Reaction on Rangers signing Brandon Webb

He's not Cliff Lee, but the Rangers reportedly signing Brandon Webb seems like a good move, based on the terms.

First, it's a one-year deal, pending a physical. No reason to offer more, based on Webb's shoulder problems. He's pitched a total of four innings the last two seasons.

Second, the contract only guarantees $3 million (per this ESPN report), plus incentives, which could bump up the total package to $8-10 million.

I like this move. Taking a chance on Webb, who won the Cy Young Award in 2006 and won 22 games in 2008, is a logical move. The free agent market for starting pitching is ridiculously thin. I'm not blown away by Carl Pavano or Jeff Francis.

Webb is more proven, and if he could recapture a bit of his pitching from 2006-2008, when he was a true ace, I'd be satisfied. During that three-year span, Webb averaged 18.7 wins, 209.3 innings, 185 strikeouts, 62.3 walks and an earned-run average of 3.14. It'd be foolish to think he could replicate those numbers. But a small step down wouldn't be bad. We're not expecting Webb to be a No. 1. There's not nearly as much pressure on him as there was last year on Rich Harden, who clearly didn't pan out.

Webb could be the No. 3 in a rotation that might look like this:

C.J. Wilson
Colby Lewis
Brandon Webb
Derek Holland
Tommy Hunter

I'm not ready to completely give up on Scott Feldman, so he could have an outside chance at a spot. Maybe management decides to move Alexi Ogando or Neftali Feliz into the rotation. Or perhaps there's a trade coming for a guy like Matt Garza or Joe Blanton.

Either way, I like the look of the rotation with Webb as a No. 3. In his prime, he was a ground-ball-inducing workhorse who kept his ERA low and relied heavily on the double play. I remembered having Webb on my fantasy team in 2008, when he went 22-7, and I put him in my lineup for every one of his starts with confidence.

With Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler defending up the middle, I feel supremely confident that if Webb can induce grounders on a regular basis again, he'll be fine. Isn't that what pitching coach Mike Maddux has been preaching — pitching to contact? Webb doesn't have to strike out 194 guys like he did in 2007. He just has to keep the ball in play.

The low risk, high reward mentality didn't work out last season for Harden. But since it was low risk (one-year contract), we're moving on without Harden and not even blinking. I look at last year's Vladimir Guerrero signing (one year, $6 million guaranteed) the same way. That worked out quite famously (.300 average, 29 homers, 115 RBIs).

Maybe the Webb signing will be just as rewarding.

More Rangers gifts find their way to me

For some reason (no clue why), more Rangers gifts have been making their way to me. Gotta love this time of the year.

Just today, I received these two gems from my mom:



The multi-purpose gift card is awesome. I'll be able to use it in the Rangers team shop, online, for concessions, for tickets. This could get dangerous. No idea what I'm going to use it on. So many options. I think it'd be cool to use some of it on a game, up in our 300 section.

As for the patch, that was a great call. Might have to add that to my Rangers wall of fame.

Great stuff. Happy holidays to all.

Early holiday gift: Rangers DVD arrives

The Rangers DVD "It's Time" arrived on my doorstep tonight. Talk about an early holiday gift.

I had off work tonight and just got done watching the season recap. Amazing stuff.

I was so excited to receive the package in the mail that I pre-ordered the thing about a month ago. I'd be lying if I said I didn't track the package online through UPS as well.

Well worth the $18.

More to come on the DVD soon.

Reaction to Cliff Lee picking Phillies, how the Rangers look ahead

Earlier this week on Wednesday, Cliff Lee did half of what I was hoping he'd do.

The good half: The lefty said thanks, but no thanks to the Yankees' big pockets and frustrating way of building a team each season.

The bad half: Lee also spurned the Rangers, and in a surprising development, signed a five-year, $120 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Initially, my reaction was natural disappointment. Lee was integral in the Rangers' magical World Series run last season. I made no secret of wanting him back so Texas had a legitimate ace for the long-term.

Turns out he didn't want to be in Texas on a five- or six-year contract.

Reports surfaced that Texas offered Lee a six-year deal. Those same reports said if the Rangers would have offered seven, Lee would have been pitching in Arlington next season. Owner Chuck Greenberg, president Nolan Ryan and general manager Jon Daniels didn't feel comfortable with a seven-year deal, though.

Lee must have really not wanted to play in New York. Yankees GM Brian Cashman offered seven years. I find that rather hilarious.

Here are my pros and cons for Lee not returning to Texas:

Pros

• We don't have to rely on Lee being a $20 million pitcher when he's nearly 40 years old. Had Lee signed a seven-year deal with Texas, he would have been 39 at the end of the contract. If he gets hurt, it would have likely been tough to spend a whole lot of additional money on other free agents.

• Texas can use some of the money it would have spent on Lee on a mixture of free agents and our own guys. Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz don't have long-term deals. I expect that to happen in the next year or two.

• In signing with the Phillies, at least Lee will pitch in the National League, where we don't have to face him on a regular basis. The sentence I mumbled most after Lee went to Philly: Hey, at least it's not the Yankees.

Cons

• Is C.J. Wilson ready to be a legitimate ace? If so, he's going to have to lower his walk total. I loved Ceej and his 204 innings last season, but 93 walks was too many. Last season, in the toughest games of the season, we turned to Lee to dominate. He did in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Not sure C.J. can do that yet.

• Texas may have to rely on unproven pitching talent to round out the rotation in 2011. As it stands, we know C.J., Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter will be penciled into the rotation. But who's 4 and 5? Derek Holland, Matt Harrison, perhaps Neftali Feliz or Alexi Ogando out of the bullpen?

• The free agent market for pitchers is extra thin after Lee. The best available remaining names are Carl Pavano and Brandon Webb. Both appear to be huge risks.

I get the sense JD and the front office aren't done this offseason in adding names to improve the rotation. The Rangers not only have money to spend, but they have the prospects to potentially trade for a guy like Kansas City's Zack Greinke or Tampa Bay's Matt Garza.

I'd caution against trading the entire farm for either guy, though. Kansas City's initial offer for all of our top prospects was insane, particularly considering Greinke will be a free agent in two years. Garza will be a free agent in three years.

Should we trade for either pitcher, I'd feel more comfortable with a longer-term deal in place. Greinke and Garza (both 27) would be younger and cheaper options than Lee as well, which is appealing.

Might be better to wait until the trade deadline like we did last year with Lee and make a move. The Angels did that last year in July with Dan Haren (trading away Joe Saunders and a minor leaguer) and it worked out awfully well. The free agent market right now is just too thin.

I'll always remember how Lee pitched for the Rangers in the second half of last season and last postseason. He led the charge in the team's first postseason series victory in Rangers history. First AL Championship Series in team history. First World Series appearance in team history. You get the idea.

My personal favorite was when he silenced the Yankees in New York in Game 3 of the ALCS to take a 2-1 series lead. Eight innings, two hits, only one walk, 13 strikeouts. Amazing, epic, dominating, inspiring. In New York. I'll never forget that. There's arguably not another pitcher in baseball who could toss a line like that in New York other than Roy Halladay. And both will be wearing the same uniform next season. Yikes.

Lee was a vital part of an unforgettable season of baseball, undoubtedly my most memorable season of following a team, regardless of the sport. He could have returned to Texas for similar money and even one more year than Philadelphia's offer. He declined.

As a Rangers fan, all I can do is move on.

Winter meetings create speculation, nervousness, impatience

Baseball's winter meetings ended yesterday in Orlando, Fla., and the following topics were discussed in some form or fashion:

Michael Young came up in possible trade talks with the Colorado Rockies. In trading Young, the Rangers would apparently save much of his $15 million contract per season and use the money to sign free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre.

The New York Yankees initially offered Cliff Lee six years and roughly $140 million. One day later, after outfielder Carl Crawford signed a seven-year, $142 million contract with Boston, the Yankees upped their offer to Lee to seven years.

But here we are, late Friday night and early Saturday morning, without much actual news.

Young hasn't been traded. And Lee still needs to figure out where he's going to pitch.

I don't know what to make of this year's winter meetings. I kept up with the rumors because I love following baseball and because much of the meetings seemed to revolve around Lee.

The Lee saga is starting to become strenuous. I feel worn out, and I have no idea what I want the Rangers to do. Call me out for driving on the high road, but it's the truth.

On the surface, I want Lee pitching in a Rangers uniform again. Without him, we may not have made the World Series. Without him, we probably wouldn't have made Yankees hitters look lost in their own backyard.

But the price Texas will have to pay is astronomical for a guy who's 32. If the Yankees are offering seven years, that means Lee will be 39 by the end of the contract. He won't be pitching at this level when he's 39. Hell, what about when he's 35-36? Lee has the best control of any pitcher I've ever watched. But how long can he sustain it and rely on it as an elite pitcher?

And I don't know specifics, but I'd think bringing back Lee would make it tougher to retain the long-term services of guys like Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz, Elvis Andrus, C.J. Wilson and Neftali Feliz.

Should Lee sign with the Yankees, the Rangers would need a backup plan. One possibility is discussing a trade with the Royals for ace Zack Greinke. He's not as proven as Lee. But he's a former Cy Young award winner, he'd be cheaper and he's five years younger (27). Living in Lawrence, I have a ton of friends who are Royals fans. Many have told me that when Greinke is on and in a groove, he's darn near untouchable.

Greinke represents another option with a different currency: prospects. If the Rangers want Greinke, they are going to have to part with top-tier prospects from the farm system. Kansas City has reportedly asked for too many high-end prospects, so nothing has been close to happening.

If I was forced to pick, I'd say sign Lee, keep the prospects and hope there's enough checks to go around to the guys who have been loyal Rangers for a few years now. With Lee, we'd be in contention for another deep playoff run for the next few years.

I just don't know if it will turn out that way.

