DallasAg 94 said:

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Looking at the Astros' treatment of Springer, that is the type of thing I can't see a GM fixing.

Combined for 2013 in AA and AAA, he went .303, 37 HRs, 45 SB. He had a .411 OBP and a 1.010 OPS.

The 2013 Astros went 51-111.

LF: .256, 24 HR, 12 SB
CF: .218, 8 HR, 10 SB
RF: .251, 9 HR, 20 SB

In 2014, Springer went: .231, 20 HRs, 5 SB.

Then, consider what they did with Aiken... and how that affected other draft picks they had agreements with.

Just doesn't seem like a team/Front-Office I'd want to come work for, all things being equal.

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The lying about it is the bad part. I've had problems with people at work over the years, but I always keep a special place for those who lie to my face.

How is the AL West shaping up?

A's just acquired Rodney (41-Cl) from Minn.
Seatte's Cano will be rejoining the team this week.
Houston just got Correa back, but Springer, McCann and Altuve are still on the DL.

Houston has lost the last 3 games to Seattle and could complete the 4-game sweep with a loss today.

A lot of baseball left, and neither the Yankees nor the Astros have sure playoff spots, much less division titles.

DallasAg 94 said:

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Frisco - AA
YoMen goes tonight.

DEWDS - A+
Steven Bruce goes tonight: 13 GS, 3.09 ERA
He is 26 and a 2010 grad of Flower Mound. Spent 2 years at OU, 2 years after that in Florida (Keiser U: '15 & '16).
Signed in 2016 by the Rangers.

Interesting background if you don't know him:

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Minors pitching:

AA
YoMen was serviceable @ 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO
Huang - haven't figured out anything with him: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

I'm hoping it is just a transitioning thing. 3G, 6.2 IP, 8.10 ERA

A+
Steven Bruce went 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO. Gave up a couple HRs.

A
Crouse (19-RHP) in his A Ball debut went 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

It will be interesting to see how the Rangers progress him. I'd also be interested in what Scott Lucas reports about the GS at A ball. He projects as a 2021 arrival, but I wonder if that is more formal, than actual.

Here's a good synopsis of Crouse's first start in low-A, from the 'Dads beat writer:

If 6 IP with 1 ER and sub 1.00 WHIP is a meh start for him at a higher level, that's pretty damn good.

DallasAg 94 said:

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How is the AL West shaping up?

A's just acquired Rodney (41-Cl) from Minn.
Seatte's Cano will be rejoining the team this week.
Houston just got Correa back, but Springer, McCann and Altuve are still on the DL.

Houston has lost the last 3 games to Seattle and could complete the 4-game sweep with a loss today.

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It will fun watching the astro fans root for the Rangers against Sea/Oak. Luckily for the Astros, they don't get the Rangers anymore this season.

Ag2012 said:

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Here's a good synopsis of Crouse's first start in low-A, from the 'Dads beat writer:


If 6 IP with 1 ER and sub 1.00 WHIP is a meh start for him at a higher level, that's pretty damn good.

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I didn't read those as it was a meh start, as much as... don't get to excited, just yet.

New to the league and face a new team, it would appear he had success early, but was also starting to get figured out. That isn't to say he can't then adjust further, but that as he settled in, hitters may not have been as overwhelmed as they were early.

Sounds like a fair assessment of what one would expect.

Ag2012 said:

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Took my little dude to his first ever major league game today. Hoping for for a good one!

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Is he doing a gig'em? Good work, like the Beltre shirt too. Enjoy the game.

Martin was looking pretty good through 4, but Yanks are getting to him in the 5th

KT 90 said:

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Martin was looking pretty good through 4, but Yanks are getting to him in the 5th

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Like clockwork

Vintage Perez.

Dude sucks me in every time. 3.56 ERA (or so) for his past 5 GS, and then lit up.

