The surprising success of the Texas Rangers raises an intriguing question: Is their 18-10 start merely good luck or could it really be the start of something big?
There has to be a good answer because what's happening just doesn't seem to make sense.
This is a team coming off four straight last-place finishes that spent the offseason replacing potential Hall of Famers Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez with self-described "grinders" Brian Jordan, Brad Fullmer and David Dellucci.
PHOTO: AFP
Their pitching rotation is headed by a 39-year-old lefty and a right-hander missing a ligament in his throwing arm. They have a reliever who's been out of the majors since 2000.
Yet, so far, it's working. The Rangers went into an off-day on Thursday tied with Anaheim for the best record in major league baseball.
"They've got a nice club," said Tampa Bay manager Lou Piniella, whose team lost two of three to Texas this week. "They play with a lot of energy. It's fun watching them."
Having meaningful games in May sounds silly, but it's progress for a franchise that's been stuck at the bottom of the AL West for good by this point in each of the last four seasons.
As bad as those teams were, all had stretches in which they won at least 18 of 28 games, as this year's club has done. The difference is the timing.
Those clubs did so after they were out of contention, so all their spurts did were avoid 100 losses. By opening this season on a roll, Texas is building confidence and winning back many of the fans alienated by the offseason A-Rod saga.
"We'll see where it takes us," manager Buck Showalter said.
The most encouraging sign is how the Rangers are winning: With quality pitching, sound defense and timely hitting.
They have a 4.08 ERA, second-best in the AL, quite a feat after having a majors-worst 5.67 ERA last season. Only Oakland's vaunted rotation has thrown more innings than Texas' starters, which has made the bullpen more effective. The Rangers are tied for the most saves in the AL and they've lost only one game when leading after the sixth inning.
Texas also has turned the most double plays in the majors and is near the bottom in errors. That's tremendous considering shortstop Michael Young is moving from second base and second baseman Alfonso Soriano has long been considered a defensive liability.
At the plate, the Rangers no longer wait for A-Rod, Juando or Raffy to put a ball into the bleachers. They've returned to NL-style fundamentals like quality at-bats and aggressive baserunning.
The result: A .308 average that's 21 points higher than any other team in the majors with the most hits and total bases. And they're still fifth in homers.
"We knew we had to find a way to score runs better," said Young, who leads the majors in hits (46) and multihit games (17).
If there's a secret to the team's success, it's their chemistry.
Showalter said teams can win without it, but he's never seen a losing team that enjoys being around each other as much as these guys do.
"We've got a good mix of young guys and veterans," Jordan said. "We're just having fun."
The new atmosphere has been noted by everyone from team executives to dugout security guards. Holdover players have told the newcomers they can't believe the change, although they preface public comments with phrases like, "Nothing against the guys we had last year, but ..."
"Everybody gets along and is on the same page,'' Young said. "That kind of kick-starts everything."
Losing the moody superstars certainly helped.
With no leader designated by his big contract, all players are comfortable razzing each other and speaking up. There's even a kangaroo court, something that never worked under the previous social structure.
The new veteran core may not have big names, but they do have good track records. Dellucci and Rod Barajas won the World Series with Arizona in 2001 and Dellucci returned to the Series last year with the Yankees. Fullmer was on Anaheim's championship team in 2003 and Jordan reached the Series in '99 with Atlanta.
All noticed similar ingredients in Texas this spring. Showalter had them explain it to their teammates before the opener in what may prove to be a pivotal serious moment for this group of cutups. Dellucci had the line that Showalter said "hit everyone in the face."
"We can be remembered as the 2004 Rangers or by something much stronger -- the Rangers team that turned everything around," Dellucci told them.
American League
In Arlington, Texas, Ivan Rodriguez hit the tiebreaking homer for Detroit in his return to Texas, Friday.
After Fernando Vina's one-out infield single in the eighth off Erasmo Ramirez (1-2), Rodriguez, who also played against the Rangers when he was with Florida last season, homered off Jeff Nelson. It was his fifth homer of the season.
Carlos Guillen went 3-for-4, including a three-run homer and an RBI triple, as the Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak.
Al Levine (3-2), the third Tigers pitcher, worked 1 1-3 innings. Ugueth Urbina, another former Ranger, gave up two runs the ninth and finished for his third save.
Red Sox 7, Royals 6
Mark Bellhorn tied the score with a two-run homer in the ninth inning and pinch-hitter Jason Varitek doubled home the winning run, leading the Boston Red Sox over the Kansas City Royals 7-6.
Mike MacDougal (0-1) walked Johnny Damon leading off the ninth, and Bellhorn homered. Scott Sullivan relieved and Varitek doubled, with Ramirez barely beating the relay throw.
Mike Timlin (2-1) pitched a hitless ninth for the win.
Boston trailed 6-2 in the eighth inning before rallying to win its third straight.
Blue Jays 5, White Sox 4
In Toronto, Reed Johnson hit a game-winning RBI single in the ninth inning and Terry Adams (3-1) pitched the ninth for the win.
Orlando Hudson and Eric Hinske each hit two-run homers for Toronto.
Cliff Politte (0-1) was the loser.
Chicago's Miguel Olivo hit a three-run homer.
Blue Jays outfielder Carlos Delgado had two hits to surpass Lloyd Moseby for second on the team's career list with 1,320.
Orioles 3, Indians 2
In Baltimore, Larry Bigbie, in a 3-for-19 slide, led off the 10th inning with the third game-ending homer this season off Chad Durbin (2-3). Rafael Palmeiro also homered for the Orioles, who won for only the fourth time in 11 games.
