Thrills and Triumphs of the Texas Rangers' Journey with Brad

Ever been on a roller coaster of emotions, gripped by anticipation, suspense, and jubilation, all within the span of a baseball game while watching updates on your phone? Well, our guest, Brad, has lived it all through the extraordinary journey of the Texas Rangers to their first-ever World Series win. We dissect the high-octane regular season, the nail-biting four-team race for the wildcard, and every unforgettable moment leading to the Rangers' well-earned victory.

Strap in as we move beyond the emotional roller coaster and delve into the strategic masterstroke that fueled the Rangers' playoff momentum. The iconic home runs of Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia dramatically altered the course of history for the team. As we dissect these game-changing moments, you'll be pulled into the suspense and thrill that Brad felt every step of the way. And if you thought baseball was just about bat and ball, think again. We explore how recent rule changes have transformed the game into a strategic battlefield, enhancing the spectacle for fans and players alike.

Let's shift gears and bring on the fun with Chuck Norris jokes and a game of Lone Star Wars, where we mash up names with a twist. Brad shares his all-time favorite Texas Rangers lineup, and we debate on what the MLB can do to attract more viewers. Think new streaming options and speed-up rules could change the game? We wrap up the episode, taking these thought-provoking discussions further and sharing our take on the future of baseball. Don't miss out on this episode, filled with hardcore baseball talk, passion, strategy, and a whole lot of fun!

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:03

All right, everybody, welcome back to Fandom from afar. They said it couldn't be done, but I found a Texas Rangers fan in Jacksonville, florida, and he also happens to be one of my favorite people to talk sports with. So welcome, brad.

Speaker 2 0:18

Thank you, fan of the World Series champion, texas Rangers.

Speaker 1 0:23

How nice is that to say.

Speaker 2 0:24

Oh, really nice yes.

Speaker 1 0:27

First one in franchise history.

Speaker 2 0:29

Yes.

Speaker 1 0:30

Now you're leaving five clubs behind, rockies being one of them that have never won a championship.

Speaker 2 0:35

Yes, Now how close have the Rockies come?

Speaker 1 0:38

We made it to the World Series and then got swept by the Red Sox.

Speaker 2 0:43

OK.

Speaker 1 0:44

But I'm convinced that we would have won that year if not for timing, because we swept our way to the World Series Right. And then had to wait like 10 days for the Red Sox to finish up their series and then by that time, you know, all of our timing and momentum was gone. So yeah that's, that's what I tell myself that we would have won yeah.

Speaker 2 1:03

I think baseball there's something to do with rhythm, and I think a lot of people talked about the playoffs. Wildcard teams did a lot better, yeah, and the higher seed divisions are the division winners. The higher seed struggled and it could be the time they got to sit around.

Speaker 1 1:19

And it's crazy, because didn't Arizona? And they win like they were barely above the 500, right yeah, and they made it.

Speaker 2 1:28

They made it. They clinched the playoffs like game 162 of 163.

Speaker 1 1:34

Oh, wow.

Speaker 2 1:35

And then you know, the Rangers and the Astros both clinched the game before that, and then the Astros ended up winning the division, and then the Rangers went in as a wildcard, but they had the same record.

Speaker 1 1:50

It's so fun Because I think I saw a stat like all four or all top five teams that all had the best records were out pretty quickly. So it's kind of fun that you just never know what's going to happen.

Speaker 2 2:02

Well, I think a lot of people talked about the playoff format being a problem, but I think the opposite is true. I think baseball took a gamble that said there's more teams that are capable of winning the World Series out there, and I think, if anything like this playoffs showed that's the case.

Speaker 1 2:20

Oh, yeah, oh yeah, I love it, and so let's kind of stick with the championship. Like normally, I like to start with people's origin story, but let's stick with the this happy ending here. So tell me about the team, maybe some of your favorite players, and how you're feeling during the regular season, and then we'll kind of get into the playoff run.

Speaker 2 2:41

Sure, sure. So coming into the season, I didn't have the highest of expectations. You know, two years ago we lost over a hundred games and it, you know, it was almost like a chore being a fan. You're like, especially being in Jacksonville, being on the East Coast, when you're following a team that's three hours behind playing in the West Division. It's like I'm going to wake up and I know what's going to happen and I know what I'm going to see when I open up ESPN. But still going to look.

Speaker 2 3:11

It's like witch reliever blew it this time and I open it up and like, oh, there it is. So we didn't have high expectations. In fact, I had a joke with my with you know, people I talked baseball with and so we won the first series. We won the second series, we played, and so I just constantly kept referring to him as the first place Texas Rangers Cause I was like I don't know how long this is going to last.

Speaker 2 3:32

So we're just going to keep riding this vibe and next thing you know we're we're into the all star break like first place Texas Rangers. Going into this season, we made a few huge signings in the winter. We brought in a Valde from Washington, we brought in to Grom from the Mets, and then we brought in a Seager and Simeon and yeah, judging from the playoff run.

Speaker 1 4:00

Those are some pretty big additions, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 4:02

And you know to Grom started off hot. We won all seven of his starts and then he went out, had to get Tommy John but a Valde was pitching at like a, like a side young level to start the year and then he got hurt and then going into the all star break. You know, credit to the Rangers, like staff Chris Young recognizing like there's an opportunity here and so he went out and we got Scherzer and then we got Montgomery and I think that's really bolstered and that's just that's what established us Like if we can get into the playoffs, we can make a run. We're a dangerous team, yeah.

Speaker 1 4:45

Starting pitching wise, that's pretty legit staff right there yeah.

Speaker 2 4:50

So you know, we made those additions and we came out of the all star break on fire, I think at one point we won like nine of 12, one, five, six series in a row. And then all of a sudden, like could not win a game and to the point where, like from game one up until like we're three quarters of the way through, we we had a pretty sizable lead in the West and then lost it and then Houston was in first. And so now I'm kind of like starting to panic, because now it got to the point where it was like, like I know the playoffs, like we should be in the playoffs, like let's take care of the West, not worry about like being a wildcard, and now all of a sudden, I think at the beginning of August, like we're not even in the playoff picture. They were collapsing pretty quick, yeah, and then kind of refound some momentum and started winning series again and got back to where they swept the Mariners. So the wildcard became a a four team race.

