Grimm sucks. What happened to David Murphy? Man, the Rangers are terrible....

So, I had about 154981 topics in my head that I've been wanting to write about over the last couple weeks.  Good stuff too!  Best GMs in MLB, an examination of the Rangers farm system and the power of the prospect as trade bait...then something dawned on me:  People are in an outright PANIC about this team!  I mean, "throwing in towel" freaked out.  Not to fear, I will get to those other topics in upcoming posts.  But, I felt 162+ may need to prescribe a virtual dosage of Paxil in blog form first.

And that's what this post is.  The "Nobody Freak Out!" post.

Let's start with this:

STANDINGS!

Not only are the Rangers 14 games over .500, but they are only a half game out of first in the division.  And lest we forget, that this half game changes hands almost daily.  Ask me tomorrow and we'll be in FIRST PLACE.

If the AL West standings aren't enough for you, how about this:  only TWO teams have better winning percentages than we do in the entire AMERICAN LEAGUE, Exhibit A:

A HALF FREAKING GAME OUT! As of 7/8, pre-gametime.

Still not convinced?  Exhibit B:

^ That would be the National League standings also as of 7/8, pre-gametime.  And if you're scoring at home (or even if you're by yourself)*, that's only FOUR teams in all of MLB with a higher winning percentage than your Texas Rangers.  

*You're welcome for the old school Keith Olbermann (pre-crazy; he is a nut now, btw) reference. 

So why are we panicked?  Because we've been spoiled by this team for the last 3+ years.  That's why.  These guys have been playing out of their minds for over three years and now we flinch every time they lose.  But to know why today's standings are truly remarkable, consider this:

You guys remember Neftali Feliz, don't you?  

As evidenced above, we've had injury after injury.  That list is current, it doesn't even include these guys:

Ian Kinsler:  DL May 18th - June 15th

Joakim Soria:  DL - since the beginning of time - he's back now
Martin Perez - since he broke his hand in spring training - also back now

And you can say whatever you want about Kinsler's pop-ups, but he's the straw that stirs the drink.  Right, Wash?

Wash salutes you, Kins...and so does 162+.

In addition to Ian Kinsler, that's 3/5 of our starting rotation that have missed considerable time:  Colby, Perez, and Ogando.  Hell, it's been the whole year for Colby.  And now...even our backup guy is hurt.  One young Nick Tepesch.  And while we're on the subject of Tepesh, let me add this:

He and Grimm were never called up to stay.  They aren't in the big leagues because the Rangers think they're ready for big league hitters and can get them out.  They are up because JD & Co had no other choice.  Tepesch is a 24 year old kid that's never pitched above AA ball.  Grimm, also 24, had only thrown about 10 games at the AAA level before his stint in the rotation this year.  So, yeah, ERAs in the high 4s and 5s suck.  But they are exactly what's expected when young guys get thrown into the fire like this.  

So...through all of this...we're still a half game out of first.  Now don't mistake me saying "nobody freak out!" for "we're gonna win the World Series as we are" because that's just not true.  This team is going to have to make some moves to be a real contender in the playoffs.  Mainly, we need a big bat.  Like this guy:

Or this one: 

Or maybe even this guy:

Ok, ok...I know that's all the same guy.  Haha.  But, he's exactly what this team needs.  

A big bat and the return of some key guys could really help to boost this team.  The dog days are coming, so we shall see.  But, there's definitely no need panic now.  And that's really all I had to say.  Short and sweet.

Just a brief post to calm your nerves.  Although, the 3-2 score that I'm staring at right now isn't helping things.  Especially since the O's have the bases loaded.  But...again...not to fear...Scott Feldman is their starter.  Happy days are hear again...

88 down, 74 to go...including the one in progress.  

Stay the course, my friends.  

PS.  I forgot about the title of this thing!  David Murphy shouldn't play everyday:

5-4-3? What Does That Mean?

As a teenager (I was about 14-ish, I think), I sat on the edge of my bed and watched Ken Burns’ baseball every night for nine innings.  That’s how he broke up the documentary, into nine episodes that he called innings, keeping on topic.  And even then I thought to myself, “I’m the only person I know doing this right now, aren’t I?” and I was; definitely the only person my age and gender.  But I hardly cared…I found the history of the game fascinating…

My boy band consisted of Cy Young, Honus Wagner, Shoeless Joe,
Joltin' Joe (he was the heartthrob), and Roberto Clemente. 

