A Big Gulp of Gloat on Mitch Moreland

ARLINGTON, Texas - Since this happens as frequenty as an Olympics ... told ya. Mitch Moreland can play.

Nobody thought he could do it! It was him against the world. Nothing but haters for poor Mitch.

Back on April 12, I declared the Texas Rangers had to stick with their young first baseman for a full season and he would produce.

At the time he was batting .194 with eight strikeouts and seven hits. He was Mitch the Meek.

"I knew I was hitting it hard and still seeing pitches and told myself to stick it out," Moreland said after Thursday's win against the Detroit Tigers.

Today he is Mitch the ... (rhymes with Mitch).

Moreland is now batting .296 with 11 doubles, nine home runs and 21 RBIs. He hit a pair of doubles in an 10-4 win against the Detoit Tigers on Thursday night, drove in three runs, and made some nice defensive plays at first.

This means he has adjusted to the adjustments that were made on him, and thus his production has a far greater chance of holding.

"We're trying to stay out of his way and let him work," Rangers manager Ron Washington said after the game.

Moreland says the biggest difference is that he no longer fears for his job. That does wonders for a man's confidence to know that every day he comes to work he will play, and can hit his way out of a slump.

"When I walk in and know that my name is going to be in the lineup every day that helps a lot," Moreland said.

Right now Moreland is projected for 33 homers and 83 RBI. That's a likely bit much for this season, but now the Rangers know this is in him and he can do this. 

They have a first baseman.

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Josh Hamilton has a point about the 'Baseball town' thing

ARLINGTON, Texas - Hate to say this, but Josh Hamilton was not so wrong.

That's not true - I don't hate to say this because I never thought Hamilton was incorrect when he said Arlington was not a "baseball town".

It's a football town with a great baseball team and plenty of good baseball fans. There just aren't enough of them.

These two pictures were taken in the second inning of the highly anticipated game between the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers on Thursday night at Rangers Ballpark. More to the point, it featured two first-place teams and the two best starting pitchers in the American League, Yu Darvish and Justin Verlander.

If you can't sell this out, or fill it up, you can't be a Baseball Town.

It can't be "Fireworks Night" every game.

You can't blame the weather - it was mild with a slight breeze and limited humidity. School night? OK, that one always works. Maybe it should have been Free Beer Night.

You can't blame the Rangers. The team is good, the park is wonderful, the guys are pros.

The last time the Rangers hosted a regular season game featuring a pitching matchup this big was April 30, 1989 when Nolan Ryan faced Boston's Roger Clemens. 

That was Ryan's first year with the Rangers, and the game matched the hyped. Ryan pitched eight innings and allowed three hits, one run and whiffed 11. Clemens pitched eight innings, allowed six hits and two runs and struckout six but took the loss.

Rafael Palmeiro hit a two-run home run off Clemens in the bottom of the eighth for a 2-1 win in front of an announced crowd of 40,429 at Arlington Stadium.

On Thursday night, the announced crowd was 39,778.

Neither Verlander nor Yu were dominant. Verlander was awful, allowing eight runs on six hits in 2.2 innings. This is how bad Verlander was - he gave up a three-run home run to catcher Geovany Soto, who was hitting about .167 at the time of his at bat.

Yu was better, pitching into the seventh for another win.

Still a great night at the Ballpark, even in a non-baseball town.

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What do YOU want to ask Orel Hershiser?

Never done this before and it may be a total flop but ...

I am scheduled to talk to former Los Angeles Dodger pitcher and ex-Texas Rangers pitching coach Orel Hershiser on Thursday. He is now working for ESPN and will be in town to help call the Rangers - Detroit Tigers game on Sunday night at Rangers Ballpark.

Hershiser is one of the brighter and more well spoken men in professional sports I have ever come across.

If YOU have a question for Orel, please pass it along in the comment section here, or email me at tengel@star-telegram.com, or the Twitter thing or Facebook. 
I gotta get on MySpace. 

Just please be tasteful.

 

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Video: Galloway & Big Mac don't miss Josh Hamilton

 

 

 

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Former Texas Rangers busted for crack possession but it wasn't his

The name "Otis Nixon" does not exactly conjure up a lot of great memories for Texas Rangers fans. He played the 1995 season for the Rangers where he batted .295 with 21 doubles and 50 stolen bases. That is the third most steals by a Ranger in franchise history.

His biggest contribution to the Rangers record books is that he was caught stealing a major-league leading 21 times that season, which remains a franchise single-season record.

Nixon played for nine teams in a 17-year career that ended in 1999, and now he appears to have hit some hard times. By hard times I mean, "Why are you carrying crack cocaine?" hard times.

