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The inevitable September Collapse of the Texas Rangers

Discussion in 'Houston Astros' started by SooneRockStro, Aug 30, 2016.

  1. Nick

    Nick Contributing Member

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    Please. They have no low floor guys that are either still trying to figure it out (Reed, White), or are all defense/no offense (Castro, Marisnick).

    Desmond has given them more than their money's worth.
     
  2. SWTsig

    SWTsig Contributing Member

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    Enough excuses for the Rangers - they are light years better than us. Use all the advanced metrics you want. THEY ARE LIGHT YEARS BETTER THAN US.
     
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  3. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    "INEVITABLE!!!"
     
  4. conquistador#11

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    i don't think they're light years better, they are just not afraid to spend. meanwhile, we get to pump our chest that we get elite production from our top 4 while having one of the lowest pay rolls. awesome.
     
  5. SWTsig

    SWTsig Contributing Member

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    ^^^^ they've OWNED us for years. They're currently pushing a 10 game lead. They are - in fact - light years better than us. Maybe next year is different, and if we spend correctly it should be. But right now - as it exists today - THEY ARE LIGHT YEARS BETTER THAN US.
     
  6. jim1961

    jim1961 Member

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    You better hope your wrong because you dont make up a light years difference in one off season.
     
  7. juicystream

    juicystream Contributing Member

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    Pretty sure they do since they have Gomez to replace DDJ.
     
  8. Shroopy2

    Shroopy2 Contributing Member

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    I support your CHAMPIONSHIP aspirations. I see/hear all the rationales about how the FAN view is different from the PLAYERS and Organizational approach.

    - Such as, that organizations use shrewd tools, research and analytics in their operations for the short and long term bigger picture. That in the end players are only about getting their fat stats in and cashing big checks with whoever pays them. And Joe Six Pack Fan only is simple-minded, impulsive, irresponsible, overly emotionally invested in a product that removes that very emotion element in day-to-day operations, and lacking depth to see the sophistications involved.

    While that is true, I believe that can just as CONSCENDING to FANS, especially with GENERATIONS of investment into the team

    Its odd we have people COMPETITIVELY explaining, rationalizing, quantifying, debating others about appropriate approaches and methods. But its like, what ULTIMATELY is the END GOAL of the ACTUAL teams and fan followings?

    Well, its to see the TEAM COMPETE for the HIGHEST PRIZE and ULTIMATE bragging right. And believe it or not after players wipe their butts with $100 bills, PLAYERS do care about that too. All the FANS competively debating with each other is arguably then "needless"

    YES you HAVE to see the closer Pythag #s so thats its NOT making impulsive moves ruining the product thats better than it shows. Though I still dont see much wrong in FAN APPLYING PRESSURE to field that WINNER regardless of methodology. Especially when anyone can see its doesnt require a ton more moves to improve to that level.
     
  9. RoxBeliever

    RoxBeliever Member

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    Luhnow tried to trade for a starting pitcher at the trade deadline. But Chris Sale's team was asking for Carlos Correa and prospects.

    Have to wait for the offseason. Just need to develop an ace if it would be hard to get one from FA. One or two veteran bats would be good too.
     
  10. Joe Joe

    Joe Joe Go Stros!
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    It is silly and illogical to place the frustrations of the past on the current team that can't change it. Sure, the Rangers have been better at winning games this season...but those wins don't matter if the Astros win in the playoffs. I'm not willing to accept that this team is out until they are eliminated even though they have long odds.
     
  11. juicystream

    juicystream Contributing Member

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    The goal will certainly be to add a top of the rotation starter in the offseason, most likely in a package built around Martes and/or Paulino.

    FA crop will be very thin. Rich Hill is probably the best option there. Maybe we could bargain shop again for Tyson Ross (if he is non-tendered or in a small trade) or CJ Wilson, but both are coming off shoulder injuries, which does not bode well for their futures.

    I expect the team to look for someone to play 1B/DH. Reed will get another chance, but the team can't risk going with him & White again.
     
  12. dmoneybangbang

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    Let's see who wins it all first. The Rangers are simply in a different place in terms of development, certainly not light years ahead or something silly given our records the last two seasons.

    What's the point of spending a lot of money up until this point when you have so many young prospects? If we don't spend this coming offseason then I would be concerned.
     
  13. jim1961

    jim1961 Member

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    Developing farm talent and drafting well are areas we have some degree of control over. What FA's are available, where they are willing to play, their current contracts, and how amiable their management is to trading them are areas where we have next to no control.

    Often times in any given offseason, what you want isnt there or you have to trade the kitchen sink to get it. You can look at 2nd and 3rd choices. But in that case, are you just getting more of what you already have?

    I get the "We need to spend more" argument. But if the guy we really want isnt there or wont play here, is it good business to overpay for a lesser haul?

    This is the first offseason in some time where spending big at all makes any sense what so ever. While I have said myself that we need a big winter, I dont want us to make bad deals and/or sacrifice our future to merely become marginally better.

    I am still confident in our team management. Until a FA comes along that is the right fit and can be had and will play here and we just wont spend the money to get him, I am on board with what we are doing.
     
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  14. Hey Now!

    Hey Now! Contributing Member

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    I think we saw a pristine example of why the Rangers-Astros series is so remarkably befuddling yesterday. The Rangers spend three days relentlessly playing Jason Voorhees to the Astros' amoral teenagers and they promptly get their nuts kicked in the next night, 14-6, by a Mariner team that was 2-10 in his last 12, including a three-game sweep at Texas. Meanwhile, the Astros treat the Indians like the Indians at the start of Major League. IT MAKES NO SENSE!

    The Rangers remind me sooooo much of the '86 Mets - I dislike every single player in their line-up, in large part because the scare the ever-loving Bejeezus out of me.

    Having said that, I think we'll get them in MMP next week.
     
  15. Hey Now!

    Hey Now! Contributing Member

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    OK; I read it. And... it's not terribly egregious; I mean, I don't agree with him - but he's using statistical evidence, at least - it's not an exercise in "Oh, yeah?...." chest-puffing buffoonery.

    The Ranger-Astro series is just a weird mofo, man. Take, for instance, Odor - we all vehemently dislike him, right? But why? Since 2015, he's slashing .277 (BA)/.492 (SL%) against every other team in baseball. He is an average MLB player. But against the Astros? .316/.613. .316/.613!!

    Rougned Odor has a career OPS+ of 105. There's no logical explanation for him to not just be better but *significantly* better against the Astros. It's just a weird statistical anomaly that most think (like the Rangers beating the Astros 81% of the time over that same stretch) will have to - through sheer statistical regression - even up.

    And for it to even up, given the disparity, it means the Astros are due a significant run of success. They're just too good a team to be beaten that consistently. It makes no statistical sense.
     
  16. dmoneybangbang

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    It's simply psychological at this point, the losing just snowballed until the point we are at today.
     
  17. PokeJ

    PokeJ Member

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    Odor has more home runs before his 23 year old season start than any 2nd baseman in the history of MLB. He's pretty good against everyone.
     
  18. msn

    msn Member

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    They did. In 2014. Of course, most of the Rangers were in the hospital at the time.
     
  19. conquistador#11

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    I f'ng hate that the commissar forced us into a rivalry with the rangers with his strong arming mafia tactics but it didn't take much to dislike that team with their everyone has a price approach and a roster full of smug. hope they go out in the first series like the cardinals last year.
     
  20. Nick

    Nick Contributing Member

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    At least its a true two-way rivalry.... or has the potential to be if the Astros ever do well enough to give the Rangers fans something to antagonize about.

    They could also go out in the first series like THEY did last year.
     

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