2010 Texas Rangers season
Encyclopedia
The Texas Rangers’
2010 season
was the 50th in franchise history. The team, managed by Ron Washington
, won their first division title since 1999 and reached the World Series for the first time in only their fourth playoff appearance. Washington would become only the second manager in franchise history to lead the Rangers to the post season and the first to ever win a post season series. They would win the American League pennant by defeating the defending World Series champions, the New York Yankees in six games in the ALCS. In the World Series, they lost to the San Francisco Giants
in five games.
The 2010 season showed the results of a 5-year plan implemented by GM Jon Daniels
in 2007 with the Mark Teixeira
trade. The 2007 trade deadline and the amateur draft a month prior would all be key pieces of the successful Rangers season. Dominant rookie of the year closer Neftali Feliz, defensive All-Star Elvis Andrus
, and platoon outfielder David Murphy were all acquired at the trade deadline, while starting pitcher Tommy Hunter
, centerfielder Julio Borbon
and first baseman Mitch Moreland
were each selected in the June 2007 draft. And trades which resulted in Cliff Lee
, Bengie Molina
, and Jorge Cantu
were each completed with a member of the Rangers 2007 draft class being sent in return.
Mirroring the 2009 revelation of Josh Hamilton getting drunk at a bar in Arizona prior to spring training, the Rangers' team members learned that manager Ron Washington
failed an MLB drug test prior to the All-Star game in 2009. Instead of dividing the locker room or casting doubt with the players, the teammates stood behind their manager. “I’ve got Wash’s back. He’s my manager,” third baseman Michael Young told fellow team mates during a meeting where Washington informed the players of his failed drug test.
The pitching staff, looking to be a strength for one of the first times in recent history, would depend on the #3 and 4 starters, C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis
, due to a lack of expected production from Scott Feldman
and free agent Rich Harden
. Wilson, Lewis, and trade deadline ace Cliff Lee
would each finish in the top 20 among American League pitchers in ERA
, innings pitched
, strikeout
s, and WHIP
.
A complicated team sale that would end up in bankruptcy court and possibly cost the team president Nolan Ryan
and GM Jon Daniels
would be an outside threat the team would have to ignore until it was resolved in August.
Thanks to utility infielder Esteban German
the "claw and antlers" would become an active part of the Rangers in-game celebration. Following a play involving strength a Rangers’ player would look to the bench and raise his right arm with fingers out-stretched to make a claw. After a play involving speed a player would place his thumbs on each side of his head and outstretch his fingers to make antlers. The fans would embrace the "claws and antlers" and a "claw and antlers" T-shirt, designed by Rangers equipment manager Richard "Hoggy" Pricewould, would be the top selling MLB T-shirt sold in 2010, selling over 360,000, even though the design was not introduced until after the All-Star game
. On the final day of the season fans would participate in a pre-game "claw and antlers" parade.
turned down a 1-year extension and took the hitting coach position with the Chicago Cubs
.
The Rangers signed Clint Hurdle
for the position of hitting coach.
Ivan Rodriguez
signed a 2-year deal with the Washington Nationals
. The Rangers received a compensation draft pick for Rodriguez who was a type B free agent. The other type B free agent on the Rangers, Marlon Byrd
, signed a 3 year deal with the Chicago Cubs, re-joining his hitting instructor Jaramillo.
Omar Vizquel
signed with the Chicago White Sox
, as well as Andruw Jones
. Neither free agent met type A or B status so Texas received no compensation for their departures.
At the winter meetings Jon Daniels made headline moves when Texas traded Kevin Millwood
and $3 million to the Baltimore Orioles
for pitcher Chris Ray
and a PTBNL. The Orioles later selected Ben Snyder in the rule 5 draft from the San Francisco Giants
and sent Snyder to the Rangers to complete the trade.
Following the Millwood trade, the Rangers signed Rich Harden
to a 1 year deal. The contract includes a mutual 2nd year option. Michael Young told the media his new teammate “… has the best stuff in the league. I didn't say some of the best stuff. I mean the best stuff I've seen.” Harden was not offered arbitration by his former club, the Cubs, so Texas did not lose a draft pick to sign the type A free agent.
One trade that was not finalized would have sent Mike Lowell
and approximately $9 million in cash to the Rangers and the Red Sox
would have received AAA catcher Max Ramirez
. The trade was cancelled after a physical discovered an injury to Lowell's thumb that would require surgery.
Vladimir Guerrero
signed a 1 year contract with Texas with a mutual 2nd year option. Guerrero would be the DH and was planned to hit 4th behind Josh Hamilton.
The Rangers signed Khalil Greene
to a 1 year contract. Greene would have been the utility infielder meeting a need for the team by being able to play 3B and SS, able to back up Michael Young and Elvis Andrus
. On January 14 the Rangers and Colby Lewis
agreed to a two year deal. The former Rangers draft pick spent the previous 2 years pitching in Japan where he led the league in strikeouts both seasons and issued only 46 walks in a total of 354 1/3 innings pitched. On January 21 it was reported the Rangers designated OF Greg Golson
for assignment. Golson was later traded to the New York Yankees
for a minor league infielder. On January 25 Joe Inglett
was designated for assignment to make room for Lewis on the 40-man roster. Inglett was claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers
.
All-Star 2nd baseman Ian Kinsler
had praise for the offseason moves made by the front office. He acknowledged hating to lose Millwood, but recognized how the moves made 2010 the year the Rangers could win the division.
Two final additions to the pitching depth came from an unexpected source. Ranger pitchers Omar Beltre
and Alexi Ogando
had been banned from receiving US visa’s after being involved in a marriage-visa scam 5 years ago. Since that time the Rangers, the players, and their agents have been requesting new visa’s for the players and they were finally approved by February. Both players were listed on the restricted list on the team’s 40-man roster, meaning the Rangers retained rights to their MLB services if they ever returned to the United States, but they did not count towards total players allowed on the roster. Both players had to be removed from the restricted list at the completion of spring training.
' company, Hicks Sports Group, defaulted on loan payments in 2008 or 2009. Although Hicks had maintained the Rangers were not being affected by the financial transactions, the Rangers had been hampered by the financial troubles of HSG.
Most notable was the Rangers inability to sign their 2009 1st round draft pick Matt Purke. After the deadline passed it was reported the Rangers offered Purke a $4 million dollar bonus, 2 less than what Purke was reported to be demanding prior to the draft. However, a conflicting report by Randy Galloway
said MLB rejected the Rangers contract offer and told Purke that the Rangers would only be allowed to offer a $2.4 million dollar offer. Hicks later told the Dallas Morning News that the Rangers did offer Purke a $4.0 million dollar offer and MLB had no influence over the dollar amounts. Ryan would later contradict this claim saying MLB and the commissioner's office had direct dealings with the Rangers in almost all aspects of their financial transactions including approval of bonus money and trade approvals. Ryan and Daniels both said the offer to Purke was "well above slot" but the exact details of the offer were not described, and there may have been other factors as to why Purke did not sign.
By September 2009, speculation had begun to build about MLB forcing the Rangers to shut down front rotation man Kevin Millwood
before he surpassed his inning threshold that would vest his 2010 option for $12 million.
Hicks did admit that the Rangers had received some advances from MLB, but that the money borrowed would be repaid out of future earning due the team at the end of the year.
In October 2009, MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred sent a letter to then potential buyers Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan informing them the Rangers had been in violation of the collective-bargaining agreement and owed around $40 million.
Another major problem for the Rangers following the 2009 season was the refund for prepaid post season tickets. Some fans did not receive refunds from the Rangers until late December, even after the team failed to make the post season in August.
During the winter meetings Daniels told the press that the financial problems the Rangers were under was much like operating under a salary cap. These problems were why the Rangers had to trade Millwood before being able to make the Harden signing official. An increase was made to the team budget after the new year when the ownership sale was preliminarily finalized between Hicks and Greenberg/Ryan.
Ryan spoke about the financial constraints the team was under after the initial sale agreement was announced.
Hicks told reporters from April 2007 to March 2009 he added an additional $85 million dollars to HSG. According to Hicks, HSG took on too much debt because the teams were spending more than the budget allowed. However, according to Forbes, the revenue and operating net income of both the Rangers and Stars went up from 2006 to 2008. Between the 2006 and 2007 seasons, the debt level for the Texas Rangers increased by approximately $100 million, the same time period when Hicks purchased the Liverpool Football Club. From 2007 to 2009 Forbes reported the Rangers and the Stars were the third most leveraged franchises in their respective sports.
, Houston business man Jim Crane, and a partnership of Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan
placed bids believed to be around $500 million for the purchase of the team. Hicks offered exclusive negotiation rights to the Greenburg/Ryan group on December 15 with a purchase expected to be complete prior to or following the start of the 2010 season.
During the bidding process it was discovered Ryan, as president of the club, was not under contract but working only on a handshake deal with Hicks, and that he would step down from the front office if another bidder were to win. After talks with Gilbert, Ryan later said he would not step down unless asked by the new owner to do so.
In a email dated December 29 sent to HSG attorney Glenn West MLB attorney Tom Ostertag instructed HSG that "negotiation toward a definitive purchase agreement is to be with the winning bidder only" and no other party is to be involved during the exclusive negotiation process. HSG attorney West then emailed the creditors of HSG on New Year's Eve saying "Basically, the response from the MLB was to prohibit us from negotiating with anyone other than Greenberg. Their intent seems to be to lock us into Greenberg even though Crane now has a clearly superior economic deal – and may always have had based on Greenberg's current position. We need help here. Unless the lenders weigh in, we are going to be stuck negotiating a deal that is clearly worse than Crane's." West also told the creditors that Crane's offer was at least $13 million more, and maybe even $20 million more than Greenberg's.
The winter owners meeting was held prior to the end of the 30-day exclusive negotiation between Hicks and Greenburg. Representing the Rangers at the meeting, Hicks told the media "You're not getting rid of us" indicating the known desire for Hicks to keep his family a minority owner of the Rangers after the sale was completed.
The 30-day negotiating period ended on January 14, 2010 with no announcement about the pending sell. On Saturday January 16 Ryan and Greenberg released a joint statement regarding the sale of the MLB club saying they were "on the verge of an agreement."
It was reported on January 23 the sale agreement had been completed. Early reports indication Tom Hicks would remain a minority owner with the club, and would serve a non-voting honorary position on the board. Approval from the executive and ownership committee, the banks who were owed money by HSG, and 75% of MLB owners was still required before the sale could have been finalized. The new company would be called Rangers Baseball Express. Greenberg would serve as CEO and Managing Partner, Ray Davis and Bob Simpson would be Co-Chairmen of the Board. As a part of the original purchase agreement Rangers Baseball Express also would have acquired approximately 153 acre (0.61916958 km²) of land adjacent to the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and Cowboys Stadium. A separate company owned by Hicks owns the land. After the land sale was announced, Hicks was sued by a former partner over the land. The former partner claims Hicks never dissolved the partnership that was formed when the two groups were planning the Glorypark. Hicks was also sued by an architectural firm, RTKL, and a construction company, Vratsinas, for $6.9 million of unpaid work done over 3 years ago.
Greenberg posted the following on his Facebook page aftr the original purchase agreement was announced:
A report by Jon Heyman lists the sale price at $570 million.
At least one group whose approval was needed, Monarch Alternative Capital, refused to sign off on the sale. Monarch Alternative Capital, which purchased a portion of Hicks Sports Group's debt after HSG defaulted, believed Hicks passed up on a better purchase deal from Jim Crane, who was speculated by the December 29 email to have made a higher offer. The reported gap between creditors demands and payment offered by HSG was $270 million and $300 million and would have been resolved if the amount Hicks was to receive from the land sale was lowered to increase the creditors for the debt. MLB commissioner expressed his interest in the deal being approved by the creditors no later than April 9, 2010 indicated that MLB could become more directly involved in the sale process.
On May 24, 2010 Hicks announced HSG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to concluded the sale of the Rangers ballclub from Hicks Sports Group to the Rangers Baseball Express club. In a press conference held at the Ball Park in Arlington HSG CEO Tom Hicks
, Rangers president Nolan Ryan
, and potential co-owner Chuck Greenberg
announced the decision and affects from the action. It was believed by the parties involved, including MLB and Bud Selig, this action would be the quickest and easiest way to resolve the sale without the approval of HSG creditors, mainly Monarch Capital.
The sale presented to the bankruptcy court is “virtually the same” deal that was agreed to by Hicks and Greenberg/Ryan when the two parties agreed to the sale in January 2010.
The bankruptcy was not expected to have any noticeable effect on day-to-day operations of the Rangers club, all vendors are expected to be paid, and all tickets already sold to the public are to be honored. The sale through the courts is expected to be completed in July prior to the trade deadline and the draft signing deadline. The bankruptcy hearing was first heard in court on May 25. The Rangers claimed there was "no viable option" except to approve of the $575 million dollar sale to Ryan and Greenberg while a group of lenders claimed the club could get a better deal and that the deal presented by the Rangers does not make the most out of the teams assets. The attorney for the Rangers claimed Tom Hicks funded a $100 million operating lose since acquiring the team in 1999.
After a 7-month process the Ranger's bankruptcy was finalized by an August 5 auction for ownership of the team by two parties, Rangers Baseball Expressed led by Ryan and Greenberg, and a partnership of Dallas Mavericks
owner Mark Cuban
and Jim Crane. The auction was delayed by several hours due to objections raised by Greenberg and Ryan's group questioning the qualification of the Cuban/Crane bid which was due no later than 8:00 pm on August 3. The auction, which was due to begin at 9:00 am on August 4 did not have its first opening bid determined until 2:50 pm. After no more than three bids by each party, Cuban withdrew from the bidding and Greenberg/Ryan were declared the winners shortly after midnight. Due to the auction process the purchase was for only the MLB club and the lease for the ballpark. Almost none of the original side deals with HSG and Tom Hicks, which were rejected by several of the lenders to the Texas Rangers, were included.
Batting
AL MVP- Josh Hamilton
AL Rookie of the Year- Neftali Feliz
AL batting champion- Josh Hamilton
Silver Slugger awards- Josh Hamilton (2), Vlad Guerrero (8)
All-Star selections- Vlad Guerrero (9), Josh Hamilton (3), Ian Kinsler
(2), Neftali Feliz (1), Elvis Andrus
(1), Cliff Lee
(2)
ALCS MVP – Josh Hamilton
IBWAA American League Manager of the Year – Ron Washington
IBWAA AL Executive of the Year – Jon Daniels
Washington would finish in second place for Manager of the Year voting.
did not report to camp at the start of spring training, and was expected to miss significant time with the club. Greene has suffered in the past with anxiety issues which limited his playing time in 2009. Jon Daniels released a statement on Greene’s absence from the club.
The Rangers voided Greene's contract in February.
On March 9 the Rangers acquired Edwar Ramirez
from the Yankees
for cash considerations. Ramirez took the last spot of the 40-man roster that was vacated by Greene's departure. Ramirez would be traded to the Oakland A's 15 days later.
The starting rotation in previous years came down to the last minute to find out who would be the five starters at opening day, oftentimes having to get a free agent like Pedro Astacio
, who signed in February prior to the 2005 season, or a trade like John Koronka
and John Rheinecker
, who were acquired at the end of March in 2006.
The 2010 season once again found this question needing to be answered, but unlike previous years, it was due to having too many potential candidates instead of scrambling to find a 5th starter or more. With a rotation starting off with Rich Harden
, Scott Feldman
, and Colby Lewis
there were only two spots left, and with Tommy Hunter
coming off a good 2009 showing he had the inside track for the number 4 spot. Remaining were Brandon McCarthy
, who had still been unable to make a complete season healthy since 2006; Matt Harrison
, who was coming back from surgery; Derek Holland
, who started in the bullpen his rookie year of 2009 and finished the season in the rotation; Luis Mendoza
, who only made one major league appearance in 2009 but had a strong showing in the winter leagues before Spring training; Neftali Feliz, the 100 mi/h throwing reliever who was expected to be in the bullpen during 2010 if he didn't make the rotation; and CJ Wilson, who had spent every year with the team in the bullpen since his rookie year in 2005.
Wilson, who has requested a chance to make the starting rotation since 2006, spoke about the upcoming season and his frustrations with the organization not giving him a chance to start prior to 2010.
Wilson’s comments were not well received by media or fans of the team. Team president Nolan Ryan stated CJ is a guy "who likes to communicate" and Ron Washington said the team would not address the situation.
This was not the first time comments made by Wilson caused problems for the talented left-hander. Wilson was a regular poster on the website lonestarball.com under the handle blueglovelefty and in 2005 he stated the average ballplayer is a douchebag. Wilson was later talked to by several team leaders on the Rangers, including Michael Young and Kevin Millwood. After the incident Wilson deleted his user ID and removed all posts from the web site.
On March 17, 2010 Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman reported Rangers manager Ron Washington
failed a MLB drug test in 2009. First-time offending non-playing personnel who fail a drug test or admit to using drugs are not suspended and are subject to counseling and a substance-abuse program. After taking the test Washington called the MLB offices and informed then the test might come back positive. Washington them informed the front office of the Rangers about the test. Washington called a team meeting the morning of the story to inform the players about the failed test.
On March 12 second baseman Ian Kinsler suffered a high ankle sprain
. The injury forced the All-Star to start the 2010 season on the disabled list. On March 27 the Rangers traded for Andres Blanco
from the Chicago Cubs
for a player to be named later. Blanco will be the utility infielder backing up second base, third base, and shortstop, but he will be the opening day second baseman while Kinsler is on the disabled list. Joaquín Árias will be the utility infielder until Kinsler recovers from injuries.
On April 1 the Rangers claimed Ryan Garko off waivers from the Seattle Mariners
.
Starting Rotation: Scott Feldman
, Rich Harden
, CJ Wilson, Colby Lewis
, Matt Harrison
The Rangers ended the month with their 4th consecutive April under .500 tied for 3rd place in the division and 1/2 a game from 1st.
Scott Feldman was named the opening day starter for the April 5th home opener against the Blue Jays. Feldman will be the first non-returning player originally signed/drafted by the Rangers to start opening day since Kenny Rogers in 1995 and the first to start the home opener since RA Dickey in 2004.
After two blown saves in the first week of the season, Frank Francisco
was replaced as the closer by Neftali Feliz.
In a need to increase production from the top of the line-up center fielder Julio Borbon
and shortstop Elvis Andrus
switched positions in the batting order with Andrus leading off and Borbon hitting 9th.
On April 22 the Rangers sent first baseman Chris Davis
to AAA for the second time in two years and called up rookie Justin Smoak
to join the team at home against the Detroit Tigers
. Smoak would set a franchise record by recording at least one walk in each of his first 4 major league games.
Right fielder Nelson Cruz, who had led most of the Rangers offensive production in the first month, injured his hamstring and was placed on the DL on April 27. The following day the Rangers optioned catcher Taylor Teagarden
to AAA and recalled catcher Max Ramirez
and outfielder Craig Gentry
. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia
was removed form the 15-day DL and optioned to AAA as well.
Ian Kinsler
, who missed most of spring training and 29 days in April with a high ankle sprain, made his 2010 season debut against the Seattle Mariners
on April 30. To make room for his addition off the 15 day DL
second baseman/utility infielder Joaquín Árias was placed on the 15 day DL with a strained back.
Starting Rotation: CJ Wilson, Rich Harden
, Scott Feldman
, Colby Lewis
, Matt Harrison
, Derek Holland
The Rangers spent 26 days of May either tied or in sole possession of 1st place in the West but would lose 6 of their last 7 and end the month in 2nd place behind the Oakland A’s.
On May 12, Derek Holland
made his first start of the season after being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma. He had been 4–1 with a 0.93 ERA in his time at Triple-A. He pitched 6 innings without allowing a run while striking out 7 and walking 1, picking up his first win of 2010. Matt Harrison
was placed on the DL to make room for Holland's call-up.
On May 13, CJ Wilson became the first pitcher in the franchise's history to begin the season with 7 straight quality start
s. In the same game Wilson also set a new franchise record for most consecutive innings pitched without giving up a home run. The Rangers won the game 2–1 in the 12th inning.
On May 14 Nelson Cruz was reactivated from the DL. Ryan Garko
was placed on waivers to make room for Cruz. It was the first time in the season the line-up would include both Cruz and Kinsler. The Rangers scored 10 runs in the game against the Toronto Blue Jays
but would lose the game.
Nelson Cruz won the honor as player of the week from May 17–23. Cruz pulled his left hamstring on the last at bat in a loss against the Royals on May 26. This was the 2nd time Cruz would go on the DL for a hamstring, the previous was for his right hamstring.
Derek Holland would make 4 starts and 1 relief appearance in May. He suffered from inflammation in his left (throwing) arm on May 30 and left the game during the 2nd inning. The game was being broadcast by ESPN who had a microphone on the home plate umpire. During the injury visit to the mound Holland’s voice was heard saying he “couldn’t feel the ball” in his hand. He was placed on the DL by the next game.
Starting Rotation: Rich Harden
, Scott Feldman
, CJ Wilson, Colby Lewis
, Tommy Hunter
, Dustin Nippert
, Omar Beltre
The Rangers compiled their best monthly record in franchise history high-marked by an 11 game winning streak, the second best in franchise history and highest since 1992. The Rangers spent every day except one in first place for the division and ended the month of June tied with the Yankees
for the best record in baseball.
Hamilton and Guerrero’s offensive production for the month put both players on the league leader boards with Hamilton and Guerrero tied for 5th in home runs, Hamilton at 4th in batting average followed by Guerrero at 5th, and Hamilton at 4th in hits, Guerrero at 10th, and Young tied for 5th in hits as well. Guerrero finished the month tied for 1st in RBI’s at 68. Feliz also finished the month tied for 2nd in saves.
The Rangers called up reliever Pedro Strop
after placing Holland on the disabled list. The Rangers recalled pitcher Tommy Hunter
to take the 5th spot in the rotation, Strop was reassigned to AAA on June 5. Hunter pitched a complete game in his 2010 debut earning a win against the Tampa Bay Rays
on June 5.
Rich Harden
was placed on the DL after his June 11 game and replaced on he active roster by Alexi Ogando
.
Josh Hamilton and Colby Lewis
shared the award for player of the week from June 7–13.
Michael Young became the all-time hit leader in club history on June 16 passing Ivan Rodriguez
.
Cruz returned from the DL on June 22, Craig Gentry was optioned back to AAA for his return.
Alexi Ogando
became the 3rd relief pitcher since 1900 to record a win in each of his first three appearances.
Omar Beltre
made his major league debut joining the other formerly exiled Dominican Republican Ogando as team mates again.
Beltre started the last game of the month against the Angels. The Rangers also completed a trade with the San Francisco Giants
sending Chris Ray
and a PTBNL and receiving Bengie Molina
and cash considerations. The trade was not completed before the start of the game, and the Rangers sent Matt Harrison
to AAA to make room for Beltre.
Hamilton won player of the month for June.
Rotation CJ Wilson, Colby Lewis
, Tommy Hunter
, Scott Feldman
, Omar Beltre
, Cliff Lee
, Rich Harden
The Rangers lost four games in a row to the Baltimore Orioles
going into the All-Star break, however they would win their next four series in a row, including going 4–2 against the Angels and sending them into third place in the division.
The Rangers completed one of their biggest trades in franchise history on July 9 when they sent 2009 first-round draft pick Justin Smoak
, minor leaguers Blake Beavan
, Josh Lueke
, and Matt Lawson to the Seattle Mariners
for CY Young-award winner Cliff Lee
, and Mark Lowe
plus cash. Lee would be the first former Cy Young winner to appear in a Rangers uniform since Gaylord Perry
. Chris Davis
was recalled from AAA to replace Smoak at first base.
On July 16 against the Red Sox Bengie Molina
became the first catcher in MLB history to hit a grand slam
and for the cycle in the same game.
Hamilton and Guerrero were voted as starters for the All-Star game and were joined by Kinsler, Andrus, and Feliz. The Rangers also added starting pitcher Lee to the All-Star roster after acquiring him from Seattle.
Rotation: Cliff Lee
, Colby Lewis
, C.J. Wilson, Tommy Hunter
, Rich Harden
, Derek Holland
The Rangers finished the month of August with their worst record of the season going two games under 500. Despite a losing record for the month, the Rangers division lead did not drop below 7 games above the Oakland A’s, and the Rangers ended to month 8.5 games ahead of second place.
After making only one start in July, Harden would return to the DL
following his August 7 game against Oakland. Harden would make two more starts in the month, throwing only 13 1/3 innings and being sent to the bullpen at the end of the month.
August would also be a tough month for the other Rangers ace Cliff Lee, whose record for the month was 1–6. Lee was also accused by ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd claiming people close to Lee said he wanted to sign with the Yankees
or another elite team, that Lee didn’t care about Texas, and Cowherd also accused Lee of mailing it in against Baltimore on August 21, a game in which Lee gave up 8 runs. After the August 22 game Lee told reporters “It’s a lie. Write that. Are you writing? Write that it’s a lie. I did not say that and nobody close to me would say that. Either say who the source is or shut up because I am saying it is not true.” Following the events in Baltimore Lee would lose his next two games before reporting that he was having muscle pain in his back and would receive an injection.
Oft injured all-stars Cruz and Kinsler spent more time on the DL, Kinsler would not play a single game in the month of August following a late July injury, and Cruz missed a total of fifteen games.
On August 1 former starting catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia
was traded to the Red Sox
for Roman Mendez, Chris McGuiness, a player to be named. Outfielder Jeff Francoeur
was acquired on August 31 from the Mets
for infielder Arias. The Rangers also received cash in the trade.
Rookie Michael Kirkman
would make his major league debut on August 21. Ranked as the 15th best prospect by Jamey Newberg prior to the start of the season, Kirkman would pitch 7 2/3 innings in the month, striking out eight and giving up no runs in 5 August games.
On August 23, the Rangers nearly combined for a no-hitter
against the Minnesota Twins
when Rich Harden
pitched 6 and 2/3 innings of no-hit ball but was pulled after 111 pitches. Matt Harrison
got the last out of the inning, and Darren O'Day
pitched a perfect eighth before Neftali Feliz gave up the first hit of the game with one out in the ninth to Joe Mauer
.
Record(month, year) 16–14, 90–72
Rotation:Tommy Hunter
, Derek Holland
, Colby Lewis
, C.J. Wilson, Scott Feldman
, Cliff Lee
, Rich Harden
The Rangers' lead peaked at 11 games after clinching the division, setting a new franchise high.
Hamilton injured himself after colliding with the outfield wall making a catch on September 4. it was the second time in consecutive years he would miss significant playing time after crashing into a wall making a catch. X-rays later showed Hamilton had cracked two ribs from the collision. Although the injury itself did not prevent Hamilton from playing, Hamilton would continue to miss time due to pain from the injury and, due to Hamilton's drug past, lasted longer because he is unable to take pain medication. Hamilton would not return until the season series finale against the Angels.
The Rangers would sweep the New York Yankees in a mid-September meeting. It was the first time the Rangers swept the Yankees since 2003, and the first time to do so at home since 1996.
On September 22 Feliz would tie the major league record for saves by a rookie in a single season. Feliz would end the season with 40 saves.
On September 25, the Rangers would clinch the division against the A's. On the same day Young would also set a new record by being the first major leaguer to start over 282 games at second base, short stop, and third base.
Rangers starters Wilson and Lewis would each reach 200 plus innings in their last start of the season. It would be the first time two Rangers starters would reach the mark since 2006. With Lee's total innings pitched, it would be the first time the Rangers had three starters who would reach 200 plus innings since 2002.
. Their opponent for the ALCS were the New York Yankees
Prior to game 2 ESPN's Tim Kurkjian
said C.J. Wilson was the best #2 pitcher in the American League playoffs. Game 2 would not be without controversy as Michael Young appeared to swing at a two strike pitch. The third base umpire ruled Young had checked his swing, and Young would hit the next pitch for a three run home run.
Prior to game 5 in Tampa Bay the last time a runner scored from second base on an infield grounder was 1970. The Rangers would score from second on infield grounders twice in the game.
After Lee's two starts there would only be 8 games in playoff history when a pitcher would have 10+ strikeouts and no walks. Lee has pitched 4 of those games. Lee also tied the Division Series record of 21 strikeouts set by Kevin Brown in 1998 with the San Diego Padres
. Lee's 16 innings without a walk set a new ALDS record.
Cruz and Kinsler would also hit 3 homeruns each in the series. The last time two teammates each hit 3 or more homeruns in the same playoff series was in 1928 when Babe Ruth
and Lou Gehrig
did it for the New York Yankees
.
would not only be the first Rangers pitcher to win a home playoff game, doing so in game 2, but would also win the second home playoff victory in franchise history in the same series, clinching the American League championship in Game 6. The Rangers advanced to the World Series
for the first time.
The Rangers' first three batters of the series would each get on base and score after Josh Hamilton hit a three run home run in the bottom of the first inning of game 1. It was only the second time in playoff history a team had done so. The Rangers game 2 win broke an 0–10 record versus the Yankees in playoff games. Prior to his one walk in game 3, Lee amassed 30 post-season strikeouts between walks, an MLB record. Lee is also the first pitcher to get 10+ strikeouts three times in the same post-season.
A bullpen meltdown in game 2 culminated by 4 walks in a row allowed the Giants to take a commanding lead scoring 7 runs in the 8th innings.
The lone victory for the Rangers would be game 3. Colby Lewis would win his third home playoff victory after rookie first baseman Mitch Moreland
took advantage of a 9-pitch at-bat with a 3-run home run. Moreland would be the only bright spot in the Rangers offense against the Giants finishing with a .462 batting average. No other Rangers batter would get 6 hits in the series, and the second best would need 7 more at bats to get to 5 hits. Neftali Feliz would get the save. It was Feliz' only save oppritunity in the entire postseason.
The bullpen troubles would continue to grow worse for the Rangers when in game 4 setup reliever Alexi Ogando
would leave the game with a strain.
Neftali Feliz;
Justin Smoak
;
Martín Pérez
;
Tanner Scheppers.
Jamey Newberg and Baseball America had Smoak ahead of Perez. Baseball Time in Arlington listed Perez ahead of Smoak.
Keith Law, who ranked the Rangers as having the number 1 farm system listed them in his top 100 with Perez being the highest of the four coming in at #7 overall in baseball.
MLB.com’s top 50 players also included the Rangers prospects. Feliz and Smoak were both in the top 10 on this list.
MLB Fanhouse ranked the Rangers system number 2 and listed them in their top 100 as well.
Baseball America had the Rangers farm system ranked the second best behind Tampa Bay. Two of their main writers John Manuel
and Jim Callis
have stated they consider the Rangers to be the number 1 farm system as recently as December,2009.
The Rangers minor league affiliates set a club record by sending six of the minor league teams to their respective playoffs.
The Rangers signed Dominican Republic
short stop Luis Marte for 215,000 in November.
