***OFFICIAL 2014 TEXAS RANGERS THREAD***

[Chris]

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x561q90/513/juc8.jpg

Lets get this started! Expecting big things from Fielder and Choo. I also expect Beltre to have an outstanding year now that teams can't pitch around him. We are stacked with relievers but the starting rotation is definitely uncertain. Hopefully Arencibia works out or we may have problems at catcher.

[Clipper Nation]

Arencibia is the lethal combination of awful and completely delusional about his talent level :lol

[Biernutz]

Daniel Bard, a dominant set-up reliever with Boston in 2010-11, signed a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers on Friday.


Bard will not get on a mound until early in the season, he underwent thoracic outlet surgery in early January.

[Robz4000]

IMO Soto will be more than solid. He needs to play more to get his offense going. Like I said tho, in general I'm really disappointed in the moves the FO made this season.

[Biernutz]

Super bowl winning QB Russell Wilson is scheduled to be at Rangers training camp on Feb.19 with the infielders.
He has not canceled so it must be on.....Maybe it will help having a winner in camp...:lol

[txstr1986]

Super bowl winning QB Russell Wilson is scheduled to be at Rangers training camp on Feb.19 with the infielders.
He has not canceled so it must be on.....Maybe it will help having a winner in camp...:lol

Yep, ESPN reported last night that he said he was going to be there.

[Robz4000]

Sounds like Cruz is going to Seattle.

[txstr1986]

So apparently Wilson might not be actively participating in spring training - he might just come to hang out...

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/10401828/russell-wilson-uncertain-texas-rangers-spring-training-trip-agent-says

[Biernutz]

Globe Life Park in Arlington.

The Oklahoma City-based insurance company Globe Life has purchased the naming rights to the
Texas Rangers' home ballpark in Arlington.

[Robz4000]

Lame. Ballpark in Arlington sounds better.

[Spursfan092120]

We shall see.....

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/10347588/prince-fielder-win-al-mvp

[Spur|n|Austin]

IMO Soto will be more than solid. He needs to play more to get his offense going. Like I said tho, in general I'm really disappointed in the moves the FO made this season.

I'm happy with the additions of Prince and Choo, but also wanted to see another solid pitcher added. The injury to Holland really chapped my ass.

[txstr1986]

Lame. Ballpark in Arlington sounds better.

Everyone's still just going to refer to it as "The Ballpark"

[Biernutz]

Looks like Nelson Cruz could stay with the Rangers as a DH. The only offer that Cruz has on the table is
from the Mariners. The interest from them seems to be dropping after the signing of Robinson Cano. The Rangers
were so sure they lost Cruz as they gave away his number to another player.

[Chris]

Somone is going to pay Cruz. If not...We staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaacked

[Robz4000]

God damn I'd be one happy camper if they resigned Cruz. He'd be one of the few proven bats on the roster in the postseason.

[txstr1986]

If Cruz stays, our lineup could look like this...

Profar
Andrus
Choo
Fielder
Beltre
Rios
Cruz
Arenciba
Martin

[Phillip]

If Cruz stays, our lineup could look like this...

Profar
Andrus
Choo
Fielder
Beltre
Rios
Cruz
Arenciba
Martin

Um,

More like

Choo
Andrus
Fielder
Beltre
Rios
Cruz
Soto
Profar
Martin

[Biernutz]

Ron Washington said Wednesday that his line up is Shin-Soo Choo, shortstop Elvis Andrus, first baseman Prince Fielder, third baseman Adrian Beltre, right fielder Alex Rios, DH Mitch Moreland, catcher Geovany Soto, second baseman Jurickson Profar and center fielder Leonys Martin in that order for opening day.

[Robz4000]

Didn't think they kept Rios. I like it :tu.

[txstr1986]

Welp, there goes the dream. Cruz just signed a one year, $8 million deal with Baltimore.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10500852/baltimore-orioles-nelson-cruz-agree-contract

[Robz4000]

Rangers wouldn't give him $8 mil? The fuck?

[Biernutz]

Rangers wouldn't give him $8 mil? The fuck?

They gave his number away months ago. That's like moving your desk to the basement and taking your
stapler away.......

[txstr1986]

They gave his number away months ago. That's like moving your desk to the basement and taking your
stapler away.......

:rollin

[Robz4000]

They gave his number away months ago. That's like moving your desk to the basement and taking your
stapler away.......

You win, sir...

[Phillip]

Would have been nice to have Cruz. Oh well.

At least the team isn't heavily reliant on Moreland, should they make it to the WS it won't hurt them much.

And Moreland is capable of playing defense if needed due to injury. Hopefully he bounces back from a mediocre batting year. Good thing is he has solid power. Just too inconsistent.

[Chris]

We passed on Smoak and Davis for Moreland.

[Fpoonsie]

:cry'I hope they go 0-162':cry
Ian Kinsler wants to help his new team and stick it to his old one

THE SEASON BEGINS in a kitchen 1,000 miles from Comerica Park. Two new baseball gloves -- black leather with orange stitching and laces -- sit atop a granite countertop. It's early February in Dallas, eight days before Ian Kinsler goes to Florida for his first spring training with the Tigers, the team that acquired him in the blockbuster offseason trade that sent Prince Fielder to the Rangers. There's a nervous energy about the three-time All-Star second baseman. He's 31, going on 32, and he's been playing pro ball for more than a decade, yet he's filled with excitement and anxiety.

Kinsler, his hair short and mussed, a five-o'clock shadow dusting his face, slips a glove onto his left hand. The leather is stiff. "Damn," he says, smashing a fist into the pocket, "this is gonna need work." He admires the initials of his children -- 5-year-old daughter Rian and 2-year-old son Jack -- stitched next to his new number 3, and beside that, two words: "Prove it." It's a mantra that carried him from overlooked high school player to two-time college transfer to 17th-round draft pick to among the most productive middle infielders of the past decade -- and back to being overlooked. Kinsler is often viewed as the "other guy" in a trade largely perceived as a salary dump for the Tigers.

He looks at his glove and reads the words. They've never seemed truer. At every level, Kinsler has proved doubters wrong. Now, coming off two mediocre years, he is out to prove himself again -- to the team that traded for him and, especially, to the team that unceremoniously dispatched him after eight seasons and two World Series.

"There was no remorse from the Rangers," Kinsler says of the trade. "They did not care." He obviously still does. "The team had changed," he says. "It was not the same personalities, not the same players, not the same chemistry. To be traded, it was refreshing to start new."

LAST SEASON, KINSLER says, the Rangers didn't feel like his team anymore. It had been two years since the club won 96 games with Josh Hamilton, C.J. Wilson and Michael Young, one of Kinsler's closest friends. Young, the franchise's career leader in games played, hits, runs, doubles, triples and total bases, was dealt to Philadelphia in December 2012. "It hurt us," Kinsler says. "He held everything together." The Young trade was, in Kinsler's view, a misguided move that left a leadership void in the clubhouse.

That was the first strike. The second came soon after, when the front office asked Kinsler to move from second base to first. The idea was to make room for Jurickson Profar, a then-19-year-old infielder who'd quickly become one of baseball's top prospects. A shortstop by trade, Profar was blocked at the position by Elvis Andrus, who signed an eight-year, $120 million extension in April 2013. Andrus, then 24, was considered among the game's most valuable shortstops. Kinsler was coming off an unexceptional season. He was 30. He didn't need it spelled out.
But a second baseman who launches 30 homers and steals 30 bags, as Kinsler did in 2009 and again in 2011, is much more valuable than a first baseman who hits for power. In a moment of veteran pride and defiance of youth, Kinsler declared second his domain. "These guys gotta earn it; that's what I did," he says. "I was a 17th-round pick, so there was zero coddling. I had to put myself on the prospect map." In other words: No kid was taking his job.

