Scott Feldman

To add Cliff Lee or not to add Cliff Lee, that is the question surrounding a lot of teams as the trade deadline is just a few weeks away.

For the Texas Rangers, however, the answer to this question has to be a resounding-no.

For one, the team is currently four and a half games up on the defending AL West champion Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and don't look to be slowing down any time soon.

I know it is still early in the season, but this team is feeling more and more like teams of the past; keeping a record right around .500, and never knowing how to put other teams away. I hope they can get it figured out soon.

Game Recaps

4-20 at Boston Red Sox L, 6-7

Colby Lewis had a decent start going five innings and giving up 3 runs on 5 hits. He had to feel pretty good leaving the game with the score at 6-3, but it turned out not to be enough.

I love baseball.

I love everything about it.  For as long as I can remember, baseball has been the one thing that I have consistently adored. 

I am a big sports fan in general, but nothing gets my blood pumping like a good baseball game.

Today’s Rangers-Blue Jays game was just such a contest.

The beginning of the game was extremely disheartening for Rangers fans. Going in with such high expectations, it was really hard to see Scott Feldman give up two home runs early, and the offense be completely absent.

My last article predicted the final records for the AL West teams. I came up with this:

LA 88-74
Seattle 87-75
Oakland 84-78
Texas 82-80

Obviously, I think it's going to be close.

The next thing I wanted to do was look at the starting rotations of each team, pitcher-by-pitcher, and grade them.

Without further ado, here's my look at Texas.

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The Texas Rangers came into the series hosting the Angels at the end of a terrible June.  For the month, Texas had a losing record, the worst hitting, and worst on-base percentage.  And worst of all they had lost their lead over the Angels.

Down 1.5 games to the Angels, and the Mariners only 2.5 behind Texas, the Rangers needed a big showing against the defending AL West champ Angels and defending AL champ Rays.

Monday: L, 2-5 (40-35)

After their difficult two week stretch in which the Rangers played four potential playoff teams, it looked as though the team would get a little bit of a break against two middle of the road teams in Houston and San Francisco.

However, with a 2-4 week that included being swept out of San Francisco and with the Angels continuing on their hot streak, the Rangers' lead in the AL West is only a half game.

It’s officially time to fear the Texas Rangers, although it has taken almost the whole decade. There is not a single reason why the Rangers are in first place right now, it’s a combination of everything. That’s the sign of a winning team, and a team to fear.

Pitching is the most important thing in baseball. No fan would disagree with that. Everyone loves to see the long ball, but the long ball doesn’t matter if the other team scores.

This is a big week for the Rangers, make no mistake about that.  Texas comes into the week leading the AL West, but the Angels are only a half-game back and the Mariners 1.5 games back.  To help out the Rangers got Josh Hamilton back off the DL, and Michael Young returned to the lineup for the first time since last Friday (back spasm).

I know that it is early in the season and that eight games it not enough of a sample to trend what a team and for that matter a player is going to do in the 2009 MLB season.

However, the early returns can begin to paint the picture of what is going to happen throughout the season. Right now the Rangers bullpen is heading down the wrong path.

The Rangers did get off to a great start by winning their first three games at home against the Cleveland Indians, but since then a three-game sweep at the hands of the Tigers and so far losing the first two to the Orioles.

Not even a month ago, the Rangers and free agent pitcher Ben Sheets seemed to have ironed out a preliminary two-year contract.

Things quickly fell through when doctors performing Sheets’ physical determined that he needed to have surgery on his right elbow.

The contract was thrown out, Sheets went on to have the surgery, the Milwaukee Brewers were responsible for the bill (the last team Sheets played for,) and the Rangers went on to spring training with the pitching staff they have.