Series Thread: Seamen from Seattle visit landlocked Arlington

[saddles]

I actually liked Doug Melvin, but was never fond of Hart.

The people who really want JD gone and call him blunderboy and all kinds of names must not remember the GMs Texas had before. Do they not remember the awful teams that were assembled before he came along? The 90s had moderate success and before that nothing sustained...I don't get it. I guess people really did think that Nolan Ryan built the roster, but have no damn clue he didn't do any of the player acquisition stuff. He was the face of the front office and handled the day to day operations, but cmon he wasn't signing the players and wasn't the one out there scouting the minors etc. JD was promoted in 2004, which was four years before Nolan was ever brought on and his system was well in place. It just annoys me that people gave Nolan so much credit for the roster coming together when it did when they totally ignored all the ground work it took from 2004-2009. That wasn't just an over night thing...GRRR Just a preachy post from Rev....

Melvin is a very good GM for a low budget team. I never liked the Gonzalez trade though. Having Thompson be the centerpiece of the trade while he was recovering from 2 surgeries was terrible. It is the kind of trade that should someone on this board suggest it now in reverse they would be laughed to scorn for trying to trade 4 spare to okay players and an injured pitcher for an MVP and a good young bullpen piece. I think of that trade when I think of Melvin now. I also think of how we had John Burkett signed and then released him due to an out provided in the collective bargaining impasse to save some money. Then they had to turn around and trade Dempster and Helling for Burkett later. I loved getting Burkett at that point, but letting him go and then having to trade for him was not good.

Melvin did do a good job of piecing together that 1996 team on a low budget though.

My favorite former GM is Grieve. The offseason he traded for Franco and Palmeiro is unmatched in my opinion. Dan O'Brien did a pretty good job here as GM as I recall.

I have been as big of a JD supporter as anyone in the past. In the years before we went to the WS I was standing up for him when many others weren't. He did a great job of rebuilding this franchise. I do separate the past from the present when evaluating how he is doing his job now though. I really don't think comparing him to Hart and Robinson and Klein and some of our other poor GMs is a good way to evaluate him. A lot of GMs look great compared to them.

I hope JD's smarts allow him to get this team back to where they need to be. I do think he has made some very big mistakes the past couple of years though. Sometimes when it comes to GMs it takes a different skill set to completely rebuild a team than it does to take stock and reload the right pieces. Just because JD was the perfect GM for what we needed to do 8-10 years ago doesn't mean he can do what needs to be done now as successfully. We will have to sit back and watch to see if that is the case. The early returns are a bit unsettling to me though. JD is smart enough to figure out what needs to be done, but that doesn't mean he will.

 

[saddles]

I think Fielder needs to be viewed as a DH and MM needs to be moved (though the return would be nil) and 1st base should be addressed now. I hope Rua is just a year or so away from being able to contribute at the ML level or hopes that Nicholas could be an everyday 1st baseman on the ML team in a year or so. Then there is a possible log jam though cause I would want AB re-signed as they DH in a couple years. Time will tell I guess

I wouldn't mind it if that #1 pick next year turns out to be a great 1B prospect who would be ready to play by 2017. Maybe the next Teixeira without Mark's personality.

 

[scotsman1948]

I'm beginning to think we can take the A's

only if we figure out some way for Holland to pitch at least 7 innings in every game.

 

[saddles]

Opening day for the Rangers will be on April 6 in Oakland next year. The home opener will be on April 10 against Houston. We play 12 of our first 18 games on the road.

Texas Rangers to open on road in 2015 | Dallas Morning News

 

[Justinkm83]

Rev all I started out saying was that his season wasn't made by him playing in Camden Yards. It was insinuated earlier that his good season was due in large part because of where he is playing. You are the one who brought up that we offered him a contract. I simply said that that contract offer was irrelevant due to how much the circumstances changed later. My stance has been since you brought that up that they never offered him a contract once his demands went down and there is nothing on the internet that contradicts that belief that you have claimed is silly.

If it is September and it is over and done with then why did you bring up our offer that we gave him almost a year ago right after the 2013 WS?

That's not really what I meant when I said Camden Yards is tailor made for him, but since you brought it back up....do you think when he hits well at home that it doesn't carry over when he goes on the road? He's comfortable and it shows. So yes, even though I didn't mean it that way I do think Camden Yards (along with other factors) has a big part in his success this year.

 

[saddles]

That's not really what I meant when I said Camden Yards is tailor made for him, but since you brought it back up....do you think when he hits well at home that it doesn't carry over when he goes on the road? He's comfortable and it shows. So yes, even though I didn't mean it that way I do think Camden Yards (along with other factors) has a big part in his success this year.

