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Ric
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1st Post Thu Mar 13th, 2008 02:47 pm | |
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Technically, its still Hot Stove Time.. but.. with only a couple of weeks left to Spring Training, I thought it might be time to start the regular season thread.... and Jamey starts it with a consise look at many players in camp....
THE NEWBERG REPORT
I put together a list in 2005 of the 12 things I was most looking forward to seeing when I got to Surprise. I came up with a list of 20 things in 2006.
(Don't know why I forgot to do it last year.) Add them and you get 32, which happens to be the number on Josh Hamilton's back, permitting me to once again find a way to stick Hamilton in the lead and to scare up a list of the 32 things I can't wait to see when I get to Rangers camp in Surprise:
1. Elvis Andrus and Engel Beltre, just to be sure I wasn't seeing things in October. Jorge Quintero, too, for that matter.
2. Thomas Diamond, reasserting himself while nobody is looking.
3. Neftali Feliz.
4. Jason Botts, on one side of the complex or the other, in one shade of blue or another.
5. Josh Rupe, my pitching sleeper for 2008.
6. Whatever super-turbo-groovy kicks A.J. Preller is sporting these days.
7. A chance to talk to Chris Davis to figure out at what point his boyhood dreams were surpassed by the reality of the last month. German Duran, too.
8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, making a late rush. Luis Mendoza finishing what he's started. (Kyle Lohse? No, thanks.)
9. David Murphy, continuing to quietly do his thing.
10. Michael Young becoming more and more like Don Mattingly was, and Ian Kinsler becoming more and more like Michael Young is.
11. The March 2008 version of March 2004 Ian Kinsler. I'm not sure who it will be, but it won't surprise me if in a week I'm putting my money on Cristian Santana.
12. C.J. Wilson, using adversity to his advantage on the mound. Channeling, I think it's called.
13. Kea Kometani, whose increasingly legitimate velocity and consistently nasty splitter belong on someone far less unassuming than he is. Root for that guy.
14. Brandon Boggs, perhaps the most unfairly overlooked player in the system.
15. Macumba.
16. Taylor Teagarden at full strength, I hope.
17. A sense that Joaquin Arias hasn't given up.
18. Milton Bradley, leading as he can. He's a baseball player.
(From today's Star-Telegram feature penned by Jeff Wilson: "You'll probably see me with [Josh Hamilton] all the time because I'm drawn to him," Bradley said Wednesday. "Once I got to talking to him, and found out about his life and things he has to deal with every day, I kind of understand where he's coming from." Bradley said Hamilton has inspired him to return to studying the Bible and attending services.)
19. Wilmer Font, Julio Borbon, Michael Main, Max Ramirez, and Tommy Hunter.
Lots.
20. As many conversations with Don Welke as he'll tolerate.
21. Nolan Ryan, watching the Texas Rangers with as great a hope and confidence as any of us have that things are headed in the right direction, and with as great a passion as any of us have to see this team win.
22. Blake Beavan and Neil Ramirez, neither of whom I got to see pitch at Instructs.
23. The look in Eric Hurley's eyes, which has been different, and better, every March that I've seen him take the mound.
24. Johnny Whittleman and Michael Schlact, two players whose standing among the Rangers prospect hierarchy seems to have waned, but only because of the dramatic, headline-y influx of high-end prospects in June's draft and July's trading season. There's no reason they shouldn't be on everyone's watch list.
25. Johan Yan, hopefully looking less raw with those sick skills. It's time.
26. Zach Phillips and Derek Holland, either of whom could be a year or two away from being Matt Harrison.
27. This rumor that Franklyn German has found command.
28. Fabio Castillo, of course.
29. The booth alongside Victor Rojas for Monday's webcast, weather permitting.
30. Speaking of which, a couple mistaken weather forecasts for Sunday and Monday would suit me just fine.
31. Erica and Max, hopefully having half as good a time as they've been anticipating for weeks.
32. Josh Hamilton. In batting practice and in games, at the plate and in center field. Interacting with fans 20 years his junior and with his teammates of three months who have accepted him unconditionally, as one of them. Doing everything loudly between the lines, quietly outside them.
Helping redefine what the Texas Rangers plan to be about, with all of us watching intently.
I want to see for myself what exactly he's able to leap in a single bound.
