Texas Rangers: The Journey to a Championship
on December 1st 2021 just two months following the end of a 100 loss season new general manager of the Texas Rangers Chris Young introduced the pillars of this team’s future Cory Seager and Marcus Simeon these two MVP caliber Stars represented just a portion of the $800 plus million dollar committed to free agents over the course of two off Seasons an incredibly risky project considering their record over these two years however the motivation behind the signings outweighed the risks motivation that can be summed up by a forward phrase we’re sick of losing these four words were the underlying basis of a vision used to persuade some of baseball’s best players to sign for one of baseball’s worst teams what was this Vision winning the first championship in Texas Rangers history it’s tied and the legend grows the Rangers win the World Series although this Championship represented more than just a historically successful rebuild what you’re actually witnessing is Decades of heartbreak coming to a permanent end or as ESPN’s Tim kirkin put it finally the Rangers are winning to truly appreciate that you had the be there for the losing there’s one it is deep the right field and that ball is going going it is gone it’s 1961 John F Kennedy has begun his presidential term Henry Aaron Willie Mays and Mickey Manel are all in their Prime and two expansion teams were playing in their inaugural Seasons the Los Angeles Angels and Washington Senators a team created in response to the original Senators franchise moving to Minnesota that same year from 1961 to 1968 the senators were not only the worst team in the American League they were losing money and accumulating debt so in 1968 the team was sold to former LA Lakers owner Bob Short immediately he made himself the GM and convinced Hall of Famer Ted Williams to manage the team in order to inject some life into a deprived fan base despite Williams’s friend warning him that the senators were so bad that Williams will have the urge to pinch hit the 1969 Senators finished over 500 attendance nearly doubled and Williams was named the manager of the Year oh and Bob Short lost $600,000 the following year this team returned to their losing ways and short declared a loss of $1 million so in an effort to revitalize this team ahead of the 1971 season the Senators traded for two-time sa young winner Denny mlan who was suspended for much of the 1970 season as the result of gambling and bringing a gun on the Tigers team play claim nonetheless short ignored these misdeeds saying I had to do something I’m going broke unsurprisingly it didn’t work and the Senator’s downward spiral continued so why was short saying he was going broke well remember when I said he was the former Lakers owner short actually bought the team when they were in Minneapolis but he moved them to LA in 1965 he sold the Lakers for over $5 million and then bought the senators in 19 68 for $9.4 million but he had to borrow money at high interest rates to complete the purchase in August 1971 short said he needed more than $3 million and if he were to sell the team he wanted over $12 million to cover his purchase price and losses as Sports Illustrated put it Robert short paid too much and he wanted out however no one was interested at Short’s asking price and the city wasn’t interested in giving taxpayer money for stadium Renovations so short began to look elsewhere here is a WWDC Sports bullet Fred the Washington Senators are leaving in special session American League owners have just authorized the major league baseball team shift to Arlington Texas between Dallas and Fort wor the vote was 10 to2 for the move nine AFF permanent votes were needed a week from Thursday September 30th then at Robert Kennedy Stadium will Mark the end of the 71e history of the Washington Senators for the the second time in less than 15 years Washington DC had lost their baseball team as Washington Post columnist Shirley Povich put it short jacked up ticket prices to a league High fielded a last place roster while the World Series contending Orioles played 40 Mi away and did this all while billing his own team for the use of his private jet DC Baseball fans were fed up so during the team’s final game on September 30th 1971 with two outs in the top of the ninth fans stormed the field the players now are clearing the field as pandemonium has broken loose and the field is filled with many souvenir Hunters police have tried to restore order but the crowd continues to Mill all around the field three decades later Washington DC got a new team but it was at the cost of baseball in Montreal perhaps Montreal will get a new team sooner than DC as by the time the Nationals started playing in 2005 the Texas Rangers were entering their 34th season but those three decades were defined by disappointment in fact 15 years later when the Nationals won their first championship the Rangers title drought had stretched to 59 years dating back to their DC days rewinding back to the Rangers inaugural season despite moving to play Under the Texas Sunshine the stench of Bob Short lingered for a couple more years in fact after their 54 win inaugural season manager Ted Williams finally had enough or as pitcher Mike Paul put it we were so bad we made the world’s greatest hitter quit fortunately short was one year away from selling the team but in one last desperate bid to generate interest short insisted that 18-year-old pitcher David Clyde the number one overall pick in the 1973 draft forego the minor leagues entirely and make two big league starts well Clyde who Scouts build as the next Sandy kofax held his own and his first start was the first sellout in Rangers history so the decision was made to keep Clyde in the majors but the rest of his rookie season was riddled with inconsistency two years later in 1975 following a shoulder injury Clyde was finally demoted to the minor leagues by the end of the decade Clyde was out of pro baseball for good Dallas Morning News columnist Randy Galloway called the case of David Clyde one of the greatest mishandlings of a young player ever and a graphic example of what greed and selfishness can do fortunately the source of that greed was gone ahead of the 1974 season as Bob shortz sold the team to businessman Brad Corbett also in what I’m sure was completely coincidental the 1974 Rangers ended the season with their first record over 500 however at the time the playoffs were reserved for division winners so the Rangers missed out by five games the Rangers remained stuck in a hole of mediocrity over the next couple years which led team owner Brad Corbett to announce his intentions of selling the team in fact the straw that broke the camels back was a one to nothing loss against the Royals on July 4th 1977 where after the game Corbett exclaimed I’m selling this team because it’s kill killing me he didn’t sell the team until 1980 but following this rant the Rangers record through the rest of the season was the second best in the league who placed above them the Royals and take a guess on who finished first in the division between 1977 and 1993 the Rangers finished in second place five times but the most peculiar and perhaps most unfortunate second place finish came in 1981 2 months into the season the players went on strike halting the season until August which created a dilemma concerning the playoff structure as players were coming off a 2month cooldown period in response the team owners voted on a split season plan where the division winners of both the first and second halves qualify for the playoffs the most notorious consequence of this unique structure was how the Cincinnati Reds owned the League’s best record but didn’t make the playoffs as they failed to win their division as for the rangers they too failed to win their division but in the first half they weren’t far off as when the player strike halted play the Rangers were only 1 and 1 half games behind the Oakland A’s to achieve the dream goal of creating a multi-year playoff window it takes a combination of preparation consistency and luck with that final quality playing a major role among this team’s five second place finishes between 1977 and 1993 that 1977 team was not only the best by winning percentage their 94 win record would have clinched the AL West through most of the 1970s but definitely not 1977 as for 1981 maybe in a normal season the Rangers continue their first half form and Propel themselves in the first place unfortunately the player strike prevented us from ever finding out adding to the many questions surrounding this era of Rangers baseball now you may be wondering why I keep using the 199 3 season as an end point well that’s because the 1994 season was set to change the league landscape forever how you may ask like a lot of things in life you um anticipate something and fear that it’s coming hope that it isn’t and when the day is here uh there’s an incredible amount of sadness that’s right division realignment and playoff expansion after the national league added two teams in 1993 bringing the total of MLB teams to 28 owners gave preliminary approval to expand each League’s number of Divisions from 2 to three also they supported the addition of another playoff team per league in addition to the three division winners doubling the number of playoff teams from 4 to 8 in January 1994 the plan was approved by both the owners and players union interestingly there was one team owner who consistently voiced his displeasure for these plans Rangers owner George W bush his complaints were both financial and sports related But ultimately it boiled down to preserving the game’s tradition I represent the silent voices of baseball purists history will prove I was right ironically if these new rules applied in 1993 the Rangers would have made the playoffs for the first time instead this team is best remembered for Nolan Ryan’s legendary fight with Robin Ventura and Jose cono allowing a home run off his head not only that a few days later Cano pitched in a blowout loss against the Red Sox where he not only injured his arm but needed season ending Tommy John surgery certainly an eventful season for the Rangers but not one without promise for the future behind a great offense led by rapael Palo Juan Gonzalez and Ivon Rodriguez among others this 86- win team stood to benefit from playoff expansion combined this promising team with the opening of a new stadium the 1994 Rangers had the potential to open a new prosperous chapter in team history but it wasn’t meant to be now all that’s left is for you to take your seat in history for today’s players will soon be here at Wrigley the Cubs hosting the Giants Wrigley different kind of atmosphere there well a lot of people there was a foul atmosphere they don’t want baseball to leave well it is now official no more regular season no extended version of the playoffs and for the first time since 1904 no World Series BR on August 12th 1994 the players union began a strike that grinded the season to a halt back in January 1994 when the owners and players agreed to both realignment and playoff expansion there was no active labor agreement between the owners and players signaling the possibility of a player strike down the line however unlike 1981 this strike resulted in the cancellation of the Season not only ending the first place Rangers playoff hopes but marking the second time a potential Rangers playoff birth was diverted by a player strike although this time around the Rangers weren’t exactly a good team as they sat 10 games under 500 and they weren’t much better when the league reopened in 1995 at what point point will this team actually have something go their way well fortunately their first taste of success was just around the corner let us pause for a moment see how the Rangers react to this they don’t know what to do the Rangers are the American League western division Champions the first time in 25 years they come out to thank the fans and despite this one the Rangers say thank you after 25 seasons in Texas the Rangers could finally call themselves division champions of course the celebration occurred after a loss because according to longtime team broadcaster Eric Nadel nothing came easy for the Rangers a sentiment that reigned true in their ALDS matchup against the yanes despite a historic series from Al MVP Juan Gonzalez the Rangers displayed an inability to hold on to their leads ultimately resulting in their demise and the Yankees 23rd Championship 2 years later it was the same story ground ball to Second noblock the Yankee Sweep fittingly with a throw and the Yankees have done it again number 24 they are the world champions of baseball in 1998 this Yankees team won four championships between the late ’90s and early 2000s marking this period as the absolute worst time for an American League Contender for example the 1999 Rangers won 95 games the most in team history at the time only for their season to end at the hands of the Yankees in the ALDS for the third time in four years at this point the Yankees were an unbeatable powerhouse on their way to becoming a dynasty 1996 was the one real opportunity the Rangers had to compete for a championship in this era and they blew it as former Ranger Mark mclamore put it we should have beaten the Yankees absolutely we had the team to beat them although the impact of that 1996 run can’t be understated over 50,000 Rangers fans attended games three and four as others camped outside for the