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Catching Cold: Taking A Look At The Ranger Catchers

A year from now, assuming the Minnesota Twins aren’t still battling for a World Series title, Joe Mauer will be sitting at home and pondering his future. Mauer’s contract expires after next season, and he’ll have his choice of where he wants to play baseball in 2011. If he leaves his native Minnesota for, say, New York or Boston or Los Angeles, he could very well sign one of the richest contracts in baseball history. If he stays with the Twins, he’ll probably have to settle for less… somewhere in the $15 million a year range. In other words, Joe’s no ordinary Joe.

The reason for all the hype around Mauer is quite simple: good catchers are hard to come by, and a truly great catcher, like Mauer, can be once in a generation. Which helps to explain why only one catcher in the last 32 years — the Rangers’ own Ivan Rodriguez in 1999 — has earned an MVP award in either league (though that could  change in a month if Mauer is named A.L. MVP, as expected). It’s also why rookie catcher Matt Wieters, who the normally conservative PECOTA system pegged for a .949 OPS this year, received a standing ovation as he approached the plate for his first major league at-bat back in May.

There just aren’t many guys that can withstand six month’s worth of beatings behind the plate and still crank out a hit or two per game. So when Texas traded Gerald Laird, a solid starting catcher with two controllable years left, because they seemingly had too much catching last December, quite a few teams looked on in envy. The parting was mutual: Laird wanted a chance to be “the man” behind the plate, and the Rangers were ready to show off a deep farm system that boasted prospects like Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Taylor Teagarden, and Max Ramirez, as well as Tomas Telis, Manny Pina, and Leonel De Los Santos at the lower levels of the minors. But less than a year later, things aren’t so rosy. After a season in which none of their young catchers established themselves at the big league level, the Rangers have been left to wonder if their future backstop is even on the current roster.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (9/7)

Triple-A: Oklahoma City 5 @ Memphis 3

On the last day of the minor league season, RHP Brian Corey (7-9; 5.34) came within one out of getting his first complete game of the season, but a two out error in the 9th and a pitch count of 112, gave RHP Josh Rupe the opportunity to get a one out save. Corey went 8.2 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and a walk before Joaquin Arias’ fielding blunder forced him from the game.

LF Casey Benjamin (.231/.349/.341) finished the season strong, going 4-5 with a homer, three RBI, and his third stolen base of the season. The bottom four hitters for Oklahoma City — CF Greg Golson, 3B Travis Metcalf, RF Jared Bolden, and 2B Adam Fox — all singled once in four trips to the plate. C Max Ramirez (.234/.323/.336) walked, singled, and stole a base.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (9/6)

Triple-A: @Memphis 6, Oklahoma City 1

RHP Elizardo Ramirez (9-11; 4.63) ended his season on a sour note, going five innings and allowing five earned runs on nine hits and two walks. The bulk of the trouble came in the first, when Ramirez gave up a pair of singles and a two-out walk to load the bases for Brian Barden, who knocked it out to give Memphis an early 4-0 lead. RHP Mike Wood came on in relief and improved his infinite ERA with two perfect innings, during which he fanned three. Wood’s only other appearance saw him allow two runs without recording an out.

CF Greg Golson (.258/.299/.344) managed the RedHawk’s only extra base hit, tripling to lead off the second and scoring their only run. 1B Royce Huffman (.297/.382/.411) and RF Jared Bolden (.375/.444/.563) both went 2-4 with a pair of singles, and the team’s only RBI came from C Zach Zaneski at the bottom of the order.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (9/6)

Triple-A:

Game 1 – @Memphis 7, Oklahoma City 2  F/7

RHP Brian Gordon (7-3; 3.49) was roughed up for five runs on six hits and a walk in just four innings. LHP Mike Hinckley (1-1; 3.26) finished the game off with two unremarkable innings, allowing three hits, a walk, and two earned runs while striking out three.

SS Joaquin Arias and 1B Royce Huffman each walked and singled in four plate appearances, and Arias stole a pair of bases and scored on a wild pitch in the 3rd. RF Jared Bolden got Oklahoma City’s lone RBI with his first triple-A homer in the 7th inning.

Game 2 – @Memphis 5, Oklahoma City 3  F/7

The nightcap wasn’t much more successful with LHP Chris Cooper making his first start for the RedHawks, going 4.1 innings and letting four runs score on seven hits. RHP Jailen Peguero (0-1; 3.86) fared a bit better, allowing a run in 1.2 frames while striking out two.

