Texas Rangers 2018

[regaleagle]

Not sure whether this year's team is worth following all season.......at the present time they are the AL West Cellar Dweller. The Rangers are 12.5 games behind the division-leading Astros, but more importantly a full 7 games back of the 4th place Athletics. With a won/loss record of 19-31 so far.....that's only a .380 winning percentage. It's still early in the season, but not really......50 games have already been played.....not quite 1/3 of the regular season. I've watched some games on TV this season and ended up watching something else.......just nothing there to grab my interest. I do enjoy watching the Astros play......they are a very good ball club and have a team chemistry that's exciting and will hold my interest. From what I have seen this season of the Rangers......looks like they cannot close out games when they have the lead......and strand runners in scoring position way too often at this level. They've got a long way to go to mesh into a winning team this season IMHO. As a longtime Rangers fan and living in the DFW area for most of my adult life......looks like I will be watching and pulling for the Astros again this season. I'm an Astros fan too, but for many years it was easy to pull for both because the teams were in different leagues......now they are in the same division of the same league. I'd be surprised if the Rangers are even in contention for a wildcard spot by season's end.....I just don't see very many positives about this team. But to be honest......I really haven't been following them much the past few seasons. I just don't like their chemistry and personnel......except for Adrian Beltre.....he's just an amazing baseball player. He's 39 now and will be ending his career shortly. Perhaps this is his last season......but what a career he has had, Huh!! All through the years the Rangers were never able to win it all......even with all of those great teams. Now they are definitely a longshot......too bad for Beltre........he deserved a ring.

[coach]

If something doesn't change in a hurry then the Rangers will be bad for 10 years. There is no direction. The coaching staff is awful compared to what it was 5 years ago. We have one of the worst pitching coaches in all of baseball. We are glorifying at player that will never hit above .215 in Joey Gallo. He is on the fast track to the most over rated player in Texas Rangers history. Our only hope is we rebuild for the next 3 years and are able to sign some good free agents with the selling point being a new stadium wih AC.


This is the least amount of games I have watched since 1995. I ave yet to watch a full game. Like regaleagle stated, there is nothing to grab my attention. At least in the early to mid 2000s they were fun to watch. This team is absolutely boring to watch. JD needs to go. He has single handedly drove this organization into the ground.

[slingshot]

...JD needs to go. He has single handedly drove this organization into the ground.Ditto.

[orange machine]

The Rangers organization knew going into this year that they wouldnt be very good so for anybody to be surprised is a shock. The Rangers are building for the future and the plan is to be contenders when the new stadium opens up. The Rangers are one of the youngest teams with really good talent and will unload the older veterans and bring in some young talent. Its gonna take some time but in two years the Rangers will be back.

[Txbroadcaster]

The Rangers organization knew going into this year that they wouldnt be very good so for anybody to be surprised is a shock. The Rangers are building for the future and the plan is to be contenders when the new stadium opens up. The Rangers are one of the youngest teams with really good talent and will unload the older veterans and bring in some young talent. Its gonna take some time but in two years the Rangers will be back.

Yep...tearing it down to be exciting by 2020 and compete by 2021. Amazing how people STILL want to run down JD. Like he said..when you have a 10 year run that the Rangers had at some point the system will get thin. Unless you are the Yanks or Red Sox, that means you go thru cycles. This is a down one for Texas.

[lostaussie]

Yep.......we BAD!!! They may not win 65 games.

[waterboy]

Yep. It took them 51 games to break the 20 win barrier. I'll have to admit, though, you sometimes see flashes of what could be a contender. The Rangers just don't have the pitching, nor the consistent hitters they've had in the past. The team batting average has to go up about 30 to 40 points, and the pitching has to be better for them to be consistently good. No doubt they are loaded with some power hitters, they just have to more consistent at the plate. Lots of injuries haven't helped.

[lostaussie]

They don't have one single pitcher, that starts the game, that I think.......hey, we have a chance tonight.

[waterboy]

They don't have one single pitcher, that starts the game, that I think.......hey, we have a chance tonight.

Certainly not one that you think is a sure win. It used to be where you actually knew a pitcher was going to keep you in a game. Now it's hit and miss with the pitchers, and the offense can be hard to come by.

[Saggy Aggie]

I’m enjoying this thread

[Twirling Time]

The Rangers mortgaged the future by making several deadline deals to be contenders since the last World Series appearance. They gave up the farm to get Cole Hamels and Jonathan Lucroy, among several others.

