Spring Training Catchers Analysis

This past week 105.3 The Fan put my blog on their website at http://www.1053thefan.com/pages/3988228.php?contentType=4&contentId=3642573. The Fan is the great new sports radio station in town and their website (http://www.1053thefan.com/) has a lot of good content. You should check it out. I think they plan to keep posting my blogs on their site and I’d like to thank Devin Pike and Gavin Spittle from The Fan for putting me on their site.

This week I completed my analysis of the players in Rangers camp with an analysis of the seven catchers in big league camp, with my percentages of them making the Opening Day roster this year.

Adam Melhuse: Last year Melhuse hit .167 in only thirty at-bats. He hit .200 with 0 HR’s and 1 RBI in 20 AB’s for the Rangers and .100 with 0 HR’s and 1 RBI in 10 AB’s for the Rockies. This was the worst average of his career when he had 25 or more at-bats. In 2007, Melhuse hit .231 with 0 HR’s and 2 RBI’s in 26 at-bats for Oakland and hit .206 with 1 HR and 7 RBI’s in 68 AB’s for the Rangers (a .213 batting average between the two teams). His best year was in 2004 with Oakland when he hit .257 with 11 HR’s and 31 RBI’s in 214 at-bats (the most home runs, RBI’s, and at-bats of any season in his career). But with the Rangers having Teagarden, Ramirez, and Saltalamacchia and with Melhuse being a non-roster invite, he probably will not make the team out of Spring Training, but if an injury occurs he might be called up on short-term basis.
Percentage chance of making the team out of Spring Training: 11.4%

Manuel Pina: Last year (his 4th in the Rangers system) Pina hit .265 with 3 HR’s and 24 RBI’s in 223 at-bats with the Blaze before being called up to Frisco where he hit .275 with 0 HR’s and 9 RBI’s in 80 at-bats. He threw out 32% of the California League base-stealers and 40% of the Texas League base-stealers. Pina has almost no chance of making the team out of Spring Training with the Rangers’ catching depth and him being a non-roster invite. Pina is an excellent defensive catcher with good plate discipline but is in big league camp this year mostly to get some experience.
Percentage: 2.9%

Max Ramirez: Ramirez made his major league debut last year and struggled in 46 AB’s, hitting only .217 with 2 HR’s and 9 RBI’s. In his 243 at-bats with Frisco in 2008 he hit .354 with 17 HR’s and 50 RBI’s. His on-base percentage was .450. In 2007 after he was traded to the Rangers for Kenny Lofton, Ramirez hit .307 with 4 HR’s and 20 RBI’s in 114 at-bats for Bakersfield. Max has great offensive potential and may ultimately be part of the team as something other than a catcher (he may be better suited as a 1B/DH). He’s currently not in camp, as he’s playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, where he’s gone 0-for-5. He definitely has a good chance of making the team, but I think that he will start off the year in Oklahoma City.
Percentage: 45.1%

Kevin Richardson: In 2008, Kevin spent the whole year in Oklahoma City and hit .251 with 6 HR’s and 22 RBI’s in 187 at-bats. In 2007, with Frisco he hit .222 with 14 HR’s and 45 RBI’s in 320 at-bats. Kevin works really well with pitchers and is someone who probably has a future as a coach, even if he doesn’t play in the majors. Kevin has no chance of making the team out of spring training since he had knee surgery that will keep him out for a while.
Percentage: 0%

Jarrod Saltalamacchia: Salty only had 198 at-bats last year and struggled. He hit .253 with only 3 HR’s and 26 RBI’s, but even though he had 110 less at-bats than 2007, he still walked 12 more times in 2008 than in 2007, showing that he’s learning to be more disciplined at the plate. He had nine errors last year and only a .976 fielding percentage and struggles throwing out base-stealers. In 2007, he hit .266 with 11 HR’s and 33 RBI’s in 308 AB’s between Atlanta and Texas. Salty has looked great during the off-season (.364, 9 HR and 21 RBI in 66 at-bats in the winter league) and during camp so far. Salty will almost surely make the team out of Spring Training and most likely will be the starter.
Percentage: 93.4%

Taylor Teagarden: Teagarden played very well in his short stint with the Rangers last year and hit .319 with 6 home runs and 17 RBI’s in 47 at-bats. His OBP was .396 and his slugging percentage was .809. He hit only .225 with 7 HR’s and 16 RBI’s in 187 at-bats with Oklahoma City in 2008 and hit only .169 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI’s in his 59 at-bats with Frisco in ’08. He is great defensively and works well with pitchers and, if he can keep up anything close to the offensive numbers he put up with the Rangers last year, will be the complete package at catcher. He will probably make the team, but not as an outright starter, most likely splitting the games with Saltalamacchia.
Percentage: 72.9%

I’m not sure that Emerson Frostad is in major league camp, but I think that he was brought over to replace the injured Kevin Richardson:
Emerson Frostad: Emerson hit .256 with 6 home runs and 38 RBI’s with Frisco in ’08. He played in 92 games and had 332 at-bats, an average of 3.61 at-bats per game played. He walked 35 times, but struck out 78 times. He had 85 total hits and was 4-for-6 in stolen base attempts. He can play third, catcher, and first, but doesn’t run very well. He has almost no chance of making the team this year.
Percentage: 1.2%

Here is my predicted catching roster on Opening Day:
Starting Catcher vs. Lefties: Taylor Teagarden
Starting Catcher vs. Righties: Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Next in line:
Max Ramirez

Here are my predictions for the Rangers’ roster on Opening Day:
Starter #1: Kevin Millwood
Starter #2: Vicente Padilla
Starter #3: Matt Harrison
Starter #4: Scott Feldman
Starter #5: Brandon McCarthy
Long Reliever: Dustin Nippert
Long Reliever/Middle Reliever: Doug Mathis
Long Reliever/Middle Reliever: Josh Rupe
Middle Reliever: CJ Wilson
Middle Reliever: Warner Madrigal
Set-up Man: Eddie Guardado
Closer: Frankie Francisco
Starting Catcher vs. Lefties: Taylor Teagarden
Starting Catcher vs. Righties: Jarrod Saltalamacchia
1B: Chris Davis
2B: Ian Kinsler
3B: Michael Young
SS: Elvis Andrus
DH: Hank Blalock
Utility: Omar Vizquel
Center Field: Josh Hamilton
Right Field: Nelson Cruz
Left Field vs. Righties: David Murphy
Left Field vs. Lefties: Marlon Byrd
Back-up Outfielder: Frank Catalanotto

Come back next week for a summary of my trip to Rangers camp at Spring Training.

Jeff Zimmerman Interview Part 1

Evan Grant got a job as the Rangers beat writer for D Magazine. He started his new blog (which he’ll be doing with Mike Hindman) at http://insidecorner.dmagazine.com/. It’s really good and you should go check it out. It’s now linked to my blog (on the left).

This week I am posting Part 1 of my interview with former Rangers pitcher Jeff Zimmerman and you’ll see that he gave the greatest answers. He is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever known and I would like to thank him for spending so much time on this interview. These two questions are only part one. The interview will continue sometime soon.

Question 1: Can you describe the experience of playing for the Canadian National Baseball Team? What is the toughest thing about playing baseball in Canada and why? What is the best thing about playing baseball in Canada and why?

Answer: At the time, playing for the Canadian National Baseball team was the pinnacle of my baseball career. I never wanted to “make” a team as badly in my entire life. It is difficult to describe the enormous pride you feel when representing your country. Hearing your national anthem played while wearing your country’s uniform gives you chills up and down your spine. It is the same sensation that you feel on opening day in Texas when the fighter jet flies over the Ballpark after the Star Spangled Banner.

Playing for your country is more emotional than anything I experienced collegiately or professionally. The games take on more gravity as you are not just playing for your team but your entire country. Each inning and even each at bat seem to have more of a sense of urgency. As all the games mean something, the atmosphere is similar to playoff baseball.

The most difficult thing about playing in Canada is the weather. Growing up I was lucky to play 40 games a year. This translated into a lack of exposure to quality instruction, coaching and scouts (pro and college). As a result many Canadian players aren’t as seasoned as the players who come out of the United States and Latin America. However, things have vastly improved in all areas over the last 15 years to the point that there are almost 1000 Canadians playing college ball in the USA and well over 100 playing professionally.

The best thing about playing baseball in Canada is that it is still played for fun. The focus is more on teamwork than individually honing your skills to get to the next level. I was reminded of this a few years back when I attended a camp for a traveling team in the Metroplex. Kids ranging from age 9 to 17 were going through a variety of workouts to make a team in this “organization”. Coaches had the 9 and 10 year olds throwing in front of radar guns and one of the coaches told me that if a kid isn’t throwing XX mph by the time he’s 10, he can’t pitch on the team. I found this pretty astounding (and absolutely ridiculous) considering I never even knew what a radar gun looked like until I was 16.

Question 2: Can you describe how you made the journey from the independent leagues to the major leagues? How did you end up signing with the Rangers? How did you find out that you had been called up to the majors and what was your first MLB game experience like?

Answer: Ironically, my journey from the independent leagues to the major leagues went so much smoother than I expected. I began playing independent ball in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1997 never having faced a wood bat before. It was there I gained supreme confidence in my slider as the weight distribution in the wood bat made it much more difficult for hitters to check their swings as opposed to the metal bats.

My manager in Winnipeg was Hal Lanier who played and managed in the big leagues and led the Astros to the playoffs in ’86. He was the first ever professional baseball person to show any confidence in me, let alone interest. This was the turning point in my career. Here was someone who managed Nolan Ryan and Mike Scott telling me that I had what it took to play professional baseball. It’s hard to describe, but this vote of confidence confirmed my belief that it was possible and then opened up pitching abilities that I never knew I had. I rode this momentum all through the season and ended up one of the top pitchers in the league.

At the end of the season many of my teammates told me to wait by the phone as typically the top 5-10 players from the Northern League get picked up by organizations. The phone call never came. I tried to find an agent but at age 25 I was too old and too Canadian (US work Visas were limited to 30 per organization then). So I became my own agent and put together a “baseball resume” and faxed to all 30 clubs. When Reid Nichols, the Rangers’ farm director, called the next day I was so blown away that I thought it was my brother playing a joke on me. Up to that point in my life nothing had ever come easily for me and surely the man in charge of the entire Ranger minor league system had better things to do than wake me up with a phone call early in the morning.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a dream, and I was given an invite to the Rangers’ minor league spring training in Port Charlotte, FL. Upon arrival I took one look at the army of pitchers who were younger, bigger and threw harder and felt my heart sink. To further the insecurity, I was the only player of almost 200 who had black spikes. Actually there were a couple others who had the wrong shoes and we were all told that we had 3 days to find red spikes or find our own way home. My roommate let me use his as he had just learned he needed knee surgery. They were a size too big but nothing that 2 pairs of socks couldn’t cure in the Florida heat.

