Josh Hamilton is back, and he made his presence known.
Game boxscore, recap
Something Has to Change from Bleeding Blue and Teal
"There is no way that management hasn’t noticed that their ballclub cannot hit pedestrian right handers even if their collective lives depended on it. When will an adjustment be made to get some lefties in the lineup?"
The Bright Side from USS Mariner
"Yea, that sucked, but it wasn’t all that hard to see coming. As we’ve noted repeatedly, the Mariners roster is structured incorrectly, which leaves them essentially incapable of hitting pitchers like Scott Feldman . . .
. . . The Rangers are a great fastball hitting team, and [Vargas] has a below average fastball, so he didn’t even bother trying the whole “establish the fastball” crap. He went with his off-speed stuff, disrupted timing, mixed speeds and locations, and used the fastball as a complementary pitch . . . Just a smart, well pitched game by a guy who really had no business succeeding in that environment."
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wednesday: Excited? Hmmm...
The Rangers recently finished a 5 and 2 road trip (they did the same about this time last year) and the talk of the town (including local sports shows) is that the Rangers are in first place. So is it too early to get excited? Well there’s no harm in holding high hopes for the Rangers, but take a look at this time last year. The Rangers were only one game below 500 and only four games behind the Angels. This year, they’re three games above 500 and only a 1/2 game ahead of the Angels (though right now the Red Sox are leading the Angels in the 9th). This isn’t to take anything away from the Rangers, it's just that we have to consider the fact that the Angels are only now starting the really heat up and their team will only get better once they get some key players off the DL. That being said, I think it’s obvious that the Angels are a considerably weaker team than the ones we’ve seen in years past. Vladimir Guererro is no longer the player he once was (it’s hard to believe watching him now that he stole 40 bases one year), John Garland is gone, and most importantly, Francisco Rodriguez has left the American League, meaning we will no longer have to see him again. Mike O’Gulnick had a good line a few nights ago, saying that the Angels were like the Spurs: old and worn out. The ‘Ranger Era’ definitely is beginning to appear, and I think two years from now they will officially be leaving the rest of the West in the dust. But apparently they’re starting early, and though it’s May, are already making a case for a spot in the playoffs. Now that’s a bit of a contradiction, because I just said that the Rangers aren’t incredibly better off than they were this time last year. But the truth of the matter is that it’s hard not to feel extremely pleased and eager about this Ranger team, not because they’re hitting homeruns all the time, but because they’re getting the pitching that makes baseball teams winners. This time last year, it was the relentless offense that really carried the team. This year, it’s the pitching, both the rotation, led by Kevin Millwood, and the bullpen, by AL Saves leader Frank Francisco. So though I think that the Angels are going to have a great run pretty soon, I feel very optimistic right now. However, the mindset of the players is probably more realistic. I can guarantee you that everyone on the Rangers’ club, though aware of the standings, is just focused on winning one game at a time, staying focused, and trying not to think about the future. In the end that’s really the perspective to take, because not only is it reasonable, but it takes away some of the disappointment if the team ends up coming short.
Coming into the season, I don’t think anyone really expected the Rangers to be where they are now. The Athletics were said to be a contender this year, but so far they’ve looked terrible, especially offensively. Kurt Suzuki is their only real productive hitter at the moment, and the high hopes for Jason Giambi are beginning to dwindle. I think Oakland is due for a long winning streak later in the season, especially if they get Matt Holliday to start hitting like he usually does. But in the end I think it will be down the Rangers and Angels. I know the Mariners were in first place for a while, but I don’t really see them contending for the whole season.
I’ve heard a lot people, mainly typical, excited fans, say that this is the Rangers’ year to win. They say that because of the Rangers’ current hot streak. If they suddenly begin to struggle, then those people will suddenly quiet down. So, with all the hype surrounding the Rangers, my overall view is this: Traditionally, May is still considered ‘early’ in baseball season. So, to prove that this streak of good baseball isn’t bogus, I want to see the Rangers in this exact position or better by the end of the June. If they can do that, then I too will be taking out my rally cap and cheering them towards the postseason. Sorry if this post isn't very coherent. Been a long day...dead tired...time for sleep...
Coming into the season, I don’t think anyone really expected the Rangers to be where they are now. The Athletics were said to be a contender this year, but so far they’ve looked terrible, especially offensively. Kurt Suzuki is their only real productive hitter at the moment, and the high hopes for Jason Giambi are beginning to dwindle. I think Oakland is due for a long winning streak later in the season, especially if they get Matt Holliday to start hitting like he usually does. But in the end I think it will be down the Rangers and Angels. I know the Mariners were in first place for a while, but I don’t really see them contending for the whole season.
