It's not a stretch to say that in 20 years from now, we'll look back on the summer of 2010 and remember this year as the most star-studded free agent class in NBA history.
LeBron James obviously headlines the group. But there's not a whole ton of dropoff after the king.
Dwyane Wade. Chris Bosh. Dirk Nowitzki. Carlos Boozer. Paul Pierce. Joe Johnson. Amar'e Stoudemire. David Lee. Rudy Gay.
Those are probably the top 10. It's one hell of a list.
With this glamorous list in mind, how active will Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks be in their offseason plans this summer?
It appears Dirk is staying with the only team he's known in his 12 years in the NBA.
My thoughts? Great news.
Look, Dirk is Metroplex property at this point. I can't imagine the guy playing on any other team. Sure, he's nearing the end of his prime, but he's still a superstar and the best player to ever put on a Mavericks uniform. Hopefully, Cuban and co. lock him up another four years for $80-$90 million and move on to looking at free agents. He is well worth the money.
As of right now, the Dallas starting lineup is solid, but a theme begins to take shape when taking a look at the starters in the last game from last season's ugly playoff loss to San Antonio. It's no secret: The Mavs should look to get younger.
Jason Kidd: 37
Caron Butler: 30
Shawn Marion: 32
Dirk Nowitzki: 32
Brendan Haywood: 30
Experience is critical as we've seen in recent years with the Spurs and Lakers, but Dallas must get younger. Jason Terry (32) and Erick Dampier (34) aren't getting any younger either. Roddy Beaubois (22), who should start seeing much more time next season, is about the only youngster who could have a big impact for us.
Dallas hasn't really been in the conversation to land any of the top 10 free agents, aside from brief rumors about Joe Johnson. The national media seems to think Johnson's bound to land elsewhere, maybe even restructuring a deal to stay in Atlanta.
Should be interesting to see what the Mavs do. Starting at 11 p.m. tonight (central time), the phone lines of just about every NBA owner and GM are going to be lighting up. Rumors will continue to swirl.
I just hope to start the 2010-2011 season, Dallas a starting lineup with at least one guy in his 20s.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
How many Rangers will be all-stars?
There's something intriguing about several Rangers potentially being invited to this year's all-star game: the location.
This year's midsummer classic on July 13 will take place in Anaheim, Calif.
Ah yes, the home of the Angels, the rivals that we're attempting to dethrone.
Texas has a chance to land quite a few players in this year's game.
Most Angels fans — and this is just a guess — probably don't respect us all that much yet. Anaheim has won three straight AL West titles and five of the past six. They expect another division title this year and I can't say I blame them.
This has been the target year (2010) for the Rangers to win the West for a while. It should be pretty fun to have a slew of Rangers being introduced in our rivals' backyard. Especially Vladimir Guerrero. I wonder what kind of reception he'll get.
I'll be watching closely that night when our players are introduced. We're probably going to have more all-stars than the Angels this year, or any other AL West team for that matter. The fact that it's going to be in Anaheim is pretty neat.
Here are some Rangers who should make the roster, or have a chance to make it:
Predicted all-stars:
1. Josh Hamilton, outfield.
Biggest no-brainer of them all. The guy's line (.343 average, 18 HR, 58 RBI, 52 R, 6 SB) is good enough as is, and we still have two weeks before the all-star game. Hamilton is already being talked about as a triple crown candidate.
2. Vladimir Guerrero, designated hitter.
Also should be a unanimous selection. Vlad's hitting .330 with 16 homers and 63 RBIs. Detroit's Miguel Cabrera is the only player in baseball with more RBIs (66).
3. Elvis Andrus, shortstop.
Elvis is currently second, behind New York's Derek Jeter, in the fan voting. He leads all shortstops in runs (51) and stolen bases (22), which should get him in as Jeter's backup. His .296 batting average is solid, while his .378 on-base percentage is superb.