For a few years now I've been saying this is my favorite time of the year.
But I'm (patiently) counting on Hamilton being part of a core of players suiting up for my team who, before too much longer, lead us to a much better time of the year.
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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2nd Post Thu Mar 13th, 2008 03:55 pm | |
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4. You mean there's a chance Botts could be in KC Royals blue? Hooray!
8. Lohse. Better than Ponson, and could probably help more than Ponson
18. How very cool
32. Amen & Amen. I hope that this young man can keep his life going in the right direction
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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3rd Post Thu Mar 13th, 2008 11:44 pm | |
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With the Daily Planet off somewhere in the distance, Josh Hamilton has gone 3 for 3 against the Rockies today with a walk and two doubles, the first of which scored Michael Young (who has three of his own hits) and the second of which was off of one of baseball’s top left-handed relievers, Brian Fuentes.
That’s .577/.607/1.115.
Good stinkin’ grief.
Jamey
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Mark
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4th Post Thu Mar 13th, 2008 11:53 pm | |
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| What will Hamilton bring at next Saturday's auction?
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stemyn
Moving in the right direction
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5th Post Fri Mar 14th, 2008 09:11 am | |
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Mark wrote: What will Hamilton bring at next Saturday's auction?
Break the bank?
I may just throw him out there right away if I get the chance. I know I can't afford him, but someone will get rid of some money.
Last edited on Fri Mar 14th, 2008 09:12 am by stemyn
____________________
I'm convinced that every boy, in his heart, would rather steal second base than an automobile.
Tom Clark
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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6th Post Fri Mar 14th, 2008 02:37 pm | |
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THE NEWBERG REPORT
Over on the minor league side of the Surprise Recreation Campus
yesterday,
and 40 miles away on a similar portion of a baseball complex in
Scottsdale,
the Rangers' farm clubs opened their exhibition schedule against squads
from
the San Francisco system.
In Surprise, the Clinton and Bakersfield pitching staffs shut the
Giants
out. In Scottsdale, the Frisco and Oklahoma pitching was nearly as
effective.
In the four games, the Rangers' minor league pitchers combined to
strike out
29 San Francisco hitters, issuing just four walks.
Patience.
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Zephyr
Official Bourbon Taster
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7th Post Fri Mar 14th, 2008 05:01 pm | |
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3. Neftali Feliz. And a host of others with similar names. By the stretch, Tom Grieve would either be in tears or laughing uncontrollably. I would be too.
5. Josh Rupe, my pitching sleeper for 2008. And the rest of the staff, my sleeping pitchers for 2008.
21. Nolan Ryan, watching the Texas Rangers with as great a hope and confidence as any of us have that things are headed in the right direction, and with as great a passion as any of us have to see this team win. He doesn't have a ton of front office experience, but dammit, I want to see him be successful , and want the Rangers to rely on him to hopefully get the younger pitchers on the road to winning.
32. Josh Hamilton. In batting practice and in games, at the plate and in center field. Interacting with fans 20 years his junior and with his teammates of three months who have accepted him unconditionally, as one of them. Doing everything loudly between the lines, quietly outside them. You go, Josh. A lot of folks are pulling forya.
____________________
"If you see two people, and one of them looks bored, then the other one is me."
- CarGuy
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Bob Of Burleson
...And the smell of gunsmoke
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8th Post Sat Mar 15th, 2008 02:42 am | |
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Rangers 10, Royals 8
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) -- Josh Hamilton just keeps on reaching base.
The Rangers outfielder went 2-for-2, raising his batting average to .607. He has reached base in 10 consecutive plate appearances in his past four games, going 9-for-9 with a walk. Texas beat Kansas City 10-8 on Friday.
Meanwhile, Royals pitcher Brett Tomko gave up six runs, four earned, and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Two hits were lost in the sun, some were wind-aided and others were not well struck.
"The line was bad, but what he did was very good," Royals manager Trey Hillman said. "I liked Tomko a lot."
Tomko, a 34-year-old right-hander with 10 seasons in the majors, signed with the Royals in January to try to earn a spot in a rotation that has two openings.
"I've been around long enough to know its not what is sitting on the scoreboard. It's how you feel," Tomko said. "That's a good thing about spring training, it's not permanent on your record. I just catalog that away and just look at how I felt and how I was throwing the ball. I felt like that was the best I've thrown all year.