opportunity to purchase World Series tickets according to Eric Nell this was the unveiling of Dallas Fort Worth as a baseball town still by 2000 the highs of 1996 were long gone as the Rangers were a 71 win team team how could this team possibly compete in a league ruled by the Yankees Dynasty well for new owner Tom Hicks and GM Doug Melvin it was simple acquire baseball’s best player at 10 years and $252 million Superstar shortstop Alex Rodriguez had not only signed the largest contract in American Sports history this contract surpassed the $250 million price tag Tom Hicks paid for the Rangers franchise a few years earlier however because of deferred salary Hicks claimed the present day value of this deal was about $180 million which provided ample room for the Rangers to surround A-Rod with talented players overall the Rangers envisioned immense success in their near future with Rodriguez as the face of the franchise as a-rod’s agent Scott Boris put it this marks the day in which the Rangers will begin to gain National prominence for the franchise well about that New Yorker the Yanks reintroducing their new acquisition to the public at a news conference today manager Joe Tori and team captain Derek jeta on hand to welcome the man many considered to be the best baseball player there is presenting him with his new penstripe jersey number Lucky 13 following three straight losing Seasons it became clear the financial commitment to Rodriguez was too great to Bear between 2001 and 2003 the rang surrounded Rodriguez with veterans Rafael palero Juan Gonzalez chanho Park and Ivon Rodriguez resulting in some lofty payrolls including a top three payroll in 2002 however as future GM John Daniel said years later there wasn’t a continuing commitment to build a sustainable core around Rodriguez as a result he was dealt to the Yankees along with around $67 million for All-Star infielder Alonso Sorano and top 100 Prospect hin Aras fun fact Arias was on a list of five players the Rangers chose from to pair with Sorano one of these players was future eight-time Allstar Robinson Canó overall the whole A-Rod Rangers experiment was a disaster with both Rodriguez and Hicks expressing regrets years later for the deal ever taking place although when Hicks made this statement in October 2010 Not only was he no longer the owner of the rang he had sold the Rangers the Dallas Stars and Liverpool however fans of all of these teams were glad to watch hicks’s downfall a debacle that stemmed from his company Hicks Sports Group defaulting on $525 million in loans in 2009 as a result the decision was made to sell the Rangers and in January 2010 it was announced a group led by team president Nolan Ryan and attorney Chuck Greenberg had bought the team however the sale stalled over the subsequent months causing the Rangers to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy now unlike Chapter 7 bankruptcy the most common form of the practice chapter 11 simply allows a business to maintain day-to-day operations while making a plan to repay creditors meaning this was done to expedite the sales process which led to Ryan and Greenberg winning an auction for the team with a bid of $593 million 385 million of this bid was was in cash while the remaining 208 million represented the acquisition of the team’s debt so why does this matter well the team owed money to not only financial institutions but individual creditors as well this list included many big Leaguers with the highest debt being owed to you guessed it Alex Rodriguez who was owed $24.9 million in deferred compensation Rodriguez was far from the sole reason for this team’s debt but this contract symbolized I ized an era of unrealized potential in short the failures of this era are summarized in one statement by Hicks the mistake I made with the Rangers was I tried to catch up with the Yankees so now you understand why in October 2010 hick said signing A-Rod was one of the dumb things he did in his career however that same month the Rangers had not only finally caught up with the Yankees they surpassed them Feliz gets there that’s play by Morland the Texas Rangers our American Champion by striking out Alex Rodriguez the 2010 Rangers had clinched their first World Series birth in franchise history even with the off-field Financial circus happening in the background this team produced their best season since 1999 although it took years of painstaking rebuilding to reach This Moment The Fallout of the A-Rod trade didn’t result in immediate disaster as the 2004 Rangers won 89 games but the results of 2004 and 2005 remained the same no playoffs still there were a few players with real potential to be part of this team’s future the middle infield Duo of Alfonso Sorano and Michael Young along with third baseman Hank balock provided All-Star level production resulting in 5year deals for both young and block however after the 2005 season Sorano was traded by the team’s new 28-year-old general manager John Daniels the players in return didn’t do much for the Rangers but the Sorano deal did have a silver lining as it allowed a new face to take over at second base Ian Kinsler proving to be a perfect foundational piece the Rangers offered Kinsler a 5year $22 million extension before the 20 8 season in contrast to the early 2000s this Rangers team was set on building a playoff caliber Foundation using homegrown Talent as seen with their number four ranked farm system at the beginning of the 2008 season a farm system that was reaping the benefits of a superstar trade from mid 2007 through much of the mid 2000s Mark tashera was the face of the Texas Rangers between 2003 and 2006 Tara hit over 100 40 doubles and home runs joining Albert poolz as the only players to do this in the first four seasons of a career this historic level of production earned phol a 7-year $100 million contract after his third season so to keep tashera the Rangers would have to cough up something similar weeks before the 2007 trade deadline tashera was offered a 7-year 127.5 million extension that was set to come into effect following his final arbit ation season making this deal worth $140 million over 8 years this deal was rejected Tara once believed he Michael Young and Hank balock were going to win championships together but as to Shar pointed out most World Series teams have a mix of young cheap Stars before veterans are brought in to balance out the roster so considering the mediocre Rangers possessed one of the League’s worst Farm systems heading into the 2007 season trading to Sher was the logic iCal starting point for a rebuild at the end of July 2007 the Rangers dealt toera to the Braves for a package of five players including three top 100 prospects Jared Salto lakia Elvis Andrew and Matt Harrison While Salto lakia was gone by the Rangers 2010 playoff run a different player from this deal took his place Neftali Feliz the man who struck out Alex Rodriguez to eliminate the Yankees ironically the team who signed signed Mark tashera to an 8-year $180 million deal the year prior the trade of tashera laid the foundation for this team’s future playoff window but it wasn’t the only trade that transformed the Rangers into contenders near the 2006 trade deadline the Rangers decided to bolster their roster with the acquisition of Slugger Carlos Lee while he became a free agent after the season the Rangers acquired someone else in that deal Nelson Cruz who by 2009 had turned into an All-Star power hitter in fact there was another All-Star outfielder on that 2009 team who was acquired via trade but by 2010 he was more than an Allstar he was an MVP in December 2007 the Rangers traded for Cincinnati Reds outfielder Josh Hamilton 3 years later he won the American League MVP producing arguably the best offensive season in Rangers history an incredible accomplishment especially considering the arduous Road he’d been on for the prior decade a former number one overall pick in 1999 Hamilton spent many years fighting a brutal drug and alcohol addiction that kept him out of pro baseball through the mid 2000s until his reinstatement in June 2006 he made his big league debut in 2007 providing an impressive 90 game stint for the Reds after this season he was traded to the Rangers where he produced a breakout Allstar year in 2008 solidifying his place on this upand cominging roster a roster that began the Showcase its Elite potential in 2009 with this 87 win season under their belt and the riches of an elite farm system to look forward to 2010 was set to be the year the Rangers take that next step forward towards that elusive first championship well if there was any indication of how the 2010 season was going to play out look no further than opening day Nelson Cruz hits it in the air right center field that ball takes off to the track to the wall did it gone free run home run with two onone out here he’ll Loop it into right field tie ball game Nelson Cruz a double Sala lakia bow game welcome to 2010 from day one this team showcased an ability to fight as represented by their rally cry claw and antlers with the claw symbolizing a good play and antlers symbolizing speed not only did this embody the team’s camaraderie but also the dynamic nature of their offense an offense that featured a power hitting Trio of Hamilton Cruz and Vladimir Guerrero as well as the contact hitting Trio of Kinsler young and Andrews as manager Ron Washington described this group we don’t wait around for a three-run homer we play baseball if we need to steal a bag and get something started we can do that whatever the style of that day may be we can adapt to it with the Rangers sitting in first place at the All-Star break and upgrade at the trade deadline could have elevated this offense even more but after comparing the different facets of this team it was clear finding a starting pitcher to sit alongside Kobe Lewis and CJ Wilson was the main priority the biggest name on the market was Mariners Ace Cliff Lee with upwards of 15 teams seems interested in his Services however having just recently declared bankruptcy the Rangers wanted the Mariners to cover Lee’s remaining 2010 salary a demand the Mariners partially accepted but it cost the Rangers their best Prospect Justin smoke while a huge price to pay for a player who was set to become a free agent after the season as the 1990s Rangers proved opportunities at baseball immortality can’t be taken for granted with this team possessing the League’s thirdd best record after the trade deadline they had a golden opportunity to achieve something never done in franchise history so why not go for it ball game 109 Rangers win the AL West Title flag will fly in Arlington Texas ball [Applause] game really got an opportunity here with the Rangers a Fly ball out to center field BJ Upton going back towards the track at the wall and that ball is gone kinler in the air to left field Carl Crawford going back that is up and it is gone a two-run home run for Ian Kinsler and the Texas Rangers take a five1 lead he is under it he puts it away the Texas Rangers have won a postseason series for the first time in franchise history a towering shot to right back toward that wall squisher looks up and it’s [Applause] gone deep F by Hamilton back toward that wall and the Rangers are on the board in that series and this ball is driven along the line and left in Deep by the pole and that ball is gone the one up hit hard to Center randerson back he won’t get there one-1 scores here comes the four there will be no throw of the pl two that ball is drilled randerson on his horse that ball is [Applause] gone the Texas Rangers our American League champion [Music] the two- is hit high in the air to left center field back is Murphy on the run three run home run lent to Ria here it is struck him out and for the first time since 1954 the Giants are world champions Rangers fans could only watch as the team squandered their opportunity at greatness on baseball’s biggest stage ultimately given the volatile nature of playoff baseball momentum plays a huge role in the overall outcome and despite the Rangers beginning the series as favorites the Giants were riding a wave of momentum the Rangers couldn’t match simply put the Rangers fell flat at the worst possible time however as the pain of the loss withered away optimism for the future took its place with the establishment of a new ownership group and a contending roster that just gained invaluable postseason experience as ESPN’s Jim Reeves put it this wasn’t an ending for the Texas Rangers instead it was a beginning the Rangers began the offseason with the easy decision of reigning manager Ron Washington the tougher decisions laid ahead in free agency specifically regarding the future of of Cliff Lee although between the new ownership group’s willingness to spend the playoff revenue from their unexpected World Series run and the annual Financial windfall from their new $1.6 billion TV deal it shouldn’t be shocking to hear Chuck Greenberg say that reigning Lee was the universal plan a however when Lee decided to rejoin the Phillies the Rangers moved on to plan B third baseman Adrien beltree was coming off a career year where he not only showcased his Elite defense but also an offensive prowess he hadn’t displayed since 2004 there was mutual interest between the Rangers and bele but initially he had his eyes set on a different alw team the LA Angels simply put the Angels needed a third baseman and bele lived close by it was a perfect match until the Angels decided to stand