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Category: Texas Rangers (Page 1 of 31)

Best. Lunch. Ever.

November 5, 2024 / / 3 Comments

So, I had lunch today with the Texas Rangers World Series trophy. What did you do?

The Rangers are doing their best to share the joy of the team’s first ever championship by touring the World Series trophy all over the Republic of Texas. It made it to Midland today for a glorious 90-minute showcase at the Golden Chick on the south side of town. Golden Chick is a corporate sponsor for the Rangers; that’s the connection. The event was promoted to start at 10:30am and run through 12:00noon. I arrived at 10:15am. I wanted to be early. I didn’t know what to expect in terms of long lines and wait times for my personal moment with the hardware.

There were no lines.

When I pulled in, there were seven or eight random guys standing around in the parking lot, wearing a variety of Rangers shirts and caps. Perfect strangers. I joined them for an awkward couple of minutes. And then the Golden Chick manager opened the doors and we walked in together. Unsure. Expectant. I was breathless. I was thrilled at this exciting opportunity, but also very much aware that sometimes my experiences don’t match up to my expectations.

Once my eyes adjusted from the crisp sunlight outdoors to the fluorescent gloss of the restaurant, we noticed that the trophy was still being unpacked. Cheryl Springer, the Rangers Trophy Tour Coordinator, was wearing white gloves and carefully removing the 30-pound Tiffany treasure from its case. I watched in stunned silence as she placed the trophy on a perfectly centered stand and slowly, almost theatrically, removed the black velvet cloth.

I might have gasped. Quietly. My eyes might have misted up a bit. Maybe. The 2023 Texas Rangers World Series trophy was six feet away from me, in all of its gleaming glory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once Cheryl gave the go-ahead, the other guys all started taking pictures. They formed a bit of a line and, one at a time, handed their phones to Cheryl to snap their personal proof that the Rangers really did win a championship. Cheryl looked at me and said, “Are you going to get a picture?” I needed a minute. My eyes were more than a little misty now; I was on the verge of a full-on blubber.

If you know me well, you understand; if you don’t, you won’t. I was overcome all over again with the emotion of the long-awaited World Series win and how much fun it was and how long we had all suffered and all the great players of the past who got close and going to all those games my whole life with my brother and my dad and my daughters and celebrating the Fourth of July at the Ballpark with Carrie-Anne that first summer we were dating and the agony of one-strike-away and how we held our breath and each other’s hands during  that last Arizona at-bat and screamed when Josh Sborz spiked his glove and hugged each other and popped open the champagne and cried with unabashed joy.  Here it all was, flooding over me all over again. I needed a minute.

Someone I didn’t know said, “Hey, let’s get a group picture!” None of us knew each other, but none of us wanted this to be just a personal individual moment. This guy’s instincts were perfect. We were united in our love for the Rangers and in our desire to celebrate the title one more time. The Rangers were the reason we were all in that same Midland Golden Chick at the same time. So we gathered around the trophy and Cheryl took the picture. New friends.

And then I asked Cheryl to take a few pictures of me. Just a few.

 

 

 

 

People trickled in and out for those first 30-minutes. And then my friend Brandon Brunson showed up. This Brandon is the good Brandon, the Rangers fan; not Brandon Hill, the bad Brandon, the Astros fan. We took a couple of photos together with the trophy and then settled in for a nice lunch of chicken strips and fried okra, watching the fans come and go–all ages, all ethnicities, all different backgrounds and diverse histories with the team. We were sitting close enough to the trophy to hear most of the people sharing their stories with Cheryl. A dozen Midland fire fighters got a group pic with the trophy. An eleven-year-old boy, who did not suffer nearly as long as most of us, smiled really big for his shot. A fancy woman in Gucci logos from head to foot complained that none of her girlfriends would accompany her, but she had to come see it. Brandon and I really enjoyed that lunch together, in the shadow of the Rangers World Series trophy, watching the fans share their memories.

We were getting up to leave at about 11:45 when Cheryl came over and said, “Would you be able to stay for about ten more minutes?”

Um. Yes. What’s going on?

“I need help packing up the trophy and loading it into the truck.”

Brandon and I immediately sat back down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, we helped pack the Rangers World Series trophy back into its case. We helped cover it with the black velvet cloth. We carefully placed it inside the custom foam-filled steel traveling case. We secured the locks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We helped Cheryl tear down the backdrop. And then Brandon and I wheeled the World Series trophy out the door and towards the truck that would carry it to Odessa this afternoon and Albany this evening. We giggled as we moved that historic cargo across the Golden Chick parking lot. My motives were not completely pure; I was trying to figure out how to get it to MY truck a few spaces over. What are the odds that we’d be moving the trophy like this? It was crazy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We lifted it. Carefully. Slowly. I think, maybe, subconsciously trying to milk the moment to last as long as possible. We are contributing to the cause! We are integral to the program! Go team! We loaded it into the back of the official vehicle of the Texas Rangers World Series Trophy Tour and, after one last picture, slammed the gate shut. Brandon and I looked at each other with satisfied grins. Can you believe this?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best. Lunch. Ever.

