"I don't care about Game 7, I'm trying to win Game 6." ~ Jack McKeon
I don't have a lot of time here, as the first pitch is in less than 5 minutes, so there isn't going to be a lot of statistical backing and what not - but for what it's worth, I wanted to point this out...
The Texas Rangers have had a great season. They removed the LA Angels as perennial division champions, have played great baseball, and won the first two games of this year's ALDS on the road in Tampa. I'd love to see them win, especially because they have the best chance to shut the Yankees up. That being said, what the heck is manager, Ron Washington, thinking!?
I just checked the starters for today's game and saw that Tommy Hunter is on the bump for the Rangers. Shouldn't that read, "Cliff Lee," in the paper? He threw on 3-days-rest all of last postseason, so there's no reason he can't do it this year. Going back to McKeon's quote, he said that about starting Josh Beckett on 3-days-rest in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series, while leading the Yankess 3-2. He wasn't going to "take it easy" in Game 6 to set up Beckett for Game 7. Why? Because anything can happen in a Game 7.
I have no doubt that Washington would be starting Cliff Lee if he was down 2-1, so why not start him when you are up 2-1 and can put the series away at home? Don't get me wrong, Tommy Hunter could pitch great today - but if he doesn't, yea you'll have Cliff Lee on the hill in Game 5, but it's still a final game, in the other team's ballpark, so anything can happen...even if Cy Young is pitching. Not to mention, if you go to Game 5 and win with Cliff Lee, you now lose him for Game 1 of the ALCS against the Yankees.
C'mon Ron, get with the program. And oh yea, good luck today...please prove me wrong.
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