Texas Rangers Ian Kinsler on 30-30 Season: “I Have to be a Little More Consistent”

ARLINGTON - It was hard to tell who was more thrilled for Ian Kinsler, his buddy, Michael Young, or his wife, Tess.

As soon as they could, both greeteed Kinsler with big hugs Friday him after he became the second player to have a 30 homer/30 steal season with the Rangers.

“It’s an incredible accomplishment,” said Young, who despite a sore hamstring, beat his teammates to the top step of the dugout to greet Kinsler after his three-run eighth-inning homer put the final touches on an 8-3 win over Tampa Bay. “I’ve played with guys who have had some incredible seasons here, but 30-30 is something special. He deserves a lot of credit. He battled all season long. That’s what separates the great players from the good ones.”

(more…)

The Depot: Rangers-Rays Live Game Blog, News, Notes and Greatest Hits Album

7:15: We are live-chatting in the comments section. Join us down there. I’m answering questions and what not.

7:20: Pudge Rodriguez makes sensational throw to get Carl Crawford 1stealing second for final out of first inning. Kept Crawford from reaching 60 steals. Pudge still has it.

9:03: Angels getting ready to host A’s. The Angels magic number is now four. Any combination of Rangers losses/Angels wins that add up to four will give the Angels the division title. The Rangers need to sweep this weekend to absolutely ensure the Angels can’t clinch the division before Texas gets to Orange County. Of course, it could mean the Angels clinch the division against the Rangers next week.

9:33: Question of the night: Ian Kinsler has just hit home run No. 30. It gives him a 30-30 season, the second in Rangers history. So, how do you define his season now. Joining the 30-30 club is, without a doubt, a great season-long accomplishment. But is it a great season? I’m torn over defining this season. I know he struggled in the leadoff spot, but, like I said, it’s a 30-30 season.  So, explain your thoughts.

9:47: One thing that will always haunt Frank Francisco is his poor fielding. If he is going to retain the closer’s job long-term and be a closer on a championship club, he is going to have to make a significant improvement. Francisco dropped a throw from Chris Davis that would have ended the game moments ago.

Home Run Pool Time

The lineup tonight features Josh Hamilton for the first time since Sept. 2. The pain from a pinched nerve in his back has eased up enough to allow him to play again. Here is the full lineup against Tampa Bay’s James Shields:

LF Julio Borbon, SS Elvis Andrus, DH Josh Hamilton, CF Marlon Byrd, 1B Hank Blalock, 2B Ian Kinsler, RF David Murphy, C Ivan Rodriguez, 3B Chris Davis and pitching for the Rangers … LHP Derek Holland.

Series Preview: Rangers vs. Rays

While the Rays played their way out of playoff contention with an 11 game losing streak that culminated on September 13 with a pair of losses to the Red Sox, they were officially eliminated until a few days ago. That day is nothing but a formality at this point for the Rangers, with the Angels’ magic number down to four. So the upcoming weekend series between Texas and Tampa will serve little purpose other than to showcase the plethora of young talent on each side and ponder the future.

For now, the Rays’ future is third baseman Evan Longoria, whose strong finish to the season has some wondering about his MVP credentials. Tampa is also hoping Ben Zobrist can maintain his personally unprecedented performance next year after posting a 7.4 WAR season. But history’s not necessarily on his side, and he wouldn’t be the first former Rays All-Star to see a drop off after a career year.

Tampa Bay’s future success could hinge on their ability to find a true ace to anchor a solid pitching staff, whether they acquire one — like Felix Hernandez — or develop one. David Price was supposed to be that ace, and nearly everybody had him ranked as the game’s top prospect prior to the season. But a concerningly bad slider and mediocre results have taken some of the luster from the Vanderbilt product and left some to wonder whether he’ll ever be a top notch starter. The good news for Rays fans is that Price, who will start the finale on Sunday against the Rangers, has posted a 3.41 ERA since July 31 and has shown marked improvement on his slider. And between Price, Matt Garza, James Shields, AL Rookie of the Year candidate Jeff Niemann, and newcomer Wade Davis, the Rays are stocked with five quality starting pitchers aged 27 or younger.

(more…)