Photo Courtesy: Darryl Briggs
By Lew Patton
The good thing about baseball is it’s a long season. It seems when the Rangers are on the road and losing, it’s a long ways until they get home again.
The Rangers really didn’t do too badly this past week, going 2-3. After the shock of Seattle and ex-Ranger Nelson Cruz, the team got a day off Monday and went to Arizona for a couple of games before going to Anaheim for a three game weekend series. The pitching had some better spots than the week before, and the team batting average is still about the same but you just have to believe it should start coming around soon.
There are six players hitting below the Mendoza Line (.200) at the conclusion of this week:
| 10 | Beltre, A | TEX | 3B | 18 | 72 | 9 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | .194 | .256 | .347 | .604 | |||
| 11 | Chirinos, R | TEX | C | 11 | 35 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | .171 | .256 | .429 | .685 | |||
| 12 | Odor, R | TEX | 2B | 18 | 57 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 1 | .140 | .290 | .246 | .535 | |||
| 13 | Smolinski, J | TEX | LF | 15 | 35 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0 | .114 | .295 | .229 | .524 | |||
| 14 | Choo, S | TEX | LF | 15 | 48 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | .104 | .271 | .188 | .459 | |||
| 15 | DeShields, D | TEX | CF | 8 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | .091 | .167 | .091 | .258 |
Surely Beltre is due to start getting hot very soon. I have no idea what Choo’s problem is, but hopefully, some home cooking will help whatever ails him and his anemic bat.
Here comes the son
This should be an exciting week for the Rangers. The periodical son, Josh Hamilton should officially become a Ranger sometime this week. The Angels have had enough of him, and according to sources are paying for Josh to go somewhere else. The Rangers was the logical place, and for mere pennies on the dollar, will be able to have a player back on the roster. The way I see it, this is a win/win for everyone.
Josh gets to come back to his favorite hitters park minus his wife, the Rangers get a potential all-star back for peanuts, and the Angels get to send Hamilton away. The deal itself is a baseball no-brainer. The Angels reportedly are going to pay Hamilton some $63 million, just to more or less go away. Hamilton, in turn, personally will be giving up some $8 million or so, just to get out of California. The Rangers could end up paying Hamilton about the same salary they’re paying, say, Ross Detwiler, $3.45 million. And no players or prospects will be sent to the Angels in the deal. A former MVP, virtually for free.
I just feel like the Rangers are on the verge of a good week soon, and this might be it.
Upcoming Schedule
4/27 vs Mariners 7:05 pm
4/28 vs Mariners 7:05 pm
4/29 vs Mariners 7:05 pm
5/1 vs A’s 7:05 pm
5/2 vs A’s 7:05 pm
5/3 vs A’s 2:05 pm
