- 2 days ago
RJ Choppy opened up some Diamond Calves and recapped the Rangers’ sweep of the Mariners. They discussed MacKenzie Gore, the bullpen’s performances, Brandon Nimmo’s on-base impact, and the team’s lack of offensive production. They also broke down the hard-hit rate versus runs scored discrepancy, stadium roof factors, and more.
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00:00How can you not be romantic about not a good sweep, a great sweep, of the Seattle Mariners at the
00:08ballpark.
00:09Let's talk about how great it is while Bobby is out of the room late.
00:12Yeah, no wet blanketing this one. The Rangers finish off the sweep. 8-3 was the final score.
00:19Not in the game, of the series.
00:21Of the series.
00:21Of the series, and they beat three really good pitchers on the way. Kirby, Gilbert, and Wu.
00:28Wu, three really, really good pitchers. I've heard Brian Wu described as a pitcher's pitcher.
00:35Like a guy that a pitcher would want to go watch, just because he's a thinking man's type pitcher.
00:41He's like Rush. Rush the band? They're musicians' musicians.
00:44I thought you meant Rush Limbaugh.
00:45No, they're musicians' musicians. He might be a radio guy's radio guy.
00:48He was good formatically.
00:51So that's what Wu is. He's just fantastic.
00:54I think the Rangers pitchers not only went toe-to-toe with them, but they out-dueled them.
01:00Mackenzie Gore and the bullpen, along with small ball in the fifth inning.
01:04There's the story of your game.
01:07In terms of the series, Jared Sandler tweeting this out.
01:11Against three very tough starters who each averaged more than a strikeout per inning last year,
01:16Rangers' hitter struck out just 11 times in 19 innings.
01:22So eight less strikeouts on average for the Rangers compared to what Seattle did last season
01:29with that fantastic staff.
01:31And you're going to try to sell us again now?
01:34You're going to try to throw out some more offensive breadcrumbs with the hit rate numbers?
01:38I will.
01:38Now, a stat was shown on the broadcast yesterday, and I think it's a really good stat over 162 games.
01:44What?
01:45What's the smart?
01:45I'm preparing for a Sandler stat like Jock Peterson, where it's like,
01:48he's the greatest 0-for-17 hitter in the history of the game.
01:53I think it's a great stat over 162 games that will play out in our favor,
01:56but it has not worked out that way over the two weeks.
01:59They have a 48% hard hit rate, which leads Major League Baseball.
02:05It leads Major League Baseball in the percentage of balls that are hit hard.
02:09And they have the second most hard hit balls overall in the entire sport.
02:15And what that means is over 162 games, you're going to get hits and runs,
02:19and you're going to score, and you're going to be closer to the league lead.
02:23The reality is, David Murphy talked about this yesterday,
02:26is that you hit the ball hard in every at-bat, you're going to leave the ballpark a lot,
02:32maybe not happy, but you leave the ballpark knowing that you're on the right track.
02:37The problem is it hasn't happened for this team yet.
02:39They're hitting the ball hard, they're just not falling.
02:42If you go back in the last five years, teams in the top five of hard hit percentage each year,
02:47they average the eighth most run scored team that year.
02:52That's the average.
02:54The Rangers are 20th.
02:56They're way below.
02:58Now part of that is it's only been two weeks.
03:01Last year, the Yankees led the league in hard hit percentage, they led the league in runs scored.
03:04In 2023, the Atlanta Braves led the league in hard hit percentage, they led the league in runs scored.
03:09And the Rangers right now are what?
03:1120th.
03:11So all these other teams, they lead the league in hard hit percentage,
03:15they're near the top, they're averaging eighth in runs scored,
03:18and the Rangers are more than half that.
03:20They're more than double that behind.
03:23They're two and a half times behind.
03:25That's really not good.
03:26It's really not good at all.
03:27Okay.
03:28And I thought you said they had a 48% hard hit rate leading baseball.
03:33They do.
03:33And the second most hard hit balls overall in the sport.
03:36Yeah.
03:36But the stat you just gave is bad.
