Shouse, Hudgins, and Sinisi Traded

I’m delaying the third part of the Rangers Hall of Fame ballot review to analyze the two trades that happened this week.

Trade 1 - The Rangers traded John Hudgins and Vincent Sinisi to the Padres for Freddy Guzman and Cesar Rojas.

John Hudgins:

John was a third round pick for the Rangers in 2003 after pitching in the College World Series.

In ’04 (his first full season), John looked great and like he might be a real prospect. He had his career year and pitched best in Stockton. Here are his lines for the 2004 season.

2004:
Oklahoma:
0-1, 7.50 ERA, 3 games, 2 starts, 12 IP, 8 SO
Frisco:
5-3, 3.13 ERA, 12 games, 12 starts, 69 IP, 64 SO
Stockton:
3-1, 2.35 ERA, 15 games, 11 starts, 65 IP, 73 SO
Combined:
8-5, 3.14 ERA, 30 games, 25 starts, 146 IP, 145 SO

In ’05, he had a major downfall and had to go back down to Frisco before getting injured with a sore right forearm, which had to have surgery.

2005:
Oklahoma:
3-7, 5.87 ERA, 19 games, 19 starts, 102.2 IP, 77 SO
Frisco:
1-2, 4.67 ERA, 3 games, 2 starts, 17.1 IP, 11 SO
Combined:4-9, 5.70 ERA, 22 games, 21 starts, 120 IP, 88 SO

So far in 2006, he has really struggled with a 6.38 ERA in 7 games. He has pitched more in relief than as a starter but looks like he will become a starter in the Padres organization.

2006:
Oklahoma:
1-1, 6.38 ERA, 7 games, 2 starts, 18.1 IP, 16 SO


Vincent Sinisi:

The Rangers selected Sinisi in the second round in 2003.

In 2004, Vincent got off to a great start and put up these numbers:

2004:
Stockton:63 games, 248 AB, 7 HR, 40 RBI, .310 AVG, .383 OBP, .472 SLG

During the 2004 season, Sinisi ran into Joaquin Arias on a short fly ball and broke his forearm. It required seven surgeries and he was out until May 2005.

Sinisi started off the year in Bakersfield and played great, earning a promotion to Frisco where he was on fire for the 1st week but then fell apart for the rest of the season.

2005:
Frisco:
65 games, 248 AB, 4 HR, 29 RBI, .258 AVG, .300 OBP, .343 SLG
Bakersfield:
35 games, 135 AB, 6 HR, 22 RBI, .363 AVG, .438 OBP, .600 SLG

So far in 2006, Sinisi has struggled in Oklahoma but played well in Frisco, even though he has hit for almost no power.

2006:
Oklahoma:
14 games, 50 AB, 0 HR, 7 RBI, .220 AVG, .298 OBP, .300 SLG
Frisco:
18 games, 68 AB, 0 HR, 9 RBI, .309 AVG, .373 OBP, .368 SLG


Freddy Guzman:

In 2004, Guzman hit .283 with a .359 OBP for the Padres’ AA team and was promoted to AAA, where he batted .292 with a .365 OBP. This earned him his major league debut.

In 2005, he was competing for the starting center field job before he blew out the elbow on his throwing arm, making him undergo Tommy John surgery to end his season.

So far this year, he struggled in April but has really performed well so far in May.

Here are his career stats.

Minor league career stats prior to this year:
5 seasons, 369 games, 1434 AB, 7 HR, 106 RBI, .272 AVG, .355 OBP, .352 SLG, 253 stolen bases

Major league stats:
1 season (2004 with San Diego), 20 games, 76 AB, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .211 AVG, .250 OBP, .250 SLG, 5 stolen bases

2006 AAA stats:
30 games, 124 AB, 2 HR, 14 RBI, .274 AVG, .348 OBP, .411 SLG, 11 stolen bases


Cesar Rojas:

Cesar signed with the Padres out of Venezuela in 2002. He is only 19 years old. He has pitched one year in the US (2005) and struggled in the Arizona Rookie League with the following stats:
2-4, 6.75 ERA, 13 games, 11 starts, 49.1 IP, 33 SO


Trade Evaluation:

John Hudgins looked like a great prospect in 2004 but then started struggling and does not seem likely to make the majors anytime soon.

Vincent Sinisi would have good potential if he was a center fielder, second baseman, or shortstop but since he plays first base and left field, his potential is limited because he doesn’t have enough power for those positions. If he can move to those positions and field them well enough, he might be able to make a starting lineup someday.

Freddy Guzman seems to be a pretty good prospect with a lot of speed that could become the Rangers’ center fielder in a couple of years and may make the Rangers as a fourth outfielder and pinch runner this year.

Cesar Rojas looks like he might be a good pitching prospect if he can get his ERA down.

Overall, I think we gave up two players who probably won’t do much in the majors for a player that will probably help us soon and a player that might help us in a few years.

Grade: A-


Trade 2 - The Rangers traded Brian Shouse to the Brewers for Enrique Cruz and a player to be named later.

Brian Shouse:

Shouse made his MLB debut with the Pirates in 1993 but didn’t pitch in the majors again until ’98 with the Red Sox.

Major League career stats prior to 2006:
6 seasons, 5-4, 3.98 ERA, 215 games, 185.1 IP, 128 SO

He joined the Rangers in 2003 and put up the following stats last year:

2005:
Texas:
3-2, 5.23 ERA, 64 games, 53.1 IP, 35 SO

Shouse made the team out of Spring Training but got injured early in the year and has been on rehab since. Here are his 2006 stats.

2006:
Texas:
0-0, 4.15 ERA, 6 games, 4.1 IP, 3 SO
Oklahoma:
0-1, 5.40 ERA, 5 games, 5.0 IP, 3 SO
Frisco:
0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 games, 2.0 IP, 1 SO


Enrique Cruz:

Enrique has spent one year in the majors and that was in 2003 with the Brewers, but it was only because he was taken in the rule 5 draft from the Mets.

Here are his major league totals:
60 games, 71 AB, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .085 AVG, .145 OBP, .099 SLG

In 2005 at AA, he hit .300 with a .354 OBP and .466 SLG, with 14 HR.


Trade Evaluation:

Brian Shouse has performed well in the past but has struggled lately. He might be struggling because he is becoming a veteran and his arm might be thrown out from throwing underhanded so much. I think that it was good to trade him now before his value drops even more. Brian is a situational lefty, so he usually only pitches to one batter at a time, making it hard to keep him on the roster.

Enrique Cruz seems to be one of those players who would surprise you if he ever bats over .280 in the majors and probably does not have a great chance of making the MLB.

This sounds worse than it is because Shouse had been designated for assignment so it’s good that we got anything for him.

Grade: B+


Come back next week for the last part of the Rangers Hall of Fame ballot analysis.

Rangers Hall of Fame Predictions Part 2 of 3

Two weeks ago I analyzed the 1970’s candidates for the 2006 Rangers Hall of Fame induction. This week, I will look at the players from the 1980’s decade.

Decade 2: Steve Buechele, Danny Darwin, Pete O’Brien, Larry Parrish, Jeff Russell and Mickey Rivers.

Steve Buechele:
Steve played for the Rangers from 1985-91 and 1995. Buechele ranks 10th on the Rangers’ all-time number of games list. Steve set a MLB record with a .991 fielding percentage at third base in 1991. I think he is the least deserving on this list but the most popular which makes me think that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.
Percentage 55%

Danny Darwin:
Danny played with the Rangers from 1978-1984 and in 1995. The “Bonham Bullet” is tied with 3 players for the best Rangers record after 10 decisions at 9-1 in 1980. He’s 8th on the Rangers’ all-time games list at 224. Danny is 7th on the Rangers’ all-time loss list with 52 but is also 8th on their all-time wins list with 55. Darwin is tied for 9th with 4 others on the Rangers’ all-time shutouts list with 5 and 10th on their all-time strikeouts list with 566. He is also 7th on their all-time ERA list at 3.71. Darwin is definitely close to the top half for the most deserving but also is the least popular in the ‘80’s, so I think that he will not make it this year.
Percentage 3%

Pete O’Brien:
Pete was a 1st baseman for the Rangers from 1982-88 and ranks 9th on their all-time # of games. He’s 9th on the Rangers’ all-time RBI list with 487 and also is 10th on their all-time runs list with 419 (tied with Larry Parrish). Pete is 6th on the Rangers’ all-time walks list 444, 8th on their all-time slugging percentage list at .432, and 9th on their all-time hits list at 914. Pete also ranks 6th on the Rangers’ all-time OBP list with .348. He is decently popular and decently deserving which I think gives him a decent chance of winning.
Percentage 32%

Larry Parrish:
Larry played for the Rangers from 1982-88 just like Pete O’Brien. He is tied for the AL record for the most grand slams in a week with 3 other players at 3 in 1982 and ranks 7th on the all-time Rangers’ home run list with 149. Parrish is 7th on the Rangers’ all-time RBI list with 522 and also is 10th on their all-time runs list tied with Pete O’Brien with 419. He also ranks 7th on their all-time slugging percentage list at .454 and 10th on their all-time hits list at 852. He was an All-Star in 1987 for the Rangers. Larry isn’t that popular but is very deserving as he played very well for the Rangers. He is probably not going to be inducted this year.
Percentage 10%

Jeff Russell:
Jeff played with the Rangers from 1985-92 and 1995-96. He is tied with 3 players for the best start for a Rangers starting pitcher at 6-0 in 1988. Jeff ranks 2nd on the Rangers’ all-time games list at 445 and 2nd on their all-time saves list with 134. He also ranks 8th on their all-time ERA list at 3.73. During his career as a Ranger he was an All-Star in 1988 and 1989. I think Jeff is very deserving but isn’t popular enough to win this year.
Percentage 12%

Mickey Rivers:
Mickey played with the Rangers from 1979-84. He holds the highest batting average in a season for a Rangers’ left-hander at .333 and the most singles in a season by a Ranger at 165 in 1980. Rivers also ranks 7th on the Rangers’ all-time batting average list at .303. Mickey is probably the 3rd most popular player (after O’Brien and Buechele) in this decade and the 2nd most deserving (after Russell) in this decade, which gives him a pretty good chance.
Percentage 38%

Come back next week for the conclusion of my Hall of Fame analysis series.

April Awards

This week I will give out my awards for the month.

Rangers awards:

MVP:
Hank Blalock: 93 AB, 18 R, 31 H, HR, 19 RBI, .333 AVG, .398 OBP, .527 SLG.
I chose Blalock because he has been good in all the categories instead of just one.
Contenders: Michael Young, Phil Nevin, Kevin Mench.

Cy Young:
Vicente Padilla: 2-1 W-L, 3.64 ERA, 29.2 IP, 13 BB, 22 SO.
Vicente was the player I chose because he leads the team in ERA, and is 2nd in strike-outs. Also, he has been the most consistent pitcher in the rotation.
Contenders: John Koronka.

Rookie of the Year:
John Koronka: 3-1 W-L, 4.25 ERA, 29.2 IP, 10 BB, 20 SO.
I decided to go with John because the only other 2 rookies on the team are Ian Kinsler (injured) and Drew Meyer (only 11 AB). Plus, he has had a pretty good year.

AL awards:

MVP: Chris Shelton: 89AB, 16 R, 30 H, 10 HR, 20 RBI, .337 AVG, .410 OBP, .809 SLG.
Contenders: Jim Thome, Miguel Tejeda.

