2008 Texas Rangers Thread

[alby]

If you have Josh Hamilton leading the charge, anything is possible baby!

[alby]

As of May 24, 2008

Major League Rankings

Texas Rangers:
3rd in total runs scored
2nd in hits
2nd in doubles
3rd in home runs
3rd in RBI's
5th in batting average
5th in on base percentage
2nd in slugging

a team of beasts

[sike]

Originally Posted by alby

As of May 24, 2008

Major League Rankings

Texas Rangers:
3rd in total runs scored
2nd in hits
2nd in doubles
3rd in home runs
3rd in RBI's
5th in batting average
5th in on base percentage
2nd in slugging

a team of beasts

What?!!! A Rangers team that can hit???!

[mary]

They also have the 4th worst ERA in the Majors, have given up the second most hits, the most runs, and the most walks.


Thank god they can hit.

Edit: Also the most errors in the AL.


I'm really enjoying watching the Rangers win games right now. But things are going to go downhill quickly when the hitting hits a dry spot.

[alby]

[jthig32]

Screw you Bill Hann, and your gay porn mustache too!

[Kirobaito]

Man, nothing like Hammy hitting a grand slam on a pitch half a foot inside from a lefty.

[Flacolaco]

Wow, grand slam. Awesome.

At what point do people just start thinking about just walking this guy in certain situations?

[sike]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Wow, grand slam. Awesome.

At what point do people just start thinking about just walking this guy in certain situations?

How's this for telling:
Nolan said Hamilton and Mantle in the same sentence and I didn't spit my drink everywhere...

[alby]

HUGE win for Millwood tonight, 3-1

this mini series against the A's is pretty important

go rangers

[sike]

Hamilton with another RBI tonight...

[sike]

Hamilton ended up with 3RBI tonight...

Kensler with 3 hits...

[Scoobay]

sorry not an avid follower, but how is the trade with the braves looking in terms of the pitching prospects and salty? thanks

[alby]

=]

things are looking up guys... things are looking up

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by Scoobay

sorry not an avid follower, but how is the trade with the braves looking in terms of the pitching prospects and salty? thanks

Well, Salty has yet to really get his groove, but he's so young that to even be holding his own in the majors at this point is a plus.

Matt Harrison threw a 7 inning no hitter a few weeks ago and is solidly on the radar at this point.

And all signs point to Elvis Andrus being the long term shortstop of the future for this team. It's early for him, but signs are good so far.

[mary]

dammit Rangers.

[jthig32]

I'd love to hear an explanation of the thought process that leads Ron Washington to bring in Robinson Tejeda with the bases loaded and no outs today.

[Flacolaco]

Only the stinking Rangers can score 8 runs and lose.

[alby]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...r.3cbbdc8.html

Wife's support key to success of Texas Rangers' Hamilton

01:33 AM CDT on Monday, June 2, 2008

ARLINGTON – Josh Hamilton deserves the daily plaudits and accolades he receives these days.
Every one of them.

There is no better hitter in the American League, perhaps all of baseball, than Hamilton, with his .328 average and league-leading 15 home runs and 63 RBIs.

Besides, America loves a story of redemption.

Right now, there is none better than Hamilton's resurrection from the drug and alcohol abuse that induced his rapid fall from the top pick in the 1999 amateur baseball draft to 180-pound zombie in just a few years.

Following the Rangers' 13-8 loss Sunday to Oakland, Hamilton told his story to more than 500 fans who hung around after the game.

Hamilton and his wife, Katie, who is pregnant, spoke in a question-and-answer format moderated by the Rangers' team chaplain. The club gets so many requests from church, youth and substance-abuse groups for Hamilton's story that they will produce a DVD of Sunday's session, which lasted about 30 minutes.

Every time you cheer a Hamilton bomb or gasp at a running catch he makes in center field, make sure you give credit to Katie Hamilton, the woman who refused to quit on Josh.

Her strength and fervent prayers inspired him to wage a battle against his addiction.

"I'd get really tired of praying for him, but the Lord was really faithful in renewing my strength," Katie said. "I'd go to bed, I'd swear that was the last time I was going to pray for him. I'm moving on and the next day I'd wake up with a new desire and strength to pray for him.

