This recent comment made by Rick Carlisle in an ESPNDallas.com article written by Richard Durrett about the recent waiving of guard Delonte West intrigued me:

"You always have to remember, the culture of the organization comes first. If you lose the culture and it goes in the wrong direction, then you've lost your team. We've had years like that where we've lost certain guys or I wasn't diligent on certain guys and it's hurt the team in a big way."

This past season was a disappointment for the Rangers in the eyes of us fans.

What role did team culture play in last season's disappointing finish?

Should the importance of staying true to the culture of the team be of highest priority when this team goes out to acquire new players, let FAs go, and ship current players off in trades?

What kind of players fit the mold of the Texas Rangers team culture?

I like 20 game winners and .325 hitters.

Notorious,

In the book Good To Great "Culture" is the recognizable theme. If you build a Level 5 leadership you will have longer sustainable success than lets say a management team that micro manages.

So in regards to the Rangers, Mike Young being the team leader, had a very sub par year. We all know that! As fans we wanted him benched or moved in the order. Ron Washington probably did more for the culture of the club by sticking with him than he would have had he benched or moved him. He had to do the same thing with a struggling Kinsler, Hamilton, Cruz and Napoli.

IMHO the club didn't lose because they had a failing culture, they lost because they had a mentally and physically exhausted ball club. That also begs the question, did they fail? By our standards of winning the W.S., yes. did they compete until the last possible day? Yes. was their lack of success because they gave up or quit? No.

If Ron Washington caught all the glory when the young team with a $75 million payroll came together to beat the Yankees and appear in their first World Series in 2010, he should also be the goat when payroll has increased $60M and we had one of the bigger baseball meltdowns of the decade.

I'm a huge believer in team chemistry affecting the outcome of a season, but I'm not sold on the idea that one or two bad apples can spoil the barrel. We all know Hamilton has had baggage with him and could expect the Oswalt and Feldman fiasco's to be seized by the media, but it was Wash who should have take the wheel to keep the team on course. From my seat, that didn't appear to happen. (insert sinking ship Michael Young quote here).

Team chemistry is not something that should be overlooked...it's also not really something that can be engineered either. I think it's solid thinking to target certain types of players, but even getting the so called "good guys" on a team doesn't ensure team chemistry.

What really makes a difference is getting guys that can and will do things that other guys on the team won't or can't. What I mean is that if (for arguments sake) we had a guy that was an excellent bunter...that could lead to team chemistry because other guys would not have to sacrifice their stats for the team because they already have someone to do that. That player would get a ton of respect from his peers and that's where chemistry begins...with respect for what your teammate brings to the table.

Every team needs an asshole, a hustle guy, a defensive stopper, a media darling, a key pinch hitter/pinch runner, an intimidation guy, a rah rah guy...etc. The key to good team chemistry is to fill as many of these slots as possible...the hard part is that just because a guy has filled one of these spots in the past doesn't necessarily mean that he will fill that same spot in the future.

To answer you question...I think the Rangers need an asshole...someone that will not take any mess. Beltre sort of fills this role nicely, but I think the team needs another guy like that. We've all heard the saying that nice guys finish last...I think the Rangers have too many nice guys and need to get a little more edge on the team to balance everything out.

AND...I agree with billy b...I like 20 game winners and .325 hitters...

Did you just call Beltre an 'asshole'?

In reply to switch_hitting_witch, I am baffled as to how RW's sticking with MY and others when it cost the team numerous wins amounts to maintaining the team culture. Mike Hindman's excellent post on Entitlement hit the nail on the head. RW let the good team culture evaporate by constantly playing the same guys into the ground, especially the ones who weren't producing. RW abdicated the leadership/culture role from the beginning, as a "players' manager", which apparently to him means this is the responsibility of the team's "leaders".

RW let the good team culture evaporate by constantly playing the same guys into the ground, especially the ones who weren't producing.