Reaction: Josh Hamilton wins American League MVP

Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton was named American League MVP on Tuesday, edging out Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano for the honor.

Well deserved.

About a week ago, Neftali Feliz won AL rookie of the year. It's great to see Rangers players racking up the postseason accolades.

I watched Hamilton do some things I've never seen anyone else do on a baseball field this season. His display of every tool in the book in a 10-9 victory over Boston on Aug. 13 was one of the more mesmerizing moments I've witnessed with this great game.

Hamilton is in the middle of his prime at age 29. When healthy, there's no question he's one of the top 2-3 position players in the majors.

The outfielder hit .359 (including an absurd .401 clip against righties), with 32 home runs and 100 RBIs. The batting average was easily more impressive than the power numbers, which are frequently overrated when evaluating a player.

Hitting .359 requires an insane amount of discipline. Swinging for the fences is rarely the mission. It takes more focus. Utilizing all parts of the field. Taking walks. Hustling your tail off down the line for occasional infield hits. Hamilton possesses the unnatural ability to do all of that.

He only hit .190 in the postseason, but had a memorable run of hits and homers (four) against the Yankees.

And he's a nice guy. Random aside, but my college roommate and good friend, Matt, called me one afternoon, no more than a week ago, as he was about to board a cruise in Florida.

"You'll never believe who's on this cruise with us," Matt told me.

Stumped on whom it might be, I finally gave up.

It was Hamilton. He was a guest speaker on the Christian cruise line.

To my surprise and delight, Hamilton was the one who approached Matt, not the other way around. I'm trying to picture what I'd do if Hamilton randomly approached me and started jollying. I'd be like a flippin' teenager at a Good Charlotte concert.

Matt told me the two had a basic conversation and Hamilton was a really nice, humble dude. Matt was convinced Hamilton thought he was a minor-league player because of the gear and bag he was carrying. He should have rolled with it longer (either that or nicely asked for an autograph. You can make that out to Eric. That's E-R-I-C).

Hamilton is a guy I'd love to see stay in Texas a long time. Health is the main issue with Hamilton. If he's healthy, this may not be the last time he's presented with this honor. It is undoubtedly, though, an amazing accomplishment and another reason the 2010 baseball season, when the Rangers won the American League and advanced to the World Series, will be remembered as my most memorable season of following a team.

Rangers lose in World Series, end most successful season in team history

Arlington, Texas — I've had four days to reflect on the Texas Rangers losing the World Series in five games to the San Francisco Giants.

Sure, it stung a bit to witness a 4-0 Giants shutout in Game 4 at the ballpark on Sunday. And it was tough to see San Francisco clinch on TV Monday as I watched the game at my parents' house in Plano. Not the results I had in mind when making the visit to Texas.

Truthfully, though, my disappointment didn't last long. In taking a step back and thinking about the big picture, it was the most exciting sports season I've ever followed.

When thinking about the 2010 Texas Rangers, I'm pretty sure I know what I'll be saying for the foreseeable future: That was one heck of a season.

To win the AL West by nine games was convincing and legitimate. To win 90 games was spectacular. To knock out the Tampa Bay Rays as an underdog in the American League Divisional Series was fulfilling. To knock out the New York Yankees as an even bigger underdog in the AL Championship Series was awe-inspiring, emotional and out-of-this world tremendous.

The Rangers made team history in so many ways this postseason. They won their first postseason series in franchise history. They played in their first-ever World Series.

It's been an uphill climb for manager Ron Washington, who finished his first season in 2007 at 75-87, last place in the AL West. He's improved every year since then:

2008: 79-83, second place.
2009: 87-75, second place.
2010: 90-72, first place.

It was a heck of a run, one I'll never forget. I'm eagerly awaiting the DVD of season highlights so I'll have it on video whenever I feel like reflecting some more.

It will be an interesting offseason filled with a plethora of decisions for Rangers management.

Just this week, the team signed Washington to a new contract that will keep him in Texas through the 2012 season.

I'm hoping president and co-owner Nolan Ryan keeps general manager Jon Daniels in Arlington for a new contract as well. Daniels, one of the primary reasons the farm system is so loaded, has his current contract run through 2011. An effort must be made to bring him back long-term.

Cliff Lee is a free agent, the most coveted free agent out there this winter, and he'll be sought after by just about everyone, most notably the Yankees. It would be beyond frustrating for Lee to end up in New York, so I'm hoping the Rangers do everything they can to bring the lefty ace back.

A decision has to be made whether to bring back designated hitter Vlad Guerrero, who led the team with 115 RBIs this season.

With Bengie Molina retiring, there's a huge hole at catcher.

Many questions to be answered.

With a World Series appearance and new ownership, I'm hopeful the Rangers have more money to play with this offseason. Last year around this time, Daniels was operating with a strict budget because the team was on the brink of bankruptcy. Yet he still made brilliant moves (signing Guerrero and Colby Lewis, most notably) that positioned the Rangers to win the AL West, and make a deep postseason push. I'm confident Daniels would continue to improve the team significantly with more cash at his disposal.

For now, I'm not quite ready to think about offseason moves. Forgive me, but I'm still reflecting on the most successful season in Texas Rangers history. May there be many more to come.

World Series trip worth it despite Rangers' disappointing showing

Arlington, Texas — So it was far from what I expected. On the field, at least.

The Texas Rangers' bats, so explosive in the postseason, simply didn't show up on Sunday night in Game 4 of the World Series against the San Francisco Giants. Texas mustered only three hits off 21-year-old pitcher Madison Bumgarner and lost, 4-0.

Series status: Giants 3, Rangers 1. Favorable? Absolutely not. Worth the trip back home? Absolutely.

Sure, being at Rangers Ballpark on Sunday for the loss was far from ideal. But I was at Rangers Ballpark for the World Series. My brother Dave was also in town and went with me.



That's still pretty sweet. Who knows when the Rangers play in the World Series again? Who knows when Dave and I will be back in Plano at the same time again? I'd like to forget about the game played on the field as soon as possible, but I won't forget about this trip any time soon.

We arrived at the ballpark around 5:20 p.m., plenty of time before the 7:20 p.m. first pitch. Parking wasn't too bad for a World Series. There was a lot next to the Sheraton hotel for $20.



Before navigating to our seats, we wanted to soak up the atmosphere. Purchased the program for $15. Gladly accepted the complimentary towels and World series pins. Made for a solid souvenir collection.



At about 6 p.m., we ordered some pizza and found a table on the third deck to lounge out and grub.

We made our way to the seats (section 343, row 20, seats 17 and 18; upper deck, first base side) by 6:20 p.m., an hour before first pitch. The stadium was packed and the feeling was surreal. I had been to countless regular-season games where the upper deck was rather empty.

Every seat was taken on Sunday. Announced attendance: 51,920 (105.6 percent full).

President George W. Bush tossed the first pitch to team co-owner and president Nolan Ryan.

It was a special atmosphere. Just wish we had more plays on the field from which to cheer.



Game 5 is tonight in Arlington and I'll be watching on TV. We need Cliff Lee to rebound from his rare off night from Game 1 and get Texas back in this series. Beating Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain on consecutive nights to force a Game 7 seems unlikely, but it's the only way we play for a World Series championship. I'm still holding out some hope.

Sunday was one of the most memorable experiences I've had since being a Rangers fan. And it will probably stay that way for the foreseeable future.

It's (literally) time: Time to go to the World Series

Kansas City, Mo. — Just about 30 minutes until I board my flight at Kansas City International Airport and travel to Dallas for one of the most exciting trips I can remember taking.

At 7:20 tonight in Arlington, Texas, I'll be at Rangers Ballpark with my brother Dave to witness Game 4 of the World Series.

Series status: Giants 2, Rangers 1.

Hoping to bring the home team some added luck tonight.

Should be an interesting pitching matchup between young starters. Tommy Hunter, age 24, will oppose southpaw Madison Bumgarner, 21, on the hill. Hunter hasn't lasted more than four innings in a game this postseason. If he could go six tonight, I like our chances of tying up the series.

More than anything, I can't wait to take in the atmosphere of the ballpark tonight. I've been to 20-30 games in Arlington, and I feel like I could navigate the stadium like it's my second home. I've never seen a postseason game there, though.

From what I've seen on TV, the postseason atmosphere looks electric. The crowd stands quite a bit on second strike, two-out situations, even in the early innings. The decibel level appears unlike anything I've heard there before.

Dave wrote on my facebook wall at about 5 a.m. and said, "Can't sleep!! Too excited!!! See you in a few hours!!!" Indeed, this should be a memorable night, win or lose.

Timing the gameday traffic will be vital. The Cowboys play next door at noon. Hopefully, it doesn't go to overtime and football cars clear by 4-4:30 p.m. I'm thinking we'll want to leave by 4:30 p.m. to time it accordingly.

Usually, it takes 30 minutes from my parents' house in Plano. Since it's Sunday, we shouldn't hit any traffic until we get to the ballpark. Parking could get interesting, but if we leave at 4:30, I won't be concerned. Should leave us roughly two hours until the first pitch by the time we arrive.

I'll have a slew of updates on the blog tonight and tomorrow. Pictures will be taken en masse. A World Series program will be purchased. Tickets will be kept.

Dave and I will be sitting in the Grandstand Reserved section 343. Way up there, no doubt. But we have seats.

Can't wait to get there and watch the team I've been following for so long take part in the World Series.

Let's tie this thing up tonight.

World Series Game 1 reaction: Unexpected outcome

Well, that wasn't what I expected.

The San Francisco Giants, after not scoring more than six runs in a single game all postseason, exploded for 11 runs on Wednesday night in a Game 1 victory over the Rangers.

Giants 11, Rangers 6.

Series status: Giants 1, Rangers 0.