"The toughest part is being so frustrated and wanting so badly for them to have a productive and wonderful life and them not having the same desire for themselves."

Katie spent much of the first few years of marriage like millions of other folks who watch their loved ones battle substance-abuse issues every day in hopes they will over- come it before it kills them.

She's like my grandmother who spent countless hours reading Romans in her weathered Bible and praying for my uncle's deliverance. A few years ago, before she died, God answered her prayers.

Now my uncle works a steady job and has one of the nicest yards in north Nashville because he spends his free time gardening. More important, he's a contributing member of society again.

Substance abuse touches many lives, which is why we can relate to Katie's story. If you're one of the lucky ones who has never had a family member or friend under the spell of addiction, feel free to drop to your knees and thank whomever you pray to for your blessings.

Hamilton's deliverance came Oct. 5, 2005, the day he chose sobriety over death.

It's the day Katie's prayers were answered. That January, they became a family again.

"Seeing how she took care of two kids and carried herself and the way she handled the situation, that's what helped strengthen me," Hamilton said. "It was obviously time for me to end the using."

Baseball is no longer the most important aspect in Hamilton's life. His relationship with God, his sobriety and family come first.

Then comes baseball.

Whether he was hitting .220 or .300, Hamilton would be telling his story to anyone willing to listen.

Listen to Hamilton long enough and you get the feeling his roughest days are behind him, because he seems so at ease talking about his addiction.

He's an addict. Always will be. That's how the disease works.

But he doesn't run from it. He embraces it. He talks about it. Laughs about it. Hamilton gives his addiction no power because he doesn't shirk it.

He confronts it because it no longer controls his life.

And when Katie talks about the hurt it caused in their life, he stares deep into her eyes in a way that lets you know he truly understands the pain he caused. And when he's talking about the times he used or damage he caused in their relationship, she looks at him with a love that says she understands how Satan had control of his life.

"I kept having flashbacks of things I put her through and how she handled them," Hamilton said. "That was God's way of telling me he could help get through it."

[Five-ofan]

Originally Posted by muzak

we're 4 games out of making the wild card as it stands today. think it's possible the 'lil Rangers can make the playoffs this year?

wild card is the wrong route to go. the wild card team will have a better record than the team that wins the west.

as for the rangers, the strength of the team is that we get a TON of offensive support from non offensive positions(we have the best offensive player in the AL at cf, 2b, and ss by ops) Also laird and salty are both above average offensive catchers. throw in bradley and murphy and vazquez' crazy year so far and you have a dominant offense. if we just got anything from first(which we will when davis gets ready) this offense could be scary good. This team can be scary good by next year or the year after. The lineup should look something like this possibly by next year

kinsler 2b(already the best 2b in the AL)
young 3b(still a very good number 2 hitter if not the star some think he is. Also his defensive skills play extremely well at 3b)
Hamilton cf(superman)
Bradley rf(Hes a plus defensive of when healthy and if he can keep his head on straight id love to keep him)
Ramirez DH (possibly the best pure hitter in minor league baseball right now)
Davis 1b(a monster power hitter, or if its blalock hes still a very good hitter too.)
murphy lf(completes probably the best defensive of in baseball and is a capable hitter)
salty C (would probably already be a top 5 catcher in the majors if he played every day.)
andrus ss(dominant defender who should hit enough to essentially give you 2 leadoff hitters)

That team is among the best in baseball defensively and should put up 950 runs if it all pans out right. Now is definitely the time to be a rangers fan. If its next year id still probably plan on blalock in place of davis because its hard to count on 3 rookies in 1 year but good lord this team will be loaded soon. The rangers will win a World Series by 2011.

[Five-ofan]

Originally Posted by Kirobaito

Who do you call locks? Ham, Milt, Ian, and Pads?

correct sir. No question that ham has been the best cf or ian has been the best 2b in the al this year and milton has been a beast as has padilla.

[Flacolaco]

"You could use some"....pitching.

[chumdawg]

The first-pitch big salami for Byrd! To tie the game!!!!

[Flacolaco]

I don't know anything about baseball. nothing.

So maybe someone can explain to me how any pitching staff can be as bad as the rangers, while at the same time, the Rangers can score 10 runs a game?