"We backed off at that point," says Jon Daniels, Rangers president of baseball operations and general manager. "We presented it as, 'We would like you to do this,' and we left it up to him." With Kinsler staying put at second, Profar bounced around among five positions last season and struggled at the plate, hitting just .234 in 286 at-bats. Meanwhile, in Young's absence, Kinsler became the longest-tenured Ranger, the de facto clubhouse leader. It fell to him to police the clubhouse, making sure players got to meetings on time and didn't wear earrings in the weight room. "I was bogged down," he says. "They wanted me to lead these young players, teach them the way to compete, when the only thing I should be worried about is how I'm performing in the game." For a guy trying to bust out of a yearlong slump and re-establish himself among the game's best second basemen, it was exhausting.

ON THE FIELD, Kinsler posted respectable numbers in 2013 -- .277 BA, 13 homers, 15 steals, 4.9 WAR -- but nothing close to his 30/30 heyday. He berated himself for a poor play at second, for every bad at-bat. "He's a little intense," third baseman Adrian Beltre says of his good friend. "Sometimes he'll go overboard because he just wants to win and doesn't care about anything else." For Kinsler, the stress, pressure and frustration continued to build. "We were playing bad as a team," he says, "and when you're playing bad, everyone's on edge."

Finally, in a late-September game against the Angels, Kinsler exploded over what he saw as a lack of effort from Beltre and Andrus. "Base hit to left," Kinsler remembers. "Leftfielder throws it in to Elvis. Elvis and Beltre are talking about the play, and Elvis is just holding the ball -- like the game isn't even going on. It's not a dead ball. It's not timeout. The play is still live. I'm like, 'Hey! Let's f -- ing go!' And Adrian's like, 'Chill out. We're talking about the play.'" Beltre and Kinsler continued their argument in the dugout and even went down the tunnel to hash out their differences. "For the two leaders of the team to be yelling at each other in front of the squad ... it's not very cohesive to winning," Kinsler now admits.

The Rangers lost 15 of their first 20 games in September and fell out of the AL West lead. A late rally led to a one-game wild-card playoff, which they lost to Tampa Bay. Then it was over. Another season gone. There was more talk of Kinsler's decline, another elite second baseman who faded quickly, like Roberto Alomar, Carlos Baerga, Chuck Knoblauch and Brian Roberts. The rumor mill churned with trade talk.
In mid-November, it happened. Kinsler was vacationing with his family in Hawaii when a Dallas radio personality texted about Kinsler's being dealt to Detroit for Fielder. Kinsler searched for news online. Then Beltre, who was also in Hawaii, confirmed the trade with his agent, Scott Boras, who represents Fielder as well. "I want to be the one who tells Ian," Daniels explains, "but literally, the story breaks while I'm on a plane to Tucson. I feel bad that's how he found out."

Kinsler says Daniels was the last to contact him, leaving him a voice mail well after the deal had gone public. He never returned the call.

IN HIS EIGHT years in Texas, Kinsler saw the team emerge from an also-ran into a perennial contender. For that, he credits former CEO Nolan Ryan. "Nolan put us on the map. He brought respect to the organization," Kinsler says. By 2012, that reputation was fading. "I saw the two World Series teams, and the way we played, the toughness we had as a team, it had started to move away from that ... It's weird. In the past four years, Texas has been at the top, but no one says, 'What a great organization.'"

During that time, it was well-known throughout the game that there was a power struggle going on between Ryan and Daniels, who had acquired the title of president of baseball operations last March in a front office restructuring that ultimately led to Ryan's departure after the season. Kinsler squarely blames the man who traded him. "Daniels is a sleazeball," he says. "He got in good with the owners and straight pushed Ryan out. He thought all the things he should get credit for, Ryan got credit for. It's just ego. Once we went to the World Series, everybody's ego got huge, except for Nolan's."

When Daniels hears Kinsler's version, he refrains from returning fire. "I'm not going to justify that," he says. "He was a key member of the best teams in the history of the franchise. He's entitled to his opinion."

Kinsler says that with Ryan's role diminished the past couple of years, the Rangers lost the swagger and professionalism that had been a point of pride for the team. He believes the Rangers will regret yielding to Daniels at Ryan's expense. "Nolan s -- s gold here," he says. "Once the Rangers fall apart, he's going to s -- gold even more because they turned on him."

Now, the drama behind him, Kinsler has a chance to step back. "I'll miss all my teammates," he says. "I'll miss Elvis and Beltre, Mitch [Moreland], Matt Harrison and [Ron] Washington." But the frustration -- with his play, with the team, with the organization -- is still so raw. "To be honest with you, I hope they go 0-162. I got friends, and I love my friends, but I hope they lose their ass."

Story cont'd...

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/10544839/ian-kinsler-intends-become-elite-second-baseman-detroit-tigers-espn-magazine

[This Is My Last Post]

Kinsler became the longest-tenured Ranger, the de facto clubhouse leader. It fell to him to police the clubhouse, making sure players got to meetings on time and didn't wear earrings in the weight room. "I was bogged down," he says. "They wanted me to lead these young players, teach them the way to compete, when the only thing I should be worried about is how I'm performing in the game." For a guy trying to bust out of a yearlong slump and re-establish himself among the game's best second basemen, it was exhausting.


:cry I have it so hawwd :cry pwease, take it easy on me :cry I only play a game and make millions of dollars unnecessarily fow it :cry now i have to set up good exampwyle fow da wookies :cry why is life so hawd on me?? :cry

[txstr1986]

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/10548784/ian-kinsler-detroit-tigers-hopes-texas-rangers-sleazeball-gm-jon-daniels-go-0-162

Some quotes from Rangers players responding to the article

Tanner Scheppers: "I don't think he's going to get what he wants. I have all the respect in the world for Ian. He's taught me a lot, but he's now with the Detroit Tigers. I wish him luck and I wish luck for everybody. I think we'll do our talking on the field. We'll see what happens between the lines."

Matt Harrison: "He's on a different team now. He's on a team we're trying to beat. I don't want them beating us and going to the playoffs, and I'm sure he was trying to say the same thing. No matter how good a friend you are, once you step in between the lines, all that goes away. I'm trying to get you out, no matter who you are. He's going to try to hit home runs off us just as much as anybody would. If you step on the mound, you're going to try to get your mom out. It doesn't matter who's in there."

[This Is My Last Post]

Also, not that it really matters at this point, but didn't Kinsler take a shot after Young after he was released saying he 'sulked in the corner most of the time'? :lmao

Now all of a sudden he's a :cry great fucking leader? :cry

[txstr1986]

http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/03/decoding-ian-kinsler-what-did-the-former-texas-rangers-mean-with-several-of-his-comments.html/?nclick_check=1


ESPN: The Magazine’s article on Ian Kinsler’s departure from the Texas Rangers wasn’t even on newsstands (if they even still exist) Tuesday when the second-baseman backtracked on many of his comments and admitted some looked “ridiculous” and “childish.”

Kinsler said many of his comments were taken out of context and that the article was written for “drama.” Considering the fact it was in something called “The Conspiracy Issue,” you have to at least wonder if he’s got a point. So I thought I’d take a look at some of his comments and try to decipher what the real context was.

