Boys of Arlington: The best rotation in Texas Rangers history

Editor’s note: In his latest installment of the Boys of Arlington, retired beat writer T.R. Sullivan looks back at how five pitchers took five different, tortuous paths and ended up forming the best rotation in Texas Rangers history.

The 2011 Texas Rangers were back in the spotlight over the summer because of Adrian Beltre, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. His first season with the Rangers marked the only time he reached the World Series.

The lineup that season also included Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young and Mike Napoli. The Rangers, though, don’t capture the American League pennant without the five members of the starting rotation who made it through the season without going on the injured list.

How was the rotation of C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, Alexi Ogando and Derek Holland built? Follow along.

Drafting for success

June 2, 1999: The Rangers select Colby Lewis with the 38th overall pick of the draft from Bakersfield Junior College. Lewis, 6-foot-5, 180 pounds and armed with a strong fastball, signs with the Rangers rather than going to Long Beach State. The Rangers express no concerns about Lewis having undergone Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery three years earlier.

Lewis is asked how long it will take him to get to the big leagues and replies, “Not long at all. It’s not like they have a super good major-league pitching staff.”

June 6, 2001: The Rangers take left-hander C.J. Wilson in the fifth round of the draft out of Loyola Marymount, where he also played first base and the outfield. The Rangers want him as a pitcher.

April 1, 2002: After a pair of 11-win seasons at Class A Port Charlotte and Double A Tulsa, the Rangers decide to use Lewis out of their bullpen, and he makes the Opening Day roster. Lewis makes five relief appearances before being optioned to Triple A Oklahoma City with a 7.36 ERA. He spends the rest of the season bouncing back and forth between Oklahoma City and Arlington.

Aug. 3, 2002: After going 10-2 with a 3.06 ERA at Port Charlotte, Wilson is called up to Tulsa and goes 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts.

April 5, 2003: Lewis opens the season in the rotation and makes 26 starts, going 10-9 with a 7.30 ERA. It’s the third-highest ERA (min. 100 innings) in Rangers history.

June 23, 2003: The Braves sign left-hander Matt Harrison after taking him in the third round of the draft out of South Granville High School in Creedmoor, N.C. He passes on North Carolina State.

Aug. 12, 2003: Wilson undergoes Tommy John surgery after going 6-9 with a 5.05 ERA in 22 games at Double A Frisco. He misses the entire 2004 season. That winter, Jamey Newberg ranks him as the 46th-best prospect in the Rangers system.

May 19, 2004: After opening the season in the rotation, Lewis makes three starts for the Rangers. He suffers a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, undergoes surgery and is out for the season.

Oct. 8, 2004: Lewis is claimed off waivers by the Tigers. He misses the entire 2015 season while recovering from surgery. He pitches in two games for the Tigers in 2006 while spending the rest of the time at Triple A Toledo.

June 10, 2005: Wilson makes his MLB debut for the Rangers. In classic Rangers fashion, they shuttle him between Triple A and the big leagues all summer while agonizing over whether he should start or relieve. In six starts, he is 0-5 with a 12.05 ERA.

Aug. 18, 2005 : Wilson allows five runs in 2 2/3 innings in a start against Cleveland. He doesn’t start again for another 4 ½ years.

Great scouting and lawyers

Dec. 8. 2005: In the single most brilliant scouting move in Rangers history, they draft outfielder Alexi Ogando from the Athletics in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Ogando is 22 and has shown no ability to hit, but scouting director A.J. Preller is intrigued by his arm strength and the possibility of using him as a pitcher.

June 6, 2006: The Rangers select left-hander Derek Holland in the 25th round of the draft. Holland just finished his freshman year at Wallace State Community College in Alabama and is selected as a draft-and-follow.

That means the Rangers have until the 2007 draft to sign him. The intention is to watch him at Wallace and then decide how aggressive they will be in signing him.

Sept. 29, 2006: After spending much of the season either in the bullpen, on the injured list with a strained hamstring or in the minors for 13 appearances, Wilson earns his first MLB save against the Mariners. At this point, he is still a setup reliever.

Nov. 15, 2006: Lewis, granted free agency by the Tigers, signs a minor-league contract with the Nationals.

Nov. 20, 2006: Ogando is added to the Rangers’ 40-man roster after going 5-0 with a 0.52 ERA in 16 games with the Dominican Republic Summer League team. He is clocked at over 100 mph. The problem? He is also under suspension for his involvement in a human trafficking scheme involving young Dominican Republic players bringing “married” young ladies to the United States for illegal purposes. He and others are denied visas to come to the United States.

The Rangers were told the suspension would be for just one year. Now, there is no sign the suspension will be lifted.

Feb. 15, 2007: Ogando and Omar Beltre, another top Dominican prospect, are again denied entry into the United States because of their involvement in the marriage/visa scandal.

