OFFICIAL OFF SEASON THREAD ( 2017 )

[DT LUNA]

Chris Cater's name keeps popping up. I for one am not interested. If we can't get Nap, I rather see us getting younger if possible

 

[saddles]

Chris Cater's name keeps popping up. I for one am not interested. If we can't get Nap, I rather see us getting younger if possible

I agree.

 

[saddles]

Rangers and Rays are suppose to be in trade talks. Profar is name is being mentioned.

What are we trying to get from them?

 

[saddles]

https://www.google.com/amp/www.lone...-in-jurickson-profar?client=ms-android-att-us

The Rays just sent second baseman Logan Forsythe to the Dodgers, potentially opening up a spot that could be filled by Profar, but Evan says the Rays shot down a Profar for Jake Odorizzi deal last summer. It seems unlikely that the Rangers would be able to get what they feel like Profar is worth from the Rays (or, most likely, anyone else), so I suspect he will be a Ranger to start the season.

So its an area where there seems to be talking and feeling out interest and not anything is likely to happen, though it may be that this could lay the groundwork for a deal later this summer, should the Rangers be buyers.

 

[Duane1952]

What are we trying to get from them?

Didn't say. Just said they were talking.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

 

[saddles]

While eating out tonight I noticed one of the TVs had some footage of some 1980s baseball. One clip had Dave Stewart pitching which reminded me of him being a Ranger and Doug Rader running him off. I told my wife that Doug Rader was the worst magager that the Rangers ever had hands down. I added that is saying something coming from a guy who felt about Ron Washington the way I did. Rader was far worse that Wash or any other manager we have ever had. The year he got fired I was actually wanting the Rangers to lose as many as possible to get him fired. That prompted me to find this article about his time here.

Rage in the Clubhouse! |

After a game in which young, raw closerTom Henke allowed a run to score on a wild pitch, Rader told reporters, “I don’t think he has the guts to throw the ball over the plate.” Henke was gone by the end of the 1984 season. He went on to earn 237 saves in eight seasons with Toronto.

Later that same year, Rader stormed the mound and angrily dressed down starterDave Stewart in front of a full stadium, for allowing a home run. Stewart was sent packing, too. He won 119 games over eight seasons for the Hated A’s.

Rader also managed to alienate rock-steady veterans like third baseman Buddy Bell and outfielder Larry Parrish with his harsh ways.

“He took everything too personally,” said Bell.

But for me – and for most Rangers fans – the final black mark in Rader’s book was running off the team’s most popular player, Jim Sundberg.

Rader didn’t like the fact that Sundberg was a non-confrontational guy with a good sense of humor who got along with everyone. Sundberg had also learned to avoid home-plate collisions, which prolonged his career – but Rader wanted players who ate nails and gunpowder for breakfast.

The tipping point came in a 1983 game the Rangers would lose. At one point late in the contest, with a runner on third, Sunny lost track of the count. The count was actually 3-and-1, but the scoreboard operator had mistakenly posted it as 2-and-2. The next pitch was a strike, Sunny thought it was the third out and rolled the ball back to the pitcher’s mound. The runner scored and Rader’s head exploded.

“The guy just didn’t like me,” said Sundberg. “I made a mistake, and he aired me out in front of the whole club, like he was looking for situations to belittle me.”

Rader demanded the team get rid of Sundberg, one of his two best players, because he wanted “a different kind of human being.” So Sunny went to Milwaukee in return for Brewers catcherNed Yost.

Rader said, “We made the deal because Ned Yost is a better catcher than Jim Sundberg. Period.”

 

[Nightcrawler]

This has gotta be the lamest Rangers off season in a very long time.

 

[saddles]

This has gotta be the lamest Rangers off season in a very long time.

Was last year's any better?

 

[donaldson79]

After a game in which young, raw closerTom Henke allowed a run to score on a wild pitch, Rader told reporters, “I don’t think he has the guts to throw the ball over the plate.” Henke was gone by the end of the 1984 season. He went on to earn 237 saves in eight seasons with Toronto.

The tipping point came in a 1983 game the Rangers would lose. At one point late in the contest, with a runner on third, Sunny lost track of the count. The count was actually 3-and-1, but the scoreboard operator had mistakenly posted it as 2-and-2. The next pitch was a strike, Sunny thought it was the third out and rolled the ball back to the pitcher’s mound. The runner scored and Rader’s head exploded.

Apparently old Doug didn't have the sense to be a major league manager, or for that matter, a leader of men in any organization which was worth it's weight in salt.

Hopefully he was the last of a now pretty much extinct way of managing/communicating. And not just for us. For all of baseball.

But do you remember he got 2 other managerial opportunities after here? What-the-hell were the Angels and White Sox thinking?

 

[donaldson79]

Chris Cater's name keeps popping up. I for one am not interested. If we can't get Nap, I rather see us getting younger if possible

Ex-Brewers slugger Chris Carter may have to take his career to Japan | FOX Sports

 

[DT LUNA]

Ex-Brewers slugger Chris Carter may have to take his career to Japan | FOX Sports

And Billy Butler is another no for me. Nap is my only choice of the four.

 

[saddles]

After a game in which young, raw closerTom Henke allowed a run to score on a wild pitch, Rader told reporters, “I don’t think he has the guts to throw the ball over the plate.” Henke was gone by the end of the 1984 season. He went on to earn 237 saves in eight seasons with Toronto.

The tipping point came in a 1983 game the Rangers would lose. At one point late in the contest, with a runner on third, Sunny lost track of the count. The count was actually 3-and-1, but the scoreboard operator had mistakenly posted it as 2-and-2. The next pitch was a strike, Sunny thought it was the third out and rolled the ball back to the pitcher’s mound. The runner scored and Rader’s head exploded.

Apparently old Doug didn't have the sense to be a major league manager, or for that matter, a leader of men in any organization which was worth it's weight in salt.

Hopefully he was the last of a now pretty much extinct way of managing/communicating. And not just for us. For all of baseball.

But do you remember he got 2 other managerial opportunities after here? What-the-hell were the Angels and White Sox thinking?

Sometimes baseball folks who should know better do dumb things. The guy ran off Henke, Stewart, Sundberg and may have ruined George Wright's career as well. I think Valentine replacing Rader gave me a greater appreciation for Bobby than he deserved. I would have liked to have seen what that 1986 team that won 87 games could have done with Henke, Stewart and Sunny on that team.

 

[saddles]

I see where the Nationals signed Joe Nathan to a minor league contract. I would think with Diekman out for a very long time that the Rangers would have been in on something like that.

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Rangers Reportedly Pursuing Jose Quintana

I'd be interested ---- though I could also see this as a ploy to drive up the Astros offer.


...and yes, I'd be ok with trading Odor. But I would like to keep Mazara.

 

[DT LUNA]

Rangers Reportedly Pursuing Jose Quintana

I'd be interested ---- though I could also see this as a ploy to drive up the Astros offer.


...and yes, I'd be ok with trading Odor. But I would like to keep Mazara.

I agree

 

[saddles]

3:25pm: Texas is not embarking on a new endeavor to land Quintana, despite their longstanding interest, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Two sources that spoke with him “downplayed the possibility of significant talks.”

 

[True Rangers Fan]

3:25pm: Texas is not embarking on a new endeavor to land Quintana, despite their longstanding interest, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Two sources that spoke with him “downplayed the possibility of significant talks.”

Well, at least it gave us something to get interested in. if only briefly.

 

[saddles]

Rangers expect big strides from Martin Perez in 2017: 'God gave him an arm that is just unreal' | SportsDay

Brocail: "Martin has good stuff. I think we can all agree there. I think he just needs to realize how to use his stuff. Last year I think was a big stepping block. He threw a lot of innings for us. But it's one of those things not that I expected a lot more -- I don't want to throw that on a guy -- but I'm looking for a lot more this year. We're going to sit down -- this is where you need to get better, this is what you have to do to be successful. I think we're going to be able to take his struggles and make his struggles a little bit better. Or, a lot better, hopefully."

Sherrington: How much do you think Martin's situation is mental and how much of it is physical?

Brocail: "I don't think any of it is physical. He's got great stuff. God gave him an arm that is just unreal. I think he gets mixed up sometimes with trying to live too much with one thing. I think that we can cut back on pitches, we can cut back on pitch count. Some games, he goes out there and he rolls and then all of a sudden you'll look up and he's in trouble and we can't get out of a jam. He fought through some of that last year for the first time in a while and kind of helped himself out and learned how to get through some of those jams. But I think most everybody's problem is mental."

Horn: So when you get Martin to the level you want him to, what have you got?

Brocail: "I think you probably got a No. 2 guy. No. 2, No. 3 guy that's consistent for the next 10 years in the big leagues."

 

[saddles]

One theory being floated by Evan Grant is that the Rangers could be waiting until Feb. 14th to sign Napoli because that is the first date they can transfer guys like Prince and Diekman to the 60 day DL opening up space on the 40 man roster. That way they can sign Napoli and not have to expose anyone to waivers.