But I won't fault Jon Daniels for it. Flags fly forever, just like with the Mavs, who went for it and got to skate the Larry (they've sucked ever since, but hey, they got that ring.). The Rangers went for it themselves and unfortunately came up short. Now it's time to tear down and start over. I'd start by offering to pay anyone to get Choo off the books.

[waterboy]

The coaching staff needs some new blood, in my opinion, and I would start with the hitting coach and the pitching coach.

[Twirling Time]

This team proves you can't win a pennant in April, but you sure as hell can lose one. Their bullpen is an absolute joke. They might be close to a .500 team and in marginal wild card contention with a better relief corps. I'll grant you it doesn't help when Fake Dirk can't finish the fifth.

[cougartino]

I moved to Dallas in 2015. I've caught the Stros when they visited. I love the all you can eat porch in right field. I'm not a Rangers fan but I pull for Banny. He's a La Marque grad.

[regaleagle]

The Rangers won again tonite against the Padres 7-4 at home. They have been on the winning side of the record for the last 15 games, but are still the Cellar Dwellers of the American League West. To put it in perspective......The Rangers would have to win 20 of the next 30 games on their schedule just to get to .500......that's how bad they started this season. To win 66% of 30 games in a stretch is asking alot out of any team in MLB. The Rangers will be lucky to finish this season at 5 games over .500 IMHO. They are just about halfway thru their season right now and are 10 games behind .500 ball.

[waterboy]

The Rangers are playing a lot better as of late. It could be that the schedule is quite a bit weaker, but they are playing better, nonetheless. Winning 7 in a row, 8 of 9 games, is much better than at any other stretch this season. The problem is they have a monumental hole to dig out of just to have a respectable chance at the postseason. In my best guestimation, they will have to win at least 55 to 60 of the remaining 84 games to have any chance at getting into the playoffs. The real test will be when they start playing the real contenders. Will they continue winning when the schedule gets tougher again?

I'm with you, Regal. I don't see that happening, realistically speaking. Before the season started I was telling everybody the Rangers would be hovering a little under or around .500 this season.

[Macarthur]

Yep...tearing it down to be exciting by 2020 and compete by 2021. Amazing how people STILL want to run down JD. Like he said..when you have a 10 year run that the Rangers had at some point the system will get thin. Unless you are the Yanks or Red Sox, that means you go thru cycles. This is a down one for Texas.

Agree with this.

It's pretty unfortnate that too many people have a 'what have you done for me lately' attitude. The Rangers have had a pretty damn good run for about a decade. They were a strike away from a title twice. All you can ask for as a fan is for your team to be a contender. We have been for sometime. As has been said, things cycle and we're on the dowside of that. JD is a very good GM and Banny is a good manager. Everyone needs to chill and see things for what they are.

[Tejastrue]

Houston knows the answer. Fill in the blank R _ _ N. I really like Mazara. Odor and Chirinos are average at best. Beltre is one bad step toward another hammy pull. If you guys are content with what the GM is putting on the field then enjoy the mediocrity. Banny is good but he is no miracle worker. You guys support JD, great. We all don't have to follow suit.

[waterboy]

You most certainly have a valid point, Tejastrue. I would love to still have Nolan Ryan. That loss was huge. I think Nolan was the main reason Texas turned it around in the first place. Jon Daniels took what Nolan suggested, and made it happen. Nolan knows talent better than JD, and anybody else in the Rangers organization.

[Tejastrue]

Can't agree more Wb. It has been excruciating to watch thus far. Seems many are happy with the hr, especially how many feet the ball traveled.

[Tejastrue]

For those of you that watched the 3 game sweep by Oakland, I came away impressed with the guys the A's have put on the field. Take notice JD. lol

[lostaussie]

I wonder which one of the hammerheads are scheduled to pitch a week from Sunday....... unfortunately, I'll be there.

[Tejastrue]

The Big Sexy...

[Saggy Aggie]

The Rangers took 2 in a row from Houston, so now they're only 22 games back. There's something to get excited about!

[waterboy]

Make that 3 in a row! The Rangers are the only team to sweep the Astros this season thus far. Too little too late, but they "could" climb out of the cellar eventually if they continue to get better.

