27 Days in March

27 days.  That's what we have left until Opening Day!  That's exciting isn't it? Exciting...and...well...terrifying.

We (yup, still on the team) have some questions to answer if your Texas Rangers are going to be ready to win come March 31st.

Questions like:  Who is our 5th starter?  Who is our closer?  Do we need another bat?  Does Mitch Moreland even know what DH stands for?

Don't give me the side eye, Mitch.  It's a legitimate question.

First things first:  The rotation.
If you asked me in December if this was a concern of ours, I would have scoffed in your face. Yeah, that's right.  SCOFFED.  I mean, Yu Darvish, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison, Martin Perez, and Alexi Ogando sounds pretty damn solid to me.  Am I right?  I don't have the utmost faith in Ogando, but as a #5?  Sure, throw him out there.  So what has changed in the last three months you ask?  Here are the Cliff's Notes:

1.  Derek Holland "tripped over his dog".  (And for whatever reason, his dog was playing hockey at the time)

2.  Matt Harrison is more fragile than this guy:

I mean...he needed an MRI after sleeping on a really soft mattress.  Think about that.

So now we have two empty spots in that rotation.  Although, Harrison is really only expected to miss the first series of the season, something tells me we should make a plan B anyway.  (see photo above)

I already mentioned that Harrison might only be out for one series to start the year.  That's the expectation. Now let's go with that and pretend he won't get hurt during the year; so we only need a very temporary stop gap.  And actually, if we go with a four-man rotation to start the year, which is pretty common with all of the off days in the first month of the season, we may not even have to worry about it all.  

Secondly, Holland is due back by the All-Star break.  He recently said in an interview that he is shooting for a June 1st return.  But after micro-fracture knee surgery, that sounds a little to optimistic to me.  But for all I know he was joking and wearing this outfit while he said it:

I think we all know who DumbER is.

I don't think it's a bad idea to go out and get Ervin Santana who is STILL a free agent; at least if he's available at a reasonable price.  The worst case scenario here is that we'd sign him and move someone who is under-performing in the rotation, upon Holland's return, to the bullpen.

If we don't go after Santana, what are the options?  Wash is auditioning the newly-acquired Tommy Hanson, Robbie Ross, Michael Kirkman (who is out of options), and young Nick Tepesch for a starting role.  And while I'm not sure any of them should start, at least he has several guys competing.  

Who is our closer?

A guy named Neftali Feliz came into Rangers camp this spring saying he wants to be the closer. You remember Neftali Feliz, don't you?  He looks like this:

Sit down, A-Rod.

Unfortunately, he also looks like this:

sigh...I need a beer...

Coming off of Tommy John and into the closer role seems a little ambitious.  In fact, once Scary Joe Nathan left the team (PRAISE JESUS!), I think I just kind of assumed that Joakim Soria would walk into that role.  So maybe this isn't an issue?  Or maybe it is?  

Let's keep in mind that we still have Tanner Scheppers and Robbie Ross in the pen that might also be able to fill the role; Scheppers more than Ross, I think.  Well...as long as he doesn't get beat up by a bunch of street toughs again.  

Just kidding...that never happened.  Scheppers made it up.  Dummy.  

I am hereby deeming this a non-issue. 

Is Mitch Moreland really going to DH?

Somewhere out there, Mitch Moreland is giving me the stink eye.  

I doubt she gave you the stink eye.  That's just how her face looks.

Let's talk about 28-year old Mitchell Austin Moreland for a moment, shall we?  This will be Moreland's fifth MLB season and every year I think "man I like Mitch, this will be his year".  And every year...I am incorrect. The truth is, I like Moreland, he's been a semi-solid player and he has really learned to play a nice first base. BUT(!), do these look like DH numbers to you?:

His highest BA and HR totals in a year are .275 and 23.  DH?  Meh.

I actually kind of like the 23 home runs.  He has some pop.  Not exactly DH pop, but pop nonetheless.  And we do have some home run power in Prince Fielder, who in our park could hit 40-45+ home runs, Adrian Beltre who will most likely hit over 30 home runs again this year (as he's done in all of his Rangers years), and Alex Rios who should also get us 20 or so.  And lest we forget that Shin Soo Choo could hit in the neighborhood of 20 home runs as well.  So the Rangers aren't exactly powerless.  But surely you understand the concern after the abysmal offensive showing of 2013.

So that begs the question:  Do we need another bat?

At this point I think it would be nice, but more of a reassurance than a necessity.  Who knows? Mitchell may surprise us.  And by us, I mean me.  It will also be nice to have Mitch around to spell Prince at first in the dog days of July and August.  And a Fresh Prince...

His license plate said 'Fresh' and he had dice in the mirror...

Fielder can surely wreak havoc.

So what do you think Rangers fans?  Are we ready for Opening Day 2014?

27 days left!  We can do this right?  We'll make it...it's been so long already...what's another 27 days.

Happy Spring Training everybody!

I Told You So...

Do you guys remember a couple months ago when everybody was in huge state of panic about our Texas Rangers?  Yeah, me either...

