The Texas Rangers are going to the World Series.
Those words look strange being typed out.
I honestly thought they would never make it in their history. But here they are.
And I am thinking about Washington for several reasons.
The Rangers WERE the second version of the Washington Senators before they moved to Arlington.
The team currently in Washington, the Nationals, are one of only two franchises to never had made the World Series.
The other also plays in Washington... Washington State. The Mariners.
The Nationals got to within one game of the 1981 World Series when they were the Montreal Expos.
The Mariners made it to three ALCS berths and getting to Game 6 in 1995 and 2000.
But alas no pennants.
So you are on notice, Mariners and Nationals.
Everyone else has made it in BUT you. All of the original franchises have won at least one World Series.
The Nationals franchise has been around since 1969. The Mariners showed up in 1977.
The Expansion of 1961 and 1962 gave baseball the Mets (who won the 1969 and 1986 World Series and the 1973 and 2000 pennants) the Astros franchise (who won the 2005 pennant), the Angels franchise (who won the 2002 World Series) and now the Texas Rangers.
The expansion of 1969 gave us the Nationals franchise, the Padres (winners of the 1984 and 1998 pennants), the Royals (winner of the 1985 World Series and the 1980 pennant) and the Brewers franchise (winner of the 1982 pennant.)
The 1977 expansion introduced the Blue Jays (winner of the 1992 and 1993 World Series) and the Mariners.
The 1993 expansions brought the Marlins (winner of the 1997 and 2003 World Series) and the Rockies (winner of the 2007 pennant) to the show.
And finally the 1998 expansion sparked the Diamondbacks (winner of the 2001 World Series) and the Rays franchise (winner of the 2008 pennant.)
Put together a pennant winner and get off this board.
If the Rangers can do it in the sweltering heat, then your team can do it.
Your road to the pennant starts...... now!
