Sunday Morning Open Thread: Five Questions
Josh Hamilton laces a double against the Angels on Thursday, July 22nd.1. With Scott Feldman's rising fielding-independent ERA (4.71) not-so-quietly catching up to his traditional ERA (5.46), is it just about time to find a different use for the Rangers' Opening Day starter? Furthermore, is it too early to call his contract extension a mistake?
2. A gun-to-your-head hypothetical (courtesy of A. Stephens): If the Rangers could afford to sign only one of Josh Hamilton -- who will likely command something in the vicinity of $10 million via arbitration next year, but is still a candidate for a multi-year extension -- or Cliff Lee, which would you choose and why? [Assume that the Rangers would have a semi-realistic shot at re-signing Lee.]
3. Do you feel Neftali Feliz should be groomed as a starter after this season -- a move which would likely entail keeping him in the minors during the early months of the 2011 season? Perhaps more significantly, would his median projection as a starter be good enough to justify switching him out of the closer's role?
4. This has been asked here before, but just for the heck of it: What is the first thing Chuck Greenberg/Nolan Ryan -- or any other incoming ownership group -- should do to improve the Ballpark experience? Cheaper parking/concessions? New scoreboard(s)? An overall face lift?
5. When was the last time you were excited by any sports team as much as you are by Rangers baseball right now?
73 Comments | in Open Thread, The Season
Reader Comments (73)
1. Feldman can go to the bullpen as soon as Holland is healthy, but even with an ERA around 5, he's the 5th starter right now and that's about what you expect from the 5th starter. The team will survive with him in that role, but if Holland gets healthy I'd give him a shot there. Too early to say on the extension, the option makes that contract less than horrible and Feldman seems unlikely to me to be this bad again next year.
2. I sign Hamilton to a one year deal for about what I expect him to get in arbitration. The team can't afford the years and dollars it will take to sign Lee, and Hamilton is still very risky and a long term deal seems unwise. Then again, this team has a habit of signing guys to long term deals that seem unwise (Young, Feldman).
3. I think it's worth a shot.
4. I think the new scoreboard is probably #1.
5. 1996 Rangers I think.
1) I still believe that Feldman is like hundreds of pitchers throughout the history of baseball.....he has had his one "season in the sun"! He will never achieve what he did in 2009......as soon as Holland is ready put him in as the #5 in the rotation and move Feldman to long relief. And if we can move him in a trade for a 1B or a catcher then that's fine too!
2) Hamilton......we need continued offense and good defense..........if we can't keep both our upcoming young pitchers can replace Lee in the rotation.....we were in first before we acquired him...it takes all the players to win a division and not just one man. If we can keep both then great!
3) No, Neffy needs to be left as a closer.
4) Place needs an overall facelift.......concessions do need to come down as do prices in the shops. Ticket prices and parking need to be reduced so more fans can afford to attend games. Scoreboards need big time upgrades!!! And whoever handles the scoreboards (keeping up with the Star Spangled Banner, etc.) should be replaced.
5) Grew up watching the Yankees of the late '50's early '60's.......they were exciting and now the 2010 Rangers!!!
1. I think FIP has limited usefulness with a team sporting this kind of defensive chops. Sure, Feldman needs to improve, but he walked off the mound with the Rangers still in the game. He pitched well against Baltimore, and he's not the worst option in the organization, I believe. Harden and Harrison can't do as well or better, IMO. Yes, the Rangers have missed on a couple of contracts, but they weren't complete disasters like some in the past. Young is certainly productive...just overpaid for that production.
2. Josh is the most valuable player in the league this year, maybe the most valuable in the post-steroids era. But I agree with t ball that you don't over-react and give him several yrs at $15 million each yr. If you can buy out his last arbitration yr (2011) and his first couple of free-agency yrs for something in the range of $30 million total, you might need to jump on that -- but he will probably hold out for something longer term. Lee isn't signing with anybody for less than 4 yrs @$22-25 million per yr. This contract may actually reach above Sabathia's range if the right teams get involved. It's time to start thinking about next July's trade target if you want to talk about ace starters in 2011 Rangers uniforms.
