The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight

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  • royals19
    MVP
    • Jan 2012
    • 2182

    #1

    The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight



    Former President George W. Bush Recalled by President Obama to Save TPP.


    October 31st, 2015


    WASHINGTON D.C. In what many analysts have deemed as a shocking move, President Obama has appointed his predecessor, George W. Bush to head the latest push at negotiating the controversial TPP.

    The Trans-Pacific Partnership, as it is formally known, is a controversial trade agreement in the works between the United States, Canada and several nations that are located in the Asia-Pacific region. The TPP has long been a staple of the Obama Administration's trade agenda after it inherited the framework of such a deal from the Bush Administration.

    In a Press Conference held with White House Correspondents, President Obama issued the following statement:

    "After consulting with my advisors in the State Department and our diplomats already engaged in pursuing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, I decided that it was in the best interest of this Administration and the United States to place former President George W. Bush at the forefront of our efforts. Mr. Bush has extensive experience in dealing with the countries involved and is intimate with the minuscule details of the proposed agreement. Through this appointment, it is hoped that President Bush can usher in a new era of understanding and bipartisanship that will be crucial to the negotiations as they continue and develop."

    The move came as a surprise to Bush, now the Principal Owner of the Texas Rangers Baseball Organization.

    "I'll be the first to admit that I was blind-sided by this appointment. While I'm not involved in Politics as much as when I was in office, I've kept up with the TPP and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to once again serve my country."

    When asked how the move will affect his Ownership with the Rangers, one of baseball's most valuable Franchises according to Forbes Magazine who estimated the worth of the Franchise at 1.22 Billion, Mr. Bush issued the following statement.

    "Today, it is with a heavy heart that I have decided to abdicate my position as owner of the Texas Rangers in favor of an opportunity to work in the Department of State. While Baseball is my passion, my country is my love and it is under that belief that I have decided to leave the organization to aid America."

    When asked when he would return to his post as Owner of the Rangers, Mr. Bush candidly answered with the following:

    "I have no idea."


    The views expressed in this post do not reflect the views of the individuals mentioned nor the views of the Wall Street Journal. This was a fictional piece written for the purposes of this story.
    Last edited by royals19; 06-27-2015, 05:36 PM.



    I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


  • royals19
    MVP
    • Jan 2012
    • 2182

    #2
    Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight



    October 31, 2015
    Somewhere in Texas


    Originally posted by ??? 1
    It's been done. Our man got the President on board and he's going to make an announcement today. Bush will be out of our way and we'll have a clear path at our 'ol friend Nolan.
    Originally posted by ??? 2
    That's good... Get [CENSORED] on the phone and tell him it's time to start making preparations. He'll know what I mean.

    When we're finished with Nolan Ryan, he'll never be able to do so much as set foot in the great state of Texas again...

    ***


    FLASHBACK...

    October 13th, 2015.
    Cleveland, Ohio


    Originally posted by George W. Bush
    Nolan, there's something going on. The State Department wants me to help them negotiate a trade agreement.
    Originally posted by Nolan Ryan
    Tell them you can't do it or you don't want to do it.
    Originally posted by George W. Bush
    Can't. They already said if I tell 'em no they'll tax the living hell out of my presidential pension. I can't afford that Nolan.
    Originally posted by Nolan Ryan
    Hmm... Well George.... It looks like they finally caught up to us. It looks like they weren't kiddin' around when they said they'd come after us if we didn't deliver a World Series victory.

    Sigh...

    If I was a bettin' man, I'd say they're sending you away to get at me. That's who they're really after. You're just a victim of the circumstances.
    Originally posted by George W. Bush
    This is insane! If I accept this job, I'll have to leave the Rangers. They aren't gonna let someone making millions in the private sector conduct diplomacy! Congress would have a heyday!

    If I leave the Rangers, there won't an owner. No owner means MLB is gonna hand the team off to the highest bidder or someone is going to be put in position to take them away from you.
    Originally posted by Nolan Ryan
    Heh... Damned if we do I guess and Damned if we don't... Gotta love those odds...