Draft:
The Rangers accumulated 4 first round and supplemental round picks for the 2010 draft; the pick at 15, awarded for their failure to sign Matt Purke from the 2009 pick, their natural pick at 22, and picks 45 and 49 from the loss of free agents Ivan Rodriguez
and Marlon Byrd
respectively. This was the most 1st round picks the Rangers had acquired since 2007 when the Rangers had 5 1st round picks.
Speculation prior to the draft predicted the Rangers would acquire a ‘safe’ pick at 15 because if they failed to sign the pick the Rangers would receive no further compensation for the pick. It was also speculated the Rangers would select players expected to be signed close to slot due to financial difficulties with the bankruptcy process and being required to follow the budget the team had set out prior to the season and approved by MLB.
Jake Skole did not make the top 200 prospects in Baseball America's draft preview and an ankle injury at the start of his senior year of high school kept him out of action until the playoffs. However his performance in the playoffs helped increase his draft position getting two hits off Kaleb Cowart who was selected by the division rival Angels with the 18th pick. Some reviews see the pick as a stretch while others see the pick as a good selection of raw talent and believe Skole would have been picked a few selections later in the 1st round.
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
2010 season
2010 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions - San Francisco Giants**American League Champions - Texas Rangers**National League Champions - San Francisco Giants*Postseason - October 7 to November 4...
was the 50th in franchise history. The team, managed by Ron Washington
Ron Washington
Ronald Washington is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and the current manager of the Texas Rangers. Prior to managing the Rangers, Washington coached in the New York Mets and Oakland Athletics organizations.-Playing career:Washington was signed by the Kansas City Royals on July 17, 1970...
, won their first division title since 1999 and reached the World Series for the first time in only their fourth playoff appearance. Washington would become only the second manager in franchise history to lead the Rangers to the post season and the first to ever win a post season series. They would win the American League pennant by defeating the defending World Series champions, the New York Yankees in six games in the ALCS. In the World Series, they lost to the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in five games.
The 2010 season showed the results of a 5-year plan implemented by GM Jon Daniels
Jon Daniels
Jon Daniels is the current General Manager of the Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball. When hired, at age 28, he was the youngest GM in Major League Baseball history. And as of 2011 was still the youngest GM.-Biography:...
in 2007 with the Mark Teixeira
Mark Teixeira
Mark Charles Teixeira , nicknamed "Tex" is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Mostly a first baseman, he has also played third base and in the outfield...
trade. The 2007 trade deadline and the amateur draft a month prior would all be key pieces of the successful Rangers season. Dominant rookie of the year closer Neftali Feliz, defensive All-Star Elvis Andrus
Elvis Andrus
Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers.Entering , he was rated by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization...
, and platoon outfielder David Murphy were all acquired at the trade deadline, while starting pitcher Tommy Hunter
Tommy Hunter (baseball)
Raymond Thomas "Tommy" Hunter is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles....
, centerfielder Julio Borbon
Julio Borbon
Julio Alberto Borbon is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:...
and first baseman Mitch Moreland
Mitch Moreland
Mitchell Austin Moreland is a professional baseball first baseman and right fielder who plays for the Texas Rangers....
were each selected in the June 2007 draft. And trades which resulted in Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
, Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
, and Jorge Cantu
Jorge Cantú
Jorge Luís Cantú Guzmán is an American professional baseball first baseman.Cantú bats and throws right-handed. He was born in McAllen, Texas, went to Sharyland High School, but was raised and makes his home in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico.-Tampa Bay Devil Rays:Cantú was spotted by a scout while...
were each completed with a member of the Rangers 2007 draft class being sent in return.
Mirroring the 2009 revelation of Josh Hamilton getting drunk at a bar in Arizona prior to spring training, the Rangers' team members learned that manager Ron Washington
Ron Washington
Ronald Washington is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and the current manager of the Texas Rangers. Prior to managing the Rangers, Washington coached in the New York Mets and Oakland Athletics organizations.-Playing career:Washington was signed by the Kansas City Royals on July 17, 1970...
failed an MLB drug test prior to the All-Star game in 2009. Instead of dividing the locker room or casting doubt with the players, the teammates stood behind their manager. “I’ve got Wash’s back. He’s my manager,” third baseman Michael Young told fellow team mates during a meeting where Washington informed the players of his failed drug test.
The pitching staff, looking to be a strength for one of the first times in recent history, would depend on the #3 and 4 starters, C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
, due to a lack of expected production from Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman was a news anchor for News 12 Long Island for 22 years.-Early life:Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from the University of Denver in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard....
and free agent Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
. Wilson, Lewis, and trade deadline ace Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
would each finish in the top 20 among American League pitchers in ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
, strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, and WHIP
Walks plus hits per inning pitched
In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...
.
A complicated team sale that would end up in bankruptcy court and possibly cost the team president Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
and GM Jon Daniels
Jon Daniels
Jon Daniels is the current General Manager of the Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball. When hired, at age 28, he was the youngest GM in Major League Baseball history. And as of 2011 was still the youngest GM.-Biography:...
would be an outside threat the team would have to ignore until it was resolved in August.
Thanks to utility infielder Esteban German
Esteban German
Esteban Germán Guridi is a Dominican professional baseball second baseman who is a free agent. Germán has played for the Kansas City Royals, the Oakland Athletics and the Texas Rangers.-Major league baseball career :...
the "claw and antlers" would become an active part of the Rangers in-game celebration. Following a play involving strength a Rangers’ player would look to the bench and raise his right arm with fingers out-stretched to make a claw. After a play involving speed a player would place his thumbs on each side of his head and outstretch his fingers to make antlers. The fans would embrace the "claws and antlers" and a "claw and antlers" T-shirt, designed by Rangers equipment manager Richard "Hoggy" Pricewould, would be the top selling MLB T-shirt sold in 2010, selling over 360,000, even though the design was not introduced until after the All-Star game
2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 81st midseason exhibition between the All-Stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
. On the final day of the season fans would participate in a pre-game "claw and antlers" parade.
Offseason
Rudy JaramilloRudy Jaramillo
Rudolpho "Rudy" Jaramillo [ha-dah-MEE-yoh] is the hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs. During his time with the Texas Rangers, Jaramillo was the first individual in Rangers history to serve more than eight seasons on their major league coaching staff. He served as the Texas Rangers' major league...
turned down a 1-year extension and took the hitting coach position with the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
The Rangers signed Clint Hurdle
Clint Hurdle
Clinton Merrick Hurdle is a former Major League Baseball outfielder whose 10-year career was spent with the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals. After retiring from playing baseball, Hurdle became a manager...
for the position of hitting coach.
Ivan Rodriguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
signed a 2-year deal with the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. The Rangers received a compensation draft pick for Rodriguez who was a type B free agent. The other type B free agent on the Rangers, Marlon Byrd
Marlon Byrd
Marlon Jerrard Byrd , popularly known as The Position or The Possish or Sish, is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs...
, signed a 3 year deal with the Chicago Cubs, re-joining his hitting instructor Jaramillo.
Omar Vizquel
Omar Vizquel
Omar Enrique Vizquel González , nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners , the Cleveland Indians , the San Francisco Giants , the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox...
signed with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, as well as Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
. Neither free agent met type A or B status so Texas received no compensation for their departures.
At the winter meetings Jon Daniels made headline moves when Texas traded Kevin Millwood
Kevin Millwood
Kevin Austin Millwood is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.-Personal life:Millwood graduated from Bessemer City High School in North Carolina...
and $3 million to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
for pitcher Chris Ray
Chris Ray
Christopher Thomas Ray is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Early life and career:...
and a PTBNL. The Orioles later selected Ben Snyder in the rule 5 draft from the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and sent Snyder to the Rangers to complete the trade.
Following the Millwood trade, the Rangers signed Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
to a 1 year deal. The contract includes a mutual 2nd year option. Michael Young told the media his new teammate “… has the best stuff in the league. I didn't say some of the best stuff. I mean the best stuff I've seen.” Harden was not offered arbitration by his former club, the Cubs, so Texas did not lose a draft pick to sign the type A free agent.
One trade that was not finalized would have sent Mike Lowell
Mike Lowell
Michael Averett Lowell is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees , Florida Marlins , and the Boston Red Sox...
and approximately $9 million in cash to the Rangers and the Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
would have received AAA catcher Max Ramirez
Max Ramírez
Maximiliano R. Ramírez is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball.-Atlanta Braves:...
. The trade was cancelled after a physical discovered an injury to Lowell's thumb that would require surgery.
Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Guerrero
Vladimir Alvino Guerrero is a free agent Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter.In , he was voted the American League MVP...
signed a 1 year contract with Texas with a mutual 2nd year option. Guerrero would be the DH and was planned to hit 4th behind Josh Hamilton.
The Rangers signed Khalil Greene
Khalil Greene
Khalil Thabit Greene is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed.-High school and college:...
to a 1 year contract. Greene would have been the utility infielder meeting a need for the team by being able to play 3B and SS, able to back up Michael Young and Elvis Andrus
Elvis Andrus
Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers.Entering , he was rated by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization...
. On January 14 the Rangers and Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
agreed to a two year deal. The former Rangers draft pick spent the previous 2 years pitching in Japan where he led the league in strikeouts both seasons and issued only 46 walks in a total of 354 1/3 innings pitched. On January 21 it was reported the Rangers designated OF Greg Golson
Greg Golson
Gregory Joseph Golson is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
for assignment. Golson was later traded to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for a minor league infielder. On January 25 Joe Inglett
Joe Inglett
Joseph Steven Inglett is an American professional baseball utility player who is a free agent.-Cleveland Indians:He made his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians on June 21, ....
was designated for assignment to make room for Lewis on the 40-man roster. Inglett was claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
.
All-Star 2nd baseman Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Texas Rangers.Despite having been drafted in only the 17th round out of college, Kinsler has risen to become a two-time All Star, and a member of the Sporting News 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball...
had praise for the offseason moves made by the front office. He acknowledged hating to lose Millwood, but recognized how the moves made 2010 the year the Rangers could win the division.
Two final additions to the pitching depth came from an unexpected source. Ranger pitchers Omar Beltre
Omar Beltré
Omar Beltre is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Early years:...
and Alexi Ogando
Alexi Ogando
Alexi Ogando is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Oakland Athletics:Ogando was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, and originally signed with the Oakland Athletics as an outfielder in...
had been banned from receiving US visa’s after being involved in a marriage-visa scam 5 years ago. Since that time the Rangers, the players, and their agents have been requesting new visa’s for the players and they were finally approved by February. Both players were listed on the restricted list on the team’s 40-man roster, meaning the Rangers retained rights to their MLB services if they ever returned to the United States, but they did not count towards total players allowed on the roster. Both players had to be removed from the restricted list at the completion of spring training.
