Even Ron Washington is Making the Right Calls During Rangers' 9-1 Start

By Richie Whitt Tue., Apr. 12 2011 at 9:17 AM

Categories: Texas Rangers

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The Rangers are 9-1, their best start in franchise history. They've outscored their opponents a ridiculous 60-26. They've beaten the aces of Boston (Jon Lester), Seattle (Felix Hernandez) and now Detroit (Justin Verlander). They're hitting homers, getting immaculate starting pitching and winning despite slow starts by sluggers Adrian Beltre (who's hitting under .200) and Josh Hamilton (no homers in 38 at-bats).

And when they take the field today at Noon against the Detroit Tigers, they'll have No. 1 starter C.J. Wilson on the mound and -- yes, really -- confidence in their manager. Because, don't look now, even guts-over-book manager Ron Washington made a call yesterday that led them to a victory.

Up 2-0 in the bottom of the 9th, closer Neftali Feliz allowed a double to Detroit's Ryan Raburn. Two outs, one on and slugger Miguel Cabrera coming up. In a gutsy move, Washington called for the intentional walk.

You don't usually put the tying run on base and bring the winning run to the plate, especially if the hitter is four-time All-Star Victor Martinez. But ...

In this charmed start where everything has gone right, Martinez hit a routine grounder to second baseman Ian Kinsler to end the game. Rangers win. Wash is a genius.

And Alexi Ogando is unhittable?

Forced into the rotation only after Tommy Hunter's strained groin, Ogando's two starts have been, well, legendary. He's the only pitcher since 1920 to win his first two starts of the season while pitching at least six innings and not allowing an earned run.

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Baseball, C.J. Wilson, Neftali Feliz, Ron Washington

