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for Texas A&M University's Aggieland yearbook,
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4B
Friday, May 7, 2004
THE BATTALION
Texas shares best record in Major Leagues
By Jaime Aron
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON, Texas — The surprising
success of the Texas Rangers raises an
intriguing question: Is their 18-10 start
merely good luck or could it really be the
start of something big?
There has to be a good answer because
what’s happening just doesn’t seem to
make sense.
This is a team coming off four straight last-
place finishes that spent the offseason replac
ing potential Hall of Famers Alex Rodriguez,
Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez with sell-
described “grinders” Brian Jordan, Brad
Fullmer and David Dellucci.
Their rotation is headed by a 39-year-old
lefty and a right-hander missing a ligament
in his pitching arm. They have a reliever
who’s been out of the majors since 2(XX).
Yet, so far. it’s working. The Rangers
went into an off-day Thursday tied with
Anaheim for the best record in baseball.
“They’ve got a nice club,” said Tampa
Bay manager Lou Piniella, whose team lost
two of three to Texas this week. “They play
with a lot of energy. It’s fun watching them.”
Having meaningful games in May
sounds silly, but it’s progress for a franchise
that’s been stuck at the bottom of the AL
West for gotxl by this point in each of the
last four seasons.
As bad as those teams were, all had
stretches in which they won at least 18 of 28
games, as this year's club has done. The dif
ference is the timing.
Those clubs did so after they were out of
contention, so all their spurts did were avoid
100 losses. By opening this season on a roll.
Texas is building confidence and winning
back many of the fans alienated by the off
season A-Rixl saga.
"We’ll see where it takes us.” manager
Buck Showalter said.
The most encouraging sign is how the
Rangers are winning: with quality pitching,
sound defense and timely hitting.
They have a 4.08 ERA. second-best in the
AL. quite a feat after having a majors-worst
5.67 ERA last season. Only Oakland's vaunt
ed rotation has thrown more innings than
Texas’ starters, which has made the bullpen
more effective. The Rangers are tied for the
most saves in the AL. and they’ve lost only
one game when leading after the sixth inning.
Texas also has turned the most double
plays in the majors and is near the bottom in
emirs. That’s tremendous considering short
stop Michael Young is moving from second
base and second baseman Alfonso Soriano
has long been considered a defensive liability.
ItMftiv Washington • KRT CAMPUS
Texas Ranger second baseman Alfonso Soriano is safe at second as Anaheim Angels second basemr
Adam Kennedy mishandles the ball during their game at the Ballpark in Arlington on April 12.
At the plate, the Rangers no longer wait same page,” Young said. "That kind of kid
for A-Rod, Juando or RatTy to put a ball into
the bleachers. They’ve returned to NL-style
fundamentals like quality at-bats and
aggressive baserunning.
The result: A .308 average that’s 21
|x»ints higher than any other team in the
majors with the most hits and total bases.
And they’re still fifth in homers.
“We knew we had to find a way to score
runs better,” said Young, who leads the
majors in hits (46) ami multihit games (17).
If there’s a secret to the team’s success, it’s
their chemistry.
Showalter said teams can w in w ithout it. but
he’s never seen a losing team that enjoys being
around each other as much as these guys do.
“We’ve got a good mix of young guys
and veterans,” Jordan said. "We’re just
having fun.”
The new atmosphere has been noted by
everyone from team executives to dugout
security guards. Holdover players have told
the newcomers they can’t believe the
change, although they preface public com
ments with phrases like. “Nothing against
the guys we had last year, but ...”
“Everybody gets along and is on the
starts everything."
Losing the nunxly superstars certain!}
helped.
With no leader designated by his big con-
tract, all players are comfortable ram:
each other and speaking up. There’s e\ena
kangaroo court, something that nevtt
worked under the previous social structure
The new veteran core may not have big
names, but they do have good track records
Dellucci and Rixl Barajas won the World
Series w ith Arizona in 2(X)I and Dellucci
returned to the Series last year with the
Yankees. Fullmer was on Anaheim’s chain
pionship team in 2003 and Jordan reached
the Series in ’99 w ith Atlanta
All noticed similar ingredients in Texas
this spring. Showalter had them explain
their teammates before the opener in what
may prove to be a pivotal serious moment for
this group of cutups. Dellucci had the line that
Show alter said “hit everyone in the face."
"We can be remembered as the H
Rangers or by something much stronger-the
Rangers team that turned everything around
Dellucci told them.
They’re off to a great start.
Equestrian
Continued from page IB
all those girls deserve to be in
the ring.” Rawson said. “You
have to be mentally ready for
just about anything.”
Ten Aggies will also be com
peting for individual champi
onships, which are not related to
the team competitions. Senior
English rider Beth von Brecht
will be participating in the
championships for the third time
in her collegiate career. Brecht
said she believes her previous
rides and experiences will help
her in obtaining her first cham
pionship trophy.
“I'm really not feeling nerv
ous at all,” Brecht said. “But
then again, I’m not at Tennessee
yet, so I may feel just a little dif
ferent when we get there.”
Another rider who understands
riding under pressure is senior
w estern rider Ashley Shi filer. In
last year’s competition. Shiffler
was the last rider in the last event.
She had to place at least second
for A&M to come from behind
and clinch the championship. Fate
obviously played her way, as she
earned second place.
“Actually. I am a little scared
after last year.” Shiffler said. "It
means that I have to do equal or
better than (last year) somehow.”
With finals looming on the
horizon, it may seem hard for
the Aggies to maintain the men
tal focus that Rawson said is so
important. Many, however, said
they are focused on winning the
championship for A&M.
“As bad as it sounds, I would
rather have a national trophy
than a 4.0.” Shiftier said.
Olympics
Continued from page 1 B
came from an unusual source,
former Olympic swimmer
Mark Spitz. The winner of
seven gold medals in 1972 told
the BBC last week he could see
circumstances that would force
the United States to pull out.
“I would say that about six
months ago it . was highly
unlikely,” Spitz, said, “but each
day as it goes on with current
world affairs it becomes more
probable than not that ongoing
conversations will take place
as to how important it is to put
athletes in harm’s way.”
The decision by Carter in
1980 to keep the U.S. team home
because the Soviet Union invad
ed Afghanistan was severely crit
icized in the Olympic move
ment. The Soviets retaliated in
1984 by boycotting the Los
Angeles Olympics.
Nine-time gold medal
sprinter and long juniper Carl
Lewis was one of those who
had to stay home.
“Absent some clear and
present danger, we should
never take that course of action
again,” Lewis said. '"Our ath
letes have been training for
much of their lives for this
very special moment. Let’s not
take that away from them.”
Three-time judo Olympian
Jimmy Pedro agreed.
"We've lost the fight for
freedom if we give in.” he said.
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