What was so unexpected about it was it happened against Cliff Lee, one of the most dominant pitchers in the history of the postseason. Entering Wednesday night, Lee was 3-0 this postseason with an absurd 0.75 earned-run average. He had one walk in 24 innings. He was 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA for his postseason career.

What? The Giants did this to him, when he dominated the Yankees in New York? Tough to believe.

To me, Lee struggling wasn't even the most disappointing part of Game 1.

The Rangers committed an uncharacteristic four errors in the setback. You won't win many games that way. Two of the errors came from Vlad Guerrero in right field, a position he usually doesn't play. He did on Wednesday, though, so he could get into the lineup without a designated hitter in a National League park. It was a weird game.

One thing the Rangers have done this season, though, is respond after bad losses. The Yankees staged a comeback in Game 1 of the ALCS and the Rangers came back to dominate the series and win in six games.

That makes it all the more important for C.J. Wilson to limit the Giants' offense tonight. I think he's up for the challenge. And I expect the Rangers to play much cleaner baseball tonight.

Time to forget about Game 1 and even up this series.

World Series countdown: Ready for action tonight

When I think about Game 1 of the World Series, set to take place at 6:30 tonight in San Francisco, so many exciting aspects immediately rush to the mind.

Here's what I'm looking forward to most about tonight.

• First and not surprisingly foremost, the Texas Rangers are making their first World Series appearance in team history. When I look back at our path to the World Series, it gives me great pleasure to think that Texas defeated two AL East teams to reach the promise land.

All season, the AL West seemed to be thrown to the side when thinking about the elite teams in MLB. Surely, New York, Tampa Bay or Boston would come out of the AL because that's just what happens. For the past three years, an AL East team has played in the World Series. It's been a different one each of those three years.

Not that many people focused on how feared a lineup the Rangers have when healthy. Not that many people realized how dominant the team could look when Cliff Lee gets the team rolling. Not that many people realized the present-day mentality of the Rangers. We are not a slugging team anymore. We are not like the slug-or-die Rangers playoff teams of the 90s that had first-round exits. This 2010 team can beat teams on the basepaths. They can beat teams with power. They can beat teams with pitching. That's why this team is the best team in franchise history, by a long shot.

• The pitching matchup tonight has the makings of an epic encounter. Lee vs. Tim Lincecum. It doesn't get much better than that.

FOX might be mad the Yankees and Phillies got knocked out, and therefore, the East Coast won't be nearly as interested in this World Series. Who knows. There's something really nice about it, though. There's good baseball away from the East Coast. The pitching matchup tonight should prove that.

• There's a small chance (I'd say under 10 percent) that the Rangers or the Giants sweep the series. I'll sure be rooting for a Rangers sweep, though. My brother Dave and I will be on hand for Game 4 on Sunday in Arlington. Witnessing a series-clinching game would be out of control. But I'm not counting on it.

• Should be interesting to see our lineup without a designated hitter tonight in an NL park. Here's my guess:

1. Elvis Andrus, SS
2. Michael Young, 3B
3. Josh Hamilton, CF
4. Vladimir Guerrero, RF
5. Nelson Cruz, LF
6. Ian Kinsler, 2B
7. Bengie Molina, C
8. Mitch Moreland, 1B
9. Cliff Lee, P

• I'm curious to see how our pitchers fare against NL hitting. Of course, when you think of NL hitting, murderous lineups don't immediately come to mind. The Giants have some bats, but the 3-4-5 combination of Aubrey Huff, Buster Posey and Pat Burrell isn't exactly daunting. You'd think that Lee's success against better lineups in the ALDS and ALCS would translate particularly well to the World Series. I know this much: Lee won't be intimidated by the big stage.

• Prediction: I'm going Rangers in 5. May the dream continue. Let's get this thing started.

This may not happen again for a long time...so I'm going to the World Series

My brother Dave told me something a few months ago that has stuck with me to this day. One night, when we were catching up on the phone, he lamented the fact that we couldn't hang out more often because he lived in Denver and I lived in Lawrence.

It was the prime time of our lives, he said. Dave is 23, I'm 26. It's a shame we couldn't get to enjoy spending more time together.

Sometimes, life throws you a break.

This upcoming weekend, Dave already had a flight booked for Dallas months in advance. This upcoming weekend, the Texas Rangers will be playing in their first World Series in team history when they take on the San Francisco Giants. Add me into that mix and we'll just call it a joyous reunion.

When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity knocks at your door, sometimes you have to answer. Sometimes, you have to listen closely and weigh your options. And sometimes, you simply have to pull the trigger.



I'm officially going to the World Series.

Dave and I will be on hand for Game 4 on Sunday night at Rangers Ballpark. I can't wait to witness the electricity of the ballpark I've seen on TV this postseason.

You see, going back eight years, those three aforementioned components — Dave, me and Rangers Ballpark — formed quite the alliance. We shared so many memories. I'm still convinced that's why I think of baseball as my favorite sport. Baseball symbolizes some of my most vivid memories growing up. Many times, I shared those memories with my brother and best friend, Dave, in Arlington.

Now, of course, we live different lives than when we were in school and had every summer off. Our priorities have changed, too. We both have full-time jobs we enjoy, and they just so happen to be a plane ride (or an eight-hour car drive) away. I'm thankful for a lot in my life right now.

I'm also thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the World Series. This may not happen to the Rangers again for a while.

I can't wait to continue following this magical postseason Rangers run to the World Series. But actually being a part of it, especially with Dave, will be an experience I'll never forget.

I've been to countless games in Arlington: 30-40 if I had to guess. None of them will be as memorable as this one.

It really is time: Rangers advance to World Series

That just happened.

The Texas Rangers — this 2010 edition is quickly becoming my favorite sports team of all-time — beat the New York Yankees, 6-1, on Friday night and advanced to their first World Series in team history.

Blue and red confetti fell to the ground. A constant beam of red light highlighted the stadium. Rockets were set off. Ginger ale (not champagne) was being sprayed, a non-alcoholic toast in respect to Josh Hamilton's substance abuse in the past.

I'll let that set in for a few moments: The Texas Rangers just won the AL pennant tonight.

You can't be serious.

This team, the one with the manager who admitted to cocaine use; this team, the one whose two supposed best pitchers at the beginning of the year — Rich Harden and Scott Feldman — aren't even on the postseason roster; this team, the one where it was easy to say no pitcher could ever thrive at the Ballpark in Arlington because of its hitter-friendly confines.

Well forget that. The Rangers are the best team in the American League.

We were clearly better than the Yankees in nearly every facet.

I am filled with happiness for this team that I've followed so closely since 2002.

This was the night. October 22, 2010. The night when it was time. The night when the Texas Rangers won the AL pennant.

Texas leads ALCS, 3-1: Rangers homegrown approach to building a winner differs from Yankees. And that's refreshing

When reflecting on two Texas victories in a row at Yankee Stadium and the Rangers' 3-1 lead over New York in the American League Championship Series, I couldn't help but think about the way in which both teams constructed their rosters.

I think that's been the most rewarding aspect of the ALCS so far: How the Rangers have built their 2010 ballclub.

Texas built its roster the only way it could: from within. Not like the Yankees, who shelve out millions upon millions of dollars for guys who sometimes work out and sometimes don't. With no salary cap in baseball, the juggernaut franchise is afforded that luxury.

Texas was not. Texas was bankrupt for most of the year before Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg finally ended the Tom Hicks era and were named co-owners.

Texas general manager Jon Daniels did not have hundreds of millions of dollars to play with like the Yankees. In fact, New York was the only team in baseball this season with a payroll above $200 million (it was $206,333,389, in case you were wondering).

The Rangers, conversely, operated this season with a $55 million payroll, nearly four times smaller than New York's.

Yet we are the ones with the better ace in Cliff Lee.

We are the ones with the superior lineup, one through six.

We are the ones with the superior youth movement.

We are the ones who only need one more victory to advance to the World Series.

It really puts into perspective how impressive a GM Daniels is. Imagine being in his position at the beginning of the year. Yes, you have an up-and-coming team with talented players, but the franchise is about to go bankrupt and you have little to no money to improve it via free agency.

Daniels still went to work. He signed Vladimir Guerrero to a one-year deal that resurrected his career. Vlad led the team with 115 RBIs this year. Daniels took a flyer on Colby Lewis, an MLB afterthought who pitched two solid years in Japan. Lewis logged 200 innings this year and finished just short of 200 strikeouts.

Then, in the most significant move of the season, Daniels acquired Cliff Lee from Seattle for first base prospect Justin Smoak.

Lee is having one of the most remarkable postseasons I've ever witnessed or even heard of.

What this series is showing me is that our scouting department is as good as there is in baseball. The Rangers have proven you don't have to have a $200 million payroll to build a playoff team. Hell, you don't even have to have half of that.

You do, however, need a smart general manager. You do need smart, informative and in-touch scouts. You do need a stocked farm system.

How do you think we acquired Lee this summer? Because we had the necessary talent in the farm system to strike the deal. If the scouting is bad and the talent isn't on the farm, we don't end up with Lee. And we're probably not in the position we're in now.

That position? Outside of one bad inning in Game 1, Texas has owned New York so far in the ALCS.

There were two instances Tuesday night in Game 4 that really illustrated the 3-1 status of this series.

In the first instance, the Yankees intentionally walked David Murphy to get to Bengie Molina. The Rangers catcher, undoubtedly motivated by the move, smashed a home run to left field to give Texas a two-run lead it wouldn't surrender.

In the second instance, the Yankees brought in lefty Boone Logan out of the bullpen specifically to face lefty batter Josh Hamilton. The Rangers MVP candidate responded by blasting a line-drive home run to right.

Yes, even when the Yankees are strategically planning to control factors in the game, the Rangers are dominating them. At their own place. Two times in a row.

