2014 Offseason

[donaldson79]

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.

OK, I'll bite. Like what?

And I think it's very important to have your "World's Champion" determined on fan voting and lifetime achievements.

 

[UK Cowboy]

Why is cowlishaw changing his tune all of a sudden?

Wind changed direction, different day of the week.......

 

[darrylgann]

OK, I'll bite. Like what?

And I think it's very important to have your "World's Champion" determined on fan voting and lifetime achievements.

Like what you all have discussed earlier. Anything but having to do with the purity of the game itself.

 

[UK Cowboy]

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.

If the team could stay healthy for the season, I could see them getting into the playoffs. How could any team battle through the injuries they had last year? I think changing manager's will help put last year behind and give them a fresh start as well. Wash did a good job overall, but it was past time IMO

 

[donaldson79]

Wind changed direction, different day of the week.......

Or perhaps he's intelligent enough to keep reading/listening and re-evaluating the information.

I've seen Tim change directions sometimes on his talk-show and ATH, admitted so, and due to the circumstances changing. Not saying that's what's happening here, but it might apply and would be prudent.

 

[Windingmywatch]

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

Okay. You are right. That would be best.

 

[UK Cowboy]

Or perhaps he's intelligent enough to keep reading/listening and re-evaluating the information.

I've seen Tim change directions sometimes on his talk-show and ATH, admitted so, and due to the circumstances changing. Not saying that's what's happening here, but it might apply and would be prudent.

I like reading TC, and granted, he may not always be in control of the stance he takes in what he writes

 

[saddles]

Why is cowlishaw changing his tune all of a sudden?

It seems like Cowlishaw is trying to say that Colby will be competing for the 5th spot instead of Detwiler. I think he has that backwards by all indications.

After Gallardo, the Rangers have former Nat Ross Detwiler, then Colby Lewis and a variety of options for the fifth spot.

I think he is overstating the shift in power between the two leagues.

 

[Justinkm83]

It seems like Cowlishaw is trying to say that Colby will be competing for the 5th spot instead of Detwiler. I think he has that backwards by all indications.



I think he is overstating the shift in power between the two leagues.

I think Detwiler is going to end up in the pen, unfortunately.

 

[Justinkm83]

Maybe Kirkman will finally he get it together so we can use Ross where I think he's most valuable.

 

[saddles]

I think they should go back to alternating home field advantage between the leagues for the WS. Without a completely balanced schedule even interleague play isn't a fair way to determine it. Just because one team's regular season record is better than their WS opponent doesn't mean they deserve home field advantage to me.

 

[saddles]

I think Detwiler is going to end up in the pen, unfortunately.

He could very well wind up in the pen. If that is because another pitcher shows he deserves to be in the rotation instead of Detwiler then that will be a good thing to me. I don't have a problem with Detwiler in the rotation, but if someone proves they are better than him then we should be even better off.

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Maybe Kirkman will finally he get it together so we can use Ross where I think he's most valuable.

Red Sox problem now...

 

[Duane1952]

Red Sox problem now...

Think he was talking about Detwiler.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Who here really thinks Bannister is going to do well? I don't know much about the guy, but I wanted Bogar.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

He could very well wind up in the pen. If that is because another pitcher shows he deserves to be in the rotation instead of Detwiler then that will be a good thing to me. I don't have a problem with Detwiler in the rotation, but if someone proves they are better than him then we should be even better off.

Agree and that should be the case for our 4 and 5 rotation pieces.

 

[DT LUNA]

Who here really thinks Bannister is going to do well? I don't know much about the guy, but I wanted Bogar.

Taking the positive approach. He will do well.

 

[donaldson79]

I think they should go back to alternating home field advantage between the leagues for the WS. Without a completely balanced schedule even interleague play isn't a fair way to determine it. Just because one team's regular season record is better than their WS opponent doesn't mean they deserve home field advantage to me.

I wouldn't have problem one with doing this. But this letting the winner of the AS game determine it is horse-hockey.

 

[donaldson79]

Who here really thinks Bannister is going to do well? I don't know much about the guy, but I wanted Bogar.

I don't know if he'll do great or not. But once the decision was made for the team to do it's due-diligence and see what was available beyond Bogar, I've gotta trust the system.

I was on record as saying had the team come out after the season and said, "we're not going to waste anyone's time looking when we've got our guy here" and then given it to Bogar, I'd supported this decision whole-heartedly.

But since they didn't and went in anyone direction, I've gotta believe in JD & Co.

Today and for the immediate future, Bannister gets 100% from me.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Who here really thinks Bannister is going to do well? I don't know much about the guy, but I wanted Bogar.

We have no idea how the team is going to perform under Bannister, but I will say that so far, there is nothing more Bannister can have done to endear himself to the Rangers fanbase. This guy has been front and center and on display. He has taken this role and put it all on his own shoulders, and in my opinion, this is a guy who was born and bred to manage a Major League ballclub.

I don't mean to sound accusatory here, but "wanting Bogar" comes off to me like a bandwagon fan statement, akin to people who think the Rangers should have kept running as many pieces of the 2011 lineup out there for as long as possible. The Rangers had some success while Bogar was interim manager, but we have no idea how much of that actually had to do with Bogar. It could have been that the team was just happy to see Wash gone. It could have been a random mental shift in the clubhouse. Coulda been just random baseball luck. We don't know for certain.

But right now, I really want Bannister to succeed, beyond the normal die-hard Rangers fandom. I've been thoroughly impressed with the guy and he was going to get his shot somewhere, and I'm glad it's here.