Jun 24 2011 10:58 AM
The Rangers interest me. They interest me because of that clumsy (though reminiscent of Our Team, Our Time) actual slogan in the title of this thread. They interest me because Ron Washington for all the world seemed like a placeholder appointment of a manager and is now at the top of the game. They interest me because they knocked the Yankees out in the ALCS series last year which was a patriotic act that should have won them medals. They interest me because Nolan Ryan gets more press time than your typical team president, and sometimes he says things that make me say "Wow, he's right indeed" and other times makes me shake my head. They interest me because Cliff Lee took the money, but didn't go to the Yankees, while their fans were certain he would, so the universe is stil redeemable, if not in order, and we can live with that. They interest me because Adrian Beltre has had a strange career where he's alternately fantastic and awful, delightful or crazy, and he's right in the middle this year, with a 100+ ERA. They interest me because despite losing post-season pitching sensation Cliff Lee (he even hits in the post-season) to free agency and MVP Josh Hamilton much of the season to injury, they're still handing in there.
They're like a genial small town police department, tolerating a modest amount of weak personnel and dysfunction, but still getting the job done, two and a half games on top of the easist to win division, the AL West. They're the Andy Griffith of baseball teams.
On the other hand, they got swept by the Yankees in the Bronx last weekend, so maybe Andy needs to run a tighter ship.
The real shakes is that this is a small town police department that can swing some big sticks and it will be a real test for the Mets pitching staff.
Lineup:
"Slip Kid": C Yorvit Torrealba (.257 / .291 / .364 // .655 in 55 games) (who I like to think of as the love child of Joe Torre and Jessica Alba) is a catcher's catcher, with puncher's power and a lousy OBP. Rod Barajas with a little more defense and a little more offense. Ramon Castro with dimples. His parents so named him because they were stuck between "Yorman" and "Victor" for names, so they fused 'em. His son and two uncles survived a kidnapping back in 2009, performed in order to shake Yorvit down for his big-time MLB dough. Creepy.
"The Kids Are Alright: 1B Mitch Moreland (.290 / .353 / .482 // .836 in 67 games) is not, as far as I know, any relation to 1980s Cub slugger Keith Moreland. What he is, is a young, cheap, lefthanded, powerful, fully formed firstbaseman. In short, he's everything Ike Davis is, except injured. (That is, he's not injured.) Mitch enjoyed intrastate interleague time against the Astros earlier in the week, getting his first career walkoff homer on Tuesday. Don't make a mistake against him. He'll punish it.
"See Me, Feel Me: 2B Ian Kinsler (.236 / .349 / .396 // .745 in 71 games ) will fool you, having a low batting average but good peripherals, so at the end of the year he'll probably look pretty good. He's a former cycle hitter and 30/30 man from 2009, so he's defintiely better than that line suggests, and his game is well-rounded, with slick fielding and good baserunning (an 86% steal rate in his career). Did some research on him and everybody seems to like the guy. When he was left off an All-Star team, players from other teams joined his teammates in objecting. (Ironically, he might make it on the popular vote this year.) He's half Jewish, married to his high-school sweetheart, just had a baby, and by all accounts is just swell. Waddaya gonna do?
"So Sad About Us": 3B Adrian Beltré (.259 / .306 / .439 // .745 in 76 games) is kind of sad to see over there. Earlier in the decade the team was blessed with two uberprospect thirdbasemen in Hank Blalock and Mark Teixiera, and now have an overpaid journeyman medicority that they're stuck with until at least 2015 (NOLAN!), with a vesty vesty for 2016 (NOLAN!). He hates having his head rubbed, has been walking with a limp, and is genuinely concerned about your oral hygiene.
"I Can't Explain": SS Elvis Andrus (.273 / .318 / .343 // .661 in 72 games) said this, of speaking Derek Jeter and his proposed 3,000th hit, while playing in New York: "I hope it's a regular base hit and then a double play happens after that and we win the game. But I do hope he gets that hit against us. It would be special to see that. He's my idol as a player." The Yankees ended up sweeping the Rangers and I hope Elvis' teammates smacked the snot out fo him. He's actually been beaten up a lot this season (got inadvertantly spiked by Michael Young a few weeks back, hmmmm) and will probably get a day off this series. Elvis steals bases liberally.
"Behind Blue Eyes": LF Josh Hamlton (.297 / .360 / .513 // .873) has been back about a month after missing 5 1/2 weeks with a hairline shoulder fracture the he got on a home plate collision that he blamed on third base coach Dave Anderson for sending him. Keep it in the clubhouse, Josh. Hamilton's questionable logic doesn't stop there. Confronted with the odd split of batting .122 during the day and .374 at night. He blames the daylight disadvantage of his gorgeous blue eyes. "I ask guys all the time," Hamilton told ESPN-FM 103.3 in Dallas. "Guys with blue eyes, brown eyes, whatever . . . and guys with blue eyes have a tough time." Saturday and Sunday's games are afternoonies. I'm recommending he doesn't get his eyes tattooed. When healthy and sober, he's about the most awesome baseball-playing specimen on the planet, and he had five hits (including a triple and homer) in the Houston series, so...
