I have a long, rambling, essay that I've been working on for 2 days to explain my feelings about the current state of the Rangers. Fortunately for you dear reader, TR Sullivan posted an excellent entry on his blog
Postcards From Elysian Fields that I felt compelled to comment on, and in the process of doing so was able to distill my feelings into a wordy paragraph. TR compared the current Rangers to the 1996 Rangers and this is what I wrote in reply:
"Think this [2012 Rangers] team is more like the 1996 Mariners – a very talented team, expected to win – then in September ultimately failed in the clutch. There aren’t any Burkett’s or Hill’s on this Rangers team – except for Michael Young who has stepped up this month. Seems like the offense was on cruise control all season and now they don’t know how to kick into high gear while all the pitching has been at best inconsistent – I’ve been a Ranger fan long enough to say they don’t deserve a playoff berth this year. Maybe that would be the kickstart they need to learn to concentrate and play the game the right way with a little humility and a lot more hunger."
After reading it again a few hours later, I stand by my statement. Doesn't matter what happens tonight or tomorrow - I don't feel good about the 2012 Rangers, and I've felt that way since about mid-July. I don't think they are lazy, infl
ated egos - maybe just a bit. What they do suffer from is lack of memory and concentration. Big numbers = big money contracts, doing the little things right = championship rings. Gotta wonder which equation the veterans on this team were thinking about this season.
What is frustrating and sad for we the long suffering Ranger fans is that most of us know how small that window of opportunity is for any team to get into the playoffs and how much smaller it gets to go to the World Series more than twice in a decade (take a look at the last 10 years and see how many teams other than NY have been there more than twice). I'm sayng it right now: that window is shut this year. Shame on the veterans on this 2012 Ranger team . They seem to be suffering from short term memory loss - they've forgotten what got them there and more importantly what it was like being the ones who were watching playoff games from the couch instead from the dugout. I have a feeling that by this time next week, the Rangers will have a quick trip down memory lane as they pack up their bags and get ready to watch the rest of the post-season from their couches.
Angry in Arlington - Marla
(P.S. That's my new couch which I really love, and the next blog will be much less poison filled - I hope)
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