Is it another mirage?
I KNOW better. Really. Been here, done this before.
The Texas Rangers are in first place. I don't even have to look, the calendar must say it's May.
There are actual t-shirts worn around the DFW area that poke fun at this repeating situation - "Start fast. Finish early." That has been the team's unofficial slogan since it moved to Texas from Washington way back when. Except for the more recent seasons, when the Rangers decided to avoid any semblance of pressure by losing loads of games in April and burying themselves early.
But nearly all of the faces have changed now, and so has the manner in which they win. Oh, they still hit home runs. I think currently they lead the majors in them, so that hasn't changed. But what has become apparent to many baseball people is that the Texas Rangers appear to reflect an understanding of the way the really good teams add to their win totals season after season - with pitching and defense.
While driving back from our recent vacation to the Redneck Riviera (Fort Morgan, AL), I was listening to an NPR show dedicated to the science aspects of baseball. The main item being discussed was whether or not the new Yankee Stadium was going to be a home run park (too early to tell). But an analysis of the season so far had one of the participants mention how much better the pitching for the Rangers appeared to be now that the team was playing good defense. The same pitchers as last year suddenly have lowered ERAs. He attributed it to changes made behind them. Michael Young, an outstanding hitter (of course; Rangers? Hello?), has been moved to third base in order for an outstanding fielding shortstop to shore up the middle infield. Elvis Andrus was said to be one of those "generation" shortstops, a la Ozzie Smith. His defense has been all that. Who knew he could handle major league pitching as he has so far? Young's limited range is masked at third but his steady play and good hands show why he is a pro's pro. Josh Hamilton can run down lots of balls in center field that in seasons past made it to the wall. Mark Grace referred to Marlon Byrd as "a very good outfielder" in yesterday's telecast of the Rangers win over the Angels.
Grace also pointed out the outstanding fundamentals that led to the Rangers first run. After Ian Kinsler was hit with the second pitch of the game, leading to Angels' starter John Lackey's ejection, he stole second base. Young, batting cleanup, moved him to third with a ground out to second base. It was as fine an at-bat as Young could have had. He took three pitches to start with; the pitcher for the Angels had to enter the game without notice due to Lackey's ejection. While he was afforded all the time he needed to physically warm-up, his mind was most likely still playing catch up. Those first three pitches were balls. 3-0 count. Probably a fast ball coming. Of course Young is taking the pitch. But Kinsler is still in the game, playing manager Ron Washington style. He takes a very good lead and is off with the first motion of Loux, the new Angels pitcher. There is no chance to throw him out, even with the fastball down the middle for strike one. Young pushes the next pitch to the right side of the infield and is an easy out for the second baseman. But now Kinsler is standing on third with one out. He crosses the plate a few moments later when Hamilton lifts the low, outside pitch to left for an easy sacrifice flyball. One runs, no hits, no one left on base when Hank Blalock (now playing first after Young's move to third) flies out to end the inning. The game ends with the Rangers winning 5-3 without the benefit of an extrabase hit. Starter Vicente Padilla goes an improbable eight innings, after needing more than eighty pitches to get through the first five, perhaps providing some early evidence that team president Nolan Ryan's emphasis on conditioning for pitchers is paying benefits.
Yes, Rangers diehards have been here before. We know Johnny Oates isn't on the bench. Temperatures are just starting to touch the 90s with regularity. But things look a bit different through these rose colored glasses this spring and we are so thirsty for another taste of a meaningful August and September. It would be very, very cool indeed if the Rangers could stay on the top the of the AL West and the Dallas Morning News Sports page for an extended time and keep the Cowboys and the new stadium regulated to "below the fold" territory.
The Texas Rangers are in first place. I don't even have to look, the calendar must say it's May.
There are actual t-shirts worn around the DFW area that poke fun at this repeating situation - "Start fast. Finish early." That has been the team's unofficial slogan since it moved to Texas from Washington way back when. Except for the more recent seasons, when the Rangers decided to avoid any semblance of pressure by losing loads of games in April and burying themselves early.
