Year in Review: Awards

Let's start first with the Rangers.

MVP. Marlon Byrd. I know Michael Young had better numbers in almost every offensive category, and yet I'm still picking Byrd. Without Byrd, the Rangers offense would have struggled mightily-more so than it already did, at least. Also, I lean towards Byrd because Young missed basically the final month of season. Byrd, now a three-year Ranger veteran, has proven to be a true leader for this team. I'm a huge fan of how he plays the game, and I think this year he deserved it.

Runner-up. Michael Young. Easy choice. Young was having a fantastic year before his injury and his numbers still looked terrific. No other Ranger came close to the status of Byrd and Young.

Pitcher of the Year. Scott Feldman. Feldman has now proven that he is an elite starter. If not for his bad finish he could have been the game's only 20 game winner. But that's irrelevant. Feldman saved the Rangers staff when he joined it in April and all but took over Millwood's spot as the Ace.

Runner-up. C.J Wilson. A lot of people don't like C.J. I've talked to him a few times and there couldn't be a friendlier person. He's also a great pitcher. From what I've heard, peoples' reasons for disliking Wilson are pretty arbitrary. One lady said on the radio that she didn't like C.J because she didn't like his personality when she got to speak with him at a public event. You get the picture. But the bottom line is that on the mound he was dynamite, especially in the first half. He came up huge in the bullpen for the Rangers this year.

Now, for the league awards. I'm running out of time here, so this will be brief.

AL MVP. I'm going with Joe Mauer. What else does he need to prove? He's a classic ballplayer who plays classic baseball the way it's meant to be played.

NL MVP. Albert Pujols.

AL Cy Young. Felix Hernandez.

NL Cy Young. Adam Wainwright.

AL ROY. Elvis Andrus.

NL ROY. Tommy Hanson.

AL Manager of the Year. Mike Scioscia.

NL Manager of the Year. Jim Tracy.

Note: Sorry if this week's recap of the season was a little stale. It happened that it landed right on the week that I had a boatload of tests to study for.

Year in Review: Month by Month

April. C+
April began with a sweep, then went haywire, and then got good again to keep the Rangers at respectability. Ian Kinsler had the big 6-6 game, which included hitting for the cycle, and Michael Young proved to be the savior once again with a walk off homerun when the Rangers desperately needed one. Also, Derek Holland arrived, which was reason to celebrate, numbers notwithstanding. Final record: 10-11.

May. A-
May was about as perfect a month as the Rangers could have hoped for. Everything seemed to come together all at once, especially the pitching, which ended the month with a 3.57 ERA. It's hard to believe that the Rangers actually got swept by the Tigers in May, but then they followed that up with a sweep of their own against Houston. The most exciting stretch during the month was the sweep of the Mariners, followed by a sweep of the Angels. At the end of May Texas was in first place. Everything was looking great. Final Record: 20-9.

June. C-
June was a bad month for the Rangers, no doubt about it. I think everyone sort of saw it coming after the incredible May. While the pitching was solid, the offense really fell apart. The Rangers only averaged 3.8 runs per game. Ouch. Oh yeah, and they also lost sole possession of first place for good. Final record: 11-15

July. B+
July saw many improvements just when Ranger skeptics were ready to write the team off. First of all, the offense, while still not nearly as productive as the year before, saw its RPG go up a full run. Plus, the pitching was even better, with 3.59 ERA for the entire month. The big standout, I think, was Tommy Hunter, who went 3-0 during the month with a sparkling 1.11 ERA. Final record: 17-8

August. C+
The Rangers played well enough in August to stay alive, even though the month as a whole wasn't all that great. August provided one of the most exciting moments in the season when the Rangers won two of three from Boston to take brief lead in the Wild Card. But it vanished as the rain does in Texas and never came back. Two big members of the team in the final months, Neftali Feliz and Julio Borbon, arrived on the scene and created a great deal of buzz. Around that, Scott Feldman had a dynamite month, going 5-0. Final record: 14-15.

September. C
September was the month when it all fell apart. Ranger fans will be haunted by this month until the team makes it to the playoffs. Everything went wrong when it needed to be right the most. Well, you know the story. Final record: 13-15.

