If you don't think modern major league baseball is all about pitching, witness the 2014 Texas Ranger's season. By the beginning of the season two of our five starting pitchers were gone. Within a few weeks another was lost to Tommy John surgery, and those still standing were stressed and inconsistent. Paired with other injuries, which set an all time major league baseball record for disabled list games missed, (See http://grantland.com/the-triangle/texas-rangers-historic-injury-woes/) the Rangers were 67 and 95 and finished last in the division. Almost a complete turnaround from the 2013 season.
So, the good news about the 2015 Rangers is they won't be THAT bad this upcoming season, but the loss of Darvish for the entire season, and based on what I've seen of Tommy John recovery, part of the next, is making the 2015 season a disappointment in the making. In my opinion, because of the still stressed starting pitching staff, (missing Darvish, Harrison, and Perez), lack of left handed relief pitching, and a repaired Feliz untested closing for an entire season, this is not a play-off team without a significant amount of good luck, or as baseball people say, we need 'lightening in a bottle'.
This Spring Training has actually been much more fun for us than the "set clubs" we have witnessed in the past. There's not much joking and kidding around in the dugout because so many of the players are grinding constantly trying to win one of the open roster spots on the team. Also, the new manager, Banister, is stoic compared to Ron Washington's exuberant attitude and that's being reflected in the dugout. Keep in mind Jon Daniel's said in last night's interview contractual obligations may affect any of the team's personnel decisions, and Drake and I are not privy to all those nuances. However, that said, Let's start with the outfield: There are three outfield spots open, one starting position and two reserve (backup) positions.
Young 25 year old Ryan Rua, a homegrown prospect, with some successful Ranger performance last fall, is the front runner for making the team. He's been fun to watch, and he's been constantly improving this Spring. Following him, are four other candidates, Jake Smokinski, 26, signed before last year after being released by the Nationals also had fall success with the Rangers. Then, there's Nate Schierholtz, a retread, who is 31 and has bounced around a variety of National League clubs. He was the last Spring Training invitee signed by the Rangers. Two younger long shots are Carlos Peguero, a 27 year old who looks eerily like a young Nelson Cruz. He hits for power and has a similar trajectory of being a late bloomer. Finally, there's Delino DeShields, Jr., yes, he's the major leaguerer's son, who is only 22. He's a Rule 5 draftee from the Houston Astos. If he doesn't make our major league roster, we have to offer him back to the Astros.
Drake's prediction is the final two slots will go to Shierholtz and Smolinski - with Peguero being sent to Triple A to continue working on this strikeout problem. DeShields will be sent back to the Astros. Drake feels DeShields is not ready for prime time, and the Rangers don't have the luxury of developing him into a big leaguer while part of the major league roster. My prediction is Smolinski and DeShields will make the club with Shierholtz released and Peguero sent down. I think Daniels will not let DeShields get away. Since, the season is already compromised, we do have the luxury of developing DeShields.
Some last thoughts about the outfield. Martin looks healthy and is getting himself ready for the season. Drake's analysis is he's ready to be the lead off hitter. He's showing much more plate discipline than he has in the past. We all know he can bunt, and he's fast. Chin Soo Choo, or Jon Daniel's brain fart as I like to term him, has shown nothing this Spring. Or, as Drake puts it, he's shown the continuing tendency to be fragile with nagging injuries. That's why we both think Peguero will be in Triple A to start the season, so he can fine tune his game. He'll be ready for the call-up if Choo goes down. Why Daniels ever thought this loser was worth a 7 year multi-million dollar contract is beyond either of us.
Let's talk about the infield. The starting positions are set here. (Fielder, Odor, Andrus, and Beltre). Fielder looks like Fielder - showing power, a great presence at the plate, even beating the extreme shift teams like to play against him. With his plate threat we also have to accept a mediocre glove at first base, and not so hot speed on the base paths. However, he puts butts in the seats which we will need to hold the fan base while we hang on during this rough patch. Beltre looks very good, but he is 36 on April 7th, and his age is going to start working against him over the long, long season. Andrus looks in the best shape ever, and he's had a sparkling Spring Training. (The club is so serious this Spring even the irrepressible Elvis can't lighten the mood.) The best news for the future is Mr. Odor has also had a great Spring and isn't showing any signs of sophomore slump.
