Guess We Can’t Blame Mark Connor After All

It wasn't your fault, dude. Smile. Or not. Not that the Rangers made him out to be a scapegoat. And not that the move shouldn’t have been made. But since firing pitching coach Mark Connor the Rangers’ pitching is somehow even worse than terrible. Connor was canned Aug. 1. In...

By Richie Whitt

August 19, 2008

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

It wasn't your fault, dude. Smile. Or not.

Not that the Rangers made him out to be a scapegoat. And not that the move shouldn’t have been made.

But since firing pitching coach Mark Connor the Rangers’ pitching is somehow even worse than terrible. Connor was canned Aug. 1. In the 16 games since, the Rangers have coughed up 7.06 runs per game, including eight more in last night’s loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Again, it’s not interim pitching coach Andy Hawkins’ fault, either. Nolan Ryan himself couldn’t fix a staff when forced to trot out the likes of Scott Feldman, Dustin Nippert and Tommy Hunter.

Faced with the task of scoring seven runs per night, the Rangers’ offense finally ran out of magic this season. Since Marlon Byrd’s dramatic walk-off Grand Slam that beat the Yankees two weeks ago tonight, the Rangers have dropped 10 of 12 and out of the playoff chatter. Further evidence that the white flag is being unfurled, Ian Kinsler is now on the disabled list -- perhaps for the rest of the season -- with a sports hernia.

As much fun as Josh Hamilton has been this year, are you still sure you wouldn’t rather have this guy taking the ball every fifth day? -- Richie Whitt

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Dallas Observer has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.