4. Neftali Feliz, closer.
Feliz should get an invite based purely on the fact that he leads the American League in saves (20). And it's not like his numbers (2.70 ERA, 37/11 K/BB ratio) are inflated to the point where he wouldn't get serious consideration.
5. Michael Young, third base.
Working against Young is the fact that two top-level third basemen (Alex Rodriguez and Evan Longoria) are all-star guarantees. He'd have to make the team as a reserve player's pick. Boston's Adrian Beltre is also having a slightly better year statistically than Young. Mike is actually ahead of Beltre in the fan voting.
Young has come up big in previous all-star games, delivering the winning hit for the AL in 2008. He also seems to be an extremely popular players pick, so I think he has a decent chance.
Still a chance, but not counting on it:
Ian Kinsler, second base.
Dustin Pedroia's injury certainly increases the chances for Kinsler, who's currently third in the fan voting. New York's Robinson Cano is the slam-dunk starter, while Pedroia would have been the obvious backup. Kinsler (.294/3/24/7 SB's) will have to win it over guys with better numbers, like Ben Zobrist (.293/5/40/12 SB's) of Tampa Bay. Missing the first month probably should prohibit Kinsler from making the team this year.
Nelson Cruz, outfield.
He's fourth in the fan voting among outfielders, and his line (.321/10/39) is good, but two trips to the disabled list have prevented his numbers from being eye-popping. Cruz probably shouldn't make the trip this year.
Colby Lewis, starting pitcher
Lewis has been the Rangers' best starter this season, accumulating a 7-5 record, 98.2 innings pitched (more than I could have hoped for in the first half), a 3.28 ERA, 94 strikeouts and 34 walks. Lewis, when being compared to the rest of the AL, has solid, but not spectacular numbers. He may not make the all-star team, but he should garner serious consideration for comeback player of the year if his second half replicates his first half.
Can't wait to watch the all-star game. I'm already off work for it, and my mom will be in town to watch it with me. Five Rangers on the squad would be the most we've put on the team in a while, certainly the most since I've been following the team.
This year's midsummer classic on July 13 will take place in Anaheim, Calif.
Ah yes, the home of the Angels, the rivals that we're attempting to dethrone.
Texas has a chance to land quite a few players in this year's game.
Most Angels fans — and this is just a guess — probably don't respect us all that much yet. Anaheim has won three straight AL West titles and five of the past six. They expect another division title this year and I can't say I blame them.
This has been the target year (2010) for the Rangers to win the West for a while. It should be pretty fun to have a slew of Rangers being introduced in our rivals' backyard. Especially Vladimir Guerrero. I wonder what kind of reception he'll get.
I'll be watching closely that night when our players are introduced. We're probably going to have more all-stars than the Angels this year, or any other AL West team for that matter. The fact that it's going to be in Anaheim is pretty neat.
Here are some Rangers who should make the roster, or have a chance to make it:
Predicted all-stars:
1. Josh Hamilton, outfield.
Biggest no-brainer of them all. The guy's line (.343 average, 18 HR, 58 RBI, 52 R, 6 SB) is good enough as is, and we still have two weeks before the all-star game. Hamilton is already being talked about as a triple crown candidate.
2. Vladimir Guerrero, designated hitter.
Also should be a unanimous selection. Vlad's hitting .330 with 16 homers and 63 RBIs. Detroit's Miguel Cabrera is the only player in baseball with more RBIs (66).
3. Elvis Andrus, shortstop.
Elvis is currently second, behind New York's Derek Jeter, in the fan voting. He leads all shortstops in runs (51) and stolen bases (22), which should get him in as Jeter's backup. His .296 batting average is solid, while his .378 on-base percentage is superb.
4. Neftali Feliz, closer.
Feliz should get an invite based purely on the fact that he leads the American League in saves (20). And it's not like his numbers (2.70 ERA, 37/11 K/BB ratio) are inflated to the point where he wouldn't get serious consideration.
