Every time that Mitch Moreland hits a harmless fly ball to end an inning for the Texas Rangers in 2012, send Tigers owner Mike Ilitch and team GM Dave Dombrowski a little thanks. Faced with the loss of Victor Martinez to a knee injury, the Big Cat Braintrust called the Bat Line. Prince Fielder signs for 9 years @ $23 MIllion per.
Scott Boras proved patience pays as much as it saves seasons, and Detroit's was not the only season that got saved in this epic turnaround. The Angels benefitted as well... they get the pleasure of Fielder not being on the Rangers and hitting in their roidesque women's softball ballpark for 81 home games.
Oh sure, the Rangers were favored, they are the golden child and everything Nolan wants, Nolan gets and they had squeezed Boras, didn't you read about it, it had to be a fact, Boras was going to get Prince a one-year deal in the same offseason Albert Pujols got a quarter billion dollars, Rangers fans analyze the whole thing objectively, they have it all figured out, just turdstomp your away around their cogent methodology.
With the addition of Yu Darvish for $111 Million, it was looking like the Rangers had their sites on stealthfully adding a player this offseason who had actually played in the major leagues. Always one strike away those Arlington Glory Hogs seem to be. Meanwhile, Erick Aybar has a bunt waiting for the 1B - 3B tandem of Fielder / Miguel Cabrera enough to put a smile on Justin Verlander's face. We can worry about Team Lay Land in October. Team Dallas String Bean just got more than a little skinnier today.
0 recs | 33 comments
Wow...
There are some powerhouse teams in the AL this year……Astros vs. Padres should be good too. (insert eye roll here)
Doctor Wu - January 24, 2012
I can't wait to see pujols crush his first home run off whirling darvish
That guy is gonna get lit up.
Balls and Strikes - January 24, 2012 via Android app
Darvish is not a whirling bird lke most japaneese
He has a much more over the top delievery. As far as how lit he will be, we shall wait till they play the games
RQ - January 25, 2012
"I want to become the kind of pitcher that will make people say 'Darvish is the No. 1 pitcher in the world.'"
You’re right, that is pretty over the top.
5thStarter - January 25, 2012
Nice
hauldog - January 26, 2012
things like "turdstomp your way around their cogent methodology"
is the reason why I come here everyday. Thanks Rev!
Nizock - January 25, 2012
lettuce
entertain you!
Rev Halofan - January 25, 2012
turdstomp is my new favorite verb
Have to fit it into a crossword puzzle somehow.
highlandhalo - January 25, 2012
For whoever voted "Great"
We still play Detroit 10 times this year, 7 of those in Detroit… yes it’s better than the 19 (wow, only 9 more games…) that we’ll face vs the Rangers, but still. Great would’ve been if he’d have stayed in the NL.
BrentSchmidt - January 25, 2012
It's still great
because Prince won’t be helping the Rangers win. And, the satisfaction that Angel fans should get from seeing Texas fail to match the Angels’ huge offseason should alone qualify this as great.
Jason Andrew Martin - January 25, 2012
Yeah, but the Rangers have to face Prince six times in their roidesque women's softball ballpark.
Including three hot games in August, one of which is a day game.
AlanFalcon - January 25, 2012
In re: day game
What color are Prince’s eyes?
5thStarter - January 25, 2012
texas' offseason was limited to giving a monster contract to a guy who has never thrown a pitch to a major league hitter and getting their ace taken by us
So what if we have to face him? We face plenty of great hitters each season. This offseason sucked for texas and was great for us.
Balls and Strikes - January 25, 2012
It was limited to that because
1. We did not want to give 5 years to a 31 yo Wilson
2. We have no other holes to fill
3. A decade long contract to a 1B/DH is not a good alocation of resourses when that money can be used to retain 4-5 other players.
While yours was great (filling 2 of your greatest needs – 1B and C and improving your starting pitching), Texas’s did not suck, it mearly improved a team that went to 2 consecutive WS.
