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Chatting Baseball With My Boys

There is no question that posting about baseball on this blog for a rube like me would be a little like Miss Wisconsin trying to grab attention on South Beach.  That being said, I have questions that must be answered.  And, I have friends at Inside Corner that spend a lot of time thinking about baseball.   So, what if I cornered Evan Grant and Mike Hindman during Wednesday Night’s game and got answers to some of my many questions?

My idea was a virtual real-time roundtable that could be posted while the game is going and you, our treasured readers, could follow along as it happened.  But, we are working out a few technology bugs before that can go down.  So, essentially, what I did was ask each of them, in seperate chats, the same basic questions.

I had 1 hour, and they could not see each-others answers, but for our first effort…I think it was an effort. 3,000 words of hard-core ask-them-anything because they are bound by law to answer Rangers queries for our Rangers brains. It was everything I dreamed it would be – assuming that I dream about Ranger chats.    I must thank them for their time.  I hope you enjoy.

Here it is, as it happened – in stereo where available:

Bob: Do the Rangers have a good offense?

Evan: Spotty. Each of the last three years, it seems like they come out swinging for the fences and it takes them time to remember discipline, patience, etc. I think there are holes in the 7-8 spots. Not worried about Chris Davis. He’ll come out of it, but the catching spot is a concern. Right now, I think the best lineup might include AndruwJones on a regular basis somewhere, but not sure where you put him at this point unless you play him in left field and sit both Marlon Byrd and David Murphy.

MJH: plenty good; Davis will come around eventually. Salty? Not sure. But if he doesn’t, just play Teagarden more often to the benefit of the pitching staff. Perhaps Salty’s struggles are the Baseball Gods’ way of telling the Rangers to focus on defense and pitching at the catcher position.

Bob: the point of this line of questioning is based on my long standing premise that while the Rangers have a very interesting resume filled with impressive statistics, I cannot say I am convinced they have a superior offense. In my opinion, a superior offense would make good pitchers look bad a bit more often. Obviously, the Halladay performance does not apply, but overall, I feel like they take advantage of the mediocre, but are taken advantage of by the good. Am I crazy?

Evan: I think most offenses are that way. The old saying: Good pitching beats good hitting. The Rangers haven’t had enough good pitching to make it possible for just a smidgen of offense to beat a good pitcher. When you need five or six runs to beat said good pitcher, your chances drop way off. Let’s take the canonized John Danks, for example. The White Sox lost 15 games he started last year. Guess how many times he gave up four our more runs? Danksgave up four or more runs six times. … The Rangers won last year with four or fewer runs just 19 times. To be able to beat a good pitcher, your pitcher has to hold the opponent down. …

MJH: No Bob, but that is not unique to the Rangers. Great pitching will trounce great offense almost all of the time. the key is to have an answer on the mound and in the field to someone else’s great pitching.

Bob: How about this. I looked at 2003-2008, and in those 6 seasons, the Rangers ranked 4, 3, 1, 4, 2, 4 in strikeouts by this lineup. Given that the strikeout is the most worthless use of a PA possible, is that not part of the problem? Or, do I make to much of it?

MJH: I think that it is part of the problem here, but let’s not make too much of strikeouts in-and-of themselves. I think you can make a pretty good argument that the Rangers hitters don’t do a good enough job of throttling down in two-strike counts.

Evan: As for the strikeouts, I won’t argue with you. Too many strikeouts in this lineup and in lineups of years past. But it still comes down to how often you get on base. Last year, the Rangers had a .354 OBP, second only to Boston. They struck out a lot, but they also took a whole lot of walks.

Bob: The OBP cannot be argued with, but my counter would ask that once they are on base, are strikeouts killing the advancement of said runners?

Evan: They do not do a good job of situational hitting, but they would argue that they do a much better job of driving the ball than other teams. I agree they’ve got to do a better job of making even the outs more productive, but it still comes down to how well you pitch and I maintain that the pitching here has often left the Ranger offense with the feeling that no number of runs is ever enough. That’s why they play for three-run innings, not one run innings.

Bob: As an observer of “Rangers Baseball”, I find great frustration when they cannot get to Meche or Greinke especially in Arlington. Trends like that remind me of 15k+ performances in the last few years against Johan. I know I am not a calculated baseball mind, but I just know that good pitchers exist, and are everywhere in October. If you can’t beat them your share, how good is your offense really?

Evan: It is a fundamental issue. But Zack Greinke is quickly becoming an ace-caliber pitcher. He has great stuff. Mechewas 14-11 last year for a bad club. The Rangers won both games he started against them. They got to him one time, scoring five runs in 6.1 innings. And one the other occasion, the Rangers got to the Royals bullpen after Meche allowed a run in six innings. … The playoff thing is a fundamental issue. It’s why the Rangers were no match for the Yankees in 1998 and 1999. This team does have to do a better job of making the most of limited scoring opportunities against starters, but I go back to the “no amount of runs seems to ever

MJH: That’s why nobody really ever bashes their way to title. Remember the Rangers playoff series’ against the Yankees in the 90’s? Their supposedly weak pitching basically kept up with the Yanks. But their supposedly vaunted lineup could not deliver. One of the reasons I think that defensive metrics are such a hot topic right now is to help people comprehend more fully just why it is worthwhile to sacrifice some run production in certain areas (up the middle) in order to bolster the pitching staff. And in Arlington that could be a paradigm changer.

Bob: in your estimation, is there something this organization should emphasize more offensively or is the job being accomplished?

MJH: I’m becoming more and more convinced the longer I study this game that success depends upon emphasizing players strengths. I think it would not behoove this club to attempt to turn Ian Kinslerinto an opposite field hitter or attempt to turn Josh Hamilton into a guy who works pitch counts exceedingly well. Elvis is a guy who can do some things differently with the bat than the Rangers have had in awhile. And I want to see how they use those skills. In the nine hole, it’s hard to say just yet. But to the extent you are talking about situational hitting, I would say that you are about to see some very good examples of that for several years from Andrus. It’s really one of the main ways in which the kid is wise beyond his years as a ballplayer.

Evan: I think it is emphasizing working pitchers and counts to get to the soft underbelly of teams bullpens. I think that’s the most important thing. What Boston does so well is it never gives away at-bats. I agreed with you before on this and still do agree; the Rangers do get themselves out on occasion.

Bob: and part of working a count and expanding a pitch count is going to be risking more strikeouts from your batters…there is no way around that.

Evan: Yes, but now they are taking more third strikes deep in counts than in 1998 and 1999 when they just swung at the first three pitches. I still remember how Juan Gonzalez chased three successive sliders from Orlando Hernandez with two men on and one out in Game 1 in 1999. End of rally. End of momentum.

Bob: ok- on to the gloves…in your opinion, which of the lineup gives the Rangers at least average defense at their position. Asked another way, if improving defense is one way to improve the team, where is there still great need for improvement?

Evan: I hate to sound down on Jarrod Saltalamacchia because he’s greatly improved his all-around game-calling and defense, but Taylor Teagardenis an exceptional defender. It’s the one area where defensively, I can’t see the Rangers strictly choosing defense. And catcher has such an all-around impact with game-calling and everything. … Ultimately, I think the best lineup will also include Julio Borbonin center with Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz flanking him.

MJH: Elvis = above average; Nelson Cruz = slightly above average; Ian = average, could be well above; CD = slightly above average; MY = average right now, could be well above average soon; Salty = below average; Teagarden= above average; Josh = below average; Marlon = above average

Bob: Mike, I know you wrote plenty on Josh in center, but to reset in a few sentences, why is he not a CF for you?

MJH: I went to Frisco a lot last year and I’ve seen Julio Borbon too much. I’ve got a vision of what he can do in CF in Arlington.

Evan: His offensive numbers in right were much better than in center and I think he’s a fine center fielder for the short-term. But I think long-term, the big tweak is to get him to a less stressful position. I will also say I was a lot more comfortable with Nelson Cruz before the season started, but he’s made some bad reads on balls early. I think the OF alignment for now is fine. Long-term, I’d like to get Hamilton to a corner. Think the Rangers would, too.

Bob: What kind of bat does Borbon have, and when is his ETA?

Evan: As for Borbon, MJH is a better evaluator of minor league numbers, but I think he’ll fit fine at the bottom of the order for the time being and may one day supplant Kinsler as a leadoff guy. Would be great to move Kinsler’s varied offensive threats into a better run-producing position. Borbon starts in center field next year.

MJH: he’s going to be a high-average hitter who can execute and run. he’s nearly as ready as Elvis; could put him in there now and he’d survive offensively while delivering tremendous coverage in CF. Julio is a very very smart kid. He’ll always figure out a way to get the job done. I just think that after 30+ years of watching a high-powered offense fail here, it is worth the trouble to see what a plus-plus defense might do for the pitching here. Teagarden, Elvis and Julio are the type of up-the-middle defenders who can make pitchers look a lot better than they really are.

Bob: Tell me about your opinion on Kinsler’s glove? Does the good outweigh the bad?

Evan: I once got all persnickety about Pudge Rodriguez’s game-calling and everything. Then the team let him go, traded for Einar Diaz and Pudge went to Florida. Pudge then put together an MVP type of year while Diaz may have been the worst starting catcher the Rangers have ever had. Bottom line: There were some flaws in Pudge’s game. He was still one of the best at the position and the Rangers weren’t going to be able to upgrade over him. Are their flaws in Kinsler’s game at second? Yeah, he occasionally makes a careless mistake. Who would you take over him at second right now? Dustin Pedroia? That might be about it. Overall, Kinsler’s attributes so far outweigh his flaws, it’s not even close.

