I thought it was real at first. Friday, April 30, 2010
Friday Foto: My Birthday Present
My birthday came and went recently, and I thought I'd share a "voucher" of sorts that my wife Regina gave me, which she designed herself:
I thought it was real at first.
I thought it was real at first. 
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday Movie / Former Ranger Great Update: Jason Botts Update
A little over a year ago, I made this post, an update of how our old buddy Jason Botts was doing over in Japan (I'm also somewhat proud of it, as the post was a hit over on Rangers mega-blog LoneStarBall). The highlight of the post was this video:
And until now, that was the last I had heard from him. In case anyone is still wondering, Botts had a stint with the White Sox in spring training this year, but was released on March 17th after going just 1 for 12. It will be interesting to see where he lands.
And until now, that was the last I had heard from him. In case anyone is still wondering, Botts had a stint with the White Sox in spring training this year, but was released on March 17th after going just 1 for 12. It will be interesting to see where he lands.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
A Reason for Hope
The Rangers are now 6-9 -- not exactly the hot start for which we had hoped, and perhaps magnified by the expectations levied upon this team. There may, however, be some hope in the fact that the Rangers have scored more runs on the season (62) than they have allowed (61), giving a Pythagorean W-L (expected W-L) record of 8-7.
A two game difference this early in the season doesn't mean much, which perhaps is exactly the point . . . they are certainly better than their current record shows, even if it's just by two games.
A two game difference this early in the season doesn't mean much, which perhaps is exactly the point . . . they are certainly better than their current record shows, even if it's just by two games.
What a Difference 4.5 Years Makes . . . .
In tonight's 3-0 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park, CJ Wilson recorded the win as a starting pitcher. His last win as a starter came ... never. Compare the statlines from CJ's last 3 starts in 2005 with the statlines from CJ's first three starts this season:
2005:
IP -- ER -- BB -- SO
6.0 -- 4 -- 4 -- 6
2.2 -- 8 -- 2 -- 0
2.2 -- 5 -- 1 -- 1
ERA in these starts: 13.50
2010:
IP -- ER -- BB -- SO
7.0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 9
6.0 -- 3 -- 3 -- 5
6.2 -- 0 -- 2 -- 2
ERA in these starts: 1.37
2005:
IP -- ER -- BB -- SO
6.0 -- 4 -- 4 -- 6
2.2 -- 8 -- 2 -- 0
2.2 -- 5 -- 1 -- 1
ERA in these starts: 13.50
2010:
IP -- ER -- BB -- SO
7.0 -- 0 -- 0 -- 9
6.0 -- 3 -- 3 -- 5
6.2 -- 0 -- 2 -- 2
ERA in these starts: 1.37
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Former Ranger Great Update: Luis Mendoza
Everyone reading a blog like this remembers Luis Mendoza; mostly not for good reasons. His entrance into a game usually meant (1) a blowout situation, or (2) a game about to become a blowout situation. His parting from the Rangers was a joyous occasion, I imagine, for most Ranger fans (or at least for me). He's now giving up gopher balls for the Royals, and noted Royals blogger Rany Jazayerli offers this tidbit on what Mendoza brings to the table:
"Luis Mendoza has a career 8.32 ERA in the majors. He has a career 4.67 ERA IN TRIPLE-A. He has a career 5.06 ERA IN DOUBLE-A. I could pull out a host of more advanced statistics, but really, does anything more need to be said? He sucks. The Royals have nothing invested in him. Designate him for assignment, and if by some miracle another team claims him – count your blessings."
We Ranger fans are indeed counting our blessings in this regard.
"Luis Mendoza has a career 8.32 ERA in the majors. He has a career 4.67 ERA IN TRIPLE-A. He has a career 5.06 ERA IN DOUBLE-A. I could pull out a host of more advanced statistics, but really, does anything more need to be said? He sucks. The Royals have nothing invested in him. Designate him for assignment, and if by some miracle another team claims him – count your blessings."
We Ranger fans are indeed counting our blessings in this regard.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Year in Review: Awards
Let's start first with the Rangers.
