Angels lose the C. J. Wilson sweepstakes

The Angels think C. J. Wilson had 5 elite pitching seasons left in his arm?
That's more than double the number of terrific seasons as a starter that he has ever logged in the majors.

I've been saying for weeks that the team that signs C. J. Wilson will regret it.
And while he is bringing depth to the rotation, I don't even buy the logic of "He may not be an ace, but he doesn't need to be on the Angels."

He may not NEED to be but he is being paid to be.
And keep in mind when John Lackey was being bandied about in free agency, I thought "He's not an ace, he shouldn't be paid like he is."

When he landed with the Red Sox, I thought "well, with Lester, Beckett and Buchholz it takes a lot of pressure off of him and it should be a decent fit."

How did THAT turn out?

You know how every year someone writes a "Worst Contracts in Baseball" article.
Well get typing on including C. J. Wilson.

By the end of the 2013 season, people will be asking "What can they hope to get for him with THAT contract?"

Meanwhile the Rangers won't be saddled with this contract, can spend the money wisely and get some picks to replenish the farm system.

Mark the date.
I'm saying it now.

C. J. Wilson wants SIX YEARS?

Yup.

He's seeking a SIX YEAR deal.

He has had 2 good years as a starter.

He is 30 and he has 2 good years.

A 6 year $100 some odd contract means that not only are you expecting him to TRIPLE his number of good years but do so as he gets deeper into his 30s.

When Brandon Webb was 29 he had won a Cy Young Award and had two second place Cy Young finishes between 2006 and 2008.

He looked like a great choice to lock up to a big long deal.

He's pitched one game since he turned 30 in 2009.

Johan Santana looked like he was putting together a Hall of Fame career. He had won 2 Cy Young Awards (and probably should have won a third) before his 29th birthday. He was 200 innings in the bank and an almost lock for the ERA title.

He missed all of the 2011 season at age 32 and his career is in jeopardy.

By age 26, Jake Peavy was a Cy Young Award winner with 2 strike out titles and 2 ERA titles. Since turning 28 he has thrown three injury plagued seasons.

At age 28 Barry Zito had won a Cy Young Award, was one of the most durable pitchers in the game and had experience in 5 different post seasons. By 30 he was an expensive and unreliable behemouth who was left off the playoff roster in 2010.

Every pitcher I just listed was a MUCH better bet to sign to a long term deal than C. J. Wilson.

Try learning from the past!

I said it before and I'll say it again... STAY AWAY FROM C.J. WILSON!

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The (Arthur) Rhodes less traveled

Arthur Rhodes was going to get a World Series ring no matter what.
He was a member of both the Rangers and the Cardinals this year. But no doubt it will be sweeter that he got his ring with the club he actually played for in the World Series.

20 seasons in the bigs... and this was his first trip to the World Series.

He was a respected veteran who put up a few tremendous seasons as a middle reliever.
I know it isn't cool to talk about win totals, but he DID go 19-4 between 1996 and 1997, both playoff seasons for Baltimore.

Between 2001 and 2002, he went 18-4 with the Mariners, including the '01 Division Winners.

He was an Oriole when Ripken passed Gehrig and Jeffrey Maier interfered with Jeter's flyball.
He played along side A-Rod, Edgar Martinez, King Felix and Ichiro in Seattle.
Played with the three Moneyball aces in Oakland.
He relieved CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee in Cleveland.
He played with Howard, Utley, Rollis, Ruiz and Cole Hamels in Philadelphia.
He was teammates with Hanley Ramirez in Florida.
He was on the Reds team that finally made it back to post season in 2010.
And of course with BOTH pennant winners in 2011.

But something struck me about his career.

He made his big league debut as a member of the Baltimore Orioles on August 21, 1991 against Texas.

Some of the batters he faced that day included Julio Franco, Brian Downing and Gary Pettis.

On August 27, 1991 he pitched his first home game in Baltimore.
NOT in Camden Yards. He was pitching in Memorial Stadium. His career predates Camden Yards!

On September 10th, 1991, he was playing New York, a full 10 years and 1 day before the attacks.

He faced a Yankee team filled with mismatched parts as they were floundering through the Stump Merrill years.

