Texas Rangers Spring Training 2020

[saddles]

Back when the Rangers were winning and on top of the world in 2010 and 2011, I had close friends both on the team and working in the clubhouse. I was fortunate enough to get to spend some time with the players and their families during those years, and even more fortunate to hear insider talk and gossip when it was just the wives or families talking to one another.

I’ll never forget that Davis and Simpson were universally disliked by the players’ families, and I heard more negatives about those guys than I can even remember. The most common refrain I heard, though, was that they were all about the money/greed and cared nothing about their players. One wife even said (out loud) that “the only reason they’re happy we’re in the playoffs is because of the extra ticket sales” (insinuating they cared nothing at all about winning the World Series). And they said these things many times with their husbands standing right next to them after the game in the player’s garage, so it wasn’t just busybody gossip.

At the time, I couldn’t understand where they were coming from, because as an outsider looking in, all I saw was a happy and successful team with a new ownership group seemingly committed to winning. I should have put more stock in what they were saying at the time, because what they all unanimously said back then seems very true today. I have zero connections to the team now, as none of my friends are with the team anymore. But I wish they were because I’d love to hear an insider’s take today on ownership.

Do you think that that could be a common complaint amongst players and their families in most organizations?

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Back when the Rangers were winning and on top of the world in 2010 and 2011, I had close friends both on the team and working in the clubhouse. I was fortunate enough to get to spend some time with the players and their families during those years, and even more fortunate to hear insider talk and gossip when it was just the wives or families talking to one another.

I’ll never forget that Davis and Simpson were universally disliked by the players’ families, and I heard more negatives about those guys than I can even remember. The most common refrain I heard, though, was that they were all about the money/greed and cared nothing about their players. One wife even said (out loud) that “the only reason they’re happy we’re in the playoffs is because of the extra ticket sales” (insinuating they cared nothing at all about winning the World Series). And they said these things many times with their husbands standing right next to them after the game in the player’s garage, so it wasn’t just busybody gossip.

At the time, I couldn’t understand where they were coming from, because as an outsider looking in, all I saw was a happy and successful team with a new ownership group seemingly committed to winning. I should have put more stock in what they were saying at the time, because what they all unanimously said back then seems very true today. I have zero connections to the team now, as none of my friends are with the team anymore. But I wish they were because I’d love to hear an insider’s take today on ownership.

There's a lot to unpack here. What does "the owners care nothing about their players" even mean in this context, and what does that have to do with "greed?" And how would the players (or their wives) come to the conclusion that the "only reason" the owners cared about being in the postseason was ticket sales?

Not trying to defend the owners here. But I think it's important to note that the demographic of "wives of professional athletes" does have a few negative stereotypes, based on a lot of examples we've seen.

 

[saddles]

Keith Law has come out with his Top Rangers prospect list and report. He has a very different view on how to rank them than a lot of folks do. For example, he has Taveras at #1 and Apostle at #13. He has Josh Morgan at #19 and still thinks he could make a pretty good catcher.

1. Taveras
2. Jung
3. Palumbo
4. Crouse
5. Winn
6. Huff
7. Solak
8. Tejeda
9. Ornelas
10. Basabe
11. Wendzel
12. Acosta
13. Apostle
14. Hernandez
15. Walker
16. Lora
17. Phillips
18. Rodriguez, Yerry
19. Morgan
20. Henriquez

 

[jta4437]

DDJ got better?

Defensively in CF he did, by leaps and bounds, he was never as good as he could've been because his jumps and angles were deficient but he improved tremendously

 

[saddles]

 

[Kelleyman]

Keith Law has come out with his Top Rangers prospect list and report. He has a very different view on how to rank them than a lot of folks do. For example, he has Taveras at #1 and Apostle at #13. He has Josh Morgan at #19 and still thinks he could make a pretty good catcher.

1. Taveras
2. Jung
3. Palumbo
4. Crouse
5. Winn
6. Huff
7. Solak
8. Tejeda
9. Ornelas
10. Basabe
11. Wendzel
12. Acosta
13. Apostle
14. Hernandez
15. Walker
16. Lora
17. Phillips
18. Rodriguez, Yerry
19. Morgan
20. Henriquez

He was also low on Crouse (injury) Huff doe to swing and miss issues and balls that got past him in last game I think. No mention of Bubba T and as you mentioned Apostel who are team is high on.

The potential elite prospects Lora and Acunw are mentions Acosta is low. Don’t even think JPM is mentioned which is no big deal.

Looks like the consensus is there are a lot of serviceable lowers tier MLB guys but no real
Elite

 

[jta4437]

I think Tavares is highly overrated... Huff should be higher, Palumbo is too old to be considered for this high of a spot, and he should definitely be behind Crouse and Winn, I'm mostly ok with most everything else, its mostly splitting hairs but I think Henriquez should be much higher and Morgan shouldn't be here at all, he's been essentially the same player for 3 years now

 

[saddles]

He was also low on Crouse (injury) Huff doe to swing and miss issues and balls that got past him in last game I think. No mention of Bubba T and as you mentioned Apostel who are team is high on.

The potential elite prospects Lora and Acunw are mentions Acosta is low. Don’t even think JPM is mentioned which is no big deal.

Looks like the consensus is there are a lot of serviceable lowers tier MLB guys but no real
Elite

I would like to see one of our local writers give us a consensus order where Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, Keith Law, BA, and one or two others are combined for one list. I would expect Keith Law's list would show the greatest variation from the consensus.

 

[saddles]

I think Tavares is highly overrated... Huff should be higher, Palumbo is too old to be considered for this high of a spot, and he should definitely be behind Crouse and Winn, I'm mostly ok with most everything else, its mostly splitting hairs but I think Henriquez should be much higher and Morgan shouldn't be here at all, he's been essentially the same player for 3 years now

I pretty much agree with you. I think Tejeda is too high as well.

I have just about given up on JPM and Seise, but I would rank each of them above Morgan. Vanasco as well.

 

[saddles]

I want to see Jung show something before I rank him that high. I think he will, but I need to see it.

 

[DT LUNA]

I want to see Jung show something before I rank him that high. I think he will, but I need to see it.

I agree he needs to. Seeing is believing.

 

[scotsman1948]

Who Else Could The Red Sox Target In Trades?

1st name after Myers is interesting

 

[Nightcrawler]

Who Else Could The Red Sox Target In Trades?

1st name after Myers is interesting

I bet most ranger fans would be glad to see Odor moved. No matter what we get back.

I doubt JD will treat his favorite player like that tho.

 

[saddles]

Who Else Could The Red Sox Target In Trades?

1st name after Myers is interesting

Yes, it is.

 

[saddles]

I bet most ranger fans would be glad to see Odor moved. No matter what we get back.

I doubt JD will treat his favorite player like that tho.

I doubt, by now, that JD sees trading a player as doing them wrong.

 

[Nightcrawler]

I doubt, by now, that JD sees trading a player as doing them wrong.

he might benefit from a fresh start.

just like mitch did with the Red Sox.

 

[saddles]

he might benefit from a fresh start.

just like mitch did with the Red Sox.

I would have liked to have seen what a trip to Hickory last May would have done for him.

 

[saddles]

Apparently, when Choo showed up yesterday running a fever it got the organization very concerned because of the Corona virus scare.

 

[DT LUNA]

Apparently, when Choo showed up yesterday running a fever it got the organization very concerned because of the Corona virus scare.

Was he out of the country

 

[True Rangers Fan]

Was he out of the country

Or he came into contact with others who had been