Colon 2nd:
Go4
Go5
Single
Single
Comes back and mows down Phegley with 3 straight pitches (K).

MAN, I'm excited about 2018!

Final line on Colon:

2.2 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 2K, 1BB.

Leclerc (1.1 IP) and Claudio (1 IP) went unscored upon and maintain their combined 0.00 ERA.

"All-In 2018"

Get on board...

Rangers-Aid for all.

It's About Us

Lincecum to wear #44 for late brother:

https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/tim_lincecum_will_wear_no_44_to_honor_his_late_brother/s1_12680_25875683?mb_edition=20180307

Rangers agree to terms with Julio Pablo Martinez. Now #3 prospect in system, #60 in baseball.

https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/rangers_agree_to_terms_with_julio_pablo_martinez/s1_13237_25874381?mb_edition=20180307

Another step closer to an all LHH lineup!

But seriously that kid looks good. Hoping he can come up and man CF in a couple seasons.

Rossko said:

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Did someone say they needed some Kool-Aid?

Gallo hits at least .240 and reaches 50 HR.

Delino plays relaxed with the every day CF job and hits .280 with 30 SB.

Rougie becomes slightly more selective and improves to .260 with 35 HR.

June Calhoun just rakes every week hitting .290 in the lower 3rd of the order.

Elvis sustains his recent play for another solid year. Beltre keeps GOATing it up. Mazara quietly performs while being underrated.

Hamels rebounds from his worst year and Perez stays healthy for a solid #3 starter.

2 of Fister, Moore, Minor or Colon pitch with sub 4.50 ERA in the rotation all year. Bush goes back to the pen and solidifies the back end with a healthy Diekman and improved Leclerc. Claudio craftily becomes the crunch time poor man's Andrew Miller and Kela has his best year.

Yohander Mendez or Ariel Jurado takes a huge step and cameos in the rotation in August and holds a spot through a wild card run culminating in 85 wins.

I've got limitless Kool-Aid for anyone that needs some.

---

That gave me chills. So awesome.

However, if YoMen progresses in ST, like he has... the only reason he'll start the season in the minors is because they have to move a SP or two to make room.

In seriousness...
I think Hamels is in the 3.60-3.70 ERA range. This is a big money year for him and he seems to always step up his game. Last year he started off hurt and battled back. I'm not sure if it was conditioning, or what... but he was 3.51 ERA pre-ASB, and 4.56 post-ASB. Based on health... he may have just not been physically strong.

I think expectations for Perez have been sub-4.00. If he is even in the 4.25 range, it would be positive, even though I still believe he should be in the 3.75 range.

If Matt Moore has figured out a mechanical issue and holds the fix for the season, he could be in the 4.00-4.25 ERA range. Career 4.27 ERA for a 28 year old with 137 GS... entering the prime of his career.

A 4.50 ERA Fister is acceptable, if Hamels, Perez and Moore do what is possible.

The big question becomes how does Bush develop?!

I think Colon ends up playing the role of player-mentor. Bring him in to get the ear of young players like Perez, YoMen, Jurado.

Been looking for a tall glass of this stuff, thanks!!

Of all that, I'd say Odor hitting .260 with 35 homers is most practical and a MUST for this team to win 80 games.

No way is Perez a 3.75 ERA guy.

I drove bus said:

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No way is Perez a 3.75 ERA guy.

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In 2013, at the tender age of 22, Perez went 20 GS, 3.62 ERA, 1.335 WHIP, in 124.1 IP. 162 IP is a full season to qualify for the ERA title.

In May 2014, he had TJ surgery.

In 2016, his splits were: 3.85 (pre All-Star)/5.04 (post AS)
In 2017, his splits were 4.60/5.01.

After the ASB in 2016, the Rangers picked up Lucroy to catch and Lucroy was mostly a failure in Texas, where he didn't seem to be received very well by the SPs.

I'm interested to see what... if any adjustment Perez has made and how this season plays out.

Most have compared him to Johan Santana, who has a 3.20 ERA, for his 12 year MLB career.

I don't think a 3.75 ERA is leap in terms of what he was projected to achieve. We can argue whether that is still a worthwhile expectation... but he was certainly believed to be a guy with that kind of stuff. It is mostly mental, at this point.

Today's probable pitcher is Clayton Blackburn.

25 yo RHP from Edmond (Ok), Blackburn was drafted in 2011 by the SFG. Pitched mostly in RR (AAA) for the Rangers last year, to the tune of 19 GS, 4.97 ERA, 1.365 WHIP (96.0 IP). He came to the Rangers last year for some guy I have never heard of (Frandy De La Rosa).

In Blackburn's two ST GS, this year, he has compiled:
2GS, 5.0 IP, 5 H, 0ER, 2 SO, 0 BB and a W.

He very well could get the 6th rotation spot (not really) if we go with a 6-man (I hope not).

