Credibility Injection

Tom Hicks and Chuck Morgan continue adding credibility to the Texas Ranger franchise. Despite the troubling economic situation, Hicks approved $4 million of improvements to Ranger Ballpark in Arlington. The additions will include four new scoreboards providing every person in the stadium with the ability to see the dot race and game replays. While the precipitous drop in attendance probably propelled this movement, it is nice to see Hicks focus on the Ranger fan. Pretty cool stuff.

While Hicks has not always been a great front-man for the Ranger organization, within the last year, he deserves credit for building legitimacy within his Texas team.

In February, Hicks hired Texas legend Nolan Ryan as Team President. Not only does Ryan bring a powerful and recognized presence to the organization, he also brings with him baseball credibility, something the Ranger organization had lacked.

In November, the Rangers named Mike Maddux as their new pitching coach. Maddux is widely thought of as one of the best pitching minds in baseball. In 2008, His Milwaukee pitching staff finished second in the National League in team ERA. Texas finished last in all of baseball, and by a wide margin. Again, Maddux brings real "baseball" credibility to the organization and Hicks deserves credit for opening the checkbook to get him.

Lastly, with the stadium updates, Hicks and company continue to give Ranger fans reasons to support the team. And while each noted decision will add legitimacy to the club, the real change needs to happen on the field. As Jon Daniels continues trading team depth to fill organizational holes, and with Ben Sheets becoming a free-agent priority, the next few months could provide Ranger fans with legitimate reasons to get excited.