The World Series is beginning tonight, and it's going to be a heck of a series. The Texas Rangers first ever Fall Classic appearance, and based on the numbers, it looks like the Rangers could potentially have a great series.
The Series begins tonight at 7, and as any baseball fan knows, there are many components that go into winning a baseball game, much less a 7 Game Series. Though there are tons of parts that go into the win, I'll break it up into two major components:
Offense
The Rangers go into the World Series on an absolute tear at the plate. This post-season, they have scored 59 runs in 11 games with 17 home runs. Just to portray how dominate that is, the high powered Yankee lineup has generated 36 runs in 9 games, with only 10 homers. The well stacked lineup for the Rangers includes the likes the ALCS MVP, Josh Hamilton (ALCS stats: .350 avg., 4 HR, 7 RBI'S, 8 Walks). Another major key to their lineup is the Five-hole hitter, Nelson Cruz. Cruz is batting .375 this post season, with 5 Doubles, 5 HR's, and 8 RBI'S.
The Giants take the more close game approach to the series, scoring 30 runs in 10 games. They're batting .231 as a team, and live and die by their starting pitching. A key component to their lineup is potential NL Rookie Of the Year, Buster Posey. Posey is batting .282 with 3 doubles and 3 RBI'S. The rookie has been playing well after Molina was traded to Texas and he took over the full time catching job, and is quickly developing a name for himself.
Advantage - Rangers
The Rangers high powered offense seemingly outscores everyone, and with the Giants putting up an average of 3 runs a game, the Rangers will likely only need to bat the first half of the game to exceed that total. Texas also has a habit of exploding late in the game at the end of a starting pitchers appearance, or the beginning of the bullpen's part of the game. Also, don't forget how well they manufacture runs. The Rangers baserunning is as good as or better than any other team in the league.
Pitching
Cliff Lee. That's all that seems to need saying for this part. Not only has Lee dominated this post season (3-0, 0.74 ERA, 2 ER), but he also has rubbed off on the other starting pitchers. C.J. Wilson has received tons of tips and help on pitching from Lee, and is now starting to take games over in the same manner. The Rangers also have a strong bullpen that seems to take over a game on any given day. The only major slip up they have seemed to have this year is Game 1 of the ALCS when they gave up a 5-0 lead. Their dominance is shown by their closer, Neftali Feliz, who hurls 100 mph fastballs past just about every hitter he's faced this year.
The Giants pitching rallies behind their ace, and Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum (2-1, 1.93 ERA, 5 Earned Runs). He has dominated this post season, and even in his loss, still gave his team a chance to win the game in the end. The Giants bullpen is also very strong, and it's shown in their closer Brian Wilson. The LSU Alum has sat down batter after batter all year, and has seemingly taken on the "Mariano Rivera" persona this post season.
Advantage - Giants
Though this is extremely close, the Giants have a more balanced pitching rotation. The bullpen is evenly matched, but so much of baseball is how a game is started and momentum. Past Cliff Lee is two potentially great starting pitcher, and another that can take over a game in Tommy Hunter, but none have consistently shown dominance in the way that the Giants rotation has.
This will come down simply to who wants it more, and with the Ranger's having an entire fan base of Claw Waving, Antler Throwing fans that the Giants have to face for games 3, 4, and possibly 5, I don't see anything going well for them in Arlington.
All of that said, my prediction is going to go down as
Texas Rangers in 5.
Go Rangers, Go Pokes, Go Cowboys!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
A Good, But Not Great, Weekend
For the sports fan that likes the same teams I do, this weekend was an up and down, stress filled, three days... And possibly the most stressful team, the Cowboys, haven't even played yet.
But the best moment of the weekend came on Friday night. My Rangers are going to the World Series.
Looking back at this season, it seems like it has taken forever. So many things have changed over the last 7 months that it's crazy to even think about. On opening day, I was at baseball practice with my high school team warming up when Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit the walk-off game winner. Coach had pulled a radio out there and had extension cords running out to it so we could listen to the game. Now, I'm 5 months out of my baseball, and high school career, and the Rangers are STILL playing in the same season.
One of the coolest things about the Rangers this year is the story of Josh Hamilton, that I'm sure you've most likely heard. The battle with drugs, alcohol, and his baseball potential, and the now-infamous relapse stemming from a bar visit in Arizona. And after all of that, he's in the World Series, and not only that, but the ALCS MVP and possibly the AL MVP.
After all of that road traveled by Mr. Hamilton, he's now in a position to go down as one of the best players to ever play, especially after this season. But the true Josh Hamilton came out in his post-game interview after the ALCS. Instead of talking about him, he first thanked God, then only wanted to talk about his teammates.
That game might have been the happiest moment of my life. Neftali Feliz's strikeout against A-Rod (does anyone else find it ironic that he was the last out?) to end the game brought about a ton of jumping up and down, hugs, high fives, and screaming for the next few minutes. Then came the post game celebration, which was the best feeling in the world to watch.
