texas notes

[wigs]

Sunday's scouting report
08/05/2001

RANGERS STARTER DARREN OLIVER (9-6): Oliver has allowed six runs in 211/3 innings over his last three starts. He has also been much more effective on the road, where he is 6-3 with a 4.73 ERA; he is 3-3 with a 7.39 ERA at home. Oliver's big trouble spot comes after he has been through the lineup one time. He allows hitters a .273 average through the first 60 pitches and .344 thereafter. Oliver is 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA at Fenway Park, but he hasn't pitched there since 1998.
LOVES TO FACE: Darren Lewis (1-for-6)

HATES TO FACE: Jose Offerman (5-for-12)


ABOUT THE RANGERS: The Rangers could make a run at the team's double-play record. They went into Saturday's second game with 121 in 109 games, on pace for 180. The club record of 173 was set in 1975. The Rangers have turned more double plays than they have played games six times since moving to Texas.

RED SOX STARTER ROLANDO ARROJO (2-3): He moved into the starting rotation when Pedro Martinez went on the disabled list in late June. In six July starts, Arrojo was 1-1 and allowed only eight earned runs in 351/3 innings. He also struck out 28 while walking just eight. Arrojo has not allowed more than two runs in any of his seven starts this season. As a starter, he has held opponents to a .183 batting average.
LOVES TO FACE: Gabe Kapler (1-for-9)

HATES TO FACE: Alex Rodriguez (7-for-17)


ABOUT THE RED SOX: Doug Mirabelli, who the Rangers traded to Boston for Justin Duchscherer in June, has yet to push his season average above .200. Mirabelli, who was batting .102 when the Rangers traded him, is at .188 for 101 at-bats. The Red Sox are 9-6, however, when he starts.


from dallas morning news

 

[wigs]

adding.....


If flight schedules from Calgary can be arranged, the Rangers might bring another relief pitcher in from Triple-A Oklahoma for Sunday afternoon's game. Long relievers Kevin Foster (66 pitches) and Brandon Villafuerte (36) each had heavy workloads in Saturday's first game. ...

 

[wigs]

from saturday's game....think it says a lot about these unders that seem to be hitting a lot more recently....


BOSTON ? For years, Rafael Palmeiro's knowledge of the strike zone has served as the source of his amazing hitting ability. Now, it serves as the source of his frustration.
Palmeiro revisited the season-long storyline after the Rangers' 10-4 loss to Boston in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park on Saturday.
Boston swept the doubleheader with a 6-2 win in the night game. The Rangers went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position, failing to support another solid start by left-hander Doug Davis.

In the first game, Palmeiro was called out on strikes in the eighth inning and stopped to tell plate umpire Brian O'Nora that he thought two called strikes were too low and well off the outside portion of the plate. O'Nora said he didn't think so.

While Palmeiro wasn't ejected, he did say after the game that he has been frustrated "off and on" all season by strike zones that seem to vary widely. Several teammates also suggested that O'Nora's strike zone was exceptionally large Saturday.

"It just doesn't seem to be the same zone, and we were told it was going to be [uniform] in spring training," Palmeiro said. "It seems to vary from umpire to umpire. I don't think it's ever been clearly defined exactly how the zone is interpreted."

The problem harks to a winter directive from Major League Baseball to umpires to call the strike zone as defined in the rulebook. In general, that meant calling a higher zone, but eliminating the strike "on the black," or just off the edge of the plate.

Palmeiro and several teammates struggled throughout spring training to adjust to the new zone. They refused to swing at the higher strike, resulting in more called strikes. What they didn't expect, however, was adding the high strike to a wider zone.

As a result, Palmeiro's production in some offensive categories is off a bit. He is hitting just .266 with 28 home runs and 78 RBIs with 52 games remaining. Palmeiro has hit .285 or higher eight times in the last nine seasons. He is on pace for 41 home runs and 115 RBIs. Over the last six seasons, he has averaged 41 home runs and 124 RBIs.

The biggest difference, though, comes in walks and strikeouts. Considered one of the most disciplined hitters in the game, Palmeiro averaged 100 walks over the last two seasons and just 73 strikeouts. This year, the categories are much closer. He has 70 walks and 65 strikeouts.

"I've never had a problem with the new zone," Palmeiro said. "There probably did need to be more strikes called up and down. When it gets wide is when things get tougher. I think everybody is trying to call the zone as they understand it; I'm just not sure everybody has the same understanding."

There were 19 strikeouts in Saturday's first game ? eight against the Red Sox and 11 against the Rangers. Boston's David Cone struck out a season-high eight. O'Nora called batters out on strikes six times. With Chuck Meriweather behind the plate for Game 2, there were a total of eight strikeouts.

"This adjustment is hardest on the most disciplined hitters, because for 15 years, they've known exactly what a strike is," Rangers manager Jerry Narron said. "With the umpires merged into one group, we don't see the same guys that often, so it's harder to figure out what each guy's zone is like. And, believe me, the zones are different, because you've got human beings back there."

Palmeiro is still trying to make the adjustment.