3. If we are serious about winning a World Series on a small-market budget, I think you've got to take a shot with Feliz in the rotation. Closers are much easier to come by than true #1 or #2 starters, and that's his ceiling. I don't think "median" starter is where he would eventually be.
4. Just win baby
5. I've had some pretty good times following my Sooners. But I'm certainly a bigger baseball fan today than football or basketball.
1. I don't think the contract's a mistake. He still maintains value, just not returning what's needed for the particular situation this team is in.
2. When I posed the question I should have qualified it as, if the parameters are equal and the dollars are there, which way do you choose. Me, I love Hamilton, you could go back to a 92 Newberg forum post that I made about bringing him here then, but all else being equal, I go with Lee and move JH in a mega-deal that restocks some high impact prospects back into the pipeline. Lee's value is beyond the obvious.
3. For next year it depends on the clubs need and on his ability to command a third pitch. I do believe he will ultimately return the highest value in the rotation.
4. I'm not there, but through the Hicks years it seems the biggest complaints I've seen written about have been over parking and concessions, so I would think that's a move that pays immediate dividends with fans.
02 Newberg post.
Idiot
1: Holland will be a solid part of the rotation when he is healthy. Feldman is perfect for long relief and spot starts. The contract and money should not figure into the decision. Make the move. He is not an effective 5th starter right now.
2: Sign Hamilton for 2011 and use the rest of this year and next year to see if he avoids injury and proves a long-term deal is a good idea. I had to check his stats and Lee had one great year with CLE in '08, but has a lifetime ERA of almost 4 and just good, not great, numbers otherwise. He's probably one of the most respectable aces on this staff since Nolan Ryan, but don't let that influence the decision to throw the bank at him.
3: Leave Feliz in the closer role for now. He hasn't even been used in two-inning save situations, yet. Give him time to mature.
4: A good product sells. Attendance the past three games proves that. An amazing scoreboard, or $1 hotdogs won't do much to fill the seats if the team isn't winning. Focus on player personnel and everything else falls into place. The Ballpark is fine.
5: The playoff teams of the 90's, or anytime Nolan pitched, regardless of the Rangers' record at the time.
1. Is he even reliable enough for mop-up relief? I'd like to see Holland given another shot, he has better stuff and is what, 23 y/o. Even if he does as bad, or even slightly worse, it is still the 5th starter. I'd rather have him take his lumps now as long as we are not losing games in the standings. I thought the Feldman extension was a mistake when it was first inked.
2. I'd re-sign Hamilton and let Lee walk after this year. Someone said earlier that they'd rather trade JH and try to re-stock the system. That sounds like a decent idea at worst, I'm not sure it wouldn't be a great idea, but we'd still get two first round picks in compensation for Lee walking this fall. Right now, I'm just more attached to Josh because he's been here longer, first established himself here, and I love watching him play more than any other player in any sport. PLUS, as someone else already said, we were already in first place when we acquired Lee.
3. I'd love to see Neftali given a shot at starter. My only question about him right now is, what happened to all that gas? I haven't seen him light up the guns at 99-101 in a long time.
4. I'd like to see two high-def screens, one each in left and right field, so that everyone can see the boards. I like the ribbon board they put in. I'm not going to complain about ticket/parking prices because we still have some of the cheapest. That being said, I'd love to be able to go sit in the lower reserved in right or left for $20 again, but I'm not getting my hopes up. They are already doing the most important thing to improve the whole experience, and that is winning again. I'd love to know what some of the attendance numbers are compared to years past, they SHOULD be significantly higher.
5. 1996, 1998, 1999, and I wasn't this excited. I think we are legitimate contenders right now and have as good a shot of anyone with our 1-3 starters, bullpen, defense and hitting.
