Baseball is My Boyfriend

Byrd files for FA, Rangers waiting on Salty

Well, the Yankees became the 2009 World Series Champions Wednesday night, and the off-season officially started Thursday. 

The Hot Stove is already firing off lots of rumors, rumblings and moves.  I'm shocked and confused by the Mark Teahen to the White Sox transaction, but my friend Minda has much more on that.

Although I'm obviously interested in any moves that are made, I'll stick to worrying about what the Rangers are doing. T.R. Sullivan has a few notes up today.

Unsurprisingly, Marlon Byrd has filed for free agency. He has made it very clear he'd like to stay in Texas, but the club hasn't indicated a solid commitment to him, so Byrd is doing what he has to.  Personally, I'd be kind of sad to see Marlon go. He was a great defensive replacement in centerfield when Josh Hamilton went down. On top of that, he drove in 89 runs and hit 20 HRs and 48 doubles in 2009.  He finished with an average of .283 and a slugging percentage near .500.  His .329 OBP isn't very pretty, but I guess I'm not worried about that.  I hope Marlon stays, but if he goes elsewhere, I wish him all the best.

With concerns remaining in the outfield, the Rangers are said to be interested in Jermaine Dye. Sullivan says, "He hit .250 with 25 home runs and 81 RBIs last season for the White Sox and also has a reputation for having a strong clubhouse presence. The biggest concern is he hit .179 in the second half, which is why the White Sox are not expected to exercise a $12 million option for 2010." I've always liked Dye, so it's an interesting thought, at least.

Andruw Jones and Hank Blalock have also become free agents.  I didn't really develop an attachment to Jones.  In fact, if you'll recall, I was opposed to his signing from the beginning.  As for Blalock, I have mixed feelings.  When I first became a Rangers fan, Hank was still being called "The Hammer" and was an integral part of the infield and batting lineup.  Thoracic Outlet Syndrome seems to have changed all that for Hank.  Though still adequate on defense (as long as he's at 1B), his offensive numbers practically fell off. In 2008, he hit .287 with an .846 OPS.  This past season, he managed just a .234 average and a .736 OPS.  He still hit 25 HRs, but he just didn't look like the same Hank up there, and fans didn't view him the same either.  A change of scenery might do him some good.

Another note in T.R.'s write-up deals with Ivan Rodriguez.  I know a lot of fans would like to see him back.  I have no problem with that.  I understand the nostalgia appeal he holds, and he was a solid contributor in a Rangers unform.  The Rangers are holding out on signing him, though, as they wait to see how Jarrod Saltalamacchia recovers from shoulder surgery.  I have to wonder where that leaves Taylor Teagarden, who is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League in Surprise.  Teagarden's first full year in the majors was a disappointment, to say the least. He managed just a .217 average and .270 OBP.  Each of his offensive categories dropped around 100 points from the previous season.  Heartbreaking.  And you have to wonder what happened.

And, of course, we can't discuss the Rangers without talking pitching.  The rotation is a bit of a concern. Jon Daniels and crew would like to add one more veteran arm.  Ben Sheets is surely at the top of that list, but he hasn't thrown a ball in quite awhile. They are also considering moving either Neftali Feliz or C.J. Wilson or both into the rotation.  My immediate reaction -- no and um....no.  Feliz is the ideal late-inning guy in my opinion.  I can't see him being as effective with that speed and velocity if he's stretched out.  As for Wilson, I've seen him in a starting role.  Granted, that was under the tutelage of Buck Showalter and Mark Conner,so maybe it wasn't properly executed.  That's why I hesitated on my "no" to C.J.  I have the utmost faith in Mike Maddux and will trust any work he does with C.J.  I'm still nervous at the thought of C.J. going 6-8 innings every five days though.  Maybe that's just me.

Go directly to hiring hitting coach, do not collect Milton Bradley

As the 2009 MLB season marches on in the northeast corner of the country, the Texas Rangers are not sitting and idly waiting for spring (although I believe many of their fans are).  At least one player has already resumed working out, and the front office has some major decisions ahead.

