salary cap in Baseball where no player makes more than 5 million per year, that would be my maximum. These 27.5 million dollar per year contracts are just crazee and i would like to see more of a common sense approach. The only way out of this is a salary cap for baseball which would level the financial playing field.
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It's always to good to keep an eye on the competition.
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
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Hey, Daniels Adam Eaton just got released from the Phillies. I just thought that you may want to sign him, just so we could at least have one player from that Padres deal where we gave up an All-Star first baseman and an All-Star pitcher. Will Eaton even come here?
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How quickly dgod forgets last seasons comedy of errors in the field. Running Chris Davis out to third base every day is going to hurt you in the long run. We have up and coming future third baseman. If Davis could play the postion at a high level he'd still be there.
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I meant "we have NO up and coming future third baseman" Davis might turn out to be a corner OFer, but he ain't a third baseman. More likely a DH after Hank is gone, squeezing Max out. You're right about Smoak coming quickly though. He'll be ready for 2010.
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Hey we got Travis, Emerson and Johnny. Could Max play there? I really like Maximillian. The guy can hit and you can always find a place for a guy like that. We have a glut of young talent and it is exciting. Within 2 years hopefully we will have some stud pitching.
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Part of the problem last season was that we had a dozen or so different third basemen. Young will be a stabilizing fixture of there for the next several seasons. I hate to break it to you, but he's not going anywhere so all your 'who can play third' nonsense is just that - nonsense. So, where Kenny? Shouldn't he be riding into town any minute, Nostrodamus?
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Hey hefe, it aint a reach to believe that the Rangers will trade Mike Young. He is the highest paid position player and we all know what happens to those people...... I bet ya if Mikey had a do over he would have went the route of TEXIERA, i.e.. taken his free agency. Just because he "publicly" dropped his request has nothing to do with whether he goes are not. They are just looking for the right opportunity. Speaking of such, why not 2 years $45 million guarnteed to Manny as long as he DH's? We could then trade Mike and that would offset some of Manny's salary. Still think not trading A-Rod for Manny was a mistake and would like to see what he would do here. He played in Cleveland surely he would play here. If Hairison keeps pitching the way he is then KENNY will be here tomorrow. How many times has Rogers pitched here and come back, is it really a stretch to think that he might say i want to play one or two more years in Texas? Always look for patterns of behavior in people hefe. The Rangers will do it in a heartbeat if they can get him at the right lowball price. They have done it 3 times before for the same reasons. And last but not least, i have been watching the MLB network and Hart is been all over the show as a host and he is listed as the SR Advisor to the GM. I thought this guy was retiring and it just makes you sick to see him up there. Besides if he is the advisor to the GM, doesn't he need to be around Jon Daniels before he trades away some more pitching prospects?????
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"Ole Wash" decides to focus on team defense. Wasn't this supposed to be Mr. Washington's strength? If your strength's are weaknesses, how much more are your weaknesses, well weaknesses? I like Washington, but if he starts slow as in the past two years he is gonna be fired. I hope that doesn't happen, but if it does it looks like Daniels has distanced himself enough from Washington that he appears to be safe. I DON"T LIKE THAT AT ALL! If Wash goes, then Dan has to go too in my book. IT WAS HIS HIRE and if Wash fails this year then one need look no further than the current GM, who picked a manager that no one else would have hired as one. IF Wash gets canned who then comes Fregosi? Hargrove?
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The guy who wants better team defense wants Chris Davis at third base. They must strip of your sense of irony at the police academy. "Always look for patterns of behavior in people hefe." - The irony here is clearly lost on you.
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D'god...just continue on the way you're going....never use one post when 8 will do. In addition keep referring to Ron Washington as "Ole Wash"...it's clear racial sensitivity training was lost on you.
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Hey fredr i thought the racial sensitivity was no longer requried after we elected an African American President. I must have lost that training when i became an INSTRUCTOR, of course it isn't called racial sensitivity now, it is called Cultural Diversity...... But hey if posting more rains on your parade a more sensitive term than saying pisses you off, then i will jack it up and do some more.
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Come on hefe, i knew that once you saw that you were gonna go bonkers. I love the irony of saying look for patterns of behavior in people. It has been about 16 years since i was in the academy maybe i should go back for a refresher, ha ha......Na too close to retiring and then i wil post more freddy. You can't control me, you can only attempt to contain me....ha, ha. Has Daniels traded any more of our top pitching prospects???? I know you really hate that one hefe, the continually rehashing of traded pitchers. Well we haven't done it for one year so i guess i should let up.
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Yes, d'god, you should. But you won't, will you?
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Yes i will mr.anthony. I have a ton of a respect for you. Really i do. Was that short enough father fred?
Brad
dwidregod....
P.S. When is TR gonna front the local boys some seats for keeping him in the top ten and in a job?
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Please get the Rangers to get someone to do the announcing on TV with Tom Grieve. Josh just does not get it done. Too goofy and way to many side stories that make no sense with the game in progress. We have the best on radio and not even close on TV
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