"I told Mac (pitching coach Bob McClure), I'll make every Tucson trip if I don't have to pitch here anymore. I think I've given up five hits to the sun."
Left-hander Kason Gabbard, penciled into a beleaguered Rangers rotation, had another poor start, surrendering seven earned runs and seven hits, including a Billy Butler home run, and four walks in three-plus innings. Gabbard, who has a 12.66 earned run average in four starts, faced six batters in the fourth without retiring one.
Yasuhiko Yabuta, who has spent 12 years pitching with the Chiba Lotte Mariners in the Japan League, took the loss, yielding four runs and five hits in one inning. He has a 10.29 ERA in eight outings.
"He wasn't too sharp," Hillman said. "The biggest problem was behind in the count. He's got to pitch ahead. He didn't locate his fastball very well. It was really totally opposite of his last outing when he located the ball as well as he has all spring."
Game notes
Rangers OF Milton Bradley, who had knee surgery last September, playing a minor league game. For Triple-A Oklahoma, Bradley went 3-for-3 with a double and a walk against Omaha. ... Royals catcher Miguel Olivo strained a groin and is listed as day-to-day. ...The Royals dropped to 0-4 against the Rangers. They are 9-3 against everybody else.
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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9th Post Sat Mar 15th, 2008 06:00 am | |
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3 in one..
Veteran Kansas City righthander Brett Tomko has sent Josh Hamilton hurtling into his lengthiest slump of the spring, holding the center fielder to a measly single to center (the tenth consecutive plate appearance on which he’s reached base), after which Hamilton scored from second on a Hank Blalock single. According to the account of someone I trust, eight players out of ten would have been held at third on the play, and yet Hamilton scored standing up despite a throw to the plate.
Jamey
Texas has optioned RHP Warner Madrigal, LHP’s A.J. Murray and Matt Harrison, and OF Brandon Boggs, and reassigned C Taylor Teagarden and 1B Nate Gold, both of whom were in camp on non-roster invites, to minor league camp.
Jamey
THE NEWBERG REPORT
There’s a longtime reader of my baseball stuff whose absolute favorite thing about the Newberg Report is when I write about former Ranger farmhands signing with independent league teams. Seriously.
My favorite thing about the Hardline is when Mike Rhyner and Corby Davidson interview someone with an interesting background.
Say what you will about the Ticket. If you’re not a fan, it’s probably because they don’t spend enough time talking sports. On the other hand, if you’re a turbo-P1, your list of the reasons you listen to the Hardline probably goes a couple dozen deep before you get to “Interviews.” I’m a Hardline P1 and dig a lot of what the show offers. But when Rhyner and/or Corby interview someone with some standing in the sports or entertainment world, it’s an automatic stopdown for me.
When Rhynes interviews a ballplayer, particularly one from The Great Game, he never resorts to cliché. When Corby interviews anybody, he consistently gets the best out of them because he’s real. Never sounds like he’s doing a job.
What those two have in common is that they ask good questions. They ask questions that we may or may not have thought of ourselves, but always ones we want the answers to. You can tell that most athletes that do a segment with those guys actually enjoy it, not beaten down by yet another turn in front of a microphone or notepad where they have to fight through the same queries over and over.
I hope you were able to hear the segment they did with Josh Hamilton this afternoon. Very solid 15 minutes.
One exchange, paraphrased:
Q: “Everybody knows your story, and we didn’t bring you up here to tell it again stem to stern. But there are a couple things I want to touch on. [First was a really cool discussion about how much Johnny and Jerry Narron mean to him. Then this . . . ] So in the dark years, did you just tune baseball out altogether, or did you try to stay up on what was going on in the game, check the box scores, that sort of thing?”
A: “I don’t even read box scores now. I don’t watch ESPN, I don’t watch baseball on TV. I’ll get shot down for saying this, but baseball is really boring to watch. But it’s awesome to play. I love playing the game.”
Q: “What sports do you watch?”
A: “I’m a big college football guy.”
Q: “Who’s your team?”
A: “I don’t really have a favorite team. I usually root for the underdog.”
It was a great, revealing answer, coming from who it came from. Nice job by Rhynes and Corby getting him there, even if not fully by design.
