Unreliable Mayor

I'm sitting here patiently, waiting to see if the Rangers will finish their games with the Mariners. My expectations aren't high that they'll continue in this atrocious weather, and if they do, I don't see them winning the game. But my thoughts aren't really focused on the result right now. Rather, I'm thinking about tonight's starter, Kevin Millwood, and how enervated he's looked on the mound of late. I'm tired of watching him go out time after time and allow hit after hit, run after run. Tonight was no exception, as the final line on Kevin was 3 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, and 2 BB. Still want to call Millwood this team's Ace? I'd say it's time for him to move over and let the ascending Scott Feldman take his place.

Kevin Millwood, who only has two wins since July, is the type of pitcher who makes the fan extremely angry when he underperforms in key games. Maybe it's his veteran presence, or his poise on the mound. He seems like the type of pitcher who should be able to come through every time. And yet, he looks extremely tired and vulnerable these days. He reminds me of one of those grumpy, worn out former ace pitchers who you might find in a movie like "Rookie of the Year." In that movie, which is nothing short of awful, the old former star pitcher grumbles his way through the season. At one point he says in a deep, gruff tone: "I don't do autographs," when a kid asks him for a signature. Now, Millwood isn't quite as flinty as that, but when he responds to his rough outings, his tone is similar, deep, short: "I didn't find my spots. Walked too many guys. I expect myself to do better." So do we, Kevin, but words cannot mend terrible performances. Going out and throwing a gem can. I'm not sure that Kevin Millwood has realized that yet. If you listened to Mike O'Gulnick last week, he did a great impersonation of Millwood, and he too expressed an annoyance with the pitcher's vague answers to his bad starts.

So what might be causing this very untimely collapse? Millwood, who generally performs very well in September, looks like a completely different pitcher. One has to wonder: did those extra innings thrown by Millwood back in April and May affect his arm? It's definitely a possibility. I certainly wouldn't expect Millwood's poor pitching to be a result of pressure, because he's been in playoff situations before. Whatever the problem is, Millwood needs to sort it out. I believe that if he was pitching like Scott Feldman right now, then the Rangers might be tied with the Red Sox. Instead, they're about to be three games back, a deficit that needs to be made up fast, before the season is out. It's up to the pitching, especially Millwood, to make sure that happens.