Bleacher Report - Articles by Brian Hale

How 'BOUT Them...Rangers?!?

Brian Hale — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:40:01 -0400

I know, I know. It's early in the season and all the doubters and pessimists of the baseball world will be the first to refute this entry purely based on the title.

I know the title's popularity gained confidence during America's Team's glory days in '90s and that comparing the Cowboys' legacy to the only team in major league baseball to have never won a postseason playoff series is somewhat ludicrous.

But as someone who has been a fan of the Texas Rangers for over 20 years, can you blame me for being so optimistic and excited?

As of this morning (May 27), the Rangers had the best record in the American League and could be called the second-best team in baseball behind the Los Angeles based, blue and white team whose stadium has its own zip code and (up until the 50-game suspension) had recently been deemed "Mannywood."

The standings don't lie. Sure, I know it's early in the season; the season isn't even one-third complete and October is a long ways off. But if this Arlington, Texas-based team can keep up their momentum, they could be flirting with the 100-wins plateau at the end of the season. Doesn't sound believable, does it?

Everyone knows the Rangers' offense is one of the best in baseball. The elusive question that has been asked since the team arrived in 1972 has always been, "What about the pitching?"

The Rangers finally answered that question last offseason when legendary hurler (and team President) Nolan Ryan vowed to work personally with the pitching staff. The organization also landed pitching coach Mike Maddux from the Brewers to assist.

So far, both moves seem to be paying off for a team who plays in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in all of baseball. The Rangers' pitching staff leads all teams with eight complete games. The five starters are consistently giving six, seven, or eight innings and allowing the bullpen to not become overworked.

The team ERA is below that of the American League average and currently ranks in the middle of the pack in all of baseball. For a team that has consistently been found in the bottom three in terms of team ERA, middle of the pack is a huge jump and confidence boost.

With one of the most powerful offenses in the game, the question now is, will the pitching hold up and continue its current path all season? Or will the pattern of falling off dramatically after the all-star break hold true as many DFW-area fans believe? Don't expect the typical this season. Why? Because of last year.

The Rangers began the month of August on a hot streak and were poised to finish the season above .500 and possibly remain in the wild card race until the end of the season. The injury bug bit the Rangers and they never got the opportunity to prove their case.

This team also has a different swagger and confidence than previous teams. In years past, if a loss ended a four- or five-game win streak, the loss would turn into three or four consecutive losses. Most recently, an 11-1 loss to the hated Yankees ended a three-game win streak for the Rangers.

The response to the lopsided loss was a 7-3 victory over Joba Chamberlain and the Evil Empire who had won 11 of 13 games. Winning the third and final game of the series tonight would only give the Rangers more confidence and push them to 10 games over .500.

It is a long ways until October. If the Rangers can stay healthy and keep the quality starts coming from their pitching staff, it might not be too far-fetched to think this season could be the first time in team history that the Rangers win a playoff series and fans around the Metroplex begin saying, "How 'Bout them Rangers!"

Down On the Texas Rangers' Talent-Rich Farm

Brian Hale — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:43:11 -0400

Like many of the Rangers' first 36 years in Arlington, this offseason began all too soon. 25 players all had dreams of playing in the Fall Classic and being crowned champions of the baseball world.

Those dreams were squashed way back in August. Which begs the question that has been asked all but three times in the history of the Texas Rangers: What needs to be done this offseason to produce a Rays-like season in 2009 and make a run in the playoffs?

The Rangers have a handful of "good problems" to take care of this offseason. Their farm system is rich in talent. They have a number of good, young players who finished the season on the big-league roster. Their depth behind the plate is superior to every team in the league. So, with so many young "phenoms" in the system, what does the team need to be a legitimate contender?

Stay Healthy

The Rangers had a countless number of injuries to key contributors throughout the 2008 campaign. Vicente Padilla, Kevin Millwood, Gerald Laird, Hank Blalock, Ian Kinsler, and David Murphy (to name a few) all lost a substantial number of games due to injury. The four position players mentioned were all everyday players in the lineup. The two pitchers mentioned are advertised to be the No. 1 and 2 starters, respectively.

If the Rangers can stay healthy in 2009, even with the team they had in 2008, they should win 10 more games. That would give the Rangers a record of 89-73; more than good enough to be mentioned as at least a wild-card contender.

Molding of Youth

No, not THAT kind of mold. The kind of mold that you can actually see when nine individual players on the field begin playing as one cohesive unit. With so many injuries last season, the fans in Arlington were treated to a premature talent show. Many prospects in the farm system went from a "slowly but surely" ascent to a "rapid fire" ascent into "The Show."

Their talents were displayed and the future suddenly seemed bright in Arlington. The most notable of players: Chris "Crush" Davis, Matt Harrison, and Taylor Teagarden provided a spark on both sides of the ball near the end of the season.

Davis joined the lineup and looked as though he was a five-year veteran, knocking the cover off the ball almost every at-bat. Harrison struggled in his early starts but quickly got on track, posting impressive wins over playoff-bound teams such as the Angels and White Sox. Teagarden is solid behind the plate with a quick, powerful bat.