MVP. Marlon Byrd. I know Michael Young had better numbers in almost every offensive category, and yet I'm still picking Byrd. Without Byrd, the Rangers offense would have struggled mightily-more so than it already did, at least. Also, I lean towards Byrd because Young missed basically the final month of season. Byrd, now a three-year Ranger veteran, has proven to be a true leader for this team. I'm a huge fan of how he plays the game, and I think this year he deserved it.
Runner-up. Michael Young. Easy choice. Young was having a fantastic year before his injury and his numbers still looked terrific. No other Ranger came close to the status of Byrd and Young.
Pitcher of the Year. Scott Feldman. Feldman has now proven that he is an elite starter. If not for his bad finish he could have been the game's only 20 game winner. But that's irrelevant. Feldman saved the Rangers staff when he joined it in April and all but took over Millwood's spot as the Ace.
Runner-up. C.J Wilson. A lot of people don't like C.J. I've talked to him a few times and there couldn't be a friendlier person. He's also a great pitcher. From what I've heard, peoples' reasons for disliking Wilson are pretty arbitrary. One lady said on the radio that she didn't like C.J because she didn't like his personality when she got to speak with him at a public event. You get the picture. But the bottom line is that on the mound he was dynamite, especially in the first half. He came up huge in the bullpen for the Rangers this year.
Now, for the league awards. I'm running out of time here, so this will be brief.
AL MVP. I'm going with Joe Mauer. What else does he need to prove? He's a classic ballplayer who plays classic baseball the way it's meant to be played.
NL MVP. Albert Pujols.
AL Cy Young. Felix Hernandez.
NL Cy Young. Adam Wainwright.
AL ROY. Elvis Andrus.
NL ROY. Tommy Hanson.
AL Manager of the Year. Mike Scioscia.
NL Manager of the Year. Jim Tracy.
Note: Sorry if this week's recap of the season was a little stale. It happened that it landed right on the week that I had a boatload of tests to study for.
MVP. Marlon Byrd. I know Michael Young had better numbers in almost every offensive category, and yet I'm still picking Byrd. Without Byrd, the Rangers offense would have struggled mightily-more so than it already did, at least. Also, I lean towards Byrd because Young missed basically the final month of season. Byrd, now a three-year Ranger veteran, has proven to be a true leader for this team. I'm a huge fan of how he plays the game, and I think this year he deserved it.
Runner-up. Michael Young. Easy choice. Young was having a fantastic year before his injury and his numbers still looked terrific. No other Ranger came close to the status of Byrd and Young.
Pitcher of the Year. Scott Feldman. Feldman has now proven that he is an elite starter. If not for his bad finish he could have been the game's only 20 game winner. But that's irrelevant. Feldman saved the Rangers staff when he joined it in April and all but took over Millwood's spot as the Ace.
Runner-up. C.J Wilson. A lot of people don't like C.J. I've talked to him a few times and there couldn't be a friendlier person. He's also a great pitcher. From what I've heard, peoples' reasons for disliking Wilson are pretty arbitrary. One lady said on the radio that she didn't like C.J because she didn't like his personality when she got to speak with him at a public event. You get the picture. But the bottom line is that on the mound he was dynamite, especially in the first half. He came up huge in the bullpen for the Rangers this year.
Now, for the league awards. I'm running out of time here, so this will be brief.
AL MVP. I'm going with Joe Mauer. What else does he need to prove? He's a classic ballplayer who plays classic baseball the way it's meant to be played.
NL MVP. Albert Pujols.
AL Cy Young. Felix Hernandez.
NL Cy Young. Adam Wainwright.
AL ROY. Elvis Andrus.
NL ROY. Tommy Hanson.
AL Manager of the Year. Mike Scioscia.
NL Manager of the Year. Jim Tracy.
Note: Sorry if this week's recap of the season was a little stale. It happened that it landed right on the week that I had a boatload of tests to study for.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Year in Review: Month by Month
April. C+
April began with a sweep, then went haywire, and then got good again to keep the Rangers at respectability. Ian Kinsler had the big 6-6 game, which included hitting for the cycle, and Michael Young proved to be the savior once again with a walk off homerun when the Rangers desperately needed one. Also, Derek Holland arrived, which was reason to celebrate, numbers notwithstanding. Final record: 10-11.