After the shoe drama had passed I got to pitch in some of the A ball games. It was a huge relief to find that the momentum that I had built up the previous season in Winnipeg returned and I threw well enough to make the high A club in Port Charlotte in the Florida State League.

Six weeks into the season we were playing in Daytona Beach and my roommate and I heard a knock on our hotel room door at 11pm. Figuring it was a curfew check we opened the door to see our pitching coach Lee Tunnel. He pointed to each of us and said, “I need to talk to you and I need to talk to you”. Coincidentally, my roommate, Rodney Pedraza (a good ol’ Texan from Cuero) had just signed with the Rangers from Winnipeg where we played together last season. Upon getting the “point” from Lee we both looked at each other thinking the same thing – “great, back to Winnipeg we go”. Lee did have a plane ticket, but it was to Tulsa! I was going up to AA.

Tulsa was an amazing experience. We had a great club with an awesome manager (Bobby Jones) and pitching coach (Brad Arnsberg). Everyone on the team got along great. I thought that once you reached AA (within sniffing distance of the big leagues) things would have been more cut throat and players more selfishly motivated. I couldn’t have been more wrong. You couldn’t tell the prospects and bonus babies from the journeymen and roster fillers. We all were just having a blast playing the game we loved. Nobody was immune from being poked fun at. With this chemistry we won the AA championship. It was the first ever championship team I had been a part of and wow was it fun.

Things didn’t stop there. Shortly before the end of the Tulsa season I was chosen by the organization to play in the Arizona Fall League. It was at this point that I finally realized that I might actually have a shot at playing in the big leagues as the AFL rosters are comprised of 6 of the top prospects from each organization. What was equally as cool was that our pitching coach in the AFL was Lee Tunnel. To top that, my younger brother Jordan, a Seattle LHP prospect, was on the team. So this time when I arrived for the AFL I wasn’t intimidated by all the big name prospects that I had followed in Baseball America. I actually felt like I belonged. The adrenaline and buzz from the Tulsa experience carried on through the AFL. I was quite sad when it ended. It had been such an amazing, whirlwind season that I thought if it ended I would wake up from the best dream ever to find myself back throwing in a parking garage in Vancouver.

Luckily, the dream didn’t end. Upon returning home to Vancouver the Rangers had even more great news to make me really think that it was even too good to be a dream:

I had been named the “Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year”. An award for me named after and presented by my child, teenage, and adulthood hero.

I was one of 3 Ranger prospects selected to attend the MLB Rookie Career Development Program in Washington DC. Yet another awesome experience, I got to meet George Brett, Cal Ripken Jr. and President Clinton.

I didn’t think it was possible, but it got even better as I was invited to attend the Rangers’ MAJOR LEAGUE spring training as a non-roster invitee.

Big league camp was as intimidating as minor league camp at first but at least I had the right color shoes. Walking into the clubhouse on the first day and seeing Juan, Pudge, and Raffy was quite a surreal experience. But seeing John Wetteland in his roller blades wearing a hockey helmet and gloves shooting pucks into his locker made the Canadian kid in me feel somewhat at home. The atmosphere was super laid back. Doubly so for me since I knew there was no way I would be making the club as a non-roster guy who hadn’t even sniffed AAA. With this in mind I relaxed and soaked up the experience.

Then the games began and I was astounded that Johnny Oates kept putting me into them…and early too…while the big league starters were still playing. I was looking forward to watching some games, maybe get an inning or two when the big leaguers left after the 5th inning and hopefully hoarding another week’s worth of meal money before being sent back to minor league camp. Instead, I’m getting to face Knoblauch, Jeter, Bernie Williams and Paul O’Neill in front of 7,000 fans in Tampa as Roger Clemens makes his first start for the Yankees. I stayed with the club all the way through to their final exhibition game at the Ballpark in Arlington before I was sent to AAA in Oklahoma City.

My bags were already packed (I couldn’t believe they actually have people who do that for you) when I saw a note on my suitcase. It was from Mike Morgan, the ultimate veteran who played the game with the enthusiasm of a ten year old.

“Zimdog, Great camp. It was fun watching you pitch. One pitch at a time, one batter at a time, one day at a time. Keep doing this and you’ll look back on this moment with 20 years in the bigs under your belt. See you soon.
Mo Man”

I wish the “Mo Man” was right about the 20 year part, but he did see me soon as I was called up to the Rangers after only a week in Oklahoma City. We were in Albuquerque and before the game the manager, Greg Biagini, told me that there was a chance that I would be called up to the Rangers after the game tonight. I wasn’t going to pitch in the game, so just relax and try to enjoy it, but don’t tell anyone what we had just talked about. That was probably the most un-relaxed I had ever been on a baseball field. I couldn’t pitch, I couldn’t say anything about my potential call-up – I thought my head was going to explode. Needless to say that 2 and half hour game was the longest game in the history of baseball to me. I could not sit still, I could not shut my brain off. Thoughts popped in and out of my head like a ping pong game.

When the game finally ended, the torture continued in the clubhouse. I was too wound up to eat the post game spread, my stomach was in knots. I tried to be nonchalant but couldn’t keep from staring at the manager’s office like a stalker. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and forced myself to get something to eat from the spread. Of course, as soon as I took a huge bite out of my oozing barbeque beef sandwich, the manager motioned me into his office. When I got into the office he nodded his head and on cue I spit my mouthful of sandwich all over my uniform. I wanted to hug him, but settled for a handshake due to the bbq sauce mess on my jersey.

I arrived in Seattle the next morning after getting a grand total of zero hours of sleep. After pinching myself before walking into the clubhouse I had a flashback to my first minor league spring training and how I wondered if I had made the right decision or should be getting on with my life in the real world. Except this time everyone knew who I was and welcomed me as if I was one of them. I was baptized by fire into the bullpen core. John Wetteland had devised a very unique set of “rules” and code of etiquette for the relievers to follow in order to keep from going stir crazy during the early innings of the game. Unfortunately, I had to learn them through trial and error (mainly error) much to the delight of the veterans. I was fined (given head slaps) for being late for the season. When I poured myself a cup of water from the jug in the pen without asking if anyone else wanted a cup I was quickly reminded of my greenness as everyone in the pen got to throw water in my face.

In the meantime, Pudge was in the process of going 3 for the 3 with a grand slam, 3 run homer and 2 run double as we were up 15-0 after 5 innings. The next thing you know the phone in the pen rings and I’m motioned to get up. My heart jumps into my throat and my entire body starts to shake. My jaw starts to chatter like it’s 20 below zero in the Kingdome. I can’t feel my arm or the ball in my hand as my first warm-up throw sails 5 feet over the catcher’s head and all the way down behind home plate in the game.

I can’t recall anything else until I’m on the mound in the game and Raul Ibanez steps into the batters box. Finally, I stop shaking and get the sign. All of a sudden everything gets really quiet. The crowd noise stops almost as if I’m a tennis player getting ready to serve. The only thing I can hear is my heart beating. Thank goodness my body decides to take over because if it was left up to my brain I’d still be standing there right now wondering how in the world did this all just happen. Automatically, my leg kicks up and the ball jumps out of my hand as if I’m watching it on a video game. I don’t remember if my first pitch was a strike or not, but as soon as it left my hand the game turned back into what it always was…a game that I had played with love since I was 8 years old.

I threw 1 2/3 innings and all I really remember is the last pitch that I threw, a high and away fastball to Edgar Martinez that he swung through for the final out of the inning. After the game, Rusty Greer came up to me and said, “Do you know what you just did? You just made Edgar Martinez, the best right-handed hitter in the league look silly on a pitch that he normally drives into the right field bleachers. Welcome to the big leagues.” Maybe these guys are human after all.

Results from last week’s poll:
Who do you think will be the utility infielder for the Rangers this year?
Omar Vizquel – 50%
Joaquin Arias – 25%
German Duran – 12%
Jose Vallejo – 6%
Other – 6%

Come back next week for an analysis of the catchers in Rangers Spring Training.

Spring Training Infielders Analysis

So far Andruw Jones has struggled and if this continues he has no chance of making the team. So far he is 1-for-7 with 6 strikeouts. Also, Josh Hamilton is tearing it up and is 4-for-8 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI’s (one in each of the three games so far). Scott Feldman allowed 9 hits, 7 runs, and 4 earned runs in only 1.2 innings pitched in his first game of the spring. Kevin Millwood had three strikeouts and allowed only one hit in 2 innings of work on Thursday.

The Rangers have 11 infielders in major league camp. This week, I analyzed the infielders in big league camp and gave their chances of making the team at the end of Spring Training. I also gave my prediction for what the Opening Day infield roster will look like.

Infielders:

Elvis Andrus: Elvis Andrus was part of the Mark Teixeira trade in ’07 and has played well since then. He hit .300 in Bakersfield in 2007 after hitting only .244 for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (the Braves’ High-A team) before the trade. Last year he hit .295 with 4 home runs and 65 RBI’s, but only had 38 walks the whole year in Frisco. With Michael Young moving to third, that opens up the shortstop for Andrus and he will probably be the starting shortstop.
Percentage chance of making the team out of Spring Training: 89.7%

Joaquin Arias: Joaquin Arias had 110 at-bats in the majors last year and hit .291 with 0 HR’s and only 9 RBI’s. He stole four bases out of five attempts. With runners in scoring position and two outs he only hit .133 and he only hit .200 with runners on base. He has struggled to regain his arm strength after his injury a couple of years ago. He has a chance to be the utility guy on this team, but that role will probably go to Omar Vizquel.
Percentage: 25.6%

Hank Blalock: Blalock has gotten injured each of the past two years and hasn’t gotten 260 at-bats since ’06. In 2007, he hit .293 with 10 HR’s and 33 RBI’s in 208 AB’s. In 2008, he hit .287 with 12 HR’s and 38 RBI’s in just 258 at-bats. But he only had .475 walks (19) for every strikeout (40). His fielding percentage was only .951 last year when he played third base, significantly worse than his .996 fielding percentage at first base. He really struggled last year with runners in scoring position as he only hit .239, and with runners in scoring position and two outs he only hit .158. With two outs he only hit .200 and he hit .358 with no outs. He also hit way better at home than on the road, hitting .343 at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and hitting .248 on the road. He only had a .14 point difference between facing right-handed pitchers (.291 AVG) and facing left-handed pitchers (.277 AVG). He will probably break camp as the DH unless he is traded or released.
Percentage: 97.8%