Year in Review: Offense and Defense.

The Rangers have always been associated as being a power hitting team with very little pitching, thus explaining their ten year playoff hiatus. This year though, it was a different story. The power was there as far as homeruns go, but as a whole the offense disappointed, and ultimately letdown the Rangers. It's been a common plague that the Rangers have caught and that is that the offense suffers from a great deal of inconsistency. You know the story: one series they're absolutely dead at the plate, and the next they're scoring ten runs a game. The big problem is that they have too many homeruns and strikeouts, and not enough solid contact and patience. It's as if Rudy Jaramillo decided not to teach plate discipline this year.

Going into the season, the Rangers didn't really have any significant changes in the offense from last year. The only real difference was that Milton Bradley was gone and Nelson Cruz was a starting outfielder. Other than that, it was pretty much the same troop, and I think everyone expected the 2009 offense to be every bit as dominant as 2008's. It's not as if they lacked the proficiency that made the 2008 lineup so supreme. It's that some of the hitters suffered greatly for long periods of time, either due to slumps or injuries.

The first big problem was Josh Hamilton, who seemed to suffer injury after injury, limiting him to just 89 games. And when he did play, he was far from the force he was last year. Hamilton did compile 54 RBIs, which isn't terrible, but he only had 10 homeruns next to 54 singles--not exactly what you want from a premiere power hitter.

Another big difference was Ian Kinsler's sudden transformation from the next Ryne Sandberg to the next Adam Dunn. Kinsler had an amazing April (322/.384/.656) but suddenly dropped off in May. Well, okay, Ian's just having a bad month after a blazing start, I thought. But it didn't get any better. After dropping his average below 300 in May, it just went down and down, eventually settling in the 250/260 range for the final months of the season. The only thing that went up for Kinsler was the power numbers. But I, and just about every other Kinsler fan, would give up half of his 31 homeruns for a more consistent approach. Kinsler's final numbers weren't bad; he had 31 stolen bases and 100+ runs scored. But it's just that he could have been so much better. It seemed like he let the Rangers and the fans down this year, both with his numbers and his attitude.

The Rangers also suffered some severe damage at first base. The defense was nearly impeccable, but offensively, Hank Blalock and Chris Davis, the two primary first basemen this year, were almost insufferable. Blalock ended with a 234 average, and Davis with a 238 mark. Not exactly what a productive team is looking for. The power numbers were there for sure, but the high OBP was unfortunately not.

But the entire offense wasn't unproductive. Michael young was having perhaps his bet season yet before going down in September, and Marlon Byrd proved to be a leader on the team, both vocally and by example. Also, David Murphy was a huge hit once again, despite his monstrosity of a start. Another bright spot was the emergence of youngster Julio Borbon, who hit 312 in 157 ABs, as well running out 19 steals.

Though the Rangers finished second in the AL in homers, their lack of consistency, especially when it was needed the most, really took the team down. The pitching was almost always there. The offense only showed its face on the rarest occasions. Still, the hitting supplied some very memorable moments, such as walk off homeruns by Michael Young, Chris Davis, and Hank Blalock. Also, seeing that 11 run innings was as much fun I've had as a Ranger fan since I started following the team.

There's no denying that the Rangers have to do something to improve the lineup for 2010. Even if Marlon Byrd stays, they still need another bat. Someone who can hit for power and average and who gets on base a lot. Otherwise, it might be a while before we see that 2008 offense again.



Defense played a huge part in the Rangers success this year, which was refreshing to say the least considering how wretched it's been in recent seasons. Let's do a quick recap position by position:

Catcher: Between Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Taylor Teagarden, the Rangers had one of the best defensive catching tandems for the first half of the season. Then Salty went down, but Pudge replaced him and did a stellar job as well. Ranger catchers had one of the best percentages of throwing out base runners in the AL, but even better, they had terrific chemistry with the pitching staff.

First Base. Between Chris Davis and Hank Blalock, only eight errors were made at this position. Both players, while mediocre at best offensively, played terrific defense, saving errors-and runs-on a frequent basis.

