ARLINGTON, Texas — It's hard to believe, but the Texas Rangers used to lose a lot of these Opening Day games. Even with a four-game winning streak heading into Friday's opener, they still had lost of nine of their last 14 Day 1 outings.
But those struggles felt like ancient history in the aftermath of a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday. This has turned into perhaps the best annual sporting event in the metroplex. It certainly beats the hell out of anything that takes place down the street in the fall.
On Friday, the tailgaters started arriving at 8 a.m. to claim the best spots. And it didn't take them long to return to the parking lots because the game was played in a crisp 2 hours, 24 minutes. Bud Selig should make the Red Sox and Yankees review the tape of Friday's game before the start of every series.
About an hour before first pitch, Rangers president Nolan Ryan left former President George W. Bush unattended and slipped into the visiting clubhouse to exchange pleasantries with Chicago manager Robin Ventura. As hard as it is to believe, the two men hadn't crossed paths since that fateful evening in 1993 when Ventura took exception to being plunked and charged the mound. The 46-year-old Ryan famously pounded him into submission. It was probably the most iconic moment in the history of the Rangers organization, although back-to-back World Series trips have made it a bit less relevant.
That Ryan made the visit with no cameras around should surprise no one. The Rangers completely ignored my idea to re-enact the incident during the first-pitch ceremony. But then, they tend to ignore a lot of my ideas.
The Rangers commemorated the start of their 40th season by recognizing a lot of the players from the past. Dick Bosman took the mound in the Rangers' first Opening Day on April 21, 1972, and he was on hand to throw out the first pitch Friday. Earlier, the Rangers had introduced dozens of former players and managers who entered the field from the visiting bullpen. Rusty Greer, Mark McLemore and Pete O'Brien all drew loud ovations.
You know it had to be a little annoying for the White Sox to stand along the third-base line and watch about 20 minutes worth of introductions. But finally it was time to play ball at 1:08 p.m.
The best big-game pitcher in the history of the organization, Colby Lewis, took the mound and promptly gave up a single to Alejandro De Aza. With the help of Yorvit Torrealba's arm, Lewis escaped that inning and found a great rhythm. He spotted his fastball well (mostly in the high 80s) and baffled White Sox hitters with a wicked slider and a good change-up. His nine strikeouts tied Ryan's club record for an Opening Day start.
Lewis gave up two runs in the sixth inning and no one would've blamed manager Ron Washington for pulling him in favor of Alexi Ogando with two outs, a runner on second and slugger Dayan Viciedo strolling to the plate. Instead, Washington trusted in his most reliable starter, a man who needs a hip replacement sooner than later.
"He deserved to finish that inning off," Washington said. "I was thinking about how he'd pitched well enough to see if he could get out of that inning. And he did. He rewarded us."
Michael Young rewarded Lewis with a one-out RBI single to left field to put the Rangers up, 3-2. Washington then turned to pitcher Alexi Ogando to silence the White Sox in the seventh inning. He was lighting up the radar guns with the velocity you normally expect from closers (97-98 mph). He struck out the side and he certainly could've gone another inning. But Washington elected to go with Mike Adams in the eighth inning and 37-year-old Joe Nathan was called upon in the ninth.
The strategy worked to perfection as Nathan put aside some of his spring training anxiety and retired the side in order. He admitted after the game to having some serious butterflies as he jogged toward the mound.
Nathan connected with his new teammates immediately in spring training. And that's why he didn't want to let them down on his first official day on the job. The Rangers couldn't truly commit to Nefty Feliz as a starter last year because they didn't have a viable option at closer. But they acted quickly this past offseason to sign Nathan. Mike Maddux and Washington didn't flinch when Nathan was struggling in spring training because they believed in his track record.
The Rangers also received command performances from two players who have been in the news because of their contract situations. Ian Kinsler doubled in the first inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Josh Hamilton. Then Kinsler put the Rangers up, 2-0, with a home run to left field off former Texas pitcher John Danks in the third inning.
Kinsler, who said before Friday's game that he was "disappointed" he didn't get a contract finalized before the season, showed his immense value at the top of the order. He's shortened his swing a little bit heading into this season to produce more line drives. And if he stays healthy, there's no reason why he can't have another 30-homer, 30-stolen base season. He's a core player for the Rangers, and that's why he'll never see free agency.
All in all, it was pretty much a perfect day for the Rangers. Now, let's see how they do in this 161-game stretch.
