Notes: Rangers high on Loe

03/01/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers starter Kameron Loe walked two batters in 2 1/3 innings on Wednesday.
Forgive him. He was excited and had "first-day jitters."
So what if it was nothing more than an intrasquad game that began at 10 a.m. in front of a couple dozen people at Surprise Stadium?
"That's how it is," Loe said. "Put a hitter up there and I get excited. It doesn't matter who. I have something to prove."
This is a guy who already has the fourth spot in the rotation locked up, but that doesn't matter to him.
"I have something to prove to myself," Loe said. "I have something to prove to anybody who didn't think I'd make it, and to people who thought I would make it. I want to be a starter for 15-plus years, God willing, and I want this to be my first year."
So far, Loe has proven to be the most impressive pitcher in camp, and he underscored that in the intrasquad game by retiring seven of the nine hitters he faced. He was so economical in the first inning that he was allowed to face five batters, retiring all of them. In the equivalent of 2 1/3 innings, he threw 36 pitches, the most so far by a Rangers pitcher.
"He has been lights-out since January and wasn't laboring, so I didn't have a problem with that," pitching coach Mark Connor said. "He's throwing the ball well. He probably came in here closer to having game stuff than anybody."
First rounder also impresses: Left-hander John Danks -- at 20, the youngest pitcher in camp -- also had an impressive outing in the 5 1/2-inning controlled game, retiring all five hitters he faced. He struck out three of them.
"Danks threw the ball real well," Connor said. "That's the first time I've seen him throw the ball like everybody talks about. That's the stuff I've heard about."
Danks, the Rangers' first pick in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, was 4-10 with a 5.49 ERA at Double-A Frisco last year. That would seem to be where he's headed again, but a good spring could get him a ticket to Triple-A Oklahoma. He is not expected to compete for a job on the big-league club.
But manager Buck Showalter said after the intrasquad, "Most guys were rusty with their command. Danks certainly wasn't."
Looking to first: First baseman Mark Teixeira and shortstop Michael Young will leave the Rangers after Thursday's game against the Royals to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.
"You'll miss their presence," Showalter said. "Maybe we should get a life-size picture of them and put it in front of their locker."
Highly touted prospect Joaquin Arias will get time at shortstop. The Rangers, having traded Adrian Gonzalez to San Diego, have no such options at first.
Designated hitter Phil Nevin is the Rangers' backup first baseman. Erubiel Durazo has played there, but he's still coming back from Tommy John surgery.
Jason Botts has played first base in the Minors, but the Rangers seem intent on using him in the outfield, knowing that he has offensive potential, but won't unseat Teixeira. Botts made two good plays in left on Wednesday.
The Rangers may pick up a Triple-A first baseman at the end of spring. With Arias scheduled to be at Oklahoma this year, they want someone who is accomplished defensively.
"There's a little concern about who's going to play first," Showalter said.
Kicking game in place: The Rangers like to throw a football around the clubhouse on occasion. They can kick it around with the best of them as well.
Nevin was a placekicker for three years at Cal-State Fullerton, posting a long field goal of 58 yards and a game-tying field goal as time expired against San Diego State.
Triple-A catcher Jamie Burke kicked for three years at Oregon State with a best of 47 yards, but the Beavers won just three games in three seasons and didn't get into position for a lot of field-goal attempts.
"I had a 60-yarder in practice and that was with a full rush," Burke said. "But that was practice. That doesn't count."
Brad Wilkerson kicked in high school, hitting from 48 yards and missing just below the crossbar on a 59-yard attempt. He wanted to kick for Steve Spurrier at the University of Florida but that would have meant giving up his baseball scholarship.
"At Florida, if you were on the football team, you couldn't be on any other scholarship," Wilkerson said. "And Spurrier didn't give scholarships to kickers."
Nix leaves game: Laynce Nix started Wednesday's game at designated hitter and led off with a double, but he ended up leaving the game with some tightness in his groin.
Nagging injuries have dogged the Rangers outfield this spring.
Gary Matthews Jr. (strained rib cage muscle) missed the intrasquad game even though he tried to lobby his way back.
Said Matthews, "I'm probably annoying them, but that's what players do."
Matthews is not due back until the first of next week.
Briefly: Reliever Ron Mahay had the roughest outing of the intrasquad, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks without getting anybody out. ... D'Angelo Jimenez had a home run, and David Dellucci had a two-run double. ... Showalter liked this: Nix led off with a double, and eventually scored on two grounders by Adrian Brown and Durazo. ... C.J. Wilson (strained hamstring) threw off the front of a mound, and will do so again on Friday. ... Josh Rupe and Thomas Diamond are scheduled to pitch on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals. Rick Bauer starts on Friday against the Royals, and Kevin Millwood is scheduled to pitch in a simulated game that day. ... Young's departure reduces the time he gets to spend with second basemen Ian Kinsler and Mark DeRosa, and Showalter said, "It's not a perfect world. Other clubs are in the same boat, but I'm not concerned about other clubs." ... Durazo is going to Tucson to join Mexico for the Classic, but the Rangers are hoping he can play first base on Monday against the Diamondbacks down there. He won't throw. ... Visiting clubs will be allowed to take batting practice before games in the main stadium this year. They took it on the back field in past years, but the Rangers didn't like some of the back fields they were relegated to at other teams' facilities.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Longtime friends united again

03/01/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Steve Murphy walked out of the Rangers Minor League clubhouse with his shirt completely drenched, offering the appearance that he had just completed a strenuous workout.
That wasn't the case.
"We were having a contest to see who could keep their head in a bucket of ice water the longest," he announced proudly. "I won ... 13 seconds. Johnny Whittleman lasted just six seconds.
John Mayberry Jr., already in street clothes, just shook his head.
"He's crazy," Mayberry said. "He hasn't changed at all."
"Junior" would know better than anybody about "Murph," since the two Rangers Minor Leaguers are in camp early after years of friendship behind them and a long road to the Majors ahead of them.
They travel it together on the basis of support and friendly rivalry rather than competition despite knowing the odds are steep that they'll achieve their goal of playing in the same outfield in Arlington.
The two have known each other since they were 13, growing up in Overland Park, Kan., playing on the same youth teams, working out at a private batting cage at Barnstormer's and starring together at Rockhurst High School.
They split in college, Mayberry turning down over $1 million from the Mariners to go to Stanford and Murphy, not drafted out of high school, playing as a freshman at Central Missouri State and then Kansas State.
But the Rangers brought them together last year, drafting Mayberry in the first round and taking Murphy in the 14th round.
Then, like old times at Rockhurst, they found themselves in the same lineup for Class A short-season Spokane, leading the Indians to the Northwest League championship.
The friendly competition picked up immediately with Murphy playing left field and Mayberry, a converted first baseman like his dad, playing right field.
"In high school we never kept up with the stats except for how many home runs we hit," Mayberry said. "Our senior year, he started off ahead and we finished tied with 10 or 11. Last year, same thing, he got off to the lead and I ended up passing him."
The statistics show Mayberry ended up with 11 home runs and Murphy hit nine.
But there is some serious controversy that needs to be resolved.
"We ended up tied," Murphy protested.
"I had 11 and he had nine," Mayberry said. "That's all I know."
"We were tied," Murphy insisted. "I hit a home run that wasn't counted and should have, and he hit one that shouldn't have counted but did."
"You weren't there," Mayberry said.
"I heard it on the radio," said Murphy, who had his season cut short with a broken hand.
"He's right," Mayberry finally admitted. "He hit one that hit the scoreboard and was clearly over the yellow line that didn't count, and I hit one they said hit the foul pole but actually hit just to the left in foul territory."
Murphy actually got the last laugh, for he was the one who was named the Northwest League's Most Valuable Player, batting .306 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs in 62 games.
Mayberry, starting slowly while adjusting to some suggested changes in his swing that would bring out more power, was batting .213 on Aug. 11 but got hot at the end and finished at .253 with 11 home runs and 26 RBIs.
"I like it," Murphy said. "It was different. I had never been where he's been, up there like that, everybody wanting to interview you."
It was the first instance of Murphy out-doing Mayberry, the son of former Kansas City Royals first baseman John Mayberry Sr. who has always been the star of the team.
Mayberry had been the high school All-American at Rockhurst and had gone on to one of the top college baseball programs in America. Murphy settled for a small NAIA school, winning a national championship before transferring to Kansas State.
Murphy's short biography in the Rangers media guide mentions he was Mayberry's teammate in high school. Mayberry's bio does not mention Murphy.
"Since high school I've been in his shadow but I've enjoyed it," Murphy said. "If I do good, people notice, but if I don't do good, there are no expectations. In that, I've been lucky."
They were friends in high school but that relationship has grown since being reunited with the Rangers to the point they are now roommates together.
The cultural and social significance of such a relationship might have been much more profound 30 years ago when Mayberry's father played.
The morality play being acted out now is one surrounding baseball, two high school friends now in the same organization playing similar positions and competing for the same goal of making it to the Major Leagues.
They do so with different resumes. Mayberry is the first-round pick who cost the Rangers $1.525 million. The higher investment means the Rangers will be much more attentive to making sure he succeeds but it also brings out high expectations and higher pressure.
"Basically the thing my dad conveyed to me is you can't listen to all the media expectations," said Mayberry, who has earned his degree in Political Science. "You set goals for yourself and strive hard to reach them. While expectations are high, mine are higher and if I reach them, I'll be in pretty good shape."
Murphy, still working for a Criminal Justice degree, signed for $20,000 plus college expenses, and a 14th-round pick making the Major Leagues would be simply viewed as a bonus for the Rangers.
"Along the lines of what Junior said, no matter if you're a 50th-round pick or a first-round pick, we just work hard rather than worry about expectations," Murphy said. "The way he handles himself is cold hard fact. He doesn't know what is being said about him; he just goes out and works hard."
Their friendship and mutual background serves as a support system for the two rather than driving a stake of competitiveness between them.
"Absolutely," Mayberry said. "Having Murph there gives you a level of confidence that helps you get past the uncertainty of knowing the other guy. He makes it easier."
"Technically we are competing for the same job," Murphy said. "But we've never looked at like that and I don't think he has either. We know what it takes and we try to outwork everybody but in a setting in which we are both trying to get better."
Added Mayberry, "Because we are genuine friends, instead of taking the thought process of 'I hope you mess up,' I'm able to tell Steve what I can do to make him better and he can do the same for me."
In that regard, the ultimate goal is for not one but two from Rockhurst High School to eventually play outfield in Arlington.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