1.) Feldman needs to go to the bullpen or just sent down to OKC. He's become a liability. The offense is struggling right now. The bullpen, while more rested than ever, is still overworked. They can't risk having the bullpen go 4 or 5 innings every fifth day. And yes, the contract extension was a massive mistake.
2.) Cliff Lee, without a doubt. There will be great hitters that come along every few years. We've got a legitimate #1 pitcher right now. I don't think any Rangers team could say that they had an ace. You do whatever you can to keep him.
3.) I think they should hold off putting Feliz in the rotation for a few years. Look at CJ. He failed as a starter the first time he came up. Neftali just needs experience making the right pitches at the right time. He's not ready.
4.) Scoreboard. Christ.
5.) 2006 Mavs. Without a doubt. Ironically, I've hated sports ever since then. Well, not really. I'm still bitter about the officiating of those Finals games.
I forgot something under question 1. During a game within the past two weeks, either Josh or Tom said during the broadcast that after the Rangers had scored one or more runs in an inning, Feldman had failed to execute the "shut down inning" the following inning 11 out of 14 times. That is awful. And I have a question for Joey or anyone else who wants to input their opinion, WHY haven't we given Kirkman a shot already? His numbers look very good and he can't be worse than Feldman.
Man, I'm an idiot. I've got a better one for No. 5. TCU Football. Right after Colt McCoy's pass out of bounds in the Big 12 Championship game. Clock read 0:00. For those 10 seconds, I couldn't explain how excited I was. Then, you know the rest.
1. Pretty good start Feldman gave us last night. Not bad at all. With a healthy Holland he moves to the pen for long relief. Too early to call it a mistake, it's just as easy to call this year a fluke as it is last year. Maybe he comes back strong in the pen or next season.
2. Josh. No brainer. Everyday starter with MVP caliber stats v. starting pitcher every 5 days. Pay the everyday MVP, bring up the young arms. As was mentioned previously, we were in 1st place sans Lee.
3. Treat Feliz as they did this year in the spring, see what happens. Wherever he is most effective is where he will be.
4. Anything that can be done to make the ballpark experience more memorable is worthwhile. Just combine it with a worthy product on the field.
5. 2005 Illinois Basketball run to Final Four. One buzzer beating 3 pt. shot from a perfect season.
my question has to do with the ballpark lease being removed from the sale of the team. Does that mean that the team would be free to play elsewhere? I do not know legally what that means... If it nullifies the lease agreement, Mark Cuban is the one person that I can think of who would consider a new retractable roof stadium in Dallas.
if that is the case, the bank may wish they had kept quiet
Feldman cannot miss bats, cannot get the strike out when he needs it. Look at his "presence" on the mound. He pitches scared. He doesn't believe in his own ability, that is clear to anyone who has eyes to see. Last night was the best you are going to get from him and he never should have gone out in the 6th - not to face Abreu, Hunter, and whoever else.
Second time around the lineup gets dicey with him, third time around you are asking for it.
I wish I was wrong.
1. Feldman's future is in the bullpen as a #6 starter/long relief.
2. No gun needed. Cliff Lee is too costly; sign Hamilton 2 years beyond arb.
3. The Rangers need another starter in 2011. Feliz is their man.
4. A new scoreboard will not increase attendance. Cheaper parking and concessions will.
5. The 2005-2006, Vince Young-led Texas Longhorn's march to the NCAA football championship.
(1) Replace Nippert as long reliever or even send him down to find out why no one hits the ball on the ground against him anymore as they did last year when he was successful.
(2) Wow, that's tough. I love Josh and would like to see him as the future face of the franchise like Young is today. I also like having a true "ACE" of the staff. I guess I go with Josh as he plays every day.
(3) We need a closer and we look good in current and future starters. Leave him where he is.
(4) Overall face lift. It looks shoddy in some places. It derserves to look like the Great place that it is.
(5) The Ranger's first playoff season in '96. I remember having jitters at the beginning of every game going down the stretch. Those jitters seemed to have returned.
