Texas Rangers

[vicfurth]

Thanx to a four-hit, complete game shutout by Kenny Rogers, the Texas Rangers have the best record in baseball. Are they a contender or pretender?

Pros:

(1) Best record in baseball

(2) ERA under four

(3) Winners in 11 of 13 games

(4) AL's best closer [statistically]

(5) Averaging over eight runs a game at home

Cons:

(1) Not much experience

(2) It's still early in the season

(3) They're in the AL West

(4) Injuries could take their toll

(5) Pitching could falter

If you vote, try to tell why. I want this to be a discussion, not a poll only, and certainly not an argument.

[Brass]

I'm starting to think A-Rod is a good, player, but a curse. Lemme see, he goes off from Seattle, a few years later or that year after, can't remeber, they get like 110 wins. Now he leaves Texas, and I know it's early, and they start to do good. Conspiracy?

[NJTank]

I cant see this holding up most of teh Rangers core is young players and their pitching is still not taht good once it gets hot and teh ball starts carrying they will sink in standings.

[tajmccall]

I see why you can say A-Rod is a 'Curse," i see him more as a cancer. Sports are a fickel, flukey industry, where people are overly sensitive and supersticious, so self loathing and self fulfilling prophecies abound.

I think A-Rods huge contract bothers players of similar caliber who are well, but far less compensated. Sure A-Rod could be one of the best ever, but ask in private company who the best player in the league is, and you'll get "me or barry bonds" from about any of top stars. So im sure they feel diminuative next to AROD, and who knows how he acts in the clubhouse. Kobe blew the lid off young superstars looking like they had it all together, now I read hes the a huge ass to everyone in the Lakers Organization, and who knows about the allegations.

But i think usually his contract, or in Seattle, the prospect of his salary, handcuff teams not run by George Steinbrenner, so they cant build, NY will buy until it works, so i dont worry about the pinstripes.

My point tho, Soriano and his unbelievable talent, good attitude, and tiny (by comparison) contract makes that one of the better dealsthey coulda dreamed of. When i heard they got soriano, i asked why the hell they (NY) did that. Of course people bought the ESPN hype, they have to sell advertising, and you know they show the Yanks whenever they can, so they are all of a sudden the talkbox of ESPN for a month.

The Rangers will fade because Kenny Rogers, Chan Ho Park and RA Dickey cannot carry a rotation, but they have an excellent chance to build now, which they couldent ever do with Arod.

[Roger Clemente]

A-Rod gets paid approximately $14,000 an inning. Considering that you'd normally only bat every second or third inning, and if the pitcher does his job perfectly, you'll never have to see the ball, try and tell me there's not something wrong with that.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[jkrdevil]

Well, I don't think A-Rod is a curse becuase the year before his big contract, Seattle was in the ALCS. Hardly a curse.

I think Texas was handcuffed by his contract. And I think they still are because Texas is paying I think close to half of his contract. That might make a difference come trade deadline when they need a pitchers. If Kenny Rogers is your best pitvher then you team has serious problems with starting pitching and it will hurt you in the long run.