Second Base. If there was an improvement in Ian Kinsler's season, it was his defense. He only made 11 errors in 711 total chances, with 451 assists.

Third Base. This position was a bit of a question mark considering Michael Young had never played the position before. Yes, he's good at adapting to new positions, but there is a big difference between playing at shortstop and the hot corner. As expected, his first month was a bit shaky, but after that he looked as if he had been playing the position all his life. He only made nine errors, as well as some dazzling gems.

Shortstop. Going into the season, this was the most exciting position on the team, for newcomer Elvis Andrus, at age 20, had arrived. I think we all expected Andrus to be good, but no one foresaw some of the plays he was able to make. He saved a handful of runs from scoring and made the pitching staff look even better. On the downside, Andrus made 22 errors. But most of them were just lazy pickups or throws that sailed. These are problems that time will fix. Nothing to worry about. Kinsler was the same in his first few years. Also, when Andrus did not play, Omar Vizquel took over and was, of course, just as impressive.

Left Field. This position was occupied by a number of players, including Marlon Byrd, Nelson Cruz, Julio Borbon, and David Murphy. There were plenty of nice plays all around. The entire outfield made less than 15 errors.

Center Field. Josh Hamilton made some terrific plays, but some of them resulted in injuries that spoiled his season. But happily, he was replaced by Marlon Byrd, who proved he was equal to Hamilton's capabilities.

Right Field. Nelson Cruz occupied this spot for most of the season. Yes, he made four errors, but his cannon of an arm proved useful once again.

Year in Review: Pitching

Going into the season, it was pretty much taken for granted that the Rangers offense would there. The big question would be whether the pitching could carry the team to success. If the Rangers wanted to be in the race till the end, it was pivotal that the pitching improved, because 2008 was proof that even the best offense can't carry a team all the way. Well, as it turned out, the Rangers got almost exactly what they wanted.

The success of the rotation had hardly anything to do with how it began: Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Brandon McCarthy, Matt Harrison and Kris Benson (I'm wondering if Jon Daniels was somehow blackmailed into letting him pitch in place of Feldman). Not that these five made for an execrable rotation. It's just that what the Rangers had at the end was much improved: Kevin Millwood, Scott Feldman, Tommy Hunter, Derek Holland, and Brandon McCarthy (McCarthy only made a few starts at the end of the year). But it was a team effort, and all these pitchers are responsible for the team's first sub 4 ERA, a full run better than last year.

For the first few months, the bright spot was obviously Kevin Millwood, who was eating innings like a dog eats meat. He also compiled one of the league's best ERAs for the first half and it was looking like the Millwood from 2005 had returned. But, as we all know, he faded in the later months, making the choice for the Rangers best starter of 2009 clear: Scott Feldman. The fact that Scott spent most of April in the bullpen makes his 17 wins all the more impressive. Feldman's best month was August, during which he went 5-0 with a 2.89 ERA. Feldman's final numbers are somewhat deceiving, simply because his 4.08 ERA is due to his final three starts, all of which were filled with chagrin (and laid to rest any hopes of Cy Young consideration). Also, he had a terrific chance to get at least 19 wins, but lost his final three decisions. But overall, Feldman was brilliant, and easily deserving of the title 'Ace' on this team.

The other bright spot was Tommy Hunter, who won 9 games despite not making his first start until July 3rd. Hunter was plagued by a bad finish, in which his ERA rose above four and he failed to capture his somewhat coveted 10th win. But Hunter was a staple in the rotation during the second half, and his success definitely contributed to the Rangers staying in contention through September.

As for Kevin Millwood, his season still has to be acknowledged as a success, even though he was of almost no help during the team's most crucial games. But of the starters he had the best ERA at 3.67, and second most wins at 13. But if not for his dynamite finish (when any hopes of making the playoffs had all but vanished), Millwood's numbers would have been mediocre at best.

As far as the rest of the rotation goes, well, it wasn't exactly brilliant. Derek Holland was a disaster for the most part. Yes, he had a few games that were as dominant as any pitched in baseball this year, but coupled with those were some nightmarish outings that made his ERA (6.12) the highest among starters with at least 100 innings in the AL. Injuries put a damper on what looked to be a pretty bright rotation, as two of the keys, Brandon McCarthy and Matt Harrison went on the DL early. Harrison showed signs of brilliance, and McCarthy, who returned at the end of season, at least proved that he could make it past six innings. Now he has to prove that he actually stay healthy.

