We get it, David Murphy fans. David Murphy is a really nice guy and seems awfully likeable, but you have to wonder what took Rangers manager Ron Washington so long to give Craig Gentry a chance to play every day.
Remember back to Cactus League play when Gentry was tearing it up, along with then-unproven Leonys Martin. As the season wore on, Martin quickly established himself as the starting center fielder and Gentry was relegated to being a fourth outfielder and a backup to Murphy in left field.
Those days are long gone, and it's been a necessary catalyst for a Rangers offense that needed everything it could get.
Gentry has now made nine straight starts for the Rangers, has gone 9-for-23 with three RBIs and has scored seven runs. He's also putting tons of pressure on the opposing pitchers with his stolen bases and just the constant threat of him taking off on any given pitch. Then, of course, there was the big outfield assist at home on Thursday in the Rangers' first of four wins over the Angels, a one-run victory.
Gentry's two-run single in the fifth inning Sunday gave the Rangers a lead and continued that spark he's provided in such heavy doses over the past week and a half. If the Rangers get their wishes, it's only just the beginning.