[Robz4000]

I agree with a lot of his points tbh. Daniels fucking sucks, trading Young was a dumb move, and the team really has lost itself.

That said, Kinsler comes out as a whiny bitch in that interview. Like it or not you were the leader, and blaming your slump on that is ridiculous.

[Phillip]

Daniels fucking sucks

How? The team consistently got better ever since he came on board, they got to the WS twice, and have been consistently winning 90 games for years now. He took a weakness that has plagued the team its entire existence, and turned it into a strength (pitching). He has consistently found good, youthful talent, and made splashes in FA and trades that the fans were unsure about, that ultimately to paid off well (signing Beltre, letting Cliff walk, getting Rios to replace Cruz, trading Tex for Andrus, Harrison, and Feliz, trading for Josh Hamilton, trading away Soriano, giving Colby a second run). Several of those moves had fans scratching their heads and even pissed at JD, but as time went on, it was clear that they were the right moves and the team benefited.

What more can you really ask? Dude has done a magnificent job overall.


trading Young was a dumb move

In what way was it dumb? By the time he traded him, for several years Young had been a TERRIBLE defender, consistently sucked in the playoffs, and simply became too inconsistent in general. He wasn't worth anywhere close to the money they were paying him.

[monosylab1k]

Young sucked ass in Philly, was a non-factor in LA, then got so little interest from other teams his best option was to retire. Texas could have traded him for syphilis and gotten the better end of the deal.

[monosylab1k]

Also I'm honestly shocked at what an emo little bitch Kinsler is being.

[JamStone]

Kinsler sounds like a bitter bitch, a scorned lover. I was never much of a fan. And I think he could very well be on the steep decline in his career. I only take solace in the trade because I felt Fielder's contract was immovable and he clearly needed to leave. I think Fielder will do just fine in Texas production wise, but his time had run out in Detroit for many reasons. I just didn't want Fielder around anymore, and that is Kinsler's one saving grace for me. He is the guy that helped get Fielder out of here. I don't have very high expectations from Kinsler. If he can hit around .275 with a .340+ OBO with 15-20 HRs and for the most part just shuts up and plays, I'll view that as a win for the Tigers. But I still don't like him very much. He seemed like a d-bag in Texas. That view doesn't change now that he's with the Tigers.

[Robz4000]

How? The team consistently got better ever since he came on board, they got to the WS twice, and have been consistently winning 90 games for years now. He took a weakness that has plagued the team its entire existence, and turned it into a strength (pitching). He has consistently found good, youthful talent, and made splashes in FA and trades that the fans were unsure about, that ultimately to paid off well (signing Beltre, letting Cliff walk, getting Rios to replace Cruz, trading Tex for Andrus, Harrison, and Feliz, trading for Josh Hamilton, trading away Soriano, giving Colby a second run). Several of those moves had fans scratching their heads and even pissed at JD, but as time went on, it was clear that they were the right moves and the team benefited.

What more can you really ask? Dude has done a magnificent job overall.



In what way was it dumb? By the time he traded him, for several years Young had been a TERRIBLE defender, consistently sucked in the playoffs, and simply became too inconsistent in general. He wasn't worth anywhere close to the money they were paying him.

I'm still of the opinion that the improvements in pitching were the results of Ryan, not Daniels. IIRC, it was Ryan who lobbied hard for the Rangers to make the move for Darvish. While the pitching has improved, its only done so over the past 2-3 seasons. Add to the fact that the Rangers made it to b2b WS behind the power of their bats and in spite of their pitching (sans the bullpen and Holland somewhat). The moves Daniels has made since their last run have been weird at best, terrible at worst. Remains to be seen what Rios will bring in place of Cruz (definitely like that they kept him tho), but in the end tearing down the foundations of those runs (getting rid of Kinsler, Young, Cruz, and to a lesser extent Hamilton) have yet to pay off and the acquisitions of Fielder and Soo Choo are steps back.

As for the Young trade, while true his best days were far behind him he still did a lot for the franchise and in the end they misses his bat. Like him or not he's had some clutch moments for the Rangers on his time here. I know he was against becoming a utility player but I have to think he'd of sucked it up considering the team's success the past two seasons.

[Chris]

Phillip and Jamstone with the goods tbh

[Phillip]

I'm still of the opinion that the improvements in pitching were the results of Ryan, not Daniels. IIRC, it was Ryan who lobbied hard for the Rangers to make the move for Darvish. While the pitching has improved, its only done so over the past 2-3 seasons. Add to the fact that the Rangers made it to b2b WS behind the power of their bats and in spite of their pitching (sans the bullpen and Holland somewhat).?

Wrong.

Cliff Lee was a HUGE part of getting to the WS in their first run. Without some incredible pitching performances by him against Tampa and New York, and his confidence he seemed to inspire across the entire pitching staff (especially Colby and CJ), they probably flame out in the first round.

The second year, Colby was a monster, and the pitchers were consistently finding ways to get outs when they needed to. They held a lethal offense in Detroit to a .244 average for the series. I would hardly say that they won "in spite" of their pitching. Their pitching staff most definitely held their own in each run.

Now I can understand feeling that it was more Nolan who got the pitching going, but there is no question that JD had a part in it too, and generally has a good eye for talent.


The moves Daniels has made since their last run have been weird at best, terrible at worst. Remains to be seen what Rios will bring in place of Cruz (definitely like that they kept him tho)

So far, I would say it is definitely a win. They lost arguably their best slugger for 50 games, and still won 91 games.


but in the end tearing down the foundations of those runs (getting rid of Kinsler, Young, Cruz, and to a lesser extent Hamilton) have yet to pay off and the acquisitions of Fielder and Soo Choo are steps back.

No one got rid of Cruz. He chose to sign elsewhere after monumentally letting the team down. Yet the team still was willing to offer him a contract. He screwed himself. JD had nothing to do with that. If it wasn't for JD netting Rios, the team doesn't even have a chance at sniffing the playoffs, especially when combined with all the other injuries that killed them.

Young as already discussed, wasn't bringing anything to the squad, and clearly quit on the team his last year here along with Josh. There is nothing he was bringing to the table that was severely missed.

Josh wanted WAY too much money to only play 100 games a year, and daydream through 50 of them. Are you kidding?

What happens with Kinsler remains to be seen, but in return, they got a player who has about the same playoff track record as Kinsler (inconsistent, occasionally disappearing) but generally far more overall production, and doesnt get picked off stealing 10+ times a year.


As for the Young trade, while true his best days were far behind him he still did a lot for the franchise and in the end they misses his bat. Like him or not he's had some clutch moments for the Rangers on his time here. I know he was against becoming a utility player but I have to think he'd of sucked it up considering the team's success the past two seasons.

Clutch regular season moments perhaps. I won't deny that. But I don't really recall any clutch playoff performances. However, I DO recall his lack of defensive range and ability costing his team dearly multiple times in the dreaded game 6 of the 2011 WS though. Oh yeah, then there was that game he went crazy against Detroit, after the Rangers were already up big and had all the momentum. Sooooo clutch :jack

What makes you think he would have sucked it up? Twice in the past, they asked him to take a lesser role due to a decline in production, and he cried about it and asked to be traded. It was time for him to go.

[Robz4000]

Wrong.

Cliff Lee was a HUGE part of getting to the WS in their first run. Without some incredible pitching performances by him against Tampa and New York, and his confidence he seemed to inspire across the entire pitching staff (especially Colby and CJ), they probably flame out in the first round.