5. Michael Young, third base.
Working against Young is the fact that two top-level third basemen (Alex Rodriguez and Evan Longoria) are all-star guarantees. He'd have to make the team as a reserve player's pick. Boston's Adrian Beltre is also having a slightly better year statistically than Young. Mike is actually ahead of Beltre in the fan voting.
Young has come up big in previous all-star games, delivering the winning hit for the AL in 2008. He also seems to be an extremely popular players pick, so I think he has a decent chance.
Still a chance, but not counting on it:
Ian Kinsler, second base.
Dustin Pedroia's injury certainly increases the chances for Kinsler, who's currently third in the fan voting. New York's Robinson Cano is the slam-dunk starter, while Pedroia would have been the obvious backup. Kinsler (.294/3/24/7 SB's) will have to win it over guys with better numbers, like Ben Zobrist (.293/5/40/12 SB's) of Tampa Bay. Missing the first month probably should prohibit Kinsler from making the team this year.
Nelson Cruz, outfield.
He's fourth in the fan voting among outfielders, and his line (.321/10/39) is good, but two trips to the disabled list have prevented his numbers from being eye-popping. Cruz probably shouldn't make the trip this year.
Colby Lewis, starting pitcher
Lewis has been the Rangers' best starter this season, accumulating a 7-5 record, 98.2 innings pitched (more than I could have hoped for in the first half), a 3.28 ERA, 94 strikeouts and 34 walks. Lewis, when being compared to the rest of the AL, has solid, but not spectacular numbers. He may not make the all-star team, but he should garner serious consideration for comeback player of the year if his second half replicates his first half.
Can't wait to watch the all-star game. I'm already off work for it, and my mom will be in town to watch it with me. Five Rangers on the squad would be the most we've put on the team in a while, certainly the most since I've been following the team.
Don't let the bad teams fool you on this win streak
It's easy to look at the Texas Rangers' 11-game winning streak and point to weak National League opponents as the primary reason for the club's recent surge.
That wouldn't really be fair, though.
I realize Florida, Houston and Pittsburgh aren't exactly three teams that will be playing baseball in October this season.
But 11 games in a row is 11 games in a row. I could care less the opponent. Fact of the matter is, Texas has looked like a playoff contender in the way it put away those NL teams.
Consistency isn't a luxury every team enjoys. Ever bet on baseball in Vegas? I've never done it. But it would give me constant headaches. Unless the Yankees are playing the Orioles (or, say, the Rangers are facing the Astros...ha!), you just never know.
That's what's so encouraging to me about these last few games. The Rangers are clearly better than a lot of teams in baseball. That's something I haven't been able to say in years. I've worn my Rangers stuff rather consistently for the better part of seven years now. This year, there's a certain sense of pride that goes with wearing the gear. Corny, I know, but whatever.
Heck, if Texas would have gone 8-3 or even 7-4 in that span, it wouldn't have been bad. It just wouldn't have been memorable, either, just like the past few seasons.
Something's telling me this isn't going to be just another season in Arlington.
That wouldn't really be fair, though.
I realize Florida, Houston and Pittsburgh aren't exactly three teams that will be playing baseball in October this season.
But 11 games in a row is 11 games in a row. I could care less the opponent. Fact of the matter is, Texas has looked like a playoff contender in the way it put away those NL teams.
Consistency isn't a luxury every team enjoys. Ever bet on baseball in Vegas? I've never done it. But it would give me constant headaches. Unless the Yankees are playing the Orioles (or, say, the Rangers are facing the Astros...ha!), you just never know.
That's what's so encouraging to me about these last few games. The Rangers are clearly better than a lot of teams in baseball. That's something I haven't been able to say in years. I've worn my Rangers stuff rather consistently for the better part of seven years now. This year, there's a certain sense of pride that goes with wearing the gear. Corny, I know, but whatever.