The real news for the Ranger infield is who will be the utility players on the team. There are four candidates left standing for two spots. One roster spot is for a middle infielder, and one roster spot is for a corner infielder. Defensive skills are the paramount factor for these team slots. The four candidates are: Adam Rosales, a familiar name to Ranger fans, seems to have the corner infielder spot locked. That leaves three players competing for the middle infielder spot: Elliot Johnson, Ed Lucas and Thomas Field. These are all new names to the Rangers. It's a toss up as to which one will get it at this point. Drake would lean toward Thomas Field because of his combination of offense/defense, but the other two can also play the corner positions. This may be a good example where the contractual obligations will call the shots. All I know is these are the type of players who hang onto the edge of major league baseball, and each Spring Training finds them desperately grinding away to grab that $500,000 salary, the major league minimum.
Turning to the pitching, it's not all bad news. The starting rotation is almost set - four out of the five will be - Lewis, Holland, Gallardo, and Detwiler with Nick Martinez having the inside line over Nick Tepesch on the fifth slot after his fabulous performance last night against the Rockies. Both Gallardo and Lewis are veterans fine tuning their wares, but both will be solid during the season. Holland is being brought along slowly in terms of stamina, but he will be ready for prime time. Detwiler is a retread from the National's who could return to top form or be a disappointment - time will tell. Martinez looks to be an up and coming starter who Drake thinks is poised for a break out season.
Our bullpen is a muddle. The 7th and 8th inning set up men and the closer are set: Tolleson, Scheppers, and Feliz. After that, well, there's only one left handed reliever in the bullpen - an interesting side armer called Claudio who has a 65 mph change up he can throw for a first pitch strike. Oh, he's got a lock on the left handed specialist role. Don't be surprised to see a late trade for another left handed reliever. (Drake thinks Bryan Matusz from the Orioles.) The other two or three spots are hard to call. They can come from any combination of relief specialists, or candidates who fail to make the starting rotation. Young rotation prospects are usually sent to Triple A. Management wants them to continue to work as starters. Basically, the last two or three spots are up for grabs.
Finally, let's talk catchers. That's pretty set with Chirinos being the everyday catcher and veteran Corporan being the back up. One really exciting young catcher we saw this spring was Alfaro - sent back this week to AA - a tremendous young player with all five tools.
That's the report from Spring Training. The fun this year will be watching the young pitchers as well as seeing Odor play his second season. Hopefully, Fielder will deliver the home runs he's famous for since Mitch Moreland, who's looked great this spring, will be protecting his back as the DH, the fifth hitter, and the first base reliever. Drake's overall assessment is the starting line up will be good, but the Ranger's final place in the division will be based on the success of the starting pitching. He predicts a third place finish, and I agree, because of a shaky starting rotation. If all three veterans are solid and we get good performances from the youngsters Detwiler, Martinez and Tepesch, we could rise in the division. Keep in mind 'magic' (lightening in a bottle) happens for some team. The Rangers need some of that lightening to be contenders.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Expanding Freaked Out by Electrons - a Guest Blog
Boy, do I have smart friends. This dude is one of the smartest, and I've known him since he was Drake's college roommate our sophomore year at OU. Back in those days, Dale, the only guy I knew from Kingfisher, Oklahoma, drove an MG, and drank REAL (and for our college incomes EXPENSIVE) hooch. He left Oklahoma with an engineering degree in metallurgy, but that was only the start. He has a master's
from somewhere I don't remember, spent over ten years swashbuckling around the world while being a gainfully employed ex-pat in Saudi before, during and after the first Gulf war. (You should hear him talk about that experience.) THEN, he landed in Cambridge where he got a PhD. Now he's settled in Bartelsville, OK raising a family and coping with eldercare problems just like the rest of us. Sigh... Anyway, here's another angle of his about the Electronic Revolution swirling around us which he was gracious enough to share.
 |
| Drake and Dale, 1972 - practicing those 'get a job' handshakes |
There is a lot of new knowledge zipping around as
electrons in the ether these days.
electrons in the ether these days.
But there is a lot of old knowledge that is going to be lost.
You have probably read about the great winnowing of knowledge that took place
when people changed from scrolls to bound books. The monks who copied the old
manuscripts picked and chose which ones were worth their trouble and the cost of
the vellum. Hundreds of old Greek and Roman manuscripts were lost forever,
crumbled into dust as the scrolls decayed, many now known only by reputation.
when people changed from scrolls to bound books. The monks who copied the old
manuscripts picked and chose which ones were worth their trouble and the cost of
the vellum. Hundreds of old Greek and Roman manuscripts were lost forever,
crumbled into dust as the scrolls decayed, many now known only by reputation.