The second year, Colby was a monster, and the pitchers were consistently finding ways to get outs when they needed to. They held a lethal offense in Detroit to a .244 average for the series. I would hardly say that they won "in spite" of their pitching. Their pitching staff most definitely held their own in each run.

Now I can understand feeling that it was more Nolan who got the pitching going, but there is no question that JD had a part in it too, and generally has a good eye for talent.



So far, I would say it is definitely a win. They lost arguably their best slugger for 50 games, and still won 91 games.



No one got rid of Cruz. He chose to sign elsewhere after monumentally letting the team down. Yet the team still was willing to offer him a contract. He screwed himself. JD had nothing to do with that. If it wasn't for JD netting Rios, the team doesn't even have a chance at sniffing the playoffs, especially when combined with all the other injuries that killed them.

Young as already discussed, wasn't bringing anything to the squad, and clearly quit on the team his last year here along with Josh. There is nothing he was bringing to the table that was severely missed.

Josh wanted WAY too much money to only play 100 games a year, and daydream through 50 of them. Are you kidding?

What happens with Kinsler remains to be seen, but in return, they got a player who has about the same playoff track record as Kinsler (inconsistent, occasionally disappearing) but generally far more overall production, and doesnt get picked off stealing 10+ times a year.



Clutch regular season moments perhaps. I won't deny that. But I don't really recall any clutch playoff performances. However, I DO recall his lack of defensive range and ability costing his team dearly multiple times in the dreaded game 6 of the 2011 WS though. Oh yeah, then there was that game he went crazy against Detroit, after the Rangers were already up big and had all the momentum. Sooooo clutch :jack

What makes you think he would have sucked it up? Twice in the past, they asked him to take a lesser role due to a decline in production, and he cried about it and asked to be traded. It was time for him to go.

Yet in the end pitching ended up being their downfall. In the first two games of the 2010 WS they gave up 20 runs. Lee had some great moments but overall the pitching staff sucked. In 2011 they couldn't get a good enough game out of their starters, Holland's performance notwithstanding.

Although Rios did work when he came in, it ended up being a huge loss. The offense made adjustments but they couldn't cover up the loss of Cruz. Not sure they'll do it this season either, as he's been big in both the regular and postseason. As I said I like Rios but I don't think he'll offset what Cruz brought offensively.

The Rangers effectively booted him when they gave away his number. Not sure if he made it apparent he wasn't gonna come back but showing that level of disregard for someone who put in work for the franchise would turn away a lot of players.

Even if Young was done the intangibles he brought were important. I can't remember the situation with Young after 2012 but iirc he wasn't quitting like Hamilton. Besides all that, Young did a lot for the organization and deserved the chance to retire on top.

As for Hamilton he quit and burned his bridges. Would've liked to see him back but that bridge was burned. The $125 million he ended up getting seemed about right when he signed, but in hindsight the Rangers dodged a bullet.

We'll have to wait and see on how Fielder fits in this season, but as of now I feel they'd of been better off with Kinsler or trading him for prospects or a more proven first baseman in postseason play.

The Rangers had never had the excellence they were experiencing at the time so it remains to be seen if Young would've refused again. Winning makes players more willing to adjust; might've felt he was more helpful where he was in the past. As for clutch, he'd never really played in the postseason beforehand, so all we had was regular season clutch. Defensively he was bad by then but as a hitter he could still produce.

[Phillip]

Yet in the end pitching ended up being their downfall. In the first two games of the 2010 WS they gave up 20 runs. Lee had some great moments but overall the pitching staff sucked. In 2011 they couldn't get a good enough game out of their starters, Holland's performance notwithstanding.

While you overstate some things here, I don't generally disagree, however your initial statement was that they made the WS each year on their bats, and their bats alone. That is completely incorrect.


Although Rios did work when he came in, it ended up being a huge loss. The offense made adjustments but they couldn't cover up the loss of Cruz. Not sure they'll do it this season either, as he's been big in both the regular and postseason. As I said I like Rios but I don't think he'll offset what Cruz brought offensively.

So... that is JDs fault, that Cruz decided to use PEDs and get suspended? I believe JD's effect on the team is what the original argument was about. Without Rios, the team doesn't crack 90 wins even.


The Rangers effectively booted him when they gave away his number. Not sure if he made it apparent he wasn't gonna come back but showing that level of disregard for someone who put in work for the franchise would turn away a lot of players.

Yeah, letting your team down with WS aspirations and getting yourself suspended for 50 games was a great way to show your worth and gratefulness for the franchise you play for :rolleyes


Even if Young was done the intangibles he brought were important. I can't remember the situation with Young after 2012 but iirc he wasn't quitting like Hamilton. Besides all that, Young did a lot for the organization and deserved the chance to retire on top.

What intangibles? Going from being a .330+ hitter in the regular season, to below .250 in the postseason? Or being too lazy to move your feet to dive for hits that come your direction, and giving up singles that any mediocre fielder would be able to prevent from happening? I'm sure those set a great example for the young talent on the team. Such great intangibles...


As for Hamilton he quit and burned his bridges. Would've liked to see him back but that bridge was burned. The $125 million he ended up getting seemed about right when he signed, but in hindsight the Rangers dodged a bullet.

Yet you say that was a weird move at best, and that it has yet to pay off in any way... maybe you should try thinking BEFORE you have you retract such retarded statements.


We'll have to wait and see on how Fielder fits in this season, but as of now I feel they'd of been better off with Kinsler or trading him for prospects or a more proven first baseman in postseason play.

We will have to see. But I don't see any reason to feel any better with Kinsler, than with Fielder. At this point in his career, he was bringing almost nothing to the table that Fielder doesn't. But Fielder brings plenty of things to the table that Kinsler doesn't.


The Rangers had never had the excellence they were experiencing at the time so it remains to be seen if Young would've refused again. Winning makes players more willing to adjust; might've felt he was more helpful where he was in the past. As for clutch, he'd never really played in the postseason beforehand, so all we had was regular season clutch. Defensively he was bad by then but as a hitter he could still produce.

He had two full postseason WS runs to at least have ONE series where he proved he was clutch. He never did. In his 6 series, only twice did he hit over .250 for an entire series, twice hitting below .200 and averaged a .261 OBP. Had a 6 K to 1 BB ratio. That's atrocious beyond belief. No way around it. He SUCKED in the playoffs. Quit making excuses for his extreme suckage. He blew at astronomical levels.

[Robz4000]

While you overstate some things here, I don't generally disagree, however your initial statement was that they made the WS each year on their bats, and their bats alone. That is completely incorrect.



So... that is JDs fault, that Cruz decided to use PEDs and get suspended? I believe JD's effect on the team is what the original argument was about. Without Rios, the team doesn't crack 90 wins even.



Yeah, letting your team down with WS aspirations and getting yourself suspended for 50 games was a great way to show your worth and gratefulness for the franchise you play for :rolleyes



What intangibles? Going from being a .330+ hitter in the regular season, to below .250 in the postseason? Or being too lazy to move your feet to dive for hits that come your direction, and giving up singles that any mediocre fielder would be able to prevent from happening? I'm sure those set a great example for the young talent on the team. Such great intangibles...



Yet you say that was a weird move at best, and that it has yet to pay off in any way... maybe you should try thinking BEFORE you have you retract such retarded statements.



We will have to see. But I don't see any reason to feel any better with Kinsler, than with Fielder. At this point in his career, he was bringing almost nothing to the table that Fielder doesn't. But Fielder brings plenty of things to the table that Kinsler doesn't.



