2002 Texas Rangers

[Xanadu Dragon]

I was just looking at their staff - - -

a rotation of Park, Rogers, Valdes, Burba and Irabu - with a pen of Rocker, Powell, Pulsipher, Myette, Van Poppell and Zimmerman - isn't terrible. It's not the Yanks, Braves, or D-backs - - but, the Rangers should hit better than those teams.

They just might win the AL West? That little DIV could be the best, top to bottom, in the AL - - maybe the majors. Thoughts?

[WiredTiger]

If the Rangers were in the AL Central they would have a chance. But Seattle and Oakland are too good and too balanced for the Rangers to overtake.

I am curious to see if Chan Ho is as overrated as I think he might be. Dodger Stadium helps pitchers quite a bit.

[sweaver]

No, it's not bad, and with Acosta as pitching coach they might be fairly good. But to get past the Mariners and the A's is too much to ask. They could make a run at the Wild Card (as Jim Baker would say, I capitalize it because of my high regard for it )

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by WiredTiger
If the Rangers were in the AL Central they would have a chance. But Seattle and Oakland are too good and too balanced for the Rangers to overtake.

I am curious to see if Chan Ho is as overrated as I think he might be. Dodger Stadium helps pitchers quite a bit.

Agreed, Park's numbers out of LA are ugly.

Still, to your other point - - have the A's improved since last year? If Pena hits, and Justice rebounds, maybe. They have a lot of questions - - not even sure Koch can be counted on.

The M's, well, Boone and Cameron have to repeat their seasons - which will be tough. Still don't like the left side of their INF, offensively, and, well, Ruben Sierra, add him to the list of let's see it again.

I'm not trying to say the M's and A's won't be in it - - just that it could be a four team race - whereas all the other DIVs have some teams that are already out of it.

[sweaver]

True, there is a potential for a real four-way battle here.

[WiredTiger]

The Rangers still had a long way to go to catch those guys. The finished 43 games behind Seattle! and 29 behind Oakland.

Oakland's young pitching will get better just based on being a year older. They will miss Giambi and Damon but their replacements aren't horrible.

Seattle gets better at third with Cirillo but they will miss Sele.

Ranger will be improved but not nearly enough to finish ahead of these two let alone Anaheim.

[SmedIndy]

I don't think Texas will be in the hunt, but they won't be egregious either.

"Wired Tiger" - Is that Jeff Weaver after a triple latte?

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by WiredTiger
The Rangers still had a long way to go to catch those guys. The finished 43 games behind Seattle! and 29 behind Oakland.

But, the Rangers added at least 9 pitchers this off-season. It's a new Rangers team.

[gyb13]

Originally posted by WiredTiger
The Rangers still had a long way to go to catch those guys. The finished 43 games behind Seattle! and 29 behind Oakland.
Oakland's young pitching will get better just based on being a year older. They will miss Giambi and Damon but their replacements aren't horrible.
Seattle gets better at third with Cirillo but they will miss Sele.
Ranger will be improved but not nearly enough to finish ahead of these two let alone Anaheim.

Most people seem to agree that SEA will be pressed to win 100 games this season. That's already a 15-20 gm drop.
OAK's pitching might be better, but their defense will suffer considerably w/o Damon (just read a piece on how their OF D may have been a big factor in the seasons of Hudson et al). That, plus the gap between Giambi and Pena/Justice could drop them to 'just' 85-90 wins.
ANA has a great rotation, but their offense needs comebacks from Erstad, Salmon, plus another bat for 1B/DH, before they can be called 'contenders'.
TEX will live and die by their "pitch-ching." (using steve's creation)

[Duque]

I think the Oakland OF D may have helped Zito more than Hudson or Mulder - Zito tends to be more a flyball pitcher - and he certainly turned it around in the 2nd half.

I don't really see any team in the division winning more than 95 games, nor do I see anyone winning less than 75. So, yes, the Rangers definitely have a shot at it. Should be a close, interesting race.

Don't count out the Angels either - if they get decent years from Erstad and Salmon, their pitching is pretty solid too.

[WiredTiger]

This division is so tough that with the unbalanced schedule it will be hard to win 95 games. Those four teams may beat each other up so bad that the Wild Card comes out of the East or the Central.

[KCBOOMER]

With Rocker, Gonzalez, and Everett anything positive the Rangers do will be a surprise particularly in the second half of the season.

Rangers will finish in 3rd at best. That rotation is god awful. This is the AL almost everyone can score, it will always come down to pitching, and any rotation with Kenny Rogers in it gets an automatic F!

[pathogan]

Cant see who'll win that division,though am quite certain the halos will not[despite a terific season from Tim salmon,one of my favorite underrated players}Oakland tries the Hydra replacing Giambi,good luck...the M's still have a lot,though, and I still think were the best team out there last year...texas,well, any team previously owned by gwb cant lose enough games to make me happy,though they should have an awful lot of 10-9 games....the M's,close....

[Fuzzy Bear]

The A's and M's will both decline. I really don't believe that Boone and Ichiro will have anywhere near the seasons they had last year, and I think the loss of Giambi is crippling. Giambi was a leader; that's usually hype, but true in his case. His leadership covered for who I think is a below average manager in Art Howe.

Texas can put 8 in the field with the best of them. I believe that a key is Frank Catalonotto. He had a great 2001; he was 27, and had never played that well before. Now he's 28 and settled in a position, so we'll see. I think Texas can win the West, because I think 90 wins will do it this year.