Normally I don’t care much that surrounds a team after a championship victory or a Super Bowl title. Maybe I don’t care because it isn’t my team, maybe because years of losing by the O’s, Nats and Redskins have left me bitter, or maybe its just because they turn into Academy Award acceptance speeches and I’m just praying for the music to start playing to cut them off. For whatever reason I felt differently watching the Rangers celebrate their victory with their fans last night, that will send them to their first ever World Series. I was transfixed by proceedings before me, and it wasn’t just on account of Craig Sager’s outfit.

The Rangers won, the Rangers won. Even when that last pitch was thrown I couldn’t believe it. I never in a million years, thought back in April the Rangers could win the American League. Sure they were a good team with, plenty of hitting. But their pitching didn’t seem likely to hold up this year. Well pitchers like Colby Lewis, and C.J. Wilson had huge years, and when the Rangers needed to go out and acquire a front of the rotation starter, they dipped into their deep prospect well and landed a big fish, Cliff Lee. Lee was only a rental player, and the Rangers financial situation was so bad that they needed the Mariners to pick up part of the tab, but Texas went for the gusto anyways. And for every cautionary tale of why you don’t trade away your prospects for an All-Star, Lee is the reason that you do. At the time it seemed crazy, Lee might help Texas get to the postseason (though the Angels collapse took care of that), but he wasn’t going to be able to pitch every game of the playoffs. Even once they got to the postseason, I asked myself if the Rangers did the right thing, they had to face the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees. And since Lee had to close out the Rays series, he wouldn’t be able to go until Game 3, but it didn’t matter, and wouldn’t pitch again until Game 7. But it didn’t matter because Texas dominated this series. With the exception of Game 5, the Rangers were in control of every single game. They might have ended up losing Game 1, but they sent a message they were legit.

While their season is far from over (though for me knocking off the Yankees is like the World Series), but the Rangers and their fans should celebrate what they have accomplished. This was no small feat, as Texas heads to their first World Series. We might think in terms of World Series titles, but winning American League pennants are impressive in their own right. Texas and their fans know what it is like to lose and not even be a contender, so to know that you are no worse than the 2nd best team in baseball, is a phenomenal turn around. The road ahead could bring even greater victory or stunning defeat, but either way the Rangers are a true winner in my book. They give hope to all sports teams and their fan bases, that no matter what your history, if built right you can overcome that and become winners.

A Guest Blog By Fanspeak Contributing Writer Brian Murphy

ALCS Preview: New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers

With a stunning 5-game series win by the Rangers last night, they will host the defending World Series Champions Yankees at home on Friday to kick off the American League Championship Series.  I had predicted the Rays to win the series, but noted that if Cliff Lee keeps his postseason success going, the Rangers have a chance.  That is what exactly he did, performing at a sensational level.  The Yankees do have the postseason experience over the Rangers, who won their first postseason series ever (Texas’ three previous playoff appearances ended with first-round losses to New York, in 1996, ’98 and ’99).  The Rangers and Yankees split the season series 4-4 with a couple of great one-run late-inning drama games, this series will be very tense and a lot of fun to watch!  Let’s break it down.

Pitching

Since Cliff Lee pitched a complete game on Tuesday night, he will not be the starting pitcher in game 1, as the Rangers hand the ball over to C.J. Wilson.  His opposing pitcher will be Yankees ace, C.C. Sabathia.  Both pitchers got a win in the ALDS, however Wilson went 6.1 innings pitching shut-out ball.  C.C. struggled a little more than usual but got the win anyway.   Sabathia has been the Yankees’ horse in the postseason and he is one of the most consistent pitchers out there.  Add Pettitte, the all-time winningest pitcher in postseason history, to pitch game 2 and that’s a tough 1-2 starters to face to start the postseason.  The Rangers are looking at pitching at Lee in game 2 or 3.  Lee dominated the Yankees when he was on the Phillies in the World Series last year and I can’t imagine he will slow down this postseason.  Phil Hughes will look to stay hot after his first postseason performance in which he was great.  If Hughes doesn’t go up against Lee then he will most likely face Colby Lewis who actually shut out the Rays in 5 innings but the bullpen blew the game and gave him a loss.  I would give Lee the edge over any Yankees pitcher in this series, but I like what Pettitte and Hughes can do in games 2 and 3.  The wildcard for the Yankees in pitching is A.J. Burnett, who has been announced to pitch game 4.  The inconsistent, erratic Burnett had a successful postseason last year but did not even pitch in the ALDS due to a horrible year.  If Sabathia, Pettitte, and Hughes pitch the way they have been, I don’t think there will be too much pressure on Burnett if the Yankees get a comfortable lead in the series.  If not, Burnett will have a huge part in deciding a crucial game 4.  EDGE: Yankees (by a smidgen!)