May. A-
May was about as perfect a month as the Rangers could have hoped for. Everything seemed to come together all at once, especially the pitching, which ended the month with a 3.57 ERA. It's hard to believe that the Rangers actually got swept by the Tigers in May, but then they followed that up with a sweep of their own against Houston. The most exciting stretch during the month was the sweep of the Mariners, followed by a sweep of the Angels. At the end of May Texas was in first place. Everything was looking great. Final Record: 20-9.
June. C-
June was a bad month for the Rangers, no doubt about it. I think everyone sort of saw it coming after the incredible May. While the pitching was solid, the offense really fell apart. The Rangers only averaged 3.8 runs per game. Ouch. Oh yeah, and they also lost sole possession of first place for good. Final record: 11-15
July. B+
July saw many improvements just when Ranger skeptics were ready to write the team off. First of all, the offense, while still not nearly as productive as the year before, saw its RPG go up a full run. Plus, the pitching was even better, with 3.59 ERA for the entire month. The big standout, I think, was Tommy Hunter, who went 3-0 during the month with a sparkling 1.11 ERA. Final record: 17-8
August. C+
The Rangers played well enough in August to stay alive, even though the month as a whole wasn't all that great. August provided one of the most exciting moments in the season when the Rangers won two of three from Boston to take brief lead in the Wild Card. But it vanished as the rain does in Texas and never came back. Two big members of the team in the final months, Neftali Feliz and Julio Borbon, arrived on the scene and created a great deal of buzz. Around that, Scott Feldman had a dynamite month, going 5-0. Final record: 14-15.
September. C
September was the month when it all fell apart. Ranger fans will be haunted by this month until the team makes it to the playoffs. Everything went wrong when it needed to be right the most. Well, you know the story. Final record: 13-15.
April began with a sweep, then went haywire, and then got good again to keep the Rangers at respectability. Ian Kinsler had the big 6-6 game, which included hitting for the cycle, and Michael Young proved to be the savior once again with a walk off homerun when the Rangers desperately needed one. Also, Derek Holland arrived, which was reason to celebrate, numbers notwithstanding. Final record: 10-11.
May. A-
May was about as perfect a month as the Rangers could have hoped for. Everything seemed to come together all at once, especially the pitching, which ended the month with a 3.57 ERA. It's hard to believe that the Rangers actually got swept by the Tigers in May, but then they followed that up with a sweep of their own against Houston. The most exciting stretch during the month was the sweep of the Mariners, followed by a sweep of the Angels. At the end of May Texas was in first place. Everything was looking great. Final Record: 20-9.
June. C-
June was a bad month for the Rangers, no doubt about it. I think everyone sort of saw it coming after the incredible May. While the pitching was solid, the offense really fell apart. The Rangers only averaged 3.8 runs per game. Ouch. Oh yeah, and they also lost sole possession of first place for good. Final record: 11-15
July. B+
July saw many improvements just when Ranger skeptics were ready to write the team off. First of all, the offense, while still not nearly as productive as the year before, saw its RPG go up a full run. Plus, the pitching was even better, with 3.59 ERA for the entire month. The big standout, I think, was Tommy Hunter, who went 3-0 during the month with a sparkling 1.11 ERA. Final record: 17-8
August. C+
The Rangers played well enough in August to stay alive, even though the month as a whole wasn't all that great. August provided one of the most exciting moments in the season when the Rangers won two of three from Boston to take brief lead in the Wild Card. But it vanished as the rain does in Texas and never came back. Two big members of the team in the final months, Neftali Feliz and Julio Borbon, arrived on the scene and created a great deal of buzz. Around that, Scott Feldman had a dynamite month, going 5-0. Final record: 14-15.
September. C
September was the month when it all fell apart. Ranger fans will be haunted by this month until the team makes it to the playoffs. Everything went wrong when it needed to be right the most. Well, you know the story. Final record: 13-15.
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