Cy Young: Jose Contreras: 4-0 W-L, 1.45 ERA, 37.1 IP, 8 BB, 17 SO.
Contenders: Mike Maroth, Brad Halsey, Curt Schilling

NL awards:

MVP: Albert Pujols: 80 AB, 26 R, 28 H, 14 HR, 32 RBI, .350 AVG, .495 OBP, .925 SLG.
Contenders:

Cy Young: Greg Maddux: 5-0 W-L, 1.35 ERA, 33.1 IP, 6 BB, 24 SO
Contenders: Bronson Arroyo

Come back next week for an analysis of the ‘80’s decade on the Rangers Hall of Fame ballot.

Rangers Hall of Fame Predictions Part 1 of 3

The ballots for the 2006 Rangers Hall of Fame induction are out and I will describe and analyze each player on the ballot in three different blog entries. This year, fans are allowed to vote for one player from each of three decades. If you think nobody from one decade is deserving but two people from another are, you can still only choose one player per decade.

This week, I will look at the players from the 1970’s decade.

Decade 1 (1970’s) candidates: Jeff Burroughs, Tom Grieve, Mike Hargrove, Toby Harrah, Al Oliver, and Gaylord Perry.

Jeff Burroughs:
Burroughs played for the Rangers from 1972-1976 and won the AL MVP and all-star starter in ’74. He is tied for the Rangers record for most grand slams in a season with 3 other players at 3 in 1973. Jeff had his career year in 1974 batting .301 but in the rest of his career in a Rangers uniform he never batted .280 or higher. Three of those below .280 batting averages were .185, .226 and .237. Also, he never had an on-base percentage over .400. I don’t think he will make the Rangers Hall of Fame because he only had 1 great year and other than that he wasn’t very good. But I do think he’ll make it within the next 5 years because he’s very popular because he got the AL MVP.
Percentage chance of being voted into the Rangers Hall of Fame 6%

Tom Grieve:
Grieve played for the Rangers from 1972-1977 before moving on to the Mets. He was the Senators’ first pick of the ’66 draft and was the Rangers player of the year in 1976, when he hit .255, slugging 20 home runs and driving in 81. He joined the Rangers’ front office in 1980 and became GM in 1984. He ended his GM career after the 1994 season and since then has been the Rangers’ TV analyst. I think Tom will be inducted this year because of his incredible popularity. Not only did he play for the Rangers but he has been the GM and a broadcaster. For all but two years of their existence, he has been involved with the Rangers. He also is a really great guy and is always willing to talk to the fans.
Percentage 75%

Mike Hargrove:
Hargrove played for the Rangers from 1974-1978. In ’74, he was called up from A ball and was the AL Rookie of the Year when he hit .323. He led the Rangers in hits in 1976 (155) and 1977 (160) and led the team in average from 1975-77. He is 9th on the Rangers all-time batting average list at .292 and 5th on their all-time walks list at 435. Hargrove is 10th on the Rangers all-time slugging percentage list at .409 and 1st on their all-time on-base percentage list with .399. Hargrove was an All-Star in 1975. I think Mike would be one of the most deserving players on the ballot if he had been here more than 5 years. I don’t think that he has enough popularity to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.
Percentage 4%

Toby Harrah:
Harrah played for the Rangers from 1972-1978 and 1985-1986. He has the highest on-base percentage for a season at .432 in 1985. He’s 5th on the Rangers all-time list for number of games played. Harrah ranks 9th on the Rangers all-time home run list with 122 and 2nd on their all-time stolen base list with 143. He is 6th on the Rangers all-time RBI list with 546 and is also 6th on their all-time runs list with 582. Toby ranks 2nd on the Rangers all-time walks list with 668 and 7th on their all-time hits at 1086. He also is 4th on the Rangers all-time OBP list at .361. He was an All-Star in 1975 and 1976. Toby has a lot of Rangers records and probably is the most deserving player in the decade but doesn’t have the popularity to have a good chance of being inducted this year because of Tom Grieve and Gaylord Perry.
Percentage 9%

Al Oliver:
Oliver played with the Rangers from 1978-1981. He is the Rangers all-time leader in career batting average, hitting .319 as a Ranger. He led the team in batting average in 1978, ’79, and ’81 and finished in the league’s top 8 in hitting all of his 4 years with Texas. He hit .324 in 1978, 2nd in the AL. He was an All-Star in 1980 and 1981. Once again, I don’t think he was here long enough or has the popularity to be inducted in 2006.
Percentage 5%

Gaylord Perry:
Perry played with the Rangers from 1975-1977 and 1980 (1975 and 1980 were not full seasons here). Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry ranks 2nd on the Rangers all-time shutouts list with 12 and 2nd on their all-time ERA list at 3.26. In 1976, 21 of his 32 starts were complete games. I think that he didn’t play enough years here to be a no-brainer for the Rangers Hall of Fame. He had good stats here but was not a pitcher that could mow down every hitter. I think it is between him and Tom Grieve to be inducted into the Rangers Hall of Fame this year from the 1970’s decade but only because of their popularity.
Percentage 38%

Come back next week for my Rangers awards of the month. Soon after that, I’ll continue this Hall of Fame analysis.

Interview with Jon Daniels and Buck Showalter

On April 1st, 2006, I was named the Texas Rangers Fan of the Year at the Rangers Welcome Home Luncheon. It was very exciting and I got to do an interview session with Jon Daniels and Buck Showalter. My questions and their answers are below.

1. What players have the best chance of being put on the 40-man roster at the end of the season to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft and why?

Jon: “Grant, you’re about seven months ahead of us right now. Buck and I have a deadline at 11 o’clock tonight we’re trying to figure out still. But two guys I’d put on your radar screen are John Danks and Thomas Diamond.”

Buck: “Travis Metcalf.”

2. Jon, during this off-season, which trade that wasn’t finished was the most disappointing and why?

Jon: “Certainly the one that was the most public and went down the line the farthest was the Josh Beckett trade. In hindsight, looking back on it, we signed Millwood, traded for Vicente Padilla, and obviously traded for Eaton and were able to keep Hank Blalock and keep our young pitching. In the end, it probably worked out best for us but that was the one we really went back and forth on the most.”

3. Buck, can you please describe the perfect player to manage and why?

Buck: “Probably a Mike Young type of guy. Self starters. We’re kind of at the mercy of the mothers and fathers of the world. By the time I get them at 24 or 25 years old, they’ve pretty much formulated how they treat people, go about their business, and handle things. We’ve got a lot of guys on the team that way. The word ‘sincere’ comes to mind. They have a lot of character. It’s important to them to please their teammates and be part of something special. You have to have a certain amount of skill to play at this level but I think the other attributes you bring push you to the next level, which makes you near and dear to other people because of the way they go about their business and Michael is one of those guys.”

4. Jon, what are your 3 proudest transactions as GM or assistant GM and why?

Jon said that number one was the Brad Wilkerson trade, partly because we also got Armando Galarraga in the minors and it was a good chance to get Ian Kinsler in the lineup. Number two was putting together the leadership team, including Thad Levine, Scott Servais, Mark Connors, and Dom Chiti. Number three was signing Kevin Millwood because he brings a lot of leadership along with his pitching skills.

5. Jon, what were your thoughts on the Juan Dominquez trade?

Jon: “One of the questions we’ve gotten is how do you factor in the idea that you’re trading within the division? There are some teams and some management groups that don’t want to do it at all and some guys that are a little more willing to. I was concerned first and foremost with our end of the deal. We got two left-handed pitchers that we like quite a bit, and John Koronka is probably the leading candidate to pitch for us here in Arlington in a week. Great makeup and good attitude. I talked to him on the phone last night and he’s ecstatic to be a Ranger, ecstatic to be back. Hopefully if we do see Juan Dominguez in the big leagues in Oakland, it will mean that Zito, Blanton, and Harden all got hurt.”

6. What is your prediction on who the Rangers will face in the World Series this October and why?

Buck: “I guess it should be Japan. They’re supposed to be the best team in the world now. But that would be a cop-out to say Japan since we can’t play them. I like the Cardinals a lot. I think they’re pretty special. I think Tony does a great job. They don’t have many holes and the ones they do, I think Walt Jocketty and them do a great job with.”

Jon: “I’ll go with the Braves. Fourteen straight division titles, it’s hard to argue with, and they’re building from within like us.”

7. Which players surprised you the most this spring and why?

Buck: “I’m not supposed to be surprised. I’m trying not to be. We had a lot of pitchers in camp that we didn’t know and hadn’t seen throw before. I think Fabio Castro from the Rule 5 Draft with the White Sox in A ball last year went to winter ball and cut it up down there. There was a lot of unknown about what we were going to get there. I thought he was very impressive for a 21-year old young man that, as we speak, we’re trying to figure out how to keep. I say Fabio just because it was an unknown as much as anything. Also, not knowing if Alfonseca was going to be able to get back where he was physically before having arm trouble. I think Coco probably had his best spring in his time as a Ranger. He handled everything from Day 1. I think that bodes real well. I was real ecstatic with the way Otsuka went about his business. He came to Texas when he didn’t have to, came to our camp when he didn’t have to before he went to Japan. It was very important for him. I’m very happy with him.”

Jon: “I was real encouraged by the way Kam Loe came into camp and didn’t let up from where he was last year. And two younger players I held in high regard before camp but really put themselves farther on the map. John Danks at age 20, who got serious consideration to come up here. He was that impressive staring down Barry Bonds in Scottsdale one day and not backing down from him. And Travis Metcalf, who was our player of the year last year in the minor leagues, but was in his first year in big league camp and he more than held his own.”

8. What was your biggest disappointment of the spring (other than Adam Eaton’s injury) and why?

Jon: “I think it was probably that Roger Clemens said he was going to wait until July to decide if he was going to play.”

Buck: “I agree.”

I would like to thank Buck and Jon for allowing me to interview them. I really enjoyed doing the interview and had a great day at the luncheon.

Dellucci and Dominguez Traded

Last Friday, the Rangers traded pitcher Juan Dominguez to the A’s for pitcher John Rheinecker and infielder Freddy Bynum. Then they immediately traded Freddy Bynum to the Cubs for pitcher John Koronka.

John Koronka
Koronka is pitching his first game for the Rangers tonight. He has pitched one season in the majors (for the Cubs in 2005) and had a 7.47 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched. In his 8-year minor league career, he has a 4.39 ERA in 905 innings pitched. But what’s surprising is he’s still only 26 years old. Koronka was drafted by Cincinnati when he was 18 and stayed there until he was 23 years old. He then moved to the Cubs organization. His best season was with Stockton (the Reds high-A team) in 2002 when he posted a 3.07 ERA and struck out 69 in 73.1 innings pitched. I think Koronka can do well if he can do a good job of changing speeds.

John Rheinecker
Rheinecker was off to a great start last year in triple-A with a 1.77 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 45.2 innings pitched. In late May, he tore a tendon and didn’t return for the rest of the season. If he can recover, he can be a decent major league pitcher because he has performed consistently well at triple-A over the last three years. According to cbssportsline.com, he could be the number 5 starter for the Rangers if he can do well in triple-A.

This trade could just be depressing if Juan Dominguez goes on and is a great major leaguer, which he has the potential to do. But he has a bad attitude and he’s not very dependable. Also, if Dominguez had been given the number 5 spot in the Rangers rotation, it might have made the players feel like they could get away with anything. It was good to get rid of Dominguez for two guys that have good potential.