NOT TO FEAR!  I am not gonna go Ken Burns on you.  I just brought it up to say that some baseball terminology is over 100 years old, literally.  And so, some of it makes no sense.  It may have in 1890, not so much in 2013.  

Before I forget, here's a link to the Ken Burns' Baseball DVDs if you’re interested, I swear it’s worth your time. 

What I AM gonna do though, is get you up-to-speed on what the hell we’re talking about here at 162+, because we sometimes have a tendency to assume you know what a 5-4-3 DP is…and other fun terms. 

And without further ado...

Here are some basic terms and abbreviations based on baseball’s scoring system, meaning how the “official scorer” records different happenings throughout the course of the game:

K – Strike out

Backwards K – Strike out looking

It's actually a backward K though; not the words "backward K" Haha.

IP - Innings Pitched

ERA – Earned Run Average – The average number of runs a pitcher gives up in 9 innings

BB – Walk

IBB – Intentional Walk

HBP - Hit By Pitch

Did Greinke really think he was going to win that fight?

LOB - Left On Base - As in runners left on base without scoring. *Unfortunately Arlington, TX is becoming LOB City*

WP - Wild Pitch – A pitch that travels past the catcher, due to the pitcher throwing it too high, wide, or in the dirt, allowing base runner(s) to advance to the next base.

PB -  Passed Ball – Also a pitch that gets away from a catcher allowing base runner(s) to move up, only this time, it’s the catcher’s fault and the official scorer deems that the ball “should” have been handled by the catcher

If you're wondering if it's a WP or PB, ask yourself, "Did Tim Wakefield throw it?"

DP – Double Play – A double play occurs when two outs are recorded on one play

GIDP – Ground Into Double Play *We need to create a tune for this...then it can become a ballpark chant for opposing teams!*

5-4-3 Double Play – Each baseball position is numbered for scoring purposes, like so:

So, 5-4-3 means the ball went from the 3^rd baseman (5) to the 2^nd baseman (4) to the 1^st baseman (3) for the two outs.  And a 6-4-3 double playis translated the same way, with the shortstop (6) replacing the 3^rd baseman (5)

Here's different group of terms which consists of popular terms that fans/broadcasters use, which are not necessarily related to official game scoring, but are usually universally recognized among other fans and may be more useful when watching the game:

RISP – Runners In Scoring Position – Base runners on 2^nd and/or 3^rd base 

Ducks On The Pond - Ditto to the RISP *And the Barry Bonds version (on steroids) of "ducks on the pond" is when the bases are loaded*

Elvis letting the bench know that there are now Ducks On The Pond (circa Summer '11)

This one even got so popular in the Metroplex that they made t-shirts!  You have one, don't you?

Hat Trick – 3 strike outs in one game by a single player

Golden Sombrero – 4 strike outs in one game by a single player

Getaway Game – Last game before a team leaves town; generally a day game

Double-Header – 2 back-to-back games played in one day

Day/Night Double – Header – 2 games in one day, but with more time in between the games than a traditional double-header; usually a 1PM and 7PM start or similar

Can of Corn – An easy to catch fly ball *Here's one of the 100-year old terms I was telling you about*

Hot Corner – 3^rd base…because the balls come hard and fast at 3^rd base *That’s what she said*

Keystone Combo – The 2^nd baseman and shortstop makeup your keystone combo.  The bag at second base is the “keystone” or pinnacle of the field in terms of scoring position or defensive plays and the 2^nd baseman and SS both record outs there or work together to turn DPs there. 

My favorite Keystone Combo.  (And by the looks of it, they're each other's favorite too)

Battery – The pitcher and the catcher make up the battery

And here is my favorite "battery" in action.  And, YES, the pun is intended.   Assault and battery?  NO?

Rubber Game/Match – The final and deciding game of a series.  *EX:  If Team A wins game 1 and Team B wins game 2, game 3 of the series is the rubber game*

Texas Leaguer –  This is your classic bloop single; a weekly hit fly ball that falls in between the infielders and outfielders

Baltimore Chop – A ball batted straight into the ground in front of home plate so that it pops up, either above the head of the infielder or so high that the runner has time to run it out for a single.

DFA/DFA’d – Designated For Assignment – This means you’re off the big league roster and the team has to decide what to do with you:  put you back on the roster, trade you, or release you.

