Wake Up Screaming

Wow. This one hurts. What do I say? I do know how the fans of the 1986 Boston Red Sox feel. (Do not make the argument that they had at least won a title. When the majority of your fan base has never celebrated a championship, all titles captured are nullified.)

So close. One strike away. Twice. I was at work when Game 6 concluded. I remember feeling like all life just left my body. I couldn't remember the last time I felt like that. No, Game 5 of the 2006 NBA Finals didn't even come close. Yeah, that sucked. But baseball was the first sport I really took a liking to. And the Rangers were the first team I attached any emotion to. I grew up a Bulls fan. I hoped the best for the Mavs but how could I root against Michael "Air" Jordan?

You know how they say that you always remember your first kiss/date/girlfriend/um... time? Yeah, well I don't remember the names of those firsts let alone dates. I do remember that on Saturday, August 4, 1990, I went to my very first Ranger game at the old Arlington Stadium. I remember standing for "Oh Canada." Bobby Witt would throw a complete game in a 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. I was eight years old. It was official. I was attached to the Rangers for life.

So when the Rangers managed to lose the lead... twice... one strike away... twice, 21 years of disappointment wasn't washed away. It was back. Most of sports talk across the nation was focused on the thrilling Game 6 and the amazing six stories these teams have told over the last nine days. However, here in Texas, there was not a sense of ah and wonder. There was a sense of a loss. Some people probably took this harder than the death of a close family member. (In today's sports world, that doesn't shock me.)

For me, if the Cowboys or Texans lose, there is disappointment. But it happens. When Red Raiders or "hometown" Frogs lose, it's easily acceptable. However, when the Rangers lose a series that big and in that fashion, it sucks.

I hope the players all around Major League Baseball are able to find speedy recoveries. I hope that my Rangers use this time to heal physically, digest mentally, and recover emotionally. But with free agency set to start tonight at midnight, there is no time for rest for the scouts, front offices, analysts, agents, and writers; or this blogger. The 2012 season starts at MIDNIGHT!!! Good luck to your favorite teams; except if they are playing my Rangers.

Side Thoughts

-After they get done digesting what just happened, they must also look at what must be done to ensure that one strike away turns into a world championship. A word of caution. They would be wise to learn from the Yankees and Red Sox. They should spend money wisely. While going after a Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols would make SportsCenter headlines, they do not always equal championships. Ask the Phillies as well.

-If you are a Rangers fan, keep you're eye on the following names:
Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols (don't hold your breath), C.C. Sabathia, Michael Cuddyer, Coco Crisp, Corey Patterson, Cody Ross, Grady Sizemore, Jason Kubel, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell, Jonathon Papelbon, Matt Capps, Ryan Madson, Brad Lidge, Chad Qualls, Mike Gonzalez, and J.C. Romero. Gonzalez will probably re-sign with Texas. C.J. Wilson, probably will not sign. While the prize seems to be Prince or Albert, Cuddyer or Kubel can play first or the outfield although neither is likely to play center. The Rangers will want to keep Hamilton out of center which opens the door for Crisp, Patterson, Ross, and Sizemore. Buehrle didn't have his best year, but still had a solid year and if Mike Maddux can get him close to what he was, then Buehrle automatically becomes the best pitcher available. Michael Young still makes for a solid short-term back-up in the infield, but the Rangers should look elsewhere to fill the defensive void at first if Moreland cannot return to 2010 form. Pujols plays really good defense and hits as well as anyone, but will cost entirely too much. Fielder is not an upgrade in the field over Young and putting him at DH takes away the hitting consistency that Young brings. Fielder, Pujols, and Sabathia also will cost a lot leaving the Rangers financially tight to make moves elsewhere and extending current players' contracts. With Young making $16 million and defensive skills declining, the Rangers might consider trading him. However, doing so could leave a leadership void and upset a fan base that for the most part, holds Young in the highest regard.

-I am tired of hearing about how unlikely the St. Louis Cardinals are as world champions. Look at their team. Pujols, Holliday, Berkman, Furcal, Molina, Carpenter, Garcia. Remember they did not even have Adam Wainright. The surprising part to me is that they were 10 1/2 games out of any playoff spot in August. What took them so long? Yes. The Rangers have a great team. But the Cardinals had all of the pieces as well. Throw in experience and the Cards had no business being that far back. As I watched the series, the Rangers were fortunate to be in the series after three games. They were evenly matched but the Cardinals did what they had to when they had to do it.