I would think he is slated to return to AAA where he will await misfortune for others, giving him a shot to eat expensive clubhouse food in Arlington. If the Rangers have concerns about the rotation coming out of Arlington... might they stash him in Frisco for a quick commute to Arlington, if needed?!

Another JD Gem.

I drove bus said:

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No way is Perez a 3.75 ERA guy.

---

Career ERA 460
Career FIP 451

Btw for Johans career?

Career ERA 320
Career FIP 344

IMO a decade old comp based mainly on pitch mix isn't very predictive.

Perez could career, tho...always possible.

PS - Perez was sub 4 in 2013 but FIP was 423.

First we're going to lose 100+ games, then Martin Perez is a Johan Santana comparable.

God bless DallasAg.

That's just the kool-aid talking

I've never not been called out about my optimism for the Rangers SPs.


A walk down memory lane, perhaps?!


From BR:
Will Texas Ranger's Martin Perez Be The Next Johan Santana?

From another:

https://www.minorleagueball.com/2014/5/13/5640214/not-a-rookie-martin-perez-texas-rangers
.

Quote:

---

Overall his five-start apprenticeship in Double-A resulted in two good outings and four poor ones, but given his age and experience level this wasn't unexpected. Perez is a special talent, drawing comparisons to people like Johan Santana.

---

He has fallen short of that, as of yet. Not living up to the pressure, perhaps?!

And when Perez pitched for Spokane in the NWL, he was the 2nd youngest pitcher to ever pitch in the league.

#1... Felix Hernandez.

So the bar of expectations was set pretty high for Perez. A 22 year old putting up a 3.62 ERA would surely have even higher expectation that the 3.62 by the time he reached 27... 28.

Now, a lot has happened since then.

He signed a lucrative contract (relatively for him) and part of that contract had an understanding that the Rangers would help facilitate him being able to get his family out of Venezuela. I don't know if/how all of that has affected him mentally... or if they ever got out... but physically... the guy had it.

Ok... Blackburn might need a little more seasoning... a nice 1st IP. Battled through his 2nd...wheels off in the 3rd.

He's good-to-go, though...

I'm in St. Louis and having bad memories. However their Village area next to the stadium is fantastic. I hope Rangers new digs will be similar....very impressive

Ryno01 said:

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I'm in St. Louis and having bad memories. However their Village area next to the stadium is fantastic. I hope Rangers new digs will be similar....very impressive

---

It is my desire that the new stadium and surrounding development funded by tax payers provides the type of revenue that we can afford some legit FA signings.

I understand the goal of developing around it, but at the end of the day, it's Arlington. That development didnt happen in 25 years with TBIA. Hasn't happened in 10 years with Cowboys Stadium. There's a reason for that. Maybe the special event venue will change that, but I'm skeptical.

Me too.

The way things developed over the past 10-15 years, the Ballpark needed to be about 40 miles north of its current location.

DannyDuberstein said:

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I understand the goal of developing around it, but at the end of the day, it's Arlington. That development didnt happen in 25 years with TBIA. Hasn't happened in 10 years with Cowboys Stadium. There's a reason for that. Maybe the special event venue will change that, but I'm skeptical.

---

Well, lacking a real, coherent plan and any intent to actually follow through is always a problem. Downtown St. Louis was dead for years until they actually showed commitment to a real plan.

Texas Live, or whatever, is coming---its not just a conceptual plan anymore. The money is committed, the construction crews are working, they've got commitments from restaurants, breweries, etc.

The question is really "will it stick over time" now, not "will they ever build anything."

The stuff with a real plan in Arlington has mostly worked. The Highlands, the stuff around UTA/downtown, and Champions Park or whatever over on Collins has been getting up on its feet alright.

A big part of the problem with development around TBIA was Tom Hicks and his ownership of the land around the park, even after the new owners bought the club. Now that the new park is being built, the rest of it can now develop.

You mean... putting a pond around 1/3 of the stadium and parking lots around the other 2 did nothing to attract patrons?! I'm shocked. ">

Hicks' name comes up around everything I've disliked about the Rangers. If I park, I have a half mile walk passing a Little League park and a pond. I most often valet. But, if I'm going to valet... there really isn't anything other than to go into the stadium.

The Siemens buildings made no sense at all. You basically destroyed the restaurants along 30, that were there. I don't think with the existing stadium, that you could design or build anything that would ever take hold.

So, tear it all down and rebuild further South, I suppose. The Rangers would be best served to cater to the fans they have... rather than lose the fans they have in an attempt to get the fans they want.