Last Saturday, the Rangers traded outfielder David Dellucci to the Phillies for pitcher Robinson Tejeda and outfielder Jake Blalock.

Robinson Tejeda
Tejeda had a good spring, posting a 3.86 ERA. He has pitched one year in the majors and went 4-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 85.2 innings pitched. He struck out 72 and threw 51 bases on balls. He allowed 67 hits, 5 of which were homers. In the minors he has been decent throughout his 7 years, posting a career 27-46 record along with a 4.13 ERA in 597.2 IP. He has struck out 523 batters and walked 256. Overall this pitcher looks pretty decent and is a pretty good pick-up.

Jake Blalock
Jake is Hank Blalock’s brother and was drafted as the #5 pick in the 2002 draft out of high school. He has never played in the major leagues and his highest level is class-A. He has a career .268 batting average and a .420 SLG. Blalock has a .345 OBP. I think he might make it to the major leagues but if he does, it will probably be as a role player.

I hate losing a good guy like Dellucci but right now, his value is the highest it will probably ever be. Also, we need starting pitching more than another outfielder. This trade could be really good if Tejeda can become a good major league pitcher.

News Flash
R.A. Dickey was optioned and Rick Bauer was called up. The Rangers also re-signed Erubiel Durazo.

Come back next week for a summary of my interview with Jon Daniels and Buck Showalter at the Rangers Welcome Home lunch.

2006 MLB Season Predictions

In this week’s entry, I am predicting the final standings for the teams in the major leagues as well as the playoffs. Listed below are teams in each division along with my predictions for what place they’ll finish in.

AL West

1. Angels

Rotation:
Bartolo Colon
John Lackey
Jeff Weaver
Kelvim Escobar
Ervin Santana

Comments: The Angels have O.K. hitting to go along with one of the best rotations in the league. That should get them in 1st place unless the veterans’ skills start to wear off.


2. Rangers

Rotation:
Kevin Millwood
Vicente Padilla
Kameron Loe
R.A. Dickey
John Koronka

Other Potential Rotation Candidates:
Robinson Tejeda
John Rheinecker

Comments: The Rangers have the best pitcher in the A.L. as part of their good starting rotation. As long as the pitchers hold the opposing team to 5 runs or less, we should win the games because of our great hitting.


3. Athletics

Rotation:
Barry Zito
Rich Harden
Joe Blanton
Danny Haren
Esteban Loaiza

Comments: The A's don't have a good offense and their pitching has a downfall at the #3 spot.


4. Mariners

Rotation:
Jamie Moyer
Felix Hernandez
Jarrod Washburn
Joel Pineiro
Gil Meche

Comments: The Mariners hitting is O.K. but plays in a major pitcher's stadium to decrease the amounts of runs they score. Also, Seattle's pitching isn't very good and gets hit around plenty.


AL Central

1. White Sox

Rotation:
Mark Buehrle
Freddy Garcia
Jon Garland
Jose Contreras
Javier Vazquez

Comments: The White Sox won the World Series last year and might even have a better team this year.


2. Indians

Rotation:
C.C. Sabathia
Cliff Lee
Paul Byrd
Jake Westbrook
Jason Johnson

Comments: The Indians came on strong at the end of last year and didn't lose any big playmakers besides Kevin Millwood.


3. Twins

Rotation:
Johan Santana
Brad Radke
Carlos Silva
Kyle Lohse
Scott Baker

Comments: Even though Minnesota has good pitching, they will need to get good hitting if they want to win this tough division.


4. Tigers

Rotation:
Kenny Rogers
Jeremy Bonderman
Mike Maroth
Nate Robinson
Justin Verlander

Comments: The Tigers have Kenny and Pudge but other than that they don't have any stars. They struggle at offense and pitching, which will take a few years to overcome.


5. Royals

Rotation:
Scott Elarton
Joe Mays
Jeremy Affeldt
Denny Bautista
Runelvys Hernandez

Comments: The Royals only have 4 players I can name off the top of my head (David DeJesus, Angel Berroa, Desi Relaford, and Mike Sweeney) because the others haven’t made a name for themselves.


AL East

1. Blue Jays

Rotation:
Roy Halladay
A.J. Burnett
Ted Lilly
Gustavo Chacin
Josh Towers

Comments: I think with the additions of A.J. Burnett, James Baldwin, B.J. Ryan, Jason Phillips, and Benjie Molina, it will be enough to get them past the Yankees.


2. Yankees

Rotation:
Randy Johnson
Mike Mussina
Shawn Chacon
Jared Wright
Chien-Ming Wang/ Carl Pavano

Comments: Even with the signing of Johnny Damon I don't think they will do good enough to beat Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays.


3. Red Sox

Rotation:
Curt Schilling
Josh Beckett
Matt Clement
Tim Wakefield
David Wells

Comments: The Red Sox still have a good team but they lost a lot of good players: Johnny Damon, Chad Bradford, Kevin Millar, Bill Mueller, and Matt Mantei.


4. Devil Rays

Rotation:
Scott Kazmir
Mark Hendrickson
Casey Fossum
Seth McClung
Doug Waechter

Comments: The D'Rays finished their season last year on a good note and if they can keep that going for part of the year that should be enough


5. Orioles

Rotation:
Rodrigo Lopez
Erik Bedard
Kris Benson
Daniel Cabrera
Bruce Chen

Comments: The Orioles now have Leo Mazzoni but it still might not help this team enough to get back into 4th with the way the D'Rays finished last year.


NL West


1. Dodgers

Rotation:
Derek Lowe
Brad Penny
Odalis Perez
Brett Tomko
Jae Seo

Comments: The Dodgers have great pitching. The ERA for the pitchers last year were 3.61 (Lowe), 3.90 (Penny), 4.56 (Perez), 4.48 (Tomko for the Giants), and 2.59 (Seo). In hitting, they made several improvements, so they probably will finally be able to get 5-8 runs in their pitcher-friendly stadium. They added Rafael Furcal, Nomar Garciaparra, Kenny Lofton, and Bill Mueller, but they lost Milton Bradley. The Dodgers have a very good team that I think is better than the others in the division.


2. Padres

Rotation:
Jake Peavy
Chris Young
Woody Williams
Chan Ho Park
Dewon Brazelton
Comments: The Padres surprisingly struggle at pitching. They also struggle at hitting, leaving their only strength to be at defense.


3. Giants

Rotation:
Jason Schmidt
Matt Morris
Noah Lowry
Matt Cain
Jamey Wright

Comments: The Giants have a good first couple of starters. Their offense is about average if you take away Barry Bonds. They probably need to get a little more hitting and a little more pitching to get up to second place.


4. Rockies

Rotation:
Jason Jennings
Aaron Cook
Jeff Francis
Josh Fogg/Zach Day/Sunny Kim

Comments: The Rockies are in a major hitting ballpark but I think this year, the pitching is just good enough to get in front of the Diamondbacks.


5. Diamondbacks

Rotation:
Brandon Webb
Russ Ortiz
Orlando Hernandez
Miguel Batista
Claudio Vargas

Comments: The Diamondbacks struggle in all areas. They have two good pitchers (Webb and Ortiz) but other than that, there are no players that put up big numbers.


NL Central

1. Cardinals

Rotation:
Chris Carpenter
Mark Mulder
Jeff Supan
Jason Marquis
Sidney Ponson

Comments: The Cardinals aren’t the team they were last year but they are still a great team in a division that I think will struggle.


2. Cubs

Rotation:
Carlos Zambrano
Shawn Marshall
Greg Maddux
Glendon Rusch
Jerome Williams

Comments: The Cubs have very good pitching and decent hitting but I think that they will just slimly pass the .500 mark.


3. Astros

Rotation:
Roy Oswalt
Andy Pettite
Brandon Backe
Wandy Rodriguez
Ezequiel Astacio

Comments: The Astros still have good starting pitching, but it is not as good as the great starting pitching that they had last year. Losing Clemens will probably take their confidence down a notch. I think that they are about 1 game down from the Cubs.


4. Reds

Rotation:
Aaron Harang
Eric Milton
Bronson Arroyo
Brandon Claussen
Dave Williams

Comments: The Reds have better starting pitching than last year because they got Bronson Arroyo and Dave Williams. But they still struggle at pitching and will probably be under the .500 mark.


5. Brewers

Rotation:
Ben Sheets
Doug Davis
Chris Capuano
Tomo Ohka
Dave Bush

Comments: The Brewers struggle at pitching and offense and are around the middle in overall skill in the league.


6. Pirates

Rotation:
Zach Duke
Oliver Perez
Ian Snell
Paul Maholm
Sean Burnett

Comments: This team struggles very much at all cylinders. They are one of the worst teams in the league if not the worst.


NL East

1. Braves

Rotation:
John Smoltz
Tim Hudson
John Thomson
Jorge Sosa
Horacio Ramirez

Comments: The Braves still have great starting pitching and I just can’t go against them after they’ve won 14 straight division titles.


2. Phillies

Rotation:
Jon Lieber
Brett Myers
Cory Lidle
Ryan Franklin
Ryan Madson

Comments: The Phillies have a good offense and finally started to come through last year. I think with a lot of the National League teams going down in skills that the Phillies will finally make the playoffs again.


3. Mets

Rotation:
Pedro Martinez
Tom Glavine
Brian Bannister
Steve Trachsel
Victor Zambrano

Comments: The Mets have put together good teams but haven’t had a breakthrough year in a long time. I think this year they will do better but will still not meet their potential.


4. Nationals

Rotation:
Livan Hernandez
John Patterson
Ramon Ortiz
Pedro Astacio
Tony Armas

Comments: The Nationals have decent starting pitching to go along with a very good power hitter in Alfonso Soriano.


5. Florida

Rotation:
Dontrelle Willis
Scott Olsen
Jason Vargas
Sergio Mitre
Brian Moehler

Comments: The Marlins once again ruined a very good team and will go from a pretty good winning record to an awful losing record.


AL Playoffs

Round 1:
White Sox beat Angels 3 games to 2
Blue Jays beat Indians 3 games to 0

Round 2:
Blue Jays beat White Sox 4 games to 2


NL Playoffs

Round 1:
Cardinals beat Phillies 3 games to 0
Dodgers beat Braves 3 games to 1

Round 2:
Dodgers beat Cardinals 4 games to 3


World Series:
Dodgers beat Blue Jays 4 games to 2


Come back soon (early this week) for my thoughts on the Juan Dominguez and David Dellucci trades.

Jim Sundberg Interview

On Thursday, I interviewed former Ranger Jim Sundberg. I met Jim at an autograph event in Frisco and asked if I could interview him for my blog. He was nice and said that I could interview him. Here are the results of the interview.

Q: Who were the 3 toughest pitchers to hit?
A: Roger Clemens, Jim Palmer, and Catfish Hunter

Q: Who were the 3 toughest pitchers to catch?
A: Charlie Hough, Danny Jackson, and Kevin Brown

Q: Who was the favorite manager you ever played for?
A: Dick Howser (Kansas City 1985-86)

Q: Who were your top 3 favorite teammates?
A: Don Sutton, Buddy Bell, and Scott Sanderson

Q: What is your biggest regret from your baseball career?
A: At first, Jim said he didn’t have one because he played in such a way that he didn’t have one. After that, he said that it was not being able to play in the hitter-friendly Ballpark in Arlington.

