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WeinerYes, Napoli is the fucking stud. He's Engelberger. He's "Ham" Porter. He's Babe Ruth. He's the slightly fat, unshaven guy that doesn't button the jersey all the way. He's the catcher. He carries a gigantic bat. He has gilded testicles the size of a small state. Like Rhode Island.
Daniels, on the other hand, has testicles, too. Trading Frank Francisco for Napoli in the off-season, I don't think, took gilded testicles the size of Vermont to make. We might have been a little perplexed at the situation considering Nap had just been traded by the California Angels to the Blue Jays days before. Also, it was another bat added after paying a hefty price for Adrian Beltre, which moved Mike Young to the designated hitter role, a spot we thought Nap could only handle.
Still, we were not bemoaning the loss of Francisco. We had a lot more worries than the Napoli trade.
It's October and we can't imagine 2011 without Mike Napoli.
The dude's been nails. He's driven in nine of the Rangers' 19 runs in the World Series. He drove in two last night off a bases-load double that put the Rangers up 4-2 and 3-2 for the series.
Twenty-seven outs.
Like the rest of the 25-man roster, Napoli is not one-dimensional and that's why we're one win away from a world championship. Napoli's at-bats are gigantic. His RBI are huge. However, his ability to call a game, get out of trouble and control the run game is otherworldly.
Which brings me to what I think is the ultimate key to this series: Defense.
The Rangers have not played pristine defense. See: Last night. David Murphy's bobble in the outfield, Mitch Moreland's flub at first and C.J. Wilson's wayward throw almost and should have buried the Rangers.
However, it is the biggest reason the Rangers are 27 outs away. First and foremost, Adrian Beltre. If the Rangers do not tender the man a contract and he plays for Anaheim or Boston or whoever, the Rangers may or may not make the playoffs. His regular-season output was huge. But you never know.
But I think his defense at the hot corner has been a 150 percent improvement from a year ago. I would daresay that if Beltre were at third base last year, the Rangers fare much better against the San Francisco Giants. I don't know how many runs Beltre's defense has saved. I bet he's robbed any number of hits saving pitches thrown. The guy's been incredible, invaluable.
Up the middle, the Rangers are salty. Between Napoli-Yorvit Torrealba at catcher and Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler at short and second, the entire left side of the Rangers' infield will rob you of more hits and runs than most pitchers.
Sprinkle Mitch Moreland with any number of stretches and grabs at first and its an infield that makes a stupendous impact on the game. It's not just defense. It's like an offense. I sound really high.
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I've had it with C.J. Wilson. Good luck with your $100 million contract. Good luck with southern California.
No one's defended Ceej more than me and I'm thrilled that the Rangers gave him the opportunity to be a starter and I'm even more thrilled that he excelled at it. I'll be equally as happy when he's gone.
No one's caused more gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair than Wilson. For me, walks are inexcusable. I don't care who the hitter is. I don't care the situation. I don't care about the umpire or whatever.
I need you to throw strikes in the final home game, game 5 of the World Series. The last time -- in spite of everything -- those 50,000 fans will see you in Ranger-red, blue and white. You throw strikes.
Wilson couldn't do it. Or didn't do it. I don't know what goes through his head. He's a cocky son of a bitch that thinks he's about 10 times better than he actually is. Wilson was our "ace" in that he'd stop a losing streak, he'd eat innings.
"Aces" in the truest sense win you a game 5.
Yet, through 5.1 innings he allowed a mere one earned run. He battles just as well as any other pitcher. But Cliff Lee or Chris Carpenter doesn't talk about their knife-fighting or helicopter-flying prowess. They don't need to.
Wilson's 2011 post-season:
27.2 IP - 29 hits - 21 runs - 19 BBs - 24 Ks.
Yet, come December that will get him about $90 million that I don't want the Rangers to spend.
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Neftali Feliz hasn't pitched better. Do not discount striking out Albert Pujols. That is a man and he embarrasses even the best pitchers in this game. Usually, eight-pitch at-bats go his way and his way only.
Feliz battled. I don't remember a time when he threw so many off-speed pitches. I kept looking up at the gun and a barrage of "82," "82," "83" and "82" kept popping up. All those do is set up his 98-mph fastball. Still, he was getting his slider over for strikes.
His career World Series WHIP's dipped to 0.706. He's allowed two total runs and six hits in 17.2 innings in two post-seasons.
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If you are the St. Louis Cardinals fanbase, more than anything, aren't you questioning Allen Craig's baserunning with Albert Pujols at the plate (whether or not Pujols called a hit-and-run)? He was out by a country mile each time.
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Ian Kinsler has a .455 on-base percentage in the World Series.
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I don't know how the Cardinals and their fans perceive the Rangers' line-up. Clearly now they realize that the Rangers' No. 8 hitter may be the most dangerous guy on the card.
Then you see the No. 9 hitter -- Mitch the Bitch -- lay down some good leather hit that home run to Saginaw.
The way I'm scared shitless about the Yankees' Nos. 2-6 hitters, Cardinals fans must be terrified of the Rangers' Nos. 1-9 hitters.
No wonder they love the DH.
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