March 13, 2007: Ogando is placed on the major-league restricted list.

March 19, 2007: Lewis is released by the Nationals in spring training. He signs with the Athletics and is 0-2 with a 6.45 ERA in 26 games.

May 20, 2007: Holland is signed by the Rangers after going 9-2 with a 1.82 ERA as a sophomore at Wallace. He receives a $200,000 bonus to sign rather than pitching at Arizona State.

July 29, 2007: Harrison, the 2006 Braves Minor League Pitcher of the Year, is placed on the injured list at Double A Mississippi with a strained left shoulder.

July 31, 2007: In one of the most significant trades in Rangers history, Harrison is one of five players acquired from the Braves for first baseman Mark Teixeira and pitcher Ron Mahay. The others include catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, shortstop Elvis Andrus and pitcher Neftali Feliz. Left-hander Beau Jones is added by the Braves because of Harrison’s injury.

Harrison is shut down by the Rangers and doesn’t pitch until the Arizona Fall League, when he goes 5-0 with a 2.00 ERA in seven starts.

July 31, 2007: The Rangers trade closer Eric Gagne to the Red Sox for pitcher Kason Gabbard and outfielders David Murphy and Engel Beltre. Wilson, who has a 2.54 ERA at the time of the trade, saves the Rangers 3-1 win over the Cleveland that night. He saves 12 of 13 down the stretch and enters 2008 as the Rangers’ closer.

Sayanora, Colby

Nov. 2, 2007: Lewis is claimed on waivers by the Royals.

Dec. 4, 2007: The Royals release Lewis so he can sign with Hiroshima Carp in Nippon Professional Baseball. Lewis spends the next two years in Japan, out of sight, out of mind, but enjoys a career renaissance on the other side of the world.

Jan. 30, 2008: Ogando and Beltre are told again by general manager Jon Daniels that they have been denied a visa to enter the United States.

Daniels tells the Dallas Morning News: “I have complete respect for the laws and borders of our country. These guys are being treated as terrorists. I know everybody’s got their own story, but I have personal knowledge of their stories and it would be a shame if they are punished for the rest of their lives for this mistake. To me, these guys are as much a victim of this crime as a perpetrator.”

April 10, 2008: Wilson saves both games of a doubleheader against the Orioles.

April 18, 2008: After starting the season at Double A Frisco, Harrison goes on the injured list with a left shoulder strain.

May 18, 2008: Harrison throws a seven-inning no-hitter for Frisco. Two weeks later, he is promoted to Triple A Oklahoma City.

May 19, 2008: Wilson blows his second save of the season and has allowed seven runs in his last five outings. Manager Ron Washington says Wilson will remain as closer. Wilson is successful on his next 15 save opportunities.

July 8, 2008: After going a combined 6-3 with a 3.43 ERA in 15 starts at Frisco and Oklahoma City, Harrison is called up to the big leagues to replace injured right-hander Eric Hurley. He pitches against the Angels and allows two runs in seven innings in a 3-2 victory.

Trials of the lefties

Aug. 1, 2008: Wilson blows a save by allowing two runs in the ninth, but the Rangers still rally for a 9-8 victory. Wilson confides that his elbow is bothering him.

Aug 5, 2008: The Rangers lead the Yankees 8-2 when Wilson comes in to pitch the eighth. He faces five batters, walks two, hits one, strikes out one and gives up a grand slam to Richie Sexson.

Washington walks to the mound to take out his pitcher. Wilson flips the ball toward him in frustration and starts to walk off. Washington grabs Wilson and lectures him about showing some respect.

Aug. 11, 2008: Wilson undergoes surgery to have bone spurs removed from his left elbow and is done for the season. Says Wilson: “The pain has been there since I started losing range of motion last year.”

Sept. 12, 2008: Harrison throws a five-hit shutout against Oakland on his way to a 9-3 record with a 5.47 ERA in 15 starts for the Rangers. He is viewed as a leading candidate for the 2009 rotation.

Jan. 23, 2009: Holland is honored at the Rangers Mid-Winter Banquet as the Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He went 13-1 with a 2.27 ERA, including 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA in four starts at Frisco. He is also invited to major-league camp, where he is viewed as an option in the Rangers’ bullpen.

Feb. 16, 2009: The Rangers open spring training with a set rotation of Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Brandon McCarthy, Scott Feldman and Harrison, who is the only left-hander of the five. Holland is in camp but only as a long-shot candidate for the rotation. Veteran Kris Benson, a former No. 1 pick by the Pirates, comes to camp on a minor-league contract.

April 1, 2009: Holland closes out a strong spring by allowing one run in four innings against the Angels but does not make the Opening Day roster. Instead, he is sent to Oklahoma City to be a starter. The Rangers hope to get him 10 to 15 starts before he becomes an option for the big-league club.