Q: How does it feel to be in the Rangers Hall of Fame?
A: He said it was a pretty big privilege to be in the same group as Nolan Ryan, Charlie Hough, and Johnny Oates.

Q: What was your favorite moment as a Texas Ranger?
A: His favorite moment as a Texas Ranger was his first major league game versus the Oakland A’s in 1974. He caught Fergie Jenkins, who he watched when he was growing up (when Fergie was a Cub). The Rangers won and Jim had a couple of hits. Jim also threw out Bert Campaneris.

Q: What are your favorite ballparks?
A: Baltimore, Boston, Toronto, and Kansas City

Q: What are your least favorite ballparks?
A: Anaheim, Oakland, and Philadelphia

Q: Which stadiums have the worst facilities for broadcasters?
A: Oakland

Q: Who do you think the next Rangers retired number should be?
A: Jim said that this was a good question. He also said that it wouldn’t be his because Michael Young is wearing his old number.

Q: Who do you think should be the next Rangers Hall of Fame inductee?
A: Toby Harrah

Q: Who was your favorite player growing up and why?
A: Ernie Banks as a Cub because Jim saw most of his games as a kid in Illinois. Ernie seemed to always be friendly and was a good player.

Q: What is your favorite thing about the baseball camps for kids that you sponsor?
A: He enjoys seeing the excitement of kids.

Q: Can you please describe your current job? (Jim is Executive Director to the President for the Rangers)
A: Jim works 60 hours a week in an intense job. He’s involved with all departments and he enjoys it.

Jim was really nice. I know how busy he is and it was really generous of him to take some time for this interview with me.

Come back next week for my predictions of what will happen in the regular season and playoffs.

Spring Training Trip Report Part 2 of 2

Last week, I did a play-by-play analysis of the March 7th Rangers Spring Training game. This week, I will summarize my Spring Training trip as part 2 of 2.

Day 1, Monday, March 6th:
1. My dad, my granddad and I went straight from the airport to Phoenix Municipal Stadium to see the Cubs @ A’s game.
2. The stadium was very plain and boring and the bleachers were very uncomfortable.
3. There were more Cubs fans than A’s fans which surprised me even though the Cubs have die-hard fans because it was at the A’s stadium.
4. The weather that day was very nice for baseball.
5. It was also awesome to be watching baseball in March.
6. Chicago won the game 12-3.
7. After the game we went to our hotel, Embassy Suites.
8. For dinner we went to IHOP. They probably had the worst service of any IHOP I’ve ever been to because it took about 45 minutes for them to get the food to us and our waitress only checked on us one time.

Day 2, Tuesday, March 7th:
1. We went to the Rangers @ Cubs game at Hohokam Park in Mesa early the next morning to get autographs which are so easy to get in Spring Training.
2. The autographs that I got and the details of the game are in my previous blog.
3. Jon Daniels introduced us to Scott Servais and Thad Levine after the game.
4. After that we went to Scottsdale to see the World Baseball Classic Canada @ South Africa game at Scottsdale Stadium.
5. The stadium at the game was empty.
6. If you ever go to Spring Training check both sides of the stadium for parking because at that game there was $15 parking on one side and free parking on the other.
7. Canada had a lot of MLB players while South Africa had none.
8. The crowd was on Canada’s side as I had thought.
9. When we left halfway through the game the score was 1-0 in Canada’s favor.
10. Canada ended up winning the game 11-8.

Day 3, Wednesday, March 8th:
1. We went to the Rangers workout to get autographs. These are the players I got: Jose Silva, Adam Eaton, D’Angelo Jimenez, Kameron Loe, Marshall McDougall, Kevin Walker, Chris Baker, Phil Nevin, John Wasdin, Rick Bauer, and Jamie Burke.
2. Workouts are great. They are right beside the stadium in Surprise. You get to walk right by the players as they move from field to field. You also get to get autographs and watch them workout. For the autographs, you have to wait until a break in the workout. But when you ask them during their workout if they’ll sign after they’re done, they do a great job of remembering.
3. At the end we talked to Thomas Diamond and he invited us to dinner. Thomas is a great guy with a great personality.
4. The way the workouts work is this: They stretch just before 10:00, then they split up into pitchers and hitters to do their workouts.
5. On fun days (once every two weeks) the pitchers play a game on their knees. There are two teams. One team hits while the other fields. The fielders are on their knees around the base paths with none in the outfield. Somebody tosses a ball to a hitter who tries to hit a grounder. If the fielder gets it, the hitter’s out. If the hitter completely misses the ball, he’s out. If it’s a liner to the outfield or a pop fly, the hitter’s out and has to go get it. If it is gettable and no one gets it, the hitter’s not out but the person who made the error is out of the game. The way you score is by hitting a grounder that gets by everyone. Usually when that happens, it’s a high chopper that the fielders can’t reach because it’s too far over their heads
6. By the batting cage I talked to Buck Showalter and Evan Grant. I also talked to a Newberg Report reader named Thomas, who said he had read my blog.
7. The workouts ended at 11:30 and then we went to the stadium to see the A’s @ Rangers at Surprise Stadium.
8. That stadium was probably the nicest one we saw.
9. In the game we got to see Edinson Volquez pitch awesome, just mowing down hitters.
10. Later in the game Jon Daniels came and sat with us for an inning (another great guy).
11. While Jon was sitting with us Adam Hyzdu hit a homer.
12. The Rangers won 10-3.
13. After the game I got Laynce Nix’s autograph.
14. Since we had about an hour to spare before dinner we went to Barnes & Noble.
15. When it came time for dinner we went to Red Robin to eat with Thomas Diamond. It was really fun!!! We all had burgers and fries.
16. After dinner we went to Peoria Stadium to see Japan face off against the Mariners in a WBC exhibition game.

Day 4, Thursday, March 9th:
1. We went back to the Rangers workouts and I got these autographs: Brian Anderson, Kevin Milwood, Frank Francisco, Ryan Bukvich, Vicente Padilla, Phil Nevin, Kameron Loe, Armando Gallaraga, D’Angelo Jimenez.
2. At the end of the trip, the only players that were on the 65-man Spring Training roster that I didn’t get (either on this trip or sometime in the past) are: Aarom Baldiris, Jesse Carlson, Antonio Alfonseca, Omar Beltre (wasn’t even there), Akinori Otsuka (at WBC), and Erubiel Durazo (at WBC).
3. After the workouts we went to Tempe Diablo Stadium to see the Giants @ Angels.
4. The Angels Spring Training stadium was great on the outside but was nothing special on the inside.
5. That game was the 1st game Barry Bonds was back. Barry struck-out and singled. Barry left after the third inning.
6. The Angels were the victors by the score 6-5.
7. After the game, we went straight to the airport so we could fly home.

This trip was awesome and is definitely in the top 10 trips I’ve taken. Come next week for my predictions on what will happen during the regular season.

Spring Training Trip Report Part 1 of 2

Last week, my dad, my granddad, and I went on a trip to Phoenix so we could see a few Cactus League games. This is the 1st of two blog entries from my trip. This week’s is a play by play analysis of what I saw at the Cubs/Rangers on March 7th. Next week’s entry will be on the overall trip.

Before the game I got a lot of autographs. I got Hank Blalock (who also gave me his batting gloves), Joselo Diaz, Mike Nickeas (who also gave me a ball), Brad Wilkerson, Nate Gold, Gerald Laird, Wes Littleton, Adrian Brown, Nick Trzesniak, Josh Rupe, Jason Botts, Adam Hyzdu, and Ron Mahay.

The Cubs Spring Training stadium (Hohokam Park) was very nice. You could see mountains in the background and it had a nice concourse.

Here is a summary of each at-bat during the game:

Top 1st:

Brad Wilkerson: He came up to start the game. He had a good eye and walked against Greg Maddux after starting off with a 1-2 count.

Adrian Brown: Brown hit a fairly hard hit ball to short, which resulted in a fielder’s choice. Wilkerson broke up a double play with a good slide.

Hank Blalock: Blalock knew the strike zone and walked on 5 pitches vs. Maddux.

Phil Nevin: Nevin had a good eye and forced a walk vs. Maddux by fouling off 2, keeping him alive.

David Dellucci: Dellucci struggled, striking out on 3 pitches.

Mark DeRosa: DeRosa hit a screaming liner right to the short-stop for the out.


Bottom 1st:

Josh Rupe:
Vs. Juan Pierre: Rupe changed his speeds which forced a weak bunt for an out.

Vs Neifi Perez: He mainly threw fastballs high in the zone. Neifi hit a hard liner that Adrian Brown caught on the run.

Vs. Marquis Grissom: Rupe threw high and inside to Marquis. After Grissom hit a ground ball, D’Angelo Jimenez threw to 1st for the out.


Top 2nd:

D’Angelo Jimenez: D’Angelo chased a low pitch forcing him to hit a soft high-bouncer to 1st for the out.

Gerald Laird: Laird was fooled on a slow pitch getting him to pop out.

Joaquin Arias: Arias took a low pitch then hit a soft liner to left that was caught for the third out.


Bottom 2nd:

Josh Rupe:
Vs. Jacque Jones: Rupe threw a fastball down in the zone forcing Jones to ground out to DeRosa (2B).

Vs. Todd Walker: Rupe couldn’t fool Todd or blaze his fastball by him which allowed Walker to hit a long single down the left-center alley.

Vs. Matt Murton: Rupe tried faster pitches, allowing a single over the shortstop’s head.

Vs. John Mabry: Again, Rupe tried faster pitches. Mabry hit a 2 RBI double, leading me to think that Rupe had been figured out. Score: 2-0 Cubs.

Vs. Ronny Cedeno: Rupe fooled Ronny with different speed pitches. Joaquin Arias and D’Angelo Jimenez had bad communication on a ground ball and bumped into each other, allowing Cedeno to get to first.

Vs. Dennis Anderson: Anderson hit a breaking ball to second for a double play.


Top 3rd:

Brad Wilkerson: Wilkerson led off the inning with a good eye. He forced a 5-pitch walk on tempting pitches from Ryan Dempster.

Adrian Brown: Brown also had a good eye, forcing a talk on the mound with two straight balls. He hit a high fly ball to left center for the out.

Hank Blalock: Hank hit a hard liner to center for a single.

Phil Nevin: Nevin hit the first pitch and grounded into a double play.


Bottom 3rd:

Josh Rupe:
Vs Juan Pierre: Rupe had bad control. He had to pitch low in the zone, which forced a grounder to DeRosa for the out.

Vs. Neifi Perez: Rupe had bad control against him too. When Rupe gained his control, Neifi hit a deep fly ball to right for an out.

Vs. Marquis Grissom: Rupe had a good start for this at-bat. Later in the at-bat, he couldn’t get Marquis to chase balls out of the zone and allowed a blooper to right for a single.

Vs. Jacque Jones: Rupe threw down and in until he was behind with a 3-0 count. When it got to 3-1, he threw another down and in fastball. Gerald Laird threw a strike to second, catching Marquis Grissom stealing.


Top 4th:

David Dellucci: Two of Eyre’s fastballs blew right by him. He hit a soft grounder and was tagged out going to first, even though he ran faster than usual.

Mark DeRosa: DeRosa had a good eye but then swung at pitches low in the zone. He stuck out with a fastball blowing right by him.