Heck, if Texas would have gone 8-3 or even 7-4 in that span, it wouldn't have been bad. It just wouldn't have been memorable, either, just like the past few seasons.
Something's telling me this isn't going to be just another season in Arlington.
Monday, June 21, 2010
In a game of streaks, Rangers taking full advantage
With an off day today, the Texas Rangers will get some rest after winning eight straight games, all on the road.
With the way the Rangers have been playing lately, you almost don't want today's rest day.
The impressive streak bumped Texas' record to 41-28, good for first place in the AL West and 3.5 games ahead of the Angels. Only the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox have better records in the AL.
Baseball is a game of streaks. If the Rangers can string together two or three long winning streaks this season, then play .500 ball the rest of the year, they'd be in position to win the AL West. Look, I have bigger dreams, too, but one step at a time. We haven't won the West since 1999.
There's no way around it: This is the best I've felt about the team all season. Yeah, the last three series opponents were Milwaukee (29-40), Florida (33-36) and Houston (26-44). Not the strongest.
Honestly, I don't care.
Winning eight in a row on the road is no easy task. Texas was 10-17 on the road before this streak. Proving that the Rangers can win away from Arlington is vital, particularly if the goal is the AL West this season.
Here's what's stood out to me most on the enjoyable winning streak:
• Josh Hamilton.
This guy should be sleeping in his uniform every night, the way he's playing. He's on a tear. The average is up to .337. It was .289 on June 1. Hamilton went 5-for-6 against Houston and stroked the game-winning hit in a 5-4 victory on Sunday.
I got back from my buddy David's wedding in Des Moines, Iowa, in time to see the end of the game. When Hamilton made contact, I immediately threw my hands up in jubilation and knew it'd find a hole in the Houston defense.
Hamilton had to feel slighted by the Astros intentionally walking Vladimir Guerrero — who had been 0-for-5 prior to the free pass — in order to get a left-handed pitcher to face him.
Vlad's been raking all season. I can't say I blame Houston for the move. Just shows how good the lineup can be, though, even when Vlad goes 0-for-5. He's still an intimidating presence.
• How about Julio Borbon?
The guy's almost hitting .300, which was unfathomable a month or two ago. On June 1, he was hitting .234. He's now at .294. I documented the beginning of Borbon's resurgence a little more than a week ago. He still hasn't stopped hitting, even when manager Ron Washington temporarily moved him to the leadoff spot on Sunday so Elvis Andrus could get a day off.
Andrus has been struggling of late, going hitless in his last 10 at-bats and seeing his average dip to .275. Personally, I'd leave Borbon in the No. 9 slot and keep Andrus at leadoff. Elvis still has an impressive on-base percentage of .360. He still walks and has 19 stolen bases. He's on pace to score well over 100 runs. Borbon doesn't walk enough to be a leadoff guy right now. But I love the 60-point raise in Borbon's batting average in under a month's time. If he sustains that groove, and Elvis gets going again, the speed combination we'd have at the beginning and end of the lineup would be tough to stop.
• Colby Lewis, welcome back (for good).
The right-hander won't be going back to Japan any time soon. He tossed a complete-game, two hitter against Houston over the weekend, striking out nine and walking no one. A great sign, since the walks have occasionally crept up on him this year.
• When Nelson Cruz returns from the DL, Texas could have the best lineup in the AL.
Andrus, Young, Kinsler, Guerrero, Hamilton, Cruz, Smoak, Treanor, Borbon.
I'd take that against anyone. Cruz should return when Texas begins a three-game home series against Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Let's hope the streak continues.
With the way the Rangers have been playing lately, you almost don't want today's rest day.
The impressive streak bumped Texas' record to 41-28, good for first place in the AL West and 3.5 games ahead of the Angels. Only the Yankees, Rays and Red Sox have better records in the AL.
