One things I learned is, it’s tough to blog a bad team and while the Rangers had their moments in the second half and they’re in the middle of a four game winning streak, the fact that the Rangers didn’t play much meaningful baseball during those good times means the season has to be considered a failure.
This is pretty obvious, but the Rangers need some arms. The looked like they’d make some strides this year but Brandon McCarthy turned out to be hurt and Kevin Millwood seems like he’s near the end. It’s also sad when, for a team that plays in such a hitters park, that your team leader isn’t even a regular starter. Sammy Sosa does have 21 and yeah, we traded Teixaira but that’s not going to get it done when all of your starters have ERA’s in the 5.00s.
Still, the Rangers have a solid core and that trade with the Braves should make them better going forward. There’s even talk that one of the places Barry Bonds might consider is Texas and that would be a huge, if temporary, coup.
Michael Young picked up his 200th hit for the fifth straight season. He needed a lights out second half to do it but Young is the guy they signed to the big deal so he’s kind of the lynchpin of the team. Unfortunately, he’s also coming close to a career high in strikeouts and his .783 OPS would be the worst of his career since 2002.
The Rangers finish up against the Mariners and while it means little, I’ll be watching. The Rangers can stay out of the cellar if they outplay the Athletics and while that means little, at least it’s something.