[bgarrett]

Yeah to continue to lose when you score about 10 ish runs a game in the last few sucks.
They need serious help from Relief pitching. Wright came in and did great the other day gave up the lead and then yesterday after byrds GS to tie the game... Benoit comes in and people are obliterating his stuff left and right. The starting pitching dont seem too bad as previous years but that relief crew's confidence is thin glass.

[u2sarajevo]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

I don't know anything about baseball. nothing.

So maybe someone can explain to me how any pitching staff can be as bad as the rangers, while at the same time, the Rangers can score 10 runs a game?

Pitchers = Defense
Hitters = Offense

This is the American League......

(This post brought to you by the fine makers of Ball Park Franks. Plump when you cook them!)

[Flacolaco]

It just seems like such a strange confluence of forces....worst pitching staff ever...hitters get you 8 a game. It's just weird.

[jthig32]

Keep in mind the Rangers are going through some serious injury issues as well. Millwood has been out recently, and Padilla was supposed to start last night but had to go home to attend to family matters.

This pitching staff is not as bad as it has shown so far. It's not good, certainly, but it's not this bad.

[bgarrett]

Im not worried that much with starting pitchers its relief and closers. I thought CjWilson had his act together but idk what happened. Im actually satisfied (compared to prev. years) with starters. WE had a chance to win before relief came in in the past few games.

[alby]

another 2-run shot for Hamilton in the opening inning... I wonder if he can pitch too


*edit
back to back homers.

[jthig32]

I was at the game last night, and I'll tell you what, you don't see a whole lot of opposite field homeruns go out where Josh's did. Just right of the 404 sign. Very impressive.

[bgarrett]

We have a great offense. GRowing in confidence by the minute. Waiting or the reliefe to completely blow it! Hopefully not, and how about BRadley him and Josh are great hitting next to each other.

[mkat]

Originally Posted by alby

another 2-run shot for Hamilton in the opening inning... I wonder if he can pitch too

threw a 96mph fastball in high school....i bet he can if he wants to.

[Just211]

Originally Posted by mkat

threw a 96mph fastball in high school....i bet he can if he wants to.

yeah i read that too. some people are born to play baseball. Like him and Ankiel. just good at it all.

[Caseman]

I'm glad I didn't fall into the Ranger hope trap. Too good to be true.

[mkat]

Originally Posted by Caseman

I'm glad I didn't fall into the Ranger hope trap. Too good to be true.

well, they do show slight glimpses..i think in a year or two, if they could get some solid pitching (the eternal gripe, i guess) they'd be pretty solid.

[Five-ofan]

on the pitching front you have to remember we are missing mccarthy who would have been slotted as our number 3.

matt harrison has just been called up btw.

and every game salty doesnt play these days is a huge mistake. I dont care what it does to laird or his value. Salty is already a top 5 catcher in baseball.

[Flacolaco]

I have actually been tuning in the last few nights....only to be tuning out shortly thereafter. Every time I flip back to the game the rangers have given up 4 or 5 more runs. How can any major league staff be this bad?

[Five-ofan]

as for the rangers, i think its time we start thinking about consolidation. I dont think its the time to "go for it" yet but i do think that i would start to look at dealing some prospects if they are clearly blocked. The first thing i would do is call toronto and figure out how far away from being able to get dustin mcgowan that an offer of hurley and teagarden leaves you(yes i know that doesnt get you there). the way i look at it we have 6 every day players set for the foreseeable future if we can resign bradley(hamilton, bradley, kinsler, salty, murphy, young(at 3b most likely)) it just so happens our three best non pitching prospects play the left over positions(1b, ss and dh) Im not saying you give up everything else for no reason but i would be checking the value of teagarden because theres no way barring injury hes ever an everyday player for the rangers.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

I have actually been tuning in the last few nights....only to be tuning out shortly thereafter. Every time I flip back to the game the rangers have given up 4 or 5 more runs. How can any major league staff be this bad?

That last few nights have been a terrible time to tune in. That is not the Rangers rotation that's been out there the last few nights.

Last night you had Ponson pitching on three days rest, and then then the only two relievers avaialable at all were pitchers that just don't belong in the majors, and were called up because no one else was going to be available last night.

Has Harrison really been called up? I can't check my email that gets Newberg's updates from work. That would be pretty interesting.