Speaker 2 6:04

So it was the Mariners, the Astros, the Jays and us, the Rangers, kind of vying for like three spots. One was going to win the West and the other two wildcards were going to go and then somebody was going to get left out, and so we swept the Mariners and then got a one game lead on the West and just kind of like replaying all these events in my head. We swept the Mariners and then the Astros get the Diamondbacks, the next series, and then Can't remember who we played, but it was kind of like we had the Mariners and then we had, I Think, the Angels and then the Mariners again to close out. So we swept Mariners, Kind of took control of like our playoff destiny, and then we ended up clinching the first game, like we played against the Mariners.

Speaker 1 6:59

So we're going right down to the end like it's not, like you got to sit there and be like oh man, here come the playoffs.

Speaker 2 7:03

We're for sure in like this is kind of we sweat it out all the way until I think game 160.

Speaker 1 7:10

Okay.

Speaker 2 7:10

Yeah, and then we're able to clinch. I think we and the Astros clinched the playoffs the same day and there was a little bit of drama because there was an Astros beat writer who made a point of saying how the Rangers kind of had this mentality of not having been there before and thought they celebrated too much upon getting a getting a playoff birth. And that was the reason why the Astros ended up winning the division. And it's funny because there's a video clip and it's in the Astros clubhouse after they win the division and it the quote is People always wondered what would happen if the Astros Didn't win the West, but I guess we'll never know and they go crazy and start celebrating.

Speaker 1 7:59

Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 2 8:00

Corey Seger got to pay it off when we had our World Series parade. He's like I guess people will never know what happened If the Rangers didn't win the World Series. I.

Speaker 1 8:10

Love it it kind of makes it even sweeter like just that little Dig coming from Houston who's just happens to be a bunch of cheaters.

Speaker 2 8:18

Yeah Well, I mean that's how they established themselves. I mean they've been able to sustain that success. I guess legitimate means allegedly, but it was sweet to kind of beat them because there there is this mentality of Astro fans like I don't know if it's with all teams, but like you, you get teams that just have this run of success and all of a sudden it's kind of like Like Houston Astros fans, like we invented baseball, like yeah, I think you see it with, like With like Georgia football fans. Now it's kind of like Like we are the pinnacle of football and it's like I mean, you're good.

Speaker 1 8:55

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2 8:56

Please enjoy that while it lasts, but there's gonna come a time.

Speaker 1 8:59

That's how Patriot fans were for so long to and, like now, they wish they could get a first down. Oh, yeah, yeah now Did the team have kind of like a personality, like how would you describe the team In general? Like it almost sounds Like they took on the underdog role and kind of thrived off of that.

Speaker 2 9:19

Yeah, I think I think there definitely was a chip on their shoulder mentality and I think they were a lot better than what people gave them credit for. Because you know, when I talked about us having that slump, like we were down for a good chunk of that, like our starting third baseman, who was a rookie, josh Young Seeger, was out For a couple weeks and not completely right when he came back, like a vaulty was on the shelf. So a lot of key players were out during that slump and as we were coming out of the slump they were coming back into the lineup but just kind of still shaking off the rust. So, going into the playoffs, I Think I had this mentality of just a little bit of like quiet confidence of you know I I definitely was not expecting the level of success we had but like I Could see is beating the race, like I could see is making some noise in the division series. And then it's like if you make the ALCS, like let's see what happens especially that pitching.

Speaker 2 10:21

Yeah. So I think they, I think they knew it and I don't think a lot of the baseball world knew it. So I think there definitely was kind of a Like a chip on their shoulder mentality. And I think what people don't realize is like we had good pitching and I think if you take lineups and you go, this is these are our guys one through nine that are hitting Like I think Texas probably had the best one through nine lineup. They probably didn't have the best, like you know, first inning battering like one through three. But if you take one through nine like there, there are no easy outs and that makes a huge difference.

Speaker 1 11:00

Yeah, that's gonna wear out the other pitching staff. It turns, turns the lineup over like it's. It's a big deal to have that depth.

Speaker 2 11:07

Yeah, and I think I think Texas was more built to be a playoff team than like a regular season juggernaut. Like you look at the Orioles and they have really good pitching and like so so hitting, but like when they get on base they like to run and create havoc, kind of similar to what Arizona does, and like that's good for the regular season. Like you can, you can beat up on on some four or five pitchers, like when you get right matchups.

Speaker 2 11:32

Yeah and you can get a lot of wins, but like when it comes to the playoffs, like, like in a five game series, you you're facing one and two twice. Like your, your, your ace and your second pitcher Like your second best pitcher, twice it's a whole different game. Yeah, and so I think Texas with the offense they had, they had a really good number one guy in a ball, they had a really good number two guy in Montgomery. Like they were just kind of built for the playoffs.

Speaker 1 11:58

Which is the way you would want it. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. When, when 85 games every year and then start dominating the playoffs? I would take that.

Speaker 2 12:05

Yeah.

Speaker 1 12:07

You guys pulled off one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen and correct me if I'm wrong I might have misread this somewhere but you won every single road game in the playoffs. How does that happen?

Speaker 2 12:20

I think it's just it's a credit to the offense, and I think almost it, because you know, when you're the road team you hit first in the inning and so I think they just had ability to just in the first couple innings, get some hits, get some runs, and that's just kind of like tightens everything up.

Speaker 1 12:37

Yeah for the home team kind of playing from ahead the whole time.

Speaker 2 12:40

Yeah, so you kind of like Put that pressure on, like game seven against the ash was a game seven or game six, like we knocked it, like their starter got two outs.

