Second Place
So the Rangers will finish in second place in the division, and Ron Wahsington says they have accomplished something.
Actually, in my mind, they have.
You have to keep this team in perspective. Injuries decimated them. The bullpen was half worn-out and half deplorable. We saw a revolving door of starters come trough because of the injury situation. Fielding, at times, was miserable.
And in many ways, 50% or more of the team we put out there was a AAA team in disguise.
But the Rangers were not terrible. They were just not especially good either. I hoped for .500 this season and while that goal will not be met, it is close enough.
What do we know that we didn't know at the start of the season?
Taylor Teagarden, Chris Davis, David Murphy, Joaquin Arias, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler...this looks to be a POWERFUL group of young, hungry, highly-skilled players, with plenty of room for improvement. MArlon Byrd and others might be added to the list; I was calling for Byrd to be traded before the season started, and his early performance made my head explode, but he did battle back and wound up with a decent year. I am glad to say I was wrong about his ability to do that.
Scott Feldman and Matt Harrison have promise as starters.
This team has GOT to do a better job fielding.
What do we NOT know?
Is Benoit done? What the hell do we do with Blalock, who has been ripping the cover off the ball? Can Milton Bradley ever be really healthy again? Where do we fill our bullpen and rotation holes?
If I had to make my guess now, I'd say next year we finish in second again, with a winning record, but miss the playoffs. And the following year, as the Angels start to fade, we win the division. But that's a long way away, and Rangers fans were once again shown enough flashes of brilliance for many to find a 2nd place, nearly .500 finish a disappointment. Given this team's history, I can't blame them.
We need to STICK TO THE PLAN! Bring up the young players, stockpile prospects, and maybe somehow get a free-agent ace starting pitcher in here. If we can't find the right one this year, wait one more...but by then it MUST be done.
I'll be here now and then during the off-season, discussing trades, signings, and what-not. I am sorry my enthusiasm faded, but as August hit the team simply oculd no longer hold my day-to-day interest.
Actually, in my mind, they have.
You have to keep this team in perspective. Injuries decimated them. The bullpen was half worn-out and half deplorable. We saw a revolving door of starters come trough because of the injury situation. Fielding, at times, was miserable.
And in many ways, 50% or more of the team we put out there was a AAA team in disguise.
But the Rangers were not terrible. They were just not especially good either. I hoped for .500 this season and while that goal will not be met, it is close enough.
What do we know that we didn't know at the start of the season?
Taylor Teagarden, Chris Davis, David Murphy, Joaquin Arias, Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler...this looks to be a POWERFUL group of young, hungry, highly-skilled players, with plenty of room for improvement. MArlon Byrd and others might be added to the list; I was calling for Byrd to be traded before the season started, and his early performance made my head explode, but he did battle back and wound up with a decent year. I am glad to say I was wrong about his ability to do that.
Scott Feldman and Matt Harrison have promise as starters.
This team has GOT to do a better job fielding.
What do we NOT know?
Is Benoit done? What the hell do we do with Blalock, who has been ripping the cover off the ball? Can Milton Bradley ever be really healthy again? Where do we fill our bullpen and rotation holes?
If I had to make my guess now, I'd say next year we finish in second again, with a winning record, but miss the playoffs. And the following year, as the Angels start to fade, we win the division. But that's a long way away, and Rangers fans were once again shown enough flashes of brilliance for many to find a 2nd place, nearly .500 finish a disappointment. Given this team's history, I can't blame them.
We need to STICK TO THE PLAN! Bring up the young players, stockpile prospects, and maybe somehow get a free-agent ace starting pitcher in here. If we can't find the right one this year, wait one more...but by then it MUST be done.
I'll be here now and then during the off-season, discussing trades, signings, and what-not. I am sorry my enthusiasm faded, but as August hit the team simply oculd no longer hold my day-to-day interest.
Comments