Alex Rodriguez sharing his thoughts on a called strike. Photograph by Googie Man (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is not surprising, as the sports media has a certain love for the Rangers and always gives them the benefit of the doubt.

Currently, the Yankees, also dubbed the evil empire, are in Arlington to face the hottest team in baseball and I have yet to see anyone picking them to win the series.

See most baseball experts and even fans have deemed the Yankees as too old; attest their high home-run numbers to the small confines of Yankee Stadium; and blame what is in skipper Joe Girardi’s binder for every lose.

It boggles my mind why the Rangers seem to get a pass on everything, as Rangers Ballpark is a batter’s dream; their skipper Ron Washington’s decisions have lost them two World Series in a row; and give Josh Hamilton praise but rip Alex Rodriguez for everything.

So, when I went to look at the two teams batting stats for the season I was shocked because I thought the Rangers would be so far ahead of New York but that is not the case.

And as the saying goes…. stats don’t (and can’t) lie.

So, here are the 2012 batting stats for the Rangers and Yankees with the AL league average on the bottom.

Please keep in mind that the Yankees have 38 less at-bats than the Rangers due to a rain out yesterday.

And also, opponents and other factors in a team’s performance are not taken into account.(...)
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Post tags: Alex Rodriguez, Joe Girardi, Josh Hamilton, MLB Network, New York Yankee, New York Yankees, Rangers, Ron Washington, Yankee, Yankee Stadium

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Rangers vs. Yankees - 2010 ALCS - Yankee Stadium

The New York Yankees didn’t get to go for the sweep up in Boston, as it hasn’t stopped raining here in the Northeast since late Saturday night.

So, the team heads to Texas to face the red-hot Rangers in a three-game set that promises to be a dogfight.

These are two of the best teams in the American League and it is a must-watch series for all serious baseball fans.

With CC Sabathia’s scheduled start in Fenway being a wash, the Yankees ace will instead open the series at Rangers Ballpark vs. Derek Holland.

Let’s breakdown this match-up:

Vs. Derek Holland:

So far in 2012, Holland is 2-0 over three starts, posting a 3.10 ERA and has pitched no less than 6 innings in each. He has given up 2 homers, seven earned runs, and six walks; while striking out 20 of the 79 total batters he has faced.

These numbers are solid but you have to take into account that his last two starts were against the offensively anemic Mariners and a severely troubled Red Sox team.

Holland’s first start, where he got a no-decision, was against the White Sox and he didn’t get through the sixth inning and gave up three runs and three walks. The Rangers also lost the game 3-4.

The active Yankees bats have a combined .326 average against Holland, but the real trouble could come from Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter.(...)
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Post tags: CC Sabathia, Derek Holland, Derek Jeter, Holland, Joe Girardi, Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees, Rangers, Texas, Yankee

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Pavano on the hill at Yankee Stadium - 04.16.2012

After a lovely weekend of taking two of three from the Angels, the Yankees looked good minus Phil Hughes.

Last night the Yankees opened a four game set in the Bronx against the Minnesota Twins with a 3-7 loss.

It didn’t help that Carl Pavano (aka. American Idle) was on the mound for the Twins, as considering his history in New York losing to him didn’t sit well with Yankees fans; of course not much does these days.

Minnesota is in town for three more games, and the Yankees have manhandled the Twins over the last decade, winning 33 of their last 44 meetings in the Bronx; so winning the next three games should be mandatory.

Reality is the Yankees cannot really afford to lose any of them, as things are about to get a lot harder starting this Friday when they head to Fenway Park.

Their schedule is about to get kicked into high gear and the Yankees could very well wind up in a hole come mid-May if they don’t take advantage when possible. Figuring out which way this team will go is the million, I meant billion-dollar question.

Attempting to come up with a logical formula of where any team will be a month from is fundamentally impossible and might even send Bill James brain into a tailspin.

Still, like every team, the Yankees have issues that need to be ironed-out sooner than later but time is not on their side…look for yourself.(...)
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Post tags: Bronx, Carl Pavano, CC Sabathia, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Phil Hughes, Twins, Yankee, Yankee Stadium

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Texas Rangers Logo.

Down in Arlington, Texas the last two years have proven to be optimistic yet frustrating.

Last season marked the Rangers second consecutive, yet unsuccessful trip to the World Series.

The franchise had never gotten past the ALDS before 2010, so winning two consecutive American League pennants in their first two visits means it is no fluke and that this team knows how to compete.

Last season the Rangers finished 96-66, which was the second best record in the American League. And in the AL West they left the competition in the dust, as the next best team was the Angels who were 10 games back.

Will 2012, prove to be another year of celebration in Arlington?

Let’s take a look.

THE POSITIVES:

Overall the Rangers line-up, when healthy, is one of the best in baseball. Playing in hitting friendly Rangers ballpark certainly helps, as the team’s overall batting stats are better at home. In 2011, the Rangers finished with the best batting average in baseball posting a .283, and they were the hardest team to strikeout with 930 on the season. Texas finished second in homers with 210, third in RBIs with 807 and had the second best slugging percentage with .800 on the season. And in Ranger Stadium the team is hard to beat, with a batting average just shy of .300.

The Rangers best player Josh Hamilton had a rough off-season, as he fell off the wagon and the concern meter is on high alert. Hamilton’s past does not allow for any slip-ups, but he did this once before during Spring Training in 2009 and went on to win the AL MVP. Turning a negative into a positive seems to be something Hamilton has become very good at. His shame alone should once again make him strive to prove his worth on the baseball field, maybe not another MVP year but a solid one. Also, Hamilton is a free agent after this season and players tend to rev it up in years before they can hit the market.

THE NEGATIVES:(...)
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