It seems like Vicente Padilla never even pitched for the Rangers this year. I think everyone has completely forgotten about him (though it was hard to ignore his recent 10 strikeout performance with the Dodgers), the players included. He wasn't terrible for the Rangers this year, going 8-6, but his attitude was inexcusable.

Overall, the rotation, though far from perfect, gave the team a chance, unlike last year. It was a year where pitching and defense was the real story, for once overshadowing the Rangers formidable, but slightly desultory offense.

When talking about the Rangers pitching in 2009, a lot of people will refer to the rotation. But to me, the real improvement was the bullpen, which had seven pitchers with ERAs below 4. For all the C.J. Wilson haters out there, you should take a look at his final line, which is nothing short of brilliant. Yes, he blew a few games, but his 2.81 ERA is one of the league's best, plus he ranked 5th in the AL with 74 appearances.

Also at the top of the line was Frank Francisco, who, despite several injuries, picked up 25 saves and was key for the Rangers during countless late innings.


But to me, the real hero of the 2009 bullpen was Darren O'Day, who ended up being one of the greatest finds in all of baseball this year. From his memorable first appearance in which he wore Kason Gabbard's jersey to his final glittering 1.94 ERA, O'Day was without a doubt a savior for this team.

The success of the pitching is attributed to many different things I believe, but none more than the arrival Mike Maddux, the tough, brilliant new pitching coach who looks like he came right out of the movie 'Tombstone'. I don't think it's a coincidence that a prized coach like Maddux arrives and suddenly the pitching shows drastic improvement. Maddux, a former big league pitcher himself, is about as knowledgeable about pitching as Roger Emrich is about high school football. I think it took Maddux a little while to get used to his new location, which could explain the team's pitching woes in April. But once he gained the trust of the players, and figured out how each of them played, he was able to instruct them on improving their game. And clearly, the results showed.

Finally, I'll leave you with my thoughts on one of the most exciting additions to the team this year, Neftali Feliz. Feliz was on fire when he first came up, striking out the first four hitters he faced and showing off with ease his 100 MPH fastball. All throughout August and the beginning of September Feliz put up staggering numbers. But then, he began to fade, losing some velocity as well as his control. Still, he finished with a 1.74 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 31 innings. Feliz will be battling for a rotation spot next year, which should be exciting. However, if he fails to impress and is put back in the bullpen, that won't exactly be a crime. Whenever Feliz came in this year, I always breathed a sigh of relief, despite the fact that he was only 21 and in his first months in the big leagues. As far as the drop in velocity, I wouldn't be too concerned. Feliz was clearly showing signs of fatigue over the long, grinding season in which he experienced a lot of things about the game, both physically and emotionally. Look for Feliz to be back next year with his fastball back in form, as well as improved off-speed pitches. Personally, I can't wait.

That's a Wrap!

Well, need I say, the 2009 season has officially come to a close with the Rangers losing to the Mariners in the finale 4-3. Finishing 12 games above 500, the Rangers had one of the best improvements percentage wise in baseball. We tend to gripe over the fact that the Rangers missed the playoffs. It's the ultimate goal going into every spring, right? Well, the Rangers have completed a hugely successful season, regardless of what the front-running Angles accomplished. The very fact that they stayed in contention until the later part of September is reason to celebrate. Plus, it sets up nicely for next year, though, as I made clear in my most recent post, I'm very dubious about how good they'll actually be. So as a farewell to what was a monster year here in Texas, I'll be recapping 2009 throughout this week. Here's a schedule for what you should find:

Monday: The highs and lows of the 2009 Texas Rangers pitching staff.

Wednesday: The ups and downs of the 2009 Texas Rangers offense. Also, a critique of the Rangers defense.

Friday: A brief month-by-month recap of the season.

Saturday: If I picked the winners: 2009 Texas Rangers player honors. Also, who should pick up the league awards around Major League Baseball.