Ever since the world and I found out about Alex Rodriguez’s blockbuster contract (twenty-two million per year) and Esquire annointed him as “the man who will save baseball”, I’ve been following his team, the Texas Rangers, in the standings with great interest. It’s not been pretty. As I write this, they’re 13-26 and in the cellar of what isn’t exactly a monster division. In the most recent debacle, they somehow managed to give up three unanswered runs in the 9th inning to lose to the Indians 4-3.
What in the world is going on here? There certainly isn’t any problem with the offense. They’re getting on base. They’re getting runs. A-rod has certainly lived up to the billing. Actually, some have claimed that the team spent so much for him, they didn’t have any money to attract decent pitching. But for the most part, they simply held on to the quality starters they already had (nearly all of this is from ESPN.com, by the way). Pitching is a problem, but how did it get that bad?
I’m aware of the “Ewing theory”, but this is a bit much. Anyone care to weigh in on just what’s ailing this team?
Well, the problem last year was the pitching, and the problem the year before that was the pitching…etc, etc.
More specifically, they have two decent starters and one decent reliever, and the two decent starters are getting killed this year. (the staff motto was supposedly "Rogers and Helling and three days of shelling, to give you an idea of what the thoughts of the pitching staff were)
It didn’t help that the Rangers’ top closer of last year, John Wetteland, retired. Although I suppose he wouldn’t be getting many save opportunities this year.
I caught the ninth inning of last night’s said debacle, and their problem is entirely in the pitching. Pitching and defense (in other sports) wins not only championships, but games, too.
The Rangers will lose every 10-9 game they’re in until they realise they have to trade Pudge for some pitching.
I wouldn’t trade Pudge for the pitching. You need a good catcher to properly handle a pitching staff. Trading Pudge away for pitching would be like what that pair in “The Gift of the Magi” did.
As I said in a baseball-related thread as the season started [/blatant self-promotion], the Texas Rangers had the worst pitching staff in the American League last year. Dead last. Even worse than Tampa Bay. In the offseason, here’s what Texas did to improve their pitching:
Their closer retired.
That’s it. Sure, they spent $270 million or so on A-Rod and a couple of creaking corner infielders whose best days are long past. But, they did exactly nothing to improve the pitching staff.
And that is why Doug Melvin (Texas Rangers General Manager) should be fired before the 2002 season.
As far as Pudge, the Texas front office has to make a decision. Can they afford in two years to pay A-Rod $25M, Pudge $17-20M and spend serious money for free agent pitching all at the same time? If so, then they should keep Pudge. If not, then they have to trade him to get pitching help. I would trade him now, before his 10-5 rights vest and get at least 1 legitimate major league starter and 2 good young arms on the verge of breaking through.
Meanwhile, as a diehard Seattle Mariner fan preparing to go to this afternoon’s game, I have to echo spooje and say: bwahahahahahahaha