And what gets me is that playing the same guys into the ground, in the eyes of many over the season, is what Ron Washington was doing to maintain the culture.

Okay, so who was the asshole on the Rangers?

JV says it was Beltre.

To be fair, he said every team needs one. Not every team has one.

First time post for me. Really like this site as there is a lot of passionate and intelligent commentary. Hope to add to that. The thread on this topic is especially good, but I can see I better be very careful with my words or trouble breaks out...:-)

The Rangers front office focuses intensely on clubhouse culture when working roster changes. For this reason I do not think they will make any serious run at Greinke, but I bet they will at AJ Pierzynski. AJ fits the "asshole" role JV described above, but is a fierce competitor and will shake up the clubhouse a bit. They need this, plus the Rangers need to find a catcher who can lead a staff and provide offense. AJ is a calculated gamble for them. Ironic in that he is not a player I have liked, he gets on your nerves when he is the opposition, but he will be a driver in the clubhouse and on the field.

My guess is the Rangers will be careful with their money and will see Greinke has too much risk. JD avoids the type of contract he will require, and Greinke's fragile psyche is as much or more of a gamble then Hamilton would be.

By and large the Rangers have one of the best clubhouse cultures in baseball, but Wash definitely let it get out of control by playing MY thru thick and thin, with WAY to much thin this season. The whole entitlement thing got out of balance. Need to see more of the young guys next year and add an asshole.

I would like to formally apply for the role of Team Asshole. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you I am more than qualified. I would happliy talk shit to opposing players and media turds. I would also make fun of Michael Young and make him cry daily. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Adam:
That would be a lateral move from Andy's hand maiden.

I think some of you have confused leadership with being an asshole. Not sure players want thier teamates to be assholes. Get Andy or Scooby to TEACH you which is which.

"To answer you question...I think the Rangers need an asshole...someone that will not take any mess. Beltre sort of fills this role nicely" JV

So I guess Jv is calling Beltre an ASSHOLE.. WOW- Don't know what your definition of an 'asshole' is but Beltre is in no way an ASSHOLE.
Now let's move on. GEEEEZ

I officially endorse Tex baseball for the rangers team asshole position.

I meant Beltre fit the asshole role for us...not that he is necessarily a the type of asshole that would shove a kid down on his way to the bank.

I like Beltre. Have you ever seen the look on his face when a pitcher brushes him back or Elvis is goofing around too much...he looks like he's about to kill to someone and I bet he wouldn't be afraid to speak his mind about it either...that's what I mean by asshole. He hold people accountable and doesn't let them get away with anything.

One guys asshole is another guys hard noised player or gamer...

Nice spin JV-you should be on Fox News.

Maybe we could explore trading for an ASSHOLE. What is the current going rate? AAR[assholes above replacement]

bbjunkie, welcome to the forums. Forget everything you thought you once knew.

Now that that's out of the way - there is a difference between an asshole and a team asshole. Beltre filled the team asshole role this year. AJ is just an asshole. Although he did score some major brownie points with me during part of the WS when McCarver was basically calling out Buster Posey for being out of position and AJ essentially told him he was a blind idiot.

Anybody who thinks the Rangers need an"asshole'[whatever the hell that means] is either an idiot or is obsessed with 'assholes'. There is NOTHING Beltre did that could remotely be described as 'assholish'. GOOD GRIEF people. Evidently The hinchman never participated in team sports. What he and others have driveled on this post is embarrassing. EVERY TEAM NEEDS AN ASSHOLE---LMFAO

Guys obsessing about assholes. I'm thinking there's some subliminal stuff going on here I don't want to know about.

I concur

"I think the Rangers need an asshole...someone that will not take any mess. Beltre sort of fills this role nicely," JV

When the most stand up guy on the Rangers and probably the Rangers MVP is said to be an asshole that pretty much sums up the knowledge of the writer. JV should apologize or do his best Fox News impersonation and spin his way outta this. I can only assume that JV stands for 'junior varsity'