03:38They're in 20th in that stat.
03:39They're 20th in runs scored.
03:41Okay.
03:42So the hard hit percentage.
03:44The run scored should be higher based upon the hard hit percentage.
03:47Should be an average of eighth.
03:49Should be.
03:51Now you got your outliers.
03:52At 2023, the Yankees at the second, they were number two in hard hit percentage, 25th in runs scored.
03:58Oh.
03:58So it happens.
04:00The Yankees again at 2021, number one in hard hit percentage, 19th in runs scored.
04:04So you've had times where it doesn't match up.
04:07Yeah.
04:07But historically.
04:08And this is an outlier too.
04:10Yeah.
04:10This is an outlier too.
04:11Historically, if you are in the top.
04:14You're agreeing?
04:15Agreeing that.
04:16You're agreeing that this right now is an outlier?
04:18Oh.
04:18Well, for the stat, yes.
04:21It's clearly not an outlier for this team.
04:23Because this team has showed us over the last two years what they are.
04:26Right.
04:27Offensively.
04:27But historically, if you're in the top five in hard hit percentage, you're going to be in the top eight
04:32in runs scored.
04:32Okay.
04:33If their offense is terrible this year, is there any fallout?
04:41Well, you asked us the other day, and my answer was no, one more year.
04:49Let's just say that this current team is kind of the same for the next two months.
04:56And if Chris Young doesn't make an over-the-top aggressive move or two offensively, and what sucks about judging
05:06Chris Young is you have to try to judge the owner as well.
05:11But let's just say.
05:12And John Daniels.
05:13Let's just say Chris was given a green light.
05:15Let's just say.
05:16I don't know.
05:16Sure.
05:17Because it feels like when it comes to moves in this town, it's Steven Jones and Ray Davis that are
05:25thought of as putting the handcuffs on.
05:29Not with the Stars.
05:31Not with Cuban back in the day.
05:33Not with the Mavericks.
05:35It is Ray Davis and Steven Jones.
05:37But let's just say that Chris had the ability to add something, and he didn't, then I would be okay
05:44with talking about replacements.
05:46Because right now, I wish you could trade.
05:50Like, right now today, you feel great enough about the starters.
05:53You feel great enough about the bullpen.
05:55I personally believe and know that the offense won't be good enough.
05:59You know, and I don't care if you're leading the West and your run differential is bad.
06:08It'll be nice and impressive, but go for something to really make you a true contender.
06:15Because you can be with this pitching right now, just like last year.
06:17I'd love to make a deal.
06:18Honestly, I don't even know who's available.
06:20That's the thing.
06:21Like, nobody's available.
06:22Well, certainly.
06:22Nobody's available.
06:23But I don't even know who's going to be available.
06:24They've scored three runs or less in seven straight games.
06:28And that's the second longest streak they've had with this franchise in the last 38 years.
06:32I mean, and that's a long.
06:33The only other long streak was they did it nine games in a row in 21.
06:37Look, overall, this is a positive right now, okay?
06:40It's a good problem to have where you're saying, man, I feel like we're close to something really big.
06:48But it has to be addressed at some point in time.
06:51But we're there.
06:53We're close.
06:54It just needs an over-the-top piece or pieces that swing the bat.
06:59302, two weeks of stats.
07:00Come on, not a valid segment yet.
07:01No, it's two and a half years of stats.
07:04Like, that's the problem.
07:05Like, I'm not going to be convinced of a Jock Peterson turnaround.
07:09Me and Choppy caught heat for saying, really, Andrew McCutcheon is your guy?
07:13I'm, like, pleading for Andrew McCutcheon to be back.
07:16I'm dying for Andrew McCutcheon to be back in the lineup.
07:19A little bit of a slow start for Wyatt.
07:21Seager doing his things.
07:23But we'll see.
07:24Nimmo.
07:24I feel good about Nimmo.
07:25Nimmo.
07:25I feel great about it.
07:26I feel good about Nimmo.
07:26Seager's been solid.
07:28Healthy.
07:29You know, Berger's had some big hits.