Speaker 1 12:50

Oh yeah. Yeah, and then we were able to get him out and like, when you're able to do that, like You're creating havoc and when you're playing ahead like that, you're so much more confident at the plate, like you, because the pressure is not on you're just swinging, yeah, like same thing Game for the Diamond and the World Series, like I know I'm jumping around different series and stuff the Diamondbacks would.

Baseball Playoff Momentum and Game Strategies

Speaker 2 13:11

We're using a bullpen game and we were able to jump up and by the third inning we had 10 runs. And so you know we're throwing a stop gap guy and he's able to now get us five innings because we have a giant leak.

Speaker 1 13:27

I Think a lot of people say momentum doesn't exist, but I think that's kind of what you're talking about is. It makes such a huge difference just in your Mentality and how you're playing every part of the game that I'm ahead five, nothing. Yeah, it doesn't matter if I die for this Bond, don't make it. Oh yeah, I caught it because I was that much more confident than I was gonna do it.

Speaker 2 13:48

Yeah.

Speaker 1 13:48

I love that. I think that's great. But, every road game. Yeah what was it? 10 and 0? He was 11 11 and oh, that's just that that'll never be matched.

Speaker 2 13:59

That's impossible. I know it was. I mean with with the Astro series, oh um, when we lost game five. And now to vey hit that home run like I Thought we were done.

Speaker 1 14:13

Yeah, like.

Speaker 2 14:14

I thought, I thought that was it. And Then you know we win game six and it's kind of like, well, anything can happen. Game seven, and then game seven we jumped out early. No, it's just kind of like, all right, just ride this way, yeah. But you know, I think just being able to hit first with the explosive lineup we had, I think really helped, because when you had Seager doing what he does and then you had Adelies Garcia just playing out of his mind, and so that's just a recipe of just like you put up a couple crooked numbers in the first two winnings and now the other team.

Speaker 1 14:51

Got a snowball from there. Yeah, do you have any favorite like doing these specific at bats, or a picture getting out of a jam that like just came in huge moments, like, are there specific moments that you'll think about dirt for this playoff run?

Speaker 2 15:05

Yeah, so I think Evolved these first game against the Astros I think it was game one and it's, I think it's like the fourth inning and he gets you know Texas is clinging to like a two-run lead and he gets in a basis loaded no-ouch jam and I'm expecting you know, like all right, like let's just play matchups the next three batters and let's get out of this and then go from there and bogey leaves the ball the end and Two strikeouts in a ground ball later, like Houston scores no runs.

Speaker 2 15:42

Wow and just the the pitch sequence, especially to Out of a to get the second strikeout, was just amazing how he kind of set him up. He goes fastball in, fastball out and then throws a splitter that starts with the same exact trajectory in the spot and it's like the fastball out and Then just tumbles and drops. And I'll too, they didn't have a chance. That's not so fun.

Speaker 1 16:07

Yeah, that's. That's why it's so fun to watch playoff baseball, because of the the two pitches, setting up the next pitch, like it's. It's such such strategy game.

Speaker 2 16:17

Yeah, so like that's definitely one, I Think, corey Seeger's home run to tie it up in the ninth and game one, oh yeah, diamond backs like Just first pitch, just abs. When, when, corey Seeger, it's crazy because you see, you see people hit home runs and Like they just, you know, barely clear the fence, like there's a, there's an outfielder trying to jump and catch the ball, and it's just like when Corey Seeger connects with one, like nobody in outfield is moving.

Speaker 1 16:46

Yeah, they just put their head down and be like well there is, there is no doubt.

Speaker 2 16:51

And so just the moment of that, because it just went from like all right, we're in a hole, like we just lost home field advantage, and then all of a sudden it's like okay, we're still alive. And then Garcia up in the 11th, it's a walk-off, and almost kind of like Like that walk-off home run, like I think kind of like excised some like demons. Yeah because Garcia sets a record on that home run and that was the most RBI is and a playoff run and the previously record holder was David Fries for the Cardinals.

Speaker 2 17:28

Oh yeah and I have some very painful memories the last time the. Rangers were in the World Series. Game six we have the rain and we have the Cardinals down to their last strike. Fries hits a triple, ties it up in the night, we get two home runs, or we get two runs off of Josh Hamilton home run and then we get the Cardinals down to the last strike again and Just some zany things happen. They get two more runs and then Fries walks it off and the 11 and then we lose game seven.

Speaker 1 18:06

I haven't heard. David Fries is naming forever. That's right. It's like all flooding back to me now.

Speaker 2 18:10

Yeah, so they're like for a while like there. I mean, I would just cringe at the phrase like down to the last strike, like I hated that.

Speaker 1 18:19

Yeah, that doesn't mean anything.

Speaker 2 18:21

Yeah, and it was funny because, like, like, it was almost like when Garcia hits that home run to walk it off and you're like, okay, he has the record. It's like you know that feeling of just kind of like waiting for the shoe to drop, like it's like things are going good. But yeah, just kind of like started lifting up a little bit. Like you know, when Altuve hit that home run and game five To take a 3-2 lead and now Texas has to win to and Houston to advance, you know, my gut feeling was like there it is like that's, that's our. You know this year's version of David freeze, like yeah like this is happening.

Speaker 2 19:04

And then we go game one and it looks like we're in trouble and then see your hits home run and then Garcia hits the home run and kind of takes the record and it's kind of like Maybe that's not gonna drop? Is that the first time you started to allow yourself to think about like, oh, this might actually happen, yeah it was just kind of like starting to breathe and then it was like you know we lose game to pretty convincingly. I was like how dare you have those thoughts?

Speaker 2 19:29

I jinxed them yeah how dare you think like that?

Speaker 1 19:33

but it happened. Yeah, it did it.

Speaker 2 19:37

Yeah, and it was fun cuz you know I'm an East Coast guy following a West Coast team. So my main way of following the Rangers is like on my phone, like ESPN gamecast, mlb gamecast, and there's very different ways. I'm not saying I'm superstitious, I'm just saying there's certain random things that if I do or I don't do, have an impact on the game.