Texas demolished New York, 10-3, on Tuesday night to move one game away from the first World Series berth in team history. What a game.

Game 4, to me, shed light on the entire lineup coming around. Hamilton cranked two home runs. Guerrero went 4-for-5. Molina had the biggest hit of the game and is batting .417 in the ALCS. Nelson Cruz broke out the tape measure (for good measure) in the ninth inning with a second-deck shot to left field.

If I'm Daniels, I'm sitting back and enjoying the moment to the fullest, toasting to the idea that the Yankees cannot buy World Series rings year after year.

Who needs a $200 million payroll to advance to the World Series? Hopefully, not the Rangers. Nope, over here, we have our own talent.

Pressure put on Lee (again) in Game 3 of ALCS

This surely feels like familiar territory.

Cliff Lee on the mound for the Rangers in the postseason, with a victory becoming vitally important.

We've been down this road before in the ALDS, when Lee shut down Tampa Bay twice, including the series clincher in Game 5.

Lee will take the hill at Yankee Stadium tonight with the ALCS tied, 1-1.

I don't want to call Game 3 a must-win for the Rangers, but it has that feeling, based upon how dominant Lee has been in the postseason.

Tommy Hunter will start Game 4. He's never pitched at Yankee Stadium. He's only had one career postseason start. I'd feel much more comfortable putting Hunter on the mound with a 2-1 lead in the series. It'd be like playing with house money.

The Rangers earned a pivotal victory in Game 2 behind Colby Lewis, a 5-0 lead that we didn't lose this time and an out-for-revenge bullpen.

Now, it's on to Yankee Stadium for Games 3, 4 and 5. Surely, there are a plethora of New Yorkers who still don't respect the Rangers; who think we're lucky to be here; who think that based solely on New York's history of 27 world championships and 40 pennants, that we're going to naturally fall.

Newsflash: We have a pretty darn good team in Texas. We have the most dominant postseason pitcher in the last few years on the hill tonight. He rarely walks anyone, works at a rapid pace and has already won two games this postseason.

Let's hope he makes it three tonight.

Rangers lose ALCS Game 1 in heartbreaking fashion

There's a favorable aspect to the game of baseball in times of heartbreak, like when the Yankees came back for a 6-5 victory over the Rangers in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Friday in Arlington, Texas.

The next game is less than 24 hours away.

Yeah, it was rather depressing. C.J. Wilson tossed seven solid innings and the bullpen couldn't hold it. We had a 5-0 lead and couldn't hold it. We had a 5-1 lead in the eighth inning and couldn't hold it.

Series status: Yankees 1, Rangers 0.

Ouch.

It looked so promising at the beginning. Josh Hamilton broke out of his postseason slump with a three-run home run in the first inning to put Texas ahead, 3-0, with no outs. The ballpark looked more electric than I could ever recall. Fans were actually standing for the majority of the first few innings.

Then in the fourth inning, Michael Young, who also struggled in the first round of the postseason, knocked a double to score two runs and make it 5-0.

I thought to myself before the game: If Young and Hamilton, the team's No. 2 and 3 hitters, can bring their bats around, we'd have a really nice chance of winning this series.

But the bullpen didn't get the job done. The Rangers brought in four different relievers, three of whom couldn't even record an out. Not good.

The casual fan will criticize the Rangers bullpen and call it terrible, but the unit had the second-lowest ERA in the AL during the regular season. They are far from terrible. Sure, they haven't been good in the postseason, but I'm hoping for a bounceback effort from the group very soon.

A win today, when Colby Lewis takes the hill to oppose Phil Hughes, would be huge. Cliff Lee starts on Monday in Yankees Stadium against a team he's owned lately.

Amazing to think we're 0-7 all-time in playoff games at Rangers Ballpark.

Let's get that first one today.

Few hours before ALCS: Time for preparation

In about three hours, left-hander C.J. Wilson will take the hill for the Rangers in Game 1 of the American League Championship series against the Yankees in Arlington, Texas.

Let's get this thing going.

I feel good. A little nervous, but not nearly as nervous as Game 5 of the AL Divisional Series at Tampa Bay. Got a little exercise in earlier with some pick-up basketball. Played decently. Even had the game-winning three-pointer in the final game, wearing my Rangers shirt.

I'm not much into karma, but maybe that meant a little something. What can I say: Baseball's the most superstitious sport out there.

After two off days, I'm ready. I've read a bunch of stories from several media outlets. I've also read the stories and the Facebook updates that still mock the Rangers for lacking the history of the Yankees. I'm over it.

Fact of the matter is we've earned our respect by now. Who cares what other fans think at this point? This is the ALCS. The two best teams in the American League. The Rangers will absolutely not be nervous about the 27 championships or the 40 pennants the Yankees have won. Elvis Andrus wasn't alive for the majority of them. Who cares?

Look, I respect the Yankees and their history. I have a lot of friends and family members who are Yankees fans. I tip my cap to them before the game and wish them good luck. Being raised in Texas, it's the only way I know.

May the best team win. Hopefully, the magical season continues.

It's time.

History in the making: Rangers advance to ALCS

I had been standing — pacing, really — since the eighth inning, knowing I was witnessing the most significant moment in the history of the Texas Rangers franchise.

The decisive Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series was tied, 2-2. Win and advance to the AL Championship Series. Lose and pack your bags for the season.

Cliff Lee, who's putting himself at least in the conversation as one of the best postseason pitchers ever, induced a pop fly off the bat of Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton. Elvis Andrus cruised back from his shortstop position and made the catch to preserve a 5-1 Texas victory.

Ballgame. Clincher. Let the celebration begin. We did it.

It's probably my proudest moment as a sports fan.

At long last, this was the team I followed so closely and the team that I scheduled many summer nights around for the past nine years. This was the team that I spent my hard-earned money on for apparel, game tickets and a mlb.tv subscription. This team, whose youth direction I've identified with since 2007, just won its first postseason series in franchise history.

I'm not a staunch supporter of that many teams anymore. Since my job at KUsports.com as a Big 12 blogger requires my unbiased attention to detail, I haven't rooted for a University of Kansas sports team since 2007. I'm a 2006 graduate of KU. I'm perfectly fine with the situation. Blogging about the Big 12 and maintaining my Conference Chatter blog is great fun. I happily gave up my Jayhawk rooting interests when I took on my job.

My job enables me, however, to keep up my rooting interests with pro teams: Rangers, Mavs, Raiders. The latter two are fine, but they don't bring me the joy that the first one does. I'm a baseball guy. Have been for the past nine years. This past Tuesday, Oct. 12, was particularly special.

What made it even better were the friends and family who shared the moment with me.

My mom instantly called when we recorded the final out to share in the game-clinching moment. Amazingly, she had tears in her eyes. She surprised me on that one. Wish I could have watched the game with her. She's been a huge fan for the past few years.

After I talked to my mom, I glanced down at my phone and saw nine text messages. Incredible. I have some really great friends. I got back to every text message and thanked them profusely for their support.

I checked my Facebook and had several other wall posts. My roommate Brenna walked out to the living room and said, "You should check your Twitter." When I logged onto my account, 10 at-replies were waiting with my username attached to them. I was blown away.

I was pretty lucky on Tuesday night when I set my DVR to record the final inning, so I'd have it at my disposal whenever I wanted a replay (three times already). As soon as I hit record, Ian Kinsler blasted a two-run home run to give us a 5-1 lead. So the perfect 20-minute recording starts with Kinsler's homer and ends with the postgame celebration. I'll be watching that just a few more times.

My favorite camera shots on TBS came from the various angles they captured as we sealed the final out. The best one had to be Ron Washington (potential manager of the year?) hugging bench coach Jackie Moore around the neck as the final out made its way into the air. Or how about the reaction of Lee? I loved how he simply walked to catcher Bengie Molina and didn't even look back. He knew Andrus was underneath the baseball for the catch.

My reaction was somewhat like the reaction of team owner Nolan Ryan, who stared at the baseball in the air with wide eyes, hands up, then said, "We did it" when the victory was official. I stood in my living room as Lee induced the pop fly, had both hands in the air, and looked up toward the sky as the ball settled into Andrus' glove. I was too overwhelmed to scream or anything like that. I didn't mean to look up toward the sky in a religious manner, but that moment felt like a baseball-religious experience.

How about that deadline trade to acquire Lee for first baseman prospect Justin Smoak? Regardless of how the Rangers fare against the Yankees, that midseason trade for Lee was worth it. To establish a sense of respect around the league and finally win a postseason series was worth it. To defeat the AL East champions at their home field for all three of our wins was worth it. To see Lee dominate the Rays for all nine innings, strike out 11 and walk none was worth it.

Now the rest is icing on the cake.

Game 1 of the ALCS against the defending World Series champion Yankees will be Friday night, when C.J. Wilson takes the mound against CC Sabathia at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. We'll surely be underdogs, but that's just fine by me. We were underdogs against the Rays as well. And we'll surely have most teams and their fans rooting for us. I thought it was pretty cool when the Rays fans chanted "Beat the Yankees" when we celebrated on their field.

My former work colleague Ryan Wood phrased it interestingly on Twitter: "Congrats, sir! Now the whole non-New York world is on your side. Let's do it!"

Indeed. I'll toast to that. Let's put some icing on the cake.

Nerves building before Game 5 finale

I've followed baseball closely for a decent amount of time. I can definitely say this is the most nervous I've ever been before watching a baseball game.

You'll have to forgive me. It's just an exciting, but unfamiliar position.

The Rangers are the only team in Major League Baseball to have never advanced in a postseason series. I have no idea how I'll react tonight if we win.

I've been thinking about the game all day. At the gym. At the grocery store. I went pretty hard at the gym today, trying to work up a sweat as if I was preparing to play in the ALDS tonight.

First pitch is about 10 minutes away.

Let's make some history tonight.

