Archive for the ‘Rangers’ Category

When you ride with Ron Washington, the most successful manager in Rangers history, you get all of him.

The Wash that used Alexi Ogando last night I didn’t like. The Wash who didn’t let Scot Feldman bat in the 11th inning when pinch-hitting meant going to Mark Lowe I didn’t like. The Wash who didn’t let Feliz go out for a second inning I didn’t like. The Wash who played his OFers so deep that Lance Berkman couldn’t help but find an open spot for a game-tying single I didn’t like. Anything over the OFers head would have been a homer anyway.

But when you lose a tough game like that I’m glad Wash is on the Rangers side. He’s calm. He knows how to get his team to move on. And he’s going to love his guys as much today as he did yesterday.

Having Ron Washington perhaps contributed to losing that crazy game. But having Ron Washington in the dugout could mean a win tonight in Game 7.

And having a manager get a team to back-to-back World Series. That Wash I like a lot.

Crossing my fingers.

Major league baseball changed its schedule to finish on Wednesday this year and probably as the suits hoped the final day will have all eyes focused on baseball.

I’m rooting for the Rays to get in ahead of the Red Sox so I’d love to see the fighting Showalters in Baltimore pull a stunner against Jon Lester and the Sox.

This Boston collapse has been amazing to follow. The Red Sox started 2-10, then were the best team in baseball for the next several months until the calendar turned to September. Now they look like the bunch that started off 2-10.

I follow the NL much less than the AL but the Braves have also faded down the stretch, while the Cardinals are streaking toward the finish line.

There’s a good chance at least one of these races may need an extension to Thursday.

The Texas Rangers have done what they were supposed to lately, winning a series in Oakland to build a four-game lead and then pushing the AL advantage to six with wins over the Angels the past two nights.

I think they’re winning this division even if they lose the next two games. I just think their team is a little deeper, a little better.

But they could really put the Angels out of their misery with two more wins.

Ervin Santana hasn’t lost since June. He’s 6-0 since his last loss and has been one of the best pitchers in the league.

Jared Weaver goes Thursday. He’s been one of the best in the league all year, although he’s a distant second or third behind Justin Verlander of the Tigers in the Cy Young race.

But the Rangers have their own ace, C.J. Wilson, going tonight against Santana. We don’t get a rematch of the 1-0 Weaver over Wilson game from the last time these teams met, but this should be good.

My hunch is that the Angels find a way to win tonight. Their backs are against the proverbial wall.

But wouldn’t it be fun if instead the Rangers pushed the Angels off the proverbial cliff?

I wanted to see Cliff Lee back in Texas. After that drama was over, I would have loved to see the Rangers trade for Zach Greinke. Dealing for Tampa’s Matt Garza would have been nice and it still might be an option during the 2011 season.
But although I knew Mr. Ryan and Mr. Greenberg are in control, the negativity that comes with being a Ranger follower for so many years kept making me think the next Chan Ho Park was on the way.
You miss out on Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens so you throw big money at Park. That did a lot more to hurt the Rangers than A-Rod’s 252M ever did.
They followed that with Vicente Padilla, Kevin Millwood and a horrid trade for Adam Eaton.
To bring that philosophy to 2010/2011 the Rangers would be annoucing a five-year deal with Carl Pavano, who looked like the best veteran free agent starter once Lee had signed.
The Rangers have in-house options that may be able to exceed Pavano, but nationally I would see the Rangers rumored as a possible destination.

Tonight, I’m going to watch the Rangers in the World Series. No really, I’m going to watch the Rangers in the World Series.

The Rangers haven’t made it this far — well ever in real life — and their last appearance in the World Series was when I played a strat-o-matic season with one of their better second-place clubs in the 1980s.

My kids, who adore  the Rangers of course, and my wife, who loves her Rangers but hates walks and pickoff moves, and myself will watch the World Series with our favorite team playing in it.

You know the bad part, my kids will think this is normal. They didn’t have to suffer and push the Rangers uphill both ways in the snow. They don’t know about the Sammy Sosa trade or Ron Darling giveaway.  They think of 7-11 as a conveniece store, not the typical Ranger losing score.

They think the Rangers are great. That having a star like Josh Hamilton is normal. And getting past the Yankees is no big deal, not with an ace or two on your side.

Well, I guess what they don’t know what hurt them just yet.

While I was interviewing Windthorst coach Bill Green on Friday night, getting my notes together to write a blowout football game story, the Texas Rangers were blowing a playoff game.

In Texas-sized fashion Ron Washington’s club gave up a 5-0 lead and lost 6-5. They entered the eighth inning  up 5-1 and left it down 6-5.

So I didn’t see it live, but I lived it later, watching the highlight shows and reading several commentaries and anlysis of the game. I’ve seen every play from the eighth inning now.

And I was so disappointed. The Rangers lost a playoff game  so surely the Yankees hit a key three-run homer off Neftali Feliz. Maybe they had four straight hits off Alexi Ogando

Poor Feliz, maybe he’ll bounce back. He’s got electric stuff, but if Alex Rodriguez or Robinson Cano got good wood on his 98 mph heater then let’s tip our hats to the Yankees.

But then I saw the highlights, again and again. I read the columns, most of which won’t take the lovable Washington to task. The Rangers carried a four-run lead into the eighth inning and somehow managed to lose the game without their best two relievers even throwing a pitch.

That should make Nolan Ryan want to throw up. It made me want to and I had a wonderful Ronnie’s Burger on Friday night.

If the roles are reversed and the Yankees haven’t used their closer in about a week and there’s a 4-run lead getting away in the 8th inning, I can guarantee you the Rangers don’t win without getting the winning hit off Mariano Rivera.

Feliz looks like he’s about half of Rivera’s age so surely he can go 4, 5 or even 6 outs in such a big game. And if he can only go 3, can’t he get the Rangers out of the 8th inning jam and then let one of the gasoline gang try the 9th.

To forfeit that lead without using your ace when you’re that close to the finish line is inexcusable. There will be jokes about the Ranger bullpen, but OliverOdayRapHolland should have never happened.

I’d much rather have seen a grand slam off Feliz. You don’t use your 9th, 10th and 11th pitchers in the ALCS and definitely not when you have a lead.

To manage the game like it was April 15th instead of October 15th made Washington look stupid. Even if most of the columnists in the Arlington press box wouldn’t call Washington on it.

Anyone letting him use the crutch of how he went with those guys all year long is enabling Wash’s mismanagement.

Why not let Andres Blanco play short and lead off? Is it too late to get Joaquin Arias back in uniform?