Well, I don't know any way to put this simpler: I didn't think the Texas Rangers would be sitting in this comfortable a position today.
At 57-41, Texas holds a six-game lead on Anaheim heading into tonight's game.
Tonight should be one of the most fun games I've attended in years. I'm sitting in the KCI airport waiting on a flight to Dallas to meet up with the family. The four of us will be in attendance tonight when Tommy Hunter takes the hill to take on the Angels.
Should be a great atmosphere. I can't wait to get to the ballpark and watch the game.
I'll take pics tonight to add to the blog.
Be back in a day or two with reaction.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Lee's stats on Saturday didn't look pretty; still no reason to freak out
Newly acquired Texas Rangers ace Cliff Lee didn't have his typical stat line on Saturday night in his club debut against Baltimore.
Lee gave up six runs, all earned, nine hits and three home runs. Far from what's expected of the all-star.
I'm not really worried.
First, Lee didn't arrive in Arlington until Saturday, the day he pitched. Expecting he and catcher Matt Treanor to be on the exact same page after a few hours of meet-and-greet is a little far-fetched. Yeah, sure, it's Baltimore, which has the worst record in the American League. But that's a rapid turnaround.
Next, Lee still operated in his patented super-efficient pace. He went all nine innings, despite giving up six runs. He only threw 95 pitches. Of those 95 tosses, 73 (76.8 percent) were strikes.
Lee also didn't walk anyone. With two more strikeouts from Saturday, he now has 91 strikeouts and six walks on the season. The lefty has as many complete games as total walks.
That's the difference between a guy like Rich Harden, for instance, and Cliff Lee.
Lee gave up more runs than he had all season and still made it through all nine innings. When Harden struggles, he has trouble escaping the fourth inning.
Lee has such precise placement and exceptional command that he'll be able to bounce back easily once he's more familiar with his new teammates.
Once that happens, it'll be a darn fun thing to watch.
Lee gave up six runs, all earned, nine hits and three home runs. Far from what's expected of the all-star.
I'm not really worried.
First, Lee didn't arrive in Arlington until Saturday, the day he pitched. Expecting he and catcher Matt Treanor to be on the exact same page after a few hours of meet-and-greet is a little far-fetched. Yeah, sure, it's Baltimore, which has the worst record in the American League. But that's a rapid turnaround.
Next, Lee still operated in his patented super-efficient pace. He went all nine innings, despite giving up six runs. He only threw 95 pitches. Of those 95 tosses, 73 (76.8 percent) were strikes.
Lee also didn't walk anyone. With two more strikeouts from Saturday, he now has 91 strikeouts and six walks on the season. The lefty has as many complete games as total walks.
That's the difference between a guy like Rich Harden, for instance, and Cliff Lee.
Lee gave up more runs than he had all season and still made it through all nine innings. When Harden struggles, he has trouble escaping the fourth inning.
Lee has such precise placement and exceptional command that he'll be able to bounce back easily once he's more familiar with his new teammates.
Once that happens, it'll be a darn fun thing to watch.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Trading for Cliff Lee a risk worth taking
Clearly in a position to make their first postseason appearance in 11 years, the Texas Rangers acquired lefty ace Cliff Lee from Seattle on Friday in a trade for Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan and two other minor league prospects. Texas also received reliever Mark Lowe and cash considerations.
I first heard about the deal when I was pulling up to work on Friday around 4:30 p.m. A text message that read "Damn, gave up Smoak?" alerted me of the trade. The first thought that entered my mind was that we traded for Lee.
As a Rangers fan, I have to admit I was initially skeptical of the deal.
Texas was on pace — without Lee — to win 100 games for the first time in team history this season. The Rangers (50-36) are in this position in large part because of the youth movement that has completely reshaped the philosophy of the franchise the past three years.
It's the anti-Yankees way of looking at the big picture. Farm system over free agents.
From the day the Rangers traded Mark Teixeira in the middle of the 2007 season, I was onboard with this philosophy. Smaller market teams like the Athletics and Twins did it, and they had successful seasons that culminated in playoff runs. Surely, the Rangers could do this, too.
