Last week, I examined all the pitchers going to Spring Training with the Rangers and this week, I will examine the catchers. Below, I will rate each catcher and give their chances of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training.
Rod Barajas
For the 1st time, Barajas goes into Spring Training knowing that he is going to be the starting catcher unless he gets injured. According to http://cbs.sportsline.com Barajas said this about being the No.1 catcher "It feels great to come in here and be the guy and not have spring training as the deciding factor That gives me a chance to work on other things.”
Percentage 100% chance of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training
Jamie Burke
He was drafted in 1993 by the California Angels out of Oregon State University. He did not make it to the majors until 2001 and put up a .328 average in 134 at-bats in four partial seasons with the Angels and White Sox. He has no home runs in the majors but has 10 walks. He had 21 triples in 13 seasons in the minors to show that he has decent speed for a catcher. Since he had one at-bat for the White Sox last year, he has a World Series ring. With Rod Barajas and Gerald Laird, he really has no chance of making the cut unless there’s an injury.
Percentage 0.07%
Gerald Laird
Even though Barajas has the #1 job for sure Laird is still going to play hard. According to http://cbs.sportsline.com, here is what Laird said about Barajas being the #1 catcher, "I just kind of look at it as reality. It's probably his job, but I'm going to be right here to work hard, to play hard and to push him." He is probably going to be the back-up catcher because if you look up and down the catchers, Keith McDonald has the best chance of putting up a fight for the #2 position and Keith is a non-roster invitee.
Percentage 98.9%
Keith McDonald
Keith is probably not going to make it because of him being a non-roster invitee and Gerald Laird. He has had 9 at-bats in the big leagues (in 2000 and 2001 for the St Louis Cardinals) and has had 3 hits. All 3 of those hits were homers. But in the minors, he has had 3120 at-bats and only 78 homers. Last year with the Redhawks, he batted .240 in 233 at-bats. He had 2 home runs and 33 RBI’s.
Percentage 1.6%
Mike Nickeas
Mike has a very interesting background. He is from Vancouver, Canada but you cannot tell by his accent. His Dad (Mark Nickeas) played soccer for the Dallas Sidekicks (indoor soccer team) in 1984-85. His Dad also played soccer in England in the late 70’s. Mike played baseball for Westlake High School and won two championships with them. The Rangers consider him a big prospect, and so last year they moved him from Spokane (short-season A) to Frisco (AA). He was drafted in the 5th round of the 2004 draft. Nickeas is said to be good with pitchers. Last year, even though he struggled with a .202 average in 242 AA at-bats, the Rangers stuck with him. He also played in the Arizona Fall League for the Grand Canyon Rafters, hitting .425 in 40 at-bats. I think that he is not going to be in the majors this year but that his minor league stats will improve after he has experience.
Percentage 1.2%
Taylor Teagarden
Teagarden was voted second-best college defensive player by Baseball America before the 2005 draft. According to mlb.com, he said this about being with the Rangers (his hometown team): "I'm glad that I will get the chance to help the Rangers out as an organization. This is about the best feeling I could have right now. It's a dream come true." He batted .281 in 96 at-bats for Spokane in 2005. Teagarden batted .333 in 63 games in 2005 at the University of Texas. Teagarden has no chance of making the big leagues in 2005, but he has a chance to be a future A.J. Pierzynski without the attitude.
Percentage 0%
Nick Trzesniak
Trzesniak was drafted by the Padres in the 1999 draft and has been in the minors ever since. In his career, he has a .249 average in 1875 at-bats. Last year in AAA Portland, he batted .380 in 79 at-bats. He probably is not going to make the majors this year.
Percentage 0.04%
My prediction of which catchers will be on the active roster is the following:
Rod Barajas – starter
Gerald Laird – back-up
Next in line:
- Keith McDonald
- Mike Nickeas
Come back later this week for the infielders.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Analysis of Spring Training Pitchers
The Rangers opened Spring Training this week with 35 pitchers in the major league camp. Below, I will rate each pitcher and give their chances of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training.
Antonio Alfonseca
Even though he is a non-roster invitee and was a very inconsistent pitcher for the last few years, I do think he has a chance to make the 25-man roster. He’ll have to have a strong Spring Training and let that sixth finger add a positive spin on the ball if he is going to make it. His age might not allow him to do that, leaving him in Triple-A or Double-A.
Percentage 71.2% chance of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training
Brian Anderson
He’s also a non-roster invitee which leads you to think that he’s not making the 25-man roster. He isn’t even going to be able to show his stuff because of Tommy John Surgery. Even if he is in the minors the whole year, he could bring even more character to the clubhouse in the minors. When Brian was pitching for the Indians he and Carl Sadler chased down a thief trying to steal a woman’s purse. Anyway, he’s going to need to recover fast if he’s going to the bigs.
Percentage 5.4%
Rick Bauer
He has played for the Orioles for his entire 4-year career. He only pitched 8.1 innings with a 9.72 ERA last year. The Rangers probably don’t expect much of him and probably don’t think that he’ll be in the MLB anytime soon.
Percentage 4.3%
Omar Beltre
Omar is having VISA problems because he got one illegally a couple years ago. He probably won’t be able to go to camp or even play in the majors or minors this year.
Percentage 0%
Joaquin Benoit
Joaquin has been known for struggling as a starter and shutting down hitters as a reliever. I think that Benoit will make the team as a long or middle reliever. He has the speed and stuff to strike out and just mow down hitters. If he can meet his potential he could become a starter. Last year he got closer to his potential pitching 87 innings with a 3.72 ERA. Of course, when he was a starter the ERA shot up. If he can have another season like that he will (in my perspective) meet his potential. He is out of options so he will probably be on the team.
Percentage 100%
Ryan Bukvich
Bukvich has a great minor league career but has struggled in the majors. If he can recover from his Tommy John surgery quickly and pitch like he used to in the minors, he has a good chance of being in the MLB. Ever since he was called up to the majors with the Royals in 2002, he has struggled everywhere except for the 7.1 innings pitched for the Royals in ‘04. He probably won’t recover from his Tommy John surgery quick enough to play the whole year for the Rangers.
Percentage 3.6%
Jesse Carlson
Carlson is a non-roster invitee who does not have a big chance of going to the majors. Last year, he pitched 2 innings for the Blue Jays in Spring Training with a 9.00 ERA. In the minors with Toronto last year, Jesse went 4-3 with a 2.79 ERA. For three minor league seasons before that, his stats were 2.81 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 156.2 innings pitched.
Percentage 8.1%
Fabio Castro
Fabio has played in the White Sox organization throughout his career even though we got him from the Royals in the Rule-5 draft. If you get a player from the Rule 5 draft, he has to remain on the active major league roster for the entire season or else he will go through waivers. Since he was from the Rule 5 draft, it is very likely that he will be in the majors the whole year. His ERA has been outstanding with an ERA of 2.28 last year and 2.47 for the years before that put together. He has only played in the rookie league and single-A though. He has been in Spring Training once (2005) and put up an 8.10 ERA in 3.1 IP.
Percentage 95.6%
Francisco Cordero
He has blazing stuff and from his major league performances, he is going to the MLB unless he gets injured.
Percentage 100%
John Danks
John probably needs more experience in the minors to be able to pitch well in the majors because once he got to AA, he struggled with a 5.49 ERA in 98.1 innings. If he can get closer to his potential earlier than expected, he has a chance. It would take basically no-hit ball during Spring Training for him to make the majors.
Percentage 10.1%
Thomas Diamond
Thomas, like John Danks, probably needs more experience in the minors to pitch well in the majors because he also struggled once he got to AA with a 5.35 ERA in 69 innings pitched. But with the Blaze, Thomas was dominant with a 1.99 ERA in 81.1 innings pitched. He also had 101 strikeouts. I think in a year or two, he will be able to pitch in the majors successfully. He will need to do the same as John Danks needs to do if he’s going to make the majors.
Percentage 10.2%
Joselo Diaz
Jose has a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Jose Diaz had a 9.13 ERA with a 2-2 record and 22 strike-outs in 18 games for the Royals’ AA Montgomery Biscuits as a reliever. He had a 0.00 ERA with a 0-0 record and 19 strike-outs in 8 games for the Indians’ AA Akron Aeros. He also had a 3.89 ERA with a 1-2 record and 44 strike-outs in 20 games for the Indians’ AAA Buffalo Bisons. For his career he has a 3.71 ERA and a 21-21 record with 340 strike-outs in 303.1 innings pitched. He started his career by signing with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He has pitched against Nick Trzesniak, his likely catcher in AAA if he doesn’t make the majors.
