Hey, it’s a busy week for me, but I’ll try to post as often as I can.  I’ve got finals and final projects coming up (yes, RangersFan is in college), so I’ll have a little less time for the Rangers, but once they’re over next week I’ll have plenty of time to offer the Rangers.

Go Rangers!

I made my third trip to “The Temple” this season, and I actually got to witness a rare Rangers win!  There seemed to be two different parts of this game…there was a high scoring part and then a pitchers’ duel part.  A personal account of what turned out to be a fun night at the Ballpark:

I went with my best bud who just so happens to be from Minnesota, so he was rooting for the Twins.  We sat in section 44, which is in the right field corner, seven rows up from that little corner suite by the foul pole.  We immediately noticed a few things.

We couldn’t see the Jumbotron at all and we could barely make out what the announcer was saying because of a terrible echo.  This actually ended up being a blessing in disguise because it allowed us to focus more on the game. We also quickly noticed that we were sitting one row in front of what sounded like an episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8.  Terribly loud, crying kids, who screamed things like “AAAAAAALLLLIIIIWABEEEEEEEKA”  Yeah, I don’t know what that means either.  The parent or guardian was clueless as to how to control them, so she kept asking them how many strikes there were.  “I DON’T KNOW, MY EYES AREN’T AS BIG AS YOURRRRRRRRRS!” was often the answer.

As for the actual game, it gave me so many different emotions.  When Millwood allowed the bases to be loaded with Morneau coming up to bat, I felt extremely anxious.  I turned to my friend and jokingly said, “If he hits a grand slam, I quit.”  Next pitch – Grand slam about 3 sections to our right.  The guy sitting in front me thought I was a genius as he took off his Rangers shirt to reveal the Twins shirt he had on underneath.

In the bottom half of the same inning, the Rangers actually strung a bunch of hits together and scored 5 quick runs to tie it.  My Twins fan buddy and I got a good laugh as the guy in front of us put his Rangers shirt back on.  I was excited that I was actually going to see a decent game…the two previous games I’ve attended have been blowouts.

I finally got to see CJ Wilson pitch in person and was very impressed.  He mowed through the toughest part of the order in his only inning of work.  The entire bullpen impressed me today; they had no walks and only allowed two hits.

Finally, I felt elated as David Murphy lined a shot into the outfield to score German Duran and win the game for the Rangers.  As the Rangers players celebrated on the field, my Twins fan friend said “They act like the just won the World Series!”  They were, but I knew why.  Those players deserved a win, and Ranger fans deserved a win. I deserved a win.

After being outscored 37-10 by the Tigers in their last series, the Rangers return home to Arlington to play the Minnesota Twins in a three game series. The Twins bring a 2 game losing streak to Arlington after facing off with the AL West leading Oakland A’s. My series predictions are after the jump.

TONIGHT: Nick Blackburn (1-1, 2.49) vs. Kevin Millwood (1-2, 2.53). This one will be a pitchers’ duel. Lots of ground balls, especially since Blackburn will be relying on his sinker. Both pitchers will go deep into the game but in the end, Millwood will get a frustrating loss as the Rangers batters can’t give him any run support. Manager Ron Washington is fired the next morning.

SATURDAY: Scott Baker (2-0, 3.51) vs. Sidney Ponson (first start).  Rangers fans with outfield seats for tomorrow’s game – duck and cover when Minnesota is batting.  You’re gonna get shelled.  The Rangers lose this one handily.

SUNDAY: Livian Hernandez (3-0, 3.55) vs. Vicente Padilla (2-2, 4.97). Both pitchers will pitch well for the first few innings, but suddenly both teams’ offenses will explode. The Rangers get home run happy and give Livian his first loss of the season.

This is an exciting series for RangersFan because I will be attending tonight’s game and Saturday’s game, marking the first time he’s gone to consecutive Rangers games. I’ll have a “RangersFan at the Ballpark” post up ASAP about both days’ ballpark experience.

UPDATE:  Useless prediction for Saturday has been added, and after spending two hours in traffic and more than enough money, I’ve decided not to attend Saturday’s game.

Swept again. The Rangers haven’t won in a week. A whole week. The Rangers are now the worst team in baseball. This is as low as it gets for Rangers fans.

After the jump, allow me to tell a re-tell a story that was originally authored by the Rangers blogosphere:

Jon from Lonestar in California:

Boy, we all knew this would be a tough road trip, but I don’t think even the most pessimistic of Ranger fans would have predicted that we’d lose 7 straight to the Red Sox an Tigers, and wind up with the franchise’s worst start since [1]982.

Micah from Baseball is My Boyfriend:

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it. The players on this team are too talented for this kind of play. Have they decided to fold for the season already? Have they lost motivation? Or are they being mis-managed?

Adam from Lone Star Ball:

Earlier this week, I said I wouldn’t be shocked if Matt Walbeck is managing this team by Memorial Day. Right now, given what is in the press this morning, I’ll be mildly surprised if he isn’t managing this team by Monday.

Joey from Baseball Time in Arlington:

But how ironic it is that the very thing the fanbase seemed to fear the most two months ago – that is, the possibility of Nolan Ryan exercising his presidential authority to override Jon Daniels on vital organizational decisions, such as the retention or dismissal of Ron Washington – is now the very thing that the fanbase, as a whole, seems to be clamoring the most heavily for.

This story is called Ron Washington Is About To Lose His Job. I especially agree with what Micah said. This is a team full of talent. Are they the most talented team in the league? No, but this team should not be the worst team in all of baseball. The lack of motivation and the stench of apathy in the the dugout can be pinned on one man…the manager.

My and the Rangers blogosphere’s message to Jon Daniels: Lose Washington now, or lose more games and more fans.

The Rangers lost tonight 19-6. If I may, I’d like to quote myself:

WEDNESDAY: Luis Mendoza (0-2, 9.00 ERA) vs. Kenny Rogers (1-3, 6.33 ERA). This one is going to be a pretty high scoring affair – expect both teams to score over 5 runs. Michael Young should have one of his better games when he faces Rogers. Mendoza will likely leave the game early, causing the bullpen to be stretched yet again. Tigers will win this one by a pretty healthy margin.

…Oh and if any of these predictions come true I’m gonna claim to be a fuckin’ genius. Just FYI…

In retrospect, it really didn’t take a “fuckin’ genius” to predict this one. Although I must confess that the amusement factor of my predictions coming true made the game watchable for me, so at least they were worth something. I don’t really have much to say about this one other than a big WTF?!!

BREAKING NEWS(?) UPDATE:  Luis Mendoza has admitted that his shoulder has been bothering him.  Management is pissed that he endangered himself and the other pitchers on staff, presumably the overworked bullpen.  Management sucks.  Whoops, that’s not news.

Thanks to Jon from Lonestar in California for explaining his understanding of why Laird is catching instead of Saltalamacchia. In a comment, he wrote:

As far as I can tell, the reason we have Gerald Laird over Salty is [Rangers GM] Jon Daniels likes Laird, and thinks he can pump up his trade value if he makes him the starter for the first half of the season. Unfortunately, Laird has been just as bad as he was last season, and has not helped his trade value at all – in fact, he might have decreased it…

I agree that whatever trade value he had has decreased. Also decreasing is the time that Ron Washington has as the manager of this team. A few more performances like this and the Rangers will lose a great chunk of their fan base even before the playoff run of the Mavericks Stars ends.

Well, my series predictions haven’t got off to a good start. One (this one) would assume that the Rangers would be more motivated than ever to win after losing 4 in a row to the BoSox. Maybe they were. Maybe I just need to come to the realization that this team isn’t good enough to win yet.

Here’s why being a RangersFan sucks…just when you think a player or the team as a whole is progressing or about to progress, they regress. They take one step forward and then take two steps back. Case in point: Vicente Padilla.

I went to see the Rangers and Padilla pitch against Toronto during the last homestand. For about three innings, he was pitching lights out…I believe he had a no-hitter going. All of a sudden, he lost it. I don’t know if the Toronto hitters had figured out his “stuff” after one at bat each or what, but he gave up runs left and right. Since that game, he had two decent starts, and his ERA had went down to a respectable 3.12. One step forward.

Then last night, he allows 7 runs in 3 freakin’ innings. Two steps back.

I’m starting to agree with what Jon in California says here:

“I’d be a lot happier if the Rangers would start the housecleaning now – get rid of the guys like Ben Broussard and Adam Melhuse, bench Laird and Catalanotto, get Jarrod Saltalamacchia, up here now, and as they become ready, guys like Eric Hurley and Brandon Boggs too.”

Gerald Laird definitely needs to go. The only way I can justify Gerald over Salty is that Gerald has more experience calling pitches than Salty, but what exactly is that experience worth? Salty isn’t going to learn how to call major league games by catching in the minors. Gerald is not the future. Salty is. Rebuilding is about building the future. If you’re afraid Salty’s going to struggle in the majors, let him struggle for a while. Better now than later. I could be way off…if someone knows the reasons why we have Laird up instead of Salty, please comment and let me know.

It’s going to be another tough one tonight as Mendoza takes the hill against a Tigers team that seems to be getting its bats going. I’ll try to keep a level head…it’s a long season.

A very long season.