But how often does this "Post-Season" feeling happen? I think it's a one time occurrence. If the New York Yankees had started the "Claw and Antler" craze, you never would've heard a word about it, because they are always on top. If the Rangers go on to win the World Series, then even next year won't be the same. Yes, there will be a spike in Rangers gear sold, and an attendance spike next year if they go out and keep winning ball games, but the emotions that go into the first playoff run are those that you'll never experience again.
That said, enjoy the post-season. Watch EVERY game you can, throw the claw, put on the antlers, scream at the tv until your voice is gone (I really hope I'm not the only Ranger fan that does these things.)
The idea of this article is for you to know to enjoy this playoff run and the emotions fueling the Texas Ranger fire. Enjoy watching or going to the games, because they'll be the best games to watch. Enjoy your seat on the bandwagon, because this is as packed and as fun as it will ever be. All in all, enjoy the WORLD SERIES, because we deserve it!
Homecoming Weekend
This weekend was also Homecoming here in Stillwater. The "Nation's Best Homecoming" lived up to it's name for me. I saw thousands of dollars in house decorations on the Fraternity and Sorority houses that blew my mind. I saw one of my favorite TEXAS Country bands, the Casey Donahew Band, play a block from my dorm on the Beta House front lawn. And last but not least, I saw a college football game.
But this football game was different from the past 6 this year for OSU. The frustrating part wasn't the things that were different, like the loss. Instead, the frustrating things were the things that are the same week in and week out.
First, our offense does the same thing every week. First posession: 2 runs, then a pass. 3 and out, every week. Then, we live and die by the fade. If we can execute it 90% of the time, then that's fine, but that's our only passing play it seems. The medium passing game is nonexistent this year, as most of the passes are either 60 yard gains, or 4 yard gains. Kendall Hunter has been limited because of it as well, as our play action passes occur once every 10-15 snaps.
Secondly, our defense has done a heck of a job for what has been called. I feel bad for the guy's. On first and second down, they hold the offense to little or no gain. Then, on third down, they give up a 15-20 yard gain. How does this happen, and happen continuously? The simple answer: they blitz on first and second down, which stuffs the run or rattles the quarterback to make a bad pass, then on third down they try to drop back into protection, giving the quarterback time to pick them apart. Keep the same approach that you had when you were succeeding, don't change your gameplan when it never works, and hasn't for 7 weeks.
Thirdly: Kickoff Coverage. Always kickoff coverage. No need to go into detail on that.
This isn't a time to jump ship, I still think OSU has a great team, and am overlooking the Nebraska game because they played a great game. I look at it as us starting the year with no one expecting anything from us, compared to Nebraska, who was getting some National Championship talk in the preseason, and we lost to them by 10 points.
I know people will say I'm using that as an excuse, but that's exactly what I'm doing. This isn't me trying to win an argument on my team being better, it's just the truth. I really hope the Pokes can shake off this past week and go out and win the next couple of games to get to the Bedlam game with one loss, to make it a true showdown.
That's all I've got for this week, Next post:
World Series Talk, Rangers vs. Giants
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, Go Pokes!
But the best moment of the weekend came on Friday night. My Rangers are going to the World Series.
Looking back at this season, it seems like it has taken forever. So many things have changed over the last 7 months that it's crazy to even think about. On opening day, I was at baseball practice with my high school team warming up when Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit the walk-off game winner. Coach had pulled a radio out there and had extension cords running out to it so we could listen to the game. Now, I'm 5 months out of my baseball, and high school career, and the Rangers are STILL playing in the same season.
One of the coolest things about the Rangers this year is the story of Josh Hamilton, that I'm sure you've most likely heard. The battle with drugs, alcohol, and his baseball potential, and the now-infamous relapse stemming from a bar visit in Arizona. And after all of that, he's in the World Series, and not only that, but the ALCS MVP and possibly the AL MVP.
After all of that road traveled by Mr. Hamilton, he's now in a position to go down as one of the best players to ever play, especially after this season. But the true Josh Hamilton came out in his post-game interview after the ALCS. Instead of talking about him, he first thanked God, then only wanted to talk about his teammates.
That game might have been the happiest moment of my life. Neftali Feliz's strikeout against A-Rod (does anyone else find it ironic that he was the last out?) to end the game brought about a ton of jumping up and down, hugs, high fives, and screaming for the next few minutes. Then came the post game celebration, which was the best feeling in the world to watch.
But how often does this "Post-Season" feeling happen? I think it's a one time occurrence. If the New York Yankees had started the "Claw and Antler" craze, you never would've heard a word about it, because they are always on top. If the Rangers go on to win the World Series, then even next year won't be the same. Yes, there will be a spike in Rangers gear sold, and an attendance spike next year if they go out and keep winning ball games, but the emotions that go into the first playoff run are those that you'll never experience again.