Percentage 29.9%
R.A. Dickey
R.A. (Robert Alan) needs to improve his new knuckleball to make the team. If he does and is successful with it, he has a good chance to be the fifth starter in the rotation. If somebody in the chase for the fifth rotation spot does better than Dickey, he has a good shot at a long reliever role.
Percentage 79.6%
Juan Dominguez
The Rangers know that he has incredible stuff that can just mow down hitters but he will still need to prove that he cares about doing well and not just about getting the money. He has a tendency to show up late and not keep his head in the game. If he can just mature himself, he could easily become a starter.
Percentage 63.7%
Jayson Durocher
Jayson Paul Durocher has a career major league ERA of 3.09 in 55.1 innings pitched. He has only played in 45 major league games. He has a tendency to get injured and hasn’t played in the majors since 2003. He has played professional baseball since 1993 and only played in the majors in ’02 and ’03. He is a non-roster invitee and has very little chance of making the team.
Percentage 5.3%
Adam Eaton
He is a proven starter and is going to be one unless he’s injured.
Percentage 100%
Scott Feldman
If Scott Feldman can pitch like he did last year in the majors, he has a great chance of staying on the active roster. Last year, he had a 0.96 ERA in 9.1 major league innings.
Percentage 74.2%
Frank Francisco
Frank is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and likely won’t be back until May.
Percentage 1.6%
Armando Galarraga
Armando did well in single-A (2.48 ERA in 80 innings) but struggled in double-A (5.19 ERA in 76.1 innings) in 2005. Like Omar Beltre, he is having VISA problems. However, he is expected to be in camp. He does not have a chance at making the majors out of Spring Training.
Percentage 0%
Jon Leicester
Jon struggled badly in ’05 with a 5.51 ERA in 98 AAA innings and a 9.00 ERA in 9 innings pitched for the Cubs. However, he pitched great in 2004 with a 3.89 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched for the Cubs. He will need to pitch like he did in 2004 this spring for him to make the majors out of camp.
Percentage 35.5%
Wes Littleton
Wes has been a decent minor league player who probably will not play in the majors for the whole season. In AA last year, Wes had a 3.97 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 81.2 innings pitched. If he can pitch well in Oklahoma City, he could easily be a late season call-up.
Percentage 9.5%
Kameron Loe
Kameron probably has established himself enough in the majors to make it to the majors out of camp this year.
Percentage 100%
Ron Mahay
Even though Mahay is a non-roster invitee, if he has a good Spring Training, he has a great chance of making the team because he is established in the majors. In ’05, he had a 6.81 ERA in 35.2 innings pitched but in ’04, he had a 2.55 ERA in 67 innings.
Percentage 55.5%
Kevin Millwood
Kevin will make it out of camp unless he gets injured. He led the league in ERA last year and was brought in to be the team’s ace.
Percentage 100%
Akinori Otsuka
Otsuka will make the team as long as he can stay healthy. He was brought in to set up Francisco Cordero.
Percentage 100%
Vicente Padilla
Vicente has established himself enough to have a 100% chance to be a starter out of camp.
Percentage 100%
Erasmo Ramirez
Ramirez has had enough experience to do well in the majors. As long as he can stay healthy and have a decent spring, he will make the team. Last year, he had a 3.91 ERA in 23 major league innings.
Percentage 99.1%
Nick Regilio (non-roster)
Nick had elbow tendonitis and should be back from his injury in time for Spring Training. He shouldn’t make the team because he will still be rebuilding his arm strength. Like Wes, he could be a big candidate for being called up later in the season.
Percentage 2.2%
Josh Rupe
Josh did very well in the majors at the end of last year, with a 2.79 ERA in 9.2 innings pitched. You would think that Juan Dominguez or R.A. Dickey would out pitch him and win the fifth starter role. He would need to out pitch five other pitchers (Dominguez, Dickey, Mahay, Wilson, and Volquez) for the fifth role in the rotation. If he can’t be a starter in the majors, I think they will send him to Triple-A so he can pitch every five days.
Percentage 11.6%
Brian Shouse
Shouse should make the team unless he has a terrible spring or gets injured. That’s because he is one of their only left-handers and has had two great years for the Rangers (2003 and 2004). Last year, he had a 5.23 ERA in 53.1 innings.
Percentage 79.1%
Jose Silva
Jose has basically no chance at making the team. He played in the majors from 1996 through 2002 with 5.41 ERA in 427.1 innings. Since then, he has been playing in Triple-A and struggled badly, putting up a 6.03 ERA in 2005. He is a non-roster invitee, giving him even less of a chance.
Percentage 1.4%
Edison Volquez
With last year’s stats in the majors of a 14.21 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched, you can tell he needs more time in the minors. He would have to have a monster spring to make the majors.
Percentage 10.9%
Kevin Walker
Kevin probably won’t make the team. He has a career ERA of 4.76 in 102 innings pitched. He was with the White Sox in ‘05 for 9 games so he has a World Series ring under his belt. Texas will be his fourth organization in four years. Since he is a lefty, if he has a strong spring, he has a chance.
Percentage 5.4%
John Wasdin
As long as he doesn’t have an awful spring, he is probably a lock. If he makes the team, the best role for him in my opinion is as a long reliever. Last year, he had a 4.28 ERA in 75.2 innings.
Percentage 85.5%
C.J. Wilson
Last year, Christopher John Wilson struggled as a starter but pitched great as a reliever. As long as he can have a decent spring, he could lock up the last long reliever spot.
Percentage 55.2%
My prediction of which pitchers will be on the active roster is the following:
Kevin Millwood – starter
Adam Eaton – starter
Vicente Padilla – starter
Kameron Loe – starter
R.A. Dickey – starter
John Wasdin – long relief
Brian Shouse – lefty
Joaquin Benoit – long relief
Fabio Castro – middle relief
Francisco Cordero – closer
Akinori Otsuka – setup man
Erasmo Ramirez – lefty
Next in line:
- Antonio Alfonseca
- C.J. Wilson
- Ron Mahay
- Juan Dominguez
- Scott Feldman
Come back next week for the position players.
Antonio Alfonseca
Even though he is a non-roster invitee and was a very inconsistent pitcher for the last few years, I do think he has a chance to make the 25-man roster. He’ll have to have a strong Spring Training and let that sixth finger add a positive spin on the ball if he is going to make it. His age might not allow him to do that, leaving him in Triple-A or Double-A.
Percentage 71.2% chance of making the 25-man active roster at the end of Spring Training
Brian Anderson
He’s also a non-roster invitee which leads you to think that he’s not making the 25-man roster. He isn’t even going to be able to show his stuff because of Tommy John Surgery. Even if he is in the minors the whole year, he could bring even more character to the clubhouse in the minors. When Brian was pitching for the Indians he and Carl Sadler chased down a thief trying to steal a woman’s purse. Anyway, he’s going to need to recover fast if he’s going to the bigs.
Percentage 5.4%
Rick Bauer
He has played for the Orioles for his entire 4-year career. He only pitched 8.1 innings with a 9.72 ERA last year. The Rangers probably don’t expect much of him and probably don’t think that he’ll be in the MLB anytime soon.
Percentage 4.3%
Omar Beltre
Omar is having VISA problems because he got one illegally a couple years ago. He probably won’t be able to go to camp or even play in the majors or minors this year.
Percentage 0%
Joaquin Benoit
Joaquin has been known for struggling as a starter and shutting down hitters as a reliever. I think that Benoit will make the team as a long or middle reliever. He has the speed and stuff to strike out and just mow down hitters. If he can meet his potential he could become a starter. Last year he got closer to his potential pitching 87 innings with a 3.72 ERA. Of course, when he was a starter the ERA shot up. If he can have another season like that he will (in my perspective) meet his potential. He is out of options so he will probably be on the team.
Percentage 100%
Ryan Bukvich
Bukvich has a great minor league career but has struggled in the majors. If he can recover from his Tommy John surgery quickly and pitch like he used to in the minors, he has a good chance of being in the MLB. Ever since he was called up to the majors with the Royals in 2002, he has struggled everywhere except for the 7.1 innings pitched for the Royals in ‘04. He probably won’t recover from his Tommy John surgery quick enough to play the whole year for the Rangers.
Percentage 3.6%
Jesse Carlson
Carlson is a non-roster invitee who does not have a big chance of going to the majors. Last year, he pitched 2 innings for the Blue Jays in Spring Training with a 9.00 ERA. In the minors with Toronto last year, Jesse went 4-3 with a 2.79 ERA. For three minor league seasons before that, his stats were 2.81 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 156.2 innings pitched.
Percentage 8.1%
Fabio Castro
Fabio has played in the White Sox organization throughout his career even though we got him from the Royals in the Rule-5 draft. If you get a player from the Rule 5 draft, he has to remain on the active major league roster for the entire season or else he will go through waivers. Since he was from the Rule 5 draft, it is very likely that he will be in the majors the whole year. His ERA has been outstanding with an ERA of 2.28 last year and 2.47 for the years before that put together. He has only played in the rookie league and single-A though. He has been in Spring Training once (2005) and put up an 8.10 ERA in 3.1 IP.
Percentage 95.6%
Francisco Cordero
He has blazing stuff and from his major league performances, he is going to the MLB unless he gets injured.
Percentage 100%
John Danks
John probably needs more experience in the minors to be able to pitch well in the majors because once he got to AA, he struggled with a 5.49 ERA in 98.1 innings. If he can get closer to his potential earlier than expected, he has a chance. It would take basically no-hit ball during Spring Training for him to make the majors.
Percentage 10.1%
Thomas Diamond
Thomas, like John Danks, probably needs more experience in the minors to pitch well in the majors because he also struggled once he got to AA with a 5.35 ERA in 69 innings pitched. But with the Blaze, Thomas was dominant with a 1.99 ERA in 81.1 innings pitched. He also had 101 strikeouts. I think in a year or two, he will be able to pitch in the majors successfully. He will need to do the same as John Danks needs to do if he’s going to make the majors.
Percentage 10.2%
Joselo Diaz
Jose has a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Jose Diaz had a 9.13 ERA with a 2-2 record and 22 strike-outs in 18 games for the Royals’ AA Montgomery Biscuits as a reliever. He had a 0.00 ERA with a 0-0 record and 19 strike-outs in 8 games for the Indians’ AA Akron Aeros. He also had a 3.89 ERA with a 1-2 record and 44 strike-outs in 20 games for the Indians’ AAA Buffalo Bisons. For his career he has a 3.71 ERA and a 21-21 record with 340 strike-outs in 303.1 innings pitched. He started his career by signing with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He has pitched against Nick Trzesniak, his likely catcher in AAA if he doesn’t make the majors.
Percentage 29.9%
R.A. Dickey
R.A. (Robert Alan) needs to improve his new knuckleball to make the team. If he does and is successful with it, he has a good chance to be the fifth starter in the rotation. If somebody in the chase for the fifth rotation spot does better than Dickey, he has a good shot at a long reliever role.
Percentage 79.6%
Juan Dominguez
The Rangers know that he has incredible stuff that can just mow down hitters but he will still need to prove that he cares about doing well and not just about getting the money. He has a tendency to show up late and not keep his head in the game. If he can just mature himself, he could easily become a starter.
Percentage 63.7%
Jayson Durocher
Jayson Paul Durocher has a career major league ERA of 3.09 in 55.1 innings pitched. He has only played in 45 major league games. He has a tendency to get injured and hasn’t played in the majors since 2003. He has played professional baseball since 1993 and only played in the majors in ’02 and ’03. He is a non-roster invitee and has very little chance of making the team.
Percentage 5.3%
Adam Eaton
He is a proven starter and is going to be one unless he’s injured.
Percentage 100%
Scott Feldman
If Scott Feldman can pitch like he did last year in the majors, he has a great chance of staying on the active roster. Last year, he had a 0.96 ERA in 9.1 major league innings.
Percentage 74.2%
Frank Francisco
Frank is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and likely won’t be back until May.
Percentage 1.6%
Armando Galarraga
Armando did well in single-A (2.48 ERA in 80 innings) but struggled in double-A (5.19 ERA in 76.1 innings) in 2005. Like Omar Beltre, he is having VISA problems. However, he is expected to be in camp. He does not have a chance at making the majors out of Spring Training.
Percentage 0%
Jon Leicester
Jon struggled badly in ’05 with a 5.51 ERA in 98 AAA innings and a 9.00 ERA in 9 innings pitched for the Cubs. However, he pitched great in 2004 with a 3.89 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched for the Cubs. He will need to pitch like he did in 2004 this spring for him to make the majors out of camp.
Percentage 35.5%
Wes Littleton
Wes has been a decent minor league player who probably will not play in the majors for the whole season. In AA last year, Wes had a 3.97 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 81.2 innings pitched. If he can pitch well in Oklahoma City, he could easily be a late season call-up.
Percentage 9.5%
Kameron Loe
Kameron probably has established himself enough in the majors to make it to the majors out of camp this year.
Percentage 100%
Ron Mahay
Even though Mahay is a non-roster invitee, if he has a good Spring Training, he has a great chance of making the team because he is established in the majors. In ’05, he had a 6.81 ERA in 35.2 innings pitched but in ’04, he had a 2.55 ERA in 67 innings.
Percentage 55.5%
Kevin Millwood
Kevin will make it out of camp unless he gets injured. He led the league in ERA last year and was brought in to be the team’s ace.
Percentage 100%
Akinori Otsuka
Otsuka will make the team as long as he can stay healthy. He was brought in to set up Francisco Cordero.
Percentage 100%
Vicente Padilla
Vicente has established himself enough to have a 100% chance to be a starter out of camp.
Percentage 100%
Erasmo Ramirez
Ramirez has had enough experience to do well in the majors. As long as he can stay healthy and have a decent spring, he will make the team. Last year, he had a 3.91 ERA in 23 major league innings.
Percentage 99.1%
Nick Regilio (non-roster)
Nick had elbow tendonitis and should be back from his injury in time for Spring Training. He shouldn’t make the team because he will still be rebuilding his arm strength. Like Wes, he could be a big candidate for being called up later in the season.
Percentage 2.2%
Josh Rupe
Josh did very well in the majors at the end of last year, with a 2.79 ERA in 9.2 innings pitched. You would think that Juan Dominguez or R.A. Dickey would out pitch him and win the fifth starter role. He would need to out pitch five other pitchers (Dominguez, Dickey, Mahay, Wilson, and Volquez) for the fifth role in the rotation. If he can’t be a starter in the majors, I think they will send him to Triple-A so he can pitch every five days.
Percentage 11.6%
Brian Shouse
Shouse should make the team unless he has a terrible spring or gets injured. That’s because he is one of their only left-handers and has had two great years for the Rangers (2003 and 2004). Last year, he had a 5.23 ERA in 53.1 innings.
Percentage 79.1%
Jose Silva
Jose has basically no chance at making the team. He played in the majors from 1996 through 2002 with 5.41 ERA in 427.1 innings. Since then, he has been playing in Triple-A and struggled badly, putting up a 6.03 ERA in 2005. He is a non-roster invitee, giving him even less of a chance.
Percentage 1.4%
Edison Volquez
With last year’s stats in the majors of a 14.21 ERA in 12.2 innings pitched, you can tell he needs more time in the minors. He would have to have a monster spring to make the majors.
Percentage 10.9%
Kevin Walker
Kevin probably won’t make the team. He has a career ERA of 4.76 in 102 innings pitched. He was with the White Sox in ‘05 for 9 games so he has a World Series ring under his belt. Texas will be his fourth organization in four years. Since he is a lefty, if he has a strong spring, he has a chance.
Percentage 5.4%
John Wasdin
As long as he doesn’t have an awful spring, he is probably a lock. If he makes the team, the best role for him in my opinion is as a long reliever. Last year, he had a 4.28 ERA in 75.2 innings.
Percentage 85.5%
C.J. Wilson
Last year, Christopher John Wilson struggled as a starter but pitched great as a reliever. As long as he can have a decent spring, he could lock up the last long reliever spot.