Harrison makes the rotation along with Millwood, Padilla and McCarthy. Benson beats out Feldman, who starts the season in the bullpen. Benson allows 11 runs in two starts and is replaced by Feldman, who wins 17 games.

April 6, 2009: Wilson opens the season in the bullpen, but Frank Francisco is the closer. Wilson is the Rangers’ No. 2 reliever and saves 12 games with a career-low 2.81 ERA.

April 18, 2009: The Rangers, having lost seven of eight games after a 3-0 start to the season, call up Holland from Oklahoma City. Right-hander Josh Rupe is designated for assignment. Holland is put in the bullpen.

May 8, 2009: Harrison throws a four-hit shutout against the White Sox on 111 pitches. Six days later, Harrison throws a complete game on 102 pitches in beating the Mariners.

May 22, 2009: Holland gets his first start when Padilla goes on the injured list with a strained muscle in his shoulder.

May 25, 2009: Harrison gets hammered for seven runs in five innings against the Yankees and ends up on the IL with more shoulder issues.

July 27, 2009: Harrison undergoes surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, which requires a bone to be removed from the ribcage. He is out for the season.

Aug. 9, 2009: Holland is brilliant in a three-hit shutout against the Angels in Anaheim, possibly the best regular-season game he ever pitches with the Rangers. He wins his next two games, but then goes 1-6 with a 10.19 ERA in his last seven starts and is no longer a shoo-in for the 2010 rotation.

Dec. 21, 2009: The Rangers sign left-handed reliever Darren Oliver as a free agent. Oliver will be the Rangers’ top left-handed set-up reliever out of the bullpen.

Colby arrives, justice is served

Jan. 19, 2010: The Rangers sign Lewis to a two-year contract after two strong seasons in Hiroshima, winning 26 games over two years with a 2.82 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 1.2 walks and 9.4 strikeouts in 354 innings.

Daniels was asked if Lewis is a candidate for the rotation and thus replied, “No, we signed him to be in our rotation.”

Feb. 18, 2010: Wilson, ever eager for a prominent role on the staff, asks the Rangers during the winter for a chance to be a starter. He is told he will be given the chance, but he appears to be a long shot for a rotation. The Rangers have Feldman, Rich Harden and Lewis at the head of the rotation. Holland, Harrison, McCarthy, Neftali Feliz and Tommy Hunter are among the candidates for the final two spots.

Club president Nolan Ryan calls Wilson the most intriguing pitcher in camp.

Feb. 20, 2010: After Ogando and Beltre miss the 2009 season, Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine and agent Charisse Espinsosa-Dash succeed in obtaining visas for both players. In exchange for being able to come to spring training, both players agree to work on efforts to stop human trafficking. Beltre’s career is eventually cut short by a congenital back problem.

Feb. 20, 2010: Holland falls behind right away in the race for one of the two open rotation spots when he strains his left knee in agility drills.

April 8, 2010: Wilson blows away the competition and wins a spot in the rotation. In his first start against the Blue Jays — his first start since Aug. 18 2005 — he throws seven scoreless innings.

April 10, 2010: Harrison wins the fifth spot in the rotation and opens with one run over six innings against the Mariners. Holland never catches up from his early knee injury and starts the season at Triple A.

May 7, 2010: After making six starts, Harrison is 1-1 with a 5.29 ERA and goes back on the injured list with left biceps tendinitis.

May 12, 2010: Holland takes Harrison’s spot and throws six scoreless innings against the Athletics in a 10-1 victory.

May 22, 2010: Harrison comes off the IL and is put in the bullpen.

“It’s a different role,” Harrison says. “Maybe it’s something I can learn from. It’s something new, but I’ll do what I can to help the team.”

May 30, 2010: Holland leaves a start against the Twins after one inning with shoulder discomfort and goes on the IL. Hunter takes his spot and stays in the rotation for the rest of the season.

June 15, 2010: After 18 minor-league appearances, Ogando is brought to the big leagues and added to the Rangers’ bullpen. He is the winning pitcher in his first three games and does not allow a run in his first eight outings. He ends up pitching in 44 games as set-up reliever for the closer, Feliz, and is 4-1 with a 1.30 ERA.

June 18, 2010: Holland is close to being ready when he injures his right knee while working out in Surprise. His return is delayed for another two months.

June 30, 2010: Harrison is optioned to the minors. The Rangers’ rotation has holes, and they need Harrison to stretch out as a starter to give them another rotation option.

July 6, 2010: Wilson pitches the Rangers to a 12-1 victory over Cleveland by allowing one run over six innings. He is now 7-4 with a 3.24 ERA in 17 starts, proving he can be a front-line starter.

