Keep the Manager, Trade the Players?

[Melmart1]

I have never been a big fan of Tom Hicks, the owner of the Rangers. But his comments that he made on the radio about his team and how maybe he needs to trade players instead of firing Buck Showalter as manager? Does he really think that Michael Young or Mark Teixeira are expendable in order to keep Buck ing Showater?!?! I also don't think the Rangers would be in a better position if they hadn't traded David Delucci. I miss him and I know the team misses him, but is he really a difference-maker like Hicks makes him out to be? Read for yourself:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...e.2f1a2d7.html

Hicks: Rangers lack leadership, mental toughness

09:41 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 6, 2006

By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News


OAKLAND – Taking a page from the George Steinbrenner School of Management, in which any time is a good time to challenge players, Rangers owner Tom Hicks said Tuesday that his team has lacked mental toughness and leadership this season.

During a lengthy radio interview with Norm Hitzges on KTCK-AM (1310), Hicks also said top prospect John Danks would "probably" make the 2007 starting rotation. He said general manager Jon Daniels has given him no reason to believe it was necessary to make a managerial change. Hicks said he had been trying to "dig around" to see if manager Buck Showalter's style was wearing on his players.

The toughness issue, however, was a widespread indictment of his team, which began Tuesday nine games behind Oakland in the AL West. Hicks all but conceded the race last week. On Tuesday, he sought to explain what has gone wrong with the 2006 team.

"We need to be a little tougher," Hicks said. "We need to be mentally tougher. I think we missed David Dellucci [traded to Philadelphia on April 1] this year. I think that leadership in the clubhouse part is really important, and we didn't have that after he left."

Hicks declined requests from The Dallas Morning News to elaborate on those statements, particularly about what area of the team lacked toughness. He said he would answer further questions at the end of the season. Showalter also withheld any comment. He said he had not heard the interview but was aware of some of the subjects Hicks broached.

Daniels said the comments should not be interpreted as a management vs. players issue. Daniels said the entire organization, starting with himself, is accountable for what has happened this season.

"If the team is lacking in leadership, it starts with me," Daniels said. "Anything pertaining to a lack of performance or a lack of success starts with me and everybody else in the organization. Everybody who wears the 'T', whether it's on a uniform or not, is fully vested. There's a lot I'm proud of this year, but at the end of the day, I take accountability if we come up short of our goals."

Although some players declined to discuss the assessment, several of the team's key contributors disagreed with Hicks' assessment about a lack of toughness and leadership.

"Absolutely not," shortstop Michael Young said when asked if he thought the club lacked the necessary toughness to win. "If anyone questioned my toughness or my ability to grind through a season, I'd have a big problem with it.

"We didn't win because we lacked toughness," Young added. "We didn't win because we got outplayed. But don't question my approach to the game. Any player that takes pride in the game would look at those comments personally."

Said first baseman Mark Teixeira: "He's en led to his opinion, but the fact of the matter is that in the four years I've been here, we haven't had what it takes to win. We've had different teams every year, and none of them have turned out like we would have hoped. We're still searching for the right combination."

For the second time in two weeks, Hicks bemoaned the loss of Dellucci's leadership.

Hicks singled out Young as a great player and said he leads by example but added that the All-Star Game MVP and reigning batting champ is "not a captain of the clubhouse kind of guy."

"Mike Young is for sure our leader," third baseman Hank Blalock said. "He doesn't need to yell. He is so confident and expresses that confidence that he never has to yell at anybody. I see him talking to Ian Kinsler off to the side, he talks to me, and I know he talks to other guys. He doesn't yell, and he doesn't do it out in front of people, but he does [communicate]. And he does it well.

Added Blalock: "I don't understand the toughness part of it. Michael Young and Mark Teixeira play 162-game seasons in 100-degree heat. You've got to be pretty tough to do that."

Hicks also told Hitzges that Danks, the team's top pick in the 2003 draft, would probably be in the rotation for next season.

"I don't think our baseball people will say that," Hicks said. "But I think he does [make the rotation]. He'll be very exciting."

On Showalter's future, Hitzges asked Hicks if Showalter's style tends to wear on players. Hicks acknowledged that he's tried to determine the answer for himself, but he did not indicate if he's spoken to players.

"Buck has a unique style that works," Hicks said. "He grinds pretty good, and I think that's why he's successful. But coaches in any sport with that style sometimes run their course with certain players. But, we might want to change players rather than change managers."

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[FromWayDowntown]

Hicks can't get out of his own way, it seems. Nice of him to expressly question Michael Young's leadership. Solid, solid move. I wonder when he'll come solid with a take on how Gary Mathews has underperformed this season?

