MJH’s Top 40 Texas Rangers Prospects, (Nos. 21-40)

For what it’s worth, here is the back half of my top-40 prospects in the system through the halfway point of the 2009 season. Terse commentary follows each player listed. I intend to provide more detailed analysis when I get around to posting my top 20 in the next day or two.

Naturally, this is a highly subjective process and I’d feel alot better about it if I could just rank players into tiers, but — as anyone who has lived in the Dallas radio market for the past dozen years or so knows all too well– people love lists.

Ranking prospects is a product of weighing performance (stats) and projection (tools). I place a higher emphasis on tools and projectability than on production. Age vs. competition is a a very heavy factor, as is a demonstrated ability to learn and adjust. More than anything, a player’s track record comes into play for me in trying to understand his ability to address his weaknesses.

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Weekend In Review

Let’s just get to the real point of the post right off the bat: to remind all of you loyal InsideCornerians one more time that this Thursday, July 16, we will have our Pennant Race Pep Rally at Pappasito’s in Arlington.

And in case you missed it, Ian Kinsler still isn’t an All-Star. After narrowly missing being voted in as the AL’s starting second baseman, then narrowly missing being voted in as the AL’s final member, Kinsler not-so-narrowly missed being added to the roster by manager Joe Maddon after Dustin Pedroia pulled out to be with his pregnant wife. See, Kinsler never had a chance to make the team when Pedroia decided he wouldn’t head to St. Louis because Maddon picked his own player to replace Pedroia. It’s not that it’s a move most managers wouldn’t make or that Carlos Pena wasn’t deserving of a spot, it just leaves the AL with an awkward roster that features four 1Bs and only Aaron Hill at 2B.

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Question Of The Day: Got Issues?

With the exception of Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and Nelson Cruz, the Rangers players have the next four days off. Well, three and a half. They return for a workout Thursday afternoon. And after that, Kevin Millwood, Eddie Guardado and Tommy Hunter have a date with you at Pappasito’s in Arlington. But you get the point, they’ve got some time off.

Media and management? Not so much.

We’re working right through the break. Here’s your chance to help us both out. I need a column idea and management can always use a little help from the fans, right? So, if you were sitting in the Rangers’ front office this week, what issues pertaining to the second half would be on your agenda to discuss? And in what order?

Machine Gun Mondays: Depp, Roy, and Beaubois

Could anyone pen a weekly cyber-column called “Machine Gun Mondays” and not at least offer some sort of review for Public Enemies? Yes, I am fascinated by the gangsters of the 1920′s and 1930′s – Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, Bonnie and Clyde, and of course, John Dillinger. Yes, I found the old Untouchables on tv wonderful while growing up. Yes, Robert Deniro can play Al Capone anytime he wants in my book. But no, Public Enemies is not a great film.

Public Enemies is about Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp) and his life and times of robbing banks and running from the law (Christian Bale stars as the lawman) but my bar was very high and the movie disappointed me. I gave it a Meh +. The storytelling was left a bit to be desired and the bank robberies were not especially tense. Lots of cool cars and costumes and sets, and Depp is one of my favorite actors, but not a ton of substance in the final tally. I wanted the best movie of the summer and instead, I am wondering why I didn’t go see the Hangover. It is probably worth seeing just on principle, but lower your bar.

You might be wondering, why is Bob reviewing a movie on his MGM column? Well, that is how we roll. You just never know what MGM is going to bring you on a Monday morning.

But wait! There is much, much more….

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Minor League Report (7/13)

In a few hours, I’ll begin posting my mid season Top-40 prospects rankings. We’ll start off with 21-40 today and probably get 1-20 up tomorrow morning.

I hate — and I mean hate — ranking prospects, but Evan’s been on me to do this for about a month. As a sneak preview, I’ve got Kasey Kiker at number nine overall, and he certainly lived up to that billing last night.

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