But nearly all of the faces have changed now, and so has the manner in which they win. Oh, they still hit home runs. I think currently they lead the majors in them, so that hasn't changed. But what has become apparent to many baseball people is that the Texas Rangers appear to reflect an understanding of the way the really good teams add to their win totals season after season - with pitching and defense.
While driving back from our recent vacation to the Redneck Riviera (Fort Morgan, AL), I was listening to an NPR show dedicated to the science aspects of baseball. The main item being discussed was whether or not the new Yankee Stadium was going to be a home run park (too early to tell). But an analysis of the season so far had one of the participants mention how much better the pitching for the Rangers appeared to be now that the team was playing good defense. The same pitchers as last year suddenly have lowered ERAs. He attributed it to changes made behind them. Michael Young, an outstanding hitter (of course; Rangers? Hello?), has been moved to third base in order for an outstanding fielding shortstop to shore up the middle infield. Elvis Andrus was said to be one of those "generation" shortstops, a la Ozzie Smith. His defense has been all that. Who knew he could handle major league pitching as he has so far? Young's limited range is masked at third but his steady play and good hands show why he is a pro's pro. Josh Hamilton can run down lots of balls in center field that in seasons past made it to the wall. Mark Grace referred to Marlon Byrd as "a very good outfielder" in yesterday's telecast of the Rangers win over the Angels.
Grace also pointed out the outstanding fundamentals that led to the Rangers first run. After Ian Kinsler was hit with the second pitch of the game, leading to Angels' starter John Lackey's ejection, he stole second base. Young, batting cleanup, moved him to third with a ground out to second base. It was as fine an at-bat as Young could have had. He took three pitches to start with; the pitcher for the Angels had to enter the game without notice due to Lackey's ejection. While he was afforded all the time he needed to physically warm-up, his mind was most likely still playing catch up. Those first three pitches were balls. 3-0 count. Probably a fast ball coming. Of course Young is taking the pitch. But Kinsler is still in the game, playing manager Ron Washington style. He takes a very good lead and is off with the first motion of Loux, the new Angels pitcher. There is no chance to throw him out, even with the fastball down the middle for strike one. Young pushes the next pitch to the right side of the infield and is an easy out for the second baseman. But now Kinsler is standing on third with one out. He crosses the plate a few moments later when Hamilton lifts the low, outside pitch to left for an easy sacrifice flyball. One runs, no hits, no one left on base when Hank Blalock (now playing first after Young's move to third) flies out to end the inning. The game ends with the Rangers winning 5-3 without the benefit of an extrabase hit. Starter Vicente Padilla goes an improbable eight innings, after needing more than eighty pitches to get through the first five, perhaps providing some early evidence that team president Nolan Ryan's emphasis on conditioning for pitchers is paying benefits.
Yes, Rangers diehards have been here before. We know Johnny Oates isn't on the bench. Temperatures are just starting to touch the 90s with regularity. But things look a bit different through these rose colored glasses this spring and we are so thirsty for another taste of a meaningful August and September. It would be very, very cool indeed if the Rangers could stay on the top the of the AL West and the Dallas Morning News Sports page for an extended time and keep the Cowboys and the new stadium regulated to "below the fold" territory.
posted by Kurt at 7:28 AM
2 Comments:
You got it right with the new mentality. The Rangers are starting to think in baseball terms, not football. Which means most of the populace in the metroplex will struggle with front office decisions: like moving Young even at the expense of irritating him. I'm not drinking the Kool Aid yet, I think they're still 1 year away from competing, 2 away from winning. But .500 is a real possibility this year.
I've been away on vacation since the 7th, but the talk radio buzz was calling for Ron Washington AND Jon Daniels to get fired before I left. I wonder what the word is now. Especially since I heard repeated on several different national outlets that the trade that sent Mark Texeria to Atlanta is considered one of the finest trades EVER in baseball history. EVER.
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