1. I have no real problem with Feldman as a number 5 starter but when Holland gets healthy I would much rather see him called up and put in the rotation. I would probably send Feldman to the minors rather than the bullpen because I think if he can just figure how to get his pitches to move like last year he'll be fine.
2. Definitely Hamilton. We have pitching options but it's impossible to replace what has to be (right now at least) the most feared hitter in the game.
3. Just do exactly what they did with CJ during this spring training. If he proves to be one of the 5 best starters then let him start. As long as they keep him in whatever role he ends up in all year I'm fine with it.
4. I'm fine with the $12 because that's the one cost that can always be lowered by car-pooling. Ticket prices are fine since if your broke you can always just buy cheaper tickets. The food prices however have to be lowered, $6.50 for a hot dog is just ridiculous. Also a screen that can be seen from the outfield would be very very nice.
5. I don't really remember the Rangers 90's playoff runs so I would most compare it to when the Mavs first got good. The whole area rallying around a team they previously couldn't have cared less about is a beautiful thing to watch.
1. Feldman is serviceable, but not better than that. He might be like Chris Davis -- a AAAA player that had a good year. He had one good season and needed to prove he could do it again before a long term contract was given. Let Wash and Maddox decide between Feldman and Holland as the 5 starter / long man.
2. Sign Hamilton to a 1 year deal and see if he stays healthy for the balance of 2010 and 2011. He will cool down in the stretch this season as the heat bears down. Lee will walk after this year and be wearing Yankee (ptui) pinstripes in 2011 - 2016.
3. Leave Feliz as the closer as long as he performs well.
4. Another big scoreboard where everybody can see one would be a plus. Lowered costs for parking and tickets even more so. Tom Hicks (ptui, ptui) priced this retiree from seeing the game at RBIA a few years back.
5. The most recent was the 2006 Tigers. The most exciting was the 1968 Tigers. These Rangers are great fun to watch and show signs of brillance, but they still have to prove they are as good as they seem to be.
1 - Really no viable option other than running him out there every 5th day.
2 - Lee vs Hamilton in a vacuum I take Lee. Lee with his pricetag vs Hamilton with his pricetag I take Hamilton.
3 - Yes. Closers pitch 80 inning a year. Starters pitch 200+
4 - Retractable roof? LOL Pretty naive to ask for "cheaper ____" I think. The last thing a group who just laid out hundreds of millions of dollars has in mind is "What prices can I drop?"
5 - Never. I've celebrated success of my Sooners and the Cowboys, but although I like football and baseball pretty equally, there's nothing that compares to a pennant race...six games a week...comebacks...late losses...great performances...still have 60 stories yet to be written...
1. When/if Derek Holland comes back healthy and ready to go, I don't think Feldman will be one of our 5 best starters and should probably be relegated to long relief for the time being. He's just in a real tailspin right now - his FIP for the month of July is an ugly 6.32, thanks to the fact that he's given up more home runs (5) than he has strikeouts (4) in 23.1 innings. About all you can say for him right now is that he isn't walking people, but his LD% for the month is 25%, while his BABIP is only .289.
Bottom line is Feldman is not missing any bats at all right now, and is getting hit hard. The overall season numbers might not make moving Feldman to the 'pen in favor of Holland look like quite as simple a no-brainer, but unless he reverses his current trends in a big way over his next few starts I don't see us having a choice.
2. Given that Lee will likely command something along the lines of 150-160 million+ over 7 years this winter, and such a deal would probably hamstring the team financially for years to come, I'll take Hamilton.
3. Just because of his talent and potential, I would be highly disappointed if he isn't given a shot as a starter, myself. But closer is also an extremely overrated role, especially when you shoehorn your closer strictly into "save" situations in the 9th inning, instead of maximizing his value by using him earlier in the game if a situation calls for it. Mike Maddux seems to be a bigtime shoehorner when it comes to RP's, and not just with his "closer", so I definitely want to see Feliz given the chance to contribute more in a starting role.
4. Ban "The Wave" during innings. And maybe Jim Knox too.
5. For me the only thing that compares to this is 2002, when I watched Tony Stewart make his first NASCAR championship run. That was my first taste of sports glory.
