What a Win! But Please Save it for Later in the Season!

Great walk-off win tonight!  But can we save that stuff for August and September? 

Hicks and Daniels may get confused by improved performance and decide to keep trying this season when the Rangers have no chance to make the post-season, every reason to trade Teixeira (who was openly talking today about talking to Baltimore after next year where he’d love to play since he grew up an Orioles fan) and no chance to be a championship caliber team unless they do a major overhaul.

Don’t I want my team to win?  YES! 

But after 27 years as a Rangers fan, I want to finally see them be a championship contender. 

Hicks and DanielsHart get confused too easily, especially when Hicks sees a chance to sell more tickets and add to his $,$$$,$$$,$$$ (10 figures there for a reason). 

More highly exciting wins like tonight and next thing we know, Hicks will have Little Jon trading Botts and Hurley for a 30+ year-old outfielder who’ll be a free agent in the winter just to help Jeff Cogen convince casual fans that they “could use some baseball” and sell more tickets to their charade, saying, “we’re excited by how we’ve been playing, by how this Young team has responded, and think we’re primed to make a late season run, especially when Tex, Kinsler, Blalock and Padilla return.” 

Scary, because I can actually hear that coming out of Hicks’ mouth as they introduce Shawn Green as the next “final piece” to take the Rangers to the playoffs while Botts and Hurley go start great careers as Mets.

And the casual Rangers fans would buy more tickets because… hey the Rangers are “in it.”  And this town – especially the phony, see-and-be-seen crowd predominantly from the Dallas side of the Metroplex - can jump on or off a bandwagon faster than the North Texas Tollway Authority sucks money out of your bank account on the Tollway, 121 or George Bush.

Meanwhile, us true, long-time Rangers fans watch another season tank away while the club is drained of talent.  And those bandwagonners that Hicks milks to fatten his wallet could care less because they’ll be paying full price to go see a pre-season Cowboys game.

Don’t I want to see my team win?  NO!  Not yet.

Robbers Evidence: Revo Sums it All Up in Today’s FWST, Is He Reading This Blog?

Long-time great Texas sports write, Jim Reeves, of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, cranked out a great column today that sums up what and how Tom Hicks has stolen from Rangers fans.  Interestingly, his column parallels many of the items discussed here at Rangers or Robbers.  Not saying that Revo’s taking ideas from my blog – although it would be awesome if he was – but am saying that what I’ve been feeling for years and writing about for months is finally becomming obvious – that Hicks is to blame for the depressing state of the Rangers organization and MLB team.

Read Revo’s column:  http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/125733.html - it’s the equivalent of a slam-dunk closing argument to the “trial” I’ve been authoring on this blog – if you factor in that almost every mistake Hicks made was motivated by a money’s more important than winning mindset.

Thoughts on some of Reeves’ points:

“Hope, that most precious of commodities, is what Hicks has stolen from these fans, and without it, the Rangers are fast becoming a joke and a national embarrassment.”

Is it poetic justice that Hicks loses the very thing he’s so often used to string us along into August or September with?  Even last season, he used the horrible July trades to get us fans hopeful for another month and thus keep tickets selling and ratings higher than they would have been.  Then when he was done stringing us along for the tail end of last year, he showed his true Robber spirit by not resigning Carlos Lee – making that trade an absolute waste – and instead pursuing (and failing to find) cheaper ways to anchor the lineup and the rotation.

As frequently as Hicks has fleeced fans with false hopes, wouldn’t it be something if the loss of hope throughout Rangers fandom sinks his business plans for the Rangers?  May what comes around really does go around!

I must take issue with one aspect of Revo’s article – his defense of Jeff Cogen.  Cogen has made significant contributions to the degredation of the Rangers.  The Gold Club was his baby during his first stint here as the Rangers and Stars VP of Marketing, and he’s as much to blame for the over-kill advertising and over-commercialization of the Ballpark (and, I suspect, the departure of John Blake).

But the bottom line is that the bottom line drove Hicks to ruin our Rangers.  And with Jerry Jones moving in next door, the positive outlook for the Ranger’s bottom line through development opportunities and increasing franchise value is what will have Hicks continuing to ruin the Rangers for years to come…

… unless we all stand up and demand better!