Chris Davis: Last year Chris Davis made his MLB debut, and he had a great one. He hit .285 with 17 HR’s and 55 RBI’s in 295 at-bats. If you double his stats (which would equal about 148 games with 4 AB’s in each of them) he would have had 34 HR’s and 110 RBI’s in a season’s worth of at-bats. That’s pretty good for a rookie year. He hit .325 in September. He is almost a lock for the starting first baseman on Opening Day.
Percentage: 99.4%

German Duran: German also made his major league debut last season and played in 60 major league games. He hit .231 with 3 HR’s and 16 RBI’s in 143 AB’s. He played 2B, 3B, SS, and OF and that flexibility is what gives him a chance at being the utility guy out of Spring Training. But, with the acquisition of Omar Vizquel, he’s most likely to start the season in the minors.
Percentage: 41.3%

Ian Kinsler: Before getting injured last season, Ian Kinsler was an MVP candidate. He had a .319 AVG with 18 HR’s and 71 RBI’s in 518 AB’s and most of those from the lead-off spot. He still got a tenth place MVP vote, even after missing all of September and some of August. He also had 26 stolen bases and will be the starting second baseman out of camp.
Percentage: 100%

Travis Metcalf: Last year Travis Metcalf only had 56 at-bats in the majors and 265 in Oklahoma City due to injuries. He only hit .253 with 5 HR’s and 37 RBI’s at Oklahoma City and he wasn’t as great at defense as he normally is, as he had 12 errors. In the majors, Metcalf hit only .232 with 6 HR’s and 14 RBI’s. He was hoping to be the team’s regular third baseman this year, but with Michael Young’s move to third, he probably will not make the team out of Spring Training. But he has a good chance of being called up later on in the year. He is currently spending some time at first base in order to increase his usefulness as a utility player.
Percentage: 29.9%

Justin Smoak: After being drafted in the 1st round by the Rangers last year, Smoak went straight up to Clinton. In 14 games and 56 at-bats Smoak hit .304 with 2 HR’s and 18 RBI’s. He is a huge prospect and will probably be great soon, but he has no shot out of Spring Training this year and he is in major league camp just so he can get used to it.
Percentage: 0.2%

Jose Vallejo: Jose Vallejo played well last year in the minors. In High-A Bakersfield, Jose hit .287 with 9 HR’s, 50 RBI’s, and 27 stolen bases. In Double-A Frisco, Vallejo hit .297 with 2 HR’s, 31 RBI’s, and 15 stolen bases. He probably will not make the team out of Spring Training, but could take a step forward and start off at Oklahoma City.
Percentage: 11.6%

Omar Vizquel: Omar Vizquel, an 11-time Gold Glove winner, was signed by the Rangers over the offseason to a minor league deal. Last year he only hit .222, but only had 5 more strikeouts (29) than walks (24) in 266 at-bats. In 2007 he hit .246 with 4 HR’s and 51 RBI’s. 2006 was his last really good year at the plate, although he’s always a stud defensively, as he hit .295 that year. The Rangers hope he will mentor Elvis Andrus and be the utility guy out of Spring Training, but could play himself out of that role.
Percentage: 81.9%

Michael Young: After five straight years of getting 200 hits and hitting over .300, Michael did neither one of those last year, hitting only.284 (which is low for him, not for most people) and 183 hits. He will be the starting third baseman for the Rangers as long as he’s healthy.
Percentage: 100%

Predicted Infield Roster:
1B: Chris Davis
2B: Ian Kinsler
3B: Michael Young
SS: Elvis Andrus
DH: Hank Blalock
Utility: Omar Vizquel

Next in line:
German Duran
Travis Metcalf

Come back next week for Part 1 of an interview with former Rangers pitcher Jeff Zimmerman. I will come back and do my analysis of the catchers in camp in two weeks, but here are my predictions for the Rangers’ roster on Opening Day:

Starter #1: Kevin Millwood
Starter #2: Vicente Padilla
Starter #3: Matt Harrison
Starter #4: Scott Feldman
Starter #5: Brandon McCarthy
Long Reliever: Dustin Nippert
Long Reliever/Middle Reliever: Doug Mathis
Long Reliever/Middle Reliever: Josh Rupe
Middle Reliever: CJ Wilson
Middle Reliever: Warner Madrigal
Set-up Man: Eddie Guardado
Closer: Frankie Francisco
Starting Catcher: Taylor Teagarden
Back-up Catcher: Jarrod Saltalamacchia
1B: Chris Davis
2B: Ian Kinsler
3B: Michael Young
SS: Elvis Andrus
DH: Hank Blalock
Utility: Omar Vizquel
Center Field: Josh Hamilton
Right Field: Nelson Cruz
Left Field vs. Righties: David Murphy
Left Field vs. Lefties: Marlon Byrd
Back-up Outfielder: Frank Catalanotto

Results of last week’s poll:
Who do you think will be the 5th man in the starting rotation?
Brandon McCarthy – 38%
Kris Benson – 19%
Matt Harrison – 14%
Jason Jennings – 14%
Scott Feldman – 9%
Dustin Nippert – 4%
Doug Mathis – 0%
Other – 0%

Spring Training Pitchers Analysis Part 2

The Rangers now have 32 pitchers in major league camp with the signing of Kris Benson. This week, I analyzed the second half of the pitchers in big league camp and gave their chances of making the team at the end of Spring Training (see last week’s post for analysis of the first half of the pitchers). I also gave my prediction for what the Opening Day pitching roster will look like.

Jason Jennings: Jason struggled last year before his injury. He went 0-5 with an 8.56 ERA and allowed 35 hits and walked 18 batters in just 27.1 innings pitched. That is a WHIP of 1.94. He then got injured and had season-ending surgery after just six games. In 2007, went 2-9 with a 6.45 ERA with the Astros. Even though he had less than twice the amount of walks in over three times the amount of innings, his WHIP was still very high as it was about 1.57 through 19 games and 99 innings pitched. He also had season-ending surgery in ’07. His only year with an ERA under 4.50 came in ’06 (his contract year) with the Colorado Rockies. His record was only 9-13, but he had a 3.78 ERA and the most innings he had pitched in a season in his career with 212 IP, only the second time he had pitched 200 innings in a season. He still had control problems though, as he walked 85 and had a WHIP of about 1.39. With most teams, he probably wouldn’t have much of a shot of making the starting rotation, but with the Rangers, he can work his way in if he pitches well in Spring Training and either Matt Harrison struggles, Scott Feldman struggles, or Brandon McCarthy either struggles (which still might not kick him out of the rotation) or Brandon McCarthy gets injured again (which is very likely to happen).
Percentage chance of making the team out of Spring Training: 34.6%

Warner Madrigal: Warner made his major league debut last year, but as a pitcher, not a hitter, which he had been for almost all of his minor league career. He went 0-2 with a 4.75 ERA and one save in 36 innings pitched, although he seemed to pitch much better than his ERA shows. He probably will make the team as a middle reliever out of Spring Training.
Percentage: 75.2%

Doug Mathis: Doug made his major league debut last year, and although his ERA was 6.85, he went 2-1 and only had two bad games. He had four relief appearances and four starts before a season-ending injury. He allowed nine runs in 2.1 innings pitched at the Twins in his first career start, but he didn’t even pitch that bad as only six of the nine runs were earned and there was a lot of luck going the Twins way. as there were a couple of perfect pitches where a Twin flung his bat out and somehow slapped the ball down the line, there were plenty of bloopers, and there were errors. He then dominated the Indians in his next game, going six innings and allowing only one run. Then, after struggling against Cleveland in his next game, he pitched well against the Rays, allowing 2 earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched. He has a shot at making the Opening Day rotation and the bullpen and, due to his flexibility, I think he will make the team if he is healthy.
Percentage: 64.5%

Brandon McCarthy: Brandon McCarthy was once again injured for much of the season in 2008. He only pitched 22 innings in five games and went 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA and had 10 strikeouts and 8 walks. He struggled in 2007 when he was healthy, as he went 5-10 with a 4.87 ERA in 101.2 innings pitched. In 2007, his WHIP was 1.56. He played with the White Sox for two years before the Danks trade and went 4-7 with a 4.68 ERA in 2006 and went 3-2 with a 4.03 ERA in 2005. This year, if he stays healthy, he could actually be in a position for the first time in his career where he can pitch himself out of a job if someone else pitches himself into a job.
Percentage: 72.2% (this percentage doesn’t include injuries, so this is if he doesn’t get injured)

Luis Mendoza: In 2008, (when he wasn’t injured) Mendoza struggled as he went 3-8 with an 8.67 ERA in 63.1 innings pitched. His WHIP was also terrible, at 1.93. He will probably need to pitch his way onto the team after his terrible year last year, and I don’t think that he will do that.
Percentage: 43.3%

Kevin Millwood: Kevin has struggled since signing with the Rangers. He hasn’t had an ERA under 4.50 in his three years with the team and he has allowed more hits than innings pitched all three years. In 2006, he had his best year as a Ranger as he went 16-12 with a 4.52 ERA and threw over 200 innings (215) while striking out 157 batters. In 2007, he went 10-14 with a 5.16 ERA and threw only 172.2 innings with 123 strike outs and 67 walks. In 2008, he went 9-10 with a 5.07 ERA in only 168.2 innings pitched, and still gave up 220 hits and 18 homers. Even if he still had options, his $10 million salary gives him a spot on the team.
Percentage: 100%

Guillermo Moscoso: In 2008, he had a 5-4 record between the Lakeland Flying Tigers and the Erie SeaWolves. With High-A Lakeland he had a 2.42 ERA and with Double-A Erie he had a 3.12 ERA. He struck out 122 batters and walked only 21 in 86.2 innings total. He will probably start the year off at either Frisco or Oklahoma City.
Percentage: 4.4%

Dustin Nippert: Dustin went 3-5 with a 6.40 ERA in 71.2 innings pitched in his first year with the Rangers. He pitched in 20 games and started in 6 of those 20. With the Diamondbacks in 2007, he went 1-1 with a 5.56 ERA and was used only as a reliever. He pitched much better as a starter than a reliever, as he had a 5.63 ERA as a starter and a 7.03 ERA as a reliever in 2008. He really struggled with men in scoring position last year with a 16.50 ERA and had a 22.18 ERA with runners in scoring position with two outs. I think that he will make the team because he can be both a starter and a reliever.
Percentage: 51.2%

Vicente Padilla: Vicente has spent three years with the team and this will probably be his last. Last year he led the team in wins with 14 and only lost 8, but he had a 4.74 ERA and only pitched 171 innings. He also walked 65 batters, hit 15 batters, and allowed 185 hits. In 2007, he went 6-10 with 5.76 ERA in only 120.1 innings pitched and in 2006 he went 15-10 with a 4.50 ERA. He will make the team out of Spring Training unless he gets traded or something.
Percentage: 100%

