by The KTXT Staff
Can you take me higher? To a place where blind men see. Can you take me higher? To a place with golden streets.
–Scott Stapp
No need for any more assistance from Creed. The Texas Rangers are officially heading to the World Series for the first time since 2011 after defeating the reigning champion Houston Astros in seven games in the American League Championship Series.
In those seven games, we fans bore witness to seven distraught home crowds, four Ted Cruz cameos, three Cuban-born sluggers raking, two highly paid ex-Mets taking the mound, two high-velocity beanballs, and one Mr. Adolis Garcia become an Arlington folk hero before our very eyes.
It was a star-studded, action-packed series.
The Rangers are now looking forward to game one of the Fall Classic against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night, while the Astros are staring down a tough offseason on the heels of their earliest exit since 2020.
Following the first ever playoff series between these two teams, the KTXT staff was once again polled for their thoughts surrounding the series.
Q: “After seven games of pure chaos, do you feel like the series lived up to its lofty expectations?”
Trevor Webb: Absolutely. It was everything you’d wish for in a series like that. Drama, excitement, relief, stress…nothing compares to baseball when it comes to stretching tension thin in the minds of the fans watching the games.
Tim Tschoepe: The game and series lived up to the hype. You had an Astros team coming off a 3-1 series win against the Twins and the Rangers coming off a sweep of Tampa, so I believe the hype lived up to its fullest.
Andrew Fallon: I think it did for sure. Battle of Texas going seven games for the American League Championship Series. I don’t think he could have asked for a better outcome if you’re a Rangers fan, but I think if you’re an Astros fan, you’re heartbroken. I think you have to at least be thankful when there’s seven games and you get that kind of suspenseful series, especially in a series with the Rangers.
Nico Sanchez: Objectively, I would have to say so. If you were an impartial viewer then this series had everything you could have asked for, including an Astros loss. The only thing that this series was missing was the defending champions showing up to the seventh game.
Grace Beene: I think it did!
Nathan Taylor: This is an absolute classic, and save 2011, the best post-season series I have ever watched as a Rangers fan. It had everything: tight pitching performances, red-hot bats from some players who have an early case for Cooperstown, the greatest fans in the country in the greatest state in the country. And a win for the good guys! Who could ask for anything more?
Andrew Watters: 100%. I was nervous the entire time and I was excited the entire time. Both teams, maybe sans the last two games, were fighting really hard. Especially game five. Game five was just one of the best games all season. Point blank period. It 100% lived up to the hype.
Q: “What do you feel was the turning point in the series?”
Trevor: I honestly don’t think the turning point came until Game 6 when Adolis Garcia hit the grand slam. It was still close throughout that game, but when Garcia sealed the game with that shot, the momentum swung almost completely in the Rangers’ direction. Game 7 was a testament of that.
Tim: I would have liked to believe that the turning point was the Altuve homer in game 5, but I believe the Adolis grand slam in game 6 was the big momentum swinger for Texas.
Fallon: No team could win at home. So I think when you had teams playing away, you obviously thought, “Okay, well, I think this could be a big game.” So like, when the Astros were up 3-2 and they went back to Houston, people were saying, “It will be done for them because they’re not good at home and the Rangers could just take 6 and 7, and they did,” and so I think the turning point was playing on the road. No team won at home.
Nico: Watching Jon Singleton pinch hit for former World Series MVP Jeremy Peña in game six was a terrifyingly bad omen. Not only did Dusty Baker feel like Pena wasn’t a viable enough option, but he actually preferred a dude with a career .170 batting average over him. Terrible omen for the series, and even worse for the outlook of Pena’s career. I wonder if H-E-B will pull him from their commercials prior to opening day 2024.
Grace: Got to be the last game when the Rangers beat the Astros 9-2 in Houston. Broke my heart to know that was about to be it.
Nathan: Adolis getting beaned. Whether or not it was intentional is irrelevant to the fact that Adolis took that personally and earned that MVP trophy through spite and red-hot hate for the Houston Astros.
Watters: I don’t think either team ever fully got comfortable. But if I had to pick out one moment, it would probably be Adolis getting hit and the skirmish behind home plate. I think there was definitely a shift there.
Q: Did Bryan Abreu throw at Adolis Garcia on purpose in the eighth inning of game five?