That said, enjoy the post-season. Watch EVERY game you can, throw the claw, put on the antlers, scream at the tv until your voice is gone (I really hope I'm not the only Ranger fan that does these things.)
The idea of this article is for you to know to enjoy this playoff run and the emotions fueling the Texas Ranger fire. Enjoy watching or going to the games, because they'll be the best games to watch. Enjoy your seat on the bandwagon, because this is as packed and as fun as it will ever be. All in all, enjoy the WORLD SERIES, because we deserve it!
Homecoming Weekend
This weekend was also Homecoming here in Stillwater. The "Nation's Best Homecoming" lived up to it's name for me. I saw thousands of dollars in house decorations on the Fraternity and Sorority houses that blew my mind. I saw one of my favorite TEXAS Country bands, the Casey Donahew Band, play a block from my dorm on the Beta House front lawn. And last but not least, I saw a college football game.
But this football game was different from the past 6 this year for OSU. The frustrating part wasn't the things that were different, like the loss. Instead, the frustrating things were the things that are the same week in and week out.
First, our offense does the same thing every week. First posession: 2 runs, then a pass. 3 and out, every week. Then, we live and die by the fade. If we can execute it 90% of the time, then that's fine, but that's our only passing play it seems. The medium passing game is nonexistent this year, as most of the passes are either 60 yard gains, or 4 yard gains. Kendall Hunter has been limited because of it as well, as our play action passes occur once every 10-15 snaps.
Secondly, our defense has done a heck of a job for what has been called. I feel bad for the guy's. On first and second down, they hold the offense to little or no gain. Then, on third down, they give up a 15-20 yard gain. How does this happen, and happen continuously? The simple answer: they blitz on first and second down, which stuffs the run or rattles the quarterback to make a bad pass, then on third down they try to drop back into protection, giving the quarterback time to pick them apart. Keep the same approach that you had when you were succeeding, don't change your gameplan when it never works, and hasn't for 7 weeks.
Thirdly: Kickoff Coverage. Always kickoff coverage. No need to go into detail on that.
This isn't a time to jump ship, I still think OSU has a great team, and am overlooking the Nebraska game because they played a great game. I look at it as us starting the year with no one expecting anything from us, compared to Nebraska, who was getting some National Championship talk in the preseason, and we lost to them by 10 points.
I know people will say I'm using that as an excuse, but that's exactly what I'm doing. This isn't me trying to win an argument on my team being better, it's just the truth. I really hope the Pokes can shake off this past week and go out and win the next couple of games to get to the Bedlam game with one loss, to make it a true showdown.
That's all I've got for this week, Next post:
World Series Talk, Rangers vs. Giants
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, Go Pokes!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
NFL Administration Memo: Players, don't forget to bring your flags on Sunday
What's next, the NFL banning blocking?
The new "rule" against hits to the head in the NFL is ridiculous, and might just be the last straw in them losing me as apart of their regular audience. The rule says that any contact or blow to the opponents head using the head, shoulder, or forearm, is subject to suspension, fines, and possibly being kicked out of the game, even for first time offenders.
For those of you who have never played football, or it's been awhile, I'll put it into basic words so it's easier to understand: The defensive players in the NFL are now asked to not give their all. If a receiver is running a route over the middle, the linebackers and safeties can no longer launch into them, causing the huge hits that have made Ray Lewis, James Harrison, Brian Urlacher, and Ed Reed famous. Instead, they now have to calculate their hit to make sure they don't catch any of the helmet and facemask of the receiver.
How ridiculous is this? I've played football for 8 years all together, and have given and received plenty of helmet to helmet hits. Yes the guys in the NFL are going about twice as fast as I went in my football days, but it's basically the same situation.
What this does now is makes a defensive player have to decide between playing full speed and paying a fine, and slowing down to "aim" his hit at the players chest. If he slows down, he potentially misses the tackle, and that shows on film, which then possibly results in him getting pulled for someone who will go full speed.
All of this said, I don't agree with the NFL on this rule. This makes me not want to watch the NFL at all, as it seems like I'm watching puppets who are controlled by all of the strings attached to the NFL Administration's fingers. The tension between the players and administration is building, and with the Player's Agreement situation (the contract between the Players Association and the NFL expires at the end of the season), I don't see the administration helping themselves at all for the negotiations that will take place.
I hope you all like College Football, because at this rate, that's all that will be around next fall.
Now for some College Football predictions for the week:
UCLA 14
#2 Oregon 42
#6 LSU 24
#4 Auburn 27
#13 Wisconsin 38
#15 Iowa 28
#16 Nebraska 28
#14 Oklahoma St. 38
#1 Oklahoma 42
#11 Missouri 30
And finally...
NLCS Game 5
Phillies 6
Giants 2
ALCS Game 6
Yankees 3
Rangers 7
Next Post (Sunday):
My experience at Oklahoma State Homecoming
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, Go Pokes!
