Double-Dipping

Napoli, much like his teammate Nelson Cruz did
in the ALCS, is carrying the Texas offense.

A night after the Texas Rangers evened the World Series at two games apiece thanks in large part to catcher Mike Napoli's three-run home run in the sixth inning, he continued to add to his postseason legend Monday night in Arlington.

In a 2-2 game with the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols at the plate and Alan Craig running at first, Texas reliever Alexi Ogando sailed a 0-1 fastball into Napoli's glove. The former Angels backstop promptly threw a dart down to second to nab the would-be base stealer for the second out of the inning.

Then in the ninth with the potential tying run at the plate in the person of Pujols, manager Tony La Russa sent Craig on the 3-2 count with nobody out only to have Pujols strike out and Napoli nail Craig for the second time in three innings for a strike-'em-out-throw-'em out double play.

Sandwiched in between Napoli's two magnificent defensive throws came his third extra-base hit of the Fall Classic.

With the bases loaded in the eight inning. Napoli drove in the eventual game-winning runs with a two-run double into the right-center field gap and showing his range of emotions when reaching second base like he has all postseason long.

The six-foot catcher is batting .308 in his first five World Series games with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs. Compare that to the 10 RBIs the rest of the Texas squad has combined for during that time. What makes his nine runs batted in even more impressive is, Napoli has yet to record a multi-hit game in those five games, but he has walked three times.

In the 1997 postseason, Cleveland Indians backstop Sandy Alomar Jr. drove in 17 runs en route to their Game 7 World Series loss to the Florida Marlins, setting the single postseason record for a catcher, Napoli has driven in 12 thus far.

Once considered a defensive liability and traded twice in a five-day span, Napoli turned into the best hitter in baseball since this year's All-Star break, batting .378 since Independence Day and becoming a postseason hero this October.

On the mound, it was a battle of aces and a rematch of Game 1. Both C.J. Wilson and Chris Carpenter were brilliant, but reach receiving a no decision.

While Wilson has yet to record a win in this year's postseason, 18-year veteran Darren Oliver recorded his first career World Series win.

As for Wilson, he allowed only one earned run in this 5 and 1/3 innings of work, the fewest since his first postseason start in 2010 against the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. Although, Wilson was another Texas player to draw comparisons to a member of the '97 Indians team. The left-handed matched Jaret Wright's record for the most walks in a single postseason with 19 and both coming in five starts.

Wilson handed out five of nine walks the Cardinals received in Game 5, but only saw two of those cross the plate.

La Russa, right, struggled to get his bullpen
through the eighth inning Monday.

St. Louis were 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on bases, squandering numerous opportunities to break the game wide open. La Russa and Co. find themselves facing a 3-2 series deficit, but head home for the potential final two games of the series.

41 for the 61 teams that have held a 3-2 series lead go on to win the series. However, this will be the fifth time the Cardinals have faced this deficit in the World Series and the four previous times they have comeback to win games six and seven to win the series.

The Redbirds call on left-hander Jaime Garica in Game 6 to fin off elimination as he will be opposed by Colby Lewis, who is 4-1 in his seven career postseason starts with a 2.22.

ALCS Preview: Detroit Roars Into Texas

After one of the most exciting first rounds in recent memory with three decisive Game 5's, it's on to the League Championship Series with some of baseball's most historic franchise's.


Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers:
The last time these two teams were in the ALCS, they both advanced to the World Series, but came up short in five games. In 2006, the Tigers launched to the Fall Classic thanks to the bat of Magglio Ordonez, but it was the inability of their pitchers to make plays off the mound that saw the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate their tenth World Series title. As the Rangers, they are the defending American League champions and trying to have avenge last seasons World Series loss to the pitching packed San Francisco Giants.

Detroit battled through a tough five game series with the New York Yankees, who had the AL's best record in 2011, much like they did in '06. Manager Jim Leyland chose not to pitch his ace Justin Verlander in a decisive game, which would have quite a stir if the Tigers would have lost in the Bronx. Instead, Leyland's decision looks genius as this flame throwing right-hander is set to pitch Game 1 of the ALCS.

Leyland clearly out managed Joe Girardi in
the ALDS and could do the same to Ron
Washington.

It will need to be the pitching that carries this Tigers team through the postseason's second round if they want to slow down the Rangers' high octane offense. Detroit had yet to lose a game this season when leading after eight innings. That can be contributed to arguably the best closer in baseball this season, Jose Valverde. "Paper Grande" as they call him was a perfect 49 for 49 in save opportunities during the regular year and has saved both games asked of him this postseason.