Steve Sax, Roberto Kelly, Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens, Matt Nokes, Pat Kelly, Randy Velarde, Alvaro Espinoza and Pat Sheridan were all in the lineup.

Poor Don Mattingly, stuck with such a rotten team.
(The lead off hitter was a young Bernie Williams, a preview of better days for the Yankees.)

But something struck me about the box score that day.

Dwight Evans played that game for the Orioles. He came in as a pinch hitter for Sam Horn (yeah, THAT Sam Horn).

Evans played his final season in Baltimore. Arthur Rhodes was his teammate.
A pitcher in the 2011 World Series was once on the same team as Dwight Evans. It seems like it was 4 or 5 generations ago that Evans played.

Arthur Rhodes pitched before the Yankees got to be good again, before there was a Camden Yards and played along side Dwight Evans.

Think of the young players from this Cardinals team.
24 year old Daniel Descalso can now be connected to Dwight Evans in one move.

Let's hope Daniel plays as long as Arthur Rhodes.

Congrats on your World Series ring, Arthur.
You have truly earned it.

STAY AWAY FROM C. J. WILSON! (Mark the date)

Seriously. Mark the date. It’s one thing to say a Free Agent signing sucks AFTER the fact. I am going to say it BEFORE the fact.

Whichever team signs C. J. Wilson is going to regret it.
He may have a good year off the bat but everything about him points to a long term contract disaster.

He was a decent but not great reliever who has had 2, count them, TWO good years as a starter.

And he happened to not only pitch in the World Series each of the last two years but, since Sabathia has taken himself out of the picture, he is the biggest pitcher available. (Sorry Yu Darvish… I’ll believe it when I see it.)

Wilson will make tens of millions of dollars before opening day. His great grandkids will be set for life if he invests his money well.

And the team that signs him will be regretting the deal.
Maybe not the Rangers. Maybe having him stay with the Rangers will give the image that they take care of their own players. Maybe that will give them some good will. But the contract itself WILL become an albatross.

While teams salivate over Wilson, remember they salivated over Barry Zito.
Zito was younger than Wilson.
Zito had a Cy Young on his mantle, several other solid seasons under his belt, was 220 innings in the bank and was moving into a top pitchers ballpark.

How did that work out?

Remember that the Red Sox and Yankees were bidding over Carl Pavano?
Remember how John Lackey was considered to be a great pick up for the Red Sox?

Remember how Kevin Brown looked like a Cy Young winner waiting to happen?

Denny Neagle? Mike Hampton? Jared Wright? Jeff Weaver? Chan Ho Park? Jeff Suppan? Jason Schmidt?

Even the magnificent Pedro Martinez could only give Mets fans one year worthy of Pedro.

How many Free Agent pitchers who coincided their best season with their walk year have to bust before we see a pattern developing?

How many big time free agent starting pitchers had long term deals that worked out?
Catfish Hunter? Greg Maddux? Nolan Ryan? Randy Johnson? CC Sabathia? Roger Clemens?

Yeah. In other words THE ALL TIME GREATS!

That does NOT describe C. J. Wilson.
I am not saying this in retrospect.
I am saying it RIGHT NOW on November 4th, 2011.

Whoever signs C. J. Wilson is going to regret it.
As I said before… maybe not 1 year into it. But it won’t be long before people say “Man, how are they going to move THAT contract?”

I think Arthur Rhodes prefers THIS World Series ring

No matter what, Arthur Rhodes was going to get his first World Series ring.
He played for the Rangers AND the Cardinals.
If the Rangers got that last strike last night, it would be a Rangers ring.

Call me crazy, I think this will be sweeter for him.

He has pitched over 20 years in the bigs with 9 different teams.
Now he has a World Series ring.

I feel good for Arthur Rhodes.
How could you not?

This could be the best video ever on the internet

I love this video.
I have never seen a "Fan shot video at the ballgame" that has included all the emotions of an amazing dramatic moment more than this.

It's shot from left field with the Cardinals down to their last strike in the 9th inning and David Freese facing Neftali Feliz.

The crowd is nervous.
Then the fly ball to right field and there is a combination of tension, hope and possible sadness as it looked like the Rangers were going to win the World Series.

Then the delirium that not only was the game NOT over... not only were the Cardinals still alive... but somehow the game was tied.

The fans going insane... then the camera zoomed into the Rangers fans.
That slumped look of disgust...
I know it well. The feeling of "I thought I was about to jump up in the air with all of my baseball wishes fulfilled... and instead I am pissed.

So much in this one video.
So much of it perfectly captured.

Please don't take it down, YouTube.

This was NOT a great game

Calling this game great is a damn insult.
This was an all time "where were you when it happened" classic.

I am exhausted.
I have no clue what can be said.

But folks, if you aren't watching this World Series I truly pity you.

Bed time.
Posts tomorrow.

Nobody could text message in Arlington last night?

In this day and age when everyone in the ballpark has a cell phone and sending texts and videos, you are honestly telling me that the Cardinals couldn't communicate with their bullpen last night?

They don't have ONE person with a cell phone? If they can't hear, send a damn text message.

No need to type out all of Rzepczynski. Rzep will do fine.

LaRussa's explanation for why Lance Lynn was in there and not Jason Motte was bizarre.
Why Rzepczynski was pitching to Mike Napoli may never be solved.

All I know is a few cell phones placed here or there could go a long way.
And short of that, do what Susan Sarandon did in Bull Durham and send a kid with a note.

Hopefully this series is heading back to AWESOME - VILLE

OK... 5 games into the series and it's a damn good one.
We've had a tight opener...
A come from behind 9th inning rally in game 2...
A historic home run performance in game 3...
A kick ass pitching performance in game 4...
And tonight's game that Rod Serling would call strange.

So here we are. The Rangers have done something that no MLB team based in Texas has every done: Get to the brink of a World Series title.

And they are going back to St. Louis where a home town win can cause a winner take all finale.

Now some World Series have been classics without going 7 games.
1992, 1993 and 1996 all had amazing endings and they all fell just short of the limit.

But in order for this season to have the amazing finale that we've been missing in baseball for nearly a decade, either the Cardinals have to win on Wednesday and force a game 7... or game 6 has to go 18 or 19 innings.

It's been a terrific World Series so far.
We're not at "Classic" level yet.

Mr. Holland's Opus

Derek Holland pitched into the 9th inning tonight.
For most teams that would be unthinkable. After 7, you automatically take the pitcher out.

But these are the Rangers and they actually look at what is happening on the FIELD to make decisions. He was cruising and there was no reason to wake up the Cardinals offense. Remember St. Louis scored 16 runs the night before... a good deal of that against the Texas bullpen.

So why take out the pitcher?

So Holland made sure the bullpen pitched less than an inning tonight.
And for the first time since 2003, a World Series is tied at 2 games a piece.

It's been 9 years since the World Series has gone 7 games.

A thrilling 7 game series with a tremendous finale could go a long way to help baseball nationally.

(So would playing the post season in SEPTEMBER but that's another post.)

For the good of baseball, hope St. Louis and Texas split the next two games. There are kids getting their driver's license who don't remember watching a seventh game of the World Series.

Time for that to change.
And time to thank Derek Holland.

Well Albert Pujols shut ME up!

What can I say?
If you thought Albert post Game 2 acting bush league, then he showed today that he belongs in a HIGHER league.

Seriously... I am totally speechless on his performance.
He basically said "You want a comment from my previous game? How about THIS as a comment?"

5 for 6?
6 RBI?
Putting his name along side Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson with single game World Series dominance?

Doing this on the biggest stage may have put a year or two on his contract too.

Folks, I wasn't crazy about his style after Game 2.
But holy CRAP did he deliver substance.

Lest we forget, the Rangers scored 7 runs and Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse only retired 9 batters... and it was a Cardinals blow out.

I think Cardinal fans would take that rather than a quote.
That WAS his quote.

Save for that extra inning meltdown by the Cardinals, we'd be looking at a St. Louis sweep tomorrow.

And yeah, Allen Craig was terrific the first three games... but after tonight, if the Cardinals win is there ANY doubt who the MVP should be?

I for one was hoping Albert would avoid the press tonight too... just to let his bat do the talking.

It was loud and clear tonight.
And all I could do is shut up!

Hey Dumb Ass Rangers Fan...

Did you REALLY think that nobody would catch you throwing that Wiffle Ball onto the field?
You DO know the game is televised with a crap load of cameras, right?