First Media Spring Training a success

03/02/2006
ARLINGTON -- On Thursday in Surprise, Ariz., the Texas Rangers played their first Spring Training game of 2006, while back in Arlington, the local media reported for their first workout.
Twenty-seven members of the Dallas-Fort Worth media, from radio personalities to television reporters, attended the first annual Media Spring Training Day at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.
After enjoying a Sportservice-catered lunch complete with ballpark favorites such as sausage, popcorn and the consensus favorite Tall-Texan cotton candy, the writers, anchors and disc jockeys took the field for batting practice and outfield instruction from some old pros.
Former Rangers Steve Buechele, Pete O'Brien, Tom Grieve and Rusty Greer, along with former Major League pitcher Ray Burris, coached the guests on proper technique and swing mechanics before letting them take the field.
WFAA-TV news anchor Gloria Campos listened well to the instructions -- in her first trip to the cages, she hit a line drive up the middle past KISS-FM's familiar morning DJ and provisional second baseman Kidd Kraddick.
Campos also sustained the event's first injury, sporting an ice pack after absorbing an O'Brien pitch on the wrist. Everyone else seemed to avoid getting hurt, but DJs from the likes of KZPS, KHKS, KSCS, The Bone, and the Wolf should likely expect some on-air trash talk after performing at varying levels of proficiency.
Rangers vice president of marketing and in-park entertainment Chuck Morgan said Media Spring Training Day will be an annual event, giving the attendees plenty of time to begin their offseason workouts.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Notes: Three up for fifth starter spot

03/02/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The guy the Rangers want to be their fifth starter threw 38 pitches and three innings in a Minor League game on Thursday. That's more pitches than any other Rangers pitcher has thrown so far this spring.
But enough of Roger Clemens' day in Florida.
In Arizona, three rookies took first aim at the fifth spot in the rotation on Thursday, and drew first blood in possibly the most intriguing competition of the Rangers camp.
Josh Rupe opened the exhibition season by pitching two scoreless innings in a 5-5 tie with the Kansas City Royals in a game called after 11 innings at Surprise Stadium on Thursday.
Thomas Diamond followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and even Edison Volquez got into the act. He followed Diamond and retired six straight hitters before a walk, a balk and a two-out, run-scoring triple by ex-Ranger Benji Gil ended his day.
The three combined to hold the Royals to one run on five hits in a combined 5 1/3 innings, while walking four and striking out two.
"I thought Josh, Eddie and Thomas handled their first outing well," manager Buck Showalter said. "It was fun to watch."
The competition is only beginning. Rick Bauer, who pitched in parts of the last five seasons, starts Friday and will get a shot. So too will knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, left-hander C.J. Wilson and Juan Dominguez, who is actually the incumbent but must still earn the spot.
Dickey pitches Saturday, Dominguez goes on Monday, and Wilson is still sidelined with a hamstring strain.
The Rangers would obviously like one of their young starters to emerge into a front-line starter, but the development of young talent no longer takes immediate priority over who is the right person for the job.
"Young, old ... we're not putting a restriction on their age unless it's a 20-year-old," Showalter said. "We're going to take the best guy for the team. It will not be a pure statistical evaluation."
"If you look at our track record, look at how many times players have made our Opening Day roster or been up early in the season who weren't expected to at this time in Spring Training," general manager Jon Daniels said. "Chad Allen last year, and Rod Barajas the year before. Mark DeRosa, Gary Matthews, Ron Mahay, Carlos Almanzar. All those guys came in to camp off the roster. Everybody is going to get a fair look."
Early games are critical. Those who impress early earn more mound time as the spring progresses. The more mound time, the more chances to win a job.
"You can only create so many innings," Showalter said. "You may keep a guy in camp, but he may become a backup."
Rupe allowed the first three hitters to reach base on two hits and a walk. But Barajas threw out the first runner trying to steal, and Rupe finished by retiring five straight hitters.
'"It's sort of a mini-competition, but you have to put that in the back of your mind and do what you do normally," Rupe said. "There's always a little pressure, but the biggest thing is putting pressure on myself, and thinking about what the other guys are doing isn't going to get me anywhere."
Volquez remains a wild card. He struggled in September last year, but so far, he seems to have responded to pitching coach Mark Connor's challenge to make the team.
"I like what I saw today," Connor said. "He came in and threw strikes, kept the ball down and used all his pitches. [He pitched] better than what we saw at the end of last year. He's just got to keep his focus and remember that if he's got two outs, the inning's not over."
Nevin goes deep: The first significant at-bat of the spring for the Rangers came in the second inning, when Phil Nevin crushed a breaking ball from Royals left-hander Mark Redman over the center-field wall for a home run.
"There was a pretty good reaction in our dugout," Showalter said. "Our guys know ... first at-bat of the spring, and he hits the ball out of the ballpark. I think our club knows what Nev means. That's a nice little return for his offseason."
First game for GM: Daniels watched his first Spring Training game in his new position, sitting directly behind home plate with a number of his assistants and team scouts.
The Rangers led, 5-3, going into the ninth, but Daniels was denied his first victory when the Royals rallied for two runs.
"I saw the guy behind me ready to pour the Gatorade," joked Daniels, "but then they tied it up and he disappeared."
Owner meeting: Owner Tom Hicks was in camp on Thursday to meet with Daniels, Showalter and their staffs.
"We want to let him get a sense of where we're at and the framework of some of the ideas we're going to mull over the next month," Daniels said.
Daniels said the Rangers may send a couple of players back to the Minor Leagues on Friday, but added, "We're not going to cut anybody healthy or who we want to see in a game. We're still a week away from that."
Briefly: Minor League camp opens today, but the Rangers are expected to be without pitcher Marc Malachi and outfielder Vince Sinisi. They are expected to play for Italy in the World Baseball Classic. ... Kevin Millwood is scheduled to throw in a simulated game on Friday. He'll have a catcher and will face four hitters. Said Showalter, "Anybody want to shag, let me know. Hopefully, they won't get any action." ... Matthews (strained rib cage) and Laynce Nix (strained groin) remain day-to-day, and C.J. Wilson (strained hamstring) throws off the front of the mound again on Friday. Showalter said Francisco Cordero could be a week away from pitching in a game, which would initially be either a "B" game or Minor League game.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Rangers tie Royals in spring opener

03/02/2006
Royals at the plate: Manager Buddy Bell used what appears to be his Opening Day lineup, but only for two plate appearances each, and they combined for three singles and three walks in 18 times up against three rookie pitchers. Benji Gil had an RBI triple and a run-scoring double in the ninth to lead the Royals' comeback from a 5-3 deficit.
Rangers at the plate: David Dellucci batted leadoff and reached base all three times, once on an error and twice on walks. He scored one run, and pinch-runner Adrian Brown, after stealing second, scored another run off the two walks. Phil Nevin hit a home run in his first spring at-bat.
Royals on the mound: Mark Redman started and retired five of seven hitters. One reached base on an error but was caught stealing, and Redman allowed the home run to Nevin. Jeremy Affeldt allowed two runs in an inning, but only one was earned.
Rangers on the mound: The fifth-starter competition opened strong. Josh Rupe pitched two scoreless innings, and Thomas Diamond went 1 2/3 innings without allowing a run, although Edison Volquez bailed him out of a two-out, two-on situation in the fourth.
Cactus League records: Royals 0-0 (one tie); Rangers 0-0 (one tie).


Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Rangers' Dickey has plenty of stories

03/02/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- R.A. Dickey is a survivor, the Richard Hatch of the Rangers.
He and reliever Joaquin Benoit have been with the Rangers since 1996, three years longer than any other player in camp.
He has been a No. 1 draft pick and the starting pitcher in the home opener. He had an $800,000 signing bonus revoked when a physical showed he did not have an ulna collateral ligament in his right elbow.
But he also owns the distinction of recording his first Major League shutout and first save in the course of two days, the shortest span in history.
An Academic All-American at the University of Tennessee and co-founder of Honoring Thy Father, a non-profit Christian organization, he also has a keen eye for observations.
Some of the better ones over the course of 11 years with the Rangers:
Best moment: "Believe it or not, it wasn't my first callup, but my second -- that and the complete-game shutout and save. The first callup, I didn't know what to expect. There was a lot of apprehension and excitement, the realization of a dream.
"When I went up the second time, I embraced it more. I knew more people and felt more comfortable."
Worst moment: "Sitting across from [former GM] Doug Melvin after I signed, and them taking the offer off the table, telling me they didn't know if they wanted to sign me. The whole two weeks -- discovering I didn't have a ligament and the reduction of the signing bonus. That was a pretty tough moment."
Biggest frustration: "Wanting to perform and be consistent, and when you're not, it's pretty frustrating. I'm the ultimate competitor, and I expect to perform at a high level, and when I don't, it's perpetually frustrating. That, and being pretty much free of injuries for eight years, and then going through obscure injuries the past two years with my back and triceps that didn't have anything to do with my arm."
Having six different Major League pitching coaches: "It's all about dealing with six different people, knowing what they expect from you and what you expect from yourself, and making it congruent. [Dick Bosman] was big on holding runners on, so you had to adhere to that, and Orel [Hershiser] was big on mechanics.
"Every one of the guys I was under had different things to offer. It's weird. They all weren't polar opposites, but from pitching coach to pitching coach, there were different philosophies. You could file away things you found useful and discard those that weren't."
Biggest influences: "Rusty Greer was real valuable to me, and so was Jay Powell, from being a young guy and having somebody to look up to. Jeff Brantley, my very first callup, he was really awesome. We were lockermates; he had a lot of experience and he was willing to share it."
Best story: "My first time in the big leagues, we were on a road trip to Toronto, and I didn't have much to wear. I was making $1,200 a month in the Minors. Jeff Brantley asked me out to lunch. I said, 'Great, but I need to buy some slacks and stuff.' He said, 'Good, I'll go with you.'
"So we go to the department store, and I pick out a couple of things, take them to the dressing room and try them on. When we're done, I've got a small pile of clothes by the cash register, and he's picked out this huge pile of clothes. My stuff came to $65, his came to $1,000.
"He turns to me and said, 'Here, [both piles] are yours. Don't thank me, don't make a big deal of it, just do it for somebody else when you get the opportunity."
Best place to play in the Minors: "You don't have to look much farther than Oklahoma City. I'm sort of the Crash Davis of Oklahoma City. You look in their record book, I'm all over it -- good and bad. If they make a movie about Oklahoma City baseball, I'm ready to help out Kevin Costner.
"One of the reasons that place was special is the fans were just dynamic."
Worst place in the Minors: "The Texas League has some places that are just tough. Little Rock was tough ... just everything, the condition of the field, the locker room. It's the essence of Minor League baseball, but it's tough."
Surprise vs. Port Charlotte: "How about Surprise in Port Charlotte? This facility and the amenities of this place, in Port Charlotte. A lot of people disagree, because Arizona has so much to offer. But being from the South, I love the humidity, taking the kids to the beach, fishing ... and the ball doesn't carry as much. I [would like] this facility -- in Port Charlotte.
One change baseball should make: "I know they're trying to do it, but I would like for the games to be quicker. Whether it's keeping the batter in the batter's box, a bigger strike zone or pitchers not taking so much time before pitches -- anything that would facilitate moving the game along would be good. I know rules have been implemented, but not enforced.
"That, and push all fences back!"
If he could do it all over again... "That's one thing that helps me sleep at night, is that I truly feel I go out and prepare so I can do everything I'm capable of. Coaches tell you the only person you are accountable to is yourself, and I know I wouldn't change anything. I've found value with adversity and success."

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Wilson, Anderson try to fit in

03/03/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson tested his strained right hamstring off the front of the mound on Friday.
All went well and he'll try from the top of the mound in a couple of days. Manager Buck Showalter is hoping he'll be in a game by the end of next week.
The question is if that will be enough time to keep him in competition for the fifth-starter spot.
"I think we still have that window," Showalter said.
The Rangers will hold that window open as long as possible, just as they hold out hope Brian Anderson will eventually come back strong from Tommy John elbow surgery.
They represent the Rangers' best hope for getting a left-handed pitcher into an otherwise all right-handed starting rotation, an annual quest that has been sated by Kenny Rogers and few others.
"It's been a focus," general manager Jon Daniels said. "All things being equal, in our ballpark it would be preferable to have a left-hander."
The dimensions of Ameriquest Field at Arlington have always favored left-handed pitchers and left-handed hitters. But getting left-handed starting pitching to fit there has been difficult.
Since Ameriquest opened in 1994, Rogers has won 49 games there for the Rangers, the most by one of their left-handers. Darren Oliver is second with 28. Doug Davis, now with the Milwaukee Brewers, is third among Rangers lefties with 10 victories at Ameriquest.
They are the only three left-handed pitchers to win at least 10 games for the Rangers in their home ballpark since it opened. The next four on the list -- Mike Venafro, Erasmo Ramirez, Dennis Cook and Ed Vosberg -- are or were setup relievers.
"That's amazing," Ramirez said.
Wilson picked up his first Major League victory at Ameriquest Field last season, so he only needs three to tie Cook and Vosberg for sixth place on the list.
Anderson hasn't put on a Rangers uniform, but two victories at Ameriquest Field would tie him for ninth.
"We always talk about a perfect world," Showalter said. "We all know good left-handers play well in our ballpark. They also play well out of the bullpen."
The Rangers ponder that with Wilson. As much as they desire a left-handed starter, they also know Wilson had a 12.05 ERA as a starter and a 2.73 ERA as a reliever in 2005.
"There are a couple of different kinds of left-handed relievers," Daniels said. "There is a guy who is mainly left-on-left and there's a true setup reliever. With C.J.'s power assortment, he could be a setup man with some power. You look at the value of Neal Cotts and what he meant to the White Sox. That's the model for the power left-handed reliever."
Brian Shouse and Ramirez have experience as left-handed setup relievers but don't have Wilson's power. Ron Mahay did in 2003-04 but fell off last season.
The other left-handed reliever with some power is Fabio Castro, the 20-year-old Rule 5 pick. He could eventually be a starter and the Rangers' desire for more left-handed pitching could be tested this spring when it comes time to deciding if they'll keep Castro on the roster or return him to the White Sox.
"I don't think there's an advantage to being a left-handed starter," Wilson said. "But is there an advantage to being a left-handed reliever? Yes. It's more of a chess piece. But a good pitcher is a good pitcher. If they sign Roger Clemens, they'll have five right-handed starting pitchers and I don't think anybody will complain if they have a rotation of Kevin Millwood, Adam Eaton, Vicente Padilla, Kam Loe and Roger Clemens."
If Wilson goes to the bullpen, the Rangers' next best hope for a left-handed starter would be Anderson, an 11-year veteran with 82 career victories but who is not expected to be back from surgery until at least June.
That is, unless he continues to impress the Rangers with his progress.
"It's scary," pitching coach Mark Connor said. "He's throwing great. We've had several discussions about backing it up, but he's had trouble doing that. His last bullpen session, he looked like he did in 1999-2002 -- all fastballs, but he had great command. He's ahead of schedule.
"I've told him all along, if we get you back in June, July and August, it would be like making a huge trade."
Who knows? By then, the Rangers may have promoted John Danks, their No. 1 draft pick in 2003 who represents the ultimate answer to such a pressing need.
But the Rangers, having lost Rogers to free agency not once but three different times, would like to find some way to get a left-hander into their rotation.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Notes: Nevin swaggers 2nd straight day

03/03/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. _ Another day, another home run from cleanup hitter Phil Nevin.
What the Rangers saw early in camp on the back fields has carried over to the main stadium during exhibition games as Nevin hit his second home run in two games. The latest came in the first inning of a 7-6 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Friday.
This is Nevin's 13th Spring Training as a professional and normally two home runs in two games wouldn't mean that much. But he admitted it does this spring after hitting .182 for the Rangers in the final two months of last season after being acquired from the San Diego Padres.
"I've been around long enough to know this is only the second game,'' said Nevin, who also had a single in two at-bats. "But there's definitely a different feel to wearing this uniform. From a personal standpoint, I'm excited. I know what I can do but I'm not going to lie and say there weren't some self-doubts on my part.
"It's early, but making good contact after a couple of games is pleasing."
His teammates, who know how important he is to this team, would agree. Nevin's going to get a shot at batting cleanup in a crucial spot behind Mark Teixeira and ahead of Hank Blalock.
"Nev's off to a good start, but he was off to a good start in November," manager Buck Showalter said. "You always like to see a guy get a return. You like to see a guy who works hard and feels good about himself."
Call it swagger.
Second baseman Mark DeRosa watched some tapes of Nevin from several years ago and told him, "You had swagger; you don't have that swagger any more."
A couple of home runs certainly help anybody's swagger index.
"I expect those things from me," Nevin said. "I don't know how educated these guys are of what I've done but the thing that excites me is not only feeling good but being an important part of the team. If everybody does what we're capable of doing, we're going to be real good."
The Rangers may or may not have had their doubts about Nevin. But they certainly wanted to be prepared in case his .182 batting average over the last two months of the season proved to be a serious trend rather than an aberration.
That's why they signed Erubiel Durazo to a Minor League contract just before the beginning of spring training.
"If you could add a bat capable of what he's done and is still out there, then why wouldn't you?" Nevin said. "That said, me being right and doing the things that I can, I'll be in there every day. It's a long spring and things have a way of working out in the end. It didn't motivate me or worry me; it was just another quality player."
Millwood throws: Opening Day starter Kevin Millwood's first "game" action of the spring was on one of the Minor League fields on Friday morning. The opposing hitters were Minor Leaguers Aarom Baldiris, Ruddy Yan, Steve Murphy and Ian Gac.
Millwood threw 35 pitches in what was termed a simulated game and only one ball was put in play.
"I felt good, I felt comfortable," Millwood said. "Now I know what I need to work on. I need to locate my fastball away from right-handers and work on my slider. Everything else works pretty well.
"I don't know if this is better or worse. It just lets me get my work done and not take a chance on a long inning or a long rest between innings. I don't have to worry about getting stiff."
Millwood will spend much more time on the back field, rather than pitching in the main stadium in exhibition games. He said he does not want to pitch against American League West opponents in the spring and two of his five starts were scheduled to be against the Oakland Athletics.
Home opener sold out: The Rangers announced Friday that their regular-season home opener with the Boston Red Sox has been sold out. A limited number of standing room only tickets remain.
Briefly: The Rangers have sent catcher Taylor Teagarden back to the Minor Leagues to continue his rehabilitation from Tommy John elbow surgery. ... Laynce Nix (groin) and Gary Matthews Jr. (ribcage) remain sidelined until at least the first of next week. ... Sign of the times: Between injuries, days off and the World Baseball Classic, the Rangers did not have four regulars in the starting lineup and Showalter said, "A lot of clubs will be like that with the [Classic]. It's a good opportunity to look at other guys.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Nevin keeps power coming in loss

03/03/2006
Royals at the plate: Kansas City hit three home runs. David DeJesus and Emil Brown both had solo homers, while Wilson Valdez hit a two-run shot. Chip Ambres also had a double and just missed hitting the Royals' fourth home run.
Rangers at the plate: A three-run home run by Aarom Baldiris in the top of the ninth closed the Rangers' deficit to one run. Phil Nevin hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his second homer in two games. Rookie second baseman Ian Kinsler also had a home run, his first of the spring.
Royals on the mound: Denny Bautista, battling for a spot in Kansas City's rotation, allowed a two-run home run to Nevin in one inning of work. Key setup relievers Ambiorix Burgos -- who earned the victory -- and Mike MacDougal both retired the side in order in their one inning.
Rangers on the mound: Starter Rick Bauer allowed one hit in two scoreless innings. He gave up a leadoff double to Mark Teahen in the second, but then struck out the next three hitters. Joaquin Benoit, one of the Rangers' more important setup relievers, allowed three runs in the seventh inning, taking the loss.
Cactus League records: Royals 1-0; Rangers 0-1.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Notes: Volquez gets an extended look

03/04/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Edison Volquez is going prime time again, which could add further intrigue to the Rangers' fifth starter competition.
The Rangers are going to start Volquez on Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics at Surprise Stadium. That's Kevin Millwood's spot in the rotation, but the veteran will do his throwing on the back fields.
"It was between him and another guy," pitching coach Mark Connor said. "I think the experience for Volquez is more valuable to him."
Volquez made three starts for the Rangers last year, and was 0-3 with an 11.81 ERA. But the Rangers are starting to see some of the talent that has made him one of their top prospects, and he had another productive bullpen session under Connor's prodding Saturday.
"I had him get after it," Connor said. "I'm just trying to make him concentrate more in every situation, have a purpose for everything. I was giving him certain outs, counts, scores, to see what he would do with it."
Rick Bauer started in Millwood's spot last Friday, but the Rangers are becoming more intrigued by what they're seeing from Volquez.
The Rangers are also going to give Juan Dominguez his first start of the spring. Kameron Loe is scheduled to pitch on Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tucson, but he'll likely start a "B" game in Surprise, which would allow Dominguez to start against Diamondbacks.
Thomas Diamond is also going to pitch against the Diamondbacks.
Ramirez starts strong: The Rangers can no longer take advantage of left-hander Erasmo Ramirez. This time, he either makes the club or gets exposed to waivers.
"Eraser is going to make it tough on us," manager Buck Showalter said, after Ramirez pitched a scoreless inning in a 9-8 victory over the Kansas City Royals Saturday. Ramirez struck out two of the three batters he faced.
Ramirez enters camp out of options. In the past, the Rangers took advantage of Ramirez having options by calling him up and down from the Minors nine different times over three years. Overall, he was 8-4 with a 4.01 ERA in 84 games, holding opponents to a .256 batting average. Right-handers, often flummoxed by his superb changeup, batted .233 against him.
Ramirez made it clear he wants to stay with the Rangers, but a left-handed reliever on waivers at the end of spring is a tempting target.
"I'm not going to put any more pressure on myself," Ramirez said. "I know I'm out of options; they know I'm out of options. They made it clear it will be a tough decision if I pitch well."
Barajas praises Alfonseca: Right-handed reliever Antonio Alfonseca had a 4.94 ERA for the Florida Marlins last year, missed half the season with a bad elbow and was a last-minute addition to the Spring Training roster.
But he also had a 2.57 ERA for the Braves in 2004 and 45 saves for the Florida Marlins in 2000, and catcher Rod Barajas said the Rangers are starting to see that version of Alfonseca.
"From what I've seen him throw, and talking to other guys who have faced him the last couple of years, he's back to the level he was with Florida," Barajas said. "He looks incredible. He definitely could help us in the pen."
Morning work pays: The Rangers spent the morning working on team defense, including defense against double steals with runners on first and third.
The work paid off immediately in the game against the Royals that afternoon. The Royals tried a delayed double steal against Adam Eaton in the second inning, and the Rangers executed nicely.
Eaton stepped off the mound, started for Andres Blanco for second, then turned and caught Esteban German in a rundown between third and home.
"We've worked on that a few times," Eaton said. "I heard a whistle from their dugout, and decided to step off and do a first-and-third move to see what happens. The runner from first had his head down ... the runner on third got caught too far off."
Briefly: Designated hitter candidate Erubiel Durazo has left the team to join Mexico for the World Baseball Classic. Mexico is training in Tucson, and the Rangers are planning on Durazo playing for them on Monday against the Diamondbacks down there. ... Catcher Keith McDonald is sidelined with a sore right knee that required a cortisone injection. ... Second baseman Aarom Baldiris made several good defensive plays after taking over for Mark DeRosa in Saturday's game. ... Eaton pitched 2 1/3 innings, going back out to the mound in the third before the Rangers realized it. He got Mark Grudzielanek to ground out in two pitches, before the Rangers brought in Ron Mahay.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Barajas leads Rangers over Royals

03/04/2006
Royals at the plate: Doug Mientkiewicz went 2-for-3 with a two-run triple in the first and an RBI single in the fifth. Shane Costa was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Rangers at the plate:. Rod Barajas hit his first home run of the spring and had a two-run double in the fourth. Travis Metcalf had a two-run double to tie the game in the top of the eighth, then scored the go-ahead run on Joaquin Arias' RBI single. Jason Botts smashed a three-run home run in the ninth.
Royals on the mound: Runelvys Hernandez started and retired six of eight hitters, including two on strikeouts. He gave up the home run to Barajas. Joe Mays, trying to crack the Royals rotation, allowed two runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Rangers on the mound: Adam Eaton allowed two runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings but saved himself further trouble by picking off Esteban German at third base on an attempted double steal in the second inning. R.A. Dickey allowed two runs on four hits and three walks in two innings.
Cactus League records: Royals 1-1; Rangers 1-1

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Notes: Danks impresses in debut

03/05/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Just the mere mention of John Danks' name brought a smile to manager Buck Showalter's face.
Danks is one of the Rangers' premier prospects in their farm system, which is stocked with quality arms. Danks was the ninth player picked in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft out of Round Rock, Texas, and is a non-roster invite to Spring Training.
He threw two hitless innings on Sunday against the Brewers, although he walked two in the Rangers' 9-8 loss. When first asked about Danks after the game, Showalter tried to deflect the attention.
"Let's talk about Vinny," Showalter said of Rangers starter Vicente Padilla.
It was, however, impossible to ignore Danks' first outing. Without being asked again, Showalter turned back to Danks in his postgame media session.
"He was crisp," Showalter said. "He's pretty impressive. He has got a good arm."
Showalter even repeated the words "pretty impressive." Pitching coach Mark Connor, also, used "impressive."
"You know what I like," Connor said. "He threw two shutout innings in his first Major League game ever and he wasn't happy cause he felt like he overthrew and didn't locate. He's a young man that I've been impressed with all spring."
Danks is the youngest pitcher in camp, not turning 21 until April 15. How good would Danks have to be this March for the Rangers to consider breaking camp with him?
"I don't even want to start to go down that road," Connor said.
The reality is no matter how impressive Danks throws in Spring Training, the Rangers want him to get more seasoning. While he has a tremendous arm and a sky-is-the-limit ceiling, he was just 4-10 with a 5.49 ERA in 18 games last season with Double-A Frisco.
Padilla shines: Padilla, like Danks, did not allow a hit in two innings and walked one in his initial start.
"He was good, too," Showalter said. "The guy comes over to a new club and you like to see him get off to a clean start. He was solid. It was a good first step for him."
The Rangers acquired Padilla in a December trade with the Phillies.
"I was happy with Padilla," Connor said. "He got through two innings, no problem. He threw strikes for the most part. His mechanics were a little off, but he still got through it. It is the first time out for these guys."
Going, going, gone: Brad Wilkerson hit a solo shot out to right in the first inning off a changeup from left-hander Doug Davis, a former Ranger. The Rangers picked up Wilkerson in a four-player trade on Dec. 12 with the Nationals.
"It was a good pretty good swing and the ball flew out," Showalter said. "Brad is a good hitter. He's had a little success against left-handed pitchers. He's a fine player. He fits right in. He's got a solid approach. We're happy to have him."
Cordero progresses: Francisco Cordero, who has been brought along slowly in Spring Training because of a tender right shoulder, threw 40 pitches in a morning bullpen session.
"I let him throw some breaking balls today for the first time," Connor said. "He threw about eight breaking balls, not max effort, but getting over the top of them with no problem, so we'll continue along those lines."
Connor said the plan is for Cordero, who logged 49 saves last season, to throw 11 innings before breaking camp.
"In a perfect world, I'd like to start him out in a Minor League game and by the end of the spring get him some 'A' games to get his adrenaline popping a little bit," Connor said.
He said Cordero could be ready to pitch in a Minor League game "by maybe the end of week, the weekend or possibly early next week."
"He's not on the map for 'A' games for a lot of reasons," Showalter said. "Coco will get his innings."
Briefly: Kameron Loe is scheduled to start a "B" game Monday morning against the Royals. ... Hank Blalock has a tired arm and will not make the trip to Tucson. ... Kevin Millwood will throw a simulated game on Wednesday instead of pitching against the Athletics. The Rangers would rather not pitch him against a division rival they will play 10 times in the first two months of the season. ... Erubiel Durazo has joined the Mexico club for World Baseball Classic workouts in Tucson, but he will play first base on Monday for the Rangers against the Diamondbacks.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Wilkerson goes deep as Rangers fall

03/05/2006
Brewers at the plate: The Brewers did not get a hit until Corey Hart's single to left in the fifth. Hart also singled to lead off the seventh and scored on Nelson Cruz's home run, his second. Lou Palmisano hit a three-run double in Milwaukee's six-run eighth.
Rangers at the plate: Brad Wilkerson homered in the first inning on a 2-2 pitch. Outfield prospect Ruddy Yan stroked two singles.
Brewers on the mound: Left-hander Doug Davis struck out four in two innings, allowing a run on two hits in his first start. Jose Capellan pitched a flawless fourth inning, striking out one.
Rangers on the mound: Vicente Padilla worked two hitless innings, walking one. John Danks, a 2003 first-round draft pick, also threw two hitless innings, walking two.
Cactus League records: Brewers 4-1; Rangers 1-2-1.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Frostad catching a position change

03/05/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Rangers have been focusing on upgrading their catching, and the latest move involves a position switch. Emerson Frostad, an infielder for the past two years at Class A Clinton, is being moved to catcher. He's a left-handed hitter who batted .269 with 16 homers and 62 RBIs for the LumberKings last season. He has experience behind the dish, catching in college at Lewis & Clark.
Frostad will help fill in for Taylor Teagarden, the Rangers' third round pick from last year's First-Year Player Draft who is sidelined after undergoing offseason Tommy John surgery.
The Rangers also acquired catcher Billy Killian from the San Diego Padres this winter. Killian, 19, was the Padres third round pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft and is also expected to catch at Clinton.
"He has a very high level of energy and is aggressive. You look for that in a catcher," said director of player development Scott Servais. "He's got a long way to go, but he's got arm strength and bat speed. He has never played a full season before, so he'll go to Clinton."
Most intriguing is Cristian Santana, the 17-year-old catcher signed out of the Dominican Republic.
"The skills are there," Servais said. "Plus arm strength, plus power bat, strong. There's a language barrier that he has to get over as a catcher to catch at a very high level, but that's why it's good to have that academy. Those kids are in class five days a week."
On the move: First baseman Ian Gac is getting some prime-time exposure because Mark Teixeira is gone to the World Baseball Classic. He is not on the Spring Training roster but started at first base for the Rangers on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. Gac is just 20 and hit .240 with 12 home runs and 57 RBIs at Clinton last year, but the Rangers have been impressed with the way he's developed his body in the offseason.
On the pine: Left-handed pitcher Matt Riley is still with the Rangers and reported with pitchers and catchers on Friday, but he is still recovering from last year's Tommy John surgery. He is still at least a couple of months away from returning.
Names in the game: Wayne Kirby has joined the Rangers as the baserunning and outfield coordinator in the Minor Leagues. He spent the past four years with the Cleveland Indians organization, working as their Double-A hitting coach in 2005. Kirby spent 18 seasons as a player in professional baseball, including eight at the Major League level with the Indians, Dodgers and Mets.
They're No. 1: Infielder Drew Meyer, the Rangers first pick in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, will get some time in Major League Spring Training games with Michael Young at the World Baseball Classic.
That will allow Meyer to play shortstop, but he'll also be playing second and third base. He can also play center.
Meyer hit .321 in 321 at-bats at Double-A Frisco in 2005, but he hit only .247 after a promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma.
"I don't think he's locked into any position," Servais said. "Every manager who has ever had him, loves him -- great baseball savvy. Drew is just going to have to prove himself at every level."
Class of '05: Pitchers and catchers went through their first workout on Friday and Servais liked what he saw from Michael Kirkman, their fifth round pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of Lake City-Columbia (Fla.) High, saying, "I was impressed. His arm was working nice and easy. He's got some upside."
Then there is Johnny Whittleman, the infielder taken in 2005's second round out of Houston-Kingwood (Texas) High. Said Servais: "There's still a lot of work with him, but everybody's excited about him. His makeup is off the charts. He's got great bat speed. Now he's working on the mechanics of throwing, but the arm strength is there."

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Notes: Loe awakens just in time

03/06/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Kameron Loe could excuse his first inning in a Monday "B" game to the early starting time.
Loe gave up a run on two walks, a wild pitch and a single in the first inning of the Rangers' 6-3 victory over the Royals at Nolan Ryan Field.
"It took me certainly the first inning to get a feel out there," Loe said. "It is a little different to start to pitch at 10 a.m. instead of 1 o'clock, to give your body plenty of time to wake up and run.
"I had a little trouble with control the first inning, but the second inning I really settled down and got three ground balls. The third inning went 1-2-3, three ground balls, and I faced another hitter and struck him out."
Loe got the fourth out in the third because the Rangers wanted to increase his pitch count.
"Four up, four down," Loe said. "Hopefully, I won't have to do that during the regular season."
In an ironic twist, Loe retired just two batters in the first before the Rangers called a halt to the inning because of his high pitch count during the frame. Loe's final tally was 44 pitches, 28 for strikes. He retired the final seven batters he faced.
"You get a little more leeway pitching in these 'B' games," Loe said. "You feel like you get to work on things a little bit more. I threw a couple of changeups in situations that I wouldn't have, but it is really good right now for me to throw them and get used to that, to get a feel with that."
Loe is penciled in as the Rangers' No. 4 starter. He made 40 consecutive relief appearances last season after being recalled May 6 before moving into the rotation Aug. 26. He went 4-2 with a 2.70 ERA as a starter.
"I definitely prefer starting," Loe said. "I loved being in the bullpen last year. It was great for my career, great for my experience, great for my arm strength. It is just completely different having to get ready right now and go out there and throw pretty much as hard as you can or bring your best stuff right now as a reliever. They were throwing me in there when we were up by seven or down by seven. It was a situation where there was very little pressure on me. It did a lot for my confidence. They really eased me in correctly, I think."
Knuckling in: R.A. Dickey was scheduled for only a bullpen session, but received the OK from pitching coach Mark Connor to throw an inning in the "B" game. Dickey gave up a home run to Jared Price on a fastball, but liked his knuckleball.
"It was a really good day for me," Dickey said. "You take my fastballs away this spring and I've made some really good strides. That is what I've got to focus on. I learned from today. I had a great knuckleball today. I had a really good one the outing before and it has been a good spring for me from a knuckleball standpoint. That is what I've got to focus us."
Dickey said he needs to learn the sequences on when to throw his fastball and other pitches besides the knuckleball.
"I just want to manage counts with it," he said. "When to throw it? What counts are they looking for it? What counts aren't they? When are they guessing you are going to throw it? There's an element to this that can be learned. The important thing is the execution of what I'm trying to do daily. I'm executing throwing my knuckleball and throwing it for strikes, getting guys to swing and miss."
Dickey committed to throwing the knuckleball the final two months of last season.
"I've got to have some vision to it," he said. "I still have a lot to learn, but it's a positive outing for sure. All my outs were on the knuckleball."
Blalock update: Third baseman Hank Blalock, who did make the Tucson trip because of a tired arm, said it is nothing serious.
"It is just part of Spring Training soreness," Blalock said. "If this was during the season, I'd play through it."
Nix plays: Outfielder Laynce Nix, who had two shoulder operations last year, made his Spring Training debut as the DH in the "B" game. Nix, who has been also slowed by a hamstring injury in camp, went 1-for-2 with a double and walk.
Roster move: Right-hander Nick Regilio, a non-roster invite who did not pitch last season after June 23 because of a sore elbow, was reassigned to the Minor League camp, effective Tuesday.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Rangers outslug D-Backs

03/06/2006
Diamondbacks at the plate: Chris Carter hit a grand slam in a five-run sixth inning off a 3-2 pitch. The D-Backs had a three-run eighth inning to pull them within one of the Rangers, 12-11.
Rangers at the plate: The Rangers lit up Russ Ortiz for seven runs in the top of the second, four of those off a Kevin Mench grand slam with two outs. Joaquin Arias was a home run short of hitting for the cycle.
Diamondbacks on the mound: Ortiz pitched a scoreless first inning, but gave up seven runs in the second. Right-hander Mike Koplove gave up two hits over two innings, while Matt Chico, Jason Grimsley, Jose Valverde and Greg Aquino each made his second appearance of spring, chipping in one inning apiece.
Rangers on the mound: Juan Dominguez took 40 pitches to get out of the first inning, but left with minimum damage after two innings, giving up two runs, four hits, and striking out one.
Cactus League records: Rangers 2-2-1; Diamondbacks 4-1.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Going Deep: Rule 5 draft overhyped

