Many questions submitted this week targeted reliever C.J. Wilson.

One reader, Jim from Burleson, suggested that this space be used to campaign to get Wilson on the next bus to anywhere the Rangers aren't playing.

Reed from Los Angeles said he gets the shivers every time Wilson is brought into a game.

Fort Worth resident Barbara wrote that Wilson should have never been brought into Monday's game because Darren O'Day was doing a fine job.

Inside the Rangers is glad to give fans a chance to vent while also seeking answers when their favorite team and players struggle. It's pretty entertaining.

But Wilson hasn't struggled nearly as much as the e-mailers suggest. One thought is that his shaky outings stand out more because there have been fewer of them this season compared with 2008. Blown saves also hurt more in a pennant chase.

But left-handed hitters have no chance against him (.172 average), and he is holding all opponents to a .163 average in home games. He has saved six games since the All-Star break while walking just two batters.

The left-hander has been the Rangers' most versatile reliever. He has bounced between set-up and closer roles, often logging multiple innings and pitching as many as three straight days.

The Rangers would be a worse team without him.

Q: I know there is a consensus that Rudy Jaramillo is the greatest hitting coach in the game. I'm no fan of his philosophy, but when does the hitting coach get some blame for how the offense has struggled? Do you foresee the Rangers extending Jaramillo's contract in the off-season?

Sean, Plano

WILSON: Much has been made by fans about Jaramillo's philosophy, but most of it is off base. Some have said he teaches the Rangers just to hit home runs. Others say he doesn't preach patience at the plate.

Jaramillo wants the Rangers to know the situation before each at-bat, wants them to recognize pitches, get in a good position in the box and swing at strikes. That isn't radical thinking.

Hitting coaches are fired each year after their teams go south offensively. Don't expect that to happen with Jaramillo, and expect the Rangers to attempt to re-sign him after the season.

Q: What needs to be done about Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler and the rest of the guys not hitting?

Stephen, Midland

WILSON: Work, it appears, needs to be done, but the type of work that would benefit the struggling Rangers hitters the most isn't an overnight project. These guys work daily to improve, hitting off a tee, taking flips and front-toss, and watching video all before batting practice.

Experiencing the lows that baseball can offer will help, though not necessarily this year. Taking some of the pressure of themselves to perform would help, too.

Some of the hitters who have had success in the past aren't going to change now. They're going to stick with what has made them All-Stars and millionaires, whether it still works or not.

"All I hear people asking me is, 'Can we take more pitches? Can we start working the count?' " manager Ron Washington said. "That's not something that happens just by talking. We have to have the personnel. And it's not going to happen at this time of the year. At this time of the year, if you're not in shape, you're in trouble. If you haven't figured things out by now, you're in trouble. Our personnel is our personnel. To this point they've been doing a good job."

Q: I think Omar Vizquel has slowed down far too much to be a viable leadoff hitter while Kinsler is on the DL. Should the Rangers give some thought to Elvis Andrus for this brief period or even David Murphy? Maybe even putting Hamilton there for a few games would force him to think about taking more pitches and help get him back on track.

Larry, Wichita Falls

WILSON: Washington has squashed Andrus or Murphy batting first. He wants Andrus hitting ninth, a spot where there is less pressure, and Murphy in the middle of the order to produce runs.

Hamilton has said often that he's not the type of hitter to take too many pitches. His philosophy, which dates to his Little League days, is to hack at the first strike because there might not be another. He's in the big leagues now, and pitchers aren't throwing him many strikes because he's chasing pitches off the plate no matter where he is in the order.

Q: Did you notice any disappointment in the players that there was no move at the trade deadline? Do you think all the work the Rangers did regarding Roy Halladay caused them to miss potential opportunities to add some offensive help?

Ryan, Overland Park, Kan.

WILSON: Sure, the players were disappointed. Who wouldn't want Halladay or Cliff Lee on the roster for a playoff push? The Rangers want to win this year, even at the expense of losing players who appear ready to make a long-term impact.

While Halladay wasn't the Rangers' only target, it's likely that they could only make one big splash. There weren't any impact bats out there. The Rangers were in on Ryan Garko, but he isn't the piece that would take the Rangers over the top.

Q: Several big contracts – including Joaquin Benoit, Hank Blalock, Marlon Byrd and Vicente Padilla – will come off the books at the end of the season. Since major-league baseball has reportedly loaned money to the Rangers to make payroll this season, how much control do they have over the team's ability to sign free agents to replace these players?

Mark, Huntington Beach, Calif.

WILSON: The Rangers won't be restricted in the off-season by the commissioner's office, which wants to see teams with fewer resources try to improve to keep a competitive balance in the game. But that doesn't mean the Rangers will be huge players in free agency despite the $26.1 million (possibly $37.1 million if Millwood doesn't reach 180 innings) that will be available.

They need a veteran starter to head the rotation with Millwood, and Ben Sheets seems like a realistic target after he nearly signed before this season. The Rangers will also need to fill two holes in the bullpen with Eddie Guardado and Jason Jennings both free agents after the season.

Q: What is the best second-half record by a team in the modern era of baseball? The Angels were playing .824 baseball since the All-Star break as of Monday, and I wanted to know if the best all-time second half record even comes close to that.

Patrick, Haltom City

WILSON: The Angels had slipped to 14-5 after the All-Star break entering Thursday. That's a .737 winning percentage that would rank fifth in history if they maintained their pace. The Yankees are also 14-5. The all-time record is held by the 1954 Cleveland Indians, who had a robust .775 winning percentage (55-16) but lost in the World Series to the New York Giants and Willie Mays' famed catch in center field.

Washington was the third-base coach for the No. 2 team all-time after the All-Star break. Oakland played at a .773 clip (58-17) in 2001, the year Seattle set a record for wins in a season. The Rangers' club record is .667 (48-24) in 1977.

Q: I remember Derek Holland reaching 98 mph regularly on his fastball at the end of last year in the minors. It seems that he's throwing in the low 90s now, occasionally hitting 94. Should we expect his fastball to improve again this year as the season goes on? I've heard that the Rangers have a "slow" radar gun at the Ballpark. Is this true?

Neil, Dallas

WILSON: Holland has eased into the mid-90s, occasionally hitting 96, but the way he sees it, he would rather throw 90 or 91 and it his spots than gas it up and not know where the ball might go. "It's all about getting the outs," he said.

And, yes, the Ballpark gun is believed to be slow, which means that when Justin Verlander was pumping 99 mph fastballs during the last homestand, they were probably around 101.

Q:Why were no Rangers Hall of Fame pins handed out this year at the induction ceremony? The Rangers have produced them every year for all of the other inductees.

Will, Spring

WILSON: Word from the Rangers is that there was very little fan interest in the pins, so the promotion was axed for this year. So, the commemorative pins have come to an end after Rusty Greer was inducted.