Series Thread: Rangers host the Royals May 30 - June 2

[darrylgann]

All college players with our first 3 picks. I like that.

That part I like as well.

 

[PhantomWarrior]

Just as an FYI, Nashville is playing here in Memphis for 4 nights later this month.......I'm going out for at least a game if not two.......I'll take notes and if there is anything anyone wants an update on, let me know.

Yes...how fast can DD get back there.

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[saddles]

 

[darrylgann]

Good stuff, Bennie!

 

[Uncle Siggy]

A couple of opinions on Garcia:

On the small side at 6’0”, 180 lbs., Garcia checks in at #98 on the MLB Pipeline rankings. Baseball America has him at #88 on their rankings. Fangraphs had him at #122 on their board, while Keith Law had him ranked #99.

Garcia has a starter’s pitch mix, including a quality changeup and both a curve and a slider. MLB Pipeline says his low-90s fastball has a “solid spin rate,” something we know the Rangers look for. He gets good marks for his pitchability, clean arm action and ability to throw strikes, and profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter. That said, he also isn’t seen as having a plus pitch (though the changeup could become one), and his lack of size leads to questions about how well he will hold up as a starter. His repertoire doesn’t lend itself to a bullpen role, so he will have to be able to stick as a starter to have value.

And:

Garcia pitched in 14 games, including 12 starts, for the Bruins and was 10-0 with a 1.39 ERA. He struck out 107 batters in 84 1/3 innings. Garcia did so after missing the first three weeks of the season with inflammation in his flexor tendon.

“He is a unique style,” Fagg said. “He’s got tons of swing-and-miss pitches, plus fastball, plus breaking ball, very good changeup, throws a ton of strikes. They don’t hit this guy, they don’t see the ball. We were very excited about that.”

And:

2015 National Showcase

Ryan Garcia is a 2016 SS/RHP with a 6-0 170 lb. frame from Sierra Madre, CA who attends La Salle HS. Lean, athletic build on medium frame, plenty of room to fill out. Primary shortstop, moves well to ball with aggressive charge, shows soft hands with a quick funnel release. Loose, quick arm with varied arm slots, good arm strength with throws across diamond clocked as high as 88 mph. Arm strength plays well on the mound where he uses quick leg raise delivery. Clean hand break with long, loose arm path, works to an overhand arm slot. Fastball up to 88 mph, good downhill plane and angle on offering with occasional cutting action. Used fastball effectively, hard pitch to hit located down in strike zone, also flashes feel for big-breaking 12/6 curveball in upper-60s. Right handed hitter, slightly open stance with hands at shoulders, deep load with elongated, slightly uphill swing path. Shows feel for barrel, ability to use entire field. Very good student. Verbal commitment to UCLA.

 

[Kelleyman]

Higher floor picks with more skills on the front side and perhaps a quicker path to the majors. Minus is lower ceilings.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Higher floor picks with more skills on the front side and perhaps a quicker path to the majors. Minus is lower ceilings.

I’m ok with it. We’ve been getting skunked way too often in the draft lately.

 

[Kelleyman]

Interesting article in Athletic re Odor. Despite the mantra of Odor work ethic, last years work to become gold glove caliber 2B and even despite this being an obvious developmental year. Woodward expects new things to be pursued vs just trying harder. A new approach is needed and will be needed again. Stated Mazara executed this (slowing thing she down) and has taken off recently. Woodward said Odor saw very hittable pitches and just did not get it done. Made me think he is willing to make tough decisions

Makes me think we are near make it or break it stage. I wonder if sending him down single A instead of to AAA ala the Mendez approach would be a more positive approach but still hold him a accountable. This would leave him out for more than a month.

This is in contrast to DDJ who IMO does not have enough skills to get there. Odor does but is not getting it done despite attitude. Maybe he is in denial.

 

[Kelleyman]

I’m ok with it. We’ve been getting skunked way too often in the draft lately.

Definitely at least a varied approach is in order. Like striking Gold on Gallo but definitely not always going to happen

 

[Kelleyman]

Q: Willie is getting back on the field tomorrow. We’re heading into June and Rougie is — I know, process, process, but we’re still talking about .160 at this point. At what point in time do you guys have to sit down and say ‘Can we continue with this, at this point?’

A: Yeah, and obviously, if a guy is hitting .160 in July or August, typically they don’t have a spot on a big-league roster. But in his case, I just need to see — and I think as an organization — that’s why I’m saying, I need to know that there’s a deep understanding of how he’s going to get out of this. He needs to understand that. And I need to hear it from him: what it is he needs to fix, at this point.