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It's all about how many people see the joke, not if they read it or stick around.
Kergo is the lacey gee of the sportatorium. A dumbass whose best talent is showing off new pearl necklaces.
You and Davey need to come up with better insults.
Terry is the 105.3 of the Mavs. Talks bigger than delivered where it counts, fake badass persona, clueless, and if gone nobody would get too upset.
Hey, guys. Rhads is channeling me. Give it a couple of more weeks. He'll get it. HELLO WIN COLUMN!
Exactly. That was the real kergo. Don't worry though. You've already erroneously bowed a knee to the fake kergo before you fuckin' clown shoe. I know, I know. He better create an account. It's hard to tell the difference between his douchiness and mock douchiness.
I hope tommy hunter doesn't come back unless we absolutely need him. Hunter is the 105.3 of the Rangers. The last resort.
Oh no, its not all rose colored, just thought some perspective was worthy on the Josh story. And I was more than curious as to why Busby didnt get the job, or Dave barnett. They both filled in well, not that Barnett is any more lively than Rhads, I hate Barnett taking every other inning away from Nadel, but at leat those 2 are familiar voices to Rangers fans
Don't get too rose-colored on Josh, he was extremely polarizing. I personally loved him, except when he got on baked goods and dated pop-culture reference tangents. But there was a more-than-insignificant contingent of fans that absolutely hated Lewin. I think you're right that alot of the deciding factor was Josh wanting to keep the NFL gig. But the non-Josh games last season were better than this season has started. I'm wishing Busby got the job right now.
I dont think its all nolans fault on the Lewin let go. Nolan just didnt like Josh and all his side gigs, he wanted him to be all rangers or nothing. I got tired of Josh being gone for Saturday baseball on Fox and then Sunday Chargers football, Im sure Nolan wasnt happy with that set up either, why pay a guy to do your games who misses 1-2 games a week.
I agree, isn't it sad that you can watch the Rangers' offense light up the opposition and still be bored because Rhadigan is just so bland and boring? Hopefully there has been enough negative feedback that Nolan or FSSW will make a move. Then again, Rage has continued to tumble in ratings since the move to afternoon drive and the Fan has yet to make a move on them. Rage is the Rhadigan of sports radio.
i'm totally with you on this. Watching the Rangers games is akin to watching golf. No excitement, no energy in Rhads. I don't ever see it happening.
I guess the only thing we can do to show our disgust of fake Kerg's is to stop commenting on him.
You'd probably be the first one here asking why he didn't walk him if Cabrera dings him for a 2 run shot.
ummm, fake kergs, looks like you need to look up reading comprehension..cause I said it was a fake..could tell by the weak white guy rap, wrong spelling of vinegar and overt gayness.
Yesterday Josh had a great story about Verlander in high school. In exchange to borrow money for lunch one day, Verlander's friend made him sign a napkin promising him a tenth of his signing bonus when he signed with a club. Verlander ended up siging a 3.12 million dollars bonus, but has yet to pay his friend, although his friend still has the napkin and appears to be cool with not getting anything. The point I am trying to make is, this is the kind of stuff I miss hearing in my Ranger's broadcast. Josh would tell interesting stories and tidbits that we would have never known otherwise. Rhads does not. I am bored watching the games now, and it sucks. I know some people will say it will take time, but I don't think I will ever like him. I think Nolan dropped the ball on this one more than he did by not siging CLee, and I am serious!
Uh oh, lookie like someone can't tell the difference between his leader's dumb shit and fake dumb shit.
If that's the real kerg, I say bring baxk the fake ones. That was a record setting ass whip.
You can thank Nolan for number 3. You can also thank him for the greatness that is Rhadigan.
Days games in Detroit are tradition for their opening series..Always has, always will be...Oh yeah..All you regulars on this here blog are a bunch of homos!
MLB didn't have to let Detroit have early April home day games like that. Boston, Colorado, Philly, Pittsburgh, Chicago, NY all manage to squeeze in night games. Three weekday day games is BS, for the visitors as well as the home fans. I would be accepting of 2 out of 3, but all 3? There's still blazing hot summer Sunday day games here and we deal with it. The demographics of ballpark visitors are the suburban folks. The Collin County/North Dallas/Tarrant County/spitting distance from Grapevine Lake people are the target market. The fine people of Terrell are not.
Neither is the Fan
1> Check the weather, its friggin cold up there. I would rather have this then another domed opponent to visit multiple times a year. 2> Rhads could be decent but he has to do the work. Dude needs to bury himself in the rulebook for 100s of hours to build his competence/confidence up. I tried to forget that he didn't know you don't get an RBI on a doubleplay ball but I can't rid the memory. 3> Demographics, buddy. Baseball is the only ticket that a lot of folks can afford and are willing to relate to.
Going by the book is so Blasé, it gives a manager an excuse if it doesnt work. ron dont make no excuses, he did what he felt he had to do to win the game. Miggs was 2 for 3 yesterday and had hit the ball real hard, and VMart is hitting like shit, why not take your chance. I like day games bc I can hear nadel at work but 3 in row is ridiculous. you shouldnt have more than one day game a week, after wednesday, thatll be 4 in row, Im sure FSSW isnt happy about the ratings noon games are pulling
I'm with Warsh...walk Cabrera...he's the only guy on their team that's a danger. It's not like last year when people would walk Hambone to face Vladdy..Martinez isn't Vlad. (atleast not at this point in time) Warsh shall lead us back to the promised land, and JD will help us at the trade deadline if need be. Tommy Hunter needs to stay down in Round Rock and find an OUT pitch, his lack of one really showed up in the playoffs last year. (maybe Chris Davis/Tommy Hunter and a Harrison or Feldman for Greinke..cause Milwaukee isn't going anywhere this year)
I don't think Kergs raps..may be wrong but that's not him
Ranger's start=happy spirit of dead Scruffy Notes of note: 1. Why did MLB allow Detroit to schedule three day games in a row like that? Is the city of Detroit that bad off they can't pay the electric bill to light the joint up? I want my primetime viewing. No way I'm buying a crappy Chrysler 200 now. 2. Rhads. Still meh. Decent amount of ehh. And alot of huh. I'm still giving him until June before I make a final verdict, but so far....not so good there, pal. He's using a very stilted, interrupted talking style that is annoying, and he's been Captain Obvious and Major Pointless when it comes to information nuggets. And we all make errors, but he's good for a player misidenification or inning/ball/strike mix-up multiple times a game. Harry Caray had the excuse of being old, likely drunk, and established. 3. The Rangers commercials annoy me. I'm a native Texan, I don't know what to do at a rodeo and I don't frigging care. Leave the down-homey, sittin-on-the-porch, pander-to-the-bumpkin marketing to Blue Bell. There's ten times more German sedans than dualies in the lots at home games. Your target crowd is that family in Southlake with the brick house, not Country Joe making the trek from Mineral Wells. Pickup commericals remind us all the time we're Texan and what a real Texan does. I don't need my baseball team smack in the middle of the Metroplex pandering like that too.
I've been a fan of the Rangers for as long as I can remember. This start is impressive and pleasantly surprising. Gonna be a great season. Keep Ogando in the rotation. Forget Hunter. Make him a reliever? Don't know what to do with him. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it.
Joe Posnanski did a real interesting writeup on si.com about IBBs and how they are, on the whole, not a useful tactic. It was during the ALCS last October I believe. Needless to say, I disagree with you (and Wash) RC, but to each his own
I am completely beaten down by the fake kergo's. It went from being funny to just stupid pretty quick. I do enjoy Kerg's vacay fill in though.
I don't think it was a stupid move at all. You don't pitch to Cabrera. Period. I understand Martinez has been an all-star, but he is no Cabrera. I am glad Wash is managing this team.
Not a gut call, not stupid. By the book does not state that you NEVER IBB the tying run on base. There are exceptions: 2011 BA OBP SLG Martinez .225 .262 .425 Cabrera .382 .488 .794 Two outs in the ninth playing visiting team I get the third out best way I can.
Welcome back Kerg's-more please! The "fake Kerg's" are wearing me out!
first biotches and tollway D's! a rap: (based upon pic above) drop it ron, drop it drop it ron drop it don neva ,stop drop eee ron, drop it .......yeeeeeea bouuuuuy! (then a Chris Brown type sings thru the vocoder)....then several knockin beat drop it ron, drop it drop it ron drop it don neva ,stop drop eee ron, drop it .......yeeeeeea bouuuuuy! I remember back in da day yo, I'd be out back, bailin' hay up from the road come a horrible sight next thin I know day turn to night drop it ron, drop it drop it ron drop it don neva ,stop drop eee ron, drop it .......yeeeeeea bouuuuuy! (then fade) good recipe ideas for this song: 4 Loco Purple Drank or LeeeeN BBQ Shortribs w a braised vengar based sauce _______ Kergie OUt! ps-I look at that pic of you at TMS and laugh, you look just like a tollway turd..........you know, the TT, where he is the center of his own universe; hence the backward hat. Come on haters and "fake kerg's"......let's make me famous today. Oh, yeah-go Red Sox.....still not even a hint of panic, still good for ahhhh 97 wins and the 3rd championship in 7 years. Greatest Red Sox Ever: Fisk Dewey El Tiante Yaz Pedro The Splinter Cy Young Greatest Rangers Ever- ummmmm (thinkin') Bucky Dent?
Just because it didn't blow up in his face doesn't make it the right move. The IBB was the wrong call. A stupid stupid wrong call. Wash dodged a bullet on that one yesterday.