Batting practiceWith that said, there's a bunch that I'll never understand about sports.
I'll never understand why NBA players can't hit free throws at at least an 85 percent clip. Especially if you hit three pointers at a 40 percent rate.
And I'll never understand walks. The inability for a professional pitcher to throw enough baseballs in the general area of the "strike zone" (as established by an inpartial umpire) is beyond my comprehension.
I'll never understand why Derek Holland threw 11 straight balls in last night's eighth inning of a 9-0 loss to the San Francisco Giants. I'll never understand why Mark Lowe was unable to throw enough strikes.
I'll never understand why those two were placed in the situation to meltdown like this. Lowe shouldn't be on the post-season roster. He should've been shutdown or sent to Mexico for winter ball. Once Holland threw, oh, the first three balls, I would've been at the mound, talking him down from the ledge.
Instead, Ron Washington and his coaches let the kid melt in front of God and everyone. If he's never right with baseball again, you can blame those guys.
The utter discombobulation and malfeseance shown by Washington and his coaching staff during the eighth inning is very much inexcusable. Someone should've been warming up in the bullpen. Someone should've been making trips to the mound.
Someone needed to put their finger in the dyke. No one did.
In the big picture, it didn't matter. Edgar Renteria's solo home run earlier in the game was all the Giants needed. But it's the principle. Maybe the Rangers get something going down 2-0 in the eighth and ninth innings. No scientific evidence to back this up, but more teams come back down 2-0 than 9-0.
Furthermore, why was Darren O'Day even taken out of the game? Why wasn't Neftali Feliz anywhere to be seen?
I love Ron Washington. I gave him all the latitutde in the world when it came out he'd tested positive for coke, but one thing he's never done well is handle a bullpen. It's happened all the time since he's became the manager and it happened dozens of times this season. It's no surprise. But it still disappoints.
I'd also like to know what's happening in the dugout. Is Wash being told direction or suggestions from Jackie Moore, Clint Hurdle andMike Maddux and he's not listening? Is he just managing on a whim? Are they staying quiet? I'd like some answers and I wouldn't think these would be entirely hard to come by.
Dudes:
Matt Cain
I've always liked Cain and when it was rumored over the past three seasons that the Rangers might could pry the righty from the Giants, I'd always supported it. Next season, if you give me the choice between Lincecum and Cain to start a team, I take Cain. The guy is stupendous.
C.J. Wilson
Another guy who was pretty salty. Wilson was really good and deserved a better fate in game 1 of the ALCS and, now, here. He allowed just three hits and perpetually made the Giants' offense look like ... the Giants offense. That's what we wanted out of Cliff Lee the night before. Had the Rangers offense done anything, this might be a different outcome for Wilson. With a lead, Wilson probably stays in the game in the seventh, Darren Oliver comes in for the eighth and Neftali Feliz for the ninth. Maybe Ollie gives up a lead in this scenario in the eighth. But you go down with your best pitchers on the bump.
Nelson Cruz
By my count, his inclusion as the right fielder in lieu of Vladimir Guerrero saved the Rangers two runs. Of course, they lost 9-0. But on two catches that saved runs, it kept the game 0-0 and 1-0.
Josh Hamilton, Mike Young, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler
Guess what kiddies?! It's nut-cutting time. You wanted post-season baseball and now it's time to quit hacking at pitches and start pulling up your big-boy pants and taking an approach at the plate that resembles Major Leaguers.
Ron Washington
With the game on the line, Lowe, Holland, Mike Kirkman and Jorge Cantu do not sniff the field.
