A final word about my Texas Rangers

     It's a bummer, of course, that the Texas Rangers came oh-so-close to winning their very first World Series (one pitch away, on two occasions, in Game 6) , only to have Fate snatch it away and give it to Tony LaRussa as a going-away present.  I can't think of a World Series game with more drama in it, save possibly Bill Mazeroski's home run in Game 7 of the 61' series between the Yankees and the Pirates.

     But instead of crying in our beer, let's not lose sight of the fact that this was the Rangers' greatest season ever; and that things certainly look bright for 2012.  Yes, we may lose C.J. Wilson to free-agency if some pitching-starved team opts to over-pay him.  But he bleeds Ranger blue, and even if he does depart, the money that gets freed up may enable Texas to acquire some other top-tier pitcher.

    The dugout chemistry was great in 2011, and Ron Washington again proved to be a wizard at getting his players to put the team first, and over-achieve individually.  Ownership is supportive; the offense is just fine; and for a change, the pitching is deep and capable.

    So congratulations to the Texas Rangers on a superb 2011 season!  You won the AL West; and you thumped two sizzling hot teams - Tampa Bay and Detroit in the playoffs.

    FWIW, I bear no grudge against LaRussa's Cardinals - theirs was a great story, coming from nowhere to qualify as a wildcard team, then taking out the mighty Phillies and Brewers to gain a berth in the World Series.  You defied the odds as well, St. Louis, and I tip my hat to you.

Wonderphilly Cliff Lee

The big news of the (sports) day is that Cliff Lee surprised all the experts by spurning the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees, and signing instead with one of his former teams - The Philadelphia Phillies. . Since I'm both a Phillies and Rangers fan, this is okay. Particularly since it means the "we don't win championships, we buy 'em" Yankees at least didn't get him. For the Phillies, it means a dynamite 1-through-4 starting rotation, and come Spring Training, they will probably be the oddsmakers' favorites to win it all next year. .

As a Texas Rangers fan, I suppose I should be upset about this, as Lee seemingly willed the Rangers to the World Series. last year. But the going price was a 7-year contract (6 years plus an option, actually), and summers can be brutal in Arlington. Lee would have been great next year as a Ranger, but for how long after that? Seriously, Texas' next major acquisition should be an indoor park. I don't see a top-flight pitcher ever signing a long-term contract with the Rangers until that happens.

Bring on Post-Season

There are about 2 weeks to go in the baseball season, and they are gonna drag. My Philadelphia Phillies have a post-season spot pretty much wrapped up, so there isn't any drama there. . My Arizona Diamondbacks' season was over after Opening Day, when ace starter Brandon Webb went down with a season-ending injury. They've sucked ever since, and there's not a lot of reason to be optimistic for 2010. .

The real fun this year was watching my low-budget Texas Rangers over-achieve by staying in contention until mid-September. Alas, they just finished up a critical homestand 2-7, which all but eliminates them. What was particularly dismaying was the fact that it was the hitting that sucked during this homestand, not the pitching.

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Still, it was a successful season, as no one picked the Rangers to even finish above .500. They are young and talented, so the future looks bright for them.

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For now, we will be rooting for the Phillies to win back-to-back championships, and also cheering for whoever is playing the Yankees.