The Rangers Are In First Place!

[Green Mean]

I am not saying it is good times with the Rangers right now but I am really not worried yet even after the TB series. This team is injured pretty bad right now and our regulars(that are pretty healthy) with the exception of Hamilton and Murphy are playing bad or are in huge slumps. The pitching hasn't been that terrible but it has been struggling with Hunter and whoever the next guy is whether its Harden, Feldman or Holland. We are 7-9 in our last 16 games yet we haven't lost any ground. I think it is mandatory taking 2 of 4 from Baltimore but I think they need to shoot for 3 of 4 and they will be back in good shape coming back home which we know they play well in.

[Quoner]

I am not saying it is good times with the Rangers right now but I am really not worried yet even after the TB series. This team is injured pretty bad right now and our regulars(that are pretty healthy) with the exception of Hamilton and Murphy are playing bad or are in huge slumps. The pitching hasn't been that terrible but it has been struggling with Hunter and whoever the next guy is whether its Harden, Feldman or Holland. We are 7-9 in our last 16 games yet we haven't lost any ground. I think it is mandatory taking 2 of 4 from Baltimore but I think they need to shoot for 3 of 4 and they will be back in good shape coming back home which we know they play well in.

It's just about surviving the injuries and getting to September 1 up 6 or 7 games with Kinsler and Cruz healthy. Crazy we might add Hawpe later today.

Also, back to MVP talk. It's going to come down to Hamilton and Mauer, and I think it's going to get closer than we think as Hamilton hits a few more weeks without protection while Mauer enjoys a fully operational battle station after a few months without Morneau.

[Green Mean]

It's just about surviving the injuries and getting to September 1 up 6 or 7 games with Kinsler and Cruz healthy. Crazy we might add Hawpe later today.

Also, back to MVP talk. It's going to come down to Hamilton and Mauer, and I think it's going to get closer than we think as Hamilton hits a few more weeks without protection while Mauer enjoys a fully operational battle station after a few months without Morneau.

Wow I haven't heard anything about Hawpe but that would be an awesome addition. If this team can stay at about .500 the next 2-3 weeks then I think they will have the division won because I don't see any signs of Oakland and Anaheim compiling a huge winning streak to catch up. They may make it interesting like get within 4-5 games but I find it hard to believe that the Rangers will lose the division.

I agree that Mauer will definitely be in the running with Hamilton. With the way the Twins are playing right now, Mauer would be worthy of it too.

[Censored by Laurie]

Also, back to MVP talk. It's going to come down to Hamilton and Mauer, and I think it's going to get closer than we think as Hamilton hits a few more weeks without protection while Mauer enjoys a fully operational battle station after a few months without Morneau.

Mig(s)gy? Say-it-ain't-so-Cano? I'd put both of them above Mauer in terms of production...which is really what this award comes down to. Even if we go with the spirit of most valuable player I'd still put Cabrera ahead.

Hamilton - .356, 26HR, 81RBI

Cabrera - .340, 30HR, 90RBI

Cano - .322, 23HR, 75RBI

Mauer - .335, 8HR, 65RBI

and just for a "what the hell?" addition:

Jose Bautista - .254, 37HR, 90RBI

[Quoner]

Mig(s)gy? Say-it-ain't-so-Cano? I'd put both of them above Mauer in terms of production...which is really what this award comes down to. Even if we go with the spirit of most valuable player I'd still put Cabrera ahead.

Hamilton - .356, 26HR, 81RBI

Cabrera - .340, 30HR, 90RBI

Cano - .322, 23HR, 75RBI

Mauer - .335, 8HR, 65RBI

and just for a "what the hell?" addition:

Jose Bautista - .254, 37HR, 90RBI

Miggs and Jose are out because voters generally want a guy who is on a winning team unless he breaks some kind of high water mark (a 50 HR season with a .250 average for a .500 team might qualify/probably won't).

Cano will be penalized for being part of a murder's row lineup -- even if he is the best statistical player on the best team in baseball. Mauer has an extremely high WAR and being a catcher gets you a bump (see Pudge and Mauer's previous wins).

Mauer has a better OPS and depending on which measure you use, a better WAR. Josh's defensive rating is negative, which means if his BA slips a bit and Mauer can break 20 HRs and make the BA close, this will be a race. I don't want anyone but Josh to win, but I also don't think it's time to call the race.

[Green P1]

Miggs and Jose are out because voters generally want a guy who is on a winning team unless he breaks some kind of high water mark (a 50 HR season with a .250 average for a .500 team might qualify/probably won't).