firm on their 5year $70 million proposal allowing the Rangers to swoop in with a 6-year $96 million contract now here’s where it gets interesting as a result of not signing Bel Trey or any of their other big targets the Angels traded for Blue Jay’s outfielder Vernon Wells and his 86 million contract parting ways with a player who had been coveted by the Rangers for years catcher Mike Napoli a few days later the Blue Jays traded him to Texas marking the final major move of an eventful off seon sure the Rangers couldn’t follow through with their plan a but to say Plan B was an acceptable backup plan was an understatement unexpectedly both Napoli and Bel TR ended the 2011 season as the team’s best hitters trailing only Ian Kinsler in terms of War then once you factor in the contributions of Josh Hamilton Elvis Andrew and Michael Young you realize you’re looking at not only one of the best offenses of 2011 but also one of the best offenses in team history while not the absolute best in terms of Ops plus this 2011 team had something the 2008 team didn’t Elite pitching led by Sai Young candidate CJ Wilson this rotation featured three breakout Stars Matt Harrison Derek Holland and alexio gondo along with a Dependable starter in Colby Lewis in fact the 2011 Rangers are still one of only three teams since 2000 to have five pitchers throw over 160 Innings and each possess an ER Plus of at least 100 the other two teams were the 100 win 2005 Cardinals and the 2016 Champion Chicago Cubs combine this rotation with an elite offense great defense and a solid Bullpen and you get the most complete Squad in Rangers history however regular season accomplishments don’t guarantee playoff success s excluding the 2011 Rangers since 1972 30 teams have produced both an Ops plus and ER Plus of at least 110 in the same season making these teams some of the most well-rounded in Modern Baseball history of these 30 teams 13 made it to the World Series and only seven of them won it all so as much as the Rangers were a favorite to win at all this was far from a guarantee 100 pitches hit high in the air to deep left field sending Gentry back the ball is high deep and gone in game one of a 2010 ALDS rematch the Rangers were outclassed in every possible way as they were Shut Out by Matt Moore a rookie with one career Big League start as said before momentum is King in the playoffs and the Rays were Fresh Off Their biggest win in team history a thrilling comeback game 162 victory that clinched their spot in the playoffs so how much momentum did the Rays possess well as ESPN’s Tim Kirin put it perhaps more than any team that has ever entered the postseason so what could the Rangers do Josh Hamilton had a perfect answer to that question you come out tomorrow and try to take it away from them high drive up towards the upper deck and gone the Texas Rangers in to tie this series at one game a piece Napoli hits it in the air to left field sending jenings back at the wall and ball is [Music] gone Jennings chops it towards second base hean Kinsler to Second and the Texas Rangers they headed back to the American League Championship Series [Music] in the air the left down the L this ball [Music] it in the air shallow right the Texas Rangers win the penic second consecutive year not only did the Rangers strip the Rays of their momentum They Carried that momentum to a series win against the Tigers and ultimately their second World Series birth in consecutive years the first American League team to achieve this feat since the 9s Dynasty Yankees each series had their own set of Heroes but Nelson Cruz was on a whole other level in the ALCS not only did he hit the first and only walkoff Grand Slam in postseason history he became the first player to hit six or more postseason home runs in two different years Cruz was absolutely deserving of his ALCS MVP but if there was a group MVP award it would have to go to the Rangers Bullpen for stepping up in the midst of an unexpected slump the rotation was experiencing bringing truth to a quote by ESPN’s David shenfield baseball games aren’t won by starting pitchers they’re won by teams and the Rangers were a damn good one but so was their opponent the St Louis Cardinals like the Rangers their strength was their offense with the headline Trio of Albert phol Matt holiday and Lance burkeman along with a Supporting Cast of Allan Craig Skip schacher and David freeze a guy Cardinals manager Tony larusa called a big time clutch hitter think of him as the Cardinal own Nelson Cruz like 2010 the Rangers were considered the favorites but this time around the Rangers knew the job was far from over full scores Here Comes holiday and the Cardinals lead two nothing in the fourth of game one as Napoli flies one into right and this game is tied and it’s two2 in the fifth Mike Napoli’s game tying home run in game one had a WP PA of 24% WPA or when probability added quantifies the percent change in a team’s chances of winning from one event to the next by measuring the importance of a given plate appearance in the context of the game in the case of Napoli’s home run the Rangers win expectancy Rose from 23% to 47% so that equals a WPA of 24% which just so happened to be the largest WPA of the game however it wasn’t the game’s most important hit that is in right Cruz will make a catch and now it’s dropped one run scores from the Cardinals lead 32 the WPA of Alan Craigs pinch hit single fell short of Napoli’s home run by about six percentage points because it wasn’t as unexpected as Napoli’s two- run home run but it still ultimately decided this game as the Rangers squandered their best opportunity to tie it up in the seventh inning leading to a Cardinals one-run win like the Rays in the ALDS the Cardinals began the series with momentum on their side but like the ALDS the Rangers responded quickly with a one-run win of their own in game two with two close outcomes in a row it became clear that any bit of unique leverage had the potential to alter the balance of this evenly Matched series fortunately for the rangers they held an advantage vage for the next three games home field advantage an environment they had great success in throughout 2011 but in game three it was the Cardinals who massively benefited from this offense friendly environment as they became the fourth team ever to score at least 16 runs in a World Series game although as impressive as a 16-run performance is it’s still only counts as one loss be aggressive have fun but if you’re going to miss miss in and make these hitters a little more [Music] [Applause] [Music] uncomfortable that is Tomahawk way out of here to left and it’s four Nothing Texas in the [Applause] [Music] sixth in the air to right center field one run scores here’s L and it’s 42 Texas in the eth this one gets away naol has to finish it he’s done it all tonight and the Rangers win game five the Cardinals may have gotten the 16-run win but the Rangers responded with two 4run wins and most importantly they were just one win away from history the fact the Rangers even won game five was quite astounding as they became just the fifth team since 1901 to allow at least seven hits and nine Walks In a World Series game and still win however the story of this game goes deeper than stranded base runners in the top of the eth with Octavio doel unable to pull off a one two3 inning manager Tony larusa directed left-hander Mark Zep chinsky to come in and right-hander Jason M to play catch just in case they needed him to warm up later in the inning there were two possible plans in place depending on the result of David Murphy’s at bat pitch around Mike Napoli to face the left-handed Mitch Morland or bring in the right-handed mot to face Napoli so after Murphy hit a ground ball off Zep chinsky glove to load the bases the plan was to bring in mot except mot wasn’t warming up following Murphy’s single larusa noticed mot wasn’t warming up later stating his belief that Bullpen coach Derek lillquist hung up the phone after hearing the request to bring in se chinsky but also before hearing the request to have M do some light throwing so larusa called a second time but because of the deafening Stadium noise lillquist misheard larusa and instead told Lance Lynn to warm up who had thrown 47 pitches two nights before left with no choice sep chinsky stayed in the game resulting in a 2 RBI hit by the Rangers hottest hitter Mike Napoli a true nightmare scenario for the cardal a scenario inadvertently orchestrated by the 50,000 plus in attendance who wanted nothing more than to see their beloved Rangers win that elusive first championship and now the Rangers had the chance to do so in game six I don’t care if the bullpen phones work or not if the St Louis Cardinal don’t hit tonight they’re not going to win this game they’ve got to score first get the crowd involved you don’t want to wait till the fifth or sixth inning and give Texas that advantage and the reason the Texas Rangers are up three games to two is for the most part they’ve shut down the Cardinal hitters originally set to take place on October 26th but was postponed to the following day due to rain both teams went into game six with the goal of setting the tone as through the first half of the game neither team let a lead go unanswered for more than one inning on multiple occasions this game could have easily gotten out of hand and it nearly did in the sixth inning choer to the first baseman young he bobles it everybody safe in what could have resulted in an ending ending double play Michael Young’s second error of the game kept the Cardinals rally alive two batters later new pitcher alexio gondo walked Yadier Molina to tie the game plummeting the Rangers win expectancy from 45% to 29% simply put but the Rangers needed a hero throw down to Third and now at third is holiday but from his knees Mike Napoli strikes again this clutch snap throw by Mike Napoli gave the Rangers a much needed Lifeline as after Nick Punto was walked Derek Holland delivered the final out these are the types of plays that have the potential to change entire Seasons although making this play is only half the job the other half is capitalizing on it pitch fly onall in right center back at the track this ball is gone High Fly ball down the left field line this ball is gone the eighth home run this postseason for Nelson Cruz there is a base hit in the left Center Here Comes Derek Holland and it’s a 7 to4 Texas lead with a win probability of 94% following a one two3 bottom of the 7th the Rangers were just six outs away from their first championship but the Cardinals were going to make sure these six outs were the toughest keeping up with the erratic nature of this series Allan Craig hit a solo home run with only one out in the eighth two batters later Yadier Molina joined the action with a single then it was Daniel dis scalo and then John Jay who could have earned himself an RBI if it was anyone but Yadier Molina around ing Third Base still with the top of the order due to come up in a series characterized by unpredictability these fans wanted nothing more than to see one more big hit chops it back to Adams and a quiet end to the eth but it wasn’t meant to be and with a 92% chance of winning after the top of the 9th the Rangers sent closer Neftali Feliz to get the most important final three outs in franchise history however to earn the biggest save of his career Feliz needed to face two of the Cardinals big three phol and burkeman well after striking out Ryan Terio both phol and burkeman got on base dropping the Rangers win expectancy from 96% to 82% now with a tying run on base Allan Craig who hit a home run in the previous inning had the opportunity to become a team hero but Feliz froze him and now the outcome of this series rested on the shoulders of David freeze as each pitch was thrown more and more fans covered their faces just hoping praying for a miracle while fans in Texas were on the edge of their seats ready to burst into tears of joy to celebrate the end of a 40e long nightmare and now the Rangers are one strike away into right well hereit back at the wall it’s off the wall one run scores Here Comes bman freeze has tied it unbelievable 53.8% that was the WPA of this hit the 31st highest WPA shift in MLB playoff history and after Yadier Molina flew out the win expectancy of each team was 50% on a statistical level it’s like the previous nine innings never happened but on an emotional level it was unquantifiable the Rangers just let the biggest opportunity in franchise history slip through their fingers however as Josh Hamilton said after their game one ALDS loss the team couldn’t dwell on this as in a 50/50 game momentum is the key to Victory remember Hamilton has not gone deep yet in the postseason that groin injury on the left side has sapped him of some of his strength [Music] there’s a shot in the right back at the track at the wall Hamilton has gone deep and it’s 97 Texas here in the 10 this hurts this hurts this hurts this hurts that’s all Hamilton could think as he ran the bases due to the pain of the injuries he’d been battling throughout the postseason still with one swing of the B that Hamilton had kept the Rangers title dreams alive yet there’s a reason why this home run isn’t remembered as historic in fact it’s barely Remembered at all that ball is going to drop for a hit this one is in the air it gets over the head of Bel and out at first as the bad bun by Lo works out left side coming to the plate dis Calo out at first it’s a 98 game