03/06/2006
Baseball fans bemoan the neglect that their sport's amateur draft gets each summer, particularly in comparison with the football and basketball versions, which are covered wall to wall on television and radio and have put people like Mel Kiper Jr. on a path to getting their own reality shows.
While the NFL and NBA drafts are typified by thousand-dollar suits, photo-op handshakes, capacity crowds, and millions of dollars in sponsorship, baseball's summer draft is conducted over a conference call, one that only in the last few years has been accessible to fans in real time, over the Internet.
As relatively overlooked as baseball's summer draft is, the Rule 5 draft held each December is, frankly, probably overhyped. Thousands of baseball executives and reporters pack themselves into a huge auditorium for the draft, but for most it's probably only because it's the final official event of baseball's Winter Meetings. The teams that choose to participate call out the names of a handful of players with several years of service who fit an odd category: not considered worthy of a 40-man roster spot by their own organization, but thought by another club to be worth devoting not only a 40-man spot to but also one of the precious spots on the 25-man active roster -- for the entire season.
While up to 1,500 players from the high school and college ranks are chosen each year in the summer draft (codified under Rule 4 of the Major League Rules), the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft generally involves only 10 to 20 players. Fewer than half survive spring training and stick with their new clubs. And in a good year, a mere one or two of those players will turn out to make a meaningful contribution.
The most prominent players drafted via Rule 5 in the last 10 years are Johan Santana, Jay Gibbons, Derrick Turnbow, Chris Shelton, Jorge Sosa, and Willy Taveras -- and Turnbow and Sosa didn't emerge until they were traded later to yet another club.
To put Rule 5 in layman's terms, a player must be protected on his team's 40-man roster in the winter following his fourth season since signing his first professional contract if he was 18 or younger on the June 5 immediately preceding his signing date, or in the winter following his third season since signing if he was at least 19 on the June 5 immediately before he signed. If he's not so protected, says Rule 5, he's eligible to be drafted.
In the major league phase of the draft, which is conducted in reverse order of the previous season's win-loss records, a club must pay $50,000 to the draft pick's original team, and the player must remain on its active major league roster (or major league disabled list) for the entire ensuing season or be placed on waivers, making him available to every other big league club willing to take on the same constraints. If the player clears waivers, he must be offered back to his original team for $25,000.
Trades are worked out occasionally so that the drafting club can keep the player in its farm system instead of keeping him in the big leagues all year or giving him back to his original team. But the key here -- and this nuance is regularly misunderstood by the press -- is that the player has to clear waivers before a trade can be made. If the player is placed on waivers during March and clears, and the drafting club wants to keep him but just not on the big league roster, it may offer the original team a player for the right to keep the Rule 5 pick and assign him to the minor leagues.
Texas traded minor leaguers whose names you probably wouldn't recognize in order to keep Mitch Williams (1984), Cecil Espy (1987), and Marshall McDougall (2002) in the minor leagues.
The first player chosen in this past December's draft was diminutive lefthander Fabio Castro, a 20-year-old (now 21) who has yet to pitch above Class A in four pro seasons. The White Sox left him unprotected, and Kansas City prearranged a deal with the Rangers by which the Royals would choose Castro and send him to Texas for infielder Esteban German.
Texas would like to see Castro, who has logged 10 strikeouts per nine innings over his career, earn a spot in its bullpen, but just because he was the first player selected is no guarantee that he'll make the pick pay off: the previous seven top choices were the largely forgettable Alberto Blanco, Jared Camp, Scott Chiasson, Kevin McGlinchy, Enrique Cruz, Shelton, and Angel Garcia.
The reason so few impact players come out of the Rule 5 draft is basically that most organizations, after three or four seasons, know enough about their own players to recognize whether they deserve addition to the 40-man roster. Houston will always regret not finding room on the 40-man for Santana after his first four seasons (like Castro, none above Class A), but that's the rare case. Sometimes teams simply get outscouted on their own prospects; other times, as with Toronto and Gibbons in 2000, the team who leaves the player exposed probably figures he doesn't run well enough or defend well enough or throw enough strikes to actually stick in the big leagues all year as a role player.
But more often than not, the players left unprotected are players who won't become impact major leaguers. Still, every once in a while, a player like Santana or Shelton -- and, Texas hopes, maybe even Castro -- makes one team's decision to expose him look awful, makes another team's decision to choose him look genius, and gives us all a reason to pay more attention to the next Rule 5 draft than we realistically should.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Mailbag: Can staff stay consistent?

03/06/2006
I moved to Texas from the United Kingdom less than two years ago and have become a huge fan of the Rangers. But I have to ask why they aren't able to play both halves of the season. Will they build the team so they can start strong and losing a few players won't cripple them for the second half as it seemed to last year? -- Andrew G.
The Rangers had a 4.78 ERA in the first half of last season and a 5.16 ERA in the second half, marking the 18th time in 34 seasons in Texas that the team ERA was higher in the second half than in the first half. It has also happened six times in 12 seasons in Arlington.
If you consider that lack of pitching and the summer heat have often been pointed to as the biggest reasons the Rangers haven't had more success, one would think that the ERA is always higher in the second half. But that hasn't been the case. It was lower in the second half in both 2003 and '04.
The Rangers staff in 2004 had a 4.46 ERA after the break, the only time the postbreak ERA has been under 5.00 since 1996. The Rangers haven't had a pitching staff with an ERA under 4.50 for both the first and second half since 1993, and 1989 was the last time they were both under 4.00.
I want to hear more about pitching. I believe the Rangers have a good enough team to compete if we get the pitching. -- Benny M., Muskogee, Okla.
Oakland Athletics pitchers have a combined 3.89 ERA since the start of the 2000 season, the best in the American League. The Mariners are second, with a 4.18 ERA, and the Angels are third, with a 4.19 ERA.
The Rangers? Their 5.26 ERA since 2000 is the highest in the league.
The Rangers had the 11th-best ERA in the 1990s, the ninth-best in 1980s and the seventh-best from 1972-79 since moving to Arlington.
Will baseball ever be truly popular around the world, perhaps challenging soccer? -- Nick S., Lewisville, Texas
No chance. Soccer is truly amazing, a sport that has crossed all cultures, religions and nationalities. It is played anywhere and everywhere and by just about everybody. Baseball has been introduced all around the globe, but the number of countries that have actually embraced it is still relatively few.
Personally, I would rather watch the World Series than anything else, but the World Cup final ... nothing like it.
I thought I heard something last year about Tim Crabtree being in our Minor League system again and trying to work his way back. Where do we stand on him now? -- Randall S., Grand Prairie, Texas
Crabtree, who is from Michigan, is with the Detroit Tigers this spring.
Do Juan Dominguez, Josh Rupe and Kameron Loe have Minor League options left? Will Minor League options play a part in the Rangers' decision about who gets the first shot at the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation? -- Kevin O., Dallas
All three have options. Loe is locked up for the fourth spot, and ultimately it will come down to who pitches the best this spring for the fifth spot. Every start this spring by all candidates will be thoroughly analyzed, but this is probably something Buck Showalter and Mark Connor won't make up their minds about until the end of the spring.
I was shocked to see that the Rangers traded Chris Young. I thought he'd proved himself the past couple of years and was going to provide some stability in the rotation. What happened? -- R. Kline, Annapolis, Md.
The trade with the San Diego Padres comes with some risk, because Adam Eaton can be a free agent after this season while Young still has five years to go before he can be a free agent. But the Rangers believe the six-player deal made sense for them because they get Akinori Otsuka in the deal as a setup reliever.
What do you think of the new Triple-A catcher, Nick Trezniak? -- Greg E. St. John, Ind.
Everybody thinks the Rangers are loaded with ex-Diamondbacks because Showalter managed there. That's not the case.
There are no fewer than nine players in camp that at some point played in the Padres organization. Trezniak is one of them, having been the 51st overall pick in the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, when he was selected by the Padres.
The others are Eaton, Otsuka, Jayson Durocher, Adam Hyzdu, D'Angelo Jimenez, Gary Matthews Jr., Phil Nevin and Kevin Walker.
Should I be optimistic about how Vicente Padilla finished last season or more pessimistic about his health record? Same goes for Eaton's first half of last year and his health? -- Jim B., Arlington, Texas
They are both talented, healthy and can be free agents at the end of the year. That can be pretty good recipe for success. More interesting will be how they make the transition from the National League to the American League. John Thomson was able to do that. Chan Ho Park was not.
I just want to know why the Rangers have held on to John Wasdin. Since they invested in Kam Loe and Juan Dominguez, and they have a long reliever in Joaquin Beniot, why have they saved a spot in the roster for the aging veteran? --Joe D., Dallas
The Rangers had 14 pitchers who pitched at least 10 innings out of the bullpen last year. Out of that eclectic bunch, Wasdin had the third-lowest relief ERA and the third-lowest on-base percentage allowed. Only Benoit and C.J. Wilson were better.
Everyone knows that Michael Young was a second baseman until Alfonso Soriano came in, but I just read that Ian Kinsler was a shortstop until last year. Has anyone ever discussed why Young and Kinsler won't switch spots so that each of them could go back to their natural positions? -- Jeff V., Naples, Fla.
The plan now is for Young to play shortstop and rookie Kinsler to get his shot at playing second base. Joaquin Arias will play shortstop at Triple-A Oklahoma. Young made the sacrifice two years ago for the good of the team to switch to shortstop so that Soriano could play second. He has also made defense a priority this spring. The Rangers will let it play out one more year before making any decisions.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Notes: Anderson, Bukvich rehabbing

