Yeah, you remember that trade, right? Plenty of naysayers criticized the Rangers for trading away their best player, in 2007. Yet, the package received in return has substantially impacted this Rangers team throughout the 2010 season. Tonight, when the first pitch is thrown, a Mark Teixeira-bartered player will be at the plate ….
Along with closer, Neftali Feliz, Rangers shortstop, Elvis Andrus has in many ways justified the deal that jettisoned Teixeira from the Rangers organization. They’re both 22 years old and performing above the league’s standard at their respective positions. Say what you want, the Rangers are a more complete team with them, as opposed to simply having Teixeira anchoring 1st base. Besides, as we now know, Tom Hicks had driven the organization into financial ruin and keeping Teixeira was not an option.
General Manager, Jon Daniels, has been an aggressive administrator since the day he arrived on the job, a little less than four years ago. He’s made a couple ill-fated deals in a determination to make the team more complete. But, his successful dealings have been more plentiful. Aside from the above transactions, he’s landed Nelson Cruz and Daniel Murphy for the equivalent of nothing. He’s also gambled and won on free agents, like Vlad Guerrero and Colby Lewis.
And, of course, it appears Daniels punched the the Rangers’ postseason ticket by dealing the organization’s prized prospect, Justin Smoak, in mid-July for that top of the rotation arm the Rangers desperately sought …..
Cliff Lee experienced some initial struggles and dealt with the injury bug after joining the Texas rotation. Heck, he lost to the Orioles, a couple times. But, he’s absolutely, positively delivered when the Rangers needed it. There’s no reason to believe he won’t do the same thing when it comes to posting his team to a first game win, tonight, to begin the World Series.
Flat out ….. the Texas Rangers are damn good ballclub.
In the other dugout, the San Francisco Giants exist. Other than “WOW” ….
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