Texas Rangers: From Heartbreak to Triumph

November 1, 2023: a night that faithful Rangers fans will remember forever

If there's one word to describe the 2023 MLB Postseason, it would be exciting. Exciting might be an understatement to you, but to me, it was exactly that. In my personal opinion, this particular postseason was my overall favorite. When most people think of the word postseason, they most likely associate it with two teams: the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Fast forward to the 2023 World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers face off to achieve one ultimate goal: the World Series title. The Diamondbacks were seeking their second overall title since 2001, while the Rangers were seeking their first ever title in franchise history. Many baseball fans never expected these two teams to reach the World Series. For the Texas Rangers, they hoped to win their first ever championship and give the city of Arlington and the Dallas-Fort Worth area something to celebrate. Pitcher Josh Sborz of the Rangers recorded the final out and they defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games to win their first ever World Series title that was over 60 years in the making. The final score was 5-0 and Nathan Eovaldi went to 5-0 to finish the postseason, while Sborz earned his first save. Watching Sborz get that final out made me scream with enthusiasm and couldn't believe that my favorite team finally got over that hump that that haunted them for the last 12 years. I recently made a reaction video to the Rangers winning the World Series on TikTok. If you want to watch it, I provided a link down below. It's around 40 seconds and my excitement was genuine.

https://www.tiktok.com/@thecosplayerfromtexas/video/7296707819334602030?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7297670970608584234

The Rangers made it to the World Series twice before: 2010 and 2011. However, Rangers fans like myself would rather not talk about 2011 and what happened. It's best that we'd leave it in the past and to be never rehashed again. Nonetheless, the third time was definitely the charm for the Rangers. They finished the postseason with an 11-0 record on the road, which is the best in team franchise history. Also, they're the third team to win a World Series after losing 100 plus games. The other two were the 1914 Boston Braves and 1969 New York Mets. Despite their hard earned win, Game 5 of the World Series wasn't very appealing to many people. According to the Nielsen Ratings, it was the least watched World Series in history, averaging around nine million viewers.

Bruce Bochy became the sixth manager to win four or more World Series titles. He joins Joe McCarthy (7), Casey Stengel (7), Connie Mack (5), Joe Torre (4), and Walter Alston (4). The other three championships Bochy won was with the San Francisco Giants (2010, 2012, 2014).

Corey Seager (pictured above) became the second player to win a World Series MVP with two different teams (2020 Dodgers and 2023 Rangers).

Two days after winning their first ever World series title, a parade was held for the Texas Rangers in my hometown of Arlington, TX and it was estimated that around 50,000 fans attended the parade to welcome the now World Series champs with a chorus of cheers. Here are some pictures from the parade down below:

In closing, I want to share a story about how I became a Texas Rangers fan. In case many of you didn't know, I've been a huge Texas Rangers fan for 22 years and an Arlington, TX native. Even though I now live in Arkansas, I'll always a Texas boy and a Rangers fan at heart. I remember going to my very first Rangers game at 13 years old. This was around 2001, soon after 9/11 happened and it was me, my now estranged father, my friend from school, and youngest brother. It was a night game at home and the Rangers were playing the New York Yankees, which the Rangers won. At the time, it was called The Ballpark in Arlington. Sadly, this was one of the last good memories I would have with my father before being estranged from him almost a decade later. I grew up in a very toxic and abusive household. Other than that, I had a great time at the game and that was the night I became a Rangers fan. My love for them has never disappeared and I've waited 22 years for the Rangers to win a World Series. It reminded me of Chicago Cubs fans waiting 108 years for their team to finally win a World Series back in 2016. They had to endure over a century of heartbreaks and disappointments. It was worth the wait for them and the city of Chicago. In the case of the Rangers, I'm so proud of this team. Their perseverance and hard work finally paid off. It's a moment that I'll remember for the rest of my life. It's also a moment that Rangers fans will tell their own children and their children will tell their own children and so on.

In closing, I want to give credit to the Arizona Diamondbacks for making it far to the World Series. They're a fantastic team to watch and I wish them all the best next season. As for me, I'm proud to be from Texas and make no apologies for it. When your favorite MLB team wins a World Series, it's a very big deal. I'm looking forward to what the 2024 season will have in store for the Rangers. Side note: I need to purchase some new gear, including a jersey. If you're a Texas Rangers fan, let me know who your favorite player is and do you think they'll repeat as champions next year? Finally, if you attended the parade in person or watched it online, what was your favorite part of it?

One more thing before I go: