Texas Rangers Clinch Home Field Advantage; Will Face Blue Jays in ALDS

[polychronopolous]

JUST TURNED 21 years old and already broke the stadium record with a 491 feet home run. Longest in MLB this year.

Btw, This kid MIGHT end up making the all-star team this year.

[Grape Ape]

Drafted him in my keeper league too.   Also have Gallo.

[polychronopolous]

Drafted him in my keeper league too.   Also have Gallo.

Gallo can hit some moon shots as well.

Has really improved his strikeouts too.

[Grape Ape]

Gallo can hit some moon shots as well.

Has really improved his strikeouts too.

Funny thing is, I didn't even realize I had three guys from Texas until I replied to your thread.

Yeah, Gallo hits the ball further than anyone not named Stanton.  Wish they'd call him up already.

[polychronopolous]

Funny thing is, I didn't even realize I had three guys from Texas until I replied to your thread.

Yeah, Gallo hits the ball further than anyone not named Stanton.  Wish they'd call him up already.

Yeah there is one from last year I need to pull up where he hits almost hits it through the tunnel leading into the consession stand concourse on the upper deck.

Could you imagine standing there ordering a hot dog and see a ball roll by your feet 😀

Yu Darvish making his first start today and they called up Profar to replace Odor.

[Grape Ape]

I know the value of a closer vs an everyday player, but it's obvious Texas needs a lock down bullpen or else they are going nowhere.

Wonder if they'd ever part with a Gallo or Profar for Miller AND Chapman.

[polychronopolous]

I know the value of a closer vs an everyday player, but it's obvious Texas needs a lock down bullpen or else they are going nowhere.

Wonder if they'd ever part with a Gallo or Profar for Miller AND Chapman.

I am EXTREMELY comfortable with Bush-Deikman-Dyson at the 7-8-9. The main issue for those guys has not been performance but plain old over workage. They are being forced to go out there almost every day because it seems the Rangers always have the lead once the starting pitcher hands the ball off.

There is definite help coming for the pen by way of Keone Kela. He threw a bullpen session on Friday and evidently feels really good.  I think that kid is right up there in the conversation with Bush, Diekman and Dyson in importance once he gets settled in. He really has that much talent.

Tanner Scheppers is another one coming back in the coming weeks.  The talent is there I just don't know if he has the nerves for it. They tried to transition him to the starting rotation and that was an epic disaster just like the whole Neftali Feliz ordeal. They really screwed over both of those guys by attempting to stretch them out.

Besides that, I can't see GM Jon Daniels moving prospects as highly ranked as Gallo or Profar for a bullpen piece. Totally not his style. He picked up Diekman and Dyson for the cheap last year and I believe he has the confidence to do something similar again this year.

NOW....If we are talking about moving those 2 kids for a top level starting pitcher to go along with Hamels/Darvish then I am TOTALLY on board. You add a piece like that then you are talking about legit front runner World Series status.

To me starting rotation is a bigger concern than the bullpen because I have faith in the addition of Kela + Jon Daniels ability to figure something out.

A good buddy of mine thinks i'm crazy for wanting to trade the young slugger. He is convinced Gallo is the next Chris Davis. I personally think Gallo projects closer to Adam Dunn.

[polychronopolous]

Texas Rangers at Number 1; Cubs Fall in Power Rankings

Rangers, SF pass Cubs in W's, rankings



It was bound to happen sometime, but the way the Cubs played the first seven weeks of the season, it was starting to look as if they were exempt from any sort of significant losing spell that even the best of teams experience over the course of a long season.

It's highly doubtful that one bad week will mushroom into multiple bad weeks or months, but the Cubs' poor showing against the Cardinals and Marlins last week did have a slight residual effect -- it knocked them from the top spot of our MLB Power Rankings for the first time this season.
The Cubs are no longer the keepers of the highest win total in baseball -- that distinction is shared by, unsurprisingly, the two teams now ahead of them in the rankings. The Rangers won their 49th game with a 6-2 victory over the Red Sox on Sunday, and the Giants later matched them with a walk-off victory over the Phillies.
Long season, folks...

MLB.COM POWER RANKINGS


1. Rangers
Three injuries to key pitchers in the rotation (Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis) may catch up to the Rangers eventually, but so far, nothing has changed. The Rangers are now tied with the Giants for the most wins in baseball at 49 and went 4-2 in the past week, topping Baltimore in a makeup game, splitting a two-gamer with the Reds and taking two of three from the Red Sox. They've won 34 of their past 47 games and are off to their best 76-game start in team history. Their schedule leading up to the All-Star break appears favorable, considering seven of their 14 games will be played against the Twins.