Kidding...of course I remember.  I wrote this, didn't I?  Thank goodness for the quality baseball minds here at 162+ who told you guys to pull yourselves together...the season is long...we'll be okay..NOBODY FREAK OUT, etc.  You remember it now, right?

And at that point, which was July 8th, our Texas Rangers were 14 games OVER and in 2nd place in the West by only HALF A GAME.  Tsk, tsk, spoiled fans (including me...I was in a mini-panic..but don't tell anyone).

Well now I am here to do what any self-respecting baseball blogger would do: say I TOLD YOU SO. Haha.  Okay...not exactly "I told you so".  But let's just reinforce the "Nobody Freak Out" blog post by looking at this:

Now that's a good lookin' ball club as of 8/27/13.

So what do we have here?  We are looking at TWENTY ONE games over .500 and a 2.5 game lead over the Oakland Athletics my friends.  And that is sounding pretty good to me.

And while we have still have had plenty of injuries and re-injuries (can guys quit getting hurt rehabbing?  I'm looking at you Matty & Colby), we have also had some guys get healthy. Joakim Soria was finally ready to go in early July.  Martin Perez has come roaring back from the DL with some pretty stellar games.  And Jeff Baker managed to fight back from an extremely vigorous high-five.

That DL stint due to high-five actually did happen, btw.  That's why the guys do this after hits now.

Of course, we obviously can't talk about this team and how they might finish the season without mentioning who we've lost.  But, so far, we seem to have overcome those obstacles.  First on the Man Down list:  Nelson Cruz.  MLB suspended Nelly for 50 games on August 5th as you probably know.  50 games means he's done for the season.  However, he is eligible to come back for the playoffs.  The rumor is he's playing ball in the Dominican trying to stay fresh until then.  We'll see.

Not the best defensive outfielder that ever was, but we'll definitely miss his boomstick.

Alexi Ogando managed to land himself back on the DL after a brief return to the rotation (shoulder inflammation).  But, based on the starts he had in that return, we ain't missin' much.  Old Man Berkman also managed to injure himself...AGAIN.  Of course, this is what most of us expected of the 37-year old DH.  I mean...he's on the DL with a hip problem.  Literally.  I'm not even making that up.  And because he wasn't producing much either before his latest injury, he's in the same boat with Ogando; not even sure we want them to come back. Young Nick Tepesch has also found himself on the on the DL.  But I'm not even sure he's hurt.  I think that's Wash finding a way to not have to start him again.  But, as I've said before, he did as much as we could have expected him to do in the position the team threw him in.  So, we'll see you again, kid!  (FYI, they are calling it 'elbow inflammation')

The team has also added a couple of new faces too though, before and after the trade deadline.  

Dat's right...

Ready for your intros?  

One strikeout...ah, ah, ah...

At least 75% of Rangers fans think Matt Garza looks like The Count.  I am one of them.  Since joining the team at the end of July, Garza has had bouts of pitching brilliance, Twitter ignorance, and a few bad starts as well.  As of now, his Rangers ERA sits at 4.44; not so hot.  But only time will tell how this acquisition will pan out.  Here's to hoping he starts pitching like hid did in his first two starts as a Ranger again soon.

Lucky for me, nobody reads your little TIME magazine.  Or whatever it's called.

So...it has come to my attention that Alex Rios is really, really ridiculously good looking. Unfortunately, he thinks so too.  So all I can think of is the movie Zoolander.  Derek Zoolander..."A Model Idiot".  Anyway, Our male model is hitting .279 as a Texas Ranger.  And some of those hits have been of the clutch variety. I've never been a huge fan of this guy, I always thought he was overrated (I'm still not convinced otherwise). But he's playing well for us thus far, and we really needed offense prior to his arrival. As with Garza, I guess we'll have to wait and see how this one pans out.

Utility guys don't get funny pictures or even nicknames really.  Poor guy.

Adam Rosales was picked up, DFA'd, picked up again, and now he's actually on the team. Alright! He adds a nice glove on the bench and isn't expected to do too much other than that. But, he's a new Ranger nonetheless.

So none of these guys seem like team saviors, do they?  Well..they're not.  They're not big bat Mike Stanton like I was hoping for.  And they're not big ace Cliff Lee of a couple years ago.  The truth is, there wasn't too much on the trading block this year to choose from, even for JD, Jedi that he is.  But as we've already read, this team didn't really need a savior per se.  They just needed to patch some holes here and there.  So, I'm still hopeful for a lengthy playoff run, even if not a full on world championship.  Why, you ask?  Two very good reasons:

1.  Harry Caray:

He's such a clown, but he's been dealin'.

2.  And The International Man of Mystery:

What a ridiculous photo this is.  And an organized team photo no less!

Well, that's all for now.  Feeling pretty confident in this team.  But we're in the midst of the dog days of summer and September will prove to be very important, just like last year.  Sorry if I brought on any Josh Hamilton flashbacks.

Dutch is throwing on the West Coast tonight.  Stupid 9PM start.  

131 down, 31 to go.