OPENING DAY, 2001
by James Floto

Toronto 8, Texas 1. WP-Loazia (1-0), LP Helling (0-1).

This game showed the major flaw in the Rangers' grand plan. Despite a throwing error, Alex Rodriguez lived up to advance billing, with a two-hit performance, driving in Texas' one sad run. While the Rangers didn't hit like we know they can, it was their pitching that cost them the game. Starter Rick Helling didn't look like a world beater, but managed a credible performance through six innings, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits. The Rangers relief corps (Petkovsek, Veafro, Zimmerman and Brantley) acted like arsonists rather than firemen. Petkovsek quickly loaded the bases, and was charged with all four runs the Jays got in the seventh.

Johnny Oates, who has had a pretty successful managing career, saw his club drop from the top to the bottom of the AL West last year and thought seriously about retiring. You might want to hold that thought, Johnny. The Rangers figure to be better this year, but how much above .500 they finish remains to be seen. You can have all the Rodriguez' in the world (they have the two best already in A-Rod and I-Rod, catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who some think is an even better player than his namesake.), but without pitching the Rangers aren't going to fare well.

Helling has been a 20 game winner (1998, 20-7), followed by 13-11 and 16-13 the past two seasons, but he just doesn't have the aura you look for in the ace of a championship club. He is better suited for the number two or three slot. After him, they have Kenny Rogers, one of those guys who eats a lot of innings (four 200+ innings in the past 8 seasons), wins 10-12 games a year (in those same 8 seasons he was 101-65, so an average season would be about 12-8, again, good, but not enough to set the division on fire.). Rogers is 36. Then it gets kind of scary--there is Darren Oliver, a once promising younger pitcher who is now 30, was 2-9, 7.42 and spent a fourth of the years in the minors. Ryan Glynn, who has a jerky rhythm and perennial health problems, will be the 4th starter. Doug Davis is pencilled in at number five, 7-6, 5.38, only 25 and there is some worry that the hitters are solving him quicker than he is learning how to outfox them. We won't introduce you to the whole bullpen crew. Let's just say that with the retirement of the great closer John Wetteland, Tim Crabtree became the heir apparent. Crabtree has saved 5 of the 24 games in which he had an opportunity.

With visions of recent retirees Will Clark, John Wetteland, Albert Belle, Hal Morris and Dwight Gooden (who capped his first week of retirement off by spending the weekend looking for his AWOL from rehab friend, Darryl Strawberry) no doubt coloring my vision, it was moving to see Andres Galarraga, Randy Velarde and Ken Caminiti, all well north of 35, looking sharp and determined, flanking the baby-faced A-Rod in the infield. As long as these guys can stay healthy, the Rangers, who had the AL's stinkiest defensive unit last year, will be a big asset to their largely ground-ball throwing pitching staff. Caminiti chipped in with two hits.

The outfield is another story, with veteran Rusty Greer (who has helped win many a bar bet with the fact that he has a .307 lifetime average, better than Jeff Bagwell, Robert Alomar, I-Rod and Chipper Jones) anchoring the outfield. The Rangers are hoping for big things for Reuben Mateo, who tripled, singled and made a couple of nice catches today, and either Rickey Ledee and Gabe Kapler, both of whom are on the DL and instead replaced by Bo Porter, who didn't look at all shabby for someone destined to be the 4th or 5th ballhawk on this club.