Omar Poveda: Last year Omar spent the whole year at High-A Bakersfield and went 4-4 with a 4.47 ERA in 90.2 innings pitched. His WHIP was 1.35, but there is almost no chance of him making the team out of Spring Training. He was placed on the 40-man roster during the off-season in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft but he needs more development time in the minors.
Percentage: 2.2%

Elizardo Ramirez: Last year was Elizardo’s first year in the Rangers organization. He only pitched 2.2 innings in the majors and still allowed 9 earned runs. In Oklahoma City, he went 10-7 with a 4.50 ERA in 160 innings pitched. He has a chance of making the bullpen if he impresses in Spring Training, but he probably won’t. He’s more likely to be an insurance policy at triple-A.
Percentage: 29.5%

Josh Rupe: Even though his ERA was 5.14 last year, it seemed like he did much better than that, even though he had a 12.90 ERA with runners in scoring position. His record was 3-1 in 89.1 innings pitched and 46 and only struck out 53. He will probably make the team out of Spring Training if he pitches well.
Percentage: 62.4%

Joseph Torres: Joe Torres went 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA in Double-A Birmingham last year in 50.1 innings pitched. He walked 31 batters, but only allowed 29 hits. He probably won’t make the team out of Spring Training this year, if he makes the team at all.
Percentage: 3.6%

Derrick Turnbow: Derrick Turnbow signed a minor league deal with the Rangers this offseason. He is a former closer for the Milwaukee Brewers. 2005 was his first season with Milwaukee and he went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA and 39 saves in 67.1 innings pitched. In 2006, he struggled, going 4-9 with a 6.87 ERA and 24 saves in 56.1 innings pitched. He no longer had the closer role in 2007 and he went 4-5 with a 4.63 ERA in 68 innings pitched. Last year he only pitched 6.1 innings for the Brewers and went 0-1 with a 15.63 ERA. He will definitely have to earn his way onto the team, but he can do that.
Percentage: 41.4%

CJ Wilson: CJ has four years of major league experience (2005-2008). In 2005, he went 1-7 with a 6.94 ERA in 48 innings pitched. In 2006, he went 2-4 with a 4.06 ERA in 44.1 innings pitched. 2007 was his best year as he had a 3.03 ERA and 12 saves with a 2-1 record. Last year, he broke camp as the team’s closer but struggled, going 2-2 with a 6.02 ERA and 24 saves in 46.1 innings pitched before season-ending elbow surgery. CJ has a lot of talent and seems to have recovered well from his surgery. He will probably make the team but not as the closer.
Percentage: 92.9%

Kris Benson: Kris started his major league career in Pittsburgh in 1999 and threw almost 200 innings with a 4.07 ERA in his rookie season. In 2000, he threw 217.2 innings and had a 3.85 ERA. 2002 was his first year with a winning record, as he went 9-6 with a 4.70 ERA. He threw only 105 innings in 2003. In 2004, he went to the Mets halfway through the season and had a 4.31 ERA in 200.1 innings between Pittsburgh and New York. After a 10-8 season in 2005, Kris went to Baltimore in 2006 and went 11-12 with a 4.82 ERA in 183 innings pitched. He has not pitched in the majors in either of his past two seasons due to injuries. The Rangers signed him to a minor league deal last week and Kris is trying to prove that he’s fully healthy. He has a chance to break the starting rotation with a great spring training but is more likely to start at triple-A. He can become a free agent in May if not added to the team by then.
Percentage: 36.4%

Projected Opening Day Pitching Roster:
Starter #1: Kevin Millwood
Starter #2: Vicente Padilla
Starter #3: Matt Harrison
Starter #4: Scott Feldman
Starter #5: Brandon McCarthy
Long Reliever: Dustin Nippert
Long Reliever/Middle Reliever: Doug Mathis
Long Reliever/Middle Reliever: Josh Rupe
Middle Reliever: CJ Wilson
Middle Reliever: Warner Madrigal
Set-up Man: Eddie Guardado
Closer: Frankie Francisco

Next in line:
Brendan Donnelly
Luis Mendoza
Willie Eyre
Derrick Turnbow
Kris Benson
Jason Jennings

Results of last week’s poll:
Who do you think will be the Rangers closer?
Frankie Francisco – 67%
Derrick Turnbow – 10%
CJ Wilson – 10%
Eddie Guardado – 7%
Other – 3%
Warner Madrigal – 0%

Come back next week for the Spring Training Infielders Analysis.

Spring Training Pitchers Analysis Part 1

The Rangers will be opening Spring Training with 31 pitchers in major league camp as long as no more moves are made. This week, I analyzed half of the pitchers in big league camp and gave their chances of making the team at the end of Spring Training. I'll finish the pitcher analysis next week.

John Bannister: In 2008, John went 4-6 with a 4.14 ERA in Bakersfield and went 1-0 with a 4.56 ERA in Frisco. In his minor league career he is 22-30 with a 4.59 ERA. But improved control after being switched to the bullpen plus a good performance in the Arizona Fall League resulted in John being added to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. He probably will not make the team out of Spring Training.
Percentage of making the team out of Spring Training: 5.4%

Joaquin Benoit: After a great year in 2007, Benoit struggled in 2008 with a 5.00 ERA in 45 innings. His ERA jumped up 2.15 points from 2007 when it was 2.85. He had 35 walks and only 43 strikeouts and averaged 7 walks per 9 innings. Also he blew three saves in only four opportunities. He only had 0.55 ground outs for every fly out, .39 lower than 2007 when it was 0.94. Benoit will not make the team out of spring training, due to a torn rotator cuff that may keep him out for the year.
Percentage: 0%

Casey Daigle: Casey is in camp on a non-roster invitation. Casey made his major league debut in 2004 with Arizona and really struggled. He went 2-3 with a 7.16 ERA with 27 walks and only 17 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched. He didn’t get another shot until 2006 when he went 0-0 with a 3.65 ERA with 6 walks and 7 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched. He has been in Triple-A ever since then. Last year, Casey went 1-5 with a 3.78 ERA in 69 innings pitched for Rochester. He is a guy who might have a chance at the bullpen and might make a few spot starts.
Percentage: 21.3%

Thomas Diamond: Thomas was one of the Rangers best prospects until he had to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss all of 2007. Last year Thomas threw 53.2 innings for Frisco and went 3-3 with a 6.20 ERA and 37 walks as he struggled with his control. This year will probably be another year in the minors to try and get fully healthy.
Percentage: 1.2%

Brendan Donnelly: Brendan is in camp on a non-roster invitation. Brendan Donnelly was a very strong reliever all the way up to last year, in a career that has spanned 7 major league seasons with 3 teams. He had an ERA 3.00 or lower from ’02-’04 (2.17, 1.58, and 3.00) with the Angels and he pitched 40 or more innings in all three of those years. Then he had a 3.72 ERA in ’05, a 3.94 ERA in ’06, and a 3.05 ERA in ’07 (after moving to Boston). But he struggled last year with Cleveland, only getting 13.2 major league innings, and having a 8.56 ERA with 10 walks and 8 strikeouts in those innings. If he can get back to his old form, he should make the team out of Spring Training.
Percentage: 46.6%

Willie Eyre: Willie has pitched in the majors for two seasons in his career. In 2006, he went 1-0 with a 5.31 ERA for the Twins in 59.1 innings pitched. Then in 2007, he went 4-6 with a 5.16 ERA for the Rangers in 68 innings pitched, although it seemed like he did a lot better than the stats show. He was injured all of last season and might still be recovering this year, though hopefully not. I think that if he pitches well in Spring Training and shows himself to be healthy, he will make the team.
Percentage: 41.2%

Scott Feldman: Last year the Rangers converted Scott Feldman from a reliever into a starter and it was a success. Even though he only went 6-8 with a 5.29 ERA in 151.1 innings pitched, he was the most consistent starter on the team, in my opinion, and had many quality starts. He had 1.22 ground outs per fly out and got the other team to hit into 24 double plays. I think that if he doesn’t make it into the starting rotation, they will find some way to work him into the bullpen.
Percentage: 84.9%

Neftali Feliz: Last year Neftali Feliz dominated the minor leagues, earning him his first invitation to major league camp (as a non-roster invitee). He went 6-3 with a 2.53 ERA with 106 strikeouts and only 28 walks in 82 innings pitched in Clinton before being called up to Frisco. He went 4-3 with a 2.98 ERA with 47 strikeouts and 23 walks in 45.1 innings pitched at Frisco while hitting 102 MPH on the radar gun at times. He had a great year, but the Rangers don’t want rush him up to the majors, so he probably will not make the team out of Spring Training.
Percentage: 2.3%

Frank Francisco: Frankie had a very good year last year as he had a 3.13 ERA with 83 strikeouts and 26 walks in 63.1 innings pitched. He also had 5 saves. In 2007 he struggled, though, as he had a 4.55 ERA. After his great year last year, the question isn’t so much whether or not he makes the team as it is whether he will leave camp as the team’s closer.
Percentage: 98.7%

Kason Gabbard: Kason hasn’t pitched all too well in his career. In 2007, he went 6-1, but had a 4.65 ERA, pretty high for his good record. In 2008, he went 2-3 with a 4.82 and had terrible control, throwing 39 walks and getting only 33 strikeouts. Then he got injured, and he just threw off the mound for the first time since then on February 12th. The Rangers will probably want him to continue recovering into the regular season and so he will probably not make the team out of Spring Training.
Percentage: 12.1%

Brian Gordon: Last year Brian Gordon started out the year in Frisco, going 2-0 and allowed no earned runs in 22 innings before being called up to Oklahoma City. He went 4-5 with a 4.56 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 15 walks in 71 innings. He then made his major league debut and pitched 4 innings and allowed one run. He probably will not make the team seeing as how he’s a non-roster invite but he’s a good candidate to be called up later in the season.
Percentage: 14.4%

Eddie Guardado: Eddie has had a very good career. He was a dominant closer in 2002, 2003, and 2005, getting at least 35 saves in each of those years. Last year he also played well, with a 4.15 ERA between Texas and Minnesota in 56.1 innings total. He is a very good pitcher and will make the team.
Percentage: 97.1%

Matt Harrison: In 2008, Matt made his major league debut. He went 9-3 with a 5.49 ERA in 83.2 innings pitched. He tied for the second most wins on the team, even though he only pitched in the majors for three months. He showed signs of brilliance as he threw some gems, but just got completely obliterated in other starts. He probably will make the team as a starter.
Percentage: 74.1%

Derek Holland: Derek Holland is one of the best prospects in all of baseball and has pitched really well. Last year he went 7-0 with a 2.40 ERA in 93.2 innings pitched with Clinton, 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA in 31 innings pitched in Bakersfield, and 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA in 26 innings pitched in Frisco. He was rewarded with his first invitation to big league camp. Even though he played so well last year, he will probably not make the team out of Spring Training this year, as they’ll want to give him a little more development time.
Percentage: 4.3%

Tommy Hunter: Tommy made his major league debut last year in his first full season of professional baseball. He pitched very well in all three stops he made in the minors. He went 5-4 with a 3.55 ERA in 58.1 innings pitched with Bakersfield, 4-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 52.1 innings pitched with Frisco, and 4-2 with a 2.89 ERA in 53 innings pitched with Oklahoma City. In the majors he only pitched 11 innings and he struggled mightily in those innings. He went 0-1 with a 16.36 ERA in three games. He probably will not make the team out of Spring Training but is a good candidate for call-up later in the season.
Percentage: 21.4%

Eric Hurley: Eric has a shoulder injury that will keep him out for the season.
Percentage: 0%

Results of last week’s poll:
Who do you think will be the Rangers 4th outfielder?
Marlon Byrd – 42%
Andruw Jones – 23%
David Murphy – 9%
Frank Catalanotto – 9%
Greg Golson – 4%
Nelson Cruz – 4%
Brandon Boggs – 4%
Julio Borbon – 0%

Come back next week for the other half of the Spring Training pitchers.

