It's Time!

I've been a Rangers fan my whole life. Seriously, all 29 years, 1 month, and 6 days. The Rangers have always been my team. I'm a hometown fan, I love the Rangers, the Mavs, the Stars, and the Cowboys. As some of you know, it hasn't always been easy being a Rangers fan. Although, after a while you get used to the disappointment. I've witnessed some great Rangers moments in my time. I saw Pudge's first game when he was 19, he was so cute :) I saw Nolan throw no-hitters, and I saw Kenny Rogers perfect game, which included an amazing catch by Rusty Greer.I was in the stands when Nolan Ryan showed a young Robin Ventura that age is just a number and you don't try to fight a guy who throws a baseball 100 mph. I have cheered for countless players with Texas across their chests, some you know, some you may not. Geno Petralli, Rafael Palmeiro, Steve Buechele, of course Nolan Ryan, Pudge Rodriguez, Will Clark, Mark McLemore, even though he took over for my favorite player growing up-Jeff Frye. For those who care, Jeff is now Ian Kinsler's agent, so let's all tell him thank you! Can't forget Rusty Greer, Juan GON-ZALEZ, Kenny Rogers, Gabe Kapler, and Darren Oliver, both the first time he played here, and now. We went to the playoffs in 1996, 1998, and 1999 but never made it out of the first round, losing to the Yankees all three times. But that was the past, and it's over now.

A few posts ago, in the off season, I wrote a blog about how I didn't understand all the moves the Rangers were making and how I was afraid they were messing up the great team they had put together. Last year was pretty good and things seemed to be heading in the right direction. I was devastated for the second time in my life that they let my all time favorite player Pudge go to another team, among other moves I didn't agree with at the time. A few days after that post, things started coming together and their decisions became clearer. I went to the final Spring Training game of the year at the ballpark with Nicki and Erin, and I said then, and Nicki will back me up, that I thought this team would make it to the World Series.

This season has obviously been amazing. I have watched a lot of sports in my lifetime and I have never seen a team as close as this one. It's amazing the talent and the class that Jon Daniels was able to assemble with no money and a team in bankruptcy court. If he doesn't win executive of the year, something is seriously wrong. It was one of my happiest moments as a sports fan to see Michael Young's smile after the Rangers clinched the A.L. West. The unofficial captain, the guy who stayed when he didn't have to and has always led by example, finally got to realize his dream. No one deserved to be in the playoffs more than him, and his team's love and respect for him was awesome to watch. There are a million different storylines on this team; the manager who could have been fired for cocaine use but was given a second chance, the inexperience of our young kids who played such a vital role in the success of the team, the "natural", Josh Hamilton who has overcome serious drug and alcohol abuse and is an amazing example of what God's love can do. This team is truly that, a team. Out of respect for Hamilton's past, and CJ Wilson's straightedge lifestyle, after winning the Division series and the Championship series they had a ginger ale celebration so everyone could be included. They still popped the champagne, but that was later, after making sure that Josh and CJ got to celebrate too. This run through the playoffs has made baseball fans out of people who never watched a single game before. I always thought I'd be the 100 year old lady in the stands when my team finally made the World Series, but here I am at 29 years, 1 month, and 6 days old and in less than two hours my Texas Rangers will play in their first World Series game. It's an awesome feeling. I have my claw and antlers ready! It's Time! Rangers in 5...

Dear Texas Rangers...

I would just like to know what your plan for next season is. So far your offseason moves are less than thrilling. Rudy Jaramillo is the best hitting coach in baseball and you just let him walk away. Omar Vizquel is amazing, and a great veteran presence for our young guys. He filled in everywhere he was needed last season and with more talent and ability than some team's starters. He too is now gone. Pudge coming back last season was one of my best moments as a Rangers fan. I know that I'm not the only person who felt that way, and now you let him go as well. He is one of the best catchers the game has ever seen, and more than capable of playing everyday. He brought out some of the best performances our young pitchers have had. He knows how to win, and how to win in the postseason. Now the newest press release is how the rangers are looking for veteran catching. Really? You had that in Pudge, a better catcher than you will find in the free agent market, so that makes zero sense to me. Now we trade Millwood. The guy who led the way and set the example for the young guys with the new system and expectations placed on them from Nolan and Maddux in the offseason, which led to one of the better pitching seasons in a LONG time. We trade him for a guy with a losing record and a 7.27 ERA last season? Now I see we also were trying to free up some money to aquire Rich Harden, who is a talented guy but has been hampered with injuries the past few seasons. Now, Mike Maddux is an amazing pitching coach and he definately changed things in Texas last season, so maybe these guys will be everything the management hopes them to be, but right now I'm not thrilled with these moves. Marlon Byrd is another guy we may not see back in a Rangers uniform next season and I think that would be a big loss. No one plays harder than him, he gives 110% with everything he does. Period. And he wants to stay in Texas. He would be the 3rd guy who wanted to be a Ranger who was sent away this offseason. Millwood and Pudge are the other two. I hope that I'm wrong and that these moves pay off next season. We have amazingly talented young guys, with some great "older" guys in Young, Kinsler, Hamilton, etc... It would be a real shame to take the progress we made this past season and start going backwards once again. Anyway, I just needed to vent a bit, I'm pretty sure none of you care, lol, but thanks for reading. :)