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[url=https://twitter.com/apoplecticfittz][/url]Christopher Fittz@apoplecticfittz
[url=https://twitter.com/apoplecticfittz][/url]
I don't know how, if you're involved in any way with pitching for the Texas Rangers, you slept at all last night after Cole Hamels once again threw more changeups in any single start than he had all season for Texas while tossing a 1-hitter with 9 Ks.
5:28 AM - Aug 13, 2018

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I still cannot believe he is on this staff, surviving an offseason where they actually did supposedly take a close look and made fairly significant changes.

DannyDuberstein said:

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I still cannot believe he is on this staff, surviving an offseason where they actually did supposedly take a close look and made fairly significant changes.

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The best part of that was that they fired the damned bullpen coach but kept him around. Like the starters were totally on point and it was just the bullpen guys blowing it.

Guzman is having to battle **** umpiring tonight. That strike call was egregious. Ball 4.

So not only are they paying Brocail not to coach, they are paying Wakamatsu to spend an hour writing names on the lineup card.

DannyDuberstein said:

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So not only are they paying Brocail not to coach, they are paying Wakamatsu to spend an hour writing names on the lineup card.

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If we're trying to develop young guys, stop fooling around with the lineup based on the pitcher and let Guzman play every day. Ridiculous they sat him against Sabathia this weekend. He needs to be the guy at 1B and let him get better against LHP. They aren't making the playoffs so why do they need Chirinos at DH just because he's RH?

If you weren't watching last night, Beltre left the game late with another hamstring strain. MRI today, but given this is a tank season and we are riding out the string, I'd say a DL stint is likely. No need to push anything at this point. Him going on the DL would make a spot for Marza when he is activated later this week.

In former Ranger news, apparently Leonys Martin has a bacterial infection that is life threatening. Weird. He is the story:

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Leonys Martin, former Texas Rangers and current Cleveland Indians outfielder, is battling a "life threatening bacterial infection," per Zack Meisel, who says the infection attacked his internal organs. Martin, who was placed on the disabled list a few days ago, has been in the hospital due to the infection, though Meisel says he is "in stable condition and is improving."
This is a scary and strange episode for Leonys, who has already had more than his fair share of scary and strange episodes. Martin defected from Cuba and signed a 5 year, $15 million deal with the Rangers in 2011, but after leaving Cuba he was held for ransom in Mexico by people who were, essentially, his kidnappers.
Martin had a pair of very good seasons for the Rangers in 2013 and 2014, but struggled in 2015, was displaced by Delino DeShields, and ended up being traded, along with Anthony Bass, to the Seattle Mariners for Tom Wilhelmsen, Patrick Kivlehan and James Jones. Martin was with the Tigers earlier this year before being dealt to the Indians in late July.

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Here is the thing about Brocail. I think Brocail is a terrible pitching coach. However, that actual statistics don't prove the case as obvious as it appears to anyone who watches the games.

The rotation in 2017 was about average in the AL. But, nobody would argue they had an above average rotation.

This year the rotation is worse, but nodoby will look at Minor, Fister, Moore, Big Sexy as guys you'd have in the Top3 of anyone's rotation... and Perez has been Perez.

So, you roll out a rotation of Hamels, Minor, Perez, Moore, Fister, Colon, ABD, Jurado, Gallardo, Hutchison and would any one expect anything more than one of the worst SP statistics?!

Hamels performed worse under Brocail the longer he pitched for him. But most of the guys in the Rangers rotation this season have been guys that are ONLY in MLB because the Rangers have them on their roster.

And for 2019, it doesn't look promising with our lineup of:
Minor, Perez, Jurado & YoMen.

Encarnacion injury an opening for Choo?

https://www.lonestarball.com/2018/8/13/17683386/mlb-trade-rumors-shin-soo-choo-cleveland-indians-texas-rangers-edwin-encarnacion-injury

The L. Martin story isn't helping the Indians outfield situation either. Too bad Tyler Naquin is hurt right now (former Ag outfielder), he is missing a big opportunity.

