Traveling for business this week, I had to connect through Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport on my way to and From Sacramento. I had about an hour layover each way. I wish it had been a 5-6 hour layover on the way home so that I could run out to Surprise and catch a little back field action before catching my flight home.

Oh well, maybe next time…

While we were parked at the gate suffering an an extra hour delay, I started thinking about the players and position battles I wanted to see the most. Here are my top 5:

1. 1. Starting Rotation Battle
2. 2. 1B Batting Practice
3. 3. The New-Look Outfield
4. 4. The Blue-Chippers on the Mound
5. 5. Vlad in a Rangers Uniform

1. Starting Rotation Battle

Barring injuries and/or complete and total collapse, it appears the top 3 spots are occupied by Rich Harden, Scott Feldman and Colby Lewis (though I still don’t understand why Lewis is a given).

The final two spots of the rotation will be filled by one of the following candidates: Tommy Hunter, Matt Harrison, Brandon McCarthy, Derek Holland, C.J. Wilson, Neftali Feliz or Luis Mendoza. Keep in mind that it is still VERY EARLY, but the three front runners seem to be Tommy Hunter, Matt Harrison and C.J. Wilson (and not in that particular order).

Matt Harrison, who reported to camp 30 lbs. lighter than his 2009 version, has been impressive thus far. After 5 innings of work, Harrison has allowed 0 earned runs on 5 hits, 0 BBs and 2 SOs. His fastball is sitting in the 93-95 mph range, occasionally touching 97 mph. He is getting good movement on his cutter, and he is working a little bit on his curveball and change. This is an incredible start considering his 2009 season ended early as a result of thoracic outlet syndrome. If he can continue this trend and avoid an injury, the Rangers could see big things out of the formerly hefty lefty this season.

Tommy Hunter is an enigma that continues to amaze me. There is nothing flashy about this guy. His fastball is not overpowering, hovering in the 88-91 mph range. His curve is average, and he is working on his change. What he is, however, is a gamer. He’s confident. He challenges hitters. He hits his spots. He consistently gets outs. Ground ball outs. In 5 innings this spring, he has allowed 1 ER on 3 hits, 0 BB and 2 SOs. The lone run he allowed was the result of a lead-off double that made its way to the plate. I am guilty of occasionally dismissing Tommy for other candidates who have “better stuff” or have “more potential.”  But I can’t dismiss the fact that he flat out gets it done. I will be interested to see if he can maintain his consistency throughout spring training. If he does, I don’t see any way he is not in the rotation.

C.J. Wilson got his wish this year. He begged Mike Maddux, Ron Washington, Jon Daniels and Nolan Ryan to let him compete for a starting spot this year. They granted his wish. However, he comes into spring training with the toughest road to a starting rotation spot. Not only does he have to beat out the other 6+ candidate, he has to outperform himself. He must prove to the powers that be that his value as a starting pitcher is greater to the team than his value as a late-inning reliever, which will not be an easy task. But, so far, he has done nothing to hurt his chances. He worked extremely hard in the off-season to condition his body as a starting pitcher. He trained with running coaches to learn proper techniques for distance running,  which allowed him to build endurance in preparation for spring training. Through 5 innings of work, he has allowed 3 ERs on 3 hits, 1 BB and 3 SOs. He struggled a bit in one of his outings, but he has looked good overall. The problem is that he has no room for error. His next outing will likely be on Monday. If he struggles on Monday, he will likely be moved to back to the bullpen. If he does well on Monday, he will be given another shot as a starter with the same strict consequences for a bad outing. Wilson has always had great stuff. When he has struggled in the past, it has been (in my opinion) because he tried to be too perfect with his pitches–trying to paint the corner or strike out a hitter rather than induce a ground out. But it seems he has changed his approach as a starter. He is the most intriguing candidate to me.

Derek Holland and  Neftali Feliz also came into camp competing for a rotation spot. Holland’s bid is off to a slow start due to a minor knee sprain. He should back in the hunt soon, but he has a lot of work ahead of him if he wants to catch the front-runners. Feliz has struggled with his secondary pitches thus far in camp. Maybe his struggles are the result of him working on these pitches. But as we have seen, his 100 mph fastball becomes a lot more hittable if batters don’t have to worry about the other pitches. As much as I like the idea of Holland and Feliz rounding out the bottom of the rotation, I think each will start the season in the bullpen.

Brandon McCarthy and Luis Mendoza are last-chance guys. If they don’t have extremely strong showings this spring, I doubt either will end up on the roster for Opening Day.

Who do you think should round out the rotation?

I’ll cover the next four topics in future blogs.

Don’t forget to catch the Rangers play the Diamondbacks on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. on channel 21!

