Close to "crunch time", when team & players are re-evaluated for worth & value.
The Big Q: How do the Rangers get back to the "Big Show - 2011"? Unfortunately,
for some, that question also has it's tangents. Whom will help Rangers return now
and in the possible future. It becomes a complex Chess game, with moving of players,
as valuable & expendable pieces. It's just part of the game.

Rangers, being front runners and defending AL Champs, bodes a new view over past.
Promises, expectations, strengths & weaknesses hit the Club, square in the face. Trade
deadline nears, as many teams throw in the towel for 2011 and become sellers. Players
become commodities... or at least more so. Every player knows it and feels the pressure.
Who stays - who goes? It's either going to be the most exciting time, or... well, fill in the blanks. Anyway you crunch, crackle or pop a World Series Contender... it calls for change.
The Club drew their own line in sand, for winning expectations. Daniels has his work cut out.

This year is eerily looking similar to the Mavericks year. Put it this way. Caron Butler goes down for the year. Dirk gets hurt early on. So you can say the mavs had injury issues. Same with the Rangers. All of the media said that we had to make major moves by the trade deadline to even contend. However the Mavs for the most part stayed pat. They picked up two small parts in Peja and Brewer. Say the rangers just pick up two small parts to help the bullpen, and stay pat with the rest. No major splashes. We'll see what happens in the playoffs. Playoffs is a whole new season and you never know when you can catch lightning in a bottle. look at the rockies when Hurdle took em (granted they lost...). Point being is, i just dont see JD/Nolan making any big splashes this season. The off season is a whole different story, theres going to be alot more available then. So we'll see. But keep you head up and dont give up the faith if a major deal isnt made. I dont see this team not taking the West. Its too weak of a division. So lets just make the playoffs and then make it do what it do when we get there. Thats the best we can hope for right now. If we fail, then i say we make some major moves during the offseason.

Great Basketball story, but has nothing to do with Baseball. If you think the buying fan,
mainly "boomer's", will settle... kid me not or yourself. The owners, mostly "boomer's', didn't 'buy in' for a new direction 2012 either. Sure it's early, but I'm just watching the Stew being prepared before stir.
Remember, 2011 was to be THE year. Nolan Ryan.. a "boomer". Ya see, old codger boomer's can't wait for the next 2-3 years, for Rapunzel to let down her hair. There's a certain pressure with the old tic toc of Father Time. I think, though early, a new view will be; Rangers- back on track.
Unfortunately, no Big Germans involved.

Not that I've got an inside into the Ranger War Room, but I'm thinking that pressure is felt inside those walls. Certain whispers being passed that, "but we're defending champs and you're telling me not this year"? No, that ain't the way Baseball GO, being a Ranger. The real scenario plays out much harder, than the hardball itself.

I've never been called nor am I, a "Chicken Little" type. Actually quite the opposite. It's a new game in town 2011, folks. Go back and read your press clippings. We're not talking George The Boss explosion here, but please mind the Stew Kettle temp properly. Like I said, and not whimsically... Daniels has his work cut out.

the other day you made a statement on one of the TORP forums about Cameron Maybin. So it got me thinking that this year we're truly not going to upgrade our team with a true TORP. I think you took my post the wrong way, no offense. It was supposed to be more positive than it mightve come out. what i was trying to say is i have full faith in this team and the FO. but you have to realize there is a time and a place to make a big deal. we were lucky enough to make that move last year. As of right now, (it can easily change.... pujols is down, along w wainwright... does carpenter become available? etc.

However i still think there are trades out there that can be done non Rotation related to upgrading our team, hence me creating the "Land of the misfit Torps Forum"

That being said, i think i mightve found a trade that might quench your blood thirst for victory :)

I think we need to find a way to acquire Geovany Soto, and Kerry Wood from Chicago. As a semi throw in, we might have to take Zambrano along with them, however i've already said i'm down with that. We can give him a shot, and if he doesnt work out we can try him in the BP or Padilla his ass. Regardless we get a very good catcher thats durable, calls a good game, has a good arm and has a decent bat. he's an upgrade over YT and Napoli. Plus Kerry Wood would be a major upgrade to our BP. His numbers this year and last year are pretty decent. What would it take to get this done? i dunno. i'm no gm. i came up with a proposal in the forum you can check it out if you want... but how do you feel about the possibility of a new catcher and some BP help. and who knows what the hell we would get with Zambrano. just an idea.... is it the mountaiin top? no... will it improve this team? hell yes. Getting a player like soto alone would energize and pump this team up. it'd be another msg by the FO that theyre serious about winning. not just once, but making the playoffs for years to come and bringing home a WS to Texas asap

@HubZ: Why don't you try that again, but in English this time?