The new "rule" against hits to the head in the NFL is ridiculous, and might just be the last straw in them losing me as apart of their regular audience. The rule says that any contact or blow to the opponents head using the head, shoulder, or forearm, is subject to suspension, fines, and possibly being kicked out of the game, even for first time offenders.
For those of you who have never played football, or it's been awhile, I'll put it into basic words so it's easier to understand: The defensive players in the NFL are now asked to not give their all. If a receiver is running a route over the middle, the linebackers and safeties can no longer launch into them, causing the huge hits that have made Ray Lewis, James Harrison, Brian Urlacher, and Ed Reed famous. Instead, they now have to calculate their hit to make sure they don't catch any of the helmet and facemask of the receiver.
How ridiculous is this? I've played football for 8 years all together, and have given and received plenty of helmet to helmet hits. Yes the guys in the NFL are going about twice as fast as I went in my football days, but it's basically the same situation.
What this does now is makes a defensive player have to decide between playing full speed and paying a fine, and slowing down to "aim" his hit at the players chest. If he slows down, he potentially misses the tackle, and that shows on film, which then possibly results in him getting pulled for someone who will go full speed.
All of this said, I don't agree with the NFL on this rule. This makes me not want to watch the NFL at all, as it seems like I'm watching puppets who are controlled by all of the strings attached to the NFL Administration's fingers. The tension between the players and administration is building, and with the Player's Agreement situation (the contract between the Players Association and the NFL expires at the end of the season), I don't see the administration helping themselves at all for the negotiations that will take place.
I hope you all like College Football, because at this rate, that's all that will be around next fall.
Now for some College Football predictions for the week:
UCLA 14
#2 Oregon 42
#6 LSU 24
#4 Auburn 27
#13 Wisconsin 38
#15 Iowa 28
#16 Nebraska 28
#14 Oklahoma St. 38
#1 Oklahoma 42
#11 Missouri 30
And finally...
NLCS Game 5
Phillies 6
Giants 2
ALCS Game 6
Yankees 3
Rangers 7
Next Post (Sunday):
My experience at Oklahoma State Homecoming
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, Go Pokes!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Bandwagon Fans; Try Not To Get Hurt When Jumping
It's looked at by the most annoying thing in sports by some die-hard fans. The "Bandwagon" fan is something no one understands, but almost everyone does.
Bandwagon fans are with "their team" through the positive times, but don't care about the team when they're going through the negatives. When these fans are looked at by the die-hards, they seem to get rather annoying.
The die-hard fans sit through the losing streaks, the low budget times, and the "what is wrong with them?" seasons. They are always there, always try to find positives, and always support their team, even if they don't fully agree with what's going on. When the bandwagon fan comes, they get annoyed because they see their relationship with sports as full time, while the bandwagonner sees it as a part time/when it's convenient relationship. But why are they looked at as annoying?
I see myself as a full-time sports fan to all of my teams. I've watched the Rangers through all the 40 and 50 win seasons, the playoff droughts, and the times when they never seem to have any kind of big names even semi interested in playing for them.
I watched the Cowboys when they lost Aikman and Smith, when they went from the best team in the NFL to one of the worst, and slowly climbed back into the spotlight.
And when my teams become good enough to attract bandwagon fans, I WELCOME them with open arms.
Yes, you read that right, I welcome them.
The reason I do this will be shown to you by this years situation with the Rangers. They finally have a post-season year, and are doing well because of a trade they made during the season for Cliff Lee.
Cliff Lee makes a lot of money, and is only going to stay in Texas past this year if he keeps on making that much money, if not more. At the beginning of the year, it was only the die-hard fans buying tickets to the Ranger games, making the attendance somewhere between 15,000 and 25,000 a game.
Now, late in the season and in the playoffs, the attendance is between 40,000 and 45,000.
What does this mean? The more people coming to the game, buying tickets, buying programs, grabbing a shirt for their son who has school the next day and couldn't go, buying a beer for them and their friends, the more money goes to the Rangers, which in turn keeps those big names in Ranger uniforms, and also brings in more big names in the offseason.
For those of you who speak the language of Math, this equation will help you understand.
Better players + More Bandwagon Fans = More Money.
More Money = Even better players coming in in the offseason.
So I say, go out and buy that Ranger shirt even though you can't name anyone on the field, I'm completely fine with that. I've been going to Ranger games since I could walk (I went to the 1996 Playoff game against the Yankees, and I was born in 1991. I am serious when I say that I've been going since I could walk), but I look at the bandwagon fans as regular fans because all they're doing is helping me.
The only negative to the bandwagon fans is that tickets are a bit harder to grab, but I think I'm fine with that if we're winning ballgames.
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, and Go Pokes!
Bandwagon fans are with "their team" through the positive times, but don't care about the team when they're going through the negatives. When these fans are looked at by the die-hards, they seem to get rather annoying.