Go Rangers!

Individual game tickets went on sale today at 9 a.m. I was there to pick up my mini-plan tickets and exchange a few games. While the Rangers have a flexible season ticket exchange program, the process was a bit frustrating. I had to wait an hour and a half before they would allow me to make exchanges.

Luckily, Ballpark tours began at 10 a.m. I had an hour to kill (an I’d never taken a tour of the Ballpark), so I decided to buy a ticket.  To my surprise, an adult tour ticket was on $10! The entire tour group consisted of our guide, John, a father and his grown son from Indianapolis, and my self.

We started the tour by heading inside the 1st Base entrance and walking toward the Home Plate entrance until we reached a set of stairs that trekked beneath the lower level. The Ballpark underground is very interesting. There are lots of pipes that run along the ceiling of wide passageways that are big enough for a bus to pass through. Blue and red stripes, white doors, the occasional logo, and a random ping pong table lined the passage way. John told us that the ping pong table magically appeared sometime last season.

Our first stop on the tour was the clubhouse. The first thing you see a you walk in is a big sign that recognizes players for their charity work. To the right is the coaches locker room, to the left is the players locker room. There is a hallway that leads past the coaches locker room with a blown-up picture of Nolan pounding away at the head-locked Robin Ventura. Classic.

The players locker room is nice, but not lavish. The lockers themselves are very nice, made of (I think) polished cherry wood. The players names are posted on plates at the top of each locker.  Michael Young and Ian Kinsler a neighbors (big surprise). Josh Hamilton is kind of hidden around the corner. Recent additions Vlad Guerrero and Darren Oliver are neighbored to the right, not far from Rich Harden. I was a little surprised to see Martin Perez’s name on a locker since he finished at AA Frisco last year. In front of each locker is a leather desk chair with wheels ( the kind you could purchase at Office Depot). John told us that Kevin Millwood donated the chairs to the clubhouse last season. There are TVs (old school, not flat screens) posted around the room. Two stuffed leather couches and two stuffed leather chairs surrounded  a large square coffee table. I can only assume that this is used as a substitute card table. An actual card table was surprisingly missing from the locker room. Finally, I was a bit amused to see a wiffle ball bat and several taped wiffle balls on the floor. I can only imagine the stuff that goes on in there during the season.

We exited the clubhouse and headed down the passageway to a door at the end. This led us out to the dugout. Very cool! The dugout itself was actually pretty simple. Not much different from a nice high school or college dugout. However, there was one BIG difference. The Rangers dugout has air conditioning vents that blow back onto the bench. There are a couple benches that are raised at the front of the dugout, one at each end, where the coaches sit. The most unusual item in the dugout is the economy-size bottle of Germ-X on the wall. A sign that reads “Designed Specifically for the Clean-Up Hitter” is posted above it. Behind the dugout is a large area that John called “Nolan’s Room.” It is a long, wide room that gradually inclines as you move toward the back wall, which has thick green padding that covers almost the entire wall. Based on the dents and cleat marks on the water fountain and the tears in the padding along the wall, I think the area should be renamed the “Cool-Down Room” or maybe the “Frustration Station.” I got a real kick out of the water fountain! Before we left the dugout, John let us pick up the telephone labeled “Bullpen.” Immediately, we heard the ringing come from right field.

We left the dugout and headed to the Press Room. Not much to see here. If you have ever seen a Rangers press conference, you have seen this room.

Our next stop was the batting cages. The Rangers have two net cages; each with a pitching machine in the back, a mound at 60′ 6″, two batter’s boxes and a plate. Hung from the ceiling on either side of each cage are small cameras, which are used to film players taking cuts. They can replay there swings on the TV hung from the ceiling between the two cages. On the wall across from the cages is a sign that lists Rudy Jaramillo’s principles of hitting.

We exited the batting cages and rode the Media Elevator up to the press box. These are the best free seats in the house, looking right down on home plate. Unfortunately, as John told us (and I’m sure most of us are aware), these seats are rarely filled by local media members. I tell you what…if I could get credentialed for writing this blog, I would be at every game I possible could!

Finally, our tour ended in a suite on the club level. I have never attended a game from a suite, so it was nice to see how the other half lives. The suites are extremely nice. Each has a large flat screen TV, a kitchenette, a bar, tables and chairs, and a balcony with seats that overlook the field. I wouldn’t mind seeing a game from a suite!

I had a great time on the tour. John did a great job. If you ever get the chance to take the tour, I highly recommend it! Remember, it last about an hour and only costs $10. That’s less than a beer and a half on game day!

Well, here we are.  The Rangers are playing their second Cactus League game of the 2010 season today after completely routing the Royals in the season opener.

