Most fans or writers or bloggers, going into a new baseball season, pick a player on their favorite team or team they cover that will have a huge year. Or, they pick a player that will emerge from the pack to contribute to the team that may be unexpected. It’s no different for my friends and I. Every year, we pick a “difference maker” or “impact player” or (sorry) “pick to click.” The joke around here is that I pick Leonys Martin every year. I’m somewhat of a Leonys apologist, but his ceiling has yet to be reached and I’m stubborn enough to continue that path and think he’ll get there soon, except for this year. Next year, I’ll probably go back to Leonys, to the shock of my friends.
Coming into 2015, you can pick upwards of 11 or 12 players to be impactful. From Prince Fielder coming off his injury to Yu Darvish to Derek Holland and on and on and on. There is more uncertainty coming into the upcoming season than I ever remember in my time covering or watching the Texas Rangers. With so many injuries, young and untested players like Ryan Rua and new faces like Yovani Gallardo and Ross Detwiler, we simply don’t know exactly what to expect. Some people think the Rangers will struggle and finish 4th or even last. Some think they’ll finish 2nd or 3rd. Not many think they have a shot as the division title. Usually I have a pretty good idea of where this team stands, and for the first time, I really have no clue. 2009 brought uncertainty, but we knew that young team had promise. This year is so much different.
The fact is, for the Rangers to be successful in 2015, they all need to be impactful. All of the injured players need to come back healthy and perform to their expectations, save for Martin Perez and Matt Harrison, who won’t be back until midseason-ish. Elvis Andrus, Fielder, Darvish, Rua, Leonys and countless others are the key. Not just one, but all. A down year from a combination of two or more players would be a major disappointment and something that could be unrecoverable.
There is one man that could hold the key to the season for Texas. That’s the new manager Jeff Banister. “Banny” can’t go hit or pitch for the team but he can keep the players loose and involved. From what we’ve seen from the outside looking in, Banister looks to be a player’s manager, but one with discipline as well. Most of us have seen the story about the trials and tribulations that Jeff Banister has gone through to get to the position he’s in today. He’s a better person and one with tremendous determination having gone through cancer and a severe neck injury. That kind of guy, can have a great impact on a baseball club. We have yet to know what Jeff can do as a manager, but from all the interviews, it seems like he is a guy who is totally supportive of his players but with an expectation of hard work and giving 100% every night. Pardon that horrible, overused cliche but it’s all I have at the moment. Jeff Banister’s motto is “Never Ever Quit” which is something that a team in this position should rally around.
There is something to Jeff Banister. Tim Bogar lost the manager job to him out of the blue. Bogar had an eye opening September and had the team pointed in the right direction, to the point they helped eliminate the Braves from the playoffs. Banister did none of that. What he did do was come in here and dominate the interview process. He’s dominated every interview and he’s got the fans on his side. Sure, we can go to the point that a manager is as good as his talent. It’s proven. It’s also proven that a manager can ruin a team. Bobby Valentine proved that in Boston and former players have come out about his time in Texas.
Jeff Banister, in my mind is the right man for the job. I think he’ll be just fine. He’ll have Boo (Steve Buechele) as the bench coach and Mike Maddux as his pitching coach. It’s rarely about one man, as a team and coaching staff and players get the job done. The teams with Wash portrayed his attitude on the field. This team will do the same for Jeff Banister. There is uncertainty. We all get that.
The old saying is “this team will go as far as the pitching will take them.” That’s true, but behind the scenes, there is a support staff that gives those pitchers confidence. Jeff Banister heads that committee. Jeff Banister will get this done. #NeverEverQuit
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