Because what’s going on right now, it’s not getting it done. It’s not working. But I haven’t given up on him, obviously. I keep playing him. I believe in him more than any player on our roster, because I love who the kid is and what he represents. But at some point, he has to… dig in. A little bit deeper. And there’s some ‘uncomfortableness’ to that. Maybe try some things that maybe he’s not accustomed to. (Just) because you did it three years ago doesn’t mean it’s magically just going to come back. I don’t want to do the hope thing of, ‘Oh, I hope this works out.’ We’re past that.


Little snippet with Woodward response

 

[Nightcrawler]

Interesting article in Athletic re Odor. Despite the mantra of Odor work ethic, last years work to become gold glove caliber 2B and even despite this being an obvious developmental year. Woodward expects new things to be pursued vs just trying harder. A new approach is needed and will be needed again. Stated Mazara executed this (slowing thing she down) and has taken off recently. Woodward said Odor saw very hittable pitches and just did not get it done. Made me think he is willing to make tough decisions

Makes me think we are near make it or break it stage. I wonder if sending him down single A instead of to AAA ala the Mendez approach would be a more positive approach but still hold him a accountable. This would leave him out for more than a month.

This is in contrast to DDJ who IMO does not have enough skills to get there. Odor does but is not getting it done despite attitude. Maybe he is in denial.

He has 3 games against the atrocious Doug Brocail pitching staff coming up. The rangers always make sure he’s in the lineup when we’re facing bad teams / bad pitchers. You can tell their looking for any excuse to keep him up at the big league level even tho he obviously needs to go down.

 

[Kelleyman]

He has 3 games against the atrocious Doug Brocail pitching staff coming up. The rangers always make sure he’s in the lineup when we’re facing bad teams / bad pitchers. You can tell their looking for any excuse to keep him up at the big league level even tho he obviously needs to go down.

It does not look to me Woodward is buying into the politics per article of Odor keeping a spot indefinitely. Results do matter at some point. A drastic change is on the horizon if no tangible identifiable changes are made soon IMO

 

[Nightcrawler]

It does not look to me Woodward is buying into the politics per article of Odor keeping a spot indefinitely. Results do matter at some point. A drastic change is on the horizon if no tangible identifiable changes are made soon IMO

I’ll believe it when I see it. He always seems to get the benefit of the doubt, but he hasn’t earned it in my mind. We’ll see if he turns it around or not.

 

[Kelleyman]

Q: …Am I wrong to think that (rushing, being less selective) sounds a little like what Rougned Odor is going through this season?

A: Yeah, and I know he’s off today, left-on-left. Yesterday was one of the first days I saw— he got some pretty good pitches to hit yesterday, and he didn’t do much with them. Luis and Crabbe have been talking to him a lot (and) I’ve tried to reinforce to him: keep seeking truth in your swing. In a swing, and in your swing, and how that relates. Why are things happening? Why is there failure? Why are you not hitting this pitch? Why are you pulling this pitch? You know, just try to dig in, to not be so tied into ‘Did I get a hit?’ or ‘Did I hit that ball hard?’

Would you have hit that ball hard nine out of ten times? Or did you just get lucky the one out of ten? Because bad hitters hit home runs. Bad hitters get hits. Good hitters consistently do it. They don’t miss pitches that they’re looking for in the zone. They may be a little late, they may be a little early — that’s baseball — but, consistently, good hitters put good swings on good pitches, and they do damage on them. Yesterday was the first day I saw Rougie get some pretty good pitches that he didn’t do much with, and I know that they’ve been talking to him a little bit about some mechanical adjustments that I think he needs to dig in a little deeper on.

He’s been working his butt off, man. He’s hearing, probably, things from everywhere. I’m sure people are calling him from back home. He’s probably got all his family, his brothers, everybody’s giving him advice, and I need him to really solidify what it is he’s trying to accomplish in the next little while. That’ll be better for him.

 

[scotsman1948]

He has 3 games against the atrocious Doug Brocail pitching staff coming up. The rangers always make sure he’s in the lineup when we’re facing bad teams / bad pitchers. You can tell their looking for any excuse to keep him up at the big league level even tho he obviously needs to go down.

And he still can't hit

 

[PhantomWarrior]

I was merely a "pup" when this happened. Any Rangers fans here see this game?

On this date in 1974 - The Indians run likely the most disastrous promotion in baseball history. "10-cent beer night" at Cleveland Municipal Stadium leads to numerous fans running onto the field and fighting each other and the players. Players armed themselves with bats for protection from the rioters. The Indians had to forfeit the game to the Texas Rangers.

Dan Coughlin recalls the Indians' famous Ten-Cent Beer Night - cleveland.com