The first is a critical one - the hiring of a hitting coach.  Rudy Jaramillo's shoes are going to be tough to fill.  Although this last season was one big offensive fail, Jaramillo was a solid piece of the coaching staff and a well-liked guy among the players. Jon Daniels and crew have their work cut out for them.  The finalists are said to be Rusty Greer, Thad Bosley, Gerald Perry and Clint Hurdle. (Many were surprised Scott Coolbaugh, the hitting coach in OKC was not granted an interview.)

Greer is the candidate with whom I'm most familiar.  Sadly, I never saw the guy play (that was before my days as a Rangers fan), but his reputation precedes him.  Health cut his career short, but he reportedly had a very disciplined approach at the plate.  Plus, he knows the ballpark better than the other three, and he has relationships with some of the players.  This puts him at or near the top of the list for me.

Perry was fired as hitting coach from the Cubs organization in June.  And while I blame Jaramillo for much of Texas' offensive woes, I do not blame Perry.  The Cubs cut off their own offensive power by not holding on to Mark DeRosa after the 2008 season.  Did they really think Aramis Ramirez would stay healthy or that Milton Bradley would adequately fill their RF and batting lineup?  Ugh.  But that's off-topic. Perry has made his rounds in the league, and while the Chicago stop didn't end favorably, I'm a strong believer in new scenery and second chances.

Hurdle is a name I recognize from the Rockies organization. Daniels and Thad Levine worked with him when they were in Colorado, so they would likely have a good relationship.  Hurdle, I think, would also be good at working with the players.

I know nothing about Thad Bosley, but apparently he and Ron Washington shared some time in Oakland. He was also the hitting coach for the As at the height of the "Moneyball" success.

The final interviews are complete and the Dallas Morning News speculates that a new coach could be announced by the close of business on Tuesday.

While all of this is going on, fans have been rumbling about a possible return to Texas for Milton Bradley.  I am absolutely against this move. 

The Rangers do not need a DH, and that is essentially what Bradley is.  I understand there are concerns about Josh Hamilton's future.  If he is not the logical DH, then I could certainly see Chris Davis in that role (as he shares 1B duties with Justin Smoak) or one of the Rangers' many catchers. 

Moreover, Bradley had his shot in Texas.  His bat may have been fine, but his attitude was not. He played sporatically, and he just didn't seem that interested.  After he landed that lucrative contract in Chicago, he admitted to a reporter that he didn't try as hard as he could have in Texas because he didn't have a long-term contract in hand.  Pfft.  I want guys willing to play FOR a contract rather than those who just want one HANDED to them. 

Just say "no" to Milton Bradley. Let him play his games somewhere else.

Phillies or Yankees? Where's my other choice?

The American League and National League pennants have been awarded.  The Philadelphia Phillies will return to the World Series for the second year in a row and face off against the New York Yankees.  This is quite possibly the worst case scenario I envisioned as the regular season ended. 

Throughout the playoffs, I've shifted my cheering.  I really didn't care too much what happened in the National League, although the prospect of back-to-back rings in Philly bored me.  Come on.  Who wants to see the same team win all the time?  I mean, outside of that team's fans.

I was much more invested in the American League progression. I had a sneaking suspicion the Minnesota Twins wouldn't be able to extend their winning streak against New York, but I hoped for it anyway. I chalk that up to my natural predisposition to prefer the nice guy (Minnesota, in this case) over the flashy guy (yep, that'd be New York).  It could also be that I just don't like the Yankees.  Either way, evil prevailed, and they moved on to face my boys' division rival, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (I really wish they'd shorten their name).  I found myself torn.  I hated the thought of hearing "world champion Angels" 19 times next season. At the same time, my stomach churned at the thought of Mark Teixeira getting a World Series ring.  As you may recall, Teixeira is the reason I came to love baseball, but the trail of backhanded insults aimed at the Rangers he's left along his journey to Atlanta and then Anaheim and now New York has destroyed any affection I once had for him.  He's like that guy who left you for another girl and then constantly told the world how the new girl was so much better than you.  Sick feeling, right?  I went with the more tolerable of the feelings and cheered for the Angels.  It felt dirty, but not as bad as I felt at the mere thought of cheering for the Yankees.  Of course, they couldn't reward me, and I fear my cheering for them may come back to haunt me in 2010. 

