Playing Pepper 2009: Texas Rangers

As the players start getting themselves ready for another season, I thought it'd be a good idea to do the same. I contacted a blogger for each major league team and posed to them five questions. This is the result. You can find the tentative schedule of teams here and today's main post is right here.

Since I live in Arkansas, I get to see a lot of Ranger games. Over the past few seasons, I've come to enjoy watching them and rooting for some of their players. (Josh Hamilton's story blows me away, but then again, who isn't impressed?) Sadly, they've never seemed to have the pitching to put together with that typically high-powered offense.

Adam from Lone Star Ball was gracious enough to answer some questions ranging from the rotation to Hamilton and points in between.

C70: Who will make up the rotation and what kind of season do you think they will have?

LSB: The rotation, barring injuries, seems set with Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Matt Harrison, Scott Feldman, and Brandon McCarthy.  Jason Jennings is on a minor league deal and will likely start the season in Frisco while working back into shape and waiting to see who goes down.  He's probably the first guy up if someone gets hurt or falls on his face.

The rotation has the ability to be decent, if everyone stays healthy and pitches like they can.  Health is the biggest issue, at least for the first few months...by July and August, guys like Derek Holland, Neftali Feliz will likely be knocking on the door, so the main thing should be to get through the first half of the season healthy.  If the rotation can do that, it should be okay.

C70: How exactly is the catching situation going to sort itself out?

LSB: My guess is that Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden start off the season splitting time, but Teagarden ends up the starter if he stays healthy.

C70: What was the fan base reaction to Michael Young's unwillingness to move to third base?

LSB: On my blog, very hostile.  And really, I think overall, he probably lost some goodwill with the fans.  He was largely seen as bulletproof because of his character and reputation, his embodiment of the team-first player.  The tantrum over switching to third base (a move I've been advocating for a while) sullies that.

C70: How much of an impact will Mike Maddux make on the pitching staff?

LSB: I'm really not sure about Maddux.  Really, his biggest impact on the pitching staff would probably be getting Ben Sheets here, since there's a huge trickle-down effect from that.  He has a great reputation, and he has some good material to work with, but Texas seemingly has been hexed when it comes to pitching.  (Adam and I exchanged questions before the news of Sheets' injury was known.)

C70: Can Josh Hamilton hit 40 or more HR this season?

LSB: If he stays healthy, I'll be very surprised if he doesn't hit 40.

Thanks to Adam for his responses.  One of these years Texas is going to have some pitching, and when they do, the West better look out.  It remains to be seen if this is that year.