I’m going to send a separate email attaching the .mp3 file of the complete interview right after sending this one. It’s a 12MB audio file so I fear it will fail to reach lots of you, but maybe by tomorrow it will be linked up somewhere on the Web.
Jamey
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Dave C
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10th Post Sat Mar 15th, 2008 02:37 pm | |
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That was an awesome interview with Josh Hamilton. He seems like a guy who has been to hell and brought to his knees and survived, and now is just beginning to appreciate life. Very humble, but very friendly and outgoing. Its not at all surprising that his teammates have bonded with him so quickly.
I hope and pray that he can keep his life on the right track, and if he does there is no way this guy doesn't become one of the most popular players the Rangers have ever had.
And kudos to the Rangers for bringing in Johnny Narron to continue to be a source of help.
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Ric
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11th Post Sat Mar 15th, 2008 07:37 pm | |
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Mendoza and Gabbard
At about 4pm Thursday, I’d already mentally written most of my glowing report on Luis Mendoza’s outing against pennant-winning Colorado. Featuring a solid B lineup (decent backups in place of Tulowitski, Taveras and Atkins), the Rockies couldn’t get out of the batter’s box against Mendoza. He retired the first ten in order on five grounders, four flies, and a strikeout. The favorable reviews we’d been hearing from management were paying off. Here’s the lede: “Mendoza’s performance matches praise, rotation saved!”
And then, with one out in the 4th…
Sullivan singled
Helton homered
Holliday singled
Stewart walked
Torrealba doubled
Quintanilla singled
Nix (Jayson) hit by pitch
…and Mendoza was done.
His 2007 was a tale of two seasons. In his first 13 starts for AA Frisco, he sported a 5.51 ERA thanks to a mediocre 9.6% walk rate and too many fly balls. In his second 13 starts, his cut his walk rate 40%, induced more grounders, and was rewarded with a 2.70 ERA and a few weeks in Arlington.
Mendoza needs to show more of his second-half persona to make the active roster. Though he has the upper hand on Eric Hurley and Matt Harrison (who was optioned Friday), he won’t make the team by default, regardless of how many injuries have crippled the rotation.
Meanwhile, Kason Gabbard had another very rough outing Friday, walking four and allowing seven hits in only three innings. Opponents are reaching base at a .525 pace against him. Gabbard does not have a history of slow starts, to my knowledge. He does have a penchant for granting free passes; his MLB walk rate of 13% exceeds Robinson Tejeda’s.
Sidney Ponson has a genuine chance of making the team. Eric Hurley makes his first start about three hours after I hit the send button on this email.
The Lizard
One pitcher gaining positive reviews this spring is minor-league pickup Elizardo Ramirez, who struck out four in two innings on Friday in relief of Gabbard. Now with his third team and entering his ninth year as a pro, Ramirez has the air of a journeyman, yet he just turned 25 and is younger than Gabbard, Wes Littleton, A.J. Murray and Josh Rupe.
How he ended up in Texas is an odd story. Philadelphia signed him as a 16-year-old in 1999, and he spent the next three years in the Dominican Summer League and rookie Gulf Coast League. He then skipped low-A, and in 2004 he leapt from high-A to the Majors. Three months after his debut, Philadelphia sent him to Cincinnati as part of a trade for Cory Lidle. Shoulder problems shut him down late in 2006 and limited him to 81 innings last year. The Reds waived him last August.
Ramirez employs a fastball, curve and change, all adequate but not awe-inspiring. In 158 MLB innings, he has a 5.99 ERA, a 13% strikeout rate, and an opposing line of .302/.362/.516. He tends to pitch to contact, and as evidenced, that contact is pretty darn hard. Prior to his shoulder injury, he did enjoy a period of success in 2006, posting a 4.16 ERA in his first 15 starts. During that stretch, he allowed hits and power at the league average while being miserly with walks.
In eight spring innings, Ramirez has struck out six, walked just one, and allowed five hits and no runs. Unfortunately, even at his best in the past he’s been very homer-prone, and 13 of his 17 fielded outs this spring have been on fly balls. I don’t envision him leaving Surprise with the Rangers or ever being more than a 5th starter, but with a nice run in Oklahoma he could earn some Major League innings later this season.