D’Angelo Jimenez: Jimenez hit a frozen rope that the second baseman dove and caught.


Bottom 4th:

Ron Mahay:
Vs. Jacque Jones: He threw fastballs low in the zone, fooling him and striking him out on seven pitches.

Vs. Todd Walker: Ron threw fastballs out of the zone, walking Todd.

Vs. Matt Murton: Mahay pitched low, forcing a high chopper up the middle for a fielder’s choice.

Vs. John Mabry: Mahay threw fastballs too low or too inside but recovered with two straight strikes. Mabry still walked with a full count.

Vs. Ronny Cedeno: Mahay threw five straight fastballs and two of those fooled him. With two strikes, Cedeno had a foul tip on a breaking ball in the dirt for a strikeout.


Top 5th:

Gerald Laird: Gerald crushed a triple to deep center against Brownlie. It would have been a homer if the hitter’s backdrop wall wasn’t about as tall as the Green Monster at Fenway Park.

Joaquin Arias: Joaquin was fooled by the outside pitch. He hit a high sacrifice fly to center field. Score: 2-1 Cubs.

Brad Wilkerson: Wilkerson forced an 0-2 count to a 2-2 count with a good eye. He had a hard hit ball almost to the warning track for an out.

Adrian Brown: Adrian beat out a perfect bunt down the third-base line. The Cubs’ third baseman gave up and didn’t even hustle because of Brown’s speed and how great the bunt was.

Hank Blalock: Blalock hit the first pitch to deep left center for an out.


Bottom 5th:

Ron Mahay:
Vs. Jake Fox: Mahay threw fastballs on the outside corner. He threw a hanging pitch that was stomped for a ground rule double. The umpires had originally called it a homer but Showalter got it turned around.

Vs. Juan Pierre: Pierre had a sacrifice bunt on the first pitch.

Vs. Neifi Perez: Mahay threw a low changeup forcing a pop fly to second.

Vs. Angel Pagan: A breaking ball fooled Angel, forcing him to hit a ground-out to short.


Top 6th:

Phil Nevin: Nevin held back his swing on a tempting pitch from Boehringer. On the next pitch, he was fooled and swung way off. His at-bat resulted in a high home run down the left field line. Score: 2-2.

David Dellucci: David had a good eye and stayed with it, fouling off a couple of pitches back behind home plate. Later in the at-bat, he crushed a liner that rocketed into the Rangers bullpen for a home run. Score: 3-2 Rangers.

Mark DeRosa: Mark had a good eye. He worked a 3-0 count and walked on five pitches. Ruddy Yan pinch-ran for DeRosa.

D’Angelo Jimenez: Jimenez hit a grounder between first and second, moving Yan to second base. Drew Meyer pinch-ran for Jimenez.

Gerald Laird: Laird hit a single into short right field, loading the bases. Kevin Mahar pinch-ran for Laird.

Joaquin Arias: Joaquin hit an RBI fielder’s choice to the shortstop. Score: 4-2 Rangers.

Brad Wilkerson: Wilkerson struck out looking after fouling off four 1-2 pitches.

Adrian Brown: Adrian hit a hard-hit grounder for an out.


Bottom 6th:

Joselo Diaz:
Vs: Michael Restovich: Restovich crushed the first pitch for a home run in center, next to the hitters’ backdrop. Score: 4-3 Rangers.

Vs: Eric Patterson: Joselo had bad control with his fastball but still forced Eric to ground out on nine pitches.

Vs. Adam Greenberg: Joselo fooled him with down and in fastballs. He then threw two straight balls that were low and out of the zone. Adam came back with a good bunt down the first base line and the Rangers barely got him out.

Vs. Brandon Sing: Joselo almost hit him with his fastball but still got him to pop up to second later in the at-bat.


Top 7th:

Jason Botts: Botts looked and three low and inside pitches from Corey and then fouled one off into the stands. Botts forced a walk with what probably is the biggest strike zone in major league camp.

Ian Kinsler: Kinsler let a pitch by and then popped out to center.

Adam Hyzdu: Hyzdu took a ball and then hit a hard liner to center for a single. Botts was tagged out trying to go to third.

Ruddy Yan: Ruddy took a tempting inside pitch. He then hit a high chopper up the middle for the third out.


Bottom 7th:

Jayson Durocher:
Vs. Ojeda Augie: Durocher threw a strike on the inside corner and Ojeda hit a soft short flair that Kinsler made a good play on for the out.

Vs. Kopitzke: Durocher allowed a bloop single on a fastball.

Vs. Felix Pie: Durocher lost control of his fastball but then blew two right by him. Durocher then tried to fool him with his changeup but it was out of the zone. The next pitch caught the outside corner for a strikeout.

Vs. Casey McGehee: McGehee hit a ground-out to second on the first pitch.


Top 8th:

Drew Meyer: Meyer crushed a towering home run over the right field fence on the second pitch. Score 5-3 Rangers.

Kevin Mahar: Mahar hit a solid foul ball on a 2-2 count but then a fastball blazed right by him for a strikeout.

Travis Metcalf: Metcalf was walked on a wild pitch.

Nick Trzesniak: Nick watched two pitches go right over the heart of the plate and then struck out swinging.

Nate Gold: Gold knew the strike zone, taking two balls. He then blooped a single to right.

Jason Botts: Botts took two balls, then fouled one off. He took strike two and then struck out swinging on the next pitch.


At this point, I stopped taking notes so that I could get ready to say hi to Jon Daniels and get autographs after the game. The final score was 6-5 Rangers. The last Rangers run was scored by a Drew Meyer sacrifice fly.

After the game I waited by the team bus for autographs and I got D’Angelo Jimenez, John Hudgins, Drew Meyer, Derek Lee, and Jayson Durocher.

Come back next weekend for a summary of my whole trip.

Analysis of Spring Training Outfielders

This is the last in my series of rating the players in major league camp. Earlier this week, I examined the infielders that are in Spring Training with the Rangers, now I will examine the outfielders. Below, I will rate each outfielder and give their chances of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training.

Jason Botts
Botts did good last year going 8 for 27 with 3 RBI’s in 10 major-league games. He did struggle with 13 strike-outs though. Botts struggles against right-handers but dominates left-handers. Last year for the Rangers he struggled in the clutch going 1 for 6 (.250) and did good with no one on going 4 for 11 (.364). He needs to outplay Laynce Nix to make the 25-man active roster out of camp.
Percentage 14.3% chance of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training

Adrian Brown
Like, Botts, Brown is going to have to outplay Laynce Nix to get a roster spot. He is 286 for 1098 (.260) with only 84 RBI’s and 11 HR in his lifetime career as a major-leaguer. He was drafted out of High School and has played for the Pirates, Red Sox, and Royals. He spent last year in Triple-A Iowa.
Percentage 6.6%

David Dellucci
Dellucci was 10th in the AL in walks in 2005. He is going to make the team but he is fighting for the lead-off spot with Wilkerson and is most likely to share the DH and outfield jobs.
Percentage 100%

Adam Hyzdu
Hyzdu struggles with his hitting but is gold glove caliber defensively. If he makes the team, it will be because of his glove and not because of his bat. In his career as a hitter, he has a .229 average in 354 major league at-bats with the Pirates, Padres, and Red Sox. He has a .995 fielding percentage and has made 1 error in 158 games.
Percentage 17.6%

Gary Matthews Jr.
According to sports.espn.go.com, Matthews has learned a lot from Rudy Jaramillo. He learned how to hit well consistently against right-handers. He will make the team unless he can’t recover from his side injury.
Percentage 100%

Kevin Mench
Mench has proven himself a good major league player so he will be on the roster unless he gets injured.
Percentage 100%

Laynce Nix
Nix is trying to recover from two injuries and has not been able to do it yet. The Rangers might decide that he needs some time in the minors to help recover before he comes up. He will have to outplay Jason Botts, Adam Hyzdu, Adrian Brown, and Ruddy Yan consistently in Spring Training to earn a spot on the 25-man active roster. Even if he does recover, he has never had an average over .255 in the majors.
Percentage 72.3%

Brad Wilkerson
Wilkerson will make the team no matter what. But what he is fighting for is the lead-off spot (against David Dellucci). He gets plenty of walks but also plenty of strike-outs.
Percentage 100%

Ruddy Yan
Yan is a former infielder that was moved to the outfield. He has lots of speed and can cover lots of ground. He has 351 stolen bases in 722 minor league games. He hadn’t hit for average before 2005, when he hit .316 in Triple-A and .300 in Double-A. Before that, he had hit .267 in Double-A. He will have to show good defensive skills and be able to put the ball wherever he wants to to make the team.
Percentage 5.6%

My prediction of which outfielders will be on the active roster is the following:
Brad Wilkerson – RF
Kevin Mench – LF
Gary Matthews – CF
Layne Nix – backup
David Dellucci – backup and DH

Next in line:
Adam Hyzdu
Jason Botts

Come next week for a summary of the two Rangers Spring Training games I will see this week.

Analysis of Spring Training Infielders

Earlier this week, I examined the catchers that are in Spring Training with the Rangers, now I will examine the infielders. Below, I will rate each infielder and give their chances of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training.

Joaquin Arias
Arias is a big prospect but probably needs some time in AAA before he’s ready. He hit .315 in 499 AB with 5 HR, 20 SB, and 17 BB last year with Frisco. Last year in Spring Training, he hit .889 with 3 RBI’s in 9 AB. He should be able to have success as a major-leaguer in his career but I don’t think now is the time.
Percentage 5.6% chance of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training

Aarom Baldiris
Aarom really doesn’t stand a chance because of his opponents. He has never played in the majors and needs some experience. I think this is what he might do in the future: Aarom in my eyes has potential as an average hitter and MAYBE a power hitter if he keeps improving his power numbers like he did in 2005 (11 home runs in 495 at-bats, compared to 4 home runs in 487 at-bats in 2004). In 2006 I think his potential impact is what Marshall McDougall did last year. In his career I think he has a 50-50 shot at helping a team in the majors.
Percentage 2.4%

Hank Blalock
Blalock is a proven major leaguer and will make the team unless he gets injured.
Percentage 100%

Mark DeRosa
DeRosa will be a back-up all-around infielder unless he gets injured. He decided not to participate in the World Baseball Classic so that he could fight for the second base job. I still think Kinsler will get the job because he is a good prospect and is younger, which could make him more durable than DeRosa.
Percentage 100%

Erubiel Durazo
Durazo has been a power hitter in the past. Last year, he had Tommy John Surgery. Even though he had that he seems to be hitting well in camp. This is what Rudy Jaramillo said about his camp, "The power is there, the only question was his health. But he's definitely showing the power and the bat speed that he's shown in the past." I think that he will have to have a great Spring Training for him to make the active roster. If not, he probably will be the person to come up if someone gets injured.
Percentage 10.7%

D’Angelo Jimenez
The Rangers don’t expect Jimenez to do much. He has lost some of his skills going from a .270 AVG in ’04 (563 AB) to a .229 AVG in ’05 (105 AB). With Kinsler and DeRosa fighting for the same job he probably won’t make the team.
Percentage 2.6%

Ian Kinsler
Ian is the #1 candidate for the second base competition. He should make the team unless Jimenez has an outstanding Spring Training. Even though he only hit .274 last year in AAA, he still has a .304 career minor league average. He had a career high in homers (23) and at-bats (530) last year.
Percentage 98.9%

