The Legend of Nolan Ryan: Star Crossed

[royals19]

But wait, there's more!



Behind strong pitching and great performances from Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo, the Rangers have jumped out to have the best record in all of baseball. After our last pair of losses to them, the Angels have started to gather some speed. The Mariners and Astros, in contrast, seem to be stuck in neutral though with their bats struggling to get anything going. And just as predicted, the Oakland A's are sitting in the cellar of the division after letting all their pitchers of worth leave.

Speaking of Oakland, our next USER played game was arguably the most appealing game on the schedule aside from Opening Day. That's right boys and girls, I'm talking about Jon Lester's first start against his old team.



To sum it up, it just wasn't fair having Lester go against Oakland. He was painting the corners with his cutter and curve and then blowing the Oakland hitters away with his running fastball or 2 seamer. The A's right handed bats never stood a chance.

The only guy who managed to get to him was his old Boston and A's teammate Jonny Gomes who tagged him for a cheap shot home run over the right field wall on a cutter buried deep in on his hands.



We tried to work Lester into the 8th but he let up a leadoff hit and Sandberg decided that it was time to go to the pen. Our bullpen has been bad this season. Koji has already blown 6 saves and has an ERA of 8.21, Aaron Poreda has a 6.21 ERA; lowest in the pen, Corey Knebel has completely lost his control with 5 walks and 1 strikeout... It hasn't quite reached the same levels of suckitude as last year's pen but it is certainly getting close.

Luckily, they managed to hold it together somewhat and come away with the win.

[royals19]

Quote:

Nolan Ryan: A shortstop! I tell my scouts to get out there and find me the next Lester or Davish and this is what you bring me!? A book of reports on a college shortstop!?

Nolan threw the scouting reports down on the desk and rubbed his head infuriated by his scouts lack of obedience.

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Scouting Director: We just recently discovered Shapiro but the initial reports have been encouraging to say the least. He looks like a 5 tool player with a plus plus bat who can stick at shortstop. That’s just not something you can find right around the corner Mr. Ryan.

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Nolan Ryan: We don’t need shortstops though. You know that. We need a franchise player at 1st overall, not some crum bum who is going to sit the bench waiting for reps.

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Scouting Director: Yes Mr. Ryan but what you aren’t understanding is that this is a once in a generation type of talent. We have the chance to pick the next Mike Trout or Robin Yount. He’s one of the youngest players in the draft with one of the higher ceilings. On the flip side, there is no pitcher who has as much talent, potential and youth as Shapiro. If we pick him, he’s going to be the next face of the franchise.

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Nolan Ryan: OK. So say this kid lives up to his potential, what’s his ceiling?

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Scouting Director: Our guys think we’re looking at the next Ripken Jr. or Jeter. He has that much pure talent right now.

Nolan rose from his seat and shook the Scouting Director’s hand.

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Nolan Ryan: I want a report on this kid on my desk every time he plays. If what you say is true, I want him at first overall.

As Nolan sat down, he picked up a “Sports Illustrated” that had been mixed up with the scouting reports.

Quote:

