Rangers fans over the years have been treated to some pretty fine outfield arms.
Going all the way back to the days of Juan Gonzalez gunning people down from right field, to more recently seeing Nelson Cruz do the same and then Leonys Martin leading the league in outfield assists this year from center field before being demoted for his poor play at the plate.
On Monday night, the Rangers got another dynamite outfield throw, and it was from an unlikely source.
Shin-Soo Choo has never been known for his arm, and quite frankly, he's make many more low-light plays this year in the field than highlight-reel plays. Yet, on Monday when his team was in a tie game with a runner on third in the seventh inning, Choo saved the day.
Choo chased down a line drive for one out, turned and fired home to nail Logan Morrison at home in what was arguably the best throw from a Rangers' outfielder this year. It got there in a hurry, and it was right where it needed to be. It saved the day for Cole Hamels, getting him out of the seventh inning in a tie game instead of on the hook for a loss. It also extended the Rangers' winning streak to five games on a night that the Houston Astros lost.
It was a big boy play from Choo, who's been the Rangers' best hitter since the all-star break after an awful first half. Now, that play is carrying over into the field, and that's a huge development for the Rangers.
“I think we are seeing him play with confidence,” said manager Jeff Banister. “We are seeing him play the brand of baseball that we need and we are seeing him smile when he does it. That play gave us the opportunity to win the game late. If we don’t get that, it’s a whole different ballgame.”