More on the Upside of Failing Fast

A week ago, in a post that included some venting about my frustrations with WordPress, I wrote about the Upside of Failing Fast:

“At least they’re collapsing in May so Hicks, Cogen and DanielsHart can’t string us out until the usual Rangers August-September fade out.  One lesson about risk taking, is that if you’re going to fail, fail fast.  The Rangers have almost always dragged us through a gradual failing.  Failing fast could be the best thing this team has done in years.  It would make Little Jon DanielsHart a seller around the deadline (not that he’s kept a lot to sell – except Tex, but more on that later), and prevent him and Hicks from making some stupid deal that costs us dearly in the long-term just to keep the Rangers close enough that they can keep selling more tickets.  And then the young guys can play. ”

(Hey – if “journalists” can quote themselves sometimes, why can’t I?”)

As the Rangers went 3-3 since that post, I thought more about the concept.  And I found myself worried that they were winning.

Let me explain.

What would the Rangers possibly gain from playing .500 or slightly better ball the rest of the season?  They’re just not good enough, not to mention healthy enough, to make up a 9.5 game deficit against the Angels who apparently OWN them this season (remember Hicks views the Angels as “our partners”).  And if they win just enough to keep us - and Hicks and DanielsHart - hoping against hope, we risk seeing management make some hare-brained trade to try to win now at the expense of the long-term picture/pitching and the further erosion of talent from the system (see previous posts about the could/should-be team comprised of recent ex-Rangers).

Even Dale Hanson got it right on the radio yesterday when he compared the Rangers recent history to that of the Cowboys – where management continues to make moves thinking they can contend now at the expense of longer-term success.

As a 27-year fan of the Texas Rangers, I can wait another year or two for someone to finally put together an organization that is built to win a championship.  And maybe, just maybe, failing fast will be enough for Hicks and DanielsHart to do some things differently now that will help the team in the long term.

AND, in the meantime (if Hicks and DanielsHart are serious about stability), it gives new manager Ron Washington the time to develop the young talent we do have while gearing up our core guys (e.g. Young and Kinsler, and… well, that may be it) for a serious run at championship-caliper baseball from ‘08-2010.  It can be done – just look at Detroit (more on that another time…).

So let the young guys get their at bats and throw their innings.  Let’s see if McCarthy, Tejeda, Loe or Rupe can be winning starters in the major leagues.  Let’s see if Cruz, Botts and so on really do have the stuff to have long prolific careers ahead of them.

And, like the Cowboys in 1989, let’s have our 1-15 season so we can build for the future and turn things around in big way!  The Cowboys starting seeing real improvement by the end of 1990, made the playoffs in ‘91 and won the first of three-out-four Super Bowls in 1992. 

There are significant differences in how to build a winning football versus baseball organization, but the long-term focus is needed in Arlington.  And with that in mind, let’s root for the real winning to start taking root late this summer giving the Rangers momentum into next year and beyond.

The Upside of Failing Fast and Contemplating a Move from WordPress to Blogger

WordPress is making me nuts (almost as much as the Rangers are right now). 

Even with the $15 CSS editor, there’s a lot I want to do with this blog that I can’t seem to figure out.  For example, I want to add a quick poll to the sidebar.  And maybe some Google Adsense Ads or Amazon Rangers Products.  Can’t figure it out.  Know I can on Blogger.  But I like how the categories work on WordPress.  Am I missing some easy way to do stuff on WordPress or is Blogger just easier?  Would love to hear any thoughts or tips.

In the meantime, I’ve started (just barely as it needs a lot of work) a new home for Rangers or Robbers on Blogger.  Decision to move or not to move will follow in a few days.  Maybe a move will change the Rangers luck?  Nah – they just suck this year. 

At least they’re collapsing in May so Hicks, Cogen and DanielsHart can’t string us out until the usual Rangers August-September fade out.  One lesson about risk taking, is that if you’re going to fail, fail fast.  The Rangers have almost always dragged us through a gradual failing.  Failing fast could be the best thing this team has done in years.  It would make Little Jon DanielsHart a seller around the deadline (not that he’s kept a lot to sell – except Tex, but more on that later), and prevent him and Hicks from making some stupid deal that costs us dearly in the long-term just to keep the Rangers close enough that they can keep selling more tickets.  And then the young guys can play. 