Financial problems
Rangers owner Tom HicksTom Hicks
Thomas Ollis Hicks, Sr. , is an American 'leveraged buyout' businessman living in Dallas, Texas. Despite Forbes Magazine estimating Hicks' wealth at USD 1 billion in 2009, Hicks was unable to pay off joint loans of circa £200 million the following year...
' company, Hicks Sports Group, defaulted on loan payments in 2008 or 2009. Although Hicks had maintained the Rangers were not being affected by the financial transactions, the Rangers had been hampered by the financial troubles of HSG.
Most notable was the Rangers inability to sign their 2009 1st round draft pick Matt Purke. After the deadline passed it was reported the Rangers offered Purke a $4 million dollar bonus, 2 less than what Purke was reported to be demanding prior to the draft. However, a conflicting report by Randy Galloway
Randy Galloway
George Randolph "Randy" Galloway is the host of Galloway and Company, the drive-time program on KESN 103.3 FM, ESPN Radio's Dallas affiliate and also heard on ESPN Xtra on XM Radio. He is also a sports columnist for the Ft...
said MLB rejected the Rangers contract offer and told Purke that the Rangers would only be allowed to offer a $2.4 million dollar offer. Hicks later told the Dallas Morning News that the Rangers did offer Purke a $4.0 million dollar offer and MLB had no influence over the dollar amounts. Ryan would later contradict this claim saying MLB and the commissioner's office had direct dealings with the Rangers in almost all aspects of their financial transactions including approval of bonus money and trade approvals. Ryan and Daniels both said the offer to Purke was "well above slot" but the exact details of the offer were not described, and there may have been other factors as to why Purke did not sign.
By September 2009, speculation had begun to build about MLB forcing the Rangers to shut down front rotation man Kevin Millwood
Kevin Millwood
Kevin Austin Millwood is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has previously played for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies.-Personal life:Millwood graduated from Bessemer City High School in North Carolina...
before he surpassed his inning threshold that would vest his 2010 option for $12 million.
Hicks did admit that the Rangers had received some advances from MLB, but that the money borrowed would be repaid out of future earning due the team at the end of the year.
In October 2009, MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred sent a letter to then potential buyers Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan informing them the Rangers had been in violation of the collective-bargaining agreement and owed around $40 million.
Another major problem for the Rangers following the 2009 season was the refund for prepaid post season tickets. Some fans did not receive refunds from the Rangers until late December, even after the team failed to make the post season in August.
During the winter meetings Daniels told the press that the financial problems the Rangers were under was much like operating under a salary cap. These problems were why the Rangers had to trade Millwood before being able to make the Harden signing official. An increase was made to the team budget after the new year when the ownership sale was preliminarily finalized between Hicks and Greenberg/Ryan.
Ryan spoke about the financial constraints the team was under after the initial sale agreement was announced.
Hicks told reporters from April 2007 to March 2009 he added an additional $85 million dollars to HSG. According to Hicks, HSG took on too much debt because the teams were spending more than the budget allowed. However, according to Forbes, the revenue and operating net income of both the Rangers and Stars went up from 2006 to 2008. Between the 2006 and 2007 seasons, the debt level for the Texas Rangers increased by approximately $100 million, the same time period when Hicks purchased the Liverpool Football Club. From 2007 to 2009 Forbes reported the Rangers and the Stars were the third most leveraged franchises in their respective sports.
Ownership sale
Hicks had been looking for someone to sell partial ownership for the club since just prior to the default on the loan was reported. By the 2009 season Hicks was possibly forced to find a buyer for the team. Three known bids were put in for the ownership of the Rangers. Ex agent Dennis GilbertDennis Gilbert
Dennis Gilbert is professor and chair of sociology at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. He holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University and has taught at the Universidad Catlica in Lima, Peru, Cornell University and joined Hamilton college in 1976. He has published a variety of sociology books,...
, Houston business man Jim Crane, and a partnership of Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
placed bids believed to be around $500 million for the purchase of the team. Hicks offered exclusive negotiation rights to the Greenburg/Ryan group on December 15 with a purchase expected to be complete prior to or following the start of the 2010 season.
During the bidding process it was discovered Ryan, as president of the club, was not under contract but working only on a handshake deal with Hicks, and that he would step down from the front office if another bidder were to win. After talks with Gilbert, Ryan later said he would not step down unless asked by the new owner to do so.
In a email dated December 29 sent to HSG attorney Glenn West MLB attorney Tom Ostertag instructed HSG that "negotiation toward a definitive purchase agreement is to be with the winning bidder only" and no other party is to be involved during the exclusive negotiation process. HSG attorney West then emailed the creditors of HSG on New Year's Eve saying "Basically, the response from the MLB was to prohibit us from negotiating with anyone other than Greenberg. Their intent seems to be to lock us into Greenberg even though Crane now has a clearly superior economic deal – and may always have had based on Greenberg's current position. We need help here. Unless the lenders weigh in, we are going to be stuck negotiating a deal that is clearly worse than Crane's." West also told the creditors that Crane's offer was at least $13 million more, and maybe even $20 million more than Greenberg's.
The winter owners meeting was held prior to the end of the 30-day exclusive negotiation between Hicks and Greenburg. Representing the Rangers at the meeting, Hicks told the media "You're not getting rid of us" indicating the known desire for Hicks to keep his family a minority owner of the Rangers after the sale was completed.
The 30-day negotiating period ended on January 14, 2010 with no announcement about the pending sell. On Saturday January 16 Ryan and Greenberg released a joint statement regarding the sale of the MLB club saying they were "on the verge of an agreement."
We have made extraordinary progress the last couple of weeks and have come too far to walk away now. We are fully committed and prepared to work around the clock if that’s what it takes to reach a final agreement. We are at a point where deals get done as long as both parties share a desire to cross the finish line together. There just isn't much left to resolve.
It was reported on January 23 the sale agreement had been completed. Early reports indication Tom Hicks would remain a minority owner with the club, and would serve a non-voting honorary position on the board. Approval from the executive and ownership committee, the banks who were owed money by HSG, and 75% of MLB owners was still required before the sale could have been finalized. The new company would be called Rangers Baseball Express. Greenberg would serve as CEO and Managing Partner, Ray Davis and Bob Simpson would be Co-Chairmen of the Board. As a part of the original purchase agreement Rangers Baseball Express also would have acquired approximately 153 acre (0.61916958 km²) of land adjacent to the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and Cowboys Stadium. A separate company owned by Hicks owns the land. After the land sale was announced, Hicks was sued by a former partner over the land. The former partner claims Hicks never dissolved the partnership that was formed when the two groups were planning the Glorypark. Hicks was also sued by an architectural firm, RTKL, and a construction company, Vratsinas, for $6.9 million of unpaid work done over 3 years ago.
Greenberg posted the following on his Facebook page aftr the original purchase agreement was announced:
Tonight was a big night for Nolan Ryan and me as we signed the definitive agreement to purchase the Texas Rangers. Thank you to everyone for your incredible support and encouragement over the last few months. Nolan and I can't wait to get started in our efforts to bring Rangers fans everywhere what you have waited for ...all these years. Thanks again and.... See you at the Ballpark!....... Chuck
A report by Jon Heyman lists the sale price at $570 million.
At least one group whose approval was needed, Monarch Alternative Capital, refused to sign off on the sale. Monarch Alternative Capital, which purchased a portion of Hicks Sports Group's debt after HSG defaulted, believed Hicks passed up on a better purchase deal from Jim Crane, who was speculated by the December 29 email to have made a higher offer. The reported gap between creditors demands and payment offered by HSG was $270 million and $300 million and would have been resolved if the amount Hicks was to receive from the land sale was lowered to increase the creditors for the debt. MLB commissioner expressed his interest in the deal being approved by the creditors no later than April 9, 2010 indicated that MLB could become more directly involved in the sale process.
On May 24, 2010 Hicks announced HSG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to concluded the sale of the Rangers ballclub from Hicks Sports Group to the Rangers Baseball Express club. In a press conference held at the Ball Park in Arlington HSG CEO Tom Hicks
Tom Hicks
Thomas Ollis Hicks, Sr. , is an American 'leveraged buyout' businessman living in Dallas, Texas. Despite Forbes Magazine estimating Hicks' wealth at USD 1 billion in 2009, Hicks was unable to pay off joint loans of circa £200 million the following year...
, Rangers president Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
, and potential co-owner Chuck Greenberg
Chuck Greenberg (attorney)
Charles M. "Chuck" Greenberg is an American sports attorney and chairman and founder of the Greenberg Sports Group. Greenberg was managing partner of Rangers Baseball Express, LLC, which on August 5, 2010, won court approval to purchase the Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball team, from Tom...
announced the decision and affects from the action. It was believed by the parties involved, including MLB and Bud Selig, this action would be the quickest and easiest way to resolve the sale without the approval of HSG creditors, mainly Monarch Capital.
The sale presented to the bankruptcy court is “virtually the same” deal that was agreed to by Hicks and Greenberg/Ryan when the two parties agreed to the sale in January 2010.
The bankruptcy was not expected to have any noticeable effect on day-to-day operations of the Rangers club, all vendors are expected to be paid, and all tickets already sold to the public are to be honored. The sale through the courts is expected to be completed in July prior to the trade deadline and the draft signing deadline. The bankruptcy hearing was first heard in court on May 25. The Rangers claimed there was "no viable option" except to approve of the $575 million dollar sale to Ryan and Greenberg while a group of lenders claimed the club could get a better deal and that the deal presented by the Rangers does not make the most out of the teams assets. The attorney for the Rangers claimed Tom Hicks funded a $100 million operating lose since acquiring the team in 1999.
After a 7-month process the Ranger's bankruptcy was finalized by an August 5 auction for ownership of the team by two parties, Rangers Baseball Expressed led by Ryan and Greenberg, and a partnership of Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
owner Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is an American business magnate and investor. He is the owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures, and the chairman of the HDTV cable network HDNet....
and Jim Crane. The auction was delayed by several hours due to objections raised by Greenberg and Ryan's group questioning the qualification of the Cuban/Crane bid which was due no later than 8:00 pm on August 3. The auction, which was due to begin at 9:00 am on August 4 did not have its first opening bid determined until 2:50 pm. After no more than three bids by each party, Cuban withdrew from the bidding and Greenberg/Ryan were declared the winners shortly after midnight. Due to the auction process the purchase was for only the MLB club and the lease for the ballpark. Almost none of the original side deals with HSG and Tom Hicks, which were rejected by several of the lenders to the Texas Rangers, were included.
