sully
honorary peso (chingador*)
Posts: 13,045
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Post by sully on Jun 18, 2012 12:05:44 GMT -5
You have to beat the bad teams. Especially in your own division. We can beat Houston and AZ as much as we want. Beat Oak and Sea. The poor schedule has been nice and LAA is still on a tear.
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cowtownmike
honorary peso (chingador*)
I done been thru the scruggles.
Posts: 12,467
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Post by cowtownmike on Jun 19, 2012 13:58:29 GMT -5
Let's wait until we finish the AAA portion of the schedule before we get sized for rings.
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Post by P. Marf on Jul 4, 2012 16:35:52 GMT -5
The wheels are beginning t0 shimmy on this thing... The wheels are officially OFF! This team will be out of first place by July 4th. MARK! |
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Post by P. Marf on Jul 4, 2012 16:37:28 GMT -5
They'll be up by 9 games by then. I was off by 3 or 4 games depending on what they do tonight. But either way I won this battle. |
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Post by Ticket Mouse on Jul 23, 2012 11:52:50 GMT -5
You have to take the positives with the negatives. He was playing the averages. Usually, he is right. That's how we won two consecutive pennants. If Moreland would've come up and whiffed the last two at bats, people would be griping because Wash should've pinch hit for him because "everyone knows he can't hit lefties." Of course I think he should've left him in. Hind sight is 20-20. As far as resting Hamilton, he had played 13 games in 13 days and Wash felt it was time to let him rest. I will definitely defer to the coaching staff and people who know what they are talking about on this one. Josh, and the team for that matter, hasn't been the same since this day. I questioned it then and now I question it even more. This was the turning point of the season. |
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Post by P. Marf on Jul 23, 2012 14:17:55 GMT -5
So you think a day off during a streak has led to over 2 months of absolutely awful ABs for Josh? Something is wrong with the guy, but that isn't what caused it. A day off shouldn't result in bad baseball.
In other news, I am going to the game tonight.
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Post by Ticket Mouse on Jul 24, 2012 8:25:23 GMT -5
It shouldn't but we know how fragile Josh's psyche can be. He was riding a significant hitting streak which ended because of a failed pinch hit appearance. He was in a groove but Wash said he was "pressing." Josh was 17 for his last 35. I wish the entire lineup was pressing. Since then, Josh has had modest hitting streaks of 4 games (twice), three games (three times), and 2 games (twice). He even had an eight-game steak but had a total of 8 hits in that steak and hit .250 (8-32). Tonight he hit his first double since JUNE 20. He has not had more than 2 hits in a game since May 11. Prior to that he had 8 games with three hits or more. I sent an email to Junior outlining my theory and he read part of it on the air. Here are some interesting numbers since that day: Hits in 29 of 51 games. 18 extra basehits of 41 total hits. 24 runs scored 58k’s 8 multi-hit games espn.go.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/4652/josh-hamiltonBy contrast, the much maligned Michael Young since May 17th has: Hits in 37 of 54 games 25 runs scored 17 multi-hit games 3 games of more than 3 hits espn.go.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/4566/michael-youngI’m not saying Young has been much better than Hamilton during this stretch…I’m just giving a point of reference from a guy that is struggling as well. By contrast to Gentry since the 17th: Hits in 23 of 38 games with an official AB (16 of those he was a late game replacement, including 11 games of only one AB) 11 multi-hit games OPS of 1.088 in June and .788 in July, compared to Hamilton’s .754 and .569. espn.go.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/30267/craig-gentryI go back to that day in May as the day it started to go wrong. They were in the middle of a 10-game stretch against KC, OAK, SEA, and Houston. Wash used this stretch to give a lot of his regulars a day off and it resulted in going 4-6. I think Wash saw the schedule and took for granted that his team could still win if he sat a few guys. He used the excuse that it was getting hot but only four of those games were truly outdoors. The other six games were at Houston and Seattle. I just didn’t like the decision to rest Josh against a divisional opponent when he was in the middle of one of the greatest power streaks we’ve ever seen with an interleague opponent on deck. It didn’t make sense then and it makes even less sense two months later now that we’ve seen how the division is playing out. Had they gone 7-3 rather than 4-6 they’d be enjoying a 9-game lead over LAA right now. I know it’s hindsight to look back at what could have been but I think since that day Josh has had a hard time concentrating and feeling comfortable at the plate. |
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Post by P. Marf on Jul 24, 2012 12:50:18 GMT -5
It's bad. No matter when it started. On a somewhat related note: I love Gentry. I would like to see him in the starting lineup more often.
Anyone see the guy with the net rob two foul balls from me in the same inning? Damn shame.
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Post by Ticket Mouse on Jul 24, 2012 15:01:35 GMT -5
Dang, I missed that. I was planning on Lunch with the Rangers today but I went grocery shopping instead.
I'm going tonight.
Gentry is really impressive, especially given the fact that he's not an everyday player and several of his hits have come off the bench. If he could develop some power, say 10-15 HRs a year, and continue to hit at or around .300, he could be a key piece of the future. Great speed and above average arm for a CF. Right now, he's making Hamilton appear expendable. He's makes the decision to go after an ace before the trade deadline much easier.
The Rangers' thinking could go like this:
Let Josh walk in FA. Move Kins to left. Profar to 2B. Gentry could be your everyday CF. Cruz, with one year left, would be in RF. The money you would have spent on Josh could go towards an ace. That's why I like the thought of Lee over Hamels right now. You'd only be tied up for three more years. If you get Hamels you'll give up a lot from the farm and the chances of resigning him are minimal. If 2013 doesn't go well you have Cruz as trade bait at the deadline and you still have Moreland who can play RF. Young may be expendable at the trade deadline too.
I have faith that JD will make the right decisions. Everything he does is with the intention to get better. He rarely gets emotionally attached to players. What he said about Cobra last night is the first time I've seen any emotion from him regarding a player.
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Post by Ticket Mouse on Jul 25, 2012 10:38:11 GMT -5
Oh man, things nearly got ugly last night in the stands when Padilla plunked Beltre. We were sitting around a bunch of Red Sux loudmouths. As soon as Beltre got nailed I jumped out of my seat and started yelling just like 35k other Ranger fans. It was an 0-2 count but we all know Padilla's history with the Rangers and tensions were high. A couple guys started mouthing at me and my brother. We mouth back. Then an usher warns me to tone it down. The Sox guy keeps running his mouth. My brother says "why don't you tell this a-hole to shut up too?" Then security comes and warns us. Then an Asian lady a few rows below stands up and starts yelling at me...something about havinga 13 year-old...blah, blah, blah...I tell her 1) it's past his bedtime even in the summer 2) he already knows those words and 3) in his head it saying "mom, shut your damn mouth." That really pisses her off. Her white husband stands up and says something to me. So then I deliver the most disingenuous and offensive apology I've ever seen: I put my hands together, bow, and tell her I'm sorry. My brother collapses in laughter like Benny Hinn had laid hands on his forehead. I felt like Ichiro when he bowed towards the Seattle crowd the other night. The husband says thank you and extends a handshake. I'm in disbelief that I didn't start a riot. Then another guy across the aisle was sticking up for us. Security has to come and settle him down. Before you know it there's cops standing at the portal. I got warned a total of 4 times...twice by the ushers and twice by security. Man, it was like sitting in left field at Arlington Stadium all over again. Victory would have been very sweet last night. Tonight could get ugly.
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Post by P. Marf on Jul 25, 2012 11:41:19 GMT -5
Damn, Stubbs. Sounds like you were "that guy" at the game last night. I'm glad you didn't get karate chopped though.
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Post by Ticket Mouse on Jul 25, 2012 12:05:24 GMT -5
Red Sox fans just rub me the wrong way. I can tollerate Yankee fans b/c they have, what, 27 rings? Plus, I was mad that our most reliable player was plunked by the most hated pitcher in the league.
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Post by mikeswife on Jul 27, 2012 10:15:03 GMT -5
Remind me to never go to a game with you...oh, wait...I've never been invited! Mmmmm, Stubbs what's up with that?
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Post by Ticket Mouse on Jul 27, 2012 10:36:18 GMT -5
It goes both ways! Mark.
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Post by mikeswife on Jul 27, 2012 10:51:36 GMT -5
I have actually only been to one game this year.
: (
We went with mikesmom when she was here.
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