Chris Davis Ks Game

The Dallas Morning News Rangers Blog has the Cowlishaw Game, Inside Corner on D Magazine has the Home Run Pool so we are going with the Chris Davis Ks Game.

Davis is on pace to set a major league record in strikeouts this year and here are the numbers:

Major League Record: 204 by Mark Reynolds-2008
American League Record: 197 by Jack Cust-2008
Chris Davis Currently: 90
On pace: 240

Tonight he faces Randy Wolf who is allowing lefties to hit .088 against him.

How many strikeouts will Davis have tonight?

I say 2!

Texas Rangers: Do you believe?

After posting back-2-back shutouts at home for the first time since '81, do you believe in the 2009 Rangers?

Before you make up you mind here are things to chew on:

The Good:
Home Runs: Despite not hitting a home run in 4 straight home games, the Rangers are still 2nd in the A.L. and Nelson Cruz is a big reason for that.
Kevin Millwood: His 2.72 E.R.A. is in the top 10 of the league and he is also in the top 5 in innings pitched. He is pitching like the ace he is suppose to be.

The Bad:
Pitching: May was a good month for the pitching staff, but overall Texas is still 9th in the league in E.R.A.
Hitting: Rangers are 7th in runs and 8th in team batting average, but are 4th in OPS. How is Texas 1st in the West when they are 7th in runs and 9th in E.R.A.?

The Ugly:
Chris Davis: He is on pace to shatter the strikeout record and his average is sitting at .207.
Josh Hamilton's & Brandon McCarthy's injuries: When he has played he has struggled, but opposing pitchers still fear him and that makes him dangerous in the lineup. The problem is he has not been in the lineup and won't be until the All Star break. McCarthy I can even begin to talk about again.

So there it is, now what do you think? If the Rangers can get Hamilton, McCarthy, and Francisco back healthy than they are almost a lock to be in the race in September. But Rangers fans want a Red October and according to the poll on this website.....6 of 7 think that the Rangers will win at least 85 games which puts them in the playoff hunt.

ESPN tells amazing Brett Gardner story

Jeremy Schaap from ESPN told a very heartwarming this morning on Sportscenter. It involves New York Yankees OF, Brett Gardner, and a promise to a sick girl in a hospital to hit a home run.

This is from the NY Daily News on June 12, 2009:

They're a pair of lucky charms.

Yankee center fielder Brett Gardner was reunited Friday with the ailing teenager who gave him a bracelet for good luck a few hours before he made history by hitting the first inside the park homer at the new Yankee Stadium.

What Gardner did not know then was that he brought 18-year-old Alyssa Esposito a whole lot of luck too - that same night she got the heart transplant she desperately needed.

"It's cool how it happened, that it happened on the same day," said a smiling Esposito as she donned Gardner's jersey at New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

The happy chain of events began May 15 when Gardner brought Babe Ruth's granddaughter, Linda Ruth Tosetti, to the hospital to read baseball books to sick kids.

Esposito, whose heart was ravaged by inflammation, had been waiting for a donor heart at the hospital since January. From her window on the ninth floor, she could see the lights of Yankee Stadium twinkling in the distance.

So when Esposito heard a real Yankee was coming to visit, she joined the excited kids in the reading room. And it was then that she gave Gardner a bracelet from Project Sunshine - the group that sponsored the visit.

"This will make you hit a home run," said Esposito, who is from Long Island.
Gardner, who is better known for his speed than his slugging, had doubts about the power of the bracelet but kept them to himself.

"I thought to myself, 'Yeah, right. I don't hit home runs'," he admitted.

Then that night, Gardner made history - and he remembered the bracelet and what the girl in the wheelchair had promised.

"A lot of things have to go right for an inside-the-park home run to happen," he said.

A lot of things also went right for Esposito after the heart transplant operation.

The next morning, Esposito was taken off the ventilator and two weeks later she was sent home. While she still breathes through a mask because her immune system is weak, doctors believe she will be able to lead a normal life.

To improve her chances, Esposito has her parents wearing the same kind of Project Sunshine bracelet she gave Gardner.

Esposito's mom, Laura, said she doesn't put much stock in lucky bracelets. She's wearing hers for a different reason.

"It's a reminder of a really good story, the story of Brett and Alyssa," she said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/06/12/2009-06-12_yankee_outfielder_brett_gardner_reunited_with_15yearold_.html#ixzz0IJpgPNM0&C

Hopefully you will see the Jeremy Schaap story on Sportscenter because it tells more in the video than this article ever could.