The Rangers will need to score early and often if they want different results at the end of games.

Don't forget about the Tigers offense which was one of the best in the majors in 2011. After yet another MVP caliber year by Miguel Cabrera and a late September surge that won him his second career batting title, he will be the main focus of the heavily left-handed pitching staff in Arlington. Victor Martinez was among the best in the majors with runners in scoring position and the rejuvenated bat of Jhonny Peralta could loom large in this best-of-seven showdown.

Despite all their recent offensive success, it's the bat of late season acquisition Delmon Young, who hit a franchise record three home runs in the ALDS, that will be sorely missed. Young was left off Detroit's roster after suffering an oblique injury late in Game 5 against the Yankees.

Texas is coming off their thrilling series with the Tampa Bay Rays in which they beat them for the second straight year in the ALDS. With their offense struggling most of the series, offseason acquisitions Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli caught fire. In the series-clinching Game 4, Beltre hammered three home runs while Napoli became the first catcher in postseason history to hit a home run, steal a base and throw a runner out in the same game, that coming in Game 3.


The Rangers survived the first round after a relatively quiet series from three of their main sluggers, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, and Nelson Cruz. Maybe with a trip back to World Series in their sights will ignite their unusually subtle bats.

Ogando is one of the few pitchers that had

success against the Tigers in 2011.

Ron Washington's bullpen is even stronger than last season with the addition of Alexi Ogando. The hard throwing righty, who was responsible for all three of Texas's wins this season against Detroit, started most of the season for the Rangers, but has translated well back to the bullpen and could be a difference maker with Neftali Feliz still slamming the door shut in the ninth.

Poised with three young talented left-handed starters, the Rangers rotation will need to be on their game to hold down a heavy right-hander hitting offense in the Motor City.

Detroit won the season series with Texas six games to three, taking two out of three in all three series they played in 2011. But the postseason is a whole new season where anything can happen.

DET X-Factor: Jim Leyland


TEX X-Factor: Alexi Ogando


Detroit in Six

Reagins Resigns

Reagins experienced his ups and downs
while in the Angels' front office.

After a month of consideration Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim general manager Tony Reagins has decided to resign from his current position with the organization. The decision comes just a week after the Angels were eliminated from postseason contention, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Although team president John Carpino has said Reagins, who has two-years left on his contract, will stay with the club as and serve as a special assistant to Chairman Dennis Kuhl.

Reagins, 44, was hired by the Angels on Oct. 16, 2007, succeeding long-time GM Bill Stoneman after he decided to step down. His first order was business was stealing Torii Hunter away from the Minnesota Twins in November of '07 and rapidly become the face of the franchise.

Although, he made many controversial moves during his tenure in Anaheim and it started in the winter of 2008. Reagins let closer Francisco Rodriguez sign a three-year $37 million deal with the New York Mets that offseason after a record-breaking, 62-save regular season. He replaced Rodriguez with left-handed soft tosser Brian Fuentes, who despite leading the league with 48 saves in 2009, quickly became unpopular by the city of Anaheim for his inability to close games out cleanly.

At the 2008 July 31st trading deadline, Reagins made a deal with the Atlanta Braves to bring switch-hitting slugger Mark Teixeira to the Big A, sending fan favorite first baseman Casey Kotchman to the National League.

The move indicated the Angels were all in that season, vying for their second World Series title of the decade. They finished the regular season with the first 100 win season in franchise history and the best record in the majors at 100-62. The script wasn't written the way they had planned as they were swept by the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS.

They would eventually lose Texeira to free agency, leaving a gapping hole at first base.

In August of 2009, Reagins acquired the talented left-hander Scott Kazmir from the Tampa Bay Rays, absorbing the final two-years and $22.5 million left on his contract.

During his time in Anaheim, Kazmir was far from his '07 form, when he led the American League in strikeouts with 239. He was 11-17 in his regular season career with the Angels, posting a 5.31 ERA in 188 innings. The lefty maybe be most remembered for his time in Anaheim by making huge throwing error in the Game 6 of the '09 ALCS.

After only brief stint with the club this year, he was released.

Despite all those questionable moves, Reagins might be remembered most for this past offseason. The one time Angels intern traded catcher Mike Napoli and outfielder Juan Rivera to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for All-Star Vernon Wells, agreeing to inherit the final four-years and $81 million left on his deal, much like he did with Kazmir.