Nixon was busted in Atlanta over the weekend, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. There were reports that his car was driving erractically on the highway when he was pulled over. Authorities reportedly found that Nixon was carrying crack cocaine, but according to Nixon it was not his.

It's weird because he had some crack cocaine, that wasn't his, his in pants' pocket. This gets better.

Nixon told the cops that crack cocaine and the pipe belonged to his son, thus proving once again that nothing can compare to the love between a father and a child.

 

 

 

 

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Derek Holland can be a 20 game winner

ARLINGTON, Texas - While the entire baseball world throws roses, panties and cash at Texas Rangers right hander Yu Darvish, there is another pitcher on this team worth a look.

I have been leading the charge for this guy since before he threw that great game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2011 World Series. It's the delivery I am enamored with. It's easy and smooth without too much stress. This should help Derek Holland pitch for forever.

"That's the plan," he said. "That would be nice."

There has always been the tiny matter of just, you know, putting it together. Right now he is, which makes the absense of Bad Back Matt Harrison doable.

"The numbers aren't all the way I want them," Holland told me one day before he defeated the Red Sox.

No, Holland is not 5-1 like Darvish is. But the ERA is not too far from Darvish's 2.33. 

In the Rangers' blowout win against the Red Sox in Arlington on Friday night, Holland was dominant. He allowed no runs on six hits in 8 innings with one walk and nine strikeouts.

Holland is now 2-2 with a 2.74 ERA in six starts this season. He has allowed 30 hits in 42.2 innings with 10 walks and 37 strikeouts. If this keeps up he could have an 18 to 20 win season.

"The walks is the one where I want to be better," Holland said. "There is such a thing as a good walk. If it's a 13-pitch at bat and he gets a walk you do tip your cap. Or you are trying to pitch around a guy. Like against (the Angels in the home opener), I was trying to pitch around Albert Pujols to get to Josh Hamilton. That's a good walk. It's the other ones I need to get rid of."

Of his six starts this season, Holland has had one real dog - at LAA on April 22 when he allowed six runs in 5.2 innings; he allowed four walks that game.

In every other start his walk numbers have been modest and insignificant, and he has been effective. He deserves a better won/loss record.

At 26 and in his fifth big league season, this should be about the time it comes together for Holland. He does not have Yu's celebrity ace stuff, but Holland has 20-win potential.

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Adrian Beltre knows the Josh Hamilton/Mike Napoli feeling

ARLINGTON, Texas - In the span of about one month a pair of former beloved Texas Rangers have returned to town with completely opposite circumstances.

Josh Hamilton returned as a member of the Los Angeles Angels, Rangers fans let him have it. Who cares what he ever did for the team? 

When Mike Napoli returns tonight as a member of the Boston Red Sox, Rangers fans will cheer him. Who cares if his production was nowhere what Josh did?

These two are a case study of how to leave your former team, city, and the weight of expectations generated by money. 

Josh had never really done this before, and as a result he completely screwed it up. Yes, he had been traded by the Reds to the Rangers but that was before he blew up. As to be expected, he is bombing so far with the Angels after he signed a five-year, $125 million deal. Hamilton is batting .216 with 2 homers and 19 RBI.

Napoli had been dealt before, and had an idea what to do. He sent out a nice Twitter message to the Rangers fans on his way to Boston. He is batting .283 with 15 doubles, 6 home runs and 15 RBI in Boston.

This happens all the time in free agency and player movement. The guy who goes to the new team with the massive contract struggles in the first year. 

"It happened to me in Seattle," Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre told me. 

In 2004, Beltre batted .334 with 48 home runs with 121 RBI for the L.A. Dodgers.

He signed with the Mariners that offseason for five years at $64 million. In his first year in Seattle, he hit .255 with 19 home runs and 87 RBI.

"I was trying to prove I was worth that contract all the time," Beltre said.

In his next three seasons he posted solid power numbers, averaging around 22 home runs and 80 RBI. His last season in Seattle he was limited to just 111 games and  hit 8 home runs.

He signed with Boston for the '10 season, where he batted .321 with 49 doubles, 28 home runs and 102 RBI.

"I had been through it before and I knew what to expect," Beltre said. "It's never easy."

He came to the Rangers in 2011 for a six-year, $96 million deal. He has averaged over .300, 33 doubles, 34 home runs and 103 RBI in his first two full years.

He knew how to do it.

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Ha! Josh Hamilton is awful*

The Twitter deal and all of social media nearly broke itself on Monday night with the news that Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton is simply awful.

In case you missed it, in a 19-inning loss at Oakland on Monday night, Josh went 0-for-8 with three strikeouts. On the good side, he did knock in an RBI to snap a streak of 12 consecutive games Hamilton went without a run batted in.

Right now, Hamilton is batting an impressive .219 with two homers and 8 RBI. At his current rate, he is projected to bat .202 with 13 home runs and 58 RBI this season.

