Results tagged ‘ Derek Holland ’
The 2013 (Nearly) Complete Twitter Guide…: Part Two – The Players
This post is a continuation of an earlier post compiling the essential Twitter handles to keep up with the Texas Rangers farm system and Texas League. You can find all entries here.
A little over a week ago, I posted twitter handles for the teams in the Texas Rangers system and the Texas league, along with broadcasters and other key employees in the league and the Rangers’ farm. Today, I submit Part Two of “The 2013 (Nearly) Complete Twitter Guide to the Frisco RoughRiders, the Texas League and the Rangers Farm System,” or TNCTG. If you want to check Part One – go here.
Today: a list of the players. This is, to my knowledge, an exhaustive list of the Frisco RoughRiders in addition to as many twitter handles I could find of Texas Rangers at the MLB and MiLB levels. As always, comment below or tweet me (@NathanSBarnett) with additional follows. I will update this as I can as the season moves along. If you want to use a list to keep track of these players, the RoughRiders Twitter handle has a 2013 RoughRiders list and I have one compiling as many current Rangers MLB and MiLB players that I can find.
_________________________
TNCTG PART TWO – The Players
(as of 05/17/13)
2013 Frisco RoughRiders
Current RoughRiders:
Hanser Alberto @elpotroalberto (#15 ranked prospect in Texas system by Baseball America)
Cody Buckel @Cheatcode07 (#8)
Randy Henry @RandyHenry51 (#29)
Odubel Herrera @odubelherrera1
Teodoro Martinez @martinezteo
Ryan Strausborger @Ryan_Straus
RoughRiders to play in 2013, now off roster:
Jake Brigham @jbrigham49 (Triple-A)
Ross Wolf @18RGW (Triple-A)
Other players in the Texas Rangers System:
MLB:
Elvis Andrus @ElvisandrusSS1
ダルビッシュ有(Yu Darvish) @faridyu
Josh Frasier @Frasier66 (bullpen catcher)
Leury Garcia @leurygarcia1 (#20)
Justin Grimm @GrimmReaper51 (#5)
Michael Kirkman @MikeKirkman50
Leonys Martin @leonys27martin (#4)
Martin Perez @MartinPerez33D (#3)
Jurickson Profar @JURICKSONPROFAR (#1 ranked prospect overall by Baseball America)
Triple-A Round Rock:
Chad Bell @ChadBell19 (Injured just before beginning of the season, finished 2012 with Express)
Lisalverto Bonilla @propecto1
Robinson Chirinos @robinson28ch
Michael Olt @molt2222 (#2)
Yangervis Solarte @yanyi26_12
Yoshinori Tateyama @tatetatetateyan
Advanced-A Myrtle Beach:
Royce Bolinger @roycebolinger
Zach Cone @ZachCone (#24)
Ryan Harvey @Hammer32jetlife
Nick Martinez @nickmartinez10 (#27)
Rougned Odor @RougnedOdor (#11)
Drew Robinson @drewrobinsonnn
Class-A Hickory Crawdads:
Jorge Alfaro @_JorgeAlfaro11 (#9)
Lewis Brinson @LewisBrinson (#12)
Coby Cowgill @CobyCowgill_RHP
C.J. Edwards @CEdwardsSBS (#14)
Joey Gallo @JoeyGallo24 (#10)
Nomar Mazara @NomarMzra26 (#16)
Connor Sadzeck @connorsadzeck
Nick Vickerson @Nick_Vickerson
Nick Williams @NW1superstar (#25)
Players yet to be assigned (either hurt or will be in either Rookie or Short-Season A)
Jairo Beras @jairoberas (#18)
Brandon Garcia @BrandonGarcia_
Ronald Guzman @_ronaldguzman (#17)
Brett Weibley @wild_stallion5
_________________________
- Nathan
Baseball term of the day: fuzzy concrete – artificial turf
One month away…
Nights like this will be back again in one month. (Photo credit to Alex Yocum-Beeman)
Today is a day for minor celebration, not necessarily because it’s “311 Day,” but because we are now exactly one month away from the home opener for the 2013 season at Dr Pepper Ballpark. We are also 22 days from the RoughRiders-Express exhibition game in Frisco and 24 days away from the official start of the regular season in North Little Rock.