Spring Training Outfielders Analysis

The Rangers will be opening Spring Training with 9 outfielders in major league camp as long as no more moves are made. I did an analysis of all the outfielders in big league camp, gave their chances of making the team at the end of Spring Training, and predicted the outfield roster.

Outfielders:

Brandon Boggs: Brandon made his major league debut last year and played pretty well. He was called up to the majors after hitting .309 through 18 games in Oklahoma City. When he first got called up he was hot. He ended up hitting .226 with 8 home runs and 41 RBI’s in the majors. Even though his batting average was low he had plenty of walks as his OBP was .333 even with that low batting average. He was also great defensively and made a few great throws from the outfield to cut someone off at the plate. Unfortunately, the Rangers have a lot of candidates for the outfield and Boggs is one of the ones with options, so even though I think that he is better than both Byrd and Catalanotto he is probably the odd man out just because of his options.
Percentage of making the team out of Spring Training: 43.2%

Julio Borbon: This is probably a year for Julio to get prepared to be in the majors next year. It will only be his third year in the minors in 2009. Last year Borbon hit .306 with two home runs and 36 RBI’s in 291 AB’s at High-A Bakersfield and he hit .337 with five home runs and 22 RBI’s in 255 AB’s at Double-A Frisco. Julio didn’t strikeout or walk very much last year as he only had 29 total walks throughout the whole season and only 62 strikeouts throughout the whole season.
Percentage: 1.4%

Marlon Byrd: Marlon has played with the Rangers for two years now and has played pretty well in both of them. Last year Marlon hit .298 with 10 HR’s and 53 RBI’s. In 2007, he hit .307 with 10 HR’s and 70 RBI’s. His OBP has been above .350 both years. But Marlon struggled with runners in scoring position last year as he only hit .241 after hitting .315 with runners in scoring position in ’07. After getting a one-year deal for $3 million he is pretty much on the team this year, probably as a 4th outfielder.
Percentage: 93.6%

Frank Catalanotto: Frank has not played well since coming back to the Rangers in ’07. He hit .300 in 2006 with Toronto, but then only .260 with the Rangers in ’07. He only hit .274 with 2 HR’s and 21 RBI’s in 248 AB’s last year. Frank hit .254 at home and .295 on the road last year even though the Rangers have a hitter’s ballpark. Also, he hit .280 before the All-Star break and .258 after the All-Star break, so he had a very up-and-down season. Even though Boggs deserves a spot on the roster more than Frank, Frank makes $4 million a year so he probably gets the spot.
Percentage: 79.8%

Nelson Cruz: Nelson had a great year last year after struggling in both ’06 and ’07. He hit .342 with 37 HR’s and 99 RBI’s in just 383 triple-A AB’s. He got called up in August after tearing up the minors and dominated the majors, too. In just 115 AB’s he hit .330 with 7 HR’s and 26 RBI’s. Since he has no options left and he played so well in August and September for the Rangers last year, he will pretty much be on the Opening Day roster as long as he plays well in Spring Training.
Percentage: 89.2%

Greg Golson: Last year Golson spent almost all of his time in double-A ball for the Phillies. He hit .282 with 13 HR’s and 60 RBI’s. His 23 stolen bases tied for sixth in the Eastern League but he also struck out the 3rd most times in the league with 130 K’s in 460 plate appearances. That means that he struck out in 28% of his plate appearances while he only walked in 7% of his plate appearances which isn’t very good. Greg will probably not make the team this year.
Percentage: 14.5%

Josh Hamilton: Josh was the AL RBI leader last year, his first year with the Rangers and only the second year of his career. He had 130 RBI’s on the year. He hit .304 with 32 HR’s (67 if you count the Home Run Derby) as well. He played in 156 of the 162 games and had 331 total bases in those games. He has hit .311 with runners in scoring position. He is the face of the 2009 team and there is no way he doesn’t make the team.
Percentage: 100%

Andruw Jones: The Rangers will reportedly be announcing a non-roster deal with Jones later this week, so I’m including him in this analysis. Andruw was great until 2007. He hit 25 or more home runs each year from 1998 all the way through 2007 and 80 or more RBI’s in all of those years. He led the NL with 51 HR’s and 128 RBI’s in 2005 and then hit 41 HR’s with 129 RBI’s in 2006. He had Gold Gloves in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. In 2007, Andruw hit 26 HR’s with 94 RBI’s but only had a .222 AVG and a .311 OBP. Then he just plummeted last year as he only had 209 AB’s for the Dodgers and in those at-bats he hit only .158 with 3 HR’s and 14 RBI’s. He was still a good fielder, though, as he had a .993 fielding percentage. He has a chance to make the team but would have to have a very good Spring Training to do so. This move (signing Jones to a non-roster deal) could also help if Hank Blalock is traded, because now Jones could take over the DH spot if necessary.
Percentage: 41.2%

David Murphy: David had a great year last year as he hit .275 with 14 HR’s and 74 RBI’s before getting injured in August. He hits much better against right-handed pitchers than left-handed pitchers, as he hit .282 against righties and only .258 against southpaws. He definitely deserves the starting role and is almost sure to get a spot on the team. The only thing that might cause that to not happen is if his injury affects his play somehow.
Percentage: 98.9%

Predicted outfield roster:
Center Field: Josh Hamilton
Right Field: Nelson Cruz
Left Field vs. Righties: David Murphy
Left Field vs. Lefties: Marlon Byrd
Back-up Outfielder: Frank Catalanotto

Next in line:
Brandon Boggs
Andruw Jones

Results of last week’s poll (which means nothing now):
If the Rangers sign Ben Sheets, where do you think they’ll finish in the division in 2009?
1st – 26%
2nd – 58%
3rd – 5%
4th – 8%

Come back next week for the analysis of the pitchers on the major league Spring Training roster, with my predictions for who will make the team.

Doug Mathis Interview

Last week, at the Rangers Fan Fest, I interviewed Rangers pitcher Doug Mathis. Doug was nice enough to sit with me for about half an hour after he finished signing autographs.

Me: Why didn’t you sign with the Dodgers when they drafted you in 2002 out of high school?

Doug: They wanted me to do a draft-and-follow, which they no longer do. I went to Central Arizona to do a draft-and-follow at the junior college there. I was originally going to go to the University of Arizona but I ended up going to Central Arizona and playing there for two years.

Me: Can you explain how the draft-and-follow process worked?

Doug: You had a team draft you and then you would go to junior college, usually for a year, and the team would have rights to sign you at the end of that year. So if you do well that year and they want to sign you, that’s when they can make an offer to you. I ended up not signing with them after my first year and I ended up going back there for another year.

Me: Why didn’t you sign with the Mariners when they drafted you in 2003 out of Central Arizona Junior College?

Doug: I had a scholarship to the University of Missouri and that opportunity was going to be better than the opportunity with the Mariners at that time. So I decided to go there and I was drafted by the Rangers after my one year there. So it kind of worked out for me.

Me: What was the key to your High-A rebound in 2006 when you had an 8.48 ERA through your first six Bakersfield appearances and then a 2.12 ERA in your next five and when you averaged 4.9 strikeouts per nine innings in your first 11 appearances and 7.7 in your next 15?

Doug: I’d say I made a little bit of a mechanical adjustment with Rick Adair and then I just kind of got in a good groove. I started throwing more strikes and had better stuff, for whatever reason. I don’t know if that was from the mechanical thing or mental. It might have been my overall approach. I kind of understood what kind of pitcher I was and maybe I was trying to do too much at first. I think I started slowing things down and going up there and not trying to do too much.

Me: Can you tell how you adjusted in 2007, when you struggled in triple-A (0-3, 10.66 ERA) before dominating the Texas League in double-A for the rest of the season?

Doug: That was probably more mental than anything because my stuff wasn’t any different in triple-A than it was when I got to Frisco. I think for me that year, I was kind of caught off-guard going to triple-A to start the year, so I was kind of pressing a little bit trying to impress people. I was one of the younger guys on the team up there, so I didn’t really feel like I fit in that much. But once I got to Frisco, I felt like I was kind of where I belonged in my mind. I kind of was more at ease. I think a key to me pitching well down there is that I was comfortable and I was OK being there. That’s the biggest thing for any player – you have to be comfortable where you’re at.

Me: How much has the mechanical adjustment of lengthening your arm motion helped you?

Doug: It’s helped me out a lot. I used to have a real short arm action. It’s a little longer now. That’s what we fixed three years ago and I’ve been doing it ever since. So that’s been a big adjustment to what I’m doing now. So I’m staying with that. It’s pretty much the basis of what I do out there.

Me: What was your first thought when you were called up to the Rangers last year?

Doug: My first thought was that I thought they were joking when they called me. I didn’t really believe them at first but after that I was kind of starstruck, kind of in awe, didn’t know what to think. I called my parents and called my brother to let them know. They didn’t believe me at first either. It was a kind of a shocking, life-changing moment. So it’s definitely something I’ll never forget.

Me: Who was the first person you called?

Doug: My parents, right away. As soon as I got off the phone with the Rangers, I called them. They both started crying.

Me: Where were you when you found that out?

Doug: I was in Oklahoma City. I was just getting back to my apartment after a game one night. I got the phone call and had to turn around and go back to the stadium and get my stuff.

Me: What is the biggest adjustment you had to make when you started facing major-league hitting?