The Rangers struggle every year because they play an overwhelming number of games in blazing heat and players wear down as the season progresses. That problem is rarely offset, because the Rangers rarely have enough secondary talent to keep guys fresh. In my experience, the Ranger fanbase in DFW falls in love with gritty guys who have come up through the system, but can't really offer much quality to a team that's trying to win a division. Those problems are signficantly enhanced by the other constant in Rangers history: the lack of quality arms to sustain the team over a long summer. When the Rangers have spent big money on pitching, they've generally crapped out by gambling on guys. Millwood has certainly been a solid addition, but I think it's fanciful to believe that Millwood can be a dominant #1 on a team that has aspirations to win the AL West right now. If Millwood was the Rangers #2 or #3 and they had a legitimate, bellcow guy in front of him to take the hill every 5 days and win games, the Rangers could be expected to compete. Until they get that guy, they'll be an also-ran.

Unless, of course, Hicks runs off all of the offensive talent first. . . .

[Melmart1]

Unless, of course, Hicks runs off all of the offensive talent first. . . .

This is exactly what I am afraid of. Guys like Tex and Young, their contracts will be up soon. Why would they re-sign in Texas when other teams will not only overpay to add them to their roster, but have owners who won't criticize like this?

And saying Buck is a success- um, you are saying your team underachieves and lacks mental toughness and yet somehow the manager of that team is a winner and bears NO responsibility for this supposedly weak mindset? If the team sucks, doesn't the manager suck too, by extension?

[BeerIsGood!]

I thought Young and Tex were having very good seasons... it's complete inconsistency in the starting rotation and in the bullpen that screws the Rangers over. This year though, you just kind of have to tip your hat to Oakland. They are playing better ball the 2nd half than pretty much anyone else in baseball.

[FromWayDowntown]

This is exactly what I am afraid of. Guys like Tex and Young, their contracts will be up soon. Why would they re-sign in Texas when other teams will not only overpay to add them to their roster, but have owners who won't criticize like this?

Well, and Hicks already has a problem, because guys like Young and Tex are going to draw major interest on the free agent market from clubs that are likely willing to outbid the Rangers for talent like that. That's true without regard to how much guys like Young and Tex are looking to find their way into winning situations and might be willing to take less to go to a club that has a real chance to reach the postseason.

I think the coming offseason will hint a bit about where the Rangers intend to go, because I have a hunch they're going to try to move Blalock.

And saying Buck is a success- um, you are saying your team underachieves and lacks mental toughness and yet somehow the manager of that team is a winner and bears NO responsibility for this supposedly weak mindset? If the team sucks, doesn't the manager suck too, by extension?

I've never really understood the love affair that front office types seem to have with Showalter. I think Buck is a great hire if you have a team that needs to move up the standings from the lower third into the middle third or the bottom of the top third. But Buck doesn't seem to be able to get his teams beyond that point. The well-known coincidence is that Buck's immediate replacements in both New York and Arizona immediately won les without major overhauls of rosters that Buck had. Buck is a well-organized manager and he does elevate teams to some extent, but I don't think he's almost a modern day Gene Mauch.

[leemajors]

us astro fans would be willing to trade young for everett!

[Spurminator]

Man, Michael Young is the new Craig Biggio. I'm such a fan of his. I'll be pissed if he gets traded because I love watching him play.

[Spurminator]

us astro fans would be willing to trade young for everett!

I hear Jason Lane and Adam Everett are real motivational clubhouse guys. The Rangers could use either of those two.

Maybe we could also do Laird for Ausmus?

[Melmart1]

You can have Barajas for Ausmus! Laird is gonna be a beast once Buck gets his head out of his ass and realizes that Laird's BA is 100 points higher than Barajas'.

And I prefer Michael Young to Lane and Everett, thanks

[Melmart1]

UGH!!! This just gets worse and worse...

Sounds like Rangers owner Tom Hicks might be having some misgivings about Buck Showalter's suffocating, hands-on-everything managerial style, although he still seems more inclined to fire some of the players. If Hicks does keep Showalter, it figures to be a vastly different Ranger team next year, with Mark Teixeira and Hank Blalock likely to be dealt and Gary Matthews Jr. and Carlos Lee likely to leave as free agents.

LINK

I swear, if Hicks trades Tex and Blalock because of Buck ing Showalter, I will drive a e through my own heart. WTF?!?!?!

I don't think I could ever quit being a Rangers fan but that might be the thing that sends me over the edge!

[samikeyp]

Keep Melmart...trade NorCal!