Something similar, although less drastic, happened when Gutenberg started
the movable type revolution. Not all those gilt-edged illuminated hand-
lettered manuscripts got into print. Some of those old rare books survived dusty old
libraries in Oxford, Cambridge and the Italian universities. Many did not.
the movable type revolution. Not all those gilt-edged illuminated hand-
lettered manuscripts got into print. Some of those old rare books survived dusty old
libraries in Oxford, Cambridge and the Italian universities. Many did not.
I fear the digital revolution will create another great winnowing of knowledge. Not
everything is going to be scanned and digitized. And some of what is digitized will
become unreadable as electronic storage devices change. (When was the last time
you read something off of a 5-1/2 inch floppy? Or even a 3-1/4 inch "hard" disk? I
have files from the 90's that it would take a CIA cryptographer to decipher).
everything is going to be scanned and digitized. And some of what is digitized will
become unreadable as electronic storage devices change. (When was the last time
you read something off of a 5-1/2 inch floppy? Or even a 3-1/4 inch "hard" disk? I
have files from the 90's that it would take a CIA cryptographer to decipher).
And how permanent are the latest electronic storage systems? Is the tightening spiral
of obsolescence played out? Or is there more to come. And if so, what will we lose of
our last 20 years of literature?
of obsolescence played out? Or is there more to come. And if so, what will we lose of
our last 20 years of literature?
Interesting thoughts, no?
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Freaked Out by Electrons
When one travels, one can not possibly subscribe to hard copy magazines. The magazines would never catch me. I like magazines. At one point in my life our family subscribed to Time, Sports Illustrated, Texas Monthly, Reader's Digest, American Heritage, Southern Living, Highlights, and Zoo Books. Our house overflowed with magazines. Add in the catalogs these magazine subscriptions generated, and we were awash in glossy paper. I never lacked for bathroom reading.
Everyone jokes about reading in the bathroom, but it often saved my sanity in an 1100 square foot house. My family lived on top of one another, and the idea of privacy was laughable. The bathroom was the only reliable place no one would walk in on you, make requests, or issue hop to it orders. Reading magazines on the throne was the excuse as to why I was in there 'so long'. My mother actually encouraged reading; she used to walk around the house with scraps of paper in her pockets, so she could bookmark the ten or so books I was reading that routinely littered her tiny house. She bought Time and Sports Illustrated as Christmas gifts for Drake and I for more than 20 years.
I satisfy my craving for the shiny pages by buying used magazines at the Thrift Store Shopping Mall. (We have a 'strip center' about 8 blocks from the Sun City house which is composed entirely of thrift stores. We call the place 'Jan's Amusement Park'.) At least two or three of the stores sell all kinds of used magazines for $.25 each. A year old Allure magazine is how I learned I was out of touch with the beauty world. By sheer chance, I picked up an American Heritage magazine - didn't really pay much attention to how old it was - history doesn't usually change. However, as I was reading along (history of Supermarkets if you want to know), it suddenly dawned on me there were no websites or links to the internet anywhere in the magazine. Guess what the date was of the magazine? 1985!
It started me thinking how much the Electronic Revolution has changed our lives, and how quickly it has happened. Historically speaking, Americans are very, very good at adaptation. Supermarkets are a great example of our adaptation skills. It took less than 20 years for Americans to move away from Mom/Pop grocery stores where food was sold in bulk, packaged for customers, then handed over to them all the while 'running a tab' with the owner. The new supermakets were stores filled with prepackaged goods patrons self selected from aisles of products, brought to one clerk who tabulated the total and collected money for those groceries right on the spot. Several other technologies had to go hand in hand for supermarkets to take hold - also big changes - such as AFFORDABLE home electric refrigeration, economical packaging, and cars to carry home those groceries.
My point is Americans embrace change at a frightening rate of speed. The underlying fear of change is always there even when we are wholeheartedly wallowing in it. The Electronic Revolution certainly qualifies as fast change. The fear of that change is being acted out in our popular culture. We are acting out our fears of the brave new electronic world barreling down on us with visions of violence, end of the world science fiction, and escapism (ie reality TV).
I started getting curious about the electronic timeline. If there were no websites in 1985, then when did they start? So.... I did ONLINE research, of course. Every library worth its salt is busily scanning in information, both past and present, as fast as they can punch buttons. Here's what I found.
"History of the internet." Computer Act!ve 21 June 2012. General OneFile. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.