Speaker 2 19:59

So well, I definitely need to hear about what you do do yeah so, depending on how things are going, I might follow on ESPN or I might follow on MLB, or you know, if there is a game going on and you Google Texas Rangers baseball, like it will kind of have like what's happening on the game right now and then kind of like a Twitter feed you can slide through that gives you live updates on what's going.

Speaker 2 20:23

So, depending on how the game is going, every now and then I'll try to watch. But during this postseason run, like you know, for the race series and the Wario series, just followed exclusively on my phone because they're either playing at a time where, like I just wasn't available to get to a TV, or like they were playing on TBS, which I didn't have, so that went really well. And then we get to the ALCS and that's like alright, we're starting to get like on Fox, like this is a big time. And so like we win the first two and I just kind of like followed it and I was like let me watch, like we're going, things are going good, and then like we lose the next three, I was like okay, I can't watch.

Speaker 1 21:03

Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 2 21:05

And so we go back to following the game on my phone. We win the next two. I was like okay. And then we win game one of the world series. I follow that. My phone is like, alright, this is the world series. Like, like I have to watch. And then we lose game two and I was like no, I don't. Oh my god, I have to do my part so you can't let the boys down.

Speaker 1 21:23

Yeah, I know.

Speaker 2 21:25

Here I am, you know, sacrificing, and so you know I start pretty much exclusively like following the games on my phone and like this is kind of where it gets crazy. So it's game five and their picture gallon is just throwing a gym and so I'm following the game on my phone and it's like, of all these matching him, but he's like grinding, like they're getting a base runner and scoring position, like every inning you just keep waiting for them to like break through and it's like, alright, this is gonna have to come back to Texas. But like a ball, he keeps getting out of it, keeps getting out of it. And then, and the fifth inning, we get through our bottom of the lineup. But some of the bottom of the lineup guys just kind of like seem like you know, again, I'm following on my phone, so I didn't see it but just like, like we had two flyouts to the fence and like my brother and my dad are watching the game and I like text him, like do those seem like good swings? Like yeah, they make good contact, it just didn't get out.

Speaker 2 22:25

It's like okay, and then a Valdee comes out and he's been letting a base runner get on running, like in scoring position and just gets a quick one, two, three, and I was like you know what I need to watch? Yes. And so I turn on the TV and that's when we get our first run, like get a, get a seeing eye single kind of beat to shift, and then a double and then a single, and then we load the bases up. We don't do anything. And I was like, okay, we got one, like see what we can do. But now I'm just like watching, and, and then we get out of the bottom of the seventh, we go to the top of the eight, blow the bases again and get nothing.

Speaker 2 23:06

And so now like I'm like I just jinxed this, like I'm watching and like they get the insurance and like we're gonna lose in the stupid night and we're gonna give them all the momentum going in. I was like, but I'm already in, like I'm committed, so I'm gonna watch. And then the night we get to across in the air and then simian hits a home run and I was like this is gonna happen and I'm watching yes, and so we go to the, we go to the bottom of the ninth and it.

Speaker 2 23:32

You know, I talked about like, how I cringed at the, the sound of like, like down to the last strike, and we get to the point and I was like, say it, say they're down to the last strike, and he said and I was like, let's get it. And then took two pitches to get him out.

Speaker 1 23:47

But but you got that last strike.

Speaker 2 23:49

Yeah, and then it was just kind of like it was. It was definitely a career like. So I'm a Gator fan, so I like I've experienced like championships before, but like this was different in a way that's kind of like hard to describe. It's like when you're with a team and like like you're grinding with them through a lot more bad than like you've had good Cuz, you know, ever since I was following the Rangers. Like we had like mid to late 90s when we would win the division and then go get beat by the Yankees.

Speaker 2 24:21

Yeah and then you know, 2009, 2012, made the playoffs pretty much those years and had two World Series appearances, but couldn't get it done. And then not a lot, much else, not much else after that. And so, like when you're grinding with a team and like they finally break through and they do it, it's just kind of like this just it means that much more.

Speaker 2 24:44

Yeah, and then, like you just kind of get struck by this like this all, like this reverent silence and you just you're soaking it in. And you know, I'm not one to be kind of like the gatekeeper of like what a true fan is and it's. You know, if you were hitched Tom Brady and you saw all those Championships, and now you want to hitch up to Patrick Mahomes, like like, be my guest, I'm not gonna stop you. But like, like, when you hitch up to a team and you go through all that bad and you finally break through, like like there is you, there's nothing you can do to like match that feeling I can't imagine. Like what cups fan was doing in 15.

Speaker 2 25:26

Oh yeah like when they broke through and like I remember, like seeing some of the, like the reactions and like those fans like faces, and it's just like you, like you can't do that being a bandwagon, like you can't explain, like you got to go through a lot of bad to Get to that moment and I totally agree like it's a whole another level to feel, like you said, the pain and the misery of having a bad team for so long, and it just makes the championship so much Sweeter yeah, I got.

Speaker 1 25:56

I was a couple months ahead of you with the nuggets, same thing and, yes, you guys can stop holding your breath. I did bring up the nuggets in a Texas Rangers podcast. I love that, though. Just the way you described it's perfect. Just that, would you say breathlessness.

Speaker 1 26:10

Yeah like just soaking it all in yeah and it's gonna be the same thing I experienced when the nuggets got the rings and raised the banner. Yeah, like you get to experience all again, just seeing those guys who have worked their whole lives to Be at that moment right and I think that's something, too, it might be unique to baseball.

Following the Rangers' Journey

Speaker 2 26:28

Like I think you can have it like in football and basketball, like Like one of the great things about baseball is like you can't, you can't, you can't get a lead and then, like, start running out the clock or, you know, play preventive. Like you can't, you know elongate your possessions. Like when you play baseball, like you, you got to throw the ball over the plate got play.

Speaker 2 26:50

Yeah, you got to give him a chance to hit and then you got to make your plays, and so I think that's kind of like you're always holding your breath Until, like that, final out is called.