  There's a reason he's pictured between "DFA'd" and "Mendoza Line"

Mendoza Line – Anyone with a batting average under .200 is said to be hitting below the “Mendoza Line”. *You’ll be happy to know that this measurement of mediocrity is named for Mario Mendoza, a one-time Texas Ranger*

12-6/Uncle Charlie – There are about 1289795 names for a big breaking curve ball, these are two of them.  12-6 as in you’re looking at a clock and the ball drops (breaks) sharply from 12 to 6.
*Don’task me where Uncle Charlie came from…but, it’s the same thing*

Backdoor Breaking Ball – A breaking pitch of any kind (but usually slider or cutter) that looks like it’s going to miss the strike zone initially, but breaks late laterally to catch the outer edge and back-side (or back door) of the strike zone. *Who can forget this gem from the Rangers broadcast team:  "How do you know when you’ve been back-doored?”*

The Stretch/7^th Inning Stretch – This is an old baseball tradition in which fans stand up and “stretch” between the top and the bottom of the 7^th inning.  It’s also when the whole ballpark sings “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” *AND the Cotton-Eyed Joe for Rangers fans*
             
                                     

Shut Down Inning  - When a team scores in their half of an inning and allows no runs in the opponent's half of the inning, shutting them down. * Great way to build or maintain momentum in a game*

Cycle – When a player hits a single, double, triple, and home run in one game.  *It's called a "Natural Cycle" when they hit them in that exact order*
                                     

Of course you remember Kins' 6-for-6 cycle night, right?

5-Tool Player – One that has all of the tools necessary for baseball dominance.  

                     
So what are the “5 Tools”? 

1. Hit for average
2. Hit for power
3. Base running skills
4. Good defender
5. Good throwing arm

If you're bored, Google it...and this will come up:

WHATEVER.

That's all I got for now.  If you found Baseball 101 easy, be sure and sign up for Baseball 601 for more advanced terms like "the infield fly rule" and "catcher's interference"...coming Summer 2013!

13 down, 149.  Bring it, Cubbies!

There's good news...and there's bad news....

As always, we'll start with the bad news:  Our Texas Rangers lost last night to the lowly Houston Astros.  The same Astros that lost over 100 games last year.  Of course it's only one game and therefore no real cause for concern.  The most disconcerting part of last night's game is what seemed to be proof that we majorly lack offense.  We've discussed how that will most likely be a season-long issue, remember?

Here's your refresher course, if not:

Who are these guys?  And can they go anywhere?

And, as much as we love being right here at 162+, this is one of the rare times that we desperately wanted to be wrong.  Again, it's just one game and One Knee AB and Boomstick Nelly might still prove us wrong.  But, I'm willing to venture that they won't.  Our best bet will be for our pitching to keep us contending until July when we can pick-up a big bat before the deadline.

In related bad news:  There's no Rangers baseball today.  Today is one of two off-days this week, Thursday's the other.

That's enough of the bad stuff.  Onto the good news.  Because in this case, the good news trumps the bad news by a ton.

After last night's highly disappointing Opening Night loss (not what I needed after the 6-month wait), I went to bed sulking; only to be awakened by a push alert.  One of the best push alerts I've ever received.  Of course, I am generally annoyed by 95% of all push alerts, so being "one of the best" is not exactly difficult to do.  I always think, "THAT'S what you thought worthy of pushing?", then I curse the app/site that sent it.  And yes I have thought about turning them off...and no I don't know why I haven't.

Maybe it's because I was waiting for this one...this one was awesome.  Read it and weep:

One of...maybe...5 push alerts I've ever cared about

That's right!  Word on the street (the streets named Bleacher Report and ESPN) is that the Rangers have extended Elvis!  8 years, $120 million.  And he was already under contract through 2014, so this would make him a Ranger until 2022, when he'll be turning 34 years old.  But, because the team hasn't confirmed the extension yet (several other sources HAVE confirmed it) I'm not sure how the $ is structured.  If we assume that he's making that 120 evenly over 8, which is hardly ever the case, his annual salary would be about $15 mil per year.  This would make him the 2nd highest paid shortstop in Major League Baseball right now.

The fact that Derek Jeter is still the highest paid shortstop in the leagues is beyond ridiculous.  But, we'll move on from that to preserve our happy mood.  If you'd like other comparisons, Elvis will make more than Jimmy Rollins and Jose Reyes as well, which I don't find undeserved.

All of this shortstop talk reminds me of "The Year of the Shortstop", as 1997 was deemed.  Please tell me you remember this insanity.  But if you've blacked that out, that's okay too...completely understandable.