-I generally believe that blaming (umpires/referees) officials is often too convenient and a way for fans to deny that their team just wasn't good enough. Generally, officials call a fairly good game. While they make mistakes, one can generally find where both teams were robbed. While I do believe the right team won the World Series, Jerry Layne called a World Series that was inexcusable and should put him on watch from the MLB. One report from the UEFL stated that out of 17 missed ball/strike calls, 14 benefited the Cardinals. This is the same ump that missed Adrian Beltre fouling a ball off of his foot and awarding the Cardinals an easy ground-out. And people say that Ron Kulpa had no business being an ump in this series since he is from St. Louis. (While Kulpa did miss the Napoli tag in Game 3, he was the home plate umpire for Holland's gem and ruled (correctly) that Kinsler had safely stolen second on a close call in Game 2.) I can handle a missed call on a bang-bang play. Especially in baseball where replay is minimal. But when an ump's strike zone overwhelmingly favors one team, there needs to be some action. Game 7 of the World Series is not a place to stage such a poor performance from an official; especially not the one at home plate.

-I was hoping the conclusion of the World Series would equal the conclusion of Brian Wilson. Am I the only person in the world who does not find him to be funny?

-I would love to see MLB adopt a replay system similar to the NFL's. You get two challenges a game. The manager simply approaches the umpire that made the call and tells him what he would like reviewed. The manager may request a replay review on any play that is not a ball/strike call except in the event of a check-swing. Give the umpires a chance to get it right. It gives the game credibility and if they can properly overturn a call, it can cut down on the verbal abuse they are subjected to.  

-I just finished watching Oklahoma State demolish Baylor. Either Baylor is that awful and over-rated or OK State is that good. Next week's match-up in Lubbock will go a long way in determining how good Gundy's Cowboys are. They have already won at A&M. Can they take down the high powered Red Raiders?

-When Mike Gundy had this rant against Jenni Carlson, most of American media mocked him for his display and chastised him for verbally going after Ms. Carlson. At that point, I told my friend Bryan that he would make OK State better. High school kids wouldn't care whether the article had merit or not. High school kids want to play for a coach who has their backs. Right now, the Cowboys sit at number three in the nation and with a win next week should move up to number two since numbers one and two play each other next week. Gundy's Cowboys control their own destiny in route to a national title. Can't say that for Boise State or Oklahoma.

-It is funny how many people complain about the BCS drawing up these hypothetical scenarios on which there are about eight undefeated teams. Yet, in the end, there are generally only two or three. The college football season generally works itself out.

Coburn's Call-Out

The player that needs to step it up this week is Peyton Hillis. He has missed games due to strep (seriously) and a strained hamstring. When he has been on the field, the Madden cover boy has struggled averaging only 3.5 yards a carry. While I wish him and his wife a long and happy marriage, he needs to quit worrying about a contract and start performing. The longer he waits to pick up his performance, the longer it will be before he gets the contract he desires.

Weekend Picks

Redskins @ Bills: The Redskins are starting to settle into what we thought they were. Meanwhile, the Bills continue to impress. We don't know about the Redskins quarterback. That is all we know about the Bills. And in West New York...

23-20 BILLS

Lions @ Broncos: The Lions have come back to earth a little. Meanwhile, the Broncos are lifting off. Tim Tebow has given fans and teammates new life. As the season wears on, the Lions better find a running game. This is a game where that could become incredibly evident. The determining factor will be if Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller can get to and disrupt Matthew Stafford.

20-17 BRONCOS

Steelers @ Patriots: Steelers are trying to get their act together. Beating the Pats would reassert the Steelers as one of the elite teams in an AFC where no one outside of the Patriots has established themselves as an elite team.

30-28 PATRIOTS

 

Chargers @ Chiefs: The Chiefs are coming back to life. The Chargers are an enigma that cannot decide whether they would rather continue the playoffs in the cold or end the season after 16 games. Can the Chiefs get back into the playoff picture? With a win they can.

17-15 CHARGERS

Vikings @ Panthers: The Vikings are a disappointing team with no quarterback. The Panthers are a team whose primary weapon is their quarterback. Both are rookies. But Cam already has many people believing that he will be good.

19-13 PANTHERS

 

Hometown Bonus

Cowboys @ Eagles: The Eagles are hoping that they have righted their ship. The Cowboys are hoping the Rams were what they needed to figure some things out while gaining some confidence. The Eagles struggle against the run. The Cowboys can't run. (Sorry but Rams don't count.)

26-23 EAGLES

 

Jaguars @ Texans: The Texans are coming off of a huge win over the rival Titans. Normally, I would call for the upset. But the Jaguars are also coming off of a game which they played way above their heads and are not nearly as talented.

24-20 TEXANS

Keep Dreaming...

The Rangers' are on the precipice of something I thought I would never see. I was in such doubt, I even allowed the "ESPN Curse*" to sway me to pick the Cardinals in five games. To be honest, my gut also told me Cards. My heart said Rangers. My head played the theme song from "I Dream of Genie."

