- Baseball is back. With 1st round exits or no playoffs looming for both AAC teams, I need the Rangers to rescue me from sports hell. Just give me a contending team through late August, that's all I want. Then you can tail off when football occupies my brain again.
On paper, I like this team a lot. Not saying they're going to win anything, but I get the sense that these guys all like each other and enjoy each other. Lots of good dudes, no egos, a fun bunch to watch. Kind of reminds me of the 2005 Ranger team that contended into September. Great clubhouse and chemistry. I can see that this year in this team.
The key, as always, is health and starting pitching. And I see a team that can contend into August if those 2 things are significantly better than last year.
- 2008 Lineup
2B - Ian Kinsler - Ready to take the next step. Primed for a 25 HR, 30 SB year.
SS - Michael Young - Consistent as hell. 5 straight 200 hit seasons. Gold Glove defense. The 1 constant on this team.
CF - Josh Hamilton - If healthy, has potential to be the big bat the Rangers need with Teixeira gone. Could hit 40 HR's and drive in 100+.
3B - Hank Blalock - Needs to stay healthy as well. Hopefully is recharged and ready to roll this year. Hot spring showed he's ready to bounce back.
DH - Milton Bradley - Headcase with a ton of talent. Hoping that his love for Ron Washington will keep him motivated and playing well.
RF - Marlon Byrd - We'll see if his 2007 was just a fluke. If he performs at 75% of that level this year, I'll take it.
LF - David Murpthy - Could become a doubles machine, balls-out defender in the outfield, and fan favorite. Rusty Greer clone.
C - Gerald Laird - Should have traded him this past off season. Good clubhouse guy, but can't hit a lick. Look for him to get shipped off to a contender to make room for Salty Dog.
1B - Ben Broussard - Stays healthy, is a great clubhouse guy, but has just been average for his career. Could also be shipped this year to a contender to make room for Salty Dog.
2008 Starting Rotation
1) Kevin Millwood - Lost 20 lbs this off season, needs to pitch 200+ innings, win 15 games, and stabilize the rotation. Repeat of 2006 season is needed.
2) Vicente Padilla - Horrible last year. Also needs to return to 2006 form. Bad clubhouse guy who has rumored to be getting better this year, more talkative and involved in the room. Rangers wanted to give him away for a sack of baseballs this past off season. Need 200 innings and 15 wins and less hit batters. Probably too much to ask.
3) Jason Jennings - Local guy. If healthy, can eat up innings. Just is never healthy. Need 150+ innings and 10 wins from him. Could be shipped to contender for prospects in August.
4) Kason Gabbard - Lefty received from Boston in Eric Gagne deal. Looks to be very average. Once again, only goal is to eat innings and approach 10 wins.
5) Luis Mendoza - A homegrown starter from the minors getting his shot this year. Very impressive spring gained him a spot in the rotation. Could be swapped with Eric Hurley later this season. No expectations.
2008 Bullpen
Closer - CJ Wilson - Can a lefty be an effective closer? Can he hold up for a full season after wearing down last year? Do his teammates like him?
Set up - Joaquin Benoit, Kaz Fukumore, and Frank Francisco - Could form the best set up combo in baseball if Fukumore is healthy and as advertised and if Francisco can return to his 2005 form.
Prognosis
I like this team a lot. Lots of good guys, hardworking guys who genuinely look like they enjoy playing. I see a lot of bounceback years for guys. Michael Young, Hank Blalock, and Kevin Millwood will return to form this year. Josh Hamilton will be a force in the middle of the lineup. Ian Kinsler will become a 25 HR, 30 SB guy. And the rotation will be better than last year, to go along with a top 5 bullpen. Give me 88 wins and a 2nd place finish to Seattle.
Health key to Rangers' improvement
Injuries ravaged roster en route to last-place finish in 2007
By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com
The Rangers know they have a large number of players with a history of recent injuries, and they know any chance of contending rests on keeping themselves healthy.
The subject has been talked about at great length in Spring Training, to the point where it has almost been engrained in their collective psyche.
As the Rangers get ready to open the season against the Mariners on Monday, two questions are worth raising.
First of all, it's natural to wonder just what are the odds of all these key players making it through a 162-game season without a number of them going down at an inopportune time.