Percentage 55.2%
My prediction of which pitchers will be on the active roster is the following:
Kevin Millwood – starter
Adam Eaton – starter
Vicente Padilla – starter
Kameron Loe – starter
R.A. Dickey – starter
John Wasdin – long relief
Brian Shouse – lefty
Joaquin Benoit – long relief
Fabio Castro – middle relief
Francisco Cordero – closer
Akinori Otsuka – setup man
Erasmo Ramirez – lefty
Next in line:
- Antonio Alfonseca
- C.J. Wilson
- Ron Mahay
- Juan Dominguez
- Scott Feldman
Come back next week for the position players.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Winter Awards Banquet
A couple of weeks ago the Rangers had the Winter Awards Banquet. I was able to go with my dad and I’m going to describe the evening.
On our way there, we had some problems. Mapquest had led us the wrong way and we were delayed by 15 minutes (not including the 20 minutes from a car wreck on the way there).
As we got in to Eddie Deen’s Ranch they were having the pre-dinner reception. We saw Brad Wilkerson being interviewed on the Ticket. Luckily, when he was done I got his autograph. It was lucky because all the players were in a VIP session during the reception.
When I was done getting Brad Wilkerson’s autograph, we went to one of the Newberg tables to wait for dinner and for the awards to be announced. Then the players came out of a field of cornstalks like in The Field of Dreams.
Our table was one of the lucky tables because we got somebody associated with the Rangers. We got Kevin Harmon (assistant trainer). He and his wife (Melony) were very nice and friendly to everyone at the table. He was in Phoenix working at the Surprise complex until last year.
After talking to Kevin for a while, we had our dinner, which was very good. It was so much better than last year’s banquet. They had steak, chicken, vegetables, rolls, and mashed potatoes.
When the players were done eating, I went from table to table to get some autographs. As I walked by Jon Daniels, I stopped and talked to him for a while. I asked him about his thoughts on the Chris Young trade and on acquiring Baldiris, but this was a private conversation so I can’t tell you the answers without Jon’s permission. The player autographs that I got were Wes Littleton, Scott Feldman, Ian Kinsler, Jon Leicester, Travis Metcalf, Thomas Diamond, Joselo Diaz, CJ Wilson, Juan Dominguez, and Fabio Castro. Everyone was nice but Jon Daniels, Thomas Diamond and Scott Feldman really stood out because they were especially nice and talked to me for a while.
Then the awards ceremony started. It was hosted by the Hardline from The Ticket. Every time they came on stage, the Hardline theme song was played and they said that they hated it.
They named Travis Metcalf Minor League Player of the Year and they named Thomas Diamond Minor League Pitcher of the Year. As John Lombardi was introducing Thomas Diamond, he told everyone there a story about Thomas. The story was that after the last game of the season, John Lombardi went up to Thomas and asked him a question. Thomas said, ‘I’ve got to get home’ and Lombardi teased him about it because he had just bought a new house in Frisco. Thomas said that he had to get to Louisiana where his family was so he could help out (because this was right after the hurricane). Lombardi said that while everyone else was bailing out, Thomas was going into the storm.
Victor Rojas interviewed Jon Daniels, and Josh Lewin interviewed Gary Matthews Jr. and Brad Wilkerson. Kevin Mench was supposed to be interviewed instead of Gary Matthews Jr. but Kevin had left.
After they interviewed Wilkerson and Matthews, I got too tired and went home, missing the rest of the ceremony. I had a great time and if I had the choice to go again, I’d do it, even though it cost $40 for one person. The only thing I would change is that I would take out the mashed potatoes and put in french fries. I would also like to see the players out with the fans during the reception.
On our way there, we had some problems. Mapquest had led us the wrong way and we were delayed by 15 minutes (not including the 20 minutes from a car wreck on the way there).
As we got in to Eddie Deen’s Ranch they were having the pre-dinner reception. We saw Brad Wilkerson being interviewed on the Ticket. Luckily, when he was done I got his autograph. It was lucky because all the players were in a VIP session during the reception.
When I was done getting Brad Wilkerson’s autograph, we went to one of the Newberg tables to wait for dinner and for the awards to be announced. Then the players came out of a field of cornstalks like in The Field of Dreams.
Our table was one of the lucky tables because we got somebody associated with the Rangers. We got Kevin Harmon (assistant trainer). He and his wife (Melony) were very nice and friendly to everyone at the table. He was in Phoenix working at the Surprise complex until last year.
After talking to Kevin for a while, we had our dinner, which was very good. It was so much better than last year’s banquet. They had steak, chicken, vegetables, rolls, and mashed potatoes.
When the players were done eating, I went from table to table to get some autographs. As I walked by Jon Daniels, I stopped and talked to him for a while. I asked him about his thoughts on the Chris Young trade and on acquiring Baldiris, but this was a private conversation so I can’t tell you the answers without Jon’s permission. The player autographs that I got were Wes Littleton, Scott Feldman, Ian Kinsler, Jon Leicester, Travis Metcalf, Thomas Diamond, Joselo Diaz, CJ Wilson, Juan Dominguez, and Fabio Castro. Everyone was nice but Jon Daniels, Thomas Diamond and Scott Feldman really stood out because they were especially nice and talked to me for a while.
Then the awards ceremony started. It was hosted by the Hardline from The Ticket. Every time they came on stage, the Hardline theme song was played and they said that they hated it.
They named Travis Metcalf Minor League Player of the Year and they named Thomas Diamond Minor League Pitcher of the Year. As John Lombardi was introducing Thomas Diamond, he told everyone there a story about Thomas. The story was that after the last game of the season, John Lombardi went up to Thomas and asked him a question. Thomas said, ‘I’ve got to get home’ and Lombardi teased him about it because he had just bought a new house in Frisco. Thomas said that he had to get to Louisiana where his family was so he could help out (because this was right after the hurricane). Lombardi said that while everyone else was bailing out, Thomas was going into the storm.
Victor Rojas interviewed Jon Daniels, and Josh Lewin interviewed Gary Matthews Jr. and Brad Wilkerson. Kevin Mench was supposed to be interviewed instead of Gary Matthews Jr. but Kevin had left.
After they interviewed Wilkerson and Matthews, I got too tired and went home, missing the rest of the ceremony. I had a great time and if I had the choice to go again, I’d do it, even though it cost $40 for one person. The only thing I would change is that I would take out the mashed potatoes and put in french fries. I would also like to see the players out with the fans during the reception.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Alfonseca Signs
Antonio Alfonseca, 2000 NL Rolaids Relief Award winner, signed with the Rangers to a minor league deal. Last year for the Marlins his stats were:
33 G
27.1 IP
29 H
15 R
2 HR
14 BB
16 SO
1-1 W-L
0 S
.299 BAA
4.94 ERA
According to http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3674 he will only be used if players get hurt.
His career stats are nothing like what he’s done the past few years.
512 G
547.1 IP
589 H
255 R
49 HR
216 BB
371 SO
30-35 W-L
121 S
.279 BAA
3.95 ERA
In the past few years his ERA has shot up and he has been unstable. On Saturday at the Fan Fest Jon Daniels said that he was a low risk high reward player. I think that it's not going to take injuries for him to do anything for the Rangers and that he only needs to have a strong Spring.
33 G
27.1 IP
29 H
15 R
2 HR
14 BB
16 SO
1-1 W-L
0 S
.299 BAA
4.94 ERA
According to http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=3674 he will only be used if players get hurt.
His career stats are nothing like what he’s done the past few years.
512 G
547.1 IP
589 H
255 R
49 HR
216 BB
371 SO
30-35 W-L
121 S
.279 BAA
3.95 ERA
In the past few years his ERA has shot up and he has been unstable. On Saturday at the Fan Fest Jon Daniels said that he was a low risk high reward player. I think that it's not going to take injuries for him to do anything for the Rangers and that he only needs to have a strong Spring.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Fan Fest Summary
Yesterday (January 28), the Rangers had their annual Fan Fest, otherwise known as the Winter Carnival. They had autographs, Q&A sessions, and other activities. In this blog entry, I will summarize my day and put some questions and answers from the Brad Wilkerson Q&A session.
At 10am, as me and my dad were walking, we saw three incredibly long lines and luckily we weren’t in any of them. We were in a short line for Frisco RoughRiders pitcher John Danks and Rangers pitcher CJ Wilson at the Newberg table. CJ Wilson was not scheduled to come but Newberg got him to sign autographs. John and CJ both are really good characters and John even remembered me from the banquet the night before.