and the Texas native Lance burkman will walk to the [Applause] pl strike two on burkman and again the Cardinals are down to their last strike and the Rangers are one strike away in the air to Right Center this game is TI [Applause] Breeze hits it in the air to Center we will see you tomorrow night and they have pushed this 2011 postseason to the final day and it has been some kind of ride one strike away those words were uttered not just once but twice and the Rangers couldn’t finish the job the Cardinals fans who couldn’t bear to watch as David freeze represented their final outs were cheering his name in the streets at the end of the night while in Texas people were speechless the Rangers had ended the night on the losing end of one of the greatest games in World Series history but if the Rangers pull off a game seven Victory game six becomes nothing more than a blip in team history instead of turning into the most hated man in Dallas David freeze becomes the man who delayed the Rangers first championship by 24 hours sadly that wasn’t the case f the Texas Rangers trying to put last night out of their memory get two in the first half in here in game seven Hunter go on a shot into left center field this is going to TI it David freeze what a roll Greg hits it in in the year to right the Cardinals have taken a game seven 32 lead in a home run by Allan Craig second here’s a Fly ball in left Allan Craig will leap and make the catch two out up the middle of base hit here comes burkeman and it’s 62 in the seven in the air to left well hit back is Craig what a team what a ride the Cardinals a world Champs with the final catch of a ball David freeze became a Cardinals hero and Rangers villain the big hits from Nelson Cruz Mike Napoli and Josh Hamilton were relegated from franchise altering highlights to negligible footnotes the postponement of game six created a what if scenario that I’m sure Rangers fans toyed with in the years to follow what if game six was never postponed and took place on October 26th rather than the fateful day of October 27th how much would have changed still in the end the Rangers were one strike away on two different occasions and they blew it you want to guess how many teams in MLB history were one strike away from their season ending and still ended up winning the championship two the 2011 Cardinals and 1986 Mets take a look at this chart this is the win probability chart of the entire 2011 World Series now take a look at this section right here that minute sliver of pixels symbolizes just how close the Rangers were to winning this series to put it simply a comeback of this magnitude isn’t supposed to happen this is the moment where the winning team is standing at the top step of the Dugout ready to burst onto the middle of the diamond and celebrate the culmination of not just a season’s work but a life’s work but it didn’t happen that’s the bottom line that’s why you have to execute till the very last out is made a quote by David Murphy who ironically was the final out of the Rangers season so where do the Rangers Go From Here fortunately much of their World Series core was set to return except for one key player CJ Wilson as the best pitcher on the free agent Market Wilson was set for a huge payday which he got from the Angels who also signed Superstar Albert phol setting the stage for an intriguing divisional race between the angels and Rangers but how were the Rangers going to address the loss of their race well they decided to take a bit of a risk by signing Japanese Superstar U darish committing over $100 million for his Services adding darvish’s Ace potential to this world series level core solidified this team as not only contenders for 2012 but the foreseeable future as well with two straight World Series appearances behind them and the riches of a number one farm system in front of them it seemed like it was only a matter of time until the commissioner’s trophy made its way to Texas however projections are one thing results are another [Music] line off the glove of Andrews and into left a run will score Hamilton with the catch in center and that’ll score another Baltimore run as Robert Andino crosses the plate and it is 5 to one Fly ball left field Nate ml is there and the magical season of the Baltimore oreo continues a tiebreaker in the American League to see who goes into the postseason it’s the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas [Music] Rangers and it was another comeback win for Texas it’s Loria into right center field that Ball’s got some carry back is Martin at the wall and it’s called nean Loria in the six and he rips one right field that is fair and two the wall in the score is loran De Jesus in the second with an RBI double and fall takes off to third the throw gets away and Sam fold will score caught the Rangers napping and a huge error allows Tampa Bay to take a five to2 lead and this could do it and the rays are in the postseason David Price goes the distance a stunned crowd here in Arlington two straight 9 90 plus win Seasons but with very similar endings the Rangers spent the vast majority of the 2012 season leading their division until an unexpected Challenger dethroned them the Oakland A’s dubbed as a rookie Super team by foolish baseball this team climbed out of a distant third place position to challenge the Rangers for the division in the final series of the Year ultimately the a swept the Rangers forcing them into a winner take all wild card game which they lost a heartbreaking end to a great season especially as the World Series corpe continued to separate with the departures of Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli ahead of 2013 a year where the Rangers offense noticeably declined they maintained a spot in the playoff race due to their Elite pitching staff but the standings proved the Rangers were no longer the top dogs of the American League between their game 163 loss the multitud of pitching injuries the underwhelming offense and other surrounding storylines 2013 was a season to forget even worse the offseason began under a cloud of uncertainty CEO Nolan Ryan sold his ownership stake and departed the club to join the Houston Astros as an executive advisor to a leadership group that included his son Reed Ryan overall he didn’t leave the Rangers under the best of terms alluding to the notion that he never fully fit into into the Dynamics set by now president of baseball operations John Daniels definitely a rough start to an offseason expected to dictate this team’s immediate future with this in mind it makes sense why instead of opting for short-term Solutions like in 2013 the Rangers elected for big splashes not only did they replace the departing Nelson Cruz with Shinu Chu they traded longtime Ranger Ian Kinsler to the Tigers for power-hitting first baseman Prince Fielder and the majority of his monster contract yes these were two very risky deals but for the Rangers this was the price to pay to keep their playoff window open for the foreseeable future although there was one person who wanted to see the Rangers go 0 And1 162 Ian Kinsler while he later stated this was a joke he actually wasn’t too far off from reality there’s a drive deep right field Trio back go a game winner for Michael Bradley by the end of the year the Rangers had recorded their first sub7 win season in nearly three decades referred by John Daniels as a disaster of a year the 2014 Rangers used 64 players throughout the season a Major League record until 2019 how did this happen injuries from Prince fielders season ending neck injury to U darvish’s right elbow inflammation that have eventually required Tommy John surgery to Derek Holland suffering a long-term knee injury he got when playing with his dog overall Rangers players accumulated over 2,000 days on the injured list in 2014 the first team to reach this unfortunate Milestone plus manager Ron Washington resigned in early September to address marital issues in short the team was in disarray with no clear direction for 2015 maybe the combination of their questionable long-term commitments and outstanding injuries ultimately shuts this playoff window for good in 2015 or perhaps their 2014 season was an anomaly and their core rebounds under the guidance of their new manager Jeff banister well unfortunately by midseason the answer was leaning towards the former Drive field it is out of here Bel hits a high high ball left center field Martin on the move it is on here got him and that’s the ball game both teams play top and in the end the Giants pick up a victory following a brutal loss one day after the 2015 trade deadline the Rangers playoff odds were looking slim however the front office didn’t see it that way in fact their starting pitcher against the Giant was recent trade acquisition Cole haml an All-Star level pitcher with multiple years left on his contract creating a lethal Duo of haml and darish beginning in 2016 the trade package to acquire hamls was massive as it included top 100 prospects Jorge alaro and Jake Thompson as well as of injured but former All-Star starter Matt Harrison quite the risky deal but if there’s anything we’ve learned about John Daniels it’s that he isn’t afraid to gamble as written by ESPN’s Jean jock Taylor cowards never win in this game at least Daniels gives his teams a chance in this particular case the chance was slim but ultimately this team took this lifeline and ran with it that ball is hammered to left field down on if it’s fair it’s gone goodby sh makes the catch here comes the throw oh so with a slide he is out of the play driven to center field that ball is hit well marisic back at the wall [Music] goodbye try Drive High and deep to right field now hold it back good El the slid R there into the corner here comes MRE Hamilton here comes the throw not in time over the the man here comes odor the throw the Rangers are the winner Western Division champion Texas Rangers 2015 over the final two months of the regular season the Rangers climbed out of a deep hole to not only make the playoffs but win the division befittingly it was Cole Hamil who recorded the final out to clinch the division on the final day of the regular season and the batter he faced was David freeze could this be a symbolic end to the curse that was casted upon this team in 2011 well if there was one thing the Rangers had on their side it was momentum time and time again we’ve seen the effect a wave of momentum has in the playoffs and the Rangers were in the midst of riding one by season’s end both the offense and pitching staff transformed into playoff caliber units thanks to guys like Cole hamills Martin Perez Adrien beltree shinsu Chu and a returning Mike Napoli among among many others after a demoralizing 2014 season the fact this team bounced back into a division title is why Elvis Andrews believed this playoff birth meant more than 2010 and 2011 a team characterized by their passion energy and heart the Rangers had a real opportunity to finish their story however there was another team on a similar path the Toronto Blue Jays led by MVP Josh Donald and Sluggers Edwin en corosion and Jose Bautista the Blue Jays were the only American League team with a better record than the Rangers following August 1st ultimately making the playoffs for the first time since their 1993 World Series campaign now these unlikely division winners were set to face off in the ALDS a series that surpassed all expectations from the Rangers silencing the Toronto crowd in Games 1 and two to the Blue Jays tying the Series in the Heart of Texas everything rested on a crucial game five two storybook Seasons but only one winner the compelling Stakes is certainly enough reason to assume why this game is so fondly remembered but in reality it’s not necessarily the game that’s remembered it’s one particular Innings think of the same thing look at this ball’s dead dead ball the ball actually hit sh’s bat as Martin went to throw back to the pitcher he’s to stand there getting ready to hit watch this and that’s just a throwback and it hit the bat or if he threw it and it hit off the back of his Bat he’s got a score I think that’s the right call I do too Che did not intentionally interfere and they are going crazy throwing everything in this place think about a Major League Baseball season and how many times a catcher throws the ball back and in this case sends home the tiebreaking run the seventh inning of a sudden death K broken back Robert Andrew about hand on the ground to the right side everybody safe bu it Bel goes to thr FL two all a blue over the M scores the seventh inning to this point has taken 40 minutes Donaldson driving in the tie run on a fielder’s Choice after the Rangers took the lead in bizarre fashion in the top half one one for Tyson with a dry deep left field no doubt about [Applause] [Music] it the Championship [Applause] seres Blue Jay’s playing catchup once again they Trail by a run Bautista gets hit by Matt Bus seven months following game five Matt Bush hit the man who sunk the dagger into Rangers fans Hearts Jose Bautista the fan base’s most notorious Public Enemy since David freeze however free didn’t perform one of the most iconic bat flips in baseball history Bautista did and a couple of Rangers players took exception as pointed out by the New York times’s Andrew K bat flip symbolize a generational divide between those who adhere to the game supposed foundational gentlemanly principles and others who enjoy the Showcase of flare and personality so