My adoptive team, the Texas Rangers, is going to the playoffs. Yeehaa! The Rangers have not played well in their three playoff appearances (in 1996, 1998, and 1999). In all three division series they have played, they lost to the hated New York Yankees. The Rangers are 1-9 in those series. This year, we play the Tampa Bay Rays rather than the Yankees. I wish we played the Yankees, against whom we are 4-4 this season. (We're 2-4 against the Rays.) The Yankees are old and slow; the Rays are young, fast, and hungry.
It was a strange season for the Rangers. They won the American League West Division handily (by nine games), but had only one good month. Here is a breakdown:
- April: 11-12
- May: 15-12
- June: 21-6
- July: 14-13
- August: 13-15
- September/October: 16-14
Nolan Ryan predicted 92 victories. The Rangers ended up 90-72. Katherine and I were in attendance today, on a gorgeous fall afternoon. Josh Hamilton won the American League batting title with a .359 average. When it was announced, in the seventh inning, the crowd of 45,446 gave him a standing ovation. He acknowledged the applause by waving his cap. Josh is the Most Valuable Player of the American League.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 