Speaker 1 27:03

Well, and I think I have to take back an earlier statement when I said the Rangers winning All 11 road games was the most incredible achievement. I think you having the self-control to follow the games of the World Series of your favorite team on your phone Might be even more incredible. I don't. I could never do that.

Speaker 2 27:21

I mean I just, but you did.

Speaker 1 27:23

You did what needed to be done you know, sometimes Don't do what's easy.

Speaker 2 27:28

You do what you got to do. You got to do what needs to be done.

Speaker 1 27:30

It's just so perfect, because baseball players are just the most superstitious people ever, so of course their fans are too. But especially falling along on your phone like that, sometimes there's like 30 seconds or a minute before the pitch updates and you're just wondering what's happening because you're just like, oh my goodness, something big is happening, yeah that's the annoying, because, like you, you can kind of get keyed in because I've done this enough, where you know you're watching and I'm literally like people are gonna probably think I'm gonna get idiot.

Speaker 2 27:58

Like I'm just staring at this screen and and then you just see like little numbers tick so you see like, like the pitcher, like he went from 50 to 51. So you're like all right, like you threw a pitch, and if it's like a strike or a ball, like something that doesn't get hit, like it usually just pretty quick updates. And then like there's times where you're like it goes from 50 to 51 and then you're just waiting and then like maybe you refresh your screen like what just happened? What just happened, and you know someone's running around doing something.

Speaker 2 28:29

And then a lot of times, like before, like the game cast, like updates with what happened, like if it's something where, like, somebody scores, like next thing you know, the score changes. You're just like, oh my gosh, something just happened. What happened?

Speaker 1 28:40

I love that cause. I can see you doing that, but that is dedication and I love it so much. Well, let's talk about how you got there. Can you tell me, was it young bread, teenage bread, like when did you start following the Rangers and kind of tell me the journey to that breathlessness?

Speaker 2 29:05

Yeah, so as far as I can remember, I have been a Rangers fan, so I kind of deviated off the family fandom. My dad and my brother are Cardinals fans and that stems back to when my dad was young. You know, one of the few radio stations you could get was KMOX of St Louis, so he'd listened to Jack Buck called Cardinals games, so that's how he kind of became a Cardinals fan cause. At night you could get, you know, the broadcasts for the games and that just kind of got passed down, and so that kind of also was another bitter pill to swallow in 2011, with a heartbreak of losing game six and then losing game seven, like that.

Speaker 1 29:53

Family had bragging rights over it.

Speaker 2 29:57

But my favorite baseball player to this day is Nolan Ryan, nice, and I don't know how it started I think we have some speculation that way back when he had this commercial. I think it was like for a leave or Tylenol and like the jingle was like off the raw hide, but it was like Nolan, nolan, nolan, keep that fastball, throw in Nolan Ryan. And I think, just maybe like three year old me, four year old me, attached to that, he was like, yeah, that's the best thing ever.

Speaker 2 30:26

And then you know, fast forward a couple of years, like it's just like Nolan Ryan, that's my guy, that's who I cheer for, and I remember, you know, one of the few, you know, one of the TV stations you could get back in the day was like WGN and they would mainly play cup games, but every now and then they would play White Sox games too, and like I was actually watching live, like the infamous game where Nolan Ryan hits Robin Ventura.

Speaker 1 30:51

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 30:52

And then Robin Ventura charges the mound and like I just remember, like I'm sitting here and I'm just like what is happening.

Speaker 1 31:00

Nolan is not worried.

Speaker 2 31:02

You know he puts Ventura in the headlock and just kind of like kind of starts wailing and so you know he retired and it was just like just kind of stick with him and it kind of helped that like they were a better baseball team in the 90, in the, you know, mid to late 90s, but they just they can never get past the Yankees juggernaut.

Speaker 1 31:25

Yeah, I'd say it's just bad timing, because you guys did have some good teams back then.

Speaker 2 31:28

Yeah.

Speaker 1 31:29

Like Pudge Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez. Yeah, yeah, it's just, the Yankees were unstoppable.

Baseball Team's World Series Journey and New Rules

Speaker 2 31:36

Yes, and then you know, we go through like another drought where, like, all we're really known for is, like we signed Alex Rodriguez to a ridiculous contract, yeah, and then we traded him to the Yankees, but part of that trade we sent to the Yankees, we got some key pieces and we started building. And then 2008, 2009, like, we had a really good baseball team and we had a really good window. And 2010, we make a run, we make it to the World Series and we just ran into a juggernaut that was the Giants, and was that, like Linsa Com and all that.

Speaker 2 32:14

Yep. And so it was just clear like they won it in five. We won one game, but you just kind of knew from game one, like we had Cliff Lee who was one of the best starting pitchers at the time and he came out and they just shellacked him game one, and you're like, okay, this is not going to go, yeah, and then next year we go again, kind of take a similar path to make it like beat the Rays in the DS, beat the Tigers in the CS, and then go to the World Series when we have the Cardinals. And then that was just to the average observer was a really good series and it's a series now like I can appreciate more now that we've broken through. Sure, and I think you know, last week I was just kind of like let me just watch some of those game six highlights and just kind of see how it went down. And it was a fun game and that was honestly the first time like I actually like look back at highlights from when that happened.

Speaker 1 33:16

It doesn't hurt quite as bad anymore.

Speaker 2 33:18

No, I actually realized like I kind of like misremembered because we had our closer, niftali Felizan, and I thought the ball that freeze hit, like I thought he tried to slide in like a slider because to get strike two he threw a fastball and then freeze was nowhere near like looking like he was going to hit it and so I thought like he slid in a slider and that's the reason why he got around on it and got the bat on the ball. But when I looked back it was like a 97 mile an hour fastball but he just lifted up just a little bit and a little bit out and that's all freeze needed to do that.

Speaker 1 33:56

And I was like what sorry was that his triple?

Speaker 2 34:00

Yes.

Speaker 1 34:01

Oh, gotcha, gotcha, yeah, yeah. It's amazing how just a few inches can make such a huge difference.

Speaker 2 34:07

Yeah, yeah, cause I mean, if it was like a half inch lower, it's probably a ground out or world champions, an inch lower it's a strikeout or world champions. But it was just.

Speaker 1 34:18

It's just gonna be one of those big what ifs in your franchise history.

Speaker 2 34:22

Yeah, it was just not meant to be. But it's now that we've broken through in the World Series, like you can kind of like appreciate that team a whole lot more because there's not that like cloud hanging over, like you have a World Series now, and so it's kind of like that was really a fun bunch With Beltray Andrews, like Michael Young, ian Kinsler, you know the like three or four years where Hamilton was really good, like that was a really fun team to follow and watch. And now it's kind of like you can kind of like appreciate them more because, like we have that World Series.

Speaker 1 34:59

And again, yeah, it was just a step in the journey to this year and, like you said, you can appreciate everything so much more now. Yeah, that's cool. Well, very good. Just in general, because you have been watching baseball for so long, I did want to get your opinion on the new rules this year, mainly like the pitch clock and just things they did to, I guess, make it more enjoyable for the casual fan.

Speaker 2 35:23

Yeah, I think they worked.

Speaker 2 35:26

I think even like some of the rules, like limiting, like how much you can shift is huge, because like teams are hitting now and so it's more about like really good, like pitching, hitting matchups, and we're not so much like bogged down in this, like this batter is either going to walk, strike out or hit a home run, like yeah, like there's teams getting on, like there's hitting, like the game is more exciting, like like that game five where we clinched like every time like Arizona got a base runner, they got him a second and you're just like, oh my goodness, like what's going to happen.

Speaker 2 36:04

And then the game, the pace of play just going so much faster I think is good for the game. I think the biggest thing baseball needs to work on is like just I think they need to find ways to engage fans outside of TV, cause you know, I saw where, like this World Series was like the lowest rated World Series and like it's kind of on a downward trend. And one of the things I've noticed too is like, like basketball is kind of similar, like the ratings are on a downward trend, and I think, just like when you talk about like a seven game series like.

Baseball Upturn and Rangers All-Time Lineup

Speaker 2 36:39

That's a lot to invest in when you're just like I gotta stay up to like 11, 12 o'clock, like potentially you know seven of the next 10 nights. Like that's a lot of work. It's a lot of investment and so, like I think just something that can do is, like you know, just kind of like trying to engage fans like outside the medium of TV, I think. I think even like how successful the NFL has been, like like they're doing things like that, like with like the Manning cast, like maybe just having like different, like baseball, like simulcast.

Speaker 1 37:15

Something different.

Speaker 2 37:16

Yeah, and I think that would help. But also maybe play to. You know, the superstitious baseball fans was like okay, if I watch them on this stream, like I watch this stream.

Speaker 1 37:26

If you have more options to watch, then you won't end up on your phone and when it doesn't go bad, like when it goes bad, I can go here. There you go.

Speaker 2 37:33

And I can go here and like. I like that you know, when we're out in the field I got to watch it on this, but when we're hitting I got to watch it over here. But I think that's something baseball can do. I really do think the speed up roles have helped, mm-hmm, and I think I think you might see baseball making an upturn.

Speaker 1 37:54

I agree, like as someone who's a complete casual fan now and hardly watches any games besides the playoffs. I think my enjoyment went way up with the pitch clock because so often it seemed like they would throw a pitch and then there'd be so much downtime in between and you would just end up kind of like looking at your phone or even just seeing what else is on because there's just nothing was happening. And during the playoffs this year it was just nonstop. I loved it. So just from my point of view I think it's working and if they keep finding little things to do then, like you said, they'll kind of catch on with the younger audience and hopefully it'll pick back up.

Speaker 1 38:31

But I think the lower ratings are just sports in general. Like you said, I don't think it had anything to do with it being the matchup that it was or anything like that, because it was a good matchup. But yeah, I think it's interesting. At least they're trying something. For the most part I think it's been positive, which I thought it when I first heard about it. I thought it sounded desperate because I like the tradition of baseball, but nothing was earth shattering. So if it makes it more fun to watch then I'm all for it.

Speaker 2 39:01

Yeah, and it just makes games go by quicker and I think, like maybe I have more appreciation of it because if, like, you're starting a game at 10 o'clock at night, oh yeah. There's no way I'm going to stay up for the whole game, but it's like I can get three innings in and still get to bed at a decent time.

Speaker 1 39:21

Exactly, it's worth it. It's better than nothing. Yeah, very good. Well cool. Want to play some games?

Speaker 2 39:27

Let's do it.

Speaker 1 39:28

All right, so first one, pretty easy, can't get it wrong. Because it is your opinion. I would like to hear your all time Rangers lineup, and it doesn't have to be best player Like. I'd almost be more interested in just hearing your favorite player at each position and I'll let you have one starter and if you want to do a reliever, you can.

Speaker 2 39:50

Okay, all right, so I think, pretty easy, we can knock some of these out. You got to have Nolan Ryan as your starting pitcher.

Speaker 1 39:59

Yep.

Speaker 2 40:00

He's one of the best to ever do it. And then you know, same thing as catcher. You got to have a von Roderick. Like you are a default Hall of Famer, you deserve to be in that all time lineup. So we got pitcher catcher covered, I think, first base. I think I would probably go with Will Clark.

Speaker 1 40:20

Oh, interesting.

Speaker 2 40:21

Just because you know, he, when I was a kid playing baseball like I, even though I threw right handed, I batted left handed, couldn't swing right handed. I don't know why, it was just a quirk, but will Clark was left handed and had just like a sweet, smooth swing. I always tried to copy and so he was really good.

Speaker 2 40:41

Yeah, so I'm going to go with will Clark, second base, probably I'm going to go, even though I because I have to work him in somewhere I'm going to go Michael young. There he played second short and third, but I got to get him in there somewhere and I think, like short stuff, I got to go Seeger and then, third base, I'm going to have to go Beltry.

Speaker 1 41:10

Oh nice.