"It's so hard to quantify health risk," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "That's going to be our biggest single goal this year. It's almost a given that every year and every team is going to have some issues, expected and unexpected. It all depends on how we deal with it."
The second question is what happens if the Rangers do avoid the massive number of injuries that torpedoed their 2007 season. Just exactly how good is this team when injuries are not a problem? Throughout the roster, there are players who have been successful at the big league level. They just haven't done it lately.
"We have guys who are capable of having a big year and we have guys who can shoulder a lot of responsibility," shortstop Michael Young said. "It's up to everyone to find a way to be successful. If you've had success before in the Major Leagues, you know what it takes. It's a matter of getting it done."
The Rangers talk about going with young players, and Daniels said one of the key factors to the season is their continued development. But Texas also made a number of moves designed to put at least a competitive team on the field.
Jason Jennings, coming back from flexor tendon surgery, joins a rotation that already includes Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla and Kason Gabbard. Rookie Luis Mendoza steps in for Brandon McCarthy, who will start the season on the disabled list with severe elbow inflammation.
Kazuo Fukumori (elbow surgery) and Eddie Guardado (Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery) were added to a bullpen led by closer C.J. Wilson and setup reliever Joaquin Benoit, who was the Rangers Pitcher of the Year in 2007.
Ben Broussard takes over at first base in an infield that includes Young, third baseman Hank Blalock and second baseman Ian Kinsler. Blalock missed over three months last year because of shoulder surgery.
The outfield was revamped. Josh Hamilton, who was on the disabled list twice last year, was acquired to play center field, and Milton Bradley, coming off major knee surgery, was signed to play right field. Bradley's rehabilitation is not finished and he'll start the season at designated hitter, while Marlon Byrd and rookie David Murphy flank Hamilton.
Designated hitter Frank Catalanotto and catcher Gerald Laird fill out the lineup card. Both had substandard offensive seasons in 2007. Many of their teammates did so as well, mainly because of physical problems. Still, there is talent here.
"I think we're going to surprise some people even though nobody is going to give us a chance," Catalanotto said. "From what I've seen in Spring Training, we're going to score a lot of runs, and I think there's going to be some surprises in the pitching staff. Our defense is going to be better than last year. We like being the team that nobody talks about."
There hasn't been much reason to talk about the Rangers of late. This is a franchise that has finished in last place seven of the last eight seasons since their last division title, and there are few if any who think this team can finish higher than a distant third place.
"I don't care what anybody else is thinking," Young said. "I like the fact that there are guys here who will have big years that nobody is expecting. Nobody is expecting Kinsler to be a star or that Josh will have a big year or Milton will have the kind of season he's capable of having.
"People can think what they want. I think we're going to sneak up on some people."
- Things aren't looking good for the AAC teams. Mavs won't make playoffs and Stars can't beat anyone right now.
Another +.500 team, another loss.
Dallas Mavericks in three-way tie after loss
01:27 AM CDT on Monday, March 31, 2008
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com
OAKLAND, Calif. – Once again, the Mavericks were right there, stuck in a close game with the fourth quarter ticking down.
Haven't they been "right there" all season?
And, once again, right there became a nightmare.
The Mavericks got outplayed at the end as the Golden State Warriors pulled out a 114-104 victory Sunday evening at Oracle Arena, creating a three-way logjam for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference.
The Mavericks, Warriors and Denver Nuggets all are 45-28. Two will make the playoffs.
It should be an exciting finish to the regular season. But the way things are going, the Mavericks seem ill-equipped to keep pace with their two rivals. They fell to 0-10 against winning teams since the All-Star break.
"It's not exciting for us," coach Avery Johnson said. "We'd rather be third or fourth. We don't want to be part of seven and eight."
But that's where they are, mostly because they couldn't stop the Warriors in the fourth quarter.
One play summed up their frustrations.
Down, 102-98, after a three-point play by Brandon Bass, who had a career-best 21 points, the Mavericks had the momentum and forced a missed fadeaway by Baron Davis. The rebound tipped off of Bass' hand and out of bounds. On the inbounds play, the Warriors got a 3-pointer from Kelenna Azubuike with 3:48 left. Moments later, their lead was 109-100, and the Mavericks were goners.
