A lot has been written both locally (pro and blog) and nationally about how the Rangers are “running away” with the AL West. That we have the widest margin of any of the division leaders, and that we’re a “slam dunk” to make the playoffs. While all of that may be true, I decided to examine our record and see where it would put us.
I remember some years ago when the Padres make the playoffs (1998), there was talk that they were the “best of a bunch of bad teams”, and that they only make the playoffs because someone from that division had to. There always seems to be some team somewhere that kind of does that – “backs into” the playoffs is what it’s generally called.
Now, do I feel that’s the way the Rangers are in 2010? No, we’re not a bad team. No, we won’t “back” into the playoffs. The way the team has played this year, we deserve to be there. But still, having said all that, I’d like to see where our current record would place us in the other divisions. A lot also has been made about how the other teams besides the Yankees & the Red Sox (and the Rays in more recent vintage) in the AL East would fare better if they were in another division. So here goes:
AL West: We’re in first place, 9.5 games up on second place Oakland. Our record is 73-55, 18 games over .500 – our winning percentage is .570
AL Central: Our record in that division would put us in second place behind the Twins, only a half game behind them. We’d be three games up on third place Chicago. A pretty decent shot at winning that division, I’d say while it wouldn’t be as easy, we could win that division.
AL East: We’d be in FOURTH place here. Right now the Yankees & Rays are tied at 78-50 (.609), and then Boston is in third at 74-55 (.574). We wouldn’t be far behind Boston (one game), and the division leaders (5GB), but we would have to hop three other teams to get there. I’d say this would be the hardest shot to make the playoffs, despite being only 5 games out.
NL West: Our record here would put us in second place, about 3.5 games back of division leader San Diego, and 2.5 games in front of third place San Francisco. Again, we’d be right in the thick of things, and would probably have a good shot at winning this division.
NL Central: Again, second place. This time just one game back of division leader Cincinnati, and 3 games in front of second place St. Louis. A very winnable division if we were in it.
NL East: This time, our record would tie us with Atlanta for the division lead, and two games up on what would be third place Philadelphia. Of the three NL divisions, I’d say this would be the hardest fight, but we probably could win this as well.
So basically, outside of our own division, we could easily win three of them, have a good fight with one of them, and in my opinion, be out of the playoffs in one other.
I realize this is a nebulous thing, if you moved us out of the division, we’d play different teams, different stadiums, things would be different. Yeah, I know that. Just playing a “pick up and put into another scenario – how would be be doing” fantasy. I know that. Still, it’s nice to know where we stand amongst everyone else.
I’ve given Tom Hicks some grief many a time for letting Bud Selig off the hook on moving the Rangers to the AL Central, where we’d more fit in with our division mates and the time zone. It stinks having so many games start at 9PM. However, had Bud not taken the guaranteed home and away series with the Astros every year, and actually moved us to the AL Central, we wouldn’t be in the driver’s seat we are in now. However, we might have won a few more divisions along the way and have been to the playoffs sometime in the last decade.
Still, this year is feeling like no other I’ve covered on this site since the first one I ever covered (1999). 2004 came close, but we fell down at the end. This doesn’t feel like that year at all. How far we get in the playoffs is an unknown, but at this point, I’m ready to say that we WILL get there, and I expect it will not be a first round sweep and out again. Overall, I think the team is too good for that.

I’ve been watching this show since I was a kid (“How about that?”), but this weekend’s episode should be of interest to anyone reading this site.
The subject is the 2010 Texas Rangers. :)
MLB has some press about the episode here.

Hey, if you’re on Facebook, and like baseball art, you should check out this page I ran into not too long ago. It’s by a fellow named “Kyle Banister”, and he does some great baseball art. Noticed about a week ago he had posted a nice picture of Josh Hamilton, and I had asked his permission to post it, and he was cool with it. You can see it here. He simply calls it “Hamilton”, and it was hand drawn in colored pencil and black marker. It’s quite nice, and I thought I should let others know about this guy.

While he doesn’t have a website yet, all of his art and whatnot is up on the fan page for him on Facebook. So if you’re on Facebook (who isn’t these days), go check out the Kyle Banister – Baseball Art page, and “like” it. He’s got a lot of good stuff there. I also particularly like his pencil drawing of Ubaldo Jimenez.

Here’s a blurb Kyle has written about himself:

Before admitting he was an artist, Kyle owned and operated a successful sign and lettering company. For nearly 20 years Kyle used his talents to help others communicate and realize their dreams. In 2002 he gave up the sign business to pursue his own dream, to become the artist he was born to be.
While producing signage for others, Kyle learned and mastered a variety of mediums. And he uses all of these in his art today, often mixing them to achieve what he sees as the best look for a particular piece of art. That is why you may see an array of styles in one of Kyle’s shows. He is just as comfortable painting with 1-Shot Lettering enamel on Plexiglas as he is digitally coloring an original pointillism drawing. Some have criticized Kyle’s work saying that the use of so many mediums will slow his march to success. But Kyle is OK with that as long as he can stay true to himself, and his art.

