First Win Of The Season

Funny how quickly you can go from panic mode to absolute joy in a matter of a few hours.

Behind a brilliant pitching performance from Robinson Tejeda, the Texas Rangers won their home opener on Friday afternoon against the Boston Red Sox 2-0.

Tejeda threw seven dazzling shutout innings, needing just 77 pitches to get that far. He only struck out one, but gave up just three hits and two walks. A whopping 16 of the 21 outs he recorded were fly balls, but that didn't mean he was struggling - far from it, in fact. A good number of those were harmless popouts. Robinson established his mid-90's fastball early and located his pitches well, keeping Boston off balance for the entire game. And when he did run into some small bouts of trouble in the later innings, Gerald Laird kept him on track. Simply an amazing performance, and one the Rangers desperately needed after the problems Millwood, Padilla and McCarthy had in Anaheim.

Joaquin Benoit came on in the 8th inning in the setup role, and pitched a shutout frame, much to the relief of everybody. After a one out walk brought the tying run to the plate, Ron Washington himself came out to the mound to talk to Joaquin. Whatever he said worked, as he retired Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz on harmless ground balls. Great signs. Aki Otsuka gave up a leadoff single in the 9th to Manny Ramirez, but retired the rest of the side in order to set the celebration in motion.

It is concerning that the Rangers' offense struggled yet again, with the club stringing together just three hits. One of their two runs came on a Sammy Sosa check swing bloop hit into right field in the 1st inning, while the other came on a Gerald Laird RBI single. However, it was enough on this day to win, and that's all that counts.

51,548 came out to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to witness Texas's home opening win, the second largest crowd in club history. They were not disappointed.

Now let's see if the Rangers can put together their first winning streak of the season.

Kevin Millwood will take on Julian Tavarez on Saturday night at 7:05 PM CST. Tavarez started six games at the end of 2006 for Boston, which was the first time he had started since the 2002 season. It should be a very interesting game - although not just for the pitching matchup. The weather forecast says it'll be 38 degrees at game time, with a 50% chance of rain/snow.

Thank the Lord for television.

K-Rod Cheating? Part II

I must say, I wasn't expecting this kind of response to the K-Rod incident. Maybe I should write about cheating more often.

The biggest development so far is Richard Durrett's report this afternoon in the Dallas Morning News, confirming that Major League Baseball is indeed investigating whether Angels' closer Francisco Rodriguez doctored the baseball in two appearances against Texas this week. Curiously enough, it was not the Rangers organization that contacted MLB; Jon Daniels said he was aware of David Zumsteg's website, but had not been in touch with the league office.

The article goes on to say that MLB found out about the allegations earlier today, and that they would be reviewing video of the game, as well as possibly talking to players and umpires. K-Rod could face a 10 game suspension for violating rule 8.02b of the MLB rulebook, which prohibits having possession of "any foreign substance" on your person during the game.

Now, I'm not about to sit here and claim that this humble piece of the baseball blogosphere had much, if anything to do with MLB deciding to investigate this incident. But I'd like to believe that I've provided analysis and visual evidence that will make people stop, think and decide for themselves what we're seeing here.

In the meantime, I'd like to take a look at two more things that have surfaced since my last update. First of all, late last night I thought I had seen a shiny, or shimmering effect, based on about 20 frames from the MLB.TV feed of Monday's game. I created an animated .gif of my findings, which you can view here.

There almost appears to be something reflective underneath the bill of his cap, which would lead credence to the theory of Vaseline or something similar in substance being the culprit. However, you can't take anything conclusive from that clip, and even I have doubts about what we're really seeing there. From subsequent pictures, it certainly seems to be a solid white substance of some kind, so it's probably not Vaseline.

Secondly, here's a photo from Wednesday's series finale. Again, it has not been digitally altered in any way, other than being resized.

Obviously, whatever was on his cap on Monday night was there on Wednesday afternoon. And, in the interest of fairness, K-Rod struggled in this game, allowing a run to score on two singles (although one of those was a terrible call by the official scorer - definitely an error on Orlando Cabrera) and a walk. Zumsteg had this to say concerning Rodriguez on Wednesday:

In the 4-3-07 game, there isn�t the kind of totally blatant grab-the-brim-then-rub-thumb repeatedly, but it�s even more clear that there�s something on his hat brim and he�s putting his thumb right on it.

So, the question remains: what in the world is that "gunk"? Rob Neyer said earlier today on Baseball Think Factory that he believes it's chalk or talcum. Some think it may simply be rosin. They're all relatively innocuous substances, but still illegal to have on your ball cap. And one anonymous commenter from my last piece said he attempted to duplicate the rosin scenario, but could not do it.