The past two seasons, Baseball America has ranked the Texas farm system No. 1 in all of baseball.
Last season, we saw shades of the youth movement starting to take effect in a promising 87-75 season (second place, AL West).
This year, the richness of the farm system and the philosophy of building a long-term winner from within has been strikingly evident. The Rangers have a 4.5-game lead on the Angels in the AL West. Guys like Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz and Tommy Hunter (the first two of whom are all-stars this season) are guys who, just two seasons ago, were players in the farm system.
It's all part of the philosophy implemented by general manger Jon Daniels.
That's why when the news on Lee broke, I was nervous and somewhat skeptical. The organization had spent the better part of three years doing its best adaptation of 'Extreme Makeover: Farm System Edition.' Before the Teixeira deal, the Texas farm system was nothing special. Three years later, it's the best in baseball. To give up potentially critical long-term pieces for a potential four-month rental (Lee is a free agent after the 2010 season) was a little daunting.
The more I thought about the deal, however, the more I began to really come around to it.
I slept on it last night, woke up this morning and felt pretty great about the trade. I'll do my best to break down my reasons for optimism:
1. The farm system in still in tact.
Martin Perez, Tanner Scheppers, Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando, four of our top pitching prospects, are still with the club. The loss of Beavan was tough, but his ceiling wasn't as high as the four guys I just listed. The cupboard on the farm is far from bare.
2. It is, after all, Cliff Lee, who's on the short list of the best pitchers in the game.
How's this for dominant? Lee has 89 strikeouts against a ridiculous six walks this season, to go along with an 8-3 record, a 2.34 earned-run average and a minuscule 0.95 WHIP.
Six walks. That's absurd. He has nearly as many complete games this season (four) as total walks. It's silly.
3. The Rangers have a true ace for the rest of 2010.
The Rangers probably could have made the playoffs without Lee. The kicker? The Rangers probably could not get out of the first round of the playoffs without Lee.
This move instantly makes the Rangers one of the best teams in baseball. A playoff rotation of Lee, Colby Lewis, C.J. Wilson and Tommy Hunter sounds fantastic. The inexperience of the latter three likely wouldn't have been sufficient for a deep playoff run this year. Lee has that experience. He pitched in the World Series last season for Philadelphia. The eventual-champion Yankees lost two games in last season's World Series. Both of those losses were against Lee.
4. In this case, there's nothing wrong with living in the present and chasing a deep playoff run.
Yes, I deeply value our farm system. Yes, I want to be able to dip into Oklahoma City, Frisco and Bakersfield for the foreseeable future. We'll still be able to.
We've been building the farm system with more talent than ever before in team history for the past three years, but we've missed the playoffs for the past 11 years. This race for the AL West crown is getting serious. It's the best chance Texas has had to win the West since 1999.
Even if the Rangers don't re-sign Lee after this season, I'd sacrifice the trade we made with Seattle for a deep playoff run. Imagining the Rangers playing deep into October is overwhelmingly exciting. Lee gives the team that chance.
Plus, having a stacked farm system comes with the distinct luxury of being able to pursue high-end players when necessary to make a deep playoff run. Smoak and Beavan are no longer Rangers, but the farm is still stacked, thanks to the aforementioned philosophy of Daniels these past three years.
And who knows? Maybe this team ownership mess works out sooner rather than later. Maybe the Rangers have more financial flexibility than we might think next offseason. And maybe, just maybe Lee, a native of nearby Benton, Ark., is able to sign a long-term deal with Texas.
The bottom line?
Right now, the Rangers are in position to win the division with an offense that can stack up against the best in the game. Texas might have the best lineup, one through six, in team history. And now, the team has a legitimate ace, something it has not had since Nolan Ryan. FYI, the last time Ryan pitched like an ace was 1991. That's 19 years ago.
Yes, there will be added pressure. But the time to see just how far this team has come in the past three years is now. And honestly, I couldn't have hand-picked a guy I'd want more at the top of the rotation than Lee.