    I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


    Comment

    • royals19
      MVP
      • Jan 2012
      • 2182

      #3
      Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight


      Well folks, it's about that time again. Yes folks, it's time to dust off the PS3 and the 'ol controller and get back at it. Not gonna lie, the PS3 didn't get any plays in the interval between posts. I was too busy watching the College World Series, the Red Sox fall apart and the NBA Draft. When you combine that with the fact that I just read "Washington's Revolution" in the midst of Charles' Dickens "Great Expectations" and anxiously awaiting the arrival of my copy of "Make Gentle the Life of this World" by Bobby Kennedy (basically), I've been quite the busy gentleman and scholar.

      With that being said, it is now time for me to update you on the glorious rise to power by the unlikely duo of former President George W. Bush and Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.

      2014


      Spoiler


      2015


      In 2015, the Texas Rangers sought to reclaim their spot at the top of the AL West. Their young players had a year of experience under their belt and were bolstered by the return of top talents such as Prince Fielder, Jurickson Profar, Alexi Ogando, Derek Holland and others. Additionally, Nolan Ryan and George W. Bush handed Jon Lester a massive 6 year, 150 million dollar contract and placed him at the front of their rotation.

      Before the season even began, the Rangers looked like an entirely different team.

      They rode incredible performances by Jon Lester, Prince Fielder, Shin-Soo Choo and steps forward by Jurickson Profar, Leonys Martin and Rougned Odor alongside the dominant Cy Young and MVP caliber performance of Yu Darvish to a 118 win season and a trip to the postseason.

      Behind the scenes however, things reached a head after a mystical power elite sought revenge upon Nolan Ryan for failing to deliver on his promise of winning the World Series in 2014. They gave him another chance in 2015 with a stern warning that this was his last chance.

      The Rangers struggled through the playoffs and their youth and overall inexperience proved to be their Achilles Heal. Jon Lester, the big offseason singing turned in a dominant performance while Yu Darvish and the rest of the rotation struggled.

      The Rangers managed to make it to the ALCS however before being tossed aside by the Cleveland Indians in an embarrassing 5 game series. In addition to the loss, the Nolan Ryan and George W. Bush ran out their luck with the power elite and braced themselves to pay the awful consequences of such an action...

      After winning 118 games but losing out on the World Series ring, Nolan Ryan gears up for what could ultimately be his last run in Texas...



      I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


      Comment

      • royals19
        MVP
        • Jan 2012
        • 2182

        #4
        Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight



        Where Did Texas Go Wrong?
        Texas Rangers Postseason collapse attributed to lack of experience, depth, managing.

        Peter Gammons [MLB.com Special Columnist]
        October 23rd, 2015

        When the Texas Rangers lost that fateful Game 5 at Progressive Field, Prince Fielder, Tomas Telis, Rougned Odor and Michael Taylor were sitting on the bench. Between the 4 of them, they had 3 hits total in the postseason. In the regular season however, they were fixtures in the everyday lineup and key components of a powerful Texas Rangers offense. Fielder had nearly won the Triple Crown, Telis was swinging a hot bat, Odor slugged over .600 and Michael Taylor had finally delivered on the promise that scouts attributed to him when he was first drafted.

        In the postseason however, the all went cold and taking their respective places were Ryan Rua, Lane Adams, David Ross and Luis Sardinas. Rua had slumped and seen his average plummet nearly 40 points over the course of September, Adams didn't get called up until late August, Ross is a shell of his former self and Sardinas had seen limited playing time behind Odor and Profar. By no stretch of the imagination are Ryan Rua, Lane Adams, David Ross and Luis Sardinas bad players. Each of them is very valuable in their own particular way. But don't get it twisted folks, they should not be starting an elimination game in the American League Championship series; let alone be starting in any playoff game.

        This problem does not fall on Nolan Ryan, the team's General Manager nor the owner George Bush. The blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the inexperienced manager Ryne Sandberg. Bush allowed Nolan to spend his money on good role players such as Lane Adams and David Ross in free agency. Nolan Ryan in turn bequeathed these players to Sandberg who did not use them properly. Adams is a speedy, off the bench type base stealer; not a starting center fielder. David Ross is a great game caller and solid defensively but he is certainly not going to ward off potential base stealers. The fact of the matter is Ryne Sandberg had the pieces to win the postseason. He just didn't use them effectively. While you can hardly blame Sandberg for the failings of Fielder, Odor, Telis and Taylor, you can blame him for the solution that he found. Instead of sticking with the players who formed the core of his offensive unit, he was quick with the hook and pulled them from the lineup and replaced them with players who were much worse on a talent level.

