Many of you who read my posts here at Bleeding Yankee Blue know that I have been fed up with the Yankees for some time. I think once Aaron Judge ran into the concrete fence in Dodger Stadium my usual growth mindset gradually moved to a fixed one. Then I said that the 2023 playoffs were exciting and it was likely nursing my Yankee hangover because I adopted the Texas Rangers and I liked what I was seeing. But after Friday night's debacle, where the Rangers dished Jose Altuve a gift—allowing him to launch a three-run home run and take the lead for good—I am back to nursing that hangover again. The Texas Rangers may in fact be the Texas Pretenders and that is no good for us Yankee fans.
Now, I can't full credit for the title "The Texas Pretenders." I have to give some of it to @hammersiny—a diehard Yankee fan who often texts me to ensure I still have a pulse after some of the losses we have had over the last few seasons. The game on Friday night was a pivotal moment in this ALCS, one we as Yankee fans, are all too familiar.
"Both benches cleared as tempers flared in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers on Friday. The game got heated in the eighth inning when Texas’ Adolis García was struck on the shoulder by a 98.9 mph fastball from Bryan Abreu," reported CNN. Now, what happened before that might have provoked the pitch that was nowhere near the strike zone or the batter's box for that matter.
"Two innings earlier, García hit a three-run homer that gave his Texas Rangers a two-run lead and celebrated emphatically, walking halfway up the first-base line and slamming his bat onto the Globe Life Field turf before making his way around the bases. Less than three months before that, García and Maldonado had jawed at each other at home plate in another benches-clearing incident. It all raced through García's mind in a split second," reported ESPN.
The beef between the Rangers and the Astros almost reminds me of our ALCS days against Houston. And I got really fired up watching the emotions among the players and the two very experienced managers who were not having the "nonsense" that only got in the way of the game being played. Which all ended abruptly with the Altuve home run.
The Texas Rangers have never won a World Series whereas the Yankees have won 27. And the Rangers appeared to be the real thing this year, but have they surfaced their weakness? Are they too emotional to win? Are they not locked in whereas Houston simply is? Does Houston play dirty? Yes. We know that all too well. But if Texas is going to persevere, they have to get out of their heads and into the game- keep focused on the game, and how to win. Don't let Houston's little tactics throw you. With Garcia out of the game, it removed him from being available later when the team needed him. With the time it took to the umpires to reset, it took the momentum away from the Rangers and placed it right in the hands of Houston. Which was likely their plan all along.
The Texas Rangers need to stop pretending and take Houston's momentum away. If they want the chance to battle Philly or Arizona, and in many ways, help us as Yankee fans cope with the fact that we are not playing, then they need to get out of their own way and win. Stop pretending, stop emoting and start winning!
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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