He had two full postseason WS runs to at least have ONE series where he proved he was clutch. He never did. In his 6 series, only twice did he hit over .250 for an entire series, twice hitting below .200 and averaged a .261 OBP. Had a 6 K to 1 BB ratio. That's atrocious beyond belief. No way around it. He SUCKED in the playoffs. Quit making excuses for his extreme suckage. He blew at astronomical levels.

Let me rephrase it then: they made it mostly due to their bats. Outside a few notable performances by Lee and Holland, their pitching was underwhelming. At least nowadays they have a great pitching core, but I stand by that being a result of Nolan Ryan and not Daniels.

Cruz fucked up taking PEDs, but if that was the lead issue with him having bis number given away so easily and him inevitably not being resigned then I have a problem with it.

I was referencing what he did in the 2011 postseason run. He doesn't explode offensively they prolly lose to Detroit. I think he took that suspension so he could play in the postseason tbh. Can't remember if the FO told him to take it or if he made the decision himself thinking ahead to the offseason and free agency. If it was the latter then he fucked up.

By intangibles I mean his clubhouse leadership and setting an example for the rest of the roster (tho I guess you could argue his bitching about switching positions mitigated that). He was also one of the few players on that 2011 squad I trusted at the plate with the game on the line outside Hamilton, Kinsler, and Cruz (in the postseason anyway). By this point he was done as an infielder and should've moved to the utility role.

I said to a lesser extent Hamilton; after the disappointment of 2012 I was fine letting him go, but analytically it seemed like a dumb move considering how well he'd been playing the past few seasons, 2012 included.

Like I said, lets see how Fielder fits in. Right now we're on different sides about what to expect, but once we reach October or even earlier one of us shiuld have a different should.

[Phillip]

Let me rephrase it then: they made it mostly due to their bats. Outside a few notable performances by Lee and Holland, their pitching was underwhelming. At least nowadays they have a great pitching core, but I stand by that being a result of Nolan Ryan and not Daniels.

smh some people will do anything to discredit people. This is on par with Dominique's ridiculous critique of Lebron's 61 point game.


Cruz fucked up taking PEDs, but if that was the lead issue with him having bis number given away so easily and him inevitably not being resigned then I have a problem with it.

He didn't want to take a 1 year deal IIRC, and that is all Texas was willing to offer. The dude is past 30, consistently hurt, cost the team a WS by being too afraid to run into a wall, and just got busted for PEDs. Why would they be willing to give him a long-term contract??

When he declined, Texas figured he would probably get picked up pretty quickly by some other team willing to unload stupid money to sign him, but surprisingly (and smartly), that didn't happen. So they already got his replacement at that point. I think it was more that they expected him to be picked up, as opposed to trying to be dicks to him as you seem to suggest.


I was referencing what he did in the 2011 postseason run. He doesn't explode offensively they prolly lose to Detroit. I think he took that suspension so he could play in the postseason tbh. Can't remember if the FO told him to take it or if he made the decision himself thinking ahead to the offseason and free agency. If it was the latter then he fucked up.

He screwed up regardless. Either he shouldn't have taken them, or he should have made sure he didn't get caught. He screwed up this season more than anything else. But somehow by your previous statements, you seem to want to blame JD for it... :rolleyes


By intangibles I mean his clubhouse leadership and setting an example for the rest of the roster (tho I guess you could argue his bitching about switching positions mitigated that). He was also one of the few players on that 2011 squad I trusted at the plate with the game on the line outside Hamilton, Kinsler, and Cruz (in the postseason anyway). By this point he was done as an infielder and should've moved to the utility role.

Yeah, he sure did a wonderful job of leading the clubhouse and setting an example, when basically the entire team appeared to be mentally checked out by seasons end, outside of Beltre, Darvish, and Andrus.


I said to a lesser extent Hamilton; after the disappointment of 2012 I was fine letting him go, but analytically it seemed like a dumb move considering how well he'd been playing the past few seasons, 2012 included.

They didn't WANT to let him go. They still tried to resign him. They just didn't want to sign him to the albatross contract that he wanted. He wasn't, and clearly ISN'T REMOTELY worth it.


Like I said, lets see how Fielder fits in. Right now we're on different sides about what to expect, but once we reach October or even earlier one of us shiuld have a different should.

Even if Fielder busts (which I doubt he will), that will be one of a very small number of bad moves JD has made during his tenure here. That was the original argument, about your claim that JD sucks, which is about as far from the truth as it gets.

[Chawaman]

Watching the game while "studying"... why the f do we still have kirkman?

[td4mvp2k]

:lol fuk dat... let me know when they get a new skip tbh

[Phillip]

Now Profar out for 10-12 weeks with a shoulder tear?

Who is the conditioning coach? This may be the 3rd straight season that gets majorly screwed up due to a plethora of injuries :wtf

[txstr1986]

Soto is out 10-12 weeks with a knee injury as well...

[Robz4000]

:lol Man, at least the Padres look to be exciting this season...

[txstr1986]

Worst. Spring. Training. Ever.

Darvish to miss Opening Day and possibly land on the DL. http://www.lonestarball.com/2014/3/25/5546434/yu-darvish-injury-update-rangers-scratch-darvish-for-opening-day

[Phillip]

fml

[FkLA]

lol texas chokers

[Chris]

Optimistically, you can conceive that the Rangers are getting the injuries out of the way early. Realistically, we need to pursue a backup catcher or call someone up.

[Biernutz]

Even though winning spring training games means nothing, you got to believe the ASTROS got a
big lift by sweeping the Rangers in San Antonio....This sucks for the Rangers who have just
about owned the central Texas market to let the Stros have some run. The games gave
the Stros fans a feel good moment on what will be a looooong season.........




http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb270/systime/Gifffs1234/Funny_Pictures_Animated_Star_Trek_C.gif

[td4mvp2k]

Even though winning spring training games means nothing, you got to believe the ASTROS got abig lift by sweeping the Rangers in San Antonio....This sucks for the Rangers who have just about owned the central Texas market to let the Stros have some run. The games gave the Stros fans a feel good moment on what will be a looooong season.........http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb270/systime/Gifffs1234/Funny_Pictures_Animated_Star_Trek_C.gif:cry to think rangers were in b2b WS

[Spur|n|Austin]

Scheppers was getting rocked, now Lee is getting rocked. Helloooo baseball season!

[crc21209]

The Rangers rotation is gonna struggle mightily without Darvish, Holland, Harrison, and Lewis. Gonna have to score alot of runs to win games.

[Robz4000]

To the Phillies?

[Chris]

We scored 10 runs and lost :lol Our pitching was lousy all the way around

[Chris]

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/1972334_853381351342737_1462135874_n.jpg

[Clipper Nation]

lol texas chokers
lol Johnny Inbred, the REAL Texas choker

[txstr1986]

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/1972334_853381351342737_1462135874_n.jpg

The Most Interesting Man in the World

[Chris]

^He has to be one of the most intimidating hitters to pitch to, especially in a close out situation. A patient hitter -waiting on you to make a mistake, also one who is capable of baiting a pitcher into throwing something into your wheelhouse during the next AB.

[Robz4000]

Not gonna lie, I like Soo Choo so far. Fielder sucks tho.

[Chris]

We need a catcher

[Robz4000]

We need a catcher

Need my nigga Soto back tbqh.