At 11am, we went to the Brad Wilkerson Q&A session. Here are some of the questions and answers. These are not the exact words.
Q: Who was your favorite teammate of all time to play with?
A: Vladimir Guerrero because he would always work as hard as he could. Brad Wilkerson once saw him throw a ball from deep right field to 20 rows behind home plate.
Q: How was it to have Frank Robinson as your manager?
A: It was tough at first because the players are different than when Frank Robinson played. It was also great because he’s a Hall of Famer, so all of the players learned a lot from him.
Q: How do you compare American fans with Canadian fans?
A: American fans have more knowledge of the game and Canadian fans are louder than the American fans. Canadian fans are also more into the hot dogs, especially on dollar hot dog day.
Brad seemed very nice and like he might be an easy autograph target during the year.
Once the interview was over at 11:30am, we hurried over to the Newberg table so we could get Joselo Diaz and Nick Trzeniak’s autographs. You can read about Joselo Diaz in my blog entry ‘Diaz and Anderson Sign’. Nick Trzeniak was in the Padres’ organization last year and he seemed very friendly.
After that, we stayed at the Newberg table to get High-A Bakersfield Blaze catcher Justin Hatcher’s autograph. He was very friendly and he tended to talk pretty fast.
I met Kathleen O’Brien, the Rangers writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, at the Newberg table after getting Justin Hatcher’s autograph. She was friendly and gave me advice on how to write when I grow up.
At 1pm, me and my dad had lunch and went back to the Newberg table to get Josh Lewin and Jon Daniels’ autographs (both unscheduled). Josh Lewin and Jon Daniels have both been very nice to me and never wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
As me and my dad were walking out of the Diamond Club, we saw how empty the lines were for new Rangers first base coach Bobby Jones, new Rangers reliever and former Cub Jon Leicester, and Rangers reliever Erasmo Ramirez. We went downstairs to get autograph tickets for these players and coach. We went back to the Diamond Club and got their autographs.
At 2pm, we were in a big rush to get through Rangers bullpen coach Dom Chiti and Rangers bench coach Don Wakamatsu’s autograph line so we could get to the Buck Showalter and Jon Daniels Q&A session on time.
Sure enough, after we got the autographs, we had plenty of time to get to the Q&A session. Maybe a little too much time because we saw part of the Baseball Comedy Improv, which started at 2 o’clock. I will give you the question and answer of the question I asked Buck Showalter. These are not his exact words either.
Q: Not including current Rangers, what were your favorite players to manage?
A: Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson, and David Cone
At 3, we waited in line in case Thomas Diamond and Travis Metcalf came to the Newberg table because they had said that they might be there. They weren’t able to make it.
As we were leaving, we got Jose Guzman, Dave Hostetler, and Pete O’Brien’s autographs even though we didn’t have an autograph ticket for them. They were very nice to sign for people that didn’t have tickets.
That was the end of our day at Fan Fest. The Rangers organized this very well but must have been disappointed with the rainy weather keeping people from running the bases, catching pop flies, and throwing in the bullpen. The Newberg table was definitely the best table for me.
At 10am, as me and my dad were walking, we saw three incredibly long lines and luckily we weren’t in any of them. We were in a short line for Frisco RoughRiders pitcher John Danks and Rangers pitcher CJ Wilson at the Newberg table. CJ Wilson was not scheduled to come but Newberg got him to sign autographs. John and CJ both are really good characters and John even remembered me from the banquet the night before.
At 11am, we went to the Brad Wilkerson Q&A session. Here are some of the questions and answers. These are not the exact words.
Q: Who was your favorite teammate of all time to play with?
A: Vladimir Guerrero because he would always work as hard as he could. Brad Wilkerson once saw him throw a ball from deep right field to 20 rows behind home plate.
Q: How was it to have Frank Robinson as your manager?
A: It was tough at first because the players are different than when Frank Robinson played. It was also great because he’s a Hall of Famer, so all of the players learned a lot from him.
Q: How do you compare American fans with Canadian fans?
A: American fans have more knowledge of the game and Canadian fans are louder than the American fans. Canadian fans are also more into the hot dogs, especially on dollar hot dog day.
Brad seemed very nice and like he might be an easy autograph target during the year.
Once the interview was over at 11:30am, we hurried over to the Newberg table so we could get Joselo Diaz and Nick Trzeniak’s autographs. You can read about Joselo Diaz in my blog entry ‘Diaz and Anderson Sign’. Nick Trzeniak was in the Padres’ organization last year and he seemed very friendly.
After that, we stayed at the Newberg table to get High-A Bakersfield Blaze catcher Justin Hatcher’s autograph. He was very friendly and he tended to talk pretty fast.
I met Kathleen O’Brien, the Rangers writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, at the Newberg table after getting Justin Hatcher’s autograph. She was friendly and gave me advice on how to write when I grow up.
At 1pm, me and my dad had lunch and went back to the Newberg table to get Josh Lewin and Jon Daniels’ autographs (both unscheduled). Josh Lewin and Jon Daniels have both been very nice to me and never wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
As me and my dad were walking out of the Diamond Club, we saw how empty the lines were for new Rangers first base coach Bobby Jones, new Rangers reliever and former Cub Jon Leicester, and Rangers reliever Erasmo Ramirez. We went downstairs to get autograph tickets for these players and coach. We went back to the Diamond Club and got their autographs.
At 2pm, we were in a big rush to get through Rangers bullpen coach Dom Chiti and Rangers bench coach Don Wakamatsu’s autograph line so we could get to the Buck Showalter and Jon Daniels Q&A session on time.
Sure enough, after we got the autographs, we had plenty of time to get to the Q&A session. Maybe a little too much time because we saw part of the Baseball Comedy Improv, which started at 2 o’clock. I will give you the question and answer of the question I asked Buck Showalter. These are not his exact words either.
Q: Not including current Rangers, what were your favorite players to manage?
A: Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson, and David Cone
At 3, we waited in line in case Thomas Diamond and Travis Metcalf came to the Newberg table because they had said that they might be there. They weren’t able to make it.
As we were leaving, we got Jose Guzman, Dave Hostetler, and Pete O’Brien’s autographs even though we didn’t have an autograph ticket for them. They were very nice to sign for people that didn’t have tickets.
That was the end of our day at Fan Fest. The Rangers organized this very well but must have been disappointed with the rainy weather keeping people from running the bases, catching pop flies, and throwing in the bullpen. The Newberg table was definitely the best table for me.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Baldiris Acquired
The Rangers claimed AA 2B and 3B Aarom Baldiris of waivers from the New York Mets last week. He played for the Binghamton Mets. Here are last year’s stats:
.275 AVG
63 RBI (2nd on team)
11 HR
495 AB (1st on team)
131 G (1st on team)
.341 OBP
.416 SLG
19 E (most on team)
7 SB (6th on team)
81 SO (5th most on team)
45 BB (2nd most on team)
206 TB (2nd most on team)
Baldiris started his career in 2000 and has lifetime minor league stats of:
.299 AVG
283 RBI
33 HR
1957 AB
535 G
.371 OBP
.417 SLG
45 SB
295 SO
221 BB
Aarom in my eyes has potential as a average hitter and MAYBE a power hitter if he keeps improving his power numbers like he did last year. In 2006 I think his potential impact is what Marshall McDougall did last year. In his career I think he has a 50-50 shot at helping a team in the majors.
.275 AVG
63 RBI (2nd on team)
11 HR
495 AB (1st on team)
131 G (1st on team)
.341 OBP
.416 SLG
19 E (most on team)
7 SB (6th on team)
81 SO (5th most on team)
45 BB (2nd most on team)
206 TB (2nd most on team)
Baldiris started his career in 2000 and has lifetime minor league stats of:
.299 AVG
283 RBI
33 HR
1957 AB
535 G
.371 OBP
.417 SLG
45 SB
295 SO
221 BB
Aarom in my eyes has potential as a average hitter and MAYBE a power hitter if he keeps improving his power numbers like he did last year. In 2006 I think his potential impact is what Marshall McDougall did last year. In his career I think he has a 50-50 shot at helping a team in the majors.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Ballpark Rankings
I’ve seen games at 21 of the current major league ballparks. Below, I have listed my 10 favorite ballparks of the 21 current ballparks I have seen, ranked in order. I think that these 10 ballparks are very nicely done and that is why they are my top 10 ballparks.
