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travel guy
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1st Post Wed May 14th, 2008 05:28 pm | |
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Texas Rangers Making Contingency
Plans In Case This Uptick is a Mirage
Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:30:55 PM
On deck?
According to two baseball sources I trust way farther than I could throw them, your Texas Rangers are making plans for when – not if – manager Ron Washington is fired this season.
The Dallas Observer – via this here The Sportatorium sports blog – has learned from separate sources that the Rangers have held preliminary – if not more serious – talks with Don Baylor, Mike Hargrove, Jim Tracy and Jackie Moore about being Washington’s successor. At least one version of the inevitable overhaul, temporarily put on pause by the team’s recent uptick, includes the firing of all assistant coaches other than hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo and third base coach Matt Walbeck.
Odd timing, I know, in that recent confabs between president Nolan Ryan, general manager Jon Daniels and Washington led to a youth infusion of Brandon Boggs, German Duran and A.J. Murray that has propelled the team to wins in six out of eight games and out of last place in the American League. But apparently the team’s slow starts, sloppy fundamentals and general irrelevancy under Washington are considered ultimately irreparable.
“The players know Wash is a good guy,” one of the sources told me this morning. “But his enthusiasm and optimism isn’t translating into him being a manager that gets through to them. They’re ready to move on from him. Of course, these are the same guys who were ready to move on from Buck (Showalter), too.”
The silver lining is that Nolan, hired in February to infuse the organization with credibility, is finally aiming one of his trademark fastballs just under the chin of a franchise that has needed a brushback for a long time.
It was Ryan who suggested Daniels and Washington start the youth movement. And three of the managerial candidates have strong ties to Nolan. The other, former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tracy, has a link to the organization through his son, Chad, the team's second-round draft pick in 2006.
According to one source, Baylor is the front-runner. An AL MVP during a 19-year playing career that included a teammate on the 1977-79 California Angels named Nolan Ryan, the Austin native has been out of baseball since 2005. In ’03 Baylor was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer but, after a stem-cell transplant, has a clean bill of health. He managed the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs, served as bench coach for the New York Mets, hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners and, according to this 2006 story, desperately wants another managerial shot.
A lot of us semi-old-timer Rangers fans remember Hargrove as the “human rain delay”, always stepping out of the box to adjust his cup and his cap and his sleeves and fidget relentlessly with his batting gloves while consistently hitting over .300 in the mid-70s. Another native Texan with an open line of communication to Ryan, he managed the Cleveland Indians to two World Series in the ‘90s before being fired by former Rangers GM John Hart. Of all the candidates, he’d likely sell the most tickets.
Moore might be the closest of Nolan’s old cronies, but still the longest shot to be Texas’ next manager. In 2000 Ryan named him the first manager in the history of his minor league Round Rock Express. Currently a bench coach for the Houston Astros, Moore’s only Major League managerial experience was way back in 1984 with the Oakland A’s.
I must admit, I’m surprised Washington outlasted Avery Johnson. But even more shocked that Washington’s rosey outlook hasn’t translated into on-field success. --
Richie Whitt
Last edited on Wed May 14th, 2008 05:30 pm by travel guy
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Zephyr
Hosiery Inspector
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2nd Post Wed May 14th, 2008 05:37 pm | |
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| Does Al Sharpton know about this business of firing the black coaches/managers?
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Burley Glen
Whatever...
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3rd Post Wed May 14th, 2008 05:37 pm | |
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Thu May 08, 2008 at 03:30:55 PM
Wow...took travel dude a week to post this...hmmm...he just couldn't stand anyone saying anything good about the Rangers...
Richie Whitt has been involved in Rangers reporting when??? (case in point, he mentions AJ Murray as part of the "youth movement", uhm, excuse me, that was a spot start and he was sent back the next day) those rumors were around the time of April 29ish...a little stale now...
travel dude, your as bad as donald...
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I'd rather be wrong because I trusted someone, than because I didn't...
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travel guy
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4th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 05:44 pm | |
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shoot ---> messenger
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Bubba
Redneck Computer Geek
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5th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:19 pm | |
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| Boomer !!!
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travel guy
Member
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6th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:20 pm | |
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Bubba wrote: Boomer !!!
Sooner ???
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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7th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:33 pm | |
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| Hey, Travel (a week late) Guy.. I can give you the addy to a site where they LIKE s*** stirrers..... but you probably already knew of it....
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The wife says I'm obsessed with Baseball. Wow, did THAT come out of left field.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Paladin
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8th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:33 pm | |
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| I must admit, I’m surprised Washington outlasted Avery Johnson. But even more shocked that Washington’s rosey outlook hasn’t translated into on-field success. -- |
That right there shows how old this news is.
