I could not believe my eyes when I picked up the Dallas newspaper to see if the Forney teams had won and was hit with large letters that indicated the following, “IKF in, Elvis out,” on the front page of the SportsDay section.
Immediately below the “big letters” were the words, “Management decides to go with Kiner-Falefa at shortstop.”
For those of you who have no idea of what or whom I speak, this article is about the decision of the Texas Rangers Baseball Team “higherups” to announce (General Manager Jon Daniels and Manager Chris Woodward) that “Elvis Andrus will not go to camp as the starting shortstop for the first time in his 13-year career.”
Now, the player they say will replace Andrus at “short” is Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and he is already a favorite of both Don and Vivian Themer, long-time Ranger fans. However, we are accustomed to seeing him at other positions, especially doing great work last year at 3rd base and other positions he was called upon to fill.
And, although both of us have been not as satisfied with the play recently of Andrus, he has not been the only Ranger who has too often fallen short as the Rangers have also declined!
It would seem that deciding this move already now before Elvis has even had time to demonstrate his “this year’s skills” would be about the same as putting your long-time “tried and true” and dependable old hunting dog into the shed before any other dog had outrun or outhunted him in head-to-head competition as a “new spring” is about to bloom. It just does not seem prudent or fair!
Just for your information, it appears the same thing will happen to Rougned Odor at 2nd base, as they replace his “starting” presence with that of Nick Solack. However, this does not seem as “wrong” as the Elvis move, since Odor has demonstrated on-and-off play, and especially poor hitting, for quite some time now.
These two players cost the Rangers about $25 million per year and still have two guaranteed years and one option year left on their contracts, so the large salaries will almost certainly be paid to keep them on as utility players, since it will probably be hard to find other teams willing or able to trade for them and their restrictive contracts.
Apparently, Andrus asked to go to camp as a competitor for the shortstop job, but the Rangers have indicated they want him to go completely as a “utility” player!
O. K. The Rangers have every right to spend their money as they wish, and I am sure they have studied and re-studied this situation for quite some time as what they are doing now—and probably for the next two years at least—is to prepare for the future. And, they argue that his output has dwindled the past years; injuries have plagued him; he is not young any more! And, too, he has never been a finalist for the Golden Glove Award during all his years.
But, Elvis Andrus has started more games at a single position than any other player in the history of the Rangers organization—1605—beating out even “Pudge” Rodriguez and Jim Sundberg and Rafael Palmeiro. Although he has never been my favorite Ranger, he has always been “in the chase” and has provided so many thrilling plays that just looked easy because he was good, that I hope the Rangers “need” this veteran and that with him they win the pennant this season.
Just thought you might not have seen the news!
Breaking News the morning after I wrote this article: “Rangers’ new GM is ‘ideal’ for role”—The accompanying article in the DMN gave details concerning the new General Manager of the Rangers, Chris Young, a Highland Park graduate and former Ranger pitcher. Jon Daniels will retain his title as “president” and will supposedly continue to have the final “say” in baseball operations.
Just thought you might not have noticed!
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