Is Albany too far to drive for dinner?

Peace,

Allan

You Will Come to Life

August 20, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Things don’t always seem really great. Things don’t always go the way you thought they might. In fact, sometimes, things are really rotten. Things at home. Things at church. People in your family. Situations. Issues. Sometimes it can seem hopeless. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. You don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. You can’t believe it’s possible for this or that to work out for good. There’s no way.

“Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone.” ~Ezekiel 37:11

Have you looked at the cross lately?

You know, we live by faith, not by sight. We live by the Spirit, not by the flesh. We serve a Lord who has already defeated every single thing that would ever come between us and our God-ordained potential and purpose as his children living in his eternal Kingdom. Our God looks at his Son dying—deader than dead—on that cruel tree and sees hope. He sees possibility. God looks into the darkness of the tomb and sees eternal life. He looks at Sarah’s barren womb and the 100 candles on Abraham’s birthday cake and sees an entire nation of millions of his people. And our God looks at your life, he looks at your church, he looks at the mess that is you and/or the people around you, and he sees great promise. He sees things we don’t see.

“I will put breath in you, and you will come to life.” ~Ezekiel 37:6

The things happening to you or around you—whatever they are, they are not a joke. It’s nothing to be taken lightly. I’m sure it’s all quite serious.

But the cross of Christ and that empty tomb remind us that it’s also nothing to worry about. It’s nothing to lose sleep over. It’s nothing to sweat. The power of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus takes away all doubt and fear and replaces it with holy power and confidence.

God’s power is made perfect in weakness. And you are weak. You are so pitiful. So am I. We are, together, some of the weakest, most pitiful people around.

And that, my brothers and sisters, gives me great courage and hope.

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Here are a few pictures from the second night of our own personal World Series parade in Arlington. Carly and Collin joined us Friday at the ballpark where we received free promotional giveaway championship hoodies, which are short-sleeved and weird; took pictures with the World Series banner, which looks tiny and insignificant next to that massive video board;  the World Series trophy, which was displayed inside Chuck Morgan’s P.A. booth and brought tears to my eyes; and the huge World Series championship ring that was just meant to be climbed on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace,

Allan

Eight Eggs

August 16, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Whitney and I are on a pilgrimage to Arlington this weekend to see our Rangers for the first time since they won the World Series. Carrie-Anne and I watched the Rangers and Astros in Houston last month, but this is our first time to see the championship banner hanging from the Globe Life Field rafters. It’s the first time to see all the championship logos and bunting around the outside of the stadium and around the concourses. And it was the first time in our lives to hear the legendary Chuck Morgan say, “Your World Series Champion Texas Rangers!”

Goosebumps.

The promotional giveaway last night was a replica Nathan Eovaldi World Series ring. Whitney and I arrived at 4:30 to make sure we were one of the first 29,000 fans to receive our bling. I’ve got to tell you, I got emotional when I pulled it out of the box. To see Big Game Nate’s name on the side of that ring and his number 17, to see the World Series trophy on the other side with the 2023 mantra “Go and Take It!” The Rangers logo surrounded by all that shine. It was another tangible reminder that it really did happen. The Rangers won the World Series last year. They really did. It finally really happened.

I need to preach in this thing Sunday, don’t I?

As for the game, the Rangers scored two runs in the first inning and then put up eight straight goose eggs to lose 3-2 to the Twins. Unbelievably, it’s the 10th time this year Texas has scored in the first inning and been blanked the rest of the way. Leody turned a Minnesota triple into a little league home run with a brutal error in centerfield. Seager had the night off. Lowe and Jung looked lost at the plate. Adolis Garcia was the bright spot, going  three-for-four and nailing a thrilling putout for a double play from right field. But they just can’t score any runs. It was tied 2-2 going to the 9th, but Kirby Yates put two on, wild-pitched them to second and third, and gave up the game-winning sac fly.

It was brutal. They’re ten back now in a race that’s been over for a while.

But, like I’ve always said, a bad day at the ballpark is better than a good day almost anywhere else.

But it wasn’t a bad day. It was a glorious day. For another two-and-a-half months, the Texas Rangers are the defending World Series champions. And every time Chuck Morgan said it, we smiled.

Carley and Collin are joining us for tonight’s contest. World Series short-sleeved hoodies are the giveaway. Pappasito’s is on the docket. And whether they win or lose tonight, we are going to have an absolute blast!

Peace,

Allan

Words Never Before Uttered

August 1, 2024 / / 0 Comments

I said something at the Major League Baseball trade deadline on Tuesday that I have never said one time in my life. Ever. As the Texas Rangers traded for reliever Andrew Chafin, I said these seven words out loud: “We don’t need pitching! We need hitting!”