The silver lining is that Nolan, hired in February to infuse the organization with credibility, is finally aiming one of his trademark fastballs just under the chin of a franchise that has needed a brushback for a long time.
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Right on target there. As good as everyone is doing now, including Wash, I think the word is out that Nolan, wants a winner, expects positive results, and is not afraid to do what it takes to get us there. Everything I hear, is that for the first time in forever, no one has any doubts who is in charge of this organization now.
| Another native Texan with an open line of communication to Ryan, he managed the Cleveland Indians to two World Series in the ‘90s before being fired by former Rangers GM John Hart. |
always tickles me when people talk about Hart in the past tense. He is still there! He's there everyday. They just renewed his multi year contract. He just appointed JD General Manager.
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Have Pun, Will Travel.
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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9th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:38 pm | |
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| Pal... Hart is the Senior Advisor of Baseball Operations... and I doubt he gave the extensions to anyone.... I'd be willing to bet that he doesn't advise Nolan of ANYTHING.. nor Hicks anymore.. Just as Hicks said.. If Nolan were here, the Chris Young trade would not have happened.. Hart SHOULD be talked about in the past tense, because his heart wasn't in it the way it was in Cleveland.. smart guy.. just didn't do a credible job here.. he has a title.. little else... Last edited on Wed May 14th, 2008 06:44 pm by Ric
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The wife says I'm obsessed with Baseball. Wow, did THAT come out of left field.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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travel guy
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10th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:39 pm | |
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Ric wrote: Hey, Travel (a week late) Guy.. I can give you the addy to a site where they LIKE s*** stirrers..... but you probably already knew of it....
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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11th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:41 pm | |
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travel guy wrote: Ric wrote: Hey, Travel (a week late) Guy.. I can give you the addy to a site where they LIKE s*** stirrers..... but you probably already knew of it....
riiiiiiiggggghhhhhhtttt....
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The wife says I'm obsessed with Baseball. Wow, did THAT come out of left field.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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travel guy
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12th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:42 pm | |
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you're just jealous, Ric.
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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13th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:42 pm | |
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travel guy wrote: you're just jealous, Ric.
of what?
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The wife says I'm obsessed with Baseball. Wow, did THAT come out of left field.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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Paladin
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14th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:50 pm | |
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Ric wrote: Pal... Hart is the Senior Advisor of Baseball Operations... and I doubt he gave the extensions to anyone.... I'd be willing to bet that he doesn't advise Nolan of ANYTHING.. nor Hicks anymore..
I think I just said that??
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Have Pun, Will Travel.
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Ric
Bayou Bum
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15th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 06:52 pm | |
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| ah..
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The wife says I'm obsessed with Baseball. Wow, did THAT come out of left field.
"There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance."
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jnj3
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16th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 09:10 pm | |
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Ric wrote: travel guy wrote: you're just jealous, Ric.
of what?
TG's avatar?
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Mark
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17th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 10:29 pm | |
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If this stuff is true, then the club should be ashamed of themselves for cutting the legs out from under their manager. If the only question of firing Wash is when, then do it now.
I'd be wary of Hargrove. When he walked away from the Mariners (wasn't it less than a year ago?) he said that he'd lost the passion. We don't need another Eddie Stanky situation here.
If the entire coaching staff is to be fired, then why does Jaramillo deserve protection? Clutch hitting is one of the things that has always plagued this club most. Their RISP hitting is bad every year, along with hitting on the road.
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Paladin
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18th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 10:49 pm | |
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At this point, I don't think Wash is going anywhere this season. He got close, but credit to him, he rallied, and the team rallied to him.
Long term, I get the feeling everybody in the organization, thinks Matt Walbeck is the future. He was Manager of the Year last year in All Minor League Baseball.
I don't think Nolan will hire a Manager if he is not forced to, but will before he lets the team crash. I think he plans on building one with the team.
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Have Pun, Will Travel.
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Paladin
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19th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 10:55 pm | |
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| To be honest. Now that the team is playing better, I think the Rangers biggest problem, and the one they are working on the most, is attendance. I know, I know, "if you win they will come", but Guys it may not be that simple anymore. There is a lot of competition out there for those entertainment dollars. It is a very serious issue at this point. They still are not getting much attention from the media, etc.
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Have Pun, Will Travel.
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Gopher
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20th Post Wed May 14th, 2008 11:05 pm | |
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| I thought Bobby V was mentioned to be in the mix again too.
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Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants
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