All of the Rangers’ minor leaguers (excluding the ones who had big league camp invitations) reported to Surprise one week ago and they will begin their spring training games against other organizations on Thursday. We’ll do our best to get you whatever information we can on those games, though the Double-A team that takes the field against their Royals counterparts on Thursday is guaranteed to look much different than the one that arrives here in the Metroplex come late March. That’s mainly because off all the roster mixing that goes on in the spring, with many players playing a level higher than they will ultimately be on once the season starts.
As for the big club, we are still not at a point of complete resolution with the Nolan Ryan situation, though it looks like we are moving closer to that point. The Rangers released a statement from him yesterday that basically said he’s been meeting with ownership about his role with the team and that those discussions will continue. It’s not much to read into, but I suppose it should be taken as a positive sign that there is a chance that they work this all out and come out a happy family once again.
In other developments, Craig Gentry of all people is hitting home runs, Jurickson Profar’s stint as starting spring training shortstop (I love alliterative phrases) is likely coming to an end as Elvis Andrus’ stay at the World Baseball Classic was a short one, and Derek Holland gets more time to play on the “big” stage.
Ryan will remain CEO for time being, continue to search for understanding of role - Evan Grant gives you the basics of yesterday’s developments with Ryan’s full statement included.
More time on WBC’s big stage can only help Rangers’ “wildcard” Derek Holland (subscribers only) – Tim Cowlishaw thinks the continuing experience for Holland on the US team will be good for him.
Josh Hamilton brought sizzle to Texas, but new Ranger Lance Berkman could offer just as much substance – Highlights from Cowlishaw’s Sunday column on why there might not be so large a dropoff between Hamilton and Berkman. (A major caveat should be added – IF Lance stays healthy.)
Gerry Fraley bits on emerging slugger Craig Gentry, Elvis Andrus taking some ribbing, a sleeper from the Michael Young trade, and Adrian Beltre re-thinking the WBC.
(Daily FWST disclaimer: most articles on their site are subscription-only, but you can easily read the articles around the sign-in pop-up)
Positive spin on Ryan staying takes another negative turn – Randy Galloway (who has practically been the writer-of-record on all things Nolan Ryan) says that, in spite of yesterday’s statement, Ryan staying on with the Rangers is no sure thing at all.
Long journey may lead Rangers’ Martin to center field – From a couple of days ago, but a good read from Gil Lebreton nonetheless about Leonys Martin.
Despite Ross’ struggles, Rangers hold on for 7-6 victory over Indians – Robbie Ross says he was not distracted by the ZOOperstars, who performed at yesterday’s game in Goodyear. Thank goodness for that.
Ross struggles for first time this spring – ESPNDallas.com’s Ron Matejko has more reaction from Ross on his tough start (2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 4 BB).
Is there still time to get Nolan Ryan to stay? - Richard Durrett gives his thoughts on the latest developments with Ryan.
Tepesch still auditioning for role – Ron Washington and Mike Maddux talk about 2012 RoughRiders pitcher Nick Tepesch and his odds on winning the fifth spot in the Rangers’ rotation.
- Alex
When a day off isn’t really a day off
Pitching for Team USA, Derek Holland allowed a run over three innings yesterday in an exhibition game against the White Sox. (Christian Peterson/Getty Images)
There was no game for the Rangers yesterday but of course that does not mean things were slow in terms of news developments. The big story continues to be the Nolan Ryan situation and we can expect things to remain that way until the big man speaks publicly on the matter. So far, he has shown little interest in doing that for reasons only he knows.
I think I speak for most fans when I say that I hope that this reaches a conclusion that keeps Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniels’ top lieutenants with the organization. That might be a pie-in-the-sky hope, but it’s no crime to dream of a happy ending in this case. Sometimes, however, the band does end up breaking up. It happened to the Beatles and it can happen here.
