Rangers Still Fighting Underdog Image In World Series
SAN FRANCISCO (CBSDFW.COM) - It's the start of a major milestone for the Texas Rangers baseball franchise, but nationally, nobody wants them to win.
The long-suffering Rangers face the longer-suffering San Francisco Giants in the 106th World Series, with game one getting underway just after 7:00 tonight.
Reading newspaper write-ups, AP reports and fan blogs this morning, the nation seems to have left its heart in San Francisco.
What makes it especially funny is that the Rangers are actually picked to win the World Series by many, but the Giants seem to be getting the sentimental vote.
It's not like the Giants don't have a World Series trophy or two (they have five) but they have yet to win a fall classic since they moved to San Francisco in 1958. They've been four times since then, but each time have come up short.
Meanwhile, Your Texas Rangers (since you are reading CBSDFW.com, we assume they are your team) have been around as a Franchise since 1961, and in Arlington since 1972, but have NEVER been to a World Series. Up until this year the Rangers had never even won a playoff series, and had been eliminated by the Yankees the three times they had been fortunate enough to make the playoffs.
But that was then, it's a new day in baseball, and as the Rangers are fond of saying, 'It's Time.'
Wednesday night's game features Giants ace Time Lincecum (16-10, 3.43 ERA) against Cliff lee (12-9, 3.18 ERA). Both pitchers have been dominant in the playoffs this year and previously, and both are considered one of the best pitchers in their respective leagues.
Everything from the fog coming in off the bay to the crazy home fans in their panda hats and torture signs have been said to be sure signs the Rangers will not be able to handle the Giants. That's what was said of them heading to both Tampa Bay and New York too, and each time they pulled out the series as a team, defying the odds both in Vegas and in the minds of Rangers fans across North Texas.
Meanwhile, the Rangers announced their World Series roster Wednesday afternoon, swapping pitcher Clay Rapada, whose appearance in the ALCS can be described as brief (he was part of the 8th inning 5-run collapse) for Mark Lowe, giving them a chance to try out the other guy who came along in the Cliff Lee trade.
