In JD We Trust

Last summer, Jon Daniels and the Texas Rangers were "hoodwinked". The Washington Nationals were able to take Alfonso Soriano from us by giving us the lowly Brad Wilkerson and a few unknown minor league players to take up space in our farm system. Ever since the start of the season, the lineup has been missing one thing: a slugger. Yes, Mark Teixeira was supposed to step into that role and become a legitimate MVP candidate, but so far this season he has done nothing more than you would expect from a #6 hitter.
In an effort not to be seen as "the guy who traded for Brad Wilkerson", Jon Daniels has put together an agenda to greatly improve the team before the trade deadline.
#1A: Add a slugger.
#1B: Add quality pitching.
#1A was fulfilled today with the acquisition on Carlos Lee. The power hitting left fielder from the Milwaukee Brewers was traded to the Texas Rangers along with their top minor league Nelson Cruz prospect for Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero, and Laynce (yes I spell my name with a "Y") Nix. With this trade comes a solidity in the lineup with that extra punch the Rangers have been lacking all season. Lee is batting .286 with 28 home runs and 81 RBI. Not only do those number eclipse anything the Rangers hitters have been able to muster this year, the number that really sticks out is Carlos Lee has only struck out 39 times this year. Keep in mind, that is 20 less than the Rangers best hitter, Michael Young.
As for #1B, only time will tell. If Carlos Lee continues the output he has established this season, the need for pitching could look less important and maybe make it into #2A. In JD we trust.

Ya Baby.

Anger Management

Two on, one out, and Brad Wilkerson at the dish. Wilkerson is hitting .234 and is 0-3 on the night. Kyle Farnsworth, who has made himself into a career fastball pitcher is on the mound to face Wilkerson. Only one question arises here: why?
Why let Wilkerson hit against Farnsworth, so he can use the lefty versus righty hitting matchup? Wilkerson, who has had to receive cortisone injections for his ailing shoulder twice this season, stands no chance against the overpowering heat of Kyle Farnsworth. Next batter up is (drumroll please) Jerry Hairston Junior!!! Hairston steps to the plate, stares down Farnsworth with a look of "Bring it dude, I'm hitting .207." Hairston battles valiantly, fouling off multiple 98 mph fastballs then finally is fanned with a slider that Hairston was an inning early on. Once again: why?
Why leave Hank Blalock, quite possibly the best fastball hitter on your team, remain on the bench? He's left-handed, lives off of the fastball, and can catch up to almost anyone in the league. So what does interim manager Don Wakamatsu do? Let's him sit on the bench. I hate to sound like a broken record, but why?
So we can mount a charge in the bottom of the ninth inning? To come in and face the best active closer in the game? To only allow ourselves three outs to score 5 runs?Mariano River has broken countless bats due to the effectiveness of his cut-fastball (including Gary Matthews Junior for the first out in the ninth). Donny, baby, give your team a chance to win the game and let Blalock face Farnsworth. Get a clue fellas.

Regretfully, Ya Baby.

Injury a Good Thing?

After spring training kicked off and was well underway, Gary Matthews Jr was not. He strained a muscle in his ribcage at the beginning of spring training and learned it would sideline him until the regular season began. Normally, an injury keeping a baseball player off the field for the entirity of spring training puts a tremendous amount of undue stress on a his shoulders. Gary Matthews Jr, or GMJ as the fans in Arlington have begun using, didn't feel any of that pressure this spring. Along with getting good at-bats and getting into, no pun intended, the swing of things, preparing your mind for the upcoming season is just as important.
GMJ did just that. Texas Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo spent countless hours with Matthews talking about Gary's batting stance, mental approach, and visualisation. The result, at the All-Star Break: GMJ is hitting .328 with 10 HR and 47 RBI. Not to mention an OPS (On-Base Percentage plus Slugging Percentage) of .912, higher than Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Miguel Tejada just to name a few.
Matthews also gets it done with the leather. I strongly believe most of us have seen his home-run robbing catch of Mike Lamb in one way or another. There is no need as of now to relive that jaw-dropping moment in sports history. With just two errors in the first half of the season, Matthews ranks among the top defensive outfielders in baseball as well.
The Matthews family has celebrated the fact that Gary Matthews Jr. and Sr. have both made the all-star game. Junior hopes to break that similarity though, because his father, "Sarge", as most people refer to him, only made the All-Star game once.
This week in Pittsburgh will represent not only hard work rewarded but also a dream come true.

Ya Baby.

Raise The Red, Blue, and WHITE Flag

On a day where baseball and hot dogs are basically a priority, the Texas Rangers disappointed their faithful fans once again. Roy Halladay controlled the game with control, command, and Canadian power. Another great start by John Koronka against one of the best hitting teams in baseball was negated by lifeless bats. The Rangers rallied in the ninth, but were not able to win the game. Like Michael Young said, rallies don't really matter much unless you win the game.
In their last ten games, the Rangers record is 2-8 and they are hitting an uncharacterisitc .242. Is this simply a slump, or a sign of things to come? The last three years with Buck Showalter has shown a serious let down in the second half of the season. If it happens again, it should be time to raise the white flag and bring in our prospects to give them time to develop. John Danks has been red-hot at Triple A Oklahoma. In his three starts since being called up from Double A Frisco, Danks is 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA and over the whole year he is 7-5 with a 3.71 ERA. It's time to stop protecting young talent such as Danks and letting it get out into the open.


Ya Baby.