2014 Offseason

[Windingmywatch]

I think Rua will surprise a lot of folks this year.

What do you mean ... "Rua will surprise a lot of folks this year".

To be surprised means something happens that was not anticipated. Are some going to be surprised he does real well and ends up landing a ASG roster spot? Or are some going to be surprised he starts the season in Frisco?

If he ends up doing real well ... am not sure that is a big surprise given his quality play at the end of 2014 when because of injuries he got the chance to move up from the minors where he split 471ABs between Frisco and Round Rock. He's only one year from having played for Hickory and jumped over Myrtle Beach finishing 2013 at AA.

Do I want to see him succeed. Absolutely! But Rua is a surprise being where he is at this point. If he goes on and continues to excel ... that ought to not surprise anyone any more. And if he had a tough ST and starts the season back in AAA (or even AA so he can get a running start again) ... that wouldn't surprise me either.

So ... am not sure what you mean by "Rua will surprise a lot of folks this year".

 

[Windingmywatch]

The national writers are just not up to speed on what is going on with this team no matter how much they think they are. That is why I never pay much attention to Rangers trade rumors by the national guys. Of course Evan is pretty bad about that kind of thing as well.

EG is a spare. If he didn't already have a job he wouldn't get one on the basis of his work.

I can just hear the laughter at The Sporting News if EG showed up for an interview.

On EG's tombstone will be engraved ... "I used my MVP vote on MY".

EG is the poster boy for "Laughing Stock".

 

[Windingmywatch]

Rangers to give top talent a look in big league camp | texasrangers.com

T.R. says ... "C Jorge Alfaro: Ranked No. 45 overall by MLB.com, Alfaro is one of the top catching prospects in the game, although he is still refining his offensive and defensive skills. He is only 21 and may be the Rangers' best catching prospect since Ivan Rodriguez.

Huh? '... and MAY best catching prospect since Ivan Rodriguez".

Who else could be the best? TT? Salty? Max Ramirez?

Of course Alfaro is the best prospect since Pudge.

 

[saddles]

What do you mean ... "Rua will surprise a lot of folks this year".

To be surprised means something happens that was not anticipated. Are some going to be surprised he does real well and ends up landing a ASG roster spot? Or are some going to be surprised he starts the season in Frisco?

If he ends up doing real well ... am not sure that is a big surprise given his quality play at the end of 2014 when because of injuries he got the chance to move up from the minors where he split 471ABs between Frisco and Round Rock. He's only one year from having played for Hickory and jumped over Myrtle Beach finishing 2013 at AA.

Do I want to see him succeed. Absolutely! But Rua is a surprise being where he is at this point. If he goes on and continues to excel ... that ought to not surprise anyone any more. And if he had a tough ST and starts the season back in AAA (or even AA so he can get a running start again) ... that wouldn't surprise me either.

So ... am not sure what you mean by "Rua will surprise a lot of folks this year".

You would be surprised by how many guys on boards like this one still don't expect Rua to have a good year this year. A lot of guys on this board like his chances, but I have found that that is the exception on other boards. I think he will do a lot better than many folks think he will. I wouldn't be surprised if he hit about .275 with 18 HRs if he gets to play on an everyday basis. There seems to be a significant number of fans who don't ever expect anything from any young guy.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

The national writers are just not up to speed on what is going on with this team no matter how much they think they are. That is why I never pay much attention to Rangers trade rumors by the national guys. Of course Evan is pretty bad about that kind of thing as well.

Some writers and fans think you should make a move for no apparent reason. They don't take a look at the whole picture. Based on how things went down last year we did what we should have done. Make a few moves that may help but for the most part lay low and see what transpires during the year.

 

[Windingmywatch]

You would be surprised by how many guys on boards like this one still don't expect Rua to have a good year this year. A lot of guys on this board like his chances, but I have found that that is the exception on other boards. I think he will do a lot better than many folks think he will. I wouldn't be surprised if he hit about .275 with 18 HRs if he gets to play on an everyday basis. There seems to be a significant number of fans who don't ever expect anything from any young guy.

Okay ... well there you are. The 'defeatists' or guys who like old guys who still put up talking to them in the locker room (EG would be in this category) pooh pooh Rua having a starting spot. Some of them would prefer TEX acquiring an over the hill COF or running Michael Choice out there every day and carrying Rua as a 4OF so it is guarranteed he fails when he's asked to pinch hit twice a week. (Wait wait ... Wash is gone so maybe the young guy will get to play regularly).