In my opinion, what the Rangers would like to avoid experiencing is what happened the Red Sox front office over the final years of the Theo Epstein era. Epstein is a bit like Daniels in how he rose through the game to become a big league general manager. Like Daniels, Epstein had a group of extremely talented people around him who eventually outgrew their roles (i.e., the Red Sox could not afford them or give ran out of ways to promote them) and moved on to other organizations. Think of Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod as examples. Their departures diluted the talent pool of the front office and as a result, the Red Sox stumbled through some mediocre drafts and disastrous free agency signings, leading to three straight seasons ending with no postseason in Boston. Maybe voices like Hoyer and McLeod, had they been a part of those decisions, could have asked questions that weren’t being asked or proposed different solutions.
The Rangers ownership wants to make sure the Thad Levines and A.J. Prellers of the organization stay put to keep Daniels’ “dream team” of assistants together. Daniels’ promotion to president clears the way for some future upward movement in the front office, making it more likely that the band stays together for a little longer and the Rangers continue their run of recent success.
So where does that leave Nolan Ryan? We don’t really know, though there is plenty of speculation. My belief is that we won’t know until Nolan himself determines how he would like to see this play out. Until then, let’s hope this iteration of the Beatles keeps on rocking together.
On the subject of who has the power in the Rangers’ organization – Evan Grant says that nothing much will change with the organization despite the title changes.
Daniels on Nolan Ryan: ‘I don’t want him to leave’ – Some quotes from the Rangers’ GM/president, who was on ESPN Radio 103.3 yesterday.
If the always-sensible Nolan Ryan wants to win, it’s Texas Rangers or bust – Highlights from Kevin Sherrington’s DMN column.
Daniels had ‘good conversation’ with Ryan over the weekend, says there’s ‘no issue’ between the two – More Daniels quotes from another radio interview, this time with KRLD.
Why Rangers haven’t made move for Lohse, others – Daniels also took some time yesterday to touch on the potential acquisition of a new starting pitcher.
Team USA gets strong debut from Holland – There was a Ranger in action yesterday, as Derek Holland threw three innings for Team USA in a WBC tuneup vs. the White Sox.
Rangers’ top prospects can benefit from WBC absences – Jeff Wilson has Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar looking to take advantage of their extended playing time with the big club while the WBC is in progress.
Rangers don’t need to panic and press the No. 5 button – Gil Lebreton says Texas can afford to be patient in finding a fifth starter.
Harrison hopes offseason pays off in ’13 – Matt Harrison says he’s not content with coasting off his first all-star season despite earning a big contract, writes Anthony Andro.
Inbox: Could injuries bring Lohse into picture? – T.R. Sullivan answers fan questions in this week’s mailbag column.
- Alex
Elvis’ ink gives Profar a chance to shine
The detailed tattoo that kept Elvis Andrus out of the lineup yesterday.
Things were progressing in a nice and dull manner out in Surprise until yesterday’s news that Elvis Andrus would be scratched from the Rangers’ spring training game against the Indians. Missing the game itself wasn’t as noteworthy as was the reason why: his left arm was sore after spending nine hours on Wednesday getting a new tattoo, a memorial to his late father. Publicly, the Rangers haven’t seemed too upset over the ink stink, which overshadowed their 10-0 win – the team’s first of the spring. It also may have been a blessing in disguise for Jurickson Profar, who filled in for Andrus at shortstop and tripled in his first at bat off Zach McAllister (the same Zach McAllister who Profar took deep in his first major league at bat last September in Cleveland). The whole “incident” won’t mean much in the long run – which is a good thing – but it certainly made for an eventful Thursday in the desert. On to today’s links:
Andrus sits out due to sensitivity from new tattoo – A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com talks to Andrus and Ron Washington about the new tattoo and missing yesterday’s game. There’s also some good notes about Derek Holland’s impressive performance, Mike Olt in the outfield and Robbie Ross feeling a little sore.
Berkman looks like usual self in first spring at-bat – Cassavell has a look at Lance Berkman’s spring debut, which included a hit, a walk and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot.
Lance Berkman doesn’t show rust in debut – More on Berkman, from Ron Matejko of ESPNDallas.com.
Holland leaves for WBC on high note – The Rangers lefty tossed four scoreless innings yesterday against Cleveland and now leaves to pitch for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic.