Robbers Evidence: McCarthy as Next Year’s Opening Day Starter? No Way!

Over on T.R. Sullivan’s blog – Postcards from Elysian Fields - blue-blooded, brain-washed Rangers fans are getting their hoped up about Brandon McCarthy.

I like Brandon.  I really hope he turns out to be a 15+ game winner.  I hope I’m wrong and that panther (who posted on T.R.’s blog) is right and McCarthy becomes the Rangers’ Opening Day starter in ‘08 (although I’m not sure that’d be saying much).  But anyone who really believes that needs to WAKE UP!  Because you, me and every Ranger fan is getting hosed, and the fact that McCarthy (instead of a quality veteran) is on the roster is evidence of it.

First, McCarthy was supposed to be (as Little Jon Daniels said) “battle tested” and ready to produce now.  So, we shouldn’t have to endure any growing pains with McCarthy – the fact that we are proves that DanielsHart, again, made a dumb trade.  (I’ve merged them together in my mind since Hart is still around as a special advisor to Daniels, and based on Daniels’ bad signings, terrible trades, and complete lack of anything resembling an ability to put together a contending team, Daniels is clearly the Sith apprentice of Hart).

Second, for what we gave up for McCarthy, we could have gotten veteran talent (for example, Buerhle was reportedly available for less last season when Danks was “untouchable” and the D-Train was possibly available for an aggressive deal).  But when Little Jon DanielsHart, anything for a buck Cogen and bi-polar (cheap-stupidspedingspree) Hicks saw a chance to get a supposedly “rotation ready” pitcher who’s very inexpensive, suddenly Danks (along with Massett and Rasner) were more than touchable!

Third, other than maybe Keving Brown, when has a young, talented pitcher ever realized his potential as a Ranger?  Ssome teams (most notably the Rangers) seem to be able to manufacture good to great hitters with extreme frequency, others can’t.  Some systems/teams can produce quality starting pitchers (i.e. the Braves), others can’t.  The Rangers just plain can’t.  The Ballpark, the farm system, the weather, the team mindset and other factors may contribute to this particular Rangers handicap, but it’s real nonetheless.  And it’s about time we all just admit the problem, start the 12-step healing process, which concludes with finding a GM who can trade for proven starters (they clearly won’t sign here – Rocket, Unit, etc., etc.) who have honed their potential into realized talented front-line pitching.

It’s just nuts that pitching has always been the Rangers problem (the start to this season being somewhat of an exception since they can’t hit or field either), but they generally crank out offensive talent at will.  Let’s swap farm systems for 5 years with a team that can produce pitchers but struggles with hitters.   Problem solved – see you in the Series!

Robbers Evidence: Exhibit B: Part 2: Recent Tom Hicks Quote

So, the Rangers’ “partners” are back in town and back to taking care of their business – which they apparently understand more clearly than Rangers’ owner Tom Hicks.  While they may be unsure where they’re from – California, Anaheheim, Los Angeles, wherever; they clearly understand that their job is to beat other teams, especially those in the same division and apparently, especially all teams hailing from Arlington.

Meanwhile, as I wrote about a while back, when announcing the re-branding of the team’s home field, Hicks was quoted saying,

“The Cowboys are building the finest football facility in the world, and we have a huge development coming of Glorypark. The perception of the value of your brand has changed. Look at our partners, the Angels.”

With my heart and bloodpressure monitors on, they’ll tell me when to take a break in writing about this before I have a stroke!

The most flagrant part of the quote is the reference to the Angels as partners.  I covered that last time, and revisiting it today while the Angels are throwing Colon at the Rangers right now, leading 5-0 in the top of the 4th on their way to their umpteenth straight game against the Rangers… blood pressure couldn’t handle that.

So as I get back to the game, let me pose a question:  Do you believe that Hicks and Cogen decided to rename the field “Rangers Ballpark in Arlington” because they care about the Rangers? 

Read the quote again.  He doesn’t even mention the team’s name here.  Sure, he did in other quotes.  But this one just captures the essence of the circus-like fan-fleecing con game he and Cogen are perpetrating against Rangers fans like me.

They changed the name because Ameriquest is riddled by scandal, losing money, and wasn’t likely to be able to continue to afford to pay.  Hicks all but says so by referencing “the value of the brand” and “Glorypark” (I’ll get to that another time) and saying anything about how this move is going to help the organization compete.

Meanwhile, the same pair are too worried about constant changes to switch back to the Rangers Red uniforms that actually saw postseason play (but only one win) in the late 90s.  Hey, superstition’s been part of the game as far back as Abner Doubleday.  Let’s go back to the red uniforms; Ranger Blue has never seen the postseason.

But I digress, my blood is boiling, and I feel like some torture so I’m going to back to watching the game.  More late…

Robbers Evidence: Exhibit C: Recent Trade History Part 4 – The Texas Rangers Team We Should Have

In this series, I’ve considered what it says about the Texas Rangers management when recent ex-Rangers could form a team that would be far superior to the current team Hicks / Cogen / DanielsHart are giving us.  The case against the terrible trio in the front office looks worse if you ask what they could have done if they’d made better, “we’re serious about winning” decisions about every current and former Ranger in recent years.

The following 25-man roster is what we really could have today (if you grant me a little poetic license on a couple trades).  While this isn’t fully realistic, it does demonstrate the bad, not-in-it-to-win decisions Rangers management has made:

Esteban German  INF
Gary Matthews    CF
Alfonso Soriano    OF
Alex Rodriguez    3B
Travis Hafner      DH
Carlos Lee            OF
Adrian Gonzalez  1B
Ivan Rodriguez    C
Michael Young     SS
Rod Barajas          C
Mark Texiera       1B
David Dellucci       OF
Kenny Rodgers     SP
Chris Young          SP
Kevin Milwood     SP
Estaban Loaiza     SP
Adam Eaton         SP
Francisco Cordero   C
Akinori Otsuka        SU
Ron Mahay           RP
Bryan Corey         RP
CJ Wilson              RP
Fabio Castro         RP
Darren Oliver       RP
Brian Shouse        RP

Wow!  What a team we could have if only our management cared about winning more than money, realizing that winning would bring them more money than the Rangers have ever seen. 

Robbers Evidence: Exhibit E – Next Worst in MLB

Well, I’m going to interrupt the series of posts about the Texas Rangers team Hicks/Cogen/DanielsHart COULD/SHOULD have put together to celebrate their ability to prove my case that they are perpatrating a circus-like fan-fleecing con game on Rangers fans… 

In the nation’s 4th largest market, the Rangers’ owner, president and general manager have fielded a team that ranks 21st in payroll amongst MLB’s 30 teams and now has tied the Rockies for Baseball’s second worst record, besting only the Royals.  Way to go management! 

By the way, the Rockies (MSA Rank: 21; Payroll Rank: 25) and the Royals (MSA Rank: 28; Paryroll Rank: 22… in a market with 1/3rd less people the Royals are spending just $1.2 million less than Hicks is paying the Rangers) are spending less to perform so poorly.  So our management is actually doing less with more!  That takes some real talent. 

Please, get serious about the team we love, or sell it to someone who really cares about winning!

Robbers Evidence: Exhibit C: Recent Trade History Part 3 – Recent Ex-Rangers Would Make a Better Team – Wrap-up

To summarize the Rangers team that could have been had the trio of Hicks/Cogen/DanielsHart not hemorrhaged more talent than they amassed and been so blatently cheap in doing so, below is a summary of the 25-man Texas Rangers roster that could/shoud have been. 

But first, a key questions… besides Michael Young instead of DeRosa, what current Ranger(s) do you think could steal a job from this depth chart/lineup (first listed is the starter, but there are many possible defensive lineups given the versatility on the roster)? 
C
Ivan Rodriguez
Rod Barajas

1B
Travis Hafner
Adrian Gonzalez
Mike Lamb

2B
Esteban German
Michael Young
Alfonso Soriano
Mike Lamb
 
SS
Michael Young
Alex Rodriguez

3B
Alex Rodriguez
Mike Lamb

RF
Carlos Lee
David Dellucci
Gary Matthews, Jr.
Alfonso Soriano

CF
Gary Matthews, Jr.
David Dellucci
Alfonso Soriano

LF
Alfonso Soriano
David Dellucci
Carlos Lee

DH
Adrian Gonzalez
Travis Hafner
Mike Lamb
David Dellucci
And second, I think more current Rangers could crack this coulda/shoulda been rotation and bullpen - but who do you think they are, in what spot and why?

