TEMPE, Ariz. -- In his second season, Rangers rising star outfielder Nomar Mazara must keep one thing in mind.
Try easier, as former manager Johnny Oates often said.
It is another way of saying "stay within yourself." The root of the dreaded sophomore jinx is that a player tries to get too big and strays from the plan.
That would be a regrettable mistake for Mazara. His rookie performance showed that what he does can work well in the majors.
"What happens to some of these guys is they push too hard too fast and forget about what got them here," manager Jeff Banister said Wednesday.