Is it something more sinister? Perhaps.

But that's for Major League Baseball to decide.

Hopefully, the next update here at Baseball Time in Arlington is about a Rangers' win in their home opener against Boston on Friday.

K-Rod Cheating?

Early Tuesday morning, a poster named "DesertTex" from the Newberg Report forums reported that he had seen some suspicious behavior from Angels' closer Francisco Rodriguez during the 9th inning of Texas's Opening Day 4-1 loss. Others chimed in, with several confirming that Rodriguez had some kind of foreign substance on the underside of his cap. He also continuously moved his right thumb along that area of his cap, presumably in an attempt to doctor the baseball.

Crazy conspiracy theorists? Not exactly. David Zumsteg of U.S.S. Mariner, who recently published a book entitled "The Cheater's Guide to Baseball," looked more closely at the incident yesterday with the aid of MLB.TV. His conclusion? K-Rod was cheating, and quite blatantly. Zumsteg breaks down each pitch and includes various pictures of Rodriguez grabbing the brim of his cap, and also has this particularly telling quote:

Compare the movement on those pitches to the movement on the fastballs where he clearly doesn�t go to the hat brim.

Also, watching the video, it�s a lot more striking than stills convey � it�s clearly not a cap adjustment, but something else entirely. He grabs the front of the cap and then rubs his thumb on the underside of the cap, picking whatever it is up. On the video, it�s quite striking.

I won't refer to the same pictures that Zumsteg does, but instead focus on a split second right after Rodriguez retires Brad Wilkerson. This video shot from the high quality 700K MLB.TV feed is completely undoctored, and has only been resized in order to fit in this space.

Notice the very bright white coloration on the black underside of his cap. Incredibly sharp contrast, isn't it? Just to show that it's not stadium lights or a reflection playing tricks with the camera, here's a slightly different angle:

Obviously, there's something there that shouldn't be there. Is it rosin? Perhaps something else? We may never know.

Just for further evidence, I recorded the 9th inning from MLB.TV, and spliced it up to show each instance of K-Rod rubbing his thumb against the substance. By my count, there were at least seven instances of it happening, with some more blatant than others. Decide for yourself:

Video: Francisco Rodriguez Caught Cheating? Normal Version | High-Res Version

Pay special attention to the moment right after Gary Matthews Jr. catches the fly ball, as you can see the white discoloration for yourself. On the X-Mo replay near the end, you can make out a white streak while he's in his pitching motion, especially on the higher resolution video. The rest of the shots are varying degrees of him messing with the substance on his cap.

In any event, it wouldn't be the first time that an Angels pitcher was busted for tampering with the baseball. On June 14th, 2005, reliever Brendan Donnelly was ejected for having pine tar on his glove. Nationals' manager Frank Robinson alleged that Donnelly was using sandpaper as well, but gave it to second baseman Adam Kennedy before the umpires could confiscate it. Crew chief Dale Scott had this to say after the game:

"There was a foreign substance on the heel of the glove. It was definitely pine tar. It was obvious and it was a lot of it."

Needless to say, I think plenty of people should be watching K-Rod from now on - especially opposing teams' dugouts.

(Note: I have the original video and picture files available by request through my MVN e-mail address)

Update: There are unconfirmed reports that the Rangers have filed a complaint with the league office concerning the K-Rod situation. Stay tuned.

What to do when your team starts out 0-3?

- You get angry. (Yup, done that)

- You lose all interest in watching or listening to baseball. (Getting there)

- You don't want to go to the home opener. (That would take a lot)

In all honesty, like most of you I figured this team would come out a hell of a lot better then they have these first three games. But they've been flat. They've been lazy in the field. They've gotten walks but have otherwise been lackadaisical at the plate.

You have to believe lots of things will change between now and September 30th, 2007. The offense will wake up, the pitching will perform better than it has thus far, and maybe a few more added bonuses between now and then.

But for right now, frankly I'm disgusted.

Still Searching

Angels 8, Rangers 3

Texas is still searching for that elusive first win of the season. And they still can't stop Vlad.

Very tough game for the Rangers, who are now 0-2 on the season and two games behind Anaheim and Seattle. It may be far too soon to watch the standings, but Texas can't afford to dig themselves a huge hole right off the bat. If you're looking for reasons for optimism, though, here's a few:

• The Rangers began last season 2-7, but improved to 32-26 by June 7th and held a 4.5 game lead in the AL West. That is, until the roof caved in.
• The Dallas Mavericks began 0-4 this year. They're currently 62-12.

