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Now that it is pretty obvious that Young will either not be on the Rangers or will no longer be the team leader on account of the fact that he HATES the Rangers right now, who needs to step up and be the next face of the franchise? Who needs to take over the role that Michael Young did so well for so many years. Don’t be mistaken into thinking that the role can go unfilled. It cannot. This team is young and they have counted on Young to provide them with leadership and direction for at least the past 5 seasons, probably more than that. He is a natural leader. So who will it be? I submit to you that it will be one of these 4 people.
Michael Young – I know what you are thinking. “He has lost his mind! The only reason that this piece is being written is because Michael Young is leaving!” Well, not so fast my friend. I have been looking over Young’s contract, and it is going to be a very difficult proposition to send Young packing to another team and not cost the franchise a fortune (remember how long we paid A-Rod to play for the Yankees?). The Rangers and Michael Young seem to be at an impasse, but that can change at any time. There have been players in the past that have been in similar situations with the organization that they spent so much time for, and somehow were able to patch it up with them and continue to do their job well. This could happen here. If Jon and Mike could sit down and decide that Michael staying on would be best for the team, and if the Rangers could convince Young that it would also be best for him, Young COULD stay around and be the team leader that he has been for all those years. I am not saying that this is the way I think it would happen, but what are we to do other than speculate. I think that if Jon Daniels and Michael Young could resolve their differences, Mike would stay and be happy. I think a happy Texas Ranger named Michael Young would be the best thing for the AL Champions. He is the team leader until he puts on another uniform; there is no doubt about that.
Josh Hamilton – He would be the clear frontrunner in my mind if it wasn’t for the contract dispute and possible arbitration that is going on right now with him. He is an inspirational person and a hard worker, and the team would follow Josh. The question is, if his contract goes to arbitration, will the relationship between Josh and the Rangers be so damaged that he also would be disillusioned and want to leave the fold and go elsewhere? Only time will tell. I still say they will get the job done on him and avoid arbitration, and then I think they will work out a 2 or 3 year extension to keep Josh in a Ranger uniform for a few more seasons. Josh has the heart, Josh has the passion, and he has the leadership skills needed to help lead this team to another AL West championship, the question is 1. Does he want to? And 2. Will someone else step up and take the role over before Josh? Again, only time will tell us if Josh will be the guy, but he would be a good on if you ask me.
C.J. Wilson – C.J. is a charismatic person, and he is fun to watch on the field with his focus and his talent, but does he have what it takes to be the team leader? I think he does. He loves to have fun, which is a serious trait of this team (did you like the little play on words there?), and when it is his turn to rumble, he is always ready to go. He is about to start his second season as a starter, and sometimes that catches up with pitchers who make the switch from bullpen to starting rotation. If C.J. begins to struggle in 2011, he would not be a good team leader, but, if he is as good as or better than 2010, I think that C.J. would make a great leader. He is outspoken, and he holds teammates to a high standard, just like he does himself, which is something that you want in a team leader. C.J. would get my vote as the front runner for the job.
Ian Kinsler – Health, health, health. Ian is most definitely a passionate player, and he is a good player, he is also someone that the team looks up to as a guy that can help them out. He has been a good friend to several players on the team, and everyone seems to really like him. But he has never had a full, healthy season. If Ian can make it through 2011 without any serious injury, he most likely will be that guy. It always seems to be an infielder, with some exceptions. Ian expects more from himself that anyone else expects from him, and he is really good on the offensive side as well as the defensive side of the ball. He likes to help teammates out and talk to teammates who are struggling at either the plate or in the field. Kinlser is good with the media, and he is well liked by the fans. I think that he will be the one to step up and take it over.
Now, the ideal thing would be for Young and Daniels to have a change of heart and realize that the best thing for the team is a happy, healthy, Rangery Michael Young. Since that is most likely never going to happen again, it is fun to speculate on who will be the next Michael Young for the Rangers, and then in a few years speculate who is going to take that guy’s place. I hope that the new ownership learns from this hug black eye, I am not sure yet they realize how hacked off the fans really are about the whole situation. So, if you guys are reading The Ranger Report on a regular basis, here is my advice: sometimes, it is okay to keep a guy for his skills OFF the field as much as his skills ON the field. After all, it was not just Michael’s glove that helped the team become AL Champions last season; it was also his leadership and his friendship with everyone. Without that, a repeat may be slowly fading away.
