2014 All-Star Week Discussion (Rangers Edition)

[DT LUNA]

Ouch..... Only 3 Rangers on the list. Need to rebuild the farm....

The most important numbers are the ones that make it thru the system to ML.

 

[Justinkm83]

Though no deal is imminent, the Mariners have been engaged in ongoing discussions with the Rays regarding lefty David Price and utilityman Ben Zobrist, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports ([ame="[MEDIA=twitter]489845977252392960[/MEDIA]"]Twitter[/ame] [ame="[MEDIA=twitter]489847812495257600[/MEDIA]"]links[/ame]). Meanwhile, talks have stalled with the Phillies regarding Marlon Byrd.
Needless to say, Price and Zobrist both represent potential impact to contenders. Either player could presumably add value to just about every roster in baseball. That holds particularly true for Seattle, which could not only pair Price with current ace Felix Hernandez but would be able to play Zobrist at shortstop, outfield, or even first base.
Of course, the return for either — and, especially, both — would figure to be substantial. (It is not clear from Morosi’s report whether the two would be joined in any potential deal, or indeed whether the sides have progressed that far.) Tampa is said to be interested in beating the return that the Cubs received for Jeff Samardzija, if it deals Price at all. Certainly, a hypothetical pairing of Price and Zobrist (both under control for next season) would require a bigger return on paper than was commanded by Samardzija and Jason Hammel

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Though no deal is imminent, the Mariners have been engaged in ongoing discussions with the Rays regarding lefty David Price and utilityman Ben Zobrist, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Meanwhile, talks have stalled with the Phillies regarding Marlon Byrd.
Needless to say, Price and Zobrist both represent potential impact to contenders. Either player could presumably add value to just about every roster in baseball. That holds particularly true for Seattle, which could not only pair Price with current ace Felix Hernandez but would be able to play Zobrist at shortstop, outfield, or even first base.
Of course, the return for either — and, especially, both — would figure to be substantial. (It is not clear from Morosi’s report whether the two would be joined in any potential deal, or indeed whether the sides have progressed that far.) Tampa is said to be interested in beating the return that the Cubs received for Jeff Samardzija, if it deals Price at all. Certainly, a hypothetical pairing of Price and Zobrist (both under control for next season) would require a bigger return on paper than was commanded by Samardzija and Jason Hammel

............AND THEN THE RANGERS TRADE FOR HIM NEXT SUMMER....

That's how this works...right?

 

[RevSader]

Please help me. I see quotes made...where exactly is this hack job stirring the pot?

On Tuesday night in Minneapolis, Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish was buoyant after pitching a perfect inning in the All-Star Game. Now, it is back to the hard reality of the Rangers’ season. Darvish does not escape scrutiny for what has gone wrong with this team. (here?)

When the Rangers needed Darvish at his best, he did not respond. (here?)
Darvish’s overall first-half performance — 8-5 with a 2.97 ERA in 17 starts — was strong enough to put him on the American League All-Star team for the third consecutive year. Darvish expressed ambivalence about his showing. “I have higher goals,” said Darvish, speaking through an interpreter. “The results in the first half, I think I was lucky.” What Darvish called luck ran out in the last month...(here?)
Darvish made five starts during the club’s 3-22 collapse leading into the All-Star break. The Rangers went 1-4 in his games, and Darvish was 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA. A team with an ace does not have a 3-22 stretch.


How much of a difference would five well-pitched games by Darvish have made in this historically bad stretch? Would the Rangers simply have gone 7-18 instead of 3-22? Or would the security of a strong pitching performance every fifth game by the All-Star have provided a needed emotional lift? (here?) Manager Ron Washington set the second-half goal for his No. 1 pitcher as “get back to being Darvish and keeping us in games.” Washington characterized Darvish’s recent starts as “erratic.”
Said Washington: “He usually finds himself during the course of a ballgame. There’s been a couple of games there when he was having trouble finding the pitches he wanted to use as a combination.”
The retreat began for the Rangers and Darvish with his start at Oakland on June 17. (Here?)

The Rangers had beaten Oakland on the previous evening to go to 3-1 on a make-or-break trip. They were seven games behind the division-leading Athletics at 35-35. General manager Jon Daniels still saw possibilities for the club, which would be getting reinforcements from injured players.
The situation was ripe for a statement performance by Darvish against the Athletics. The lineup gave him a 1-0 lead before his first pitch. Shut down the Athletics, and the Rangers can feel good about their survival instincts. The lead was gone by the second inning. Darvish allowed seven runs in five innings of a 10-6 loss for his eighth consecutive loss against Oakland. The Rangers took the psychological hit of seeing their No. 1 starter again failing against the division’s top team. (Here?) Neither Darvish nor the Rangers has been the same since that game. “I cannot pinpoint what went wrong, when it went wrong, how it went wrong,” Darvish said. “But the team is still fighting.” Said Washington: “Darvish is not a spring chicken. I don’t think he would allow something like that to affect his mentality.”
Oakland dented Darvish in April, too.


He was 1-0 with a 1.61 ERA after four starts going into a meeting with the Athletics on April 28. They spanked him for four runs in 31/3 innings in a loss. Starting with that game, Darvish is 7-5 with an ordinary 3.40 ERA in 13 starts. Darvish now must deal with an unfamiliar situation: playing out the season with a club going nowhere. His rookie season of 2005 with Hokkaido Nippon Ham of the Japan Central League is the only time he has been with a club that finished with a losing record. “It’s really hard to motivate myself, especially with the team in the situation that we’re in,” Darvish said. “People lack focus sometimes when they’re in this situation. But as a professional baseball player, I have to do whatever I have to do.”


Darvish will start the second-half opener at Toronto on Friday. His stated goal for the remainder of the season is to go deeper into games, giving the club a better chance of winning. The Rangers have done that in a Darvish start once in the last month.

Darvish made five starts during the club’s 3-22 collapse leading into the All-Star break. The Rangers went 1-4 in his games, and Darvish was 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA. A team with an ace does not have a 3-22 stretch.

The whole article hinges on this paragraph. Fraley tosses it in to once again push the agenda that Darvish is not an ace and doesn't have the will to win. It's total nonsense. Greg Maddux struggled agaisnt the Diamondbacks during his career, so I guess he's not a hall of famer....Pedro Martinez was only .500 vs the Yankees, so better not put him in in 2015 right? Oh and Felix Hernandez....well he must be scum of the earth, because he is 12-21 against the Rangers....

 

[darrylgann]

@aandro: Rangers top pick Luis Ortiz has 3.0 scoreless innings with 3 strikeouts over his first 2 starts in Arizona.

@aandro: From Frisco, Chi Chi Gonzalez is 2-0, 1.26 ver his last three starts, with opponents batting .173.

 

[donaldson79]

Darvish made five starts during the club’s 3-22 collapse leading into the All-Star break. The Rangers went 1-4 in his games, and Darvish was 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA. A team with an ace does not have a 3-22 stretch.

The whole article hinges on this paragraph. Fraley tosses it in to once again push the agenda that Darvish is not an ace and doesn't have the will to win. It's total nonsense. Greg Maddux struggled agaisnt the Diamondbacks during his career, so I guess he's not a hall of famer....Pedro Martinez was only .500 vs the Yankees, so better not put him in in 2015 right? Oh and Felix Hernandez....well he must be scum of the earth, because he is 12-21 against the Rangers....

I think you're comparing apples to tangerines here a little Rev. It's one thing for a pitcher, any pitcher, to have a team which is habitually their Achilles heel. It happens a lot, and those are indeed 3 good examples. However, the 3 you mention here have 10-18-23 year careers whereas Darvish has 2 1/2.

You're quite good at coming up with research, and I'm curious if you know what Yu's record is against teams above and below .500 to date? And what's his record against the A's and Angels in particular? If you project those numbers out over 10 years how are you feeling?

I say again, I'm not a Darvish hater. But I certainly have some concerns, and they sure as hell seem valid to me as of July 2014.

 

[donaldson79]

@aandro: Rangers top pick Luis Ortiz has 3.0 scoreless innings with 3 strikeouts over his first 2 starts in Arizona.

@aandro: From Frisco, Chi Chi Gonzalez is 2-0, 1.26 ver his last three starts, with opponents batting .173.

Keep em coming boss.....any and all good news, especially on the pitching front, is greatly appreciated.

 

[RevSader]

I think you're comparing apples to tangerines here a little Rev. It's one thing for a pitcher, any pitcher, to have a team which is habitually their Achilles heel. It happens a lot, and those are indeed 3 good examples. However, the 3 you mention here have 10-18-23 year careers whereas Darvish has 2 1/2.

You're quite good at coming up with research, and I'm curious if you know what Yu's record is against teams above and below .500 to date? And what's his record against the A's and Angels in particular? If you project those numbers out over 10 years how are you feeling?

I say again, I'm not a Darvish hater. But I certainly have some concerns, and they sure as hell seem valid to me as of July 2014.

Pitcher record is irrelevant. I disregard any criticism of a pitcher based on their record. I do know what his record is against teams both above and below .500 including the A's and Angels, and his record isn't important. You can easily find these numbers on baseball reference. It's a very short process btw. You go to his career splits and scroll down and it's all compiled nicely.

What matters is that he more often than not goes out and gives the Rangers the best shot at winning games every 5 days. That is his job as a pitcher. It's not to worry about run support or lack thereof. It's just to pitch and keep your team in the game as long as you can. He's done a ridiculous job of that in his short time in the majors, and I find it appalling that people don't appreciate him the way they should.

This is the fanbase that spent 20 years bemoaning the lack of a credible number one pitcher, and now they finally have one they are going to dissect him to death over trivial garbage. That makes me hope he bolts in FA the first chance he gets and goes somewhere he will be celebrated and appreciated. I felt the same about Dirk when he was being labeled soft in Dallas and I feel the same about Romo as QB of the Cowboys. I will take Yu struggling with Oakland over any other pitcher the Rangers have had the last two decades.