        The problem is deeper than just the offense however. Ryne Sandberg ineffectively used his pitching staff throughout the Rangers' postseason run and paid dearly for it. He pushed Lester too far his first start out against LA in the Divisional Series and did the same with Darvish. By not keeping them to a strict pitch count, they were limited on their appearances in the series and were not available when needed most. Additionally, Sandberg's bullpen management is befuddling. It is hard for anyone who understands baseball to understand why Ryne Sandberg continually turned to Alexi Ogando and Koji Uehara in high leverage situations after they continually got the Rangers into trouble.

        What happened to the Rangers in October is apparent and it alludes to the simple fact that Ranger manager Ryne Sandberg was overwhelmed in his first postseason appearance and looked the part of a flustered rookie leading an inexperienced bunch. In effect, it was a classic case of the blind leading the blind. The good news for Rangers fans is that the players and most importantly, Ryne Sandberg, now have this experience under their belts and are in great position to learn from their mistakes and be even better in 2016.



        I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


        Comment

        • Gronk4M13
          MVP
          • Apr 2012
          • 3495

          #5
          Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight

          Great writeups, so glad this is back.
          Ravens: In Ozzie We Trust

          Yankees: #AllRise

          Comment

          • royals19
            MVP
            • Jan 2012
            • 2182

            #6
            Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight


            Rangers' Offseason Blueprint
            By Jeff Todd [November 1, 2015 at 3:45 PM CDT]

            This offseason, the Texas Rangers find themselves in a peculiar place. On one hand, they were able to win an astonishing 118 games behind the MVP caliber efforts of Yu Darvish, Jon Lester and Prince Fielder. On the other hand however, the postseason exposed some holes on the roster and left fans of the game scratching their heads and wondering where things went awry.

            According to Nolan Ryan, President and General Manager of the Texas Rangers, the problem lied with the pitching staff and defense.

            "I think when you look back on each of the games, you'll find that our pitching and defense was really shaky. Outside of Lester, none of our pitchers really gave us quality innings and I think that was especially true of our bullpen. Then, when you look at how terrible we were defensively, it's not surprising that we had an early exit.

            The comments from Ryan, while somewhat harsh, really underscore the Rangers offseason needs. The bullpen will obviously be an area the Rangers will target heavily but with the market thin in that area, it's really unclear whether the Rangers will walk away with anything considerably.

            The other area in which the Rangers could upgrade is right field. While Michael Taylor was otherworldly in close to 200 ABs last season after being a career minor leaguer, he still leaves a lot to be desired in right field defensively and looks the part of a solid DH with his poor throwing arm and average to below average speed. Luckily for Texas, this year's free agent market is loaded with right fielders of various skill sets. If the Rangers want an upgrade defensively while adding right handed power to replace Adrian Beltre, they could pursue Justin Upton, who they have long coveted. If they want to go with an elite defensive option albeit at a hefty price, they could pursue Jason Heyward. If neither of those players fulfill their desires, there are also plenty of middle range options such as Gerardo Parra and Dexter Fowler.

            Lastly, the Rangers are also known to be looking for an upgrade at catcher. The original thought was that Jorge Alfaro would be ready to take over the reigns sometime in 2015 but after hitting a dismal .179/.389/.657 across AAA and AA, it appears that Alfaro is now a bit of a wild card and more of an unsure thing than ever before. In the meantime, the Rangers appear set to deploy some sort of platoon with Tomas Telis and David Ross.



            I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


            Comment

            • royals19
              MVP
              • Jan 2012
              • 2182

              #7
              Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight

              With George W. Bush effectively out of the fold for the foreseeable future, Nolan Ryan geared up to deal with the arduous tasks that the offseason presented. For Nolan it was slightly refreshing to have the reigns to the team all to himself. He wouldn't have Bush breathing down his neck, demanding moves or dealing behind his back. Nolan finally had the opportunity to build the team that he had wanted from Day 1 of accepting this job.

