Think the 132 pitches Edwin Jackson threw yesterday was a lot? It was...the last Tiger pitcher to throw that many pitches in a game was knuckleballer Steve Sparks, in 2002. The last non-knuckleballing Tiger to throw that many pitches was Felipe Lira, in 1996.
People are starting to pay attention to the Rangers. Yahoo's Stan McNeal says that the Rangers aren't going to wilt this summer, and emphasizes the Rangers improvement in their pitching and defense.
Jeff Passan says that Jake Peavy made the smart move in rejecting a trade to the ChiSox, a team with an aging offense that doesn't appear well positioned to contend long-term. Passan also says that Texas would be a perfect fit for a trade, if Peavy would just waive his no-trade to come here.
Buster Olney calls Peavy's contract an "albatross," which is surprising, given that not long ago his contract was one of the things that made Peavy such an attractive trade target.
There is more of a trade market right now than you normally see before Memorial Day, although Peter Gammons says that makes sense, given the players.
Over at FanGraphs, R.J. Anderson has a preview of Derek Holland's start today.
Yahoo's Power Rankings have the Rangers at #11 in the majors.
BP's Hit List has the Rangers coming in at #7.
Joe Sheehan did a chat session yesterday, and suggested that Justin Smoak and Neftali Feliz could both be in the top 5 prospects in baseball this offseason. I'm starting to think that we'll see Feliz up by early July, and he may get enough innings to wipe out his eligibility this year.
Edinson Volquez is on the d.l., and Will Carroll says he has a back strain, not back spasms, that will likely keep him out more than the 15 day minimum. Carroll also found John Lackey's return (his five inning out, not the aborted start against Texas) underwhelming.
Jayson Stark says the players don't enjoy interleague play. I don't care for it, either. I think it exists so that MLB can have Mets/Yanks and ChiSox/Cubs two weekends a year...everything else is basically filler.
In the latest blogs vs. MSM dustup, blogger Big Blue Shoe from SBN's own Colts blog acquits himself very well in this radio interview where he's being scolded and mocked by a radio host and an Indianapolis columnist because...well, as best as I can tell, they are offended he blogs under the name "Big Blue Shoe" (because if you don't put your real name on what you write, you can't be held accountable, apparently) and doesn't spend any time in the locker room.