Choo’s on base streak provides reason to watch Rangers
By Ben Davila
Now more than ever, the Texas Rangers resemble some truly awful teams from my childhood. Shin-Soo Choo keeps it somewhat interesting, though.
In true 2018 Texas Rangers’ fashion, they blew a promising 4-1 lead yesterday en route to a 6-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Of course, this loss did nothing to improve or hinder this team’s short-term chances. That boat has long since sailed. It was simply another loss in a forgettable season.
However, if you’ve been paying attention, you’re well aware of a pretty remarkable streak by one Shin-Soo Choo. The Rangers’ designated hitter drew a leadoff walk in his first at-bat yesterday to extend his on-base streak to a league-leading 51 games. He would tack on two hits and another walk later, but the drama had long been dispatched. The streak lives for another day.
In reality, the streak will carry over for the next several days. Yesterday’s loss signaled the symbolic end of the first half of the season as the entirety of Major League Baseball hit the All-Star break. And wouldn’t you know it, Shin-Soo Choo will be in attendance for the first time in his major league career.
The fact that it’s his first All-Star Game struck me as a bit of a surprise. I figured he must’ve gotten there at some point prior to his stop in Texas. Nevertheless, his inclusion in this year’s midsummer classic is a fitting tribute to his career.
More from Sports Dallas Fort-Worth
- Why the Dallas Cowboys wisely decided against signing Dalvin Cook
- West coast, Texas coast, burnt toast: Cowboys don’t need more runs
- Brandin Cooks will change the way defenses play the Dallas Cowboys
- Why the Dallas Cowboys defensive X-Factor is EDGE Sam Williams
- Dallas Cowboys: 3 head coach options if McCarthy fails in 2023
There’s also some kind of weird cosmic symmetry in there somewhere. At the time of his signing, he was touted as an on-base machine with a fairly decent amount of power.
While he flashed that potential several times in the past five seasons, consistency always evaded him.
The injury bug also bit him a few times. It all added up to a series of fits and starts that made his contract heavily outweigh his production.
Consequently, it made him a lightning rod among the fans and pundits alike. This year, though, he’s on pace to shatter his marks for batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS. He’s also got a shot to post a personal best in home runs.
It’s fitting that Choo is finally reaping the rewards for his efforts. What we’re seeing is nothing short of a clinic in how to reach base. Aside from all the launch angle hoopla we hear about, getting on base and being a constant pain to opposing defenses is what baseball is all about, and Choo has embodied that during his streak.
Next: Dallas Cowboys: Five reasons Dak Prescott will be GREAT in 2018
Now, the timing of this career renaissance is off. It’d be a lot nicer if this dovetailed with a run to the division championship and a playoff appearance. But that isn’t in the cards for this year’s Rangers’ team, and that’s not Choo’s fault.
As it was in several stretches of my youth, we’re left grasping for nuggets of positivity in yet another scorched and barren Texas summer. But you can bet I’m watching the All-Star Game tomorrow night wearing my Choo foam finger.