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Wham bam Yes, the pitching deserves at least half the credit for these 95 wins. However, the balance on this team is tremendous.
It was on display last night as the Rangers beat the Angels 10-3, piling dirt on the casket.
Ian Kinsler completed his second 30 homer-30 stolen base season, capping off the year with his 32nd homer and 30th stolen base.
Very quietly, Kinsler put together a phenomenal year, his best in the Majors.
In addition to the 30-30, he has 34 steals, 87 walks-71 strikeouts, 121 runs and Gold Glove defense.
It has to be one of the top 15 years for a player even thought there's no way really judge that based on my opinion or thoughts. I guess I've never really marveled at stats quite the way I've done with Kinsler.
As complete as Kinsler's been, he's not alone. It's a marvel in itself that Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli, Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz all missed significant time and, yet, they are compiling really nice numbers. Numbers that could have gone from good to great with another month of at-bats.
Napoli's completely rewritten his career as more than just a back-up catcher and occassional designated hitter against lefties. He hit two dongs last night.
Beltre has 14 RBI and seven homers in his last 10 games. Had he not missed that month with the bad hammy, there's little doubt he'd approach 40 homers, 40 doubles, 120 RBI and 100 runs. He'd be a legit MVP candidate (and, frankly, even with the injury, he should be in the top seven ... right?).
And Cruz is the acme of potential. He's never played more than 130 games or gotten 500 at-bats. One day, his body is going to quit this aching and spraining and maintain itself for 550 at-bats and 150 games and he's going to explode.
What makes all of this a piece of art and what makes it, to me, far more impressive than what the 1990s Rangers did with the bat is the balance.
The Rangers could have four guys with 30 home runs. The team lead is 32 (Kinsler, Beltre). That's nice, but set up against what Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro and others were doing, it pales in comparison.
I doubt anyone works pitchers like the Rangers. Everyone is patient and if they think they can jump on a fastball on the first pitch they will. Otherwise, they sit and wait for the mistake. In this era of the pitcher, the Rangers bats are winning.
Hats off to Scott Coolbaugh, Thad Bosley, Clint Hurdle and Ron Washington for instilling in these guys that good hitting is more than just swinging until you hit something.
The combination of speed, agility, brains and grit defines this team. It's why 2.9 million fans filed into the Ballpark in 109 degree temperatures.
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