When Chris Carpenter started the series off by having trouble locating the catcher's mitt (followed by some less than child friendly phrases) I started to feel good. Then C.J. Wilson decided "anything you can do, I can do better." Or worse. Depending on your perspective. Carpenter might have been suffering from problems with his elbow. CJ looks like he is suffering from problems with his confidence. That is something I thought I would never say about CJ. His tweets have become far and fewer in between. His hash-tag #throwstrikes isn't there. Whatever it is, I hope he finds what made him the borderline over-confident southpaw that #throwstrikes. Unless he signs with another team.

So what we got was a Game 1 that felt like a blind date. Two teams that weren't quite sure what to do or how to act. While both teams possessed World Series experience, that didn't make this date any easier to navigate.

(Please tell me that I am not the only one who has had to fumble through a set-up.)

The Cardinals were able to make the more impressive first impression with a 3-2 win thanks to pinch-hit hero Allen Craig.

Game 2 gave us a little less awkwardness. Instead, it was two healthy quality pitchers going at it. That was until Michael Young showed why the Rangers signed Adrian Beltre in the off-season when a grounder went off of his glove and into the outfield. Luckily, Young would get a chance to atone with his bat. Young sacrificed. Literally. He drove in the winning run on a sacrifice fly. This would nullify a deja-vu moment for Alexi Ogando who again gave up the go-ahead run to... pinch-hitter Allen Craig.

Game 3 gave us the game all of the "experts" said we would get. A slug-fest. Pitchers on both sides continually found more wood than leather. Albert Pujols spent the last two days being questioned as to why he left without addressing the media. Then, he did their job for them again by smashing three home-runs in a 16-7 win. I wondered if that could possibly be the score for the Cowboys-Rams game the next day. Then it hit me. They're the Rams. 16 points? No. Seven. Maybe on a good day. At this point, the fan in me saw this tale before. Rangers just aren't good enough. This isn't their year. No year is their year. We sign the best player in baseball and get progressively worse every year. I told my wife "Series over." Even as I tried to talk myself off of the ledge by reminding myself that no one comes back from a butt-kicking like the Rangers, I also had to remind myself that Derek Holland loomed. The season is down to Dutch and his 'stache. I feel sick.

Game 4 hung on one big question: Which Dutch? Would it be the Holland that recorded four complete game shut-outs? Or would it be the one who struggled against good hitting teams like the Tigers in the ALCS? Holland shut me up. He pitched an absolute gem nearly going the distance in eight plus innings. The pitching performance had actually captured more viewers than the Saints drilling of the hapless Colts.

Game 5 was a game that would leave the Rangers grasping on the road or the Cards fleeing for sanctuary. The Cardinals weren't fleeing. They weren't looking for sanctuary. But they might now be looking for the cell phones. Confusion in the bullpen. Two horrifically botched hit-and-runs with Pujols not swinging and then swinging at pitch he had no business considering. A home-run from Adrian Beltre's knees. Napoli doing whatever he wanted with a ball late in the game. All of this led to a 4-2 Rangers' win and put the Cards on the brink of elimination.

If the Rangers win the World Series, they will have beaten the mastermind (Tony LaRussa), the best pitcher in the league (Justin Verlander), the best hitter over the last few years (Albert Pujols), the hottest team entering into the playoffs (Tampa Bay Rays) and the wise old man-ager (Jim Leyland). For a Ranger fan, this has been an incredible season. I never thought it would happen. But at one win away, do I dare keep dreaming of what might be within the next two nights?

Side Thoughts

-Tony LaRussa's daughter tweeted and (to be fair deleted) a commented posted in reference to Ron Washington. Unfortunately, Wash is not the only manager with a history of substance abuse. Yes, alcohol is legal. Being asleep at a stop light behind the wheel with a blood alcohol content of .093 is not.

-For those that believe there is no merit to LaRussa's claim that crowd noise may have played a role in the bullpen mix-up during Game 5 of the World Series in Arlington, roll back your cynicism. The Rangers' bullpen runs longways along the outfield wall and pitchers who are warming up can be seen from the field. By stark contrast, the visiting bullpen is hidden behind the outfield wall. Also instead of running along the wall such as the home bullpen, the visiting bullpen runs into the stands. This means that over three quarters of the visitor's bullpen is surrounded by fans. Add to the fact that over 50,000 people are sensing things never before imagined in Arlington, there might be some merit. I am not saying it is the whole story. I am just saying that crowd noise may have played a role in the Cardinals' difficulty in communicating.

-Am I the only one that feels like they are watching Jack Parkman (5:45 mark) from Major League II when they see Albert Pujols in this series? He may not have sunk to the level of refusing to high-five teammates but he has left his teammates to answer for his error and absence, gotten defensive with the media, and at times just looks completely solo. I am not in the clubhouse. He may be a great guy and a better friend.  However, this is not the Albert Pujols I have heard so much about and tried to imagine what the name Pujols would look like in Ranger font. That Albert Pujols is a saint. This Albert Pujols allegedly and inexplicably sent Allen Craig on a hit-and-run in the seventh. When there was only a run and no hit, Allen was DOA at second. Hopefully, I am just mistaking his demeanor as focus and not isolation.