Team leaders and awards
Pitching| Starts | Innings Pitched | Strike Outs | Wins | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CJ Wilson (33) | CJ Wilson (204) | Colby Lewis Colby Lewis Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in... (196) |
CJ Wilson (15) | Neftali Feliz (40) |
Batting
| Batting Average | Home Runs | RBI | Runs | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Hamilton (.359) | Josh Hamilton (32) | Vlad Guerrero (115) | Michael Young (99) | Josh Hamilton (1.044) |
AL MVP- Josh Hamilton
AL Rookie of the Year- Neftali Feliz
AL batting champion- Josh Hamilton
Silver Slugger awards- Josh Hamilton (2), Vlad Guerrero (8)
All-Star selections- Vlad Guerrero (9), Josh Hamilton (3), Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Texas Rangers.Despite having been drafted in only the 17th round out of college, Kinsler has risen to become a two-time All Star, and a member of the Sporting News 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball...
(2), Neftali Feliz (1), Elvis Andrus
Elvis Andrus
Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers.Entering , he was rated by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization...
(1), Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
(2)
ALCS MVP – Josh Hamilton
IBWAA American League Manager of the Year – Ron Washington
Ron Washington
Ronald Washington is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and the current manager of the Texas Rangers. Prior to managing the Rangers, Washington coached in the New York Mets and Oakland Athletics organizations.-Playing career:Washington was signed by the Kansas City Royals on July 17, 1970...
IBWAA AL Executive of the Year – Jon Daniels
Jon Daniels
Jon Daniels is the current General Manager of the Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball. When hired, at age 28, he was the youngest GM in Major League Baseball history. And as of 2011 was still the youngest GM.-Biography:...
Washington would finish in second place for Manager of the Year voting.
Spring training
Khalil GreeneKhalil Greene
Khalil Thabit Greene is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed.-High school and college:...
did not report to camp at the start of spring training, and was expected to miss significant time with the club. Greene has suffered in the past with anxiety issues which limited his playing time in 2009. Jon Daniels released a statement on Greene’s absence from the club.
The Rangers voided Greene's contract in February.
On March 9 the Rangers acquired Edwar Ramirez
Edwar Ramírez
Edwar Emilio Ramírez is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 2002–2005:...
from the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for cash considerations. Ramirez took the last spot of the 40-man roster that was vacated by Greene's departure. Ramirez would be traded to the Oakland A's 15 days later.
The starting rotation in previous years came down to the last minute to find out who would be the five starters at opening day, oftentimes having to get a free agent like Pedro Astacio
Pedro Astacio
Pedro Julio Astacio is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Colorado Rockies , Houston Astros , New York Mets , Boston Red Sox , Texas Rangers , the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals...
, who signed in February prior to the 2005 season, or a trade like John Koronka
John Koronka
John Vincent Koronka is a left-handed baseball pitcher who currently is a free agent.-Cincinnati Reds:...
and John Rheinecker
John Rheinecker
John Philip Rheinecker is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-High school years:Rheinecker attended Gibault Catholic High School in Waterloo, Illinois, and was a student and a letterman in baseball. He grew up in Hecker, Illinois and first starred at the Hecker Dome...
, who were acquired at the end of March in 2006.
The 2010 season once again found this question needing to be answered, but unlike previous years, it was due to having too many potential candidates instead of scrambling to find a 5th starter or more. With a rotation starting off with Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
, Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman was a news anchor for News 12 Long Island for 22 years.-Early life:Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from the University of Denver in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard....
, and Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
there were only two spots left, and with Tommy Hunter
Tommy Hunter (baseball)
Raymond Thomas "Tommy" Hunter is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles....
coming off a good 2009 showing he had the inside track for the number 4 spot. Remaining were Brandon McCarthy
Brandon McCarthy
Brandon Patrick McCarthy is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Oakland Athletics.-Early life:He graduated from Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2001....
, who had still been unable to make a complete season healthy since 2006; Matt Harrison
Matt Harrison
Matthew Reid Harrison is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:Harrison attended South Granville High School in Creedmoor, North Carolina...
, who was coming back from surgery; Derek Holland
Derek Holland (baseball)
Derek Lane Holland is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He is noted for his kid-like appearance....
, who started in the bullpen his rookie year of 2009 and finished the season in the rotation; Luis Mendoza
Luis Mendoza
Luis Alonso Mendoza Rodríguez is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals organization.-Baseball career:...
, who only made one major league appearance in 2009 but had a strong showing in the winter leagues before Spring training; Neftali Feliz, the 100 mi/h throwing reliever who was expected to be in the bullpen during 2010 if he didn't make the rotation; and CJ Wilson, who had spent every year with the team in the bullpen since his rookie year in 2005.
Wilson, who has requested a chance to make the starting rotation since 2006, spoke about the upcoming season and his frustrations with the organization not giving him a chance to start prior to 2010.
Wilson’s comments were not well received by media or fans of the team. Team president Nolan Ryan stated CJ is a guy "who likes to communicate" and Ron Washington said the team would not address the situation.
This was not the first time comments made by Wilson caused problems for the talented left-hander. Wilson was a regular poster on the website lonestarball.com under the handle blueglovelefty and in 2005 he stated the average ballplayer is a douchebag. Wilson was later talked to by several team leaders on the Rangers, including Michael Young and Kevin Millwood. After the incident Wilson deleted his user ID and removed all posts from the web site.
On March 17, 2010 Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman reported Rangers manager Ron Washington
Ron Washington
Ronald Washington is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and the current manager of the Texas Rangers. Prior to managing the Rangers, Washington coached in the New York Mets and Oakland Athletics organizations.-Playing career:Washington was signed by the Kansas City Royals on July 17, 1970...
failed a MLB drug test in 2009. First-time offending non-playing personnel who fail a drug test or admit to using drugs are not suspended and are subject to counseling and a substance-abuse program. After taking the test Washington called the MLB offices and informed then the test might come back positive. Washington them informed the front office of the Rangers about the test. Washington called a team meeting the morning of the story to inform the players about the failed test.
On March 12 second baseman Ian Kinsler suffered a high ankle sprain
High ankle sprain
A high ankle sprain, also known as a syndesmotic ankle sprain, is a sprain of the syndesmotic ligaments that connect the tibia and fibula on the lower leg. Syndesmotic ankle sprains are known as high because their location on the lower leg is above the ankle...
. The injury forced the All-Star to start the 2010 season on the disabled list. On March 27 the Rangers traded for Andres Blanco
Andrés Blanco
Andrés Eloy Blanco Perez is a Venezuelan professional baseball infielder who is a free agent.Blanco was named in honor of Andrés Eloy Blanco, a Venezuelan poet, by his father.-Baseball career:...
from the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for a player to be named later. Blanco will be the utility infielder backing up second base, third base, and shortstop, but he will be the opening day second baseman while Kinsler is on the disabled list. Joaquín Árias will be the utility infielder until Kinsler recovers from injuries.
On April 1 the Rangers claimed Ryan Garko off waivers from the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
.
April
Record (month, season): 11–12Starting Rotation: Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman was a news anchor for News 12 Long Island for 22 years.-Early life:Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from the University of Denver in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard....
, Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
, CJ Wilson, Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
, Matt Harrison
Matt Harrison
Matthew Reid Harrison is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:Harrison attended South Granville High School in Creedmoor, North Carolina...
The Rangers ended the month with their 4th consecutive April under .500 tied for 3rd place in the division and 1/2 a game from 1st.
Scott Feldman was named the opening day starter for the April 5th home opener against the Blue Jays. Feldman will be the first non-returning player originally signed/drafted by the Rangers to start opening day since Kenny Rogers in 1995 and the first to start the home opener since RA Dickey in 2004.
After two blown saves in the first week of the season, Frank Francisco
Frank Francisco
Franklin Thomas Francisco is a relief pitcher.-Baseball career:Francisco was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Red Sox. He was traded by the Red Sox to the Chicago White Sox on July 31, , along with Byeong Hak An in exchange for reliever Bob Howry...
was replaced as the closer by Neftali Feliz.
In a need to increase production from the top of the line-up center fielder Julio Borbon
Julio Borbon
Julio Alberto Borbon is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:...
and shortstop Elvis Andrus
Elvis Andrus
Elvis Augusto Andrus Torres is a Major League Baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers.Entering , he was rated by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization...
switched positions in the batting order with Andrus leading off and Borbon hitting 9th.
On April 22 the Rangers sent first baseman Chris Davis
Chris Davis (baseball)
Christopher Lyn Davis is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Baltimore Orioles.-Professional career:...
to AAA for the second time in two years and called up rookie Justin Smoak
Justin Smoak
Justin Kyle Smoak is an American Major League Baseball first baseman for the Seattle Mariners.-High school career:...
to join the team at home against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. Smoak would set a franchise record by recording at least one walk in each of his first 4 major league games.
Right fielder Nelson Cruz, who had led most of the Rangers offensive production in the first month, injured his hamstring and was placed on the DL on April 27. The following day the Rangers optioned catcher Taylor Teagarden
Taylor Teagarden
Taylor Hill Teagarden is a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles.-Early life:Teagarden graduated from Creekview High School in Carrollton, Texas....
to AAA and recalled catcher Max Ramirez
Max Ramírez
Maximiliano R. Ramírez is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball.-Atlanta Braves:...
and outfielder Craig Gentry
Craig Gentry
Craig Alan Gentry is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:...
. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Jarrod Scott Saltalamacchia , nicknamed "Salty" is an American professional baseball catcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.His last name is the longest in Major League Baseball history...
was removed form the 15-day DL and optioned to AAA as well.
Ian Kinsler
Ian Kinsler
Ian Michael Kinsler is a Major League Baseball All-Star second baseman for the Texas Rangers.Despite having been drafted in only the 17th round out of college, Kinsler has risen to become a two-time All Star, and a member of the Sporting News 2009 list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball...
, who missed most of spring training and 29 days in April with a high ankle sprain, made his 2010 season debut against the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
on April 30. To make room for his addition off the 15 day DL
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
second baseman/utility infielder Joaquín Árias was placed on the 15 day DL with a strained back.
May
Record (month, year) 15–12, 26–24Starting Rotation: CJ Wilson, Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
, Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman was a news anchor for News 12 Long Island for 22 years.-Early life:Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from the University of Denver in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard....
, Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
, Matt Harrison
Matt Harrison
Matthew Reid Harrison is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:Harrison attended South Granville High School in Creedmoor, North Carolina...
, Derek Holland
Derek Holland (baseball)
Derek Lane Holland is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He is noted for his kid-like appearance....
The Rangers spent 26 days of May either tied or in sole possession of 1st place in the West but would lose 6 of their last 7 and end the month in 2nd place behind the Oakland A’s.
On May 12, Derek Holland
Derek Holland (baseball)
Derek Lane Holland is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He is noted for his kid-like appearance....
made his first start of the season after being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma. He had been 4–1 with a 0.93 ERA in his time at Triple-A. He pitched 6 innings without allowing a run while striking out 7 and walking 1, picking up his first win of 2010. Matt Harrison
Matt Harrison
Matthew Reid Harrison is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:Harrison attended South Granville High School in Creedmoor, North Carolina...
was placed on the DL to make room for Holland's call-up.
On May 13, CJ Wilson became the first pitcher in the franchise's history to begin the season with 7 straight quality start
Quality start
In baseball, a quality start is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs....
s. In the same game Wilson also set a new franchise record for most consecutive innings pitched without giving up a home run. The Rangers won the game 2–1 in the 12th inning.
On May 14 Nelson Cruz was reactivated from the DL. Ryan Garko
Ryan Garko
Ryan Francis Garko is a professional baseball outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter, who plays for the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization. In college, he was a catcher. He has played for the Cleveland Indians, the San Francisco Giants, and the Texas Rangers in Major...
was placed on waivers to make room for Cruz. It was the first time in the season the line-up would include both Cruz and Kinsler. The Rangers scored 10 runs in the game against the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
but would lose the game.
Nelson Cruz won the honor as player of the week from May 17–23. Cruz pulled his left hamstring on the last at bat in a loss against the Royals on May 26. This was the 2nd time Cruz would go on the DL for a hamstring, the previous was for his right hamstring.
Derek Holland would make 4 starts and 1 relief appearance in May. He suffered from inflammation in his left (throwing) arm on May 30 and left the game during the 2nd inning. The game was being broadcast by ESPN who had a microphone on the home plate umpire. During the injury visit to the mound Holland’s voice was heard saying he “couldn’t feel the ball” in his hand. He was placed on the DL by the next game.
June
Record (month, year) 21–6, 47–30Starting Rotation: Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
, Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman was a news anchor for News 12 Long Island for 22 years.-Early life:Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from the University of Denver in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard....
, CJ Wilson, Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
, Tommy Hunter
Tommy Hunter (baseball)
Raymond Thomas "Tommy" Hunter is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles....
, Dustin Nippert
Dustin Nippert
Dustin David Nippert is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Doosan Bears of the Korean Baseball Organization. He previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball...
, Omar Beltre
Omar Beltré
Omar Beltre is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Early years:...
The Rangers compiled their best monthly record in franchise history high-marked by an 11 game winning streak, the second best in franchise history and highest since 1992. The Rangers spent every day except one in first place for the division and ended the month of June tied with the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for the best record in baseball.
Hamilton and Guerrero’s offensive production for the month put both players on the league leader boards with Hamilton and Guerrero tied for 5th in home runs, Hamilton at 4th in batting average followed by Guerrero at 5th, and Hamilton at 4th in hits, Guerrero at 10th, and Young tied for 5th in hits as well. Guerrero finished the month tied for 1st in RBI’s at 68. Feliz also finished the month tied for 2nd in saves.
The Rangers called up reliever Pedro Strop
Pedro Strop
Pedro Ángel Strop is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles.-Major League Baseball career:Strop was originally signed as an international free agent by the Colorado Rockies in ....
after placing Holland on the disabled list. The Rangers recalled pitcher Tommy Hunter
Tommy Hunter (baseball)
Raymond Thomas "Tommy" Hunter is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles....
to take the 5th spot in the rotation, Strop was reassigned to AAA on June 5. Hunter pitched a complete game in his 2010 debut earning a win against the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
on June 5.
Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
was placed on the DL after his June 11 game and replaced on he active roster by Alexi Ogando
Alexi Ogando
Alexi Ogando is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Oakland Athletics:Ogando was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, and originally signed with the Oakland Athletics as an outfielder in...
.
Josh Hamilton and Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
shared the award for player of the week from June 7–13.
Michael Young became the all-time hit leader in club history on June 16 passing Ivan Rodriguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
.
Cruz returned from the DL on June 22, Craig Gentry was optioned back to AAA for his return.
Alexi Ogando
Alexi Ogando
Alexi Ogando is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Oakland Athletics:Ogando was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, and originally signed with the Oakland Athletics as an outfielder in...
became the 3rd relief pitcher since 1900 to record a win in each of his first three appearances.
Omar Beltre
Omar Beltré
Omar Beltre is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Early years:...
made his major league debut joining the other formerly exiled Dominican Republican Ogando as team mates again.
Beltre started the last game of the month against the Angels. The Rangers also completed a trade with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
sending Chris Ray
Chris Ray
Christopher Thomas Ray is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Early life and career:...
and a PTBNL and receiving Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
and cash considerations. The trade was not completed before the start of the game, and the Rangers sent Matt Harrison
Matt Harrison
Matthew Reid Harrison is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:Harrison attended South Granville High School in Creedmoor, North Carolina...
to AAA to make room for Beltre.
Hamilton won player of the month for June.
July
Record (month, year)14–13, 61–43Rotation CJ Wilson, Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
, Tommy Hunter
Tommy Hunter (baseball)
Raymond Thomas "Tommy" Hunter is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles....
, Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman was a news anchor for News 12 Long Island for 22 years.-Early life:Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from the University of Denver in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard....
, Omar Beltre
Omar Beltré
Omar Beltre is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.-Early years:...
, Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
, Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
The Rangers lost four games in a row to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
going into the All-Star break, however they would win their next four series in a row, including going 4–2 against the Angels and sending them into third place in the division.
The Rangers completed one of their biggest trades in franchise history on July 9 when they sent 2009 first-round draft pick Justin Smoak
Justin Smoak
Justin Kyle Smoak is an American Major League Baseball first baseman for the Seattle Mariners.-High school career:...
, minor leaguers Blake Beavan
Blake Beavan
Blake Beavan is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners.-Professional:Beavan drafted from Irving High School in the 1st round, 17th overall by the Texas Rangers in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft...
, Josh Lueke
Josh Lueke
Joshua William Lueke is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball.-Professional career:Lueke was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 16th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft...
, and Matt Lawson to the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
for CY Young-award winner Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
, and Mark Lowe
Mark Lowe
Mark Christopher Lowe is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He made his Major League debut for the Seattle Mariners on July 7, in relief against the Detroit Tigers, loading the bases before striking out the side. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. His fastball...
plus cash. Lee would be the first former Cy Young winner to appear in a Rangers uniform since Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Jackson Perry is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1962-1983 for eight different teams in his career. During a 22-year baseball career, Perry compiled 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11 earned run average...
. Chris Davis
Chris Davis (baseball)
Christopher Lyn Davis is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the Baltimore Orioles.-Professional career:...
was recalled from AAA to replace Smoak at first base.
On July 16 against the Red Sox Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....
became the first catcher in MLB history to hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
and for the cycle in the same game.
Hamilton and Guerrero were voted as starters for the All-Star game and were joined by Kinsler, Andrus, and Feliz. The Rangers also added starting pitcher Lee to the All-Star roster after acquiring him from Seattle.
August
Record(month, year): 13–15,74–58Rotation: Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
, Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
, C.J. Wilson, Tommy Hunter
Tommy Hunter (baseball)
Raymond Thomas "Tommy" Hunter is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles....
, Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
, Derek Holland
Derek Holland (baseball)
Derek Lane Holland is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He is noted for his kid-like appearance....
The Rangers finished the month of August with their worst record of the season going two games under 500. Despite a losing record for the month, the Rangers division lead did not drop below 7 games above the Oakland A’s, and the Rangers ended to month 8.5 games ahead of second place.
After making only one start in July, Harden would return to the DL
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
following his August 7 game against Oakland. Harden would make two more starts in the month, throwing only 13 1/3 innings and being sent to the bullpen at the end of the month.
August would also be a tough month for the other Rangers ace Cliff Lee, whose record for the month was 1–6. Lee was also accused by ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd claiming people close to Lee said he wanted to sign with the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
or another elite team, that Lee didn’t care about Texas, and Cowherd also accused Lee of mailing it in against Baltimore on August 21, a game in which Lee gave up 8 runs. After the August 22 game Lee told reporters “It’s a lie. Write that. Are you writing? Write that it’s a lie. I did not say that and nobody close to me would say that. Either say who the source is or shut up because I am saying it is not true.” Following the events in Baltimore Lee would lose his next two games before reporting that he was having muscle pain in his back and would receive an injection.
Oft injured all-stars Cruz and Kinsler spent more time on the DL, Kinsler would not play a single game in the month of August following a late July injury, and Cruz missed a total of fifteen games.
On August 1 former starting catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Jarrod Scott Saltalamacchia , nicknamed "Salty" is an American professional baseball catcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.His last name is the longest in Major League Baseball history...
was traded to the Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for Roman Mendez, Chris McGuiness, a player to be named. Outfielder Jeff Francoeur
Jeff Francoeur
Jeffrey Braden Francoeur , nicknamed "Frenchy", is a Major League Baseball right fielder who now plays for the Kansas City Royals. Francoeur is known for a strong throwing arm.-Minor league career:...
was acquired on August 31 from the Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
for infielder Arias. The Rangers also received cash in the trade.
Rookie Michael Kirkman
Michael Kirkman
Michael Scott Kirkman is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Early life:Prior to playing professionally, he attended Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida...
would make his major league debut on August 21. Ranked as the 15th best prospect by Jamey Newberg prior to the start of the season, Kirkman would pitch 7 2/3 innings in the month, striking out eight and giving up no runs in 5 August games.
On August 23, the Rangers nearly combined for a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
when Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
pitched 6 and 2/3 innings of no-hit ball but was pulled after 111 pitches. Matt Harrison
Matt Harrison
Matthew Reid Harrison is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Baseball career:Harrison attended South Granville High School in Creedmoor, North Carolina...
got the last out of the inning, and Darren O'Day
Darren O'Day
Darren Christopher O'Day is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball. He played college baseball for the University of Florida, and has played professionally for the Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, and Texas Rangers...
pitched a perfect eighth before Neftali Feliz gave up the first hit of the game with one out in the ninth to Joe Mauer
Joe Mauer
Joseph Patrick Mauer is a Major League Baseball catcher for the Minnesota Twins. He is the only catcher in Major League history to win three batting titles...