If the youth of this team can mold into the framework provided by players like Young, Kinsler, Byrd, and Hamilton—combine Harrison with another successful year from Millwood and Padilla—then I don't think it's a stretch to add another seven games in the win column.

Take the record stated earlier from keeping players healthy, add the seven extra wins, and you suddenly have a team that is 30 games over .500 with a 96-66 record and is a legitimate title contender. The mighty Angels were favorites to win the World Series this season and finished with 100 wins.

Keeping the Tank Full

It's no secret that the Rangers have a history of slowing down after the All Star break. It was again evident last season. Josh Hamilton had a historic offensive showing in the first half of the season. During the second half, he produced only slightly higher numbers than a pinch-hitter for the Royals (Royals fans: I know, my complaint box from you is full).

With less offensive production, the pitching staff is required to take more of the work. Again, it's no secret either that the Rangers have pitching trouble (for more on this, refer to my first article).

Millwood was fairly strong down the stretch, but he also missed several starts during the middle of the season due to injury. Padilla began to struggle late in the season. The bullpen was horrid at the end of the season. Hence, the Rangers were being mentioned as a possible contended up until August.

When the calendars changed to September, the Rangers were an afterthought. They sank down the standings in August to all but crush their postseason dreams. Good clubs make the playoffs by finishing strong—perfect examples are the Rockies and Phillies in 2007 and the White Sox last season.

In order for this club to finish strong, they have to learn to maintain their level of play throughout the hot Texas summer and into the cooler weather of October.

It's easy to write down answers to problems plaguing the team. It's a little more difficult to justify how the team will accomplish those answers. So, how do the Rangers achieve the three answers listed above that will return them to the postseason?

The first step is addressing the Rangers' "good problem" behind the plate. The Rangers have more depth behind the plate than any other team in the league. Gerald Laird is solid behind the plate, both defensively AND offensively (don't forget that Laird led the team in sacrifice hits two years ago).

Other players capable of being the everyday catcher include Max Ramirez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Taylor Teagarden. With so much depth, look for the Rangers to include one or two of these players in a deal that could provide some help to the pitching staff.

Next you have to deal with the slew of offensive hitters on the roster. Will Milton Bradley stay healthy next season? Will he even be a Ranger next season? Will Blalock stay healthy? Will Davis continue his torrid rookie season? This is a time when you wish you could play with nine players in the field but 13 in your batting lineup.

All of the following could and should deserve spots on the everyday lineup card next season: Young, Kinsler, Murphy, Hamilton, Bradley, Byrd, Davis, Laird, Blalock, Vazquez, Cruz, Boggs, and (possibly) Catalanotto. A set, nine-man roster needs to be established as the everyday roster so those core players can "gel," gain confidence in one another, and mold into the aforementioned cohesive unit.

A dream lineup for next season would be as follows (in order): Kinsler, Young, Byrd, Hamilton, Bradley, Davis, Blalock, Boggs, and Laird. With that lineup, the Rangers should score no less than five runs per game, and with a pitching staff with an overall ERA of over five, the more runs the better.

Another question is whether the current coaches can help this team come together as one. Matt Walbeck learned quickly last season as third base coach, and, across the diamond, Gary Pettis knows the game as good as anyone. Ron Washington knows how to "rally the troops," and the team responds to his enthusiasm of the game. Look for the same staff to return next season.

Did we forget one tiny problem area for the Rangers? How could we forget that the legendary Nolan Ryan himself is stirring the pitching pot by taking control of the pitching staff from the ground up.

Don't forget that Ryan promoted long-time Rangers catcher and Hall of Fame member, Jim Sundberg, into a Vice President role. A pitcher/catcher combination now at the top of the Rangers organization? Coincidence? I think not. Look for the Rangers to have different pitching and bullpen coaches by opening day.

With all the youth and change going on at the big-league level, what is left in system for the future? The answer? Plenty. Baseball America ranks Texas as one of the top teams in the league among talent throughout all levels of their farm system. There it is, straight from the horse's mouth (no, not Rangers Captain).

The Rangers' prospects are, without a doubt, raising eyebrows around the league. This is yet another "good problem" the Rangers have that should lift them and return them to October baseball, possibly as early as next season.

Texas Rangers' Offseason Checklist: Same As It's Been Since 1972

Brian Hale — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:46:56 -0400

First things first, after reading the entirety of this article, you will want to revert back to this sentence to reassure yourself that I am, in fact, a Texas Rangers fan.

So much of a fan, in fact, that I am willing to bet the Rangers' upcoming offseason (I know they are not yet mathematically eliminated, but come on, let's be real here) will once again be unsatisfactory to lifelong fans such as myself. Let's look at this first article as positive criticism.

The Rangers' offseason checklist is the same this offseason as it has been since 1972: pitching. The Rangers have had their fair share of quality pitchers, but the organization has never been able to assemble an entire staff that was good enough to carry the team to a world championship.

