 Is there a harder lineup in baseball to get through right now then the Texas Rangers lineup?
- Elvis Andrus, SS
- Michael Young, 3B
- Ian Kinsler, 2B
- Vladimir Guerrero, DH
- Josh Hamilton, CF
- Nelson Cruz, LF
- David Murphy,
- Bengie Molina, C
- Chris Davis, 1B
I guess it would have to be the Yankees line-up.
- Derek Jeter, SS
- Nick Swisher, RF
- Mark Teixeira, 1B
- Alex Rodriguez, 3B
- Robinson, Cano, 2B
- Jorge Posada, DH
- Curtis Granderson, CF
- Francisco Cervelli, C
- Bret Gardner, LF
..... and it would seem to me that these two teams are on a collision course to meet in the ALCS.
In a short series with Cliff Lee throwing 2-3 times, I'm not even sure that the Yankees would be favorite? Well, I guess they would be, simply because they are the Yankees.... However, there is no way you can tell me that the Rangers don't have a realistic shot to represent the AL in the 2010 World Series.
The Rangers lineup stacks up pound for pound, Cliff Lee has proven he can beat the Yankees on the biggest stage and 22 year old closer Neftali Feliz is simply naive to be intimidated. Heck, he doesn't even know what he's gotten himself into. He leads the league in Saves with 28 (28 for 30) and is pitching to a WHIP of less than 1 and just gets the ball and throws it daring the opponents to hit it.
A Trade From Within
If Rich Harden can somehow come back healthy (and stay healthy) in the second half, the Rangers can have a dominant number 2 pitcher. Admittedly, a healthy Harden pitching to his potential is certainly not the most likely scenario to happen, it's not exactly the most far fetched either.
While Harden has certainly pitched like crap the last 12 months however it was only two seasons ago where he made 25 starts going 10-2 with 181k's in 148 innings and had a 2.068 ERA with a WHIP of 1.0608. That's number 1 stuff. Harden coming back pitching like an ace would be like acquiring another pitcher. The Rangers won't have to wait long to find out what they have with Harden as he could be back with the big club as early as later this week. - David Ross
David, a paraplegic since a 1986 car accident, has been providing volunteer sports coverage for his local community paper in Mission, KS for over 20 years.
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Since its creation in 1994 all this extra week of baseball has done is take away the concentrated goodness of season long pennant races, climactic Septembers, and an October that culminates in the best post-season spectacular in sports, The World Series.
Let's work toward eliminating the wild card, and get back to the best stuff in sports, Major League Baseball.