Bautista getting hit wasn’t completely unexpected but what happened next shocked everyone right cuts off a hop and the throw is wide down the line and there we go a 5 Second and we got the bches the bench is empty of that there’s a p up emotion going on out of Glo live Park rud no whoa door’s now two for five today wow in total 14 players and staff members were disciplined following this brawl including an eight game suspension for rug Neto door a one-game suspension for Elvis Andrew and a total of seven fines for Rangers Personnel despite the lengthy suspension odor had no regrets punching Bautista saying he was just trying to protect himself following Bautista’s hard slide for context this brawl was just months after Chase suly broke Ruben Toad’s leg following a hard slide resulting in the Banning of so-called takeout slides although Batista felt the bigger issue was the Rangers lack of leadership explaining that it was cowardly of the them to wait until his final laat of the series to hit him overall these series of chaotic events were molding this matchup into a heated rivalry intensifying the importance of wins and losses sure in terms of win totals the Blue Jays had the upper hand but the Rangers were attempting to change that drive deep left field way there goodbye half an inning before the bench clearing brawl Ian Desmond hit a ahead three-run home run a hit that singlehandedly increased the Rangers win probability by 53% similarly the day prior Drew stubs prevented a potential Blue Jays comeback with an Extra Inning walk-off home run one of their eight total walk-offs from the 2016 season a total that didn’t quite lead the league but exemplified the clutchness of this team in fact according to Fang graphs’ clutch stat which uses WPA and Leverage index to calculate how well a player or team performs in high leverage situations the 2016 Rangers were the third most offensively clutched team since 1974 a trait that undoubtedly contributed to their fourth division title in 7 years however the issue with clutchness as a characteristic is it’s a product of circumstance for example the Rangers won 95 games but according to their expected record a record that’s based solely off run runs scored and runs allowed the Rangers should have won only 82 games typically teams tend to deviate from their expected record by a few games but a difference of 13 or more wins is something only two teams have done this Century what did these two teams have in common their success in one-run games perhaps the most volatile form of record in baseball in fact because of their historically clutch offense and exceptionally clutch pitching staff the 2016 Rangers record in one-run games is the best since 1900 overall to build a foundation of success off extreme volatility is incredibly risky as it doesn’t reflect the true skill level of a team sure in high leverage situations this team showcased their best traits more often than not but on a full season level both the offense and pitching staff were mediocre at best so heading into the playoffs the question was this what happens if the luck runs out and look who’s coming up here for the Blue Jays the Rangers will have no part of it in cardion will be intentionally walked but that puts Jose Bautista squarely in the center Full Count nobody out here it comes and a swing and a miss Bush strikes him out Batista strikeout could be a turning point this is pitch number seven of the at bat and Pitch number 42 for Bush and Martin stays alive fouls it away 99 milph really impressed what a job he’s done eighth pitch of the abbat another payoff and Martin on the ground Andrews makes a play goes to Second out there throw a first oh but here comes a runner Donaldson he’s s the ball game is over the blue Jase I’m move it on to the ALCS a one-run loss and a 3-oh sweep the blue jay’s ultimate Revenge as this sign put it would rather get punched in May than get knocked out in October the volatile Foundation that held the 2016 rangers together crumbled under the pressure and worst of all it signaled the end of their playoff window over the following Seasons as the Houston Astros developed into the States Premier baseball franchise the Rangers dealt with the departures of U Darvish Cole haml Elvis Andrews Adrian bele and Prince Fielder whether it was through free agency trades or retirement the Rangers lost many key players over the course of a few years and they were unable to adequately replace them but wait a minute didn’t the Rangers farm system consistently rank among the best in the league throughout their playoff window why yes they did the problem was many of their best prospects never quite reached their full potential this list includes former number one Prospect jerks and profar Nar mazara Mike ult and Dylan Tate who alongside Mark tashera were the only top five draft picks the Rangers made in the 2000s and 2010s however in a cruel twist the 2015 draft could have been much different one week after Ron Washington’s resignation in September 2014 the Rangers were the League’s worst team then under the leadership of interim manager Tim bogar the team went 13 and 133 in their final 16 games of the season so not only did they end the season with the League’s thirdd worst record due to the Astros failing to sign number one overall pick Brady aen in 2014 they were given the second overall pick in 2015 as compensation dropping the Rangers to Fourth overall so because of this late season winning streak the Rangers lost out the opportunity to draft future All-Star infielders Dansby Swanson and Alex bregman which ultimately reveals a harsh reality luck is a major factor for Success the early 2010s Rangers were built for sustained Success Through a high payroll and Elite farm system but there’s only so much you can plan for the Rangers couldn’t have anticipated Prince Fielder’s early retirement or jerks and profar shoulder injuries or U darvish’s Tommy John surgery the reality is that when the ultimate success of a rebuild is characterized by a select few games in October there’s no room for unexpected setbacks so then what’s the point why go through all the lows if the ultimate High isn’t guaranteed three run home run R to R here it is struck him out and for the first time since 1954 the Giants are world champions and listen to these fans as that celebration happens in San Francisco going crazy and here in Arlington applauding we’ve spent the entire video through the perspective of a losing team but what about the winning perspective in 2010 the Rangers lost their first ever chance at a championship while the Giants ended a five deade long title drought a drought that began following the New York giants’ 1954 Championship a team led by baseball Legend Willie Maize 56 years later Mae had tears in his eyes watching the Jubilation on the field because you never know this might be the last time something like this happens to some of these [Applause] kids SM in the right it’s a one R game the Never Say Die Angels giving their fans a thrill down the stretch Nan delivers and it’s belted in the Gap it’s in there for a double The Angels Take the Lead six to five eight years prior to the 2010 World Series in game six of the 2002 World Series the Giants were six outs away from a triumphant victory until Darren urad and Troy gloss crushed the Giants dreams ultimately losing the series the following day this is the type of loss that lingers in the minds of players and fans for years to follow does that sound familiar however when the day of Celebration finally comes it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience both the team and fan base can enjoy together over 1 million fans were estimated to have attended the Giants Championship parade and for Javier Lopez to realize the full scope of the impact this Victory had on the community was both humbling and inspiring that is why we deal with the Lowe’s because the feeling at the top of the mountain is incomparable to anything [Applause] else strike three Dodgers have won it all in 2020 in October 2020 the LA Dodgers won their first championship in over 30 years and they did it at Globe Life Field the Rangers new $1.2 billion state-of-the-art and most importantly air conditioned stadium that opened the same year a Stadium built to Mark a new era of Rangers baseball it was also built with history in mind as the field dimensions featur the numbers of Team Legends Adrien bele Ivon Rodriguez Michael young and Johnny oats the manager during the team’s 1990s playoff runs although there’s one number I want to highlight in particular 374 a nod to the 1974 Rangers a team previously highlighted as the turnaround gang because of their single season turnaround from 57 wins to 84 wins well there was a chance for history to repeat itself as the 2021 Rangers finished with over 100 losses for the first time since 1973 but just how quickly could this Rangers team turn it around after all it took years after their playoff window ended in 2016 to fully commit to a rebuild well with the hiring of former pitcher current MLB executive and Dallas native Chris Young as the team’s new general manager the duo of young and John Daniels were intent on replenishing the farm system and providing young players with big league playing time over the course of a year they traded Sai Young candidate Lance Lynn Allstar Joey Gallow rug Neto door and Elvis Andrews the final remaining member of the 2011 World Series team in return they received a multitude of prospects including starter danne Dunning and catcher Jonah Heim as well as young big league first baseman Nathaniel low in a deal with the Rays by 2022 spring training the Rangers had built a top 10 farm system headlined by 2021 number two pick Jack ligher and 2019 number eight pick Josh Young a promising Foundation was beginning to form and with no long-term commitments Beyond 2022 the Rangers were expected to be active and aggressive in the free agent Market adding that no player was going to be ruled out because of a perceived price tag well when John Daniels said that he really meant it with the long-term commitments made to MVP caliber infielders Cory Seager and Marcus Simeon along with starter John Gray and a few others the Rangers had committed over $580 million to free agents more than double any other team before these signings were made Chris Young said that the goal was to surround the next wave of young Talent with the right veteran players but typically teams wait to assess their prospects in the big leagues before making Marquee additions like Adrien bele and Cliff Lee so considering the team’s Rocky history with Player Development the fact this EX ESS of this rebuild now relied on their next wave of prospects was extremely risky fortunately this wasn’t Alex Rodriguez 2.0 the team had laid out a vision of how to build a championship winning culture labeling Seager and Simeon as the new pillars of the organization enticing them with the opportunity to forever be enshrined in Rangers history as the first team to bring back the commissioner’s trophy that’s how they sold these two MVP C players to join this project you know besides the money however despite labeling 2022 as a transitory year the results were concerning odor high in the right field at the wall we are tied into the left field from Mullins that is going to get past Dugger everybody go home a 68 win season implied this team was much farther from success than they anticipated but it actually wasn’t as dire as it seemed in 2022 13 teams had at least four batters with at least three War only three of these teams didn’t make the playoffs while the Rangers final record was drastically worse than these two other teams their expected records revealed these teams were more alike than meets the eye in direct contrast to their historically lucky 2016 season the 2022 Rangers finished finished nine wins below their expected record due to possessing their worst one-run game record in franchise history so as historically unlucky as this season was it gave the Rangers the number four overall pick in the 2023 draft which they used to draft Wyatt Langford who entered the 2024 season as a top 10 Prospect on the other hand this disappointing season resulted in the firing of two team leaders manager Chris Woodward and John Daniels many fans felt this was long overdue but this shouldn’t understate the impact Daniels had on this organization as the architect of two World Series teams daniels’s fingerprints can be found all throughout the Book of Rangers history including the current ERA before the Rangers traded homegrown Allstar Joey Gallow back in mid 2021 both sides were far apart in extension negotiations and the team wasn’t going to let G walk away in free agency if they can recoup some value by trading him in other words when we talk about rebuilding it can’t be at half measures half measures are exactly what ended the A-Rod era the inability to commit to a plan following the acquisition of a superstar is why Rodriguez’s years in Texas are an afterthought in his career fast forward to 2022 and the situation was nearly identical seagar and Simeon were locked locked in for the Long Haul so despite a disappointing season the vision they were sold on not only needed to continue but expand the Rangers chose the path of uncertainty there was no turning back now or in other words no half measures so the first order of business was finding a new manager a new leader for a team soon to be filled with unproven big Leaguers so they hired the best