Baseball in Its Purest Form? Backfields of Rangers Spring Training

Surprise, Ariz. — The pendulum swings fiercely when illustrating the two extremes of baseball fortune.

On one end of the spectrum, there's the riveting highs, the excitement of being in a pennant chase in September and October. No other sport rewards its loyalists like baseball. Sure, patience is a virtue, but 162 games in an era of instant gratification is an eternity. That's why the payoff, if you're fortunate enough to experience it, is so rewarding.

On the other end of the spectrum, there's the struggle of lows. It's real. When your team sends strong signals in the beginning of the season that it's going to be a long one, the enthusiasm from spring turns to helplessness in summer. If this happens quickly after Opening Day, it can be burdensome and taxing.

The 5 Most Vital Rangers for a Run in 2017 Playoffs

It can be easy to overlook the recent success of the Texas Rangers. In 5 of the past 7 years, the Rangers have made the playoffs; four of those times they won the AL West. However, Texas hasn't advanced in the playoffs since 2011. And the Blue Jays have knocked them out of consecutive ALDS appearances.

What will it require to make a deep playoff run again? With Opening Day 1 day away (hallelujah!), here are my five vital Rangers most responsible for postseason success, in reverse order:

Rangers Being Swept Is Embarrassing, But Only to a Point

Plano, Texas - Well, that didn't go according to script. Three games, three losses. 10-1, 5-3, 7-6 (10). Two losses in Arlington. Eliminated at the scene of last year's crime. Belittled by the team we can't stand, the team with Jose Boo-tista and his tissues, and Josh Donaldson and his rat-tail mullet.

There's no way around it, though. Toronto beat us down. Toronto shelled our supposed elite 1-2 starting pitching punch of Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish. Toronto got to Colby Lewis, too. They pounded fastballs and sliders left in the zone. No mistake was left untouched. Dreams of a deep postseason run were crushed. Again. By the same group of annoying, but immensely talented Blue Jays that knocked us out last year.

Yu Darvish Should Start Game 1 of the ALDS

It's been a ridiculously joyous 2016 regular season for Texas Rangers baseball fans. The Rangers have a shot at setting the single-season franchise record for wins (96). They have homefield advantage through the World Series, if we're fortunate enough to still be watching them in late October. They have 49 come-from-behind victories this year, tops in MLB. They are 36-8 in one-run games. Some are calling it lucky. We are calling it our 2016 identity.

I'm grateful for another year of postseason baseball. Let's not forget this is the fourth AL West title in the last seven years. General manager Jon Daniels has once again worked his magic, adding Carlos Gomez, Carlos Beltran, Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress in the second half - and most importantly, not subtracting clubhouse chemistry.

The Jurickson Profar Dilemma

As it relates to the title of this blog post, the word dilemma typically carries a negative connotation. Make no mistake, though, the Jurickson Profar Dilemma is not a bad problem to have.

After Rougned Odor landed the punch heard 'round the world, a seven-game suspension opened the door for 23-year-old Jurickson Profar to make an impact in the majors at second base. Once the Rangers' top prospect, Profar began the year in AAA after missing two years with shoulder problems.

In the seven games Odor missed, all Profar has done is hit .364 with a 1.000 OPS, scoring nine runs from the leadoff spot. He hit a titanic blast into the upper deck on Friday night. He's played exceptional defense. He gives the Rangers' lineup a unique boost.

Spring Training Reaction: All About Nomar Mazara

Surprise, Ariz. - It's difficult to make big-picture observations after attending one spring training game. However, I think I saw enough on Sunday to be super excited about the long-term future of 20-year old outfielder Nomar Mazara.

In a game the Rangers lost to the Mariners, 7-3, not much stood out. The Rangers trotted out their starting infield, which was nice. Adrian Beltre smashed a rope down the left-field line and was promptly pulled, as if to say, yep, you're pretty much in midseason form already. The Mariners stole six bases on Nick Tepesch and Chris Gimenez, which hurt both players' chances of making the opening day roster.

Mazara definitely stood out, though.

5 Burning Questions at Rangers Spring Training - Live in Arizona

Scottsdale, Ariz. - The last time I attended spring training was 10 years ago. It was one of the most memorable trips I've ever taken. I was a senior at the University of Kansas and three of my best friends (@bsiegel26, @neilsenratings and @bestmattwilson) and I jumped into a Ford Focus over spring break and drove 18 hours from Lawrence to Phoenix.

Can't wait to see how the Surprise spring training complex, home to my hometown Texas Rangers and now World Series Champion Kansas City Royals, has grown over the last 10 years. It was only three years old in 2006 and arguably the nicest complex out here.

Rangers Shock Everyone, Grab Early ALDS Edge: What's Next?

After watching the Rangers jump out to an improbable 2-0 series lead over the Blue Jays in the ALDS, I was all mixed up. On the one hand, my energy was through the roof with Toronto on the brink of elimination. On the other hand, I was so wiped out that an Aleve and a nap sounded pretty darn good, too.

What a dream scenario: Texas leads 2-0 after stealing a pair of games against Toronto, which had the best regular season home record in the AL. It took 14 innings to put the Jays away in Game 2, which to me was one of the most memorable games in Rangers history. I literally gave myself a headache in Game 2 from how rapidly and loudly I was applauding in intense situations. That's just not normal.

Dear Rangers: Please Clinch AL West This Weekend

It's funny to think that a month into the 2015 season, the Texas Rangers were 8-16. Four months later, they enter their final series of the season at 86-72, needing to win one of four games against the Angels to clinch at least a wild card spot. More importantly, a split would clinch the AL West.

Remember the "sky is falling" headlines early in the season? Four-fifths of the rotation was on the shelf. The Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo albatross contracts were two of the worst in baseball. Texas was going to sell at the trade deadline and plan for the future.

Oh how things have changed.

Bucket List Stadium Tour Hits Ballpark No. 10 in Anaheim

Anaheim, Calif. - I take great joy in keeping track of how many Major League Baseball stadiums I've visited. It's a sports bucket list sort of deal. This past Labor Day, I had the opportunity to visit Anaheim with my brother Dave to follow the Rangers as they took on the Angels.

The stadium was crazy nice. The first night (9/5), the Rangers beat the Angels, 2-1, behind eight masterfully spun innings by southpaw Derek Holland. After a woeful start to the 2014 season, Texas has completely turned its season around and at the time was in the thick of the wild card and AL West race. It made our trip that much more enjoyable. There's nothing quite like meaningful baseball in September.

Joey Gallo Goes All Roy Hobbs in Debut, Rangers Fans Lose Their Minds

I'm not entirely sure what I'm about to type, but I'm 100% sure I just had an out-of-body baseball experience.

In his big league debut, Rangers third baseman Joey Gallo announced his presence with a scintillating 3-for-4, 4 RBI performance that included a single, double, walk and most memorably a towering home run that shot out of a freaking cannon into the second deck:

What Do We Make of Texas Rangers in 2015?

Baseball is a really weird game. The Texas Rangers, seemingly an afterthought in 2015, have come out of nowhere to win six straight games. Don't look now, but the Rangers boast an MLB-best 16-10 road record. However, they're only 6-13 at home. Remember when I said baseball's weird?

Add that up and you have a 22-23 squad whose stock is steadily rising in the AL West. What are we to make of this hot mess?

The question many Rangers fans are hesitant to ask because we didn't feel we'd be able to ask it is ... Can the Rangers actually contend this year?

Spring Training 2015 Preview: What Needs to Happen for Rangers to Contend

I'm looking at spring training previews as I do around this time of year, and can't help but notice a disheartening similarity in the analysis of these articles: A whole lotta prognosticators like the Rangers to finish last in the AL West in 2015.

Damn, man, 2010 seemed like it was so long ago.

My natural inclination is to argue with these predictions, being the Rangers zealot I am. Ah, that's the beauty of spring training, when hope springs eternal. Clean slate. A few things have to happen, though, for the Rangers to climb out of the cellar of 67-95, the worst record in the AL and third-worst in all of baseball, and back into contention:

July 2014 MLB Trade Deadline Reaction: Tigers, A's Go All-In

All was quiet in Rangers land on Thursday as one of the most exciting days in MLB was heating up. To my surprise, Alex Rios and Neal Cotts are still donning Texas uniforms after the trade deadline.

Around the league, however, there was a frenzy of activity that moved big names to contenders who pushed all their chips to the center. My reaction on the top 3 deadline trades:

1. Three-team trade with David Price: Detroit, Tampa Bay, Seattle

• Tigers get: David Price
• Mariners get: Austin Jackson
• Rays get: Drew Smyly, Nick Franklin, prospect Willy Adames

PODCAST: What is Wrong With Texas Rangers in 2014? Well, Everything

I warned you guys about this on March 26. Sadly, that blog post - "Could 2014 be a catastrophe for the Texas Rangers" - has come to fruition a little more than three months later at the All-Star break.