I first heard about the deal when I was pulling up to work on Friday around 4:30 p.m. A text message that read "Damn, gave up Smoak?" alerted me of the trade. The first thought that entered my mind was that we traded for Lee.
As a Rangers fan, I have to admit I was initially skeptical of the deal.
Texas was on pace — without Lee — to win 100 games for the first time in team history this season. The Rangers (50-36) are in this position in large part because of the youth movement that has completely reshaped the philosophy of the franchise the past three years.
It's the anti-Yankees way of looking at the big picture. Farm system over free agents.
From the day the Rangers traded Mark Teixeira in the middle of the 2007 season, I was onboard with this philosophy. Smaller market teams like the Athletics and Twins did it, and they had successful seasons that culminated in playoff runs. Surely, the Rangers could do this, too.
The past two seasons, Baseball America has ranked the Texas farm system No. 1 in all of baseball.
Last season, we saw shades of the youth movement starting to take effect in a promising 87-75 season (second place, AL West).
This year, the richness of the farm system and the philosophy of building a long-term winner from within has been strikingly evident. The Rangers have a 4.5-game lead on the Angels in the AL West. Guys like Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz and Tommy Hunter (the first two of whom are all-stars this season) are guys who, just two seasons ago, were players in the farm system.
It's all part of the philosophy implemented by general manger Jon Daniels.
That's why when the news on Lee broke, I was nervous and somewhat skeptical. The organization had spent the better part of three years doing its best adaptation of 'Extreme Makeover: Farm System Edition.' Before the Teixeira deal, the Texas farm system was nothing special. Three years later, it's the best in baseball. To give up potentially critical long-term pieces for a potential four-month rental (Lee is a free agent after the 2010 season) was a little daunting.
The more I thought about the deal, however, the more I began to really come around to it.
I slept on it last night, woke up this morning and felt pretty great about the trade. I'll do my best to break down my reasons for optimism:
1. The farm system in still in tact.
Martin Perez, Tanner Scheppers, Derek Holland and Alexi Ogando, four of our top pitching prospects, are still with the club. The loss of Beavan was tough, but his ceiling wasn't as high as the four guys I just listed. The cupboard on the farm is far from bare.
2. It is, after all, Cliff Lee, who's on the short list of the best pitchers in the game.
How's this for dominant? Lee has 89 strikeouts against a ridiculous six walks this season, to go along with an 8-3 record, a 2.34 earned-run average and a minuscule 0.95 WHIP.
Six walks. That's absurd. He has nearly as many complete games this season (four) as total walks. It's silly.
3. The Rangers have a true ace for the rest of 2010.
The Rangers probably could have made the playoffs without Lee. The kicker? The Rangers probably could not get out of the first round of the playoffs without Lee.
This move instantly makes the Rangers one of the best teams in baseball. A playoff rotation of Lee, Colby Lewis, C.J. Wilson and Tommy Hunter sounds fantastic. The inexperience of the latter three likely wouldn't have been sufficient for a deep playoff run this year. Lee has that experience. He pitched in the World Series last season for Philadelphia. The eventual-champion Yankees lost two games in last season's World Series. Both of those losses were against Lee.
4. In this case, there's nothing wrong with living in the present and chasing a deep playoff run.
Yes, I deeply value our farm system. Yes, I want to be able to dip into Oklahoma City, Frisco and Bakersfield for the foreseeable future. We'll still be able to.
We've been building the farm system with more talent than ever before in team history for the past three years, but we've missed the playoffs for the past 11 years. This race for the AL West crown is getting serious. It's the best chance Texas has had to win the West since 1999.
Even if the Rangers don't re-sign Lee after this season, I'd sacrifice the trade we made with Seattle for a deep playoff run. Imagining the Rangers playing deep into October is overwhelmingly exciting. Lee gives the team that chance.
Plus, having a stacked farm system comes with the distinct luxury of being able to pursue high-end players when necessary to make a deep playoff run. Smoak and Beavan are no longer Rangers, but the farm is still stacked, thanks to the aforementioned philosophy of Daniels these past three years.