Oh Texans you ARE new to baseball, aren't you?

I hope we never find out this chumps name.
His 15 minutes of fame are up.
But his night in jail isn't.

NOW we have a World Series!

I won't lie to you. When the game was 1-0 Cardinals going into the 9th, I thought "This is going to SUCK!"

Not the game. The game itself was a well played, well pitched ballgame. It was tight. It was tense. It was classic post steroids baseball. In other words... BASEBALL.

But in terms of the outcome of the World Series and my desire to see the Series tied 2-2 after 4 games, it sucked big time.

Yet another World Series was in danger of being lopsided after 4 games. Yet another World Series was going to be an anti climax, even if the games were well played. But Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus getting on base against Jason Motte and coming around to score and Neftali Feliz holding the Cardinals saved the World Series.

For the first time since Rivera blew the 2001 World Series we had a team come back to win a World Series game they trailed after 8.

And while it would have been cool to see Allen Craig become a pinch hitter World Series MVP, it is better for baseball to see this Series up in the air after 2.

Now split the next 2 and guess what? We might have ourselves a potential classic World Series.

I still want the Rangers to win the World Series.
But in Game 4 I am rooting for whomever lost Game 3.

Baseball needs a World Series classic.
2 games in and 2 one run games in, we are off to a good start.
The next two are key.

OK... not a bad start but we have a ways to go.

OK... a nice 1 run game.
Good pitching.
Good bullpen.

Not a great game but a good one.

That ball hit Adrian Beltre on the foot. We all saw that, but hey. It's not like Beltre is a good power hitter and it's not like the 9th inning of a one run World Series game is important.

Alright.
One game in the books. Have the Rangers win a 1 run game and we might have a decent World Series this year.

Everyone who doesn't give a damn, root for the Rangers tomorrow.

What should baseball want? A 2-2 World Series after four games!

In Game 4 of the 2003 World Series, a very significant event happened.
Alex Gonzalez of the Marlins (not to be confused with Alex Gonzalez of the Cubs who did a hell of a lot more to screw up Chicago's World Series dreams than Steve Bartman) hit a walk off homer against Yankee reliever Jeff Weaver.

It gave the Marlins the win and suddenly took a World Series that everyone assumed the Yankees would win and turned it into anyone's series.

The Marlins went on to win that World Series.
Why am I bringing that up now?

Because when the ball cleared the fence in Joe Robbie Stadium (or whatever the hell it was called in 2003) it was the LAST time a World Series was 2-2 after four games.

A 2-2 series is a wonderful place to be in terms of excitement. After four games, no leader has emerged. Virtually every great World Series was 2-2 after 4.

Even the ones that ended after 6 games were thrillers 2-2 after 4.

When a team falls behind 3-1, it doesn't put the series out of reach but it puts one team at a tremendous disadvantage.

Since 2003... what have we had?
The 2004 World Series was great for us Red Sox fans but a real snoozer for everyone else. Forget a lead in the series. The Cardinals never had a lead for an INNING!

Every single game of the 2005 World Series was close and exciting. The problem is the White Sox won all four games. Clean sweeps are never good unless your team is doing the sweeping.

The 2006 World Series was super sloppy and more memorable for the Tigers pitchers making a ton of errors. It was 3-1 after 4 and over after 5.

The 2007 World Series was another Red Sox sweep. At least this time the Rockies led for a few innings of Game 2.

The 2008 World Series was 3-1 Phillies after 4. And the game 5 took 3 or 4 days to play because someone forgot to read the weather forecast.

The 2009 World Series was the last one to go more than 5 games, but the Yankees were up 3-1 after 4 games and it was inevitable that the Phillies were going to lose one game in the Bronx.

And last year was 3-1 with Tim Lincecum on the mound for the Giants.

It's hard for a World Series to gain momentum and national attention when it is pretty obvious who is going to win after 4 games.

Now I am rooting for the Rangers to win. I listed my reasons for that in one of my previous posts.

But what should EVERYONE who isn't a Cardinals or Rangers fan be cheering for?
A split of the first two in St. Louis and a split of the next two in Arlington.