RQ - January 25, 2012
Improved? I'd say Texas may have stayed even
Replacing CJ with Darvish is an unknown and Darvish just may get knocked around. Missing out on Fielder seems to be a big blow as LSB fans thought they could get him and now are wrestling with the Josh extention. 2 showings in a row at the W.S. and you walk away empty handed and it looks like the Gulf has just gotten larger.
steelgolf - January 25, 2012
uh, no texass off season sucked. You lost a proven pitcher to a discount deal to your biggest competition (aside from Cruz's glove).
signed what amounts to a prospect to a 111million dollar deal and watched as the angels added the best hitter of the last couple decades, your former ace, a high obp catcher and bullpen help.
Yeah, good off-season. Go home now and bother your cow.
Balls and Strikes - January 25, 2012
Best hitter of the last couple of decades?
Pujols is all time dude.
.300-30-100 No one had as many of these in a row to start a career as Albert did.
hauldog - January 26, 2012
I agree he is one of the all time greats, how he does in anaheim decides if he is THE all time great imo though.
Balls and Strikes - January 27, 2012
I'm a "Great" voter...
I like our burgeoning rivalry with the Tigers a lot more than I care to watch Texas getting better.
5thStarter - January 25, 2012
I'm excited to have Prince in the AL.
All the better that it isn’t with Texas.
So the NL now has Joey Votto and… Joey Votto.
Nathan Aderhold - January 25, 2012
It really is becoming ugly for free agents in the NL
Even the most rich NL teams are hamstrung by the reality that these superstars can’t DH at the end of a long term contract. AL teams have a built in advantage of more comfortably throwing on another 2-3 years to a contract to seal the deal.
ihearhowie2.0 - January 25, 2012
good point
tanana40 - January 25, 2012
Exactly
The NL GM’s also have a built in excuse to not go all out. They can always say, “well he can’t DH for us at the end of the contract,” and not get hammered by the natives.
All in all, I think St. Louis was relieved to have Pujols go to an A.L. team.
JeffJoiner - January 25, 2012
While I'm glad he's not in Texas, I'm not exactly thrilled he's on Detroit
They are better with him than they were last year with V-Mart and with their weak division it’s a lock they are a playoff team we would have to go through.
There is part of me that wanted to see Prince play through these new global warming Summers in Arlington though. That guy playing in 110 degree heat for weeks at a time? HA!
ihearhowie2.0 - January 25, 2012
Sucks for whoever would be washing that jersey!
migfig - January 25, 2012 via Android app
Gotta Beat The Best To Be The Best....
and I’m confident this Halos squad if healthy matches up with anyone. Detroit doesn’t seem to be a concern they made the playoffs once since their huge acquisition of Cabrera and if it wasn’t for the Indian’s ugly collapse probably would have had a run for their money. That divsion has always had one team or another come out of nowhere and challenge for the division title so it will be fun to see what happens. I still don’t think we should crown them just yet remember what had happened to their dream team a few years back they started the season like 0-14 and never came back so lets just see what happens. I mean their defense just took a huge dump with 2 of the heaviest dudes in baseball manning 3b and 1b.
OppoTaco25 - January 25, 2012
Assuming Albert and Prince level of play stays the same on their new teams in the AL
I say we better start our all-star voting now for Albert. I’ll bet there is going to be alot of Cardinal fans voting for Prince out of anger.
Dono Romantico - January 25, 2012
LSB is so freaked out about this
yesterday someone posted that maybe the Rangers should look at signing Kazmir to a minor league deal with an invite to bolster their bullpen. Do it Texas, do it.
steelgolf - January 25, 2012
haha
DAD OF VLAD - January 25, 2012
Texas is for ________
migfig - January 25, 2012 via Android app
And they are freaking out about Uehara
who would rather be in Baltimore than Texas. Poor Texas, had your shot twice and blew it, maybe you can try again in 2024.
steelgolf - January 25, 2012
I voted "good" instead of "great."
In three or four years, we’re going to look back and wish Texas signed him.
snowhor - January 25, 2012
In three or four years, Texas will be irrelevant again.
5thStarter - February 2, 2012
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