The Rest
Hours after a Coco Crisp for Angel Pagan rumor floated on Wednesday morning, Texas started Marlon Byrd in center field against the Cubs. Coincidence, I’m sure. The Byrdman went 0-3 but had a couple of nice catches.
In the same game, catcher Kevin Richardson gunned down Chicago’s Ronny Cedeno at second with two out in the 9th to secure the one-run victory.
Baseball America’s Jim Callis picked the Rangers 3rd in the AL West. His quick take: “No club in this division has a brighter future, but the Rangers need time to develop their kids.” I suggested 75-77 wins in my preview of the Hardball Times, and some statistical analysis I’ve performed since then hasn’t swayed my opinion. The Hardball Times editors predicted 79 wins.
Barring a setback, Detroit prospect Rick Porcello won’t face Rangers organization hitting until he reaches the Majors. Detroit and Texas share only one minor league, the low-A Midwest, and the Tigers are starting the 19-year-old in high-A Lakeland in the Florida State League.
The webpage at The Oklahoman devoted to the Redhawks still features R.A. Dickey:
http://newsok.com/sports/redhawks/
Scott Lucas
newbergreport.com
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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12th Post Sat Mar 15th, 2008 07:38 pm | |
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I've updated the blog with some photos from this morning's practice.
In case you missed it, there's a report from yesterday afternoon's games which you'll find just after the photos.
Be the first kid on your block to learn some interesting things about a trio of unbelievably talented young pitchers who took the hill yesterday.
Click here: http://rangersfarmreport.mlblogs.com/
Thanks again to Jamey for letting me use his list....
Regards,
M.J. Hindman
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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13th Post Sun Mar 16th, 2008 01:46 am | |
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Click here (audio file at the end):
http://newberg.mlblogs.com/newberg_report_/2008/03/newberg_report_.html
Jamey
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Bob Of Burleson
...And the smell of gunsmoke
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14th Post Sun Mar 16th, 2008 03:22 am | |
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Afternoon on the Back 40
SURPRISE, AZ -- Everyone who was anyone was there to see Kevin Millwood's appearance in the Bakersfield game this afternoon and while it went well, it was Rangers catching prospect Manny Pina (pictured above) who stole the show.In Millwood's first inning, he started off getting the first batter to ground out to second on the sixth pitch, but the second hitter slammed a double to left.
The following batter singled to right, but Kyle Murphy drilled the runner trying to score from second with a bullet to the plate.
Pina expertly blocked the runner's path and applied the tag, holding on through hard contact.
Three pitches later, Pina ended the inning by picking off the runner leading off of second.
Then, to prove his Pudgy point, he ended Millwood's second frame by nailing a runner leading off of first with a Pudge Rodriguez snap throw. He also had two hits in the game.
He good. Very good. Pray for his bat to come around.
- Mike Hindman
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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15th Post Sun Mar 16th, 2008 04:57 pm | |
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Eric Hurley made his first spring start on Saturday fared pretty well against a backup-heavy Colorado lineup. He struck out Matt Holliday (nobody’s backup) on a changeup in the 1st and later retired him on a soft fly to left. Ian Stewart hit a no-doubt solo homer in the 2nd, and Ryan Spillborghs doubled home Scott Podsednik in the 3rd. Pods walked twice off Hurley, including once after an 0-2 count with two out to set up Spillborghs’ RBI. 10 of the 12 twelve balls put into play off Hurley were airborne, though two were popups and one was a liner into his glove.
Hurley completed four innings with two hits, two runs, two walks, and two strikeouts. The gun showed 95 on occasion, but Rockies hurler Mark Redman hit 91, so adjust accordingly. The good folks on the radio were duly impressed, though they reiterated that Hurley was AAA-bound. Ron Washington indicated as much after the game.
David Murphy hit a ball out of the park against Redman in the 5th. He also took Josh Towers deep in the 6th. Note that he can hit all the homers he wants without affecting that “balls in play” average I whined about last week.
Outfielder K.C. Herren, who should find himself in high-A Bakersfield in a couple of weeks, grounded out in what must have been his first ever at-bat in a Major League Spring Training Game. Corey Ragsdale played a couple of innings at second base. He’d converted from infielder to pitcher last season; I don’t know if he’s switched back or was just reminiscing.
Kevin Millwood tossed four shutout innings in an A-level minor-league game yesterday. Joaquin Benoit and C.J. Wilson added single scoreless innings. No injuries, no problems.
MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan says that Jamey Wright has earned a long-relief spot. Earned in the sense of “justified” or “locked down?”
Texas released pitchers Carlos Perez and Yennier Sardinas (both offseason signings) and catcher Bret Story, who signed last summer and played for rookie-level Arizona.
Jim Kern turned 59 yesterday? That can’t be.
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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16th Post Sun Mar 16th, 2008 05:00 pm | |
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THE NEWBERG REPORT
Three years ago, lefthander C.J. Wilson was in the midst of his breakthrough camp, getting work with the big club and more than acquitting himself, as he laid the groundwork for what would be, three months later, his big league debut. Meanwhile, that same spring, righthander Eric Hurley was facing Class A opponents in his first camp, with plenty of key observers pulled up in golf carts around the perimeter of the chain link fence wrapping around home plate from dugout to dugout.
Yesterday Wilson and Hurley switched places, with the big league closer pitching to Class A Seattle hitters while the young righthander became the first Rangers starter to go four innings in a big league game this spring, holding the National League champion Rockies to two runs on two hits (including a home run) and two walks and fanning a pair.
We got to the fields too late to see Kevin Millwood get in his work against that same Class A squad, or Joaquin Benoit get in his – and we can’t even blame Grand Avenue, which we dutifully avoided. We’ve had it with Hertz; if you work with another car rental company, let me know. I’m about to transfer all my business and personal car rental business to you.
But we did arrive just in time to see Wilson get in his 10 or 12 pitches. It’s a process – this is only the second time he’s thrown in a game this spring, the first coming two weeks ago – but his pitches had life and a little hop, if not quite as much as he’ll have once he’s ramped up to April.
Remember that episode of “Shazam” you missed when you were a kid, because your Henry S. Miller team had a Saturday morning North Dallas Chamber of Commerce baseball game, probably against Friendly Chevrolet? And then you got into a spirited conversation with your second-grade friends in Mrs. Mulos’s class as they told you what happened in the episode, and you were fired up but it still gnawed at you that you didn’t see it for yourself and figured, since TiVo wouldn’t be around for another 25 years, that you never would?
I had to relive that sad moment as I heard about what I’d missed catcher Manuel Pina do in the hour before my arrival at the back fields yesterday. You need to go read Mike Hindman’s blog (rangersfarmreport.mlblogs.com) to find out.
Best moment of Day One: Bakersfield hitting coach Brant Brown leaving the field of play, during the High A game, solely to walk 15 feet over to Max and hand him a perfectly battle-scarred Rawlings baseball, before immediately getting back to the field of play.
For the next half hour, Max tossed that ball with John Whittleman, Sr., enthusiastically diving even on grounders right at him.
Man, I hope Max doesn’t burn out. His love for this game is unbelievably inspiring.
When David Murphy looks in the mirror, does he see a picture of Rudy Jaramillo in the bottom left corner, and pictures of Gary Matthews Jr., Mark DeRosa, and Marlon Byrd in the bottom right corner, and say, “That’s me. I’m that guy”?
Murphy is the runner-up to Josh Hamilton in terms of whose batting practice I most want to see.
Lots of you have emailed me asking what I think the package of players might have been that Texas and Minnesota had apparently agreed on over the winter during the Johan Santana trade discussions (per Jon Heyman’s SI.com article on Friday), only to have the talks die when Santana didn’t show much interest in signing long-term with the Rangers. I have no idea, but I do recall that in December at least one local report indicated that the Twins’ price started with Edinson Volquez, Hurley, and Chris Davis.
The Rangers, according to Baseball America, released lefthanders Carlos Perez and Yennier Sardinas and catcher Bret Story.
Atlanta signed righthander Vladimir Nunez to a minor league deal. Colorado signed outfielder Ruddy Yan to a minor league deal. The Dodgers, lefthander Scott Rice. Houston, catcher Reece Creswell. The White Sox, outfielder Jim Rushford. Philadelphia, lefthander Jared Locke.
Time for some morning baseball on the back fields.
Shazam.
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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17th Post Sun Mar 16th, 2008 11:01 pm | |
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THE NEWBERG REPORT
I saw It.