And who knows? Maybe this team ownership mess works out sooner rather than later. Maybe the Rangers have more financial flexibility than we might think next offseason. And maybe, just maybe Lee, a native of nearby Benton, Ark., is able to sign a long-term deal with Texas.
The bottom line?
Right now, the Rangers are in position to win the division with an offense that can stack up against the best in the game. Texas might have the best lineup, one through six, in team history. And now, the team has a legitimate ace, something it has not had since Nolan Ryan. FYI, the last time Ryan pitched like an ace was 1991. That's 19 years ago.
Yes, there will be added pressure. But the time to see just how far this team has come in the past three years is now. And honestly, I couldn't have hand-picked a guy I'd want more at the top of the rotation than Lee.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Rangers batting order, 1-6, could be best in team history
Baseball-reference.com is one of my favorite websites for tracking down statistics in my free time.
I'm a bit of a dork when it comes to batting orders. For some reason, I think it's awesome to go back to, say, 1999 — the last time the Texas Rangers won the AL West — and look at the batting order.
I've really been thinking of batting orders of late, particularly with the Rangers in 2010.
Texas currently sits at 49-34, four-and-a-half games up on Anaheim in the AL West. The Rangers are on pace to have their best season (record-wise) ever. Texas has never won more than 95 games (1999).
It made me come up with the following bold statement: The Rangers 2010 batting order, one through six, could be the best in team history.
When healthy, I truly think this is the best the franchise has ever had to offer.
The 2010 Rangers are currently second in hits, second in batting average, third in on-base percentage and third in runs. They're not mashing as many home runs as in the past, but the mentality on offense is different under manager Ron Washington.
2010 Texas Rangers batting order, 1-6:
1. Elvis Andrus
2. Michael Young
3. Ian Kinsler
4. Vladimir Guerrero
5. Josh Hamilton
6. Nelson Cruz
Here are some other memorable Rangers batting orders:
2003: 71-91, 4th in AL West
1. Michael Young (14 HR, 72 RBI, 13 SB, .306 avg.)
2. Hank Blalock (29 HR, 90 RBI, .300 avg.)
3. Alex Rodriguez (47 HR, 118 RBI, 17 SB, .298 avg.)
4. Rafael Palmeiro (38 HR, 112 RBI, .260 avg.)
5. Juan Gonzalez (24 HR, 70 RBI, .294 avg.)
6. Mark Teixeira (26 HR, 84 RBI, .259 avg., rookie year)
1999 (95-67, first in AL West)
1. Mark McLemore (6 HR, 45 RBI, 16 SB, .274 avg.)
2. Ivan Rodriguez (35 HR, 113 RBI, 25 SB, .332 avg.)
3. Rusty Greer (20 HR, 101 RBI, .300 avg.)
4. Juan Gonzalez (39 HR, 128 RBI, .326 avg.)
5. Rafael Palmeiro (47 HR, 148 RBI, .324 avg.)
6. Todd Zeile (24 HR, 98 RBI, .293 avg.)
1998 (88-74, first in AL West)
1. Tom Goodwin (2 HR, 33 RBI, 38 SB, .290 avg.)
2. Mark McLemore (5 HR, 53 RBI, 12 SB, .247 avg.)
3. Rusty Greer (16 HR, 108 RBI, .306 avg.)
4. Juan Gonzalez (45 HR, 157 RBI, .318 avg.)
5. Will Clark (23 HR, 102 RBI, .305 avg.)
6. Ivan Rodriguez (21 HR, 91 RBI, 9 SB, .321 avg.)
1996 (90-72, first in AL West)
1. Darryl Hamilton (6 HR, 51 RBI, 15 SB, .293 avg.)
2. Ivan Rodriguez (19 HR, 86 RBI, 5 SB, .300 avg.)
3. Will Clark (13 HR, 72 RBI, .284 avg.)
4. Juan Gonzalez (47 HR, 144 RBI, .314 avg.)
5. Mickey Tettleton (24 HR, 83 RBI, .246 avg.)
6. Dean Palmer (38 HR, 107 RBI, .280 avg.)
I hope the 2010 edition will go down as the best. Too many guys linked to steroids in the earlier lineups. The 2010 guys deserve it.