Reaction on Lewin leaving Rangers broadcasting booth

Listening to Texas Rangers games won't be the same after this week's news that play-by-play announcer Josh Lewin won't return to the team in 2011.

Lewin began calling games for the Rangers in 2002, the year I started following the team closely. For my nine years of being a Rangers fan, I always looked forward to Lewin calling the games with Tom Grieve. He was really informed and an original, thought-provoking broadcaster.

The Rangers haven't announced a replacement, but will reportedly start the search immediately. Tough to imagine listening to anyone else on mlb.tv when I watch games during the regular season.

Lewin's signature "Ballgame!" call after the last outs of Ranger wins were classic.

The reason for Lewin's departure isn't publicly known. It sounds like Lewin and owner Nolan Ryan weren't on the same page in the direction of the broadcast. Specifics were pretty fuzzy.

Either way, I'll miss hearing him call games.

ALDS Games 3-4 reaction: Tough last two days

While I wasn't naive enough to think the Texas Rangers had sealed the American League Divisional Series with a 2-0 start against Tampa Bay, I entered the weekend confident.

Who wouldn't after the Rangers' showing on the road in Games 1 and 2?

To advance to the American League Championship series, Texas had two chances at home to beat Tampa Bay. We didn't win either of them.

The road team has won every game in the series so far. Now, the series turns to Tuesday in a do-or-die scenario at Tampa Bay. Cliff Lee vs. David Price in a rematch from Game 1.

It's crazy how one inning can turn around an entire series. We led Tampa Bay, 2-1, in the eighth inning of Game 3 when the Rays finally started clicking in a manner I thought I'd see much earlier in the series.

Two singles to take the lead and two home runs in the ninth inning for good measure.

Tampa's momentum carried into Sunday's game, where Carlos Pena (the guy wasn't even hitting .200 on the season) suddenly woke up and decided to be a timely hitter. To me, he's been the difference in the Rays turning around their fortunes on offense.

I've heard several rumblings about how the Rangers should have pitched Lee in Game 4 on Sunday. I suppose it's easier to say now. Personally, I didn't have a problem with Texas trotting out Tommy Hunter, who was 7-0 at home this season, to face Wade Davis, a guy we rocked for eight runs on June 4. Plus, Lee has never pitched on three days rest. Results could have varied.

But that's what Game 5 will be about. For Tampa to advance to the ALCS, it will have to beat Cliff Lee.

I'm luckily off Tuesday night, so I'll get to watch the prime time game on TBS. Hopefully, Lee carries us like he did in Game 1.

Could be the most special moment in team history. Or it could represent an unfortunate letdown after jumping out to a 2-0 series lead.

This will be a significant one.

ALDS Game 2 reaction: Hey Rays, stop complaining

Just one day after Cliff Lee silenced Tampa Bay's bats, another left-handed Texas pitcher — this time C.J. Wilson — shut out the Rays for 6.1 innings in the Rangers' 6-0 triumph on Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Series status: Rangers 2, Rays 0.

Incredible, really. Before the series, I said to mostly every friend I talked to about the series that I'd be content with a split going back to Arlington.

So much for that.

The Rangers are playing their best ball of the season, and they're beating the Rays at their own game. Timely hitting, fundamental baseball, running/being aggressive on the base paths...and most importantly, above-average pitching.

The story in the series, to me, so far is pretty simple.

Game 1: Lee 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K.
Game 2: Wilson 6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K.

Both, of course, earned victories. And both gave us the chance to sweep Tampa in Saturday's 4:07 p.m. game in Arlington. No way I would have imagined that before the series.

One topic from yesterday's game that I'm still thinking about was how much Tampa Bay's players and fans complained.

It's tacky and looks bad. I know it's built-up frustration, but to really think the Rays could have won had the umpires called Michael Young's check-swing a strikeout is preposterous. The Rays didn't say that, but their actions spoke like the umpires completely blew the game. Blue, how could you do such a thing?

After all, Texas didn't take a 2-0 lead before Young's three-run home run after the check-swing. The Rangers didn't shut out Tampa Bay in its own place.

Oh wait...yeah they did.

Rays runs before Young's check-swing: 0.
Rays runs after Young's check-swing: 0.

Stop complaining. Tampa Bay would have lost Thursday's game either way.

Baseball 101: To win, you have to score at least one run.

I can't wait for Saturday's game, when Texas tries to advance in a playoff series for the first time in team history. I'm working, but I'll get to see every pitch like the first two games since first pitch is at 4:07 p.m.

Let's finish this.

ALDS Game 1 reaction: Cliff Lee is who we thought he was

To paraphrase a line from former Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green in one of the greatest coaching meltdowns in sports history, Cliff Lee is who we thought he was.

Turns out that's pretty damn good.

In Wednesday's 5-1 Rangers victory, Lee toyed with the Rays for seven innings at their own place. He gave up five hits, one home run, didn't walk a batter and struck out 10.

Series status: Rangers 1, Rays 0.

I awed at the ease with which Lee released his pitches. Doesn't look like much. But it's awfully effective.

Lee threw 104 pitches, and 76 (or 73 percent) were strikes.

Exactly the formula I called for in the blog post before Game 1: Limit free passes and make the Rays beat you with their bats.

Lee is a great matchup against the Rays, a team that relies on plate discipline and timely hitting to manufacture runs. One problem: Lee doesn't give up walks.

This is exactly why I was on board with the trade to acquire Lee for first base prospect Justin Smoak.

With a true ace like Lee, who can put you in position to win road games in hostile environments, you roll the dice and don't think about 2011 or beyond. We've already made a serious commitment to the future by shoring up the farm system over the past three years.

How many times will we have this chance? Only four teams in each league make the postseason. It's far from an annual guarantee.

Whether Lee comes back or not in 2011, it's worth the trade to see how far he can take us this postseason. Before 2010, we hadn't played in the postseason in 11 years.

The Texas offense was solid on Wednesday in knocking around David Price a bit. Nelson Cruz hit a towering, tape-measure shot to center field, the postseason experience of Bengie Molina paid off with a home run and we cruised to 10 hits.

I'm starting to embrace the underdog role in this series that most baseball experts had Tampa winning rather easily. I'm not here to rip anyone, but the Rangers seem to play better with an us-against-the-world mentality. Hey, whatever works.

Taking Game 1 was huge. It established home field advantage.

At worst, we head back to Arlington with a split and a chance to clinch a spot in the American League Championship on our home field.

At best, we head back to Arlington needing to win only one of two games to clinch a spot in the ALCS. Not a bad deal, either way.

While I realize the significance of taking Game 1, I'm not naive enough to think the series is over.

History hasn't changed. We still are the only team in Major League Baseball to have never won a playoff series. That sad streak will continue unless the guys do something about it this year.

With the best Rangers team in the franchise's 38-year history, though, I'm hopeful that streak will come to an end.

And the trade for Cliff Lee will be the biggest reason why.

The day has finally arrived: Rangers set to play in postseason

Considering that it's past 2:30 a.m. and I'm awake typing this blog, it's a fair bet that I won't get a whole ton of sleep tonight.

No matter.

The day is finally here.

The Texas Rangers will play in their first postseason game in 11 years when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays at 12:37 p.m. Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Luckily, it's an early first pitch and I don't have to work during the game. The early game times (12:37 p.m. Wednesday, 1:07 p.m. for Game 2 on Thursday, 4:07 p.m. for Game 3 on Saturday) are favorable for me watching every pitch.

I've been waiting for this day for nine years. I don't really want it any other way.

Good news on the apparel front: My AL West champions shirt arrived on my doorstep on Tuesday. Plenty of time to wash the red T-shirt and have it ready for Wednesday. Combine that with the grey T-shirt my mom surprised me with when I visited my parents last week, and I'm in position to sport two AL West Champions shirts for the series.

Cliff Lee will start Game 1, C.J. Wilson gets the nod in Game 2, Colby Lewis takes the hill in Game 3, and Tommy Hunter, if necessary, will get the call in Game 4 in the best of 6 series.

The batting lineup should be back to full strength with a healthy Josh Hamilton hitting in his No. 3 spot.

My bet for what the lineup will look like: Andrus, Young, Hamilton, Guerrero, Cruz, Kinsler, Francoeur, Jorge Cantu, Bengie Molina.

There's no question our lineup is considerably better than Tampa Bay's.

The key for the Rangers will be whether the pitching staff can limit free passes. The Rays don't hit for average. They strike out a ton. But they also walk a ton. And when they're on base, they do a great job of driving in runs.

My message to Rangers pitchers: Limit the walks. Make them take hacks and beat us with the bats.

That's why I like Cliff Lee and his 185/18 strikeout/walk ratio taking the hill in Game 1.

Winning the first game would be huge. Any sort of split in Tampa Bay must be considered a victory. Our 39-42 road record is a bit concerning, but really, what does it matter now? For the first time in team history, we have a legitimate ace taking the hill in Game 1 of a playoff series. The fact that we're three games under .500 on the road doesn't really matter.

All four American League teams in the playoffs (Rangers, Rays, Yankees, Twins) are 0-0. It's a new season. And it's an incredible one to finally be a part of.

Rangers clinch AL West: Pure euphoria

For the past several years, TV announcer Josh Lewin has been the baseball voice to my summers, so it was only fitting that I still have chills replaying the final out of the Texas Ranges' 4-3 victory over Oakland on Saturday. I've watched it back about 10 times now.

"The AL West title flag will fly in Arlington, Texas! Ballgame!" Lewin profoundly exclaimed.

That was it.

The moment I had been looking forward to in my nine years of being a fan. The bright future that I knew was ahead when I kept reading up on the Rangers' rich farm system. The longing for a feeling that appeared so distant when Texas finished in last place just three years ago.

