Really, Mitch? http://sbn.to/WbyMBx

I think he makes a good point. He might not be correct in that Maddux is telling everybody to do only this, but mix and match is fine if you understand what he is saying. It just so happens, we have a bunch of fireballers, and a pitching coach who teaches the fine art of pitching. They might not always go together, which I think was his point. But if you can teach a fireballer to "pitch", you could have best of both worlds!

Fireballers? We only had 1 in our opening day rotation last year, Feliz.

Holland and Harry "can" hit 95 on the gun. And if YU isn't a fireballer, I don't know who is?

Just because they can trip the radar gun around 95 doesn't make them a fireballer. Yu throws like 8 different pitches. Feliz and Ogando, yes.

Compare the Rangers of 2013 with the Rangers of 2008, and side from Padilla the 2008 team could hardly break 91. 'Pitch to contact' was the theme. Majority of starters work in that range, may be a tick higher. But the Rangers of 2013 have their 4 top starters all capable of 95+ fastballs, with Ogando often working around 96 to 98. This is serious heat. Feliz as we all know was able to cross the 100 mph barrier. Even Colby when he first was a Ranger was a power pitcher, but has since evolved in a Millwoodish style, for the same reasons, but with a 89 to 93 speed as opposed to 86 to 89. So YES, the greatest change over the past 5 years is power pitching in the starters. The Maddoxs are classic finesse pitchers, BUT if some how they can translate over to the 5, then you have future aces in the making. Except for Ogando, who still has a big breaking slider and developing change, all have the stuff to succeed. The others may not reach the Darvish level, but they are have enough to actually show advancements, which comes also with coaching. An MLB.TV commentator has predicted that even now the Rangers will win the West. I am sure that he is basing that strongly on their Starting Core, where because of their ages, have future growth ahead, and this can only be cultivated by top coaches, aka Maddoxs. And always remember, on the Rngers if they need to talk about how to utilize their hard stuff, need only to go to the President, Nolan.

First off we are talking about Mitch Williams so no one should be really worried about what he thinks! But since it was brought up. I don't think Maddux is a problem hell he's the savior! He's teaching these kids how to pitch in the majors and how to pitch in the ball park! You can't throw straight heat and expect to pitch in Arlington very long with out getting whiplash! Pitching in the ballpark is all about control and hittting your spots. Holland is a perfect example when he is on and keeping it down and on the black you can't touch him he might be one of the best in the game! BUT when he loses his control and tries to get away with a heater that catches to much of the plate it's Souvenir time for the guys in the cheap seats.
When Holland went and talked to Nolan this offseason what did he ask him? "what should I do to control my pitches better" Not how do I add 3 mph to my fastball.
Mitch is an idiot who just needed something to say so as always he said something stupid.

I'm curious as to whose responsible for such poor technique most of our staff has at holding runners on?

who's .............obviously no english major.

You never have to watch where any of Mitch's pitches went or what they did to tell he was never a pitcher. There's a reason why he was a closer, and not a starter. He was pure and simple a thrower who cared nothing about the art of pitching. Even Nolan Ryan, with all of his control problems, still knew how to pitch. Tom House has Nolan as one of the top 5 pitchers of all time in terms of mechanics, but when you throw 100 all the mechanics in the world sometimes just aren't enough to keep it in the zone. Randy Johnson didn't start as the elite pitcher that he became with the ability to throw a perfect game. Johnson never had the ability to throw a perfect game in Seatlle, but once he finally learned to pitch instead of throw it all came together for him. A 20 k game, a World Series MVP, perfect game, Cy Young. It's not to say he wasn't good before, but once he figured it out he went to the next level. That's exactly what Maddox is doing for the Rangers pitchers. They are all very young hard throwers, and it takes years to unlearn your bad mechanics, and then learn the new ones. People always think you can learn something new in a day, but you can't when you're trying to break lifelong habits. It's a very lengthy process. Maddox is by far not the problem, and for perhpas the first time in my memory, and maybe ever, the pitching staff will be the strongest point of the Rangers in 2013.

Can't believe I got flack on this forum when I called Mitch Williams an idiot. Is he not? Does anyone here consider Mitch Williams an intelligent, analytical, intellectual man? Mitch Williams is a moron to the highest degree.

He bathes in a tub filled to the brim with his own narcissism, and compounds his idiocy with the thought that if a manager gave him a ball right now, he could still strike out every batter he faced.

He reminds me a lot of the uncle from Napoleon Dynamite. "Hey, how much you wanna bet I could throw this football over them mountains?"

He desperately needs MLB Network to remain close to a game that passed him by two decades ago, even though, whenever he talks, he rocks forward and back like a raving tweaker who takes too much pain medication.

I imagine the drafts on his articles have to be proofed about 17 times apiece, because he spells words like "alot" and "luv," the wrong forms of "to/too/two" and "their/there/they're." He's perfect for the 2012 redneck generation (which isn't a knock on where he's from, just the fact that kids would rather see pictures than read words).

Mitch Williams is what is wrong with the mainstream media, making everyone dumber one segment at a time. He needs to be sniped into oblivion.

Eric,

I have not always been your biggest fan, in fact sometimes you really annoy me. But this has got to be your best work yet. I love it. Bravo. It is so true about today's society. Nobody can spell worth a shit. By the way, whether you annoy me or not, I usually read your posts. Keep it real.

Yeah, he was such a big problem that his arrival coincided with back to back WS appearance and what should have been a WS banner with the likes of ceej wilson as our "Ace".

Gagreed E. Mitch is a nationwide version of Grandpa Urine.

Score readers and other talking head sports figures think they are the most brilliant minds in the business. Most of them are has beens or never weres that that send me looking for the mute button. It seems they think that they and their bank of knowledge are the real show with the game just being a throw in. Williams in particular was the biggest whiner the Rangers ever had.

Mike Maddox is the only operative brain representing management and ownership in the dugout. He is not the problem. Our pitchers are 'young' for you guys from Dallas that means they will take time to develop as accomplished major league pitchers. I can't think of a better mentor/teacher to lead this staff......and team from the dug out than Mike Maddox.

And as far as the wild thing being the biggest whinner ever in Rangers history....ah, I think he was trade a month ago to Philly.

I laugh at some of these thoughts and retorts. Really, there will always be Nerds v. Athletes.
Always has, always will. Don't get a Nerd Complex over it. Social structure has room for both.
Small or closed minds don't take up much space, in either colum.