07:31Yep.
07:32Higgies had some big hits.
07:33Yep.
07:33But Josh Young, to me, hasn't been like, oh, there's the bounce back.
07:36There it is.
07:36Evan Carter has been encouraging early on to me.
07:39I'm happy with Carter.
07:39Yeah, very happy with Evan Carter.
07:40Because, you know, part of what makes Evan, when he's healthy and going good, his speed.
07:46His speed could change a game.
07:48I mean, he makes you, as an outfielder, sprint to the baseball and get it in.
07:53Yeah.
07:53Because he will take an extra base on you.
07:55So those are the positives.
07:57But I think we, what's your problem?
07:59I'm just looking at the fan text.
08:00They're talking about what's positive.
08:01They said adding Gore, Nimmo, and McCutcheon are huge.
08:04Okay.
08:04Langford and Smith and Young are actually hitting the ball now.
08:08No, Josh Young is not hitting the ball.
08:10Not at all.
08:11All right.
08:11One thing we can all agree on, and I loved your tangent last night, did we get duped with
08:18that stadium?
08:19Yeah, we were misled.
08:20We were misled.
08:21I don't want to say lied to.
08:22K&C said it was going to be an open, open roof.
08:24Open roof.
08:25We were misled as sports fans, as taxpayers, Sean.
08:29We were misled about the ballpark.
08:31We had a gorgeous, gorgeous stadium.
08:34One of the best, five best facades, the exterior of the stadium.
08:38Right up there with Coors Field and Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, the exterior of the
08:42old ballpark, was elite.
08:45The inside was very nice.
08:47It was hot.
08:48It was very hot.
08:49Damn hot.
08:50Awful.
08:50You had to sit first base side.
08:52Torture.
08:53But they said, they told us, like, guys, we'll build your retractable roof.
08:58This thing's going to be open all the time.
09:00Unless it's too hot, it's going to be open.
09:02We're going to have the roof open.
09:04Yeah.
09:04But they didn't build a retractable roof.
09:06They built a dome.
09:07They built a dome stadium.
09:09That's not cool, guys.
09:11Yesterday, it was higher than 70.
09:14God, that was perfect.
09:15It was lower than 80.
09:17There was zero threat of rain.
09:20Zero.
09:21It cost the Rangers, I believe, two runs with the burger fly out.
09:25It's a home run with the roof open.
09:27The one down the right field line.
09:28The refs that are made enough.
09:29Yeah.
09:30That's a home run.
09:31I want answers.
09:33I just want answers because is it, do they keep the roof closed because it costs a lot
09:38of money to open it and they need to keep the electric, but then switch to base power.
09:42There you go.
09:43All right.
09:43I need to explain why it was closed.
09:45Now, I have their answer for yesterday.
09:47I don't want to hear wind.
09:48It was the wind.
09:49Okay.
09:49It was not the wind because when I saw that answer, I was at my mom's house.
09:52I went to the backyard.
09:54Okay.
09:54They show the flags waving.
09:56Oh, wow.
09:5617 miles per hour.
09:58I went outside.
09:58I felt the wind and I was like, oh, this isn't windy at all.
10:02They're acting like it was going to cause debris to fly around or like the popcorn from
10:07the vendors are going to fly off the serving trays.
10:10Like yesterday, KNC said, well, a lot of other reasons, humidity, you know, make the floor.
10:14Like, they have every other reason and excuse in not opening this thing other than like
10:20the actual play or the fan enjoyment inside the building.
10:24It's patrons slipping and popcorn blowing over.
10:28Wind, to me, is not...
10:29Dumb wrappers going through the air.
10:30To me, wind is not elements.
10:32Rain, heat.
10:33Those are the elements that you build a retractable roof for.
10:35You don't think it's windy in Seattle?
10:37You don't think it's windy in Seattle?
10:38Hey, let me tell you something about the wind here.
10:40Let me tell you something.
10:41All right.
10:41You know, when I went to the backyard of my mom's house and it was like, I went to the
10:43front yard, it was a little windier.
