Doom And Gloom And Other Things

I've read the comments on how some local wags say it's pretty far-fetched to think the Rangers won't win the AL West this season.  I know that if they go 11-16 in their last 27 games Oakland would have to go 20-7 to catch up and beat them by one game.  However,  tell that to the Padres who had an 8 game lead just a few days ago. Or mention it to a fan (like me) who was around in 1996 when the Rangers had a 9 game lead the first weekend in September, then promptly lost 3 out of 4 games at home to the Brewers that sent them into a tailspin resulting in a 1 game with just a week left in the season - and watch their reaction.

Here's my not so bold prediction:  the Rangers will clinch the division at home on Tuesday September 28th against the Mariners. (And Mike Hindman, I will buy your ticket to that game if want to come watch the game with me).  Yes, I'm almost sure they are going to win the division. 

What concerns me is this a team that is lurching by stops and starts into the post season. 

The Yankees and their 9 game win streak aren't doing that, neither are the Rays: 6-4 in their last 10 games or the Twins who've not only gained home field advantage over Texas but are also 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Although the stat that scares me the most is the one you'll read everywhere on the web today: the Rangers are 0-11 on the road against all the AL teams that will likely be in the playoffs.  If that doesn't make you shudder, I don't know what will.  As much as I like this team (and I actually really do even more than the teams of '90's) right now, they don't look like a team that can go any further into the playoffs than those teams that preceded them.

If there is a ray of hope - there are still 27 games for them to figure it out how to get on winning streak into the playoffs - I hope they do.

Finally: Okay, just to prove I'm not cranky all the time, here are a few stories that I heard and read this week that I found amazing, inspiring and made me laugh out loud.

Amazing: I heard this series last week on NPR, it's one of those that you sit in your car listening to long after you've pulled into your driveway at home: The USS Kirk: Valor At The Vietnam War's End - all the stories on this age are absolutely riveting.

Inspiring:  Detroit catcher Max St. Pierre makes the major leagues after 14 years in the minors.  This is why we love baseball.

You Have To At Least Smile:  Labor Day Songs From The Annoying Music Show - how can you not resist hearing a snippet of the Red Army chorus singing "California Girls"?

No magic numbers here (yet) -- Marla Hooch
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9/3 and 9/4 Post Game Therapy

I am not going to whine about Nelson Cruz’s horrible AB in the 8th inning Friday night against Mike Capps (which I thought was a worse transgression than Alex Cora’s running blunder – however, did he not see Repko make that throw twice before that evening?)

I am not going to moan and groan that this weekend the Rangers gave away home field advantage in post season … if they get there… I’m still not ruling out a complete collapse.

I am not even going mention that I'm jealous of a team (Twins) that have a DH who actually contributes home runs and rbis (no just seeing eye singles).

I am not going to complain about the fact that winning a series in Kansas City means nothing;  but that losing a series in Minnesota to a playoff contender on the road is important, really important, I mean really, really important, did I mention it was important? ( Hint: Do you want to see Texas start the post season playing two games against that team from the Bronx in their home stadium?)

No instead, I’m just going to type out  a few Talking Heads lyrics? Why? Because New Mexico Bean liked them, so I know the lyrics and I figured "it’s time" to stop making sense.

Stuck a pencil in my eye
I can hardly wait to get back home
Why is everyone gettin' paranoid
I was only having fun" 
-- Lifetime Pilin' Up






"And she was looking at herself

And things were looking like a movie

She had a pleasant elevation

She's moving out in all directions"

-- And She Was 

"You start a conversation you can even finish it

You're talking alot, but you're not saying anything

When I have nothing to say my lips are sealed

Say something once, why say it again?" 