So the much-loathed Yankees (have I mentioned I don't like them?) will face the Philles (who just got a ring last year).  I've told myself and others I won't watch this World Series and have no interest in it, but, of course, I'm lying.  I love baseball...even baseball played by teams I don't like.  I won't schedule my life around the games, but I will probably watch a few and pay attention to the scores. (I also work with one Phillies fan and one Yankees fan, so I'm sure they'll fill me in whether I want them to or not.)  But who will I root for?  I think, if you read this entry, that answer is obvious.  In case it's not....

GO PHILLIES!!

Jaramillo strikes out for the free agent market

Rudy Jaramillo's tenure as hitting coach for the Texas Rangers is over. After 15 seasons, Jaramillo has decided it's time for him to move on.  He turned down the club's one-year contract offer and will opt for free agency. 

Michael Young and Ian Kinsler are none too thrilled with this move.

"I'm disappointed to say the least," Young said, a day after his wife Cristina gave birth to the couple's second son. "As an offense, we need to get better because we are worse today than we were a week ago. It's tough for me personally because he's seen basically every at bat of my career."

"I think they are trying to fix something that's not broken," Ian Kinsler said. "I think it impacts the whole team. Rudy was respected by everyone, not just the hitters. From the pitchers on down to the cook, everybody respected him for how he worked and for how long he worked here and his loyalty. That's what baseball should be about, respect and loyalty. I think I speak for everyone when I say I don't want him to leave."

I certainly understand the feelings of the players. This is a guy they've developed a relationship with, and, obviously, a close one.  I'd be lying, though, if I said I didn't think this was a positive move.  Jaramillo's aggressive, first-pitch-swing approach no longer fit this club's strategy.  They prefer patience and more selective hitting.  Evan Grant reports that Rangers officials met with Jaramillo shortly after the season to extend the one-year offer but to also stipulate that the offense needed to improve. The Rangers ranked seventh in runs scored in the AL in 2009, but ranked 11th of 14 teams in batting average (.260) and 12th in on-base percentage (.320). There were concerns about the team's approach, particularly how often the Rangers swung at first pitches and put themselves in unfavorable hitting counts. Though the Rangers ranked in the middle of the pack in pitches per plate appearance (7th at 3.86), they had the highest percentage of first-pitch swings in the AL (31.1) last season.

Jaramillo won't be unemployed for long. There are already rumors about interest from the Cubs. I can't blame them. Despite this last season's dip, his track record is pretty impressive. He has coached four MVPs (Juan Gonzalez twice, Ivan Rodriguez and Alex Rodriguez), a batting champ (Michael Young) and three home run champions (Alex Rodriguez 2001-03).

Rudy's departure is bittersweet, but I think the Rangers' offense will be just fine with a fresh instructor.

Weighing in on the season's best

I should stop making promises I can't keep.  Last night, I told you all I would award various awards to my boys in blue and red. But after a stressful day at work, I can't focus enough to formulate a good list of categories and winners. I won't leave you hanging though. Here are my picks for the big categories in the AL and NL.

American League

Rookie of the Year  - Elvis Andrus.  I'm not objective about the Rangers' young SS, and I won't pretend to be. In his first season, he is already regarded as one of the league's top shortstops. He also leads all AL rookies in hits (127), triples (8) and stolen bases (33).

Cy Young - Zack Greinke.  It's appropriate that there are two Ks in his name -- he has the second most strikeouts (behind Detroit's Justin Verlander) of all American League pitchers.  Couple that with his 2.19 ERA and his 16-8 record in win-deprived Kansas City, and there's no question he deserves this award.

MVP - Joe Mauer. Whether or not his team ends up winning the AL Central tomorrow, Mauer played a huge part in getting them this far.  On top of his duties behind the plate, he hit .364 with 28 HR and 96 RBI.  His OPS was over 1.000.  Oh yeah, and he missed the entire first month of the season.  Just hand it to him now.

Manager of the Year - Mike Scoscia. The Angels might be my boys' rivals, and Scoscia is rarely my favorite person, but I have to hand it to him this year.  He had a lot of obstacles -- on and off the field -- to guide his team past, and he did it.  The Angels have another AL West title to show for all of it.