Trevor: I don’t really know, but I think so. Garcia did celebrate after hitting a bomb, so he could’ve tried to retaliate because of that. So I guess the real question would be, “Would Bryan Abreu throw a fastball at Adolis García because García celebrated?” I think it would be a coincidence if he didn’t, so I lean more toward yes.
Tim: I think 98 up and in is a little suspicious, but I also believe that with the situation, it would’ve been weird to do so. To answer your question, yes I do because he made himself the bad guy, so you have to deal with the consequences.
Fallon: Yes. And Garcia got the last laugh.
Nico: Yes, he did. The Astros want it by any means necessary. Just so long as those means don’t include things like getting democratic ground ball outs or hitting with runners in scoring position.
Grace: I’m really not sure. It was a risky game already.
Nathan: I plead the fifth.
Watters: I understand if he hit them on purpose. I can see him being hit on purpose. But I also think if he did hit him on purpose, that’s a really dumb situation to do it in. One runner on base and no one out. If he did it on purpose, that’s not a good spot to do it. And so that’s what makes me think it was accidental. Especially with Maldonado popping up and not trying to fight back. That makes me think that it wasn’t intentional, but I completely understand if it was.
Q: The Texas Rangers are headed to the World Series for the first time since 2011. Can you ****ing believe it?
Trevor: Not at all. Not too long ago, the Rangers lost 100 games in a season. We also don’t have our best pitcher in Jacob deGrom to help our current run. If this is a Cinderella run for the ages and we don’t make the playoffs next year, I won’t even be surprised.
Tim: The Rangers going back to the World Series after 11 years is not the part that is hard to believe; the thing was how fast this team turned a 100+ loss season to a World Series appearance.
Fallon: I cannot believe it. I sure was not expecting a World Series matchup, especially in year one of Bruce Bochy, but here we are. I think this just speaks to how great of a manager Bruce Bochy is. He’s one of the all-time greats, and I’m just so glad he’s taken us to this level in year one amidst all the injuries that we’ve had. I think that’s really impressive.
Nico: No. I cannot believe it. For the second time in five years now, the Astros have done what no team had ever done before, which is lose all four home games of a seven-game series. Not exactly the kind of history fans aspire to be a part of. At least it made sense (sort of) in 2019 with a prime Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin working as the opposition. Excuse me while I go jump off the Chase Tower now.
Grace: I can. They worked hard for it.
Nathan: I still think I’m dreaming. Because that’s just it, I’ve been dreaming of this for so long. It just feels so odd that Beltre, Young, Hamilton, Andrus aren’t here to soak it in. It’s like I’m back in 2010-2011. But I woke up to Semien, Seager, Adolis and Carter of all people, and that’s when I knew that this is for real.
Watters: No, absolutely not. I didn’t believe it. As I was watching the final out, I still was like, “Is this real? Is this actually happening?”. I didn’t believe it until I for sure saw the ball in the glove. Final out recorded. That’s when it finally clicked.
Q: Is this the end of the Houston Astros dynasty that yielded two titles and four pennants in seven seasons?
Trevor: I’m not sure. They’re still the Houston Astros, so they will have more chances in the coming years, but a World Series title may only come if they make some personnel changes that bring in younger guys that can fill in weak parts of their game.
Tim: I wouldn’t say it’s the end of the Astros dynasty. The pieces are still there from last year and you have some good, young talent. I think they’ll be competitive but not have as much of a “win-now” mentality as before.
Fallon: Probably not. I mean, they still got (Justin) Verlander and Christian Javier and Framber (Valdez). They still got (Jose) Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez. You still got all the pieces. I don’t think it’s the end.
Nico: Dusty Baker, Michael Brantley, and Martin Maldonado will all be gone next year. The Astros will be forced to get younger with the likes of Yanier Diaz, Chas McCormick, and – gulp – Jeremy Peña. As long as Altuve and Alvarez are in their primes, the Astros will be a threat, but change is coming for better or for worse.
Grace: It better not be!
Nathan: The definition of dynasty is beginning to become more fluid in definition with the emergence of star power all across the leagues. The fact that this is the 7th ALCS for the Stros’ makes me as an older fan of baseball think that they’re in for more. With that thought, Dusty leaving, and the inevitable shake-ups that happen during the off-season loom. As long as the Astros can lick their wounds like they have in the past after losing the ALCS or the World Series, it’s not crazy at all to think there is more postseason ball for them.
Watters: I don’t think so. I think the Astros are always going to be kind of a threat, especially in this division. I don’t think this is the end of the Astros dynasty, but I do think this is going to be a big hit on it. Especially losing to the Rangers of all teams.
