After World Series appearance, Texas fans want more
The Dallas-Fort Worth area was supposed to endure its greatest sports success in recent years in 2010.
The Dallas Cowboys were supposed to go to the Super Bowl in their own stadium, and the Dallas Mavericks were supposed to be the biggest contenders to win the NBA Championship.
Nothing of the sort happened. So who would have thought that the Texas Rangers would come within a couple of games of bringing a World Series to Texas?
The Rangers defied the odds and the critics, en route to making a run that could have been fit for a novel. They not only beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, but then, beating the heavily powered New York Yankees in six games to win their first pennant in the 50 years of the franchise. The Rangers fell to the San Francisco Giants and their dominant pitching rotation in the World Series.
Now that it’s 2011, the eyes of Texas will be on the Rangers. Fans have the greatest expectations in the team’s history. With the Mavericks faltering as they enter the playoffs, the Cowboys possibly not having a season to play in, and even the Dallas Stars taking a plunge with a few games to go in the NHL season, the main attraction in Texas will be the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
The big question heading into this season for the reigning American League champs will be how the new rotation will fare without Cliff Lee.
I fully believe in C.J. Wilson, who is taking over as the ace of the rotation. It will be the other guys like Matt Harrison, Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter, who must prove if they can carry the load to win some games.
When you talk about the Rangers though, it starts with the high-octane offense that manager Ron Washington puts out every night, starting with last season’s AL MVP, Josh Hamilton. To go with the speed of young shortstop Elvis Andrus, the great team player in Michael Young, the power of Nelson Cruz and now the added power of the newly acquired Adrian Beltre, this team has the ability to score close to nine runs per game if given the chance. Not forgetting to mention that Texas has the best young closer in the game, last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, Neftali Feliz, to finish out the ninth inning.
The present has never been brighter for the Texas Rangers. Even during the days of Alex Rodriguez, Rangers fans have never been more excited than they are right now.
As the present has never been brighter, the expectations have never been higher. It’s too early to say World Series or bust, but I don’t see any reason why the Rangers cannot get back to the Fall Classic this year and bring the first World Series trophy to Arlington.
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