I was one of the unfortunate fans to get blacked out from last night's KDFI telecast over here in Tyler (I'm looking at you, Suddenlink/Cox Cable) but in retrospect that wasn't the worst thing. Vicente Padilla was hit very hard, allowing six runs on nine hits and three walks in just 4 2/3 innings. He only struck out one Angel. Since I wasn't able to see the game, I can't really comment on how Padilla's velocity and command looked, but this seems rather troublesome.

Padilla was experiencing elbow soreness on March 24th, and he was crushed on March 28th by the Mariners in his last start of the spring. I believe that he may be pitching through some pain right now, and that is a huge concern. If he has to miss an extended period of time, the Rangers are in big trouble. In fact, the conspiracy theorist side of me is wondering whether the organization was aware that Vicente was hurt before making their decision on the #5 starter spot, and knew they'd need the additional rotation depth - not to fill in for Jamey Wright, but possibly for Padilla. Again, there's no statement from the club indicating that he's hurt, but it sure seems plausible.

The bullpen wasn't particularly great either, with Scott Feldman and C.J. Wilson each coughing up a run in their 2 1/3 combined innings of work. By the time Feldman came in, though, the Rangers were already down 6-2. Bruce Chen pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

As for the offense, there were a few bright spots. Ian Kinsler jacked his second home run in as many days, Gerald Laird and Kenny Lofton both doubled, Sammy Sosa got his first hit of the season, and the Rangers worked a whopping eight walks at the plate. However, Texas once again failed to cash in on their scoring opportunities: they were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position on Tuesday night, and are now 0 for 15 on the season. The law of averages dictate that this trend will turn itself around, but that doesn't help the Rangers right now.

Michael Young went 0 for 5 last night, and is now 0 for 9 with eight men left on base. You know that he'll turn things around and have another .300 or better season at the plate, but he's gotta get back on track - especially batting third. Nelson Cruz's debut wasn't real great either, as he went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. And Sammy Sosa is not proving to be a very dangerous threat behind Teixeira so far, which may be part of the reason why he's been walked four times in two games. Ian Kinsler may end up batting in that spot sooner rather than later.

Texas and Anaheim square off in their final game of their opening series today at 2:35 PM CST, with Brandon McCarthy making his Rangers debut against Ervin Santana.

You know how the team's new marketing slogan is "You could use some baseball?"

The Rangers could use a win.

It's Just One Game

Angels 4, Rangers 1

Perhaps it's our very nature as baseball fans to amplify everything in the first game of the season tenfold, because our first impressions are the ones that stick with us the most. After all, it was only one game. But it was nonetheless a downer, as we saw some negative things from the Rangers last night that were all too reminiscent of 2006.

The most obvious of these was Texas's inability to cash in last night with runners in scoring position, as they left eight men on base, and erased even more with a few badly placed double plays. The Rangers showed excellent plate discipline early, driving John Lackey's pitch count over 65 through three innings, but just couldn't deliver when it counted. Evan Grant also touched on some of Texas's scoring struggles in his column this morning.

I'm not going to worry too much about how things went last night offensively, because they caught a lot of bad breaks. If Texas continues to reach base like they did during the first five innings, they're going to score runs. Frankly, I was more disturbed by the fact that the last 12 Rangers of the game were retired in order. Anaheim's bullpen might be good, but Texas seemed to stop having quality at-bats during the last four innings. Instead, they looked desperate at the plate, and that's never good. The camera panning over the depressed looking Rangers dugout in the 9th inning didn't really pump me with optimism, either.

As far as individual player performances went, Hank Blalock and Kenny Lofton were the most impressive. Blalock went 2 for 4 with a sweet opposite field double, and Lofton went 1 for 3 with his 600th and 601st stolen bases of his career. Both had defensive blunders, though: Blalock bobbled a grounder that allowed Shea Hillenbrand to reach base, and Lofton had a center field home run go off his glove, although he may not have been able to catch it anyway. Ian Kinsler's rocket solo home run was Texas's only source of offense last night.

The rest of the team didn't really show up. Frank Catalanotto, Michael Young, Mark Teixeira, Sammy Sosa, Brad Wilkerson and Gerald Laird went a combined 1 for 20 at the plate with four walks. Sosa, who had all the media hype in the world during spring training, went 0 for 3 with a walk. He also looked completely lost swinging at breaking pitches, which is something worth keeping a close eye on. He did do a nice job of working the count and laying off some tough pitches down and away, though. Nelson Cruz is expected to play in right field on Tuesday night in place of Sammy.

And it may be a serious knee jerk reaction, but Wilkerson looked just as bad Monday night as he did in 2006. He could easily play his way out of the equation if he doesn't start improving at the plate.

On the pitching side, Kevin Millwood was mediocre, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks in five innings of work while striking out five. However, the bullpen looked solid, with Ron Mahay and Mike Wood teaming up to allow only one run in three innings. Holding the Angels to four runs is pretty solid, so you can't fault the pitching staff for this loss.

In any event, it's just one game out of 162. Let's hope Texas brings more to the table tonight. Vicente Padilla and Kelvim Escobar face off at 9:05 PM CST.

A Few Random Observations

Texas trails Anaheim 3-1 going into the bottom of the 7th inning right now. Here are a few random things I've seen during the first 6 innings:

• Sammy Sosa's 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout looking thus far. He did not look good at all against Lackey's breaking pitches, although not many of the Rangers did. His timing seems a bit off, and his swing looks a little wild. He did a nice job working back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk in the 3rd inning, though, as he laid off of several tough pitches down and away.
• Hank Blalock is looking impressive in his first game after after having the cloud of Buck Showalter lifted, going 2 for 3 so far with an opposite field double to left center field and a single up the middle off lefty Darren Oliver. His swing on the double was a real thing of beauty, and I hope we see a lot more of that. Unfortunately, he was robbed by GMJ on a bloop job to center field with the bases loaded to end the 3rd inning rally.
• Brad Wilkerson is 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout. It's extremely early, but he doesn't look much different from the guy who hit a disappointing .222/.306/.422 last season.
• Texas has left 8 men on base through 6 innings. Absolutely inexcusable. This is the sort of thing that killed the Rangers in 2006.
• I don't like Gary Matthews Jr. anymore.

Hopefully Texas can put together a late rally, but as a whole they're not really looking that great tonight. Stay tuned.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Last night may have been the first game of the season, but today is the real start of baseball across America. It's the greatest day of the year.

Baseball is back. And tonight, the Texas Rangers wipe the slate clean and begin anew, as they look to go back to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

Kevin Millwood will take the mound against John Lackey and the Angels at 9:05 PM CST, with TV broadcasts on KDFI/My27 and ESPN2. Pretty much the only thing in doubt is whether Sammy Sosa or Nelson Cruz will start in right field tonight, as Frank Catalanotto will likely play in left field and Brad Wilkerson will probably DH. Dave Sessions writes it'll probably be Sosa, as Ron Washington seems to think Sammy's defense is adequate enough, and doesn't want to hurt Nelson's confidence against a tough pitcher like Lackey. I don't really agree with that decision, but at least we'll get a glimpse of what Sosa is going to bring to the table right off the bat. In any case, whoever doesn't get the start tonight will start on Tuesday.

Sessions also notes that Kameron Loe and Joaquin Benoit will be the setup men while Eric Gagne is on the disabled list, with Aki Otsuka returning to that role when Gagne returns. Aki's still going to get his fair share of save opportunities even after Gagne returns, though. Eric threw 15 pitches in a minor league game on Saturday, and is expected to make another outing today.

All the past disappointments and failures of the Texas Rangers are forgotten tonight. The sobering fact that the Rangers have won one playoff game in their 36 year history doesn't matter tonight. All the predictions and projections made in the off-season don't matter anymore. All that matters is this one simple quote from Michael Young:

"This team should win," Young said. "It will win. We believe in ourselves. That's the simplest way to put it."

Let's go, baby.

Rangers Set 25-Man Roster

Per Richard Durrett of the Dallas Morning News, the Rangers have finalized their Opening Day roster. Here's how the final roster spot battles went down:

Utility Spot: MATT KATA

Kata had a fantastic spring (and was my personal dark-horse pick), with his two HR day on March 19th being the biggest highlight. He can play the infield and outfield, just like Jerry Hairston Jr., and while neither one is all that great offensively they give Texas a ton of defensive flexibility. Also, let's not forget the club already has a five man rotation in the outfield planned. Right now, it would seem Texas is well equipped as far as fielding depth goes. Marlon Byrd has been designated for assignment.

Backup Catcher: CHRIS STEWART

This one was a surprise to me, because I thought Miguel Ojeda was in the driver's seat for the job. I guess the club saw something they liked in Stewart; apparently, he has an excellent throwing arm, and if his game-calling ability is better than Ojeda's, I can see why the Rangers picked him. The 25-year-old Stewart hit .450/.455/.550 in 20 at-bats this spring. Ojeda was optioned to AAA Oklahoma City, and Guillermo Quiroz was designated for assignment.

Bullpen: BRUCE CHEN & MIKE WOOD

With Jamey Wright staying in Frisco until his turn comes up on either April 10th or 11th against the Devil Rays, Texas is carrying an extra reliever. Eric Gagne is eligible to come off the disabled list on April 13th, so odds are Chen and Wood are both off the roster within two weeks. I'd like to see the club keep Chen around, but that's unlikely if he's not going to start; Texas has no long-term need for three left-handed relievers. Mike Wood had an excellent spring, but a quick glance at his career numbers would seem to suggest he's nothing too special.

Of course, if the Rangers want to win the AL West, they're going to need Wes Littleton and Frankie Francisco in the majors. The sooner they get their issues worked out, the better Texas's chances are. Ezequiel Astacio was predictably designated for assignment, as Texas will try to sneak him through waivers and stick him in Oklahoma City.

And with all of that, Texas's final Opening Day roster is set:

C Gerald Laird

C Chris Stewart

1B Mark Teixeira

2B Ian Kinsler

SS Michael Young

3B Hank Blalock

OF Brad Wilkerson

OF Frank Catalanotto

OF Kenny Lofton

OF Nelson Cruz

DH Sammy Sosa

UTIL Matt Kata

UTIL Jerry Hairston Jr.

SP Kevin Millwood

SP Vicente Padilla

SP Brandon McCarthy

SP Robinson Tejeda

RP Kameron Loe

RP Bruce Chen

RP Mike Wood

RP Ron Mahay

RP C.J. Wilson

RP Joaquin Benoit

RP Scott Feldman

RP Akinori Otsuka

Texas beat Milwaukee 4-3 in their final exhibition game of the spring, on a dramatic walkoff home run from Nelson Cruz in the bottom of the 9th inning in front of 22,385 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Very nice note to end spring training on, with the Rangers finishing at 16-11.

Let's hope they can keep their winning ways going when the games begin counting.

45 hours until John Lackey throws his first pitch to Kenny Lofton.

Moves, moves...and more moves

It's that time of year. Every ballclub is going through a series of moves to finalize their 25-man roster in preparation to start the season. The Rangers are no different.

As John posted in his previous blog, the Rangers have put closer Eric Gagne on the DL with the intention of bringing him back to the big league club on April 13th, which will be a game against Seattle. T.R. Sullivan reports that Gagne is not hurt and that the club just wants to give him more time to get ready for the season. Good news that the Rangers are being cautious with Gagne, but I think this also gives the Rangers a little bit of extra time to find out what to do with their roster. Let me explain.

There were several other moves yesterday that might impact the major league club. The first move is that Francisco Cruceta has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Oklahoma. Additionally, Joaquin Arias and John Rheinecker have both been placed on the 15-day disabled list as well, with Jason Botts and Ramon Vazquez being sent to AAA. These move may allow the Rangers to keep Bruce Chen for a few weeks and since Jamey Wright will take the #5 starter spot with Otsuka reassuming the closer's role and Kameron Loe sliding into a set-up role. It's also possible that the Rangers may be able to keep Ezequiel Astacio, who has been awful in a couple of outings, for enough time where they might be able to slip him past waivers to AAA, since clubs should be done finalizing their rosters in the next few days. Journeyman Mike Wood might figure into this picture as well, as he has had several strong outings this spring.

It looks like Mata Kata will win the final bench spot on the club over Marlon Byrd and Miguel Ojeda seems to have locked up the backup catcher role. According to Jamey Newberg, the Rangers must finalize their Opening Day roster by 11 p.m. tomorrow.

Recent performances from Brandon McCarthy, Akinori Otsuka and Nelson Cruz are encouraging, but there is one thing about this team that is worrying me quite a bit. This team still doesn't know how to walk. One of the staples of Ron Washington theory is to work the count and be patient. During this spring, the potential starters and backups for this team, excluding pitchers, have amassed 592 at bats with only 53 walks compared with 93 K's. Amazingly, Hank Blalock has lead the Rangers in walks during the Cactus League season with 9 which is a very good sign considering he has struck out only 8 times. But then again, spring training numbers don't mean anything, do they? This team has got to learn how to work the count and take a walk if they want to get to the post-season.

The Rangers' season opener is at 9:05pm central on Monday, where they will face off against the Angels at Orange County Los Angels of Anaheim Stadium Exhibition Field with that Mountain-thingy in the outfield. Why does LAAoA have a mountain in center field? Always wondered that. The Colorado Rockies can have mountains, shouldn't LAAoA have some semblance of their own culture in the OF? Maybe a faux-Hollywood sign out there. Sorry for the rambling.

Texas will wrap up the spring with a couple of games against Doug Melvin's Brewers with the game in Frisco tonight and the final game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Saturday night. It sounds good to say that. I can't wait for Baseball Time in Arlington.

FLASH: Gagne to begin season on DL

The Rangers have announced that closer Eric Gagne will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list.

