It is almost hilarious how much of an automatic out fielder has become. If I'm Banny, I sit him down tonight and DH Odor fresh back from the suspension, and keep profar at 2B. Or DH profar.

Either way, fielder should not play tonight. But I feel like we'll see him out there because Banny seems to think sitting him is a bad idea. Our lineup has to work without him being even remotely serviceable.

Couldn't agree more. It would be catering to veteran egos over winning. Tme for a tough message to be sent.

Kinda like the Michael Young situation late in his career where you really can't be mad at the player -- it's not his fault the manager keeps sticking him in the lineup (and the fact that Prince volunteered to DH because it was better for the team leads me to believe he is not a "me me me" guy).

The fact that it took Bannister this long just to drop him in the lineup means he's not going to be benched for any significant amount of time. Honestly I feel the fear with sending him to the "DL" and then a rehab stint is that he's going to go down to AA/AAA and still struggle and then it's all over confidence-wise, going from a bad "slump" to "i'm done". He simply doesn't have the bat speed anymore.

The bright spot? If Mazara got put in Prince's spot and went 0 for 4 I think you'd see Fielder right back there the next day (regardless of what he did himself).

But Mazara just Mazara'd... 2 hits, 2 walks. Ho hum. Would be insane to move him out of that 3 hole now.

For as bad as Fielder and Moreland have been hitting, we're still 3rd in the AL in runs scored and 7th overall. We keep winning games with them in the lineup. I think the arguments we're making are trying to turn a good offense into a World Series good offense and that's a good problem to have.

If Prince and Moreland could just have a couple good weeks and get their averages up to around .250 then we'll be good to go. Until then they need to be hitting at the bottom third of the order. Andrus, Desmond, Beltre, Mazara, and Rua are hitting too well to have their ABs put to waste after they get on by two guys who are having a terrible season.

I personally think Moreland should be traded if he doesn't turn it around by June. A change of scenery would probably do him some good. When Choo gets back we'll have to find a place for Rua who has shown he can play first, plus we have Gallo waiting in the wings. As for Fielder we're too committed with his contract to do anything with him. At this point just play him. You have to think that one of these days it's going to click. If he wasn't a veteran with a huge contract I would have sent him down a month ago.

Everything I seen indicated his bat speed and the velocity of the ball off the bat are fine. Which is why Banny hasn't sat him.

Some reporters tweeted something to the effect that Fielder won't get benched before the ASB, so don't anguish about it.

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Everything I seen indicated his bat speed and the velocity of the ball off the bat are fine. Which is why Banny hasn't sat him.

Some reporters tweeted something to the effect that Fielder won't get benched before the ASB, so don't anguish about it.

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Fielder's swing speed through the zone may be similar, but it's only because he is cheating/guessing on more pitches.

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quote:

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Everything I seen indicated his bat speed and the velocity of the ball off the bat are fine. Which is why Banny hasn't sat him.

Some reporters tweeted something to the effect that Fielder won't get benched before the ASB, so don't anguish about it.

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Fielder's swing speed through the zone may be similar, but it's only because he is cheating/guessing on more pitches.

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Well, that is true, too.

Last night Moreland swang at two pitches that were eye level, and the middle pitch was belt high and was a called strike. K. They are both so lost.

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Banny clearly reads TexAgs

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Wilhelmson back too. Here's hoping he got things figured out. We could use him.

Now if he can just read the parts about us wanting gallo at first and never ever what so ever even if someone's threading his life bring Tolly back onto the major league roster

Popcorn ready

Side note: just saw that one of the prospects included in the White Sox's trade for James Shields is Fernando Tatis, Jr...son of the former Texas Ranger. Didn't realize he was old enough to have a kid in the minors. Now I feel old.

Wow, that does seem crazy. Tatis has an MLB record that will almost certainly never be broken. I'm sure someone here knows what it is.

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Side note: just saw that one of the prospects included in the White Sox's trade for James Shields is Fernando Tatis, Jr...son of the former Texas Ranger. Didn't realize he was old enough to have a kid in the minors. Now I feel old.

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Looks like the deal is a couple spares going to San Diego and ChiSox getting Shields with half of what is owed to him paid for by the Padres.

$31M going to ChiSox.
Shields is owed $21M for the next 3 seasons with a $2M buyout after those 3 years.

Shields can opt out of the contact after 2016, so Chicago may only be on the hook for this year. Having said that, unless Shields turns it on, I can't see him opting out.

Yep. Hard to beat eight RBIs in one inning.

Tatis' ears had their own zip code...I was convinced he was the next big Ranger and was so very upset when he was traded

Is this the emergence of the Gold Chain for the Rangers?!

Looked like Profar (Neth Antilles), Mazara (DR), Martin (Vz) & Odor (Vz) all wearing a big bouncy gold chain.

Bannister might be open to criticism about the bullpen, but he's got this team buying in to do anything to win. No egos... I think the team leadership (see Beltre) has a lot to do with it too.

Moreland coaching Mazara on hitting.

HODOR IS BACK!!!

So Rua to 1b when Choo gets back?

THAT A BABY RUA!! Already have surpassed the normal run support for Perez!

This team is really rolling. Nice standing O for rougie.