We are also only one month away from Opening Day – one of my favorite days of the year!

We have a lot to look forward to this season  – Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton, the new guys – Rich Harden, Vlad Guerrero and Colby Lewis, and some young guys who might just earn their spots on the big league club – Justin Smoak, Martin Perez, Mitch Moreland, and several others. This is going to be an exciting season.

Hamilton predicts 96 wins this season. I’m all for it, but I’m much more concerned about his durability this season than his predictions. He is currently nursing a sore shoulder he injured on the first day of spring training. The number of injuries he’s had since he joined the Rangers is certainly concerning. We would all love to see the guy the whole world fell in love with in 2008, but will we? Can he stave off the nagging injuries and return to form this year? For his sake (and the Rangers’), I hope so. You have to wonder just how much damage the drug and alcohol abuse did to his body. Are these injuries his penance for his past indiscretions? Or do they fall in the unlucky coincidence category? We should find out, one way or another, this season. Hopefully, the story will have a happy ending – 96 wins and all!

Nolan Ryan was a bit more conservative, predicting 92 win this season. He also added that he would be disappointed if the Rangers did not win the division. Me too, Nolan, me too. His influence had a huge impact on the pitching staff last year. He laid down the gauntlet, requiring all pitchers report to camp in better shape. He also decreed that starting pitcher would be expected to go deeper in games, working themselves out of tough situations. Nolan’s Law worked in 2009. Maybe the public announcement of his high expectations for the club is the 2010 amendment to Nolan’s Law. I’m all for it if it works!

Perhaps my favorite prediction for the 2010 season comes from Jon Daniels. His prediction – 1 more win than everyone else in the division.  Well said, JD.

About yesterday’s Cactus League Opener – Texas 13, KC 3:

- Rich Harden made his Rangers debut – 2 innings, 1 hit, 1 run allowed. He seemed to have command of all his pitches, but his fastball topped out in the upper 80s – a bit concerning, but it’s still very early.

- Julio Borbon made a splash as the Rangers’ new lead-off man, going 2-3 with a double, a stolen base, and a run scored.

- Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2-3 with a bomb and 3 RBI.

- Newcomers Tanner Scheppers and Alexi Ogando each pitched scoreless frames, generating ground balls and consistently lighting up the radar gun in the 95-99 mph range.

Individual game tickets go on sale tomorrow at 9 a.m.  If you haven’t purchased your Opening Day tickets yet, I recommend calling or going buy the ticket office tomorrow. Good seats won’t last. The bad ones might not last long either.

It’s time to start getting excited about the Rangers.

Rangers new pitcher Colby Lewis

Here’s a nice piece on Colby Lewis coming back from Japan.

I’m with JD…

“It will be a great story,” Daniels said, smiling, “if he wins 15 games.”

With the conclusion of last night’s Super Bowl, it is now time to turn our thoughts and attention to baseball – and the Texas Rangers.

The equipment trucks have already left for the desert.

The Rangers’ pitchers and catchers report to Surprise, AZ, in 10 days, officially kicking off the 2010 campaign.

I can’t help but get excited about the upcoming season. The Rangers have executed their plan to perfection -

1. Improve the Farm System – The Rangers’ farm system ranked #1 in 2009 and #2 in 2010. Young talent is working its way onto the big league roster.
2. Build Around Pitching and Defense – Scott Feldman, Elvis Andrus, Derek Holland, and Neftali Feliz burst onto the scene in 2009. Expect more great things from this group in 2010.
3. Add Key Veterans – Rich Harden, Vladimir Guerrero, and Colby Lewis were acquired in the off-season to help solidify the young core of the Rangers.

Now it’s time to watch this plan come to fruition! Will October be playoff time in Texas?

A lot has changed since this time last year – new ownership, new ace (be it Scott Feldman or Rich Harden or ???), new clean-up hitter. But the core remains the same – Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, Josh Hamilton, Nolan Ryan.

I can’t wait for it to begin!

Pitchers and catchers report in 10 days…

Boy, did we miss you!

If the Rangers have any hope of making it to the post-season, they have got to get red hot starting tonight!

Michael Young’s return to the line up could be just the spark they need to catch fire! And, oh, how we need to catch fire!

This is crunch time.

Every game is more important than the last.

Take care of business and follow the box scores coming out of Boston and LA.

This is September. This is what we play for.

It’s been a very good season for the Rangers. It could be a great one!

We can’t settle for just winning the series.

From here on out, we have to think sweep!

Get ready Oakland…

Michael Young is back.

Go Rangers!

The Rangers trail the Angels by 6 games in the AL West.

