Doug Davis and Ryan Glynn could make up for what the Rangers missed in the 1996 draft. And Dickey likely will get a chance soon to show that changing speeds and keeping the ball down in the strike zone can still win in the American League. Davis should eventually be good and perhaps Glynn will straighten things out as well, but the Rangers want to win now. What Glynn is going through is no different than what Kenny Rogers went through in 1993 when he was struggling to establish himself as a major-league starter. But fans and media grow impatient, especially when the Seattle Mariners are running away with the division.
Patience is a virtue Impatience can be a problem.
Most likely he would be run out of town, but the Oakland Athletics stayed with Gil Heredia in 1999, and he ended up winning 13 games that season and 15 more for a division winner in 2000. Perhaps the one legitimate second-guess is taking first baseman Carlos Pena with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 draft. The Rangers haven't developed many pitchers, but Melvin has made up for it by trading for them. And don't forget the Burkett, Helling and Sele deals. Yet, the perception persists that the Rangers have never had enough pitching, and the problems they're having this season lead people to believe that team management has been totally inept in that regard.