Um, Do Your Texas Rangers Have Enough Offense to Be Taken Seriously?

By Richie Whitt Mon., May 17 2010 at 1:45 PM

Categories: Texas Rangers

Pin It

How's that new hitting coach working out?

What the what?

I was listening to the Texas Rangers Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays and I left them in what I thought was good shape.

Up 9-3 in the third inning. Rich Harden on the mound. Bats seemingly alive.

Done.

Then, yesterday afternoon, I got back around to sports and lo and behold the Rangers got swept in Canada. Swept?!

In the final 24 innings they were outscored 24-3. In in the last two games they struck out 23 times. They hit into four double plays and continued an ugly trend of leaving runners stranded.

I know the pitching is better and the defense is improving. But ...

as currently constituted do the Rangers have enough offense to win the American League west?

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox.

Tags:

baseball, Ron Washington, Vladimir Guerrero

Write Comment

Email to Friend

Print Article

Related Content

More About:

This team will fold once it gets hot and humid. They most always do. No later than the all-star break. Stick a fork in them by mid-July.
Chaps, Let's be reasonable, when this thing hits it's swoon (be it Kinsler or J.Ham getting injured) and the pitching staff gets back to what it is, the wheels will shoot off this thing so friggin' hard that pedestrians may be killed. And forget about any trades or purchases (money= yikes!), and I don't believe they should trade any prospects. So it's .500 and ball soup with 8,000 other fans from June to September. That's not bad considering.
@Rooster I firmly believe that the Rangers will win a World Series light years before the Mavericks win a NBA Championship. Furthermore, I seriously doubt the Mavs will win a championship while Mark Cuban is the majority owner. A big mouthed owner with large pockets is a bad combination.
Rooster, I, like you apparently, have been a not so proud Ranger fan for a very long time. And I, too, am frustrated with the "contender" status that has been so coveted around here when it comes to the Rangers. But I have to say that it feels different now. I don't know when the Rangers have ever had the pitching that they have now, because they never have. I won't be satisfied with a division title and a back handing out of the playoffs either. I will, however, be encouraged if we get to the post season and actually look like we belong there, which I truly believe will happen. Whether its a first round exit or not. This team has not yet hit it's stride and is still above .500 and leading its division. The next month or so will be telling, and to be honest, I cannot wait. Happy baseball watching Cowboys fans!
rooster, People thought the same thing about the Mavs in the mid 90's, they were terrible, no one gave an eff. I have a different definition of contending I guess, or I mean contending in the playoffs. they have to get to the playoffs to be able to contend in the playoffs, so im sure there are a ton of people who want them to actually get to the playoffs.
**steps up on soapbox** . @Rooster Anus - No, I'm no longer content for the Rangers to just "contend". This team has had ONE, count'em, ONE playoff win in 38 f'ing years. . The Rangers have so beaten us into submission after decades of bad teams and ownership that doesn't give a shit, Ranger fans consider the season a success if the team simply sniffs the f'ing playoffs. . For the love of god, last year the Rangers were fighting like hell to keep from finishing THIRD out of a four team division, and everyone was giddy because they "played hard". . If this were any other of the 3 teams around here, everyone would be going batshit at how badly this team has sucked over the years. . I'm not falling for it anymore. This team either needs to win something, or go home. We've been the joke of MLB for too long, especially given the market we're in.
They will figure out a way to lose. I am not worried about a first round exit from the playoffs. Rich Harden had ONE good game. Feldman is not confidence inspiring. Hamilton can't hit the ball during the daytime?! We are a five hundred team in a division that is full of five hundred teams. They will manage to piss away this flimsy 2 game lead and be at home in October.
A three game series versus a solid team in a pitcher's park does not a season's worth offense make. Fortunately. Give it a couple weeks and we'll see what happens. The guys have got to stop swinging so freely, though, and take a pitch or two. The strikeouts this weekend were very frustrating.
No, Im not saying we want to hang banners that serve to celebrate mediocrity, but just as when the mavs blew, itd be nice to get in the playoffs for once. Then we can work on winning in the playoffs. Will the Rangers win a World Series before the Mavs win a NBA championship? Lets discuss.
Following the rational of the Mavericks are we? Lets hang banners that serve to celebrate mediocrity.
I have to agree with Merkin on this one...there are 124 games left. One. Hundred. Twenty. Four. The line up has been at "full" strength since Friday (that's 3 games btw). The offense will be there. Things haven't rounded in to form yet, but lets remember that it is, after all, MAY. I realize that a lot of you only give teams 16 games to get right, but this isn't football Cowboy fans...baseball is about patience, and you must exhibit some. The Rangers are in first place, playing tonight to extend their lead. The pitching (with the exception of Harden) is still solid, and I'm tellin ya, this team is different from years past, including last year to some degree. Oh and it would be a HUGE mistake to go after Pierzynski. Aside from being a defensive liability, he's not particularly a threat at the dish and he's a CANCER in the locker room. That's all I have Cowboys fans.
So Rooster, you wouldnt be thrilled with the Rangers making the playoffs? Who cares how good/bad the division is, I'd take the playoffs in a heartbeat. Do you think Angles gave shit how bad the division was when they won it.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Even if the Rangers are the West Division half-wit to make the playoffs, they'll be uncerimoniously dismissed the minute they reach a real team. Answer - yes, they will make the playoffs, if for no other reason than the West blows. Expect the Yankees to give them yet another first round exit without a playoff win.
Lets give the whole lineup with Kinsler and Cruz back a couple of weeks before we decide. We know the catcher position is pretty much doomed for the year although I wouldnt mind them trading for A.J. Pierzynski as mentioned in the Chicago Tribune this morning. Hey one bad weekend yet we still lead the West, if we can beat L.A. the next two games we are fine.