Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 19:23:24 -0500 Reply-To: Texas Rangers MLB Discussion <RANGERS@TAMU.EDU> Sender: Texas Rangers MLB Discussion <RANGERS@TAMU.EDU> From: Beau Sharbrough <beau@SHARBROUGH.NET> Subject: Re: Mike Lamb
I didn't mean to imply that Mike Lamb isn't a good ballplayer. I'm sorry if I confused anyone. What I meant was that it appeared that he overreacted when he made an error - that he got down on himself. I think you need to have a short memory when you make a mistake - put it behind you and get ready to make another one.
Attached, please find one break, just like you requested.
-----Original Message-----
From: Texas Rangers MLB Discussion [mailto:RANGERS@TAMU.EDU]On Behalf Of
Daniel Lackey
Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2001 4:18 PM
To: RANGERS@TAMU.EDU
Subject: Re: Mike Lamb
Since when does batting .313 constitute sucking as a
baseball player? The guy can hit - maybe he's not a
power hitter yet, maybe his defense is lacking right
now, but he can hit. His defense will only get better,
as well as his hitting. Who would you rather have? Ken Caminiti? Dean Palmer? Maybe Scooter Sheldon out there
everday? Yeah, that sounds good! The guy hit .280 his
rookie year and is hitting well over .300 now. If
that's sucking, let me know what is not sucking. Gimme
a break.
Daniel Lackey
--- Beau Sharbrough <beau@SHARBROUGH.NET> wrote:
> Hello to the List, Happy Saturday!
>
> Gosh it was hot at the ballpark. The flags drooped on their poles and so did
the fans. The paid crowd was 47,000, but I think that 35,000 watched the
game. The rest took their bobble head Nolan Ryan dolls and went home to
watch the game in the air conditioning.
>
> We ducked under one bouncing foul ball in a frantic effort to avoid being
killed by it. NetMan got one and missed one. We got one of those tshirts that they shoot into the
air, but it had hit the ground, and we gave it away, covered in pieces of
peanut shells.
>
> I agree with GaryC, that Khad K Kurtis looks about 4 feet 10 up at the
plate. I'm thinking Eddie Gaedel. I stopped seeing Chad as a ballplayer
about a year ago. He's a court jester now. You have to imagine the hat, but
the rest is easy.
>
> Juan Gonzalez took a base on balls. Really.
>
> Pudge Rodriguez has a great arm. It's easy to take it for granted, but twice
last night he used that arm to make very nice plays. There was the 1-2-3
double play to end the second (killing a bases loaded, no out rally), and
there was a topper in front of the plate that rolled about halfway to the
mound. Barehand pickup, one motion, batter blown away. Smooth like smoke.
Pudge didn't hit the home run he's been hitting every game lately, but he
did drill a liner deep into right center. It was run down by Juan Gonzalez,
who looked like a ballplayer instead of a weightlifter. Is this a bad time
to remind the list that Juan's agent didn't show any interest in a 6 year
$90 million offer from Doug Melvin in 1999, or that he passed on a 7 year
$119 million offer from Detroit? You know, if we were going to lose him, you could
have your choice of the two picks we'd have gotten in compensation for
whoever signed him, or you could have Kapler, Catalanotto, Cordero, and a pass
at Jason Thompson (I'll ignore the Zaun, Haselman, and Patterson parts of
the deal if it's okay). There's Melvin, trying to trade an outfielder to
get some pitching, and ending up with ... outfielders. Go figure.
>
> Catalanotto is not an outfielder, but he's a good hitter. Like Jamey said
yesterday, he rakes. And I saw him beat out a ground ball to short. Vizquel
charged, made a good throw, and it wasn't close. Catman is as fast as
Palmeiro is slow.
>
> There's a Bermuda Triangle in shallow left field. Several popups were hit
there and we were close enough to hear ARod say, "I can't see it."
ARod, Lamb, and Catman converged each time, and it was an adventure whether anyone
would actually catch the ball. Lamb got the first one and Catman the second.
Doug Davis might want to have the opponents hit their popups somewhere else.
Once that ball starts falling, I think it will fall a lot. Heck, teams might
start aiming popups there to take advantage of the confusion those guys are
having.
>
> Poor Mike Lamb struggled last night. He struggled with the glove, he
struggled with the bat, and he struggled with that demon that was telling
him he sucks at baseball. He made two throws that looked like the ball just
flew out of his hand, one dribbled to first and got the guy out, the other
sailed into right field, reminding me of my own pony league days. We had the
great misfortune to sit two rows in front of those clowns who know everything there is to know about baseball. Well,
everything except certain facts, like the pronunciation of Teixiera, for
instance. We showed great self control by not turning around and beating the
pie out of them. These people rode Lamb and he could hear it. The point to
this ramble is that I suspect that Mike Lamb has to get himself under
control before he can get to that next level where he plays to his ability. He
looks pretty good for a number 8 hitter.
>
> Kapler smoked a double inside the bag at third, and I think he was surprised
because he didn't start running until he was halfway to first. Then he ran
like hell, and it's clear what a jock he is when he runs all out. His homer
was deep in the left field stands, gone from the time it left the bat.
>
> This would be a good time to add that Narron is a steely eyed missle man.
His handling of Davis in the 7th was something we haven't seen here in a while. A manager went to the mound and showed
confidence in a young pitcher in a tough spot late in a game. Wearing a Texas uniform.
>
> Martha, we didn't see you. Maybe next time.
>
>
> Beau Sharbrough
>
> www.sharbrough.net
> AIM sharbrough
> Voicemail/fax 888-260-6362