Roy Oswalt Wins Texas Rangers Debut, Pitches Into 7th Inning

Roy Oswalt was a free agent for the first time this offseason. Things didn’t turn out as he might have imagined.

Teams showed only luke warm interest in Oswalt, who had struggled with back issues in 2011. Oswalt didn’t help his own case much, either. Not only did he want to pitch for a contender, but he also wanted to stay close to his home in Mississippi.

It may have taken a bit longer than he would have hoped, but things appear to have worked out perfectly for the Wizzard of Os.

Oswalt insisted that he was staying in shape in case the right situation presented itself. Tonight, in his first start with the Texas Rangers, he looked like he was in mid-season form.

The 34-year-old held the Colorado Rockies to one run over 6 2/3 innings, throwing 110 pitches in the process. He struck out six and walked just one batter. He did give up nine hits, but it was a pretty impressive performance for a guy who took off the first two months of the season.

Oswalt did make four starts in the minor leagues, gearing up to return to The Show, but he only threw 15 1/3 innings. He’s clearly ready to help Texas try to get back to a third-straight World Series, and will provide a veteran presence in the Rangers rotation full of mostly 20-somethings.

In this week’s www.RantSports.com MLB Power Rankings, Mark Hock had Texas at No. 1, and the team now has the best record in baseball at 44-27. Some people believe you don’t mess with a good thing. The Oswalt signing shows the Rangers aren’t going to be complacent after falling just short of a championship the past two seasons.

It’s a scary thought for the Los Angeles Angels, but you have to wonder if the Rangers aren’t done adding pieces.

For more baseball coverage from www.RantSports.com, check out the Bringing Heat blog, MLB Rumors page and Tom Froemming’s writer profile page.