Series Thread: Rangers Travel to Minnesota for 4 Games August 24-27

[WastinSomeTime]

You may be correct about Sborz and Anderson but who do we bring up to replace them? JHern and Speas are pitching well in the minors but both were given opportunities up here and their performances were less than stellar

Probably because who we have in Sborz and Anderson stink so what do you have to lose.

 

[WilltheThrill]

Burke

Exactly this. Burke isn’t perfect, but his success rate is FAR better than Sborz or recent Smith. And it’s all about putting in your best guys when the game is on the line… ESPECIALLY when your team is desperate for a win. We truly NEEDED that win last night. It was no time to putz around with Sborz or Smith. It called for the best of the best to be used, and if we still lost, at least we lost with our best guys and not complete garbage.

 

[WilltheThrill]

What’s being exposed here is that our roster’s biggest weakness (bullpen) is also our manager’s biggest weakness (managing a bullpen). It’s a very poor match.

I can specifically remember Giants fans constantly bemoaning how bad Bochy was at managing their bullpen when he was their manager. It’s one of those things that, unless you’re a fan or follower of the team, you don’t know if it’s entirely true or not. But that was always the Giants fan base’s #1 complaint about Bochy.

And now we’re seeing it play out here. Except it’s exacerbated by the fact that CY didn’t bother to make just a few extra moves like Matt Moore and Andrew Chafin. He gave a poor bullpen manager an even worse bullpen, and it’s been a recipe for disaster.

 

[WilltheThrill]

I’m still not giving up on the team or this season, though. Even with the horrible bullpen, even with Bochy likely to pull this nonsense again, even with our injuries, and even with our shrinking odds, I still think this team is capable of getting into the playoffs by one way or another. And then from there it’s anybody’s guess. I’m a realist and I clearly see there’s a distinct possibility we don’t make it in. But I also know that in baseball the unexpected often happens. Every time we’ve gotten too high on this team, they’ve quickly reminded us they’re not truly elite. But also, every time we’ve buried them or written them off, they’ve turned things around for a stretch. We could just as easily win our next 10 games as lose them. It’s baseball.

 

[Kelleyman]

That is true in one way if you go back to a year ago. (Pleasantly surprised)

It is true in the opposite way if you go back to that game I attended in early June against the Cardinals that brought our winning percentage to .667. (Unpleasantly surprised)

Neither of those should affect how we view the construction of our bullpen last offseason though. We wanted to be a contender and contenders need a really good bullpen.

How we view people and how we treat them affects them especially rookie but yeah we red to make some pen adjustments plus Heim

 

[scotsman1948]

Burke

Probably but he hasn’t overwhelmed me with his consistency

 

[scotsman1948]

Probably because who we have in Sborz and Anderson stink so what do you have to lose.

Seriously we don’t have much in the relief department that doesn’t stink to some level or has stunk at the mlb level in prior appearances

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Probably but he hasn’t overwhelmed me with his consistency

I can agree with that but I will take the lesser of TWO OTHER evils in Sborz and Smith. Every time Smith comes in he gives up a run or more.

 

[saddles]

Some guys like Speas encounter some problems in the beginning and them turn it around. Jeff Russell comes to mind.

In his first 12 games as a reliever in 1986 for the Rangers he had an ERA of 5.63. He was 24 years old. The rest of that year his ERA was 1.80 in 50 innings.

 

[saddles]

Jeff Russell is also an example of a struggling starting pitcher who became a great relief pitcher.

 

[scotsman1948]

I can agree with that but I will take the lesser of TWO OTHER evils in Sborz and Smith. Every time Smith comes in he gives up a run or more.

Smith has been awful for the last 11 games but prior to that he was the go-to guy in 37 games where he earned 20+ saves and only gave up 11 earned runs. Have we forgotten that

 

[Kelleyman]

Smith has been awful for the last 11 games but prior to that he was the go-to guy in 37 games where he earned 20+ saves and only gave up 11 earned runs. Have we forgotten that

I remember but Bochy is a little too loyal
In his own words it is go time

 

[scotsman1948]

I remember but Bochy is a little to loyal
In his own word it is go time

With the limited and questionable members of the bullpen he has what else is he supposed to do? He can only hope that Smith and the others can get back to where they were earlier in the season

 

[WastinSomeTime]

Smith has been awful for the last 11 games but prior to that he was the go-to guy in 37 games where he earned 20+ saves and only gave up 11 earned runs. Have we forgotten that

Of course I don't. But it has to be what have I done lately. He has done nothing. I say rest him for a while and see if that helps. But right now he is awful. If I am a batter I would be licking my chops if I was facing him.

 

[scotsman1948]

Of course I don't. But it has to be what have I done lately. He has done nothing. I say rest him for a while and see if that helps. But right now he is awful. If I am a batter I would be licking my chops if I was facing him.

I agree but the other options aren’t anything to cheer about

 

[WastinSomeTime]

With the limited and questionable members of the bullpen he has what else is he supposed to do? He can only hope that Smith and the others can get back to where they were earlier in the season

Burke. But what should have really happened is Burke pitch those innings Stratton pitched and Stratton pitches in the 8th instead of Sborz.

 

[True Rangers Fan]

I’m still not giving up on the team or this season, though. Even with the horrible bullpen, even with Bochy likely to pull this nonsense again, even with our injuries, and even with our shrinking odds, I still think this team is capable of getting into the playoffs by one way or another. And then from there it’s anybody’s guess. I’m a realist and I clearly see there’s a distinct possibility we don’t make it in. But I also know that in baseball the unexpected often happens. Every time we’ve gotten too high on this team, they’ve quickly reminded us they’re not truly elite. But also, every time we’ve buried them or written them off, they’ve turned things around for a stretch. We could just as easily win our next 10 games as lose them. It’s baseball.

To me, limping into the postseason never seens to work out well for a team. Certainly not the Rangers.

 

[scotsman1948]

To me, limping into the postseason never seens to work out well for a team. Certainly not the Rangers.

What we have learned this season is that a thrown together bullpen is not going to work. Smith was a nonroster invitation and as we reached the start of the season CY and Bochy realized that he was all we had. And what was available after ST cuts wasn’t any better than what we had. And then surprise surprise we broke out the gate with a major rush but now we back to what was normal for most we add Chapman and Stratton but in the bullpen and a couple of other areas we’re not a playoff team

 

[True Rangers Fan]

What we have learned this season is that a thrown together bullpen is not going to work. Smith was a nonroster invitation and as we reached the start of the season CY and Bochy realized that he was all we had. And what was available after ST cuts wasn’t any better than what we had. And then surprise surprise we broke out the gate with a major rush but now we back to what was normal for most we add Chapman and Stratton but in the bullpen and a couple of other areas we’re not a playoff team

the bullpen isn't the only reason we are slumping right now.

 

[DT LUNA]

the bullpen isn't the only reason we are slumping right now.

Very true. The last three starters were awful thereby putting undue presure on the BP. Not to mention little offense.