manager they could find Bruce bochi the leader of the early 2010’s Giants Dynasty next it was time to identify and address the roster weaknesses of course the pillars were already established and the surrounding players showed lots of Promise so apart from signing outfielder Robbie Grossman the team set their sights on pitching well by the end of the 2022 calendar year they established an almost entirely new rotation they resigned Martin Perez following a breakout season acquired odorizzi in a trade and signed two high potential starters Andrew heene and Nathan ivaldi all of these pitches were capable of producing quality STS but none of them were true Aces to be fair there’s only a handful of legitimate Aces at one time but it just so happened that one of these legitimate Aces was a free agent with his lethal mix of 100 mph fast balls and 90 mph sliders Jacob deg Grom had long established himself as an absolute monster entering his 10th season deg Grom sat on a prestigious list of only seven starters who produced at least a 150 ER Plus in their first nine Seasons however this deal came with great risk as the soon to be 35-year-old deg Grom had only thrown 26 starts in his prior two seasons due to injuries in fact of the team’s six potential 2023 starters only Perez avoided an iil stint in 2022 also even following this massive off season Fang graphs’ playoff odds weren’t too favorable of the Rangers on the other hand there were reasons to believe this team was better than their projections for one their 2022 expected record depicted a more accurate portrayal of this team’s skill level prior to the off season also no one in the league had more to gain from the Banning of the shift more than Cory Seager who produced a career-high home run total in 2022 so if Seager benefits from the shift ban and Simeon continues his second half hot streak from 2022 this could become baseball’s best middle infield Duo however that’s the Crux of it all from seagar and Simeon to the health of the pitching staff to the success of their first wave of prospects so much had to go right for this team to be competitive in 2023 that’s why I said this in my 2023 preview video Josh Young and the first wave of prospects could all succeed and with How Deep The Rangers farm system is they could trade for established big Leaguers too honestly this could happen in 2023 with a hot start in the first half but I think it’s more likely they finish around 500 I could have been bold and predicted the Rangers to sneak into the playoffs but like I said nearly everything needed to go right for this experiment to work still as Chris Young stated back in 2022 2023 was the year they projected their playoff window to open meaning the first half of 2023 was the true first opportunity to gauge the success of this rebuild deep out to right field does it have enough it’s gone back on it it’s Castellanos it’s over his head two more runs have scored it’s a nine run fourth inning Last Hope now bilis Garcia to the point and this one up the middle base hit and it’s tied up again El Bombi delivers in the 10 two and that ball hit in the air deep out to right it is done Jahim with a game-winning homeover it’s the fifth reliever used back of Park schmit and this ball is belted deep into left it’s gone in the 2023 All-Star game only two teams had at least six Representatives the Braves and the Rangers given that five of their six Allstars were hitters unsurprisingly the Rangers went into the All-Star break ranked as an elite offense but the pitching staff wasn’t quite at that level especially following Jacob deg groh’s season ending injury so by the trade deadline the Rangers addressed these weaknesses with some of the best pitchers on the market flame-throwing reliever a RIS Chapman All-Star level starter Jordan Montgomery and future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer between these additions and their Skyhigh playoff odds everything was going perfectly and Garcia hits this ball high in the air out to Center carrying well it’s gone into the bullpen and right but then this team started to lose and the losses kept piling up more and more until September 8th when the Rangers playoff odds plummeted to less than 40% Fair ball gone three run home run josea Bru he’s looking to go yard backto back Jacks and it’s it’s a 12 to3 game what happened well the bullpen couldn’t hold a lead the rotation declined significantly the offense couldn’t hit in high leverage situations and following the All-Star break four of their six Allstars had spent time on the iil which doesn’t include Max scherer’s injury basically everything that could have gone wrong went wrong and the unfortunate truth is for Rangers fans a collapse of this nature wasn’t surprising as coined in 1996 by writer Mike Shropshire it was Texas baseball tradition to be at or near the top of the standings until the All-Star break then collapsing like a cardboard suitcase in order to break this tradition and truly signal the shift into a new era the Rangers needed a spark someone to pull this team out of their dormant State he’s hitting 288 13 homers 67 runs banded in and he hits this one five first that’s a base hit and Evan Carter has his first major league hit [Music] tonight and this Ball’s hit well deep out to right Evan Carter has done it again a two-run shot maybe he is the savior the call up of 21-year-old top prospect Evan Carter following Adas Garcia’s injury saved the Rangers season and that’s no exaggeration regarded by his teammates as the team’s little savior Carter was the team’s best player through the final weeks of the season a period where under the threat of elimination the team banded together and didn’t look back the 32 and that’s lifted out to left field near the wall gone go after the first pitch that’s a base hit up the middle Simeon he’ll score Josh young delivers the go-ahead single Cy baseball Rangers 155 over the Red Sox to win the series a flip to L Clark and this one is over the incredible turnaround of 2023 continues the final road trip looms for the Rangers the Rangers have won their 89th game of the year and they are that much closer to a postseason birth what a pival point in the game right here base is loaded two outs BR ball into center field for a base hit Garcia is in low is right behind him here’s the pitch and there’s a line drive base hit left center field Carter arounds third here is coming home 6-1 Rangers on the strength of a four-run third inning swing and a miss L clar gets the final out and for the first time since 2016 the Texas Rangers will play in October the Rangers clawed their way back into the postseason by winning 14 of their final 22 games as Bruce bochi put it these guys have the ability to put tough times tough losses tough streaks behind them and this club did an unbelievable job of doing that however their inseason collapse wasn’t without consequences despite ending the year with the same record as the Astros the Rangers were relegated to a wild card spot because they lost their season series to the Astros including a three- game sweep in early September as a result the journey to the World Series became significantly more difficult but on the other hand they could use the Optics of being the number five seed to their advantage between their Elite offense headlined by two MVP candidates to their high potential pitching staff and the wave of momentum they’ been riding throughout September if there was a dark horse to win it all it was the Rangers this wild card series about to begin between the two highest scoring teams in the American League shows bunt here and Pops up toward first diving for Montgomery he makes the catch that’s off the glove of pinto to the back stop and the Run scores the Rays continue to help the Texas Rangers offense created by a line drive sinking F that’ll fall in front of Siri around to score Carter now the throw goes into the Dugout and he struck him out what a performance by Jordan Montgomery and they haven’t had a runner reach second base in this series since the sixth inning of yesterday [Music] that he’s ready to celebrate with his team strike three goes the Rangers way and they go on to the second round to take on Baltimore in the ALDS starting on Saturday [Music] comes in with the bases loaded to face Mitch Garber that ball is hit in the air to deep left field Hayes going back it’s gone Mitch Garver breaks it open for the Rangers who have nine runs over the first three [Music] Innings Runners at second and third with two men out here Garcia gets up on top of that ball hammers it to left f fi it’s gone and Jordan Westberg is the Last Hope for the Orioles the Texas Rangers are going to the championship series two playoff series five wins zero losses complete domination of the two best teams in the American League but what laid ahead of them was their biggest challenge yet the Houston Astros statistically the Rangers had the edge but you can never count count out a team with the postseason pedigree the Astros have especially when Jose Altuve Kyle Tucker and yordon Alvarez are in the lineup it’s this amount of star power on both sides that transformed this matchup into a true rivalry in 20123 and heading into the postseason this rivalry continued to intensify a lot of people were wondering what it was going to be like if the stros didn’t win the division I guess we’ll never know while not necessarily a direct shot at the Rangers Cory Seager and the rest of the team took it as bulletin board material a quote that motivated this team throughout the postseason especially the ALCS the Rangers got Jordan Montgomery at the deadline from St Louis they got a guy who seems like he’s on a mission Carter hits it hard and it streaks under BR into right field his way to Second and we will get there getting in the scoring position with one out for Jonah Heim bangs the ball to right center field it’s down and won’t have a chance to get Carter Texas one Houston nothing the one to pitch sticks with the fast and Strikes him out Jordan Montgomery gets out of the Bas of over Jam the onew pitch is it hard deep right field and Leoni Tes takes Verlander deep and here comes Bruce Boi that will be all for Jordan montgomry six and a third shut out Innings f ball left Center field at the wall Carter with a leap and a catch back to first goes Altuve they’re going to look at this to see if eltu retouches second base he steps across and I don’t know if he stepped back the call in the fields overturn the runner is out on appeal so a successful appeal from the Rangers and it’s a double play stros down to the last strike L Clerk’s 3-2 pitch get him with game one in the championship series two and up over the Astros Diaz at the plate representing the goahead Run Diaz swings and misses and two B down on strikes young gets another chance this one bounces right to him got him and Evol he gets out of the jam tied run into scoring position go ahead on a board ground ball left side one’s got it juggle recovers and steps on the bag and the eigh Jeremy P will stand in goes up with the fast B somehow gets there sends it in the other right Garcia to the wall with just enough R oh he gave it a ride and gave him some hope but it dies on the track flyball center field Taris comes on the call the catch the win in game two a nailbiter that goes Texas way and they lead this best of seven two games toight two intense wins in foreign territory proving this Rangers team was built for the postseason but unlike their wild card and division series matchups the Astros were keeping these games Incredibly Close fortunately a big name was returning from injury Max Scherzer someone who had the potential to put the Rangers over the edge to make them Unstoppable although potential doesn’t win games in a repeat of his 2022 Wild Card performance sherzer was absolutely crushed but there was a larger story at play for the first time through their playoff run the Rangers were met with adversity overcoming adversity is what allowed this team to get into this position but dealing with it in the playoffs is a much different animal after a three-run first inning to begin game four the Rangers responded with three runs of their own to tie the game in the third But ultimately it was the Astros who were in control exposing the depth of the Rangers pitching staff while key batters like Simeon Garver Heim and low had fallen silent at the worst possible time now with one game left in Arlington the Astros had the chance to seize all momentum before the trip back home in the first half of game five that’s exactly what they did as Alex bregman put with the Astros on the board with the first inning home run while Seager and Simeon left Runners on base inning by inning the Rangers were allowing this one-run lead to remain as this game’s deciding factor someone needed to step up fast The Zone he gets to this one sends it deep down the line it’s tied R who has looked lost catches up to this one and ties the game a massive game tying home run from Nathaniel low a sign of life for the Rangers which immediately elicited a response from josea Bru still for a team whose 2023 season was characterized by their resilience a sign of life was all this team [Music] needed theis scarcia swings and hits one high head deep into left field that’s a w it is gone [Applause] this crowd for the first time has felt like they have a chance to win a game at home and here comes the man of the day to this point dois Garcia the first pitch here and gets right in monado’s ear the