2. Giants
Hard to decide who's No. 1 and who's No. 2 between these top teams. The Giants have lost twice in the past two weeks, and their upcoming schedule doesn't look terribly challenging, with four games with the A's, three with the Rockies and six with the D-backs that will take them into the break. They're 32-10 since May 11, the best record in baseball from that date. A big part of the equation has been Johnny Cueto, who, despite a not-so-hot outing on Sunday against the Phillies, has a 2.42 ERA on the year.

3. Cubs
The Cubs lost six of seven and are still 22 games above .500. If that doesn't scream "no reason to panic," what will? The Cubs are still plenty good, but they had a bad week, first being swept by the Cardinals at home before losing three of four in Miami against the surging Marlins. The good news: they have six games with Cincinnati between now and the All-Star break. Not-so-great news: if they're losing because they're tired, it'll be a while before they get a breather. Thanks to a makeup game against the Braves at Wrigley Field on July 7, the Cubs will play 24 straight days heading into the break.

4. Indians
The Tribe heads into a new workweek with a nine-game winning streak, a five-game lead in the AL Central and every reason to believe that in three more months it will still be right in the mix in a very winnable division. Everything is going well for the Indians these days, but this week, let's give a special hat tip to a pitching staff that has the lowest ERA (3.51) and WHIP (1.18) in the AL, and a rotation whose 3.63 ERA is only the Rangers by a tick -- 3.63 to Texas' 3.62.

5. Orioles
The season is almost half over, and the Orioles have yet to relinquish their positioning at or near the top of the very competitive AL East. The offense, which has been relentless all season, has enjoyed an especially fruitful month, leading the Majors with 51 home runs in June. Kudos to the relief corps, which entered Sunday's game with the second-lowest ERA in the Majors at 2.96.

[polychronopolous]

This Rangers team has the best fortune of anyone I have ever seen.

Rangers overcome bizarre umpiring, 3.5-hour rain delay to complete comeback win over Yankees



NEW YORK - This is what has become of the New York Yankees dynasty: They ask the heavens to end games for them.

The heavens did their part.

It was the umpires who ultimately wouldn't capitulate.

And, so, after a rain delay of 3:35 on Monday/Tuesday, the Rangers overcame the weather, a plea from New York manager Joe Girardi, AroldisChapman and what's left of the Yankees for a 9-6 come-from-behind win with four runs in the ninth inning.

"This is just another line in another chapter," manager Jeff Banister said around 2:50 a.m. ET. "I don't want to make it more than it is and I don't want to make it less than it is. This team just wanted the opportunity to play the game on the field to the last out. They wanted to go out there and play hard to the last out. That's what they do."

When play resumed at 2:15 a.m. ET with a runner at first via a Chapman walk, Chapman was gone, replaced by Kirby Yates. He struck out Shin-Soo Choo, hit consecutive batters with two-strike pitches, then allowed a two-run single to Adrian Beltre on a 1-2 count. As cleanup crews mixed with the remaining crowd of about 200, Elvis Andrus added a two-run single.

And as dramatic as the Rangers' comeback was, it was not the story of the night. That was the bizarre handling of a rain delay during which no rain fell and four innings in which rain steadily fell and the tarp was never called for.

Play didn't stop until after Chapman walked Chirinos on five pitches and fell behind Choo 3-1. Yankees manager Joe Girardi came out of the dugout and approached the umpires, beseeching them to do something about the deteriorating conditions.And they did.Acting crew chief Paul Nauert called for the tarp.

He was then left to try to explain to Rangers manager Jeff Banister why he called for the tarp. Suffice to say, the men stood out in the rain for a while discussing the matter."I assume that's what Joe was asking," Banister said. "That was a first for me."

Said Beltre: "We didn't think that it was fair. We had been playing in the rain the whole game. Our pitcher [Tony Barnette] had just been on the mound pitching in the same situation. Even if Girardi comes out and complains, it's still the umpires call."

Then they sat and waited. And waited. And waited a little more.

When the umpires came back on the field and the tarp was removed, Girardi had a conversation with them in the middle of the dirt between second and third.

All the while, Banister stood on the outside, hands crossed across his chest looking impatient or simply annoyed. Then Girardi went to confer with his GM Brian Cashman and MLB's Director of Umpire Administration Matt McKendry. He gestured in a frustrated manner.

"I think what matters most is that allowed the game to be completed," Banister said. "The umpires made a decision based on the conditions of the field. There is obviously agitation on both sides, but they allowed the game to be completed."

The game resumed.

The Rangers made the most of it.

[Grape Ape]

I am EXTREMELY comfortable with Bush-Deikman-Dyson at the 7-8-9.