Nothing else really matters right now. The Texas Rangers are 2010 AL West division champions.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see the live video of the division-clinching moment. MLB.tv has a Saturday blackout policy for afternoon games on FOX. I still made the most of it, though.

Video was impossible to come by, but audio was not. With my MLB.tv access, I listened to Eric Nadel call the entire game. His call in the bottom of the ninth, when closer Neftali Feliz set the rookie record for saves with 38, was just as memorable as Josh's:

"He makes the catch. And the Rangers are champions of the American League West! The West division race is over!" Nadel said.

I was at work when we recorded the final out at about 6:15 p.m. Since it was a Saturday, the office was rather quiet. When Feliz retired the second out, I took my computer and carried it over to an isolated room in the office. Yes, this was going to be a big moment, and I knew it.

As big a moment as it was for me and every Rangers fan, it had to be the biggest for Michael Young. I'm happy for so many of the players, general manager Jon Daniels and co-owners Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg, but I'm the happiest for Young.

The veteran third baseman has played 1,496 games without a postseason appearance. Randy Winn of St. Louis is the only active player with more games played, and his streak figures to continue this year with the Cardinals missing the postseason. Young's streak is broken. And no one deserves it more.

Young is playing in his 10th full season in the major leagues, and they've all been in Texas. He's had six all-star appearances, five seasons with 200 hits and one AL batting title in 2005. He hit the game-winning triple for the American League in the All-Star game in 2006.

Young's been the face of the franchise for a few years now, and has helped mold the image of this team to a group of close-knit players who look like they're having fun playing the game. You can't say that about every team in the majors.

When I got home from work last night, I had a celebratory Blue Moon and calmly reflected on what this all meant.

All those summer nights I attended games with my brother Dave, and all the victories I've witnessed at the ballpark. The first route we took to a game from Plano to Arlington before the George Bush Turnpike opened and made it considerably easier: If I remember correctly, we took the Tollway to 635 to I-35 to Loop 12 to I-30.

The alternative rock mix CD Dave and I played in the car on the way to every game. The gatorade runs we made after at the gas station. The pictures we took at the games.

The memorable comebacks. Rod Barajas hitting the game-winning home run against the Yankees, and Dave calling the shot. Marlon Byrd hitting a walkoff grand slam against the Yankees. Texas coming back from a 7-0 deficit to beat the A's on Phil Nevin's home run.

My dad hooking the family up with amazing seats in the Nolan Ryan suite for a game against the Orioles. We lost that night, and Dave and I were so determined to catch a victory that we got up the next day and attended a day game. Of course, we won.

I witnessed all of those moments at the ballpark. And they all came racing back to my mind when I was drinking that beer.

Yes, it took a lot of time out of our schedules, but it was all worth it.

For the first time in my nine years of being a fan, I'm going to get to witness my favorite team playing in October. I don't think it gets any better than that.

Time to roll the credits like I was making a CD:

Special thanks to Dave for sharing those summer nights with me, starting back in 2002; to my mom for talking about the games and sharing my euphoric playoff fever; to my dad for sharing his past baseball stories and realizing that there's rarely a story about baseball that I don't find moderately interesting; to my college roommates Matt Wilson, Brett Siegel and Neil Spector for getting me into baseball as a freshman in the dorms at KU; to Wilson, Siegel and Spector and the spring training trip we took during our senior year for spring break in 2006; to Derek Johnson, Tad Davis, Stephen Slater and Kevin Weidlich for their hilarious Twitter talks with me on the Rangers; to Lindsey Kinkelaar for her overall love of Michael Young and representing in Angels territory; and to everyone else.

I continued the celebration today by ordering my AL West division champions T-shirt.

It's been a heck of a ride. And the amazing thing is the journey is just beginning.

Rays (not Yankees) would be postseason preference in round 1

With 16 games left in the season, the Texas Rangers' magic number is eight. No way it's hit me yet. It may not hit me until they clinch their first AL West crown since 1999.

As the regular season winds down, the unimaginable euphoria of winning the division becomes realistic. I've been dreaming of buying one of those shirts for years.

When October hits, the Rangers will face the AL East champion in the first round of the playoffs on the road. As of now, that's the New York Yankees, who hold a half-game lead over Tampa Bay.

I've read a few blogs online that suggested the Yankees would be a better draw for the Rangers in the first round.

I don't think so.

The Yankees own the best home record in baseball. They are very difficult to beat at home at 49-25. They have loads of playoff experience. They won their 27th World Series last season, and most of those guys are back this year.

Don't get me wrong: Knocking the Yankees out of the playoffs would instantly rise to the top of the best sports moments of my life. But I'm more confident facing Tampa Bay, even if the Rays have a deeper rotation. David Price, Matt Garza and James Shields are well-above average (and better than CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes), but they are not incredibly experienced.

Keep New York's lineup in mind as well. The Yankees have a considerably more potent lineup than Tampa Bay. Honestly, the Rays' lineup doesn't scare me against Cliff Lee, C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis. You simply cannot walk guys at Yankee Stadium, though. The lineup is way too talented. Against Tampa Bay, you may be able to work out of more jams.

Maybe it's a mind-set thing. Maybe it's just because it's the Yankees brand name.

I'm just delighted that we'll most likely be making a postseason appearance, the first ever in my nine years of being a fan. And whether it's New York or Tampa Bay, I can't wait to embrace the underdog role and see what our guys can do. Maybe we'll surprise some people. Now that would be one hell of a run.

Random Rangers musings

It's been a while since I've updated the blog — my cousin's wedding in Florida, and the beginning of college football season has kept me busy lately — so I thought today would be a good time to update the blog with random Rangers thoughts.

• First, Texas owns a nine-game lead in the AL West. It's becoming more and more realistic that the Rangers are going to capture their first division crown since 1999. It's amazing to think about.

• The focus now turns to playoff placement. If Texas finishes with a better record than Minnesota, the likely AL Central winner, then the Rangers would draw the Rays in the first round, as opposed to the Yankees. That's probably a more favorable spot. We're 2.5 behind Minnesota with two more road contests this weekend against the Twins. Big games.

• The Rangers made two more moves recently, signing Mark Prior to a minor-league deal, and trading Joaquin Arias for Jeff Francoeur. I don't have a problem with either move. The Prior signing is a low-risk, high-reward type of deal. Prior reportedly won't be a starter anymore and most likely would come back in a reliever role. He's touching 92-93 mph again, and has 20 strikeouts in 10 innings in an independent league.

As for the Francoeur trade...Arias didn't seem to be in the club's future plans anymore. He made a few fielding errors in the series against Tampa Bay and that may have been the final straw. Crazy to think that Arias was a guy included in the Alex Rodriguez trade, along with Alfonso Soriano. We had our choice between Arias and a guy named Robinson Cano. Baseball has to be the most difficult sport to evaluate talent. Who would have known back then?

• The lineup is starting to look normal again with Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz off the disabled list. I'm thankful for that.

• Injuries still scare the heck out of me. Cliff Lee has looked mortal lately (27 earned runs in last five starts). He received a cortisone injection for back pain and might be pushed back a few days. I wouldn't take any risks. Furthermore, Josh Hamilton has been relegated to DH duties lately because of a sore right knee. Vlad Guerrero isn't 25 years old anymore, and Kinsler/Cruz have seemed fragile this year. I hope they all hold up.

• C.J. Wilson has been remarkable in the second half of the season. He's 7-0 with a 1.99 earned-run average since the All-Star break. The seven wins are the most of any pitcher during that time. I've heard some Cy Young whispers about C.J., but I don't agree with them, as much as I'd like to. Still too many walks (six in last two games, 77 for season). The 140 strikeouts are nice, but I think it's a bit of a reach right now.

That should wrap up my thoughts for now. With football starting up, it makes it register that the postseason is just around the corner. I'm hoping for the first time in my nine years of being a loyal Rangers fan, I'll get to witness what that's like.

Washington made right call by pulling Harden in no-hitter situation

Texas Rangers right-hander Rich Harden carried a no-hitter through 6 2/3 innings on Monday, when manager Ron Washington trotted out to the mound to make a decision.

The outcome: Washington pulled Harden, who walked off the mound to a collective groaning from the fans at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Had I been in attendance, I probably would have been one of the few applauding Washington's decision from the very start. It was the right call, and a painfully obvious one. I was watching the game on mlb.tv at work, and the moment Harden stepped off the mound, I agreed with the move.

Yes, Harden campaigned on the mound to Washington. The mound visit took longer than usual. Harden wanted to be in there, and I applaud his competitive nature. But the move needed to be made.

Harden threw 111 pitches. He could have stayed in the game longer had he not walked five batters, the last of whom Harden put on base on four straight pitches.

Harden was just coming off the disabled list for right shoulder tendinitis. To get through that game, his pitch count would have likely been near 150. Had that been the case, another trip to the DL would have been imminent.

For a guy as fragile as Harden's history suggests, this had to be an easy call for Washington.

Elevating Harden's pitch count any higher could have had unfavorable consequences.

Take Toronto's Brandon Morrow, who flirted with a no-hitter on Aug. 8, for instance. Morrow threw 136 pitches that day against Tampa Bay. His no-hitter was broken up in the ninth, but he completed the game and struck out an absurd 17 batters. He made his next start with added rest (nine days), and still only went four innings.

Another example is Edwin Jackson, who typically is known for his ability to make a lot of pitches. Jackson, then with the Arizona Diamondbacks, threw a no-hitter against the Rays (odd theme there) on June 25 in Tampa, Fla. His pitch count was 150 by game's end. A ludicrous eight walks didn't help the situation. Anyway, Jackson only went five innings in his next two starts.

If there's one thing Harden needs to work on, it's consistency. He's had three games where he's looked rather brilliant this season. He's followed them up with sub-par performances each time. That's a big reason his record only stands at 5-4, his ERA sits at 5.00 and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is a less than desirable 70/55.