Baseball is a game of streaks. If the Rangers can string together two or three long winning streaks this season, then play .500 ball the rest of the year, they'd be in position to win the AL West. Look, I have bigger dreams, too, but one step at a time. We haven't won the West since 1999.
There's no way around it: This is the best I've felt about the team all season. Yeah, the last three series opponents were Milwaukee (29-40), Florida (33-36) and Houston (26-44). Not the strongest.
Honestly, I don't care.
Winning eight in a row on the road is no easy task. Texas was 10-17 on the road before this streak. Proving that the Rangers can win away from Arlington is vital, particularly if the goal is the AL West this season.
Here's what's stood out to me most on the enjoyable winning streak:
• Josh Hamilton.
This guy should be sleeping in his uniform every night, the way he's playing. He's on a tear. The average is up to .337. It was .289 on June 1. Hamilton went 5-for-6 against Houston and stroked the game-winning hit in a 5-4 victory on Sunday.
I got back from my buddy David's wedding in Des Moines, Iowa, in time to see the end of the game. When Hamilton made contact, I immediately threw my hands up in jubilation and knew it'd find a hole in the Houston defense.
Hamilton had to feel slighted by the Astros intentionally walking Vladimir Guerrero — who had been 0-for-5 prior to the free pass — in order to get a left-handed pitcher to face him.
Vlad's been raking all season. I can't say I blame Houston for the move. Just shows how good the lineup can be, though, even when Vlad goes 0-for-5. He's still an intimidating presence.
• How about Julio Borbon?
The guy's almost hitting .300, which was unfathomable a month or two ago. On June 1, he was hitting .234. He's now at .294. I documented the beginning of Borbon's resurgence a little more than a week ago. He still hasn't stopped hitting, even when manager Ron Washington temporarily moved him to the leadoff spot on Sunday so Elvis Andrus could get a day off.
Andrus has been struggling of late, going hitless in his last 10 at-bats and seeing his average dip to .275. Personally, I'd leave Borbon in the No. 9 slot and keep Andrus at leadoff. Elvis still has an impressive on-base percentage of .360. He still walks and has 19 stolen bases. He's on pace to score well over 100 runs. Borbon doesn't walk enough to be a leadoff guy right now. But I love the 60-point raise in Borbon's batting average in under a month's time. If he sustains that groove, and Elvis gets going again, the speed combination we'd have at the beginning and end of the lineup would be tough to stop.
• Colby Lewis, welcome back (for good).
The right-hander won't be going back to Japan any time soon. He tossed a complete-game, two hitter against Houston over the weekend, striking out nine and walking no one. A great sign, since the walks have occasionally crept up on him this year.
• When Nelson Cruz returns from the DL, Texas could have the best lineup in the AL.
Andrus, Young, Kinsler, Guerrero, Hamilton, Cruz, Smoak, Treanor, Borbon.
I'd take that against anyone. Cruz should return when Texas begins a three-game home series against Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Let's hope the streak continues.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Michael Young breaks Rangers all-time hits record; no one more deserving
The face of the franchise in 2010 just became the all-time face of the franchise with the Texas Rangers.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Michael Young did what I've watched him do for so long: He delivered in a clutch situation, knocking a ground ball single back up the middle for his 1,748th hit, the most in club history. He passed Pudge Rodriguez, and at age 34, the durable Young should run the record up pretty high. I'm confident in saying the Rangers will have their first hitter in the prestigious 2,000 hits club before too long.
No one deserves it more than Young.
He's such an easy guy to root for. Young never makes excuses. He never whines. I've watched nearly every Rangers game for the past four years and I've seen him argue with an umpire a grand total of one time.
The Lakers and the Celtics will do battle in Game 7 of the NBA Finals tonight. Turn it on for two minutes, and you'll undoubtedly see a player complain like a 2-year-old to a referee. Different sport, but same idea. Young is one of the most professional athletes I've watched play any sport.
This record belongs to him.
No knock on Pudge. He's one of the best hitting catchers ever. The team record was safe (and clean) in his name.
