Linkin’ Park: Lurking Around The Web For You

So far, the 2009 season has provided remarkably few causes for complaint for Texas Rangers fans. Through 49 games, the Rangers were 30-19, holding the best record in the American League, the second best in the majors, a 5.5 game lead in the AL West, and some of the best pitching they’ve had in years.

But then they ended arguably the greatest month in franchise history with a heart-breaking 5-4 loss courtesy of Adam Kennedy, who may or may not be distantly related to Bucky Dent. That was followed by a 12-3 pounding in new Yankee Stadium complete with a game of beanball and a Mark Teixeira at bat that had lip-readers everywhere covering their eyes. And now reports are surfacing about the potentially serious nature of Josh Hamilton’s injury and that he may be out until September. So yeah, it hadn’t exactly been the greatest three days of Rangers baseball this year.

Yet despite the recent run of bad luck, Jamey Newberg says there are plenty of reasons to believe the Rangers can keep up their winning ways. Not only that, but the players expect to, writes Jeff Wilson.

That doesn’t change the fact that the Rangers still have to play 11 games in as many days against teams with a combined .597 winning percentage, the next four of which come on the road against the Yankees and Red Sox. Then the Rangers come back to Texas for a homestand versus the Blue Jays and ML-best Dodgers. A bad stretch, which even the best teams are prone to have, could leave the Rangers hovering around .500. But even if the Rangers lose more than they win over the next two weeks, Joey Matschulat says not to lay the blame at the feet of manager Ron Washington because, for better or for worse, Wash has gotten too much credit for the results on the field during his tenure in Texas.

So what exactly is the reason for the Rangers’ early-season success? Mike Maddux’s frequent trips to the mound might have something to do with it, writes Richard Durrett. And Murray Chass says, whatever it is, it certainly isn’t the financial problems of owner Tom Hicks.

One thing is for sure: the next two weeks will tell a lot about this Ranger team. Playing some of the best teams in baseball will do that. But this team is young and resilient, and if they fight their way to, say, a .500 record over this brutal 11-game stretch, they’ll likely still be the first-place Texas Rangers.