National League

Rookie of the Year - Chris Coghlan. Admittedly, I don't follow the NL as well as I do the NL, but even I know this name.  The Marlins LF joined the big club in May, and finished the season with a .321 average and an .850 OPS.

Cy Young - Tim Lincecum. With a 15-7 record, the Giants' righty posted a 2.48 ERA with a league-high 261 strikeouts. He also surpassed 225 innings to rank among the league leaders.

MVP - Albert Pujols. He led the Cardinals to the NL Central title with 47 HRs, 135 RBI and Gold Glove-caliber defense at 1B.  He finished the regular season with a batting average of .327 and an OPS of 1.101, 16 stolen bases and a National League record for assists by a first baseman. What more does he need to do?

Manager of the Year - Jim Tracy. When he replaced Clint Hurdle on May 29, Colorado was 18-28 and 14 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. On Sunday, the Rockies finished the regular season with a 92-70 record, good enough to win the NL wild card. Their 45-29 record in the second half was the best in the NL.

EDITED to correct the mistake my commenter so dutifully pointed out.  Thank you.  I don't know HOW I messed that up. 

All's well that ends well

I couldn't wait to post this, so here it goes.

When a season ends with two losses and a steady drop out of the playoff race, it's hard to remember the good times. The 2009 Texas Rangers gave us plenty of those though.  There were rookies making sparkling debuts, veterans reaching milestones, familiar faces returning to the roster and lots of walk-offs.

It's true - 2009 wasn't the "special" season many fans hoped for, but it was still a memorable one. Here are a  few of my favorite moments.

- Rangers sweep opening series. I guess we should have known then that this would be a great season.

- Kinsler hits for the cycle on Jackie Robinson Day. He was also 6 for 6 in that game. Pretty nice.

- Holland called up in mid-April. I thought it was too early, but the rookie held his own for much of the season.  He had a few bumps later, but I no longer think it was the wrong decision.

- Darren O'Day's humorous debut in a Kason Gabbard jersey.

- Scott Feldman is put back in the rotation by the end of April.

- The many, many walk-offs in April and May.

- Another good draft by Jon Daniels. This has been one of his major strengths as GM.

- Omar Vizquel becomes all-time hits leader for a Venezuelan-born MLB player.

- Pudge Rodriguez breaks the all-time record for games caught.  He accomplished the feat in an Astros uniform in Rangers Ballpark.  He returned to the Rangers later on in the season.

- Nelson Cruz representing the Rangers in the Home Run Derby.  Michael Young also participated in the All-Star festivities, starting at 3B.  Ian Kinsler should have been there, but wasn't. 

- The debut of Neftali Feliz. 101 mph.  Wow.

- Rangers release Vicente Padilla. I wanted to like and believe in this guy, but he made it impossible in the end.

- Chris Davis' return from AAA.  He looked like a completely different hitter.

- The debuts of Julio Borbon and Craig Gentry.

- The Rangers' pwnage of the Angels over the course of the season.  The last two series were all Halos, but earlier in the season was a completely different story.

- Kevin Richardson getting a big league call-up.  The guy has been a mainstay in the organization for a long time. He deserved it.

- Ian Kinsler reaching the 30-30 mark.

- E-mails about postseason tickets.  These would later be worthless, but at the time, it was really nice to think about the possibilities.  I'm considering it a warm-up for next year.

Also, back on April 5, I listed team and personal goals for 2009. Let's see how we fared.

FOR THE TEAM

1.  A perfect game thrown by a Rangers pitcher. This has been on my list every season since I became a fan.  I know this is a tall order, so I'd settle for a no-hitter. Eh. There was no perfect game by a Ranger, but there were some gems from Matt Harrison and Derek Holland.

2.  Chris Davis knocks out 25 HRs. It was a rough year for Davis, who was on his way to shattering the strikeout record before being sent down to AAA in early July. He returned with a renewed confidence at the plate and ended up with 21 HRs for the season.  Just imagine if he'd been himself the whole season.

3.  Scott Feldman makes his way back into the rotation. Check, check, check. Not only did Scooter return to the rotation, he had the most wins of any arm in the starting line, and he was, in my opinion, the most reliable pitcher on the staff.

4.  Andruw Jones plays seldom, but well enough in the first half to be trade bait by July. Jones was ok, but he wasn't traded.