I'm a bit of a dork when it comes to batting orders. For some reason, I think it's awesome to go back to, say, 1999 — the last time the Texas Rangers won the AL West — and look at the batting order.
I've really been thinking of batting orders of late, particularly with the Rangers in 2010.
Texas currently sits at 49-34, four-and-a-half games up on Anaheim in the AL West. The Rangers are on pace to have their best season (record-wise) ever. Texas has never won more than 95 games (1999).
It made me come up with the following bold statement: The Rangers 2010 batting order, one through six, could be the best in team history.
When healthy, I truly think this is the best the franchise has ever had to offer.
The 2010 Rangers are currently second in hits, second in batting average, third in on-base percentage and third in runs. They're not mashing as many home runs as in the past, but the mentality on offense is different under manager Ron Washington.
2010 Texas Rangers batting order, 1-6:
1. Elvis Andrus
2. Michael Young
3. Ian Kinsler
4. Vladimir Guerrero
5. Josh Hamilton
6. Nelson Cruz
Here are some other memorable Rangers batting orders:
2003: 71-91, 4th in AL West
1. Michael Young (14 HR, 72 RBI, 13 SB, .306 avg.)
2. Hank Blalock (29 HR, 90 RBI, .300 avg.)
3. Alex Rodriguez (47 HR, 118 RBI, 17 SB, .298 avg.)
4. Rafael Palmeiro (38 HR, 112 RBI, .260 avg.)
5. Juan Gonzalez (24 HR, 70 RBI, .294 avg.)
6. Mark Teixeira (26 HR, 84 RBI, .259 avg., rookie year)
1999 (95-67, first in AL West)
1. Mark McLemore (6 HR, 45 RBI, 16 SB, .274 avg.)
2. Ivan Rodriguez (35 HR, 113 RBI, 25 SB, .332 avg.)
3. Rusty Greer (20 HR, 101 RBI, .300 avg.)
4. Juan Gonzalez (39 HR, 128 RBI, .326 avg.)
5. Rafael Palmeiro (47 HR, 148 RBI, .324 avg.)
6. Todd Zeile (24 HR, 98 RBI, .293 avg.)
1998 (88-74, first in AL West)
1. Tom Goodwin (2 HR, 33 RBI, 38 SB, .290 avg.)
2. Mark McLemore (5 HR, 53 RBI, 12 SB, .247 avg.)
3. Rusty Greer (16 HR, 108 RBI, .306 avg.)
4. Juan Gonzalez (45 HR, 157 RBI, .318 avg.)
5. Will Clark (23 HR, 102 RBI, .305 avg.)
6. Ivan Rodriguez (21 HR, 91 RBI, 9 SB, .321 avg.)
1996 (90-72, first in AL West)
1. Darryl Hamilton (6 HR, 51 RBI, 15 SB, .293 avg.)
2. Ivan Rodriguez (19 HR, 86 RBI, 5 SB, .300 avg.)
3. Will Clark (13 HR, 72 RBI, .284 avg.)
4. Juan Gonzalez (47 HR, 144 RBI, .314 avg.)
5. Mickey Tettleton (24 HR, 83 RBI, .246 avg.)
6. Dean Palmer (38 HR, 107 RBI, .280 avg.)
I hope the 2010 edition will go down as the best. Too many guys linked to steroids in the earlier lineups. The 2010 guys deserve it.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
All-Star rosters announced: Five Rangers get the nod
Last week, I predicted five Texas Rangers would play in the July 13 All-Star game in Anaheim, Calif.
Turns out five Rangers made the team.
Very exciting.
I correctly predicted four of them (Vladimir Guerrero, Josh Hamilton, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz).
In a bit of a surprising development, Ian Kinsler will make his second all-star team, while Michael Young missed out.
Much of that has to do with Dustin Pedroia, who would have been the AL backup at second base to Robinson Cano, being injured. Since Pedroia can't play, a roster spot automatically opens up at second base. It's awarded to the next player on the second baseman voting: Kinsler.