One rainy March evening at the University of Miami, a lone figure could be spotted making the pilgrimage from his dorm to the weight room for his third workout of the day. From a distance, he appeared to be just like any other college sophomore trying to stay in shape. But as his brisk walk turned into a slight jog, it’s gradually revealed that this is no ordinary college student. A flash of lightning reveals a strange look in his eyes. He isn’t going to the weight room to hang out with his friends or to watch the girls. He’s going to the weight room to be better than he was yesterday, to be better than the other shortstops in the ACC, to be the best shortstop in college baseball, to be the best player in all of college baseball. It’s a Saturday night and there is no one in the weight room. Everyone has already gone out for the evening but not him. As he loads his third 45 pound plate onto the bar, he recognizes that no one else is in the weight room. “It’s always like this.” he says “Not everybody wants to get better on a Saturday night.” Yeah, he’s definitely not your average college student. *** All great sports have had their share of prodigies. Basketball had LeBron James, Golf had Tiger Woods and Hockey had Wayne Gretzky but baseball is a different story. No sport is more volatile to prodigies than baseball. On one hand you have the Robin Younts and Bryce Harpers who have lived up to their considerable potential. But for every Yount and Harper you get, there’s always a Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Brandon Wood or Billy Beane right around corner. In fact, the sport is so skill-oriented that even the best talents from outside the professional ranks will often spend several years in the minor leagues honing and refining their skills before they even get so much as a look at the major league level. In an era where prodigies have taken the baseball world by storm, University of Miami shortstop Kurt Shaprio represents the latest installment. At age 19, Shapiro has a lengthy resume that dates back to his high school days in Westfield, New Jersey. He played in numerous tournaments including the Under Armor and Perfect Game All American Games where teams are compiled from the best high school players in the nation. Despite handling the competition rather easily, Shaprio found himself undrafted in 2013 due to his residence in a cold-weather climate where scouts didn’t see him often enough during his senior season to evaluate him. As a result, Shapiro honored his commitment to the University of Miami and became the Hurricanes starting shortstop last season during his Freshman year. After batting an unbelievable .601 with 14 home runs, Shapiro was named the ACC Freshman of the year and ACC player of the year. If that wasn’t enough, he also takes care of business in the classroom and earned a spot on the Dean’s list for earning a 3.90 GPA in the first year of an engineering degree. Throughout his rise to fame, Shapiro has been compared by MLB scouts to Ken Griffey Jr., Troy Tulowitzki and Alex Rodriguez in terms of pure talent. The comparison that Shapiro covets most however is that of his idol Cal Ripken Jr. Standing at 6’5 and 195, Shapiro has drawn more than his fair share of Ripken comparisons not just from his height but also from his skill set. “Back in high school, I think everyone saw a lot of Cal in this kid.” said his high school coach Randy Harper “Not just because of his work ethic and appearance but also because of his ability to hit for power and play defense.” In an era where towering players are beginning to dominate the shortstop position, scouts are drooling over the opportunity to select a big, physical player who has the ability to stay at the position. “He won’t make it to us.” said one NL Scouting Director “He’s too (expletive) good.” Another talent evaluator went further than that however: “Shapiro shouldn’t even be in this draft. If he lived in California or Texas, he would’ve been a top 5 pick in 2013. Easy.” With a nice easy swing from the right side that generates plenty of power and the ability to stick at shortstop, Shapiro looks like one of the most valuable players to ever come out of the draft; especially when you consider the lack of true shortstops in the league. “Kurt Shapiro could be starting at the major league level at shortstop for some team right out of the draft. He’s that good.” said an AL area scout. “He’s got the ability and the instincts to stick at the position for the duration of his career. You just don’t find that these days.” …

As he read the article, Nolan grinned a cheeky grin. Surely it couldn’t be this easy. In past years, you had to bring guys in for pre-draft workouts, meet with their families and negotiate before hand. But as he thought about it, maybe those hoops wouldn’t be necessary this time. After all, if someone cooks you a steak, you don’t say “no thanks” and go looking in the pantry for a can of noodles.

If Nolan Ryan had any say in it, Kurt Shapiro was going to be a Ranger by the end of the draft no matter what the cost…

[Gronk4M13]

-Ross, Holland and Profar getting hurt sucks.

-Hamilton's revenge hurts

-Interesting plot twist

-I hope Rua pans out

-Leading the division is an awesome feat. The best record in baseball...wow.

-Shapiro looks promising.

-Awesome SI issue

-This dynasty is incredible.

[royals19]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gronk4M13

-Ross, Holland and Profar getting hurt sucks. -Hamilton's revenge hurts -Interesting plot twist -I hope Rua pans out -Leading the division is an awesome feat. The best record in baseball...wow. -Shapiro looks promising. -Awesome SI issue -This dynasty is incredible.

Thanks for the feedback dude. I'm pleased with how everything is turning out in spite of the injuries the Rangers have suffered. It's nice to be back on top winning ballgames and fighting for the crown.

***

Love the uniform choice for our excursion north of the border. We would counter with our all powder blue unis... Wait... Where they at? What happened? We started the game with the all blues, saved the game loaded it and then we're back in the boring standard issue "Road Grays." Damn coding... Can't live with it. Can't live without it.

And on Mother's Day too? Ahh screw you MLB The Show...



Anyway, this game was all about home runs. The Blue Jays have something of a modern day murderers row going on and everyone in their lineup has the power to hit home runs seemingly at will. You walk Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion hits a dinger. You walk Ender Inciarte, Matt Fields (who?) goes yard.

The other thing is they're good and they know it. They like to flip the bats and stare down the pitchers while practically walking around the bases. For a team rooted deeply in pitching, that don't fly. We haven't started throwing at guys yet but its getting close... to damn close if you ask me.

So *ahem*... The only way to beat these thugs is to hit more dingers than they do.



And more dingers we did hit. Lars Anderson, Brock Holt, Adrian Beltre, Rougned Odor and Ryan Rua of course all went yard. The Jays pitches were laying the hard stuff right over the plate and our guys just weren't missing. It usually isn't this easy to beat the Jays... Aaron Sanchez had us fooled all night and their bats were unstoppable. Their usually strong bullpen imploded tonight thanks to one, Neil Cotts.



Hah! I knew we didn't resign him for a reason. This fool just kept serving up meatballs in the 9th and we kept eating them for home runs and doubles to the wall. If you'll recall way back to last season, Cotts was actually our best reliever; if anything, I suppose that's really a testament to how awful we were last season.

At first I thought this was a fluke for Cotts but looking at his season numbers, he really was that bad. Good riddance I guess.