              The day after the Indians lost to the Atlanta Braves in the World Series, there was a conspicuous message from "ownership" in the mailbox titled "Budget Increase."



              Those veterans of the Show know that when you usually get an increase in budget, it's roughly between 5-20 percent. Not this time though folks, no... MLB 14 The Show would have none of that and decided to throw the Texas Rangers a 61% increase.

              While we'll never be sure, it's generally accepted that at this time, Nolan Ryan soiled himself.

              And with that card on the table, here's what the offseason budget now totals up to:


              With virtually all of our core players locked down for the next 3-4 years, we would only need to spend about 10 Million of this to tie down the players whose contracts expired.



              Now I'm not going to lie. The urge to *ahem* ... make it rain... was certainly present but, as we saw last offseason, Nolan Ryan likes to remain fiscally responsible. Instead of flushing his new found wealth down the toilet by handing everyone Pujols money, Nolan went about installing house rules left and right.

              The Nolan Ryan Rules
              -Rangers are limited to 1 top 3 free agent signing per offseason.
              -Rangers are limited to 5 MLB Free Agent signings.
              -Extensions must reflect market value.
              -Rangers may sign up to 5 minor league free agents per offseason.
              -Rangers may have 1 Rule V pick each offseason.
              -There must be 20 million in the bank at all times to cover emergency expenses, trades, draft picks etc...


              The purpose of installing these rules is to ensure that there will be no insane spending sprees (ala George McGovern in San Diego) and so that Texas won't win 120 games every year for the next decade. 118 wins every once in a while is fine but from a writer's perspective, it isn't really fun writing about how a team steamrolls its way though the league every year. Trails and Tribulations are a writers best friend in sports.
              Last edited by royals19; 06-30-2015, 04:33 PM.



              I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


              Comment

              • Gronk4M13
                MVP
                • Apr 2012
                • 3495

                #8
                Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight

                I like those houserules, I think I'll use those. Sounds like you have an exciting offseason coming up.
                Ravens: In Ozzie We Trust

                Yankees: #AllRise

                Comment

                • royals19
                  MVP
                  • Jan 2012
                  • 2182

                  #9
                  Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight

                  Originally posted by Gronk4M13
                  I like those houserules, I think I'll use those. Sounds like you have an exciting offseason coming up.
                  They were something that I had tried to install in years past but didn't really have success following for one reason or another. I've seen other users around here doing the same thing so I figured that I might as well hop abroad the bandwagon. Thanks for following.



                  I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


                  Comment

                  • royals19
                    MVP
                    • Jan 2012
                    • 2182

                    #10
                    Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight



                    MLB Announces New Punishments for Texas Rangers' International and Draft Spending.
                    MLB Rescind's Punishment From Last Season and Blasts the Rangers with Sanctions and Penalties.

                    Connor Smolensky [Texas Rangers Columnist]
                    November 3rd, 2015

                    After a ferocious debate and plenty of controversy, Commissioner Rob Manfred has dealt the Rangers a line of unprecedented punishment for the actions on their amateur market last season. During the First-Year Player Draft, the Texas Rangers managed to exceed their 17.2 million dollar bonus pool by 5.14%.

                    According to the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, any team who exceeds their assigned bonus pool by more than 5% must forfeit their first round selection in the following year's draft and must pay a 75% tax on those bonuses.

                    Rather than follow the legally binding CBA however, commissioner Rob Manfred handed the Rangers a 100% tax on those bonuses and took away their 4th and 5th round selections in the 2016 Amateur Draft. Many around the game claimed that Texas had gotten off easy and that MLB was legally in violation of the CBA. With the potential of a nasty lawsuit on the horizon and a black eye on Major League Baseball, Commissioner Rob Manfred issued the following statement:

                    "During the 2015 Amateur Draft signing period, the Texas Rangers exceeded their allotted bonus pool by 5.14%. At the time, I issued the Texas Rangers a 100% tax on that overage and took away their 4th and 5th round selections in the 2016 First Year Player Draft. It had been my original interpretation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that the punishments were subject to change by the commissioner. However, after consulting Major League Baseball's legal advisors, it became clear to me that I had erred in the punishment originally given to the Texas Rangers. As a result, I have elected to rescind that punishment and give the Texas Rangers the punishment that they are entitled to under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. Therefore, Texas will forfeit it's 1st round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft and will pay a 75% tax on the overage they incurred."

