The Rangers matched their greatest post season ever

The Rangers went into today's game with a grand total of one post season win in their history.
Now they have two.

To understand how insane that is to double a team's post season success in one day, just imagine if the Yankees played a post season game... and in the process won the World Series 27 times in that day.

Thus the storied history of the Rangers just got some story to it!

Equally nutty... the Rangers scored more than twice as many runs in today's game as they scored in the 1998 and 1999 Division Series combined.

Actually Bengie Molina matched the post season home run and RBI totals of the 1998 and 1999 squads today.

This is why they got Cliff Lee. So much for home field advantage in the Division Series.

Now don't forget. They won Game 1 in 1996 against the Yankees as well... and they didn't win another post season game until this afternoon.

Game 2 is arguably the biggest game in the history of the Rangers.

And let me ask again... are you excited, Rangers fans?

Wow... a packed house in Tampa Bay for a playoff game!

I wonder how many of those tickets were free.

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY... October 6, 2010

Oh wait!
They DO start today!!!

In fact they start in a few hours.

Isn't this the best part of the sports year?

Coaches looking for their first ring

When the World Series is over each year, we recognize that the players on the team have their World Series rings... and accomplished the great goal that every player wants to achieve.

And the managers as well are praised for reaching the promised land.

But what about the coaching staff?
A lot of times you see long time veterans win their first ever World Series ring as a player.

I remember Harold Baines, who meant as much to the White Sox as any player over the last few decades, hold up the World Series trophy in 2005... a World Champion finally after 20+ years not winning one as a player.

Long time veteran Chris Speier won his as a coach with the 2001 Diamondbacks. Tony Pena finally got his with the 2009 Yankees.

That got me thinking... what other coaches are there in the post season who were big leaguers and never won a ring?

It's fun to think about the veterans like Jim Thome and Aubrey Huff finally getting a shot at a ring during their playing days... but who is getting a shot at their rings after they've ended their careers.

So these are the coaches on the current playoff teams who were former big leaguers and never won a ring as a player, manager or coach.

I am not including managers on this list. It should be noted that Ron Washington of the Rangers and Bruce Bochy of the Giants are the only playoff managers without a ring.

Joe Girardi, Dusty Baker, Ron Gardenhire, Bobby Cox, Joe Maddon and Charlie Manuel have all won rings as either a player, coach or manager.




Brook Jacoby

11 big league seasons.

2 All Star appearances.

No post season experience as a player.







Pete Mackanin

9 big league seasons

No post season experience as a player.










Tim Flannery

11 big league seasons.

Appeared in 1984 NLCS and World Series for the Padres.








Mark Gardner

13 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 2000 Division Series for the Giants.







Roberto Kelly

14 big league seasons.

2 All Star appearances.

Appeared in the 1995 Division Series for the Dodgers.
The 1997 Division Series for the Mariners.
The 1998 and 1999 Division Series for the Rangers.



Hensley Meulens

7 big league seasons.

No post season experience as a player.







Dave Righetti

16 big league seasons.

2 All Star appearances.

1981 AL Rookie of the Year.

Appeared in 1981 Divisional Series, ALCS and World Series for the Yankees.




Ron Wotus

2 big league seasons.

No post season experience as a player.








Glenn Hubbard

12 big league seasons.

1 All Star appearances.

Appeared in the 1982 NLCS for the Braves.
The 1988 World Series for the A's.





Terry Pendleton

15 big league seasons.

1All Star appearance.

1991 NL MVP.

Appeared in the 1985 NLCS and World Series for the Cardinals.
1987 NLCS and World Series for the Cardinals.
1991 NLCS and World Series for the Braves.
1992 NLCS and World Series for the Braves.
1993 NLCS for the Braves.
1996 Division Series, NLCS and World Series for the Braves.





Andy Hawkins

10 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 1984 NLCS and World Series for the Padres.







Clint Hurdle

10 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 1978 ALCS for the Royals.
The 1980 ALCS and World Series for the Royals.
The 1981 Divisional Series for the Royals.






Mike Maddux

15 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 1995 Division Series for the Red Sox.








Gary Pettis

11 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 1986 ALCS for the Angels.










Rick Stelmaszek

3 big league seasons.

No post season experience as a player.








Scott Ullger

1 big league season.

No post season experience as a player.








Jerry White

11 big league seasons.

Appeared in the 1981 Divisional Series and NLCS for the Expos.










Tom Foley

13 big league seasons.

No post season experience as a player.








Dave Martinez

2 big league seasons.


Appeared in the 2001 Division Series and NLCS for the Braves.







The entire coaching staff of the Yankees got rings last year. That's why they are not included here.

