Hurley, no longer lost Eric Hurley's participation and relative success this Spring Training is like opening all the gifts on Christmas morning, only to find out there's one that slipped under the sofa. And it's for you.
Hurley pitched a sweet three innings allowing no hits and two walks. In five spring innings, that's all Hurley's allowed. Period.
For a lot of people, Hurley is an unknown. What they don't know is that Hurley was the Justin Smoak or Blake Beavan of the Rangers' minor-league system. He was No. 1. He was it.
Mind you, it was before GM Jon Daniels started nailing draft after draft and it was before we realized the impact of the Mark Teixeira trade.
But, in the day, Hurley was the top-rated pitcher in the Rangers' organization.
He started five games in 2008 to marginal mediocrity. In 2009, he tore his rotator cuff and didn't factor. Hurley's only 25 years old and there's little reason to think he won't make the starting rotation in 2011 out of Spring Training.
Hurley's ascension to the No. 1 prospect was due to attrition: Hurley was solid, but not great. And the rest of the Rangers' prospects sucked. Before 2007, Hurley was rated the No. 68 prospect in MLB. In 2008, he rated No. 77.
He typically put together a decent-to-ordinary ERA along with a strikeout per inning (approximately) with his share of walks and hits. Good. Never great.
The Rangers need good. They need stability at the bottom of the rotation and Hurley has the opportunity to do that. Maybe a year off has rejuvenated his arm and given him a little rest.
Fact is, Hurley's not old. He's proven himself in the minors. Who's not to believe that he won't win 12 games this year? Who's not to believe that Hurley won't be a factor in the rotation for the next five years?
I'm pumped about the Eric Hurley era.