"That's the way it's been for the last two weeks," Bass said. "A few plays, a few stops. We're all determined. We're not down on each other. We just got to get some wins."
Added Jason Kidd: "That's how it's been for us right now. We just can't get over the hump. We had the rebound. Brandon was going away from the ball, and it was instinct. It wasn't his fault. But those are the plays. It's getting down to singling out plays and stops."
So the Mavs lost for the fifth time in six games. And they will face a challenging back-to-back tonight in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
Jerry Stackhouse missed the game after tweaking his right groin muscle Thursday in Denver. That made the Mavericks, who still are without Dirk Nowitzki, even more short-handed.
"He's day-to-day," Johnson said of Stackhouse. "We're not sure about him, and he'll be re-evaluated in LA."
No matter who's in or out of uniform, the Mavericks have no choice at this point. They simply must win more games than Denver or the Warriors the rest of the way.
"Moral victories aren't any good right now," Johnson said.
Wasted was a 36-point night by Josh Howard. Jason Kidd finished with 13 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds, narrowly missing his 100th career triple double.
"I looked at the schedule," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "The team that wins is going to make it, and the team that stubs their toe is not. It's pretty simple."
Toe-stubbers. That pretty much describes the Mavericks right now.
- Stars gain berth into playoffs, but lose another heartbreaker to a division opponent.
Dallas Stars gain spot, lose ground with loss
01:47 AM CDT on Monday, March 31, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com
ANAHEIM, Calif. – A month ago, it didn't seem like that big a deal for the Dallas Stars to clinch a playoff spot.
Then again, a month ago, it didn't seem that big a deal for the Stars to outplay an opponent for one third period.
But ending one of the worst months in the last decade, the Stars celebrated a 3-2 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. By gaining a point in the standings, the Stars (43-29-7, 93 points) clinched a playoff spot. By overcoming a 2-1 deficit with a Niklas Hagman goal in the third period, the Stars outscored an opponent in the third for only the second time in the last 12 games.
Small victories, sure, but victories the Stars say they need.
"I thought we needed that third period," captain Brenden Morrow said. "Yeah, we would have loved to win, but we needed to get some positive momentum going forward."
The Stars finished the month 2-7-2, but they also went 1-0-2 on a three-game road trip through San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim.
"I think this group was a little fatigued," coach Dave Tippett said. "Marty [Turco] cleaned up a lot of hiccups we had, and we found a way to get a point. We were a tired group today. You could tell we didn't have a lot in the tank."
But again, is that a tribute to the team's determination to come back or a statement that rings of faint praise. After all, the Stars could have tightened up the race for fourth place in the Western Conference by winning this game. They could have sent a message to the Ducks, who very well could be their first-round opponent.
Was fatigue even an option?
"We wanted to keep home ice, we wanted a regulation win, and it's too bad we couldn't pull it out," said Turco, who had 30 saves, some spectacular. "We're going to take a lot out of the point that we did get, but from my perspective, I thought the game was winnable."
Not the way the Stars played it early. They handed the Ducks seven power-play opportunities in the first two periods. They were outshot, 32-25, for the game and were outhit, 25-17. They were on their heels until the third period, when they finally began to fight back.
"It is a big deal," Tippett said of making the playoffs. "If you don't get to the playoffs, you don't get that opportunity to go on. That's always a goal, and now we can put that behind us and keep building our game and getting ready for the playoffs."
- Nebraska report from ESPN.com
Ganz, Pelini hope winning returns to Nebraska in 2008
By Tim Griffin
ESPN.com
Patience hasn't been an easy virtue for Joe Ganz to develop.
The toll of sitting on the bench was difficult for Ganz, who served as Nebraska's backup quarterback for nearly three seasons before getting his shot late last season when Sam Keller went down with a season-ending broken collarbone.
That brief taste of playing time has made Ganz determined to keep the starting job.
"Last year is all the motivation I need," he said. "My main motivation is not to let anyone take the spot I have. I've worked too hard to let someone take this job from me."
New Nebraska coach Bo Pelini shares a similar determination to see that things are done his way in his first head-coaching position. The combination of Nebraska's indomitable new coach working with a quarterback who shares a similarly resolute approach should be an ideal match.
