HitNRun's Blog

Folks -

This is not just about the cold weather.   This team can't hit.  Period.   This team almost got no-hit for the second time in two weeks.  There have been a number of games this season where they have blanked the first time through the lineup.

Mark Texeira's career numbers are trending down - every year since 2004.  Hank Blalock's numbers have been in a steady downward trend.  Nelson Cruz is a bust.  Catalanotto is a bust.  Michael Young and Ian Kinsler are hitters, but they cannot carry this team.

This team needs a trade - now.  They need to trade Texeira and Blalock while they still have any value.  Texeira can still bring a good return. 

But the old cliche that the Rangers "will always hit" is just not true any more. 

 

 

 

I watched the Aggies beat the Penn Quakers in the first round of the NCAA Tourney, and I was actually a little disappointed. 

Last year, I was excited that the Aggies were even in the Tourney, and when they upset Syracuse in the first round, I was fully engulfed with March Madness!  This year its different.  The Aggies are seeded 3rd, expected to win, and some analysts are even picking them to go to the Final 4! 

As long-suffering as A&M basketball fans have been, we should still just be happy to be in the Tournament, and beat ANYBODY!  But it's all changed now.  We are no longer the underdogs, but the favorites, and it's not as fun.  However, it could all change on Saturday, when the Aggies will play Louisville in their own backyard.  The Aggies will be in enemy territory.  You could consider them the underdog, because of the home crowd.  It should be fun again.  Gig'em!

Today's trade by the Rangers is a strong statement by Rangers GM Jon Daniels. He's telling this team he wants to win now. And it is a GREAT trade - at least for this season.

The Rangers essentially traded Francisco Cordero, Kevin Mench, Laynce Nix to Milwaukee for All-Star slugger Carlos Lee. Each team threw in a minor leaguer, but the big name is Lee. He currently has 28 HR and 81 RBI. He is the big threat in the middle of the lineup that has been missing this year with the Rangers. He'll make Mark Teixeira, Michael Young, and Hank Blalock a lot better.

To get Lee, the Rangers gave up a former closer (Cordero) who had lost his confidence and his ability to get outs, a guy who may never make it back to the majors (Nix), and a popular but very inconsistent platoon player (Mench). It's a great trade as the Rangers try to stay in the race for the playoffs.

The downside is that Lee can be a free agent at the end of the season. If the Rangers fail to sign him, they've essentially given up Cordero, Mench, and Nix for a minor leaguer.

But right now, the Rangers are focused on 2006, and the players that are left can no longer blame former do-nothing GM John Hart for failing to support them in a pennant race. Now it's up to them to deliver wins.

Michael Young proved again over the weekend that he is one of the game's best players.

His 2-out, 2-strike hit in the 9th inning on Saturday won the game for the Rangers, and gave them a successful road trip. It was an encore performance of his All-Star game hit that made him the MVP of that game.

Tonight, Rangers fans have a chance to welcome home the best shortstop in the American League. Not Derek Jeter or A-Rod. Nope, the best shortstop in the AL, and one of the best clutch players in the game is Michael Young.

Will Rangers fans give him the standing ovation that he deserves? Will there even be enough fans in the stands at 6:05 to make noise? Lets hope so...

Make sure you see Tiger Wood's shot on the 16th hole at Friday's British Open.

Tiger is back!

John Rheineker goes to the mound in a few minutes for the Rangers. His opponent is Curt Shilling. As inspirational as Rheineker has been this year, try to imagine this matchup in the first round of the playoffs. Big mismatch.

The Rangers still need pitching. GM Jon Daniels has to make the tough decision about giving up prized prospects to land a solid starter. It won't come cheaply. Everyone else wants pitching, too. He could stand pat and hope for help from Adam Eaton, or even Kameron Loe. But if the Rangers are serious about making a run this year, he needs a deal. Holding is the same as folding for this team.

Several pleasant surprises during the first half give the Rangers hope for the second half of the season. Mark DeRosa forced Buck Showalter to make him an everyday player. Ian Kinsler is having a fine rookie season. And no one would have expected what John Rheineker and John Koronka have done.

But the key to the Rangers staying in first place the second half lies with the big guns.

Simply put, Kevin Millwood has to pitch like an ace. And Mark Teixeira has to play like a star.

Millwood has pitched well away from Ameriquest Field, but at home, he has been dismal. He must find a way to master pitching in Arlington, and give the Rangers the anchor they need at the top of the rotation.

