Just because Texas Rangers will open up Globe Life Field doesn’t mean it will be full
It was about time the Texas Rangers made some news this spring, other than all those home runs Joey Gallo has been hitting.
Word of Jonathan Hernandez’s bothersome elbow arrived Tuesday. That would be much bigger news if the Rangers were actually planning to contend this season.
The lunchtime news drop Wednesday, though, made loud noise around baseball.
The Rangers are planning to open Globe Life Field to full capacity, beginning March 29 for an exhibition against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Thoughts on that can be found below.
All the while, the Rangers have been playing ballgames each day since the latest edition of the Surprise Five. If not for Andy Ibanez’s single Thursday with two outs in the seventh, they would have been no-hit by the Oakland A’s in a seven-inning game.
Here’s the Surprise Five (via Tarrant County) from the past few days.
Globe Life Field opens up
The loudest voices have spoken the past few weeks and past 24 hours, and pretty everyone in range has heard them:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is an idiot for ending the state mask mandate — the president of the United States said something to that effect — and now the Texas Rangers will be sending people to the hospital or worse for opening Globe Life Field to 100% capacity.
Is that an accurate account?
Never mind that businesses can still impose their own mask requirements, as the Rangers are doing, and that the hospitalization numbers are heading the right way and that more and more people are getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
So after 12 months of being held hostage by a worldwide pandemic most people still use common sense when it comes to daring to leave their homes.
The Rangers have what they feel is ample evidence, including fans wearing masks at past Globe Life Field events, to support their belief they can safely pack a ballpark.
And they also know this: Just because 40,518 fans can go to every game doesn’t mean 40,518 fans will be at every game.
In other words, people have the choice to not attend a Rangers game.
“We still believe we can do 100%,” said president of baseball operations Neil Leibman, a key member in the ownership group. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to have 100% occupancy at our stadium. That means we’re allowed to have 100% occupancy. There will be fans just don’t make the opening game, fans that decide not to come.”
Maybe the loudest voices end up being proven right this time. They believed the MLB playoffs in October and the National Finals Rodeo in December and the NFL and college football seasons would be super-spreader events, yet they went off without the massive problems that many predicted.
Maybe the critics are loudest because they want to see their friends and family after hunkering down the past 12 months and fear an outbreak will delay that. Maybe they live with people at high risk, or are high-risk themselves, and can’t run the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
Remaining extremely vigilant is their choice. They probably wouldn’t have gone to games at, say, even just 25% capacity.
And more power to them and anyone who wants to make their own decisions.
But that also goes for fans who, after 12 months of captivity, are ready to attend a ballgame shoulder to shoulder, wearing a mask, with 40,000 other people.
Gallo still crushing them
The Joey Gallo Home Run Tracker is up to five this spring. He’s the MLB spring leader in homers and total bases, and again has manager Chris Woodward saying Gallo could be one of the game’s best players.
All it will take is more consistent contact, which is no small if when it comes to Gallo.
He’s still going to strike out a ton, but he feels as if he’s in a position to make harder contact when he does connect. He also believes that his daily routine, from cage work to batting practice to the games, has made him better at the plate and is sustainable.
“I feel like I’m in a really good spot right now,” Gallo said. “I think it’s just a product of the work I put in in the offseason with the hitting coaches and just trying to get back to being a little more on top of the ball and stop lifting it so much.”
Gallo said the success is rooted in a better approach, trying to hit line drives up the middle, and standing more upright at the plate than last season.
“When I was swinging at the ball I was almost crouched,” he said. “I wasn’t able to create that backspin and leverage. I’m just trying to be relaxed and take my at-bats. It’s a combination of a lot of things right now.”
How does he keep it up for the regular season?
“Just keep doing what I’m doing,” he said. “I’m not overthinking at all. I’m being consistent in my work.”
Benjamin makes his case
Put left-hander Wes Benjamin on the Rangers’ Opening Day roster.
He can throw multiple innings, either as a starter or a reliever or both. He attacks hitters in the strike zone and can adjust to effective off-speed pitches if hitters start to ambush his fastball.
And Woodward loves him.
“I’m not afraid to say that: Yes, he’s definitely pitching his way onto our roster,” Woodward said. “He’s still got to keep going, and we’re going to evaluate these guys every time out. But he does most of the things we talk about. This is what we want our guys to look like.”
Benjamin made his MLB debut last season at age 27. It was a long road for him, one that started with him having Tommy John surgery before the Rangers drafted him in the fifth round in 2014.
He’s willing to do whatever the Rangers ask, and they could ask him to start in their funky rotation. He could be part of a piggyback situation behind another young pitcher trying to carve out a future role with the Rangers.
His stuff isn’t overpowering, but it took a leap in 2019 at Triple A Nashville and proved to be serviceable last year in the first 22 1/3 innings of his career.
“I’d love to be in the game as much as possible and help this team win however I can,” Benjamin said. “They’ve seen what I could do last year. I’m not going to try to do too much, and they know what I’m capable of and what I’m going to bring to the table.
“I told Woody three things: I’m going to throw strikes, I’m going to leave our team in contention to win, and I’m going to compete. If that’s something he’s into and wants me to fill a starting role, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Arihara improves
Kohei Arihara apparently is allowed to pitch against only the Chicago teams.
He opened spring training with a start against the White Sox, who roughed him up, and faced the Cubs on Monday.
It went much, much better.
Arihara allowed one run in three innings and threw only 31 pitches despite some lousy defense behind him. He maintained his poise, as veterans do, and made an adjustment between starts to improve his control.
He wasn’t wild in his first start, but was just missing and fell behind hitters. That wasn’t the case against the Cubs.
Here’s another reason Arihara was better: He wasn’t as anxious.
It’s a big deal for a pitcher from Japan to appear in an MLB uniform for the first time, even in a spring game. The second time, it appears, is a piece of cake.
“I was definitely excited last week, and it didn’t turn out as I wanted to,” Arihara said. “This game, I think was able to go into the game prepared and calm, and I think that led to good results.”
The right-hander said that his control was better and he was able to command all of his pitches. Woodward didn’t think he was too far off in his first start.
“If that first outing is representative of him being a little wild, I think we’re in great shape,” Woodward said.
Rangers link-a-licious
Lots of content is up at the Star-Telegram’s Rangers page, and new stuff is posted every day. Trust me on that.
If you’ve missed it, that’s fine. Life is a bear sometimes.
But these links will allow you to catch up.
Injury shuffles Rangers’ bullpen.
Is that an ax Isiah Kiner-Falefa was swinging?
Playing time not guaranteed for Willie Calhoun.
Have questions? We have answers.
This story was originally published March 12, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