The Rangers are in last place at 38-57. They are decimated by injuries. They are the only team in MLB to not arrive at the 40-win plateau by the All-Star break. It's bad. Not 0-162 bad like Ian Kinsler wanted, but let's just say the former Rangers second baseman is probably making all sorts of told-ya-so jokes in Detroit right now.

I hopped on the podcast mic with my former Plano West alum Sam Mood (@forever_dallas) to discuss what went wrong this season, who's to blame, trade possibilities at the deadline and the future of the club. Give it a listen below:

PODCAST: How Good Will Mavs Be After Adding Chandler Parsons?

The Dallas Mavericks just got a whole lot better by signing away one of Houston's best players, undoubtedly adding to the burgeoning intrastate rivalry between the two franchises.

Chandler Parsons (three years, $46 million) will join a Dallas squad that pushed the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs to seven games last season. He's still just 25 years old and will enter his fourth season. Not much to dislike here.

Parsons will join a starting lineup that includes Raymond Felton, Monta Ellis, Dirk Nowitzki and returning maverick hero Tyson Chandler. That's a strong first unit for coach Rick Carlisle.

I recently discussed how the move will impact the team on a podcast with my high school classmate Sam Mood (@forever_dallas). Check it out by listening below:

How Early Can We Consider It a Lost Season for Rangers?

Most of the Gametime in Arlington archives paint my favorite baseball team, the Texas Rangers, in a rather positive light. This blog entry sure as hell ain't one of them.

I'm about to fall off the proverbial baseball ledge due to the extraordinary number of patients checking into the Rangers infirmary. It's out of control. A bad horror movie. Someone stop the bleeding. Any help - Dexter Morgan? ... Yeah, that's the thing. There is no help. This team's descent into a quicksand of irrelevancy is picking up major steam.

See You Sunday Afternoon: Mavs Force Game 7 in Hectic Series

If "blood pressure monitor" shows up a few times in my Google search history, it's because I may require one before the end of this insane Mavs-Spurs series in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Here's how the series has gone, leading up to the deciding Game 7 on Sunday: Spurs by 5, Mavs by 21, Mavs by 1, Spurs by 4, Spurs by 6, Mavs by 2. Sure, the Mavs won Game 2 by a lot, but that game wasn't on mainstream TV. The rest of these games have all been televised. And they've all been heart-pounding.

The 8 seed Mavs are not supposed to be playing with the 1 seed Spurs. San Antonio had lost only five games since the All-Star break. Dallas, still led by a former NBA champion in Dirk Nowitzki, is relishing the role of underdog. And it's a beautiful thing to see.

Music Review: Chevelle & Nothing More in St. Louis

St. Louis - It had been way too long since I rocked out in person. It recently dawned on me that I hadn't been to a rock show in years, perhaps dating as far back as Chevelle in November 2009. Yowza, right?

Chevelle started touring this month and St. Louis was the second stop on April 5 at a stellar venue called The Pageant. The icing on the cake was the opening band, Texas rockers Nothing More. I heard about the San Antonio quartet from The Music Enthusiast blog that follows the local Dallas rock scene. This so had to happen.

It made for the perfect weekend getaway. Nothing More opening for Chevelle in St. Louis, roughly 3 hours, 45 minutes away from our residence in Overland Park. Balcony seats were available at an affordable price.

The best part of the concert was meeting Jonny Hawkins (at left), lead singer of Nothing More, after their set. We instantly related to each other, discussing topics ranging from general Texas awesomeness, to living the engaged life (he recently got married), to the local Dallas rock scene. The five-minute conversation time-warped me back to the mid-2000s when my brother Dave and I used to talk with Kirk Baxley, lead singer of Greatness in Tragedy, after his shows. He was genuinely nice, expressing gratitude for our support while inquiring about our interests and remembering our faces every time. Jonny was the same way. It made me so glad to spend my hard-earned money to take the trip.

A Way-Too-Early Rangers State of the Union

OK, it's only five days after Opening Day, but I still have some big-picture observations on the state of the Texas Rangers. The Rangers took two of three from the Phillies and dropped a game at Tampa Bay to arrive at 2-2. Here we go: