Rangers lacking arms

The Texas Rangers started their season off on the slow side last night with a 8-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics.

The Rangers’ No. 1 pitcher, the new guy, Chan Ho Park, didn’t look like he could be the leading reliever from the bullpen for my high school team.

Those hanging curve balls are not that tough to plant outside the ballpark, and Athletics outfielder David Justice, at the ripe age of 53, did just that.

The Rangers, much like the other Tom Hicks-owned franchise, the Dallas Stars, are struggling to find a way to become contenders again.

Last year, everyone thought that the Rangers were going to be serious contenders with their off-season acquisitions. Unfortunately, the team decided to rest at the bottom of the American League West the entire season.

Hicks tried to make some changes in the off-season by getting rid of general manager Doug Melvin. He brought in former Cleveland Indians general manager John Hart, who is known for building solid franchises.

The team acquired outfielder Carl Everett and pitcher John Rocker within a two-week span. Anyone who hasn’t been following baseball in the past couple of years should know that these two guys are on the most wanted list in Major League Baseball.

Hart’s search for a true No. 1 pitcher fell on Chan Ho Park. The next signing was Hideki Irabu, another pitcher who has a less than impressive resume.

It shocked me that the Rangers couldn’t bring in any strong starting pitchers. The team is behind every other team in the division and most in the league in the category of quality pitching.

I sure do love how the team has a powerhouse lineup, and the guy with the first RBI is a rookie who was productive in his first at-bat. Everett did his part in the top of the ninth when he hit a two-run homerun to close the gap with the Athletics.

Some of the power hitters looked a little old last night. Juan Gonzalez looked like he might have needed to borrow some tips from the newest Viagra spokesperson Rafael Palmeiro.

Even though the Rangers don’t look like contenders right now, I hope that throughout the season they continue to improve and build up their confidence.

On a serious note, for those of you who don’t know, former Rangers manager Johnny Oates is battling cancer.

At the Baltimore Orioles home- opener, the former manager threw out the first pitch. It was very moving. I have been a fan of baseball for as long as I can remember, and this could be the greatest moment that I have ever witnessed.

Johnny Oates is a great individual, and I hope and pray that he and his family find strength and love in their time together.

Top 10 reasons the Rangers won’t contend for the pennant

1. Pitching is less than satisfactory.

2. John Rocker and Carl Everett will kill each other.

3. Chan Ho Park is not a No. 1 pitcher.

4. The assistant manager has more experience than the manager.

5. Palmeiro can’t seem to run the bases.

6. Rocker won’t take DART to the game.

7. Since when did black become a team color?

8. Tom Hicks will fire the manager in the middle of the season.

9. Rocker is the team’s closer right now.

10. Did we mention the pitching still stinks?