It's just that I have a hard time associating with the three teams that won the AL West in the late '90s. Juan Gonzalez and Rafael Palmeiro, two players linked to using steroids in the Mitchell Report and in Jose Canseco's book, were key players on those teams. And even before anyone knew they took steroids, I wasn't near the fan I am now. Baseball was mediocre at best during those times.
In 2002, the year I started watching the Rangers on a consistent basis, the game still wasn't clean. It wasn't until 2006, the year Major League Baseball implemented a mandatory drug-testing program, that I began to really get into the game. The game is cleaner and better than it's been in a long time, perhaps since the league went on strike in 1994.
I'd bet good money that Young's been clean his entire career. There aren't many great players of the early 2000's I'd say that for. Young's one of them. So is Albert Pujols and Derek Jeter. I have a tremendous amount of respect for guys like that, who stayed away from the stuff, even during a time it was most prevalent. Do a google search of 'Michael Young' and 'steroids' won't even come up in a suggested search.
I worked Wednesday night, when the Rangers beat the Marlins, 6-3, in Miami, and I didn't get to see Young's hit when it happened. I watched the replay about five times, though.
It's guys like Young who make me proud to watch this team as much as I do. I've been behind the organization's direction/youth movement for a while now. Watching the team blossom these past two years has been exciting. As of today, we're a season-best nine games over .500 at 37-28, two games ahead of the Angels in the West.
Historically, Texas been anything but a winning franchise. The Rangers haven't won a playoff series in team history.
The goal this year hasn't changed. The team's good enough to win the West. If and when that happens, should the team make a run in the postseason, it'd be one of the happiest sports days of my life. But I'd feel even better for Young, who's been with the Rangers every minute of his big-league career since 2000. No one deserves a playoff run more than the face of the franchise.
Rangers' all-time hits leaders, as of 6/17/2010:
1. Michael Young: 1,748
2. Ivan Rodriguez: 1,747
3. Rafael Palmeiro: 1,692
4. Juan Gonzalez: 1,595
5. Ruben Sierra: 1,281
6. Jim Sundberg: 1,180
7. Rusty Greer: 1,166
8. Toby Harrah: 1,086
9. Buddy Bell: 1,060
10. Hank Blalock: 943
With the bases loaded and two outs, Michael Young did what I've watched him do for so long: He delivered in a clutch situation, knocking a ground ball single back up the middle for his 1,748th hit, the most in club history. He passed Pudge Rodriguez, and at age 34, the durable Young should run the record up pretty high. I'm confident in saying the Rangers will have their first hitter in the prestigious 2,000 hits club before too long.
No one deserves it more than Young.
He's such an easy guy to root for. Young never makes excuses. He never whines. I've watched nearly every Rangers game for the past four years and I've seen him argue with an umpire a grand total of one time.
The Lakers and the Celtics will do battle in Game 7 of the NBA Finals tonight. Turn it on for two minutes, and you'll undoubtedly see a player complain like a 2-year-old to a referee. Different sport, but same idea. Young is one of the most professional athletes I've watched play any sport.
This record belongs to him.
No knock on Pudge. He's one of the best hitting catchers ever. The team record was safe (and clean) in his name.
It's just that I have a hard time associating with the three teams that won the AL West in the late '90s. Juan Gonzalez and Rafael Palmeiro, two players linked to using steroids in the Mitchell Report and in Jose Canseco's book, were key players on those teams. And even before anyone knew they took steroids, I wasn't near the fan I am now. Baseball was mediocre at best during those times.
In 2002, the year I started watching the Rangers on a consistent basis, the game still wasn't clean. It wasn't until 2006, the year Major League Baseball implemented a mandatory drug-testing program, that I began to really get into the game. The game is cleaner and better than it's been in a long time, perhaps since the league went on strike in 1994.