They trail the Red Sox by 4 games for the Wild Card.

It is extremely frustrating that we keep losing to teams we should beat. Felix Hernandez is tough, but we should have taken 2 of 3 from the Mariners.

Congrats to Ichiro! 9 straight 200 hit seasons is pretty impressive, even with his silly little infield slap-bunts.

Tommy Hunter continues to impress, while Derek Holland remains inconsistent. Josh Lewin compared Holland to Hernandez last night, saying that Hernandez struggled in 2006 similar to the way Holland is struggling now. Boy, I would be very happy if he ends up like King Felix! Only he better not wear his hat crooked on his head!

The Rangers are running out of time. They need to get on a roll ASAP, starting with the A’s. Then they will have to take care of the Angels. The Angels have a tough road ahead facing the Yankees and the Red Sox for a total of 7 games, but they have a 6-game cushion on the Rangers. If the Rangers sweep the A’s and win at least 2 of 3 against the Angels, that could put a lot of pressure on the Halos as they head to New York and Boston for four games. Meanwhile, the Rangers will play 4 games in Oakland before heading to Anaheim for the final 4-game series against the Angels. The Rangers finish the regular season with a 3-game series in Seattle. The Angels finish up against the A’s.

20 games in 21 days.

That’s all that’s left of the regular season.

The Rangers will need to play their best ball of the season in order to reach the playoffs. And that’s exactly how you want it! You want your team to be playing their very best heading into the post-season. Of course, you would like them to have a nice cushion in the standings when they hit their stride. Oh well, We’ll take what we can get.

Scott Feldman goes tonight against the A’s. Let’s hope he continues his quest for a 20-win season.

Come on, Rangers!

I want to USE my playoff tickets!

The number of games over .500 for the Rangers right now.

The number of wins for Scott Feldman so far this year.

Can you believe that a guy who wasn’t even in the rotation at the beginning of the season is leading the Rangers with 15 wins?

Feldman is currently 3rd in the AL in wins, behind C.C. Sabathia and Justin Verlander (each have 16 wins). Wow! What’s even more amazing…he has only started 25 games. Sabathia and Verlander have each started 29 games.

After the Rangers’ win in Baltimore last night (and losses by the Angels and Red Sox), they sit 3.5 games behind the Angels and 2 games in back of the Red Sox.

The Rangers play 7 more games against the Angels, 3 at home and 4 on the road. We have taken 9 of 12 from the Halos so far this year.

The Angels still have to play one on the road in New York and three in Boston (If we take care of business against Oakland, we’ll gain ground on one of them!). Plus, the Angels host the Yankees for three games. All of this favors the Rangers!

And even if the Rangers just play .500 ball the rest of the way (which wouldn’t be enough to make the postseason)…they will finish with 90 wins.

Yes, I said 90 wins.

But there are still 28 to play, and anything can happen.

Kevin Millwood is on the hill tonight trying for his 11th win of the season.

Go Rangers!

If you missed Darren O’day’s appearance in Tuesday’s double header, you missed something special. The crowd started singing “O’Day, O’day, O’day, O’daaaaaay….”  It was AWESOME!

They should make a Tom Grieve bobble-head  that only tilts to one side…

29 games to go.

The Rangers are 3.5 games behind the Angels in the West and 2.5 games behind the Red Sox for the Wild Card.

If Tommy Hunter, Dustin Nippert and Brandon McCarthy keep pitching the way they did this week, I like our chances. I know Kevin Millwood, Scott Feldman, and Derek Holland will step up.

Nelson Cruz (HR # 30) and Elvis Andrus (HR # 6) are heating up…and I think Chris Davis is about to explode!

The next month is going to be awesome and gut-wrenching. Every game is exciting. Every game matters. Every game is the biggest of the season.

Bring it!

Go Rangers!

Local reports indicate that Michael Young will be out 2-3 weeks with a strained hamstring. That begs the question…

“Who should play third base?”

Omar Vizquel is probably the best option, defensively. However, if he takes over at the hot corner, the Rangers will suffer offensively. Obviously, no one will be able to adequately substitute for Young. But are there better options?

Chris Davis, while he was down at AAA, primarily played third base so that Justin Smoak could gain some experience at first base. If we move Davis to third and put Hank Blalock back at first base, that helps the offense but hurts the defense. Blalock did an admirable job while Davis was reacquiring his lost swing, but there was a noticeable dip in the level of play at first base. Plus, if Blalock struggles at the plate, we are back to square one offensively.

A third option would be to move Davis to third base and bring up Justin Smoak, but who knows what to expect from the would-be rookie?

These are tough choices for Ron Washington and Jon Daniels.

I can’t wait to see which way go!