TruBlueCowboy
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The Rangers almost jumped into 1st place in the AL West today, but the Angels came back to win a tough one in the 10th. I don't follow the Rangers as religiously as I do the Cowboys and Spurs, but because I did play a lot of baseball, and Rangers like Charlie Hough, Nolan Ryan and Scott Fletcher were my heroes growing up, I'm still a sucker for Rangers baseball.
It broke my heart watching the Rangers fall apart at the end of last year, especially because so many people had predicted it. So is this the year the "new squad" goes all the way? I'm not afraid of Oakland anymore. Billy Beane can write all the money ball books he wants, when you trade almost your entire starting staff, it hurts you. If not the pitching, the team chemistry and morale. Seattle still looks like they've lost the magic. The AL West looks a little weak this year, and the Angels (which are a great team!) look to be our main competition.
It's been fun watching Blalock, Texeira, Young and a whole new generation of fellas replace Rafey, Pudge, Juan and the others. I think they've finally come full circle. Our starting pitching isn't looking too shabby either. It's about time Chan Ho Park finally started putting up some wins!
I wonder, though, why Tom Hicks will blow $12 million a year on Chan Ho, but not $15 million a year on Pedro Martinez. The relievers haven't been the greatest this year and that was a former strength. You also have to wonder how long Kenny Rogers can hold out at this level? I'm still worried about our pitching, it seems to be the eternal Texas Rangers curse. Just the other week, I was checking out a Flash presentation at ESPN that spotlighted all the great young pitchers in today's MLB (Dontrell Willis, Mark Prior, et al). There seems to be a huge number of nasty pitchers in their early or mid 20's in MLB right now, and I was disappointed that not a single Ranger made the list. (We did make a lot of the batters list!) You have to wonder if Hart is doing the same thing he did in Cleveland, an entire roster of terrific hitter, but forever doomed in the pitching department.
So what do you think? Is it the new-look Rangers year?
It broke my heart watching the Rangers fall apart at the end of last year, especially because so many people had predicted it. So is this the year the "new squad" goes all the way? I'm not afraid of Oakland anymore. Billy Beane can write all the money ball books he wants, when you trade almost your entire starting staff, it hurts you. If not the pitching, the team chemistry and morale. Seattle still looks like they've lost the magic. The AL West looks a little weak this year, and the Angels (which are a great team!) look to be our main competition.
It's been fun watching Blalock, Texeira, Young and a whole new generation of fellas replace Rafey, Pudge, Juan and the others. I think they've finally come full circle. Our starting pitching isn't looking too shabby either. It's about time Chan Ho Park finally started putting up some wins!
I wonder, though, why Tom Hicks will blow $12 million a year on Chan Ho, but not $15 million a year on Pedro Martinez. The relievers haven't been the greatest this year and that was a former strength. You also have to wonder how long Kenny Rogers can hold out at this level? I'm still worried about our pitching, it seems to be the eternal Texas Rangers curse. Just the other week, I was checking out a Flash presentation at ESPN that spotlighted all the great young pitchers in today's MLB (Dontrell Willis, Mark Prior, et al). There seems to be a huge number of nasty pitchers in their early or mid 20's in MLB right now, and I was disappointed that not a single Ranger made the list. (We did make a lot of the batters list!) You have to wonder if Hart is doing the same thing he did in Cleveland, an entire roster of terrific hitter, but forever doomed in the pitching department.So what do you think? Is it the new-look Rangers year?