Seems like just yesterday I started a new thread... here we are again. TEX @ OAK 7/22-24

[Duane1952]

Hope not.

 

[saddles]

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Please keep telling me how this team could get back into contention...

 

[DT LUNA]

Please keep telling me how this team could get back into contention...

You can start by canning Howard

 

[Nightcrawler]

Please keep telling me how this team could get back into contention...

I’m ok with them not competing this year and they need to avoid making silly trades to try and do so. I also don’t want to see them trade Perez and lose him for prospects who probably won’t pan out.

 

[Nightcrawler]

Pitching prospects is a tough call plus the Rangers have not done well in the past with their pitching for the most part. I do remember very well that DVD was going to take this team places and never happened. Danks and a couple of others were traded to the White Sox for Brandon McCarthy. Diamond had an elbow injury and that was that with the Rangers and Volquez was traded for Josh Hamilton. He had a very good 1st year with the Reds and then a couple of good years when he was 30-31 years old. I also remember when we had Jose Guzman and Edwin Correa and I was excited about those guys. But Correa technically has one full season and shoulder issues ended his career.

ahh yes…..I’m old enough to remember DVD. Anyone else remember Ruben Mateo and how he was supposedly this next big outfielder? Turns out that guy was Nellie Cruz who was an after thought for most of his early career.

 

[Kelleyman]

 

[DT LUNA]

Losing to A's offers little hope for anything

 

[WastinSomeTime]

You can start by canning Howard

Let him keep pitching. This is the time to do it.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

ahh yes…..I’m old enough to remember DVD. Anyone else remember Ruben Mateo and how he was supposedly this next big outfielder? Turns out that guy was Nellie Cruz who was an after thought for most of his early career.

Are you old enough to remember actual DVDs?

 

[DT LUNA]

Let him keep pitching. This is the time to do it.

He is not ready for ML.

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

He is not ready for ML.

But that is kind of the point of playing young guys... Huff may not be ready but we'd prefer him out there every day.

What frustrates me is that the broadcast mentioned how Woody said something along the lines of hoping Howard got into trouble so they could see how he responded... then Howard gives up a few and immediately gets pulled.

They didn't play the quote so I can't speak to what Woody actually said, but Howard's pitch count was low enough that Woody should have left him in to see how he responded. Or at least to chew up some innings because we're doing the bullpen game bullshit again today.

 

[Kelleyman]

But that is kind of the point of playing young guys... Huff may not be ready but we'd prefer him out there every day.

What frustrates me is that the broadcast mentioned how Woody said something along the lines of hoping Howard got into trouble so they could see how he responded... then Howard gives up a few and immediately gets pulled.

They didn't play the quote so I can't speak to what Woody actually said, but Howard's pitch count was low enough that Woody should have left him in to see how he responded. Or at least to chew up some innings because we're doing the bullpen game bullshit again today.

Excellent point. Lip service to pitcher development it appears unless in the-back of the mind he considers Howard a placeholder which we can not argue with.
But IMO you play all your cards out this season to see if they can improve. Players do sometimes improve

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

But that is kind of the point of playing young guys... Huff may not be ready but we'd prefer him out there every day.

What frustrates me is that the broadcast mentioned how Woody said something along the lines of hoping Howard got into trouble so they could see how he responded... then Howard gives up a few and immediately gets pulled.

They didn't play the quote so I can't speak to what Woody actually said, but Howard's pitch count was low enough that Woody should have left him in to see how he responded. Or at least to chew up some innings because we're doing the bullpen game bullshit again today.

Speaking of the broadcast, I'm starting to wonder if they are intentionally pointing out some of Woody's shortcomings. Yesterday's pre-game (Steve Buechele) mentioned the importance of young guys getting reps as often as possible, even in situations where the %'s may not favor them. He also wondered if it's time to try Leody at leadoff.

 

[Kelleyman]

Speaking of the broadcast, I'm starting to wonder if they are intentionally pointing out some of Woody's shortcomings. Yesterday's pre-game (Steve Buechele) mentioned the importance of young guys getting reps as often as possible, even in situations where the %'s may not favor them. He also wondered if it's time to try Leody at leadoff.

Emily Jones had a tough question for Woody after the sweep. Maybe the tide is turning. Did not see postgame but even Woody did not make excuse for game 3 loss. The last loss’s prior to break his answers were fluff

 

[Kelleyman]

Ok looking through interviews, Howard was pretty straight up. He said he said he did not adjust to mound and his slider grip recently tweaked he could never find.
Now is the time to see if he can work through all this. I wish the reporter had asked something more about the inning he got pulled

 

[saddles]

Since we are reminiscing about past pitching prospects and how they turned out, let me mention something about Bobby Witt. During the 1990 season he had a really good stretch where he only had one less than really good to great start over the course of about 8 or 9 starts. We all thought he had finally come into his own. Then we found out that it was just an aberration. He wasn't a terrible pitcher, but he never really achieved the level that we had hoped for.

That one stretch of Bobby's is something that I thought about a lot in April and May as Perez put together his great stretch. I hope Perez has actually reached a different level and is there to stay, but I remember thinking the same thing about Witt.

 

[saddles]

Jeff Wilson has ranked the Rangers top 10 pitching prospects.

1. Leiter
2. White
3. Rocker
4. Porter
5. Winn
5. Ragans
7. Acker
8. Vanasco
9. Roby
10. Bratt

 

[BULLPEN FAILURE]

Since we are reminiscing about past pitching prospects and how they turned out, let me mention something about Bobby Witt. During the 1990 season he had a really good stretch where he only had one less than really good to great start over the course of about 8 or 9 starts. We all thought he had finally come into his own. Then we found out that it was just an aberration. He wasn't a terrible pitcher, but he never really achieved the level that we had hoped for.

That one stretch of Bobby's is something that I thought about a lot in April and May as Perez put together his great stretch. I hope Perez has actually reached a different level and is there to stay, but I remember thinking the same thing about Witt.

Bobby Witt Stats | Baseball-Reference.com

Bobby Witt has 5 seasons where he threw 5 or more CG. Martin Perez has thrown 4 CG... total.

Pitchers were different back then, man.

 

[Kelleyman]

Jeff Wilson has ranked the Rangers top 10 pitching prospects.

1. Leiter
2. White
3. Rocker
4. Porter
5. Winn
5. Ragans
7. Acker
8. Vanasco
9. Roby
10. Bratt

Porter has obvious higher ceiling than Winn and Ragans but is interesting he is slotted above them. Keeping an eye on Acker