Goodbye .500, Hello Common Sense

Jarrod Saltalamacchia represents a turning point for the organization that derives its name from those more honorable lawmen.  It is in him and in him uniquely that the Ranger organization can peer into its profound and basic incompetency.  Its magazinish like dedication to the existing trend.

Why is Jarrod unusually gifted for this delineation?  Well it all begins with a trivial aspect of player development, evaluation.  If you want to be more specific individual player evaluation.  A comprehensive intake and assessment where you reasonably project the completion of that player’s mutational process.  Jarrod’s pedigree suggests he is more than capable to be one of, if not the best offensive catcher in the game.  Projecting and displaying the somehow disappearing emblem that represented the last 15 years, Power.  Not only that when fully developed he stands to be average to solid defensively, though his current defense is below this.  Armed with a bit of athleticism, a strong arm and a positive attitude he looks to have three factors that warrant reasonable optimism his defense will improve with consistent play.

But the simple actuality he exhibits faults presently in his game has kept the Rangers from allowing his project-ability to earn him a starting spot in the Ranger’s lineup.  Allowing Gerald Laird, the 28 year old catcher who last year did not live up to General Washington’s game calling expectations, and most certainly not any offensive expectations (.224, .278, .349 in 407 ABs), to this year play 21 more games with the major league club than the 22 year old prospect.

Now if this all goes back to player evaluation it can be said that Gerald has never and will never project to be close to the kind of player with the type of value Jarrod could provide for this ball club. He has never been his organizations top prospect.  He has never been considered one of the top 40 prospects in all of baseball.  He has never been traded for with one of the best players in all of baseball. His career line of .257, .308, .387 in 1150 Plate Appearances certainly suggests his project-ability was correct – above average throwing out runners, average to below at the plate.  Yet because at the age of 28 he is more developed than a twenty two year old – he is placed out alongside and ahead of real talent.

Mediocrity standing in the way of potential greatness.  The fallacy the Ranger’s organization holds fast to – that somehow greatness grows on the bench and even a more prevalent thought in the Ranger’s organization – somehow dependability, progress and production grow out of being juggled from one place to the next, one role to the next, based on the most short sampled results.  The Rangers aren’t long term investors, they’re day traders.  But maybe the Laird injury and Saltalamacchia opportunity will turn this ship around.  Optimism I know but when the Rangers say goodbye to Gerald Laird, goodbye to .500 and mediocrity, maybe, just maybe they will say goodbye to the obvious idiocy of their thought patterns and hello to common sense.  Naaa, but it was worth a try.