1. No one is stepping in to take Feldman's place at the moment. It's not too early, because, really, it was only a one-year extension. It's not a very expensive extension. He should be moved to the pen, but someone has to pitch well enough to justify the move. Until then, the Rangers are in a holding pattern with him.
2. Lee. It's easier to control the game from the mound, and harder to find pitchers that can do it compared to power hitting outfielders.
3. Maybe after next season. I don't know if there is enough fire power coming back in the pen to move him into the rotation.
@Bruce,
excellent call on 68 Tigers, although I was a diehard Cardinal fan. frickin Mickey Lolich. :)
2. Josh.
3. Feliz hasn't shown any indication of developing the consistent off-speed pitches to be an effective starter. Leave him where he is; and expect Scheppers and Perez to join the starting staff at some point in 2011.
1.) Send him down to OKC when Holland is ready to take the ball. The extension was clearly a mistake.
2.) Lee. Everyday that Josh stays clean is a blessing. I hope that blessing continues everyday for the rest of his life. I mean that for his sake and for his family. I would not be comfortable betting millions of dollars on the long term stability of somebody with his history.
3.) Feliz is going to have to master a secondary pitch if he is ever going to reach his potential as a pitcher, regardless of role. I support whatever plan the Rangers come up with to facilitate that. The "problem" stems from the difficulty of developing pitchers and contending at the same time. Its tough.
4.) The Ballpark is beautiful. I'd rather see that money pumped into Baseball Operations.
5.) 1996
Scott Feldman = Ryan Drese
1. Feldman to the bullpen for long relief and spot starts. Holland is a future number 2 unless there are health problems we haven't been told about. Holland needs to be in the rotation for enough time to develop.
2. Hamilton in a walk. Everyday player vs. every 5th day player and Ham is younger. Even if we can sign both I question Lee because he will be 32 and will want at minimum a six year deal. He may be what he is for three or four years but not for six or seven.
3. I am very dubious about Feliz in a starting role. He has one pitch. You can make that work for an inning when that one pitch can come at 101 but it wont work past an inning. In fact I agree with those who have said he needs a second pitch to even stay where he is and be successful. I am dubious about a move to the rotation.
4. I have no problem with the ballpark as it is. I am a little old fashioned in that I go to see the game not the special effects. Put the money in the team and development.
5. ?
Thanks BB. I wanted to say just that but couldn't recall Drese name. That is exactly who he is.
1. Not sure on either part of the question. I don't see him being any more successful in long relief than he has been as a starter. Contract extension was appropriate at the time. Better risk versus cost than signing Harden for a raise over what he made in 2009.
2. Lee
3. Keep Feliz as Closer.
4. Drop ticket prices 10% on 3 or more tickets purchased at a time.
5. 1981-2 SF 49ers ... 1969 NY Mets
1. Feldman has done pretty good the last two starts. Put Holland as another lefty out of the pen.
2. Lee is a reincarnation of Greg Maddux. Keep him at all costs (almost).
3. Keep him in the pen for now.
4. Not realistic but build a new ballpark more like Minutemaid park in Houston where you can see the game from the concourse AND with a roof. And a bigger hall for Newberg night.
BTW, you think concessions are expensive here, I went to a Mets game last year in NYC. WOW! I am sure the Yankees are even worse.
5. Cowboys 92-95 and Mavs 2006. Late 90's Rangers were nice, but you knew they'd never get past the Yankees.
I just want to say two things before I start this. First off, I went to the game last night and it was hot and humid as hell. My seats were lower deck and behind the electronic ribbon so I thought it would be cool and breezy....WRONG. Second off, I went to the 2008 Dallas Stars playoff game where they won in overtime and that crowd wasn't as electric as the crowd from last night. People really are buying into the idea that it's time.
1) Absolutely, you pull the trigger right now. Send Mathis down, put Feldman as the long reliever, and give Rich Harden a chance to show us he's worth the money we paid for him. Two starts at max for Harden, anything less than 1 win gets him a release. I believe the extension was way too early, he should have received it after THIS season if he kept up the work.