I saw It with Erica and Ginger, and with Max, who issued several jaw-dropped “Whoaaaaa”’s, holding the note like he did a year ago while watching flyover exercises from a bigger-than-life Luke Air Force Base squadron in formation.
Maybe the most ridiculous thing about a Josh Hamilton Batting Practice Display is that since so many of his missiles explode like a perfectly struck tee shot, every once in a while he’ll bump one off the end of the bat, and your eyes shift to the outfielder in whose direction the ball is traveling (it could be any one of them, from left center field to straightway right), and as you wait for him to trot in to haul the lazy fly in, or at worst camp under it in place to make the catch, instead you see the outfielder jog back toward the fence, basically a courtesy gesture as the mis-hit ball carries over the wall to keep the last several Hamilton shots company.
And then there are the pitches that Hamilton squares up on, the ones that cause you, involuntarily, to issue a “Whoaaaaa” in unison with your three-and-a-half-year-old son, with the same reaction of equal parts awe, adrenaline, and disbelief. The ones on which the outfielders stand as motionless and unneeded as they do on the requisite bunts that the Rangers’ penciled number two hitter drops (and drops well) at the start of his rounds.
David Murphy (as I’d hoped) and Marlon Byrd, hitting in sequence with Hamilton, had the misfortune of having what were absolutely impressive BP sessions of their own look unjustly pedestrian in comparison to their teammate’s, like watching Terrence Newman and Terrell Owens run a 40 alongside Deion Sanders.
The Hamilton swing is so devoid of effort, it makes no sense. You’ve seen the scout’s comment about the “flat-out, God-given gasoline” that comes effortlessly out of Neftali Feliz’s arm. Josh Hamilton endows his baseball bat with a flat-out, God-given thunderstorm. A nearly silent thunderstorm, somehow.
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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stemyn
Moving in the right direction
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18th Post Sun Mar 16th, 2008 11:19 pm | |
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| I can't wait to see him. He is gonna like the Ballpark.
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I'm convinced that every boy, in his heart, would rather steal second base than an automobile.
Tom Clark
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Bob Of Burleson
...And the smell of gunsmoke
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19th Post Mon Mar 17th, 2008 01:34 am | |
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Athletics 9, Rangers 7
PHOENIX (AP) -- Despite a messy outing, Sidney Ponson figured he accomplished something Sunday.
"The numbers are no good but I got my work in game situation-wise," said Ponson, who is trying to win a job with the Texas Rangers. "I couldn't throw strikes with anything. I'm not happy, but I am happy, too."
Ponson gave up four runs in the first inning, but was glad he got to pitch with runners on and even worked himself out of a jam or two. He was in line for a win until the Oakland Athletics scored three runs in the eighth to beat Texas 9-7 on a cold afternoon for their sixth consecutive victory.
"When I throw my bullpen I'll work on staying consistent with my mechanics," he said. "The last couple of pitches were hit hard but I kept my poise pretty good. I've given up four runs in the first and the team has come back to win before. My next outing will be much better."
Ponson gave up six hits, walked two and struck out two in 2 1-3 innings.
Gerald Laird hit a two-run homer in the second inning to spark the Rangers' rally. The ball nearly reached the street beyond left field.
Texas' Josh Hamilton reached base his first three times up, extending his streak to 13 straight. It ended when Greg Smith struck him out in the sixth.
Marlon Byrd drove in a pair of runs for the Rangers, and Kevin Mench had two hits.
Game notes
Rangers RHP Vicente Padilla (strained left gluteus) threw five innings against a group of Texas minor leaguers. He's unscored upon in 8 2-3 innings this spring. ... For the first time this spring, Oakland (64 degrees) was warmer than Phoenix (56).
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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20th Post Mon Mar 17th, 2008 03:23 am | |
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It is still amazing to me that with Loshe out there looking for work, JD signs Ponson. Loshe signs with the Cardinals, another club going nowhere this year.. so wouldn't it have been beneficial to bring him in for a look?
This will mark one of the few times I've been crotical of a made move by the club. Ponson. Sexy move, huh? Why not see if Roger Pavlick still has a desire to pitch?...
Aaargh.
____________________
All I ask is a chance to prove
that money can't make me happy.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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