                    The problems don't end there however. For their spending efforts on the international market that netted them coveted prospects such as center fielder Starling Heredia, right handers Luis Mednia and Yadier Alvarez, catcher Daniel Santos and left fielder Jhailyn Ortiz, the Rangers initially incurred a 100% tax and were prohibited from signing any players on the international market for over 250,000 dollars for 1 year. However in accordance with their decision to blow past their bonus pool to the tune of a 17% overage, Texas should have been taxed 100% and not allowed to sign a player for over 300,000 dollars for 2 years.

                    Much like the Amateur Draft episode, Major League baseball has decided to right its wrong and hand the Rangers the penalty that they are entitled to under the International provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

                    While Texas may have gotten off easy in the beginning, it's safe to say that Major League Baseball has made an example of the Texas Rangers by limiting their ability to procure top talent through the amateur markets. The punishments served to the Texas Rangers should be a reminder to all teams that Major League Baseball will enforce its rules and will not tolerate any drastic violations.



                    I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


                    Comment

                    • royals19
                      MVP
                      • Jan 2012
                      • 2182

                      #11
                      Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight

                      The Offseason
                      Saving Right Field- Pt. 1



                      Nolan Ryan awoke on the first day of league-wide free agency to find that this year's Free Agent crop looked particularly promising. There were some bullpen pieces, good outfield options and plenty of reclamation projects ready to be picked up off the scrap heap.

                      Right off the bat, you'll notice that Justin Upton was certainly looking like a promising target. He's a player the Rangers have coveted for quite sometime and according to Atlanta's offer, it's not going to take a whole lot to get into the conversation for his services.


                      So Uncle Nolan called up J-Up and his agents and threw him a cool 1 year 25 million dollar deal. With Lewis Brinson, Nomar Mazara and Nick Williams all basically a year away, Upton only really made sense on a 1 year deal. On top of that, after adding Lester on a 6 year contract last season, it made little sense to try to add another long term mega deal. We're trying to build a contender, not the next version of the Philadelphia Phillies.

                      Regardless, the strategy going in with Upton was to throw as much money as possible on a 1 year deal or a 2 year deal with a club option and try to sign Upton before the 6 year 180 million dollar deals started rolling in.



                      Unfortunately, this strategy would backfire and would get the Rangers involved in a lengthy bidding war. Before Nolan knew it, the D-Backs got involved in the sweepstakes for their former star as did the Houston Astros who just enjoy meddling in everything the Rangers do.

                      With the Justin Upton sweepstakes dwindling on, Nolan Ryan became concerned that the Rangers would lose out on their other offseason targets. It's hard to effectively negotiate with anyone when you have roughly 30 million dollars sitting in limbo.



                      Finally, about a week after the initial negotiations start, we get a message saying that Justin Upton was no longer considering our offer. In the final days of our bidding for his services, we offered him a 1 year 30 million dollar deal with a 30 million dollar club option. That pushed us into second place and his interest level was such that everyone felt he would be heading to Texas...

                      Score one for Nolan Ryan right?


                      Justin Upton Signs With Astros

                      Justin Upton has agreed to sign a 4 year, 103.4 million dollar deal with the Houston Astros according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.



                      I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


                      Comment

                      • royals19
                        MVP
                        • Jan 2012
                        • 2182

                        #12
                        Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight

                        The Offseason
                        Saving Right Field- Pt. 2

                        Losing out on Justin Upton hurt not only on a baseball level for the Texas Rangers but on a personal level for Nolan Ryan. He thought that Justin Upton could come to Texas and the "the guy" but apparently, Upton thought it better to give Nolan and the Rangers the finger and head down to Houston. It wasn't so much losing Upton that angered Nolan. It was losing him to his disposed arch rival who had no clear need for Upton.

                        After finding out that Upton was no longer interested in the Rangers offer, Nolan jumped into the Dexter Fowler Sweepstakes and proceeded to get into a fierce bidding war with the Toronto Blue Jays for Fowler's services. Fowler initially wanted 4 million annually on a 3-4 year deal so Nolan offered him a 1 year 4.5 million dollar deal. Suddenly out of nowhere, Toronto comes in for the RKO and throws a 5 year, 44 million dollar deal down on the table. Umm... What? Why?