The team insists it is not injury related and that they want Gagne, who underwent back surgery on July 8, 2006 and Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery on June 24, 2005, to simply have more time to get ready for the season.

The plan is to get Gagne into at least seven minor league games, including back-to-back appearances on April 6-7 with Double-A Frisco. If all goes well, his final rehab assignment will be on April 10. Then, he would join the team and be activated on April 13 in Seattle.

In the meantime, Akinori Otsuka will return to the closer role he held for most of last season while Kameron Loe and Joaquin Benoit will assist filling in Otsuka's eighth-inning role.

I repeat: Eric Gagne is not hurt. Please keep your razor blades away from your wrists. Thank you.

Ron Washington has me drinking the Kool-Aid too

I�ve got to be honest�I�m drinking the Kool-Aid that Ron Washington is serving up. I think that last night�s spring training game that was broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest last night, was a very good example of what you are going to see from the Rangers this year.

No, I�m not talking about the score, or the home runs. I�m talking about the singles parade in the 1^st inning, the starting pitching that will give up some runs but keep the game close, and the solid bullpen that will give up a rogue home run occasionally.

It was very good to see the single after single in the first inning. Ron Washington loves his players working the count, and you could see Kenny Lofton and Frank Catalanotto fouling off pitches until they got an offering that they could slap into the gap for a base hit. Very, very promising stuff.

Jamey Wright wasn�t great last night. In fact, Wright looked a lot like guys we have run out in the back end of the rotation the last few years. More often than not, you can count on the innings pitched and the earned runs being about equal in an outing, as was the case last night. I think I could see the potential in Wright that the Rangers see, but I�m just not sure that his roster spot couldn�t be better utilized. Wright nibbles too much at the edges of the strike zone and I think that gets him into trouble. If he would trust his stuff, Jamey might be a little more effective�or maybe he wouldn�t�and I think that is the point.

Loe deserves the #5 starter role, but I agree with Jamey Newberg (in his 3-25 report) that Loe may have a bigger impact in the long man role than he would making three starts in April. Loe could impact as many as 10 or more games in April in long relief and there�s nothing that says that Loe couldn�t jump into the #5 slot in May, when he would see more starts. In fact, I would almost rather see Loe in the #4 spot with the way that Tejeda has struggled this spring.

In any event, I�m just not sure I wouldn�t rather see Bruce Chen, or even the newly acquired Ezequiel Astacio in the #5 spot. As I mentioned above, that #5 starter isn�t going to have much of an impact in April and I would also rather keep Chen, at least keeping him away from other teams, or be able to keep Astacio and see what he can do.

Other notes from the game last night:

I�m not so sure C.J. Wilson doesn�t need to go to AAA for the first month or so. He�s been awful (7.1 IP, 12 H, 10 R, 8 ER) this spring and has not had any resemblance of commanding his pitches. If optioning C.J. to AAA to work out of the closer�s role there allows you to put Chen into the long relief spot on the major league club, I think you have to at least consider it. Chen hasn�t been that much better than C.J. this spring, but if you look closer at the numbers, Chen�s 11 K�s seem to indicate that he is being effective on some level.

Benoit last night was just downright filthy-nasty. Good grief, where has this guy been for five years. Jon Daniels indicated on last night�s broadcast, that Benoit had been approached before by managers, players and coaching staff about working quicker on the mound, but that Ron Washington had �gotten the message across in a different way.� Yep, you have to bet that Wash told Benoit that he needed to produce and work quickly, or he was on his way out of here. Somehow, that message coming from Washington, seems like it would be an eye-opener. Very good to see Benoit step up and challenge hitters.

Best moment of the night: Seeing Tug �Tuglett� Hulett double off of the right field wall in the 8^th inning. How that shot that was lifted to right wasn�t a home run, I don�t know.

Hearing Ron Washington talk about the upcoming season during the game, has gotten me to think that this team can compete for the AL West title. There are a lot of �what-if� players on this roster, but I have to admit, Wash has me drinking the Kool-Aid too.

Spring Training Sights & Sounds

(The following was written at 3 PM in a noisy, sun-filled terminal by a guy who wished he didn't have to leave)

Before I arrived here on Friday, I had heard somewhere that the sky is different in Arizona. Up until today and a few instances yesterday afternoon, I wouldn't even have been able to tell if there was a difference to begin with. Figures that the first time Phoenix gets a measurable amount of rain for the first time in forever happens the same time I come to town for spring training.