The die-hard fans sit through the losing streaks, the low budget times, and the "what is wrong with them?" seasons. They are always there, always try to find positives, and always support their team, even if they don't fully agree with what's going on. When the bandwagon fan comes, they get annoyed because they see their relationship with sports as full time, while the bandwagonner sees it as a part time/when it's convenient relationship. But why are they looked at as annoying?
I see myself as a full-time sports fan to all of my teams. I've watched the Rangers through all the 40 and 50 win seasons, the playoff droughts, and the times when they never seem to have any kind of big names even semi interested in playing for them.
I watched the Cowboys when they lost Aikman and Smith, when they went from the best team in the NFL to one of the worst, and slowly climbed back into the spotlight.
And when my teams become good enough to attract bandwagon fans, I WELCOME them with open arms.
Yes, you read that right, I welcome them.
The reason I do this will be shown to you by this years situation with the Rangers. They finally have a post-season year, and are doing well because of a trade they made during the season for Cliff Lee.
Cliff Lee makes a lot of money, and is only going to stay in Texas past this year if he keeps on making that much money, if not more. At the beginning of the year, it was only the die-hard fans buying tickets to the Ranger games, making the attendance somewhere between 15,000 and 25,000 a game.
Now, late in the season and in the playoffs, the attendance is between 40,000 and 45,000.
What does this mean? The more people coming to the game, buying tickets, buying programs, grabbing a shirt for their son who has school the next day and couldn't go, buying a beer for them and their friends, the more money goes to the Rangers, which in turn keeps those big names in Ranger uniforms, and also brings in more big names in the offseason.
For those of you who speak the language of Math, this equation will help you understand.
Better players + More Bandwagon Fans = More Money.
More Money = Even better players coming in in the offseason.
So I say, go out and buy that Ranger shirt even though you can't name anyone on the field, I'm completely fine with that. I've been going to Ranger games since I could walk (I went to the 1996 Playoff game against the Yankees, and I was born in 1991. I am serious when I say that I've been going since I could walk), but I look at the bandwagon fans as regular fans because all they're doing is helping me.
The only negative to the bandwagon fans is that tickets are a bit harder to grab, but I think I'm fine with that if we're winning ballgames.
Go Rangers, Go Cowboys, and Go Pokes!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
My New Love for October
Section 319, Row 1, seat 8.
That's the seat I was standing in front of when the Texas Rangers won their first home post-season game in franchise history. My voice is raspy, my face is sunburned, and I'm beyond tired, but I had a BLAST, and now understand fully why baseball fans love October.
Baseball fans for post-season teams that is. Today I watched the Rangers, while getting updates on my pokes who were playing in Lubbock, all while wondering if my Cowboys would get it together tomorrow in Minnesota. On top of that, the Mavericks season is about to get started. How is a sports fan supposed to concentrate when 4 of his teams could potentially be playing a game all within 2 days of each other?!
Now onto the Ranger game. First off, if you fully understand baseball, and understand what's at stake every game, then going to a post-season baseball game would probably be the best experience you could ever have. And if your team wins, it's even better. The stadium was packed (not a sellout, but probably 90-95% full), and every single fan was into it. Aside from the occasional "Yankees Suck" chant, I was extremely proud to be a Rangers fan. Walking from our seats to the bottom level and to the car was just as fun, as fans were "high-fiving" ushers and security guards, buying TONS of apparel and souvenirs, and even walking through all of the sections to grab the souvenir cups that are usually left there (I was upset, those are the cups I now use in my dorm, and I could only snag two.) It was an amazing day to be a Ranger fan, amazing day to be at the ballpark, and even better to be a baseball fan in general.
The Ranger players put on a show as well, torching the Yankee starting pitcher, and putting themselves in good situations against their bullpen. But one player stuck out to me more than anyone, and that was Darren O'Day.
The submarine pitcher came in after Oliver retired two batters, and his job was the same as it always is. "You'll have one or two batters, then we're pulling you. Get them out."
That makes me think two things:
1- How awesome would it be to be paid an amount of money to come into a game and pitch to one, maybe two batters, then go hang out in the dugout for the rest of the game?
2- How stressful would it be to be paid an amount of money to come into a game and pitch to one, maybe two batters, then go hang out in the dugout for the rest of the game?
But tonight, he ignored #2, and slammed the door shut, just as he has most of the season, by striking out the player he was matched up against.
This year he has pitched 62.0 innings in 72 games, with an ERA of just over 2. At most, he sees two batters an outing, which means he saw 62 batters at a minimum this year, and had 45 strike outs. Tonight, he seemed to give the bullpen the confidence to say "We can beat these guys", and actually did it.
So as the game wore on, and the Rangers seemed to score at will in the first half of the game (They scored one run in the 1st inning and two runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th inning), the happier and more proud I became. Happy because the same team I went to the ballpark 15+ times this summer to see in the 105 degree Texas heat, is in the playoffs, and not only that, but is actually doing extremely well. Proud because I could enjoy it with my family, and proud that my mom is capable of getting those tickets for us.
