The reigning champs arrive at the Grill for a weekend set: ATL @ TEX 4/29-5/1

[True Rangers Fan]

We're turning the calendar over to a new month this weekend, and finishing out a two week long stretch of consecutive games against the Braves. ATL just got their superstar and big brother of Rangers prospect back after almost a year, which will not be an easy task for Texas pitching to face. However, the staff has brought their collective ERA down to 4.74 over the past week-plus, almost a 1.5 run reduction. Rangers pitching has given the team chances to win most games recently.

Hitting is down across the league, and there have been countless balls that looked amazing off the bat and just died at the track. Seems pretty clear we're in a "dead ball" era, but this team has shown an ability to hit at times, so the scuffling can't be solely blamed on the ball. Rangers are making better contact this year over last, so the hope is that some of these will start to fall more frequently.

Ball chuckers for you are:

7:05 tonight: Richards/Howard/wild ass Woody RP sequencing
6:05 tomorrow: Dunning
1:35 Sunday: Hearn

 

[True Rangers Fan]

My gut is telling me the Rangers go 1-2 this weekend.

 

[scotsman1948]

My gut is telling me the Rangers go 1-2 this weekend.

that's about as good as it will get

 

[DT LUNA]

My gut is telling me the Rangers go 1-2 this weekend.

Rolaids are helpful for the gut

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Rolaids are helpful for the gut

my doctor prescribed extra base hits. waiting on the order to get filled.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

Today's Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Bradford
Hi-A: White
Lo-A: officially TBD but Josh Stephan has been the Friday starter

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Today's Starters
AAA: TBD
AA: Bradford
Hi-A: White
Lo-A: officially TBD but Josh Stephan has been the Friday starter

TBD is gonna have 300 IP by July

 

[DT LUNA]

my doctor prescribed extra base hits. waiting on the order to get filled.

Sounds like the right medicine. Understandable they might have a down night against Verlander but not everyone. The law of average should start to apply. Hopefully it will in this series.

 

[saddles]

Sounds like the right medicine. Understandable they might have a down night against Verlander but not everyone. The law of average should start to apply. Hopefully it will in this series.

Nah, Woody has instructed them to always remove TBD after 1 inning.

 

[saddles]

 

[True Rangers Fan]

my biggest takeaway:

 

[Kelleyman]

I for one am interested in the subsequent news conference after the game

FWIW it can not be considered a good SP outing unless he limits damage and goes 5 innings.

This is why I want him in AAA so he can be left to work out of the jams and learn something and the.n perhaps he can be ready for MLB ball

 

[saddles]

I for one am interested in the subsequent news conference after the game

FWIW it can not be considered a good SP outing unless he limits damage and goes 5 innings.

This is why I want him in AAA so he can be left to work out of the jams and learn something and the.n perhaps he can be ready for MLB ball

Gibson is having a very good year so far. The contrast in him and Howard is probably driving the front office nuts.

They really think codling Howard will turn him into a good pitcher. If he can somehow become a good pitcher it won't make it look like we simply gave Gibson away.

They made a huge mistake and they need to own it and move on.

 

[saddles]

We could get more for Gibson this deadline with a half of a season left on his contract than we got for him with a year and a half left.

 

[Kelleyman]

Gibson is having a very good year so far. The contrast in him and Howard is probably driving the front office nuts.

They really think codling Howard will turn him into a good pitcher. If he can somehow become a good pitcher it won't make it look like we simply gave Gibson away.

They made a huge mistake and they need to own it and move on.

You are much more drastic than me. Let’s let it run his course in AAA
Just make him and everyone else earn their right to be on the major league team

 

[saddles]

You are much more drastic than me. Let’s let it run his course in AAA
Just make him and everyone else earn their right to be on the major league team

I guess I am more suspicious because they are only doing this for Howard. I think there is a reason they are treating him differently than they ever have anyone else. If he had been a waiver pick up or our own third rounder none of this codling would be happening. Have they done anything close to this with any other young pitcher in the Jon Daniels era? I just think this incident sticks out like a sore thumb for a reason.

We are better off if I am right about this. In other words, we are better off if this will only happen in very rare circumstances instead of becoming the norm.

 

[DT LUNA]

I guess I am more suspicious because they are only doing this for Howard. I think there is a reason they are treating him differently than they ever have anyone else. If he had been a waiver pick up or our own third rounder none of this codling would be happening. Have they done anything close to this with any other young pitcher in the Jon Daniels era? I just think this incident sticks out like a sore thumb for a reason.

We are better off if I am right about this. In other words, we are better off if this will only happen in very rare circumstances instead of becoming the norm.

It does not apply only to pitchers so it is becoming a norm.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Personally, I think there's a lot of logic leaps being made here. I don't deny that Howard is getting favorable treatment. But the Rangers aren't the only team using the "starter" set up. And I don't subscribe to the theory that the FO is trying to save face from the Gibson trade by handling Howard with kid gloves.

I have no idea what they saw in Howard, and I've been pretty clear that I consider the trade to be the worst in Rangers history. But the trade happened, and the Rangers are going to try to get something out of Spencer. That is what they are supposed to do. Do I think he's got anything? No. But he's only pitched in 10 games for the Rangers. He's only pitched in 2 games this season. I can't really fault them for considering that to be a small sample size and wanting to see more from him. He's not holding up someone in AAA knocking down the door. And right now this team has way bigger issues than Howard.

I have no problem with running him out there for several more games, through the end of May. If he's still sparing us all to death at that point, then sure, send him to AAA. But like I said, to me there are more pressing concerns than Howard at the moment.

 

[Kelleyman]

Personally, I think there's a lot of logic leaps being made here. I don't deny that Howard is getting favorable treatment. But the Rangers aren't the only team using the "starter" set up. And I don't subscribe to the theory that the FO is trying to save face from the Gibson trade by handling Howard with kid gloves.

I have no idea what they saw in Howard, and I've been pretty clear that I consider the trade to be the worst in Rangers history. But the trade happened, and the Rangers are going to try to get something out of Spencer. That is what they are supposed to do. Do I think he's got anything? No. But he's only pitched in 10 games for the Rangers. He's only pitched in 2 games this season. I can't really fault them for considering that to be a small sample size and wanting to see more from him. He's not holding up someone in AAA knocking down the door. And right now this team has way bigger issues than Howard.

I have no problem with running him out there for several more games, through the end of May. If he's still sparing us all to death at that point, then sure, send him to AAA. But like I said, to me there are more pressing concerns than Howard at the moment.

I am not saying we give up on him but think for now Gray, Perez, Dunning Hearn and Otto should be the rotation for now. Like said I would like for him to hav 5he opportunity to work out of jams and develop pitches more. He can do that in AAA.

BTW Hearn is not too far behind him. At best both have lapses. Both can get swing and misses so we might regret releasing Howard too hastily. And that ain’t gonna happen regardless what us as armchair GMs think