It Is October 20 & The Texas Rangers Are 1 Game Away From Being In The World Series

As you can see, standing with me out on the patio, we have a little cloud action on this, the morning of October 20.

It is a relatively balmy 63 this morning. I am waiting for the sun to add a bit more brightness before I take my morning pool dip.

The Texas Rangers are only one game away from being in the World Series. I do not detect the level of mania here of the sort that infected the Pacific Northwest the year the Seattle Mariners were in the playoffs for the first time. I think the New York Yankees were involved at that time, too. Or maybe it was a California team.

If I recollect correctly, and I likely don't, the Texas Rangers are doing much better than the Seattle Mariners did. I think the year was 1995. Maybe later. Maybe earlier. I am almost 100% the Seattle Mariners were never only one game away from being in the World Series.

I do remember that the Mariners were making noises about leaving Seattle due to not liking playing in the Kingdome. But the voters turned down funding for a new ballpark. And then the Mariner's miracle season happened, coming from way back, winning game after game and then getting in the playoffs and suddenly there was political support all over the state for funding a new ballpark. And thus Safeco Field was born.

I remember big crowds greeting the Mariners at Sea-Tac upon their returns to Seattle. Are big crowds going to greet the Texas Rangers at D/FW International Airport? The Kingdome could not hold all the people who wanted to watch the Mariner's playoff games. Huge numbers of fans stood outside the Kingdome during the games. Was a Jumbotron set up for them to watch the game? I don't remember.

Since I have been in the D/FW zone I don't think any of their professional sports teams has done well. Maybe the Dallas Mavericks basketball team has won a championship. But I don't recollect it. I know the Dallas Cowboys have been way more hapless than the Seattle Seahawks ever since I have been here. And yet they still call themselves "America's Team." America likes winners. I don't think the Dallas Cowboys is America's Team anymore, if they ever really were.

It is bright out there now. Time to go swimming.