Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 09:24:54 -0500 Reply-To: Texas Rangers MLB Discussion <RANGERS@TAMU.EDU> Sender: Texas Rangers MLB Discussion <RANGERS@TAMU.EDU> From: Beau Sharbrough <beau@CONNECT.NET> Subject: Ah, August. When the real men make their moves.
Hello to the list.
This is the time of year when you see the good teams move on the bad teams. I think that you can tell contenders from pretenders in August. Teams like Texas and the Cubs usually have their final course adjustment before their nose dive in the standings. Years ago the Royals would start a division winning run in August, usually from 10 back at the all-star break.
There is a pattern to each season. Strong veteran teams make a move in August, and then in September you see guys who ought to be in hospitals playing every day and keeping their teams in it. Kirk Gibson with the Dodgers comes to mind, and Joe Morgan with the Giants late in his career. Who will it be this year? Gwynn?
If you're a fan of traditional baseball, as I admittedly am, Milestone Weekend was a great thing.
Hey, aren't players supposed to go into a slump waiting on that 500th homer? I think that Eddie Mathews took about 10 days. McGwire just surged through it. Next stop, 600 homers, possibly before the end of next season?
Texas has bumped into a really good Toronto team and lost two close games when the bullpen gave up the longball. Here's a quarter that says that we don't see our rookie relievers crumbling when the pressure is on for long. They are tough guys, they hang out with tough guys, and they'll get it done. Like I say, I've been saving up and I got a quarter that backs it up.
Palmeiro looks like he's ready for the season now. He's running and playing defense and I think he's back.
I way underestimated Todd Ziele. He's hitting over 400 for the last 16 games. I think he had a flat on the way to the park and found another gear by the side of the road (they used to joke that Tanana found an out pitch that way when he was here). What a contrast! Gonzalez strikes out on a pitch way up and in, and Ziele ties the game with a homer. Juan, please get a clue -- you're my favorite ranger and you could be a really good ballplayer if you would learn the basics of the game.
One last Rangers question: how bad can Scott Sheldon be? If he's got a problem with his swing, there's enough bad pitching in the majors for him to still hit .280 and 20 homers up here. I don't want to play him in front of Clayton, but couldn't he play here somewhere?
Does it bother anyone else as much as it bothers me that Booby Valentine is managing a juggernaut that has the best record in the National League? He and the Dodgers deserve each other and honestly I hate to see him succeed because someone will think that his personality flaws are okay in baseball. Football is full of weirdos, maybe they could use him.
I subscribe to an Infobeat note on NCAA football every day, and since the season ended it has been about one criminal act or another. I wish that the NFL would stop coddling these guys so that they would have to sit in front of fans in East Dallas apartments like they used to. Giving these guys a million dollars and a mercedes is worse than what the high schools and colleges do to warp them into the jerks and assholes that they are -- because now they are rich jerks and assholes. Somebody stop paying these criminals to beat up and rape people before someone mistakes them for soldiers or something.
The Reds are making a move. They're almost 20 games over 500. They don't have nearly the press of the DBacks -- their manager hasn't been sainted by the press and tv yet, I can't tell you his name. Is it a guy? Quick, name the infield. Houston is flying and they can't shake the Reds. The next six weeks will be an interesting time as the NLEast and NLCentral will produce two division winners, one wild card, and one team that wins 95 games and gets nothing but a rush followed by a hangover.
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-Beau
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Beau Sharbrough
www.connect.net/beau
Grapevine, Texas