Andruw Jones Or Frank Catalanotto? Texas Still Isn't Sure.

With one player you can pretty much pencil in a .280/.290 batting average and a steady, team first attitude. With the other, there's as great a chance for 30 homeruns and a Gold Glove as there is that he'll hit .200 and never be a factor for a team in need of a few lucky breaks this season. Such is the decision facing the Rangers with regard to the ongoing battle between Frank Catalanotto and Andruw Jones for the final spot on their bench.



Both Andruw Jones and Frank Catalanotto have had interesting springs. Catalanotto has been impressive with the bat, hitting .323. Jones, who started off very slowly, seems to have really taken to hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo's attention and has made some amazing improvement since the start of camp.

The two players could not be more different. Jones is a 'feast or famine' type of hitter, swinging out of his shoes. Cat is a selective, patient gap hitter. While Jones is a 10 time Gold Glove award winner, Cat has been a player without a true position for all of his career. While Jones would provide Texas a powerful right-handed bat, Catalanotto bats left-handed and can also play first base when needed. Both men seem willing to accept a role as a bench player but Catalanotto has been the only one of the two to have ever had any success in the role as Jones has been an everyday player his entire career.



Despite Catalanotto's spring, it seems as though the Rangers might be leaning ever so slightly towards Jones, meaning Cat could be traded or possibly be released. If a trade is possible, Texas will no doubt have to eat a fair amount of his $5.5 million dollar salary, despite Cat's hot hitting. If Jones is the player to go, he's no doubt done enough this spring to raise a few eyebrows across the league, effectively resurrecting his career.

Chris Davis Finding His Stroke At The Right Time

First baseman Chris Davis has been on a tear of late, going 6-for-11 the last three games, due in part to his efforts to use all parts of the field. Davis also credits the turnaround to being more selective at the plate.

Earlier in the spring, Davis was struggling mightily, chasing breaking balls well off the plate, resulting in a batting average under .200. Davis has since begun shooting the ball the other way, raising his average to a very respectable .291.

Said Manager Ron Washington, "He's not trying to have that super at-bat. He has slowed his mind down, and he's making them get the ball up now. Sometimes all it takes is just seeing some more pitches."

Last season, Davis struck out 88 times in 295 at-bats. Though he was a rookie, 88 strikeouts is an alarming number for so few games played (80). If Davis is to take the next step in becoming the everyday major league player Texas needs him to be, learning to constistently lay off bad breaking pitches has got to be a priority. Doing so will not only cut down on the strikeouts but also extend at-bats, forcing pitchers to keep the ball closer to the zone, giving Davis more opportunities to do what he does best: drive the baseball.

A Look At Kris Benson

Kris Benson has always been one of those guys who just never seems to be able to pull it all together. Since being the selected #1 overall in the 1996 Amateur Draft, he has been highly touted by many experts as a pitcher with ace qualities. For whatever reason, Benson has never lived up to expectations.

In 2000, arguably his best year, Benson compiled a 10-12 record, with 184 strikeouts and a 3.85 ERA in 217 innings. He then missed all of 2001 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, returning in 2002 to make 25 starts, going 9-6.

In 2004, Benson was traded to the Mets where he underwhelmed for 2 seasons to the tune of 14-12, despite pitching in a rotation that included future Hall of Famers Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine. In 2006, Benson was traded to Baltimore, making 30 starts in 2006 before missing all of 2007 with a torn rotator cuff.



After spending last season with Philadelphia's AAA affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Benson signed a minor league contract with your Texas Rangers, receiving an invitation to Spring Training.

Since coming in, Benson is said to have impressed team officials with his preparation and now have many within the organization backing him for a spot in the starting rotation. A move like this would likely force Scott Feldman to the bullpen.

Another possibility would be to send Benson to AAA. Since he signed his minor league contract at such a late date (Feb. 21), he won't be eligible to opt out of it until May 5th, giving Texas enough time to sort out their major league rotation and determine whether or not they have a spot for him.

"I think maintaining our depth is important," said Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels. "We do have some flexibility there with him (Benson). We'll factor all of that in. "We're going to take the best 12 who give us a chance to win."

Whether Benson makes the opening day roster or not, Texas is yet another in a long line of teams betting on his potential rather that his previous performance. But at 34 years old, might it not be time to start looking at Kris Benson for what he is instead of what he was supposed to be?

Kirby Puckett's Ass Housed A Motor That Never Quit

The first live baseball game I ever had the pleasure of seeing was the fightin' Texas Rangers against the future 1987 World Champions, the Minnesota Twins. The greatness that was the Twins was led by Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett and he was one of my favorite players (along with Andre Dawson, Tony Gwynn & Tim Raines).