DH Justin Leone (.211/.318/.474) was the offensive star of the game, driving in all of Oklahoma City’s runs with a three-run homer in the 4th. SS Casey Benjamin (.221/.344/.324) went 2-3 with a pair of singles and a run scored, and 2B Adam Fox (.194/.242/.290) tried to boost his fledgling average with a double in three at bats.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (9/5)

Triple-A: @Memphis 5, Oklahoma City 3

RHP Kris Benson (4-5; 5.24) was the sacrificial lamb last night, needing 120 pitches to get the eight inning complete game. Benson allowed five runs on twelve hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

LF Jared Bolden, in his second game up from Hickory, got his first hits in triple-A by singling twice in four trips. CF Greg Golson (.260/.302/.344) was 1-4 with a double, the RedHawks’ only extra base hit, while 1B Royce Huffman (.296/.380/.413) got a single, walk, and RBI. He also stole his fifth base of the season.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (9/4)

Triple-A: @Oklahoma City 4, New Orleans 3  F/10

RHP Luis Mendoza (6-7; 4.53) was a bit wild, walking four and giving up seven hits in 6.2 innings, but he was effective in the end, allowing only three runs and fanning six. LHP A.J. Murray (2-2; 3.28) and RHP Josh Rupe (5-7; 6.78) combined for 3.1 innings of hitless relief, with Rupe earning the win.

CF Greg Golson, SS Casey Benjamin, and 1B Royce Huffman each smacked a single from the top three spots in the lineup, with Benjamin and Huffman walking as well. C Max Ramirez (.235/.322/.340) homered in the second and knocked in another run with an 8th inning sac fly to tie the game. Ramirez drew an intentional walk with one out in the 10th and Casey Benjamin at second, and 3B Travis Metcalf (.235/.333/.441) brought Benjamin home with his second single of the night.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (9/3)

Triple-A: New Orleans 3 @ Oklahoma City 0

RHP Bryan Corey (6-9; 5.52) was rocky at the onset, but ended up going eight strong innings. He needed 111 pitches to power through almost the entire game, allowing ten hits and three runs along the way. 30-year-old LHP Chris Cooper, who was just signed three days ago, made his season debut with an inning of one hit, scoreless baseball. Cooper spent the last two years playing in Italy.

But despite the solid pitching effort, the RedHawks never had a chance. They never got a runner past second base, and only combined for three singles and three walks all night. 3B Travis Metcalf (.207/.324/.448) accounted for half the team’s base runners, going 1-2 with a pair of walks. The only other Oklahoma City hits belonged to 1B Royce Huffman (.295/.378/.414) and 2B Adam Fox (.212/.268/.308), who also stole his first base at triple-A this year. LF Justin Leone, also signed on Monday, had a rough night going 0-4 with three Ks.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (9/2)

Triple-A: @Oklahoma City 3, New Orleans 0

RHP Elizardo Ramirez (9-10; 4.47) gave Oklahoma City six shutout innings, allowing just five hits and striking out three while earning his ninth win of the season. LHP Mike Hinckley (1-1; 3.02) bridged the gap between Ramirez and RHP Jailen Peguero with a scoreless 7th, and Peguero (0-1; 3.60) fired off two bizarre innings in which he walked five, fanned three, and didn’t allow a run.

SS Joaquin Arias (.269/.296/.341) and CF Greg Golson (.263/.306/.347) both went 2-5 with an RBI as the 1 and 2 hitters in the order, while 1B Royce Huffman (.296/.379/.416) doubled and walked twice from the 3 spot. The only other RedHawk run was driven in by C Max Ramirez (.258/.325/.333), who singled once in four trips to the plate.

Former Ranger John Koronka got the loss for New Orleans.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (9/1)

Triple-A: @Oklahoma City 9, New Orleans 4

Despite four strong innings in a spot start, RHP Brian Gordon (7-2; 3.07) didn’t get a win because he didn’t pitch the necessary five innings to qualify. He left with a 3-0 lead after going four innings of scoreless two hit baseball. RHP Josh Rupe (4-7; 6.93) was the winning pitcher despite allowing a pair of runs on two hits and three walks in 2.2 innings. RHP Willie Eyre (0-0; 2.10) got a save after two perfect innings, striking out three.

