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.