Back in December of 2007, I felt like only a handful of us even cared what was going down with the Rangers. They had just traded Mark Teixeira for a bunch of young kids and only had Jarrod Saltalamacchia at the major league level to show for it. The year prior had traded slugger Alfonso Soriano for nothing in return and were shedding payroll like crazy. In 2007, They hired a first time manager and a no-name (outside of baseball purists) Ron Washington. On top of that, on the 21st of December, General Manager of the Rangers (the kid) Jon Daniels traded one of our prize possessions...a highly touted prospect pitcher named Edinson Volquez for some retread drug addict named Josh Hamilton trying to make a comeback after throwing his career and life away after being the #1 draft choice of the Tampa Bay Rays some 8 years earlier. I felt like the organization was taking a MAJOR gamble and risk and was wondering what in the world was going on in Arlington headquarters. This was all before Nolan Ryan became involved with the organization again.
So here comes Josh Hamilton and his story begins to seep out to us seemingly 5 die-hard fans. Then, his story began to creep into the outer sections of casual Rangers fans. It began to make it's way into mainstream America. By the time he had ever played a game in Arlington, he was already making heads turn with his amazing performance in Anaheim in an opening of the season road trip out west. He dazzled late night Rangers die-hards with spectacular catches and home runs. It was amazing. By the time he was announced for the first time in Arlington, he was already seemingly a local hero. It didn't take me long to realize that he was not only the best Ranger that I'd ever seen with my own eyes. He was the best ballplayer that I'd ever seen with my own eyes. I've seen Griffey. I've seen Bonds. I've seen Canseco, McGwire, I've seen them all. This was nothing like I'd ever seen.His stage and status grew nation-wide in the summer of 2008 at the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium in a Home Run Derby in which he hit 28 home runs in the first round. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed. It was something out of a human element. It was a moment that God shined. And THAT is breathtaking. He then had the I Am Second interview which told his story and his faith.
Who is this guy? He's incredible? He's a storybook. He's freaking Roy Hobbs in real life. He's Mickey Mantle with a second chance. He's a true superstar right here in Texas!Meanwhile, the Rangers kids that were in the Teixeira trade were growing up fast. They were Neftali Feliz, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison and they all turned out to pay dividends by 2009. Things were changing in Arlington. However, the fans (or lack thereof) had yet to pick up on it. By 2010, they were REALLY good. Only until the kid (Jon Daniels) made a bold trade at the deadline getting Cliff Lee did people start sitting in seats in Arlington. After that, it's never been the same.
We all know the story from here...this is where most of you came in...
On to Josh and the bolt to LA. The Rangers are now 5 years removed from the trade of Edinson Volquez for Josh Hamilton. I would say that was one of the top trades in franchise history (behind the Teixeira trade and maybe a little ahead of the Cliff Lee trade). But what that and those trades did for the Texas Rangers franchise was this: It bought the respect and trust in the Texas Rangers management for the first time ever. This is not an organization that is going to sit around and be satisfied with 3rd place, 4th place and so on. Not this group of owners/management. We know this.
On December 13, 2010, Cliff Lee bolted for Philly. The Rangers front office were mesmerized and shocked. They regrouped by signing Adrian Beltre. That signing and that signing alone was the key to getting them back in the World Series for the second straight year.
Two years to the date, Josh Hamilton bolted to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The front office seemed mesmerized and shocked. How will they regroup? Not in the form of a big name most likely.
Dallas Cowboys fans can probably relate to an aging Emmitt Smith who sludged along here trying to get his record and remain a lifelong Cowboy while the team kept him around and went 5-11. It wasn't good management. The team was owned by a fan. Fans will have a $300 million payroll and be broke in two years and always looking for expensive free agents to fill in spots. You have to be smart.
Back to the Rangers... Daniels and company have been waiting for this day. And that's why they're in prime position to still be extremely competitive for a number of years A.J. (after Josh). They have had the best farm system in baseball for several years stockpiling talent year in and year out. Even after sending highly touted prospects in trades that helped get to the World Series and make playoff pushes, they are still loaded. One HUGE chip is Jurickson Profar. He, along with Leonys Martin will be this year's version of Adrian Beltre or Yu Darvish. The Rangers steadfast eye to the future have a vision of taking the next crop of talented kids (like they did with Elvis, Neftali, Harrisons) and are preparing to ride them to 31 and blend them over the years with great talent from within and about. And then, the cycle will once again come around and people will scream that the sky is falling because Jon Daniels has traded Jurickson Profar for a bunch of kids!
With a quick glimpse of the current position the Rangers find themselves in. They have the best 3rd baseman in baseball in Adrian Beltre. They have one of (if not the) best shortstops in baseball named Elvis Andrus (who still makes tiny money). They have the phenom 2nd baseman in young Jurickson Profar who they control for 6 years and will make hardly anything. They have Mitch Moreland at 1st base who will hit .285+ and 25 HR if they let him play everyday. They have solid hitting and gold glove candidate David Murphy in left field. They have the heavily talented Leonys Martin in centerfield along with speedster Craig Gentry vs. lefthanders. They have old man 32 year-old Nellie Cruz in his last year of his contract (and certainly gone after this season) in right field. Their DH is Ian Kinsler, who is an offensive threat coming off a horrible season. Their rotation consists of 3 All-Star starters in Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando plus a high ceiling lefty in Derek Holland and young top prospect Martin Perez. They have a Hall of Fame closer in Joe Nathan.
The way I see it, this team is lacking heavily at catcher and needs to improve the bullpen (although they received some electric arms in the Michael Young trade). News flash: They will compete this year. They may not win the west. But they might win the whole dang thing in '14.
The sky is not falling. The off-season didn't particularly go the way the Rangers had envisioned. However, thanks to the foresight of the front office, the 2012 collapse and stink job that it was can be the same as a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. No one can see the beauty until you see it unfold.
I hate to see Josh go. I hated to see Michael Young go. I won't boo one of the greatest Rangers ever. I won't mention the weird things about Josh. The things that make me so frustrated with him. He can be a pain in everyone's side. However, he's also the greatest player these brown eyes have ever seen. But, I've been with this team long enough to know that players don't play forever and they sure don't stay with the same team forever...unless it's a bad team.
Be thankful that the Rangers care enough to look ahead and not behind. A 1998 beautiful suped-up Corvette that runs most of the time can seem tempting to some...but it's not a good investment. And the Rangers aren't into buying used up hot rods these days.
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