Rangers Spotlight: Adios Hank!

So I am still surprised that it is 2009 and there are still Hank Blalock fans out there among us. They could be the person sitting next to you in the movie theater, in the line at the drugstore, or your spotter at the gym. Yes, that's right these misguided Rangers fans are blinded by their feelings and emotions to see one of the worst players in MLB taking up payroll on a good team.

Good news for the logical fans: Hank is gone and is not coming back. He was on the books this past season for 6 million making him one of the highest paid players on the team....yikes! Okay, before the emotional Hank homies come running after me with pitchforks, here are Hank's stats:

Year-batting average--on base %, home runs, RBIs
2003-.300-.350-29-90
2004-.276-.355-32-110
2005-.263-.318-25-92
2006-.266-.325-16-89
2007-.293-.359-10-33--only 58 games played
2008-.287-.338-12-38--only 65 games played
2009-.234-.277-25-66

He came into the league as a guy that could hit for an incredible average to all parts of the field and had some power, but he leaves Texas as an one-dimensional player (power) that is not that good. It starts in '05 where his on-base % drops to .318 and this year his .277 was the second worst in MLB! If you don't believe me, check out Jamey Newberg's post on one of the most highly touted players to come through the Rangers farm system only to leave as a fragment of old self. This is a great article and must read for Blalock fans, but be warned...the veil will be removed from your eyes. Pandora's box will be open and you will thank your lucky stars that he is gone and Justin Smoak will be in the big leagues next year.

Let's hope that he does not turn out like Blalock...

Scotty Pods to test free agency...

After finding a resurgence with the White Sox again, Scott Podsednik is going to test the free agent waters. There is a good article on Chicago White Sox's MLB page. This is what Scott says about the offseason:

"No, we are going to wait it out and see what happens," Podsednik said concerning his foray into free agency. "If they want to try to bring me back, then we will entertain that idea and go from there. But this is all kind of a new process to me. I'm going to seek counsel from my representation and do what we feel is best."

He is coming off one of his best seasons: .304 average, 7 home runs, 48 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases, but the most important aspect is that he did not miss any extended time with an injury, which has been his problem the last several seasons.

Scott has this to say about his history with injuries:

"I've put in hard work to counter things I was having problems with in the past," Podsednik said. "I haven't felt any muscle strains, aches, pulls, anything close to some of the stuff in the past. I feel I have a good working program and can keep my body healthy for a full season."

Most teams probably see Scott as a fourth outfielder at best, so he needs to be patient and find an opportunity that provides the most playing time for him. At 33, he is not through with his playing career and this year showed he can be a vital part of any team as a LF/CF and a leadoff hitter.