NEW SECTION TIME!!!

Here are a couple of new features I have been thinking about. I hope you enjoy them.

 

MIKE MANS UP

I am very opinionated. I express what I believe with the information that I have. It is nothing new. People error all of the time. ESPN pay people who do this all of the time. But sometimes, I get really harsh. And when I am wrong, I feel an obligation to man-up. Own my baggage and admit I was wrong. If I am going to skewer someone, I better be ready to acknowledge them when they make me look like an... You get the idea. So for the first time ever, Mike Mans Up.

 

Last week, I expressed my displeasure with the job that Tommy Tuberville has done with this Red Raider program. I even toyed with the idea of naming a weekly disappointment award "The Tuberville." Then, Texas Tech did this. After trailing 31-7, it took a furious rally by Oklahoma just to make the game respectable. So I must man up and apologize to Tuberville. A 30-point underdog playing in the best home field in all of sports, pro or college.

I am sorry Mr. Tuberville. I will give you more time before I call for your head again. And knowing me, I will.

After today, the following two sections will be referred to as "Weekend Wows" and "Weak-end Woes." This is to accommodate the fact that many times my surprises and setbacks do not necessarily occur on Sunday.

 

Sunday's Surprise

Texas Tech Red Raiders: The year was 2008. Texas Tech was No. 2 in the nation. They were coming off of a dramatic win over the hated Horns and a drilling of Oklahoma State. They walked into Norman with national title hopes. They left with Sooner footprints all over their backs. In 2011, they returned the favor. Controlling most of the game OU had to rally from a 31-7 deficit just to make the score respectable. This time it was OU with the title hopes. Again in Norman enjoying a remarkable 39 game home-winning streak. Tech was nothing more than a 30 point underdog that kicked OU in the groin and then broke their hearts just as OU did 3 years earlier.

Derek Holland: Here is a guy I have run down on countless occasions. Always liked him as a bullpen guy. Loved him as trade bait. Dutch Oven shut me up as well as every Cardinal not named Lance Berkman as he threw 8 1/3 two-hit (Berkman with both) shutout innings. Even I wanted him to finish. Oh well. He will have to settle for the ovation that all of North Texas gave him.

Houston Texans: No Andre. No Mario. Division rival. Toughest competition for the division title. How did Houston respond to the situation proposed to them? With a 41-7 butt kicking of the Titans.

Sunday's Setbacks

Albert Pujols: Okay. So he absolutely murdered the ball in Game 3. A Game 2 gaffe and a going hitless in Games 1, 2, 4 and 5. It doesn't matter how many times Texas walks him. If he can't hit and drive in runs, the Cardinals have ZERO shot at pulling out the next two games. There is a reason the Rangers will walk him. He is not a serious threat for a stolen base and he cannot put himself as well as those in front of him on home plate if he is not hitting the ball.

Cleveland Browns: Six points. 6. One touchdown. Two field goals. Maybe three safeties. They all equal six points. The Rangers scored seven on Saturday night in a baseball game and got their butts handed to them. The Browns' saving grace: Seattle Sea-chickens who scored 3.

Rangers Lineup: Yes, the same Texas Rangers that are one win away from a World Championship. Mitch Moreland is most likely done for the series. His only hope of playing again is 8th or 9th inning with a slim lead. Why is this such a big deal for a guy who has a postseason batting average of .111? His defense has been invaluable. The Rangers are 7-1 when he starts at first. When he is sitting: 3-4. I understand you need your captain (Michael Young) on the field. I know it is tough for the Rangers to try to work in some one's defense without sacrificing the leadership or production in other areas. Doesn't make it any less disappointing. It is also disappointing that David Murphy is hitting .324 and plays good defense. Yet, he cannot keep his spot in the line-up simply due to the fact that he is a left-hander facing a left-hander. Everyone will remember "Captain" Murphy. (Okay so he is not the captain. Just the name "Murphy" elicits memories of the great character from Sealab 2021.) If the Rangers lose this series, this will be one decision that many Ranger fans will question.

 

Looking Forward

Redskins @ Bills

Lions @ Broncos

Steelers @ Patriots

Cowboys @ Eagles

Chargers @ Chiefs

 

*I accused ESPN of being too heavy for the Rangers' bandwagon as it seems every time that ESPN starts believing in them, they fall apart.

^I apoloigize for the resposting. This was originally posted on Thursday October 27, 2011. I am currently experiencing several problems with Blogger. I am finding edits, additions, subtractions and formatting are not being accurately reflected in the published work. My sincerest apoliges and I will continue to work until I find all appropriate solutions. Thank you.