Remember what it was like to have a blast watching the Rangers? It was a lot less stressful and we didn’t have to worry about which team was going to show up. We had confidence in our pitching, fielding and our hitting. Winning was what made them fun and built that confidence game in and game out but we also had confidence because we knew those teams. We knew the players on and off the field, at least that’s how it seemed. The chemistry amongst the players was so evident and it was contagious amongst the fans.
We had the antlers and the claws. We had the cobra (I think). We chanted “Nap-o-li” and “O-Day, O-Day, O-Day.” We had the slogan, “It’s Time.” We had the franchise hits leader still battling every day for us. We had Ian Kinsler and David Murphy who were beloved by fans.
The sad thing is it wasn’t that long ago but it seems like at least a decade ago because of how quickly this team has had a makeover.
There’s still a tad of that excitement and team chemistry left from those teams. Just look to shortstop and third base. The chemistry that Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre have is what the whole team once had and although there’s not much of it left, we can still get a taste of it.
The two are always racing to catch pops ups and ground balls. Andrus grins from ear to ear as Beltre looks upset after being touched on the head but truth is they’re pushing each other. They’re passionate about the game which is what you want from the faces of the franchise. After all, they’ve been there longer than the rest of the team. They’ve experienced the pain of losing the World Series and don’t want to go through something like that again.
Let’s just hope their attitude is contagious. How great would it be to see the rest of the team competing for popups for personal bragging rights and for the better of the team? Truth is, if the Rangers want to repeat their success in recent years, they need what they once had. They need what Andrus and Beltre currently have.