Speaker 2 41:12

He was good for so long. Yeah, he really was, and it was a lot of fun like the dynamic that Beltry and Andrews had, like they were. They were pretty fun to watch and just kind of like watch cut up. And if you ever get bored, just look up a YouTube video where, like there was like an easy pop, fly. Like they would literally like mess with each other. Oh really yeah, as they were trying to catch the pop fly.

Speaker 1 41:34

What was the deal with people rubbing his head? Did he really not like it that much?

Speaker 2 41:38

He did not like it, and it's just kind of like one of those things, I guess, like with your. You're with the boys and you make the mistake of like letting them know, like I don't like this, yep, then they're going to do it 10 times more, yeah, and so it was just like every time he hit a home run that was. His trip to the dugout was not enjoyable.

Speaker 1 41:57

I always thought that was so funny. Yeah, all right, that's a good infield. Who got in the outfield?

Speaker 2 42:03

So outfield, I think you got to go. We'll just, we'll give them a pass for the steroids. We'll go. Juan Gonzalez, I would put oof Cause I feel like I want to put two hitters in there. I'm trying to decide, but I might need, like, a defensive center.

Speaker 1 42:24

In this imaginary world. You need defense.

Speaker 2 42:26

Yes, you know what we're going to go with the bats. We're going to ride the bats, so we'll throw. We'll throw Garcia in center field, let him be a little bit of a duck out of the water just for, like the run he had this season, and then we'll go. We'll go Nelson Cruz right field, oh nice, and I feel like he kind of he kind of catches a lot of grief because he was kind of awkwardly lunging at that ball that freeze hit. I've watched a couple. He had no chance of getting that yeah.

Speaker 2 42:56

And it's you know. The only thing he could have done is maybe set up to play the ball, hitting off the wall and maybe trying to keep that run from first.

Speaker 1 43:05

So just take a different angle, yeah.

Speaker 2 43:07

But that that is a big if, because you don't know how it's going to clean off the wall. So but we, we don't make it to the world series both times without him. He absolutely dominated the Tigers and the ALCS. So yeah, there's my I like it and maybe a reliever. I would probably go with Elise, because then in his heyday he was he was really good. I like it yeah.

Speaker 1 43:36

I like it. That's a pretty legit lineup. They would have easily beat those mid 90s Yankees for you.

Speaker 2 43:43

Oh, 100%, all right.

Speaker 1 43:46

Next game is called Walker Texas Ranger. Walker Texas Ranger was a hit TV show starring Chuck Norris Right, and never watched it myself, I don't think, but we're old enough that Chuck Norris jokes were popular for a while back then. So I'm going to read a Chuck Norris joke to you and assign it kind of a key word and a question to go along with it, and you'll name a player from the Rangers that first one that comes to mind when you hear that word. So it's just a good excuse to get Chuck Norris jokes going to go, let's do it.

Speaker 1 44:28

So first one the Swiss army uses Chuck Norris knives. The word I think of here is utility, so name me your favorite non-star utility player.

Speaker 2 44:42

Oh, non-star.

Speaker 1 44:44

I would even let you say Michael Young, because he played so many positions like and he's your guy.

Speaker 2 44:49

That's the first thought that came to mind. I mean, I don't know if he he count. I mean he made one or two world series.

Speaker 1 44:55

I say he was pretty good.

Speaker 2 44:56

Yeah, he was good, he was a hit machine. But he came into the league playing second base and then when we traded a a rod to the Yankees, we got Soriano in return. So he moved shortstop and then when Elvis Andrews was coming up we moved him to third base and they got a little contentious there.

Speaker 1 45:18

I love hearing all these names. I haven't heard it forever.

Speaker 2 45:19

Where he he wanted to be traded and then kind of got smoothed over and then was just kind of a utility guy, kind of a plug and play, until like once Beltry came over. So I think we could say Michael Young.

Speaker 1 45:38

I like it For the younger listeners. You got to look at Michael Young, he was legit. Yeah, All right. Next one Chuck Norris can make sticks by rubbing two fires together. The word here is resourceful Name, a favorite reliever that could always get out of a jam.

Speaker 2 46:01

As far as reliever goes, one of the things that bolstered our 2011 World Series run is we traded for a guy, Mike Adams, and he was just pretty much unstoppable.

Speaker 1 46:15

Nice. Yeah, I haven't thought about him in so long.

Speaker 2 46:20

Very good, so go, mike Adams, or one guy that was huge for us this year, dane Dunning who was a former Florida Gator but he actually the plan was for him to be a long reliever this year, kind of an endings guy, and just kind of worked himself into that like number four starting role did really well.

Speaker 1 46:43

That's cool. I didn't know he's a Gator. Yeah, very cool, all right. This one, chuck Norris, doesn't have a chin Under his beard, is another fist, so the word here is beard. Who had the best playoff beard this year?

Speaker 2 47:00

I don't know if many of them had beards. I don't think they did that this year.

Speaker 1 47:08

Interesting. That had to have been like a group decision, because it just seems like there's always the guys doing the playoff beards.

Speaker 2 47:15

Yeah, I can't really think of a guy that was like bearded guy.

Speaker 1 47:23

Interesting, I just kind of assumed.

Speaker 2 47:24

Any of the Rangers run.

Speaker 1 47:26

See, I'm so focused on looking up Chuck Norris jokes. I didn't even see if they had beards. No worries. Last one there are no streets named after Chuck Norris, because no one would dare cross Chuck Norris. So the word is toughness. Who do you picture when you think of toughness? Or the Rangers?

Speaker 2 47:47

I think Adrian Beltran yeah, I don't think I ever remember him being out of the lineup, being hurt. He would play hurt, he'd get beat up and he would just always produce. And he was a Ranger for a short amount of time, but he was definitely up there, one of my favorites.

Speaker 1 48:10

And you gotta be tougher to play as long as he did, yeah, and I just can't even imagine the wear and tear that he put on his body, but he was just up there every day.

Speaker 2 48:17

Oh yeah.