The reality is $25 million a year just doesn't buy what it used to.
The other reality is that you can't expect his garbage first month as an Angel to hold forever. 

Free agents, especially a guy like Josh, need time to get used to their new life and new surroundings before the production takes off.

Part of my obligation as a journalist/columnist/blogger/big mouth/self righteous judge of all things life is to do this: Just prepare that Josh Hamilton's numbers will come around to reflect Josh Hamilton type numbers.

He is a career .300 hitter who averages around 24 home runs and 80-plus RBI per season. Expect that again.

I went back to review a handful of the big-time offseason free agents who changed teams to see how Josh's first month as an Angel compared to others. Here is the earth-shattering information I found:

Alex Rodriguez, Texas Rangers, 2001: .312, 7 HR, 21 RBI. Finished season .318, 52 HR, 135 RBI

Albert Pujols, LA Angels, 2012: .217, 0 HR, 4 RBI. Finished season .285, 30 HR, 105 RBI

Carlos Beltran, NY Mets, 2005. .284, 3 HR, 12 RBI. Finished season .266, 16 HR, 78 RBI

Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees, 2009. .200, 3 HR, 10 RBI. Finished season .292, 39 HR, 122 RBI

Jayson Werth, Washington Nationals, 2011. .221, 4 HR, 7 RBI. Finished season .232, 20 HR, 58 RBI

Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins, 2012. .220, 0 HR, 3 RBI. Finished season .287, 11 HR, 57 RBI

Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers, 2012. .309, 3 HR, 11 RBI. Finished season .313, 30 HR, 108 RBI

 

What does it mean? Give this some time before saying Josh Hamilton is a bust.

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Yu is Japanese for Cy

It simply is never too early to hand out regular season baseball awards, especially in a sport that features a mere 162 games to garner said hardware.

Alas, the way Texas Rangers right handed pitcher Yu Darvish is pitching thus far in the 2013 Major League Baseball season it's time fire up the Yu for Cy campaign.

Against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night, Yu was again over powering and made hitters look like fools.

In five starts this season, Yu is 4-1 with a 1.65 ERA. He has pitched 32 2/3 innings and allowed 16 hits with a league-leading 49 strikeouts. He is drawing comparisons to an in-his-prime Pedro Martinez, who during his time with the Boston Red Sox was arguably the most dominant pitcher in baseball. Or one of three.

Right now Yu is projected to go 31-8 with 378 strikeouts this year. That would be a fairly decent season, and would just maybe, probably win the American League Cy Young.

If you are wondering, no Texas Rangers pitcher has ever won this award.

The closest was Fergie Jenkins, who finished second in 1974 to Catfish Hunter of the A's.
That season, Jenkins went 25-12 with a 2.89 ERA and 29 complete games. He threw 328 1/3 innings that season. And he didn't win.

The only other times the Rangers had pitchers garner votes in the Cy Young balloting were:
Jenkins (1978, 2 votes)
Jim Kern (1979, 25 votes)
Nolan Ryan (1989, 5 votes)
Kevin Brown (1992, 9 votes)
Ken Hill (1996, 1 vote)
Aaron Sele (1999, 4 votes)
John Wetteland (1999, 3 votes)
C.J. Wilson (2011, 9 votes)
Matt Harrison (2012, 2 votes)
Yu Darvish (2012, 1 vote) 

As you can see, not exactly a pitching factory in Arlington. Yu is not only becoming a celebrity No. 1 hammer ace, but he is this franchise's best shot at a Cy Young winner since Fergie Jenkins.

 

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Curtis Granderson nailed the decreasing number of blacks in baseball

It's Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball, the perfect time to bring up the staggering decrease of blacks in baseball these days. The number of blacks in MLB is down to 7.7 percent.

The numbers are so low that baseball boss Bud Selig has created a task force to address this issue. That's great. Good luck.

Two years ago I wrote a story on this decline and interviewed high school coaches, college coaches and a handful of major leaguers for their opinions on why this trend has not been reversed.

New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson offered the best, and most real, insight:

"I know it's expensive, but I've gone to places and there are fields. You can easily get equipment donated. I don't know how you fight this one. I've heard a lot of kids just say, 'I don't want to.' That's not a black/white thing, that's a kid thing. So they play on their computer, and they say, 'I want to just stay right where I am. I'm not getting into any trouble so you can't force me.'"

Here is the problem not just for young black kids who want to play sports - baseball can be boring. This generation thrives on constant stimulation and that has never been baseball's strength. A Major League game is 3 hours, six or seven times a week, 162 times a year. That is an enormous time investment.

This is not a race issue, this is a time issue. And no sport takes its time any more than Major League Baseball.

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