Kyle’s favorite subjects are History, Baseball and Women, not necessarily in any order. He loves to travel doing research for the many projects he has planned. His strongest asset is inexhaustible creativity, he never is at a loss for a new art project. Kyle says, “It’s as if God leaves notes on my forehead after a nights rest.”
Kyle’s art is quite a journey. So come along and enjoy the ride.

This is a complete duplicate of a post I made back on June 10th, but given the Mariners today fired their manager, bench coach, and their pitching coach, I thought it was time to revive the post…
I’m playing catch up with some backlogged game reports, I hope to catch up with the Mariners series tomorrow. Having said that, I was curious to see what ussmariner.com had to say about tonight’s game. They had a rather funny image posted there about the Mariners’ season:

I prefer this image I posted a couple of years back, originally.

I am so stealing this from Scott Lucas. It sums it up pretty good. ;)

What a weird couple of days for me. I find out about two days ago that I was to start a temp work assignment in a few days (today, actually). That was cool, as I’ve been out of work for awhile. Then yesterday was a whirlwind.
The auction for control of the team happened. I hopped onto Twitter and followed the proceedings, starting at 9 am, and staying with it all the way through till the end at 12:50am. Was a heck of a ride but Ill write more about that later.
I’m posting this now because I haven’t had the tine to writ about the Seattle settees due to family stuff, plus my church had its vacation bible school tis week (ended last night). Then today I stated my temp assignment, and on top of it, ive caught a cold.
But I couldn’t let the day pass without saying something. I coiled not had be happier with the way the auction turned out. Bring in Chuck, Nolan, and the new stuff. Theres a ton to talk about there, and I will when I feel better. Promise. In the meantime…
Bring on August 12th! Goodbye Hicks, and take the remnants of the stupid Ameriquest bell with you!

Did anyone watch the old timer’s introductions during the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies back a week or so ago from Cooperstown? I did, because to be honest, I was more interested in hearing those intros and to see who was there than the new player inductions. Not that I think the class of 2010 wasn’t worthy, but I like the nostalgia angle more.
Anyways, there was an interesting remark by the fellow who was doing the introductions (George Grandy). It was most specifically his choice of words during the introduction of Hank Aaron. Here’s his exact intro:

Our next Hall of Famer is, very simply, everyone’s home run champion. He hit a home run on the baseball field, he’s hit a home run in life. Let’s welcome the Hammer, Henry Aaron.

At the moment he called Hank Aaron “everyone’s home run champion”, my mind immediately lept to Bonds, and all the discussion about is he the real champ, etc.. That someone from the National Baseball Hall of Fame would call Aaron “everyone’s home run champion” was telling to me. Now it could be nothing – it could just be a speech and choice of words for sure. But I felt the choice of words was a small dig at Barry Bonds. Does it imply what the hall is thinking?
If you don’t believe what I’m saying, click here – it’s a pdf with the complete transcript of the entire induction ceremony, including Aaron’s intro (which is on Page 43).
I figure on this day where Arod hit #600 at age 35, and provided he doesn’t break down into his 40’s will eventually pass Bonds, I thought it was interesting to make this observation.

Was watching some live late coverage on MLB Network tonight, and in the middle of their reporting they did an impromptu “Prime 9”, only this time on the best free agent signings of the past off season. They had Vlad Guerrero as the #1 best off season signing. Here’s the complete list:
10) John Lackey
9) Troy Glaus
8) ?? – I forgot to write it down
7) Carl Pavano
6) Matt Holliday
5) Aubrey Huff
4) Jose Valverde
3) Billy Wagner
2) Adrian Beltre
1) Vlad Guerrero
What bummed me out was that Colby Lewis wasn’t in on this list. Huff and Glaus on there over Lewis? That doesn’t seem right. And Carl Pavano should be higher than #7.
Still, it was nice to see a Ranger signing as #1 on the list as their best off season move.

Earlier today I was interviewed by nesn.com about the upcoming Rangers / Red Sox series. They wanted my perspective being a Rangers fan, and asking me some questions about the Rangers. Most of you who read this site regularly (hello nesn.com visitors!) will know most of this stuff already, but most Red Sox fans don’t. So below are the questions and answers they had for me and what I answered with. Check it out.
There’s more to this article than just my Q&A, so check out the full article over at NESN.com.

