Official 2014 Texas Rangers Spring Training Thread

[WastinSomeTime]

Washington certainly does need to be better.

For as long as I've watched baseball, the manager decisions are always under fire. I've screamed at the TV as much as any ranger fan, but the guy has done some extremely good things as well. I think the bigger job with today's highly paid players is motivating them to play hard day after day and putting team goals first.

"Do what the game asked you do" is a great line and so true. Washington has and will continue to have a positive effect with players because of his approach and consistency with the players. I just don't think that talent can be found on just any street corner. That is a great attribute for managing a big league club. Gotta win over the players first and not many in today's game are better than Wash at that.

I have always said RW is a great players manager but just average at strategy.

 

[PDay8810]

Not getting into this discussion again, but Cruz had no business being in right field.

fair enough but if Washington was guilty of anything that play is was for not having Cruz's butt touching the wall before any pitch was thrown in that situation.


I made a lot of people mad when I said a good high school outfielder makes that play last year. I still think that's accurate.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

may be, but far and away the most important coin of all for that WS

You must be one of those fans that drives me crazy when we lose games we should have won at the beginning of the year and they state it is early and there is more baseball too play. I cannot disagree with you more. The first 8 innings were just as important as that 9th inning.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

fair enough but if Washington was guilty of anything that play is was for not having Cruz's butt touching the wall before any pitch was thrown in that situation.

That I agree with you on.

 

[PDay8810]

I have always said RW is a great players manager but just average at strategy.

and I think Washington has one of the smaller ego's in baseball with regards to manager's. I think his coaches have much more say than many wanna think in those situations. I think 99.9% of the time pitch selection is on Maddux, not washington

 

[PDay8810]

You must be one of those fans that drives me crazy when we lose games we should have won at the beginning of the year and they state it is early and there is more baseball too play. I cannot disagree with you more. The first 8 innings were just as important as that 9th inning.

no sir........you would be wrong to assume anything from that post other than that was a catchable ball and the biggest reason we didn't win that game and thus the WS

 

[UK Cowboy]

and I think Washington has one of the smaller ego's in baseball with regards to manager's. I think his coaches have much more say than many wanna think in those situations. I think 99.9% of the time pitch selection is on Maddux, not washington

More often than not it's execution of the pitch and not pitch selection that determines the outcome. Inside or out, fast or slow, doesn't matter if you leave it up or in the middle

 

[TheRangerDude]

I'm not getting into this entire conversation again. My comment was about his lineups abd in game strategy and decision. Anyone with half a baseball brain knows he makes some dumb ass game decisions. More than any manager should.

That's fine, I didn't say he doesn't make some questionable decisions (many managers do-its goes with the job) and I was talking about game strategy and decisions. If you want to defer the conversation/debate that's fine- but its sort of immature to defer the conversation/debate and passive aggressively imply I don't have half a baseball brain.

 

[TheRangerDude]

Wash is good for the Rangers and I do like him. But it doesn't mean he shouldn't and can't get better and try to. I do believe if you go to any other fan base they will have their fair share of factions of people saying the same things about their managers so I don't believe it's just Rangers fans w/Wash.

I'm not this new school vs old school guy but I do believe that it is essential in taking a holistic approach. Data is there for a reason and should never be ignored. I know because I work in a Data IT environment. That said there is much much more to being a baseball manager than simply just an x's & o's and strategy. I don't think we can ignore the results and how this team has become and progressed since 2007.

Just my 2 cents.

For sure... and that really applies to all of us... we could all and should all strive to be better in all that we do.

 

[TheRangerDude]

A decision is right or wrong regardless of the outcome or hindsight. If anyone has been shown to be lacking in baseball iq in here it's you.

Right or wrong is a matter definition and thus, what is right or wrong can differ along with whose definitions are being applied.

 

[Bmurph]

It's easy to make the calls after the game. You're both full of Shit if you think you could do anything that has to do with managing better than Ron Washington. If you want to say Clint Hurdle could, thats fine. Delusional

I definitely said before plenty of games last season that having David Murphy in the lineup was the wrong move and that would have been better managing for any number of days unless facing Felix Hernandez and it wasn't after the games were played. Thats 1 and apparently all I need for anything. Im done

 

[romeo212000]

The only thing you're not lacking in is ego you pompous ass. For someone who posts on SportsHoopla to say they REALLY believe they could do a better job than Ron Washington shows that you have the baseball IQ of a grape. It also begs another question. If you are so freaking smart, why don't you quit punching your computer and go interview with JD and get a nice 7 figure summer job? Better yet, Washington took the Rangers to a couple of World Series, why don't you try something easy like interviewing with Seattle? What an egomaniac

I said I could make better in game decisions. You need to improve your reading comprehension. Even the wash apologists in here don't try to deny the fact the he is horrible when it comes to in game strategy. Any decent baseball mind can see it when it happens, regardless of the results.

You on the other hand have no fucking clue. I've seen a pattern on here abd espn. The most clueless posters, the ones who get taken to school the most, are the ones who call the people who know a thing or two egotistical and "pompous ass". You've been schooled so many times I don't even give weight to any of your posts any more. Usually the only response they warrant is a .

Telling me if I know so much I should get a job with jd is such a cop out and a bitch move. Because clearly the only people with any knowledge of the game of baseball are people in the game at the professional level right? I mean, it's not like any of us ever were involved in the sport past little league, and couldn't possibly have any informed opinions on the game, right? Jesus Christ son, go find a fucking little league forum. You'll fit in better there.

 

[romeo212000]

That's fine, I didn't say he doesn't make some questionable decisions (many managers do-its goes with the job) and I was talking about game strategy and decisions. If you want to defer the conversation/debate that's fine- but its sort of immature to defer the conversation/debate and passive aggressively imply I don't have half a baseball brain.

Jesus bud, you take things way too personal in here

 

[donaldson79]

Why not?

I know you innocently asked this. Really I do.

But I could see the fire storm brewing and sure enough, go back and read the crap which has gone on since you "innocently" asked a fair question.

Nothing stirs the pot more on this site than the great Ron Washington accusers/defenders debate.

 

[romeo212000]

Washington certainly does need to be better.

For as long as I've watched baseball, the manager decisions are always under fire. I've screamed at the TV as much as any ranger fan, but the guy has done some extremely good things as well. I think the bigger job with today's highly paid players is motivating them to play hard day after day and putting team goals first.

"Do what the game asked you do" is a great line and so true. Washington has and will continue to have a positive effect with players because of his approach and consistency with the players. I just don't think that talent can be found on just any street corner. That is a great attribute for managing a big league club. Gotta win over the players first and not many in today's game are better than Wash at that.

You're right. Winning the player is something wash is very good at. It's probably the hardest part of being the manager. The part wash falls short in is far less complicated. Why the difficulty? That's what baffles me.

 

[WastinSomeTime]

I know you innocently asked this. Really I do.

But I could see the fire storm brewing and sure enough, go back and read the crap which has gone on since you "innocently" asked a fair question.

Nothing stirs the pot more on this site than the great Ron Washington accusers/defenders debate.

 

[Nightcrawler]

and yet, If Cruz makes a ML catchable ball at the wall we're WS Champs. You guys nickel and dime about the strangest things.

Endy Chavez should've been out there for defensive purposes.

 

[donaldson79]

Endy Chavez should've been out there for defensive purposes.

Wasn't Gentry available? If not, Endy would have been a better choice.

I've been surprised this hasn't been addressed more than Cruz screwing up the play. If he's not out there then we probably win, and there's no debate.

I read a while back that for some unknown reason Cruz took it upon himself to move a few steps closer in a few pitches before the tragedy struck. So where the hell were the coaches?

 

[romeo212000]

Wasn't Gentry available? If not, Endy would have been a better choice.

I've been surprised this hasn't been addressed more than Cruz screwing up the play. If he's not out there then we probably win, and there's no debate.

I read a while back that for some unknown reason Cruz took it upon himself to move a few steps closer in a few pitches before the tragedy struck. So where the hell were the coaches?

We've talked about it several times. A few people want to stick their head in the sand and sing, " la la la la la".

 

[TheRangerDude]

Jesus bud, you take things way too personal in here

I agree, sometimes I might take things a bit to personally on here but in this case I really don't feel like I did. It just seemed like instead of talking about the context of the post you choose to insult mine or other peoples intelligence, if there opinion conflicted with yours, which really doesn't add anything of substance to the conversation IMO. No personal feelings hurt or anything though- I am pretty confident in my intelligence.