Hitting

It’s no surprise that the Rangers slugging lineup won the ALDS for them.  Nelson Cruz was the stud of the ALDS, hitting .400 with 3 HR’s.  Hitters like Kinsler, Andrus, Young, and Guerrero also provide a lot of pop and make-up one scary lineup for opposing pitchers.  If there is one lineup that can possibly match-up with the Rangers, it is the Yankees.  The Yankees big guns (Teixeira, Rodriguez, Posada) were a little below par in their ALDS series to what is expected of them.  The role players of the Yankees were the ones that stepped up.  Granderson batted .455 and Swisher and Cano each batted .333 in the ALDS.  I think in order for the Yankees to keep up with the high-octane offense of the Rangers, players like Cano, Granderson, and Swisher need to continue hitting consistently well.  This is a tough call but I think the Rangers sport the advantage as of now because of the way they hit against the Rays in 5 games.  EDGE: Rangers (again, by a smidgen)

Prediciton

I did not include the bullpen in the above break-down but I would have to give the edge to the Yankees.  Kerry Wood looked the the 20-strikeout ace of the past in the two games he appeared in, and if Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson pitch well, there’s no need to worry about the 9th with Mariano Rivera coming in.  Darren Oliver looked great for the Rangers, however their closer Neftali Feliz didn’t look automatic versus the Rays as he gave up an earned run in one of his save opportunities and isn’t comparable to the best closer of all-time in Rivera.  Overall, this will be a long, grind-em-out series with pitching being the key because both teams have stellar lineups.  I just think with the Yankees postseason experience and the way they got their swagger back against the Twins in the ALDS after a shaky end of the regular season, they should be able to handle the Rangers.  Texas needs two victories when Lee starts to have a chance to win this series, and if they do watch out with that lineup!

YANKEES IN 6

After playing two of the best baseball games I’ve ever seen in Games 2 and 3, last night’s Angels looked completely flat. Going into the game it looked as though the Angels might have a small advantage, with the rumor that Mariano Rivera wouldn’t be available and the fact that CC Sabathia was pitching on short rest. If Rivera truly couldn’t go, (or would be to tired to be effective) and with Joba Chamberlain ineffective this postseason, the Yankees would be at a disadvantage at the back end of their bullpen. The only reliable option they had would be Phil Hughes, who was coming off a multiple inning appearance the night before. All the Angels had to do was get to Sabathia early and keep the game close.  Unfortunately they could barely touch him, as Sabathia scattered five hits over 8 innings pitched, and gave up only one extra base hit. By the time Sabathia left the game, he had a commanding 10-1 lead and the game was pretty much over.

Now the Angels backs are against the wall and are facing elimination. This was supposed to be a close series, but is in serious danger of turning into a rout. The Angels had a chance early on in this series to make a statement and potentially upset the Yankees, but now they are all but defeated. In Game 1 the Angels still couldn’t hit Sabathia, but errors and miscues plagued the Angels and took them out of the game early. Then in game two, which was a thrilling 13th inning struggle, the Angels gave away that game on an error at the end as well. The true fact of the matter is, that game should have never reached extra innings given the number of times the Angels left runners in scoring position. Game 2 was the deciding game for the Angels, had they won that, this would have been a completely different series.