We've have had some wonderful games in the last 7 post seasons. We've had the Red Sox come back against the 2004 Yankees. We've had the Astros Cardinals series of 2004 and 2005. We've had wonderful 5 game Division Series involving the Angels and Yankees and the Rays and Rangers.

The Mets and Cardinals had a heart racing 7 Game Series in 2006.
The Red Sox had two more 7 game ALCS thrillers... one they won against the Indians and one they lost to Tampa Bay.

David Ortiz, Chris Burke and Magglio Ordonez ended series with homers.
Nyjer Morgan and Jed Lowrie ended series with walk off hits.

And yet each and every year, the World Series is an anti climax.

Want people excited about the World Series?
Give them a World Series to get exited about!!!

The greatest World Series I ever saw played was between the Braves and Twins in 1991.

One played in the midwest inside of a dome.
The other was down south in a cookie cutter stadium that was empty just the year before.

This year you have THE team of the midwest playing a team in the 4th biggest media market in the country.

Have it go into a 5th game tied 2 games a piece and have Chris Carpenter stare down Josh Hamilton.

THEN you can have a true October classic.

The official Sully Baseball World Series prediction...

This is my official World Series prediction.
Don't confuse this with my dreadful prediction made on the eve of the playoffs!
I had neither the Rangers nor the Cardinals making it through the Division Series.

Can you imagine if I went back in time and said after a few innings of Game 2 of the Cardinals - Phillies series and of the Rays - Rangers series that the World Series would be St. Louis vs. Texas?

Both the Phillies and Rays looked like they were a lock to go up 2-0 with early leads.

Now here we are with an all middle of the country World Series!

I've underestimated the Cardinals all post season.
Then again I've also underestimated the Rangers (I picked the Tigers to win the ALCS.)

In other words I've been as wrong as you can get.

So my instinct says "Pick the Rangers to win in 6."
And I can't.

I am going against my gut and as my picture might indicate to you... I'm smiling next to Ozzie Smith.

So here we go.

SULLY'S OFFICIAL WORLD SERIES PICK
THE CARDINALS IN 6 GAMES

So if you are a betting man, you might put all your money on the Rangers.
Except remember that my INSTINCTS said to pick the Rangers. So either way you are screwed.

Now I am ROOTING for the Rangers, but these Cardinals have nothing to lose. So I am predicting that all logic and reason will fly out of the window and the Cardinals will be World Champs.

10 reasons why Red Sox fans should root for the Rangers in the World Series

OK, we now have our World Series match up. I personally was hoping for a Tigers and Phillies World Series so we’d have a Verlander vs. Halladay.

Then I wanted Tigers vs. Brewers...
So naturally I got Rangers vs. Cardinals.

Now my fellow Red Sox fans might be wondering who they should root for... those who can bring themselves to watch baseball in the post on field and off field collapse of the Red Sox.

Well, one thing is for sure, you should root for a seven game series, which baseball needs more than a resolution to the Dodger and Met mess.

But what if it comes down to a 7th game and a tie score in the 9th?
Who should Red Sox fans root for?

It's an easy call.
Root for the Rangers... let me count the ways.

10 Reasons Why Red Sox Fans
Should Be Rooting For The Rangers

1. Not one member of the Rangers 25 man roster has a World Series ring

OK, that's not a Red Sox related reason, but it is pretty cool when you think of it.

If the Rangers win the World Series, every single player in the pile would be celebrating their first title. Having a whole team where it is the greatest moment in their life for ALL of them? That's pretty awesome. (The Molinas, Pujolses, Carpenters and LaRussas all have theirs.)


2. If the Rangers win, would Nolan Ryan’s “Let them pitch” style would be the direction of the new Red Sox.

The Red Sox need to rebuild their pitching staff and it will take more than banning fried chicken from the clubhouse to do it.

I fear coddling of pitchers more than the Colonel's secret recipe. I think it has already claimed Clay Buchholz and the old Sox management hasn't exactly produced the 1995 Braves... or the 2011 Rangers for that matter.

Ryan has let the pitchers PITCH and lo and behold the depth of their staff is one of their strengths. Win or not, the Red Sox should emulate them. Hope the Rangers win do the Sox will have to notice that Ryan has delivered much better results than copying Moneyball.