"I've Been Away": CF Endy Chavez (.316 / .366 / .500 // .866 in 23 games) after extended rehabs and brutal leg injuries, the owner of the greatest catch in postseason history has cashed in for the Rangers after back-to-back one-year minor league deals trying to rebuild his career, and he's playing the best basebal of his MLB life. With simultaneous injuries to Julio Borbon, Hamilton, and Nelson Cruz, they just threw Endometriosis out there hoping for the best, and damned if he hasn't been all over the field on offense and defense being the Endy we all know and love. Grrr...
"Much Too Much" RF Nelson Cruz (.241 / .293 / .527 // .820) is a low-average slugger who you want to make chase, or to blow away. He always hits but never plays a full season, so maybe he'll get hurt. But there's power here. Lotsa lotsa power. He's the one of only two guys to reach the upper deck at TBA. In 2011, he joined Willie Mays and Mark McGwire as the only guys to homr in the first four games of the season. Also, he was originally signed by the Mets, but traded for Jorge Velandia, so there's a happy thought.
"Let's See Action": DH Michael Young (.314 // .352 // .446 // .798 in 34 games) is the team's de facto captain, having been there 11 years and having been bumped from every position to make room for these guys. He backs up all over the field now and recently took over the All-Time franchise lead for games played. Feel free to argue about DHing as "games played" and whether Washignton Senators and Rangers records should be seperate, but that's on his calling card.
'Unholy Trinity": Probable Moundsmen:
Friday: Mike Pelfrey (comiing off the Mets only nine-inning complete game) vs. LHP Matt Harrison (5-6, 3.16 ERA)
Harrison is goofy looking guy who kind looks like Nolan Ryan crossed with Alf. I'm not sure, but he sometimes sports that Eric Gagne/King Tut beard, and it certainly doesn't help. But he's 0-2 with a 2.76 ERA in his last three starts, so he may be angry. We could use some vintage Jason Bay against this guy. Anybody know where to find some?
Saturday, Jon Niese (cmoing off a disturbing battle with wildness) vs. RHP Alexi Ogando (7-2, 2.66 ERA). Ogando was hit hard by the Braves, but went on an IV after the game, so he may have just been dehyrated. It's been known to happen to Texas Rangers. Anyhow, he looks like he knows a dirty little secret about you.
Sunday: Dillon Gee (coming off a win-streak-ending lackluster performance leading to a headshaving) vs. LHP Derek Holland (6-2, 4.69 ERA). HOlland hasn't beeen pitching well but his win total suggests he gets the old run support. And that's what he looks like: a jock who thinks he's a little better, a little tougher, and a little better looking than he actually is. He overestimates himself, but his fellow jocks bail him out of trouble, privately griping about him.
Benchies:
"A Quick One, While He's Away" C Taylor Teagarden (.176 / .263 / .176 // .440) Taylor is hitting, sadly, like somebody named Taylor Teagarden. He looks forward to seeing the Mets so he can all his mail that's been misrouted to Taylor Tankersley in care of the Mets. Look for him to get one of the weekend games, probably Saturday.
"Relax": IF Andres Blanco (.158 / .220 / .263 // .483 ) probably won't play, but let's hope he does. He is named for poet Andrés Eloy Blanco.
"I'm One": OF David Murphy (.238 / .308 / .326 // .635) subbed rather inadequately for Hamloton. He propbably won't play, but let's hope he does. Get's the odd pinch hit against righties.
"I Don't Even Know Myself": OF Craig Gentry (.271 / .377 / .356 // .733) is a AAA guy on his thrid, fourth, or fifth callup, but hitting a little tthis time, in his last option year, hoping to break away from that AAAA lable. He's marking time until the rehabbing Julio Borbon finds his bat again.
Bullpen
It's mostly a house of gas, and the sooner we get a chance to light it up, the better.
Closer Neftali Feliz: 14 saves, 3.21 ERA, 6,.1 SO and 4.8 BB per nine
Ancient LOOGy Arthur Rhodes: 4.67 ERA, 2.1 HR per nine. Go, Jason Bay, go!
Lefty Setup Dude Darren Oliver: 3.21 ERA, 1.165 WHIP, 8.3 SO/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a big "Thank you, Mets!" for saving his career.
Longman David Bush: 4.72 ERA. Let's see as much of this guy as possible.
Mark Lowe 4.29 ERA, and 11.6 H/9. But his fastball has been clocked in triple digits, and I don't trust guys named Lowe.
Yoshinori Tateyama: 3.52 ERA. He brings the funk. Crappy heater, but has a tough curve and a screwball he uses against lefties. Has been up for a month.
Michael Kirkman: 6.50 ERA. This guy's lefty on the AAA carousel. He worked hard to get here, but he's been an adventure; high walks, high strikouts, high hit totals.
Basically this series will be a chore for the Mets pitchers, but we can hang in there if they stay away from walks and our righthanded batters show up. Turner, Bay, Paulino, Hairston: you're on notice.