Ganz's own background serves as a reminder of how far he's come since arriving at college. He was one of Nebraska's last recruits in the 2004 class, picking the Cornhuskers over scholarship offers from Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Air Force. He sat out his freshman season as a redshirt and later spent two seasons as Zac Taylor's caddie before beginning last season behind Keller.
Once Ganz got his opportunity, he made the most of it, erupting for 1,399 passing yards and 15 touchdown passes in his final three starts. Included in that barrage were three of the top five 400-yard, single-game passing performances in school history, topped by a record-breaking 510-yard, seven-TD pass effort against Kansas State on Nov. 10. It marked the most productive run of passing offense in the 118-year history of Nebraska's football program.
But Nebraska's defensive collapse led the Cornhuskers to lose two of those three games, bottoming out a disappointing 5-7 season that cost coach Bill Callahan his job and led to Pelini's hiring.
After he served as the defensive coordinator for national champion LSU last season, the new coach's expertise is concentrated on defense. However, he's excited about having Ganz back for another season.
"At this point in his career, he's only touched the base of his talent of how good he can be," Pelini said. "There's a lot more out there for him, and he certainly understands that."
Last season's struggles have helped serve as an inspiration for the Cornhuskers. Ganz could detect that feeling as soon as his team started conditioning work after returning to school in January.
"Guys are pumped about getting back out there," Ganz said. "This spring, we have a lot to prove. I know they are excited because it was tough when our name was dragged through the mud like it was last season."
Ganz's development should be bolstered by the return of offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, who strongly considered joining Nick Saban's staff at Alabama before deciding to remain with Pelini's staff.
I-back Marlon Lucky, the Big 12's only returning 1,000-yard back, likely will be featured more as a running threat this season. Lucky set a school record for receptions with 75 to go along with 1,019 rushing yards.
Some of the team's confidence is based on the return of four starters along the offensive line. Mike Huff, Jacob Hickman, Matt Slauson and Lydon Murtha have combined for 67 career starts. The group is considered "the strength of the team" by Pelini.
"I think we can be as good as we want to be -- one of the best lines in the nation," Murtha said. "We have that cohesiveness from working together that a lot of lines don't have. It should help us work together."
Pelini's biggest spring chore will be to rebuild confidence in a defensive unit that was humiliated in the worst season statistically in Nebraska history.
The Cornhuskers allowed more points (455), yards (5,722) and first downs (299) than any other team in school history in 2007. Making matters worse, they ranked among the nation's bottom 10 in total defense, rushing defense and scoring defense.
It was far removed from Pelini's triumphant one-season stint as Nebraska's defensive coordinator in 2003. During that season, the Cornhuskers produced 47 turnovers, including a school-record 32 interceptions.
Pelini's defenses have traditionally relied heavily on zone defenses. The largely man-to-man defenses of former coordinator Kevin Cosgrove generated only 11 turnovers last season.
"What happened in the past is kind of irrelevant in my opinion," Pelini said. "I don't understand what they were taught and the schemes they were playing. Because of that, you kind of get a skewed view of whether they were good or bad. And until you start working with them, you don't see where they are."
Those struggles have led Pelini to use last season's game films as an evaluation tool of his opponents rather than of his own personnel.
"We need to put them in our scheme and see where they fit for us. They are who we have," Pelini said. "We can't go out and get free agents. Our job is to make them better and more productive in our system."
The defense figures to get a jolt of energy from the fiery leadership of Pelini, who became a folk hero of sorts during his one season at Nebraska.
Nebraska fans remember how Pelini confronted former Kansas State coach Bill Snyder after he felt that Snyder ran up the score on his defense. And they hope he will similarly pump some vibrancy back in the program after a forgettable season where those feelings seldom surfaced -- particularly on defense.
Those feelings will give his new team a definite idea of how Pelini wants things done.
"They'll see our way works … what we do has a proven track record," Pelini said. "There's not much room for debate -- it will be done a certain way. And if they want to do it another way, there's a lot of other programs they can play for. There's not a lot up for discussion in how we'll do things. And that's how it's going to be."
That might seem harsh, but Ganz said the program needs Pelini's enthusiasm -- particularly after last season.
"I love Coach [Pelini]," Ganz said. "His door is always open, and his mentality is definitely welcomed around here. He knows how to motivate us, and he's a players' coach. I'm very excited to get to work for him."
No comments:
Post a Comment