The Angels look like a completely different team than the one that won the A.L. West and swept the Red Sox in the first round. Their defense and pitching have been ineffective, their hitting is nonexistent (with the exception of Kendry Morales), and their speed has pretty much been neutralized. The Yankees have done a brilliant job of playing their game and not being sucked in, trying to play the Angels game. They have Los Angeles completely off-balance right now. I could see the Angels winning tomorrow’s game at home, but I can’t see them pulling off an upset in New York.

Everything seems to be lining up as 2009 being the Year of the Yankees. But before the champagne bottles get popped, New York needs to go through LA (possibly twice if they face the Dodgers in the World Series). The Angels already knocked off one AL East powerhouse.  Can they make it two in a row for the second World Series appearance this decade?

The Yankees like the Red Sox before them, are weak where the Angels are strong; speed, defense, and pitching depth. The Angels speed was a problem for the Yankees during the season when they swiped 17 bases on them. Even though speed is generally undervalued in the new Sabermetric world of baseball, the Angels are so good at it, and that gives them a big advantage. What is mainly ignored in the statistical interpretation of speed is the unquantifiable, the mental impact. When you have a fast runner on base, you are in the pitcher’s, catcher’s and every infielder’s head. It is enough where maybe that pitch isn’t perfect, or the reaction time to a hit ball is a split second slower, because they were focused on the runner (not to mention the defensive implications of holding a runner). The Angels defense is one of the best in the league and will take away a number of hits as long as the Angel pitching staff can keep it in the park. The depth of the Angels pitching staff should not be overlooked. The Yankees are set to start Sabathia on short rest for Game 4, while the Angels will throw Scott Kazmir for the first time in the series. This could affect tonight’s match up between Lackey and Sabathia. Will Girardi pull Sabathia earlier if his pitch count is getting up there, knowing that he has to throw him again in a couple days? Possibly, and having Lackey on a longer leash could be in the Angels best interest. Another thing the Angels pitching depth gives them is options. The Yankees lined up their starters as you would expect Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte. The Angels on the other hand have the starting depth to switch up their rotation for the best possible matchups. Instead of using their Game 2 starter from the ALDS, Jered Weaver, a notorious fly ball pitcher, in the home run haven of Yankee Stadium, the Angels are throwing Joe Saunders, a lefty. Saunders has given up his share of homeruns this year, but him being a lefty helps neutralize the short porch in right, by turning around Swisher and Texiera, and making Damon pretty ineffective. The Angels put their pitching staff in the best position to win, and wisely went the matchup route against the formidable Yankees.

The Yankees might not have speed, defense, and pitching depth. But they have three things the Angels lack:  power, all-around talent, and Mariano Rivera. Rivera deserves his own category because he is so good that every team wishes they could clone him. They spend millions of dollars on closers to find someone comparable, but never find anyone as lights out as Rivera. He shortens the game better than any pitcher in the baseball. The Yankees have 9 full innings to score runs to win the game, the Angels have 7 1/3. After that point if the Yankees are leading a close game, Rivera is in and you can’t expect to score again. You may hope for a miracle, but that is likely as far as you will go. The Angels aren’t without their own power hitters, but they don’t compare to the Yankees lineup. Top to bottom they can hit the ball, as they had nine hitters with 13 or more homeruns, including seven with 20 or more. There really isn’t a true “weak part” of that lineup, including an entire infield of All-star caliber talent. As for the running game, I’m beginning to wonder if the decision to have Jose Molina as A.J. Burnett’s personal catcher, had less to do with personal chemistry and more to do with slowing down the Angels running game. Molina is much better than Posada at throwing out base stealers, pairing him up with Burnett helps neutralize the biggest weakness in the Yankees rotation. Sabathia and Pettitte are lefties making them harder to run on (especially Pettitte), but Burnett is someone the Angels could run all day on. Now having Molina in there makes it a little harder for Angels base runners. Whether it was an intended strategy or a happy coincidence the Molina-Burnett pairing should help the Yankees in this series. While I’m not a huge fan of the three man rotation in this series, (if it goes 7 games Sabathia will pitch three times) if anyone can pull it off its the Yankees. Sabathia is a work horse and has gone on short rest before. Though it could bite the Yankees, I think they survive and win this series in six.