The Rangers won two in a row over the Yankees to to 12-10. Elvis was the offensive star.
*****
ELVIS IS ALIVE.
Originally published April 28, 2016
During yesterday’s pre-game radio show, Texas manager Jeff Banister was talking about shortstop Elvis Andrus, specifically about the surprising year he is having so far offensively.
What he said was, Elvis is doing well because he is batting far down in the order. He isn’t expected to contribute so he doesn’t try too hard. He noted that when he put him in the two-hole the other day for a game, Elvis failed to deliver because he put too much pressure on himself.
It seems Elvis’s worst enemy is Elvis.
Don’t expect anything from him and he will come through. It seems to suggest Banister learned his lesson to never bat Elvis in any position where he is counted on to contribute.
Some people thrive under pressure. Some don’t.
Last night, Elvis hit in the bottom third of the order, where he belongs, where he is thriving so far this season. Last night, with the game tied 2-2 and two outs in the sixth, he tripled in the winning run, his third triple and thirteenth RBI of the season.
For the first time in a long, long time, Elvis is an asset offensively.
And for now, after his monumental failures of October, Elvis has done the impossible. He has made himself unbooable.
It will take a lot of winning game twenty-twos of the regular season to erase the taint of losing Game Five of the playoffs, but Andrus is doing what he can to make that happen.
Will it last? Who knows? Ride the wave while it’s there.
Go, Elvis.
For once that doesn’t mean, Go far away to another team.