Gerry Fraley on Mike Olt in the outfield, a new addition that won’t play but will be useful for the Rangers, and Lance Berkman
Spring break: Rhode Islander trying to catch on with Rangers – Jeff Beliveau is trying to become the first player from the Ocean State to suit up for the Rangers, per Drew Davison.
‘Tattoo soreness’ and other significant developments in the Rangers’ camp – Randy Galloway gives his thoughts on the news of the day and Lance Berkman.
- Alex
Rangers Spring Training Links – 2/22/2013
The view from above of the Rangers’ and Royals’ complex in Surprise, Arizona.
As someone somewhere once said, “Let the games begin!” Today marks the start of Cactus League play as the Rangers and they won’t have to go far to play their opponent. In fact, neither will opponent. Texas will play the Kansas City Royals this afternoon in the stadium they share out in Surprise, Arizona. Derek Holland will get the start against Will Smith while Carlton and Uncle Phil might make an appearance as well. On to today’s Rangers links:
Pudge Rodriguez hired to front office – The big news yesterday was that Ivan Rodriguez was rejoining the organization as a special assistant to Jon Daniels as well as an instructor and ambassador. As a result, we might see Pudge in Frisco this summer like we did with Greg Maddux last year. Drew Davison gets Pudge’s thoughts on catching prospect Jorge Alfaro and also notes the Rangers players who will be competing in the World Baseball Classic.
Five Rangers to watch in spring training – Jeff Wilson says that the Rangers could greatly benefit from big springs from these five players.
Spring Break: New Rangers reliever Josh Lindblom embraces the cold -Davison talks cold weather baseball with Josh Lindblom, who played his college ball in the Big Ten.
Lighter Moreland has heavier role with Rangers – The AP writes that former ‘Rider Mitch Moreland is lighter this spring, both in weight and attitude.
Jim Bowden on Profar/Cano and Ron Washington’s Job Security – Former major league GM and ESPN Insider Jim Bowden appeared on the Ben & Skin Show on 103.3 ESPN Radio yesterday and had some interesting things to say, especially his hypothetical 2014 Rangers middle infield.
Jon Daniels on Profar and Payroll – The Rangers GM held a chat yesterday and The Dallas Morning News is providing some of the highlights.
Small in stature, LHP Joe Ortiz making big impression - Richard Durrett profiles former RoughRider and dark horse relief candidate Joseph Ortiz (he told me he prefers Joseph, but the Rangers insist on using Joe on their rosters with him for some reason). Last season in his two months with the ‘Riders, former big league all-star Brad Hawpe said that Ortiz was one of the three toughest lefties in the Texas League along with Midland’s Sean Doolittle (who pitched with Oakland by mid-season) and Corpus Christi’s Kevin Chapman.
Rangers hire Pudge as special assistant – T.R. Sullivan has more on the Rangers’ hiring of Ivan Rodriguez.
Holland believes Classic will give him an edge - Sullivan talks with today’s starter, Derek Holland, about the upcoming WBC, in which he is excited to be participating. Some worry that the WBC is bad for pitchers, but don’t count the former RoughRiders lefty in that camp. On an editorial note, how great would it be to see Holland matched up against the Netherlands at some point?
- Alex
Look who’s Riding at the World Baseball Classic
Elvis Andrus, a RoughRider in 2008, will play for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
The provisional rosters for the teams competing in the World Baseball Classic were recently announced and the RoughRiders will be well-represented in the third iteration of this relatively new showcase event. Of course, there may be some players added on or taken off before the tournament starts on March 2, but a quick scan of each squad’s roster reveals 15 players who at one point wore a RoughRiders uniform. Not including big league rehabbers, that number is 11. Here’s the full list of players who once plied their trade at Dr Pepper Ballpark that will soon be seeking baseball’s greatest international achievement:
United States of America
R.A. Dickey throws something other than a knuckleball in this photo of one of his 2004 rehab appearances with Frisco.
