Spoiled...

Its weird that allowing 4 runs in 7 innings in a win seems like a letdown, but that's how Yu has spoiled us.  -- ^{_{Adam J. Morris following a 6-4 win over Cleveland}}

That really sums up what it means to be a Rangers fan right now.  After tearing Detroit apart in 3 out of 4 games, the newly dominant Rangers went on to be decimated (in the modern sense of the word) in the nation's capital by a mostly mediocre Nationals team, then returned home to be spanked by the Rangers East, who haven't been all that great themselves.

The bottom line is, Rangers fandom has been spoiled (and I don't mean that in a bad way) for several years by some really good Texas teams for whom doing badly means not having a 90-win season.  Now we're watching a team that *actually* won't reach 90; in fact the current incarnation of the Rangers are on track for something around 84 wins.

And you know what?  We're still spoiled.  Over a quarter of the original 40-man roster is on the disabled list.  Four of the position players are rookies.  This team should be under .500.  We should be expecting 74 wins, not 84.

Here's where I get speculative.  Watching this group play, I think the Rangers could still hit 90 wins.  I think the talent is there.  Here's the paradox though...I think the manager that is partially responsible for these guys heading for a marginally winning record instead of a losing record is also the reason this team can't reach 90.  In my opinion, Ron Washington will also continue having winning records and playoff appearances, but will never win a World Series.  I want to re-iterate, this is *my opinion*.  I can't prove any of it, although I can argue a few specifics regarding Washington's in-game management...which most people agree with anyway.  There's no way to prove what those failings mean in real wins.

I think Texas, with a better manager, will be a better team than they are now.  I don't know who that is, at least not long term.  I think in the short term, for this year, they need an ass-kicker.  Unless  you're one of his *special kids*, Wash is a hugger.  A consoler.  He wants you to keep you head up and keep trying.  He believes in the narrative and tradition of baseball driving the game, instead of the other way around (except, of course, for hero players who change the worst parts of the game and make them better).  He believes, I suspect, that changing who takes out the lineup card has more effect on outcomes than how the shift is employed.

In summary:  The Texas Rangers are better than they should be with Ron Washington as skipper, but they'll never be as good as the could be.

Posted by: Ben at 09:15 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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