Bob: On to Ron Washington. Can he survive this bridge to 2010?

MJH: the AL west is weak and wide open; if they get going, he’ll survive.

Evan: Yes, he can. The bullpen isn’t his fault. But there are times when he makes moves that smack of a lack of thinking things through, like pinch hitting for Young with the bases loaded last week. So what if he had told Omar Vizquel he would hit in the inning. Vizquel is the 25th man on the roster and knows that. Tell him, sorry, you didn’t expect to be in this position and send Young to the plate. If he drives home runs, maybe you get back in the game; if not Vizquelgoes to short to start the next inning. It’s moves like that – moves that don’t have to be made – that will get him into more trouble than anything he does with the bullpen. Everybody understands his pitching weapons are limited. Just don’t make moves that run against baseball etiquette.

Bob: Does he call a good game for the most part? What makes you uncomfortable with his decision making in general?

Evan: For the most part, I’m comfortable with his game calling. He’s made a lot of against-the-grain starting lineup moves in the first two weeks and they all seemed to work out.

MJH: nobody doesn’t like Washington; he makes some stupid decisions, but don’t they all? It’s always seemed to me that his problem is that he keeps the thing too loose. They come out with a lack of intensity and it takes them too long to ramp it up. The flip side of that is a manager who guys can’t wait to say goodbye to for the year come mid-July.

Bob: To clarify, Mike, they come out in a game or in a season?

MJH: both. I’ve never been all that nit-picky about his in-game decisions until last week when he pinch hit for Michael Young with the bases loaded in the 7th. That was tantamount to quitting and it was just something that this organization — with all of it’s other challenges — just can’t afford to accept.

Bob: We all know Millwood has started great. Otherwise, which of the starters do you have enough information on to form an opinion?

Evan: Benson. He’s an injury waiting to happen. Oops. Wait. He’s already injured. Encouraged by McCarthy, discouraged by Harrison and Padilla, but it’s three starts in. Everybody has three subpar starts in a row during a season. Padilla’s lack of velocity is a concern, though.

MJH: I think that Mike Maddux seems to be having a very positive effect on Brandon McCarthy. Maddux is a guy who focuses on building a guy up and getting him to believe in what he can do well instead of focusing on what he could do differently. And it seems that McCarthy is responding to that.

Bob: How long until you will be bullish on McCarthy? And how much of it is proving durability?

MJH: I’ll be bullish on him when he makes at least 25 straight scheduled starts. I’ve never doubted that he has enough ability to get the job done. I’ve doubted his health and his head. Maddux just might have the head part figured out. and for as much as I like Maddux, I would encourage folks to take a peek at what Rick Adair is doing with the Seattle staff

Evan: I think I’m more bullish on McCarthy than most. I think he will be a 15-game winner at some point in his career. I think it’s important for him to show durability this season, though.

Bob: CJ Wilson. Thoughts?

Evan: Improved demeanor and body language since he blew the game at Detroit. I think somebody got to him and talked to him and I think C.J. listened. Everybody in that clubhouse wants him to be successful and everybody wants to like him as a teammate. But this spring he took a “me against the world approach” that was not bound for success. I give him credit for being willing to listen. Happens for different guys at different times. Now, if he’ll simplify his repertoire somewhat, I think he can be a lights out guy. I think he too often gets caught up in throwing too many different types of pitches.

MJH: I have no idea anymore. I’ve known him since he was a farm hand and the guy I run across now bears no resemblance to that guy. I’ve always loved his stuff and still do, but I have no idea what he’s all about anymore.

Bob: Your vote on next guy to be brought up and make an impression worth discussing

MJH: these aren’t big names, but if the bullpen continues to struggle here are some dudes who could become factors: my sleeper pick is Beau Vaughan — a right-handed reliever in OKC who isn’t on the 40; another would be A.J. Murray who has turned himself into a LOOGY with a low 3/4 delivery. He’s unhittable right now and you have to love his perseverance and guts, overcoming so much over so many years to stay even somewhat relevant in a discussion like this.

Evan: Gonna go way off the board: RHP Jose “Jumbo” Diaz. Hit 100 a week ago at Frisco. Might be in same place as Frank Francisco was when he came up in 2004. Diaz has long history of arm problems and his arm is probably gonna blow up at some point, but he’s throwing well right now and it might make sense to make the most of him while you got him.

Bob: Thanks Guys! Your one hour is complete. Let’s do this again soon.