RHP R.A. Dickey (rehabbed with the ’Riders in 2004, making four starts)
LHP Derek Holland (made four starts during 2008 season, his last as a minor leaguer)
1B Mark Teixeira (rehabbed in 2004 & 2007 for two total games)
Canada
OF Tim Smith (played 36 games in 2009)
Dominican Republic
OF Nelson Cruz (rehabbed in 2010 & 2011 for six total games)
RHP Pedro Strop (made 36 relief appearances in 2009)
RHP Edinson Volquez (started 10 games in 2005 & 11 games in 2007)
Italy
RHP Jason Grilli (made a one-inning rehab start in 2009)
Mexico
1B Adrian Gonzalez (played 45 games in 2003)
IF/OF Edgar Gonzalez (played 106 games in 2004)
RHP Luis Mendoza (pitched in 27 games – 26 starts – in 2007 & 2008)
The Netherlands
SS Jurickson Profar (played 126 games in 2012)
Spain
OF Engel Beltre (played 302 games between 2009 & 2012)
C Salomon Manriquez (played 71 games in 2007)
Venezuela
SS Elvis Andrus (played 118 games in 2008)
As a bonus entry, LHP Richard Bleier (a RoughRider from 2010 – 2012) pitched for Team Israel in last fall’s WBC qualifying tournament. Israel lost to Spain in the Jupiter, Florida qualifier, failing to gain entry into the main event.
- Alex
Magic Number 10
It may be hard for some to believe, but the 2012 season will be year number 10 for the RoughRiders franchise. 
Current Rangers like Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, and Derek Holland all came through Dr Pepper Ballpark. Heck, even Josh Hamilton has rehabbed here twice and, most recently, hit a home run.
It’s fun to reflect over the last nine years and think about all the great ballplayers ‘Riders fans have had the pleasure to watch. With that in mind, I’ve teamed up with the Michael Damman, the RoughRiders’ Director of Statistical Research, to come up with the All-’Riders Team. In the coming weeks here on the blog, we’ll be profiling the best players at their positions in franchise history. Should be a lot of fun.
Here are some news, notes, and headlines from today:
- Arkansas Travelers’ third baseman Luis Jiminez has been added to the Angels’ 40-man roster. He batted .290/.335/.486 with 18 homers in 490 at-bats for Arkansas in 2011, and he led the Texas League with 40 doubles, was second with 94 RBIs, and third with 59 extra-base hits.
- Here’s a first: according to ballparkdigest.com, the Seattle Mariners are installing four electric vehicle charging stations available for public use at Safeco Field. Each is capable of fully re-charging a vehicle battery in two-to-six hours. Anyone can plug into the charging stations 24 hours a day, even on days when the Mariners are not playing.
- As reported late last month, our neighboring Fort Worth Cats of the independent American Association have had their league membership revoked after failing to put up a required letter of credit for 2012. Team owner Carl Bell says he’s selling the team to potential new owners who would field a team next season.
- According to a tweet I saw a couple of days ago by my good friend Jason Cole, the publisher of LoneStarDugout.com, former RoughRiders’ reliever Evan Reed has been throwing in the upper 90s in the Arizona Fall League. The ‘Riders were taking batting practice in Midland in 2010 when we got the news that Evan had been traded to the Florida Marlins for Jorge Cantu. Evan is a great guy who I really enjoyed getting to know. I once ate lunch with him at a Subway in Corpus Christi and was amazed by the amount of food he could pound. Evan ate a 12″ sandwich on thick honey oat bread with four chicken breasts and almost all the veggies available. Happy to hear that he’s doing well.
-AG
Ranking Derek Holland’s Mustache
Derek Holland’s World Series Game 4 performance speaks for itself.
So does his mustache.
Some historians have already gone so far as to say that it’s the best mustache in World Series history.
With that in mind, it’s necessary to compare Derek’s crumb catcher with some of the other greats of our time.
Tom Selleck might be the “complete game shutout” of mustaches. Full of color and texture, it’s virtually as good as it gets.
Edge: Magnum P.I.
Dr. Phil’s mustache lacks the rich color of Sellecks, yet is refined and distinguished. I fear young Derek will have to wait a few more months (or years) to reach this level.
Edge: Oprah’s guy
Remember Rojo Johnson? If you missed it, he returned to the mound in 2010 to pitch for the Round Rock Express after spending four years in prison for stealing, and eventually selling, illegal iguanas. Rojo can hardly be contained.