I’ve heard a lot people, mainly typical, excited fans, say that this is the Rangers’ year to win. They say that because of the Rangers’ current hot streak. If they suddenly begin to struggle, then those people will suddenly quiet down. So, with all the hype surrounding the Rangers, my overall view is this: Traditionally, May is still considered ‘early’ in baseball season. So, to prove that this streak of good baseball isn’t bogus, I want to see the Rangers in this exact position or better by the end of the June. If they can do that, then I too will be taking out my rally cap and cheering them towards the postseason. Sorry if this post isn't very coherent. Been a long day...dead tired...time for sleep...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Hello Win Column, Win #17: Padilla One-Hit-Wonders AGAIN
Sorry for the pun in the title. I stole it from Josh Lewin. Sorry for that too.
Game box score, recap
And now to hear from the losing locker room:
Let's start off with this amusing game preview from South Side Sox:
"Vicente Padilla is a douche bag who has been teetering on the brink of "meh" for a few years now. He's off to a terrible start and nothing would make me happier than if we got to keep that going. The odds of him not throwing a pitch at A.J. are about as good as the odds of A.J. throwing someone out."
Fun times in Cleveland tonight! from Sox Machine
"Texas' staff boasted a 5.27 ERA before coming to Chicago. Now it's 4.90.
There's a good chance the Sox offense is the cure for bad pitching more than the other way around."
Colon has rare struggle vs. Rangers from WhiteSox.com
"The burly right-hander also carried a 12-game winning streak against the Rangers, the longest active winning streak for a Major League pitcher over one team, which quietly ended after he allowed five runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings while walking three and striking out four . . .
'Very boring day -- very no-life day,' White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said."
Game box score, recap
And now to hear from the losing locker room:
Let's start off with this amusing game preview from South Side Sox:
"Vicente Padilla is a douche bag who has been teetering on the brink of "meh" for a few years now. He's off to a terrible start and nothing would make me happier than if we got to keep that going. The odds of him not throwing a pitch at A.J. are about as good as the odds of A.J. throwing someone out."
Fun times in Cleveland tonight! from Sox Machine
"Texas' staff boasted a 5.27 ERA before coming to Chicago. Now it's 4.90.
There's a good chance the Sox offense is the cure for bad pitching more than the other way around."
Colon has rare struggle vs. Rangers from WhiteSox.com
"The burly right-hander also carried a 12-game winning streak against the Rangers, the longest active winning streak for a Major League pitcher over one team, which quietly ended after he allowed five runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings while walking three and striking out four . . .
'Very boring day -- very no-life day,' White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said."
Tuesday: Chris Davis Since April 13
Something I read in TR Sullivan's recent mailbag is an interesting addition to the ongoing Chris Davis conversation . . . . see his numbers since April 13: .268/.326/.598.
In fact, since April 13, Chris has hit safely in all but 5 games (pinch hit appearances notwithstanding). He has reached base safely via hit or walk in all but 2 games.
Not too shabby, except for the strikeouts.
I know that Chris is struggling in the strikouts department, but .268/.326/.598 and reaching safely in all but 2 games since April 13th is hardly enough to justify his benching or demotion to AAA.
(Author's note: I just realized that this is noted on LSB as well, but I'm going to post this anyways since we've been following Chris pretty closely here at HWC)
In fact, since April 13, Chris has hit safely in all but 5 games (pinch hit appearances notwithstanding). He has reached base safely via hit or walk in all but 2 games.
Not too shabby, except for the strikeouts.
I know that Chris is struggling in the strikouts department, but .268/.326/.598 and reaching safely in all but 2 games since April 13th is hardly enough to justify his benching or demotion to AAA.
(Author's note: I just realized that this is noted on LSB as well, but I'm going to post this anyways since we've been following Chris pretty closely here at HWC)
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday Movie: Who's On First?
Even though the act isn't actually that funny, you have to admit that Abbott and Costello were a crazy talented comedy duo. It's fun just to watch their talent on display, especially when they're talking about baseball.
Monday: On Umpires
When I worked on the staff at a Boy Scout camp a few years ago, I sometimes helped out as the umpire in the wiffleball games that the campers participated in. It wasn’t a difficult job and it wasn’t very arduous either (partly because these were kids playing, and many of them didn’t care about the game), but at same time, I had my share of tricky moments. Though the ball was plastic and moved pretty slow, sometimes there would be a play at first base where I had difficulty making an accurate call. The angles had to be just right, and my sense of timing had to be extremely precise. This experience made me think about professional umpires in MLB. Not only do they have to deal with the high velocity of the ball, they also have to be prepared to take heat from the players and managers when they make a controversial call. And the worst part is that when they make a call that brings out tantrums from the players, often they know they probably got the call wrong (unless the player is someone like Eddie Milner, who argued what seemed like every call that went against him).
