What is going on with Darvish? He hasn't pitched well since the All-Star game.
Is the Texas heat getting to him or is it the 4 days of rest between starts (instead of five)?
He doesn't seem to be pitching with the life and confidence that he showed at the beginning of the year. I wonder if he's suffering from arm fatigue.
Also, it seems all he's throwing is fastballs and sliders. No curveballs, no cutters, no sinkers.
He and Holland better turn their game around or the Rangers are going to find themselves watching the World Series from their living room this year.

Here's a head scratcher:

One would think that you want to use your DH slot to get your best available bat in the game. Ron Washington thinks differently. After talking about working with rookie Mike Olt on his defense, he had this to say about using him when he’s not playing third base:

The skipper said he doesn’t want to use Olt as a designated hitter at this point.

“He’s too young to DH,” Washington said.

If Olt is too young to DH, then Wash is too old to manage.

In Japan, hitters swung at his junk out of he zone. Here, they take it. And I think he's getting tired, too.

What's going on with Darvish? Nothing - he's a typical Japanese pitcher. Is this really a surprise to anyone?

And don't call me Chicken little - Check out these posts which are all from before the season started: 24930.2 and 25007.18 and 25069.18 and 24958.1.

"In Japan, hitters swung at his junk out of he zone."

He is starting to get figured out. He will have to grow past the idea that he can get away here with what he got away with in Japan. He needs more deception, more surprises and more patience.

He's not done, he is learning.

I'm fairly certain that Washington meant that he prefers more experience, but RW's words can easily be misconstrued by drama queens.

You two might have a distant relative.

And you will never admit to being right, oh wait, you never are right.

How are your hated players doing, Elvis, Kinsler, Feldman?

Oh, come on, Olt is WAY too young to DH. Everyone knows this. Just like Trout and Harper are way too young to even play. Get with it, Nate.

Trout's looking great for a young player hitting and fielding. How do you gain experience if you don't let him play.

Excuse me if I don't take the time to review your preseason posts that will support your claim that what we are seeing from Yu Darvish right now is just what you predicted. I'll just take your word for how brilliant you are. Big hug and pat on the back for Whoopie.

I will just hold out hope the Darvish bashing will have a "Feldman effect" and he will have a stretch of brilliance himself. I'm making no predictions. I saw a stretch where he got better and better the deeper he went into a game and that is what I am hoping to see again.

He's 6' 5" tall and of mixed race. How is he typically Japanese? Why would anybody want to stereotype anybody in baseball based on race anyway?

You still have to have a position to play. I'd be willing to bet that if Mike Napoli wasn't such a bust Mike Olt wouldn't be in Arlington. Same thing with Trout, though he was definately ready....obviously. But if Wells and Bourjos were playing at all-star levels the Halos probably wouldn't have brought him up. Because he's so young, and there'd be little reason to start his free agency clock.

<Excuse me if I don't take the time to review your preseason posts that will support your claim that what we are seeing from Yu Darvish right now is just what you predicted. I'll just take your word for how brilliant you are. Big hug and pat on the back for Whoopie.>

You’re excused. It’s not a question of brilliance, however, it’s a question of seeing the obvious. Which, of course, many in the “popular crowd” here can’t or don’t do.

<He's 6' 5" tall and of mixed race. How is he typically Japanese?>

Wow, I never thought that his height or his Iranian father might make him not Japanese. I guess the fact that he was born in Habikino, Osaka (Japan), his mother is Japanese, he grew up in Japan, he speaks Japanese predominantly, and he played in the Japanese league isn’t enough. Yeah, makes perfect sense. (Aside: How come Obama is “the first black president” How come he isn’t “the first half-black president,” considering that he is of mixed race?)

<Why would anybody want to stereotype anybody in baseball based on race anyway?>

Oh, I don’t know, let me think . . . maybe because it’s just a fact of life? If you don’t agree, then please explain to me why only 8.5% of MLB players are black, when 14% of the population is black?

You know, political correctness is absurd. If you don’t agree, let me ask you another question: Would stereotyping anybody in the NBA based on race make any sense to you? If not, then please explain to me why over 80% of the NBA players are black, when only 14% if the general population is black? Is that just a statistical anomaly? (For those of you who are now going to scream racism or something, let me call your attention to the fact that this question is race-neutral and based simply on easily found statistics.)

If I had chosen to respond to Whoops little diatribe it might have looked something like this. I know he really slammed me to the canvas here, but here it is anyway.

Whoop: "What's going on with Darvish? Nothing - he's a typical Japanese pitcher. Is this really a surprise to anyone? "

Me: "He's 6' 5" tall and of mixed race. How is he typically Japanese? " (to most people the key word in my question would be "typically". I don't believe the question here is whether he is Japanese or not, in birth, language, or experience, and I don't think I even implied that it was.)

Whoop: "Wow, I never thought that his height or his Iranian father might make him not Japanese."

Okay, I think we can agree that he is Japanese. You think he is a typical Japanese pitcher and I disagree. Stay calm and pay attention to the exact words I say.

Whoop: "It’s not a question of brilliance, however, it’s a question of seeing the obvious. Which, of course, many in the “popular crowd” here can’t or don’t do."

Too bad that JD, the scouts , and the FO do not share your exquisite ability to "see the obvious" that Darvish is just a "typical Japanese pitcher". They could have saved $100M if they shared your gift. I guess they're as dumb as the "popular crowd" here, huh?

Me: "Why would anybody want to stereotype anybody in baseball based on race anyway?" (I thought that was a fair question, and really was my way of pointing out that baseball really is a melting pot of talent. Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, mixed race, did I leave anybody out? Truly great players from a wide variety of races and nationalities).

Whoop: "Oh, I don’t know, let me think . . . maybe because it’s just a fact of life? If you don’t agree, then please explain to me why only 8.5% of MLB players are black, when 14% of the population is black?"

Thank you for straightening me out on the race thing as it pertains to baseball, whoop. I was apparently suffering from some wrong thinking.

On to basketball, I guess.
Whoop: "Would stereotyping anybody in the NBA based on race make any sense to you?"

Generally speaking, in the U.S., a disproportionate percentage of top basketball players are black. I don't think it is racist to state a fact.

Dude Darvish blows he stinks. what is your problem?

Excellent post.

Dude thanks!