1. Wrigley Field (Cubs) because everything about that ballpark is historic. The ivy on the outfield wall, the Wrigley Field sign outside of the stadium, and the scoreboard. No other ballpark could match up with this one.
2. Fenway Park (Red Sox) because of the Green Monster and everything historical. Also, Fisk’s pole and Pesky’s pole are so historical. It is cool being able to look around and see so much history. Not just the old history put being able to see players that could go into the hall of fame someday play there (like David Ortiz).
3. Petco Park (Padres) because the way they built the stadium is so nice and organized. The left outfield wall is very old-time looking. They have a section of seats in sand and they have a park out past the outfield. It doesn’t have anything going against it.
4. Kauffman Stadium (Royals) because the fountains in the outfield are so neat. It is a nice little addition to a ballpark with a cool scoreboard and a nice looking field.
5. Yankee Stadium (Yankees) because it has SO much history. It has the plaques in the outfield and even has a historic name (the house that Ruth built). It is so old and has so much meaning. The only two things I have against it are the team is a Rangers enemy (not that that was part of it being this low) and it isn’t attractive from the outside.
6. Great American Ballpark (Reds) because the smoke shooters are so cool, along with everything else. Nothing is boring, all it holds is excitement. When you see the special additions you get into the game (not that you’re not into the game). You can also see the river flowing back behind the stadium.
7. Citizen Bank Park (Phillies) because it had cool statues on every corner of the stadium. It had so much character to it. Also, the games for kids in Ashburn Alley are so cool and you earn prizes depending on how well you do.
8. Turner Field (Braves) because on the outside, there are statues and plaques for every retired number, pennants, and Braves Hall of Fame names. On the inside, you can see downtown Atlanta from your seats and it has a Braves Hall of Fame and Museum.
9. Camden Yards (Orioles) because it has plaques in the ground of the outfield concourse to represent the home runs hit onto Eutaw Street. It is a nice looking ballpark with a neat feel to it.
10. Ameriquest Field (Rangers) because it has a cool bell that rings after every home run and a home run porch that looks neat. Also, it is the park of my favorite team and I have a mini-plan to the Rangers every year, so I’m there a lot of the time.
1. Wrigley Field (Cubs) because everything about that ballpark is historic. The ivy on the outfield wall, the Wrigley Field sign outside of the stadium, and the scoreboard. No other ballpark could match up with this one.
2. Fenway Park (Red Sox) because of the Green Monster and everything historical. Also, Fisk’s pole and Pesky’s pole are so historical. It is cool being able to look around and see so much history. Not just the old history put being able to see players that could go into the hall of fame someday play there (like David Ortiz).
3. Petco Park (Padres) because the way they built the stadium is so nice and organized. The left outfield wall is very old-time looking. They have a section of seats in sand and they have a park out past the outfield. It doesn’t have anything going against it.
4. Kauffman Stadium (Royals) because the fountains in the outfield are so neat. It is a nice little addition to a ballpark with a cool scoreboard and a nice looking field.
5. Yankee Stadium (Yankees) because it has SO much history. It has the plaques in the outfield and even has a historic name (the house that Ruth built). It is so old and has so much meaning. The only two things I have against it are the team is a Rangers enemy (not that that was part of it being this low) and it isn’t attractive from the outside.
6. Great American Ballpark (Reds) because the smoke shooters are so cool, along with everything else. Nothing is boring, all it holds is excitement. When you see the special additions you get into the game (not that you’re not into the game). You can also see the river flowing back behind the stadium.
7. Citizen Bank Park (Phillies) because it had cool statues on every corner of the stadium. It had so much character to it. Also, the games for kids in Ashburn Alley are so cool and you earn prizes depending on how well you do.
8. Turner Field (Braves) because on the outside, there are statues and plaques for every retired number, pennants, and Braves Hall of Fame names. On the inside, you can see downtown Atlanta from your seats and it has a Braves Hall of Fame and Museum.
9. Camden Yards (Orioles) because it has plaques in the ground of the outfield concourse to represent the home runs hit onto Eutaw Street. It is a nice looking ballpark with a neat feel to it.
10. Ameriquest Field (Rangers) because it has a cool bell that rings after every home run and a home run porch that looks neat. Also, it is the park of my favorite team and I have a mini-plan to the Rangers every year, so I’m there a lot of the time.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Autograph Rankings
I really enjoy getting to meet the Rangers players and have had a lot of success as an autograph seeker. Some players are nicer about giving autographs than others. I have put together a ranking of the top 10 nicest Rangers about giving autographs, along with honorable mentions.
1. Rusty Greer – Rusty always made himself available to give autographs to the public. He never just signed without talking to you and he always seemed interested in you as a person. He always had a nice approach to giving autographs and even if he couldn’t at the time, he wouldn’t ignore you like some other players do. One time, I met him at a Halloween party at the Ballpark and he was so willing to give autographs when we asked him. Also, he spent a lot of time just talking to my Daddy and me and asked us questions about ourselves.
2. Jeff Zimmerman – Like Rusty Greer, Jeff made himself available to give autographs to the public by being at lots of autograph events and always talked to you as a person. He was always nice and was never grumpy and it seemed like he never woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
3. Francisco Cordero – The Rangers do not have many players who will just go sign autographs before a game on their own. He is one of the three people on my list who does this. He is not one of the people who enjoys talking to you but he will sign plenty of autographs. I have seen him many times just start signing on his own. A line would start piling up and he would just sign and sign until close to game time.
4. Ricardo Rodriguez – Like Francisco, he will go sign autographs before a game on his own without being asked. He does not sign autographs until close to game time but he does sign autographs after the rest of the players are already gone. He’s also not one of the ones who talks very much but he still signs plenty.
5. Justin Thompson – Last year, when Justin was a RoughRider, all you had to do to get an autograph was go up to him and he would ask you if you wanted an autograph. One time, I asked Justin if I could have his autograph after the game. We later overheard his wife telling him that they needed to hurry and leave right after the game. Justin still remembered that he promised me and took my card and signed it before leaving. He autographed for me so many times that I gave him a $5 gift card to Blockbuster. After that, he always remembered me as soon as he saw me and he would never go one time without saying thank you. Later in the year, I saw him in Oklahoma City after he got called up and he still remembered me when he saw me. Again, like Jeff and Rusty, he would always take time to talk to you and treat you as a real person.
6. John Rocker – John Rocker has a bad reputation but when I got to meet him before a game when he was in the bullpen one time, I got his autograph and he was so nice. I saw him before games more during the year and he was always very nice. He always took time to talk to me and ask me how I was doing. This is a good example that people with bad reputations can still be nice on the inside.
7. Chris Young – He will sign autographs without being asked but doesn’t do it as much as Francisco and Ricardo. He talks to you very nicely while he is signing.
8. Tom Evans – I sent Tom a get well card when he was hurt in 2000. I got a letter from him containing two autographed baseball cards as a thank you for my get well card.
9. Michael Young – If you call him over before the game, he will usually come over and sign for you. While he is signing, he’ll talk to you very nicely. He doesn’t act like he’s in a hurry. Also, he’s very good at going to Rangers autograph events.
10. Brian Shouse – Brian always makes himself available to sign autographs. He doesn’t go into the dugout and hide himself from the crowd, making it so he doesn’t have to sign. Last year, when I was in Kansas City for a Royals game against the Rangers, there was a rain delay. During the delay. Brian was out throwing with Ron Mahay. He stayed out in the rain to sign autographs for me and the rest of the Rangers fans.
Honorable Mention:
- Sandy Alomar Jr.
- David Dellucci
- Jim Sundberg
- Thomas Diamond
1. Rusty Greer – Rusty always made himself available to give autographs to the public. He never just signed without talking to you and he always seemed interested in you as a person. He always had a nice approach to giving autographs and even if he couldn’t at the time, he wouldn’t ignore you like some other players do. One time, I met him at a Halloween party at the Ballpark and he was so willing to give autographs when we asked him. Also, he spent a lot of time just talking to my Daddy and me and asked us questions about ourselves.
2. Jeff Zimmerman – Like Rusty Greer, Jeff made himself available to give autographs to the public by being at lots of autograph events and always talked to you as a person. He was always nice and was never grumpy and it seemed like he never woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
3. Francisco Cordero – The Rangers do not have many players who will just go sign autographs before a game on their own. He is one of the three people on my list who does this. He is not one of the people who enjoys talking to you but he will sign plenty of autographs. I have seen him many times just start signing on his own. A line would start piling up and he would just sign and sign until close to game time.
4. Ricardo Rodriguez – Like Francisco, he will go sign autographs before a game on his own without being asked. He does not sign autographs until close to game time but he does sign autographs after the rest of the players are already gone. He’s also not one of the ones who talks very much but he still signs plenty.
5. Justin Thompson – Last year, when Justin was a RoughRider, all you had to do to get an autograph was go up to him and he would ask you if you wanted an autograph. One time, I asked Justin if I could have his autograph after the game. We later overheard his wife telling him that they needed to hurry and leave right after the game. Justin still remembered that he promised me and took my card and signed it before leaving. He autographed for me so many times that I gave him a $5 gift card to Blockbuster. After that, he always remembered me as soon as he saw me and he would never go one time without saying thank you. Later in the year, I saw him in Oklahoma City after he got called up and he still remembered me when he saw me. Again, like Jeff and Rusty, he would always take time to talk to you and treat you as a real person.
6. John Rocker – John Rocker has a bad reputation but when I got to meet him before a game when he was in the bullpen one time, I got his autograph and he was so nice. I saw him before games more during the year and he was always very nice. He always took time to talk to me and ask me how I was doing. This is a good example that people with bad reputations can still be nice on the inside.
7. Chris Young – He will sign autographs without being asked but doesn’t do it as much as Francisco and Ricardo. He talks to you very nicely while he is signing.
8. Tom Evans – I sent Tom a get well card when he was hurt in 2000. I got a letter from him containing two autographed baseball cards as a thank you for my get well card.
9. Michael Young – If you call him over before the game, he will usually come over and sign for you. While he is signing, he’ll talk to you very nicely. He doesn’t act like he’s in a hurry. Also, he’s very good at going to Rangers autograph events.
10. Brian Shouse – Brian always makes himself available to sign autographs. He doesn’t go into the dugout and hide himself from the crowd, making it so he doesn’t have to sign. Last year, when I was in Kansas City for a Royals game against the Rangers, there was a rain delay. During the delay. Brian was out throwing with Ron Mahay. He stayed out in the rain to sign autographs for me and the rest of the Rangers fans.
Honorable Mention:
- Sandy Alomar Jr.
- David Dellucci
- Jim Sundberg
- Thomas Diamond
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Diaz and Anderson Sign
According to the Newberg Report, the Rangers have signed LHP Brian Anderson and RHP Jose Diaz to minor league contracts with invitations to Spring Training.
According to ESPN.com Brian Anderson has a 4.74 career ERA and has a career record of 82-83. Last year he had a 6.75 ERA with a 1-2 record. He only played 6 games because he got injured and had Tommy John surgery on July 21st. Anderson is unlikely to pitch until June and since he is signed to a 1 year deal he might not do much for the Rangers. He has played 14 years for 4 different Major League teams (Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, California Angels, and Arizona Diamondbacks). His best year ERA wise is 2003 when he had a 3.80 ERA for Cleveland and Kansas City. His best year record wise is 1999 when he had an 8-2 record for Arizona.
Jose Diaz had a 9.13 ERA with a 2-2 record and 22 strike-outs in 18 games for the Royals’ AA Montgomery Biscuits as a reliever. He had a 0.00 ERA with a 0-0 record and 19 strike-outs in 8 games for the Indians’ AA Akron Aeros. He also had a 3.89 ERA with a 1-2 record and 44 strike-outs in 20 games for the Indians’ AAA Buffalo Bisons. For his career he has a 3.71 ERA and a 21-21 record with 340 strike-outs in 303.1 innings pitched. He started his career by signing with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2001.
I think that Brian Anderson has a chance to play in the majors as a mid-season call-up if one of our pitchers is struggling. Jose Diaz I think will be a good addition to the RoughRiders or Redhawks for the season.
According to ESPN.com Brian Anderson has a 4.74 career ERA and has a career record of 82-83. Last year he had a 6.75 ERA with a 1-2 record. He only played 6 games because he got injured and had Tommy John surgery on July 21st. Anderson is unlikely to pitch until June and since he is signed to a 1 year deal he might not do much for the Rangers. He has played 14 years for 4 different Major League teams (Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, California Angels, and Arizona Diamondbacks). His best year ERA wise is 2003 when he had a 3.80 ERA for Cleveland and Kansas City. His best year record wise is 1999 when he had an 8-2 record for Arizona.
Jose Diaz had a 9.13 ERA with a 2-2 record and 22 strike-outs in 18 games for the Royals’ AA Montgomery Biscuits as a reliever. He had a 0.00 ERA with a 0-0 record and 19 strike-outs in 8 games for the Indians’ AA Akron Aeros. He also had a 3.89 ERA with a 1-2 record and 44 strike-outs in 20 games for the Indians’ AAA Buffalo Bisons. For his career he has a 3.71 ERA and a 21-21 record with 340 strike-outs in 303.1 innings pitched. He started his career by signing with the Dodgers as an undrafted free agent in 2001.
I think that Brian Anderson has a chance to play in the majors as a mid-season call-up if one of our pitchers is struggling. Jose Diaz I think will be a good addition to the RoughRiders or Redhawks for the season.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Comparing 2005 vs. 2006 Position Players
In my previous blog, I compared the starting pitchers from last season with the projected starting pitchers for 2006. In this blog, I will compare the 2005 starting lineup and bench with the 2006 projected starting lineup and bench.
Here is the 2005 starting lineup and bench, along with their stats and my grade of their performance (I'm sorry the formatting isn't better - I don't know how to do nice formatting on this website):
Starters:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
DH David Dellucci .251 29 65 .367 B-
SS Michael Young .331 24 91 .385 A+
1B Mark Texiera .301 43 144 .379 A+
3B Hank Blalock .263 25 92 .318 B
2B Alfonso Soriano .268 36 104 .309 A-
OF Kevin Mench .264 25 73 .328 B
OF Gary Matthews .255 17 55 .320 B-
OF Richard Hidalgo .221 16 43 .289 C-
C Rod Barajas .254 21 60 .306 B-
Bench:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
DH Phil Nevin .237 12 55 .287 D
SS Mark DeRosa .243 8 20 .325 B-
1B Adrian Gonzalez .227 6 17 .272 C-
3B Marshall McDougall .167 0 0 .167 D-
OF Laynce Nix .240 6 32 .267 C
C Sandy Alomar .273 0 14 .306 C+
Here is the projected 2006 starting lineup and bench, along with their 2005 stats and my grade of their performance:
Projected Starters:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
DH David Dellucci .251 29 65 .367 B-
SS Michael Young .331 24 91 .385 A+
1B Mark Texiera .301 43 144 .379 A+
3B Hank Blalock .263 25 92 .318 B
2B Ian Kinsler* .274 23 94 .348 B+
OF Brad Wilkerson .248 11 57 .351 A-
OF Kevin Mench .264 25 73 .328 B
OF Gary Matthews .255 17 55 .320 B-
C Rod Barajas .254 21 60 .306 B-
* Ian Kinsler stats are from AAA
Projected Bench:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
OF Adam Hyzdu .194 0 4 .286 C+
SS Mark DeRosa .243 8 20 .325 B-
C Gerald Laird .225 1 4 .262 C+
DH Phil Nevin .237 12 55 .287 D
Overall, I think the Rangers have stayed at the same level of hitting but have improved on defense. If you put this with their improved pitching, they are a better team overall.
