RANGER vs. ANGELS (how the west was won edition)

[Lukawren24]

the rangers are the 2nd best team in this division now, and its not even close. this team needs to shake something up. wash is letting them get to comfortable by being everyone's "friend" instead of their "coach". this team looks like they are in big trouble and there doesnt seem to be any fucking hope in sight

What really can he do to shake it up? Buster Olney's article was not only dead on yesterday but scary too. If you really look at our team we have a lot of aging players, aging players are more prone to slumps....we also have several other guys like Ian not playing worth a shit. Combine that with an average staff and we see what that does. I'm not saying we don't have a chance but it's looking a lot less likely with each passing night.

 

[WilltheThrill]

Our problem is our hitters simply can't hit balls thrown right down the middle. Nothing but weak grounders and harmless pop-ups. Look at the Angels hitting... a bunch of hard-hit line drives. We've had maybe 3 total line drives the entire game, only 2 of which went for hits. Too many easy pitches just missed, fouled off, etc. Our hitters aren't making any pitchers pay. Even the really, really lousy ones which we manage to put up a few runs on, like last night with Santana, get away with less damage than they should.

Almost every one of our hitters falls behind due to taking perfectly thrown strikes to start the at-bats. We take perfect strikes and chase balls in the dirt. No discipline at all. Way too many at-bats swinging for the fences from Kinsler, Beltre, Josh, Nelly, and Napoli (although Beltre has been for the most part pretty good).

Something dramatic needs to happen. Coolbaugh needs to be fired. The batting lineup needs a major shake-up. Wash needs to scream at his players. Something. Anything. None of those are the greatest cure-all suggestions by any means. But at this point I really don't think the whole "don't worry we'll come around eventually" mentality is ever going to fix anything.

Everyone from the fans to the analysts to the broadcasters to the owner to the GM to even the players all see that something is majorly wrong, yet absolutely nothing is really being done to remedy things. I certainly don't have the magic cure, but I do know that just doing nothing and hoping is failing miserably.

 

[elziegreat42]

What really can he do to shake it up? Buster Olney's article was not only dead on yesterday but scary too. If you really look at our team we have a lot of aging players, aging players are more prone to slumps....we also have several other guys like Ian not playing worth a shit. Combine that with an average staff and we see what that does. I'm not saying we don't have a chance but it's looking a lot less likely with each passing night.

your right about not being much they can do. however, they have to drop young down further than sixth in the lineup, he needs to be hitting in the eighth spot or so. they could call up olt just to provide a spark. because the rangers getting soto and dempster sure is hell did nothing to spark the rangers to play like they give a shit tonight. j.d. has done his part (again), it's time the rangers show half the effort that j.d. has.

 

[romeo212000]

What really can he do to shake it up? Buster Olney's article was not only dead on yesterday but scary too. If you really look at our team we have a lot of aging players, aging players are more prone to slumps....we also have several other guys like Ian not playing worth a shit. Combine that with an average staff and we see what that does. I'm not saying we don't have a chance but it's looking a lot less likely with each passing night.

Our pitching staff is not average. That's a very ignorant statement. Pitching hasn't been our problem. Hitting has.

 

[WilltheThrill]

What really can he do to shake it up? Buster Olney's article was not only dead on yesterday but scary too. If you really look at our team we have a lot of aging players, aging players are more prone to slumps....we also have several other guys like Ian not playing worth a shit. Combine that with an average staff and we see what that does. I'm not saying we don't have a chance but it's looking a lot less likely with each passing night.

The Angels are almost nothing but aging players and they're tearing the cover off the ball on a nightly basis. Trout, Trumbo, and a bunch of older players. Their slump lasted one month. Ours is going on 3 months now. I see what you're saying, but Josh Hamilton, Nelly Cruz, and Ian Kinsler didn't become terrible hitters overnight. Yeah, maybe our offense is a bit overrated. But they are not THIS bad. They're making the Astros minor league lineup look good by comparison.

 

[elziegreat42]

Our problem is our hitters simply can't hit balls thrown right down the middle. Nothing but weak grounders and harmless pop-ups. Look at the Angels hitting... a bunch of hard-hit line drives. We've had maybe 3 total line drives the entire game, only 2 of which went for hits. Too many easy pitches just missed, fouled off, etc. Our hitters aren't making any pitchers pay. Even the really, really lousy ones which we manage to put up a few runs on, like last night with Santana, get away with less damage than they should.

Almost every one of our hitters falls behind due to taking perfectly thrown strikes to start the at-bats. We take perfect strikes and chase balls in the dirt. No discipline at all. Way too many at-bats swinging for the fences from Kinsler, Beltre, Josh, Nelly, and Napoli (although Beltre has been for the most part pretty good).

Something dramatic needs to happen. Coolbaugh needs to be fired. The batting lineup needs a major shake-up. Wash needs to scream at his players. Something. Anything. None of those are the greatest cure-all suggestions by any means. But at this point I really don't think the whole "don't worry we'll come around eventually" mentality is ever going to fix anything.

Everyone from the fans to the analysts to the broadcasters to the owner to the GM to even the players all see that something is majorly wrong, yet absolutely nothing is really being done to remedy things. I certainly don't have the magic cure, but I do know that just doing nothing and hoping is failing miserably.

your last sentence is a pretty similar to the defintion of insanity. which is what this is becoming. insane!

 

[WilltheThrill]

your last sentence is a pretty similar to the defintion of insanity. which is what this is becoming. insane!

Exactly. I feel like I watch the same game night after night. It's like I'm Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.