SP
Kenny Rodgers
Chris Young
Estaban Loaiza
Doug Davis
Adam Eaton

Bullpen

Closer:  Francisco Cordero
SU Bryan Corey
LR Chan Ho Park
MR Fabio Castro
MR Darren Oliver
MR Brian Shouse
MR Aaron Sele
MR Dan Kolb
 

I’ll share my thoughts on the final coulda/shoulda been Texas Rangers 2007 25-man roster in my next post.

Robbers Evidence: Exhibit D – The Usual Pattern

Any other Rangers fans tired of the same stories year-after-year?

For example, I think it’s pretty obvious how Hicks/Cogen/Daniels approach their “busines plan” for the season.  Basically, their in a division with only 3 other teams.  Thus, they scrap together a team in the Spring that will more likely than not, teeter along around .500 and still be in it after the All-Star break.  Thus, we keep watching – because their still competitive – albeit at the cheapest possible payroll (unless Hicks had a wild hair and signed one dude he has a man-crush on to $250 million dollars or something just to heat up his winter). 

Then, around the trade deadline, the Rangers become “buyers”.  We bleed talent out of our system and pull a short-sighted trade (or three) – all while us fans stay rivited and this go to and watch more games which puts more $ in Hicks’ pocket – intended to make a run at the post-season.  But, invariably, we don’t get the pitching we need and the team withers in the late summer heat, slowly, aggonizingly slips out of contention – while all just accept business as usual.  Then, about the time the Cowboys start getting attention, the wheels come totally off the Rangers, and the limp to the season’s finish line.  After that, the talent we got for the talent we shipped off doesn’t get signed for the next season, and the cycle starts again… usually with one intriguing off-season signing to get us all back on the hopeful bus.

Things look headed in the same direction this year.  But if Hicks/Gogen/Daniels were serious about building a championship-caliper team, they’d go get a couple guys NOW – whatever it took – and grab the division early while it’s still wide open, there for the taking.  Anyone want to bet against my call that it won’t happen, though?

Robbers Evidence: Exhibit C: Recent Trade History Part 3 – Recent Ex-Rangers Would Make a Better Team Part II – Offense and Defense

Again addressing the key question from the preceding post in this series, when you consider the quality of recent ex-Rangers vs. the current lot as a whole, it leads to a very straight-forward question:  If Hicks, Cogen and Daniels/Hart were serious about building a championship team, then how in the world did they lose more talent than they collected?

Here is the lineup, defense and bench that could be put together using recent, still-playing (somewhere else) ex-Rangers (stats shown are from last season: avg/obp/slg):

Lineup:

1.  Esteban German          3B/INF   R    (.326/.422/.459;   3hr;   34rbi;   44r)

2.  Gary Matthews, Jr.     CF          S    (.313/.371/.495; 19hr;   79rbi; 102r)

3.  Alfonso Soriano          LF           R    (.277/.351/.560; 46hr;   95rbi; 119r)

4.  Alex Rodriguez           SS/3B     R    (.290/.392/.523; 35hr; 121rbi; 113r)

5.  Travis Hafner              1B/DH    L    (.308/.439/.659; 42hr; 117rbi, 100r)

6.  Carlos Lee                  RF          R    (.300/.355/.540; 37hr; 116rbi; 102r)

7.  Adrian Gonzalez          1B/DH    L    (.304/.362/.500; 24hr;   82rbi;   83r)

8.  Ivan Rodriguez            C            R    (.300/.332/.437; 13hr;   69rbi;   74r)

9.  Mark DeRosa             2B/U       R    (.296/.357/.456; 13hr;   74rbi;   78r) 

Bench

Rod Barajas                    C            R    (.256/.298/.410; 11hr; 41rbi; 49r)

Mike Lamb                     INF         L    (.307/.361/.475; 12hr; 45rri; 70r)

David Dellucci                 OF          L    (.292/.369/.530; 13hr; 39rbi; 41r)

That is a line-up that could run with most All-Star teams.  Plus, the defense is strong, the flexibility of the bench and starter utility and the L/R bat mix is incredible.  Can you argue that the current Texas Rangers lineup or defense are better?  What a shame.  