03/07/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Brian Anderson is a finesse left-handed starter. Ryan Bukvich is a hard-throwing right-handed reliever.
Anderson, who turns 34 in April, has thrown 1,547 innings in 11 years the Majors and pitched in four World Series games.
Bukvich, who is 27, has thrown 46 2/3 innings in 48 Major League appearances. Bukvich calls Mississippi home, while Anderson lives in Ohio.
They may be opposites in several ways, but they are two kindred spirits in the Rangers' camp. Both are rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Anderson had his elbow surgery on July 21; Bukvich's operation was May 13.
Neither will be ready when the season opens, but both are optimistic they could help the Rangers this year.
Anderson said he thinks he is ahead of pace.
"They have been trying to slow me down," he said. "I think they were surprised, let's put it that way, where I am. I don't think they were expecting to see very much. They are trying to find that balance point between letting me go on according to how I feel and at the same time realizing he is kind of ahead where he should be at this point, but lets not let him go crazy. We are trying to figure out what will make both parties happy."
Anderson said he is up to 45 pitches, "all heaters." He wants to start throwing a changeup, but had been told he needs his pitch count to reach 50 before adding that.
"I'm going to stay out here for extended spring, for my first few games, where they can control the action," Anderson said. "Then they're going to move me to [Double-A] Frisco. I'll get to locker in Arlington and go to Frisco when I have to pitch, but I'll do my work done with [pitching coach] Mark Connor and get my work in to pitch with the Double-A club in Frisco.
"I would be shocked if I would be in Surprise at the beginning of May. I know I'll be out here through April for four or five starts. I know that is the plan is to stay here until they deem me ready to go with no limitations, then I'll go to Frisco and work the pitch count up."
Bukvich said he has thrown 18 bullpens and on Friday will throw sliders for the first time. He is scheduled for a simulated game March 17.
"I've got B.A. by about six weeks," Bukvich said of rehabbing. "I would think towards the end of Spring Training, I'd throw in some Minor League games. I may get in one or two. We're just trying to find a few games early in the season under the lights where it is not cold."
Nix progressing: Laynce Nix, who had surgery on both shoulders last year and has been battling a nagging groin in Spring Training, was the DH in a "B" game on Monday and could DH on Thursday when the Rangers play a day-night doubleheader.
"Everything is steadily improving," Nix said. "I've been throwing to the bases a couple of times. It is getting better. My throwing is not 100 percent yet. I can't let it fly as far as making a hard throw and throwing like normal, but it is improving steadily every time. I want to keep that pace. I think if I keep the pace of improving that I have right now I'll be ready at the right time. Hopefully by the end of spring, but it is hard to say."
Coco throws: Closer Francisco Cordero threw 12 sliders and 14 changeups in a 12-minute bullpen session.
"I've been feeling stronger every time out," Cordero said.
Briefly: Phil Nevin hit his third home run, while David Dellucci and Drew Meyer, a 2002 first-round pick, each homered in a 6-5 victory over the Cubs on Tuesday. ... Rotation candidate Josh Rupe allowed two runs on five hits and two walks, while striking out two, over three innings. ... Gerald Laird went 2-for-3 with a triple to raise his average to .429.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Danks hopes patience pays off

03/07/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- It does not take a clairvoyant or even an astute baseball scout to realize John Danks will pitch in the Major Leagues someday.
Danks, a 20-year-old left-hander, has all the tools to become a good pitcher for the Rangers, who picked him in the first round in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft.
Danks threw two hitless innings Sunday against the Brewers and was impressive in an earlier intrasquad game. No matter how well Danks pitches in March, the Rangers will almost certainly resist the temptation to break camp with him in the rotation.
Danks understands.
"I think we all knew coming in that I probably wasn't going to make this team," Danks said. "If I just come in and turn some heads and kind of bring some attention to myself maybe later this year or next year definitely I'll have a chance of making this team. My mentality is to try to open some eyes and put the pressure on them."
The Rangers have an opening for a fifth starter, but Juan Dominguez, Josh Rupe, Rick Bauer, Edison Volquez and Thomas Diamond are all auditioning for the job.
"I think we all kind of knew that in the back of our minds that different guys are ahead of me right now," Danks said. "They've have been around a little longer or are a little older and have proven themselves. I don't think I'm quite to that point yet where I've proven myself worthy of making this squad."
Danks went 3-3 with a 2.50 ERA in 10 starts with Class A Bakersfield to open 2005 and was promoted June 1 to Double-A Frisco. He had a 3.16 ERA in his first five starts, but finished 4-10 with a 5.49 ERA. He allowed 156 baserunners -- 117 hits, 34 walks and five hit batters -- in 98 1/3 innings. Danks said he could begin the season with Triple-A Oklahoma or go back to Frisco.
"Obviously, I didn't set the world on fire in Frisco last year, so maybe I'd go back there and kind of prove myself in the Texas League," Danks said. "Or start in the PCL [Pacific Coast League], I'd be more than happy to do that, too.
"I need to go and put a full-mileage season together, which I feel like I have yet to do. I tend to start out strong and then kind of fizzle out there at the end. I'm ready to put a full one together."
Although the Brewers were unable to get a hit off Danks in two innings, he said he was less than pleased with his outing, which included a pair of walks.
"I'd like to have been lower in the zone more consistently. And the walks -- no one is ever happy with walks. To have the first batter 1 and 2 and walk him did not get me started off right. I don't know how you walk a guy on four pitches, but I did in the next inning.
"It was my first big-league 'A' game and I had the adrenaline going. I had some friends and family in town. I was trying to do too much. The results were there, but I'd like to be down in the zone more consistently. We'll just move on from there."
Danks will be moving to the Major Leagues soon, but don't expect it to be in April.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Rangers power up late to edge Cubs

03/07/2006
Rangers at the plate: Phil Nevin and David Dellucci hit back-to-back homers in the sixth, and Drew Meyer added a solo shot in the eighth. Meyer also hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Gerald Laird tripled and scored on Joaquin Arias' sacrifice fly.
Cubs at the plate: In his first at-bat this spring, John Mabry hit a two-run double in the second. Michael Restovich led off the sixth with his first homer.
Rangers on the mound: Starter Josh Rupe gave up two runs on five hits over three innings. Ron Mahay gave up one hit and two walks over two scoreless innings.
Cubs on the mound: Greg Maddux walked three over two scoreless innings in his first spring start. He struck out one. Brian Boehringer, who did not pitch last year and was a late addition to camp, gave up three runs on four hits in one inning.
Cactus League records: Rangers 3-2; Cubs 4-2

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Clemens to visit Rangers on Thursday

03/08/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Free agent pitcher Roger Clemens, in town for the World Baseball Classic, is expected to visit the Rangers' Spring Training camp on Thursday.
Call it an unofficial recruiting visit, but it's part of owner Tom Hicks' efforts to persuade Clemens to pitch for the Rangers in 2006.
Clemens will be accompanied by shortstop Michael Young and first baseman Mark Teixeira, his teammates on Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Clemens is expected to spend a couple of hours at the Rangers' Spring Training facility, talking with players and meeting with club officials. Hicks is flying in from Texas to be a part of the welcoming committee.
Clemens was asked on Wednesday at the Classic about meeting with the Rangers at some point. "We've talked about that," Clemens said. "It may happen. You know, again, [retirement has] been more difficult than I had expected it to be because I do love to compete.
"And, you know, just when you sit down and you have a talk with the different clubs and what they need and their needs that they feel they need, you know, I appreciate that they feel that I can still compete. I wouldn't be, again, here at the [Classic] if I didn't feel like I could compete and compete at a high level."
Hicks declined comment until after the visit is over.
This will be the second time Clemens has met face-to-face with the Rangers. Hicks, general manager Jon Daniels, manager Buck Showalter and pitching coach Mark Connor met with Clemens, his wife Debbie and his agents, Alan and Randy Hendricks, at his home outside Houston in early February.
Clemens, 44, is scheduled to pitch for Team USA on Friday against South Africa at Chase Field in Phoenix. He is using the World Baseball Classic to decide if he'll pitch again in 2006.
He has spent the past two seasons pitching for the Astros but they did not offer arbitration to the righty last December. That means he can't sign with the Astros until May 1, although he was given special permission by Major League Baseball to work out in their Minor League camp earlier this month to prepare for the Classic.
Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, was 13-8 with a Major League-low 1.87 ERA for the Astros but also had a back problem during the season and a hamstring injury during the World Series. That left him concerned about how his body would hold up for another season.
The Astros, Red Sox and Yankees have all expressed interest in Clemens, who has indicated several times that he might just retire after the World Baseball Classic is over.
"I don't see myself starting this season unless something really really kicks in to where I get that edge," Clemens said. "I'm just trying to fade away a little bit.
"And like I said, maybe, I don't know, May, June, I don't know what's going to happen. I've tried to make the call a few times. It's just not working."
Clemens also may wait before he decides to pitch again and Rangers officials acknowledge that it might be as late as June 1 before he pitches for them. The Rangers are content to wait on Clemens, knowing he could be a terrific midseason addition and waiting a couple of months could make him stronger at the end of the season.
The Rangers want Clemens pitching for them in October. Hicks told him that in February. The topic will likely come up again Thursday.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Notes: Millwood gets his work in