One more amazing note from this story: Gardner wasn't even starting that night, Johnny Damon was. Damon was ejected in the 3rd inning which gave Gardner the opportunity to hit the home run in the 7th.

Simply Amazing!

Ian Kinsler struggles in lead-off role

Kinsler is 2-17 in his last 5 games and he seems to be constantly getting under the ball to pop out. He seemed to clearly be more frustrated with himself as the night went on last night as he went 0-4 with 2 Ks. Maybe Rudy needs to talk to him about tweaking his swing, going opposite field more, or being more patient at the plate. Lewin and Grieve talked last night on the broadcast about how he is swinging at the first pitch more often lately but his average his .447 with a 0-0 count so why mess with that? I think the question here is: should Ian he be hitting lead-off?

***His avearage leading off an inning is .202, but his average with runners on his .392.***

At this point, the Rangers should see if Elvis could handle the lead-off spot as his bat fits the role more than Ian's power swing does. Andrus is hitting .250 leading off an inning and I think it would be a great confidence boost to his psyche to hit lead-off. How excited can you be to hit in the #9 slot every night. This is a very confident young man so lets feed it by hitting him leadoff.

That is my opinion, what do you think? Do you have someone else in mind to hit in the #1 hole?

Pods hits game-winning single!

Scott goes 2-5 and knocked in the winning run as the White Sox beat the Tigers, 4-3. Podsednik, a West native, came to bat in the 9th inning with bases loaded, 0-2 count, and 0 outs and sneaked a single through the right side of the infield to score the winning run. With that hit, Scott raised his average to .299 and knocked in his 11th RBI.

Are you interested in Jason Marquis or Huston Street?

Rumors started swirling Wednesday about the Rockies looking to trade SP Jason Marquis, RP Huston Street (former UT closer), and OF Brad Hawpe. The Rangers have plenty of outfielders so they would not be in the market for Hawpe, but it is no secret that the Rangers are looking for at least another bullpen guy or another solid starter. Texas has already picked up a former Rockies player this week, Jason Grilli, who pitched a scoreless inning on Tuesday night.

Stats on the players:
Huston Street--1-1, 2.84 E.R.A., 27 games, 25.1 IP, 11 saves, 1 blown save, 28Ks

Jason Marquis--8-4, 3.98 E.R.A., 12 Starts, 1 Complete Game, 81.1 IP, 1.34 WHIP

Thoughts:
Many people would welcome Street back home to Texas and if the Rangers were to trade for him he would immediately become the set-up man and emergency closer in the bullpen. Marquis is the intriguing guy here: If he was to come to Texas (for much cheaper than Cliff Lee or Eric Bedard) than he would instantly be our No.2 pitcher in the rotation. He is a free agent after this year so if he doesn't workout here than he can search for another team after the season. With Padilla being very combustible, I believe the front office would want to get another veteran on this staff for the playoff run and Marquis would be a solid starter that wouldn't cost Texas their top prospects.

What do you think? Who would you want out of these two guys: Street or Marquis? Do you want someone else that has not been mentioned yet?

Let your voice be heard!

Rangers Notes: El Duque is Signed

Old man El Duque Hernandez who last pitched in the majors with the Mets in 2007 signed a minor league deal with the Rangers today. That year he went 9-5 with a 3.72 E.R.A. in 147.2 innings but has struggled ever since with injuries. Don't expect much from a guy that is either 39 or 43 years old. He will start in AAA Oklahoma City and if he somehow makes it to Arlington, I fully expect him to be as valuable as Kris Benson has been. That is the same Benson who has an E.R.A. well over 8.00 for the season. What do you expect from El Duque?

Other Notes:
Blake Beavan, 2007 1st round pick, has been promoted to AA Frisco. I usually don't start paying attention to prospects until they get to AA, so now is the time to watch Mr. Beavan.

Hopefully the rain will hold off so we can see some baseball.

Former Ranger David Dellucci signs with Toronto

David Dellucci a.k.a. "The Godfather" was a fan favorite in Arlington and has been in Cleveland since 2007 but was cut on May 29. The Blue Jays are planning to use him as their 4th outfielder. This year he was hitting .275 in only 14 games for Cleveland.

Other Notes:

I made the trip to the Ranger game tonight only to wait out a 2 hour delay to be told the game was postponed. I now know what is worse than a Ranger loss: the Rangers not playing at all! The trip home was only made better by the fact that the Angels lost to the Rays tonight. Now the wife and I will have to work out our schedules and mail in tonight's tickets in order to see another game down the road.

