Thank you, Texas Rangers.
Thank you for giving us fans our summer back.
Thank you for giving us something to do this summer other than hanging on every pitch, every out, every at-bat, every inning.
Thank you for allowing us to have cookouts and swim parties, go to the lake, the aquarium, the beach, take a vacation, binge watch a show, go bowling and waterskiing and birdwatching, read a book at the beach, overhaul a transmission, skydive, take up a hobby like painting or knitting—anything, really, unincumbered with how our Rangers are doing. Because we know. They are scoring a run or two and losing.
But there’s no shame in that. (Actually, there is nothing but shame in it.)
And thank you for early east coast games so, for those of us who still look in from time to time, can get on with our nights earlier knowing that you have already given up more than the two runs you can possibly score, and the game is over, freeing us up from worry within ten minutes, giving us our nights back.
Thank you for refusing to score after six innings in any game this year, for refusing to come from behind. This is especially helpful on those west coast games when it’s after 10:00 by the sixth inning. We can turn off the TV knowing we saw your best effort, which happened innings one through five, and which weren’t much of an output at all.
So, thank you, Texas Rangers. You put us on an emotional rollercoaster last year from the beginning of the season, all the way through the playoffs, that incredible Championship Series with the Astros, and the World Series win. Our hearts broke with every walk allowed, hit allowed, run allowed.
We invested countless hours.
Thank you for re-paying us by giving us this summer off. We appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Every Rangers fan.
*****
TODAY’S GAME: