My Baseball Wheels....

Well my baseball wheels are just starting to roll. The AL central looks to be a tough race all year long, but it looks like my Tigers can defiantly compete this year. Surprise surprise? Not for me. I think that last season was just a stroke of "bad luck".

 

Color me still a skeptic on the Tigers. I'll revisit when we are 40 games into the season.

 

Shotgun

fear not, this is not the year of the Rangers, but did you notice Derek Holland's line last night. Rookie pitcher, first ever major league game, came in with the bases loaded and less than two outs. Talk about a pressure situation, one run scored, but he was solid - didnt give up anything else.

Hopefully Holland works out of the pen for most of the season, but he will be a starter and a good one, barring injury for many years.

Feliz is struggling right now at AA, but his stuff is too good to keep him down much longer. Hamilton will get it going and nobody is running away with the west. Angels have some real injury issues

baby arm

 

Griffey has a BA of .154 and OPS of .637. I don't think he's the main reason the Mariners are leading the division.

Here are 5 reasons the Mariners are leading the division:

1. Ichiro is back to being Ichiro.
2. Erik Bedard is healthy.
3. Brandon Morrow is healthy.
4. Kenji Johjima isn't awful like he was last year.
5. Jarrod Washburn and Russell Branyan are playing out of their minds.

I picked the Rangers to win the AL West and I guess I'll stick with that pick, but I like the Mariners pitching better, especially since Erik Bedard is pitching like the Erik Bedard the Mariners traded for.

 

Matt Harrison figured something out last night - after giving up 4 runs in the first two innings he settled down and shut Balimer down - pitched seven strong and only needed an average of 10 pitches per inning after the second!

I think Harrison in worried about Holland taking his spot (probably with good reason) The young rookie has pitched twice now in long relief and has looked fantastic. I still think the Rangers are going to be very careful with Holland, only putting him in in situations that he can succeed, not pitching him too often etc. I think they will wait until late july or august to move him into the rotation, however if starters are struggling and the race is close it could be sooner.

Feliz is struggling at AAA - but he is the youngest pitcher at AAA so dont lose heart. It will be awhile until he is in Arlington, perhaps not this year.

The swingin A's come in tonight - Rangers should win two of three, Washington has been successful against his former club and the A's dont look very good at this point.

POW POW

 

How about Kevin Millwood last night, 2 earned runs in 8 innings, bulldogged his way through a couple of costly errors (kinslers first of the year), a fingernail issue and allowed one homer on a good pitch. He held on long enough for the rangers to take a one run lead and then have the bullpen close it out for him.

Millwood has a 2.13 ERA and somehow has two losses on the season. If the Rangers would have provided just a bit more run support he would be 4-0.

Hamilton may be headded for a short stint on the DL with rib issues, but Andreu Jones has been a great pickup. Murphy is starting to hit, and Blalock is doing a great job in moving to the DH role.

Rangers are at 500 and slowly catching up to Seattle. The next few weeks will answer alot of quesitons as they have 25 some odd games in the division. The Angels still have multiple problems, the swingin A's not much hitting. It just might come down to the Rangers and Mariners for the division - and I like the Rangers chances.