Subj : Texas Rangers
To   : Joe Siegler
From : Steve Quarrella
Date : Thu Jan 10 2002 05:02 am

 JS> I saw Rocker pitch with the Indians here in Arlington last
 JS> year.  The Rangers blew him out.  The news the night we

He got as many boos in Detroit as Juan Gonzalez did. :-)

 JS> signed him showed a clip of him several times sitting in the
 JS> dugout punching a fan.  That was in Arlington against the
 JS> Rangers.  They also showed a clip of Rocker hitting Arod in
 JS> the kneecap.

At the risk of sounding like Arnold Rimmer in peace and love mode, it isn't 
really fair to the guy that, every time they talk about him, they show all of 
his shenanigans.  Why not show some of the strikeouts and other fine pitching 
that made the guy a threat not that long ago?  If anything, if the guy is given 
the impression that they hate him here, that's going to do wonders for his 
morale.

BTW, I met local sportscaster Scott Murray a few weeks ago.  Turns out that his 
wife was a saleswoman where I was working, and he was in the front office one 
day as I came in.

->> Another guy whom I'm willing to give a chance, but I'm a
->> little more shaky about him than I am about Rocker.  I keep
->> thinking "Len Randle" over and over and over.
 JS> An interesting comparison.  Probably not totally off base,
 JS> either.

I am of the opinion that baseball's upper management lacks the balls to do 
anything serious about those who bump heads with umpires, or who spit on them.  
That kind of behaviour warrants the forfeit of a significant amount of salary, 
as well as a year out of the game, IMHO.  You're not going to stop the real 
hotheads from pulling their stunts, but you -will- move the fence sitters and 
play actors back to the right side of the fence if they realize that their 
mayhem will cost them (Then again, attacking umps is nothing new...ISTR that in 
the late 1800s, an ump was shot to death over a game, and ol' Ty Cobb was known 
to tangle with the umps in hotel rooms after disputing calls.  But Carl 
Everett's going to have to hit .366 lifetime before he can get away with 
that.).

 JS> Well, it'd be interesting, as all the press Friday is talking
 JS> to Juan's return (which would mean the end of Gabe Kapler,
 JS> I'm sure).  We supposedly offered him a two year deal
 JS> yesterday.

Just waiting on the results of a physical, as I understand it.  My honest 
question is "Why?"  And what is it that Gonzalez -wants?-  The Tigers offered 
him what was then the largest contract in history.  He admitted that he liked 
the Detroit area (which boasts better Mexican food than what I've found here in 
DFW, if you can believe that <laugh>), but he balked.  I thought he was going 
to head for New York, and IIRC, he said "No" to a trade to the Yankees.  He 
turned down the Mets, saying he didn't want to play in New York.  He spent last 
year with Cleveland, a winning team, and appears to be spending this year with 
Texas, an unproven team (if I dare say that, but forgive me, in light of last 
year).  So what are the thought processes going on in Juango's head?

I will be very sorry to see Gabe Kapler go.  Maybe they can send him back home 
to Detroit.  It's not like they don't need him.

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 * Origin: Fnord (1:393/9005)

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