 

[PDay8810]

I agree....Darvish is an ace....no question

I just think the article was pretty accurate with regards to the game against the A's. His problem lately seems to be reverting back to many breaking balls and not enough fast balls. Location still matters and he's not been spotting his fastball very well lately which leads to getting behind in more counts and throwing more pitches. I think the A's have done him a favor if he can make the adjustment. He still has the same killer stuff but the A's as a team don't chase the off speed stuff outta the zone. Darvish has gotta trust his fastball and not miss his spot as often as he does. He's fastball command needs to be better.

 

[darrylgann]

@RangerBlake: Rangers have purchased JP Arencibia from Round Rock and activated Geovany Soto from 60 day DL. Carlos Pena designated for assignment.

@RangerBlake: Arencibia will see most of his time at first base. He started 20 games there at Round Rock.

 

[RevSader]

I agree....Darvish is an ace....no question

I just think the article was pretty accurate with regards to the game against the A's. His problem lately seems to be reverting back to many breaking balls and not enough fast balls. Location still matters and he's not been spotting his fastball very well lately which leads to getting behind in more counts and throwing more pitches. I think the A's have done him a favor if he can make the adjustment. He still has the same killer stuff but the A's as a team don't chase the off speed stuff outta the zone. Darvish has gotta trust his fastball and not miss his spot as often as he does. He's fastball command needs to be better.

The article says the Rangers haven't been the same since that one bad loss to Oakland on that road trip. Yu shutting out the A's wouldn't have made Nick Martinez not suck. It wouldn't have made Scott Baker and Miles Mikolas be better options to start games.

Beltre went on a tear after he took blame for the team's struggles, and guess what? The team continued to play much worse baseball as he improved. The better Beltre has been the rest of the offense has been worse. So to expect the team to magically win 10 games over that stretch instead of 3 because Darvish struggled is silly.

 

[RevSader]

This explains my frustration much better than I can right now. Yu Darvish criticism: Responding to the latest media rip job on Yu Darvish - Lone Star Ball

 

[Justinkm83]

@RangerBlake: Rangers have purchased JP Arencibia from Round Rock and activated Geovany Soto from 60 day DL. Carlos Pena designated for assignment.

@RangerBlake: Arencibia will see most of his time at first base. He started 20 games there at Round Rock.

Yippee

 

[DT LUNA]

This explains my frustration much better than I can right now. Yu Darvish criticism: Responding to the latest media rip job on Yu Darvish - Lone Star Ball

Thanks Rev. Although I agreed with you earlier, this is very good info to read and hopefully will win others over.

 

[DT LUNA]

Side bar: tomorrows game Starts at 6:00 pm. on txa21. Just a reminder.

 

[DT LUNA]

Yippee

I guess JPA will not be any worse offensively than Pena but like you said, Yippee.

 

[PDay8810]

Thanks Rev. Although I agreed with you earlier, this is very good info to read and hopefully will win others over.

pardon me if I assume incorrectly but who in this thread does he exactly need to win over?
People that write these articles are doing nothing but stating an opinion....hardly makes um right just cause they have a forum. Most of the times their half right, if that.

I'm pretty certain the vast majority of Texas Ranger fans know Darvish is an ace.

 

[RevSader]

pardon me if I assume incorrectly but who in this thread does he exactly need to win over?
People that write these articles are doing nothing but stating an opinion....hardly makes um right just cause they have a forum. Most of the times their half right, if that.

I'm pretty certain the vast majority of Texas Ranger fans know Darvish is an ace.

I don't really believe Fraley believes the stuff he writes though. He comes off as a Skip Bayless type that likes to say controversial things to drive revenue for his paper. I completely understand that being a sports writer for a paper in this day and age is rough, but I disagree with his approach to keep people interested during a bad season.

Perhaps I just run into the vocal minority, but it certainly seems a lot more like 50/50 on the issue of all Rangers fancs thinking Darvish is an ace or not.

 

[DT LUNA]

pardon me if I assume incorrectly but who in this thread does he exactly need to win over?
People that write these articles are doing nothing but stating an opinion....hardly makes um right just cause they have a forum. Most of the times their half right, if that.

I'm pretty certain the vast majority of Texas Ranger fans know Darvish is an ace.

I read your post earlier so we both know it doesn't pertain to you. You might want to read more post.

 

[PDay8810]

I don't really believe Fraley believes the stuff he writes though. He comes off as a Skip Bayless type that likes to say controversial things to drive revenue for his paper. I completely understand that being a sports writer for a paper in this day and age is rough, but I disagree with his approach to keep people interested during a bad season.

Perhaps I just run into the vocal minority, but it certainly seems a lot more like 50/50 on the issue of all Rangers fancs thinking Darvish is an ace or not.

I think there is a whole lotta Skip bayless out there and growing