I’m so distracted today. All day. Every minute since last night’s come-from-behind win in Houston to tie up the ALCS. Game Seven is in four hours with a trip to the World Series on the line. Mad Max is pitching, which means not one single person has any idea how this is going to go. Nobody. Not even Scherzer. He’s won a World Series game at Minute Maid, for Washington in 2019. He also got lit up in a Game Three loss just five days ago. So, who knows? He’s only pitched once in the past 40 days and he couldn’t get out of the fourth inning. But he’s a World Series champion with three Cy Youngs. But he’s not 100%. But he’s crazy. I know!

Yeah, there’s a lot to consider in the next four hours. Semien and Seager might possibly be about to snap out of their recent slump. Garcia was wearing the golden sombrero when he launched that game-sealing grand slam. Bochy has no confidence in Chapman out of the bullpen, which is where most of us have been with Chapman since late July. LeClerc seems rested. Josh Jung’s ten-pitch walk was huge. Carter has cooled off. Lowe is still hit and miss. Bochy has never lost a Game Seven and Dusty Baker has never won a Game Seven.

So, here comes this good advice from Adam Morris at Lone Star Ball. A timely reminder to relax and deeply appreciate everything about this completely unexpected season and playoff run. If you’re a Rangers fan, take four or five minutes to read this:

I’m trying to get my head and my heart into a place where tonight’s Game Seven is a win/win. If they defeat the Astros in what is now certainly, maybe for the first time, a truly heated Lone Star rivalry, and advance to the franchise’s third World Series, it’s incredible! I’m really happy! If they lose tonight, the Rangers still had one of the more remarkable seasons in memory and gave us unexpected thrills on a six-month roller coaster of gut-wrenching lows and unbelievable highs. The baton is being passed and the Rangers are going to be in the championship mix for the next six or seven years. I’m happy!

Maybe that’s my Game Six PTSD from 2011 kicking in to lower expectations so I’m not too devastated when the Rangers don’t win it tonight. Or, hopefully, this really is the best position to take right now. I’ve been saying all along, since the end of last season, that Texas would make some noise in 2023, that the Rangers would post a winning record and play some meaningful baseball in September, but the Astros and the rest of the AL would be in trouble in 2024. I put all the Astros fans I know on notice a little over a year ago. The Rangers aren’t ready yet to exorcise the demons and make it all the way to the World Series. That will happen in 2024.

That is still my position. But if they win tonight, that’ll just be an extra slice of ham and cheese on the sandwich.

Let’s Go Rangers!
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Allan