Marshall McDougall
McDougall has good career minor-league statistics with a .281 AVG in 2161 AB with 69 HR, 380 RBI, 238 BB, 415 SO, 52 SB, 339 R, a .349 OBP, and a .460 SLG in 6 years. In the majors he has only had 18 AB but hit .167 with 10 of his 15 outs being strike-outs. He will have to do really good to make the active roster.
Percentage 2.3%

Travis Metcalf
Metcalf was only in high-A last year and probably won’t make the team. Last year, he did win the Rangers Minor League Player of the Year Award.
Percentage 0.3%

Phil Nevin
Last year, Nevin had his worst year since 1998. He had a .237 batting average in 380 at-bats along with 12 homers, 55 RBI’s, and 46 runs. He has been said to be hitting very well in camp. According to cbs.sportsline.com, Rudy Jaramillo said, "Nevin's swinging the bat real well. He's on a mission. I expect to have a big year from him." Hopefully he’ll be able to take that into the regular season. His biggest competition is Durazo, but Nevin will probably get the job because his salary is guaranteed and Durazo’s is not.
Percentage 97.8%

Mark Teixiera
Teixeira is the best first-baseman in the American League and is debatably the best first-baseman in the MLB (along with Albert Pujols). With this, he will make the team unless he gets injured.
Percentage 100%

Michael Young
Michael was the league batting champion in ‘05 and will make the team unless he gets diagnosed with injury.
Percentage 100%

My prediction of which infielders will be on the active roster is the following:
Mark Teixiera - first baseman
Ian Kinsler - second baseman
Hank Blalock - third baseman
Michael Young - shortstop
Phil Nevin - designated hitter
Mark DeRosa - back-up infielder

Next in line:
Erubiel Durazo
Joaquin Arias

Come back this weekend for the outfielders.

Analysis of Spring Training Catchers

Last week, I examined all the pitchers going to Spring Training with the Rangers and this week, I will examine the catchers. Below, I will rate each catcher and give their chances of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training.

Rod Barajas
For the 1st time, Barajas goes into Spring Training knowing that he is going to be the starting catcher unless he gets injured. According to http://cbs.sportsline.com Barajas said this about being the No.1 catcher "It feels great to come in here and be the guy and not have spring training as the deciding factor That gives me a chance to work on other things.”
Percentage 100% chance of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training

Jamie Burke
He was drafted in 1993 by the California Angels out of Oregon State University. He did not make it to the majors until 2001 and put up a .328 average in 134 at-bats in four partial seasons with the Angels and White Sox. He has no home runs in the majors but has 10 walks. He had 21 triples in 13 seasons in the minors to show that he has decent speed for a catcher. Since he had one at-bat for the White Sox last year, he has a World Series ring. With Rod Barajas and Gerald Laird, he really has no chance of making the cut unless there’s an injury.
Percentage 0.07%

Gerald Laird
Even though Barajas has the #1 job for sure Laird is still going to play hard. According to http://cbs.sportsline.com, here is what Laird said about Barajas being the #1 catcher, "I just kind of look at it as reality. It's probably his job, but I'm going to be right here to work hard, to play hard and to push him." He is probably going to be the back-up catcher because if you look up and down the catchers, Keith McDonald has the best chance of putting up a fight for the #2 position and Keith is a non-roster invitee.
Percentage 98.9%

Keith McDonald
Keith is probably not going to make it because of him being a non-roster invitee and Gerald Laird. He has had 9 at-bats in the big leagues (in 2000 and 2001 for the St Louis Cardinals) and has had 3 hits. All 3 of those hits were homers. But in the minors, he has had 3120 at-bats and only 78 homers. Last year with the Redhawks, he batted .240 in 233 at-bats. He had 2 home runs and 33 RBI’s.
Percentage 1.6%

Mike Nickeas
Mike has a very interesting background. He is from Vancouver, Canada but you cannot tell by his accent. His Dad (Mark Nickeas) played soccer for the Dallas Sidekicks (indoor soccer team) in 1984-85. His Dad also played soccer in England in the late 70’s. Mike played baseball for Westlake High School and won two championships with them. The Rangers consider him a big prospect, and so last year they moved him from Spokane (short-season A) to Frisco (AA). He was drafted in the 5th round of the 2004 draft. Nickeas is said to be good with pitchers. Last year, even though he struggled with a .202 average in 242 AA at-bats, the Rangers stuck with him. He also played in the Arizona Fall League for the Grand Canyon Rafters, hitting .425 in 40 at-bats. I think that he is not going to be in the majors this year but that his minor league stats will improve after he has experience.
Percentage 1.2%

Taylor Teagarden
Teagarden was voted second-best college defensive player by Baseball America before the 2005 draft. According to mlb.com, he said this about being with the Rangers (his hometown team): "I'm glad that I will get the chance to help the Rangers out as an organization. This is about the best feeling I could have right now. It's a dream come true." He batted .281 in 96 at-bats for Spokane in 2005. Teagarden batted .333 in 63 games in 2005 at the University of Texas. Teagarden has no chance of making the big leagues in 2005, but he has a chance to be a future A.J. Pierzynski without the attitude.
Percentage 0%

Nick Trzesniak
Trzesniak was drafted by the Padres in the 1999 draft and has been in the minors ever since. In his career, he has a .249 average in 1875 at-bats. Last year in AAA Portland, he batted .380 in 79 at-bats. He probably is not going to make the majors this year.
Percentage 0.04%

My prediction of which catchers will be on the active roster is the following:
Rod Barajas – starter
Gerald Laird – back-up

Next in line:
- Keith McDonald
- Mike Nickeas

Come back later this week for the infielders.

Analysis of Spring Training Pitchers

The Rangers opened Spring Training this week with 35 pitchers in the major league camp. Below, I will rate each pitcher and give their chances of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training.

Antonio Alfonseca
Even though he is a non-roster invitee and was a very inconsistent pitcher for the last few years, I do think he has a chance to make the 25-man roster. He’ll have to have a strong Spring Training and let that sixth finger add a positive spin on the ball if he is going to make it. His age might not allow him to do that, leaving him in Triple-A or Double-A.
Percentage 71.2% chance of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training

Brian Anderson
He’s also a non-roster invitee which leads you to think that he’s not making the 25-man roster. He isn’t even going to be able to show his stuff because of Tommy John Surgery. Even if he is in the minors the whole year, he could bring even more character to the clubhouse in the minors. When Brian was pitching for the Indians he and Carl Sadler chased down a thief trying to steal a woman’s purse. Anyway, he’s going to need to recover fast if he’s going to the bigs.
Percentage 5.4%

Rick Bauer
He has played for the Orioles for his entire 4-year career. He only pitched 8.1 innings with a 9.72 ERA last year. The Rangers probably don’t expect much of him and probably don’t think that he’ll be in the MLB anytime soon.
Percentage 4.3%

Omar Beltre
Omar is having VISA problems because he got one illegally a couple years ago. He probably won’t be able to go to camp or even play in the majors or minors this year.
Percentage 0%

Joaquin Benoit
Joaquin has been known for struggling as a starter and shutting down hitters as a reliever. I think that Benoit will make the team as a long or middle reliever. He has the speed and stuff to strike out and just mow down hitters. If he can meet his potential he could become a starter. Last year he got closer to his potential pitching 87 innings with a 3.72 ERA. Of course, when he was a starter the ERA shot up. If he can have another season like that he will (in my perspective) meet his potential. He is out of options so he will probably be on the team.
Percentage 100%

Ryan Bukvich
Bukvich has a great minor league career but has struggled in the majors. If he can recover from his Tommy John surgery quickly and pitch like he used to in the minors, he has a good chance of being in the MLB. Ever since he was called up to the majors with the Royals in 2002, he has struggled everywhere except for the 7.1 innings pitched for the Royals in ‘04. He probably won’t recover from his Tommy John surgery quick enough to play the whole year for the Rangers.
Percentage 3.6%

Jesse Carlson
Carlson is a non-roster invitee who does not have a big chance of going to the majors. Last year, he pitched 2 innings for the Blue Jays in Spring Training with a 9.00 ERA. In the minors with Toronto last year, Jesse went 4-3 with a 2.79 ERA. For three minor league seasons before that, his stats were 2.81 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 156.2 innings pitched.
Percentage 8.1%

Fabio Castro
Fabio has played in the White Sox organization throughout his career even though we got him from the Royals in the Rule-5 draft. If you get a player from the Rule 5 draft, he has to remain on the active major league roster for the entire season or else he will go through waivers. Since he was from the Rule 5 draft, it is very likely that he will be in the majors the whole year. His ERA has been outstanding with an ERA of 2.28 last year and 2.47 for the years before that put together. He has only played in the rookie league and single-A though. He has been in Spring Training once (2005) and put up an 8.10 ERA in 3.1 IP.
Percentage 95.6%

Francisco Cordero
He has blazing stuff and from his major league performances, he is going to the MLB unless he gets injured.
Percentage 100%

John Danks
John probably needs more experience in the minors to be able to pitch well in the majors because once he got to AA, he struggled with a 5.49 ERA in 98.1 innings. If he can get closer to his potential earlier than expected, he has a chance. It would take basically no-hit ball during Spring Training for him to make the majors.
Percentage 10.1%

Thomas Diamond
Thomas, like John Danks, probably needs more experience in the minors to pitch well in the majors because he also struggled once he got to AA with a 5.35 ERA in 69 innings pitched. But with the Blaze, Thomas was dominant with a 1.99 ERA in 81.1 innings pitched. He also had 101 strikeouts. I think in a year or two, he will be able to pitch in the majors successfully. He will need to do the same as John Danks needs to do if he’s going to make the majors.
Percentage 10.2%

Joselo Diaz
Jose has a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Jose Diaz had a 9.13 ERA with a 2-2 record and 22 strike-outs in 18 games for the Royals’ AA Montgomery Biscuits as a reliever. He had a 0.00 ERA with a 0-0 record and 19 strike-outs in 8 games for the Indians’ AA Akron Aeros. He also had a 3.89 ERA with a 1-2 record and 44 strike-outs in 20 games for the Indians’ AAA Buffalo Bisons. For his career he has a 3.71 ERA and a 21-21 record with 340 strike-outs in 303.1 innings pitched. He started his career by signing with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He has pitched against Nick Trzesniak, his likely catcher in AAA if he doesn’t make the majors.
Percentage 29.9%

R.A. Dickey
R.A. (Robert Alan) needs to improve his new knuckleball to make the team. If he does and is successful with it, he has a good chance to be the fifth starter in the rotation. If somebody in the chase for the fifth rotation spot does better than Dickey, he has a good shot at a long reliever role.
Percentage 79.6%

Juan Dominguez
The Rangers know that he has incredible stuff that can just mow down hitters but he will still need to prove that he cares about doing well and not just about getting the money. He has a tendency to show up late and not keep his head in the game. If he can just mature himself, he could easily become a starter.
Percentage 63.7%

Jayson Durocher
Jayson Paul Durocher has a career major league ERA of 3.09 in 55.1 innings pitched. He has only played in 45 major league games. He has a tendency to get injured and hasn’t played in the majors since 2003. He has played professional baseball since 1993 and only played in the majors in ’02 and ’03. He is a non-roster invitee and has very little chance of making the team.
Percentage 5.3%

Adam Eaton
He is a proven starter and is going to be one unless he’s injured.
Percentage 100%