Young is having more of an all-star-worthy season, but Evan Longoria, Alex Rodriguez and Adrian Beltre made the team over Young at third base.
Young still has an outside chance at making the team. He's one of five AL players, along with Paul Konerko, Nick Swisher, Kevin Youkilis and Delmon Young, vying for the Final Vote. Fan voting will make that determination.
How good does the Mark Teixeira trade look now? When he turned down an eight-year, $140 million deal from the Rangers in 2007, Texas general manager Jon Daniels traded Teixeira to Atlanta for Andrus, Feliz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones. Three years later, two of those pieces are all-stars. Teixeira, somewhat comically, didn't make the all-star game this season.
I'm really looking forward to watching the game. The five Rangers all-stars are the most since 2004. The American League has won 12 straight All-Star games (excluding a tie in 2002), and I look for the AL to keep the trend going this year.
Here are the rosters:
American League
Starting position players:
C: Joe Mauer, Minnesota
1B: Justin Morneau, Minnesota
2B: Robinson Cano, NY Yankees
3B: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
SS: Derek Jeter, NY Yankees
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
OF: Josh Hamilton, Texas
OF: Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay
DH: Vladimir Guerrero, Texas
Pitchers:
RHP: Clay Buchholz, Boston
RHP: Trevor Cahill, Oakland
RHP: Fausto Carmona, Cleveland
RHP: Neftali Feliz, Texas
RHP: Phil Hughes, NY Yankees
LHP: Cliff Lee, Seattle
LHP: Jon Lester, Boston
LHP: David Price, Tampa Bay
RHP: Mariano Rivera, NY Yankees
LHP: CC Sabathia, NY Yankees
RHP: Joakim Soria, Kansas City
LHP: Matt Thornton, Chi. White Sox
RHP: Jose Valverde, Detroit
Reserves:
C: * Victor Martinez, Boston
C: # John Buck, Toronto
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
2B: * Dustin Pedroia, Boston
2B: # Ian Kinsler, Texas
SS: Elvis Andrus, Texas
3B: Alex Rodriguez, NY Yankees
3B: Adrian Beltre, Boston
INF: Ty Wigginton, Baltimore
OF: Torii Hunter, LA Angels
OF: Vernon Wells, Toronto
OF: Jose Bautista, Toronto
DH: David Ortiz, Boston
*unable to play; #replacement player
National League
Starting position players:
C: Yadier Molina, St. Louis
1B: Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2B: * Chase Utley, Philadelphia
3B: David Wright, NY Mets
SS: Hanley Ramirez, Florida
OF: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee
OF: Jason Heyward, Atlanta
OF: Andre Ethier, LA Dodgers
Pitchers:
RHP: Jonathan Broxton, LA Dodgers
RHP: Chris Carpenter, St. Louis
RHP: Matt Capps, Washington
RHP: Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee
RHP: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia
RHP: Tim Hudson, Atlanta
RHP: Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado
RHP: Josh Johnson, Florida
RHP: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco
RHP: Evan Meek, Pittsburgh
LHP: Arthur Rhodes, Cincinnati
RHP: Adam Wainwright, St. Louis
RHP: Brian Wilson, San Francisco
Reserves:
C: Brian McCann, Atlanta
1B: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego
2B: & Martin Prado, Atlanta
INF: Omar Infante, Atlanta
SS: * Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado
SS: # Jose Reyes, NY Mets
2B: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati
3B: Scott Rolen, Cincinnati
OF: Michael Bourn, Houston
OF: Marlon Byrd, Chi. Cubs
OF: Corey Hart, Milwaukee
OF: Matt Holliday, St. Louis
*unable to play; #replacement player; &will start at 2B in place of Chase Utley.
Turns out five Rangers made the team.
Very exciting.
I correctly predicted four of them (Vladimir Guerrero, Josh Hamilton, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz).
In a bit of a surprising development, Ian Kinsler will make his second all-star team, while Michael Young missed out.