10:44Backyard was less windy.
10:45You know why?
10:46Because they have fences.
10:48The fences up there blocks the wind.
10:49You know, what do they have there?
10:51They have a stadium to block the wind.
10:54So the wind, there is no wind.
10:56You're not going to get wind when you have five stories of blockade.
11:01Now, let me ask you this question.
11:02Why does it bother you and us so much when we're watching on TV?
11:07Because the ball doesn't travel.
11:08Okay, you're mad about...
11:09Cold air.
11:10Okay.
11:10AC, cold air, cold air molecules make a ball travel less.
11:15Go like, is it better with this Rangers pitching staff to have that?
11:19Well, I mean...
11:20Is that an advantage for you with the staff and your offense not being good?
11:24Perhaps.
11:24But I would say this staff is so good, they might not need it.
11:26What, is to have the roof closed?
11:29I would think the roof open would be the advantage.
11:32If you have the pitching, I would think the roof open would be the advantage.
11:36Because if your pitching you trust is better than theirs, then you would get a boost on
11:39your offense.
11:40This is just, they lie.
11:41Every single organization lies.
11:43They all lie.
11:43When they pitch roofs, because every single, there's always a section of a fan base that
11:46goes, I don't want the stadium indoors, and the owners and the people pitching the project
11:51before they go and they steal and bleed the city dry of their tax dollars, tell you, it'll
11:56be open, we promise, and then it turns out it's, read my lips, no new taxes.
11:59But why?
12:00I don't know.
12:01Why?
12:01I don't know.
12:01I don't understand why.
12:03There's some sort of Illuminati thing.
12:04There's no, if MLB has a rule about the wind, you know, like, just disobey.
12:12What are they going to do?
12:13They're not going to fine you.
12:15If they find, they're going to, all you have to do is say, our fans.
12:18That was not because of baseball's rule yesterday.
12:20I just want you to remember this.
12:23If there's any voting that needs to take place in the city of Dallas, or if it's all privately
12:26funded, I guess that would be different or whatever else.
12:28But when the Mavericks arena comes up, if there's something you don't like and they
12:31promise you it's going to be another way, they're lying to you.
12:33That's just what I think.
12:34They're lying to you and don't vote for it.
12:35Why do you care if it's open or closed, personally?
12:37Because baseball is meant to be played outside to me.
12:39Like, in general.
12:40I think baseball should be outdoors.
12:41That's why I wasn't in favor of moving to the new stadium.
12:43I know it was hot.
12:45Okay, that's part of it.
12:46They got to pitch, as Kevin Mill would use to say, they got to pitch against a two.
12:49No, but I'm not going to sit out there and that.
12:51That's ridiculous.
12:52That was stupid.
12:52The stadium looks great.
12:54Roof open.
12:55Roof closed.
12:55Yeah, it's beautiful.
12:56Yeah, roof closed.
12:57Roof closed, it looks like an industrial factory.
13:00It's disgusting.
13:02Everything about it, to me, is better with the roof open.
13:05I thought there were two balls in the first three innings.
13:07It should have been home runs for the Rangers with the roof open.
13:11Again, if there's a threat of rain, yes.
13:14If it's too hot, yes.
13:15If it's too cold, yes.
13:17A little wind, a 17-mile-an-hour wind.
13:19I'm barely changing clubs in a round of golf.
13:22So we have a total that claims he's a field crew worker.
13:25He says, from 682, I beg to differ, I work on the field crew, and I'm telling you, on
13:29Sunday, it was so windy that even though we watered the infield twice by the time the
13:33game started, it looked like it hasn't been watered in a week.
13:36But that's part of baseball.
13:38Like, I don't know.
13:39I mean, just...
13:39That's the...
13:41Just open it.
13:42Open it.
13:43Let us have, like, a game outside every once in a while.
13:46Heat and rain.
13:46Heat and rain.
13:48That's why you close it.
13:49Not the wind.
13:49Teams are liars, and they'll just bleed your tax dollars dry, and then they'll run, like, do whatever
13:54they want, anyway.
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