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Texas Rangers

Can the Texas Rangers Catch Fire? Or, for That Matter, Anything?

By Richie Whitt Mon., Sep. 20 2010 at 10:07 AM

Categories: Texas Rangers

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We're at a rare, almost unprecedented and admittedly awkward spot in Texas Rangers' history. The Rangers will win the American League West, but they're still so far away with so much time left in the season that it makes for - honestly - some uninteresting and practically meaningless baseball here in mid-September.

The Rangers lost two of three to the lowly Seattle Mariners, but still whittled their magic number to six. The greed in me wants the Rangers to hobble through the rest of the trip (three vs. the Angels and four against Oakland) so they can officially clinch in Arlington. You?

The good news over the weekend was that Cliff Lee was again Cliff Lee in Saturday night's win. The bad news: Josh Hamilton's bruised ribs aren't any better after a cortisone shot and he'll search for another solution starting today.

I watched some of Friday's game, a smidge Saturday and zilch of Sunday's 2-1 loss and came away with this:

I'm worried that the Rangers' catching is going to be a liability in the post-season.

When this season started way back in April it was Jarrod Saltamacchia who had the game-winning RBI on Opening Day. Then he forgot how to throw and Taylor Teagarden never learned how to hit and now we're stuck with the underwhelming veteran combo platter of Matt Treanor and Bengie Molina.

In a word: Uh-oh.

Couple weeks ago the Rangers lost a game to the Kansas City Royals when Treanor simply fanned on a low - but very catchable - fastball from Alexi Ogando. And several times in the past month or so Molina is just so big and slow and immobile that he resembles a bean bag behind the plate. Can you ever trust a player who weighs more (225) than he hits (.212)?

Molina missed another pitch from C.J. Wilson Friday night and the Mariners took six extra bases from the Rangers on steals and wild pitches. Against Seattle it's a meaningless September loss. Against, say, the Tampa Bay Rays - who lead the AL in stolen bases - it could predicate a damaging October defeat.

Is it just me, or are we concerned about the Rangers' catching?

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Baseball, Bengie Molina, Cliff Lee, Matt Treanor