October is only half finished, and I already never want it to end. Hopefully the Rangers can pull this series out and go from there, I know the Cowboys would appreciate their full fan base back, so the sooner the next 7 wins come the better!
Go Rangers, Go Pokes, and Go Cowboys!
That's the seat I was standing in front of when the Texas Rangers won their first home post-season game in franchise history. My voice is raspy, my face is sunburned, and I'm beyond tired, but I had a BLAST, and now understand fully why baseball fans love October.
Baseball fans for post-season teams that is. Today I watched the Rangers, while getting updates on my pokes who were playing in Lubbock, all while wondering if my Cowboys would get it together tomorrow in Minnesota. On top of that, the Mavericks season is about to get started. How is a sports fan supposed to concentrate when 4 of his teams could potentially be playing a game all within 2 days of each other?!
Now onto the Ranger game. First off, if you fully understand baseball, and understand what's at stake every game, then going to a post-season baseball game would probably be the best experience you could ever have. And if your team wins, it's even better. The stadium was packed (not a sellout, but probably 90-95% full), and every single fan was into it. Aside from the occasional "Yankees Suck" chant, I was extremely proud to be a Rangers fan. Walking from our seats to the bottom level and to the car was just as fun, as fans were "high-fiving" ushers and security guards, buying TONS of apparel and souvenirs, and even walking through all of the sections to grab the souvenir cups that are usually left there (I was upset, those are the cups I now use in my dorm, and I could only snag two.) It was an amazing day to be a Ranger fan, amazing day to be at the ballpark, and even better to be a baseball fan in general.
The Ranger players put on a show as well, torching the Yankee starting pitcher, and putting themselves in good situations against their bullpen. But one player stuck out to me more than anyone, and that was Darren O'Day.
The submarine pitcher came in after Oliver retired two batters, and his job was the same as it always is. "You'll have one or two batters, then we're pulling you. Get them out."
That makes me think two things:
1- How awesome would it be to be paid an amount of money to come into a game and pitch to one, maybe two batters, then go hang out in the dugout for the rest of the game?
2- How stressful would it be to be paid an amount of money to come into a game and pitch to one, maybe two batters, then go hang out in the dugout for the rest of the game?
But tonight, he ignored #2, and slammed the door shut, just as he has most of the season, by striking out the player he was matched up against.
This year he has pitched 62.0 innings in 72 games, with an ERA of just over 2. At most, he sees two batters an outing, which means he saw 62 batters at a minimum this year, and had 45 strike outs. Tonight, he seemed to give the bullpen the confidence to say "We can beat these guys", and actually did it.
So as the game wore on, and the Rangers seemed to score at will in the first half of the game (They scored one run in the 1st inning and two runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th inning), the happier and more proud I became. Happy because the same team I went to the ballpark 15+ times this summer to see in the 105 degree Texas heat, is in the playoffs, and not only that, but is actually doing extremely well. Proud because I could enjoy it with my family, and proud that my mom is capable of getting those tickets for us.
October is only half finished, and I already never want it to end. Hopefully the Rangers can pull this series out and go from there, I know the Cowboys would appreciate their full fan base back, so the sooner the next 7 wins come the better!
Go Rangers, Go Pokes, and Go Cowboys!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
What Sports Taught Me
The curveball is known as the hardest pitch to hit at any level. Whether it's Cliff Lee's 12-6 curveball, Tim Wakefield's knuckle curve, or the eighth grader just learning how to throw it, it's a tough ball to hit.
The perfect curveball comes after a fastball. The speed change, along with the movement, can mess up even the best batters in the game. The curveball's that have been thrown my way in life have mostly been swings and misses, but I have found that the best therapy is the world of sports.
In fourth grade, I started my first year of football. I played for "Coach T" on the Pirates, and was bigger and stronger than most of the guys on my team, but was, in all honesty, probably the softest kid out there. My mom loved me playing, as she's as big of a sports fan as I was, and she showed it by sitting at every practice watching from the car. I'll never forget one day after practice, getting into her car and her saying "Why were you taking it easy on that kid in your blocking drills?"
My response makes her laugh every time, even when we talk about it 10 years later.
The kid I was going against was half of my size, and probably weighed 70 pounds soaking wet, after dinner. I looked at my mom and said "I kept getting into my stance thinking I was going to beat him, but everytime I looked up, he always looked so sad."
Once her hysterical laughter died down, she told me that it doesn't matter who is across from me, I need to always go 100%, because not only will it make me better, but it will make him better. I've always looked at that as something I can apply to anything.
This helped a lot in high school. I started on the JV offensive line as a sophomore, and instead of looking across at the 70 pound kid, I was looking across at 270 pound all district defensive lineman. I still always tried to go full speed, and a few headaches and broken chinstraps later, it paid off, because I became one of those all district lineman.