Toronto would turn around and trade Napoli to the Angels division rival Texas Rangers.

Wells had a dismal year for the Angels batting .218 and having the worst on-base percentage in the league at .248. While Rivera struggled adapting to a new environment across the boarder, he would be enjoy a trade back to the National League and hit .274 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, driving in 46 runs over 62 games.

Texas, who was not involved in the initial trade, made out with the biggest steal. Napoli batted a career-high .320 with a .414 on-base percentage and added 30 home runs and 75 RBIs to an already potent Rangers' offense. His .631 slugging percentage ranked highest in the majors.

The Angels also found themselves in the discussion for free agents Carl Crawford and Adrian Beltre, after ownership promised a big offseason. Instead Crawford signed with their arch postseason nemesis in Boston and Beltre, who would have been the most dangerous third baseman they had since Troy Glaus, landed in their division with defending American League champion Rangers. Even though Crawford underachieved his first year in Boston, he is still the prototypical Mike Scioscia player.

There was a lot of heading hanging when
Kazmir was on the bump in Anaheim.

His ability to bunt, run, go first to third and play stellar defense would have fit in perfectly with his small ball mentality.

Reagins' biggest moves last offseason came when he signed left-handers Scott Downs and Hisanori Takahashi.

It was not all bad for the former GM in his time at the helm. He won two AL Western Division titles with a 363-285 record during his tenure. He traded for ace right-hander Dan Haren last season, giving the Halos arguably the best one-two punch atop their rotation.

His final move as GM was no question his best. Before the season's final month he signed ace Jered Weaver to a five-year $85 million extension, keeping him off the open market and away from the vultures in the AL East.

Whether the decision for Reagins to step down was or wasn't a mutual one, its looks to be the right one and MLB is set for a shuffling of the deck this offseason.

Young a Class Act

Young talking to the media at Ranger camp
in Surprise, Arizona.

Michael Young has been through every high and low in his 11 seasons as a Texas Ranger, while being the face of the franchise during that time.

Only a year after their first World Series appearance in franchise history, Young supposedly wants out of the only team he has ever known.

With the offseason acquisitions of Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli and the emergence of Mitch Moreland in the postseason last year, it makes Young wonder where he is going to get his at-bats.

Young was asked to move from his original position at second base to shortstop in 2004 when they traded their superstar shortstop Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees in exchange for Alfonso Soriano. After becoming a Gold Glove shortstop in 2008, the Rangers asked Young to moved positions again, this time to third base.

In 2009, Young willing did so without a peep, making room for highly regarded prospect, Elvis Andrus. It was a formula for success with the Rangers reaching the playoffs in 2010 for the first time since 1999, after being a laughing stock much of the decade.

Young would be asked one last time to move positions with the signing of Beltre, he would no longer play the field, but be the designated hitter in Arlington.

Then the final straw had been drawn. Texas traded for Napoli, cutting into Young's at-bats. Now the face of the franchise of the past decade and the man that was willing to do what was best for the team has had it and wants out. At the age of  34, the Rangers may be thinking Young is on the backend of his career.

Young's career has been extremely under appreciated by most Ranger and baseball fans. Young silently had five straight 200-hit seasons, 2003-07, while winning a batting title in 2005 at a .331 mark. He also won the 2006 All-Star Game MVP and responsible for driving in the winning run in '08 at Yankee Stadium with a sac fly to center field.

All that being said, Young has flown under the radar much of his career to the average baseball fan, which is just the way he would want it.

The Rangers are replacing Young at third base with a .275 career hitter and his two best seasons have come conveniently in contract years. Beltre has been a quality player during his Major League career, but his work ethic and dedication to the game has been in question for sometime, especially after signing that five-year contract with the Seattle Mariners prior to the '05 season.

Now, when the Rangers have finally reached the mountain top and have become a significant World Series contender, they seem to be pushing out the face of the franchise of the past decade and someone who went through all the hardships of being on a bad team much of his career.

Yet, Young reported to camp this week, saying he will not be a distraction and is focused on the season ahead with this club. Would we expect any different from the six-time All-Star, who is the definition of a consummate professional.

If Young wants out of Texas, he has earned that right, but one thing is for sure when he steps between those white lines it will be business as usual, no matter what uniform he is wearing.

Mr. Young you are truly a class act.