Why can't the Texas Rangers build a decent team?

Question

If we had mediocre baseball here, I can handle that. Mediocre is what I am use too. But the baseball being played on the field is a disgrace to baseball. Down in the Metroplex you have the fifth biggest market, why can't we get the talent needed to at least compete for a pennant? Help me understand?

Answer 1

in all fairness you have a lot of injuries...you've gotten some people back and you still have

Rupe
Texeira
McCarthy
Blalock
and Arias on the DL...but you've had more people on the DL throughout the year....not to mention that Texas hasn't had a great record for the longest time....for years.....so you have underachieving players....not even achieving their levels of talent...

they can pick it up...but they have some good players out w/ injuries...or just coming back...remember...it's not over

Answer 2

The Rangers did a great job of getting some young talent during the trade deadline last year. The minor league system is stacked with potential, especially at the double-A level. Here's a few of their top guys, in case you want to do a little research on them: 1. Elvis Andrus - SS 2. Chris Davis - 1B 3. Matt Harrison - P (He threw a no-hitter earlier this year) 4. Max Ramirez - C/DH (Looks like he might get a call-up this year if he keeps hitting). 5. Taylor Teagarden - C 6. Kasey Kiker - P 7. Blake Beaven - P 8. Eric Hurley - P (He made his ML debut toady) Those are the biggest names right now, and most baseball publications have the Ranger's minor league system ranked in the top 5 in the league going into this season. The problem with the Rangers is, and has always been, that they can't ever seem to develop the talent they have, or they trade young players before they've reached their full potential. The Chris Young/Adrian Gonzalez trade was probably the worst trade the team has ever made, but there have been other recent examples of extremely poor judgement by Ranger's management (how about Danks/McCarthy and Alfonso Soriano?) The key is that JD seems to have learned his lesson, and the team looks better as a direct result of the moves he's made over the past year. Regardless of the past, it really is a good time to get back on the Rangers' bandwagon. There's a lot of potential, and a lot of passion already on the team with Kinsler and Bradley. I think that's what's been missing in Arlington more than wins.

Answer 3

Two words: Jon Daniels.
He just seems set on getting mediocre pitchers and sucky players in general. The only thing he's done right so far is signing Michael Young for another five years.
Our starting pitching needs a LOT of help, our first two starters can't get anything done. We have some pretty young pitchers (mccarthy, tejeda, loe) that have their ups and downs.
So far, bullpen's ok.
Hitting, well, Young is himself again, Tex is injured but was doing real well, and same with Blalock. Kinsler is doing ok, and newcomers like Diaz and Byrd give an extra kick to the lineup. As for Sosa, he's just getting old.
I think the most important thing we need right now is starting pitching, and Jon Daniels needs to do something about that.

Answer 4

The woes of the Texas Rangers start and end with pitching. The franchise has yet (and it's been 36 seasons since they began play in the Metroplex) to develop a front-line starting pitcher. Let me explain:

1. Of all the top pitchers the Rangers have had in their history, they gave up on Kevin Brown and Kenny Rogers before they became good pitchers (and at best number two starters, but nevertheless better than anything they have had).

2. They have wasted draft picks on players who never helped them (David Clyde in 1973 comes to mind, and he was horribly rushed, Oddibe McDowell in 1985). Their best first round pick? Mark Texieria. The Rangers simply draft pitchers who cannot find a strike zone.

3. The Rangers have an inexplicable fetish with offense, under the ill-given guise that home runs sell out the Ballpark. Home runs are nice, but a solid bullpen/starting rotation is much nicer. Ever since the beginning of free agency, the Rangers have thrown crazy money at the most premieum of bats, and almost have made decent pitching an afterthought.

4. The farm system is neglected to the point of abuse. The most talented home-grown player in Rangers history? Ivan Rodriguez (and the Rangers have nothing to show for his departure, force-feeding catcher after catcher to compensate for the management's stupidity in letting him go), and an experienced starting catcher goes a long way in grooming a young pitching staff (see 2003 Florida Marlins, 2006 Detroit Tigers).

5. The best manager in team history was left hanging out to dry. The late Johnny Oates is still the only manager in Rangers history to pilot the team to the postseason. After a lackluster 2000, the Rangers management decided to give Oates bats instead of mound masters. One of those bats panned out (Alex Rodriguez), but the pitching staff was constantly shelled, which led to Oates resigning in early 2001.

The constant mismanagement, the bad drafts, the worse trades and free agent signings, and the lack of a minor league system have doomed the Rangers. Yet, the team never learns (they want to trade the aforementioned Texieria?).

Answer 5

lots of porr managerial decisions have hurt the rangers, and theyve spent too much money in the past on assets no longer with the team

getting rid of Pudge was a mistake. he was the teams leader and they didnt pick up his contract. a career .300 hitter AND a catcher is something to hold on to

ditching Soriano hurt too. they spent a pretty penny and got nothing out of it, just trading him away for Brad Wilkerson and Termel Sledge!!!! other teams would have given an arm and a leg for him

and lastly there is ARod. first of all, giving him the 125 Mill contract was a waste, even tho he put up great numbers, but then in the trade with the Yanks, they agreed to pay most of his remaining salary. thats throwing away money that cant be used on other players.

but most of all i think it is the rangers inability to grow a successful farm system (excuse the pun)

you dont need big names when you have a good farm system, and the rangers lack that. i dont even know who has come thru their system, but noone can seem to get the job done.

some teams are just cursed. i think the rangers are gonna be cursed for a while

Answer 6

Former GMs Doug Melvin and John Hart were utterly incompetent at finding and acquiring quality starting pitching. It's getting a bit far in time, now, to lay too much blame on Melvin for the 2007 team's woes, but Hart influence is still reeking, and current GM Daniels hasn't yet demonstrated that he's measurably better.

And it's not just The Ballpark -- these guys suck on the road too.

Answer 7

It all goes back to Ownership. The owner also owns the dallas stars and he cares more about them then he does his baseball team.

Answer 8

They need greater balance. They either spend all their money on a big-time pitcher or a few big-time hitters. They have always had a great offense, but their pitching has usually been a disaster.

Answer 9

Bad Luck?!

Answer 10

no money to spend no good gm and they lost A-rod years ago so the lose sponcering