Other Relevant News:

Kris Benson accepted his assignment to AAA Oklahoma City hoping that he can prove that he deserves a spot in the rotation. My 2 cents: He is not worth a minor league spot in the rotation at this point.

Rangers drafted a familiar name in the 6th round today: Ruben Sierra Jr.
He is very athletic but has only raw talent at this point. Nobody knows if he will be as good as his father, but Rangers fans can only hope.

Any predictions for tomorrow's game with Millwood starting?

Rangers acquire Jason Grilli off waivers

Texas grabbed right-handed reliever off waivers from the Colorado Rockies. In return the Rockies received cash considerations. Grilli split last season between the Tigers and the Rockies and had a good season with a 3.00 E.R.A. in 75 innings.

Bio:
Height: 6'4
Weight: 185
College: Seton Hall University
Drafted: 1st Round (4th pick) San Francisco Giants

2009 Stats: 0-1, 6.05 E.R.A., 19.1 IP, 22Ks

At one time he was the setup man for the Rockies but has struggled over the last month and a half. But to be fair, the entire Rockies team has struggled this year. The Rangers are hoping that a change of scenery is good for Grilli and that he will workout like O'Day has and not like Benson. Richard Durrett from the Dallas Morning News says "This is a no risk move for the Rangers......I am for it".

What do you think about the move? How do you feel about the two losses in a row? Are the Rangers fading?

I will be at the game on Wednesday with my lovely wife and I look forward to seeing Millwood take the hill and the bats come alive!

What to make of Brandon McCarthy?

"Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me!"
~Stuart Smalley

When I reflect on McCarthy, for some reason the SNL skit with Al Franken a.k.a. Stuart Smalley and Michael Jordan comes to mind. Obviously, Jordan needed a confident boost in the skit and Stuart was there to help. Maybe Brandon needs Stuart to cheer him up at this point in his baseball career.

***Let's jump into the time machine back to post-2006 season***

What was the front office thinking when they traded John Danks and Nick Masset to the White Sox for Brandon McCarthy?

This was the question I was trying to answer today when reflecting on McCarthy's Ranger career. If you look at his White Sox numbers you began to understand why the Rangers had a love interest in this guy. But you have to wonder if they (front office) ever looked at his frame and wondered if he was fragile. Even with the "extra weight" back in the future (2009), McCarthy looks like a flag should be at the top of his head.

Here is a look at his White Sox numbers:
2005: 3-2, 4.03 E.R.A., 10 starts, 67 IP, 1.179 WHIP, 6.4 K/9
2006: 4-7, 4.68 E.R.A., 2 starts, 84.2 IP, 1.299 WHIP, 7.3 K/9
Total: 7-9, 4.39 E.R.A., 12 starts, 151.2 IP, 1.246 WHIP, 6.9 K/9

These numbers are respectable to say the least, especially his WHIP both years. His E.R.A. is comparable to Padilla's career E.R.A. (4.36) and Padilla hasn't had an earned run average that low since 2003 before his time with the Rangers. Now let's hop back into the time machine and go back to '09.

***Present Day***
How did he get another shoulder injury? Did he sleep akwardly one night a couple of weeks ago? Did he bump a door frame? These are the questions that plague frustrated Rangers fans.

Here are McCarthy's Rangers stats:
2007: 5-10, 4.87 E.R.A., 22 starts, 101.2 IP, 1.564 WHIP, 5.2 K/9
2008: 1-1, 4.09 E.R.A., 5 starts, 22 IP, 1.273 WHIP, 4.1 K/9
2009: 5-2, 4.92 E.R.A., 11 starts, 64 IP, 1.438 WHIP, 6.2 K/9
Total: 11-13, 4.80 E.R.A., 38 starts, 187.2 IP, 1.487 WHIP, 5.4 K/9

Across the board his numbers are worse in Texas than in Chicago. In Chicago he had 7 victories in 12 starts while in Texas he has 11 wins in 38 starts. How does someone explain this annomoly? Does Chicago have a better pitching program? Does he just have bad luck in Texas?

What does Texas do with McCarthy from here? How can you feel confident that he will ever give you 200 innings in a single season? He is only 25 years old, but don't you have to look at his history and throw your hands up?

The Rangers will probably have another month of shaking their head wondering where it went wrong with Brandon.

What are your feelings on Brandon McCarthy?

"Rangers here to stay"--Jon Paul Morosi

Morosi from Fox Sports wrote a good article concerning the first-place Rangers and how they are no fluke. Take a few minutes and read the article.

West Spotlight: Scott hits first home run!