We made it the game pretty late, getting there just a bit before the first pitch but I had zero concept of time and wanted to get some autographs. So, my dad walked with me down to the Rangers sugout to see if I could grab a few. Just as an usher was telling us to go back to our seats, the greatness of then Rangers Manager, Bobby Valentine popped his head out of the dugout. Now, despite the fact that Bobby never had any clue how to manage a pitching staff, he was a really good guy and a great ambassador of the game. My dad called out to him saying, "Bobby, can my son get an autograph? It's his first baseball game." Bobby walked out of the dugout, came over and started talking to me, asking me my favorite Rangers player, what position I played, etc. He signed my ball and I thanked him, but before I could grab my ball he told me to stay put. Bobby walked back down the dugout steps and a few moments later a line of former Ranger greats walked out, said hello, & signed my ball. Scott Fletcher, Oddibe McDowell, Pete O'Brien (who was a baseball god in Arlington at the time), Steve Buechele, Darrell Porter, Geno Petralli, & even Ruben Sierra came out and gave me their autographs. They'd hooked a Rangers fan for life (no matter how brutal they play). Many of my families closest baseball friends were met on that very night.



So, I won't bother bogging things down by going on a rant about the fact that Minnesota drummed Texas that night. Nevermind that the likes of Kirby Puckett, Gary Gaetti & Kent Hrbek looked like men among boys. Texas was & remains my team and I've watched them suck and fail and look terrible for over 20 years. But, like a nasty heroin habit, I always come back for more. More pain, more misery, more letdown.

Baseball season is upon us, boys and make no mistake about it, Texas will be out of the race by July. But I won't focus on that now. It's Spring Training and during Spring Training, everyone is still in the hunt.

Play ball, kids.

Rangers release former All-Star

The battle for a spot in Texas' bullpen lost a player many considered a prime candidate as the Rangers have released former All-Star right-hander Brendan Donnelly.

Though he has not pitched well this spring, Donnelly said he was surprised by the move. Donnelly made six appearances and allowed five runs on 13 hits, walking one while striking out five. Those evaluating Donnelly simply didn't feel he had shown enough to make them believe he's returned to the form he showed prior to having Tommy John surgery, when he was considered one of the best setup relievers in the game while with the Angels in 2002-06.

Under the terms of the Minor League contract he signed with Texas, Donnelly could have opted out of his deal on Friday had be not been added to the Major League roster, but said he hadn't planned on exercising it in an effort to stay on with the club.



"I didn't see this one coming," Donnelly said. "Basically I don't know if the out-date came into play. We were going to talk to them this morning about extending it. I thought I was throwing the ball pretty good. I gave up a couple of runs but I was told not to walk anybody and I didn't.

"I came in there and pounded the zone. Spring Training is a process, each day you work on something and then you put the final package together at the end. I thought I've thrown the ball better than I have the past couple of years."

His release leaves the Rangers with seven pitchers battling for four bullpen spots: right-handers Warner Madrigal, Josh Rupe, Willie Eyre, Derrick Turnbow, Doug Mathis and Dustin Nippert and recently acquired left-hander Jimmy Gobble.

17 year old could be key to Laird trade

When Texas dealt catcher Gerald Laird to the Detroit Tigers during the Winter Meetings most reported that 25 year old pitcher Guillermo Moscoso was the centerpiece of the trade for the Rangers. Afterall, Moscoso has very good command (122 strikeouts, only 22 walks in 2008) and seemed close to being Major League ready. And with a low-90's fastball and a passable breaking ball, it was thought that Moscoso could make the trip to Arlington as a middle reliever. While all this remains a possibility, another name from the Gerald Laird trade is beginning to get a lot of attention.



Carlos Melo came to the Texas organization as the 'other pitcher' in the Laird trade but has done nothing but impress since his arrival. Only 17 years old, Melo is a 6'3", 180 lb. kid with a whip of an arm and amazing control for someone his age. Possessing a live fastball that gets into the mid-90's, Melo looks to potentially be a diamond in the rough. While nowhere near ready to face Major League hitting night in and night out, Melo showed very good composure throughout Spring Training, giving the club high hopes that he'll continue to improve as he matures. It is also assumed that with a few more years of professional baseball, Melo's frame will begin to fill out, allowing him to survive the hot Texas summers every 5th day. Though he is several years away from being able to be seriously considered a viable pitching option in Arlington, Carlos Melo has gone from the 'other pitcher' to one of Texas' prime young prospects.