For the commentary:

Hicks alienated his base Rangers fans, in an attempt to attract NYYankee/Boston Red Sock/ChicagoCubs/Dallas Stars/NHL type fans and destroyed the atmosphere of games, by allowing Jim Lites to turn it into a hockey atmosphere. Hicks jacked up the premium seats transitioning the demographics of loyal STH from baseball fans to corporate sponsors, whom he was intent on gouging and exploiting. That changed the fan development is attracting from loyal fans with a routine... to people who drop in for games. You want loyal fans who immerse themselves in game... or do you want business meetings where sales people invite customers to formal expensive dinners and then drop into the game, where the game is more of a distraction to what is going on.

As a Dallas Stars STH for 10 years, we had our routine. Drink a couple beers before the game. We might land at Hoffbrau in downtown Dallas (when games were at Reunion). Take the bus over to the games, return to Hoffbrau and hang for a couple more beers. We knew the staff and bus driver by name. We knew our beer vendors at Reunion by name. It was funny. On our way to the bathroom, we'd look at the beer vendor... tell them how many beers and by the time we finished pissing, the beers were waiting. Hicks destroyed most of that with the AAC. Incredibly impersonal and sterile.

When Hicks sold the naming rights to Ameriquest... a predatory mortgage lender, you knew it wasn't good for Hicks.

Comparing to St. Louis is very difficult. Their stadium has always been downtown and while the festivities were more decentralized, it wasn't like there wasn't activity around downtown. Much of SL is sketchy. My friends have season tickets and have for 25+/- years. AFAIK, the holders have been generational and my friends took over their parent's tickets. There is a group of 4-5 families that own them.

SL only has one team. The Cards. The Blues (NHL) has lost most of the goodwill towards fans. The NFL Football Cardinals left for PHX and the Rams relo'ed there in '94/95, but have vacated back to LA.

The culture of SL is much different, having been the center for AnheiserB. The Catholic influence and blue collar environment caters more to an active nightlife around the games. Oh... their success helps, as well. SL isn't sprawled as much either.

Arlington has a populatino of 392K people over an area of 99.68 sq mi.
By comparison SL has 315K people over an area of 66 sq mi.

The DFW Metroplex has 7.2M people but over an area of 9200 sqmi.

The Rangers have more fans to draw from, but have more competition for attendance and have to overcome the distance/location.

I home office and am 60 mins from RBiA, based on average time traffic/rush hour and no traffic after games. So, leave at 6pm for a 7:35 game get home around 11:00. 5hr commitment before I even talk about eating and drinking. With drinking laws and predatory cops... I have too much to lose to get caught drinking and driving.

Hicks built a development to attract a new fan base, while alienating his existing base. Perot did the same thing with the Mavs. They were more interested in the revenue that could be gained by getting eminent domain of surrounding property and building the real estate, than actually focusing on building a team and driving revenue based on the fans and the attraction.

So, now we'll try again.

Rant over.

And you realize Hicks divided the property into different holdings. When he filed for bankruptcy on the team... the surrounding parking lots were not park of the bankruptcy and he held ownership of them long after the team was sold.

I believe the property has since been bought by the current owners, but it was for a hefty price. The problem for development was... can I make more money leaving it a parking lot or develop the land. Parking is way too lucrative, to give that money up to put a restaurant or bar.

Hamels in Beast Mode: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 4K, 1 ER, 1 BB

And Reunion was fun for me to go to as a kid, but it was getting old and not built for a hockey team---its rink was famously terrible to play hockey on.

There was no way, whoever owned either the Stars or the Mavericks, was going to find that an acceptable arena moving into the 21st century.

And if the Stars weren't new or playing for Stanley Cups, that place would have been miserable.


The AAC is also fun. ">

TXAggie2011 said:

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And Reunion was fun for me to go to as a kid, but it was getting old and not built for a hockey team---its rink was famously terrible to play hockey on.

There was no way, whoever owned either the Stars or the Mavericks, was going to find that an acceptable arena moving into the 21st century.

And if the Stars weren't new or playing for Stanley Cups, that place would have been miserable.


The AAC is also fun. ">

---

Mid-season form, I see...

I don't think anywhere in my posts I indicated Reunion should have been kept. The land confiscated to build AAC was done by Perot, IIRC. Hicks had influence.

Anyone who went to a Hockey game in Reunion... and the AAC, knows the AAC is sterile and impersonal. In most cases, you are too far from the action and nothing was done to enhance fan experience. It is why you have all of the stupid kiosk-style interactions. It was designed as cheaply as possible, for the most amount of revenue, without regard for fan experience. In fact, when Cuban bought the Mavs... he took his own money and made an architectural change. He paid to have BRICK on the outside... instead of... Siding.

Regardless... that wasn't the point of post. The Dallas Stars for the most part, was something I enjoyed about Hicks. It was at the point he bought Liverpool, that things almost exclusively went bad. It was when he led many of the smaller NHL teams into a lock-out and almost the cancellation of an entire season. But, that conversation probably needs to be on either the Hicks or NHL Forum.