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Of course Treanor is going to say he should've had it. He's a stand up guy and a catcher trying to eek out a career at the majors--he's going to say that no ball should ever get by him no matter the circumstances. Doesn't make what happened in KC his fault, though. Ogando misfired on a 3-0 pitch. Was it Choice's fault Romo threw the ball at his feet on 3rd down with no Bear within smelling range too? Choice may say he should've had it, but it's still on the thrower. Use your baseball weenie and noggin, and some common sense.
I am not saying Wash is perfect, but the attacks get pretty tiresome. Does anyone remember this team just a few years back perennially sucking? This team finished well over .500 last season and is finally going to make the postseason again this year, is playing well, his players like him, so give it a rest already and give the old school brother some props.
I see a manager playing like it is in the bag. He has no regard for pitching in particular. He starts the wrong ones and leaves them in too long. This team will hang on and win the West but no thanks to Washington.
Clinch here? Richie, they've clinched here before and did that matter in the end? No, it obviously didn't. And Richie, the Rangers have only won 2 series out of the last 10 on the road, so yes they need to play well in Anaheim and Oakland, are you kidding? Come on, man.
@ Richie WHitt-I'm not saying you have to watch every game and can't blame you since you had to do Cowboys post game, but you do need to watch it to see the game that breaks out within the game. And I'm sorry but game reviews and box scores does not a game make. Sorry man, I just like my sports reporters and bloggers to actually watch the game. It's basically like you blogging about the Stars when you admittedly don't like hockey. I won't get mad at you for not watching it, but if you don't I don't trust your opionion about it. Not that one blog reader's comments would make you change, just throwing the opinion out there.
Yeah, me and Richie are MEN. WE LOVE WOMEN!!! Folks, please, let me reiterate that last part, WE LOVE WOMEN. Just gotta emphasize that last part to be sure you heard and stuff. Totally hetero. Just making sure. OK? Cool.
@Corby's Backpack Fulla Weed: So I gotta watch a game to know that giving away six bases on steals/passed balls/stolen bases is troubling? It was more just confirmation of what I've been seeing the last month. I didn't see Nelson Cruz' homer on Sunday either, but I'm pretty sure he's in a nice groove at the plate. @Ghost of RW's libido: So you're insinuating that I watch male-on-male porn? Weird. Why? For the record, 100% not true. I like women. A lot. But do expound, I'd be fascinated to see you show your work on that theory. @Scruffy: Treanor himself said he should've caught that ball - "I feel like I should make that play" - but I suppose you know better than him. @Casual Observer: See "@Scruffy." I do agree, of course, that Treanor made an amazing short-hop stop on the pitch before.
Molina weighs 225? Looks more like 325.
Casual Observer said it best. I have nothing left to add. I only saw part of Friday's game. It took a matter of two innings to see that King Felix had outstanding stuff that night.
@Scruffy That pitch was "very catchable" because it was only going 98 mph and one foot wide and in the dirt. The official scorer ruled it as a wild pitch and not a pass ball because he had only been scoring games for 20+ years and therefore does not know anything about baseball. Lets all trust RW on this one because it went from "could of had it" to "very catchable" in two weeks (friggin baseball jesus over at KTCK was also spouting off on this one that Treanor should have caught it). Here's a hint for anyone that's still wondering: Go to the dilapidated Dallas Public Library of your choice and check out a baseball book from the kids section so the words won't be to small and read the proper technique and body positioning for stopping a pitch that hits the dirt when catching. Then watch the replay again. Then explain how a catcher has the responsibility to stop that pitch. Hell, Grieve was saying that Treanor was lucky to have stopped the pitch before that was six inches closer to the plate.
Hate when I don't put my name in. The KC wild pitch was exactly that, a wild pitch. Ogando got too wound up, held onto the ball too long, and screwed up a 3-0 pitch, IIRC. Treanor gets no blame for that one, it was all Ogando. You shouldn't have to pick a pitch out of the dirt when you need a strike to keep him from a free base.
I'd rather lose a couple games 2-1 than lose 10-8. Molina has a ring. Give me the option of him or Teagarden behind the plate in a playoff game and I'm going to go with him every time, heftiness or not. SF pitchers were mad when he was traded because they loved how he called games. That said, agreed CJ and Molina shouldn't work together, and the steals are more on CJ anyway. He's allowed a ton of steals no matter the catcher--Pudge in his prime wouldn't stand a chance at nailing a runner if he's halfway to second by the time the pitch is away. And hoping for them to suck up 7 games on the road to clinch at home is one, stupid, and two, such a douche mindset. You take the clinch as soon as you can get it, location be damned. You wouldn't write any posts about them choking and not standing a chance to win in the playoffs in that scenario...
This Rangers team is not ready to win in the playoffs. In October, every out takes on greater significance and you can't give them away with baserunning blunders and defensive miscues.
Fact: Molina and CJ should never work together again lest CJ get a neck strain shaking off Molina. Molina is the slowest guy in baseball. Molina can't move behind the plate, though he gets by because he has very good instincts experience. Molina's batting average es no bueno. Treanor - probably the most reliable option at this point and has a 217 average. Given those facts, Warsh's refusal to play Teagarden over these last few weeks is quite puzzling. After this last call up from AAA, Teagarden hit better, hit for power, struck out less, and played solid defense. He made one play at the plate that cost them one run in a 7-2 loss, and since then, he hasn't sniffed playing time. Given his improved bat and power, a youthful ability to get to wild pitches and get around the bases, it seemed like the perfect time to see what he could do. Could he possibly hit 230 and double digit home runs? He hit 4 in limited time and 229 in this call up. Woulda been nice to know and its not like he had Joe Mauer blocking the path. This was a very strange managerial decision and it is clear that we will all be left wondering, was this this time that Teagarden had enough bat going to go with his usual solid defense and outstanding play calling to win the position? Can anyone explain this?
The Rangers have three concerns going into the playoffs: health- (Kins, Cruzy, Hambone, Cliffy) baserunning- sheesh! playing solid defense. Take care of those items and we'll be OK, everything else will take care of itself...even the catching.
@corbra, if I commented on only what I watch..welp..there would by a bunch of articles on Guy on Guy cinemax type programming..you know.
as CBFA said, it was poor situational hitting and base running that go the Rangers sunday and it was Felix Fucking Hernandez throwing 8 innings of no hit baseball that got them Friday, so the trend of not hitting good pitching conitnues its the effing base running that is running us out of games. So anyone want to bet against me here is a bet, The Rangers will have more wins in Ocotber than the Cowboys will have for the season
You put it best. You have an opinion from a game you didn't watch. Realize that shit baserunning and poor hitting with runners in position did them in. Not fucking catching. Molina is a solid although not overwhelming catcher who'll be fine as the backstop. So go back to reporting on which Cowboy farted during a team meeting and leave the baseball to the guys who actually watched the game. I love you RW but you're doing the one thing that pisses me off about reporters and blog writers. Having an opinion when you didn't actually see what happened.