benches are clearing in the American League Championship Series everybody doing their very best to keep their cool but Garcia’s losing his inate Rivals and things boiling over here in a critical game five one of the best relievers in baseball just suddenly lost command crazy coincidence isn’t it that’s what many Rangers players felt about this incident but considering the absurdity of intentionally hitting a player in this situation it’s worth hearing Brian abrau side my plan was to try to get the ball up and in I just missed with the pitch so maybe this was a response to a r this Chapman throwing a similar pitch to yordon Alvarez in the previous inning however catcher Martin maldar ‘s perspective differed from Abu saying the pitch was supposed to be away from Garcia ultimately the umpires deemed it as intentional and ejected abrau but the Rangers ended the inning with the same two-run lead causing Bruce Boi to send out Jose ler for a second ending of work but Boi was concerned due to the time delay that resulted from the benches clearing over 20 minutes had passed since L cler was in the game an exorbitant amount of time time for a reliever to be off the mound lerk himself believed he was ready to go but bchi was right to be concerned his two- on Pitch hit hard and through and a lead off base hit his first hit of the postseason sets the table here in the nine 32 pitch all four tied run reaches for Houston and up comes Jose altu four times he’s been up there today John he’s 0 for four on five pitches the one High Fly ball to deep left field back to the wall to makes the moment again Astros lead in the [Applause] ninth SW and a miss in the Astros win this classic the Astros have gone from down 20 in the series to aead 32 96% that was the Rangers win probability following Garcia’s hit by pitch before Altuve swing this number had dropped to 72% afterwards it was at 177% a 55% WPA the largest WPA shift of the entire 2023 postseason the 2023 Rangers were no strangers to blowing saves but between altuve’s home run and the squandered opportunities in the bottom of the 9th the Rangers ended the night on the wrong side of an instant classic perhaps it’s unfair to label Simeon and seager’s hard hit outs as squandered opportunities but in the end what ultimately matters are results and the unfortunate truth was the Rangers were now on the brink of elimination after their game three loss Josh Young said the Rangers were in the position they were in because of their resiliency game six was going to put that to the test are they truly the resilient team who overcomes adversity or will it all be remembered as a facade begins with a base H the other way from Altuve so with the 22 altu Hard One to F on for and no chance to get out two Alvarez jamot center it’s down ose and L2 they combin to get the Astros on the board quickly MIT Garber swings at the first one that he sees sends it the other way and deep on the first pitch of the inning he hits it out and ties the game Mitch Garver with an ambush of Valdez and it’s 1-1 just like that what happened in the eighth inning of game five Gotti two seam fast ball away Garcia chases a big strike out the fourth of the ball game for farra valz left side and through so after parking one in the seats his first time he puts a ball with eyes into left field to keep this fourth inning going on an 01 pitch drives one the other way Tucker’s going back towards the corner at the wall it’s gone two home runs for the Rangers and they’ve taken the lead in game six B is loaded one gone in the ninth STX one is drilled on the line left field and gone Adis Garcia makes his statement and the Rangers have their sight set on game seven behind the outstanding pitching efforts from ivaldi spores L Clerk and Heeney the Rangers put together an offensive Clinic as guys like Simeon Garver and Heim were finally producing offensively I’m just proud of how these guys keep bouncing back they’re amazing they really are they just don’t let adversity get to them now it was game seven the conclusion to an instant Classic series Bruce bochi entrusted Max Scherzer to handle the pressures of this game seven a bold move but if there was someone who had experience facing the Astros in game seven it was Max sherzer still as they were in enemy territory to dictate the tempo of this game the Rangers needed to strike early well if there was one thing this team had consistently shown throughout this postseason it was their resilience on the road jaier Seer hits a high fly Ball Deep right field a bomb in the first Garcia gets up on it drives it to left off the WW Carter R it well here he comes two to Nothing Texas in the first lifts it to center field cor step back at first now comes on and that Ball’s going to fall and Garcia’s headed home the throw is not in time it’s three to nothing Rangers and everything going the Rangers way in the first inning of game seven [Music] Here Comes Adis Garcia see if the crowd has any energy left to boo adolis now here’s the Fly ball back goes Bradley to the W and adolis Garcia has hit another home run his fifth in the last four games he owns Houston grounded a second two years removed from losing 100 the Rangers have won the penic I’m going to add this congrats him wearing the horns in Texas and going to the World Series they did it the Rangers were going back to the World Series barring one hitter every single player in the Rangers lineup got a hit in this game but no one played their part more than adus Garcia the man who was not only traded to the Rangers for cash but was DFA by the Rangers just 2 years prior now he’s the ALCS MVP it’s been a very long way here we all know about the sacrifices we have to make to get to the major leagues I never dreamed that I would play in a World Series but thanks to God he put me in the right place with the right team and so here we are today Garcia was on top of the baseball world but he was also now in the record books with 15 RBIs he set the record for most RBIs in a single series a record that was held by Nelson Cruz from the 201 ALCS however Cruz’s historic level of production didn’t carry over to the World Series in fact his best performances turned into an afterthought when David freeze sent a game tying hit over his head in order for Garcia and this Rangers team to avoid the same fate they needed to confront the ghosts of their past F head on October 27th game six of the 2011 oh wait sorry wrong game October 27th game one of the 2023 World Series for 12 years this date had lived in infamy now this team had the chance to rectify at once and for all but this wouldn’t come easy before the series began the Rangers were seen as the favorites over the Arizona Diamondbacks but these teams were more alike than their stats suggest just two years prior they were both 100 lost teams they both snuck into this postseason as wild card teams they both fell into 3-2 deficits in their respective championship series but Against All Odds they both made it to the World Series as Rangers GM Chris Young said it’s not always about the team with the most Talent it’s the team with the right Talent so the question was who won wanted it more two up two down here on the top of this first St he struck Him Out Swinging with a splitter so it’s a one two three top of the first C and locked in right center field that’s going to slift the again and it’s Evan Carter 21 years old starting the scoring in the world series with the 3-1 pitch L drive base H left field Carter can fly he heads home it’s turn Nothing Texas by setting the tempo early the Rangers put themselves in a great position to win throughout the postseason thus far in games where the Rangers scored first they were 7-0 however the Diamondbacks weren’t going down without a fight in the third inning after a couple of singles and a sacrifice bunt breakout star Corbin Carroll hit a two RBI triple later scoring off a sharp ground ball to first base just narrowly avoiding the tag from Jonah Hind but just as quickly as the Rangers lost the lead they put together a two-out rally to tie the game on a basis loaded walk however the Rangers left these Runners stranded a potential game-changing opportunity they failed to capitalize on here’s a shot to left field by fam it’s way back there and Tommy fam puts the knee backs in front switch hitter batting left-handed NLCS MVP on this two on from avaldi gos one into right center field toas on the move it’s over his head lead extended it’s 5 to three the Rangers are uh they’re getting really pesky with two outs they’re creating some stress with two outs and looking for one more hit left side will it stay in play Moreno’s got it and the inning comes to a close the runners will Scamper back that is the second out of the inning and that will bring up Josh Young on this one-1 pitch breaks his b and a roll to left side pmo’s got over the first the inning is over no runs a hit and two men left and we’re going to the ninth after leaving two Runners stranded in the eighth the Rangers had left a total of eight Runners on base compared to the Diamondbacks five simply put the Diamondbacks were capitalizing on their opportunities while the Rangers were letting them slip away 12 years prior the Rangers let the Ultimate Prize slip away to begin this series in similar fashion would be a detriment to themselves and the fans I said earlier that in order for the Rangers to win this series they needed to confront their past ghosts headon with only a 10% win probability and three outs to work with they were running out of time in short the Rangers needed a miracle boooks this one on the line to right field Garcia’s for the catch pretty play by adolis Garcia 1 two three go the Diamondbacks and we head to the bottom of the ninth and here comes Paul seaal who they got at the deadline nearly perfect during the regular season six out of six in the postseason sois takes ball four and there’s the Dred lead off one well we’ve talked about Simeon hasn’t had his moment yet will this be his moment will there be a big hit here got him with a fast ball one gone in the [Music] nth could tie it with one swing drive it’s [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] tied this one is history a two run Homer and Seawall as his first blown save of the postseason Cory Seager has tied the game in the ninth and now the Rangers can look to Win It [Music] dois Garcia sends it in the other way then sends Carol back he’s at the wall and the legend gross Adis Garcia wins game [Applause] one my goodness he’s done it again the Rangers are awaiting ad DOI sit home PL and the Rangers have won it 6 to5 courtesy of the baseball Gods the Rangers took the chance bestowed upon them and conquered their past ghosts in miraculous fashion but also in Poetic fashion before this game the largest single WPA shift a Rangers hitter had ever produced in the playoffs was 42 2.6% what was that hit Josh Hamilton’s two-run home run in game six of the 2011 World Series a hit that was overshadowed an hour later for years this team’s most clutch postseason hit stood as a reminder of what could have been that was until 12 years later when Cory Seager took that spot for himself with adus Garcia right there with him also after his walk-off home run Garcia set the record for most RB in a single postseason a record that was held by David freeze for 12 years the events of October 27th haunted this franchise but with two swings that narrative flipped and now the Rangers were just three wins away from their coveted first championship however despite the deflating loss the Diamondbacks weren’t done fighting that’s when the target is set for this 32 hits it in the air to left center field toison Carter on the move that ball is gone and the Diamond Back strike first in game two two2 shot to Third and caught game two goes to the diamond B in a resounding way 9 to one to tie the series up the Diamondbacks game two win proved that even though the Hollywood ending was in sight it wasn’t set in stone we’d be naive to think that we’re going to run away with four in a row against the team that really fights hard like the same way we did this Diamondbacks team operated differently than the Rangers previous opponents they were elusive Scrappy and like the rangers they were writing their own Underdog Story also for the Diamondbacks the ending of game one offered an intriguing parallel to their past as pointed out by Jason Stark of the athletic only two games in World Series history ended with a game tying home run in the ninth inning and a walk-off home run in Extra Innings game one in 2023 and game four in 2001 not only did the Diamondbacks lose this game they lost games three through five all by one run two of them with two outs in the ninth inning I’ve never seen anything like this said Arizona pitcher Brian Anderson two times with two outs in the ninth we could be celebrating a world championship right now instead we’re behind the eight ball although as heartbreaking as these losses were the 2001 World Series is ultimately remembered for a different walk-off the chance of a lifetime for Luis Gonzalez 2-2 bottom of the night game seven of the world World Series Bases Loaded floer Center fil the Diamondbacks H world champions the heartache stemming from games three through five vanished with a swing by Luis Gonzalez no longer was this the series where the Diamondbacks crushed their own title hopes it was the series where they ended a dynasty fast forward 22 years the Rangers were seemingly on a path to Victory ictory