Hickory Dickory KNOCK!
The Hickory (NC) Crawdads of the South Atlantic League (Low-A) are probably – no, DEFINITELY – the most exciting team among all of the Rangers’ minor league affiliates. And that excitement can be...
View ArticleSDI Talk: The Rangers Are Back In First Place
The Rangers find themselves back in first place after sweeping the Cardinals over the weekend. Heading to the halfway point of the season, there are still a few questions that need to be addressed. 1)...
View ArticleWho Is Ryan Rua?
If you are a fan of the Texas Rangers then you may have heard of the name Ryan Rua. That name should be somewhat familiar, since he is the 2013 leader in home runs in all of Minor League Baseball with...
View ArticleRangers AFL Review
Last Saturday, this year’s Arizona Fall League campaign concluded as the Surprise Saguaros secured their first Championships since 1995. The squad included a few of the Rangers farmhands on its roster....
View ArticleSDI Prospect Rankings: #10 Ryan Rua
With my first article at Shutdown Inning, I am excited to begin a new tradition. Over the next couple of weeks I will be writing up reports on SDI’s top 10 Ranger prospects. All the SDI Writers...
View ArticleDelino DeShields Close To A Roster Spot
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News is reporting that Rule 5 Draft pick, Delino DeShields Jr. could be very close to earning a spot on the big league club. DeShields is battling Carlos Peguero, Jake...
View ArticleThis Week in Rangers’ Baseball – Right Where We Left Off?
I’d like to make it perfectly clear right now that I had no intention of writing a funeral dirge one week into the season. It’s probably still not the right time to do so, but the first week may have...
View ArticleRangers vs Astros – Series Recap
Friday – Game 1 Well, this one certainly did not go the way Texas drew it up. In the home opener of the 2015 season, the Rangers fell to the Astros by the score of 5-1. Texas had a tough time getting...
View ArticleOddities and Statistical Notes, Week 1
If you’ve been following me on Twitter for some time, you may know one thing about me: I’m obsessed with weird statistical trivia and (not-so) fun facts. Here at SDI, I’m planning to write weekly notes...
View ArticleDerek, Darvish, and Dementia
I contemplated writing a billion words to fully describe where I’m at right now. A Billion – literally. A billion desperate, terrified words about how all of what I have written about thus far, has...
View ArticleA Look At Futures Past: 2013 Hickory Crawdads
Prospects are great. They have this feel about them like they are innocent and clean from sin because they usually haven’t done anything to piss you off just yet. Prospects are key to any teams success...
View ArticleUnlucky 7-7-7
On the seventh day of the seventh month, the (41-43) Rangers fell to the (41-42) Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 and lost their seventh straight home ballgame. So much for home-field advantage, right? Yovani...
View ArticleBuilding the 2016 Rangers – The Position Players
Let me lead off with a qualifier: I’ve tried to be both optimistic and realistic in the moves below. I’ve given us the benefit of the doubt in places, both in terms of trade partners and in terms of...
View ArticleMinor League Monday Week 18
It’s Monday and that can only mean one thing. That’s right, everyone’s favorite – Minor League Monday. The fine folks here at Shutdown Inning will continue to be the only team around that will provide...
View ArticleOddities and Statistical Facts, Weeks 16-17
Here’s yet another belated statistical recap. In this article, I covered the two weeks following the all-star break. A franchise-turning trade happened during this span, and the long-sought man...
View ArticleJon Daniels Top 5 Moves
When Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels took over for predecessor John Hart in 2005 as a mere 28-year-old, the Rangers were coming off a 79 win season. Five of the Rangers 10 highest season win totals...
View ArticleUnder the Radar
So, we’ve slept on the formulas for Surplus Value. And you’ve also had a few days to day dream of that blockbuster winter deal. Temper that excitement for a bit. Today we are going to identify a few of...
View ArticleThe Most Extreme Rangers Home Runs of 2015
It’s December. We’re a good full month into the off-season, and already tired of staring out the window and waiting for spring. We’re eager for baseball. My friend Owen Watson does solid work examining...
View Article2016 Position Preview – Left Field
Schadenfreude. The word means pleasure derived from another person’s misfortune. In baseball, it tends to take on a much more personal level at various times during the season: star players...
View Article2016 Position Preview – The Bench
The bench, the reserve players, for any baseball team remains one of the easiest to overlook, yet highly impactful part of a 25-man roster. These guys never get the recognition they deserve for trying...
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