But everything goes back to that year of football in fourth grade. Not only did that whole hilarious situation happen, but that was also the fall when my parents got divorced. My dad stayed with a friend for awhile, and missed some of my football games (this rarely happens; my dad probably hasn't missed a game since my fourth grade football year, and never missed one before it.) I was really upset about it, and everyone could tell.
That's when "Coach T" stepped in, and pulled me aside during practice. Coach T had been coaching pee-wee football forever, and knew what he was doing. He looked at me and said "Do you think your dad wants you being sad about him not being here, or do you think he wants you to go out there and kick some butt, and show that you're the best on the field?"
I'll never forget that conversation. I replied with "Well..." and that's as far as I got before Coach T's southern drawl took over. "You're a player, take over the field, no one out here can do it but you."
It's amazing what sticks with a fourth grade kid. I still live by what I learned in those two situations every day, and they happened 10 years ago. That's what sports has taught me, to take over and give everything my all. I've learned that the only thing limiting me on being the best at something is me. Once someone has overcome their limitations, they can be the best at math, cheerleading, competitive eating (a dream of mine), or whatever they put their mind to.
This post is a bit off the path I've taken on this blog, but hopefully this opens eyes on the people who haven't ever had the opportunity to play a sport, and helps them understand why people tailgate before games, and dedicate entire days to their favorite team just because they play that day.
In summary: Show this to your wife, hopefully she'll understand the big screen and surround sound.
Next Update: My experience at the ALCS game, Yankees @ Rangers.
GO RANGERS!
The perfect curveball comes after a fastball. The speed change, along with the movement, can mess up even the best batters in the game. The curveball's that have been thrown my way in life have mostly been swings and misses, but I have found that the best therapy is the world of sports.
In fourth grade, I started my first year of football. I played for "Coach T" on the Pirates, and was bigger and stronger than most of the guys on my team, but was, in all honesty, probably the softest kid out there. My mom loved me playing, as she's as big of a sports fan as I was, and she showed it by sitting at every practice watching from the car. I'll never forget one day after practice, getting into her car and her saying "Why were you taking it easy on that kid in your blocking drills?"
My response makes her laugh every time, even when we talk about it 10 years later.
The kid I was going against was half of my size, and probably weighed 70 pounds soaking wet, after dinner. I looked at my mom and said "I kept getting into my stance thinking I was going to beat him, but everytime I looked up, he always looked so sad."
Once her hysterical laughter died down, she told me that it doesn't matter who is across from me, I need to always go 100%, because not only will it make me better, but it will make him better. I've always looked at that as something I can apply to anything.
This helped a lot in high school. I started on the JV offensive line as a sophomore, and instead of looking across at the 70 pound kid, I was looking across at 270 pound all district defensive lineman. I still always tried to go full speed, and a few headaches and broken chinstraps later, it paid off, because I became one of those all district lineman.
But everything goes back to that year of football in fourth grade. Not only did that whole hilarious situation happen, but that was also the fall when my parents got divorced. My dad stayed with a friend for awhile, and missed some of my football games (this rarely happens; my dad probably hasn't missed a game since my fourth grade football year, and never missed one before it.) I was really upset about it, and everyone could tell.
That's when "Coach T" stepped in, and pulled me aside during practice. Coach T had been coaching pee-wee football forever, and knew what he was doing. He looked at me and said "Do you think your dad wants you being sad about him not being here, or do you think he wants you to go out there and kick some butt, and show that you're the best on the field?"
I'll never forget that conversation. I replied with "Well..." and that's as far as I got before Coach T's southern drawl took over. "You're a player, take over the field, no one out here can do it but you."
It's amazing what sticks with a fourth grade kid. I still live by what I learned in those two situations every day, and they happened 10 years ago. That's what sports has taught me, to take over and give everything my all. I've learned that the only thing limiting me on being the best at something is me. Once someone has overcome their limitations, they can be the best at math, cheerleading, competitive eating (a dream of mine), or whatever they put their mind to.
This post is a bit off the path I've taken on this blog, but hopefully this opens eyes on the people who haven't ever had the opportunity to play a sport, and helps them understand why people tailgate before games, and dedicate entire days to their favorite team just because they play that day.
In summary: Show this to your wife, hopefully she'll understand the big screen and surround sound.
Next Update: My experience at the ALCS game, Yankees @ Rangers.
GO RANGERS!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
My First Post-Season Series
Not in the sense that the ALDS is the first Post-Season series I've ever watched, but rather the first I've had emotional ties to. And when I say emotional ties, I'm talking "lost sleep, stressed, ruined my day, made my day" ties.
But now I finally understand what all these MLB fans have been talking about my entire life. The Rangers have been to the post-season twice before this year (1996, 1999), and, of course have met their fate at the hands of the Yankees. I even attended one of the games in '96 with my Mom, but didn't understand the significance of what I was watching, I thought it was just another "suit up, swing the bat, and get snacks after" type of game, all about the fun.