The White Sox played a doubleheader today and Scott was the leadoff man for both games. He went 2-4 with a run and a walk in the first game and was 1-4 with his 1st homer of the season in the second game. The Tigers beat the Sox in game 1, 5-4 but the Sox won the nightcap 6-1. After Podsednik's 3-8 day his average has climbed to .304 and he now has 10 RBIs on the season. Scott now leads the team in batting average and is 2nd on the team in SBs with 7. Probably the most impressive stat is he has only struckout 12 times in 135 ABs.

Keep it going Scott, all of West is watching!

Michael Young back to 2005 form

The off-season was tumultuous for Young as the Rangers decided to go with a 20 year old kid to play SS and he asked to be traded. Many Rangers fans were torn over their allegiance with the team or Michael. Fans hate to be in a situation where they have to choose and Michael put them in that situation. Michael has always preached that the team came first and I understood his frustrations with the move to a certain extent, but you can't preach "team" and then demand a trade when things don't go your way. That all seems to be a lifetime ago now that the Rangers are in 1st place and Michael is once again aiming at 200 hits.

Last season was difficult for Michael as he won the Gold Glove for the first time, but struggled at the plate and fail short of 200 hits for the first time since 2002. He struggled with a couple of broken fingers and other lingering injuries, but still managed to tough it out and play 155 games. But fans were not use to seeing Michael hit under .300 and neither was he.

This year he has been healthy and from an offensive standpoint has been hitting great (except for his .133 w/RISP) and his defense has been solid at 3rd base. We are seeing the Young that Rangers fan grew to love over the last 9 years with solid defense, hitting for average, and showing some power. At his current pace, he is looking at hitting 20 HRs for the first time since '05, but his RBIs dipping to 20 below his average (an obvious sign of his poor RISP avg.). Overall you can't complain about a player hitting .336 and when I see him on a daily basis he looks like 2005 Michael Young, which good for everyone involved with the red, white, and blue.

Year-by-Year Stats over the last 5 years:
2005: .331-24-91
2006: .314-14-103
2007: .315-9-94
2008: .284-12-82
2009: .336-8-22

Rangers finish road trip even at 3-3

Texas bounces back from a tough loss yesterday to pound out 12 hits and beat Boston 6-3 today. The story coming into the game was Vincente Padilla (4-3) and how he would respond to being put on waivers. He looked focused the whole game despite 4 walks his line looked good: 7 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, and 4 Ks. Anytime your starter can go out and pitch 7 strong innings and give up a couple of runs against one of the best teams, you will take it.

Other notes:
Nelson Cruz was a single away from the cycle and he hit his 17th homer of the season.

C.J. Wilson pitched the ninth to get his 5th save of the season because Frankie has been held out of action the last couple of games. For now, Francisco is not going on the DL.

David Murphy had a 3-hit game to raise his average for the season to .250.

Evan Grant of D Magazine, wrote a blog on Matt Harrison coming back from the DL which would result in Holland going back to the bullpen. That is nothing new, but he does have some good quotes from Kris Benson on his feelings about being in the starting rotation. All I have to say is give me a break.

Future Rangers: Update

Brandon Boggs and Doug Mathis played in yesterday's loss to the Red Sox and it was the first appearance for both of them this year. It got me thinking about other future Rangers and how has their season gone so far this year.

Here is a quick look at some of the top prospects:

Julio Borbon, OF, AAA Oklahoma: .291 AVG, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 15 SB
Borbon was mentioned in a post the other day in a quote from Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal thinks that if an outfielder is traded from the big league team, Borbon would be the guy that gets the call up. So far this season, Boggs and Golson have got call ups so it looks like we might have to wait awhile to see Julio in the big leagues on a regular basis. He is a top of the order kind of guy that plays CF with good speed. After the trade deadline he could be on the big league squad.

Greg Golson, OF, AAA Oklahoma: .278 AVG, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 6 SB
Golson already has an AB in the big leagues this year, but his numbers aren't near as impressive as Borbon's. He is similar to Borbon in that he plays CF and has some speed and very athletic. He is not near as patient at the plate as Borbon (twice as many Ks) and has never lived up to his hype. This is the reason the Rangers have him in their system after they traded John Mayberry Jr. to the Phillies for Golson.

Neftali Feliz, SP, AAA Oklahoma: 10 starts, 3-3, 3.45 E.R.A., 44.1 IP, 42 Ks
He is the Rangers #1 prospect who hits 100mph on the gun with ease. He pitched 6 shutout innings last time out but this season hasn't been easy for Feliz. He has had trouble with too many walks and he hasn't thrown more than 6 innings in a game this season. If all goes well he could be with the big league team around August in the bullpen like Holland.