3. How often do you bump into a taunting Rangers fan?

If you are a Red Sox fan, no matter where you live, you will inevitably live or work near a Yankee fan who will give you crap about the great collapse.

Same with a Phillies fan or a Mets fan (although Met fans should keep their traps shut.) And maybe a Cardinal fan too.

When was the last time you uttered the phrase "I work with the most OBNOXIOUS Texas Rangers fan"? I am guessing never. That's a good thing. You don't want taunters to have the ammo of "And MY team won the World Series!"


4. Texas can become a free agent destination instead of the Yankees

Let's face it, Sox fans. This is going to be a lousy off season with the change in management and all. I don't know how many free agents are going to be running to Boston. And frankly the Red Sox have been spending too much on free agents recently. They need to develop their own players.

But we also don't want to see the C. J. Wilsons et al sign with the Yankees, do we? Well as Cliff Lee showed us, players are allowed to turn down Yankee money. And maybe if the Rangers keep winning and show they have a stable organization, maybe people will be heading to Texas instead of the Yankees.

Besides, can't you get a big huge mansion in Texas with low property taxes? DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!!!


5. Hey! Adrian Beltre is a former Red Sox All Star!

Shouldn't we be rooting for former Red Sox All Stars?

OK, so Beltre was only a Red Sox for one season and he wasn't exactly beloved... but it would be easier rooting for him to win a ring with the Rangers than say Clemens or Boggs with the Yankees... or Eckersley and Hendu with the LaRussa A's.

Go Adrian! Represent the 3rd place 2010 Boston Red Sox!


6. Come on… you can’t root for LaRussa or McGwire!

Isn't there something you don't like about Tony LaRussa? I could never figure out why I don't like him. It has nothing to do with him being a lawyer or doing that Glenn Beck thing. There's something about him that rubs me the wrong way. Seeing the Red Sox clobber the Cardinals in 2004 made it a little bit sweeter.

And McGwire, forget about it. Some steroid guys I have some sympathy for. This guy? He would have had Ron Kittle's career if not for the juice.

And together they massacred the Red Sox in the 1988 and 1990 ALCS. Seriously, you want THEM to be happy?

7. We can’t have the Cardinals also winning 2 World Series in the last 10 years!

The last few months have been so brutal to us Sox fans that it feels like everything positive of the past 10 years is getting more and more blurry. There's not a lot left for us to brag about.

Well since 2001, the Sox are the only team to win multiple World Series. That's still cool... except the Cardinals will spoil the fun if they win this year to go along with their 2006 title.

We need the Rangers to win for our own pettiness.

8. For Rangers fans, this could be THEIR 2004!

Remember that wonderful feeling we all felt in 2004? That great sense of relief! We had gone our whole lives thinking "Man, I'm never going to see the Red Sox win the World Series." Then suddenly they did. It made everything a little better.

Even seeing the Yankees win in 2009 and the Red Sox collapse in 2011 doesn't hurt the way it used to.

Now imagine you are a lifelong Rangers fan. The franchise had NEVER won the World Series. Hell, until last year they had only won one playoff GAME! The idea of being a World Series champ seemed pretty far fetched. If they win, then the die hard Ranger fans... the one that loved Pete O'Brien, Dean Palmer and Rusty Greer... would have THEIR moment they had waited their whole lives for.

Someone else deserves that kind of happiness.


9. A Rangers World Championship would George W. Bush happy and occupied

I am not going to get political here. All I am going to say are two things that I don't think anyone can deny.

1. George W. Bush would probably be happier if he were the Commissioner of Baseball rather than the former President of the United States.

2. He seems very happy being out of the political fray.

There might be pressure for him to be more vocal in the scrum that will be the 2012 election. For his sake and ours, I hope he is just going to sit back and savor another summer watching the Rangers defend their title.



10. SPIKE OWEN WOULD GET A WORLD SERIES RING

This is the BIGGEST reason for the Red Sox to root for the Rangers. He is the manager of the Texas Rangers AAA affiliate, the Round Rock Express. If the Rangers win, he would get a World Series ring as a member of the organization.

Spike was of course the starting shortstop of the 1986 Red Sox. He came along with Dave Henderson from Seattle in an August trade and greeting Hendu at home plate when he hit the go ahead homer in Game 6 of the World Series... the homer we all thought would clinch the World Series.

