Official Season Thread - 2013 Edition

[jta4437]

I don't know why I do it, I certainly don't like Joey Porter or any Steelers' player for that matter

 

[ESPN Refugee]

And the rout is coming on!

 

[ESPN Refugee]

 

[ESPN Refugee]

We want more, we want more.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Still a long way to go ... but looking at the schedule ... TEX finishes the season with a 7-game homestand ... 3 vs HOU and 4 vs LAA. Will those be some fun games.

 

[Windingmywatch]

What if the starting OF were Beltre-Gentry-Martin?

It's not like Murphy is tearing it up every night. Gentry can go 0-5 against RHP just as effectively as Murphy can ... while Gentry upgrades the defense and creates havoc on the bases. Last night's 9th inning surge all started with Gentry's 2 out walk.

Can you imagine how demoralizing it is for a team to play tight 1 run game for 8 innings and to see it all collapse at the end? TEX has 8 more games against LAA including closing the season w/4 games @ RBIA. Finishes like last night's game will have an effect on LAA long after last night.

You could almost see the realization of what was to come with the look on Ianetta's face when Green wasn't able to field his throw to get Elvis stealing 2nd. Ianetta knew what was to come from either Kinsler or Beltre. The 9th inning was the coup de grace started by Gentry's walk. Elvis single leading off at the top of the 8th was when it all began.

That was pure baseball art.

 

[romeo212000]

What if the starting OF were Beltre-Gentry-Martin?

It's not like Murphy is tearing it up every night. Gentry can go 0-5 against RHP just as effectively as Murphy can ... while Gentry upgrades the defense and creates havoc on the bases. Last night's 9th inning surge all started with Gentry's 2 out walk.

Can you imagine how demoralizing it is for a team to play tight 1 run game for 8 innings and to see it all collapse at the end? TEX has 8 more games against LAA including closing the season w/4 games @ RBIA. Finishes like last night's game will have an effect on LAA long after last night.

(You could almost see the start of it happen last night with the look on Ianetta's face when Green wasn't able to field his throw to get Elvis stealing 2nd. Ianetta knew what was to come from either Kinsler or Beltre. The 9th inning was the coup de grace started by Gentry's walk. Elvis single leading off at the top of the 8th was when it all began.)

Let baker and Beltre platoon LF and glue Murphy to the bench.

 

[Windingmywatch]

Let baker and Beltre platoon LF and glue Murphy to the bench.

Have to be a little careful what you do if Profar and Baker are both in the starting lineup.

TEX has used Profar to start in the field with the guy he replaces DHing. That means Baker is your only IF (-SS) backup. So if you start Baker in LF in a platoon with Beltre ... then he has to stay in the whole game or else there is no backup 1b, 2b or 3b. Murphy then on the bench is totally unusable.

What may happen with Butler on the roster is that he platoons with Beltre once Wash is confident enough in his OF defense for him to play LF ... according to what Wash was quoted as saying.

With Profar getting as much PT as he is ... I think Baker has become the UIF and will not get to see a LF platoon again unless Butler is a total failure. Course the last 4A player that was in line to be a total failure was Cruz ... so if lightning strikes again ... Butler might turn out to be one of TEX COF of the future.

 

[Windingmywatch]

MLB Network Brian Kenny thinks TEX ought to get Adam Dunn to replace Cruz.

Debate with Harold was comparing Cruz and Dunn ... which to me is stupid since Cruz is on the restricted list and not available anyway. And ... TEX has other options to win without Cruz (witness last night) ... so Dunn in RF would be a heart attack every night all night long.

He more legitimately would be a Berkman replacement ... but I actually prefer Profar+Kinsler, Andrus, Beltre DH option over spending talent to bring in Dunn. Kenny didn't even propose this even though that would be the better option.

Am adding Kenny to the stupid list with Bob Nightengale.

 

[Windingmywatch]

From Scott Lucas email today ...

"Also moving to Myrtle Beach is 2013 1st-rounder Chi-Chi Gonzalez. In 23.2 innings at Spokane, Gonzalez had a 4.56 ERA and 19% strikeout rate. His opponents batted .313/.365/.396, meaning a heavy dose of singles and not too much else."

Dang ... he was just drafted! Doesn't even complete short season and jumps over Low A to High A. Dang.

 

[pegasusredleg]

MLB Network Brian Kenny thinks TEX ought to get Adam Dunn to replace Cruz.

