Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Big deal. It's only the first game of the playoffs.
Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But now the mighty, mighty Blue Birds have to wine 3 out of the next 4 games.
Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Cole Hamels can help the Rangers go up 2-0 in a best of 5 series tomorrow, with Beltre hobbled that would be huge.
Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: It took a couple tries to get the division wrapped up. It's an adventure.
Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Given how they looked in the spring and early summer all I have to say is wow. Wow!
Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Your Rangers draw the Toronto Blue Birds who've been playing well down the stretch. It's a best of 5 series. Why not play every day and make it a 7 game series? I don't know.
The new magic number is 11. 11 wins in the playoffs gets you a MLB title.
Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Remember when the Dallas Mavericks planned the victory parade route when they were in the finals versus the Heat the first time? It's a trap! Jinx much?
Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: They are playing great and barring a monumental, never seen anything like it in the history of sports ever collapse, they should make the playoffs.
Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Please don't be a jinx.
Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Again, there's a lot of baseball to be played.
Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: 2.5 games up is not something to sneeze at with less than a month to go. And the way they took over 1st place, by sweeping the division leader, is strong to very strong.
Plus, Prince and Beltre along with pretty much everyone else (Choo, Moreland, Napoli, Odor) look like they have found their groove at the plate.
And the defense looks strong up the middle. The pitching has been good (maybe not great but definitely good), Elvis and Odor turn double plays night in and night out that not too many tandems in MLB can and Gimenez (and others) and DeShields are good behind the plate and in CF respectively.
Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Again. Wow. First. Place. Texas. Rangers.
Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: There's a lot of baseball to play till the end of the year.
Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Again: FIRST. PLACE. TEXAS. RANGERS.
Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: What type of season long comeback has this been?!?!? Wow.
Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Josh went on the15 day DL on 8-16-15. Not exactly great at timing.
Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But at least if the playoffs did start now, your Texas Rangers would be in the tournament. And for all intents and purposes, with the wild card race so tight (Rangers up .5 in the wild card standings), each and every game down the stretch will be important. Kinda like playoff games but not. But kinda.
And Hamels has won 2 straight starts.
Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Gimenez continues to impress both behind and at the plate.
Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: There are a boatload for teams in the wild card race so tap the brakes on getting ready for the playoffs.
Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But how many of the teams in the wild card race added a bona fide ace to their rotation at the trade deadline (besides Toronto)?
Oh yeah, and the Rangers swept the division leading 'Stros in the last series, not too shabby.
Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: Look at it this way, every game and series is a like a playoff game/series for the whole last 2 months of the season. That makes for some great baseball watching.
Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: Of course the pitching gave up 9 runs in the win.
Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: But Colby Lewis did record his 12 win of the season.
Oh yeah, and Beltre is only the 4th player in the history of MLB to hit for the cycle 3 times in his career. And by the way, no one has hit for the cycle for the third time in a career since Babe Herman recorded his 3rd cycle in 1933. That's right, no one has done what Beltre did tonight for over 80 years. Impressive. Most impressive.
Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: With the win tonight the Rangers are 2 GB in the wild card standings. So you're saying they have a chance...
Glass Half Empty / Afternoon Cloud: The Rangers gave up A LOT of prospects. And they traded away Matt Harrison. Harrison is and has been a trooper battling a series of back injuries that caused him to go under the knife. And look, Harrison's contract is guaranteed. He could have all but hung it up but has made great strides to get back to pitching in the starting rotation. All the luck to him in the future.
Also, the first name of the guy we got in the trade is Cole. Cole? That's a weird first name, right?
Glass Half Full / Silver Lining: Maybe your Texas Rangers are not giving up on this season quite just yet. They are 8 GB in the division and 4 GB in the wild card. Maybe the philosophy is make tournament and anything is possible.
And for next year the starting rotation looks strong to very strong (if injured arms get better):
1. Hamels
2. Yu
3. Martin Perez
4. Gallardo
5. Holland/Lewis/Nick Martinez/Chi Chi Gonzalez
Not too shabby.
Thoughts / Observations / Sidenotes: in other trade news David Murphy is now an Angel. I hate to see him play for them but always liked him when he was with the Rangers.
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