C Max Ramirez (.237/.327/.335) had two singles and two walks with an RBI, while LF Casey Benjamin (.215/.336/.321) reached base five times with a double and four walks. 1B Royce Huffman (.295/.377/.414) was the only starter to not drive in a run, but he still managed a 2-4 effort, walking and doubling in the process.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (8/31)

Triple-A: @Iowa 2, Oklahoma City 0

RHP Kris Benson (4-4; 5.19) earned a loss despite allowing only one run on four hits and two walks in seven innings. He also struck out seven Cubs. RHP Warner Madrigal (2-2; 2.57) continued his recent slide, surrendering a run in his one inning of work. In his last three appearances, Madrigal has allowed five earned runs in 2.2 innings.

CF Brandon Boggs (.268/.380/.399) managed the RedHawks’ only extra base hit, going 1-3 with a double. He also managed Oklahoma City’s only walk. Newly acquired RF Ryan Freel (.333/.429/.333) was singled once in his second game for the Hawks. Justin Smoak wasn’t in the lineup.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (8/29)

Triple-A: @Iowa 4, Oklahoma City 2

RHP Bryan Corey (6-8; 5.69) only lasted four innings, giving up six hits and four walks to go with three runs. RHP Willie Eyre (0-0; 2.23) pitched three dominant innings of relief, holding the Cubs scoreless on only one hit.

All five RedHawk hits came from the first four batters in the lineup, with SS Joaquin Arias, LF Casey Benjamin, and 3B Esteban German all going 1-4. The remaining hits came from the cleanup hitter, 1B Justin Smoak (.240/.362/.359), who singled and blasted his fourth homer at triple-A. Although Smoak’s combined OBP for the season is .410, he’s managed just 12 home runs in 381 at bats.

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Series Preview: Rangers at Twins

The Rangers moved to 16 games over .500 after taking two of three from the Yankees in New York, while the Twins dropped to a game below even after a 5-1 loss to Baltimore yesterday. Despite the discrepancy in their records, both teams are within striking distance in their respective divisions, with the Rangers four games behind Los Angeles and the Twins 4.5 back of Detroit.

That means both teams will have plenty to play for in the Metrodome this weekend, even beside Joe Mauer’s run at the AL MVP.

In stark contrast to past years, the biggest obstacle the Twins will have to overcome in making the postseason is their pitching. It’s gotten so out of hand in Minnesota that, even after dealing for a pitcher with a 5.00+ ERA in Carl Pavano at the deadline, they’re might be looking into another one, former Red Sox hurler Brad Penny.

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Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (8/28)

Triple-A:

Game 1 – @Iowa 2, Oklahoma City 1  F/7

Any hit RHP Guillermo Moscoso gave up to the Iowa Cubs had to go through him. Or at least off him. Moscoso (5-4; 2.31) retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced, with the lone hit coming on a 4th inning single that he deflected on the mound. Moscoso finished with a line of one hit, no walks, no runs, and six strikeouts in five innings.

The game was scoreless when RHP Jailen Peguero (0-1; 6.35) entered in the bottom of the 6th. He allowed two base runners: a lead off walk, and a one-out homer that gave Iowa a 2-0 lead.

The RedHawks took advantage of a pair of Cubs errors to bring their lone home in the 7th. 1B Justin Smoak (.234/.360/.340) drew his second walk of the game to put the go-ahead run on base, but RF Brandon Boggs took a called third strike to end game one. C Max Ramirez (.237/.318/.335) reached base three times with a single and a pair of walks.

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Bulletin From Bronx: Pedro Strop in Clubhouse

That’s what Evan just passed along from Yankee Stadium. The minor league right-hander isn’t on the 40-man roster according to what I just looked at on the Rangers’ web site. The Rangers have announced no roster move. In 36 relief appearances for Frisco before promotion to Oklahoma, Strop worked 51.1 innings, allowing 48 hits and 29 walks with 48 strikeouts. ERA of 4.38 with a 5-5 record. At OKC, 12.2 innings, 13 hits and four walks with 13 K’s. ERA of 7.38.

Road To Arlington: Rangers Farm Report (8/27)

Triple-A: Postponed

Double-A: Frisco4 @ San Antonio 3

LHP Kasey Kiker (7-7; 3.86) struggled with his control again, allowing three runs on five hits, four walks, and a wild pitch in 4.1 innings. Kiker now has 15 walks in his last 19 innings and has a 4.7 BB/9 ratio for the season. RHP Brennan Garr (3-3; 4.09) got the win with two scoreless innings and RHP Clayton Hamilton (1-3; 4.57) earned a one out save.

RF Steven Murphy (.203/.266/.374) was 2-4 with a single and a two-run homer and 1B Chad Tracy (.278/.328/.489) drove in Frisco’s other two runs with a double in the 4th. LF Dustin Majewski (.265/.359/.349) singled twice and walked in four plate appearances.

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