03/08/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Instead of facing the Athletics in a Spring Training game on Wednesday, Kevin Millwood threw in a simulated game on a back field.
With the Rangers and A's meeting 10 times by May 27, the Rangers opted not to use Millwood against Oakland.
"I just throw when I'm told and where I'm told," Millwood said.
He threw 47 pitches, 36 for strikes, in three innings against three teammates -- Ruddy Yan, Aarom Baldris and Mike Nickeas.
"The first inning it didn't feel great," Millwood said. "I think it takes a little bit longer to get loose at 9:30 in the morning, but after that first inning I felt like the ball was coming out good and I started locating a little bit better.
"I feel like I'm moving along pretty good. It seems like it gets better every time out. My side [bullpen sessions] feel better in between. I feel like I'm on my way to where I want to get. Nobody was really squaring too many balls up."
Millwood said he threw only fastballs and changeups.
"There are times you're out there thinking, 'Well, this is a pretty easy out if I just throw him a breaking ball,' but that's not what I'm working on," Millwood said.
Millwood's next scheduled appearance is in a "B" game on Sunday against the Royals instead of starting against the Mariners, another West Division rival.
"It will be nice to get into a 'B' game, where guys are playing defense behind me and with an umpire, so I'll have something to complain about, anyway," Millwood said and laughed. "Spring Training games are just that. It is tough to get the adrenaline flowing. It is to the point where it gets monotonous almost."
He said he would use all of pitches on Sunday.
"Today I just wanted to make sure I could put my fastball where I wanted to more times than not," he said. "I was able to do that."
Impressive outing: Edison Volquez, who is in the mix for the fifth slot in the rotation, certainly did not hurt his chances with his start against the Athletics on Wednesday. He allowed one infield single, walked one and struck out two in three shutout innings.
That might be the best performance by a Rangers starter in the first seven games.
"[That is] fair to say, against a pretty good lineup with a lot of left-handers and the wind blowing out to right," Rangers pitching coach Mark Connor said.
Connor said he liked "everything" about Volquez's three innings.
"He was perfect," Connor said. "He walked a guy that I thought he struck out. He gave up a base hit and it was probably an error. He commanded his fastball, changeup and breaking ball. I've been telling him all spring he's got the stuff to do this. He's got to believe in it and trust it."
Volquez dances in the clubhouse on the days he pitches.
"I'm a good dancer, but I think I'm a better pitcher," Volquez said.
If he continues to pitch the way he did against the A's, he could do a Texas 10-step right into the fifth slot in the rotation.
Playing shortstop: The second-base job is up for grabs in Spring Training between veteran Mark DeRosa and rookie Ian Kinsler. DeRosa, however, started at shortstop, while Kinsler played second base on Wednesday.
Manager Buck Showalter said he wanted to give Joaquin Arias a day off with a day-night doubleheader on Thursday.
"I thought it would be a good day to get Mark a day at shortstop," Showalter said. "I talked to him a little bit prior to today to make sure he didn't read anything into it."
If Kinsler breaks camp as the second baseman, DeRosa would be used as a utility player.
"As we go on, we want to make sure we cover ourselves and play Mark some at third base and play some outfield if we end up going that direction," Showalter said. "I don't see us really making that decision that early."
Briefly: C.J. Wilson, who has been slowed by a hamstring injury, and Francisco Cordero are scheduled to throw a simulated game on Thursday. If all goes well, they will pitch in the Sunday "B" games. ... John Leicester was scheduled to throw against the A's, but was scratched with a stomach virus. ... Showalter said Yan's left arm was "real, real sore" after he had his arm up on the dugout watching the first inning and he was held out of the game. ... Left-hander Kevin Walker struck out four in two perfect innings on Wednesday. "I thought Walker was real sharp," Showalter said.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Mench, Dellucci lead Rangers past A's

03/08/2006
Athletics at the plate: Eric Chavez hit his first home run of Spring Training, a two-run shot to right in the seventh. Bobby Crosby's infield single in the first was the lone Oakland hit in the first six innings.
Rangers at the plate: Kevin Mench drove in three runs with a two-run homer and triple and leads the Cactus League with nine RBIs. David Dellucci contributed a triple and single.
Athletics on the mound: Joe Kennedy struck out the side in the fourth and worked 1 1/3 hitless innings. Starter Joe Blanton allowed two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out three.
Rangers on the mound: Rookie right-hander Edison Volquez threw three shutout innings, allowing just one hit, while striking out two and walking one. Left-hander Kevin Walker struck out four in two flawless innings.
Cactus League records: Athletics 1-5; Rangers 4-2-1.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Rangers have high hopes for Volquez

03/08/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- They call them the DVDs, a cute moniker for three pitchers who have become the symbol for the Rangers' attempt to rebuild their farm system with young pitching.
But the order is wrong. The V goes before the two Ds. Edison Volquez beat Thomas Diamond and John Danks to the Major Leagues last year and manager Buck Showalter said it should not be held against him that he struggled.
"It should be a feather in his cap," Showalter said. "What I remember about him last year was the look in his face. It wasn't like he was overmatched. It was more about 'I can't believe this is happening to me. I know I'm better than this.' He's a confident young man."
By being the first to arrive, Volquez carries the title of top prospect. That could change quickly as rookie pitcher Josh Rupe and second baseman Ian Kinsler bid for spots on the 25-man roster and Diamond and Danks continue to make an indelible impression in Spring Training.
All four carry high profiles right now, while the general feeling among Rangers officials, at least coming into Spring Training, is that Volquez needs more time at Triple-A Oklahoma.
That doesn't mean the Rangers have forgotten about the 22-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic who has already been dubbed "Little Pedro."
Of course, there have many young pitchers in the Dominican Republic who have been burdened by unfair comparisons early in their career to their national hero, Pedro Martinez. But the Rangers know that they may have something special in Volquez.
"He's a talent," pitching coach Mark Connor said. "As he matures and gets more experience, there's a pretty good chance he's going to be a good starting pitcher in the big leagues."
The Rangers signed Volquez to a free agent contract on Oct. 29, 2001, and whispers that they had something special began almost immediately. He was 1-2 with a 2.68 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 47 innings in the 2002 Dominican Summer League.
Even at the Winter Meetings in Nashville that year there were whispers that the Rangers had something special stashed away in the Dominican.
The legend really came to life last summer after Volquez had been promoted to Double-A Frisco.
On June 16, in a game broadcast by Fox Sports Southwest, Volquez took the mound against Corpus Christi and pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing three singles and two walks while striking out seven. He was throwing 95 mph in the ninth inning.
Five days later, he pitched a scoreless inning in the Texas League All-Star Game, striking out two. On July 10, at Comerica Park in Detroit, he was the winning pitcher in the Futures Game with a scoreless second inning in the World Team's 4-0 victory.
At that point he was on the fast track to Arlington and wasn't even derailed by a strained rib cage muscle that forced him on the disabled list from July 24 to Aug. 16.
When he came back, he made two starts for Frisco, posting a 3.38 ERA and striking out 12 in 10 2/3 innings. On Aug. 30, he made his Major League debut against the Chicago White Sox.
He was not an immediate hit. Volquez pitched in six games for the Rangers, including three starts, and was 0-4 with a 14.21 ERA. It was a tough learning experience and there were suggestions that he was tipping his pitches.
"Last year I learned that players in the big leagues are up there looking for one pitch," Volquez said. "In the Minor Leagues they are swinging at everything.
"I also know that controlling your emotions is very important in the big leagues. I felt a little nervous in the first game. The second and third games I was more comfortable. But you've got to control your emotions."
There are other things the Rangers want him to work on, particularly his breaking ball. He has an overpowering fastball and a mean changeup but needs a breaking ball for his third pitch.
"I think that will help a lot," Volquez said.
The Rangers also want him to focus more and finish off innings. He was ahead in the count 0-2 on 10 hitters last season and five of them end up getting hits. Opponents hit .391 off him with runners in scoring position, .500 when there were two outs.
"He needs to recognize when he throws a good pitch, he doesn't need to throw a better one," Connor said. "You just have to get a hitter out, you don't have to embarrass him."
But Volquez, at least in the Minors, has shown talent, confidence and poise.
In his three Minor League seasons, Volquez has struck out 8.4 batters per nine innings and issued just 2.6 walks. As Rangers Minor League guru Jamey Newberg points out, Martinez as a Minor Leaguer averaged 8.6 strikeouts and 3.6 walks with basically the same repertoire.
Martinez took his game to the Major League level and has enjoyed Hall of Fame success. Volquez is a novice, still learning.
But right now he is as good of a novice as the Rangers have in their farm system.

Source: http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/

Young Rangers surge past Team Japan

03/09/2006
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Check your status at the door.
Using a lineup loaded with frontline World Baseball Classic stars, Team Japan couldn't manage more than a run through seven innings and couldn't keep a lid on a Texas Rangers lineup that had no more than one likely Opening Day starter, falling, 8-4, Thursday night at Surprise Stadium.
Rangers manager Buck Showalter balked when a reporter asked how it felt to beat Team Japan with a Triple-A squad.
"These are some of our best players, the best young prospects in our system," Showalter said. "These are guys who will pl