2) Hamilton, no question there.
3) No, I don't believe Feliz is a starter anymore.
4) Lower hot dog prices.
5) 1999 Stanley Cup Champion Dallas Stars or 2007 Dallas Cowboys
1. Long relief and spot starter as soon as Harden or Holland is ready . Only time will tell if his extension was a mistake.
2. Hamilton for sure. Hunter, Lewis, Wilson, Feliz and Holland next year.
3. Rather see Feliz as a starter.
4. I don't know since I live in KC I've only been to the Ballpark twice (the last Bal series) in 6 or so years. I think it is a great park and is holding up well. Of course I grew up at the old stadium so.... maybe the scoreboard didn't have seat where you could see it that well. Oh and day games in the summer are stupid, way too hot.
5. I'm a confessed Rangers addict. I felt like I had a hangover after the long win streak. Listened to games when they have already lost 100 for the season, used to listen to games in KC in my car from my driveway when they were on WBAP . Yeah I know I need help. So the answer is no cause this is the best team they've ever had.
well, I think Harrison could do a better job than Feldman,
I am not sure he would even be a success at OKC
but Holland is our future at this point..
2. I dont like the question..... keep BOTH...
1. Think it still might be too early to consider it a complete mistake. When you look at the circumstances of why and when they extended him, you can see why they did it. Wilson was a project SP and they were hoping that Feldman would be the anchor with McCarthy, Harrison, and possibly Feliz rounding out the rotation. For whatever reason Feldman just has not been as consistent as last year. I cannot remember the last time a team had a SP go from being their #1 to their #5 in a span of 3 months, but it has happned here. I say give Holland and Harden a shot at the #5 hole and move Feldman to middle/long relief.
2. If Lee takes this team to the WS, he will drive his market price up considerably. I would sign Hamilton to a 1 or 2 year deal as others have mentioned above and see if he can stay healthy.
3. Feliz is still a potential SP in this league. If the team could find another Closer during the off-season or develop one, I could see them giving him another shot next year or the year after.
4. Parking and Concession pricing come to mind (and Gift Shop) and would certainly help people bringing their families to the game. Texas is considered small market, but if you put a good product on the field, people will come to the games. If we were the Florida Marlins who have played WC contenders the last couple of seasons and still had lousy attendance, then I would say that there is nothing much you could do.
I will say though one major improvement I would love to see is do something for the folks that sit in LF to block the setting sun in their faces.
5.91-95 Cowboys, 96-98 Rangers, VY Longhorns Title Team
1. While I admire Scooter for going out there and giving it his all, it's simply not enough. I don't know if the big contract has put extra pressure on him, or if it's simply a matter of him returning to his actual level of talent. Regardless, he needs to be moved to the bullpen in favor of Matt Harrison (or Derek Holland once he's healthy). This is no longer a 78 win team. They cannot afford to give games away.
2. Hamilton is having an unbelievable season but so is Cliff Lee. It can be argued that Texas has had several offensive players the caliber of Hamilton (Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmiero, Alex Rodriguez, Pudge Rodriguez) but have NEVER had a pitcher the caliber of Cliff Lee. If I could only choose one, give me Cliff Lee.
3. Feliz will never be a starter in the majors until he learns to use more than his fastball. It's the one pitch he can throw consistently and that is simply not enough for a starter. I fear he'd get HAMMERED the second time through a lineup. Keep as the closer, get Ogando in there as the set-up man and head down the road with them. Wilson, Lewis, Holland give Texas three quality guys to head up the rotation once Lee moves on to the massive Yankees contract.
4. Well, I know the team wants a new video board so I guess that's the direction to go. Personally, I don't think there's much the team could do to get me out there more often. Arlington is a long way from where I live so even free tickets are cheap enough sometimes.
