In a letter to his mailbag on Thursday morning, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegramfielded a question from a reader who hoped the Rangers would sit Kevin Millwood down for the rest of the regular season to save $12 million. The question came from Bob from Plano, Texas, who is either not a Rangers fan or a pseudonym for team owner Tom Hicks.
There's not much other explanation for why you'd want Millwood to finish short of the 180-inning mark that triggers his option for the 2010 season. The team is two games behind the Red Sox for the wild card and Millwood is one of their five best starters. You don't play games in that situation, and the Rangers said Thursday that they weren't considering turfing Millwood.
NEW YORK – Thanks in part to the influence of a 300-game winner, and the brother of a 300-game winner, the Rangers no longer have to try to out-slug people.
In the most remarkable turnaround of the season, Texas' pitching staff is actually pretty good, with a 4.46 ERA after shutouts Thursday and Friday and allowing three runs Saturday. If the Rangers can keep it there all year, it would mark the first time since 1993 the franchise had an ERA better than 4.50.
Not coincidentally, Texas leads the AL West at 35-26, the second-best record in the league.
"This is my third year here," right-hander Brandon McCarthy said, "but in two years I got sick to death of hearing, 'Texas pitchers stink. Texas pitchers stink.'
"Now we can turn those tables a little bit, be the group that maybe changes that whole mindset. It would be an awesome accomplishment."
Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
You hear that, fantasy baseball owners? Josh Hamilton's sole purpose on this Earth is to mess with you. Really, there's no way to over-dramatize the crap he's put fantasy owners through. Initially, he would have been the crown jewel in a dynasty league with minor-leaguers. When those types finally gave up on him, he made the show for the Reds. Then, he started to catch on for the Reds, but couldn't stay healthy. So he goes to the Rangers and puts himself on a record RBI pace, only to significantly slow down in the second half. In 2009, the bona fide elite-level fantasy outfielder has only played 35 games. He's only hitting .240. And he's out until mid-July.
The joke is on us, because the Rangers starting rotation is pretty damn legit right now. After Sunday, the Rangers now sport the fifth-best starter's ERA (4.25) in the American League.
There are some pretty good two-start pitchers going in week seven of the fantasy baseball season. Chad Billingsley and Dan Haren lead the list of "Must Start" pitchers, while I'm not sure which option would be riskier between Dontrelle Willis and Tim Redding this week.
There are 47 two-start pitchers in all and you'll need to lock your lineup by 1:07 PM ET on Monday as that's first pitch between the White Sox and Blue Jays.
Must Start Dan Haren , Diamondbacks - Monday at FLA (R. Nolasco) and Saturday at OAK (J. Outman) Derek Lowe , Braves - Monday vs COL (J. Marquis) and Saturday vs TOR (S. Richmond) Jair Jurrjens , Braves - Tuesday vs COL (J. Hammel) and Sunday vs TOR (B. Tallet)
As we head into the third week of the fantasy baseball season we have 34 starting pitchers throwing twice. When setting your lineups, remember that tomorrow is Patriot's Day in Boston, so first pitch is at 11:05 AM Eastern Time.
Must Start Roy Halladay, Blue Jays - Tuesday vs TEX (B. McCarthy) and Sunday at CWS (J. Contreras) Derek Lowe, Braves - Monday at WAS (J. Zimmermann)and Saturday at CIN (B. Arroyo) C.C. Sabathia, Yankees - Tuesday vs OAK (B. Anderson) and Sunday at BOS (J. Beckett) Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers - Tuesday at HOU (R. Ortiz) and Sunday at COL (J. Marquis)
You may have seen our FanHouse preseason MLB predictions for the 2009 season a few days ago. Two of us picked the Texas Rangers to win the AL West. I scoured the internet over the past few days, and, though the search wasn't comprehensive, I couldn't find anyone else who picked the Rangers.
First of all, everyone should realize these picks are for fun. When I see some of the comments under the predictions post, I can't help but scratch my head. When did it become cool to just anonymously tell someone they are stupid without giving your own opinion? That's more cowardly than anything. Regardless, I'll attempt to shed a little light on my personal rationale for the pick.
MLB Power Rankings:Where we care what you've done for us lately when we break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world each week.
We're almost there. You can smell it in the air, can't you? That's right ... the NHL playoffs! Ha. I kid, of course. No one actually watches hockey (if it even exists). But people do get amped up for baseball, and the season is upon us. So, in that vein, we've got our final installment of preseason power rankings ready for your digestion. Play ball.
Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through every major player on each team. Fantasy FanHouse is here to help with a quick once-over.
Meet the... Best offense in the league. The Rangers are going to score more runs than any other team, and they don't have an over-abundance of star-power. This means their position players are a veritable fantasy goldmine. On the flip-side, though, their pitching staff is atrocious, especially the starters. Needless to say, if you are picking a Texas Ranger on draft day, he'd probably better be on the offensive side of the board.
Every March, The Dugout covers every team in baseball and offers a largely disappointing glimpse of what's to come.
We're kicking things off with the Texas Rangers. Pictured at right, the one-two punch of the 2009 Texas Rangers' rotation: Scott Feldman and a nondescript sheet of drywall. The Rangers possess the worst starting rotation in the history of Mankind. The upside, of course, is that when OPS legend Milton Bradley snaps his ACL in a freak accident, it won't really matter.
Any Rangers fans out there? No? Well, too bad. A Rangers Dugout is after the jump.
In a letter to his mailbag on Thursday morning, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram fielded a question from a reader who hoped the Rangers would sit Kevin Millwood down for the rest of the regular season to save $12 million. The question came from Bob from Plano, Texas, who is either not a Rangers fan or a pseudonym for team owner Tom Hicks. 
NEW YORK – Thanks in part to the influence of a 300-game winner, and the brother of a 300-game winner, the Rangers no longer have to try to out-slug people.
Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
There are some pretty good two-start pitchers going in week seven of the fantasy baseball season. 
As we head into the third week of the fantasy baseball season we have 34 starting pitchers throwing twice. When setting your lineups, remember that tomorrow is Patriot's Day in Boston, so first pitch is at 11:05 AM Eastern Time.
You may have seen our 
Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through 
Every March, The Dugout covers every team in baseball and offers a largely disappointing glimpse of what's to come. 