Edge: The Venezuelan
Ron Swanson. Do I need to say anymore? If you haven’t seen NBC’s Parks and Recreation I highly recommend it. Ron is a man’s man. His ‘stache is the one we should be fearing.
Edge: Don’t mess with Ron
Now that is a mustache. You know you’re doing something right when your fans dress like this to watch you pitch. Who are the guys on the right? If you don’t know, maybe you should stop reading and start watching The Office. Jim, Dwight, and Michael are three of my closest friends and should be yours, too.
Edge: Dunder Mifflin
So maybe Derek’s mustache can’t yet compete with some of the great mustaches of our time. But that didn’t stop him last night.
-AG
11 Former RoughRiders on ALDS Roster
The Rangers officially published their ALDS roster earlier this morning featuring 11 former RoughRider players that will be suiting up for Texas against Tampa Bay:
Mitch Moreland is one of 11 former 'Riders on the Rangers' ALDS roster (photo: Yahoo! Sports)
Scott Feldman (’05, ’08)
Neftali Feliz (’08)
Alexi Ogando (’10)
Matt Harrison (’08)
Derek Holland (’08)
C.J. Wilson (’03, ’05-’06)
Elvis Andrus (’08)
Ian Kinsler (’04)
Mitch Moreland (’09)
Endy Chavez (’10)
Craig Gentry (’08-’09)
-AG
Catching up with Scott Servais
Scott Servais, the Rangers’ Senior Director of Player Development, was in Tulsa for the last two days to check in the RoughRiders players and staff – something that happens a handful of times per season. Scott oversees the on-field development of all players in the Rangers’ Minor League system. It’s a big job, and Scott was gracious enough to sit down with me in the ‘Riders dugout at ONEOK Field to chat about his job, the RoughRiders, and the minor leagues.
Me (AG): What all does your job entail?
Photo Credit: LoneStarDugout.com
Scott Servais (SS): I’m in charge of everything going on in the Rangers’ minor leagues. It all starts with our scouts. They bring the talent to us, and then it’s up to us to groom the talent and put them in the right spots.
AG: With so many players between rookie ball and Triple-A, is it ever hard remembering who is where?
SS: No, it’s pretty much ingrained. It’s a part of my life every morning waking up and knowing who is where. It’s a full-time gig. Fortunately, I have a great staff. They do a tremendous job not only teaching the game the “Ranger way,” but also communicating with our players and myself.
AG: What exactly is the “Ranger way?”
SS: I think there are a lot of ways to put that. I think we have a certain style of player, and a certain style of play. It’s played out in the big leagues by some of the younger players who have come up through our system. Obviously Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Mitch Moreland, and Craig Gentry. Even Nelson Cruz spent some time with us in the minors before figuring it out.
And then there’s the pitching. Guys like Neftali Feliz and Derek Holland are products of our system and guys that we’re very proud of. They understand what it is we feel is important and they have the discipline to carry it out and get better at the big league level.
AG: Former ‘Rider Matt Lawson told me earlier this year following his retirement from baseball that he felt like you really took the time to get to know him when he was playing in the Rangers’ system. How important are those relationships?
SS: It’s everything. I played for 15 years and I remember how important it was when the brass came into town. Letting [the players] know that they’re not just a number or a piece of meat, so to speak. I’m a person, I have a family, I have a background. I hope to build equity with the players so when I have to go to a player and hold them accountable or ask them to make an adjustment, we’ve built that equity, and they’ll buy in and take our suggestions.
The game is a little different now than it was 20 years ago. Then, when a coach said something, you just did it. Now days, you have to be expected to explain “why.” Hopefully when you have a background with the players, they’ll trust you, and that’s what it’s about. They have to trust. There’s never been one player that has made it to the big leagues on his own.
My thanks to Scott for taking the time to answer some questions. It was clear that he wasn’t just rattling of a company line. I can tell he really does believe in the things that he was talking about.
This is now my second season in the Rangers’ system and I continue to be impressed with the overall quality of people that are in the mix – both on and off the field. I’m sure there are things that could be better, like everywhere, but from everyone I’ve talked with, Texas is going about things the right way.
-AG