5. The 2009 Rangers team.
1 - yes, I think its time to shut Feldman down, maybe even let him spend a few weeks in AAA to get himself straightened out. Holland could slip in and we'd be in much better shape than Feldman and his 5.00+ ERA.
2 - Tough question; I'd have to say Hammy but only because he plays everyday. This question though has too many variables; what if Perez came up and shined, what if Moreland came up and crushes the ball, etc...
3 - Feliz should remain as our closer. He could have a Mariano Rivera type career and we've shown time and time again that you need a shut down guy to pitch the 9th. WITH THAT SAID - what if Sheppers proves he's worthy of being a closer... then maybe you let Feliz take a shot at starting.
4 - This is going to sound really bad but I absolutely cannot stand the minor league type promos the Rangers put on. Dog day? C'mon man! Act like a big league club and you will command respect... period!
5 - I was pretty juiced about the Cowboys playoff team last year... but the Rangers are my baby and always will be. It's SO cool to say that I stuck with them through all the bad years and now we are seeing an in-house developed team that's going to be good for the next 5-10 years.
On a different note: Apparently the Angels landed Dan Haren. Via Buster Olney twitter http://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN
Hmmm, thats interesting! To me, that's a weird move to make 6 games back in late July. Maybe if they were within 2 or 3 games, then I could see it... but I don't think Haren is a game changer.
I hope they gave up a huge haul to get him... and will ultimately pay a steep price down the road.
http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/07/25/angels-acquire-dan-haren-for-4-players/
Haren for Joe Saunders, a AAA pitcher and a High A ball pitcher... but the "Player to be Named" may be one of their top 3 prospects.
Looks like they fleeced the Diamondbacks... and that sucks!
Haren???
A NL pitcher with a 4.60 ERA that fades down the stretch..... yawn.
Random and off-topic, but still a puzzler: the outro music to Tom Grieve's Rangers HOF induction ceremony last night was the Ramones' (cover of The Who's) "SUBSTITUTE." Within the context of a tribute it sounded strange at best, backhanded at worst. Did Tom pick it? What the heck was it supposed to mean?
1. Give him Mathis' role, bullpen liability that gets a shot in games that aren't close, maybe a little but he may find it again next year surprisingly like he lost it this year.
2. Wow horrible question, but I would go for Lee, we haven't had a pitcher like him arguably ever yet we have had many great hitters and while our higher prospects are mostly pitchers I think we could survive with out him while having dominant pitching
3. Keep him where he is, no reason to move him we have a surplus of young arms getting ready like Tanner Scheppers and Perez that could fill in as a rotation pitcher
4. The product on the field makes the experience, just resign everyone we can, Hamilton, Vlad, Lee and the experience will be great.
5. Its pretty great that the Rangers and Cowboys are basically simultaneously having the same great feeling about them and I'm younger so the last time there was so much excitement was the VY Tex championship and the Mavs in the Finals
Who is out there that may make sense at 1B and C?
The good thing is I could probably play either position (certainly 1B) and be an improvement... so expectations would be low enough where JD wouldn't have to give up much. With that said, and I hate to put the cart before the horse, can the Rangers win it all with Davis and Molina (and/or Treanor)?
I'm not suggesting an attempt at an established star... not at all... I'm talking about a modest improvement. Someone like an Aubrey Huff... who's obviously not available... but you get my point.
Ty Wiggington would probably mash at our ballpark... and Adam LaRoche may fit too... but what about a guy like Lyle Overbay... or Miguel Olivo... or maybe JD can pull off another win-win with the Reds and score Johnny Gomes, who you could stick at 1B.
I don't want to nit-pick... and every contender has holes... but we have TWO holes, one of which is HUGE!
Haren???
A NL pitcher with a 4.60 ERA that fades down the stretch..... yawn.
