Comments on: Josh Hamilton, Ron Washington draw blame for the Rangers’ early exit

By: Francisco (FC)

Francisco (FC) — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 22:36:09 +0000

Shhh! You’re ruining my narrative!

By: trollintrollintrollin

trollintrollintrollin — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 21:17:02 +0000

By: Kevin Gillman

Kevin Gillman — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 16:53:13 +0000

The Orioles and Athletics are living proof that it doesn’t matter how much money you spend on the offseason to improve, but rather what you do on the field.

By: rarson

rarson — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 16:32:47 +0000

So the Kings weren’t the best team in the NHL at the time just because they were the 8th seed? Even though they destroyed everything in the postseason? The Giants just got lucky getting to and winning the Super Bowl?

Yeah, teams can turn “it” on and win, but in order to do that, they have to have “it” in the first place.

By: lessick

lessick — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 16:23:21 +0000

Both the Orioles and Rangers had a brutal July but here are their run differentials since August 1:

Orioles +58
Rangers +28

The Orioles have been a much better team since plugging holes in their starting rotation and since calling up Machado to plug a big defensive hole at 3B.

Blowing the four-game lead was the real problem; losing to the Orioles in a one-and-done is hardly the major upset that some are making it out to be.

By: cur68

cur68 — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 15:39:44 +0000

It appears that according to Mathew, managing a ball team is being responsible for when guys who ordinarily hit & field well, don’t. What LaRussa did better than Washington was have players hit and field better. That isn’t “managing”. That’s your players producing when they need to and its among the many things that managers can’t control. A manager is supposed to, for the most part, get the talent and egos to work together, not mess with the player’s heads and decide when to send in another arm from the BP. For three seasons in a row, till mid Sept this season, the Rangers did that better than anyone, and suddenly Washington’s a bum. If Mathew paid any attention to what actually happened, and not his convenient story line, he might recall that the Cards SNUCK into the playoffs behind the collapse of the Braves last season AND players playing out of their minds, NOT Tony LaRussa doing some sort of Managerial Voodoo. If he was so effin awesome, where the hell were they for most of all last season? Washington’s taken his crew of ego driven prima donnas to the post season 3 years in a row and twice to the WS. LaRussa never did that. So, ergo, by any logic at all, Washington managed circles around Tony.

Now, did you notice something? Showalter’s boys beat the Rangers, right? The last team to fire Buck was The Rangers. Guess who’s up next. The Empire. The team BEFORE the Rangers to fire Buck. Revenge is a dish best served Showalter.

By: indaburg

indaburg — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 15:22:39 +0000

Leave the ants alone! They’re pretty fast relative to their size. If your legs were only half a centimeter long, how fast would you run, huh, buddy?

By: indaburg

indaburg — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 15:18:10 +0000

Rewind back to the 2010 ALDS. Rangers vs. Rays. Washington outmanaged Maddon in every aspect of the game. The Rangers killed the Rays by playing small ball. They out-Rayed the Rays. I still shake my head thinking about it. Washington won my respect. He was definitely underestimated then, and it looks like he’s being underestimated again. His team slumped. What do you do?

By: dw3dw

dw3dw — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 15:16:35 +0000

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that his error on Wednesday “gave” the A’s the AL West–the Rangers had already blown a 5-1 lead when he made that error and the score was tied, and after the A’s took the lead on that error the game was still in reach until the 8th. Also, all the Rangers had to do was win one game of the final three in Oakland to clinch the division and they got swept–I think it is hard to put all of that on Hamilton’s shoulders.

By: APBA Guy

APBA Guy — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 15:09:41 +0000

I agree with you, Cur, and want to add that there are many elements to being a successful manager, among them is the ability to motivate players. Despite their poor showing, there was no evidence of any hostility by the players directed at Wash or his staff. Compare the Ranger’s to last year’s Red Sox or this year’s Indians. You can always question a manager’s in game work when they lose. It’s natural and part of the fan experience.

But for Wash, his greatest attributes as a manager are not the ones visible during a game, but they are the ones that get teams to play at a very high level. He was the A’s 3rd base coach for years, and the players loved him, much as they appear to in Texas also.