Doug: The biggest adjustment for me was being aggressive and not really worrying about getting hit. I think a lot of times when you get called up or get in a new situation or get promoted somewhere, you try to do too much and you don’t really trust yourself or trust your stuff. The biggest thing is that you need to do is trust that you’re here for a reason and you got called up for a reason and you’re good enough to get guys out. I think that’s the biggest thing. Yeah, your stuff is going to help you but you’ve got to be able trust that stuff and believe that you’re going to be able to get guys like Ichiro and Alex Rodriguez out. I’m not an overpowering pitcher so I have to do different things to get guys out. I can’t go out there and throw 95 so I’ve got to go out there and pitch my game and believe that’s going to get everybody out.

Me: How big is the difference in talent once you get to the majors?

Doug: Well, it’s not called the big leagues for nothing. The hitters are good hitters 1 through 9. A guy hitting 9th in the majors would be hitting in the middle of the order in triple-A or double-A. It’s quite a jump. It’s still baseball though so you can’t get all starstruck when facing those big names.

Me: What are three major differences between major league and minor league spring training camps?

Doug: Number one, the meal money is a lot better in big league camp. The media attention is another difference. And then the games you play in the minor leagues are on the backfields, while the major league games are in the main stadium, so there’s definitely more of a microscope on you on the big league side.

Me: You had a really unique experience last year because it’s not very often that someone starts in minor league camp and then gets added to major league camp roster.

Doug: Yeah, that morning when I got moved over, I thought I was in trouble. I got called into the office and they told me they were going to move me over to the big league side. I was only over there for about a week but it was still a great experience. I learned a lot from it so that will help me out this year when I go to my first full big league camp.

Me: Who are your three favorite teammates since you joined the Rangers organization and why?

Doug: I’m pretty good friends with Kea Kometani. He was in triple-A last year at Oklahoma City. I’ve played with him my whole career. It’s hard to single them out. I’d say guys like Chris Davis and Taylor Teagarden. I’ve been playing with those guys a while. German Duran. Luis Mendoza. I wouldn’t be able to single three guys out but I’m pretty close with all those guys. I’m pretty good friends with most of my teammates anyway because I’m pretty laid back, so I’m pretty easy to get along with.

Me: Can you please rate each of the ballparks in the Rangers organization that you’ve played in from 1 to 10 (10 being the best) and explain your ratings?

Doug: I don’t know about Hickory. That’s the new one so I don’t know about that. Bakersfield’s probably the worst out of all of them. That’s probably about a 3 or 4. Frisco’s one of the best ballpark’s out there. That’s got to be a 9 or 10. Oklahoma City’s nice. So that’s right up there – 9 or 10. Spokane’s really nice. They do a good job there. It’s an older park but they maintain it really well. I’d rate that about an 8.

Me: Who are the three toughest hitters you’ve faced and why?

Doug: Evan Longoria is a pretty tough out for me. I faced him in the minor leagues one year and then up here. For some season, he takes good swings against me. He must see the ball well out of hand or something. But he’s a tough guy for me to get out, for whatever reason. I don’t know what it is. A tough guy I faced in double-A was Chase Headley of the Padres. He was a tough out. He’s a left fielder now but he was a third baseman when he was with San Antonio the year I was in the Texas League. He was a tough out for me that year. He’s a good hitter. I don’t know, it’s tough. There are a lot of good hitters. It’s hard to pinpoint one guy that sticks out. I faced Ichiro only one time but I’m sure if I face him more, I’ll find that he’s tough to get out on a consistent basis.

Me: What is your best pitch and how was it developed?

Doug: My best pitch is between my sinker and my slider, depending on what I’m feeling like doing that day. It’s probably going to be my sinker because that’s what’s going to keep the ball on the ground for me. I’ve got to be able to throw that down in the zone consistently. I’ve got to be able to consistently pound the bottom of the strike zone with that. If I’m not throwing that well, I’m probably not going to do very well that day.

Me: Does your sinker go down and in or down and out?

Doug: For me, the sinker will be breaking down and in to a right-handed hitter, down and away to a left-handed hitter. But I’ll throw it to both sides of the plate, so it depends on where I start it at. But it will be moving in that direction, sort of towards the third base dugout.

Me: What’s been the best game so far of your professional career and why?

Doug: I’d have to say when I was in Frisco in ’07. I threw a complete game shutout against Midland towards the end of the year. I had 10 strikeouts and didn’t walk anybody. That’s probably one that stands out. I was really on my game that night. Games like that are fun. You don’t really forget those games. You try to forget the bad ones. You always remember the good ones. That was probably the best statistical game for me. I also like the games where I struggle early or give up a couple of runs early and I figure it out and end up going deep in the game. Those are games that I actually enjoy more than just going out there and cruising. I learn more from them and I feel like I accomplished something that day if I face a little adversity and come back from it. I like those games too.

Me: What was your favorite team growing up?

Doug: I was a Cubs fan when I was real young because they were always on TV. Being from Arizona, we didn’t have a team until 1998. Obviously once the Diamondbacks came, I became a Diamondbacks fan right away. I converted over from the Cubs. It wasn’t that hard. I’m not really a Cubs fan anymore. I actually still kind of follow the Diamondbacks every now and then. It’s kind of weird since I’m playing but I still try to follow them when I get the chance, and see if they win or not.

Me: What’s it like having your team win the World Series?

Doug: It was awesome. I remember that. It was a great feeling. Whenever your team is the best out there for a given year, that’s all you can ask for as a fan. That’s what we’re trying to do here.

My Dad: I want Grant to be able to experience that feeling.

Doug: I think everyone here wants to experience it for themselves and the fans. The fans are great here. That’s why we’re out here – for the fans. If the fans didn’t show up for the games, we would have different jobs.

Me: What sports did you play growing up and which were you best at?

Doug: I obviously played baseball. I played basketball all the way through high school too. I was pretty decent at basketball. I played football for a couple of years but I broke my ankle my freshman year so I gave that up and started focusing on baseball, playing baseball on the weekends down in Phoenix. I just played basketball to stay in shape but I ended up being a pretty good shooter.

Me: What are your hobbies?

Doug: I like golf. That’s kind of a hobby of mine. I listen to a lot of music. I’m kind of a music buff. I’m really not very exciting. I just kind of hang out and play a lot of xBox when I have some downtime. I go mountain-biking every now and then. Just stuff like that. I like to be active but I also just like to kind of hang out.

Me: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had to deal with?

Doug: Well, I’ve had two injuries my whole career. I had a little back issue two years ago and had to miss a couple of starts. I had to get an injection in my back. That wasn’t really that big a deal. I’d never really been injured until this last year when I got hurt in July and had to go on the DL, having minor surgery in September. That’s definitely my most serious injury. Coming back from that’s going to be a process.

Me: What was that recovery process like?

Doug: The rehab went slow at first, just getting my motion back for probably the first six weeks, not really doing much. Just icing it and getting the swelling down, getting the motion back, and getting used to using it again. After about six weeks, I started doing some strengthening and stabilization, getting everything around it strong. I’m about 15 weeks out of surgery. I’ve been throwing for about 5 weeks now. That was kind of slow at first. I wasn’t really sure how my arm was going to react, first of all from not throwing for a while and then, second of all, coming off an injury. I’m getting on the mound Monday or Tuesday and we’ll go from there and see how it feels. Hopefully it will go well. I think it will. My arm feels find so I’m ready to go.

Me: Thanks for doing the interview.

I would like to thank Doug for doing the interview with me. It was very nice of him to do that for me. He is a very good guy, who almost always comes over to say hi to me when he sees me.

Results of last week’s poll:
What do you think are the Rangers chances of signing Ben Sheets?
50-60% - 35%
70-80% - 32%
90-100% - 12%
30-40% - 11%
10-20% - 4%
0% - 3%

Come back next week for the beginning of my analysis of the Spring Training roster, with my predictions for who will make the team.

Fan Fest Review

This week I will give a recap of what my dad and I did at the Fan Fest and a short summary of the Awards Banquet.

The Awards Banquet (at Eddie Deen’s Ranch):

Friday night, we went to the annual Winter Awards Banquet. This was the 4th year that it’s been at Eddie Deen’s ranch in downtown Dallas, which is a really cool place. Even though we’ve been going for years, this year was my first year to have a player sit at my table. Minor league pitcher Tim Murphy sat with us. Tim is very nice and a very good guy. He was one of the Rangers’ draft picks last year and was in town for their pitching mini-camp. I enjoyed getting to know him. Before the ceremony, I got to give Eric Nadel his Broadcaster of the Year trophy. Thanks again to everyone who voted (I had 117 votes). I also got to meet and talk to Ted Price before it started and he’s very nice. You can hear his podcasts at http://rangerspodcast.blogspot.com/. I also got to talk with Jon Daniels, Evan Grant, TR Sullivan, Tom Grieve, Josh Lewin, and my friend Brad the photographer before the ceremony. Besides Tim Murphy, I sat with my dad, my granddad, Eleanor Czajka, Bettye Pullen from my church and some of Bettye’s friends. Like usual, the food was great and Chuck Morgan put on a great program.

Fan Fest (Saturday):

9:00 AM

My dad and I got to Fan Fest at about 8:45 for the 9:00 AM opening and there was already a line of hundreds of people wrapping around the ballpark. It was cold, at about 33 degrees in the middle of the day. But once they opened, the line moved really quickly. They did a good job of processing people and getting them inside this year (solving some of the issues they’ve had the last couple of years). We went straight up to the Newberg booth when we got there and I hung out there and talked to Eleanor Czajka and Jamey Newberg for a while. Dale Petroskey (Executive Vice President of Marketing) and Chuck Morgan came up while I was there and I got to talk to them. I knew Chuck already but this was my first time to meet Dale. They are both very nice guys. Dale used to run the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and also worked with Ronald Reagan. We saw him a few more times during the day and he always stopped to say hello and remembered our names. Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also came by the Newberg booth to say hi, so I got to meet him too.

10:00 AM

When Michael Young got to the Newberg table, I got his autograph. He was very nice and he remembered me from the Newberg Book Release Party. After I got his autograph, my dad and I went to the booths and talked to TR Sullivan, the mlb.com Rangers beat writer. We also bumped into my music teacher, John McKellar. After that we went to the Jon Daniels and Ron Washington Q&A in the Legends of the Game Museum. We sat with one of my dad’s friends, the one who helped him write his book on IT Auditing (http://www.amazon.com/Auditing-Controls-Protect-Information-Assets/dp/0072263431/sr=8-1/qid=1172194214/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-4803264-7671968?ie=UTF8&s=books) and who taught a class at SMU with my dad last fall. His name is Chris Davis (no, not the Rangers’ Chris Davis). I got to ask one question during the Q&A: Can you name three non-roster invitees who might have an impact this year? Jon Daniels mentioned Omar Vizquel and Derrick Turnbow from the veterans and Elvis Andrus and Derek Holland of the young prospects.