.
September–October
Rotation:Tommy Hunter
Tommy Hunter (baseball)
Raymond Thomas "Tommy" Hunter is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles....
, Derek Holland
Derek Holland (baseball)
Derek Lane Holland is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He is noted for his kid-like appearance....
, Colby Lewis
Colby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
, C.J. Wilson, Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman
Scott Feldman was a news anchor for News 12 Long Island for 22 years.-Early life:Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, graduated from the University of Denver in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard....
, Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
, Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
The Rangers' lead peaked at 11 games after clinching the division, setting a new franchise high.
Hamilton injured himself after colliding with the outfield wall making a catch on September 4. it was the second time in consecutive years he would miss significant playing time after crashing into a wall making a catch. X-rays later showed Hamilton had cracked two ribs from the collision. Although the injury itself did not prevent Hamilton from playing, Hamilton would continue to miss time due to pain from the injury and, due to Hamilton's drug past, lasted longer because he is unable to take pain medication. Hamilton would not return until the season series finale against the Angels.
The Rangers would sweep the New York Yankees in a mid-September meeting. It was the first time the Rangers swept the Yankees since 2003, and the first time to do so at home since 1996.
On September 22 Feliz would tie the major league record for saves by a rookie in a single season. Feliz would end the season with 40 saves.
On September 25, the Rangers would clinch the division against the A's. On the same day Young would also set a new record by being the first major leaguer to start over 282 games at second base, short stop, and third base.
Rangers starters Wilson and Lewis would each reach 200 plus innings in their last start of the season. It would be the first time two Rangers starters would reach the mark since 2006. With Lee's total innings pitched, it would be the first time the Rangers had three starters who would reach 200 plus innings since 2002.
Post season
The Texas Rangers, at 90–72, advanced to the postseason for the fourth time in franchise history, and the first time since 1999. Their opponent in the ALDS were the Tampa Bay RaysTampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
. Their opponent for the ALCS were the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
ALDS vs. Rays
The Rangers won the ALDS in 5 games versus the Rays. Each team won only away games and it was the first time a divisional round has ever been won by only the away teams. The game 1 win was Lee's first win in Tampa Bay of the year, it was also the Rangers first win in Tampa as well.Prior to game 2 ESPN's Tim Kurkjian
Tim Kurkjian
Tim Kurkjian is a Major League Baseball analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter. He is also a contributor to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. He guests on Mike and Mike in the Morning on Thursdays at 7:44 AM, discussing the latest in happenings in Major League Baseball...
said C.J. Wilson was the best #2 pitcher in the American League playoffs. Game 2 would not be without controversy as Michael Young appeared to swing at a two strike pitch. The third base umpire ruled Young had checked his swing, and Young would hit the next pitch for a three run home run.
Prior to game 5 in Tampa Bay the last time a runner scored from second base on an infield grounder was 1970. The Rangers would score from second on infield grounders twice in the game.
After Lee's two starts there would only be 8 games in playoff history when a pitcher would have 10+ strikeouts and no walks. Lee has pitched 4 of those games. Lee also tied the Division Series record of 21 strikeouts set by Kevin Brown in 1998 with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. Lee's 16 innings without a walk set a new ALDS record.
Cruz and Kinsler would also hit 3 homeruns each in the series. The last time two teammates each hit 3 or more homeruns in the same playoff series was in 1928 when Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
and Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
did it for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
ALCS vs. Yankees
The Rangers would win the ALCS in 6 games after splitting the first two games in Texas and winning two in New York. Colby LewisColby Lewis
Colby Preston Lewis is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers.Lewis was originally a first-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft, and made his major league debut in...
would not only be the first Rangers pitcher to win a home playoff game, doing so in game 2, but would also win the second home playoff victory in franchise history in the same series, clinching the American League championship in Game 6. The Rangers advanced to the World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
for the first time.
The Rangers' first three batters of the series would each get on base and score after Josh Hamilton hit a three run home run in the bottom of the first inning of game 1. It was only the second time in playoff history a team had done so. The Rangers game 2 win broke an 0–10 record versus the Yankees in playoff games. Prior to his one walk in game 3, Lee amassed 30 post-season strikeouts between walks, an MLB record. Lee is also the first pitcher to get 10+ strikeouts three times in the same post-season.
2010 World Series
While the Rangers starting pitching would continue to be strong in the World Series, giving up only 33 runs in 97 2/3 innings, the Rangers offense would only score 29 total hits in the 5 games. The Giants would score as many runs as the Rangers had hits in the series. The Rangers would also be shut out by the Giants in two of the games. It was the first time a team had been shut out in two world series games since the 1966 series.A bullpen meltdown in game 2 culminated by 4 walks in a row allowed the Giants to take a commanding lead scoring 7 runs in the 8th innings.
The lone victory for the Rangers would be game 3. Colby Lewis would win his third home playoff victory after rookie first baseman Mitch Moreland
Mitch Moreland
Mitchell Austin Moreland is a professional baseball first baseman and right fielder who plays for the Texas Rangers....
took advantage of a 9-pitch at-bat with a 3-run home run. Moreland would be the only bright spot in the Rangers offense against the Giants finishing with a .462 batting average. No other Rangers batter would get 6 hits in the series, and the second best would need 7 more at bats to get to 5 hits. Neftali Feliz would get the save. It was Feliz' only save oppritunity in the entire postseason.
The bullpen troubles would continue to grow worse for the Rangers when in game 4 setup reliever Alexi Ogando
Alexi Ogando
Alexi Ogando is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers.-Oakland Athletics:Ogando was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, and originally signed with the Oakland Athletics as an outfielder in...
would leave the game with a strain.
Farm system
Among baseball publications the top four Ranger prospects are all agreed upon, with Neftali Feliz most often being #1 and Tanner Scheppers being number #4 and all four were consistently ranked as top 100 or top 50 prospects.Neftali Feliz;
Justin Smoak
Justin Smoak
Justin Kyle Smoak is an American Major League Baseball first baseman for the Seattle Mariners.-High school career:...
;
Martín Pérez
Martín Pérez (baseball)
Martín Pérez is a Minor League Baseball pitcher in the Texas Rangers organization. He currently plays for the Round Rock Express the Double-A affiliate of the Rangers...
;
Tanner Scheppers.
Jamey Newberg and Baseball America had Smoak ahead of Perez. Baseball Time in Arlington listed Perez ahead of Smoak.
Keith Law, who ranked the Rangers as having the number 1 farm system listed them in his top 100 with Perez being the highest of the four coming in at #7 overall in baseball.
MLB.com’s top 50 players also included the Rangers prospects. Feliz and Smoak were both in the top 10 on this list.
MLB Fanhouse ranked the Rangers system number 2 and listed them in their top 100 as well.
Baseball America had the Rangers farm system ranked the second best behind Tampa Bay. Two of their main writers John Manuel
John Manuel
John C. Manuel is co-editor-in-chief of the Durham, N.C.,-based magazine Baseball America and its website BaseballAmerica.com. He also contributes to BA books such as the Prospect Handbook and Almanac and co-hosts BA Podcasts...
and Jim Callis
Jim Callis
Jim Callis is the executive editor of the Durham, N.C.,-based magazine Baseball America and its website . Jim's contributions include weekly updates to their website, as well as major contributions to their signature publications, The Baseball America Almanac, and The Baseball America Prospect...
have stated they consider the Rangers to be the number 1 farm system as recently as December,2009.
The Rangers minor league affiliates set a club record by sending six of the minor league teams to their respective playoffs.
MLB draft and international free agents
On January 18 it was reported the Rangers signed Jorge Alfaro, a 16 year old catcher from Colombia, for $1.3 million. The 6' 1" 185 lb (83.9 kg) right-hander is a power hitter with a strong arm. The Rangers also signed Australian-born catcher Guy Edmonds for $150,000 in February.The Rangers signed Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
short stop Luis Marte for 215,000 in November.
Draft:
The Rangers accumulated 4 first round and supplemental round picks for the 2010 draft; the pick at 15, awarded for their failure to sign Matt Purke from the 2009 pick, their natural pick at 22, and picks 45 and 49 from the loss of free agents Ivan Rodriguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
and Marlon Byrd
Marlon Byrd
Marlon Jerrard Byrd , popularly known as The Position or The Possish or Sish, is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs...
respectively. This was the most 1st round picks the Rangers had acquired since 2007 when the Rangers had 5 1st round picks.
Speculation prior to the draft predicted the Rangers would acquire a ‘safe’ pick at 15 because if they failed to sign the pick the Rangers would receive no further compensation for the pick. It was also speculated the Rangers would select players expected to be signed close to slot due to financial difficulties with the bankruptcy process and being required to follow the budget the team had set out prior to the season and approved by MLB.
| Round | Pick | Name | Position | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Jake Skole | OF | Draft Preview |
| 1 | 22 | Kellin Deglan | Catcher | Draft Preview |
| 1A | 45 | Luke Jackson | Right-handed Pitcher | Draft Preview |
| 1A | 49 | Mike Olt | Third Base | Draft Preview |
| 2 | 72 | Cody Buckel | Right-handed Pitcher | |
| 3 | 103 | Jordan Atkins | Outfielder | |
| 4 | 136 | Drew Robinson | SS/OF | |
| 5 | 166 | Justin Grimm | Right-handed Pitcher |
Jake Skole did not make the top 200 prospects in Baseball America's draft preview and an ankle injury at the start of his senior year of high school kept him out of action until the playoffs. However his performance in the playoffs helped increase his draft position getting two hits off Kaleb Cowart who was selected by the division rival Angels with the 18th pick. Some reviews see the pick as a stretch while others see the pick as a good selection of raw talent and believe Skole would have been picked a few selections later in the 1st round.
Roster
| 2010 Texas Rangers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders Outfielders |
Manager Coaches (third base) (bullpen) (hitting) (pitching) (bench) (coach) (first base) |
|||||||
External links
- 2010 Texas Rangers season at Official Site
- 2010 Texas Rangers season at Baseball Reference
- Dallas Morning News MLB
- Fort Worth Star Telegram MLB
- TR Sullivan MLB.com
- The Newberg Report by Jamey Newberg
- Lone Star Ball:An SB Nation Community "Smoak 'em if you got 'em"
- Baseball Time in Arlington
- Podcast Time in Arlington
- MLB Trade Rumors, Texas Rangers