….really, I can.

And with a couple of months under our belt, I have to admit that I might be wrong about this.

I have to admit to quite a bit of pleasant surprise at this year’s Texas Rangers so far. Didn’t see it coming. Really didn’t.

Seems to me that there have been BIG improvements in pitching this year…exactly the kinds of improvements that I’ve been screaming about for ten years. (As has every other real fan…)

I probably should not have been surprised by some of it. I mean, having Nolan Ryan around has *got* to rub off on your pitchers somehow. And, if nothing else, he’s brought a new seriousness to their training, and that almost always pays off eventually.

Then, there’s new Pitching Coach Mike Maddux, who has also clearly made a difference as this DMN story shows.

I have to say, I never doubted that the Rangers would *eventually* improve their staff. I just didn’t see how that would happen this year. But it clearly has.

In my defense may I remind you of the old expression:

“Fool me once, shame on you.”
“Fool me every single summer since 1972, shame on me.”

OK, so that’s a paraphrase. But you get my drift. I have good reason to be skeptical, and you’ve got to grant me that.

And, of course, it’s still early. June is not September. June is not even the All Star Break.

So, for those of you who got on my case when I called for a boycott of the Rangers, I’m not yet ready to concede defeat. But I will promise that I’ll happily admit to being wrong if that’s what it comes to this October.

Happily.