Robbers Evidence: Exhibit C: Recent Trade History Part 2 – Recent Ex-Rangers Would Make a Better Team Part I – Pitching

This two-part post will unveil the 25-man roster of recent ex-Rangers; which could form a team that would be heads and shoulders better than the current team (in a third post, I’ll put together the best Ranger roster possible from current and recent ex-Rangers to imagine what could be if things had been done perfectly – which I know is impossible, but is fun to imagine). 

Bottom line, when you consider the quality of recent ex-Rangers vs. the current lot as a whole, it leads to a very straight-forward question:  If Hicks, Cogen and Daniels/Hart were serious about building a championship team, then how in the world did they lose more talent than they collected?

In this Part I of a review of The Texas Rangers’ hemmoraging of talent, here’s a look at the starting rotation and bullpen that could be built from recent ex-Rangers (stats shown are from last season):

Rotation:
1. Kenny Rodgers (LHP, 3.84 era, 17 wins, .680 win%)
2. Chris Young (RHP, 3.46 era, 1.13 whip, 11 wins, .688 win%)
3. Estaban Loaiza (RHP, 11 wins, .550 win%)
4. Doug Davis (LHP , 11w-11l, 4.91 era, .500 win%)
5. Adam Eaton (RHP , 7w-4l, 5.12 era)

Bullpen

Closer:  Francisco Cordero (RHP, 22 saves, 10w-6l, 4.43era)
SU Bryan Corey (RHP, 3.69 era, 32 games)
LR Chan Ho Park (RHP, 7w-7l, 4.81 era)
MR Fabio Castro (LHP, 0-1, 2.27 era)
MR Darren Oliver (LHP, 3.44 era , 45 games)
MR Brian Shouse (LHP, 3.97 era, 59 games)
MR Aaron Sele (RHP, 8w-6l, 28 games, 15 starts, 4.53 era)
MR Dan Kolb (RHP, 4.84 era, 53 games)

Key strengths of the rotation are that it features two lefties – which matters in The Ballpark; and that these guys know how to win.  Their winning percentage would translate into a team record well over .500 which would at least gaurantee that this coulda-been Rangers team would be in the running (if not running away) for a post-season birth.  And then, once in the play-offs, this is a rotation that would win more than 1 game, and could streak deep into the post-season, especially with a strong bullpen, uber-powerful offense and solid defense supporting them. 

The bullpen is very well-balanced, enabling smart gamesmanship from the manager.  It features veterans who can pitch under pressure and hold the team in games.  Several could also be used as spot starters if the rotation falters or suffers injury.  Cordero is still a bonified major league close, and Corey, Castro and Shouse would be particularly strong.  I also think Park would make a great long-reliever if a starter has an off night.  Otsuka-Gagne could prove to be a significantly dominating set-up : closer duo… but they haven’t done so yet.  Even if they do (and I sincerely hope that happens), I can’t imagine an valid argument that the 13 arms above aren’t better than those currently playing for the Rangers.

Robbers Evidence: Exhibit A Revisited: No Buerhle No-No

We interupt our scheduled posting to bring you a no-hitter of the Rangers by a guy who should be a Ranger right now. 

In a post on March 12, I discussed how the fact that Buerhle isn’t a Ranger instead of McCarthy is evidence of the fact that Hicks, Cogen and Daniels aren’t serious about winning a championship.  Well, congratulations to Buehrle who threw a no hitter against his should-be team and was just a walk away from a perfect game!  Wish it had been the other way around, with Buerhle in a Rangers uniform, but as one commenter said, that would have made too much sense.

.

Robbers Evidence: Exhibit C: Recent Trade History – Part 1

If the Rangers’ front office was serious about doing more than fluttering around .500 and just staying close in the West so we tune in and buy tickets, then their trades and free agent activity would show it. 

