Comments on: What’s Eating Max Ramirez?

By: Red Sox Talk

Red Sox Talk — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:39:23 +0000

I agree that the wrist is a big factor. Anyone think he could be pressing in order to try and leapfrog Saltalamacchia and Teagarden in the depth chart? Maybe he thinks his ticket to the bigs is to swing for the fences and hit his way up.

By: Joe Twinsfan

Joe Twinsfan — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:24:18 +0000

Just like David Ortiz!

By: Aaron/YYZ

Aaron/YYZ — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:39:45 +0000

That and he’s getting extremely sporadic playing time which limits his ability actually make adjustments and improve against major league pitching. Texas needs to make a trade simply to avoid stunting the development of all three simultaneously and getting nothing out of this trio.

Considering how highly regarded Teagarden’s defense is compared to Salty’s, I’m really confused at how he’s being handled. It’s not like Salty’s hitting so far (in significantly more regular playing time) has been all that great… he’s still behind Elvis Andrus in terms of offensive production.

By: TK

TK — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:32:41 +0000

A minor quibble, but Frisco is AA. The Rangers’ AAA affiliate is in Oklahoma City.

By: t ball

t ball — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:30:57 +0000

Stop burying the living! He’s been injured, he’ll be fine.

By: Tim_the_Beaver

Tim_the_Beaver — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:53:37 +0000

I think he’s just lost it overnight. Clearly we can write him off as being over the hill and truly washed up.

By: Hacktastic

Hacktastic — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:12:10 +0000

Lack of plate discipline is a disease going through the entire Rangers organization, and it is worst with the MLB team itself.

Surely Max realizes the organization places no value on getting on base, so he feels the only way to get noticed is to hack his way in.

By: Davidceisen

Davidceisen — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:07:29 +0000

If Teagarden is primarily a defensive catcher, using his WAR value isn’t very accurate in gauging his true value.

By: laxtonto

laxtonto — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:42:37 +0000

What is hurting Max Ramierez? Easy enough to figure out… He has had a sprained wrist since the begining of the year….

From MILB.com

“Because of the sore catching wrist, Ramirez has been at DH instead of catcher in 25 of the 49 games he’s played this season.

“Sometimes,” he said. “it hurt just to catch the ball.”

At the plate, the biggest change in Ramirez has been how he’s cut his strikeout rate in half.

Before going on the DL, Ramirez had struck out in 51 of his 143 at bats, or once every 2.8 at bats. Since returning, he’s cut his strikeouts to nine in 50 at bats, or exactly half the previous rate.

“It’s all about my wrist,” Ramirez said. “When the pain’s gone I can swing hard, and now the pain’s gone, so I can hit the fastball and everything. I don’t strike out so much.”

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090623&content_id=5494450&vkey=news_t238&fext=.jsp&sid=t238

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:40:53 +0000

He has been battling a hurt wrist since winter ball thats just now getting better.