And then there's Teixeira. The power has gone out. Tex has has a paltry 9 home runs and 49 RBI at the break. By contrast, David Ortiz has 31 homers and 87 RBI. Big Papi is a big threat. Tex is not right now. Teixeira has to power up in the second half. When he hits it, we need to hear Josh Lewin say... "going, going, gone!".

If not, you can say the same thing about the Rangers chances.

This is why they play the games. If you had watched only the first three innings of today's Ranger game, you would have thought there's no way they would win. But the Rangers and the heat eventually caught up with Johan Santana, and the Rangers win it 5-2. The win combined with Oakland's loss means the Rangers and A's are tied for 1st place in the AL WEST going into the All-Star break.

For a team that struggled at times in the first half, the Rangers have to feel great about their position halfway through the season.

Watching Johan Santana mow down the Rangers on Sunday afternoon. This guy's stuff is not even fair. He struck out the first four batters he faced: All-Stars Gary Matthews and Michael Young, plus Ian Kinsler and Mark Teixeira. They all looked like little leaguers - none came close to making contact.

I watched some terrific baseball at The Ballpark during this Ranger homestand.

One game was a tense pitcher's duel, tied until late in the game, when the Rangers came up with the go ahead run. The starter pitched well. The closer closed. The defense played solid. Exciting baseball. Hardly anyone around me noticed.

Ranger fans may be the least vocal, most apathetic, most clueless fans in all of baseball.

Blame it on the heat. Fans sit glued to their seats like Picasso's famous melting clocks. Entire innings go by and they barely make a sound except when prompted to MAKE NOISE by the jumbotron. The heat is definitely a factor. Some nights are so hot, it's just an exercise in survival to get through the game. Making noise would sap the last ounce of energy needed to walk to the car.

Oh, sure, there are other factors. It's a football state. The drive is too long from Plano, especially after having four beers. There's nothing else to do around the Ballpark. 35 years of less-than-championship baseball.

But the heat is always there.

Oppressive.

Sweltering.

Hey! Get out of your seat. There are 2 strikes and 2 outs in the ninth inning. It's almost time to go home.

Well, so much for not facing Barry Bonds in this series.

Bonds started last night. He doubled, knocked in a run and scored a run, and walked 3 times.

But the story of this game will be the blown call by the 1st base umpire, who ruled that Mark Teixeira's bases loaded shot down the right field line was foul. The ball clearly kicked up some chalk from the foul line. It looked fair. Called foul. Teixeira went ballistic. He got kicked out. Buck Showalter and Michael Young were ejected earlier in the game. The Rangers are clearly showing some frustration as the losses mount.

You can't really call it a June Swoon, because the Rangers are 12-12 for the month, but they've lost 5 of their last 7 and are now as close to 3rd place as 1st place.

Game 2 with the Giants is tonight on FSN at 9pm.

The way Ranger pitchers have been getting beat up lately, this is a bit of good news.

At least they won't have to face Barry Bonds.

Bonds left the Giants' last game on Sunday limping noticeably, and it is doubtful he will play tonight, perhaps not at all this series. The Rangers need all the help they can get, and not having the face the puffed up Bonds will take away one of their biggest threats.

So Rangers pitchers and hitters can simply enjoy the scenery at Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T Park, one of the major's most beautiful stadiums. Let's hope Rangers fans only get to see McCovey Cove when it's the Rangers turn to bat.

While the focus of the Sports World is still on the Mavericks, there will be an interesting sideshow in Arlington this week. Highland Park's Chris Young, who was traded by the Rangers in the off season to San Diego, will start on Wednesday night against his old team. Young is having an outstanding year. He is 6-3 and twice flirted with no-hitters earlier this season. His 3.27 ERA is easily lower than any of the Rangers starters. A couple of other former Rangers are also having solid seasons for the Padres. Chan BLEEP Park (yes! Chan BLEEP Park!) is 5-3 with a 4.15 ERA. He has also been a workhorse, leading the team in innings. Not the Chan BLEEP Park that Ranger fans came to despise during four miserable years in Arlington. First baseman
Adrian Gonzalez is also having a good year, hitting .272 with 9 home runs (3 more than Mark Teixeira).

Should be an interesting series starting tonight, with the Wednesday game providing the highlight with Young vs. Ranger ace Kevin Millwood.

Oh, and by the way, the Rangers are back in FIRST PLACE after an Oakland loss on Monday night.