Here's a list of the top pitchers in baseball -- evaluated on total wins above replacement -- from 2008-10, per FanGraphs:
1. Roy Halladay: 19.6 WAR
2. Tim Lincecum: 19.0 WAR
3. Cliff Lee: 18.0 WAR
4. Zach Greinke: 17.6 WAR
5. CC Sabathia: 16.4 WAR
6. Jon Lester: 15.5 WAR
7. Dan Haren: 15.2 WAR
8. Justin Verlander: 15.0 WAR
9. Felix Hernandez: 14.9 WAR
10. Ubaldo Jimenez:: 13.4 WAR
The only thing that objectively merits a yawn here is what the Diamondbacks recouped for Haren. That, and the thought process that led to selling one of the better pitchers in baseball for a very pedestrian package of talent. Trading Haren is one thing. Trading him for that is another thing altogether.
Benny the K:
Tom Grieve made a cameo in the music video of "Substitute." I thought it was random too until they talked about it.
Everyone keeps downplaying Feliz's chances at becoming a starter, citing his lack of "secondary stuff." in Cliff Lee's and CJ's last starts, each without question dominant ones, both pitchers threw OVER 80% fastballs. He's our best option who isn't already in the rotation outside of maybe Holland.
1. Too early to call the Feldman deal a mistake. He's the only week spot in the rotation right now. Promising start through 5 innings yesterday. Maybe that's a sign of things to come. Keep him in the rotation for now.
2. I go with Lee. 4 quality starters (Lee, Wilson, Hunter, Lewis) in a rotation give you a chance to win every night.
3. Leave him at closer for now. He's as automatic as you can get to shut out games. Why mess with that?
4. Move the stadium to Dallas.
5. This is the most excited I've ever been. I'm a baseball fan above all else. We've waited a long time for a team like this. Rangers for life!
1. Feldman still has value to the Rangers, whether that being in the rotation or long relief. I envision Feldman coming in clutch in the playoffs in the long relief role.
2. Hamilton gets the nod without a doubt. Regardless of his stellar season this year, its hard to argue with signing a guy who plays everyday in comparison to a guy who's out there every 5th day. Right ownership in place you get both and build around those two. Michael Young is not the face of the franchise anymore.
3. Keep him in the CLOSER role but get him a 2nd pitch.
4. By the looks of the attendance with the Angels series these past four days...NOTHING, put a winning team on the filed and they will come.
5. I'm a Rangers junkie...so I haven't been this excited in years!
@ A Stephens. Greatest season ever -- so many games when the Tigers came from behind to win late. Gates Brown always seemed to there for a pinch hit HR when needed. Lolich in the series after McLain nearly blew it. Mickey Stanley playing SS so Kaline could play and they could get a better bat than Ray Oyler's into the lineup. On your side, Bob Gibson pitching so very well in beating McLain twice and had that 1.12 ERA for the year. Best part of it all was it brought Detroit together after the riot the year before.
@Joey Most of those "WAR" stats have to be from 08-09. Plus WAR is a speculative stats that are fun to look at but don't prove much. His ERA for this year is above the NL average and it pretty much matches what he has done for his career after July. The Angels defense except for ss and cf is pretty weak plus he doesn't get to face pitchers anymore so I don't see his numbers improving.
If that's the best the Angels can do then the only team we have to worry about is the A's.
Most of those "WAR" stats have to be from 08-09. Plus WAR is a speculative stats that are fun to look at but don't prove much. His ERA for this year is above the NL average and it pretty much matches what he has done for his career after July.
Okay, but he's still on a 4.0 WAR pace this season despite the inflated homer rate. I don't know why his higher-than-average ERA this season should be used as a predictive indicator of how he's going to perform going forward when there's evidence suggesting that it has, to a significant degree, climbed because of things beyond his control. Also, here's his career-spanning month-by-month FIP breakdown:
March/April: 3.71 FIP
May: 3.71 FIP
June: 3.48 FIP
July: 3.36 FIP
August: 4.28 FIP
September/October: 3.61 FIP
I agree with Ranger513
Dan Haren is washed up. He is the kind of guy the Rangers would have signed 6 years ago to try and sneak into the playoffs. That type of signing stripe mines your minor league system. I hope the Angels make three more signings like that before August 1.