11:00 AM

We went back to the Newberg Table to get autographs from Kasey Kiker, Derek Holland, and Michael Ballard. Like usual, the line-up at Jamey’s table was the best. It was my first time to meet Kasey so getting his autograph was a high priority for the day (he was one of two players appearing that I needed). He was very nice, but the line was huge, much different than a couple of years ago. The last two years, the attendance at the Fan Fest and especially at the Newberg table has really increased. It used to be that you could pretty much walk up to Jamey’s table and get autographs with almost no wait. Now, the lines are about as long as for the major league players. While we were waiting in line, we saw John Siburt (our preacher at church) and his two kids, Katie and David, and talked with them for a while. Katie and David (especially Katie) are big Rangers fans.

After that, I went back to the Legends of the Game Museum to see my friend Brad the photographer do an improv comedy act with some other people. I see them every year and they’re always really funny. They did something called Storytime, where someone from the audience gives them a story title and they have to make a story out of it. Brad has a pointer and, when he points it at a member of his comedy team, that person has to start talking and telling the story. Then he points it at someone else and then that person has to continue the story where the last person left off (sometimes in mid-sentence). Somebody in the audience made up the title “Shoeless Joe Finds His Shoe” and Brad’s team did a very good job of making up a story for it. They brought Chuck Morgan in to join them in the story telling, which made it funnier. After that, they did a song where people in the audience would call out a line about various baseball subjects and these four guys would sing that line during the first round of the song and then make funny lyrics mixing up all the lines for all the other rounds. I got to choose the line for something strange that could happen at a baseball game and I said “batter throws shoe at pitcher”. After the improv, we ate lunch.

12:00 PM

All we did for this hour was stand in line outside for Guillermo Moscoso and Scott Feldman. Moscoso was one of the two people signing autographs during the day that I needed, so I didn’t want to take the chance of missing him. We got in line at 12:15 for the 1:00 autograph session. It was very cold waiting outside. We walked past Ron, our usher at the Rangers games, on our way to the line and talked with him for a little while. And there was a very nice lady and her son in front of us who kept us entertained during the wait.

1:00 PM

I got Guillermo Moscoso and Scott Feldman at the beginning of the hour. I’ve known Scott for a long time so it’s always good to talk with him. We then went to the Cuervo Club to check out the merchandise sale and stay warm. After that, I went over to the Newberg table and got autographs from Michael Main, Neftali Feliz, and Kevin Richardson while my dad talked to Grant (no, it’s not me), an artist who makes baseball paintings. I got to talk to Scott Lucas for a while after I got the autographs.

2:00 PM

I just hung out at the Newberg Booth until the autographs finished. After that, Jamey introduced me to Ben Rogers, a really nice guy who does the Ben & Skin show on 105.3 The Fan (the new all-sports radio station). If you haven’t listened to The Fan yet, you should. Ben introduced me to two others from his station, one of which was Kurt Johnson, VP of Programming for the station. One of them talked to Mike Ogulnick and his partner, Richie Whitt, and got me on the radio with them at 2:45 PM. They asked me questions about the Rangers for one segment of the show. It was a lot of fun and I would like to thank them for putting me on air. Ben said that he was going to try to get me an audio link to my segment. If I get it, I’ll link it from here so that you can hear it. After my segment on the air, I got to talk with Ian Kinsler, Taylor Teagarden, and Chris Davis (yes, this is the Rangers’ Chris Davis) as they walked by.

3:00 PM

The last thing I did was interview Doug Mathis. He had agreed to meet with me for an interview after his autograph session. We found a quiet place in the Diamond Club and talked for about 20 minutes. He was very nice and gave some very good answers. I should have that posted next week. After that, we had to leave because I had a 5pm basketball game. It was an amazing day and I would like to thank everyone with the Rangers who was involved with putting it on.

Come back next week for the Doug Mathis Interview.

Derek Holland Interview

This week I interviewed Derek Holland, the 2nd best Rangers prospect according to Baseball America.

1. In 2007, your first year in the minors when you were in Spokane, were you disappointed when you had a 3.22 ERA, but still only went 4-5?

Well, honestly I can’t say I was disappointed. It was my first season with the Rangers and basically that season I was changing all kinds of mechanics and grips to pitch and arm slots for the slider. I was working on a good bit of things, such as making my delivery a little faster and more under control. Also I was developing the slider and, yes, I’m still not satisfied and working hard to continue to get better with all of my pitches. To me, a 3.22 ERA is pretty good and, as for record, well, I was also working on trying to throw less pitches, so I was throwing too much and didn’t get to last long, so I couldn’t stay in the game. But as for my first year in the minors, I felt I did a good job and credit it to my teammates as well because, trust me, everyone knows it takes 9 to win a game. And I needed all the guys to back me up defensively and offensively, and those guys definitely helped with that. So I credit them for a good year for a first season.

2. What is the key for your WHIP going down every time you go up a level?

Well, I’d have to say not paying attention to it is the best way, so you’re not so focused on your number. I feel if I start worrying about my WHIP or any other stats, it will get in my head and make me want to focus more on that than to worry about how I’m performing.

3. When you went through the draft-and-follow process, how sure were you that you would sign?

The draft-and-follow process was a pretty neat thing to experience. Well, I wasn’t too sure that I would sign but at the same time, the more I talked with my agent and my college coaches… they helped, as well as my parents, with my decision. The more I talked with the area scout, Jeff Wood, also helped with my decision, and I could tell this was definitely the right place for me to go. I do not regret my decision at all and am happy with this organization and all the players I have been able to play with.

4. In 2008, you were named to the Midwest League All-Star team (mid-season), were a Baseball America Minor League All-Star (end-of-season), and were a Baseball America Low Class-A All-Star (end-of-season). Which one of those meant the most and why?

(Laughs) Wow, this is tough. Well, I’d probably go ahead and say the Midwest League All-Star team. They all mean a lot to me but it was an honor to get to play with all those guys and, also, half of the Clinton team was there as well to share the great time. I also got to meet all the guys from the Midwest League and met a lot of new guys. It was an awesome experience and also, if it wasn’t for my Clinton teammates, I wouldn’t have been on this team, so they contributed to me being an All-Star and my success for the year. So I’d go ahead and say that means the most because I was with all of my teammates and showed that Clinton was a strong team in the Midwest League

5. Which one means more to you: being 10th in the minors in strikeouts (157), 3rd in the minors among lefties in strikeouts, 10th in ERA in all full-season minor leagues (2.27), 10th in opponentsʼ batting average, or 2nd in opponentsʼ batting average among lefties?

(Laughs) Well, another tough question. This is hard to answer. Well I guess I’d have to pick 10th in ERA as a good one to me because I want to be able to go out and pitch and show people that it’s going to be tough to get a hit off of me and my defense. My defense is a big contribution to this. If it wasn’t for them making plays and being very supportive of me, I wouldn’t have had that ERA. So I credit them as well.

6. Could you tell a difference with the mound last year between when you were throwing 98MPH and when you were throwing 95MPH, or did it seem the same to you?

Well, the way I look at it, even if the mound is bad, no matter what, you still have to pitch off of it and so does the opponent. Now as for a difference, there were slight differences from Clinton to Bakersfield. The mounds were a bit different in height and, just the way it was made, it was a lot softer and a little lower than Clinton. Clinton’s mound was a high raised up mound, so it made me feel like I was right on top of you. Bakersfield felt as if I was throwing a mile away. It was lower and seemed farther away. Now as for Frisco, it’s probably one of my favorite mounds to throw off of. The way I see it though, the mound is always the same distance no matter where you go and it felt different each time I moved up, but I got used to it also.

7. You’ve been named to a lot of ʽTop Prospectsʼ lists recently. What does that mean to you? Do you pay attention to those lists or do you try to ignore them?

Yes, I do pay attention to those but also, last time I checked, it is not a free ticket to the major leagues. I use this stuff as more of an inspiration and feel that, just because I am number one or two or whatever, I still have to prove I belong there and can stay there. So I don’t ignore them - I just read all that stuff and use it as inspiration.

8. What do you think has been your best professional game and why?

Wow a good and tough question. I’d probably go with my debut in Frisco. I felt it was probably my best game, though it’s tough because I also liked the game against Arkansas in the championship (game 4). It was to me one of my best games also after just facing them a couple of days before. I’m going to pick my debut (in Frisco) because I had command of all 3 pitches and stayed ahead of all the hitters. I had probably my best day of commanding the zone with all the pitches and also my offense was just on top of it, as well as the defense. I had great plays and great offensive support. It also meant a lot to me because my parents were there for my debut.

9. Who are your three favorite teammates since you joined the Rangers organization and why?

(Laughs) I don’t know if I can answer this because this could get bad. But since you asked I will answer and, to play it safe, next time you ask I'll be sure to find another three to mention so I don’t get yelled at. I’d go with only the guys who I have been able to play with, so it would be Tim Smith, Mitch Moreland, and Neftali Feliz. I get along with those guys pretty well and hopefully none of this will be used against me.

10. Can you please rate the ballparks in the Rangers organization that youʼve played in from 1 to 10 (10 being the best) and explain your ratings?

(Laughs) This could be bad but I’d have to rank them like this. Spokane is an 8 – it’s an awesome place to play, great atmosphere, and fans are really into the games. I really felt good being out there and was very happy with the stadium and the people there. Next comes Clinton and I would give Clinton a 6. Yeah, it may be high but it’s also an old school park and that’s what I liked about it. They may not have had that many fans but the ones who were there did get into the game. My favorite fan of all time from there is going to be "Big Guy", one of the best fans. He is right there on the 3rd base side and he will get on you if you’re disappointing him or getting too lazy and that’s a good thing to have right there. He’s like a 10th man. Now for Bakersfield. I’d give Bakersfield a 3. There were way less fans and it didn’t seem like they were getting enough attention out there. The environment was just like dead. A lot of the minor leaguers really aren’t so interested in going to that place, but at the same time it’s an OLD school park and I did like that. It just needed a little more maintenance but the dugouts were like a mile away from home plate. Now for Frisco. Wow, Frisco was amazing. I give it a 9. Great atmosphere and an awesome place to be. The fans were incredible and were always into the game. The fireworks after the game were amazing. It was like nothing I’ve ever played in. All the games were awesome to play there and I enjoyed every bit of it. I’d say it’s my favorite place I’ve played at so far.

11. What is the toughest thing about minor league life and why?

The toughest thing about minor league life was managing money and getting comfortable with places to stay. Also making sure to stay eating healthy and keeping your weight. One thing I really wanted to do was maintain my weight and get stronger. I plan to figure a new way and manage to get that all taken care of in the future.