Q: 50 years from now, when you prattle on to your grandkids about the first Lone Star playoff series, what will you recall first?
Trevor: How fun it was. There are toxic fans for every team that wants everyone to feel as terrible about themselves as they do, but every Astros and Rangers fan that I’ve seen the games with and talked to about the series was a pleasure. It’s a fun rivalry that’ll continue long past that series. There’s nothing better than seeing people come together for something as beautiful and heartbreaking as a playoff series in sports.
Tim: 50 years from now, I’ll look at this series with the same hatred for Texas but also with an appreciation that I was able to watch what would hopefully be the first of many “Lone Star Series” played out in the playoffs.
Fallon: The camaraderie between the fans, obviously. I’ll mention that at the time, I was working with a workplace that was divided amongst Astros and Rangers fans, and so it was fun to have that camaraderie. It was such a highly coveted series and a series that had so much to play for in it. That was my favorite part of the whole thing.
Nico: Probably about how Adolis Garcia is the antichrist and how Jeff Bagwell cost us a season of contention (at least!) with the Jose Abreu contract. Truth is by then, I’ll probably just be bitter about where the game will have headed with “innovations” to the game like the automated strike zone and 175-foot short porches in new stadiums. The future will be great for medicine and transportation, but terrible for baseball purists.
Grace: We could have done it if we weren’t so dumb!
Nathan: This is going to be a weird answer, but Jose LeClerc. I keep joking that I bought his jersey on a whim, but I love closers. The last pitch, it’s always theirs. For good or bad. When the final out is recorded, the camera is always on them, and you get to experience that moment with them more than anyone else on that field. That’s what the game is about, and that moment will be burned in my brain for the rest of my life.
Watters: First off, I’m glad you have faith I’m gonna have grandkids! But I think what I’m going to think of first is just the excitement of tuning into every game, never knowing what’s going to happen. Knowing that you’re gonna tune in and hear one of the loudest stadiums in the country, where you’re gonna see the 1000s upon 1000s upon 1000s of super devoted fans that traveled well. They would always show up no matter whose home stadium they were at. I’m gonna remember a lot of shouting masterclasses. All this chaos wrapped up into seven games. I think that’s only to remember most.
Q: Do you believe that the rivalry between these two teams is more intense than it was two weeks ago?
Trevor: No. I think that most sports rivalries are based on “we’re better than you, just wait until we play each other.” After a series is decided, usually there’s a little discourse about things that happened, but ultimately the result is the result. I don’t think the rivalry is greater after that series…but it may reignite if we see each other again in the future.
Tim: The rivalry between the two teams probably is more intense, but if you look at the history of the two franchises, the Rangers were good when the Astros weren’t and then vice versa. So if Houston remains competitive and a strong opponent, then I believe it will become a rivalry.
Fallon: It’s stronger. Astros fans are heated. They’re absolutely heated now. They had that series within their hands. They were down 2-0 and then won three games in a row. They had that series in their fingers and it slipped. It slipped away, and then you had the whole Adolis Garcia thing and Bryan Abreu who hit him with the pitch. Then Garcia hitting the two home runs last night, it’s bad blood from the Astros. I think the rivalry is so, so much more heated now.
Nico: There is no going back. Since Abreu’s beaning of Garcia, there is officially mutual disdain from both fanbases towards one another. The Astros joined the American League West in 2013, and it took approximately a decade for the rivalry to kick into fourth gear. I for one will be praying that we get another shot at the Rangers in the 2024 playoffs. Hopefully next time without home field advantage…
Grace: Oh absolutely! Two weeks ago it was just another Texas team, and now I’m ready to fight anyone in a Rangers shirt.
Nathan: This rivalry is hotter than it’s been…..ever, in my opinion. I’ve always loathed Astros fans but man, you can chew the tension in the air now. The Silver Boot next season is going to spark something electric and violent, and I am so ready for it.
Watters: Part of me thinks it might just be a postseason thing because I’ve seen a lot of people that are like, “Oh, well the Rangers just bought their way to the World Series.” But there’s also people that are like, “Hey, you know, the Rangers deserve this. It’s been forever. The Rangers deserve this. We didn’t bring our best stuff.” I think it’s simmered down a little bit, but not completely. Next year it’ll be back and, of course, people are gonna hate each other again and we’re gonna be right back where we started.
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