I think one of the most difficult elements in the life of an umpire, besides having to make the close calls, is the positioning on the field. If you watch a game, you’ll find that the umpires have a set pattern for the calling plays depending where the ball goes. If there’s going to be a close play at third base, the umpire must watch what’s happening, find his set position, and not get in the way of the play. And that’s not even the hard part, as he still has to make a difficult call if the play happens to be close.
Another difficult part of this job is studying and learning the MLB Official Rulebook. I own a copy of the text, and looking through it, I was amazed at how intricate it actually is. The book takes every possible scenario and has a complex explanation for each one. It is obligatory that the Umpires memorize these rules though, because there’s no telling when one of these plays might happen to occur.
Focus is another key element in an umpire’s job. The first and third base umpires must be mentally prepared to make a call at any given moment. What’s even more difficult though is that they must always watch the pitches to make sure if a hitter checks his swing or not. Imagine if a player tried to check his swing, but the umpire was wandering and didn’t pay attention. Never seen it happen, meaning their focus remains steady for all nine innings.
Another factor, mainly for the home plate umpire, is the risk of getting injured. Foul balls often hit umpires, and though they wear masks, the suffering they go through is always perceptible. But that’s not the worst of it. We recently saw Kerwin Danley get hit by a bat broken bat by the Rangers’ own Hank Blalock. Danley was taken off the field and hospitalized, though luckily not seriously injured.
With all of the demands and difficulties umpires face, what’s probably most discouraging about the job is that they’re never cheered, and when they make a good call they’re ignored, and when they make a bad call, they’re booed ad infinitum. But there must be some love for the job because otherwise people wouldn’t do it. I think the central reason for pursuing it is for love of the game. People love the sport of baseball, and by becoming a great umpire they’re helping the game out, because great umpires are what make it all work.
Also, though the average fan does not hold much respect for the umpires, any real fan of baseball will recognize names like Jerry Crawford, Joe West, and Mike Reilly, all of whom have served at least 25 years in the Major Leagues. These umpires are important members of the game, and will leave an inevitable legacy.
I admire every single umpire, because not only is their job extremely strenuous, but also they possess great skill, which unfortunately isn’t appreciated as much as it should be. If you want a good story on what the life of umpires is really like, MLB.com published a terrific article that can be found here.
I think one of the most difficult elements in the life of an umpire, besides having to make the close calls, is the positioning on the field. If you watch a game, you’ll find that the umpires have a set pattern for the calling plays depending where the ball goes. If there’s going to be a close play at third base, the umpire must watch what’s happening, find his set position, and not get in the way of the play. And that’s not even the hard part, as he still has to make a difficult call if the play happens to be close.
Another difficult part of this job is studying and learning the MLB Official Rulebook. I own a copy of the text, and looking through it, I was amazed at how intricate it actually is. The book takes every possible scenario and has a complex explanation for each one. It is obligatory that the Umpires memorize these rules though, because there’s no telling when one of these plays might happen to occur.
Focus is another key element in an umpire’s job. The first and third base umpires must be mentally prepared to make a call at any given moment. What’s even more difficult though is that they must always watch the pitches to make sure if a hitter checks his swing or not. Imagine if a player tried to check his swing, but the umpire was wandering and didn’t pay attention. Never seen it happen, meaning their focus remains steady for all nine innings.
Another factor, mainly for the home plate umpire, is the risk of getting injured. Foul balls often hit umpires, and though they wear masks, the suffering they go through is always perceptible. But that’s not the worst of it. We recently saw Kerwin Danley get hit by a bat broken bat by the Rangers’ own Hank Blalock. Danley was taken off the field and hospitalized, though luckily not seriously injured.
With all of the demands and difficulties umpires face, what’s probably most discouraging about the job is that they’re never cheered, and when they make a good call they’re ignored, and when they make a bad call, they’re booed ad infinitum. But there must be some love for the job because otherwise people wouldn’t do it. I think the central reason for pursuing it is for love of the game. People love the sport of baseball, and by becoming a great umpire they’re helping the game out, because great umpires are what make it all work.
Also, though the average fan does not hold much respect for the umpires, any real fan of baseball will recognize names like Jerry Crawford, Joe West, and Mike Reilly, all of whom have served at least 25 years in the Major Leagues. These umpires are important members of the game, and will leave an inevitable legacy.
I admire every single umpire, because not only is their job extremely strenuous, but also they possess great skill, which unfortunately isn’t appreciated as much as it should be. If you want a good story on what the life of umpires is really like, MLB.com published a terrific article that can be found here.
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