Owen was a typical Red Sox infielder from the Yawkey years. Not flashy, got his uniform dirty and whiter than the Bushwood Country Club directory.

Also Spike Owen's real first name? Spike! It was his mother's maiden name.

Every time a member of the 1986 Red Sox gets a ring, an angel gets their wings. I think that's how it goes.


So there you go, Red Sox fans... it might not get you all gung ho like 2004 or 2007... but there's reason to watch this World Series.

Say it with me! Let's go Rangers!
(Just don't yell that at a Bruins game.)

10 Reasons why the Texas Rangers winning the 2011 World Series would be good for baseball

The fall of the Red Sox made me kind of in a daze at the end of the season. I was going to have the Sox be the LAST of the Why Each Team's Potential World Championship Would Be Good For The Game series.

Not sure if you heard... the Sox aren't winning the 2011 World Series.
Probably won't win the 2012 nor 2013 either.

So in that post collapse confusion, I realized that I NEVER did one for the Rangers.
That would the BACK TO BACK AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPION RANGERS whom I gave virtually no respect to.

I didn't pick them to win the Division... I picked the Angels.
I didn't pick them in the Division Series... I picked the Rays.
I didn't pick them in the ALCS... I picked the Tigers.

So maybe I have learned my lesson.

They are back in the World Series.
Would seeing them WIN the World Series be good for the game?

Let me count the ways...

10 Reasons why the
Texas Rangers
winning the 2011 World Series
would be good for baseball

1. The celebration of Ron Washington would be complete

Washington has had a remarkable 2 seasons. He overcame the drug problem to become the first AL manager since Joe Torre to win back to back pennants. And he did it with a fun likable, running in place in the dugout, windmilling style.

Oh yeah, he was portraying in Moneyball by the great "that guy" Brent Jennings. (He played Harrison Ford's ill fated partner in Witness.) The difference between Washington's Rangers and Beane's A's? The Rangers actually went to the World Series. But how cool would it be to win a World Series and be a character in what will certainly be an Oscar nominated movie?



2. Nolan Ryan and his influence could finally put an end to pitch count nonsense.

The Rangers lost Cliff Lee and somehow their pitching staff got DEEPER.

C. J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison, Alexi Ogando, Neftali Feliz, Scott Feldman and Mike Adams might not be as sexy as the Phillies staff. But Texas has played in the last 2 World Series and not Philadelphia. You weren't supposed to be able to put a strong staff together in Texas. But magically that went out the window when Nolan Ryan took over the team.

Pitch counts were flushed down the toilet. Pitchers were allowed to get out of their jams. And guess what? As the Joba rules and babying of pitchers have left a wake of broken down pitchers, Nolan Ryan's method has made the Rangers a pitcher team.

Gee whiz, I wonder which school of thought should be adopted by more teams!




3. Josh Hamilton... An American Bad Ass needs to be a Champion.

The ultimate Roy Hobbs story needs its grand climax. He's already battled his demons. He's already reemerged in Cincinnati and then in Texas. He already beat drugs to become the MVP and slay the Yankees. He's already asked the Rays for forgiveness.

He's a great American story of wasted and found abilities. Put a ring on that finger and roll credits!

4. The final haunting of Nelson Cruz

Cruz is on a home run tear. Tonight he became the first person ever to hit 6 homers in a single post season series. I may have calculated his career ALCS OPS wrong, but my math has it coming out to 5 bazillion.

If this run goes into the World Series, this slugger will shine on the biggest stage and torment the Mets, A's and Brewers... all teams that had him and dealt him away.


5. It would be a celebration of the Rangers star studded but pennantless past.

When the Wild Card era began and media attention was placed solely on the Yankees and Red Sox, how many MVPs played in the Bronx?

Alex Rodriguez who won the award twice.
How many in Boston? That would be 2, Mo Vaughn and Dustin Pedroia.

How many in Texas? Juan Gonzalez won it twice. Pudge Rodriguez won it once. A-Rod picked up one in Arlington as did Josh Hamilton. That's more than Boston and New York combined in that same stretch.

