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bobbob1313

bobbob1313

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Yeah, I remember reading about a cash infusion from MLB earlier this summer.

 

c/o Fort Worth Star-Telegram

 

Financial mess makes Rangers’ future murky

 

By JIM REEVES

 

ARLINGTON — The old cliché of focusing on one day at a time has taken on a double meaning for the Rangers this September, and it covers far more than just what’s happening on the field.

 

It’s what’s happening off the field as well.

 

"We just try to operate day to day," club president Nolan Ryan said Friday night as the Rangers and Mariners dodged raindrops in a futile effort to try and kick off a three-game series and a nine-game Texas homestand. "We don’t try to look too far ahead."

 

There’s a forbidding reason for that. No one, including Ryan, has much of an idea what the future holds for the Rangers regarding the off-season and what they will be able to do under the team’s current economic conditions.

 

"We’re just kind of hamstrung," Ryan conceded.

 

Better to focus on the Rangers’ battle to catch either the Red Sox in the wild card chase or the Angels in the A.L. West than to look ahead to a bleak off-season when their hands will almost certainly be tied regarding free agency.

 

Nor is there any immediate relief to the problem in sight. Ryan said he can’t imagine the team being sold and a sale approved before April or May at the earliest and at this point, there’s reason to wonder if there are any serious bidders out there.

 

Owner Tom Hicks essentially has lost fiscal control of the team, which has had to borrow at least $15 million from major league baseball. MLB is making many of the calls regarding Rangers’ moves, including the one that cost them the ability to sign No. 1 draft pick Matt Purke.

 

The Rangers thought they would be able to offer Purke one amount, but commissioner Bud Selig, responding to pressure from other owners, forced them to back away from that offer and Purke wound up rejecting the team’s subsequent lower offer and will play for TCU instead.

 

The seriousness of the situation was brought into sharper focus Friday with speculation about the possibility of MLB stepping in to force the Rangers to shut down right-hander Kevin Millwood before he reaches 180 innings pitched, automatically guaranteeing him $12 million for 2010. It was a very relevant and valid question.

 

Millwood, who was scheduled to start against the Mariners on Friday night before the rainout, needs just eight more innings — probably two starts — to trigger the option clause for next season.

 

Ryan and general manager Jon Daniels said that contract clauses would never influence the team’s decision about who starts in the rotation, but the fact is, that decision potentially could be taken out of their hands, just as their ability to sign Purke was blocked.

 

"I don’t think MLB is really that in tune with all the details of what’s going on here," Ryan said.

 

That’s probably a good thing and it would certainly be an embarrassment to Major League Baseball if it did anything that might hamper the Rangers’ ability to finish what has been a remarkable season.

 

Then again, MLB has embarrassed itself before.

 

All the Rangers can do is concentrate on the task at hand, including hoping that when Millwood does pitch, he looks more like the pitcher he was in the first half of the season than the one they’ve seen more recently.

 

Remember all that talk about his conditioning and how much better Millwood looked when the season began? Nobody’s talking about that any more.

 

Nobody argues that Millwood’s the leader of this staff but he’s not pitching like it. He is 2-4 with a 5.92 ERA in his past 11 starts, dating back to July. In the first half of the season he had pinpoint control, worked fast and regularly took the Rangers into the seventh inning and beyond. In the past two months, he’s struggled with his command, is taking forever between pitches and has labored to get to the fifth and sixth innings.

 

These are signs of a pitcher who has hit the wall.

 

"I don’t necessarily think its conditioning," Daniels said. "I think it’s just what happens to 34-year-old pitchers at the end of a long season."

 

Or as manager Ron Washington said, "everyone’s wearing down at this time of year."

 

Maybe so, but the Rangers need a Millwood they can depend on over the season’s final three weeks if they hope to catch either the Red Sox or Angels.

 

"He’s not the pitcher he was in the first half," Ryan said.

 

And that’s the one the Rangers need, not just for the final three weeks of the season, but for 2010 as well.