5.  A great brawl.  In fact, I'll be more specific.  I want it to happen while C.J. Wilson is on the mound.  I'm curious to see how he'd react if an angry batter came after him.  No helmet throwing though.  Let's fight fair here. There were no brawls for the Rangers, and certainly none with Wilson on the mound.

6.  Rangers finish at least 2nd in the AL West. That's a big check. They even made a good run at finishing 1st.

FOR ME

1.  Autographs from Scott Feldman, Matt Harrison, Chris Davis, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and David Murphy. FAIL. I didn't get any of these.

2.  A photo with any of the above plus perhaps C.J. Wilson, Josh Hamilton and Taylor Teagarden. I got Hamilton, and that was it.

3.  Find a way to get to the September series in Baltimore.  Airfares will affect this greatly, but I really want it to happen. I've already had to veto the trip to Chicago in early May because I know I can't afford a hotel room plus gas and tickets. This didn't happen either.  I'm ashamed that I only got to see one game this season.

4.  Obtain a game used ball.  I don't care if it's a foul ball, a home run ball or one thrown to me by a player. I just want one.  I haven't gotten one yet.  Apparently, I haven't been sitting in the right place for the foul or HR, and I'm not cute enough for a player to want to throw me one. Does a minor league ball count? If so, then this is a success. I was hit with a foul ball hit by Travis Metcalf during a RedHawks/I-Cubs game in Des Moines.

Late Monday, I'll offer my awards for the Rangers as well as my picks for the AL and NL rookie, Cy Young, MVP and manager.  Stay tuned.

Game no. 162, Loss no. 75

Saying goodbye is never easy. Today, the Texas Rangers said goodbye to their 2009 season and likely one of their homegrown players, Hank Blalock. It sure would have been nice for both to go out on a good note, but the team lost their final two games of the season and Blalock was 0 for 3 at the plate.  Ah well. Such is life.

I wanted Scott Feldman have to lenthy last outing as well, but he went six innings, giving up four runs in that time.  His season isn't a total downer though.  He still finished in the top 5 in the league in wins and was even being mentioned as a Cy Young contender at one point.  That's something. 

The Rangers offense is already in the off-season.  They had just three runs on four hits today. It could be that they're missing their leader, Michael Young, who flew home to be with his wife who is in labor with their second child.  Or it could be that they were facing King Felix, who is still a legitimate Cy Young contender (although my vote would go to Zack Greinke of the Royals).  Hernandez struck out six and allowed just three hits in his 2009 finale.  Craig Gentry finally got his first RBI as a major leaguer, putting the Rangers on the board in the 5th.

KISS: Darren O'Day and C.J. Wilson, who have been nice arms to have in the bullpen in late innings.  Today, they combined for a scoreless, two-hit, two-inning shutout. O'Day finishes the season with a 1.94 ERA, and Wilson's sits at 2.81. 

MISS: I don't feel like offering one on what is already the saddest day of the year for me.

Overall, this has been a great season to be a Rangers fan.  Honestly, even amidst all the disappointments, there were plenty of shining moments as well.  I'm proud of my boys and looking forward to Opening Day 2010 already.

Tomorrow -- I will come back and talk about my pre-season goals for the team and myself and discuss where those stand.  Although there is still one game left for two teams, I will also give my picks for the AL and NL awards for rookie, MVP, Cy Young and manager.

Rangers rally for 2nd place

The Rangers took an early 3-0 lead, but then squandered it away in the 4th inning.  It was a shame, really, because Brandon Patrick McCarthy (I feel like using his whole name tonight) was looking sharp up until that point.  It took an inning of unlikely heroes to give the Rangers tonight's W and the clinch of 2nd place in the American League West.

McCarthy really was looking good those first three innings.  He faced just one batter over the minimum in that time span and looked as though he might be able to go several more.  But in the 4th, he just ran into problems.  I'm no pitching expert, so I'm not sure what they were.  All I know is four hits later, the Mariners had tied the game. McCarthy came back out for the 5th, but gave up the lead and was instantly yanked.