In the last decade, the pitching problem for Texas has been even more troublesome. This season, the Rangers have the highest team ERA in the league and are one of only two teams with an ERA over 5.00.

Rangers pitching is like looking for a new house but never finding the one with everything you like and want; you wish there was a way to pick certain features from this house and that house and combine them into your dream home. Texas usually has a highly-capable starter or two in the rotation every year or so, but they can never seem to find their own dream home.

Coming in to the 2008 season, the Rangers had high hopes of making it to the World Series, as every team does coming out of Spring Training. They felt like the had a winning combination, both offensively and defensively, that would catapult them to the top of the standings with the AL East big boys: Yankees, Red Sox, and now, Rays.

The team had good reason to think this year was redemption time for 25 years of disappointing baseball in North Texas. Last season, the Rangers had one of the best bullpens in all of baseball. The bulk of the bullpen was coming back in 2008, and the starting rotation looked solid, with Millwood, Padilla, and McCarthy anchoring the top-three spots and all looking for redemption from a disappointing season in 2007. All three are capable of winning 15 games.

Every team in baseball knows that the Rangers have offensive firepower, as they have been among the highest-scoring teams in the league the last several years. The 2008 season emerged as an offensively-gifted season.

Opposing pitchers would visit the very historically hitter-friendly ballpark in Arlington and would have to face a lineup that began with four consecutive All Stars, all selected mainly for their offensive production: Kinsler, Young, Hamilton, and Bradley.

Anyone in baseball will tell you that with those four leading the lineup card, it might be a good idea to start warming up the bullpen before the first pitch is thrown.

The middle infielders, Young and Kinsler, and the young and talented outfield make up for a brilliantly-talented defense. The outfielders, primarily made up of Brandon Boggs, Hamilton, and Marlon Byrd, each have cannons and exemplify long-range throws with consistent accuracy. Combine all these qualities with the fact that the Rangers have one of the top-ranked farm systems in all of baseball, and how can you not be positive about for 2008?

Well, it comes down to that little tiny area that every professional analyst says about every sport. We've all heard: in football, defense wins championships; in basketball, defense wins championships. Well, in baseball, defense also wins championships.

Pitching is part of your defense. And the Rangers still don't have a championship-caliber defense. At least not in the pitching department. So what can be done to get the Rangers to that next level?

Again, the answer is the same as it was 25 years ago: pitching. So, how can you acquire more quality pitchers? Well, you have to give some to get some.

Hank Blalock has, for the most part, it seems, been hurt for the last two seasons. When the team finally believes he is close to coming off the disabled list, he finds a new mysteriously-generated injury like injuring a hamstring by running out a grounder in a rehab start.

The team moved him to play first base to fill the void left by the departure of Mark Teixeira and because the organization has an abundance of talent that can play first and/or third base.

We've seen a multitude of young players this season that can be moved around to fill in the remaining infield positions of third, first and catcher (we are omitting shortstop and second base due to the fact that the Rangers have an All-Star at those positions under contract through 2012).

Max Ramirez, Gerald Laird, Chris Davis, Ramon Vazquez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and German Duran can all be shuffled to take over the remaining infield positions. The only non-rookies of that bunch are Laird and Vazquez. So what purpose does Blalock serve? Why is the team holding on to him?

Sure, he might be classified as a "home-run hitter," but on a team that scores 900 runs per year in a ballpark that historically has some of the highest-scoring games in the league, is he really that beneficial to the team?

A common conversation in the Dallas area regarding the Rangers is:

"The Rangers have a great lineup his year; we're going to score a lot of runs."

"Yeah we are, and we'll lose every game, 15-14."

That says it all. A high-scoring lineup means nothing if you don't have the pitching. Trade Hank Blalock to free up some cap room and try to get a solid pitcher for him. The Rangers should also look at including currently disabled closer C.J. Wilson in a trade deal.

Other pitchers like Frank Francisco or Warner Madrigal can step up into the closer role next season. And every Rangers fan will tell you that the Rangers better have at least a four-run lead heading to the ninth inning if C.J. comes in to pitch.

But even if the Rangers were to offer a trade, would any pitchers want to come to Arlington? Would a quality pitcher like C.C. Sabathia be willing to play in the Texas summer heat? Don't forget, the Rangers don't have a climate-controlled remtractable roof stadium like the Astros due in muggy Houston.

The heat plays a toll on your body and has some experts saying that extended play in the Texas Heat could take some years off your playing time.

With all the current talent on the field, and all the upcoming talent in the farm system, the time for the Rangers to acquire and execute a well-pitched season is now. Probably more so now than ever because the Rangers have never had so many talented players on the field at one time who are in their prime.

The 2009 seasons figures to be another great offensive season for the Rangers. But the Rangers need to rid themselves of Blalock and Wilson to acquire more quality pitchers, and the pitching staff needs to execute to their full potential.

If they don't, it might be a good investment for Mr. Hicks to add a retractable roof and climate control to the hitter-friendly ballpark. Otherwise, we're looking at another 25 years of disappointing baseball in North Texas.