following game one however as shown in 2001 nothing is a guarantee the Rangers couldn’t afford to watch their resilient Journey sit as a footnote in someone else’s story no not again fortunately even with three Road games ahead of them there was no team better prepared for this precarious situation as pointed out by mlb.com Sarah Langs the Rangers 8 and0 postseason road record matched only the 1996 Yankees the team who destroyed the dreams of the first playoff team in Rangers history the team didn’t offer a unified explanation regarding this incredible feat but there was a notable constant in many of these games Within These eight games the Rangers scored first in six of them to win so many games on the road a team needs to thrive Under Pressure I think Max Scherzer put it best ahead of his game three start you’ve got to match the moment a lot of times the notion that will be out there is kind of like be subdued because the moment is so big for me I look at it the opposite way you have to match the moment well if there’s anything we’ve learned about this incredible team it’s their ability to not only match the moment but exceed it th ball left side young gets there goes to second one on the first of double play doubles on the first pitch of the second first runner in scoring position in this game it’s for Tommy fan slider SW to the right center field that’s a base hit stopped at third as Walker runs through the stop sign garia gots him down Thomas bounces one off shes of ricochets to Young bman throw put a star on that lifted the left center field Thomas on the move not going to get there Marcus Simeon finally comes through with the base hit to left center field Rangers Strike first in game three Cory Seager smashes the ball down line goodbye three to Nothing Texas second of the World Series for Cory Seager and boy his home runs get out in a hurry two- one pitch ping the left field that’s down for the base hit and it’s ton pero getting Arizona on the board in the eigh and taking strike three he’s fulled on a slider that right in the heart of the plate on the first P smacks one to the ground Seager gets there out of his glove to Second end time at first it is 3 to1 Texas and their closer who has been awesome in this postseason is eye finishes off of one two39 from losing 9 to1 in game two to winning 3 to one and retaking the lead in the series Arizona was in the same exact situation in the National League Championship Series down 2-1 with a bullpen game lined up came back to win the series they find themselves down [Music] again and now Simeon crushes the ball G out of the wall good it’s a three-run shot and the Rangers are in double figures at 10 to nothing fly fouled ground that is caught by low and the Texas Rangers are one one away from their first world [Music] championship nothing nothing is our score Zack Gallen working on a no hitter through six ground ball base hit left field breaks up the no hitter to start the seventh and the air to left center field gell back it is gone TX is on the [Applause] [Music] verge one two strike three and one gone in the nin Carol pops it up Pim is back behind the plate he’s got it and once again the Rangers are one out of way and there’s 63rd season it’s the Texas Rangers win the World Series [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you guys just wrote history in Texas congrats world champions the last thing I went in on my granddaughter Maddie was on she was on the parade we’re done with the parade she goes Papa I going to do that again I’m with her I want to do this again let’s go [Applause] you know everybody was wondering what would happen if the Rangers didn’t win the World Series I guess we’ll never [Applause] [Music] know former Rangers co-owner Chuck Greenberg once called this team a sleeping giant saying that it was just a matter of of getting the right set of circumstances the right ball Club the right Personal Touch in the front office and the right timing if we could put all of those things together we could make magic this quote was made back in October 2010 right before the team’s first World Series appearance it took another 13 years but Greenberg was right a magical run of broken records historic moments and sheer perseverance led to the Rangers first championship in fact not only did they extend their unbeaten postseason road record to 11 and0 they became only the third team ever to win the World Series 2 years after a 100 Lost season however most fans aren’t going to reminisce on the numbers ultimately it’s the moments that last forever the feeling of instant Elation after Seager and Garcia hit their home runs in game one the tense Innings where pitchers got out of potentially season altering jams and of course the moment when joshh spores struck out catel Marte to win the first championship in Texas Rangers history a moment longtime Rangers broadcaster Eric Nadel waited over 40 years to call foris kicks and fires he struck him out looking it’s over the Rangers have won the World Series Ranger fans you’re not dreaming after 52 years in Texas 63 years of the franchise the weight is is over and the celebration has begun the emotion radiating from this once in a-lifetime call represented the feeling of every Rangers Fan in this moment from the people who became fans during the postseason to the people like Dallas resident and hel Moya who was balling after the final pitch the feeling of Jubilation was all the same or as Max Scherzer called it baseball Nirvana Cory Seager and Marcus Simeon the proclaimed pillars of this organization among so many others were sold on a vision that in just 2 years turned into a reality bringing a world series title to the Rangers I won in La they hadn’t won in 30 years and I saw what it did to a fan base when I found out they had never won here that was something that intrigued me to be able to start at the bottom and trying and build something and compete to be able to do it it’s really satisfying as as much as this was for the fans a championship is the ultimate validation for a person who’s dedicated their life just for the chance of playing in the pros it’s the Pinnacle of success for this profession or as Jonah Heim put it it’s the best title you can get as an athlete Champion unfortunately it’s also a title that’s eluded many great players due to factors beyond their control the 2024 Rangers began their season with key injuries and roster holes that ownership was was hesitant to address because of the uncertain future of their TV deal Revenue after 2024 a revenue source that normally accounts for about 20% of Industry revenues as the Athletics Jamie Newberg put it they are For the First Time The Game’s defending Champions but the chaos surrounding their broadcast rights makes sketching the blueprint to retool more challenging than it should be with a largely intact World Series roster the future of this team is uncertain but the motivation this team’s Foundation was built upon Remains the Same we’re sick of losing the risky choice to expedite this team’s rebuild process could have ended terribly adding on to the many failures and missteps Scattered throughout team history however in what was an unprecedented postseason run filled with Unforgettable moments and impressive records the Rangers not only proved the viability of their risky roster Construction they earned the title that’s so desperately coveted by both players and fans alike Champions as Tim kirchen said back in 2010 finally the Rangers are winning to truly appreciate that you had to be there for the losing [Music] [Applause] [Music] n [Music]
The 2023 Texas Rangers accomplished what no other had done in franchise history by winning the World Series. However, as impressive as their 2023 season was, to truly appreciate the significance of this victory, you need to immerse yourself in their team history.
Follow me on Twitter/X: https://x.com/SportStorm23
Sources (Articles/Media):
https://pastebin.com/a1qcJc4f (1960s to 2011 WS)
https://pastebin.com/Twn3uPe1 (2012 to 2023)
https://pastebin.com/9LsD6Rgq (Media Used)
Music Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYaqBWAHvjd8L58pskV6BZIWuBcX1FtH6
Music Credits (in order of appearance):
19 songs by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiteBatAudio
7 songs by CO.AG Music
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@co.agmusic
“Absolutely Nothing” by Jeremy Blake (YouTube Audio Library)
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnUv5b5DfQcXLWfz5pyvaA
4 songs by Rollie
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RollieRevenge
“Debunking” by Yuzzy
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcK7brgpzyRaA8_CeNTB-1Q
“Dark Matter” by Chasms (YouTube Audio Library)
Channel: https://youtu.be/vfFVqmGlS74?si=YlsXuAJMgmZb29_a
“Architecture” by Savfk
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SavfkMusic
“Suspenseful Heartbeat” by David Torstensson
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@davidtorstensson4655
“Sun Awakening” by Futuremono (YouTube Audio Library)
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCpU52L3N8kFQIVzrVR7QEg
“Venetian” by Density & Time (YouTube Audio Library)
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCik-Owe82xIyTKIJWZU_7GQ
“Stranger Danger” by Francis Preve (YouTube Audio Library; license not appearing in YouTube Creative Studio)
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLNnZt5IPhlDd1V_zkzQDgA
“Space Ambience” by Alexander Nakarada – www.creatorchords.com
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@anakarada
Business: contact@tablerockmanagement.com
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
Chapters:
0:00 “…you had to be there for the losing”
1:28 The Early Years
13:32 Trying to catch up to the Yankees
20:20 Post A-Rod
31:17 A New, Prosperous Era?
38:29 2011 World Series
54:19 Picking Up the Pieces
1:05:01 Another Chance
1:12:51 The Playoff Window Ends
1:17:47 Establishing the Pillars
1:24:12 No Half Measures
1:29:32 Like a Cardboard Suitcase
1:33:43 A Dark Horse
1:39:22 Underdogs or a Facade?
1:50:24 The Ghosts of the Past
2:00:07 “You have to match the moment”
2:05:44 “Finally the Rangers are winning…”
32 comments
Hey everyone, I’m sorry this video took so long to make, but I’m incredibly proud of it. I hope you enjoy the video!
Also, regular uploads are coming soon
Bro came out of hibernation with a whole movie
Damn 2 hours, time to cancel plans
Was gonna watch that Mariners doc but I guess I’ll watch this too
do more of than
Heeeees baaaack
I do enjoy UrinatingTree’s Legacy of Failure video of the Rangers, but this is more informative
Lifelong Arlington Resident, just a few minutes in, but thank you for making this.
You dropped this king 👑,Welcome back !
Proud to say I’ve been a ranger fan since I was born. I’ll never forget the night of the WS. Watching this video made me tear up man.
These types of vids when at work are a godsend!
I remember discovering your channel a couple years ago and thinking there might be a chance years in the future for a Rangers championship video. Never thought I'd see one this early and a 2 hour one at that! Thanks man!
The king is back!
im still a little butthurt. The Orioles were the team of destiny but in the end it's all about getting hot at the right time
Get your popcorn and drinks ready for this one.
And I am glad they won their first world series last year
That Blue Jays Vs Rangers 2015-2016 rivalry was crazy awesome
HES BACK LETS GOOOOO
The pain of 2011 still hurts. But its lessened so much now. Go Texas! Here's to Beltre, Fielder, Andrus, Hamilton and all the others who never won it all with us.
Awesome video.. hats 🧢 off. Garcia is the most clutch player the Rangers have ever had.. without him, the bad guys would have probably won yet another championship..
Lemme get my popcorn ready!
The walk off grand slam thing is only a technicality because the Mets players didn’t let Robin Ventura around the bases
I gave you a lot of credit on your Rangers video last season and I'll say it again SportStorm you are the only baseball creator who understood the kind of team the Rangers were trying to build. Almost every other creator out only had "bad team make checkbook go Brrrrrrrrrr" to say about them.
As a Rangers fan I still can't believe it actually happened
After watching this entire video I can say this is one of the best baseball documentaries I’ve seen on YouTube.
One day I hope a story like this can be told about the Pirates
thorough
I was just thinking "hey it's been a while since I've seen a SportStorm video, I wonder if there will be a new one"
And my prayers were answered
as an astro fan, this may be extremely painful to watch, yet how could i pass on a 2 hour long baseball video essay?
One part from the 2023 PS ppl don’t talk about: Adolis came close to tying if not breaking Daniel Murphys Consecutive games w HR streak
Oh, sweet SportStorm has a new video! Let me watch it real qui-
I requested this and it finally happened!!
The journey was simple. Have literally every player on the team massively overachieve and have insane luck stats throughout 90% of the season, have Mariiners collapse at the end, and then be even luckier in the postseason. good for them. i wonder why they suck this year, almost as if theyre performinng as they should
As a diehard Rangers fan with two Rangers tattoos, I want to thank you for the bottom of my heart for making this. I was so angry MLB wasn't making a World Series documentary on us, but I am so glad that we have one by you. Thank you!