The DH in the American League

Our hero

That, friends, is why Derek Holland, barring injury, should be in the Texas Rangers starting rotation for the rest of the season.

In his most brilliant performance as a professional baseball player, Holland escorted the hapless Seattle Mariners behind the woodshed, broke out a paddle and went to town:

8.2 IP - 2 hits - 1 ER - 1 BB - 10 K - 118 pitches

If you enjoy the Rangers and that doesn't get you going, nothing will.

And this is the product of one thing: Patience.

Three years ago, if Edison Volquez had done what Holland had one (see: struggled as a starter) then he would've been shipped down to Oklahoma City and maybe pulled back up in September to make a couple of starts and the whole process would've started again in 2010, for Volquez, in Oklahoma City.

GM Jon Daniels and president Nolan Ryan have brought an entirely different mindset to this team and it's based on patience and the hope that the No. 1 farm system in the universe will cough up a half dozen winners and make the Major League franchise a contender for the next decade.

For 10 years, Rangers fans have had their hearts ripped out time after time as prospects are shipped out or never given a true shot. No more.

Holland, Tommy Hunter, Scooter Feldman and others are here until their arms fall off or their ERA reaches infinity.

Notes:
1. Good to see Warner Madrigal back. He was absolutely abusing Triple A hitting.

2. Mike Young has hits in nine of his last 10 games. He has three hits in five of his last 10 and four three-hit nights in his last six. He hasn't hit the ball this well since 2005. Maybe.

3. The Rangers 3-5 hitters: 6-12 - 3 RBI - 2 homers.

4. Jarrod Saltalamacchia looks way better at the plate as of late. His strikeouts are down and he's hitting a little.

5. Andruw Jones' last 10 games: 11 BBs, 6 Ks. Again, what has amazed me most about the guy this season is his plate discipline. He's never been this way in his career.

6. The Rangers are 19-8 against the AL West. And 35-20 at home.