I'd bet good money that Young's been clean his entire career. There aren't many great players of the early 2000's I'd say that for. Young's one of them. So is Albert Pujols and Derek Jeter. I have a tremendous amount of respect for guys like that, who stayed away from the stuff, even during a time it was most prevalent. Do a google search of 'Michael Young' and 'steroids' won't even come up in a suggested search.
I worked Wednesday night, when the Rangers beat the Marlins, 6-3, in Miami, and I didn't get to see Young's hit when it happened. I watched the replay about five times, though.
It's guys like Young who make me proud to watch this team as much as I do. I've been behind the organization's direction/youth movement for a while now. Watching the team blossom these past two years has been exciting. As of today, we're a season-best nine games over .500 at 37-28, two games ahead of the Angels in the West.
Historically, Texas been anything but a winning franchise. The Rangers haven't won a playoff series in team history.
The goal this year hasn't changed. The team's good enough to win the West. If and when that happens, should the team make a run in the postseason, it'd be one of the happiest sports days of my life. But I'd feel even better for Young, who's been with the Rangers every minute of his big-league career since 2000. No one deserves a playoff run more than the face of the franchise.
Rangers' all-time hits leaders, as of 6/17/2010:
1. Michael Young: 1,748
2. Ivan Rodriguez: 1,747
3. Rafael Palmeiro: 1,692
4. Juan Gonzalez: 1,595
5. Ruben Sierra: 1,281
6. Jim Sundberg: 1,180
7. Rusty Greer: 1,166
8. Toby Harrah: 1,086
9. Buddy Bell: 1,060
10. Hank Blalock: 943
Friday, June 11, 2010
Signs of life shown by Borbon, Smoak encouraging
If Julio Borbon and Justin Smoak continue to ride these hot streaks into the middle of the summer, the Texas Rangers are going to be a difficult lineup to overmatch.
Earlier in the season, it seemed opposing pitchers had the luxury of pitching around some of the guys before Smoak and Borbon (read Vlad Guerrero, Nelson Cruz). After the first month of the season, Borbon was hitting just .193. The emergence of Elvis Andrus allowed manager Ron Washington to bump Borbon down to ninth in the lineup. To Washington's credit, he still played the 24-year-old every day.
It's finally paying off.
Borbon is hitting .276 after a 3-for-3 showing in the Rangers' 12-3 rout of Seattle on Thursday night in Arlington. His bat coming around is a welcome sign for an offense that has scored 31 runs in its last three games.
Smoak is starting to heat up as well. The guy's hitting .438 in his past 10 games and getting on base like a mad man. The guy's already second on the team with 26 walks and his call-up to the big leagues wasn't until April 23. His .222 batting average should only continue to rise. The fact that his on-base percentage is already around .340 is impressive. Washington moved him to sixth in the lineup on Thursday.
If these two guys continue to produce at a rate close to what they're showing now, I like our chances going forward, particularly since Nelson Cruz, arguably our best hitter, is on the disabled list. When Cruz comes back, the lineup should only get more potent.
Earlier in the season, it seemed opposing pitchers had the luxury of pitching around some of the guys before Smoak and Borbon (read Vlad Guerrero, Nelson Cruz). After the first month of the season, Borbon was hitting just .193. The emergence of Elvis Andrus allowed manager Ron Washington to bump Borbon down to ninth in the lineup. To Washington's credit, he still played the 24-year-old every day.
It's finally paying off.
Borbon is hitting .276 after a 3-for-3 showing in the Rangers' 12-3 rout of Seattle on Thursday night in Arlington. His bat coming around is a welcome sign for an offense that has scored 31 runs in its last three games.
Smoak is starting to heat up as well. The guy's hitting .438 in his past 10 games and getting on base like a mad man. The guy's already second on the team with 26 walks and his call-up to the big leagues wasn't until April 23. His .222 batting average should only continue to rise. The fact that his on-base percentage is already around .340 is impressive. Washington moved him to sixth in the lineup on Thursday.