Instead it shows quite the opposite.  It shows a history of:

• not spending money in the right places (instead spending it on Hicks’ latest whim – if at all),
• not knowing who to keep and who to trade and when to do both
  • if you clearly don’t intend to resign players who have mid-season trade value (e.g. Pudge in 2002 or Rodgers in 2005) then why not trade them and get some serious talent in return?  Answer – because doing so might have hurt short term ticket sales which matter more to Hicks and Cogen than building a Championship franchise
• spending like a small-market team (2007 Payroll ranks 21st in MLB) even though the team is centered in the nation’s 4th largest market.

Don’t agree?  I’ll bet you right now that I could put together a 25-man roster comprised of recent ex-Rangers that would be better than the team’s current roster!  And it would be SIGNIFICANTLY better than the team’s current roster!  And if that’s not a sign of poor ownership and front office incompetence, I don’t know what is!

Look back here tomorrow night for my coulda-shoulda-been Rangers 2007 roster (the first in a week-long series examining recent and current player to spotlight Rangers’ front office/ownership ineptitude), and I think you’ll agree the Rangers could be running away with the AL West and posing a serious bid for a 2007 World Championship with the ex-Rangers roster. 

In the meantime, who do you think should be on my roster of recent, still-active ex-Rangers?  And who’s still on the team today that should have been shipped elsewhere by now if we had a competent front office and ownership interested in a championship?  Share your thoughts – click on the word comments below and fire away!

Opening Day Eve…

Just like Hicks and Cogen like it, hope Springs eternal.  That’s central to their business plan.  They do just enough to give fans like us hope so we spend money on Rangers tickets and time watching them on TV – all leading to profits for them. 

But like a kid on Christmas Eve, I’m restless tonight.  Despite my 27 years as a Rangers fan and the knowledge of the fan-fleecing con artists in our team’s front office, I still hope against hope.  Because this year, the circus freaks in the front office have added a true jester to the Show – Ron Washington.

Calling our new skipper a jester is no insult.  I use it in the meaning related by some accounts that a court jester was an important – perhaps the most important – job in a royal court.  According to such accounts, the jester was responsible for morale and was also the only one in the King’s court who could tell the King anything – good news or bad – without consequence.  He was empowered to speak truth to power without fear of reprisal or repercussion.  He often dissented from the nobles and voiced concerns of the people.  And with his style of leadership and fountain of optimism, I think Ron Washington just might fit the role of Jester to the Rangers’ King Hicks, Circus Chamberlain Cogen and Majordomo “Liitle Jon” Daniels. 

This is also an appopriate characterization as the latter three view Rangers Fandom as comprised by peasants who have no rights and should just blindly pay tarriffs and fees to their royal court.

But now we have a skilled Jester in town, and an experienced one at that.  Rangers royalty should be uncomfortable.  Because I believe Washington cares for his players first and fans second and will speak accordingly to Rangers royalty – which could threaten their business plan and demand a winning season, but then if our hopes are fulfilled, the Jester, not their highnesses, will deservedly receive credit.

Under Washington’s management, we have a lot to hope for:

1. Someone’s actually telling our pitchers to throw strikes!
2. He lists manufacturing runs as a top priority.
3. Unlike the last skipper, he seems to know when a pitcher is done and isn’t too lazy to stroll out to the mound and call in relief
4. He is pulling this team together into a cohesive unit that wants to win – those are two important ”x” factors that have been missing in Arlington in recent seasons but evident in recent Champions and serious contenders (see 2005 White Sox, 2005 & 2006 Astros and Cardinals, and 2006 Tigers).
5. He’s achieved a lot while still a neophite – imagine what he’ll do if/when the team starts winning and his clout grows

From the field, reasons for hope have emerged this Spring (Kinsler, Sosa, Loe, Wright) while reasons for doubt remain (Padilla, McCarthy, Tejeda, Blalock, Wilkerson).  (See T.R.’s Spring-training summary for more at: http://trsullivan.mlblogs.com/trsullivan/2007/03/in_the_desert_o.html .)  But less than 21 hours from now, hopes and doubts start to prove out as another long season begins. 

I can’t wait to open my present along with thousands of other fans on The Duece at 9pm!

Go Rangers!