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Subject: Texas adds pitching to potent offense
Time: 9:11:00 AM CDT
Author: lrpatton
Texas adds pitching to potent offense
By Stephen Hawkins / Associated Press
April 2, 2006
Maybe the youth movement will make the difference.
Not necessarily younger players or younger pitchers, but the youngest general manager in major league history. Since taking over in October, 28-year-old Jon Daniels overhauled the Rangers rotation and got a needed setup reliever.
''For us to compete, we needed to make some changes, and we did make those changes,'' said first baseman Mark Teixeira, an All-Star and Gold Glove winner last season. ''We got better this offseason. Now it's up to us to go out there and do it on the field.''
The Rangers signed AL ERA champion Kevin Millwood to be the No. 1 starter, a move that came after Daniels had already traded for former NL All-Star Vicente Padilla and gotten Adam Eaton and reliever Akinori Otsuka in another deal. They also haven't given up hope of adding seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens to the rotation if he decides to pitch this season.
And until Eaton's final spring start Wednesday, the plan was coming together nicely.
''Unfortunately, you're a couple of injuries away from that not happening,'' fourth-year manager Buck Showalter said.
Eaton strained a tendon in the middle finger of his pitching hand. It's the same injury that put the right-hander on the disabled list twice last season after he got off to a 9-1 start with a 3.18 ERA in San Diego. The No. 2 starter could miss the first three months.
After Millwood (9-11, 2.86 ERA in Cleveland last season) starts the opener at home Monday against Boston, Vicente Padilla, Kameron Loe and developing knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will all move up a day in the rotation. Showalter didn't say what Texas would do for the fifth game.
Juan Dominguez, who would have been one of the options, was sent to Oakland in a three-team trade Friday night in which the Rangers acquired inexperienced left-handers from both the A's and Chicago Cubs. After an inconsistent spring, Dominguez was sent to the minors only hours before Eaton got hurt and Dickey was named the No. 5 starter.
Padilla had a couple of 14-win seasons in Philadelphia and is comfortable with Showalter and pitching coach Mark Connor, his coaches as a rookie in Arizona seven years ago. Loe (9-6, 3.42 ERA in 48 games) was solid when he got into the rotation at the end of last season.
While the rotation took a hit with Eaton's injury, the Rangers still have that potent offense (majors-best and team record 260 home runs last season) and a core of players who are still relatively young.
''It's young as far as age, but we've been through enough to understand what it takes to win,'' outfielder Kevin Mench said.
''We are still young, but at the same time we are experienced,'' said Teixeira, about to turn 26 and going into his fourth season. ''Most people think of young as being inexperienced, and that's not the case here.''
Two years ago, with much the same group of everyday players they have now, the Rangers won 89 games and remained in playoff contention until the final week of the season. But they still finished in third place behind two playoff teams, the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland.
Texas went into last season with plenty of optimism, but early injuries to several key relievers set a bad tone. The Rangers finished third again, winning only 73 games.
''You can only talk about potential for so long, and then you either put up or shut up. We feel this is our year to prove a point,'' outfielder David Dellucci said.
''They're an impatient group, and I say that with admiration,'' Showalter said. ''Mentally, our guys are in a great spot and a great frame of mind about what they want to get out of this season as individuals, and more importantly, as a team.''
It's still a talented 20-something infield, with two-time All-Stars Michael Young (29) at shortstop and Hank Blalock (25) at third. Rookie second baseman Ian Kinsler, 23, is a converted shortstop who will make his major league debut as the starter replacing four-time All-Star Alfonso Soriano.
The Rangers traded the 30-year-old Soriano - and his $10 million salary - to Washington in December. They got new leadoff hitter Brad Wilkerson to play center field and Terrmel Sledge, an outfielder then traded to the Padres as part of the deal for Eaton and Otsuka.
When the spring began, it looked as though Texas might have too many outfielders. But Gary Matthews Jr. will be on the disabled list after not playing any spring games because of a strained rib cage muscle sustained trying to prevent a sneeze while driving his car.
Laynce Nix made progress in his comeback from shoulder surgery with more than 50 at-bats this spring, but was still limited in the field. Being a designated hitter isn't an option.
Phil Nevin is the DH with a renewed attitude. Admittedly disappointed after being traded by San Diego, Nevin hit .182 in 29 games at the end of the season for Texas. He hit .311 with five home runs and 11 RBIs in 20 games in Arizona this spring.
With the overhauled pitching staff, a still potent lineup and a GM willing to make changes, the Rangers hope to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
''We're definitely an impatient group, and we just want to live up to our potential,'' Young said. ''We're tired of being a team of talented players that's never been in the postseason. The time is now.''
ARLINGTON - The Texas Rangers have always had sluggers and scored a lot of runs - a team with great potential, but never enough pitching to keep opposing teams from scoring more.
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4/5/06 10:29 PM