I think he is having success because he is a good hitter. I think if he had as good of a team around him here as he does there he would have had a very good year here as well. I think the splits indicate that he is an even better hitter on the road this season. I just think he is having a good year and that he would have had a good year here as well.

 

[Bmurph]

Opening day for the Rangers will be on April 6 in Oakland next year. The home opener will be on April 10 against Houston. We play 12 of our first 18 games on the road.

Texas Rangers to open on road in 2015 | Dallas Morning News

Nothing like piling it on for a team down on their luck

 

[Bmurph]

I wouldn't mind it if that #1 pick next year turns out to be a great 1B prospect who would be ready to play by 2017. Maybe the next Teixeira without Mark's personality.

Whoever the pick is they are going to need it to be a can't miss. This team can't afford any more misses until they are back in contention mode

 

[donaldson79]

Whoever the pick is they are going to need it to be a can't miss. This team can't afford any more misses until they are back in contention mode

Murph....come on now.

Every player/pitcher has an chance at failing.

Nothing in life nor baseball is guaranteed.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Talking about bad GMs....... Who was GM at the time when we were offered a choice of Joaquin Arias and Robinson Cano and we picked Arias.

 

[donaldson79]

Can't believe no one has commented on Jeter's Day at Yankee Stadium. Phony as a three dollar bill. He tried to out do Ty Cobb. Rev would have loved it.

I question if he has much to do with all the hogwash which is going on around him quite honestly.

He's never shown to be a "me" kind of guy, never sought out the spotlight IMO.

All this crap comes from NY being NY.

And for the record, Ty Cobb was a piece-of-shit human being. Jeter most certainly is not.

 

[Bmurph]

Murph....come on now.

Every player/pitcher has an chance at failing.

Nothing in life nor baseball is guaranteed.

Yeah tongue in cheek mostly Don

 

[darrylgann]

Opening day for the Rangers will be on April 6 in Oakland next year. The home opener will be on April 10 against Houston. We play 12 of our first 18 games on the road.

Texas Rangers to open on road in 2015 | Dallas Morning News

Can't wait Bennie! Though I'm very interested to see what happens at the GM meeting in December.

Otherwise bring on 2015!

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Darvish against the AL West this year:

Angels 1-1 5.11 era
Astros 0-2 5.50 era
Athletics 0-2 6.91 era
Mariners 0-0 2.51 era

That is a composite 1-5 record with an era around 5. As I said earlier that will need to change.

 

[DT LUNA]

I question if he has much to do with all the hogwash which is going on around him quite honestly.

He's never shown to be a "me" kind of guy, never sought out the spotlight IMO.

All this crap comes from NY being NY.

And for the record, Ty Cobb was a piece-of-shit human being. Jeter most certainly is not.

Almost sounds like you didn't hear him

 

[donaldson79]

Yeah tongue in cheek mostly Don

Roger that.

Missed last nights game altogether. But it's sure nice to see Derek come out healthy, and determined.

One of few good takeaways from 2014.

 

[donaldson79]

Almost sounds like you didn't hear him

Tell me what you're sensing here boss.

And you're correct, I didn't hear it, only read about it.

Thus, this is why I want to know your take on what went down.

 

[donaldson79]

Darvish against the AL West this year:

Angels 1-1 5.11 era
Astros 0-2 5.50 era
Athletics 0-2 6.91 era
Mariners 0-0 2.51 era

That is a composite 1-5 record with an era around 5. As I said earlier that will need to change.

Wow....this is concerning.

 

[Justinkm83]

I think he is having success because he is a good hitter. I think if he had as good of a team around him here as he does there he would have had a very good year here as well. I think the splits indicate that he is an even better hitter on the road this season. I just think he is having a good year and that he would have had a good year here as well.

Well, considering he's never had this type of year here, I will stick to my original point. Saying he would have the same type of year if he was here is absurd. While it's possible, there's no way to know.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Well, considering he's never had this type of year here, I will stick to my original point. Saying he would have the same type of year if he was here is absurd. While it's possible, there's no way to know.

I tried to stick up for Cruz when he was here and many wanted to kick him when he was down. He is lousy when going straight back for a ball but otherwise good enough and has a gun for an arm. And when he is on with the bat he can carry an entire ball club. I did not want to lose him and felt we should have pushed a little harder to keep him. Sometimes we seem to be ready to get rid of our own. Talking about the fans and the media. I did not mind losing CJ, Josh and MY as they were all at the appropriate times as stated above. But Cruz I felt was different as he was one of the guys like Napoli was and good for team chemistry. MY was too but there was just no place for him.