Well after getting swept by the Red Sox in 4 games, the Rangers look to right the ship against a team that has been struggling with injuries. This is a tough series to predict, because both teams seem to be motivated to prove early doubters wrong. I’ll do my best after the jump.

TODAY: Vicente Padilla (2-1, 3.12 ERA) vs. Justin Verlander (0-3, 7.03 ERA). I think the Rangers will be especially motivated to get a win after their embarrassing series at Fenway. With Padilla on the mound, who seems to pitch better away from home, I think the Rangers will win a close game with CJ Wilson closing out the game in the bottom of the ninth.

WEDNESDAY: Luis Mendoza (0-2, 9.00 ERA) vs. Kenny Rogers (1-3, 6.33 ERA). This one is going to be a pretty high scoring affair – expect both teams to score over 5 runs. Michael Young should have one of his better games when he faces Rogers. Mendoza will likely leave the game early, causing the bullpen to be stretched yet again. Tigers will win this one by a pretty healthy margin.

THURSDAY: Jason Jennings (0-3, 7.08 ERA) vs. Jeremy Bonderman (1-2, 4.37 ERA). After a good outing against the Red Sox, I’m expecting Jennings to continue his progress. However, I think he’ll end up getting another no decision. Hamilton, Young and Kinsler should rack up the hits and the bullpen will have to hold on to a lead as the Rangers win this one.

So I think the Rangers will win the series, but in all honesty I have no clue how that last game is going to play out. It is very possible they could lose the series, furthering my frustrations with the Rangers.

Oh and if any of these predictions come true I’m gonna claim to be a fuckin’ genius. Just FYI…

It appears that both my optimistic RangersFan heart and my “common sense” were wrong when I was making my series predictions for the Rangers/Red Sox series.  The Red Sox swept (not swiffered) the Rangers in a myriad of bullpen screw ups.  The Rangers actually got some decent starting pitching but could not hold a lead the entire series.  RangersFan favorite CJ Wilson blew a save for the first time this year.

This was a series to forget for the Rangers…so I’m going to forget it.

I missed the Rangers losing to Boston 5-3, which is unfortunate because apparently Jason Jennings didn’t suck. I didn’t see it with my own eyes, so I don’t know if I can believe it. What’s that you say? Look at his stats? Alrighty then…

Jennings: 6 innings pitched, 3 hits, 2 runs allowed, 2 walks, 1 strikeout…against the Boston Red Sox.

Well then, nice work. Good to see he’s fighting hard to keep his job. He seems like a good local kid who’s pitching for the team he really wants to be on. Nevertheless, I want to see him pitch a couple more times in Arlington to see if he can stop serving up home runs in that jet stream. On opening day in Arlington, he didn’t give a very favorable first impression to 50,000 Rangers fans. If he has a few more games like this one he may slowly start to win back some of those fans, including me.

Bottom 6 Update (DMN Rangers Blog)

That’s what I thought to myself right after David Ortiz murdered a pitch by Luis Mendoza for a grand slam. Right before Mendoza threw Ortiz the fastball he murdered, I said underneath my breath, “Please do not throw him a first-pitch fastball.” That’s two straight days that my input would have helped the Rangers. Maybe if the Rangers put a radio in a special helmet with a green dot on the back I could tell them things they should know already. Maybe something like this:

A few random thoughts about last night’s game after the jump.

The Rangers were able to score the first run of the game because of an awesome bit of baserunning by Ian Kinsler. Kinsler clearly watched some video of Dice-K’s stretch delivery. When Kinsler took his lead from second, Dice-K gave him one look and then turned his head away from Kinsler. Kinsler took off as soon as Dice-K looked away and stole third without a challenge from Veritek. Kinsler would later score on a sac fly from Hamilton. That’s good baseball, something Rangers fans are starving for right now.

I’m usually not a fan of relief pitcher Dustin Nippert but I was for one pitch last night. In the inning before, catcher Gerald Laird had pitifully struck out looking with the bases loaded…something I cannot tolerate. On the first pitch of the next inning Nippert slipped on the mound and drilled a ball into the dirt 2 feet ahead of home base. It bounced and slammed right into Laird’s head, almost knocking him over. Too bad the mask was there. +5 Nippert.

Jacoby Ellsbury is something special. He had a triple last night, but I was more impressed with his 3 walks. He really knows how to work a pitcher. He worked the count to 3-2 twice last night and kept on fouling pitches off until he got ball four. Doing that really wears down the pitcher and screws with his psyche.

I’m usually pretty good at finding reasons to hate teams, but for some reason I cannot hate this Red Sox team. They have clear leaders, an awesome mix of established veterans and up-and-coming players, and great ownership. I can’t hate this Red Sox team, but I can sure hate their fans.

Or maybe I’m just jealous.