Are you freaked out yet? I was. Looking at the significant, albeit, superficial timeline, my first question is 'what's next?'. This timeline also seems to point to the idea one must learn to use electronic devices; otherwise, you could become an anachronism in your own lifetime. For every 'new' device, there are a whole slew of 'things', 'jobs' and even entire industries which no longer exist or which are 'converting to electrons'. Newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, road maps, almanacs, house telephones, film cameras, and wrist watches to name a few. Think about that. Do you know ANYONE under the age of 80 who doesn't own a mobile phone, or a P.C., a laptop, a tablet, or a gaming system? I'm wrapped in electrons, and I love it. As I 'log into' my medical portal, shop, read, research, or stream, sometimes it feels like invisible electrons are connecting my physical person to these devices. Hmmm....perhaps that's what's next. I can imagine it; can't you?
Everyone jokes about reading in the bathroom, but it often saved my sanity in an 1100 square foot house. My family lived on top of one another, and the idea of privacy was laughable. The bathroom was the only reliable place no one would walk in on you, make requests, or issue hop to it orders. Reading magazines on the throne was the excuse as to why I was in there 'so long'. My mother actually encouraged reading; she used to walk around the house with scraps of paper in her pockets, so she could bookmark the ten or so books I was reading that routinely littered her tiny house. She bought Time and Sports Illustrated as Christmas gifts for Drake and I for more than 20 years.
I satisfy my craving for the shiny pages by buying used magazines at the Thrift Store Shopping Mall. (We have a 'strip center' about 8 blocks from the Sun City house which is composed entirely of thrift stores. We call the place 'Jan's Amusement Park'.) At least two or three of the stores sell all kinds of used magazines for $.25 each. A year old Allure magazine is how I learned I was out of touch with the beauty world. By sheer chance, I picked up an American Heritage magazine - didn't really pay much attention to how old it was - history doesn't usually change. However, as I was reading along (history of Supermarkets if you want to know), it suddenly dawned on me there were no websites or links to the internet anywhere in the magazine. Guess what the date was of the magazine? 1985!
It started me thinking how much the Electronic Revolution has changed our lives, and how quickly it has happened. Historically speaking, Americans are very, very good at adaptation. Supermarkets are a great example of our adaptation skills. It took less than 20 years for Americans to move away from Mom/Pop grocery stores where food was sold in bulk, packaged for customers, then handed over to them all the while 'running a tab' with the owner. The new supermakets were stores filled with prepackaged goods patrons self selected from aisles of products, brought to one clerk who tabulated the total and collected money for those groceries right on the spot. Several other technologies had to go hand in hand for supermarkets to take hold - also big changes - such as AFFORDABLE home electric refrigeration, economical packaging, and cars to carry home those groceries.
My point is Americans embrace change at a frightening rate of speed. The underlying fear of change is always there even when we are wholeheartedly wallowing in it. The Electronic Revolution certainly qualifies as fast change. The fear of that change is being acted out in our popular culture. We are acting out our fears of the brave new electronic world barreling down on us with visions of violence, end of the world science fiction, and escapism (ie reality TV).
I started getting curious about the electronic timeline. If there were no websites in 1985, then when did they start? So.... I did ONLINE research, of course. Every library worth its salt is busily scanning in information, both past and present, as fast as they can punch buttons. Here's what I found.
1969 - The first internet link is created between two universities in California
1972 - A similar system starts to be used to send emails
1980 - The ethernet cable is introduced. It is still widely used today
1985 - The first .com web address is registered, www.symbolics.com
1986 - The term internet is used as a shortening of internetwork
1990 - Tim Berners-Lee coins the phrase 'world wide web'
April 1993 - Mosaic web browser is launched, displaying text and images together for the first time
June 1993 - The HTML-programming language, which is used to create web pages, is released
1995 - Yahoo is founded and the dot-com boom begins
1996 - Hotmail is launched. There are 342,081 websites online
1998 - Google opens its first office in a garage in California
2001 - Pope John Paul II sends the first papal email
2005 - Video-sharing site You Tube goes live
Source Citation (MLA 7th Edition)
Are you freaked out yet? I was. Looking at the significant, albeit, superficial timeline, my first question is 'what's next?'. This timeline also seems to point to the idea one must learn to use electronic devices; otherwise, you could become an anachronism in your own lifetime. For every 'new' device, there are a whole slew of 'things', 'jobs' and even entire industries which no longer exist or which are 'converting to electrons'. Newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, road maps, almanacs, house telephones, film cameras, and wrist watches to name a few. Think about that. Do you know ANYONE under the age of 80 who doesn't own a mobile phone, or a P.C., a laptop, a tablet, or a gaming system? I'm wrapped in electrons, and I love it. As I 'log into' my medical portal, shop, read, research, or stream, sometimes it feels like invisible electrons are connecting my physical person to these devices. Hmmm....perhaps that's what's next. I can imagine it; can't you?
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