Still?

2 monster meltdowns in the last week.

The Yankees bullpen has the top three K/9 pitchers in all of baseball.  Imagine adding two of them for a short series.

[polychronopolous]

Still?

2 monster meltdowns in the last week.

The Yankees bullpen has the top three K/9 pitchers in all of baseball.  Imagine adding two of them for a short series.

Maybe you are right.

Matt Bush has been sitting in a jail cell the past few years so it is just a matter of time til he starts to fade plus the organization has been kinda weird about why they have been holding off on Sam Dyson.

Keone Kela WILL help and Scheppers has a good shot to contribute but that might not be enough if the late inning guys can't be completely trusted.

All that being said....

I still would rather The Rangers do whatever necessary to ensure a Darvish, Hamels and Chris Sale rotation for the next 2 years. 😎

[Grape Ape]

Maybe you are right.

Matt Bush has been sitting in a jail cell the past few years so it is just a matter of time til he starts to fade plus the organization has been kinda weird about why they have been holding off on Sam Dyson.

Keone Kela WILL help and Scheppers has a good shot to contribute but that might not be enough if the late inning guys can't be completely trusted.

All that being said....

I still would rather The Rangers do whatever necessary to ensure a Darvish, Hamels and Chris Sale rotation for the next 2 years. 😎

Yeah, that would be nasty.


And, to be frank, I'm a SABR guy, and completely get the relative little overall upside in elite vs average closers, and their relative value to a potential every day stud like Gallo.

But, I just think what the Yankees have in Miller / Chapman gives the team that acquires them such and overwhelming advantage in a playoff scenario, a GM may "go for it".

I can see the Cubs doing this, despite Epstein's acumen, given the context of where they're at.

[polychronopolous]

Yeah, that would be nasty.


And, to be frank, I'm a SABR guy, and completely get the relative little overall upside in elite vs average closers, and their relative value to a potential every day stud like Gallo.

But, I just think what the Yankees have in Miller / Chapman gives the team that acquires them such and overwhelming advantage in a playoff scenario, a GM may "go for it".

I can see the Cubs doing this, despite Epstein's acumen, given the context of where they're at.

First and foremost the general consensus is that Texas has a loaded farm system.

Gallo murdering the ball in AAA and Profar proving his worth as a middle infielder with a great glove and a steady switch hitter on the major league level.

2 major pieces right there.

What I mean to say is the pieces are there to make a significant move to win a World Series which is the ultimate goal. Big time baseball.

Over the past few weeks the conversation in DFW has been "Dominant Starting Pitcher vs. A Couple Standout Bullpen Pieces".

And it has really been close to 50/50....maybe with a slight edge towards bringing in a dominant starter.

But I think Grape Ape might have swayed me....Our woes truly are in the bullpen.

If you don't have a bullpen, you don't have shit.

We don't have the answer to whether they will bring in the dominant starting pitcher. So much of that depends on Yu Darvish and what he brings to the table over the next 3 weeks

Beltre is 37. Ian Desmond and Mitch Moreland are only guaranteed for this year. Fielder is on the decline.

If I was to place a bet I say the Rangers bring in at least 1 solid starting pitcher and 2 significant upgrades in the bullpen.

Do not dismiss the Texas Rangers front office(one of the best with JD at the helm) they will make the moves to make this team competitive this year and next.

[Grape Ape]

It's kind of a cool scenario - at team like Texas can transform a struggling bullpen into the best in baseball if  they're willing to part with some talent.

Cool times - win / win for both sides - Yankees can acquire elite prospects the year before they shed a ton of old contracts, and the new team can acquire an overwhelming advantage, and still retain Miller.

Plus, it lessens the chances for the pretender Red Sox and their absolute shit SP.

I'm going to struggle in my keeper FBB league at the end of the year - I got Gallo / Profar / Darvish / Nomar all this year...going to be tough to drop.

[polychronopolous]

It's kind of a cool scenario - at team like Texas can transform a struggling bullpen into the best in baseball if  they're willing to part with some talent.

Cool times - win / win for both sides - Yankees can acquire elite prospects the year before they shed a ton of old contracts, and the new team can acquire an overwhelming advantage, and still retain Miller.

Plus, it lessens the chances for the pretender Red Sox and their absolute shit SP.

I'm going to struggle in my keeper FBB league at the end of the year - I got Gallo / Profar / Darvish / Nomar all this year...going to be tough to drop.

I agree, it works for both sides.

Chapman really impressed me. That guy just blows people away with that fastball. I don't get a chance to watch much of the other teams except when the Rangers play but wow, that guy is unbelievable at times. 102 mph 

I think you'll have to back up the truck to get a 8th/9th inning badass like Andrew Miller though.