While that's what came to mind, 2013 is hardly a great time for shortstops.  There just aren't that many good ones these days.  Rollins is as close as we get to a really good one.  Who else is there?

Jhonny Peralta?  Really?

My point here is that we got our guy!  And maybe Profar does turn into the stud we all think that he'll become...but maybe he doesn't.  If he doesn't, we'll still have Elvis & Kins.  Even if he does, why wouldn't we want them both?

This will obviously lead to some other questions for the franchise in the future:  Do we move Kins to the outfield?  Do we trade him?  Is Elvis the SS with Profar at 2B or is it the other way around?

But, this is a better problem to have than most alternatives.

So happy Elvis Andrus Day everyone!  Let's celebrate with hug:

Ian's happy, aren't you?

And an action shot:

1 down, 161 to go.

Who are these guys? And can they go anywhere?

Well, if you're like me and you've been following how this 25-man is shaping up for Opening Day, then you might be in a state of minor panic...

Nick Tepesch?  Leury Garcia? Who are these guys?  Are they any good?

Let's start with Tepesch, the Rangers new 5th starter.  He's a 6'4, 225-pound righty, born in KC in the late 80's;  1988 to be exact.  Why does that sound so damn recent?

Anyway, most of that is not what you were wondering.  Here is what you DO want to know:

Tepesch spent the last two years in A ball and AA ball.  That's it.  That's all he's got.  A little addition to the "panic factor" is that his ERA was 4.28 in Frisco last year, although that was his first real shot at AA hitters.  To be positive, the Rangers drafted Tepesch in '10 after playing college ball at the University of Missouri - Columbia; and college ball usually helps pitchers.  And I like that he's 24/25 and not 21/22...21/22 usually doesn't bode well unless you're Elvis Andrus; almost never for a pitcher.

Leury Garcia, on the other hand is only 22 years old.  Born in 1991!  I think I was leaving elementary school at that point!  Anyway, Garcia is not as big a concern as Tepesch because he's our utility infielder, so all we really need is for him to be able to catch and throw the ball on occasion.  Although, he did hit .292 in about 400 at-bats in Frisco last year, so maybe he'll surprise us.  Of course, like any fan, I hope we only see Garcia on the random off-day for our starters, day game after a night game, etc.  God forbid anything happen to Kins or Elvis.  That would just be terrible.

Another surprise at the close of camp was Jeff Baker...the 31-year old from Germany, (finally, an adult!), who, after an incredible spring, made the team as a back-up for Beltre at 3B and Murphy in left.

So here you have it my friends, your Texas Rangers depth chart for the 2013 season as of 3/27/13, courtesy of www.TexasRangers.com:

Now, if you're looking at this depth chart with a little concern regarding the starting rotation, I'll remind you that Colby Lewis is expected back in May.  So, Tepesch's big league shot may be limited to a 6-8 week trial run.  Other positives include Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar being sent down to the minors.  Both are chock full of potential, especially Profar.  But, if we have enough talent at the MLB level to help us avoid a potential David Clyde redux, then why the heck wouldn't we?

The real cause for concern here may be our lack of power.  Hamilton's gone.  Napoli's gone.  Now, I know we've added Berkman and Pierzynski, but I'm going to need a little proof (at Berkman's age especially) before I jump on that bandwagon.  And not that Michael Young was a power guy, but he added 200 hits to our lineup up every year since God knows when (God says it was 2003).  Many of those hits were doubles, and we're going to miss that.

In my opinion, there's a fix here.  Maybe not a permanent solution, but a nice little fix to start 2013.

Doesn't that uppercut scream 6-hole to you?

I have defended Ian Kinsler in the lead-off spot many a time.  Good base stealer, good bat control, walks a lot...that adds up to one hell of a top-of-the order guy, right?  Well, if you watch half as many games as we do (which is about 81 games a year), you know that Kins hits for average OR he hits for power.  It's usually, and by usually I mean 95% of the time, not both.  It's 30/30 and he hits .250 or a nice .285-.300 avg with 10-20 home runs.  It's as if he has Rickey Henderson on one shoulder telling him to use his speed and he's got Willie Mays Hayes on the other shoulder telling him to hit it as high and far as he can.

If only Wash would make Kins drop and do 20 every time he popped up...

So I say, let Elvis lead-off and put Kins in the 6-hole.  Then he can swing for the fences as much as he wants. Berkman, Beltre, Cruz, Kins.  Not bad, right?

We are almost there...

3 Days.