Location: Arlington, Texas | Ballpark: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington (49,200) | Spring Training: Surprise, Ariz.
Owner: Tom Hicks | GM: Jon Daniels | Manager: Ron Washington | World Championships: 0
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POWER RANKINGS
Power Rankings
Date
Ranking
Previous
07/07/2009
4
14
Is this elevation an overreaction to the happy events of the prior week? Maybe. The bottom line: they're outscoring their opponents by a bunch and they've got reinforcements (Josh Hamilton, a bunch of hard-throwing kids) on the way. For the first time since Billy Beane revolutionized baseball -- indeed, revolutionized life as we know it -- by unearthing an obscure statistic called "on-base percentage," the AL West is more interesting than cardboard ... I don't have any more information about the allegedly precarious financial situation of Rangers owner Tom Hicks than anyone else -- he was recently spotted foisting a stack of coupons on a disbelieving King Soopers cashier -- but it'd sure elate players and fans alike if he can pull together a few nickels to add a starter (Doug Davis is the only guy out there) and a right-handed bat (Josh Willingham, or Matt Holliday if they want to gamble on a resurgent second half).
06/30/2009
14
10
They could be a .500 team or worse before too long, given they play the scaldingly superhot Angels and Rays for the next week and a half ... So yeah, it was fun while it lasted. If you're a Rangers fan, though, you're energized for the first time in half a decade, both by the hitting core the team has in place at the major-league level and by the expected influx of arms ... Speaking of which, Neftali Feliz will be eased into the majors the Joba Chamberlain way (e.g., with a learn-the-ropes bullpen stint) during the season's second half. If he succeeds -- and there's no reason he shouldn't -- here's hoping that the Texas media doesn't push to keep him in the 'pen. Once again: 200 innings are more than 75. It's math. If he flames out as a starter, fine, stick him in the 'pen. Until that moment, maximize the guy's contribution.
06/23/2009
10
5
The pitching was never truly stable, because only fantasists and the delusionally inclined believed the spasms of competence by tetchy has-been Vicente Padilla and mound naïf Derek Holland were sustainable. But give Kevin Millwood credit for having reinvented himself as Señor Reliable-o. On Sunday, his curve dropped in at something like 42 MPH, making his low-90s fastball all but untouchable. Them's was good pitchin'.
06/16/2009
5
5
They snapped off 24 scoreless innings in a row, as common a feat for a Texas staff as an octuple lutz. Attribute it to the "we're scared of Nolan Ryan, too" influence ... A 6-7 stretch against the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers is acceptable, but I wonder if they could've turned a few of the close games by having made a timely decision on Frank Francisco. They were in "he's day-to-day" mode for 10 days before disabling him; perhaps they could've used the extra bat or arm ... On the other hand, three of the team's next four series are against NL patsies.
06/09/2009
5
5
So far, they've held up nicely during the current prove-thyself stretch against the Yankees and Red Sox, but there are still six games left against the Jays and Dodgers before the schedule softens. A 3-3 split gets them out of the rough with only a slightly lesser winning percentage than they had when they entered it. ... Here come the injuries, including a tummy-muscle ouchie for Josh Hamilton and a broken shoulder for Brandon McCarthy. They've got the outfield depth to weather Hamilton's absence, even if the centerfield defense will sag. The pitching? They've surprised us so far, but I remain skeptical.
06/02/2009
5
3
Here's one for the "things that defy nature and/or cannot be explained without acknowledging the supernatural" file: Texas' pitchers notched a 3.57 ERA during May. ... I respect Chris Davis' power, willingness to accept a walk and the inspiring girth of his skull, but you can't keep him in the lineup unless he starts making more contact with pitched balls. He has struck out 77 times in 165 at-bats. ... We'll know in precisely two weeks if this Rangers-as-contender thing has legs. Their next four series are against the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers.
05/26/2009
3
6
But beware: With Vicente Padilla disabled and the kids stumbling, the pitching is regressing to its usual level ... My God, have you seen Warner Madrigal's headshot? He's like a jowlier Rich Garces ... The secret of Nelson Cruz's success, encapsulated in three words: HIT BALL FAR ... We knew Elvis Andrus would be a total vacuum at shortstop. The great surprise of the Rangers' season is that he hasn't sucked with Roombaian ferocity at the plate.
05/19/2009
6
9
Someday, we're going to look at the July 2007 trade of Mark Teixeira to the Braves as the turning point for the Texas baseball organization. Since then, the Rangers have been less inclined to accidentally shoot themselves in the thigh at a nightclub. Take the just-in-case disabling of steam-snorting closer Frank Francisco: The prior Rangers regime would've had him throw until he broke, but this one smartly gave him a two-week timeout. ... Seven straight wins, 13 out of 15, nine games over .500, actual walk-up crowds of actual baseball fans (as opposed to curious onlookers assuming some kind of barbecue or small munitions convocation) -- welcome back to the big leagues, Texas fans.
05/12/2009
9
18
Frank Francisco is one imposing sum'bitch on the mound, ain't he? He's only listed at 6'2", 235 lbs., but he's got some Charles Oakley in him ... No, I don't think the Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla resurgences will last, either. Neither do they, probably. Ballplayers are surprisingly realistic about most things, save for the belief that gals dig them for their wit and style.
05/05/2009
18
18
For whatever little it's worth, Andruw Jones has already matched his 2008 home run total. The problem is that he's lost more defensively, where he now strides after fly balls with the fluidity of an oompa-loompa, than he's regained with his bat ... Super-prosect Neftali Feliz -- there's a first name my spell check is gonna trip over -- is walking a batter per inning in AAA.
Preseason Power Rankings
Date
Ranking
Previous
02/16/2009
17
-
Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Rangers will both score and surrender an ungodly number of runs. ... They'll be fun to watch in 2010 and beyond, when the fruits of their farm-system flowers start to blossom, or something. For now, they'll continue to play their particularly artless form of BludgeonBall. ... Kevin Millwood is both still alive and still technically an ace. ... Consider this season a wild success if they find some sucker to take the rest of Michael Young's contract off their hands.
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