12. Who are the three toughest hitters youʼve faced and why?

Well I could name a couple. I will go with Kyle Blanks from the San Antonio Missions. He was a tough out and had a lot of power. He could hit the ball a mile away and could turn on a fastball so I had to make sure to mix up speeds and just go right after him. Next is going to be Mark Trumbo from the Arkansas Travelers. He was a tough out, was a lefty and could flat out hit. Great hitter with good command and good power. He knew the zone and was also an aggressive hitter. Now the toughest guy I had to face, who seemed to hit really well, was Hank Conger, also from the Arkansas Travelers. He was just flat out a good hitter. He knew the zone as well and was a tough out. He battled and just put the ball in play. He was a great guy to face. It’s still very tough to decide who were the toughest hitters to face, but that’s the best list I could come up with.

13. What was your favorite team growing up?

My favorite team growing up was the Atlanta Braves. I idolized Chipper Jones and wanted to be just like him (well, hitting-wise). Pitcher was Greg Maddux because I knew being left handed I couldn’t play third base. So I became a switch hitter like Chipper and I worked and still am working on my control so I could be like Maddux. I used to play back yard baseball with my brother. He would always pretend to be the Cubs while I was the Braves. I would go out and imitate the whole line up from Mark Lemke to Greg Maddux all the way down.

14. What sports did you play growing up and which were you best at?

Well, I played all typical sports. I played football and basketball but I quit football and basketball. I quit right before my freshman year in high school. I was an average player. It’s funny, still today I throw the football and, you will like this, I go and kick some field goals every once in a while just for fun. I would say I was OK at basketball - tried to shoot (laughs) - but I mainly just stuck to baseball and played golf, which I’m now trying to get better at.

15. What is the worst injury you’ve had to deal with?

The worst injury I had to deal with was when I broke my collar bone. I was like probably around 10 and was playing football and got tackled and broke my left collar bone. I had to use my right arm for everything and it was really hard to do all that, from writing papers to sleeping. I’m all dominant with my left side and it just seemed very weird. It was hard to do everything not being able to use my left arm. I couldn’t raise up or anything, so it was different. And I also hated it when I had an itch inside the cast because I couldn’t reach it, even with a pencil (laughs).

16. What are your hobbies?

My hobbies now consist of golfing (well, learning how to golf that is) and hopefully soon I will get to go hunting. It’s something I haven’t done and would like to go out and try. So I’ve talked to a couple of the guys and hopefully they will take me out. I also guess you could say, yeah, I play a little Xbox as well when I have some time to just sit and relax. It’s what I do. And I read some books during baseball season.

I would like to thank Derek for doing this interview. He gave up a lot of his time for this and gave really good answers. It was very nice of him to do this and I appreciate it very much. Derek is a really nice guy and should be in Arlington before long.

Results of the Broadcaster of the Year poll:
Eric Nadel – 48% (57)
Tom Grieve – 26% (31)
Josh Lewin – 11% (14)
Victor Rojas – 7% (9)
Eleno Ornelas – 4% (5)
Jose Guzman – 0% (1)

Congratulations to Eric Nadel for winning the 2008 Texas Rangers Trades Broadcaster of the Year Award. I will be presenting him with the award next weekend at the Awards Banquet (no, it will not be on stage). Thanks to everyone who voted.

Come back next week for a summary of the Rangers Fan Fest.

#41-45 All-Time Rangers List

This week I will give numbers 41-45 on my All-Time Rangers list.

Also, this week I am continuing the poll for the second annual Texas Rangers Trades Broadcaster of the Year Award (on the left-hand sidebar). The winner will get an award, so if you haven’t already, please vote to make it more meaningful.

45. Tom Henke: 58 saves, 11-12, 3.55 ERA, 169 K, 172.1 IP
Tom is the 45th best player in Rangers history, in my opinion. He is 4th in saves for the Rangers all-time. He played five years for the Rangers in two different stints, three years at the very beginning of his career and two at almost the very end of his career. He had 40 saves in 1993, when the Rangers challenged the White Sox for the division until almost the end of the season. He has a pretty good ERA and a very good number of strikeouts for the number of innings he pitched. He would strike out a lot of batters, get you plenty of saves, but usually not get you too many innings. His saves are what got him #45 on my list.

44. Jeff Zimmerman:32 saves, 17-12, 3.27 ERA, 228.2 IP, 213 K, All-Star (99)
Jeff is 10th on the Rangers all-time saves list, despite only being a closer for one season. Jeff only played three years in the majors before a career-ending injury, but all three years were for the Rangers. He made the All-Star Game in his rookie year and pitched one scoreless inning in the game. He went 9-3 with a 2.36 ERA that year. In 2000, he had a more average year, though, with a 5.30 ERA and a 4-5 record. In his last year in the majors and his only year as a closer, he pitched very well again, with 28 saves and a 2.40 ERA. That got him his only big contract right before his injury. He is a pitcher who would pitch about 65 games a year, would normally be a very, very solid pitcher and had a good K/per 9 stat. All those reasons are why Jeff is #44 on my list. In addition, Jeff is one of the all-time nicest guys to ever wear a Ranger uniform.

43. Jim Kern:37 saves, 17-18, 2.59 ERA, 236.1 IP, 196 K, Rolaids Fireman of Year (79), All-Star (79), MLB Save-Leader (79)
Jim led the league in saves in 1979, was an All-Star in 1979 and won the Rolaids Fireman of the Year Award in 1979. He is 6th in saves on the Rangers all-time list, and has a very good ERA at 2.59. He has a losing record, though. He has a good amount of strikeouts for his number of innings. He definitely deserves to be on this list with his All-Star appearance, Relief Pitcher of the Year Award and saves lead, even without the other things that he has done. He was only here three years, and only two of those were good years. He is a guy that could have an excellent season (1979), but would have some mediocre years (1980, when he went 3-11 with a 4.83 ERA). That is why he is #43 on my list.

42. Gary Ward: .293 AVG, 41 HR, 200 RBI, All-Star (85)
Gary Ward is the 42nd best player in Rangers history because of his solid batting average and All-Star appearance. He is 9th in batting average for 1250 AB’s or more and 38th in homers. He is also 31st in RBI’s and had 45 stolen bases. He hit for a solid batting average and had a decent amount of home runs and RBI’s. He was also an All-Star in 1985, when he hit .287, with 15 HR’s and 70 RBI’s. If he had been a Ranger for more than three seasons he would be plenty higher on this list.

41. Dean Palmer: 154 HR, .247 AVG, 451 RBI
Dean Palmer is the 41st best player in Rangers history, in my opinion. Dean is 6th in home runs, and 14th in RBI’s, but has a below average batting average. He is 13th in at-bats, but only has a .320 OBP. He had plenty of power, but did not hit for average or get a lot of walks to make up for that fact. He was a very streaky hitter. He would go through periods where he seemed to hit everything but then longer periods where it seemed he could hit nothing. His average and OBP are the only reasons he is not higher on this list.

Come back next week for numbers 36-40 on my All-Time List.

#46-50 All-Time Rangers List

This week I will start a series of my top 50 Rangers players of all-time. I will do it in groups of five, starting at 46-50.

Also, this week I am continuing the poll for the second annual Texas Rangers Trades Broadcaster of the Year Award (on the left-hand sidebar). The winner will get an award, so please vote to make it more meaningful.

50. Kevin Mench: .274 AVG, 80 HR, 265 RBI
Kevin has the 32nd most at-bats in Rangers history, along with the 18th most home runs and the 23rd most RBI’s. That should be enough to get you at least the #50 spot in an all-time Rangers list. His batting average isn’t too bad either, as he is tied for 21st in that category. He struck out much more often than he walked, though as he struck out 273 times and walked only 147 times. He was not speedy either, as he was only 7-of-12 on attempted steals. Kevin did have a pretty good fielding percentage and was a better fielder than his reputation. Kevin was a streaky player who could hit for power, was pretty good in the field, and had a decent batting average, but who didn’t have much speed and struck out more than he should.

49. Roger Pavlik: .547 W%, 47-39, 4.58 ERA, 743 IP, 526 K
Roger is 13th in Rangers history in wins and has a very good win percentage. That should be enough to get you onto this list. His ERA was shaky though, as it is over 4.50. He has the 15th most innings pitched in Rangers history and the 12th most strikeouts in Rangers history. He had a good record with a fair amount of strikeouts but was not a shut-down pitcher and benefited greatly from excellent offensive support. Roger was an All-Star in 1996 and, despite his flaws, deserves to be on this list.

48. Frank Catalanotto: .290 AVG, 37 HR, 184 RBI
Frank Catalanotto is the 48th best player in Rangers history because he is 36th in RBI and 39th in home runs. Also, he is tied for 13th in Rangers batting average for players with at least 1250 at-bats and is 8th in OBP in Rangers history. Also, he is 19th in slugging percentage and 35th in walks with 145. He doesn’t strike out very often with only 184 strikeouts. 37th in at-bats, he has been with the club 5 years. He is speedy, used to hit for a high average, and does not have much power. He is good in the field. He is a solid player and deserves to be in the top 50 Rangers of all time.

47. Steve Buechele: .240 AVG, 94 HR, 338 RBI,
Steve is 16th in Rangers history in home runs, and 19th in RBI’s. But his batting average is only .240 and his OBP is only .308. He had plenty of power, but did not have a good batting average and was not particularly strong at defense. In my opinion, he is the 5th best 3rd baseman in Ranger history.

46. Ian Kinsler: .290 AVG, 52 HR, 187 RBI, 60 SB
Ian Kinsler is the 46th best player in Rangers history, in my opinion. He is 39th in Ranger history in at-bats, 28th in Rangers history in home runs, along with 36th in RBI and tied for 13th in batting average for Rangers players with at least 1250 at-bats. He’s also 10th in OBP for players with at least 1250 at-bats. He is already 16th in stolen bases in only his 3rd year. His fielding percentage is only .975 and he has 53 errors, though. He has only had one year when he has not hit 15 home runs and he hit 14 in that year. His OBP is .360 and his slugging percentage is .473 (10th in Rangers history). He has been in the majors for three years and is already towards the top of most of the important stats for a hitter. He is also speedy, stealing 60 bases out of 68 attempts (88.2%). He has speed with plenty of power and has a good batting average. He was an All-Star in 2008 and deserved to be one. I think Ian is the 4th best second baseman in Rangers history behind Julio Franco, Bump Wills, and Michael Young. He has an .832 OPS and definitely deserves to be in the top 50 all-time Rangers.

Come back next week for numbers 41-45 in the All-Time Rangers List.