So I am not sure how much of a factor it would be to want a coach to win a ring. I can't imagine many out there are thinking "I hope the Rangers win it for Gary Pettis!"

But know there are some coachs who are going to be savoring a title as much as the players!

Real Yankee fans should be rooting for the Giants in the NL

It's very easy to be a Yankee fan now.
They've won a ton of titles and are almost always playing in October. They are THE marquee franchise and virtually every huge star passes through the Bronx.

Celebrities are at the games and the new Stadium is the crown jewel of baseball.

20 years ago... that wasn't the case. For some people who are young fans or casual fans, this might be something startling to hear... but the 1990 Yankees were THE WORST TEAM IN BASEBALL.

I was there. It was my first year living in New York. And you couldn't even get mugged in Yankee Stadium (but lord knows you could all around the neighborhood.)

25,000 was considered a great crowd. Nobody knew the players nor cared about the team. And there were rumors they would move to New Jersey or along the West Side of Manhattan.

If you were a Yankee fan then, you were a HARD CORE baseball fan.
They were old... they were expensive... they were bad.

And their minor leaguers sucked. Their free agents were busts. And the managers kept changing.

If you were a fan of the 1990 Yankees, you were the ones who cheered the loudest in 1996... You were the fans who truly savored the Torre years and the subsequent titles because you saw Yankee baseball at its worst.

And if you were one of those fans... trudging to Yankee Stadium to see Tim Leary lose 19 games... you should be rooting for the San Francisco Giants to win the National League Pennant.

The three players who best symbolized the 1990 Yankees are currently on the Giants coaching staff.

Dave Righetti... the last link to the World Series days... was on that 1990 team.

Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens... the very symbol of over hyped Yankee prospects... was on that 1990 team.

Roberto Kelly... the Yankees token All Star and supposed hope for better times before he was dealt for Paul O'Neill... was on that 1990 team.

Yeah that team stunk. But if you went to even ONE GAME that year, you never have to prove your loyalty again. And if someone calls you a bandwagon jumper, you can say "Hey! I was there cheering for Bam Bam Meulens!"

That 1990 team was a good barometer for true fandom.
That awful team deserves a salute in its own way.

So in the NL, cheer for the Giants. Their coaches stunk it up so the World Series nectar could taste sweeter.

A guide for Red Sox fans in picking a playoff team to root for

So the playoffs are starting and the Red Sox are on the golf course.
Does that mean we Red Sox fans should just NOT watch the playoffs?

Of course not... just because our team is dead doesn't mean our interest should be.
Seeing that I was too young to remember 1975, I never saw the Red Sox play in October until 1986, when I was 14. Yet I never missed a post season... I would just temporarily adopt a new team to root for.

It's fun and involves a lot less pain if they lose.

So here is a guide for Red Sox fans to help you make a decision in picking which of the 8 playoff teams to root for.

CINCINNATI REDS

Why Red Sox fans should root FOR the Reds

- It is nice to see storied traditional franchises win. (Do we need ANOTHER Marlins World Series winner?)

- A title would be the icing on the cake for Dusty Baker, a great baseball lifer who had near misses with the Giants and the Cubs.

- WKRP in Cincinnati was a great underrated show.

- Old friend Bronson Arroyo is still pitching for the Reds. How can you not love Bronson?

Why Red Sox fans should root AGAINST the Reds

- I don't care how many titles we've won since... the Sox should have won the 1975 World Series and seeing Cincinnati celebrate again would be too much to handle. Seriously, watch the Ed Armbrister play again and tell me you are rooting for Cincy!

- I'm still bitter that all we got for Bronson Arroyo was Wily Mo Pena. We got snowed.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Why Red Sox fans should root FOR the Giants

- The fans have been tortured in a "Pre 2004 Red Sox" kind of way.

- They lost a World Series where if Willie McCovey hit a ball a foot higher they would have won.

- They lost a World Series because an Earthquake hit. Forget the Bambino... they had a FAULT LINE trip them up.

- You know who... Mr Juicer... is no longer there.

Why Red Sox fans should root AGAINST the Giants

- How much suffering can those fans really be going through? Even in their WORST day, they are living in the San Francisco Bay Area!

ATLANTA BRAVES

Why Red Sox fans should root FOR the Braves

- Winning a title without Glavine, Maddux or Smoltz would shut up the critics of Bobby Cox.

- Jason Heyward is a great budding super star and baseball needs super stars front and center.

- The Braves were once a Boston team... and rooting for them is as close to rooting for a Boston team as we are going to get!

Why Red Sox fans should root AGAINST the Braves

- Wasn't there... ahem... domestic charges against Bobby Cox? And now I'm supposed to root FOR him?

- Braves fans couldn't even sell out NLCS games and their playoff tickets are always available minutes before first pitch. How can you root for a team whose fans don't even support them?

- The Braves broke our hearts when they left town... and has Boston sports ever recovered? (OK, yes, but still. They dumped us!)

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Why Red Sox fans should root FOR the Phillies

- It would be nice to see a dynasty in baseball outside of New York. It might even tick off New York fans which is always fun.

- It's easy to root for Charlie Manuel. He's like Grady Little, but with a backbone.

- It's impossible to NOT root for Ryan Howard.

- A pitcher as good as Roy Halladay deserves a ring.

Why Red Sox fans should root AGAINST the Phillies

- Hey! If there is going to be a bunch of insecure Native Northeasterners with a New York inferiority complex having a baseball dynasty, it had better be US!

- Not that we Red Sox fans are angelic Boy Scouts... but doesn't it seem like every time there is a knuckle head fan being tazed or doing something stupid like vomiting on a little girl, it tends to be in Philadelphia?

TEXAS RANGERS

Why Red Sox fans should root FOR the Rangers

- They are the only franchise to never win a single playoff series. It's fun to see a team finally reach the top and know you are witnessing the best moment in the team's history.

- It is a nice redemption story for both Josh Hamilton and Ron Washington. Hell, you can make the feel good sports movie right now!

- Nolan Ryan runs the team and says "to hell with pitch counts." If they win, maybe everyone else will follow suit.

- The Rangers most famous fan is George W. Bush... a native New Englander.

Why Red Sox fans should root AGAINST the Rangers

- So, Vlad Guerrero sunk the Red Sox last year and sent Papelbon into a tail spin and I'm supposed to root for him now?

- As I addressed in my video, do Ranger fans even care? Would Game 7 of the World Series in Arlington be preempted there for an interview with Tony Romo?

MINNESOTA TWINS

Why Red Sox fans should root FOR the Twins

- Nice people in a nice outdoor park and a cute name... what's not to love?

- 9 years ago they were going to be contracted. Now they are in the playoffs for the 6th time since then. Winning it all would be the icing on the cake (and a wonderful f--- you to Bud Selig.)

- Joe Mauer is a great superstar and having players like him win a ring can only help the sport.

- Jim Thome has played for 20 seasons and played in October now 9 times... but still is ringless.

Why Red Sox fans should root AGAINST the Twins

- There are teams with real legit title droughts... this would be the third World Series title in 23 years for the Twins. Spread the love to Chicago or Cleveland!

- Jim Thome... the guy with 7 post season homers against the Red Sox... I'm supposed to root FOR him now?

- I miss the trash bag right field wall of the Metrodome.

- It might snow in Minnesota. Do we REALLY need to see that?

TAMPA BAY RAYS

Why Red Sox fans should root FOR the Rays

- The greatest turn around of a franchise would be complete... before inevitable cost cutting tears the team apart.

- The Rays can be the answer to anyone who whines about a salary cap and how unfair baseball is.

- Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford and David Price are the kind of stars baseball should be promoting. Having them all shine on the big stage can only help baseball.

- It will take some of the sting out of the Red Sox not making the playoffs.

Why Red Sox fans should root AGAINST the Rays

- I hate the Rays. Don't YOU hate the Rays?

- I'm still bitter about 2008. Why couldn't the Red Sox score a few more runs off of Garza???

- How can you root for a team whose fans need to be handed free tickets to attend a big game? Even their own players crap on their fan base!

NEW YORK YANKEES

Why Red Sox fans should root FOR the Yankees

- You want to test your own personal threshold of pain by watching the Yankees AND Lakers repeat as champions. If you can survive that, you can survive anything.

- You are convinced Joe Girardi is leaving after this year for the Cubs. Winning the title and leaving would be a wonderful f--- you to the Yankees.

- You lost a bet.

Why Red Sox fans should root AGAINST the Yankees

- They are the New York Yankees.

- Derek Jeter would be happy.

- It would make the Alex Rodriguez deal look wonderful.

- You will have to interact with that Yankee fan friend of yours who will be saying "28 TITLES!" all winter long.




So go ahead... pick a team. Cheer them on and have a fun but stress free October.
Heck, a lot of fans rooted FOR the Sox in 2004 and AGAINST the Sox in 2007.

Let's return the favor.
(I'm rooting for San Francisco... who are YOU adopting?)

The Life of Brian's Beard

Whose beard looks more awkward?
Brian Wilson, or the women in disguise during the stoning sequence of "Life of Brian"?