While the win was certainly what got all the highlights and reviews on ESPN, MLB Network and from the national media, it was actually a story in the Dallas Morning News that grabbed everyone's attention...

[royals19]

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DALLAS, TX (AP) The Texas Rangers are no stranger to conflict in their front office. In the past decade or so, they have dealt with A-Rod, the departure of Buck Showalter, the firing of Jon Daniels dealt As the stress of owning the first overall pick becomes greater for the Rangers decision makers, the divisions between President of Baseball Operations Nolan Ryan and Principal Owner George W. Bush seemingly grow deeper. According to sources from deep within the Rangers organization, Mr. Bush is irritated by Mr. Ryan’s handling of falling star Adrian Beltre. Quote: “Mr. Bush believes that Adrian Beltre should be traded because he is no longer an asset but a liability to this team. His substantial salary and poor performance represent a substantial burden to this team’s playoff chances.” Trading Adrian Beltre would certainly be a major blow to this team’s morale as he is the team’s star player and spiritual leader. In fact, he is viewed by many within the organization as the face of the franchise. Despite his poor play in 2015, Beltre is still beloved by many fans and has a substantial resume. In what seems like what could be his last season in the major leagues, it would certainly be a disappointment for many Rangers fans if Beltre was exiled away from Texas to finish out his days. However, according to Mr. Bush, sentimental feelings cannot get in the way of business expenditures. Quote: “Adrian has definitely meant a lot to this franchise over the course of his time here but at the same time, he has become something of a burden to this team. When you’re 35 years old, making 30 million in the final year of your contract and can’t even hit your own weight, then I have to start assuming that you don’t have what it takes to get the job done any more.”

Nolan Ryan threw the newspaper down on the table.

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Nolan Ryan Who the hell do you think you are? You running this team now?

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George W. Bush ...

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Nolan Ryan Adrian is out there in the last season of his career, in a slump and you go out there give the papers some nickel and dime quote about how he isn’t cutting it!? And now, thanks to you, every news outlet from El paso to Waco is running with conspiracy theories!

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George W. Bush ...

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Nolan Ryan Have you no respect Bush!? We’re supposed to take care of our own, not leaving ‘em hanging like a sheet on a clothesline!

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George W. Bush … So are you done yet?

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Nolan Ryan ...

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George W. Bush … Look Ryan, if you are going to continue to go against my wishes, I’m going to have to remove you from your post. I have a vision for this team. It is your job as the President of Baseball Operations to make my vision a reality. So far, you have failed… considerably.

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Nolan Ryan ...

Unfortunately for our heroes, they weren’t the only ones who decided to pick up today’s edition of the Dallas Morning News.

[royals19]

McGovern Ranch
El Paso, TX
May 10th, 2014
4:15 PM

At a ranch in El Paso, Texas, the "Old Money" from the Dallas-Fort Worth area gathered to discuss the latest news in regards to their latest problem.

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???- This could work to our advantage… This definitely represents a promising development.

The men nodded in agreement with the first man who obviously appeared to be a leader.

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??? 2- If we play our cards right gents… We might just be able to make this triangular problem a quadrangular one.

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??? 2- Should we call (CENSORED) and have him stand down then?

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???- No… Not yet. We need to have a Plan B in case things go south. We aren’t out of the woods just yet my friend.

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??? 3- It’s too bad… I can’t believe that its come to this… He was a good friend.

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???- Nolan wasn’t just a friend. He was one of us.

[AC]

quadrangular

[royals19]

After making sure that it was in fact A.J. Preller and not George McGovern running the San Diego Padres, I figured that now would be as good a time as any to get back into this dynasty.

Our first order of business wouldn't be a mega deal, the draft or backstory. No... first on the agenda is handling word choice.

Quote: Originally Posted by AC

quadrangular

Now it seems as though rectangular should be the proper word choice here but something about that word simply didn't flow. Now, I'm not an English major (Political Science in fact) but I like to think I know a thing or two about words. Credit to Merriam-Webster for the definition, pronunciation and grammatical description.

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rectangle noun l rect·an·gle l \ˈrek-ˌtaŋ-gəl\ geometry : a four-sided shape that is made up of two pairs of parallel lines and that has four right angles; especially : a shape in which one pair of lines is longer than the other pair

....OK...OK... Maybe, I should've used "rectangular." You can't blame me for being passionate and trying to add a little flare. Just for grins though, let's see what a search for "quadrangle" yields.

Quote:

quadrangle noun l quad·ran·gle l \ˈkwä-ˌdraŋ-gəl\ geometry : a flat shape that has four sides and four angles :an open square or rectangular area at a college, school, etc., that is surrounded by buildings on all four sides

Hmmm.... Not sure what to make of this. To me, it seems like this problem could in fact be quadrangular... or rectangular... or quadrilateral... or a square... or a rhombus...

I could be any 4 sided shape, figure or whatchamadinger...

And here I was thinking I'd get back into baseball not doing an English workshop.