The offense had a little fun at the beginning and end of the game.  The middle was a little lackluster, but who really cares about that at this point?  Omar Vizquel drove in the first Rangers run in the 2nd.  Through three, the Rangers had three runs on five hits and looked like they were on a roll.  But as soon as McCarthy gave up the lead, the offense decided to sleep a bit as well.  Fortunately, someone slapped them around in the 9th.  Michael Young had knocked in the tying run in the 7th.  Then, in the final frame, Chris Davis hit a two-out single. Esteban German followed up with a single of his own.  Craig Gentry came in to run for the gimpy Davis and scored on the Taylor Teagarden single.  Elvis Andrus doubled in two more to extend the lead and give the Rangers a final tally of 7 to the Mariners' 4.

KISS: I think I'll give it to Teagarden.  He hit the go-ahead single and also scored two runs.  He had a pretty good night at the plate, as did his roommate, Chris Davis, who was 3 for 5.

MISS:  Meh.  None.

A funny thing happened on the field.  It's fan appreciation weekend, so the Mariners had inscribed the word "THANKS" in the infield dirt.  During the game, Vizquel (at SS) and Kinsler (at 2B) scuffled the dirt a bit until the T and S were removed.  It just said "HANK."  Was this a tribute to Blalock, who is in his final series as a Ranger?  We'll probably never know, but I'd like to think it was.

Tomorrow -- Tommy Hunter (9-5, 4.10 ERA) vs. Ryan Rowland-Smith (4-4, 3.91 ERA)

Omar is ready to get in the ring

Omar Vizquel isn't satisfied being the all-time hits leader for a Venezuelan born MLB player.  Or the oldest player to start at shortstop for the Rangers.  He's ready to take on a bull in one of Latin America's favorite past times -- bullfighting. 

Check out "More Hardball" for more information.

Personally, I'm not a fan of bullfighting or rodeos or anything that calls the abuse of animals entertainment.  I am a strong believer in animal rights, although I'm not quite as radical as the folks at PETA.  They've drafted a "press release" (more like a letter) to Omar, asking him to refrain from the bullfighting.  Unfortunately, much like so many of PETA's other demonstrations, their lack of research and tact just makes them look stupid instead of vigilant.

Rangers finally find O in the Big A

It only took four games, but Texas finally found their offense in Anaheim.  They outslugged the Angels today 11-3. Some are saying, "yay, we beat a B team" (since the Halos had reserves in for much of the game), but I don't care.  A win is a win.  I'll take it. 

Chris Davis put the Rangers on the board first, with a two-run homer in the 2nd inning.  Angels pitcher John Lackey took exception to Davis' slow trot around the bases and shouted something indecipherable at him.  I guess he missed the injury report that would have told him Davis has been nursing a sore hamstring for about a week.  Naturally, Davis offered a few words back.  You'd think these teams were still battling for first place the way tempers were flaring.  It's safe to say, there will be some bloody battles next season.

Ian Kinsler knocked in another run in the 5th on a double, but a six-run 6th is what really put the Rangers out in front. After Omar Vizquel struck out, Taylor Teagarden doubled, Craig Gentry singled, Julio Borbon singled and Elvis Andrus doubled. That string brought in two runs.  Then, the Halos intentionally walked David Murphy to load the bases. Andruw Jones hit a sac fly, and then Kinsler reached on a throwing error. Davis singled and Vizquel (in his second AB of the inning) singled. Together, they brought two more in. Teagarden struck out to end the scoring rampage.  Two more Rangers runs crossed home in the 9th, but they were just icing.

Kevin Millwood needed to finish the season strong. And a complete game win is a pretty good way to do that.  He threw 123 pitches, striking out 10 while allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk.  Millwood earned his vesting option a few starts ago, though he wasn't at his strongest.  He had a lot to prove with this final outing, and, hopefully, he did it. With this win, he became the first Rangers starting pitcher since 2005 to finish with an ERA under 4.00.

KISS:  Tough call.  I'll let Millwood and Davis share it.  Millwood's complete game was completely unexpected (at least on my part), and Davis was 3 for 5 with three RBI.  Not bad for a guy who's been sitting for a few days.

MISS: Andruw Jones was 0 for 4 with four Ks. 

Tomorrow --  Brandon McCarthy (7-4, 4.47 ERA) vs. Ian Snell (7-10, 4.86 ERA)