[Biernutz]

Adrian Beltre on 15 day list for a quad strain. Looks to be back at the end of the month.
Prince Fielder is hitting .149 with 1 home runs.

[txstr1986]

Thank God our pitching has been great - this offense is too banged up to actually produce...

[Fpoonsie]

It'll be cool to see Lewis back on the mound tonight.

[Biernutz]

Texas wins tonight with the Prince hitting a long HR.

[Chris]

Robbie Ross looked good against a scrappy Mariners team tbh

[Chris]

Scheppers getting lit up again, doubt he'll get too many more opportunities.

[Phillip]

Scheppers sucks balls as a starter.

Get him back to setup man.

[Chris]

Kouzmanoff is hitting .417 and is 3rd on the team in RBI's already. Jon Daniels is a genius tbh

[IrisHockey]

Fatass ain't doing so well to start off the season.

[Chris]

Kouz just won AL player of the week. I wonder where Wash is going to put him when Beltre gets back. Easy to say DH, but what happens to Moreland who has been hitting well too.

[Phillip]

The depth of the team is much better than we thought... 1st place in the AL... not expected

[td4mvp2k]

The depth of the team is much better than we thought... 1st place in the AL... not expected:lol ive seen this be4 tbh

[Chris]

Martin Perez has back to back shutouts and has pitched 26 consecutive scoreless innings.

[Robz4000]

Perez is det nig. Pitching looks fairly solid all things considered so far. Just hope Harrison looks good this weekend and Holland is able to return and find his game quickly enough.

Still iffy about their offense tho.

[txstr1986]

Sweeping Oakland is such a great feeling - suck it A's!

Also, on an unrelated note, does anyone here know of any good spots for Rangers desktop wallpaper? Most of the stuff I've found in the web is either really crappy looking or Josh Hamilton... (wait, aren't they the same thing? #amirite)

[txstr1986]

I love this
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BkMAprpCIAArC4k.jpg

[Chris]

Kouz is out with a herniated back disk...He has a history of back problems since 2004 when he chased that foul ball into the dugout. Luckily Beltre has been activated

[Biernutz]

Rangers lose to Seattle today when the Bullpen let them down. Alexi Ogando is the loser and has a ERA. of 6.39.

[Chris]

Alexi Ogando is the loser and has a ERA. of 6.39.


Yeah, I think we've seen enough from Ogando -the kid doesn't have it. I wouldn't even be comfortable with him in a bullpen role. He obviously doesn't trust his stuff, and when he gets into trouble he just tries to throw harder.

[Chris]

Kouz may need back surgery. If so, he will be out 7-12 weeks. He's waiting on a second opinion from a doctor in SoCal when the team goes to Anaheim.

[td4mvp2k]

:lol

[Robz4000]

God damn, the A's made up for that sweep in Oakland with interest.

[txstr1986]

Well this has been a miserable few days for baseball...

[Biernutz]

Yesterday --Jesse Chavez allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings in a 12-1 beat down by the A's........

[Chris]

Let's just forget about that series and move on! :lol

[Biernutz]

Prince is just tearing the cover off the ball........Hitting .037pct in day games -----.206 against right handers....
.179 with runners on base...... It's not even hot in Dallas yet. Wait till the 105 degree 7PM. starts in August.:lol

[Chris]

A Yu Darvish doppelganger caught a foul ball ... with Yu Darvish pitching

http://mlb.mlb.com/assets/images/4/3/2/74389432/cuts/050414_tex_mini_darvish_1_u7eqxb6r_04wzzeuw.gif

During the seventh inning of Sunday's Rangers-Angels game, Collin Cowgill smacked aYu Darvish offering into the stands and a lucky fan caught it. That fan was…Yu Darvish?

Wait. Is that the long-haired Yu Darvish from 2012? Has he bent the fabric of time and travelled into the future just to watch himself strike out Mike Trout?

Nope, it's just his doppelganger. (Sorry, Yu Darvish is probably not a Time Lord.) Substantially shorter than the 6-foot-5 Darvish, "Minivish" is a regular at Texas games whether home or away, sporting his custom jersey and tiny baseball:

437252017300729856

http://wapc.mlb.com/cutfour/2014/05/05/74385860?cid=as_mlb_20140505_11154114

[td4mvp2k]

^ :tu

[Biernutz]

Prince hitting .228 and 3 hr....................... Kinzer hitting .306 for the Tigers

[Robz4000]

:lol what a brutal way for Darvish to lose his perfect game bid

[BanditHiro]

the Texas Rangers are cursed lol

[Chris]

It's become almost comical at this point. World Serie(s) and no hitters are forbidden.

[txstr1986]

Seriously! How many times has Darvish gotten this close to a no-no? I feel like it's been at least 3...

[RobbyH]

:lol Fielder

[td4mvp2k]

the Texas Rangers are cursed lol

no just a sh*t skip tbh

[txstr1986]

http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/500x/49693227.jpg

[Robz4000]

:lol people who told me Fielder would be a great pick up

[Phillip]

:lol people who told me Fielder would be a great pick up

a month in? really?

you don't know shit about baseball

[Robz4000]

a month in? really?

you don't know shit about baseball

Son I'll eat crow if he picks it up, but he's been pretty shitty for a while now. There's a reason Detroit fans celebrated when he was traded. I was wrong about Soo Choo and already admitted it, but if the Rangers wanted to improve at first base there were less costly players they could've went for.

[Chris]

Odor can play ball WOW

[Robz4000]

Perez getting Tommy John surgery now. How many pitchers have gone that route so far this season? 30?

[Chris]

Yep we're fucked; both Perez and Harry likely out for the year and possibly longer...

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/tex/martin-perez-faces-tommy-john-surgery-matt-harrisons-career-in-jeopardy?ymd=20140514&content_id=75477042&vkey=news_tex
Perez may need TJ; Harrison's career in jeopardy

OUSTON -- The Rangers received crushing news on Wednesday as they are looking at the possibility of left-handed pitchers Martin Perez and Matt Harrison being out for the rest of the year and even well beyond that.

Harrison is suffering from a back condition known as spondylolisthesis, which is causing severe nerve irritation in his back and could require spinal-fusion surgery. Such a procedure could end his career because the odds of full recovery are not good. The other option is for Harrison to try to live with it, but there is no telling how painful it would be to continue to pitch with the condition.

"The fact is there are not a lot of guys that have had that surgery and come back successfully," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "I feel for Matt and his family. It is a blow to the club, but he has worked extremely hard to come back. Although the odds aren't great, we hope he's the exception."

Perez has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow and is looking at the possibility of undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, a procedure that would sideline him for at least a year.

Perez's other option, since it is only a partial tear, is to try to rehab the elbow without surgery. But he would still be out 10-12 weeks and there's no guarantee he wouldn't ultimately need the procedure anyway.

"I've talked to Martin's agent, and we're going to sit down and talk with him on Friday," Daniels said. "We're still going through it and doing our homework. No decision has been made yet."

Nick Tepesch was called up on Wednesday to replace Perez in the rotation. The Rangers are also going to bring Nick Martinez back out of the bullpen to take Harrison's spot. The Rangers have not announced any starters beyond Yu Darvish pitching Friday against the Blue Jays. Robbie Ross Jr. will likely pitch Saturday and Colby Lewis on Sunday.

The Rangers now have a full rotation on the disabled list in Perez, Harrison, Derek Holland, Tanner Scheppers and Joe Saunders, not to mention the many other injuries that have clobbered them since Spring Training.