When he's on, he can be well above-average. Harden probably earned himself another start over Derek Holland with his performance against the Twins.

By pulling Harden after 6.2 innings, Washington is giving Harden the opportunity to cement his name in the rotation for the rest of the season. I'd be OK with him as a fifth starter if he can stay healthy and semi-limit his walks (I say that because Harden will never be able to fully eliminate his walks).

He should be able to pitch on normal rest and continue to compete in an exciting pennant race. Harden has no reason to be mad at Washington for last night's move. He should actually thank him.

All-time Avenged Sevenfold songs: Two discs: Still tough decisions made

Avenged Sevenfold's latest CD 'Nightmare' was so good that it makes me think of the band in a historical sense.

My favorite band of all-time? Perhaps.

The best hard rock group since Metallica? Arguably.

If Sevenfold comes out with another album as good as Nightmare, I'd think about them supplanting Metallica as my favorite band ever. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I thought it'd be fun to take my all-time favorite Sevenfold songs over the years and put it on a CD.

Tough decisions.

As I was putting the disc together, it became evident that I wasn't going to be able to fit everything on one CD. Their songs are too long! With that in mind, I made two CD's. Here's what I came up with.

All-time Avenged Sevenfold: Disc One
1. Critical Acclaim (Avenged Sevenfold)
2. Nightmare (Nightmare)
3. Second Heartbeat (Waking the Fallen)
4. Danger Line (Nightmare)
5. Buried Alive (Nightmare)
6. Remenissions (Waking the Fallen)
7. Gunslinger (Avenged Sevenfold)
8. Victim (Nightmare)
9. Sidewinder (City of Evil)
10. Eternal Rest (Waking the Fallen)
11. God Hates Us (Nightmare)
12. Unholy Confessions (Waking the Fallen)

All-time Avenged Sevenfold: Disc Two
1. Chapter Four (Waking the Fallen)
2. Burn it Down (City of Evil)
3. Tension (Live in the LBC/Diamonds in the Rough)
4. Warmness on the Soul (Sounding the Seventh Trumpet)
5. Afterlife (Avenged Sevenfold)
6. Brompton Cocktail (Avenged Sevenfold)
7. The Wicked End (City of Evil)
8. So Far Away (Nightmare)
9. I Won't See You Tonight, Part 1 (Waking the Fallen)
10. M.I.A. (City of Evil)
11. Dear God (Avenged Sevenfold)
12. Save Me (Nightmare)

Watching Josh Hamilton: As good as it gets

Watching Josh Hamilton play baseball calls to mind stories my dad tells me about the great ballplayers of his era.

If Hamilton plays a few more years even close to the level he did Friday night, there's a legitimate chance he'll pop up in the stories that I tell when I'm my dad's age.

In Friday night's 10-9 Texas comeback victory over Boston, I felt like I was watching one of the best baseball players I've ever seen.

That hadn't really hit me with Hamilton in the past.

I always thought of him as a well above-average player when healthy. But injuries prohibited him last year from taking the leap from a memorable 2008 season to elite status.

This year, he's very much elite. Easily should win AL MVP. Could be the best player in baseball. When was the last time someone gave Albert Pujols a serious run for that title?

Hamilton did just about everything fathomable on the field against the Red Sox on Friday in Arlington. The checklist:

• Went 4-for-5 with a home run, double, two singles, an RBI and a walk to raise his batting average to a league-leading .362.

• Stole second base after singling in the eighth inning.

• Made two spectacular defensive plays in center field. The one where he robbed Jed Lowrie of a home run was amazing. I've watched the replay a few times now. I cringed a bit, naturally, knowing Hamilton got hurt last year plowing into a wall in a chase for a fly ball. At the same time, I can't help but applaud the desire to hop aboard his horse and run down that ball. He covered a ton of ground and displayed a great amount of body control.

• In a heads-up play in the eighth inning, made the turn at third base and scored the tying run on Vladimir Guerrero's infield hit. After Hamilton stole second in the eighth, with the Rangers down a run, Guerrero pushed a ground ball back up the middle. The throw to first wasn't in time, with Guerrero going all out and diving head first to the bag. Safe. At the same time, Hamilton broke for third, noticed the throw took some time, and flat-out booked it for home plate. The throw was late and Hamilton slid in safely. I don't know if Josh Lewin's voice was any louder all season than when he yelled "SAAAAFE!" on that play. I can't tell you how fast you have to be to make that turn at third.

Nelson Cruz blasted a home run in the bottom of the 11th inning on the first pitch he saw from Tim Wakefield. Ballgame.

The victory, as everyone who watched that game knew, would not have been near possible without Hamilton, though. One of the many reasons he deserves runaway MVP honors.

Texas enters an interesting situation this offseason. Hamilton and Cliff Lee both will be up for new contracts. Hopefully, the new ownership finds the resources to retain both. If that happens, it suddenly feels like we have the best pitcher and hitter in baseball.

Five quick Rangers hits

It's an unfamiliar time in the life of a Texas Rangers fan right now. Aug. 13, and the Rangers are 7.5 games ahead in the AL West.

Life is pretty good right now.

It's been a while since I've posted anything Rangers related. Been very busy with the Conference Chatter blog at work and writing stories for work. Before I hit the sack tonight, I wanted to share five things that are on my mind with the Rangers right now.

1. Beating the Yankees twice in a row would have been awesome. It should have happened. After rallying on Tuesday in the ninth inning to knock off Mariano Rivera, the best closer of all-time, Texas jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the following game, but couldn't hold on. It was an ESPN game, only the second all season, if I remember correctly. Had a playoff atmosphere and a huge audience. Really would have liked to capture that one.

2. I'm glad the ownership situation worked out the way it did, and it's a done deal. Major League Baseball on Thursday approved Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg as the new owners of the Rangers. Great news, if you ask me. Nolan can continue to have the amazing impact he's had with the club. The duo made it a point to resign Cliff Lee, which would be pretty surreal. I'd probably welcome it. But I think the guys really need to make a point to sign general manager Jon Daniels, whose contract runs out after the 2011 season. The Mets will likely need a GM, and I don't want it being JD under any circumstance.

3. I hope Vlad Guerrero breaks out of this slump sometime soon. I just traded for the guy in fantasy baseball as well. It's awesome having someone smack dab in the middle of the Rangers' order on my fantasy team. I try not to be too biased when I play fantasy, but I needed hitting and had a plethora of pitching. Hopefully, St. Louis' Chris Carpenter, the guy I traded away, doesn't make me look like too much of an idiot.

4. If we win the West and Josh Hamilton stays healthy, he should be the consensus MVP. To be quite honest, this race isn't close right now. Hamilton is hitting .357 (it's Aug. 13!) with 24 home runs, 78 RBIs and seven stolen bases. He's now up 18 points for the league lead on Miguel Cabrera in batting average.

5. These next two series continue to be difficult. Home to Boston for three games, at Tampa Bay for three games. Combine that with the two Yankees games from this week, and we're talking playoff atmospheres for a week straight. I can live with that.

It's about that time, folks. Goodnight and good luck to all.

Music review: Avenged Sevenfold's 'Nightmare' album

I should admit I'm not a music critic, nor do I have a background in playing any sort of musical instrument.

I do, however, have a background in writing. And I've been listening to hard rock music for a long time.

Every now and then, I'm going to make an effort to make music a part of this blog. A few months ago, I shared my thoughts about attending a live HIM concert. Today, I wanted to analyze a new album from one of my favorite bands of all-time — Avenged Sevenfold.

Last Tuesday, on July 27, Sevenfold released their fifth full-length album entitled 'Nightmare.' Eager to pick up my copy, I went to Best Buy and made the purchase for $9.99.

I'm quickly realizing that was 10 of the best dollars I've ever spent.

Admittedly, I didn't immediately connect with the album. I wasn't quite sure what I was about to hear. Before purchasing the CD, I had heard three tracks, and they all sounded relatively different. What would the rest of the CD entail?

I think I have a good idea of the answer now. Lead singer M. Shadows, who writes most of the songs, gives us a personal account of how deeply the band was affected by the passing of drummer Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan. The emotion expressed in this album far exceeds any of Sevenfold's previous work.

Over the years, the band has done a great job of sticking to their image. The death bat. Nighttime rock. Halloween. Occasional light, represented by dueling guitars, cast over mostly dark images. I recently saw Sevenfold described as Tim Burton-rock, a reference to the Batman film director. How perfect is that?

The band has changed its sound, but the guys have kept the image impressively intact. Sevenfold often sprinkles their albums with biblical verses, deep suffering/loss, and emotional stress, but it was almost as if they presented it on a fictional platform. I always thought of a video game, for some reason, when I listened to 'City of Evil.' Remember that Sonic the Hedgehog dark level with the beams of light? That's Sevenfold. And it was awesome. Still is.

Where am I going with this? Put more simply, 'Nightmare' is their most realistic, emotionally-driven album to date. Why conjure up biblical images when the guys have a first-hand account of deep suffering? That's what you get with 'Nightmare.' It's as real as the band has ever been.

That said, they stick to their guns. There's still dueling guitars, face-melting solos and pedal-pumping drum beats. Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy does a fantastic job of filling in for Rev on the recording.

One thing I love about Sevenfold? Their songs are more than 3-4 minutes in length. It may not get as much radio time, but that's probably a good thing. I like the band's popularity where it is now. Mainstream, in a sense, but not as mainstream as a band like Godsmack or Disturbed, for instance.

Sure enough, 'Nightmare' has four songs that are more than six minutes long. The last song, 'Save Me,' checks in at right under 11 minutes.