But one thing that no amount of weather can take away is the sheer fascination of the baseball fan that instinctively flocks to Arizona ants to a cube of sugar on the ground. I noticed it almost immediately upon landing in Sky Harbor International: There were baseball fans everywhere. The rental car line was filled with team hats of clubs scattered all across the state: Giants, Cubs, A's...even a litany of teams that don't even hold spring training in Arizona. Naturally I was the only one around me I could see brandishing Rangers colors but it's okay, I like things that way.

The complex in Surprise is really a sight to see. Everywhere you look, turn, sneeze - there's a baseball guy. Friday afternoon involved a spirited conversation between Ron Washington and John Mayberry Sr. taking place behind the chain link fence of the backstop separating me, the average baseball fan, from the future of the organization playing an intrasquad game.

Jon Daniels was everywhere I looked, usually on the phone. (Typical general manager.)

I saw firsthand what a spirited guy Ron Washington is. If anybody in baseball dislikes this man, I'd like to know who.

Rangers prospect Michael Schlact is one of the most refined, well-mannered guys I've ever seen. He handles himself like a guy who has been in the league for years.

At Saturday afternoon's game, I saw Victor Rojas and had a chance to speak with him again. Victor is quickly becoming one of my most-liked people within the game of baseball for two reasons: 1. He's really the first contact I've made since I began this whole blogging/writing/journalistic experiment around two years ago and 2. You could be miles away from the nearest ballfield but just by talking to the man you get an overwhelming desire to drop everything you're doing and searching out the nearest game, regardless of whether it's professional, college, high school, or Little League.

The ballpark in Surprise, like the rest of the complex shared with the Royals, is impeccable. I compare it to a combination between minor league ballparks, the two that stood out were Frisco and Oklahoma City. Again, never a great deal of fans for the home team, but when you're in Arizona around a bunch of people who just love watching baseball, does it really matter? I don't think so. When I die and go to heaven, I want it to be in a place like Surprise and have every day be spring training. Sure it's hell for players who get sick of the six week grind during the months of March and April, but for me it would be fine. Good weather, awesome scenery, an baseball coming out the wazoo.

It seems like every spring training there's a guy who catches lightning in a bottle. This year, that someone is Matt Kata. He's been a spark plug on offense and has played smart defensively. At this point I see no reason why a bench tandem of Jerry Hairston in the outfield/infield and Kata as an infield/outfielder wouldn't work for this team. We've seen last year what a huge asset having Mark DeRosa type flexibility on your team can do when they need a boost. I'm not trying to say Matt Kata or even Hairston can put up the numbers he did last season, but if they can continue doing what they've put together so far this spring, then boy oh boy.

The pitching has kind of been an iffy situation as of late, although I enjoyed what Eric Gagne brought to the table the first time I saw him pitch on Friday in Surprise. He struggled at first, throwing eight balls in a row at one point and allowing a hit. But then he changed his approach to hitters and began throwing his breaking pitches earlier in the count. Once he started that, he began using the fastball later in the at-bat and it turned out to be a successful move for Gagne - he struck out Kevin Mench and Bill Hall and made them both look clueless in the process. If he can continue throwing his breaking stuff at the level he has during the spring, it won't matter if his fastball isn't approaching the same velocity it was while he was breaking records and winning Cy Young Awards with the Dodgers.

Which brings me to where I am now: Sitting in Sky Harbor International Airport waiting on a plane back to Dallas/Fort Worth, where I hear it�s raining like hell. I already miss the sun even though it�s currently shining through this terminal window making my back hot as hell. But it�s all good�.baseball season, and the best time of the year in my book, officially begins less than a week from now.

NEWSFLASH: Rangers claim Ezequiel Astacio

The Texas Rangers claimed right-hander Ezequiel Astacio off waivers from the Houston Astros this afternoon. The 27-year-old Astacio has a 5-6 record and 6.02 ERA in 28 major league appearances, with 14 of those being starts. However, he's 66-42 in his minor league career with a 3.46 ERA. He had a very rough season last year between Round Rock and Houston, but he has a very live arm and Texas seems to think that he can still turn into something.

Based on a scouting report I found, Astacio has a fastball in the mid-90's and also throws a good curve, sinker and splitter. While I can't be certain that's totally accurate, he's definitely got the stuff to be a capable pitcher in the major leagues. Astacio was 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA for the Astros this spring in eight innings, with seven strikeouts. No confirmation yet on his option situation, but it seems likely he has no more available. Texas will probably try to slide him through waivers and reassign him to the minors, because there's no room for him on the 25-man roster, nor should there be. He's a project player at this point.

John will have a recap later tonight from his trip to Surprise for Rangers spring training. Also tonight is a big start for Jamey Wright, who may not have as strong a hold on the fifth starter's job as previously thought. A poor outing may force the organization to rethink their decision to send Kameron Loe to the bullpen.