1) NESN.com: Considering both short- and long-term effects, was the Cliff Lee trade a good one for the Rangers organization?
Joe Siegler: On the short term, I think it’s an obvious answer. It helps us. I don’t think there’s a club that exists that wouldn’t want Cliff Lee for their team, especially in a stretch run. I mean, if we were the Pirates or the Orioles or something it wouldn’t make sense, but heck yeah, Cliff Lee is great because of who Cliff Lee is and what he brings.
As for long term, it’s harder to tell, as you never know how these things work out. We did import a good relief pitcher, and I expect most people figure he’s all we’ll have left next year (save for a few draft picks) for Cliff Lee (kind of like the Carlos Lee/Nelson Cruz trade the Rangers made with the Brewers a few years back). We’ll make a run at Lee, I’m sure (once our ownership gets worked out), but if he signs back here, I’ll be surprised. But the absolute best part of all this is that the Yankees didn’t get him (at least for now).
2) NESN.com: Julio Borbon has had his ups and downs this year. How has he evolved as a player since his call-up toward the end of 2009?
J.S.: I remember late last year hearing that he was going to be a great center fielder. In our park, you need a guy who is fast out there, or at least could get great reads on balls. Last year, he wasn’t so much a big power hitter that grabs your attention, but he did end last year with a .376 OBP. This year, his bat started off slow, but he’s come on lately, and still has some work to do. But his defense has improved greatly since last year. I don’t think he’s an All-Star caliber player, but he does have speed, and is not someone you worry about their defense. So that’s a big improvement.
3) NESN.com: Now that Justin Smoak has been traded, who will be the Rangers’ first baseman of the future?
J.S.: Well, the easy answer is to say Chris Davis. This is actually an extension of your first question, because now that Smoak is gone, it’s definitely Chris Davis for now. Until Smoak was moved, we had kind of a two-headed monster with Smoak and Davis. Both were projected high caliber, with Smoak perhaps projecting a bit higher due to him being a switch hitter (like Mark Teixeira). Davis however, is the better defender, so in an immediate sense, we’re probably better off with Chris Davis, as he’s a better defender and has some more major league experience.
Davis did crash and burn bad last year, though, and wasn’t exactly hitting up a storm earlier this season. So I guess “of the future” comes down to whether Chris Davis ends up as one of those AAAA hitters. We went through that same thing recently with Nelson Cruz. The light finally came on last year, and he’s living up to it. If Chris Davis figures it out offensively, he’ll be the guy of the future as he’s an awesome defender, just needs more work on offense. We’ll see if his AAA tuneup this year did anything. If it’s not him, a guy in AAA named Mitch Moreland (currently playing right field) would likely be the choice going down, unless we brought in someone.
4) NESN.com: What do you think the problem was with Josh Hamilton in 2009, and how has he bounced back to become an MVP candidate in 2010?
J.S.: I think a lot of 2009 was Josh thinking too much. Plus he was hurt for a decent part of the season. A lot has been made locally about him constantly tinkering with his swing. We do have a new hitting coach here in 2010 for the first time since 1995, so it’s possible Clint Hurdle himself fixed Josh. Hard to tell, but the Rangers TV guys have talked a lot about how Josh has gotten rid of he toe tap in his swing, and since he did that, he’s taken off again.
5) NESN.com: Nelson Cruz and Ian Kinsler have each missed significant time in 2010, yet the Rangers are still in first place. Who is the one player that Texas simply cannot afford to lose?
J.S.: Since it’s hard to say just one guy, I’ll go for one offensive guy and one pitcher. I’d say offensively, Vlad Guerrero. I’ve always liked Vlad going back to his days in Montreal, and I’m glad he’s with us. I’m more glad he has bounced back, and isn’t just one of those long time guys trying to hang on somewhere and under performs. Vlad’s back. Losing him would be rough, as it would make Josh Hamilton somewhat vulnerable, and would take some of the swagger out of our offense.
Cliff Lee aside, pitching wise, we’d probably be a lot worse off if we lost Colby Lewis. Lewis has exceeded everyone’s expectations when he returned here in the offseason. I think a lot of people (myself included) thought, “Well OK, he sort of figured it out in Japan, but that’s Japan, and this is the MLB — will it translate?” It certainly has. As you pointed out, we’re in first place now, and that’s before Cliff Lee. I say Colby Lewis is our pitching star this season (although I like Tommy Hunter, too).
6) NESN.com: How important is this series against the Red Sox for Texas coming out of the All-Star break?
J.S.: I think it’s important that we stay strong out of the gate. That it’s against the Red Sox isn’t so much important because it’s the “Red Sox;” it’s not like the two teams have a big rivalry as such. It’s more important for us to do well this series, as we need to hold and expand our lead. The Angels, while down this year, are still the team to beat, and I don’t think anyone can take ’em lightly. The Angels are playing Seattle this first series, and Seattle has been a big disappointment. The Angels should handle them well, so we need to have a strong showing against the Red Sox to keep our division lead.
For more sports news, visit NESN.com (http://www.nesn.com/).

I’m playing catch up with some backlogged game reports, I hope to catch up with the Mariners series tomorrow. Having said that, I was curious to see what ussmariner.com had to say about tonight’s game. They had a rather funny image posted there about the Mariners’ season:

I prefer this image I posted a couple of years back, originally.