Still have faith in the Rangers ability to put up runs. I'm all for selling out for the next 2 years. Get rid of some of the higher double A/ triple A prospects and let the younger guys develop into their places.

I'm thinking a solid 3 guy in the starting rotation and a couple of solid bullpen arms plus maybe a catcher would make me feel much better.

So much of this season depends on Yu Darvish and if he can recover by October. I really think the season almost depends on it. If he doesn't make a solid recovery and they don't make a move for a top of a rotation guy they are toast IF they can even reach the post season.

Oh well, I can't very well keep the thread title as it is...they are NOT the best team in baseball.

Now i get to enjoy a night of Chi Chi Gonzalez and his shitty sinker ball that doesn't sink. 

[polychronopolous]

Rangers' Nomar Mazara emotional about Instagram post with slain officer



ARLINGTON, Texas -- Nomar Mazara took the white iPhone and studied the Instagram image of him and Texas Rangers teammate Joey Gallo posing for a picture with Dallas police officer Patrick Zamarripa. Then Mazara slowly read Gallo's lengthy post as though trying to absorb the meaning of each word.

Then Mazara read it again.

"Who would expect that you would take a picture with somebody a month ago and they'd be dead today?" Mazara asked without really expecting an answer.


"Wow. It's emotional when you see the picture."

Zamarripa was among five people -- four Dallas police officers and one Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer -- who were killed Thursday night when Dallas police say a sniper began shooting from a downtown garage near the end of a peaceful protest against the police-involved shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota this week. Dallas police said seven other officers and two civilians were wounded.

The Rangers had a moment of silence and a military flyover before Friday's game to honor those who were killed and injured during the shooting. And before the national anthem, Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" blared throughout the stadium.

Several news outlets have identified the alleged shooter as Micah Xavier Johnson. He was killed early Friday morning during a standoff when police placed a bomb robot near Johnson and detonated it.

Mazara said he and Gallo, who spent May 23-28 with the Rangers before being sent down to Triple-A Round Rock, were walking around downtown Dallas several weeks ago when Zamarripa requested a photo.

"He was a nice guy," Mazara said in a near-empty clubhouse a couple of hours before the Rangers' game against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.

"He recognized us and we took a picture and talked baseball for about 15 minutes," Mazara said. "I just couldn't believe it, when I found out that he was one of the officers that had been killed. I was glad I had a chance to take that picture, especially because he was a police officer. He's a hero."

Mazara wasn't the only member of the Rangers dealing with the day's emotions.

Manager Jeff Banister said he went to bed Thursday night watching news reports about the violence in downtown Dallas. Banister said he learned about the shootings during the seventh inning of the Rangers' 10-1 loss to Minnesota from Blake Miller, the club's vice president of security and parking, who made a brief dugout appearance.

"Immediately, it was gut-wrenching," Banister said. "The rest of the game was pretty much a blur for me."

When he woke up Friday morning, Banister said he quickly turned on the news to get the latest information. For a few hours those reports took precedence over scouting reports, roster decisions and ways to beat the Twins.

"You just want to throw up, a tragedy like that," Banister said. "Obviously, myself, I have a lot of respect for the families of the victims in Louisiana and Minnesota, but even more so here.

"How do you rebound from this? How do you reconnect?"

Prince Fielder, like many of his teammates and Banister, has many questions and few answers about how to bridge the apparent mistrust between citizens and public servants. Yes, the Rangers' game is a respite from the tragedy that took place 25 miles east of Globe Life Park, but the issues will remain after the game's final out.

"This is a serious issue and you don't want to escape it," Fielder said. "You really want to handle it as far as last night and the things that happened previous.

"Those are things we really need to look at and not shy away from."

[tom joad]

'Stros doing a nice job getting back in the mix with the Rangers' recent pitching woes, but i'm hoping for a Rangers-Jays ALCS.

[polychronopolous]

Mike Rhyner: Yu Darvish "doesn't give a shit" about the Texas Rangers

"The Old Grey Wolf", long time DFW radio personality, bashes Rangers pitcher





Darvish has been the target of barbs and criticism from the local media since, basically, he arrived in Texas, and despite a solid outing last night, he was on the receiving end of a particularly scathing tweet from the Ticket's Mike Rhyner: "Yu doesn't give a shit about this team...all he cares about is his impending free agency and strikeouts and making hitters look bad"

Going through his subsequent responses to folks, his complaint appears to be that the Rangers need Yu to throw fewer pitches per at bat and go deeper into games to save the bullpen, but instead of pitching to contact, he's trying to strike batters out.