Jeff Burroughs won it before. Ruben Sierra and Rafael Palmeiro could have won it. Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins, Bert Blyleven and of course Nolan Ryan logged great years in Arlington. As did the Richie Zisks, Oddibe McDowells, Julio Francos and all the other players in the Rangers colorful past.

For all the Geno Petrallis out there, a Rangers title will be for you!



6. A pro like Darren Oliver deserves a ring.

Did you know Darren Oliver was part of the first ever Rangers playoff team in 1996? In fact as a starter he pitched with a lead into the 9th inning of Game 3 of the Division Series against the Yankees. New York came back to win that game, but if Oliver and the pen held on, they might have won the Series.

That was a long time ago. Jeter was a rookie then.

Did you know that Darren Oliver has appeared in every post season since 2006? This is his 6th October in a row. He's logged in 17+ years in the big leagues and has no World Series ring to show for his troubles.

That should change.



7. Endy Chavez deserved a ring when he made that catch in 2006!

Endy Chavez's place in baseball history was ruined by events he had no control over. If Carlos Beltran clears the bases in the bottom of the 9th in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, Chavez's catch, robbing Scott Rolen over a tie breaking homer, would be remembered as one of the great moments in recent baseball history.

He would be a New York icon, along the lines of Dave Roberts in Boston.

Instead his catch is remembered fondly and included in highlight reels, but not an all time moment. How could it be? The Mets didn't win the game.

An overdue World Series ring would be a nice consolation prize for not becoming an immortal.


8. Michael Young would be rewarded for staying.

Michael Young was good as gone this past off season. There was no room for him in the crowded infield and a deal with a team like Colorado looked inevitable. In March, I made the case for the Rangers to keep him. He responded with 213 hits, best in the AL, a .338 average, 106 RBI and 299 total bases. And after 11 full seasons in Texas (after being dealt as a minor league for Esteban Loaiza) he has played more games for the Rangers than anyone else in history, had the most at bats, scored the most runs, compiled the most hits, doubles and triples.

With 2061 hits and a few 200 hit seasons left in him, is 3,000 out of reach? He's an all time Ranger. People who are so great for one team for so long should win a title with that team.

How much would he HATE being in Denver now?


9. The Cowboys would have the longest title drought in Dallas!

The Mavericks won this year... the Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999. The Cowboys haven't won the Super Bowl since January of 1996 when they beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XXX. Between December 1996 and now, they've won one playoff GAME.

For fans in Dallas, they have had time to embrace more than football. And for the rest of the country who hates the Cowboys, there must be some delicious joy in knowing that the Cowboys are 4 Rangers wins away from being the symbol of Dallas sports futility.

(I wonder if Dallas fans would trade the Stanley Cup, NBA title and World Series ring for a few more Cowboy playoff wins.)



10. Could Texas become the next superpower franchise?

I keep hearing about how the Northeastern franchises have a stranglehold on big name players and media attention.

Well isn't everything bigger in Texas? At least the World Series has been going through Texas more often than New York, Philadelphia and Boston these days. (Or Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta for that matter.)

But why talk about the Rangers like they are some small market team? Dallas is the 4th biggest metropolitan area in the country. You are a big market, Texas. Start acting Texan!

Spend big and intelligently and the Rangers could be in the playoffs every year and make a few more trips to the World Series. And if the Red Sox are in flux and the Cubs, Dodgers and Mets are a mess and the Phillies get older, then guess what? There could be a period where Texas embraces the Rangers and they can become a national brand like never before.

A title will give them substance. Why not have them be an answer to big Northeast baseball. Have it become a regional rival. Hell, if Dallas and Pittsburgh could become football rivals, why can't Texas and New York in baseball?

Superpowers spread throughout the country is how baseball will improve its popularity. Might as well do it in the heart of football country!

Now Atlanta fans don't have the best reputation in the country. They seemed to be jaded by the 14 consecutive post seasons as good seats were available for playoff games!





So there you have it. The Rangers are in and just ask the Tigers, they mean to win.
The National League champ should be put on notice. There could be a NEW America's team in the Dallas area.

And that might not be so bad.



If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
CHICAGO WHITE SOX

CLEVELAND INDIANS
DETROIT TIGERS
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
NEW YORK YANKEES
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
TAMPA BAY RAYS