"The sheer number of injuries is startling," Daniels said. "We have had a combination of everything. We're hardly the only club going through this. It is what it is. Nobody is going to cry for us. We've got some guys that need to step up, but the sheer number of injuries is a challenge."

The Rangers, who called up reliever Miles Mikolas to replace Harrison on the roster, went into Wednesday's game with the Astros in fourth place in the American League West with a record of 20-20. They were 4 1/2 games out of first.

"We'll see how we weather the storm," Daniels said. "It doesn't change our expectations until we see how the team handles it. Teams handle injuries all the time. We'll see how it plays out. I'm not selling our club short. It's an opportunity for other guys to step up. I'm not selling our club short."

The Rangers will look for starting pitching help elsewhere but it's unlikely they can do anything this early in the season. "We're going to let it ride out," Daniels said. "We may consider that but not a lot of clubs have pitching,"

Saunders, sidelined with a stress fracture in his left ankle, is scheduled to make his third start on medical rehab assignment for Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday. But he is still working on some mechanical issues and Daniels said he could need a couple of more starts before he is an option.

Holland, who had surgery on his left knee in January, is still in Arizona on a throwing program. He is throwing live batting practice but has not progressed with his fielding to the point where he can go on a rehab assignment. He is scheduled to return to Arlington to be re-evaluated before the Rangers decide on the next step. Scheppers, who has inflammation in his right elbow, has just begun throwing off a mound.

Harrison was an 18-game winner for the Rangers in 2012 but made just two starts last year before going down with a herniated disc in his lower back. He twice underwent surgery to repair the problem and came to Spring Training ready to compete for a spot in the rotation. He was set back 2-3 weeks by early back stiffness and started the season on the disabled list.

He was finally activated on April 27 and made four starts. But he had to come out of Tuesday's game against the Astros in the second inning because the back was bothering him and he was sent back to Dallas on Wednesday to be examined by Dr. Drew Dossett. The news was not good.

"It's a more significant injury and the odds of a full return are lesser than the other traditional operations that we are accustomed to," Daniels said.

Perez was 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his first five starts but 0-3 with a 12.83 ERA in his last three outings. He complained of elbow soreness after his last start against the Red Sox on Saturday and was examined by Dr. Keith Meister. The diagnosis of a partial tear was confirmed in a second opinion by Dr. James Andrews.

The question now is if Perez will undergo Tommy John surgery or attempt to rehab the elbow in the hope that he can pitch later this summer. But it will be August before he returns at the earliest.

[txstr1986]

Well this year is looking worse and worse

[txstr1986]

http://gifsound.com/?gif=cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4466911/853212672.gif&v=izGwDsrQ1eQ

http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4466911/853212672.gif

[Chris]

^lol wtf?

[txstr1986]

^lol wtf?

Apparently Chirinos sits in the dugout and tries to make his teammates has uncomfortable as possible...

[manufan10]

469552328677548032

[Chris]

Put up 9 runs without Fielder so far and it's the 5th inning; hopefully Robertson is ok -terrible collision in CF/RF

[Chris]

Prince out 3-4 months to have surgery on herniated disk in neck...

[Strange Love]

Prince out 3-4 months to have surgery on herniated disk in neck...

They said it would end his season.

[Chris]

They said it would end his season.

We should have him for the last quarter of the season in mid August hopefully

[Biernutz]

We should have him for the last quarter of the season in mid August hopefully

He won't be back...he has to heal and can't put the stress of the swing on his neck....

[Chris]

He won't be back...he has to heal and can't put the stress of the swing on his neck....

Looks like we're SOL then; that trade isn't looking so good now, but watching Kinsler play defense today was comforting :lol

[Biernutz]

I had neck surgery and would be very surprised if he came back this year. I'm sure he has had
pain down a arm for some time. It weakens all the muscles and it took me a year to say I was
80%.....

[Robz4000]

Heard that Profar has also been ruled out for the rest of the season. Shit sucks.

[txstr1986]

Heard that Profar has also been ruled out for the rest of the season. Shit sucks.

Just 2-3 more months, not that it's much better (http://www.lonestarball.com/2014/5/22/5742992/jurickson-profar-out-2-3-more-months). No Fielder, no Profar, no Perez, no Harrison, and no Soto and Holland for awhile still. Looks like this season will be all about trying out our AAA prospects...

But on the bright side, nice win yesterday!

[manufan10]

The curse of Nolan Ryan is real!

[Chris]

If we can stay at or a little above .500 until we get some of our starters back, we might have a chance this season. Choo and Beltre will have to carry the offense and we are going to need quality starts from Colby and Robbie

[IrisHockey]

MLB.TV showing this game for free. There is a god.

[Chris]

We have to lock in Odor - this kid has everything you want in a baseball player

[Biernutz]

Darvish could not start because of a stiff neck.....Will have a MRI tomorrow......
Twins beat the Rangers ......

[Chris]

^We got fucked on a bad bad call. That shit evens out though

[Biernutz]

Darvish neck is ok ....will start this weekend

[txstr1986]

Darvish neck is ok ....will start this weekend

This actually works out great for me - I live in DC and will be going to every game this weekend when they play the Nationals. I've never seen Darvish pitch in person so this will be great!

[Chris]

Rangers lead the league in overall average just north of .285. Ron Washington is a god among managers, and thank baby Jesus we didn't lose Maddux in the offseason.

[Robz4000]

Rangers lead the league in overall average just north of .285. Ron Washington is a god among managers, and thank baby Jesus we didn't lose Maddux in the offseason.

I'm still iffy on Ron being manager, but Maddux is great. The team won't be contending this year (or even next tbh) but they have some nice pieces going forward and a solid coaching staff.

[Ricky Davis]

I'm still iffy on Ron being manager, but Maddux is great. The team won't be contending this year (or even next tbh) but they have some nice pieces going forward and a solid coaching staff.

why do you think they won't contend next year? With all these injuries a lot of prospects are getting exposure and handling it pretty well. When everybody comes back I think we'd be pretty scary IMO, probably too late this season

[Robz4000]

why do you think they won't contend next year? With all these injuries a lot of prospects are getting exposure and handling it pretty well. When everybody comes back I think we'd be pretty scary IMO, probably too late this season

The fact they are prospects tbh. I think it'll be two-three seasons before they have enough experience to make a solid postseason run.

[Ricky Davis]

The fact they are prospects tbh. I think it'll be two-three seasons before they have enough experience to make a solid postseason run.

tbh I don't know who's a free agent or not, too lazy to look them up, but I'd imagine that this experience will give the Rangers great depth for next season once Prince, Profar, Holland, Perez, etc come back.

Again, I don't know who's a free agent this is just assuming everyone comes back for next season

[Robz4000]

tbh I don't know who's a free agent or not, too lazy to look them up, but I'd imagine that this experience will give the Rangers great depth for next season once Prince, Profar, Holland, Perez, etc come back.

Again, I don't know who's a free agent this is just assuming everyone comes back for next season

Prince is garbage tbh. I was against the trade from the getgo and so far his dissapointing past is repeating itself. Having the rest of them back will be great next year.

[td4mvp2k]

Prince is garbage tbh. I was against the trade from the getgo and so far his dissapointing past is repeating itself. Having the rest of them back will be great next year.:lol @ dat trade when it went down tbh

[IrisHockey]

:lol was Joe Nathan always this big of a douchebag?

[txstr1986]

:lol was Joe Nathan always this big of a douchebag?

Yeah, but he kind of always had the "our douchebag" thing going for him...

[Chris]

What happened with Joe No?

