My father whom I love very much is a Texas Rangers fan. Ever the pessimist, he posted on here two weekends ago that the Cliff Lee trade, which I have already said will give the Rangers the AL West and a playoff birth, is a "mere whimper almost lost in the hot days of summer." Elegant words from a fan with a defeatist attitude. After this weekend's four game set against the Los Angeles Angels, I think all of baseball would disagree with my father's assessment of his beloved Rangers. Three wins, two outstanding pitching performances with a very good third one, and two games gained in the division standings later, the Texas Rangers are sitting pretty in the AL West. Just like they were when they acquired Cliff Lee. The Rangers are 17-8 against AL West teams this season, which is the best mark of any American League team against division opponents. Only my beloved Dodgers have a better division record overall (24-8 against the NL West). A continuation of that performance against the AL West will cement the division for the Rangers by mid-September.
Meanwhile, a big development directly related to this story is the Angels' move to acquire Dan Haren from Arizona. Haren was arguably the best pitcher left on the market during this approach to the trade deadline, but that's hardly saying much. Haren has had problems giving up home runs all year, which leads me to believe the Angels won't benefit much from his presence. I mean, who would you rather have at the top of your rotation, Cliff Lee or Dan Haren? The Rangers are just one step ahead of the Angels in almost every facet of the game imaginable right now, and that's a big deal. We've seen the Angels make the postseason year in and year out due to being in a weak division, but they can't make the World Series because they're not built for that. They're built to win the AL West. This year's Rangers are a different story. They have everything, from good young pitching (did you see CJ Wilson's eight-inning gem on Friday?) to a balanced and powerful lineup featuring do-it-all Josh Hamilton. I've said it once and I'll say it again...the Rangers are for real.
So here's a message for you, Dad: warriors may not win, but the Rangers do, and they are. They're taking care of business in the AL West. They're going to the playoffs this year. And hey, you might have to worry more about the A's than the Angels, because they're playing a heck of a lot better right now! Gear up for a memorable August and September, and then brace yourself for October, because the Rangers will be there, with Cliff Lee roaring - not whimpering.
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Son -- I hope you are right. It's just that I have seen the Rangers year after year melt in the hot days of August, Perhaps, as you so well pointed out, their young pitching will have the stamina to make it through the grind and keep the Angels and, yes, the A's at bay. But there are 63 games left. I'll be sweating along with the high temperatures of Arlington until there are 0 games left on the schedule and the Rangers are hopefully setting up their playoff pitching rotation.
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