Here is the 2005 starting lineup and bench, along with their stats and my grade of their performance (I'm sorry the formatting isn't better - I don't know how to do nice formatting on this website):
Starters:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
DH David Dellucci .251 29 65 .367 B-
SS Michael Young .331 24 91 .385 A+
1B Mark Texiera .301 43 144 .379 A+
3B Hank Blalock .263 25 92 .318 B
2B Alfonso Soriano .268 36 104 .309 A-
OF Kevin Mench .264 25 73 .328 B
OF Gary Matthews .255 17 55 .320 B-
OF Richard Hidalgo .221 16 43 .289 C-
C Rod Barajas .254 21 60 .306 B-
Bench:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
DH Phil Nevin .237 12 55 .287 D
SS Mark DeRosa .243 8 20 .325 B-
1B Adrian Gonzalez .227 6 17 .272 C-
3B Marshall McDougall .167 0 0 .167 D-
OF Laynce Nix .240 6 32 .267 C
C Sandy Alomar .273 0 14 .306 C+
Here is the projected 2006 starting lineup and bench, along with their 2005 stats and my grade of their performance:
Projected Starters:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
DH David Dellucci .251 29 65 .367 B-
SS Michael Young .331 24 91 .385 A+
1B Mark Texiera .301 43 144 .379 A+
3B Hank Blalock .263 25 92 .318 B
2B Ian Kinsler* .274 23 94 .348 B+
OF Brad Wilkerson .248 11 57 .351 A-
OF Kevin Mench .264 25 73 .328 B
OF Gary Matthews .255 17 55 .320 B-
C Rod Barajas .254 21 60 .306 B-
* Ian Kinsler stats are from AAA
Projected Bench:
Position/Player/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/My Grade
OF Adam Hyzdu .194 0 4 .286 C+
SS Mark DeRosa .243 8 20 .325 B-
C Gerald Laird .225 1 4 .262 C+
DH Phil Nevin .237 12 55 .287 D
Overall, I think the Rangers have stayed at the same level of hitting but have improved on defense. If you put this with their improved pitching, they are a better team overall.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Millwood Signs
The Rangers signed Kevin Millwood on 12/29/05. I can’t believe he actually signed here. We have a major hitting park with a team that was so-so last year. Of course we had to pay him $60 million over 5 years. Here are Millwood’s 2005 stats:
ERA 2.86 1st in AL
W-L 9-11 T 43rd in AL
S 0
SO 146 T 13th in AL
He is much better than last year’s Rogers with these stats:
ERA 3.46 7th in AL
W-L 14-8 T 13th in AL
S 0
SO 87 T 54th in AL
Our 2006 starting pitchers’ ERA’s in 2005 were:
Millwood 2.86
Eaton 4.27
Padilla 4.71
Loe 3.42
Dominguez 4.22
Compared to last year’s:
Rogers 3.46
Young 4.26
Rodriguez 5.53
Dickey 6.67
Dominguez 4.22
One of the best pitchers in the AL now has on a Ranger uniform.
ERA 2.86 1st in AL
W-L 9-11 T 43rd in AL
S 0
SO 146 T 13th in AL
He is much better than last year’s Rogers with these stats:
ERA 3.46 7th in AL
W-L 14-8 T 13th in AL
S 0
SO 87 T 54th in AL
Our 2006 starting pitchers’ ERA’s in 2005 were:
Millwood 2.86
Eaton 4.27
Padilla 4.71
Loe 3.42
Dominguez 4.22
Compared to last year’s:
Rogers 3.46
Young 4.26
Rodriguez 5.53
Dickey 6.67
Dominguez 4.22
One of the best pitchers in the AL now has on a Ranger uniform.
Rangers Trades
Hi my name is Grant. I love baseball and the Rangers and I made this website to inform you on the Rangers trades during the 2005-2006 off-season.
Trade 1: Rangers trade a player to be named later to the Cubs for RHP Jon Liecester.
I can’t give my opinion now because I don’t know who they're trading.
Trade 2: Rangers trade 2B Alfonso Soriano to the Nationals for OF Brad Wilkerson, OF Terrmel Sledge, and RHP Armando Galarraga. At the time I thought it was a bad trade, but with the signing of 2B D’ Angelo Jimenez I think it is O.K.
Brad Wilkerson is very steady. He hit about .250 in 2005 and 2004. He is known to be great defensively. He is also known to be a good leadoff-hitter because he had 84 walks, and a .351 OBP.
Sledge we just traded (more on that later).
Galarraga had a 5.19 ERA in 2005 in double-A.
Soriano was a great 2B but since we have Jimenez and Kinsler we still have a decent 2B position.
Over all I think this trade was better for the Rangers.
Trade 3: Rangers trade INF Esteban German to the Royals for LHP Fabio Castro.
I’ll have to wait until these players prove themselves to give my opinion on this trade.
Trade 4: Rangers trade RHP Ricardo Rodriguez to the Phillies for RHP Vincente Padilla.
I think this trade went our way. The reason being is early in the season when Padilla was hurt he did bad, but once his injury was over he did good even in the Phillies major hitting park.
Ricardo Rodriguez is a very inconsistent pitcher.
Trade 5: Rangers trade RHP Chris Young, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, and OF Terrmel Sledge to the Padres for RHP Adam Eaton, RHP Akinori Otsuka, and minor league C Billy Killian. I don’t understand this trade, myself. Here are the comparing stats of Chris Young and Adam Eaton in 2005.
Eaton:
ERA 4.27
W-L 11-5
S 0
SO 100
Young:
ERA 4.26
W-L 12-7
S 0
SO 137
The thing is, even with the stats being pretty close, Chris Young plays in a major hitting park and Adam Eaton plays in a major pitching park. Also, Chris Young has a lot of years on his contract and Eaton only has 1.
Otsuka can be good and can be bad in 2005. The reason being he had a fine ERA but still lost 8 games.
ERA 3.59
W-L 2-8
S 1
SO 60
Same with Sledge in 2005.
AVG .243
HR 1
RBI 8
SB 2
Now, about Gonzalez. He is a huge prospect that was supposed to attract a decent player. Instead he is put in a pretty bad trade from my perspective.
Billy Killian was 7 for 37 with no HR’s and 4 RBI’s for the single-A Eugene Emeralds in 2005.
Trade 1: Rangers trade a player to be named later to the Cubs for RHP Jon Liecester.
I can’t give my opinion now because I don’t know who they're trading.
Trade 2: Rangers trade 2B Alfonso Soriano to the Nationals for OF Brad Wilkerson, OF Terrmel Sledge, and RHP Armando Galarraga. At the time I thought it was a bad trade, but with the signing of 2B D’ Angelo Jimenez I think it is O.K.
Brad Wilkerson is very steady. He hit about .250 in 2005 and 2004. He is known to be great defensively. He is also known to be a good leadoff-hitter because he had 84 walks, and a .351 OBP.
Sledge we just traded (more on that later).
Galarraga had a 5.19 ERA in 2005 in double-A.
Soriano was a great 2B but since we have Jimenez and Kinsler we still have a decent 2B position.
Over all I think this trade was better for the Rangers.
Trade 3: Rangers trade INF Esteban German to the Royals for LHP Fabio Castro.
I’ll have to wait until these players prove themselves to give my opinion on this trade.
Trade 4: Rangers trade RHP Ricardo Rodriguez to the Phillies for RHP Vincente Padilla.
I think this trade went our way. The reason being is early in the season when Padilla was hurt he did bad, but once his injury was over he did good even in the Phillies major hitting park.
Ricardo Rodriguez is a very inconsistent pitcher.
Trade 5: Rangers trade RHP Chris Young, 1B Adrian Gonzalez, and OF Terrmel Sledge to the Padres for RHP Adam Eaton, RHP Akinori Otsuka, and minor league C Billy Killian. I don’t understand this trade, myself. Here are the comparing stats of Chris Young and Adam Eaton in 2005.
Eaton:
ERA 4.27
W-L 11-5
S 0
SO 100
Young:
ERA 4.26
W-L 12-7
S 0
SO 137
The thing is, even with the stats being pretty close, Chris Young plays in a major hitting park and Adam Eaton plays in a major pitching park. Also, Chris Young has a lot of years on his contract and Eaton only has 1.
Otsuka can be good and can be bad in 2005. The reason being he had a fine ERA but still lost 8 games.
ERA 3.59
W-L 2-8
S 1
SO 60
Same with Sledge in 2005.
AVG .243
HR 1
RBI 8
SB 2
Now, about Gonzalez. He is a huge prospect that was supposed to attract a decent player. Instead he is put in a pretty bad trade from my perspective.
Billy Killian was 7 for 37 with no HR’s and 4 RBI’s for the single-A Eugene Emeralds in 2005.
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