Reporters Notebook: Ian Kinsler’s Head-First Approach To Baseball, Josh Rupe’s Sudden Turnaround And More

Photo: R.P. Washburne

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Ian Kinsler had a typical regular season-like game Sunday. And it has nothing to do with the three hits he piled up in a 13-7 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

For Kinsler, a typical performance includes a head-first slide (check), a dive (check) and a hair-raising sprint on the bases (check).

That kind of effort is also partly why Kinsler has yet to compile a full season’s worth of statistics. That kind of effort can make a player more susceptible to dislocations (check), fractures (check) and muscle strains (check, if you consider a sports hernia to be a muscle strain).

In each of his first three years, Kinsler has made a trip of at least four weeks to the DL for one freak injury or another. As a result, Kinsler hasn’t ever played more than 130 games. He risks becoming considered injury prone if the streak of injuries continues.

Kinsler tries to avoid the tag in a rundown Sunday. (Photo: R.P. Washburne)

“It’s weird to even talk about this because I’ve never been hurt in my life,” Kinsler said. “I believe that if you play the game hard and you play the game the right way, your risk of injury goes up. I’m not going to play it any differently. There is still the possibility of something freak happening, but I want to be in good enough shape to play as many games as [manager Ron Washington] wants me to. I don’t want to not be available because of some nagging injury.”

To be sure, Kinsler’s injuries have been anything but nagging problems. Just 10 days into his rookie season, he dislocated his left thumb during a head-first slide into second. In 2007, he fouled a ball off his sore left foot against Detroit’s Kenny Rogers. He stayed in the game long enough to run the bases and feel an increasingly uncomfortable burning sensation in his left foot. It was later diagnosed as a stress fracture.

He returned from both of those early-season injuries to finish strong. But last year, a sports hernia in mid-August required surgery and cut short his season.

At the time, he had trailed eventual AL MVP Dustin Pedroia by two points (.321-.319) in the batting race. But Kinsler led Pedroia in home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, stolen base and runs scored.

“When you look at the numbers and what Dustin did, it’s hard not to think about where the season was going,” Kinsler said. “But Dustin was out there all year, he had a great season, played really well late. He’s a great player and a deserving MVP.”

On Sunday, Kinsler, who is hitting .344 this spring, did all the things he normally does. After a first-inning single, he tagged up on Michael Young’s fly ball to center, then scored on Josh Hamilton’s homer.

In the second, he singled and stole second with another head-first slide. In the fourth he dove – unsuccessfully – after a ground ball through the right side. And in the fifth, he singled and tried to grab an extra base on Michael Young’s subsequent single before being caught in a rundown.

Just another typical day for Kinsler. Didn’t matter if it was March or August.

• The Rangers met with RHP Josh Rupe last week to let him know that his roster spot was anything but safe, but also to discuss a slight adjustment to his delivery. In short, the Rangers moved Rupe’s feet a little closer to first base on the pitching rubber. Because his fastball runs in on right handed hitters, giving him the wider perspective has apparently made it easier for him to command his fastball.

Sunday, he faced four batters and got three ground balls (a double that RF Nelson Cruz dropped was the only fly ball). In his last two outings, he’s allowed three hits, but six of the seven batters he’s faced have hit ground balls and he’s gotten two double plays.

“I feel free, open and easy flowing,” said Rupe, sounding a bit like he was running through a meadow. “It’s made a big difference. I’m not getting behind in counts and that’s allowed me to stay aggressive.”

• The Rangers are still not certain exactly how their starting rotation will look, but whether they go with RHP Scott Feldman or RHP Kris Benson, they’ve gotten a lot more “A” game work out of the starters than in the recent past and pitching coach Mike Maddux thinks that will pay dividends.

With RHP Brandon McCarthy’s four-inning outing Sunday, the five-man group of RHPs Kevin Millwood (25.0 innings), McCarthy (18.2), Feldman (16), Vicente Padilla (15) and LHP Matt Harrison (16) have compiled 90.2 innings of work. Sub out Benson (11) for Feldman and the total drops to 85.2 innings pitched. The Rangers still have a week of exhibitions left, but it is basically the portion of spring training made longer by the World Baseball Classic.

How do the innings pitched stack up against the recent past? Pretty well.

In 2008, the Opening Day rotation combined for 70 “A” game innings, down from 74 in 2007.