The songs are brilliantly done. My favorite on the album has to be 'Buried Alive,' which is something I'd be more likely to hear on Metallica's '...And Justice for All' album than anything else. The intro features a melodic rhythm guitar, before progressing to the first verse. The advancement to the chorus is almost akin to Metallica's 'One.' It's like two separate songs in the same production. It's amazing how they pull it off. Gates' guitar solo is incredible. I'd rate this song in the top five of anything they've done.

I noticed a few other influences on the album as well. In 'Victim,' for instance, the intro and outro feature a female voice singing at harmonizing levels. I couldn't help but think of Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' when hearing it.

'God Hates Us' is the closest the band has come to recreating a song off 'Waking the Fallen,' the epic 2003 album known as their heaviest ever. Shadows does an amazing job of keeping the wild song controlled, if that makes any sense. It's actually a very controlled, crisp song. It took me three listens to come to that realization.

There are ballads, too, like 'So Far Away,' a song written by Gates, fully dedicated to the Rev.

There's a mix between heavy and ballad in 'Danger Line,' a song that starts hard, only to slow down to a brilliant breakdown at the conclusion. When Shadows utters the words "I'm free," Gates breaks into a solo, which might be my favorite part of the entire CD.

I'm still less than a week into listening to the new CD, so it's tough for me to rank it with their other albums. If I had to guess, I'd say my order will eventually look like this:

• Waking the Fallen
• Nightmare
• City of Evil
• Avenged Sevenfold (self-titled)

That's high praise from me, considering I thought 'City of Evil' was one of the best albums of the new decade.

'Nightmare' takes the listener to a place that we've never been before with Avenged Sevenfold. You can sense what they're going through. And as wrong as it seems to say — RIP, Rev — the result is sheer brilliance.

Grading the moves: Rangers buyers at trade dealine

Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels must have missed the memo about team bankruptcy prohibiting the club from making major moves at this year's trade deadline.

With the team in prime position to capture its first AL West crown in 11 years, JD went after some free agents anyway. He landed arguably the best pitcher in baseball in Cliff Lee. It cost the team one of its best prospects, but JD's live-in-the-moment mentality really seems to be paying off. The Rangers hold a 8.5-game lead in the West.

Here are the moves we've made, with a corresponding grade and some brief follow-up thoughts:

1. Rangers get Cliff Lee and Mark Lowe from Seattle for Justin Smoak and prospects Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Matt Lawson:

Grade: A.

Tough not to give this one an A. Since coming over to Texas on July 10, Lee has made four starts, and lasted nine innings in three of them. He went 8.1 innings in the other start. He's struck out 25 and walked one. The one walk was intentional, so he hasn't really walked anyone. Incredible.

The obvious fear is that Lee becomes a free agent after this season, making him a clear target for big-market teams like the Yankees and Red Sox. The Rangers' ownership situation will be resolved this week, and maybe the Rangers can convince the Benton, Ark., native to stay close to home.

Either way, I'd consider the trade a wild success if the Rangers win a playoff series, something that hasn't been done in the history of the franchise.

2. Rangers get Bengie Molina from San Francisco for Chris Ray and prospect Michael Main:

Grade: B.

Taylor Teagarden wasn't working out. Ditto with Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Matt Treanor found the disabled list with a sprained right knee on July 24. Catcher was a position of weakness for the Rangers and it needed to be addressed.

I've heard various friends and fellow Rangers fans rip this trade, but I'm not going to go that far. I don't love the trade either, but I surely don't despise it.

Yeah, sure, Molina's old (age 36). But you think the Rangers are going to make the playoffs this year? I do, too. Better make sure you have a catcher who can control a game, display above-average defensive skills and work with Cliff Lee.

Admittedly, Molina's offense has been dreadful. Since coming over on June 30, he's hit .196 and only had more than one hit in a game once (in the most random game ever when he hit for the cycle).

I just refuse to lose sleep over giving up Chris Ray, who has 22 strikeouts and 20 walks on the year. Yeah, the guy throws 95 and is supposed to be a power pitcher. But I'm fine with that ratio being far away from Arlington.

3. Rangers get Jorge Cantu from Florida for Omar Poveda and Evan Reed:

Grade: B.

First base was another area of weakness for Texas, which has now sent Chris Davis down to Triple-A two times this season. With the depature of Smoak and the ineffectiveness of Davis, the position became wide open. Mitch Moreland was called up, but he's never been a full-time player in the big leagues. Cantu will become a free agent this season, but his experience could help the team in the short-term.

4. Rangers get Cristian Guzman from Washington for pitching prospects Ryan Tatusko and Tanner Roark:

Grade: B.

Again, another needs-based trade that immediately helps the club. Second baseman Ian Kinsler is on the disabled list with a left groin strain on July 28, so Guzman can step in for the time being.

If nothing else, we're a more experienced team after the Cantu and Guzman trades. Should we make the playoffs, this will be important. I'd rather have a bench of Guzman and Cantu than asking inexperienced guys like Joaquin Arias and Andres Blanco to come up with big hits in the playoffs.

5. Rangers get Chris McGuinness, Ramon Mendez, a player to be named later and cash from Boston for Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Grade: A.

The Salty era in Texas was coming to an end. The team gave him ample chances to win the starting catcher gig, but it never worked out. The Rangers got a flame-thrower in Mendez and first-base help for the farm system.

Rangers reaction: Pair of victories highlights memorable trip

Arlington, Texas — My record for attending games in Arlington improved to 3-0 after last week's visit to Texas.

I started with attending Sunday's game (July 25) against the Angels with my brother and my mom. Texas, behind 6.1 solid innings from Tommy Hunter, improved to 58-41 on the season with a 6-4 victory. This one was really great to watch.

It had been a few years since my brother and I had attended a game together. With him living in Denver and me in Lawrence, it's not always easy to coordinate trips to the ballpark. When we both lived in Texas, or when we both spent time in Plano during summer breaks from college, it was easy to spend several nights in Arlington. Now, we have to make due with that little aspect of life called the real world.



Getting back to our familiar territory — the underrated upper deck (section 318, seats 15-16-17) — was really enjoyable.

We lucked out with dollar ice cream night as well. They didn't run out, either, which was pretty impressive. I didn't get my ice cream — the drumstick chocolate goodness with the vanilla ice cream filling — until the sixth inning, and they seemed to have plenty left. Not bad for an attendance of 38,320 (77.9 percent full).



Few observations I recall from the game:

• Josh Hamilton, what planet are you playing ball on? Yikes. The guy went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. He legged out a triple on one of the more interesting hits I've seen. Hamilton laced a ball in between second and first base that reached the alley. But it wasn't close to being a line drive to the gap. It was literally a roped ground ball that was hit so hard that it split the Angels outfielders. I've never seen that. After Sunday's game, Hamilton's average sat at .357. Chants of "MVP!" sprinkled around the stadium by his final at-bat. If the season ended today, Hamilton would have a legitimate case (.362 average, 23 HR, 75 RBI, 7 SB). Ridiculous.

• Tommy Hunter improved to 8-0 with the victory. For a No. 4 starter, he's done more than I would have imagined at the start of the season. Remember, Hunter didn't make his first start with the team until June 5. That's two months that he could have had to put more wins together. As long as he doesn't try to do too much — I don't think he'll ever be a power pitcher — he should be fine. Take notes from Cliff Lee. Location and throwing strikes can take pitchers a long way.

• Elvis Andrus made a highlight defensive play from shortstop. His defensive instincts are my favorite part of watching Rangers games. Andrus is the best defensive player I've ever seen, and he showed it on this night when he made a diving stop to his right, collected himself, and fired a bullet to first base to complete the out. I had been telling Dave about Andrus' defensive wizardry for some time, so I'm glad he got to see it first-hand. After the play, we all stood up and applauded the effort. I think I even did the fabled 'we're not worthy' motion from the upper deck.

• I mentioned on an earlier blog that our lineup of one through six, when healthy, is the best in team history. Andrus-Young-Kinsler-Guerrero-Hamilton-Cruz went a combined 12-for-26 (.462) with five RBIs on this night. No big flies from any Ranger player this game, but we still racked up 13 hits.

• Neftali Feliz closed it out for his 28th save.



Game 2:

Two days later (Tuesday, July 27), the Big 12 took media members covering the conference's media days event to the Rangers-A's game. This was the whole reason I was in town in the first place. Texas won the game, 3-1 in 10 innings.

This was a sweet deal. As the Big 12's guests for the night, media members had access to the ballpark's Diamond Club level (section 202). It's a beautiful part of the stadium. Located in center field, overlooking the outfield home run patio out there. You can hang out inside the suite, catch the game from the outside balcony or sit in section 202, which is in the outfield. The outside balcony was where I spent most of my time. It's a great view, as you can see from this photo below:



My reaction from Tuesday's game:

• Cliff Lee stole the show, even though he didn't record a decision. The southpaw went his customary nine innings, allowed his customary zero walks and struck out a career-high 13. The guy was dealing. Since the strikeout total was a little higher than usual, it took Lee 113 pitches to get through nine. Still super efficient. The crowd went nuts in the ninth when Lee made a plea with manager Ron Washington to leave him in the game to record the final out of the inning. Washington, after visiting the pitcher's mound to make an apparent call to the bullpen, left Lee out there to a rousing ovation from the 28,124 in attendance (not quite sure why there were 10,000 fewer fans for this game; probably the middle of the week).

Game time: 3:02. Even with the extra frame. Gotta love games when Lee starts. He now has an absurd 114 strikeouts versus seven walks (9-4, 2.40 ERA) on the year...seven walks! Never seen anything like it.

• Nelson Cruz smashed a walk-off home run in the 10th inning to seal the victory. The atmosphere was awesome. The Rangers improved to 59-41 after this game and held an eight-game lead in the AL West, the largest lead of any team in baseball.

This season is shaping up to be one of the most memorable in team history. It's been great I've been able to attend three of them. Hoping to make it more by the end of the season if and when we make the postseason for the first time in 11 years.