Maybe the Texas Rangers Should Always Wear Red?

Feel free to rub your eyes, scratch your head, and pinch yourself to make sure that you are not dreaming. Do not adjust your computer screen and do not call your local psychiatrist. What you are reading is correct: the Texas Rangers are currently 3-0 to start off the 2009 baseball season and are in first place by themselves.

Many die hard fans had said at the start of the season, that the Rangers wearing the red uniforms they wore back in the late nineties when they went to the post season would bring the good karma that this team needed. From what I have seen from today's game, maybe the uniforms were all that it took. Brandon McCarthy would probably have no complaints with the good mojo. McCarthy showed that a year of rust from being on the disabled list did not hurt him at all today. While he only threw five innings, McCarthy struck out seven Indians, only giving up three runs. He did issue four walks, however the man in blue behind the plate had made some questionable calls that influenced these walks. Scott Feldman, the man who was to be in the starting rotation until Kris Benson, tomorrow's starter, joined, struggled slightly, falling victim to the jet stream that runs through the Ballpark in Arlington. In two and a third innings pitched, Feldman gave up 4 runs, supported by two home runs that he gave up. Ryan Rupe and Eddie Guardaro helped to close out the game and seal the Rangers third victory this season.

While the pitching has started off on a fantastic trend of carrying the team into the late innings, the offense was far and above fantastic today, allowing the team to score twelve runs. The two in the lineup who could have put on a hitting clinic today were from both ends of the spectrum. One was a relative youngster who came up through the Rangers minor leagues, and the other was a seasoned veteran who was looking for a change of scenery to make a comeback from a disastrous year from the previous year. Ian Kinsler, the second baseman, went three for five today, with one home run and two singles, scoring two runs and knocking in three RBIs. Andruw Jones, looking to put the past year of batting .158 with the Dodgers behind him, also went three for five, with one RBI and scoring two runs. With the contributions of these two men, this potent lineup was able to eleven runs on the board in the first five innings, and never had to look back from there.

Although the season is still very young, the Texas Rangers are looking nearly untouchable so far. Being the only team in the American League with an undefeated record, the Rangers next head to Detroit to face the Tigers, who currently only have one win out of their first four games. Hopefully, the hitting that the Rangers have shown in the first three games, scoring an average of ten runs in each game, and the stellar pitching that they have received, will keep rolling on this road trip.

Oh, and hopefully they'll still wear those red uniforms.