[Txbroadcaster]

You most certainly have a valid point, Tejastrue. I would love to still have Nolan Ryan. That loss was huge. I think Nolan was the main reason Texas turned it around in the first place. Jon Daniels took what Nolan suggested, and made it happen. Nolan knows talent better than JD, and anybody else in the Rangers organization.

Nolan Ryan gave the fans a face of the franchise at a time it needed one with all the Hicks fall out..but he did not build the team. HE did not make trades or sign FAs.

[Txbroadcaster]

Houston knows the answer. Fill in the blank R _ _ N. I really like Mazara. Odor and Chirinos are average at best. Beltre is one bad step toward another hammy pull. If you guys are content with what the GM is putting on the field then enjoy the mediocrity. Banny is good but he is no miracle worker. You guys support JD, great. We all don't have to follow suit.

It is not being content..it is understanding the JD built a team( alot of it in place before Ryan even came aboard)...that team amd system led to a run of 2 WS..8 play offs in 10 years. Last few years moves were made trying to keep the window open...Moves everyone lauded at the time. After spending almost 10 years as a top 10 payroll team and the minors dry from all the moves that Rangers either were going to have to tear down..or try to become a money team like the Yankees.

[Tejastrue]

We have always disagreed about this. Now, the well has dried up. Tell me some quality moves for building the franchise Daniels made before Ryan came on in 2008. Maybe I will change my mind.

I never lauded the big moves in recent years. They paid way too much for Fielder (and still are) and are overpaying both Choo and Odor. Hamels?? Bad timing. The Rangers for the most part, appear to have also given up on home grown talent.

On a side note...I'm an old school Rangers fan. Seen some crazy chit over the years. Brad Corbett ring a bell?

[Txbroadcaster]

We have always disagreed about this. Now, the well has dried up. Tell me some quality moves for building the franchise Daniels made before Ryan came on in 2008. Maybe I will change my mind.

I never lauded the big moves in recent years. They paid way too much for Fielder (and still are) and are overpaying both Choo and Odor. Hamels?? Bad timing. The Rangers for the most part, appear to have also given up on home grown talent.

On a side note...I'm an old school Rangers fan. Seen some crazy chit over the years. Brad Corbett ring a bell?

06 traded for Cruz

2007 JD got Andrus..Feliz..Harrison in the Tex trade...got Josh Hamilton..David Murphy...The trades that brought Cliff Lee and Molina were primary 2007 draft guys..Mith MOreland was drafted in 07

Winter Meeting deals and FA signings..that was JD thru the Ryan year's ...and it was the owner Davis that pushed Ryan out, not JD..Davis wanted direct line to JD and not go thru Ryan first.

Like I said Ryan was the perfect face for Texas in a bad time with the bankruptcy and all that drama, but JD started his 5 year plan in 07 with the Tex trade and got Texas to one strike away.

But Ryan also came in claming he would change how Texas pitches...no more pitch counts...starters always going 8...but those teams in 2010-2011 won because of bullpen not starters and Texas did not all of a sudden have starters going 8 with no pitch counts.

The later moves..they were gambles to keep the run going..if Choo would have been healthy the whole time how he has played this season was what we would have seen the whole time...Prince, did not like but again trying to keep the run going.

The farm was depleted to build that team and then try to keep it going..and they did, just could not get past Jays...and I think if they would have in that first series, I think Texas was built to go back to WS.

But now it is time for the tear down and I think JD has earned the right to tear down and rebuild again.

[Tejastrue]

Some good points. So are we in the midst of the 3rd 5 year plan or was there an interim period? Your perspective on Ryan is disappointing.

[Tejastrue]

Are you aware of the record of Daniels (Rangers)..pre Ryan days and then post Ryan days. Pure coincidence.

[Txbroadcaster]

Are you aware of the record of Daniels (Rangers)..pre Ryan days and then post Ryan days. Pure coincidence.

Pre Ryan was a true tear down ...Ryan was there for the good..but again, just like Houston, he got there after the cake was baking. Again.I think Ryan was perfect for Texas at that time...and I am not going to say he did not help..but it was JD that built the formula..the trades and took them to Ryan not the other way around. Ryan signed off on them but that does not make him the baker.

[Tejastrue]

There is another Ryan. They both know business and baseball.

https://alcalde.texasexes.org/2018/04/reid-ryan-on-rebuilding-the-once-hapless-houston-astros/

[Saggy Aggie]

I would credit Crane/Luhnow with the baseball moves, not so much Reid Ryan, but that’s just me.

