Washington, Texas Ranger

Everyone who thought that more than 50 games into the MLB season the Texas Rangers would be in first place in the American League West raise your hand. Now keep your hand up if you thought they would be fighting for the best record in the American League. No one? Not one? That's what I expected.

And they're doing it without Josh Hamilton. The all-star center-fielder has been on and off the DL most of the season so far, and is about to miss 4-6 weeks for surgery to repair a torn muscle in his abdominal region.

The Rangers are 33-24 and have a 4 game lead in the American League West, and are just one game behind the Yankees for the best record in the American League.

Manager Ron Washington was on the hot seat going in to the season. He was the first Rangers manager in 30 years to enter a season without a guaranteed contract for the next season. He has now slowly worked his way off of that hot seat, for at least one more year.

The Rangers decided to pick up Ron Washington's contract option for the 2010 season. Washington was hired before Nolan Ryan took over as team president and there were speculations that the two butted heads.

But Nolan Ryan knows good baseball, and his Rangers are certainly playing it this season. He had other choice than to pick up Washington's contract option. The Rangers are clicking on all cylinders, even attendance is actually decent in Arlington this year.

That should have been enough to keep Washington around. But the Rangers often seem to start strong then slowly fade away. As a Rangers fan I know this all too well. But they have usually started to fade by now. But they proved they are here to stay in the last week. They went 3-3 on a grueling road trip to Boston and New York that could have been disastrous, but they kept their cool and made a .500 trip out of it.

I hope the Rangers are here to stay. Hopefully guys like Michael Young, Ian Kinsler, and Josh Hamilton will make it into the all-star game this year. Fan voting often hurts the small market Rangers, but the show that Hamilton put on in the Home Run Derby last year has earned him a great deal of respect, and if the all-star game started tomorrow, he would be voted in by the fans.

Baseball is a marathon though, and the Rangers have sprinted out to an early lead, we'll have to wait and see if they can keep it up.