Speaker 1 48:18

Yep, that's a good answer. All right, very good, I would say you win that game.

Speaker 2 48:23

Yeah.

Speaker 1 48:24

And last game is called Lone Star Wars. So Texas is obviously the Lone Star State and you and I we used to talk about Star Wars a little bit when a good old Mandalorian came out and all that good stuff. So, as you can tell by the title, basically I'm gonna mash up Two names okay and I'm gonna give you clues for each name and you have to give me the mashed up name. Okay, that makes sense, so like lone Star Wars.

Speaker 2 48:54

All right, all right, let's do it.

Speaker 1 48:56

So the clues will get more and more helpful as we go. So if you get it after the first clue, we'll give you Three imaginary points. All right and if you get out the second clue, you get two. If you need all three clues, you only get one point. All right and if you don't get it after all the clues?

Speaker 2 49:14

You can. You can still be my friend, yeah okay, all right.

Speaker 1 49:17

So first one this is a Player and a director, so I just want to kind of get you in the right mind frame. So first, clue Through two no hitters for the Rangers and then for the director directed last Jedi.

Speaker 2 49:38

Okay.

Speaker 1 49:40

So do you know who the player is off of that first clue.

Speaker 2 49:45

It's Nolan Ryan, and I can't think what's his last name. Director. Ah should be able to get this, nolan Ryan.

Speaker 1 49:59

Do you need a second clue?

Speaker 2 50:04

Directed knives out. He Is Ryan.

Speaker 1 50:13

You're so close. I know Credit because I you are very close, I'm gonna give you the second clue. I don't think it's gonna be very helpful because you already said it. The second clue for the player is the most strikeouts ever. Yeah, and the second clue for the director is he directed knives out.

Speaker 2 50:34

Because I think it's just. It's just one of those things like you cramp because it's like Ryan Dead, it as knives out.

Speaker 1 50:40

I think you'll get it after the third clue. So I was laughing earlier when you're telling the story, because my third clue for this one is he beat up Robin, been for Ben Turra, yeah. And the third clue for the director is his name. Sounds a lot like mine, oh.

Speaker 2 50:57

Oh, ryan, john, ryan, john Yep.

Speaker 1 50:59

Yep, very good, so it says so. Nolan Ryan Johnson is the first answer. Very good, you had that quick, you just couldn't quite quite get his name, all right. Second one this is a player and a Star Wars character. Okay all right. So clue one for the player he was the eighth overall pick in 2019 by the Rangers and and Clue number one for the character is he trained Anakin Skywalker. Okay, so and I apologize in advance, because this is kind of a stretch.

Speaker 2 51:37

Yeah, so I'm trying to think of 2019. My options would be what like Josh young Evan Carter.

Speaker 1 51:53

You want that. Three points I'm trying to.

Speaker 2 51:58

All right, second clue Well, I'm trying to think is like is there any way I can stretch Jonah, I'm into Do you know the Star Wars character? Well, I mean, if you train to Anakin, you're thinking Obi-Wan, so. But the Rangers player comes first, right?

Speaker 1 52:23

And this one yes so. Let me give you the second clue. All right, he hit a home run in his very first major league at bat. And the second clue, for the character is Old version was played by Alec Guinness.

Speaker 2 52:39

Okay, so as a part of the stretch, are we going like Ben Kenobi, or is it Obi-Wan?

Speaker 1 52:48

You are on the right track with Obi-Wan, but the reason it's a stretch is because I kind of threw in a little Descriptive word to make this work. So the clue was old version played Alec, by Alec Guinness. Let's go.

Speaker 2 53:10

Let's go.

Speaker 1 53:10

Clue three Clue three he is. He was the starting third baseman for the AL All-Star team this year. And then the characters played by Ewan McGregor.

Speaker 2 53:23

So I'm just trying to figure out how we stretch Josh young into Josh young. We won Kenobi there you go.

Speaker 1 53:29

I Josh young Obi-Wan Kenobi, so that, like Ewan McGregor played young Obi-Wan Kenobi and now again has played old Obi-Wan. So I told you, I apologize, that was a stretch, all right not as much as this one ready, all right. So this is a player and a character again.

Speaker 2 53:48

Okay.

Speaker 1 53:51

The player clue number one grew up in Alvin, texas, and the character orphaned as a child.

Speaker 2 54:00

Okay.

Speaker 1 54:02

Not much to go on there. Yep, right for clue two. Yep, okay, clue two this was the first year for this pitcher with the Rangers. Okay, and clue two for the character is he has a little green friend.

Speaker 2 54:17

Okay, so the Star Wars character, we we going Luke Skywalker? Then I'm trying to think through pitchers like Like this was a Valdez first-year pitching, this was the Grom. Then maybe, maybe we got Montgomery Jordan, montgomery Scherzer. Let's go to clue three.

Speaker 1 54:54

Clue three this pitcher won five games this postseason. Okay, and clue three for the character. His nickname is Mando.

Speaker 2 55:04

Okay, so Nathan of Aldi Ginger.

Speaker 1 55:16

Yeah. So you kind of really got to smash them together and say I'm fast, Nathan Evaldi den.

Speaker 2 55:20

There we go Nice.

Speaker 1 55:22

You got that one. Yeah, I'm gonna give you all the points for that. They're very good. Well, cool man, I appreciate you putting up with my silly little games and I Think the stories you told were great. This was, this is great.

Speaker 2 55:34

Yeah, sometimes you, you know you can have an influence on the game and you don't.

Speaker 1 55:38

Even I was gonna say I didn't realize that you actually won the World Series not, not necessarily the Rangers, yeah so I like it Well cool. I'm gonna have you back on to talk about the Gators sometime. Yeah, maybe a Next year, when I'm assuming they're gonna have an amazing recruiting class and the hype will be out of the out of the world again.

Speaker 2 55:58

You might need to hit on some players in the transfer portal.

Speaker 1 56:01

Oh, there you go Maybe. Oh, cool man, I appreciate it yeah.