July 7, 2010: Lewis follows Wilson with a 4-3 victory over, giving up three runs in six innings. He is now 8-5 with a 3.33 ERA, proving he has made the transition from Japan.

At this point, Hunter is 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA, but the rest of the rotation is a mess. Holland is on the IL, Harrison is still in the minors, and Feldman and Harden both have ERAs over 5.00.

July 9, 2010: The Rangers acquire veteran left-hander Cliff Lee from the Mariners along with reliever Mark Lowe for pitchers Blake Beavan and Josh Lueke, first baseman Justin Smoak and infielder Matt Lawson. Lee, who had already been named to the American League All-Star team, goes to the head of the rotation.

Holland is prominently discussed in the negotiations, but Beavan, the Rangers’ top draft pick in 2007, is the one sent to Seattle.

July 10, 2010: With Lee in the rotation, Harrison is called up again and put back in the bullpen. He is 2-1 with a 5.14 ERA in his final 24 games as a reliever.

Aug. 18, 2010: Holland comes off the injured list and is used both as a fifth starter and bullpen piece down the stretch. He goes 1-3 with a 4.03 ERA.

Sept. 25, 2010: The Rangers clinch the AL West title with a 4-3 victory over the Athletics. Holland pitches five innings and allows one run.

Oct. 6, 2010: The Rangers set their postseason roster. Lee, Wilson, Lewis and Hunter are the rotation. Holland joins Oliver in the bullpen. Harrison is left off the roster.

Lee knows the feeling. After winning 46 games for the Indians in 2004-06, he went 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA in 2008 and was left off their postseason roster. Cleveland went to ALCS that year. Lee bounced back to win the Cy Young Award the next season.

Oct. 22, 2010: The Rangers clinch their first American League championship with a 6-1 victory over the Yankees in Game 6 of the ALCS. Lewis allows one run in eight innings for his second victory of the series. Lee won Game 3, and Holland won Game 4 in relief.

Nov. 1, 2010: After the Rangers lose to the Giants in the World Series, Lee becomes a free agent.

Nov. 3, 2010: Feldman, a 17-game winner for the Rangers in 2009 before sliding to 7-11 and a 5.48 ERA in 2010, undergoes knee surgery and will not be ready for spring training. That takes him out of the immediate competition for a spot in the rotation.

Nov. 7, 2010: Wilson drives the pace car for the Texas 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway. Wilson, 15-8 with a 3.35 ERA on the year, is also voted Rangers Pitcher of the Year.

Nov. 15, 2010: Feliz is named the AL Rookie of the Year after his 40-save season. There are still those in the Rangers organization who see him as a starter.

Dec. 15, 2010: Lee signs with the Phillies. Instead of spending money to replace him, the Rangers turn their attention to free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre.

It all falls together

Jan. 3, 2011: The Rangers sign pitcher Brandon Webb to a free-agent contract. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young winner and a 22-game winner for Arizona, but missed two seasons because of shoulder surgery. His agent, Jonathan Mauer, assures everybody Webb will be ready to go in 2011.

Feb. 20, 2011: The Rangers bring Ogando to camp with the intention of stretching him out as a possible starter. The only locks are Wilson and Lewis, although Hunter is a leading candidate for a spot. Holland and Harrison are also candidates along with veteran Dave Bush, left-hander Michael Kirkman and right-handers Tanner Scheppers and Hurley.

March 24, 2011: The Rangers announce the final three spots in the rotation will go to Holland, Harrison and Hunter. Webb is going on the injured list, and Feliz is remaining as closer.

Ryan says of Holland and Harrison: “Right now they are more capable than ever before. I’m going to be disappointed if they don’t stick in the rotation this time.”

March 25, 2011: The Rangers announce that Hunter will start the season on the injured list with a strained groin muscle. Ogando is told he is going back to the bullpen.

March 26, 2011: Club officials meet and re-think their decision of moving Ogando into the bullpen.

March 29, 2011: The Rangers decide to move Ogando into the rotation, at least until Hunter is healthy. Says Daniels: “He’s earned it, and we believe in taking big chances to hit it big.”

They all hit it big

In 2011, Wilson, Lewis, Holland, Harrison and Ogando combined to start 157 of 162 games for the Rangers. Wilson and Holland both won 16 games, Harrison and Lewis won 14 and Ogando won 13. Throw in a spot-start win by Feldman in late August, and 74 wins from the starters were the second-most in club history. Wilson and Ogando were All-Stars.

The 1996 rotation won 75 but with a 4.79 ERA. The 2011 rotation had a combined 3.65 ERA. The opponents batting average of .246 was the lowest by a Rangers rotation since 1990.

The Rangers’ 96-66 record that year is the best in club history. It may have been a miracle how it all came together, but Wilson, Lewis, Holland, Harrison and Ogando comprised the best rotation in Rangers history.