This franchise doesn't deserve your benefit of the doubt when it comes to handling young pitchers. You figured it was the same old Rangers screwing up yet another talented pitching prospect.

It's not.

I'd rather see Holland pitching every fifth day in Oklahoma City, but the Rangers actually have a sound plan for Holland's development, as hard as it might be for you to believe.

The Rangers decided to promote Holland on April 18 and put him in the bullpen instead of the rotation, because they needed his left arm but didn't want to ruin him mentally.

This approach allows manager Ron Washington and pitching coach Mike Maddux to carefully choose when they use him. They can protect his arm and place him in situations in which he's likely to succeed.

They can build his confidence and see how he reacts to success and failure, and he can pick the brains of Kevin Millwood, Eddie Guardado and any other player who knows something he doesn't, which is pretty much everyone.

For now, Holland has pitched just twice, yielding four hits and one run in 51/3 innings. As long as Scott Feldman remains in the rotation, Holland will probably relieve him much of the time, because Feldman rarely pitches more than six innings.

Sometime in May or June, Holland will move into the rotation. Maybe it'll happen because of poor performance. Or injury. No one knows.

Right now, no one cares. There's no need. When it's time, it'll be obvious.

"Anything I can do to help the team is OK with me," Holland said Wednesday afternoon in the Rangers' dugout. "The worst thing you can do is come up here and start complaining about stuff and have everyone mad at you."

The Rangers developed this philosophy in spring training because they figured Holland and, perhaps, Neftali Feliz would arrive in the big leagues sometime this season.

Having pitchers such as Feldman and Jason Jennings in the bullpen allowed the team to use Holland in the bullpen because each could start if needed. Whenever Feliz arrives, he'll go through the same process.

"In fairness to our younger kids, it's easier to put them in selected games," team president Nolan Ryan said. "It gives them a chance to get used to being in the big leagues and pitching on big league mounds and throwing to big league hitters.

"He can get some innings, and we can pick our spots to put him in situations that aren't so pressurized."

This approach has to be correct. There is zero margin for error. Through the years, the Rangers have ruined big-name prospects like Clyde and Volquez and talented pitchers such as Colby Lewis, Juan Dominguez and Ben Kozlowski.

They absolutely can't wreck another young pitcher by rushing him, or this rebuilding project will never end. That's why the Rangers desperately need Holland to succeed.

Holland, a born perfectionist, throws a 96 mph fastball with a curveball and a change. He relentlessly attacks the strike zone, an indication he believes in his stuff, and dares batters to hit the ball.

When they do, he considers it a fluke.

But don't ever call Holland the Rangers' savior - at least not to his face. He dislikes the moniker.

"I just want to be a guy they can count on. All I care about is what happens between those white lines," Holland said. "I don't ever think about all of that other stuff. I let the fans take care of that."

Still, we all know that's how he and Feliz are viewed by most of the Baseball world. They're the pitchers who will make the Rangers relevant again.

It begins with Holland.

Impressive stuff

Left-hander Derek Holland, 22, grabbed the Rangers' attention with outstanding statistics in only his second professional season last year (combined totals from Class A Clinton and Bakersfield and Double-A Frisco):

W-L

13-1

ERA

2.27

IP

1502/3

H

111

BB

40

SO

157

A winning April?

After Wednesday's rainout, the Rangers hope to finish the month with a winning record with a victory today. 7C

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