[Grape Ape]

Striking out batters is the least risky out a pitcher can get.

Rangers need to trade Profar to NY for bullpen help.

[polychronopolous]

Striking out batters is the least risky out a pitcher can get.

Rangers need to trade Profar to NY for bullpen help.

True but I can see where Rhyner is coming from. Seeing your supposed ace take 90 pitches to get through 4 innings begins to wear on you after a while.

Profar for either one of those relievers could very well happen. Evidently the talks with the Sox over a potential Sale move have cooled off. GM Daniels is reluctant to trade the upside of Gallo to the Rays for what is arguably a group of middle to back of the rotation arms. With Andrus and Odor holding down the middle of the infield for potentially the next decade, Profar becomes very expendable.

When you take into account the potential return of both Colby Lewis and Derek Holland next month, the Ranger might just put all of their focus on relief pitching and potentially a catcher.

[Grape Ape]

Considering what NY just supposedly got for Chapman, the price for Miller just went though the roof.

[polychronopolous]

Still a good move for the Cubs. Chapman is going to be a great piece for the back end of that bull pen.

I am all for the Rangers making moves to win now. Almost certain Yu is a Yankee or Dodger after 2017 so they have 2 years to make it happen.

[polychronopolous]

Cleveland Indians acquire Andrew Miller from New York Yankees



The Cleveland Indians have acquired reliever Andrew Miller from the New York Yankees for a package of four prospects, headed by Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield.  This is on the heels of the Indians reportedly landing Jonathan Lucroy last night, conditioned on Lucroy waiving his no-trade clause.

Frazier, 21, was the #5 overall pick in the 2013 draft, and according to one report on Twitter, has evoked comparisons to Mike Trout from folks with the Yankees.  He was just recently promoted to AAA, after putting up an 825 OPS in AA this season.  An outfielder, Frazier is thought to be likely to end up in left field, though he has played all three outfield spots this year.

Sheffield, 20, is a small lefty who was taken with the #31 overall pick in the 2014 draft.  He has a 3.59 ERA in 19 starts in the Carolina League.

Frazier and Sheffield are considered to be two of the top three prospects in the Indians' system, although at first glance, this appears to be a less impressive return than what the Indians got for Aroldis Chapman, although a lot of that depends on how high you are on Frazier.

Meanwhile, the Indians now have one of the best relief pitchers in the game and one of the best catchers in the game, both under control past this season (Lucroy through 2017, Miller through 2018).  Miller has a 1.39 ERA and a 1.77 FIP, and gives the Indians a shutdown closer for the back of their pen.

The Rangers were reportedly interested in Miller, but weren't willing to meet the Yankees' asking price.  Given what the Indians gave up, I'm a little curious about what the Rangers were asked for.

UPDATE -- The Yankees also acquired RHPs Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen in this deal.

[Grape Ape]

NY has gotten an insane haul for two relief pitchers.  Farm system goes from middle of the pack to strong.

But, Texas missed out - should have been all in on miller.

Now time for me to get greedy and have Texas panic and give us someone for Beltran/McCann....

Normally, I wouldn't think it could happen, but this trading deadline has been nuts.   

[polychronopolous]

NY has gotten an insane haul for two relief pitchers.  Farm system goes from middle of the pack to strong.

But, Texas missed out - should have been all in on miller.

Now time for me to get greedy and have Texas panic and give us someone for Beltran/McCann....

Normally, I wouldn't think it could happen, but this trading deadline has been nuts.

Very well played by New York. Their future has gotten alot brighter in the past week.

I'm starting to believe the Rangers won't have a Cole Hamels type splash this time.

Evidently the Sox won't let go of Sale unless the Rangers include Mazara and I just can't see that happening. They think they have a star for the next 10 to 15 years in that kid.

Still think Daniels makes a move for relief pitching but will probably rely on his scouts to bring in a relatively(in this market) cheap option in an attempt to provide a Dyson and Diekman return like they got last year.

Martin Perez has began to look like his potential suggested 2 years ago(2.77 ERA in his past 2 games and a much improved changeup, his bread and butter pitch).

You are set with 2 aces in Hamels/Darvish. Pray Perez can continue to rebound. Griffin looked solid in his last outing. Either Colby or Derek Holland can recover by August and that's your rotation. Pretty damn salty at the top but A TON of questions from the middle to back end.

Dyson looks like he is being held together by duct tape at this point and who knows what Bush can provide? They need to get SOMETHING.

I think the plan is to replace Prince with Gallo next year at the First Base/DH slot. Profar has begun to get more outfield work so he replaces Ian Desmond who will likely cash in big time this off season.