I would be delighted if he wins the job at LF ... knowing he's really a 3bman who played a lot of 2b at Hickory because Gallo was at 3b. It doesn't take a long time for pretty much any professional to learn LF (except at Fenway, example: Manny) so he ought to figure it out in ST.

I still see Roa as potentially TEX' Ben Zobrist. That would be good.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Some writers and fans think you should make a move for no apparent reason. They don't take a look at the whole picture. Based on how things went down last year we did what we should have done. Make a few moves that may help but for the most part lay low and see what transpires during the year.

Expecting national writers to accurately tell the TEX story would be like expecting ESPN to cover sports outside of the NY-BOS market.

 

[Bmurph]

I will be okay with this 2015 Rangers team to start totally under the radar with everyone's expectations (besides ours here of course) for them to win fewer than 80 games and round out the bottom of the division. I have a feeling this team will have a good chance at a WC spot and is going to contend a lot sooner than they are going to get credit for with the Nat'l media and most outside of Texas fans.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I will be okay with this 2015 Rangers team to start totally under the radar with everyone's expectations (besides ours here of course) for them to win fewer than 80 games and round out the bottom of the division. I have a feeling this team will have a good chance at a WC spot and is going to contend a lot sooner than they are going to get credit for with the Nat'l media and most outside of Texas fans.

Should be much better than last year at least, but that's not saying much. The last month of the season was good last year. Maybe some of the kids got better.

 

[DT LUNA]

Should be much better than last year at least, but that's not saying much. The last month of the season was good last year. Maybe some of the kids got better.

Being healthy makes them a ton better than last year.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Expecting national writers to accurately tell the TEX story would be like expecting ESPN to cover sports outside of the NY-BOS market.

Liked that. You watch MLB Network when they talk about the Rangers and you hear just how little they know.

 

[darrylgann]

Is it spring training yet?

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Expecting national writers to accurately tell the TEX story would be like expecting ESPN to cover sports outside of the NY-BOS market.

I think it was 2013 when I began my complete avoidance of BSPN. They have their weekly "Power Rankings", and over the course of one week, the Rangers went 4-2 including a sweep of the Red Sox (who went 2-4). When the next Rankings came out, they had Boston at #1 and the Rangers at #2. All BSPN channels were removed from my Tivo channel list that night, and I've watched maybe 2 events on it since then. F them.

 

[donaldson79]

Cowlishaw: With AL weakened by key pitching defections, Rangers' rotation might have right stuff | Dallas Morning News

 

[romeo212000]

Cowlishaw: With AL weakened by key pitching defections, Rangers' rotation might have right stuff | Dallas Morning News

Why is cowlishaw changing his tune all of a sudden?

 

[Windingmywatch]

Wish WS home field would be determined by inter-league play. That game within a game all season long would make even games between teams out of contention affect the post season.

Despite Cowlshaw's assertion ... bet the AL still prevails.

 

[romeo212000]

Wish WS home field would be determined by inter-league play. That game within a game all season long would make even games between teams out of contention affect the post season.

Despite Cowlshaw's assertion ... bet the AL still prevails.

It should be based on the regular season record like everything else. Bud Selig is gone right? Maybe the new commissioner will rectify this.

 

[donaldson79]

It should be based on the regular season record like everything else. Bud Selig is gone right? Maybe the new commissioner will rectify this.

To have home field advantage for your sports champion determined by an "exhibition game" is beyond absurd. Always has been. But even if this were a "real game" it's still only one-of-one. Why wouldn't you want a larger sample size - i.e. what has already been mentioned - to be more fair and representative?

Come on Manfred. This one is easy.

 

[darrylgann]

To have home field advantage for your sports champion determined by an "exhibition game" is beyond absurd. Always has been. But even if this were a "real game" it's still only one-of-one. Why wouldn't you want a larger sample size - i.e. what has already been mentioned - to be more fair and representative?

Come on Manfred. This one is easy.

As long as he stops all this crap about speeding up the damn game I've been hearing. More important things to discuss than this.

 

[Hambombs]

It should be based on the regular season record like everything else. Bud Selig is gone right? Maybe the new commissioner will rectify this.

Agreed. It's dumb to me