Thursday, August 25, 2005

Don't forget about Juan



There was once upon a time, that the Rangers needed pitching. 25-year old Doug Davis took the hill 30 times for the Rangers in 2001. He had his good outings and his poor outings. I thought he was the type of guy that this team should be building their rotation around, and the Rangers thought he was worth releasing early in 2003 because Hart and Buck did not care for his work. I was right and they were wrong.

In 2004, 28-year old Ryan Drese took the pill 34 times and appeared to be an anchor for this rotation for several more years. He was gone before Father’s Day. They might have been right since he looks pretty pathetic in Washington, but we won’t know for a while.

What did these two pitchers have in common? They were young, they were cheap, they were somewhere between frustrating and promising, and they were not the type of guy Buck and Hart liked.

So they were gone, and in another team’s rotation.

So, here is Juan Dominguez dazzling in another start . He is 25 years old, and from all indications, he is a tough guy to figure out, has questionable work habits, and does not have it between the ears. Trouble is, all of those indications come either from Hart, Buck, or people who listen to Hart and Buck.

Clearly, Juan is not Buck’s type of player. He doesn’t appear to be a guy who will run through a wall for the team. He appears to simply be a guy with a great arm, and potentially great stuff. Then why, is he less regarded than Benoit, Wilson, and Loe, let alone, Danks, Diamond, and Volquez? Why am I convinced he will be making 30 starts for Doug Melvin soon if the Rangers give up on him?

Give him the pill every 5 days here. At least convince me that he can’t pitch. He may be a strange dude. So is Pedro Martinez. He may be a guy you have to babysit. So what? If he can pitch then you cannot afford to take him out with the trash. You have no pitchers! Let’s see more of him.

Revo says the players should thank Buck, not quit on him

…if Showalter has become the target of that frustration, then they're missing their mark.

"Guilt by association," said one player, while admitting that's probably unfair.

Grossly unfair, actually. I've never met a manager in my life who didn't want to win every game he managed. You think Showalter likes having to start unproven pitchers four out of every five nights?

I can assure you, he doesn't, but what he isn't going to do is pull a Lou Piniella and publicly lambaste his owner or general manager either.

"Those are my bosses," Showalter said. "Am I supposed to be pounding the table here and telling the players they're [being shortchanged]?

"I don't do that. Do I respect John and Tom? You damn right I do. I didn't know there was another way."

It is almost a cliche to say that a team has quit on the manager. What's even worse is that it is taken now as some sort of indictment of the manager instead of the players.


Jen Floyd debates Biggest busts in DFW …not that kind of bust…

Matt Pinto to the Clippers


The Los Angeles Clippers today announced that veteran NBA broadcaster Matt Pinto has been named the team's new radio play-by-play voice on the team's flagship station, KTLK 1150 AM, for all televised games. In the situation that a game is not televised on either FSN West 2 or KTLA, "The Voice of the Clippers" Ralph Lawler and former Clipper Michael Smith will shift over to radio to handle the play-by-play and analyst duties respectively.


So, he is leaving the Mavericks to be the PART-TIME radio voice of the Clippers? Pardon the cynicism, but something tells me he needed a job. No word from the Mavericks that they told him to seek work elsewhere, but I have my doubts…Cha-Ching a Clippers money ball…

Meanwhile, Hacksaw gets demoted

Jacob Rogers is released once and for all



Gosselin on Rayfield Wright's quest for Canton

Don't forget about the dunk tank photos below....

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Allow me to be the first to thank the Basketball gods that we are rid of Pinto.

Also allow me to be the first to ask Cubes to please give the TV gig to ol' Followill, who, unlike Pinto, has recognizable talent and deserves the promotion.

Anonymous said...

yea, followill should get the t.v. gig. He's been great on radio and will be great on t.v. also. thank god there won't be any more "cha ching" beat downs.

chelsea and pool in the same group??

keep up the rangers ripping...

out

Anonymous said...

It's a sad day when 60's pothead, Jimmy the Saint, looks better than Grubes and Big Mac in a speedo.

Good Gawd Ahmighty, I thought Big Mac was going vegetarian?

Grubes is a great Board Op, but get some Nair, seriously dude!!!

Parcells and Showalter finally get caught in their own double talk, B.S. cliche' crap? Excellent.

Anonymous said...

I don't care if it's L.A., broadcasting a full season's worth of Clippers games has got to be just above Septic Tank Cleaner on the most desired careers list...

I hope to see Followil on TV just so we can have another "THE MAVERICKS WIN!!! THE MAVERICKS WIN!!!! 81-80 THE MAVERICKS WIN!!!" Homer Call candidate...

By the way Bob, you probably already read this but I think its blog-worthy...

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/4802970

Amen Mr. Trecker...

Anonymous said...

Good news on Pinto.

Followill must get the job. Then I wouldn't have to worry about getting my radio on, and whether or not it'll be synched with the tv.

Anonymous said...

hopefully they get the same cast for old school 2....

Anonymous said...

Hopefully they can get "Doodie" Anderson to do color with MArk. That would be great. Then, we can play some Dooogie ball, smoke cigarettes, and drink margaritas.
cha-ching!