-- Psycho Killer

 

"No visible means of support and you have not seen nothin' yet

Everything's stuck together

I don't what you expect staring into the TV set"

-- Burning Down The House

 

"We dress like students, we dress like housewives
Or in a suit and tie
I changed my hairstyle so many times now
I don't know what I look like"
-- Life In Wartime
 

Finally: the one set of lyrics that actually does apply to this Ranger team  (from a song coincedentally titled "We're On A Road To Nowhere") :

 

"Well we know where we're going

But we don't know where we've been

And we know what we're knowin'

But we can't say what we've seen

And we're not little children

And we know what we want

And the future is certain

Give us time to work it out"

 

"...as we get older and stop making sense" -- Marla Hooch

Post Game Therapy 8/30 and 8/31

Monday 8/30:  A perfect evening: watching a well-pitched game at Sherlock's with fellow Ranger fans with Chuck Greenberg answers questions from the crowd.  Here's a link to the pictures from that event.

Tuesday 8/31: That's what drives me crazy about this team, a really good game followed by a really poor one, there just isn't any consistency - which is a huge worry when I think about the post-season - which team is going to show up?

I'm not as worried about getting to the post-season as I am about what the Rangers will do in the post-season - has anything really changed? -- Marla Hooch
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8/29 Post Game Therapy

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. " -Benjamin Franklin

Today’s therapy is pretty much the same as yesterday’s: good pitching beats good hitting or should I say except for Josh Hamilton, mediocre hitting every time.

Also the same thought as yesterday: if the A’s can come up with any kind offense for 2011, the Rangers will be in trouble, alot of trouble.

This weekend should have been about the Rangers shutting the door of the AL West completely on the A’s instead of cracking it open and letting them back in the race. Texas doesn’t even have the excuse of facing Trevor Cahill.

The same thing over and over... -- Marla Hooch
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8/28 Post Game Therapy

Here's the thing about last night's game:  Forget about Rich Harden, let's talk about the offense. 

Sure, Friday night's game was alot of fun, but Saturday night's game was more like a playoff game.
Yes, it's more likely Cliff Lee, Colby Lewis or CJ Wilson will be the starter in a possible post-season game, so the Rangers won't be playing from as far behind (we hope).

However,  the Rangers are likely to face the likes of CC Sabathia or David Price in that situation - those pitchers are going to throw the same kind of game Dallas Braden did last night.  From my point of view, the offense from this team didn't look any different than the teams that wilted in '96, '98 and '99.  Didn't see any patience at the plate, didn't see anything that resembled "small ball" - and that my friends has always been the Rangers biggest flaw in post season, they don't know how to squeeze out just enough runs to win, no matter how good their pitching may be. 

P.S. If the A's can find any kind of offensive help this off-season, then they will be a factor in the AL West next season with those kind of nice young starting pitchers.

Quoting Albert Camus "At any street corner the feeling of absurdity can strike any man in the face." -- Marla Hooch
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8/27 Post Game Therapy

I went to the game last night.

The only thing I have to say about what went on between the white lines is: Big Game Tommy Hunter and, to quote Ron Washington, "I'm all worded out" about Josh Hamilton.

Chuck Greenberg is right about the sleeping giant, but I think he's starting to wake up already, here's how I know:

--- on a High School Football Friday Night in Texas - there were still more than 30,000 fans in the stands  to see the Oakland A's (one of the worst road team draws).

--- every time Josh Hamilton did something amazing (again) there was a spontaneous chant of MVP that got louder each time and was not prompted by anything on the scoreboard. Anytime there are chants not prompted by the scoreboard - it's a sure sign the local casual fans are becoming baseball fans.

--- at the end of the game when Chuck Morgan read off the stats of the winning pitcher - Tommy Hunter - the crowd cheered, they were cheering instead of heading for the exits - of course fireworks had somethng to do with that.  But I've been there on a fireworks night when the Rangers won, and I'm pretty sure I never heard anyone cheer the name of the winning pitcher after the game.

I'm almost a believer -- Marla Hooch

P.S. Since I had a nice seat, I took a few pictures.  Some of them are on TR Sullivan's blog today with a lovely poetic accompaniment.  The rest are here in my photo gallery.
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