The value of these extra “A” game innings isn’t lost on pitching coach Mike Maddux.

“For the most part, you are facing competition that is closer to what you will see in the big leagues,” Maddux said. “Baseball is baseball, but when you get the fans in the stands and the full game atmosphere going, it’s a little different than pitching in a minor league game. Actually, I think it’s a lot different.”

• By the way, though LHP Derek Holland and RHP Neftali Feliz have been doing all their pitching in minor league games for the past week, they remain in big league camp and probably will until the end.

Both are in the dugouts from start to finish for all home games. And they get tutorials almost every inning from Maddux.

• Maddux requested a tutorial for himself (well, actually for his pitchers). He asked part-time broadcaster Steve Busby, who had the reputation of having a great right-handed pickoff move, to work with all his pitchers the other day. Busby spent about 30 minutes going over the art of the pickoff, including a discussion about how he and Hall of Famer George Brett would work pickoff throws to third base.

• Still think the Rangers are leaning towards keeping DH-OF Andruw Jones over DH-OF Frank Catalanotto because they would get more use out of a platoon DH than they would out of a pinch hitter. But Catalanotto’s ability to hit can’t be overlooked. Catalanotto had a hit in his only at-bat Sunday and is 10-for-27 (.370) since returning from the World Baseball Classic. If the Rangers want to have a right-handed DH option and keep Catalanotto, they could always use Marlon Byrd in that role and let Jones walk. The determining factor, though, may be that Jones is still more feared as a power threat than Byrd.

• SS Elvis Andrus had his best day at short this spring with two outstanding defensive plays that demonstrated his range.

“I’m glad it’s finally starting to happen, that they are giving him some action,That little tweak RHP Jason Jennings is willing to work out of the bullpen to start the season, but understand he’s not looking to make any career changes. He’s a starter and wants to return to that role.

• Old-age news: If Omar Vizquel ends up on the Rangers Opening Day roster, he’ll be the oldest position player in the majors at 41 (he turns 42 on April 24). There are four pitchers older: Jamie Moyer (46), Randy Johnson (45), Tom Glavine (43) and Tim Wakefield (42). The next-oldest position player is Philadelphia’s Matt Stairs, who turned 41 in February.

• Couple of other nuggets: OF-DH Andruw Jones played left field Friday night. He had never previously started in left, though he played three innings over two games there in 1997. Jones began his major league career as a right fielder and started 72 games there in 1996-97, but he has not started there since Sept. 26, 1997.  … The Rangers released a handful of minor league players: RHPs Chris Dennins, J.B. Diaz, Juan Peralta and Julio Santana, INF Kyle Higgins, OF James McGraw (son of Rangers amateur scout Gary McGraw) and OF Truan Mehl.

ROSTER PROJECTION – No. 3 – March 29

Starting pitchers (5): RHP Kevin Millwood, RHP Vicente Padilla, RHP Kris Benson, LHP Matt Harrison, RHP Brandon McCarthy. Comment: The Rangers haven’t said anything to RHP Scott Feldman about moving to the bullpen, but its clear there is a need there and, among the starters, he is best suited to pitch well in that role.

Bullpen (7): RHP Frank Francisco (Closer), LHP C.J. Wilson, LHP Eddie Guardado, RHP Scott Feldman, RHP Warner Madrigal, RHP Josh Rupe, RHP Willie Eyre. Comment: Rupe’s recent turnaround and a sharp effort by Madrigal on Sunday may calm some fears. Eyre could be replaced by Dustin Nippert, if Nippert’s back allows him to pitch this week.

Infield (6 ): 1B Chris Davis, 2B Ian Kinsler, 3B Michael Young, SS Elvis Andrus, INF Omar Vizquel, DH-1B Hank Blalock. Comment: The only decision is whether to keep INF Joaquin Arias over Vizquel and ultimately the Rangers are expected to hold on to Vizquel for his mentoring abilities.

Catchers (2): C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C Taylor Teagarden. Comment: The plan is likely to have Saltalamacchia  play about 70 percent of the time, with Teagarden getting about 50 starts.

Outfield ( 5 ): LF David Murphy, CF Josh Hamilton, RF Nelson Cruz, OF Marlon Byrd, OF-DH Andruw Jones. Comment: Byrd and Jones off the bench give the Rangers a lot of flexibility on defensve, but the bench does not include a left-handed pinch-hitter for tight games if Andrus is struggling.