That said, after a major disappointment like the Ranger’s fade this year, I expect there will be changes to the Rangers, possibly including a change at manager.

The expectations there are very, very high, almost like the Yankees. Those high expectations often have unpleasant, unexpected consequences best illustrated by Chris Davis. Did anyone notice the way he and Michael Young were interacting last night when Davis was on first? Try to imagine those 30+ HR’s in the Rangers lineup this year, and then ask why they aren’t there. It’s because of “win now” and the conflict with that philosophy and Davis taking time to develop.

So if Texas gives the hook to Wash and Josh and who knows who else, maybe they can replace those guys, maybe they can’t. But think about those moves in the context of Chris Davis.

By: rarson

rarson — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 15:06:44 +0000

Nobody gives a crap about politics on this site. As they shouldn’t.

As if one turd candidate is any better than any other.

By: rarson

rarson — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:52:30 +0000

Overreacting? So I take it you didn’t read the article at all.

By: ballparkprints

ballparkprints — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:27:43 +0000

In baseball the defense controls the ball, good pitching / pitcher can take control of a game(s).

By: wlschneider09

wlschneider09 — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:10:58 +0000

No word on the stuffed armadillo he brought home from spring training, but the prognosis is not good.

By: wlschneider09

wlschneider09 — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:07:48 +0000

Or nats fans. I really hate typing on iPads.

Although, I suspect ant fans are pretty trollabe too. “Six legs and you still can’t make it to first, lol.”

By: wlschneider09

wlschneider09 — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 14:03:30 +0000

Has it really come to this? Sabers are just as troll able as phitins and ants fans?

By: indaburg

indaburg — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 13:26:04 +0000

The Rangers slumped at an inopportune time. End of story.

By: Gardenhire's Cat

Gardenhire's Cat — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 13:16:47 +0000

Go away.

By: indaburg

indaburg — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 13:13:51 +0000

At least you can comfort yourself with a WS win in 2008, FC. Rangers’ fans have no such comfort.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:59:17 +0000

Teams in every sport can turn it on and win. Last years SB champion Giants finished the regular season 9-7. The LA Kings were the 8th seed in the NHL playoffs and took home the cup.

Something may make baseball different from other sports (the major difference appears to be that you only pay attention to baseball), but that sure as hell isn’t it.

By: jayscarpa

jayscarpa — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:52:59 +0000

Nolan Ryan will fire him if there are good options available.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:51:25 +0000

ez, all statistics are just made up. Every one. There is no such thing as a naturally occurring baseball statistic.

By: ballparkprints

ballparkprints — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:46:09 +0000

First baseball is played on the field not a spread sheet (SABR Fans). Next how about giving the other team(s) credit! Everyone goes through a bad patch, for the Rangers it came at the wrong time. It happens this is why baseball is different from all other sports because any team can turn it on and win….

By: mybrunoblog

mybrunoblog — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:36:49 +0000

The Rangers collapse is complete. Here endeth the story.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:26:00 +0000

Do we know if Craig smashed anything in his basement?

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 11:05:52 +0000

Arlington! We have a problem! We need a new manager.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 11:04:13 +0000

Edwin Star had the definitive statement on WAR!

By: trollintrollintrollin

trollintrollintrollin — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 07:57:00 +0000

WAR is for the fat kids who could never make the team.

By: trollintrollintrollin

trollintrollintrollin — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 07:56:20 +0000

it’s God’s punishment for chewing tobacco. Read the Bible. Geez.

By: cur68

cur68 — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 06:10:11 +0000

“Washington’s in-game management leaves much to be desired — Tony La Russa ran circles around him in the World Series last year ” WTF? Did we watch the same series last season? I bet it was it the but where Tony had his reliever in for the intentional walk? Was that the circle? I guess so. Washington and the rest of the planet never saw that coming so I guess TLR circled us all. It was stunning last season how he out managed Washington: 4 games to none, right? Actually it wasn’t that, was it. It was 7 games they played. First time ever that’s happened, I do believe. So this “managed circles” thing…not very effective, is it?