Debate with Harold was comparing Cruz and Dunn ... which to me is stupid since Cruz is on the restricted list and not available anyway. And ... TEX has other options to win without Cruz (witness last night) ... so Dunn in RF would be a heart attack every night all night long.

He more legitimately would be a Berkman replacement ... but I actually prefer Profar+Kinsler, Andrus, Beltre DH option over spending talent to bring in Dunn. Kenny didn't even propose this even though that would be the better option.

Am adding Kenny to the stupid list with Bob Nightengale.

Even if we did deal for Dunn, he would not play RF. He is a 1B. Only have to look at a picture of him to realize he does not belong in the OF.

He does add the power though. But he is a left handed batter who plays 1B. We already have one, so what you say above as him being a DH, I agree. Berkman replacement.

 

[jta4437]

but I actually prefer Profar+Kinsler, Andrus, Beltre DH option over spending talent to bring in Dunn.

Exactly

 

[jta4437]

Even if we did deal for Dunn, he would not play RF. He is a 1B. Only have to look at a picture of him to realize he does not belong in the OF.

He does add the power though. But he is a left handed batter who plays 1B. We already have one, so what you say above as him being a DH, I agree. Berkman replacement.

I think he was saying in a strict way of them saying he "replaces Cruz" in the lineup maybe but in the "field" no it would be Berkman he would be replacing

I get what WMW was getting at, as I tend to understand the way he think about these things, it takes a while, but if you stick around his logic tends to be pretty sound

 

[Windingmywatch]

I think he was saying in a strict way of them saying he "replaces Cruz" in the lineup maybe but in the "field" no it would be Berkman he would be replacing

I get what WMW was getting at, as I tend to understand the way he think about these things, it takes a while, but if you stick around his logic tends to be pretty sound

Thanks ... but Pegasus picked up what I wasn't even listening to. My brain had Dunn in RF not 1b ... since I was literally listening to Kenny. Kenny was talking linearly too trying to compare Cruz and Dunn. My head exploded (you know like the Rosales deal).

My brain was more locked in thinking that Dunn would more legitimately be a DH ... as putting Dunn at 1b would have meant moving Mitch to the OF and we had just invested a hundred terra bytes talking about how improved the TEX OF is with Beltre-Gentry-Martin in it ... I wasn't willing to accept Mitch in the OF just to make room for Dunn. So I was crazy wondering why the talking heads weren't talking about Dunn at DH.

But as I said at the end to that ... I prefer the Profar+buddies option. I'm over 1 dimensional DHs. But Pegaus was right. My mistake.

 

[pegasusredleg]

On another subject "Who has the more difficult schedule for the remainder of the season...A's or Rangers?" This discussion came up on the MLB board between a Rangers fan and an A's fan. The breakdown and comments are below:

Texas Rangers:

Games remaining: 48
Games against below .500 teams=32
Games against above .500 teams=16

Oakland A's:
Games remaining: 49
Games against below .500 teams=30
Games against above .500 teams=19

I know huge factors here but this is how I responded:

Adding to the previous conversation about who has the harder schedule Texas or OAK for the remainder of the season...It is a wash. Meaning the schedules are about even between above/below .500 teams. The A's have just 3 more games with teams above .500 than we do for the remainder of the season. Other than one game with the Rays and 6 against us in September the A's have the easiest schedule of a contender in the AL. So if the Rangers are going to keep this from being a cliff hanger, they need to gain a bunch this month.
We have 32 with teams below .500, the A's have 30.
There are other very important factors to consider. Head to head pitching matches, especially against AL West rivals below .500. Both teams will still see Weaver, CJ, Iwakuma and King Felix a few more times. Plus for some reason the Twins and Chisox play the AL West tough. So do the Royals.

 

[romeo212000]

You know guys, if Perez remains very solid down the stretch he could be making a play for ROY too.

 

[jta4437]

You know guys, if Perez remains very solid down the stretch he could be making a play for ROY too.

Maybe

I still think Myers, if he continues to hit anywhere close to .300, is going to be tough to beat

 

[Windingmywatch]

We were talking about this last night in the game thread as to how much we all enjoyed the new attack plan.

Here's an exerpt of what Jamey had to say about that current TEX style of play ... (my bold edits)

"my favorite Rangers baseball doesn't bide its time waiting on baseballs to sail over a fence. My favorite Rangers baseball involves havoc and pressure and what a former hitting coach who now manages a team with baseball's best record once called a dose of "reckless abandon." "

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Follow up...

Harrison exits with numbness in hand « Postcards From Elysian Fields