..and lose my fans, from the Nation of Belarus?
Such an evolving bunch of wild & crazy baseball guy's.
Their latest tweet reply on Mitch's Slam last night...
"Hom Rohn... he keek ah Toshdawn- SCORE!"

everytime moreland swings his bat, and angel gets its wings.... he's golden. like bea arthur

@HubZ: Okay, great response. Now I'm a fan of yours.

OMG!! Mitch does it AGAIN. HR to END the Game. I think if I were approaching a dark alley,
I would choose Moreland to have my back. That is one strong Mutha. "Tape Measure Mitch".

Thank U K.S.~
Since Kevin Sherrington has let a whisper out of the cats bag, I'll concur,
that Clayton K/Dodgers, IS indeed the 'Arm' I was alluding to. I'm not sure
how good KS' sources are, but mine drink damn good scotch, with some
real correct personage. Maybe KS bought into a bar round or he's just merely
sneaky close right? Oh, the whisper should broaden much wider very soon.

So you think the LEE DEAL was exciting, maybe even bizarre... wait till Summer 2011 finishes out.

Oh, now it's Beltran and Angst-Rod from the Mets?
Sounds like two sandwiches short of a picnic, 2me.

I wonder if the whisper is really true... our own Texas Rangers, are the Darlings of Baseball?
Commish's office is so proud of how we came out of the bankruptcy hearings. Does that
mean we might get a wink on moves with all the Dodger mishaps going on, helping Baseball and
ourselves once again? Man, those whispers are getting louder or my hearing is getting better.
Dodgers certainly need to rid some players & salaries. Would love to see Cubes become owner.

A TORP.? Maybe we should start with an arm, to add to the Rangers,
that Kills the Yankees and/or gives the Tigers fits. We don't go after
a gimp, that may not make it through the season... out during playoffs.
I think he might come out of either Central Divisions. Several are worthy
and probably available soon.

I'll give you another reason why Rangers will TRY to go with a BIG arm trade to add.
C.J. WILSON: Not only do we need an Arm to complement CJ, but we need to bolster
the strength, to keep CJ thinking STAY, because we're doing our BEST to repeat in ALC.
If not, Wilson is an easy fit to empty slot, of Roy Oswalt, with buddy Philly Cliff.

We all know CJ loves to hit... there's no DH to face in the NL either. If we lose CJ, with
his FA expression, then we certainly need his replacement... why not now? To me, it's
almost manditory... pay the bill now. I don't see the Rangers excepting anything less than
a #1 or #2 arm, unless they want to take another big loss, as losing Lee last winter. That
scenario is face up, very early already.

Sorry for the lousy "no proof read" dummy here. By the way, if MLB doesn't allow
LAD to open up and dump salary/players, I can see the BIG arm coming from the
Central Divisions. I've got a few I'll bring up and on mind, but some are still locked in
to there present teams playoff bid & division jockeying... then there's the Florida teams.

I definitely think we need a TORP if one becomes available and is under team control for more seasons than this one. While I hate to write it, I do think CJ leaves for FA. It's probably his last chance for a big contract. No matter what anyone thinks of him, he's earned it. I can see him in PA or NY or any NL contender. He's said he wants to win and that will play a big part along with the $$ on where he decides to sign.
I hate what's happening to the Dodgers but would love to have Kershaw if that was a possibility (which I doubt).
RP - I believe we should look within to fix the BP or get someone like we did O'Day. I don't think the TR's should spend big or trade top prospects for a RP.

Time for the "Crunch"... a Shuffle & Shake-Up are in order and due diligence should prevail.
The Team's playing at a .500 win clip. Haven't run off a good winning streak all year. Even
with all the big injuries, the trend is discerning. The FO, Wash & Coaches are in a squirm.
The second half run will start after the All Star Break. The July 31st Trade Deadline will
bring very needed changes & help. The offense is not clicking. Staff needs a transfusion.
Tic-Toc on the Clock... It's Time.

Original Post... JUN 20th
That's how long this has been building.
NOW, seems the time to come to Surface,
or at least till 31st of JULY

Seems to be heating up in Florida. Marlins, as expected, are listening... hard.
Whispers are getting louder. Something should break soon~ before LAA series?
Brandon League and Seattle parting ways? Nice to have ongoing M's buddy talk.

Keep me informed. I assume you read my post about Borbon and surgery.

Joyce divided Ulysses into eighteen chapters or "episodes". At first glance much of the book may appear unstructured and chaotic; Joyce once said that he had "put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant", which would earn the novel "immortality". - reminds me of the way HubZ's posts read...but without the immortality part.

...they call me 'Tater Salad', but you can call me Enoch