 

Might as well spend that $12 million on Millwood next season because it’s almost guaranteed that MLB won’t be letting the Rangers spend it elsewhere.

 

It’s doubtful that the Rangers will even be able to hang onto their own free agents, such as productive outfielder Marlon Byrd.

 

"As it stands right now, we’d like to have him back," Ryan said, "but there’s no way to predict what’s going to happen."

 

Oh, it’s fairly easy to predict that if MLB put a firm limit on what the Rangers could offer their No. 1 draft pick, it’s not going to suddenly let them open the checkbook during free agency.

 

Ryan, in fact, doesn’t even know what the future holds for himself personally right now.

 

Remember that four-year contract he was supposed to get to be club president? It never materialized. Ryan is working on a handshake agreement with Hicks.

 

"If [a new owner] comes in and wants me out of here, I’ll just go on home," Ryan said.

 

Let’s not even go there. In fact, better to follow the Rangers’ lead and simply go day to day than to contemplate the team’s very hazy future. Let’s just enjoy this glorious September pennant chase.

 

Tomorrow, sorry to say, will get here soon enough.

 

http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/v-print/story/1607526.html

 

 

 

In other news, what is with this thread? Where did everyone go?

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The High Heat

The High Heat

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I want the Marlins to trade for Milton Bradley.

 

Any indications the Cubs will eat most of his salary?

I like Milton. Hell, I liked Albert Belle. I think mainly it's because they didn't mind telling reporters to go fuck themselves. However, I thought the Cubs' mistake was giving him a 3-year contract. He gets hurt alot and it's unpredictable how he'll mesh with the team/fans/media. I thought the White Sox would have been a better Chicago fit than Wrigley, the bleacher bums and the national attention the Cubs receive.

 

He is a good all-around player when healthy and not (self)distracted by umpires, press and his contract (I truly think he's trying too hard to live up to this one.) He would be a good fit in Miami, and the Cubs would definately have to pay damn near all of what's left for the Marlins to get him. I hadn't heard any talk about moving Milton from the Cubs, and I don't know if anyone would want to risk a 2-year commitment to him even if he's paid for. The Padres had the right idea a couple of years ago when they got him for the stretch run. It worked out just fine until he ripped his knee apart cussing out umpire Mike Winters when the ump called him a piece of shit.

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bobbob1313

bobbob1313

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I think the Cubs have to get rid of him now. There's no way they don't.

 

I mean, you know you aren't going to get more than 450 PAs out of him, but he's a very productive player offensively and he's usually pretty good defensively. If he comes at a cheap price (say, the Cubs eat half of his remaining salary, so the Marlins can pay him the minimum in 10 and trade him after), it makes too much sense not to get him.

 

I know we won't, because we are generally pretty dumb, but I hope the Marlins trade Jorge Cantu, Dan Uggla, and Jeremy Hermida and keep Cody Ross and resign Nick Johnson. If they do all of those things and can get Bradley for cheap, that's a good offense with 4 legit on base machines (Hanley, Coghlan, Bradley, and Johnson) and enough bashers.

 

But we'll probably trade Uggla and Hermida, not resign Johnson, and then start Emilio Bonifacio at 2B again...

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bobbob1313

bobbob1313

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I figured that'd be your answer. Piniella has said recently he'd like Fukodome hitting at or near the top of the lineup next year because he gets on base and can do other things (hit-and-run, etc.).

 

I mean, I like anyone who gets on base at a .360+ clip at the top of the order. He might be more useful as a 2 hitter, because he's doesn't seem to be a very good baserunner. Players seem to feel less pressure to run in the two spot.

 

He's a decent enough defensive player too, isn't he?

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The High Heat

The High Heat

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I mean, I like anyone who gets on base at a .360+ clip at the top of the order. He might be more useful as a 2 hitter, because he's doesn't seem to be a very good baserunner. Players seem to feel less pressure to run in the two spot.

 

He's a decent enough defensive player too, isn't he?

