RANGERS

This pic taken at Game 3 against Tampa, Saturday October 9th.

Our little Rangers are going to the World Series!!!!! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

The bottom three pictures are from the last regular season game we went to in September, and brought my Mom along. She LOVES going to Ranger games and I wish we could take her more often.

Jav and I went to the third game of the 1st playoff series between Tampa Bay and Texas (which happened to coincide with Jav's birthday). Texas had already won both games in Tampa Bay, then was coming home and everyone assumed they would finish Tampa off. We had traffic and parking hell before the game because we didn't leave early enough. But once we made it in (we missed the 1st inning), the atmosphere at the ballpark was so cool. There were no cell phone conversations going on about trivial matters, no one chatting about what they did that weekend. Everyone was into the game, and standing when our pitcher was up two strikes, or if a hitting rally got started. It was great when Darren O'Day got called into to relief pitch, because the whole entire stadium did the chant: "O'Day, Oday Oday Oday, Oday, Oday" which is what alot of fans chant at soccer games except it's "ole".

Sadly, we ended up losing the game because of our relief pitching. It was a long, long walk back to our $30 (OUCH) parking place, and then took another hour and a half to get home. But I'm glad I got to experience some post-season baseball. The Rangers lost the next game at home, too, which Jav got to go to also with his dad and sister because someone at work handed him the tickets thinking we wouldn't need that fourth game. Things were looking sort of bleak. But they went back to Tampa and our new star pitcher, Cliff Lee, got the job done and we moved onto the ALCS - against the hated and dreaded Yankees!

Watching these games, I don't think I've been as nervous since I was in the hospital to have Joel. I couldn't watch on TV if they started to fall behind (which they rarely did), but would switch over to radio and keep doing chores while listening. We lost the first game at home, then won the second one. Then we did the unthinkable in NY - won two out of three. And didn't just win games, we slapped them silly in their own house. The team traveled back home and had a game Friday night, which my husband was lucky enough to get lottery tickets for. I decided that it was too much to ask someone to keep the kids for that long around bedtime, so Jav's dad went with him.

THEY WON!!!!!! And so goes history. I was listening to the best baseball broadcaster EVER in the history of radio, Eric Nadel, so I could hear him say, "The Rangers have won the pennant!" But then I was a little depressed about not being there right after the game, mostly because I was by myself and had no one to share my excitement with. But then I called my parents (my dad actually stayed up, which is just unheard of!), and then my brother texted me, and then I got on Facebook. Facebook actually helped me more than anything, because everyone was so excited and responding to statuses in real time, so it felt like we were in the same room. I dug down deep and realized that my sainted husband really deserved to be there (he's been a fan much longer than I have), and then I realized how many times I've heard him say, "Once when my Dad and I were at the old stadium..." . So how fitting is it that they could be there together for the Rangers' finest hour (at least up to this point?)

It's still very surreal. When I see promos I think, "Oh yeah, the World Series is about to start". Because we watch it every year. And then I realize, "Oh my God the Rangers are in the World Series" and I get goose bumps all over, then my goose bumps get goose bumps and I get so excited I want to jump up and down and scream like a little kid. Which is SO appropriate, because I think this team is constructed of guys who are little kids at heart. They've all been playing their hearts out, and looking like they're having fun doing it. I credit Ron Washington, the manager, for that. It's just a great group of guys that you can't help but root for. AND THEY BEAT THE STINKIN' YANKEES FOR GOSH SAKE!!!!!!! I hope they can now take on the SF Giants with as much gusto and prevail, but to quote long-time Star Telegram sports writer Jim Reeeves, "Does anyone really give a rat's patootie at this point?"

I just want to savor this happy feeling.

Baseball fun

We took Gabriel and my six-year-old nephew, Cade, to the Ranger Game about three weeks ago.  Cade has been to several Fort Worth Cats games with my brother, but he had never been to a Ranger Game before.  I think it was all a little overwhelming for him.  He seemed to really get into it for the first couple of innings, and was asking Jav all kinds of baseball questions.  Then he started asking the proverbial kid questions - "When are we going to eat?"  "When are we going to walk around?"  "Can we meet the mascot."  "How long do we have to stay?"  After that, his attention on the game came and went, but we were able to have a pretty good time through the middle of the sixth inning (when the ever-exciting Dot Races take place).  

Gabriel seems content as long as he is eating or flirting with other fans.  We got food and drinks on the way before we got there, and Sundays are $1 ice creams for the kids days.  So even though we all ate too much, it didn't leave a big gaping hole in our wallet.  I guess in my head I had thoughts of inspiring a life-long love of baseball in Cade due to our experience at the game, so I was just a little disappointed afterwards when he seemed happy to be heading home.  I need to learn to not have unrealistic expectations when it comes to kids.  Especially for Gabriel's sake.

Introduction to the Great Game

We took Gabriel to his first Ranger game on September 22nd. He had a fan club of Jav and I, both grandmothers (Tita and Mamaw), and his Tia Sandie. Everyone in attendance loves to go to Ranger games, so hopefully the excitement rubbed off on Gabriel. We really debated about whether or not we should take him to the Saturday night game, or the Sunday afternoon game. We decided on Saturday night since the daytime temps were still hitting the mid-90's, which is no fun when you are sitting in the sun at a Ranger game.

