Remember when the Rangers could hit? Me neither.

That was the most deceiving 3-1 game of all time. It’s unbelievable how close the Rangers were to winning that game today. The starting lineup today had probably about 3 guys who should be in a major league starting lineup. Vlad and Nellie are the only ones who seem like they can even touch the ball. I’ll throw Young in there for good measure, but he looks bad too.

I know the Rangers are only three games into the season. I know there’s a long way to go and things will change a lot between now and then.

But right now, this is one of the three worst teams in the American League. Perhaps even in baseball.

The offense is easily the worst in the game. Clearly the Blue Jays and MVP candidate Vernon Wells are better, but the Royals are really the only other American League team that comes close. If this team is not getting hits, they can’t win. Today was probably one of the better days the team will have all season when it comes to drawing walks – and it drew a total of four. Even Davis and Hamilton drew walks!

In the National League, the Astros and Padres aren’t good either. San Diego at least has Adrian Gonzalez. Houston, well, they have Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee.

I never in my life thought I would see the day where the Rangers offense would be the worst in baseball. But I honestly feel that they are. Today: Vlad gets a single in the second and Nelson follows it up with a double. Second and third, no one out. Murphy, Teagarden and Blanco coming up. Nothing.

THE ONLY RUN SCORED TODAY WAS ON A WILD PITCH!!!!

Murphy is the only one of those three that even has a chance to knock the runs in, in my opinion. Just knock the runs in! Forget getting a hit – a sacrifice fly in that situation would be just fine. But no. Ground out, K, ground out.

Maybe they’re just pressing. Maybe it was just a bad series. Maybe Toronto actually is decent. (Cue the Gus Johnson laugh.)

Josh Hamilton hasn’t been the same since the Home Run Derby. Chris Davis didn’t even play because of a lefty on the mound. David Murphy actually did have a hit, and scored a run, but was lifted as part of a double switch later. Elvis Andrus and Julio Borbon both look like they shouldn’t be above AAA at best. None of the catchers can even touch the ball.

Obviously Ian Kinsler is out, but he won’t be back anytime soon. And really, the problem is not something that Ian is spectacular at – this team just doesn’t get on base enough.

But it is early. Win the series against the Mariners and we can all breathe a little bit easier.

Hey, at least CJ looked good, right? And Neftali? That was pretty sweet.

Too late to bring Rudy back?

Don’t Think, Meat. You’ll Just Hurt the Ball Club.

Somehow it’s fitting that this classic Crash Davis line could apply to the Texas Rangers this year. I have overanalyzed this team to the point that I have gone from convinced that this team will win the division to sure that they’ll finish last to my current opinion that they have the best chance of anyone.

Needless to say, I’ve spent a little bit of time thinking about this upcoming baseball season.

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Live From Surprise!

We’ve got about two weeks until Opening Day here at Dallas Sports Fans, so I thought a report from Surprise Recreation Campus would whet your appetite a little bit for some Rangers Baseball! Don’t worry about that whole Ron Washington story out here – the weather’s too nice.

Out here in Surprise at Texas Rangers Spring Training, the biggest worry is who’s going to fill out the rotation (a usually impossible task for the local franchise). Rich Harden, Scott Feldman and Colby Lewis look to have spots filled up right now, with Tommy Hunter being penciled in for the fourth position up until yesterday (or what seemed like yesterday).

Two spots are open, with Derek Holland, Brandon McCarthy, C.J. Wilson and Matt Harrison gunning for the last two spots.

Well, after today, it’s down to three candidates.

I want Derek Holland to do well. I think he has the stuff to be an anchor for the Texas Rangers’ rotation in the future. But he is not ready right now. If this team is really going to compete for an AL West title like we all hope they will, Derek Holland is not currently one of the starters that will get them there.

He pitched four innings today against the Dodgers, surrendering three runs on four hits and one walk. All the runs were scored in one inning, with the big blow being a double coming off the bat of Lucas May and going over David Murphy’s head.

There were a bevy of ground balls, but there were no strikeouts, as the Rangers fell 5-4. He was constantly behind the hitters and failed to put any of them away. Still, he doesn’t even turn 24 until October, so there’s no need to panic. Let Derek work on his secondary stuff in Oklahoma City and let him be in a rotation every fifth day.

I certainly don’t want to incite any nervousness in the Texas Rangers fan base, but there are small doubts that are creeping into my mind about this crop of talent the Texas Rangers have turned into one of the best farm systems in the big leagues.

Derek Holland didn’t quite take the leap some were expecting. Justin Smoak was hurt by an oblique injury early on, and didn’t exactly have gaudy power numbers. Feliz had the most electrifying debut, but the debate over whether his future is as a starter or a reliever is just as strong as ever. Of course there are other prospects, but it’s hard to argue that these three are the most vital to the short and long term success of the franchise.

Are these doubts completely irrational? Absolutely. It’s far too early to make any kind of lasting judgment on what these youngsters will become. Derek Holland has thrown 61 minor league innings above A-ball. Not exactly the most experienced starter in the organization. Neftali Feliz and Justin Smoak are 21 and 23 years old, respectively. There’s still SO much time for these guys to develop. It’s silly to have doubts, but I suppose I’m just a disillusioned Rangers fan.

Back to the positives, because hope springs eternal.

David Murphy had a very nice game, knocking a homer and a triple in his first two at-bats. His center field play was not spectacular, but hopefully there won’t be a huge need for him to play center field this year.

Colby Lewis looked great after a shaky first inning when he allowed three baserunners and one run. He struck out six in five innings, was around the plate all day (one walk), and was changing speeds pretty effectively, getting a couple of nice swinging strikeouts.

Taylor Teagarden had a nice opposite field double off the wall that almost left the yard, but looked overmatched in his second at-bat.

Only one-third of the *hopeful* Opening Day lineup was there today, with Hamilton, Cruz and Davis all taking their hacks. Matt Brown had another home run, but his fielding has been a bit of a problem (which is like saying a plague of locusts is a bit of a nuisance), so his destination looks like AAA or another organization.

As for that whole rotation question, I think that the Texas Rangers have a tough call to make, especially with Tommy Hunter hurting his rib cage and likely heading for the disabled list. The two leaders for the last two spots are Matt Harrison and C.J. Wilson, and I have no problem with those two guys as the last two starters for the Rangers.

The problem is that Tommy Hunter (knock on wood) will not be hurt for a long period of time. The last starter only needs to be a guy that can fill in and head back to the bullpen when Hunter is healthy again. That’s a role I don’t particularly want to see C.J. Wilson in, for the simple reason of clarity.

C.J. Wilson, not unlike Derek Holland, should have a defined role on the team. Whether that’s in the bullpen or the rotation remains to be seen, but I think it would be cruel to give C.J. Wilson a fair shot to start in spring training, have him win a job, and then send him back to the bullpen after two to three starts. Especially if those turn out to be two or three solid starts.

The Texas Rangers have some tough decisions to make. Wilson heads to the mound again Monday against the Giants – things should be a little clearer after that. I’ll have one more report tomorrow after the game against the San Diego Padres.

Until then, the countdown sits at 15 days.

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Ron Washington Tests Positive for Cocaine

Certainly not the way I expected my Wednesday to go. SI’s Jon Heyman reported today that Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine during the 2009 season.

My first reaction was uh-oh. This means a lot of reporters crawling over the complex, distracting everybody with all these questions. I know somebody who certainly didn’t need this is Josh Hamilton.

As I write this, C.J. Wilson just made a great point about Wash’s job security: If the Rangers were going to fire him, they would have done it when Ron went to the team last year.

Follow the jump for more. Read more

Dallas Mavericks Trade For Caron Butler

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks have just completed their rumored trade with the Washington Wizards, and the deal will be announced later tonight.

The biggest pieces in the trade are Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood going from the Washington Wizards to the Dallas Mavericks, and Josh Howard and Drew Gooden moving from the Dallas Mavericks to the Washington Wizards.

Full description after the jump. mavericks-trade-for-caron-butler/#more-3380″ class=”more-link”>Read more

What’s with all the Kevin Millwood love?

As I rolled through ESPN.com the other day, I saw a link to a video about AL West offseason activity. Of course, being the dutiful Rangers fan I am, I checked it out. It was a 3 Up, 3 Down segment with Buster Olney. Okay, I thought, this should have some positive Rangers vibes in it, right? Wrong.

The three up: Cliff Lee to Seattle, Ben Sheets to Oakland, Chone Figgins to Seattle.

The three down: John Lackey leaving the Angels, Kevin Millwood leaving the Rangers and Russell Branyan leaving Seattle.

My jaw almost hit the desk.

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Keep the Faith

Bill Simmons’ weekly column on Friday delved into the most tortured fan bases. Number one? Some team from the North Side of Chicago.

The Rangers were unable to make an appearance because of a clause he had disqualifying teams who lived in warm-weather cities. Which is probably fair.

But on this humble website, we have no such clause. (I think, although I’d have to check with Matt on that one.)

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Ending With a Thud

Woof.

That sucked.

I was thinking about ending my analysis of the ass-kicking the Dallas Cowboys received right there. And frankly, that probably would have sufficed.

Not a whole lot to say about this game, really. In-depth analysis is far from necessary. But keep reading for a few more thoughts on yet another Cowboys season that ends without a championship.

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An Open Letter to Bud Selig Regarding Tom Hicks

Dear Bud,

You are probably not extremely familiar with the inner workings of the Texas Rangers and the ownership situation that has yet to be sorted out. Then again, maybe you are. Anyway, that’s neither here nor there.

What is here and there and everywhere for me and the other rabid Texas Rangers fans (however many of us there are), at least, is the ongoing sale of the team. Tonight (January 15, 2010) was the deadline for the ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan to have an agreement done to take control of the team. However, that deadline has come and gone. All sources around the team are reporting that the team is still under the control of Tom Hicks.

I am begging you Mr. Selig. Please do not let Tom Hicks maintain control of this team. I have no wish to stand in the way of Tom Hicks’ personal ambitions in any other matters. But on this issue I will not budge. If you truly care about the competitiveness of Major League Baseball and its fans, you will not allow Tom Hicks to remain as owner of the Texas Rangers.

Ten years ago, I don’t believe the fans of the Texas Rangers would have ever considered this a possibility. Our beloved Rangers had just finished capturing their third division title in four years. You remember that, don’t you? How Juan Gonzalez and Will Clark and Roger Pavlik and Ken Hill helped lead a team to the playoffs that had no distinguishable history for 35 years as a franchise? How Pudge Rodriguez became a legendary figure in Texas and will always be cheered?

Tom Hicks injected money into our franchise. Unfortunately he spent that on all the wrong people. Now he is so deep in debt that our team, in the #6 media market in the country, has a payroll hovering around 23rd. To me, that is simply unacceptable. I don’t believe the Rangers will ever have a payroll approaching that of the highest 5, but I think that a $90 million payroll is a reasonable request in this market.

Dallas is a winners town. Always has been. Always will be. Yes the Cowboys are the biggest draw, but a consistently fine product on the field that competes for playoff spots more often than not will be successful in Arlington, Texas. Tom Hicks understands this. He understands that the Texas Rangers are on the precipice of having the best team in franchise history.

Keep in mind, Mr. Selig, that this franchise is about to embark upon its 50th season in the American League. And never has this franchise won a playoff series. Only once has it even won a playoff game.

Tom Hicks knows he is sitting on a cash cow. This is a young, exciting team that will become a contender if it is nurtured properly with an appropriate amount of financial flexibility in order to make transactions that will lead them to the franchise’s first ever playoff series victory and hopefully World Series championship.

But none of that can happen with Hicks in control. If this ownership situation drags through the season, he has a chance to do irreparable damage to the franchise. Irreparable.

I’m sorry to bring up painful memories for you, but does that description sound vaguely familiar to you? The Montreal Expos were the same way back in 2003. You said it was a “conflict of interest” to call up players for the team at the September 1 roster expansion date, despite the team being tied for the Wild Card lead on August 29. No owner could be found, and the team would leave after 2004.

What if Tom Hicks doesn’t sell this team? Will you and MLB take it over? Believe me, I’m not questioning the system. I’m questioning the man that makes the system necessary. It makes me nervous that Hicks wants to keep this team. Honestly. I’m nervous that the longer Hicks holds on to the team, the possibility rises that the Texas Rangers will not be in Texas much longer.

Please help me calm my nerves. I can’t speak for the other Rangers fans out there as to whether they have the same nerves, but I’m sure they join in my refrain:

Don’t Let Tom Hicks Own The Rangers Anymore.

Please.

Sincerely,

Cody Dunlap

How to Survive the Homerdome OR We’ve Got Questions

Guess we can’t really call it that anymore now can we?

For the Dallas Cowboys, a victory on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings can come in a variety of forms.

Check out how they can pull off a win, why I have so many questions and maybe even a prediction for the contest after the jump. Read more

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