 

[elziegreat42]

trumbo must be slumping a bit, bc ogando threw 3 straight fastballs right down the middle. kendrick just did what he was supposed to

 

[Lukawren24]

Our pitching staff is not average. That's a very ignorant statement. Pitching hasn't been our problem. Hitting has.

You can say its ignorant but doesn't make it any less true. With Colby out the staff is average. Doesn't mean we can't win but it is what it is. Since ASB darvis and oswalt have 6+ era and holland and Harrison are 3.60 and above. Is that not avg to you.

 

[romeo212000]

You can say its ignorant but doesn't make it any less true. With Colby out the staff is average. Doesn't mean we can't win but it is what it is. Since ASB darvis and oswalt have 6+ era and holland and Harrison are 3.60 and above. Is that not avg to you.

That's a pretty small sample size. Our pitching staff is the only reason were still in first.... For now.

 

[jaar01]

Our offense is abysmal. Our starting pitching staff is as average as it gets. Not bad. Not good. And nowhere near as talented as what the Angels have. That is just a fact.

I don't get why people blind themselves to what is happening before their eyes. 2012 is falling apart. We are presently the 3rd best team in our division. Wait, Seattle has won like 5 in a row, I may have to rethink that one.

 

[Lukawren24]

That's a pretty small sample size. Our pitching staff is the only reason were still in first.... For now.

But you can't pick and choose. With Colby and and a pre ASB darvish you're right, it wasn't avg, but Colby is done and darvish is just not good right now. Holland is hit and miss and hasn't pitched to his potential. Yea, he was damn good last year but this year he's been avg. I guess I didn't make it clear when I said staff, I meant our starters are avg. maybe you thought I meant the bullpen too

 

[bone3421]

man i dont know how im going to feel if we dont win the next 2........growing more skeptical daily

 

[WilltheThrill]

We still need a bat in the worst way. I know it won't be a cure-all, but a new bat in the lineup could provide that extra run or rally starter, much like Youkilis has done in Chicago. We keep trotting out the same ineffective lineup because there really aren't any better options available on the bench. Who knows, maybe Soto will catch fire in a new hitter's environment. Maybe Olt will get a September call-up and rake like Chris Davis did upon his first call-up. Or maybe a bat comes our way via waivers trade, someone like Soriano (yes, we're that desperate). Any kind of spark like that could perhaps pull a few hitters out of their slumps.

 

[romeo212000]

Snyder > Young.

The normal lineup should include Murphy because he's been very good lately. Same with Gentry unless his bat starts falling off which means Murphy would be dh most of the time as gentry is undoubtedly our best cf. Snyder can be a pinch hitter/OF replacement and young riding the pine.

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Our offense is abysmal. Our starting pitching staff is as average as it gets. Not bad. Not good. And nowhere near as talented as what the Angels have. That is just a fact.

I don't get why people blind themselves to what is happening before their eyes. 2012 is falling apart. We are presently the 3rd best team in our division. Wait, Seattle has won like 5 in a row, I may have to rethink that one.

Easy there Chicken Little....

There is some truth in what you said. The rotation isnt as "great" as the Angels. That said.... it hasnt been for most of the season. But who's still in 1st? Who has been in 1st? Oh you dont like that statement? Tough. Its fact. The Rangers do not need as great of a rotation as the Angels....as the Rangers have an offense, that when clicking, is probably the best in the league. It gives the team a chance to win 9/10 times. Here lately...they're lucky if its 1/10.

Yes, it feels/seems as if the season is slowly slipping away. But its just now August. As long as all cylinders are clicking around the 1st or 2nd week in September, the division is theirs for the taking. Fact.

Baseball is a marathon. Players go through slumps...Players get hurt....Teams go through slumps... but the "good" teams find a way to right the ship and figure things out. This team has played games this season with Justin Grimm & Martin Perez starting. Scott Feldman starting. Hell, Roy Oswalt starting. Yet they are still at the top. Heck, the Rangers have played horrid baseball for 2+ months now. Yet still have the 2nd best record in the AL...4th best overall.

What more do you want from them? Sure, they could be 70-32 or some obscene record....but then what? Have them get wore out for the rest of the season, coast into the playoffs, and get swept? Seems like i've seen that play out before...different sport though.

For me, I would like for them to play better...to get a hit while a runner is in scoring position...but the main thing I want them to do...is to get healthy. It may actually do this team some good to lose hold of the division for a while...as it might actually inspire them to do something.

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Snyder > Young.

The normal lineup should include Murphy because he's been very good lately. Same with Gentry unless his bat starts falling off which means Murphy would be dh most of the time as gentry is undoubtedly our best cf. Snyder can be a pinch hitter/OF replacement and young riding the pine.

Id like to see this lineup tonight....

Gentry - CF
Andrus - SS
Murphy - DH
Beltre - 3B
Hamilton - LF
Cruz - RF
Kinsler - 2B
Moreland - 1B
Napoli - C


At least a "hot" hitter would be in the 3 hole for a change... as well as some speed at the top of the lineup.

 

[Windingmywatch]

This ... ought to shake things up totally. It's not like it will disrupt any of these guys. They need to be taken out of their comfort zone so and know that since they were changed that their performance where they were was not measuring up and that perhaps a new environment will wake them up like a bucket of ice water on their faces.

 

[Xx srs bsns xX]

Tonight's lineup....

Kinsler, 2b
Andrus, ss
Hamilton, cf
Beltre, dh
Cruz, rf
Young, 3b
Murphy, lf
Napoli, c
Moreland, 1b

 

[jta4437]

Tonight's lineup....

Kinsler, 2b
Andrus, ss
Hamilton, cf
Beltre, dh
Cruz, rf
Young, 3b
Murphy, lf
Napoli, c
Moreland, 1b

Would rather see Snyder at 3B