Much of that has to do with Dustin Pedroia, who would have been the AL backup at second base to Robinson Cano, being injured. Since Pedroia can't play, a roster spot automatically opens up at second base. It's awarded to the next player on the second baseman voting: Kinsler.
Young is having more of an all-star-worthy season, but Evan Longoria, Alex Rodriguez and Adrian Beltre made the team over Young at third base.
Young still has an outside chance at making the team. He's one of five AL players, along with Paul Konerko, Nick Swisher, Kevin Youkilis and Delmon Young, vying for the Final Vote. Fan voting will make that determination.
How good does the Mark Teixeira trade look now? When he turned down an eight-year, $140 million deal from the Rangers in 2007, Texas general manager Jon Daniels traded Teixeira to Atlanta for Andrus, Feliz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Matt Harrison and Beau Jones. Three years later, two of those pieces are all-stars. Teixeira, somewhat comically, didn't make the all-star game this season.
I'm really looking forward to watching the game. The five Rangers all-stars are the most since 2004. The American League has won 12 straight All-Star games (excluding a tie in 2002), and I look for the AL to keep the trend going this year.
Here are the rosters:
American League
Starting position players:
C: Joe Mauer, Minnesota
1B: Justin Morneau, Minnesota
2B: Robinson Cano, NY Yankees
3B: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay
SS: Derek Jeter, NY Yankees
OF: Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle
OF: Josh Hamilton, Texas
OF: Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay
DH: Vladimir Guerrero, Texas
Pitchers:
RHP: Clay Buchholz, Boston
RHP: Trevor Cahill, Oakland
RHP: Fausto Carmona, Cleveland
RHP: Neftali Feliz, Texas
RHP: Phil Hughes, NY Yankees
LHP: Cliff Lee, Seattle
LHP: Jon Lester, Boston
LHP: David Price, Tampa Bay
RHP: Mariano Rivera, NY Yankees
LHP: CC Sabathia, NY Yankees
RHP: Joakim Soria, Kansas City
LHP: Matt Thornton, Chi. White Sox
RHP: Jose Valverde, Detroit
Reserves:
C: * Victor Martinez, Boston
C: # John Buck, Toronto
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
2B: * Dustin Pedroia, Boston
2B: # Ian Kinsler, Texas
SS: Elvis Andrus, Texas
3B: Alex Rodriguez, NY Yankees
3B: Adrian Beltre, Boston
INF: Ty Wigginton, Baltimore
OF: Torii Hunter, LA Angels
OF: Vernon Wells, Toronto
OF: Jose Bautista, Toronto
DH: David Ortiz, Boston
*unable to play; #replacement player
National League
Starting position players:
C: Yadier Molina, St. Louis
1B: Albert Pujols, St. Louis
2B: * Chase Utley, Philadelphia
3B: David Wright, NY Mets
SS: Hanley Ramirez, Florida
OF: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee
OF: Jason Heyward, Atlanta
OF: Andre Ethier, LA Dodgers
Pitchers:
RHP: Jonathan Broxton, LA Dodgers
RHP: Chris Carpenter, St. Louis
RHP: Matt Capps, Washington
RHP: Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee
RHP: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia
RHP: Tim Hudson, Atlanta
RHP: Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado
RHP: Josh Johnson, Florida
RHP: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco
RHP: Evan Meek, Pittsburgh
LHP: Arthur Rhodes, Cincinnati
RHP: Adam Wainwright, St. Louis
RHP: Brian Wilson, San Francisco
Reserves:
C: Brian McCann, Atlanta
1B: Ryan Howard, Philadelphia
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego
2B: & Martin Prado, Atlanta
INF: Omar Infante, Atlanta
SS: * Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado
SS: # Jose Reyes, NY Mets
2B: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati
3B: Scott Rolen, Cincinnati
OF: Michael Bourn, Houston
OF: Marlon Byrd, Chi. Cubs
OF: Corey Hart, Milwaukee
OF: Matt Holliday, St. Louis
*unable to play; #replacement player; &will start at 2B in place of Chase Utley.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Will Mavs be active in free agent frenzy?