                        Of course, things ended up getting dicey again and it looked like we wouldn't land Fowler either. Nolan threw a last ditch 1 year, 9.76 million dollar offer down and prepared for an all out attempt to land Gerardo Parra.


                        ... Hah! Fowler ended up taking the bait and ended up coming to Texas on what was a terrible Free Agent Contract. Sure, Fowler is only going to be here for 1 year and is a place holder for our prospects currently in AAA but the fact of the matter is that his overpaid contract is going to be the elephant in the room for virtually the entire season. Nolan should've cut the bait earlier and went for Parra but Nolan Ryan made it clear: "We aint losing' this one boys."



                        Fowler, the former Astro, brings a nice mixture of tools to the table in right field. He's a switch hitter, has good speed and plays good defense. He won't overwhelm with any 1 tool but he has a nice mixture of tools that should allow him to be successful for Texas this upcoming season. Pairing Fowler with Leonys Martin and Shin-Soo Choo means that we'll pretty much have the outfield defense on lock this season. With Fowler now in the fold, Michael Taylor (the incumbent right fielder) will slide to the DH role where he can focus on hitting.

                        All in all, it's great to have Fowler aboard. I just wish the Blue Jays wouldn't have run the price up.



                        I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


                        Comment

                        • royals19
                          MVP
                          • Jan 2012
                          • 2182

                          #13
                          Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight

                          The Offseason
                          The Bullpen



                          Over the course of the past season, the bullpen has become an area of great concern. Instead of taking a step forward in 2015 as originally anticipated, the bullpen ended up taking a big step backwards. During the regular season, the middle relief corps provided very few quality innings and often had trouble of hanging on to leads. The step guys and Koji Uehara were sharp for most of the season but once they got to the postseason, Koji fell apart and Neftali Feliz and Alexi Ogando were knocked around.

                          Heading into this offseason, it was a top priority to add a top of the line reliever to replace Koji Uehara at the back of the bullpen. The result was a borderline disastrous pursuit of Wade Davis that nearly ended in another bidding war between the Rangers and the Blue Jays with the Astros swooping in at the last minute to take a dump on the Rangers yet again.

                          Unlike the Justin Upton Sweepstakes however, the courting of Wade Davis' services actually worked out in favor of Nolan Ryan and the Rangers.



                          Landing Wade Davis on a 2 year, 14 million dollar contract represents great value when you consider that he posted a combined 1.42 ERA and a .91 DIPS over the past 2 seasons with a god-like 13 K/9 in 2015. Multi-year deals for relievers usually don't pan out well but Wade Davis has shown no signs of decline. Additionally, you also have to consider the fact that he wasn't willing to sign unless he got a multi-year deal. Therefore, the deal he got represents the best possible outcome for both team and player.



                          As far as the role that Davis will have on the 2016 edition of the Texas Rangers, that's still sort of up in the air. Aaron Poreda has long been thought of as the closer in waiting and prospect Keone Kela has pushed triple digits with insane strikeout numbers in AA and AAA the last 2 seasons. Despite these initial obsticles, Davis will likely slide into the closer's role with Neftali Feliz and Keone Kela setting up for him. That means that Alexi Ogando will likely slide into the middle relief role as the Rangers seek to get more quality innings out of that section of the bullpen.

                          With the signing of Davis, the Rangers suddenly project to have one of the elite late relief corps in all of baseball. Hopefully with the addition of Davis, and steps forward by Feliz and Kela, the Rangers will be able to shorten games to take the workload off of the starting rotation.



                          I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


                          Comment

                          • royals19
                            MVP
                            • Jan 2012
                            • 2182

                            #14
                            Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight

                            The Offseason
                            Nolan Ryan's Secret Project

                            Every December, the 30 clubs of Major League Baseball are given an opportunity to scour the 29 other teams for minor leaguers in what is commonly known as the Rule V Draft.

                            All it takes is a 40 man roster spot and 50K and you could be walking home with your competition's top prospect. Is it unfair? Yeah. Is it a pain to manage? Yeah. Is it fun? Heh... Ask Nolan Ryan.

