Mathis: Darn well worth it.
Texas vs. Boston: 5-1 Texas vs. Angels: 7-2 Texas vs. Seattle: 6-3 Texas vs. Tampa Bay: 3-0 Texas vs. White Sox: 4-2 I said this on Twitter an inning into Doug Mathis's effort tonight: "[Dustin] Nippert may pitch for 8 teams before he's done. He'll play for a bunch of bad teams. Doug Mathis, on the other hand, will pitch for winners." I have very little doubt that, when Texas is engaged in trade talks over the next week and a half, Mathis's name will come up. His ceiling may be that of a back-of-the-rotation guy, and he'll never be the centerpiece of an impact trade, but someone is going to try and make him the Kason Gabbard of a multi-player Rangers package this month. I doubt they'll succeed. I don't mean to overlook what Nippert did tonight. He came up absolutely huge, and has more raw tools than Mathis and maybe half his pitching staff teammates. When Nippert executes with that toolbox, like he did tonight, he can be a quality big league pitcher that dominates from time to time. But when Mathis pitches like that, with command and pace and movement and aggressiveness, he's the one I have an easier time envisioning when I blur my eyes and imagine what the 2011 pitching staff will look like. Other Twitter comments from tonight, for those of you not "following": "Rangers offense forcing more 20 pitch innings...where did this come from? More, please." "I've never said 'I heart' anything. But I heart our shortstop. At age 20, he may be the team's truest 'baseball player.' What a future." The Angels anger me. Time for the Rangers to take tomorrow off, get some rest and take some vitamins, and then go punish Kansas City for their late-inning ineptitude against the Halos. Stated another way, it's time for us to go beat up on a bad team the way we've smacked some of the league's best teams around this season. =========================================================== 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