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Cowlishaw: It's unfortunate and hard to believe how far Neftali Feliz has fallen


Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer

Texas pitcher Neftali Feliz throws a sixth-inning pitch during the Chicago White Sox vs. the Texas Rangers spring training baseball game at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, AZ on Sunday, March 2, 2014.


Question: Rangers got their tails whipped by the A's this week. Rangers did the butt-kicking last week. Which performances should I read into the most, or is that just the way baseball go?

Tim Cowlishaw: Here's the question. Does it matter that the Rangers won their series in Oakland, 12-7, while the A's won here, 25-4? Good grief, that was one-sided. The Rangers' three starting pitchers (including the two best they have) went 11 1/3 innings and gave up 18 earned runs. That's crazy. And the hitters were probably worse. Three games is three games, but I'm wondering how long before the Rangers get back into first place. Could be awhile. Lots of players not hitting on this club.

Question: What do you think Feliz's future with the Rangers is? It looks like he doesn't have a role on the team currently or in the near future. Think he regains his old form with a change of scenery?

Tim Cowlishaw: That's an unfortunate story. Hard to believe how far he has fallen. People think about Game 6 of the 2011 World Series and forget what a prospect he was, how good he was as a closer in 2010, striking out A-Rod for the final out of the ALCS still as loud as I've ever heard the Ballpark. Now he's on the minor league disabled list and we don't know when he will throw again. Pretty clear the team has lost some faith in him and he seems to have lost it in the organization after his failed effort to transform into a starter -- which, by the way, is something I thought was a really good idea. Might have been wrong on that one.

Question: Tim: I'm a fan of baseball instant replay, if nothing else because we can now use the Jumbotron for something more useful than KissCam and between-inning ads blaring at 1000 decibels. Seemed rather woosified that the umpires union always fought against it because they didn't want the fan abuse on close calls. I also never understood the argument about "taking the human element out of the game." We have plenty of the human element going on with athletic fielding plays, at-bats, managerial decisions, etc. What's the deal with needing it from umpires?

Tim Cowlishaw: Well, I disagree with one part of your question, a lot of umpires have spoken out in favor of replay for some time. Certainly Jim Joyce did after he blew the call on the perfect game a couple of years ago. I have a problem with extended use of replay, extended delays and obviously the way they were trying to interpret the "transfer" rule was a problem they had to quickly get rid of. In general, I'm favor of a limited form of replay. You can't look at everything. Some things you just have to try to get right and move on, or you don't have a watchable game any more.

Question: My comment about umpires referred to use of replay on stadium video. This was before use of instant replay to change in-game calls. Any fan will tell you we NEVER got to see close plays on the Jumbotron until this year. Now we do, which helps the game experience for fans in attendance. What are your thoughts on "the human element"?

Tim Cowlishaw:  Oh, my bad, I misunderstood. Yes, that's ridiculous in any sport where teams or leagues refuse to show the paying customers replays because it might hurt the home team or whatever reason they have in mind. I was sitting there at the Final Four and everyone was waiting to see replays of that collision that turned into a little altercation, and of course they showed nothing. Yes, I think baseball should always show that and the umpires will have to live with it.


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