Scott Feldman
If Scott Feldman can pitch like he did last year in the majors, he has a great chance of staying on the active roster. Last year, he had a 0.96 ERA in 9.1 major league innings.
Percentage 74.2%

Frank Francisco
Frank is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and likely won’t be back until May.
Percentage 1.6%

Armando Galarraga
Armando did well in single-A (2.48 ERA in 80 innings) but struggled in double-A (5.19 ERA in 76.1 innings) in 2005. Like Omar Beltre, he is having VISA problems. However, he is expected to be in camp. He does not have a chance at making the majors out of Spring Training.
Percentage 0%

Jon Leicester
Jon struggled badly in ’05 with a 5.51 ERA in 98 AAA innings and a 9.00 ERA in 9 innings pitched for the Cubs. However, he pitched great in 2004 with a 3.89 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched for the Cubs. He will need to pitch like he did in 2004 this spring for him to make the majors out of camp.
Percentage 35.5%

Wes Littleton
Wes has been a decent minor league player who probably will not play in the majors for the whole season. In AA last year, Wes had a 3.97 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 81.2 innings pitched. If he can pitch well in Oklahoma City, he could easily be a late season call-up.
Percentage 9.5%

Kameron Loe
Kameron probably has established himself enough in the majors to make it to the majors out of camp this year.
Percentage 100%

Ron Mahay
Even though Mahay is a non-roster invitee, if he has a good Spring Training, he has a great chance of making the team because he is established in the majors. In ’05, he had a 6.81 ERA in 35.2 innings pitched but in ’04, he had a 2.55 ERA in 67 innings.
Percentage 55.5%

Kevin Millwood
Kevin will make it out of camp unless he gets injured. He led the league in ERA last year and was brought in to be the team’s ace.
Percentage 100%

Akinori Otsuka
Otsuka will make the team as long as he can stay healthy. He was brought in to set up Francisco Cordero.
Percentage 100%

Vicente Padilla
Vicente has established himself enough to have a 100% chance to be a starter out of camp.
Percentage 100%

Erasmo Ramirez
Ramirez has had enough experience to do well in the majors. As long as he can stay healthy and have a decent spring, he will make the team. Last year, he had a 3.91 ERA in 23 major league innings.
Percentage 99.1%

Nick Regilio (non-roster)
Nick had elbow tendonitis and should be back from his injury in time for Spring Training. He shouldn’t make the team because he will still be rebuilding his arm strength. Like Wes, he could be a big candidate for being called up later in the season.
Percentage 2.2%

Josh Rupe
Josh did very well in the majors at the end of last year, with a 2.79 ERA in 9.2 innings pitched. You would think that Juan Dominguez or R.A. Dickey would out pitch him and win the fifth starter role. He would need to out pitch five other pitchers (Dominguez, Dickey, Mahay, Wilson, and Volquez) for the fifth role in the rotation. If he can’t be a starter in the majors, I think they will send him to Triple-A so he can pitch every five days.
Percentage 11.6%

Brian Shouse
Shouse should make the team unless he has a terrible spring or gets injured. That’s because he is one of their only left-handers and has had two great years for the Rangers (2003 and 2004). Last year, he had a 5.23 ERA in 53.1 innings.
Percentage 79.1%

Jose Silva
Jose has basically no chance at making the team. He played in the majors from 1996 through 2002 with 5.41 ERA in 427.1 innings. Since then, he has been playing in Triple-A and struggled badly, putting up a 6.03 ERA in 2005. He is a non-roster invitee, giving him even less of a chance.
Percentage 1.4%

Edison Volquez
With last year’s stats in the majors of a 14.21 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched, you can tell he needs more time in the minors. He would have to have a monster spring to make the majors.
Percentage 10.9%

Kevin Walker
Kevin probably won’t make the team. He has a career ERA of 4.76 in 102 innings pitched. He was with the White Sox in ‘05 for 9 games so he has a World Series ring under his belt. Texas will be his fourth organization in four years. Since he is a lefty, if he has a strong spring, he has a chance.
Percentage 5.4%

John Wasdin
As long as he doesn’t have an awful spring, he is probably a lock. If he makes the team, the best role for him in my opinion is as a long reliever. Last year, he had a 4.28 ERA in 75.2 innings.
Percentage 85.5%

C.J. Wilson
Last year, Christopher John Wilson struggled as a starter but pitched great as a reliever. As long as he can have a decent spring, he could lock up the last long reliever spot.
Percentage 55.2%


My prediction of which pitchers will be on the active roster is the following:
Kevin Millwood – starter
Adam Eaton – starter
Vicente Padilla – starter
Kameron Loe – starter
R.A. Dickey – starter
John Wasdin – long relief
Brian Shouse – lefty
Joaquin Benoit – long relief
Fabio Castro – middle relief
Francisco Cordero – closer
Akinori Otsuka – setup man
Erasmo Ramirez – lefty

Next in line:
- Antonio Alfonseca
- C.J. Wilson
- Ron Mahay
- Juan Dominguez
- Scott Feldman

Come back next week for the position players.

Winter Awards Banquet

A couple of weeks ago the Rangers had the Winter Awards Banquet. I was able to go with my dad and I’m going to describe the evening.

On our way there, we had some problems. Mapquest had led us the wrong way and we were delayed by 15 minutes (not including the 20 minutes from a car wreck on the way there).

As we got in to Eddie Deen’s Ranch they were having the pre-dinner reception. We saw Brad Wilkerson being interviewed on the Ticket. Luckily, when he was done I got his autograph. It was lucky because all the players were in a VIP session during the reception.

When I was done getting Brad Wilkerson’s autograph, we went to one of the Newberg tables to wait for dinner and for the awards to be announced. Then the players came out of a field of cornstalks like in The Field of Dreams.

Our table was one of the lucky tables because we got somebody associated with the Rangers. We got Kevin Harmon (assistant trainer). He and his wife (Melony) were very nice and friendly to everyone at the table. He was in Phoenix working at the Surprise complex until last year.

After talking to Kevin for a while, we had our dinner, which was very good. It was so much better than last year’s banquet. They had steak, chicken, vegetables, rolls, and mashed potatoes.

When the players were done eating, I went from table to table to get some autographs. As I walked by Jon Daniels, I stopped and talked to him for a while. I asked him about his thoughts on the Chris Young trade and on acquiring Baldiris, but this was a private conversation so I can’t tell you the answers without Jon’s permission. The player autographs that I got were Wes Littleton, Scott Feldman, Ian Kinsler, Jon Leicester, Travis Metcalf, Thomas Diamond, Joselo Diaz, CJ Wilson, Juan Dominguez, and Fabio Castro. Everyone was nice but Jon Daniels, Thomas Diamond and Scott Feldman really stood out because they were especially nice and talked to me for a while.

Then the awards ceremony started. It was hosted by the Hardline from The Ticket. Every time they came on stage, the Hardline theme song was played and they said that they hated it.

They named Travis Metcalf Minor League Player of the Year and they named Thomas Diamond Minor League Pitcher of the Year. As John Lombardi was introducing Thomas Diamond, he told everyone there a story about Thomas. The story was that after the last game of the season, John Lombardi went up to Thomas and asked him a question. Thomas said, ‘I’ve got to get home’ and Lombardi teased him about it because he had just bought a new house in Frisco. Thomas said that he had to get to Louisiana where his family was so he could help out (because this was right after the hurricane). Lombardi said that while everyone else was bailing out, Thomas was going into the storm.

Victor Rojas interviewed Jon Daniels, and Josh Lewin interviewed Gary Matthews Jr. and Brad Wilkerson. Kevin Mench was supposed to be interviewed instead of Gary Matthews Jr. but Kevin had left.

After they interviewed Wilkerson and Matthews, I got too tired and went home, missing the rest of the ceremony. I had a great time and if I had the choice to go again, I’d do it, even though it cost $40 for one person. The only thing I would change is that I would take out the mashed potatoes and put in french fries. I would also like to see the players out with the fans during the reception.

Alfonseca Signs

Antonio Alfonseca, 2000 NL Rolaids Relief Award winner, signed with the Rangers to a minor league deal. Last year for the Marlins his stats were:
33 G
27.1 IP
29 H
15 R
2 HR
14 BB
16 SO
1-1 W-L
0 S
.299 BAA
4.94 ERA
According to http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3674 he will only be used if players get hurt.

His career stats are nothing like what he’s done the past few years.
512 G
547.1 IP
589 H
255 R
49 HR
216 BB
371 SO
30-35 W-L
121 S
.279 BAA
3.95 ERA

In the past few years his ERA has shot up and he has been unstable. On Saturday at the Fan Fest Jon Daniels said that he was a low risk high reward player. I think that it's not going to take injuries for him to do anything for the Rangers and that he only needs to have a strong Spring.

Fan Fest Summary

Yesterday (January 28), the Rangers had their annual Fan Fest, otherwise known as the Winter Carnival. They had autographs, Q&A sessions, and other activities. In this blog entry, I will summarize my day and put some questions and answers from the Brad Wilkerson Q&A session.

At 10am, as me and my dad were walking, we saw three incredibly long lines and luckily we weren’t in any of them. We were in a short line for Frisco RoughRiders pitcher John Danks and Rangers pitcher CJ Wilson at the Newberg table. CJ Wilson was not scheduled to come but Newberg got him to sign autographs. John and CJ both are really good characters and John even remembered me from the banquet the night before.

At 11am, we went to the Brad Wilkerson Q&A session. Here are some of the questions and answers. These are not the exact words.

Q: Who was your favorite teammate of all time to play with?
A: Vladimir Guerrero because he would always work as hard as he could. Brad Wilkerson once saw him throw a ball from deep right field to 20 rows behind home plate.

Q: How was it to have Frank Robinson as your manager?
A: It was tough at first because the players are different than when Frank Robinson played. It was also great because he’s a Hall of Famer, so all of the players learned a lot from him.

Q: How do you compare American fans with Canadian fans?
A: American fans have more knowledge of the game and Canadian fans are louder than the American fans. Canadian fans are also more into the hot dogs, especially on dollar hot dog day.

Brad seemed very nice and like he might be an easy autograph target during the year.

Once the interview was over at 11:30am, we hurried over to the Newberg table so we could get Joselo Diaz and Nick Trzeniak’s autographs. You can read about Joselo Diaz in my blog entry ‘Diaz and Anderson Sign’. Nick Trzeniak was in the Padres’ organization last year and he seemed very friendly.

After that, we stayed at the Newberg table to get High-A Bakersfield Blaze catcher Justin Hatcher’s autograph. He was very friendly and he tended to talk pretty fast.

I met Kathleen O’Brien, the Rangers writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, at the Newberg table after getting Justin Hatcher’s autograph. She was friendly and gave me advice on how to write when I grow up.

At 1pm, me and my dad had lunch and went back to the Newberg table to get Josh Lewin and Jon Daniels’ autographs (both unscheduled). Josh Lewin and Jon Daniels have both been very nice to me and never wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

As me and my dad were walking out of the Diamond Club, we saw how empty the lines were for new Rangers first base coach Bobby Jones, new Rangers reliever and former Cub Jon Leicester, and Rangers reliever Erasmo Ramirez. We went downstairs to get autograph tickets for these players and coach. We went back to the Diamond Club and got their autographs.