He played CF in Japan and a little last year with the Cubs until fell off the face of the earth, so he can play all three spots adequately. I think Lou wants him the two-hole for the reasons you stated plus to take the pressure off him as a middle-order hitter. He's more like Kaz Matsui in that the pressure gets to him.

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Sweet Papa Crimbo

Sweet Papa Crimbo

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http://www.nleastchatter.com/fishguts/

 

I'm far too excited about something I know won't happen, but I really, really like Milton Bradley for the Marlins in 2010.

 

Well...if you thought Hamilton is brittle, you'd better look at Bradley closely.

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Winston Legthigh

Winston Legthigh

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So, the Tigers played their last game in the Twinkie Dome. Thank goodness.

 

I went to an 87 Tigers/Twins playoff game there (and actually got interviewed on WCCO afterwards). I saw Sparky Anderson's last game there in 1995. (Bill Murray was at that game - I sat a few rows behind him. I got his attention by yelling to Phil Nevin that he plays like Phil Silvers.)

 

I haven't been there in quite some time (moved out of the area in Nov 2005), but I'm looking forward to making a road trip to see the new Target stadium.

 

The dome has been a house of horrors for the Tigers.

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Kevan

Kevan

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So, the Tigers played their last game in the Twinkie Dome. Thank goodness.

 

I went to an 87 Tigers/Twins playoff game there (and actually got interviewed on WCCO afterwards). I saw Sparky Anderson's last game there in 1995. (Bill Murray was at that game - I sat a few rows behind him. I got his attention by yelling to Phil Nevin that he plays like Phil Silvers.)

 

I haven't been there in quite some time (moved out of the area in Nov 2005), but I'm looking forward to making a road trip to see the new Target stadium.

 

The dome has been a house of horrors for the Tigers.

 

HA, thats good stuff!

 

I, too, am happy to see the Twins on their way out of the dome.

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Sir Stewart

Sir Stewart

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Ichiro was ejected for the first time in his career. (Including Japan)

 

*He's also the first Mariner, including the manager and coaches, to be ejected this year. Had Seattle gone all year without anyone getting tossed they would have the first team since 1994 to not have an ejection for an entire season.

 

That reminds me of the baby who didn't cry when he was born, and never made a sound as he grew from infancy to toddlerhood, and beyond. Doctors couldn't figure him out - he didn't seem to have any learning disabilities, and was otherwise well-adjusted. He was just silent. Finally, at the breakfast table one morning when he was 7, he looked up from his plate. "My toast is burnt." His parents, shocked, weeping, asked why he never said anything before. "Well, everything was alright up until now."

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The High Heat

The High Heat

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That reminds me of the baby who didn't cry when he was born, and never made a sound as he grew from infancy to toddlerhood, and beyond. Doctors couldn't figure him out - he didn't seem to have any learning disabilities, and was otherwise well-adjusted. He was just silent. Finally, at the breakfast table one morning when he was 7, he looked up from his plate. "My toast is burnt." His parents, shocked, weeping, asked why he never said anything before. "Well, everything was alright up until now."

:lol

 

Being a stupid American, reading that Ichiro had been ejected from a baseball game made me wonder if it is now his duty to commit suicide for disgracing himself, his team, and country.

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Kevan

Kevan

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:lol

 

Being a stupid American, reading that Ichiro had been ejected from a baseball game made me wonder if it is now his duty to commit suicide for disracing himself, his team, and country.

 

I think they call that committing "Harry Caray".

 

Well, that and drinking a fifth and leering at scantily clad minors.

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The High Heat

The High Heat

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I think they call that committing "Harry Caray".

 

Well, that and drinking a fifth and leering at scantily clad minors.

And slobberring out "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

 

 

 

 

The Tigers and Twins are adding some drama to the last week, aren't they?

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bleedorange

bleedorange

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Well, now that the Rangers have officially been eliminated from the postseason, I can say that this was one of the most enjoyable seasons in a long time. The amount of young players here and in the system have finally made Texas baseball exciting.

 

Now if we can get this ownership problem settled.

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