The regular season is drawing to a close. All 30 Major League teams end play on Sunday afternoon. My adoptive team, the Texas Rangers, is in first place in the five-team American League West Division. I'm surprised (but extremely pleased) by this, because I expected 2015 to be a rebuilding year after the Rangers finished in fifth place in 2014, a staggering 31 games behind Los Angeles of Anaheim. Tomorrow night, Katherine, Luki, and I go to the Ballpark in Arlington to watch the Rangers play the Angels. Here are the standings in the A.L. West:
- Texas Rangers: 86-72 (four games remaining)
- Houston Astros: 84-75 (three games remaining)
- Los Angeles of Anaheim: 83-75 (four games remaining)
The Rangers host the Angels this evening. Naturally, I'm wondering whether we'll see a celebration tomorrow night when we attend the game. By my calculation, we have a chance to see a celebration. Here are the alternatives:
- If the Rangers win tonight, they will clinch a playoff spot and at least a one-game playoff (against Houston) for the divisional title. If they win tomorrow night as well, when we are in attendance, they will clinch the divisional title, in which case we will see an on-the-field celebration. (Houston's game will be under way when the Ranger game ends, barring extra innings.)
- If the Rangers lose tonight, they will clinch nothing. If, having lost tonight, they win tomorrow night, when we are in attendance, they will clinch a playoff spot and at least a one-game playoff (against Houston) for the divisional title, in which case (presumably) we will see an on-the-field celebration.
If the Rangers lose both tonight and tomorrow night, then obviously we won't be seeing a celebration. Go Rangers!
Addendum: It just occurred to me (to my horror) that we may not see a celebration tomorrow night. Here's why (and how). Suppose the Rangers lose tonight and win tomorrow night while we're in attendance. Will they celebrate? Probably not, because the Astros will still be playing in Arizona. The Rangers will likely go into the clubhouse after the game ends and wait for the result from Arizona. Should Houston lose its game, the Rangers will win the divisional title and will, therefore, celebrate, perhaps going out onto the field to do so. The question then becomes: Will Katherine, Luki, and I wait around for up to an hour and a half? I can't believe we would, but you never know! (Also, will club officials allow fans to remain in the Ballpark for that long?)
Addendum 2: Katherine just informed me that tomorrow night is fireworks night, which means that many fans will be waiting around after the game anyway. Maybe the club will put the Astros-Diamondbacks game on the scoreboard while we watch the fireworks. The garlic fries are going to be especially tasty tomorrow night! (Please don't tell me that garlic fries are high in calories. Of course they are. I ride my bike at least 101.4 miles per week, every week of the year, for precisely this reason.)
Addendum 3: The Rangers won, 5-3. Hooray! Tomorrow night, with any luck, we'll see an on-the-field celebration.