Texas plays Seattle at 8:05 PM CST, and will be televised on FSN Southwest, as well as KRLD 1080 AM.

One week until Opening Day.

Jamey Wright: The Wrong Choice

Before I begin, I�d like to give a big congratulations to Chip on his first article. I know he�ll fit in very well here at BTiA, and I�m looking forward to working with him in bringing you quality Rangers baseball coverage and analysis.

But right now, I have to vent a little. T.R. Sullivan reported earlier today that the Rangers will go with Jamey Wright as the #5 starter, ending the rotation battle and weeks of speculation. The organization�s reasoning behind the move seems to be that he�s got too much �ability� for them to let him go, as well as concerns surrounding the team�s starting pitching depth.

Let me just put it out there in the open: I hate this move.

The argument for keeping Wright that revolves around needing pitching depth is one I can understand. The Rangers don�t have many emergency starters at AAA that I�d consider worth using right now. My top two choices, Josh Rupe and John Koronka, had horrible springs. John Rheinecker hasn�t pitched this spring due to a bad back, and has no business starting games at the major league level until he figures out how to get right handed batters out. Edinson Volquez is headed for Class A Bakersfield (more on that tomorrow). Thomas Diamond is gone for at least a year. The bottom line is, the Rangers don�t have very much major league pitching depth, and keeping Jamey Wright helps that situation.

The other argument, however, is that Jamey Wright is too good for the team to let walk away. And this one is baffling.

We�ve heard quotes all spring from the coaching staff about how amazing Jamey Wright�s stuff is. We�ve heard about how Mark Connor has worked with Wright on his mechanics, and how Connor thinks he can unlock his potential and turn Jamey into a big winner. And perhaps this is all going to prove true, and Wright will turn into a critical part of the Rangers� rotation in 2007.

But I�m not counting on it.

I hate to keep going back to Jamey Wright�s career statistics, because I keep trying to look for some bright spot hidden within the numbers; something that will help convince me that he�s not as mediocre as he appears to be. No luck so far. The fact is, he�s a 32-year-old pitcher with a 5.14 career ERA and a pretty bad 1.595 WHIP. As our friend Scott Lucas points out, he hasn�t pitched 100 league average innings since 2000. Being that he�s a groundball pitcher, he has never struck out that many hitters, which makes the notion that he has �electric� stuff sort of misleading. He allows a lot of baserunners, leaving him little margin for error. And while his statistical line has been hurt by the 67 career starts he�s made in Coors Field, a quick scan reveals he hasn�t been that great anywhere else, either.

Wright has had a pretty good spring, but had an awful start on Wednesday against the Cubs that bumped his spring training ERA to 4.63 - granted, through only 11 2/3 innings. The more concerning part of that performance were his mechanical issues popping back up, which have been the main factor in his career-long inconsistency. And I guess that�s where the other part of my problem with Wright getting the fifth starter job comes in - Kameron Loe.

Kameron did everything that you could possibly ask for out of him this spring. He did not allow an earned run in his 13 2/3 innings, and looked absolutely dominant in doing it. He was excellent in his eight start audition in the rotation at the end of 2005, won a job in the Opening Day rotation last year, and was solid for Texas until elbow problems and the death of a close friend derailed his season in June. He rehabbed, came back strong this spring and looked like he was going to win the job. Heck, he should have won the job. Unfortunately, the Rangers opted for the guy with more �experience.�

Perhaps I�m being too hard on Jamey Wright. I�m sure he�s a nice guy. It�s just that we�ve been down this road before with Texas�s fascination for veteran mediocrity - the most recent example being Pedro Astacio. And I�m tired of it. Enough fooling around with retread players. Like T.R. Sullivan said, the Rangers need to move forward with Kameron Loe and let him try to establish himself as a big league starter.

And despite my frustration at the team�s decision, I�ll be cheering for every single Ranger come April 2nd. Jamey Wright is no exception; I hope he puts it all together and has a great season. But that�s not very likely, and if he does as badly as I fear he will, the Rangers must get him out of the rotation as soon as it�s clear the wheels are falling off. Texas cannot let the Phil Nevin Effect take place with Wright, as the worst case scenario revolves around him pitching poorly, but just well enough to keep his job for 10-15 starts or longer. If Jon Daniels and Ron Washington are serious about winning the AL West, they cannot let that happen.

As it stands, Kameron Loe will either land in Oklahoma City�s rotation, or as the long man in the Rangers bullpen. Should one of Texas�s starters falter, Loe will probably get the first crack at their job.

It�s just too bad that it�ll take another Ranger�s misfortune to put Kameron where he deserves to be in the first place.