If these two guys continue to produce at a rate close to what they're showing now, I like our chances going forward, particularly since Nelson Cruz, arguably our best hitter, is on the disabled list. When Cruz comes back, the lineup should only get more potent.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Where were you when Galarraga was robbed?
I was eating at Encore, one of the more underrated restaurants in Lawrence, when I received word that Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga was wrongfully denied a perfect game.
I wish I would have known about the pitching gem earlier. I would have made an attempt to race back to work to watch. MLB.tv doesn't appear on my computer only in the form of Rangers games.
What a wild finish. One of the craziest endings to a game in the history of baseball. Galarraga is perfect through 8 2/3, induces a ground ball for the last out, covers first base and receives the throw...only to have umpire Jim Joyce rule Indians baserunner Jason Donald safe.
Galarraga, a former Ranger, clearly beat Donald to the bag. He didn't bobble the ball. Clean catch in his mit. Should have been over.
In a way, I feel bad for Joyce. The guy is a respected umpire who's been in the game nearly 25 years. He can make that call in his sleep. Joyce admitted his mistake after the game in an interview where you could clearly sense his guilt. He missed the call. He knew he missed it. He wanted to admit it.
Earlier, though, when Joyce stood on the field listening to Detroit manager Jim Leyland — standing no more than a foot away from the umpire — unleash a profanity-laced tirade, I began to wonder if Joyce already knew he blew the call. He allowed Leyland to sound off for quite some time. He didn't interrupt like umpires typically do in those situations. It was somewhat uncomfortable to watch.
Joyce doesn't deserve to be ridiculed. The call didn't change the outcome of the game. Baseball, more than any sport (and it's not close), relies on statistics when remembering significant games. And careers. Ever taken part in a Hall of Fame argument?
Joyce denied what would have been an amazing individual accomplishment. He denied Galarraga the 21st perfect game in major league history. Joyce did not cost the Tigers a victory.
Look, it could be worse. It's not like Joyce is former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was investigated by the FBI for allegedly betting on games he called and making calls to affect the point spread in those games.
Joyce is human. He made an error. Doesn't it happen to all of us?
I wish I would have known about the pitching gem earlier. I would have made an attempt to race back to work to watch. MLB.tv doesn't appear on my computer only in the form of Rangers games.
What a wild finish. One of the craziest endings to a game in the history of baseball. Galarraga is perfect through 8 2/3, induces a ground ball for the last out, covers first base and receives the throw...only to have umpire Jim Joyce rule Indians baserunner Jason Donald safe.
Galarraga, a former Ranger, clearly beat Donald to the bag. He didn't bobble the ball. Clean catch in his mit. Should have been over.
In a way, I feel bad for Joyce. The guy is a respected umpire who's been in the game nearly 25 years. He can make that call in his sleep. Joyce admitted his mistake after the game in an interview where you could clearly sense his guilt. He missed the call. He knew he missed it. He wanted to admit it.
Earlier, though, when Joyce stood on the field listening to Detroit manager Jim Leyland — standing no more than a foot away from the umpire — unleash a profanity-laced tirade, I began to wonder if Joyce already knew he blew the call. He allowed Leyland to sound off for quite some time. He didn't interrupt like umpires typically do in those situations. It was somewhat uncomfortable to watch.
Joyce doesn't deserve to be ridiculed. The call didn't change the outcome of the game. Baseball, more than any sport (and it's not close), relies on statistics when remembering significant games. And careers. Ever taken part in a Hall of Fame argument?
Joyce denied what would have been an amazing individual accomplishment. He denied Galarraga the 21st perfect game in major league history. Joyce did not cost the Tigers a victory.
Look, it could be worse. It's not like Joyce is former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who was investigated by the FBI for allegedly betting on games he called and making calls to affect the point spread in those games.
Joyce is human. He made an error. Doesn't it happen to all of us?
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