First thing on our agenda was a new Ranger cap, courtesy of Tia Sandie. The infant ones didn't fit his big 'ole head, but the toddler size seemed comfortable for the approximate minute that he left it on without protest. We found our seats (third level, just to the left of home plate), and you could just see that little brain taking everything in. We had missed the top of the first, and the Rangers were already behind the Orioles 2 - 0. We missed the bottom of the first taking tons of pictures, with and without cap.

Gabriel must have been a little tired all the way through, because he didn't squirm around much. He just sat contentedly in whoever's lap he had been passed, watching the surrounding kids, listening to all the music in between innings and snacking on crackers and "Nilla Wafers. Every once in awhile he even seemed to notice the little men running around on the field. There was another 1-year-old sitting right behind us who was also at his first game. He had learned how to clap and say "Yay!!", which I think Gabriel was a little jealous of. Gabriel's new trick was handing things to us so that we could say an exaggerated "thank you" and watch him just beam with happiness.

At the start of the 5th inning and with the Rangers having pulled ahead, our happy caravan headed home. The Rangers ended up losing the game 9-11, but we all had a great time. Gabriel told me in his own special way that he can't wait for baseball season to start up next year and is practicing his numbers by counting down the days to the beginning of Ranger Spring Training.

Sports psychology

Why do "elite" athletes get treated so differently from us regular folks? Julie and I wondered last night at the Ranger game how our (so-called) closer, Coco Cordero, was treated by his teammates after the scrape-by win last night. Did they yell at him? Did they ignore him? Or did they pat him on the back and say "there's always next time."

Apparently if you have an actual "closer" in the big leagues, it is imperative that they continually be pumped up and have their egos stroked, or they could have some kind of mental breakdown. Well, isn't that what's already happening? If it's not a physical reason, and the Rangers say he's healthy there, then doesn't some kind of mental block exist to make him keep blowing saves?

And why does he get free pass after free pass? If I were to screw up at work continually and was not doing the job I was getting paid to do, I don't think anyone would try to keep pumping me up. I think they would fire me after three, maybe four times tops.

I think that along with the market dictating that teams overpay players these days, they also seem to be creating weak, mentally affected whiny babies. I say either make this guy earn his keep, or replace him!

The Ole Ballgame Ain't What It Used To Be

Baseball has been a big part of my life for the past 10 years or so. When I was young, I remember wondering how my grandfather could sit and watch an entire game. It seemed so boring! But I started learning more about the game, and paying more attention, and all of a sudden it was anything but boring. It was so exciting to hang on every pitch of a close game. I loved the history and unchanging nature of the game. It was comforting to think about other people, just like me, or perhaps very different from me, who enjoyed the game decades ago. The game just has not changed much since it's beginnings - and I find that very appealing in a world where things are changing at the pace of a cheetah on speed.

Every spring, I start getting so excited about Spring Training starting up again. And Opening Day is just something everyone should experience. The energy, the fresh faces mixed with the veterans, and the hope of a new season, no matter how dismal the one was the previous year.

But it was just a bad day in the world of baseball when the Rafael Palmeiro story broke. He's always been one of the good guys, that you could always count on day in, day out. I held onto the thought that it couldn't possibly be true. But when it obviously was, my stalwart sport was suddenly knocked completely off its pedestal. I haven't been able to look at the game in the same way since. Because if Rafi was on steroids, that means countless others must have been too. How many outcomes of how many games have been affected by this? How many records are now bogus?

It really disturbed me even more that some people were calling into the local sports talk radio shows to say that they didn't think it was such a big deal. Are we really that complacent - I mean, we're talking about cheating. Flat out cheating. Are we going to bring up our kids thinking that this is ok? That it's alright to copy off someone every once in awhile as long it gets you ahead? That lying to fans, teammates, the media, and even the U.S. Congress is acceptable, and even applauded, as witnessed by the fans who stood up and clapped for him his first game back?

All I know is that I want my simple, unchanged, untarnished game back. The game my grandfather loved. But right now, it's nowhere in sight.

Jose Canseco revisited

Jav and I went to the Ranger Game against the Braves last night, and sat in the first row of the home run porch (with glove in tow, of course). This was the first time either of us had sat on the porch, and we really liked being able to see those miraculous outfield catches up close. Gary Matthews Jr. made an unbelievable play. He caught a fly ball while running and looking over his shoulder for the first out, then made an unhuman throw to first to get Julio Franco out, who had run to second thinking the ball had gone over Matthews' head. Even though the Rangers lost, we were really enjoying our ballgame experience.

Until

The big dumb drunk hillbilly decided to sit a few seats down from us. He was either very sunburned or had turned a permanent shade of ruddy from all the alcohol. He kept spitting, anywhere, every 10 seconds or so. He kept trying to talk to everyone within hearing proximity, bragging about how he usually sits behind home plate, but tonight thought he'd "see what it was like in the cheap seats". He tried to get everyone with caps on to put them on "rally style". And although he never tried to talk to Jav and I, the anger I started having towards this person almost ruined the whole night for me. I started praying that someone, on either team, would hit a home run that would hit him on the head and knock him cold. But no such luck. I really did ponder what I could do to make this guy go away. I wanted to hit him, but knew that wasn't a real option, just one of those imaginary ones that makes you feel better for a few minutes. We couldn't really get security down there, because he technically wasn't doing anything that bad. What could we have done? Other than try to tune him out (impossible) until after the game, then trudge to the car with a stomach ache because my nachos weren't sitting well after all of that anger.

I guess there are times in life when you just have to put up with really annoying people.