KEN ASKS: Hi Buck, what influence has Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan had on the Texas Rangers becoming a contending playoff team since he’s been president?
I read somewhere that he’s trying to get the starters into the mindset of pitching later into games. Is that true?
Thanks.
BUCK: Ken, Nolan Ryan has had a dramatic influence on the Texas Rangers a couple of different times.
As a player he was important in the push to build The Ball Park in Arlington and keep the Rangers there. Of course, the most recent impact was his teaming with Chuck Greenberg to buy the Rangers and keep his position as president of the club. Ryan’s name has a lot of clout in baseball in general and in Texas specifically.
When he was awarded the franchise and the sale was approved by Bud Selig, it was shortly afterward that a 20-year TV rights deal had been agreed to that will pay the Rangers $80 million a year. That should allow them to build a club for the long haul with a steady revenue stream. Ryan also, as you mentioned, pushed the team to embrace the Texas heat and use it to their advantage. He challenged the players to get into better physical condition to withstand the rigours of the six-month season. The pitchers especially improved in their ability to stay in the game longer which benefits the individual and the team since you aren’t exposing your bullpen every night to four or five innings.
The Rangers with Ryan at the helm are set for long-term success and don’t be surprised if many other teams follow suit with their pitching philosophy because of the 2010 Rangers’ success.
MARK ASKS: Two former Blue Jays managers, John Gibbons and Carlos Tosca, have been getting interviews this off-season. What are the odds either of them get another shot? What do they bring to the table that makes them attractive to prospective clubs?
BUCK: I think John Gibbons has a good chance to land a job this off-season because I think the second time around with a good general manager, he will be much more successful.
He has all of the skills necessary to lead a team and after serving as a bench coach in Kansas City, he has had a chance to sit back and observe what works and what doesn’t. It is always a challenge for a first-time manager to have success as things are so much different than you anticipate when you get the job.
They are so many more things to address than just the baseball. You have to get up to speed on every aspect of you organization. With Gibbons, he didn’t have much cooperation from the front office in Toronto and you can’t work like that. As for Carlos Tosca, I am surprised he is getting interviewed.
NICK ASKS: Hi Buck, are you surprised at how well the Rangers have hit Yankee starters CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes? I know they have a few good hitters in the lineup, but if it wasn’t for the bullpen, they’d be up 2-0!
BUCK: Nick, the Rangers lead the American League in hitting this season so I am not surprised at all by the way they are swinging in the postseason.
Clint Hurdle in his first year as the hitting coach has pushed his hitters to grind out at-bats and not give anything away. When you look at the top of the order with Elvis Andrus and Michael Young as the table-setters, it is almost a perfect combination of youth and experience. Andrus has speed to steal and bunt, Young has the patience and confidence to take pitches and let Elvis do his thing.
Then you have Josh Hamilton, Vladdy Guerrero and Nelson Cruz in the middle and I will argue that’s the best 3-4-5 in the Big Leagues. Hamilton may be the guy that will challenge .400. Vladdy was healthy and Cruz was hot each time he pulled his hammy and had to go on the DL, which happened three times. The balance of the offence has been there all year as you saw in Game 5 of the ALDS when they scored their first three runs with their legs and not their bats.
This is a very good hitting team that will only get better as Josh Hamilton gets more at-bats during the postseason.
FRANK ASKS: Hi Buck, most of the top teams have an eighth-inning setup man who could arguably close for lesser quality teams. Does the manager feel pressured by the GM/media/fans to always go to the ninth-inning closer?
I’m thinking, for example, if the eighth-inning guy throws only 10 pitches in a three-up, three-down eighth inning for example, and your ace closer has been in a slump of late.
Thanks
BUCK: Frank, most clubs are set up with an eighth-inning guy and a ninth-inning closer and those roles are rarely switched from game-to-game. You are right on the money when you suggest if the setup guy has a quick inning, why not let him close out the game and the pressure on the manager comes from several different direction.
The closer, of course, makes his money when he racks up saves. The setup guy gets his contract based on holds. Each time the manager doesn’t send the player out there when a save or a hold is on the line, he will hear about it indirectly from the player through the agent, who contacts the GM, who in turn calls the skipper.
It is really silly, but that’s how the game is today.
DAVE ASKS: Hi Buck, what kind of contract can Rangers’ ace Cliff Lee expect to see in the off-season?
Do you expect a huge bidding war?
BUCK: Dave, if Cliff Lee isn’t thinking about CC Sabathia money, he needs a new agent.
There hasn’t been a better sales pitch by a potential free agent pitcher than that of Lee’s last two postseason efforts. He will have a great opportunity to cash in this offseason and don’t be surprised if the Texas Rangers aren’t in the middle of the bidding.
Shortly after the sale of the club was approved by baseball the new ownership group of Greenberg and Ryan announced a new TV package worth a reported $1.6 billion over the next 20 years. That ought to allow the Rangers to make a legit offer to Mr. Lee.
PETE ASKS: Hi Buck, I enjoyed hearing you on the Rangers-Rays playoff broadcasts. I’m wondering what the routine is like for you on game day for a playoff game, versus Jays’ games.
Is there less access to players before the game? Thanks!
BUCK: Pete, thanks for the kind words. The day is fairly busy as postseason games become quite a production.
We meet the night before the first game at the hotel with all of the production crew in attendance. The producer, director, associate producer, associate director, play-by-play, colour analyst and several video coordinators and stats people are all there to lay out the game plan.
The conversation includes the overall theme of the series, how the two teams got there and what their respective strengths and weaknesses are. Pitching matchups are always crucial as to the direction of the show. Who is hot, who is cold. Injuries, rosters, and feature topics for the sideline reporter are also discussed.
The producer is responsible for the show. He sets the timeline for the five games from the time we are picked up at the hotel to the time we are delivered back to the hotel after the game and everything in between.
To give you an idea of a typical day during the ALDS I covered, let’s start with Game 1.
I believe the start time was 1:07 pm ET. We were picked up at 8:15 a.m. at our hotel for a 9:15 meeting in the truck. In the truck we would look at the opening video of starting pitchers Cliff Lee and David Price. The second portion of the opening was about the two sluggers, Josh Hamilton and Evan Longoria, fighting off injuries and rust. Then we would discuss how we would voice over each piece of video.
Don Orsillo, the play-by-play announcer would intro the show with the "scene set" and title card, then the on-camera portion begins with both of us on camera. After the opening is set, we move on to the graphics preview where we look at all of the graphics that are built for the game. It is much easier to look at the graphics early as opposed to seeing them for the first time in the middle of the game.
The show itself is a product of what goes on in the field of course, and we just follow the action with the background stories to compliment the live commentary. After the live telecast we generally have a post-game hit that recaps the game to be used on the post-game show.
Overall, it is a busy day but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
BEN ASKS: Hi Buck, as good as Tim Lincecum is, are the Giants concerned about committing huge money to him because of his rather violent delivery, or is that not a concern?
I’m wondering if they’re worried about long-term health issues. Thanks.
BUCK: Ben, that is the most difficult aspect of talent evaluation; how long can a pitcher stay healthy?
With Tim Lincecum, you are right about the delivery. It is a bit violent and unorthodox, but it works for him very well. I think the Giants are confident he can stay healthy since he has used this delivery for most of his career dating back to youth leagues.
The interesting thing is that Lincecum has learned to use his changeup, which takes some wear and tear off of his arm and allows him to have quick innings that reduce his pitch count.
I think despite his slight build he will hold up much the same way that Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux did over the course of their careers.