[Robz4000]

Love it when the Rangers win when Darvish isn't great. Hopefully their offense can start finding ways to do it with the rest of their pitchers...

[txstr1986]

Moreland out for the year now too? Geez, let's just end this season already...

[Phillip]

Maybe some of this is actually a blessing in disguise. The season won't be a winning season, but gets a lot of young and unknowns a chance to improve and show if they have anything. Too bad Profar and Odor ended up getting hurt though, as they are two of the main young guys of the future. But at least Choice, Sardinas, and Chirinos should get plenty of opportunity. And this also is a chance to get Fielder fully healthy. Good to know his struggles were most likely due to a lingering injury. We all know a healthy Fielder should be able to belt 40-50 homers with ease in Texas.

[Chris]

Daniel Murphy getting the start today in place of Moreland; I'm still not giving up on this season :cry

[Chris]

Donnie Murphy*

[Dick Jones]

Profar is the new Ruben Mateo tbh...

[DD]

Looking forward to seeing Stanton crush a Darvish pitch

[Chris]

Nice shutout from Yu, predicting a sweep here with the Marlins

[DD]

it can't be a sweep, it's a split so far. Nice game from Yu though...shut us down, and stopped our AL winning streak at 13

[TheMACHINE]

Sup.

[Robz4000]

Nm, just watching the Rangers continue to suck. When do the Rangers consider shutting down Darvish for the season tbh? End of August?

[Dick Jones]

Sup.
rofl at least Texas has legitimate excuses when they suck. They don't sign Pujols & Hamilton and then proceed to blow ass with both in the lineup all year.

[TheMACHINE]

All I said was sup. Why so mad?

[IrisHockey]

Congratulations on finally making the wild card with Pujols and Trout, Machine.

[Fabbs]

rofl at least Texas has legitimate excuses when they suck.
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/WCeAQZYKjwc/0.jpg

[Chris]

How long can Cowgill and Aybar carry the team? Cron looks good, but the AL is too scrappy this year for Angels to even get the wild card imo. At least Pujols and baseball city are having a decent year whilst sucking the Angels franchise dry.

[IrisHockey]

Ian my nigga

[txstr1986]

Beltre got his 2,500 hit last night, and Miggy wanted to congratulate him


https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/Bq8D4VLCQAEhjP1.mp4

Beltre's response: http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/6/24/5840274/miguel-cabrera-rubs-adrian-beltres-head-gets-genitals-tapped-in-reply

[IrisHockey]

:lmao Prince to pose nude

[IrisHockey]

Victor! 6-3

[IrisHockey]

Damn.. to think we almost traded Rick porcello to you guys for nothing..

[IrisHockey]

sweep! first time since '01

[IrisHockey]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BsBlAclCIAIrlvR.jpg:large

[Chris]

^smh :lol

Feliz is back after Tommy John, and looks good! We still suck and making the postseason would be a miracle at this point, but our prospects look great aside from the overall shitty pitching and defense.

[Biernutz]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BsBlAclCIAIrlvR.jpg:large

He is probably ready to pass out from sucking his stomach in....

[TheMACHINE]

Sup?

[MultiTroll]

:lol 10 runs in 2 innings and Washington leaves the pitcher in to let Trout launch a three bomb.
WTF is up with that?

[txstr1986]

:lol 10 runs in 2 innings and Washington leaves the pitcher in to let Trout launch a three bomb.
WTF is up with that?

Give the man credit, Wash knows how to tank

[Chris]

I'm all for tanking at this point. We have no chips to play with this year.

[Robz4000]

Yop, time to tank

[TheMACHINE]

Howdy.

[txstr1986]

Joey Gallo, one of the Ranger's top prospects, won the MVP in the futures game yesterday, and he dented the windshield of a pick-up during BP before the game...

http://www.lonestarball.com/2014/7/13/5897065/joey-gallo-futures-game-home-run-video

[Chris]

Yep, Gallo is supposed to be a stud, wouldn't be surprised to see a call up in September

[Viva Las Espuelas]

they shouldn't call him up. why would they need to? isn't he a 3rd baseman? he's too young. he'll get his turn.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BsBlAclCIAIrlvR.jpg:large

his wallet is fatter than him.......

and yours :D

[Chris]

they shouldn't call him up. why would they need to? isn't he a 3rd baseman? he's too young. he'll get his turn.

Expanded rosters in September and we're in the doghouse. Not a bad time to see what he has at the MLB level

[txstr1986]

He's only 20, and seems to still have a few holes in his swing. This year he has 113 strikeouts in 362 PAs (split between A+ and AA), but that is down 172 strikeouts in 467 PAs last year at the Rookie and A levels. His walks are also up this year - 65 this year compared to only 50 last year...

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=gallo-001joe

[Biernutz]

It's been a long season for the Rangers. The bullpen is passing time with games that feature farting.
One game is fart bottle roulette. Another is farting on another face. Times are tough in Dallas.......

http://www.sportressofblogitude.com/2014/07/17/derek-holland-talks-fart-bottle-roulette-game/

[Chris]

It's been a long season for the Rangers. The bullpen is passing time with games that feature farting.
One game is fart bottle roulette. Another is farting on another face. Times are tough in Dallas.......

http://www.sportressofblogitude.com/2014/07/17/derek-holland-talks-fart-bottle-roulette-game/

Figured it was Holland's idea, but apparently it was all Mark Lowe. :lol It is kind of weird, come to think of it, that the bullpen is separated from the rest of the team isolated, with little to no interaction.

[Chris]

Smolinski looks terrific and Odor continues his great play. Our future looks promising

[txstr1986]

This sums up our season fairly well...

http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2305432/861910226.gif

[Robz4000]

Rangers traded Soria?

[Ron Swanson]

Yeah, he went to Detroit for SP Jake Thompson and RP Corey Knebel.

Colby pitched a damn nice game tonight.

[Ron Swanson]

What in the wide world of sports is going on tonight? Colby with another nice game and we hit 5 HRs.

[Robz4000]

If Colby and Holland return to form the Rangers could have an elite rotation next year :tu

[Blizzardwizard]

It was the White Sox with one of the worst bullpens in the history of baseball and Adam Dunn pitching the 9th so it doesn't count :lol

[Chris]

It was the White Sox with one of the worst bullpens in the history of baseball and Adam Dunn pitching the 9th so it doesn't count :lol

Let us have our moment, its been a terrible season :lol

[Biernutz]

Yu Darvish to the DL with a inflamed elbow. He is the 14th Ranger to the DL this season.

[Robz4000]

Good, its time to sit him down. Beltre too.

[MultiTroll]

Ok Rangers lets keep that tankin thing going.

[Chris]

Soto's back

[Biernutz]

Back to Back World Series appearances, then all the moves since Nolan left has not paid off at all.
Bad karma in Arlington...................

[TheMACHINE]

Thanks Rangers for whooping the A's!

[txstr1986]

Come on, Wash. Cheating on your wife?

[The Reckoning]

Banister to Texas. Solid hire, imo.

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/11710963/texas-rangers-hire-jeff-banister-manager

[Biernutz]

Banister has spent the last 29 years in the Pirates organization with the last 5 years as a bench coach.
As bad as the Pirates have been , he is with a organization that long and never rose thru the Pirates
system to be the Pirates manager? He has a 299-330 record as a minor league manger with the Pirates.
He is Jon Daniels choice so we will see how it works out for him.......

[Robz4000]

Jon Daniels continuing to destroy the Rangers...