Those words have never once been uttered by a Rangers fan.

Never.

Being a lifelong Rangers fan has resulted in my being confounded in countless and surprising ways. But nothing ever like this. The team’s putrid offense this year makes zero sense. It’s beyond baffling in every conceivable way. This is essentially the same lineup that murdered MLB pitching last year on its way to our first ever World Series title. Other than switching Wyatt Langford in for the injured Evan Carter (Josh Smith is doing everything Josh Jung did at third base last season), these are the same guys who crushed everything offensively last year. This season, we can’t hit our way out of a paper sack! What is this?

Yesterday was mind-numbingly disappointing. The Rangers managed a lone run against Michael McGreevy who was making his rookie major league debut. He went seven innings. No rookie has gone seven innings in his debut this year and given up only one run. Texas lost 10-1.

Yesterday was the fourth time in the past five games the Rangers have scored fewer than four runs. But that’s where they’ve been all year. The Rangers have scored three or less runs in 54 of 109 games this year. They did that just 64 times all of last season, out of 162 games.

We need hitters.

As a Rangers fan, this is a weird place to be.

Peace,

Allan

Rangers – Astros Pics

July 16, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Carrie-Anne and I put the finishing touches on our summer vacation with a long weekend in the Bayou City. Of course, nobody plans a trip to Houston in July, but C-A had her one-year check up scheduled at M.D. Anderson. Yes, it’s been a full year since Carrie-Anne completed her last chemotherapy treatment and was pronounced cancer-free by our surgeons and doctors in Houston. The appointment  was already on the books and, as our great fortune would have it, the Rangers were also in Houston at the same time to play the Astros at Minute Maid Park. So, our one-day trip turned into a four-day trip so we could take in a pair of games in one of baseball’s best rivalries.

Upon our arrival in H-Town Thursday evening we encountered a significant hurricane-related issue: our hotel was without power and totally shut down. Five days after Beryl, and there were still almost a million people without electricity, including at our Hampton Inn. There was no one there to help us, no one to talk to about our reservations and next steps, no one answering any phones–just two handwritten signs on the doors that said “NO POWER.” We learned over the next three hours that lots of hotels in the Houston area were down and the ones that were operational were all full with Houston residents looking for some relief and utility workers who had streamed into town to help restore the power. We got on two waiting lists and finally secured a room for Thursday evening at one place and for the next two nights at another.

Praise our God, C-A’s appointments were great. All clear again! If nothing happens of concern–it shouldn’t–we’ll do two more of these over the next two years and be totally done with all of it. Thank our Lord! Her surgeons and oncologists have been so wonderful to us, a true source of encouragement and confidence through this whole thing. We are grateful to God that we got hooked into M.D. Anderson the way we did. We praise him for C-A’s healing and recovery and good health. And we continue to pray faithfully for all those who are dealing with this horrible disease.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before and after the baseball games, we did some sight-seeing around downtown Houston, mainly around the convention center and the shopping district on Main Street. We took in some of the funky art around the Chase Tower, ate at the downtown Pappasito’s (of course!), and found Biggio’s, a perfectly spread-out two-story sports bar that bears the name of the legendary Houston Hall of Famer.

As for the baseball games, we scored some wonderful seats about 30 rows up from the third base on deck circle and experienced a blowout win by the ‘Stros and a dramatic extra-innings win by the Rangers. We saw the Rangers’ season-long offensive woes up close and personal–nobody on this team outside of Semien and Seager are doing anything. Whereas the booing seemed to motivate Adolis Garcia last year, it’s having the opposite effect now–the Rangers playoff MVP looks lost. Andrew Heaney gave up a couple of bad homeruns and Rangers-killer Jose Altuve did it to us again. We wore our rally caps dejectedly for most of Friday’s game, but then delighted on Saturday when Nathaniel Lowe won the game with a two-out RBI single in the 10th. This was right after Carrie-Anne got really worked up screaming for Mauricio Dubon to get tossed for arguing an overturned call at first base in the 9th. Big Game Nate did what he needed to do to keep the Astros in check and the bullpen was marvelous, highlighted by Yates’ 1-2-3 10th. The win was truly satisfying and led to some unexpected celebrating with several tables of other Rangers fans at Biggio’s after the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We listened to Sunday’s rubber match on the drive back to Midland, a Rangers win that featured another good start by Mad Max and two two-run homers by Josh Smith. Texas took the series, evened up the Silver Boot standings, and heads to the All-Star break one game back of Houston and five behind the M’s in the AL West. And maybe with some momentum. Hopefully.

Peace,

Allan

A Matter of Relevance

June 4, 2024 / / 0 Comments

The number of times each professional team in Dallas has played in a conference/league championship game/series since 1995:

Dallas Stars – 7
Dallas Mavericks – 5
Texas Rangers – 3
Dallas Cowboys – 0

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