                            After losing out on Justin Upton and being burnt by the Astros in the Wade Davis courtship, Nolan Ryan was looking for a way to strike back at the Houston Astros for their annoyingly calculated Tom-Foolery... And that my friends, is where the legendary Rule V Draft comes in.



                            Slithering though the draft, Nolan Ryan was tempted to go after Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Josh Bell of the Pirates but ultimately scrolled a little further down the list before he found what he was looking for...

                            Mark Appel, a top prospect in the Phillies system had a rather rocky year and saw his potential decline to a B and as a result was left unprotected by the Phillies who acquired him as part of the deal for Cole Hamels with the Astros.

                            The situation that was now laid out before Nolan was almost too good to be true. A former first overall pick by the Astros and Astros GM Jeff Luhnow's once prized possession was sitting right there for the taking. If this doesn't get Ruben Amaro Jr. fired, I don't know what will.

                            Much the the anger of the on field staff, Nolan Ryan drafted Mark Appel out of the Phillies system in what will surely go down as some sort of egotistical move by Nolan Ryan, the greek god of egos.

                            The Rangers had no clear need for Appel. Ryne Sandberg didn't want to play him. Hell, even the marketing guys refused to market him.

                            This was either going to make Nolan Ryan look like a genius or a total idiot who yet again let his ego get the better of him.

                            Misc. Offseason Notes

                            - The Rangers signed Matt Purke, the former National's Prospect and Ranger's 14th overall selection in the 2009 draft for an 80K minor league deal. He will work at AAA out of the bullpen.

                            - The Rangers signed former D-Backs and A's pitcher Trevor Cahill to a 2 year contract with an invitation to Spring Training. He will likely begin the year at AAA.

                            - The Rangers signed former Dodgers' pitching coach Rick Honeycutt to coach fist base.



                            I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


                            Comment

                            • royals19
                              MVP
                              • Jan 2012
                              • 2182

                              #15
                              Re: The Legend of Nolan Ryan: High and Tight




                              Twins Acquire Derek Holland
                              By Zach Links [February 17, 2016 at 7:40 PM CDT

                              The Minnesota Twins have announced that they have acquired Derek Holland from the Texas Rangers in exchange for First Baseman Kenny Vargas and left hander Stephen Gonsalves.

                              Holland, who will be 29 next October, pitched to the tune of a 4.16 ERA, and 9-6 record in 2015 and did not look like the same pitcher he was in years past in his first year back after a freak knee injury. Holland's struggles have generally been attributed to a general lack of control rather than stuff as his fastball routinely touched the upper 90s. Needless to say, it was rather apparent that Holland struggled with both walks and strikeouts as he struck out 107 batters while walking nearly 70. Holland comes to Minnesota with 1 more year of team control beyond this season and will be making just 2.49 million this season; certainly a bargain price if Holland can return to form.

                              In exchange for Holland, the Rangers received a pair of intriguing prospects. Kenny Vargas is the closer of the two to the major leagues and has in fact already played there albeit in very limited action in 2014 where he managed to hit .300 with 1 home run in 17 ABs. With Joe Mauer and Victor Martinez firmly embedded and other options for both those positions already at the Major League level, the Twins simply didn't have room for Vargas anymore. Vargas has often been compared to Red Sox DH David Ortiz due to his size and swing. Whether Vargas has that sort of ability is yet to be seen but it certainly adds some intrigue to Vargas who will likely work at AAA this season while serving as an insurance policy for Prince Fielder and newly anointed DH Michael Taylor.

                              Gonsalves, the Twins 4th round selection in the 2013 draft was regarded as one of the top left handed pitching prospects in the draft before his stock dropped as a result of an incident that he was involved in as a victim of circumstance during a team road-trip senior year. On the field, Gonsalves has plenty of projectability with a low 90s fastball and big looping curve to go with the makings of a solid change piece. Gonsalves represents the latest in the Rangers' efforts to acquire high upside left-handed pitching; a problem that plagues their otherwise strong system. Gonsalves will likely work at Class A to open the year and could finish at AA if room in the rotation opens up.



                              I've heard that sound 3 times... once was Babe Ruth, the second was Josh Gibson, and the third was Bo Jackson- Buck O'Neil


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