Don't look back, or ahead.
The Rangers played 52 series in 2008. Fewer than one-fifth (10 to be exact) were sweeps by one team or the other. Texas has completed 16 series this year. Seven have been sweeps. Freaky streaky. The better news is that among last year's 10 series sweeps, the Rangers prevailed only three times – a total that Texas has already surpassed with the five they've locked down this April and May. Brandon McCarthy (tonight, against Brett Anderson) and Kevin Millwood (tomorrow afternoon, against Dallas Braden) try to make it six. Four years ago today, Texas was enjoying a day off, following an 8-0 homestand that included two Chan Ho Park victories as well as wins over future Rangers Pedro Astacio and Brandon McCarthy. The Rangers would kick off a 12-day road trip with a win over the Tigers the next day, improving the club's record to 30-20 and putting it in first place in the West for the first time all year. Coming off the surprising 89-win season the year before, hopes were pretty high. But Texas proceeded to lose eight of 10, and two weeks later another eight of nine, and the season was basically over before the All-Star Break. The Rangers are now 10 games over .500 for the first time since that May 31, 2005 win in Detroit. McCarthy has a chance today to make it 11 straight, territory the franchise hasn't been in since that stunning summer of '04. But all those numbers can distract you from the real point. Michael Young and Hank Blalock are still around from that 2005 club, but that's it. C.J. Wilson and Scott Feldman would show up that season but not until after May. Frankie Francisco spent the year rehabbing. Josh Rupe wasn't with the club until the end of that season, and of course isn't around now. In pro ball, 2005 is ancient history. What's relevant is what has happened over the last few weeks. Texas is in the middle of a 19-8 May and has the American League's best record, second in baseball only to the Dodgers. The wins are piling up not because of three or four unconscious bats but because of consistently solid pitching and terrific defense, which are allowing the streaks of offense to make a difference. There are flaws on this team – particularly several capable hitters that need to get going and a bullpen that's getting it done but could really use another shutdown arm – but the track record of the hitters and the position this organization is in to make a trade or two each allow us to think that this attack could get even better, and this thing could last for a while. The Rangers are heading toward a huge test – about to face baseball's best team (the Dodgers) and three of the four next-best teams in the AL (New York, Boston, and Toronto) in a 13-game stretch that follows tomorrow's day off – and at the end of that stretch we're going to know a lot more. But just as looking back to 2005 is sort of a silly exercise, looking ahead to June is something for the coaching staff and front office to do. You and I can buckle up for tonight and tomorrow against the A's, a chance to put yet another sweep on the books, and enjoy this. =========================================================== To join the free Newberg Report mailing list so you can get e-mail deliveries of every edition of the newsletter, daily minor league game recaps, and frequent Newberg Report News Flashes, go to www.newbergreport.com and click the "Mailing List" link on the top menu bar. (c) Jamey Newberg http://www.newbergreport.com Twitter @newbergreport If you want to be removed from this list, please e-mail me at newbergreport@sbcglobal.net