But now I can honestly say I realize what's at stake. I realize that when I was sitting in my seat at most of the games in August, that was just a tune-up. That technically was just a pre-season game compared to tonight. I even lost my voice at each and every one of those games, for something that doesn't even affect whether the Rangers practice tomorrow or not.
This concept was taught to me last year, my senior year of high school. When you walk off the field knowing that you won't be back on it for a long time (or in my case, ever), it sinks in what just happened. There's no way to get your mind off of it either. You go through every at bat you had in the game, every fielding situation, ever step you took.
That is the most haunting thing about sports. They're fun until you get eliminated, then you are filled with so much regret and pain that you wish for one more practice to change it all.
That's what is at stake for these guys as they walk onto the field this evening. One team will be at practice tomorrow, the other will be at home with their family. One team will be happy, the other team will spend the coming months thinking about the events of tonight.
So though I'm wearing my lucky Neftali Feliz shirt, lucky Ranger hat, and sitting in my lucky chair, as are the 50,000+ fans that attended each of the two Rangers home games, and the countless others that weren't there, it doesn't matter what we do. The only thing that matters is the guys on each team, and what they do tonight.
And just think, this is only the ALDS. Go Rangers!
But now I finally understand what all these MLB fans have been talking about my entire life. The Rangers have been to the post-season twice before this year (1996, 1999), and, of course have met their fate at the hands of the Yankees. I even attended one of the games in '96 with my Mom, but didn't understand the significance of what I was watching, I thought it was just another "suit up, swing the bat, and get snacks after" type of game, all about the fun.
But now I can honestly say I realize what's at stake. I realize that when I was sitting in my seat at most of the games in August, that was just a tune-up. That technically was just a pre-season game compared to tonight. I even lost my voice at each and every one of those games, for something that doesn't even affect whether the Rangers practice tomorrow or not.
This concept was taught to me last year, my senior year of high school. When you walk off the field knowing that you won't be back on it for a long time (or in my case, ever), it sinks in what just happened. There's no way to get your mind off of it either. You go through every at bat you had in the game, every fielding situation, ever step you took.
That is the most haunting thing about sports. They're fun until you get eliminated, then you are filled with so much regret and pain that you wish for one more practice to change it all.
That's what is at stake for these guys as they walk onto the field this evening. One team will be at practice tomorrow, the other will be at home with their family. One team will be happy, the other team will spend the coming months thinking about the events of tonight.
So though I'm wearing my lucky Neftali Feliz shirt, lucky Ranger hat, and sitting in my lucky chair, as are the 50,000+ fans that attended each of the two Rangers home games, and the countless others that weren't there, it doesn't matter what we do. The only thing that matters is the guys on each team, and what they do tonight.
And just think, this is only the ALDS. Go Rangers!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
ALDS Rangers vs. Rays; Another Series in the "Gentleman's" Game.
Disclaimer: I am a devout Texas Rangers fan, and have been my entire life. If you're looking for the insight* that ESPN and TBS have been offering, then you won't get it here. This is talking about the Rangers side of the series, the part you probably haven't heard anywhere except your local DFW channels.
* That insight being everything you could ever want to know about the Ray's and their history, from their random road trip themes to their game 7 win over Boston a few years ago, and nothing on my hometown team.
From the start, the Rangers looked like the team to win this series right away. Bombing the Ray's Ace in game one, and putting up 2 runs on their, in my mind, #4 pitcher (Garza and Niemann are head and shoulders above Shields to me.) They hit the timely home run, ran the bases well, and seemed confident, but not cocky.
The exact second that I realized this series was going to shift is when Shields was pulled in game 2. After a decent outing, Maddon made his way out to the mound. Shields then went on to pout in the corner of the dugout for a minute, before returning to the dugout fence. This is when Mike Young's almost infamous "check swing" took place, and the camera men captured Shields (with Carlos Pena) mouthing to the first base umpire with a few choice words thrown in, all the while throwing their arms around in the same manner my twin 5 year old cousins do when they don't get more game tokens at Chuck E. Cheese from my grandma when they run out.
This is when I realized what this series means to me, and probably most of the other hardcore Ranger fans.
Batman always defeats the Joker. Superman always saves the city. These are the principles written into our society's brain.
So when you compare the gentleman of Texas to the (insert adjective of choice here) Ray's, you'd think it should be the same way. The Rangers stay composed, keep the yelling volume from the dugout a minimum, and never once have mocked their opponents all season in a public fashion.
You can find your evidence on Tampa for yourself, but I'd refer to Game 2 if I was trying to find anything.
So, as I sit in my dorm lounge in Oklahoma watching Game 4, 4 hours away from my beloved ballpark, my beloved Rangers, and my beloved season ticket seats in the All You Can Eat section (I had to get the "Freshman 15 somehow?), I wonder when this principle will kick in, and hope it's very soon.
After all, this is the "Gentleman's Game." Hopefully acting in that way pays off, and if it doesn't, then Rangers, start your pouting and arm flailing sometime soon please.
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