behind the dugout

Cancel all you can eat nights, Rangers sign Ponson

By john • Mar 9th, 2008 • Category: sidney ponson, texas rangers

They don’t call it Surprise, Arizona for nothing but then again expecting the Texas Rangers staff that contains Kevin Millwood, Jason Jennings, Vicinte Padilla and Brandon McCarthy to stay healthy for a month would have been more of a miracle.

McCarthy who came over in a deal with the Chicago White Sox for John Danks has been hit with injuries from the moment he became a member of the Rangers. The most recent was shoulder inflamation that will cause him to miss 4-6 weeks.

The solution…. the Rangers signed RHP Sidney Ponson to a minor league contract.

I’ll be watching the Rangers a ton this year as they are in the local market but I can only hope for their sake and mine that his arrival is too late for him to be considered a serious replacement.

Aside from all his off the field trouble, and his weight one thing should remain. Ponson is not very good, heck he’s not even bad. He’s awful.

Last season Ponson was 2-5 with a 6.93 ERA in seven starts for the Minnesota Twins before being released. He’s listed at 6′1″ and 258 pounds according to his last stint in the majors but I’m not sure I’m beliving that.

His best year came in 2003 when he won 17 games splitting time between Baltimore and San Fransisco. The Rangers can’t be expecting him to pitch 200 innings but I’ll also mention he’s met that mark just four times in his career.

In a career that has spanned 10 seasons his career line is 82-101 with a 4.94 ERA in 259 career games, including 245 starts, with the Orioles, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees and Twins.

And for the record, no the photo to the right is not stretched.