What is Brocail's contract situation?

Edit - looks like he was initially on a 2 year deal, which they would have extended after last year (smh). I'm guessing he's signed through 2019, just like Banny.

Quote:

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And for 2019, it doesn't look promising with our lineup of:

Minor, Perez, Jurado & YoMen.

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Might as well pencil Fister in there as well. Not sure the amount, but he's under contract for a pretty reasonable amount for 2019, so expect him in the rotation as we give the younger arms more time. Probably will sign another retread (even Yovani), so that we only roll out one of Jurado/YoMen in the rotation. That's just a guess though. YoMen will be out of options, so we'll have to find a spot for him either in the rotation or in the pen.

KT 90 said:

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Quote:

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And for 2019, it doesn't look promising with our lineup of:

Minor, Perez, Jurado & YoMen.

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Might as well pencil Fister in there as well. Not sure the amount, but he's under contract for a pretty reasonable amount for 2019, so expect him in the rotation as we give the younger arms more time. Probably will sign another retread (even Yovani), so that we only roll out one of Jurado/YoMen in the rotation. That's just a guess though. YoMen will be out of options, so we'll have to find a spot for him either in the rotation or in the pen.

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I know... I was leaving hope we might have a real SP. I think Fister is owed like $4M, which seems low for what he has accomplished in the past.

Given the hand he was dealt, what is everybody's opinion on the job Banny has done this year?

MSFC Aggie said:

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Given the hand he was dealt, what is everybody's opinion on the job Banny has done this year?

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I don't know that an accurate assessment could be made.

I don't think he has done anything one way or the other to win more games than they should nor lose more games than they should.

MSFC Aggie said:

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Given the hand he was dealt, what is everybody's opinion on the job Banny has done this year?

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I still can't get over the fact that he had Gallo hitting second earlier in the season. I really want to like Banny, I love his story, but as I look at his lineups and game management, I just don't think he's a good manager.

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I still can't get over the fact that he had Gallo hitting second earlier in the season.

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Maybe not second, but this raises a question. I don't get to see the games in person, but I'd like to know how having first base occupied with < 2 outs affects shifts. In other words, can teams offset these extreme shifts by putting their highest OBP guys immediately ahead of their LH pull hitters?

As for Banister, he can only play the hand he's dealt with pitching. But he has 2 other issues to deal with:

1) He needs to evaluate the defense and identify the unacceptable possibilities - for example, the combination of a non-throwing CF and a non-running RF. They can't have a situation where they're trying to hide Young/Guerrero/Napoli/Mazara. Choo was a pretty good RF a few years ago, but he isn't any more.

2) Address the overly LH-dominated lineup.

94chem said:

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Quote:

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I still can't get over the fact that he had Gallo hitting second earlier in the season.

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Maybe not second, but this raises a question. I don't get to see the games in person, but I'd like to know how having first base occupied with < 2 outs affects shifts. In other words, can teams offset these extreme shifts by putting their highest OBP guys immediately ahead of their LH pull hitters?

As for Banister, he can only play the hand he's dealt with pitching. But he has 2 other issues to deal with:

1) He needs to evaluate the defense and identify the unacceptable possibilities - for example, the combination of a non-throwing CF and a non-running RF. They can't have a situation where they're trying to hide Young/Guerrero/Napoli/Mazara. Choo was a pretty good RF a few years ago, but he isn't any more.

2) Address the overly LH-dominated lineup.

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Those issues have to be primarily addressed by JD, not Banister. Banister might get some input prior to trades, but ultimately it is JD that is responsible for player acquisition. JD has to find a way to move one or more of our LH hitting-marginal-fielding outfielders.

This year and last year are/were roster issues.

I'm not a huge Bannister fan and think he is a below average strategical manager, but he's not on the hot seat with this roster.

That may have been the 2 worst strike calls, in a 3-0 count, I've ever seen. Profar was straight up robbed twice of a base.