Jorge Julio (1-0), the sixth Baltimore pitcher, worked the 10th for the win.
Angels 1, Devil Rays 0
In Anaheim, California, John Lackey pitched a three-hitter to outduel Mark Hendrickson and David Eckstein had an RBI single to help Anaheim extend its winning streak to seven games.
Lackey (3-3) went the distance for the fourth time in 57 career starts, striking out three and walking one.
He threw 107 pitches, 73 for strikes in his third shutout.
Hendrickson (1-3) allowed a run and seven hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking one.
Tampa Bay center fielder Rocco Baldelli robbed Anaheim's Vladimir Guerrero of a home run with a leaping catch in the eighth inning.
Mariners 6, Yankees 2
In Seattle, Edgar Martinez hit a two-run homer and drove in two more runs with his 500th career double, leading Seattle over New York.
Martinez received a loud standing ovation as he stood at second in the first inning after he became the 39th player since 1900 to hit 500 doubles. Ryan Franklin (2-2) pitched into the seventh inning, and he looked good much of the night in front of the largest crowd in Safeco Field history -- 46,491.
New York's Jon Lieber (1-1) made his second start of the year after missing last season following Tommy John surgery. He allowed six runs and nine hits in six innings, with two strikeouts and a wild pitch that gave up a run.
Athletics 11, Twins 9, 13 innings
In Oakland, California, Eric Byrnes hit a two-run homer in the 13th inning to give Oakland the win.
The A's snapped an eight-game losing streak to Minnesota and won their first extra-inning game this year. There were 504 total pitches thrown in a game that lasted 4 hours, 53 minutes.
Byrnes hit his first career game-ending homer to left off Terry Mulholland (0-1), who pitched 3 2-3 innings for the loss.
Chad Bradford (2-1), the A's sixth pitcher used, worked three innings for the win.
Joe Nathan blew his first save in the eighth. He entered with two runners on and walked the first two batters he faced, including Erubiel Durazo with the bases loaded to force in the tying run.
National League
Wilson Alvarez pitched perfect ball into the sixth inning before Chris Stynes reached on an infield hit -- Pittsburgh's only runner of the night -- and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pirates 4-0.
Alvarez (1-0), making his first start this season following eight relief appearances, combined with Guillermo Mota on the one-hitter, helping the NL West leaders improve to 18-10.
Jose Hernandez homered twice and had three hits and three RBIs.
Oliver Perez (2-1) struck out eight in eight innings.
Marlins 3, Padres 1
In Miami, Mike Lowell homered twice to back Carl Pavano (3-1), who allowed one run and four hits in eight innings.
San Diego had two players ejected, including starting pitcher Jake Peavy (2-2) after he hit Pavano with a pitch with two outs in the seventh inning. Peavy gave up two runs in 6 2-3 innings, striking out eight.
Armando Benitez pitched the ninth for his 12th save.
Cubs 11, Rockies 0
In Chicago, Carlos Zambrano (3-1) retired the first 14 batters and gave up a career-low two hits in his second career shutout.
Corey Patterson drove in four runs and Sammy Sosa and Ramon Martinez each had two hits and two RBIs.
Former-Cub Shawn Estes (4-2) gave up a season-high nine runs, seven hits and five walks in 2 2-3 innings.
Expos 4, Cardinals 2
In Montreal, Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge hit two-run homers in the first inning and Kim Sun-woo (2-0) allowed one run and seven hits in six innings.
Rocky Biddle pitched the ninth for his sixth save in six chances.
Giants 6, Reds 1
In Cincinnati, Kirk Rueter (1-3) gave up three hits in eight innings, walked none and hit an RBI double in a four-run eighth.
Pedro Feliz hit a two-run homer for San Francisco.
Cincinnati loaded the bases in the ninth with no outs. But Jason Christiansen struck out Adam Dunn and got Ken Griffey Jr. to line out before Matt Herges induced Juan Castro to fly out for his 10th save in 11 chances.
Barry Bonds was intentionally walked in the seventh and Feliz followed with a homer off Cory Lidle (2-2), breaking a scoreless tie.
Spider-Man ads on bases didn't fly with baseball fans.
A day after announcing a novel promotion to put advertisements on bases next month, Major League Baseball reversed course Thursday and eliminated that part of its marketing deal for Spider-Man 2.
"The bases were an extremely small part of this program," said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. "However, we understand that a segment of our fans was uncomfortable with this particular component and we do not want to detract from the fan's experience in any way."
Under the original plan, red-and-yellow ads were to appear on bases -- but not home plate -- during games from June 11-13. The plan began to crumble Wednesday night when the New York Yankees said they would only allow the ads on bases during batting practice -- and only for one game that weekend.
While the logos will not be put on bases in big league games, it's still not certain whether they will appear during warmups.
The ads were to appear as part of a deal involving Major League Baseball Properties, Marvel Studios and Sony Inc, the parent of Columbia Pictures, which is releasing the movie June 30.
The promotion will go on with giveaways and other ads at ball-parks that weekend.
"We never saw this coming, the reaction the fans had," said Geoffrey Ammer, president of worldwide marketing for the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. "Some people thought it was a great idea, but others saw it as sacrilegious."
Ammer said his group approached baseball about pulling the bases promotion.
Many baseball purists denounced the plan, including Fay Vincent, a former baseball commissioner and former president of Columbia Pictures.
Having watched jockeys earn the right to have ads on their uniforms for the Kentucky Derby, some thought it was a step too far in the increasing commercialization of sports.
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