Texas Rangers: Let the Good Times Roll

Shame on all you Ranger doubters this year. 

The majority of people thought the Rangers were doomed for another terrible year.  I do realize there is still a lot of baseball left, but it's safe to say I am not a fair weather fan. 

When the season started I predicted the Rangers to finish around .500 or 81-81.  I still stand by that decision, and my target date of next year making the big move into the playoffs.    

Everyone seemed to be in favor of firing Ron Washington only a month into his second year.  Any baseball fan would know it takes at least three years for a manager to make an impact.  One month into a season is also a terrible way to grade how a season is going to go as well. 

Any baseball fan also knows the game can turn in a hurry, but I don't see how anyone could honestly think the Rangers were going to finish like they did last year.  This team improved at practically every position by virtue of another player or experience.  Anyone would be better than Wilkerson, I know, but the Rangers managed to get Josh Hamilton and David Murphy. 

It feels good to see a big-time power hitter like Hamilton back in Texas—and maybe he can win the Triple Crown this year!  Even as I write this, he just hit a grand slam on the first pitch of his at-bat  I don't know when the last time, if ever, if the Rangers had a player and rookie of the month for the same month. 

I know the price to get Josh Hamilton was steep, and I favor pitching over hitting—especially with the Rangers.  No matter how hard Texas tries to get pitching through free agency, they fail every time—mainly because of the park and heat they play in.  In 10 years the trade will probably be a wash, because both players will end up being stars. 

The pitching staff has been much better and I still can't believe the statistic I uncovered the other day.  If the Rangers pitchers give up under five runs per game, the Rangers will win over 85 games easily, based on the past five years of data. 

The only exception to improvement seems to be first base, but that may not be a weakness for too much longer.  Ben Broussard was a mistake, but he was worth a gamble.  It was a low risk with good potential, and in baseball you take the chances on those any day. 

The Rangers now have the depth in the majors to fill in as needed, and not need to rush players along and give up too early—a move they are notorious for.

Thankfully, the Rangers are now in a position to acquire the last major need through the smart trades they have made over the past season.  The only question for the Rangers is if they will stick with the plan. 

The Rangers are also notorious for screwing up a master plan.  By now I think most of the bandwagon and fair weather fans have come back to the Rangers only because they know they are winning and by word of mouth.  What they don't realize is the Rangers are the best team in baseball right now, and have not lost a series since a road trip to Boston and Detroit where they lost seven games in a row. 

When the season ends, that seven-game losing streak probably will be called rock bottom, and the team should play around .500 for the rest of the year.  For now though let the good times roll, because this is by far the Rangers have played in a long, long time.