Cano will be penalized for being part of a murder's row lineup -- even if he is the best statistical player on the best team in baseball. Mauer has an extremely high WAR and being a catcher gets you a bump (see Pudge and Mauer's previous wins).

Mauer has a better OPS and depending on which measure you use, a better WAR. Josh's defensive rating is negative, which means if his BA slips a bit and Mauer can break 20 HRs and make the BA close, this will be a race. I don't want anyone but Josh to win, but I also don't think it's time to call the race.

i think ur wrong

[Green Guy Bass]

It's just about surviving the injuries and getting to September 1 up 6 or 7 games with Kinsler and Cruz healthy. Crazy we might add Hawpe later today.

Also, back to MVP talk. It's going to come down to Hamilton and Mauer, and I think it's going to get closer than we think as Hamilton hits a few more weeks without protection while Mauer enjoys a fully operational battle station after a few months without Morneau.

Hawpe won't clear waivers until Mon. or Tues. from what I hear.

[ColoradoEagle]

This team has gone on vacation.

[KRAM1]

This team has gone on vacation.

Let's all hope that it is a VERY SHORT vacation.

[Green Mean]

This team has gone on vacation.

Not by choice. I think everything is sort of hitting them at once. Injuries, slumps, maybe a little mental exhaustion. Luckily they are weathering the storm. They still have a 7 game lead which is more than comfortable. I still don't expect them to collapse. This is a good team and the players will come out of it as well as the injuries.

[Green Mean]

C.J. Wilson = Badass

[UNT90]

If your not watching the game, turn it on. Huge. Quickly.

[UNTflyer]

If your not watching the game, turn it on. Huge. Quickly.

Who gets credit if this happens?

[UNTflyer]

Who gets credit if this happens?

Never mind. A combined no-no.

[UNT90]

Never mind. A combined no-no.

Really???

[Green P1]

and you killed it

[UNTflyer]

Really???

I meant that if they pulled it off, it would have gone into the books as a combined no-hitter.

Here is some history:

There have been approximately 620,000 baseball games played in Major League Baseball since 1869.

There have been 268 no-hitters.

There have been just 20 perfect games. The shortest stretch between two perfect games is 20 days in May 2010. The longest stretch between two perfect games was 34 years (April 1922 - October 1956). The October 1956 perfect game was game 5 of the World Series, the only perfect game in a Series. The fastest perfect game was pitched by Cy Young - 1 hour and 25 minutes.

[UNT90]

I meant that if they pulled it off, it would have gone into the books as a combined no-hitter.

Here is some history:

There have been approximately 620,000 baseball games played in Major League Baseball since 1869.

There have been 268 no-hitters.

There have been just 20 perfect games. The shortest stretch between two perfect games is 20 days in May 2010. The longest stretch between two perfect games was 34 years (April 1922 - October 1956). The October 1956 perfect game was game 5 of the World Series, the only perfect game in a Series. The fastest perfect game was pitched by Cy Young - 1 hour and 25 minutes.

I don't think you understood "Really???"

Please see Green P1's post above

[Quoner]

I meant that if they pulled it off, it would have gone into the books as a combined no-hitter.

Here is some history:

There have been approximately 620,000 baseball games played in Major League Baseball since 1869.

There have been 268 no-hitters.

There have been just 20 perfect games. The shortest stretch between two perfect games is 20 days in May 2010. The longest stretch between two perfect games was 34 years (April 1922 - October 1956). The October 1956 perfect game was game 5 of the World Series, the only perfect game in a Series. The fastest perfect game was pitched by Cy Young - 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Do you like websites?

[UNTflyer]

I don't think you understood "Really???"

Please see Green P1's post above

Bah! I don't believe in that superstition.

[TheTastyGreek]

More MLB trivia:

No-hitters jinxed by UNTFlyer just as I managed to tune in to the end of the game: 1

You, sir, are worse than Hitler traveling back in time to kill Jesus, then traveling forward in time to conspire with SMU and keep us out of the SWC.

[UNTflyer]

Do you like websites?

This wikipedia thing is awesome!

[NT03]

Who gets credit if this happens?

Nolan Ryan ?

[Green P1]

Who gets credit when this doesn't happen?

You.

Edited August 24, 2010 by Green P1

[TheTastyGreek]

You.

Out of +1s, damnit.

Flyer is just lucky that he got that stadium passed. There's no greater outrage in history than him jinxing a somewhat rare event like that. Once I heard that something was happening and tuned in to see the end of it, it was ruined.

Imagine how outrageous the crime would be if I'd cared enough to watch in the first place!

/Dallas sports fan'd