The Texas Rangers are not having the kind of spring training that I envisioned. Record-wise, the results are dismal at best. Halfway through the Cactus League schedule and there is plenty of room to worry.

Five things that Rangers fans don’t need to worry about are listed below.

Previously, I listed the five things Ranger fans should worry about, and they are still relevant. However, if you put them on two sides of hanging scales, the good would far outweigh the bad. The Rangers are in good shape for the upcoming season. These five things are partly the reason:

1. Derrick Holland

Holland is pitching this spring like he left off in Game 4 of the World Series–like an All-Star. Tuesday, March 21, Holland signed a new contract, keeping him a Ranger through 2018 and possibly for his entire career. Holland was worth the $28.5 million the Rangers gave him, and by year three, the Rangers will have realized a real bargain with this contract.

2. Matt Harrison

Harrison had a good year last year, and this spring he is picking up where he left off. Harrison and Holland give the Rangers a nice one-two left-handed punch going into the future. Harrison may be listed as the number 4 starter for the Rangers, but that is a very solid number 4. Repeating his 14-9 record from a year ago is all any Rangers fan can ask from Harrison.

3. Michael Young

Young was supposed to be getting old before last season. That was all you heard, how at his age his body could not stand the grind of a full season. Someone forgot to tell Young. He went out and almost won the American League MVP Award. There were those who thought he should have. All Young did last year was lead the league in hits with 213, finish 3rd in average at .338, and 5th in RBIs with 106.

4. Elvis Andrus

Andrus will be anchoring the Rangers’ infield for many years to come. At 24, Andrus has three full years in the majors. Last year, his games played, runs scored, hits, and batting average were all career-bests. Andrus just keeps getting better at the plate, and he has always wowed us with his glove.

5. The Frisco Roughriders

The Rangers’ AA farm team is just an hour away from Arlington, at the most. Manager Steve Bueschele was a Rangers fan favorite when he played third base in Arlington. Each of the last two years Bueschele has taken the Roughriders to the playoffs. The young players the Rangers assign to Frisco are learning to win before coming to the big leagues. Winning is an attitude. I remember the bad Rangers teams of the past; the young players on those teams looked lost. These young players the Rangers are calling up look and act like winners, because they already know how to win.

Yes, the Rangers have some things to worry about–all teams do. The Rangers do not have to worry about Young, Holland, Harrison, or Andrus, or Bueschele and his Roughriders; they are all winners, and they have shown it for two years now.

Sources:

mlb.com

texasrangers.com

J. Brackston has been an avid Texas Rangers fan since they moved to Texas from Washington D.C… He has rooted for the good teams and bad teams, and watched 100′s of games at the old Arlington Stadium and The Ballpark in Arlington.

Before the 2011 season started, Michael Young and the Texas Rangers looked to be on their way to a nasty divorce. The problem was that it really looked, from the outside, like Texas continued to disrespect the long-time Ranger great. It is easy to see why Young was getting frustrated.

Michael Young
Wikimedia Commons

Young came to Texas in 2000 as a second basemen. In 2002, he led all second basemen in batting average (.306) and ranked second in fielding (.988). Young was one of the best players in all of baseball at his position. Then, Texas traded for Alex Rodriguez and the team moved Young to shortstop.

In his first year at the new position, he ranked second in the AL in hits (216) and ranked second at his position for RBIs (99). In 2005, he won the batting title (.331) while hitting 24 home runs. By 2008, he won a Gold Glove for playing shortstop. Once again, he was one of the best in the league at his position.

In 2009, Texas promoted shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus and moved Young to third base. That season, Young was named the AL starting third baseman for the All-Star team. In 2010, he moved into first place on the Rangers’ career hit list, passing Ivan Rodriguez. However, his defense dropped, leading the AL in errors at his position (19). The Rangers signed Adrian Beltre and asked Young to move to designated hitter.

Young agreed to move to DH but then Texas traded for Mike Napoli, who they said would share the DH position as well as play catcher for Texas. Young, angry, demanded to be traded because it looked like Texas was fazing him out. He remained a Ranger, though, and ended up hitting .338 for the season and played DH, first base and third base.

Young did that while angry. Now, in 2012, Young seems happy again. He said he is excited about becoming a utility infielder for Texas as well as serving as DH. Young will play some shortstop again this year and said it is exciting to head to the clubhouse and see what position he would play in that game.

With Young happy and available at just about any position they plug him in at, he is more valuable than ever.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: MLB.COM

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