At 2pm, we were in a big rush to get through Rangers bullpen coach Dom Chiti and Rangers bench coach Don Wakamatsu’s autograph line so we could get to the Buck Showalter and Jon Daniels Q&A session on time.

Sure enough, after we got the autographs, we had plenty of time to get to the Q&A session. Maybe a little too much time because we saw part of the Baseball Comedy Improv, which started at 2 o’clock. I will give you the question and answer of the question I asked Buck Showalter. These are not his exact words either.

Q: Not including current Rangers, what were your favorite players to manage?
A: Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson, and David Cone

At 3, we waited in line in case Thomas Diamond and Travis Metcalf came to the Newberg table because they had said that they might be there. They weren’t able to make it.

As we were leaving, we got Jose Guzman, Dave Hostetler, and Pete O’Brien’s autographs even though we didn’t have an autograph ticket for them. They were very nice to sign for people that didn’t have tickets.

That was the end of our day at Fan Fest. The Rangers organized this very well but must have been disappointed with the rainy weather keeping people from running the bases, catching pop flies, and throwing in the bullpen. The Newberg table was definitely the best table for me.

Baldiris Acquired

The Rangers claimed AA 2B and 3B Aarom Baldiris of waivers from the New York Mets last week. He played for the Binghamton Mets. Here are last year’s stats:
.275 AVG
63 RBI (2nd on team)
11 HR
495 AB (1st on team)
131 G (1st on team)
.341 OBP
.416 SLG
19 E (most on team)
7 SB (6th on team)
81 SO (5th most on team)
45 BB (2nd most on team)
206 TB (2nd most on team)

Baldiris started his career in 2000 and has lifetime minor league stats of:
.299 AVG
283 RBI
33 HR
1957 AB
535 G
.371 OBP
.417 SLG
45 SB
295 SO
221 BB

Aarom in my eyes has potential as a average hitter and MAYBE a power hitter if he keeps improving his power numbers like he did last year. In 2006 I think his potential impact is what Marshall McDougall did last year. In his career I think he has a 50-50 shot at helping a team in the majors.

Ballpark Rankings

I’ve seen games at 21 of the current major league ballparks. Below, I have listed my 10 favorite ballparks of the 21 current ballparks I have seen, ranked in order. I think that these 10 ballparks are very nicely done and that is why they are my top 10 ballparks.

1. Wrigley Field (Cubs) because everything about that ballpark is historic. The ivy on the outfield wall, the Wrigley Field sign outside of the stadium, and the scoreboard. No other ballpark could match up with this one.

2. Fenway Park (Red Sox) because of the Green Monster and everything historical. Also, Fisk’s pole and Pesky’s pole are so historical. It is cool being able to look around and see so much history. Not just the old history put being able to see players that could go into the hall of fame someday play there (like David Ortiz).

3. Petco Park (Padres) because the way they built the stadium is so nice and organized. The left outfield wall is very old-time looking. They have a section of seats in sand and they have a park out past the outfield. It doesn’t have anything going against it.

4. Kauffman Stadium (Royals) because the fountains in the outfield are so neat. It is a nice little addition to a ballpark with a cool scoreboard and a nice looking field.

5. Yankee Stadium (Yankees) because it has SO much history. It has the plaques in the outfield and even has a historic name (the house that Ruth built). It is so old and has so much meaning. The only two things I have against it are the team is a Rangers enemy (not that that was part of it being this low) and it isn’t attractive from the outside.

6. Great American Ballpark (Reds) because the smoke shooters are so cool, along with everything else. Nothing is boring, all it holds is excitement. When you see the special additions you get into the game (not that you’re not into the game). You can also see the river flowing back behind the stadium.

7. Citizen Bank Park (Phillies) because it had cool statues on every corner of the stadium. It had so much character to it. Also, the games for kids in Ashburn Alley are so cool and you earn prizes depending on how well you do.

8. Turner Field (Braves) because on the outside, there are statues and plaques for every retired number, pennants, and Braves Hall of Fame names. On the inside, you can see downtown Atlanta from your seats and it has a Braves Hall of Fame and Museum.

9. Camden Yards (Orioles) because it has plaques in the ground of the outfield concourse to represent the home runs hit onto Eutaw Street. It is a nice looking ballpark with a neat feel to it.

10. Ameriquest Field (Rangers) because it has a cool bell that rings after every home run and a home run porch that looks neat. Also, it is the park of my favorite team and I have a mini-plan to the Rangers every year, so I’m there a lot of the time.

Autograph Rankings

I really enjoy getting to meet the Rangers players and have had a lot of success as an autograph seeker. Some players are nicer about giving autographs than others. I have put together a ranking of the top 10 nicest Rangers about giving autographs, along with honorable mentions.

1. Rusty Greer – Rusty always made himself available to give autographs to the public. He never just signed without talking to you and he always seemed interested in you as a person. He always had a nice approach to giving autographs and even if he couldn’t at the time, he wouldn’t ignore you like some other players do. One time, I met him at a Halloween party at the Ballpark and he was so willing to give autographs when we asked him. Also, he spent a lot of time just talking to my Daddy and me and asked us questions about ourselves.

2. Jeff Zimmerman – Like Rusty Greer, Jeff made himself available to give autographs to the public by being at lots of autograph events and always talked to you as a person. He was always nice and was never grumpy and it seemed like he never woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

3. Francisco Cordero – The Rangers do not have many players who will just go sign autographs before a game on their own. He is one of the three people on my list who does this. He is not one of the people who enjoys talking to you but he will sign plenty of autographs. I have seen him many times just start signing on his own. A line would start piling up and he would just sign and sign until close to game time.

4. Ricardo Rodriguez – Like Francisco, he will go sign autographs before a game on his own without being asked. He does not sign autographs until close to game time but he does sign autographs after the rest of the players are already gone. He’s also not one of the ones who talks very much but he still signs plenty.

5. Justin Thompson – Last year, when Justin was a RoughRider, all you had to do to get an autograph was go up to him and he would ask you if you wanted an autograph. One time, I asked Justin if I could have his autograph after the game. We later overheard his wife telling him that they needed to hurry and leave right after the game. Justin still remembered that he promised me and took my card and signed it before leaving. He autographed for me so many times that I gave him a $5 gift card to Blockbuster. After that, he always remembered me as soon as he saw me and he would never go one time without saying thank you. Later in the year, I saw him in Oklahoma City after he got called up and he still remembered me when he saw me. Again, like Jeff and Rusty, he would always take time to talk to you and treat you as a real person.

6. John Rocker – John Rocker has a bad reputation but when I got to meet him before a game when he was in the bullpen one time, I got his autograph and he was so nice. I saw him before games more during the year and he was always very nice. He always took time to talk to me and ask me how I was doing. This is a good example that people with bad reputations can still be nice on the inside.

7. Chris Young – He will sign autographs without being asked but doesn’t do it as much as Francisco and Ricardo. He talks to you very nicely while he is signing.

8. Tom Evans – I sent Tom a get well card when he was hurt in 2000. I got a letter from him containing two autographed baseball cards as a thank you for my get well card.

9. Michael Young – If you call him over before the game, he will usually come over and sign for you. While he is signing, he’ll talk to you very nicely. He doesn’t act like he’s in a hurry. Also, he’s very good at going to Rangers autograph events.

10. Brian Shouse – Brian always makes himself available to sign autographs. He doesn’t go into the dugout and hide himself from the crowd, making it so he doesn’t have to sign. Last year, when I was in Kansas City for a Royals game against the Rangers, there was a rain delay. During the delay. Brian was out throwing with Ron Mahay. He stayed out in the rain to sign autographs for me and the rest of the Rangers fans.

Honorable Mention:
- Sandy Alomar Jr.
- David Dellucci
- Jim Sundberg
- Thomas Diamond

Diaz and Anderson Sign

According to the Newberg Report, the Rangers have signed LHP Brian Anderson and RHP Jose Diaz to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training.

According to ESPN.com Brian Anderson has a 4.74 career ERA and has a career record of 82-83. Last year he had a 6.75 ERA with a 1-2 record. He only played 6 games because he got injured and had Tommy John surgery on July 21st. Anderson is unlikely to pitch until June and since he is signed to a 1 year deal he might not do much for the Rangers. He has played 14 years for 4 different Major League teams (Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, California Angels, and Arizona Diamondbacks). His best year ERA wise is 2003 when he had a 3.80 ERA for Cleveland and Kansas City. His best year record wise is 1999 when he had an 8-2 record for Arizona.

Jose Diaz had a 9.13 ERA with a 2-2 record and 22 strike-outs in 18 games for the Royals’ AA Montgomery Biscuits as a reliever. He had a 0.00 ERA with a 0-0 record and 19 strike-outs in 8 games for the Indians’ AA Akron Aeros. He also had a 3.89 ERA with a 1-2 record and 44 strike-outs in 20 games for the Indians’ AAA Buffalo Bisons. For his career he has a 3.71 ERA and a 21-21 record with 340 strike-outs in 303.1 innings pitched. He started his career by signing with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2001.

I think that Brian Anderson has a chance to play in the majors as a mid-season call-up if one of our pitchers is struggling. Jose Diaz I think will be a good addition to the RoughRiders or Redhawks for the season.

Comparing 2005 vs. 2006 Position Players

In my previous blog, I compared the starting pitchers from last season with the projected starting pitchers for 2006. In this blog, I will compare the 2005 starting lineup and bench with the 2006 projected starting lineup and bench.

Here is the 2005 starting lineup and bench, along with their stats and my grade of their performance (I'm sorry the formatting isn't better - I don't know how to do nice formatting on this website):

Starters:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
DH David Dellucci .251 29 65 .367 B-
SS Michael Young .331 24 91 .385 A+
1B Mark Texiera .301 43 144 .379 A+
3B Hank Blalock .263 25 92 .318 B
2B Alfonso Soriano .268 36 104 .309 A-
OF Kevin Mench .264 25 73 .328 B
OF Gary Matthews .255 17 55 .320 B-
OF Richard Hidalgo .221 16 43 .289 C-
C Rod Barajas .254 21 60 .306 B-

Bench:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
DH Phil Nevin .237 12 55 .287 D
SS Mark DeRosa .243 8 20 .325 B-
1B Adrian Gonzalez .227 6 17 .272 C-
3B Marshall McDougall .167 0 0 .167 D-
OF Laynce Nix .240 6 32 .267 C
C Sandy Alomar .273 0 14 .306 C+

Here is the projected 2006 starting lineup and bench, along with their 2005 stats and my grade of their performance:

Projected Starters:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
DH David Dellucci .251 29 65 .367 B-
SS Michael Young .331 24 91 .385 A+
1B Mark Texiera .301 43 144 .379 A+
3B Hank Blalock .263 25 92 .318 B
2B Ian Kinsler* .274 23 94 .348 B+
OF Brad Wilkerson .248 11 57 .351 A-
OF Kevin Mench .264 25 73 .328 B
OF Gary Matthews .255 17 55 .320 B-
C Rod Barajas .254 21 60 .306 B-
* Ian Kinsler stats are from AAA

Projected Bench:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
OF Adam Hyzdu .194 0 4 .286 C+
SS Mark DeRosa .243 8 20 .325 B-
C Gerald Laird .225 1 4 .262 C+
DH Phil Nevin .237 12 55 .287 D

Overall, I think the Rangers have stayed at the same level of hitting but have improved on defense. If you put this with their improved pitching, they are a better team overall.