Reid Ryan has done some good things though, renovating Minute Maid Park, getting the Astros back on TV legitimately, etc.

[Tejastrue]

Understood and he gives all the credit to those mentioned.

[Twirling Time]

In JD's early years he was great at dumpster-diving and finding some nuggets he could flip for prospects (Kenny Lofton, Eric Gagne, Andruw Jones). Couldn't flip Sammy Sosa, but Sosa did produce while here. Wouldn't be sad to see him return to that mode during this period.

JD absolutely fleeced Boston for Gagne, one of the worst trades (for Boston) ever ... Babe Ruth notwithstanding.

Another plus for JD is, the prospects he's given up while in buy mode haven't lit the baseball world on fire elsewhere. Jorge Alfaro?

[Txbroadcaster]

In JD's early years he was great at dumpster-diving and finding some nuggets he could flip for prospects (Kenny Lofton, Eric Gagne, Andruw Jones). Couldn't flip Sammy Sosa, but Sosa did produce while here. Wouldn't be sad to see him return to that mode during this period.

JD absolutely fleeced Boston for Gagne, one of the worst trades (for Boston) ever ... Babe Ruth notwithstanding.

Another plus for JD is, the prospects he's given up while in buy mode haven't lit the baseball world on fire elsewhere. Jorge Alfaro?

That is what Doug Fister was brought in for..if Rangers play better he is a vet who can help...if things go south he is a vet that can be flipped..problem is he was never healthy this year.

[Tejastrue]

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/that-fielder-kinsler-trade-just-keeps-getting-better-for-the-detroit-tigers/


(https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/that-fielder-kinsler-trade-just-keeps-getting-better-for-the-detroit-tigers/)

[Tejastrue]

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/texas-rangers/rangers/2016/08/09/cowlishaw-hindsight-fielder-deal-one-jon-daniels-worst-rangers-gm-right

[Tejastrue]

Both Kinsler and Moreland on the team many are picking to take the series. I sure hope so. Sorry Stros fans.

[Tejastrue]

In JD's early years he was great at dumpster-diving and finding some nuggets he could flip for prospects (Kenny Lofton, Eric Gagne, Andruw Jones). Couldn't flip Sammy Sosa, but Sosa did produce while here. Wouldn't be sad to see him return to that mode during this period.

JD absolutely fleeced Boston for Gagne, one of the worst trades (for Boston) ever ... Babe Ruth notwithstanding.

Another plus for JD is, the prospects he's given up while in buy mode haven't lit the baseball world on fire elsewhere. Jorge Alfaro?

He better slap on a wet suit and goggles, jump inside and start digging at the bottom and soon. lol

[Saggy Aggie]

Both Kinsler and Moreland on the team many are picking to take the series. I sure hope so. Sorry Stros fans.

The regular season heroes don’t typically get it done in October.... just ask the 2017 Dodgers....

[Tejastrue]

How about them Mariners.

[Saggy Aggie]

How about them Mariners. lol against the Astros AAA team. Congrats

[Tejastrue]

How about that Jon Daniels! Another scapegoat. Lol

[Saggy Aggie]

On another note, Astros now have Round Rock as their AAA affiliate. I think the rangers went to Nashville. Crappy deal for them. I know they wanted San Antonio but somehow they managed to let the brewers get it

[Txbroadcaster]

How about that Jon Daniels! Another scapegoat. Lol

This was more the players not liking Bannister.

[Tejastrue]

He was JD's personal choice. Why don't we let the players choose? Dang, I wish I could choose my boss or at least have some influence. lol

[Tejastrue]

On another note, Astros now have Round Rock as their AAA affiliate. I think the rangers went to Nashville. Crappy deal for them. I know they wanted San Antonio but somehow they managed to let the brewers get it

This ball club has the Ryan name written all over it. It had to happen. Kinda sucks a bit though. It's a fun place to enjoy a ball game with the whole family.

[Twirling Time]

On another note, Astros now have Round Rock as their AAA affiliate. I think the rangers went to Nashville. Crappy deal for them. I know they wanted San Antonio but somehow they managed to let the brewers get it

Nashville has state of the art facilities and it's in the Central Time Zone, so it's all good. They wanted San Antonio for marketing purposes more than anything.