Fairway — When left-handed pitching ace Cliff Lee declined a six-year, $120 million deal from Texas this past summer, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels focused his attention elsewhere in an effort to add quality talent to the club.
The result? Mike Napoli and Adrian Beltre.
After Monday night's thrilling 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 3 of the American League Divisional Series, it's not a stretch to call Daniels' two summer acquisitions one of the most productive offseason hauls in team history.
Texas took a 2-1 lead on Tampa Bay in the best of five, and Napoli was the primary catalyst, as he continued one of the more impressive tears of any Ranger I can ever recall. In the final two regular-season games, Napoli blasted four home runs, and is currently hitting .400 with a homer and four RBIs in three postseason games.
The most impressive part of Napoli's late-season surge is the game-altering, meaningful manner in which he's blasting these shots.
In the final game of the regular season, Napoli belted a game-winning, two-run home run in the ninth to propel Texas to a victory and home field advantage in the ALDS.
In Game 2 of the ALDS, an 8-6 Texas victory, Napoli battled James Shields through a slew of pitches with the bases loaded before roping a line drive to left field to score two runs and tie the game at 3.
In Game 3 of the ALDS on Monday, Napoli might have had his most significant impact yet:
• At the plate: With the Rangers trailing 1-0 in the top of the seventh inning, Napoli crushed a two-run home run off David Price and into the left-center field bleachers for the Rangers' first two runs of the evening.
• On defense: With the Rangers leading, 4-2, in the eighth inning, Napoli, from his catcher's spot, threw out Tampa speedster B.J. Upton, who walked and tried to steal second base. In a game where Darren Oliver and Mike Adams struggled mightily out of the bullpen, it was a critical out that the Rangers may have otherwise not been able to notch.
• On the basepaths: Napoli even stole a base in the top of the second inning on Monday.
I had a great time watching the action from the bar at Houlihan's in Fairway.
Simply put, Napoli is making up for an otherwise struggling offense with an inspiring display of power and defense. He is carrying this team right now. And should the Rangers take Game 4 today in Tampa and advance to the ALCS, Napoli would be the hands-down MVP of that effort. This is his ALDS, or as the media has tabbed it, The Year of the Napoli.
Can't stress this enough, though: What a trade by Daniels. For the services of Napoli, Texas parted ways with veteran reliever Frank Francisco, who at the time was an important part of the Rangers' bullpen. Thanks, Toronto. With Daniels acquiring relief arms Mike Adams and Koji Uehara (who has struggled in these playoffs, but I think will be a valuable bullpen arm) at the trade deadline, it almost feels like we poached away Napoli for free.
And considering he hit .320 with 30 homers, 75 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .414 during the regular-season in only 369 at-bats, that's a pretty darned impressive addition.
The other major offseason addition, Beltre, has proven he's been worth the six year, $96 million contract he signed in January. Beltre hit .296 with 32 homers, 105 RBIs and spectacular defense at third base in the regular season, all while missing more than a month in July and August with a hamstring injury.
Isn't it fitting, then, that Beltre singled to left field on Monday night to set up Napoli's two-run, momentum-altering laser beam?
The direction, stability and winning culture of the Rangers under Daniels and owner Nolan Ryan is better than it's ever been in the franchise's 39-year history.
Proof of that lies in the fact that the Rangers didn't need Cliff Lee, arguably the most efficient pitcher in baseball, to repeat as AL West champions, and they may not need Lee to return to the American League Championship Series either. The brilliant, non-panicking nature of Daniels to add Napoli and Beltre after Lee signed with Philadelphia could be one of the most under-appreciated stories of the 2011 baseball season.
It's the reason Texas is in position today to advance to its second consecutive ALCS.
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