It's not a stretch to say that in 20 years from now, we'll look back on the summer of 2010 and remember this year as the most star-studded free agent class in NBA history.
LeBron James obviously headlines the group. But there's not a whole ton of dropoff after the king.
Dwyane Wade. Chris Bosh. Dirk Nowitzki. Carlos Boozer. Paul Pierce. Joe Johnson. Amar'e Stoudemire. David Lee. Rudy Gay.
Those are probably the top 10. It's one hell of a list.
With this glamorous list in mind, how active will Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks be in their offseason plans this summer?
It appears Dirk is staying with the only team he's known in his 12 years in the NBA.
My thoughts? Great news.
Look, Dirk is Metroplex property at this point. I can't imagine the guy playing on any other team. Sure, he's nearing the end of his prime, but he's still a superstar and the best player to ever put on a Mavericks uniform. Hopefully, Cuban and co. lock him up another four years for $80-$90 million and move on to looking at free agents. He is well worth the money.
As of right now, the Dallas starting lineup is solid, but a theme begins to take shape when taking a look at the starters in the last game from last season's ugly playoff loss to San Antonio. It's no secret: The Mavs should look to get younger.
Jason Kidd: 37
Caron Butler: 30
Shawn Marion: 32
Dirk Nowitzki: 32
Brendan Haywood: 30
Experience is critical as we've seen in recent years with the Spurs and Lakers, but Dallas must get younger. Jason Terry (32) and Erick Dampier (34) aren't getting any younger either. Roddy Beaubois (22), who should start seeing much more time next season, is about the only youngster who could have a big impact for us.
Dallas hasn't really been in the conversation to land any of the top 10 free agents, aside from brief rumors about Joe Johnson. The national media seems to think Johnson's bound to land elsewhere, maybe even restructuring a deal to stay in Atlanta.
Should be interesting to see what the Mavs do. Starting at 11 p.m. tonight (central time), the phone lines of just about every NBA owner and GM are going to be lighting up. Rumors will continue to swirl.
I just hope to start the 2010-2011 season, Dallas a starting lineup with at least one guy in his 20s.
LeBron James obviously headlines the group. But there's not a whole ton of dropoff after the king.
Dwyane Wade. Chris Bosh. Dirk Nowitzki. Carlos Boozer. Paul Pierce. Joe Johnson. Amar'e Stoudemire. David Lee. Rudy Gay.
Those are probably the top 10. It's one hell of a list.
With this glamorous list in mind, how active will Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks be in their offseason plans this summer?
It appears Dirk is staying with the only team he's known in his 12 years in the NBA.
My thoughts? Great news.
Look, Dirk is Metroplex property at this point. I can't imagine the guy playing on any other team. Sure, he's nearing the end of his prime, but he's still a superstar and the best player to ever put on a Mavericks uniform. Hopefully, Cuban and co. lock him up another four years for $80-$90 million and move on to looking at free agents. He is well worth the money.
As of right now, the Dallas starting lineup is solid, but a theme begins to take shape when taking a look at the starters in the last game from last season's ugly playoff loss to San Antonio. It's no secret: The Mavs should look to get younger.
Jason Kidd: 37
Caron Butler: 30
Shawn Marion: 32
Dirk Nowitzki: 32
Brendan Haywood: 30
Experience is critical as we've seen in recent years with the Spurs and Lakers, but Dallas must get younger. Jason Terry (32) and Erick Dampier (34) aren't getting any younger either. Roddy Beaubois (22), who should start seeing much more time next season, is about the only youngster who could have a big impact for us.
Dallas hasn't really been in the conversation to land any of the top 10 free agents, aside from brief rumors about Joe Johnson. The national media seems to think Johnson's bound to land elsewhere, maybe even restructuring a deal to stay in Atlanta.
Should be interesting to see what the Mavs do. Starting at 11 p.m. tonight (central time), the phone lines of just about every NBA owner and GM are going to be lighting up. Rumors will continue to swirl.
I just hope to start the 2010-2011 season, Dallas a starting lineup with at least one guy in his 20s.
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