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!