Over.


The Rangers thanked its fans for 50 years of baseball in Arlington with a nice poster and a lousy team.

The Rangers won the last one. Actually, the last two. And, with that, it’s over. Thankfully, mercifully over.

Another lost year. Another forgettable Rangers season. They won just sixty-eight games. Only eight more than last year. 

Rangers fans should have known this year was going to go off the rails after the very first game of the season. The Rangers opening day starter was Jon Gray. As a rule, for future Rangers teams, if Jon Gray is your number one, number two, or number three starter, your team will not make the playoffs.

In Game 1 of the 2022 season, after coming off a dreadful 2021 in which they lost 102 games and won just sixty, after signing Marcus Semien and Corey Seager and hoping for hope, the new look Texas Rangers jumped out to a 7-0 lead in Toronto. 

Soon, it was 7-3. 

Soon after that it was 7-7.

Soon after that, they lost 10-8.

Soon after that, the Rangers lost 93 more games. 

Andy Ibanez was the third baseman. Willie Calhoun was the DH. Greg Holland was the closer.

This 2022 season was a celebration of fifty years of baseball in Arlington. Could it have been more appropriate? In a franchise filled with futility, Year 50 was the epitome of ineptitude. It was their sixth losing season in a row. Never before have Rangers fans experience that much sustained losing. Year 50 was nothing to celebrate.

Usually, you approach the final day of the season with sadness. Baseball in Arlington will be dark for six months. But this year, there was no sadness. Only relief. Like a houseguest that overstayed their welcome finally leaving. Like that sore tooth that’s been killing you finally being extracted.

There is one ray of light breaking through the dark cloud. The architect of this futility was fired. Finally, there was accountability. Finally, there is hope.

This might be the most important offseason the Rangers have ever had. Here’s hoping they use it wisely.