Category: Texas Rangers (Page 1 of 32)

Shooting While Scattered

Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Bump Wills…

Thanks to Florida’s suffocating defense that kept Houston from even attempting a shot on their final two possessions, Tim Neale won our church office March Madness bracket challenge and I finished in second place. Tim is our back-to-back office champion, but we don’t know whether he qualifies for the free meal and dessert at our next staff lunch, or if we should buy it for his son, Seth. I finished as the runner-up. Andrew nailed down last place pretty decisively.

In other news, I won our Stanglin family bracket, finishing two points ahead of Whitney and six points ahead of last year’s champion, Carrie-Anne. That means Carrie-Anne’s bracket came off the front of the refrigerator first thing this morning and mine went up. It’ll be on full display in our kitchen for twelve glorious months. It’s just something we do. I’m not certain how healthy it is, but it’s just something we do.

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One of the several reasons we chose Emerson Elementary as a GCR local missions partner is that they are the MISD campus for “medically fragile” students. All Midland public school students from 7th grade down who have special physical needs go to Emerson where they have trained staff and facilities to take care of them. That part of the campus is equipped with hospital beds, oxygen, lifts, and everything that’s needed to support these most vulnerable in our community. They do incredible work at Emerson, work that most people know nothing about.

Our church recently purchased a special set of swings for the Emerson playground that meets the particular needs of those sweet kids. GCR bought the swings and paid for the playground expansion and the installation of the swings as just another piece of our partnership together. The swings were completed and unveiled last week, and our ministry team was invited to play with the kids on the new equipment this morning.

The sun was shining, the winds were calm, and the swings were swinging. The kids squealed with absolute delight and more than a couple of us joined them in being sad when it was over.

We are so thankful to God for our partnership with Emerson and so blessed by him to know so many wonderful teachers and staff who take such loving care of these precious children. We’re considering building into our work schedule some daily P.E. time at Emerson.

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Our youth minister, Jadyn Martinez, has been on mandatory bed rest for the past three weeks or so while she endures the final laps of a high-risk pregnancy. We’re missing her terribly around here, so yesterday we surprised her by showing up at her house for lunch. There was some fear that the surprise might raise her blood pressure and liver counts so that little Zion might come a week or two earlier than we need. But her doctor’s appointment late yesterday confirmed that everything’s still really good.

Except for Jim eating most of Jadyn’s chips, I think she enjoyed the surprise and getting to spend a loud lunch laughing together and getting caught up. Or she faked it really well.

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It was 34-degrees at Wrigley Field last night when the Rangers started their game against the Cubs. The wind chill was 23. And the Rangers were not good. Nasty Nate was uncharacteristically wild–two walks, two plunks, two stolen bases–and the Rangers bats were frozen in the 7-0 shutout loss. I’m not sure if that game has anything at all to say about where Texas might be in a month or two, or even at the end of the year. We’re not reading anything into an April game that was the second coldest in Rangers history. But how they respond tonight in equally frigid circumstances? What they learn and how they bounce back or not? That might could tell us something.

Josh Jung is off the DL and should be in the lineup tonight. I’m hoping that can help get this team over the Mendoza line.

Peace,

Allan

All For Texas!

Opening Day 2025 is finally here and the Texas Rangers are poised to make a lot of noise in the American League, beginning with today’s season opener at home against the Red Sox. I think I’ve got everything you need for today, beginning with this short hype video promoting the season slogan: All For Texas!

After last year’s disappointing defense of their first ever World Series title, the Rangers have made several changes in personnel and attitude so Bruce Bochy can continue his odd streak of winning championships every other season. General Manager Chris Young has admitted his mistake of assuming that the ’24 Rangers would produce exactly like the ’23 Rangers and, when they didn’t, mainly hoping they would “come around.” So, Young never made any moves and, as we all know, the team never quite put it together. Now, Young is vowing to never let that happen again. He’s been using the term “performance-based” over and over for the past six months. Baseball is a meritocracy, he keeps saying. And they’ve made a few dramatic moves to reflect this commitment to the culture. Neither Evan Carter, the team’s 2023 “Little Savior,” nor Dane Dunning, their best 2023 pitcher, are on the Opening Day roster. Nathaniel Lowe is out at first base for Jake Burger and Kyle Higashioka has been brought in to push Jonah Heim at catcher. Here’s a D Magazine article written by the legendary Jamey Newberg on Chris Young’s reflections on 2024 and his “performance-based” priorities for 2025.

The Rangers are picked by many regional and national pundits to not only win the AL West this year, but to take the American League pennant and return to the World Series. I haven’t found any writer or broadcaster picking Texas to win the World Series–the Dodgers and Braves are the favorites to win it all. But there’s a lot of excitement around the potential of a starting rotation that includes a steady Eovaldi, a healthy deGrom, and the electric Vandy boys, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker. Not to mention an offense that should be among the top two or three in the majors. Here’s a Rangers preview from Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Reynolds that includes five bold predictions about those pitchers and the Rangers’ chances in the American League. And here are ten things to know about the 2025 Rangers from the great Evan Grant.

Nasty Nate gets the start in Arlington today against Boston at 3:05.

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

Allan

Best. Lunch. Ever.

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

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

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

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

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